Welcome to the April 30 Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try,  Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.
Here’s how YOU can join the Friday Follow celebration:
–Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
–Grab the Friday Follow button and include on your Friday Follow blog post.
–Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
–Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you’d like.
–Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow.
–Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.
Congratulations to The Mom Road  Friday Follower of the Week! Each week we will randomly draw from all the links, one Friday Follower for the next week’s Friday Follow, and the chosen blog will be placed in the highly coveted number 4 position on the blog hop. We love your participation and want to give back to you! You could be next!

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Primula Flowering Tea Gift Set ($29.99 @ Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Amazon, and www.primulaproducts.com)

Primula Flowering Tea Gift Set includes: Clear 40 oz Borosilicate Glass Tea Pot with a gift canister of flowering teas. The Canister contains 12 different green tea flowers with jasmine flavor. The flowers comes in a sealed foil with a 2.5 year shelf life.  The canister makes over 250 cups of tea.  Each flower can be used 3 times within a 24 hour period.

To Use:
1) INSERT 1 TEA FLOWER INTO GLASS POT
2) POUR BOILING WATER OVER THE FLOWER.
3) COVER POT AND ENJOY THE TEA FLOWER BLOOMING
4) WHEN THE TEA REACHES YOUR DESIRED STRENGTH – POUR AND ENJOY

• Hand Blown 40 Oz Pot
• Loose Tea Infuser
• Glass Lid
• Gift Canister of 12 Tea Flowers

You can also purchase the Primula Flowering Tea Flowers separately, for $14.99, as the tea can be brewed in any glass or glass tea pot.

 

I was excited when I received the opportunity to review the Primula Flowering Tea Gift Set, thanks to Stephen at Bender Media.  However, due to a mix-up, when I received the shipment, it contained only the Primula Tea Flowers (i.e. I did not receive the tea pot or infuser).    Since I don’t own a 40 ounce glass teapot, I placed my tea flower in an eight cup glass measuring cup with hot water.

The tea flowers are individually wrapped and look like a shriveled Brussels sprout when you first remove them from the package.  Fortunately, they smell better than a Brussels sprout.  The flower is actually quite pretty once fully opened.  I’ve read that green tea should steep for 2-3 minutes, so I taste tested the tea after allowing it to steep for about three minutes.  It was weak to my taste, so I waited another four minutes.  It was actually pretty good, although a true tea enthusiast would probably say I ruined it by steeping it too long and by adding sugar. 

I would recommend the Primula Flowering Tea to anyone who enjoys tea. 

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Disclosure: I received the Primula Flowering Tea Green Tea with Fresh Jasmine 12 pack to facilitate my review.  I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed are 100% mine. 

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine.

Because I worked in a pizzeria for five plus years, finding a frozen pizza that passes muster, in my opinion, is quite difficult.  The biggest problem with finding a great frozen pizza is the crust.  Pizza lovers everywhere agree that pizza crust has to be just right. 

Freschetta recognizes the value of a great crust and has four crust’s for you to choose from. 

Freschetta FlatBread is the latest in the Freschetta lineup.  It comes in four tantalizing flavors including Zesty Italian, Roasted Garlic and Spinach, Pepperoni, and 5-Cheese.  The ultra-thin crust is inspired by legendary thin crust pizza and is topped generously. 

Freschetta Naturally Rising crust rises in your oven like fresh baked bread.

Freschetta Brick Oven Pizza’s are reminiscent of old world Italy.

Freschetta PizzAmore’ is finished with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs on the crust for added crispness and flavor.  It also comes with the exclusive Fresch-Bake™ Tray to help the crust bake evenly.

Freschetta also has Singles that are perfectly sized for one.

I prefer the Freschetta Naturally Rising Crust, as I am a sucker for a hand-tossed type crust.  My husband, however, really enjoys a thin crust, so I am excited about trying the Freschetta FlatBread.  While the Roasted Garlic and Spinach is right up my alley, I am sure that we will be sampling the Zesty Italian. 

Freschetta is so excited about their newest product that they are offering a coupon for a $1 off.  You can go online and get a coupon for $1 off here:  http://www.freschetta.com/thin-crust-pizzas/flatbread-pizza/default.aspx

Be sure to let me know which is your favorite!

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and let’s get real about it, shall we?

Flowers ultimately wind up in the garbage and chocolates ultimately wind up on the hips.

Will Mom be smiling then?

Go visit Wickedly Chic’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide at http://www.wickedlychic.com/giftguide/mothers-day and get her something that won’t have her hauling trash or sucking in her stomach.

 

 

She’ll be so happy, she might even bake you something (smelling cookies now…).

Some of the participating businesses include:

 

rock paper scissors (boutique jewelry for a cause)

 

Bring it Up (body enhancers)

 

Pharmacopia (natural & organic body care)

 

Buckyballs (the amazing magnetic desk toy you can’t put down) 

 

Guy and Eva (beautiful jewelry at reasonable prices)

The Guide will run through May 29 and is open 24/7.

Get your credit card out and start clicking away without stepping foot in the mall.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

My husband, Brian, and I originally planned to be married on December 9, 2006. 

Early in January 2006, Brian’s grandmother, Grandma Hig, suffered a bout of pneumonia.  At the time, no one was certain if Grandma would make it until the December wedding.  Having already lost all of my grandparents, and knowing that Grandma Hig was Brian’s only living grandparent, we decided to get married early so that Grandma would be able to attend.  So, we had a very small church ceremony on January 27, 2006.

Because we had already put the down payment on our reception venue, we decided to go ahead with the reception on December 9, 2006. 

We were blessed to have Grandma Hig in attendance there as well.

 

She danced with Brian

and smothered me with smooches. 

   

We celebrated her 90th birthday in 2008…

And both of my kids got to experience Grandma Hig’s hugs and love..

In 2009, Grandma Hig had to have surgery on her colon, which resulted in a colostomy.  She didn’t like it.  When we visited her in October 2009, she told me that if it was the last thing she ever did, she was getting the colostomy reversed.  As she put it, she wanted to “go out like she came in.”

Grandma Hig had surgery last week to repair a hernia and reverse her colostomy.  She appeared to do well after the surgery and was released from the hospital after only 4 days. 

Grandma Hig passed from this life into the next on Friday, April 23, 2010. 

As she walks the streets of glory, I wanted to take a moment to honor her life and say how thankful I am to have had the privilege of having Grandma Hig in my life.

I am thankful that she was able to attend our wedding.

I am thankful that she danced with Brian at our reception.

I am thankful that she was able to meet and love both of our kids.

I am thankful that she was able to get her colostomy reversed and that she got to “go out the way she came in.”

I am really going to miss her.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine