Fantastic Father’s Day Finds: Handy Dad from Chronicle Books

Lady V dZine

I was recently contacted by Christina at Chronicle Books to see if I would be interested in including one of Chronicle’s new books in my Fantastic Father’s Day Finds.  I immediately chose Handy Dads, as I know that Brian and the kids will have a lot of fun projects together as the kids grow.  I thought this book would be a neat way to jumpstart the creativity.

handydad

About Handy Dad…

Handy Dad 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids By Todd Davis

Skate ramps, zip lines, go-carts, and more! In this super-fun book, Todd Davis—extreme sports athlete and host of HGTV’s Over Your Head—presents 25 awesome projects for dads to build with their kids. Busy dads can choose projects that range from simple to challenging and take anywhere from five minutes to a full weekend. Readers are given all the directions they need to grab materials that can be found around the house or at the local hardware store and get to work banging up a sweet BMX ramp or half-pipe, building a tree house or tire swing, or throwing together a slip-and-slide or tie-dye station for an afternoon of fun. With plenty of color photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and detailed illustrations, Handy Dad is chock-full of creative and inexpensive ways to keep kids (and dads) entertained for hours.

8-1/2 x 10 in; 168 pp ; 150 color photographs, 60 illustrations
Paperback
Published in April, 2010
ISBN 9780811869584

There’s more!

To help celebrate Father’s Day Chronicle Books is also giving away a prize pack for new Dad’s which includes a Scout Journey Pack diaper bag, a Scout Walkabout Baby Carrier from Petunia Picklebottom and a daddy bookshelf including, Dear Dad, Handy Dad,Memento, Papa, Do You Love Me?, Daddy Cuddles and Daddy Kisses from Chronicle Books. Retail value of the prize pack is $445! We would love for you to let your readers know about our Help Dad Look Rad! Sweepstakes! Learn more at www.chroniclebooks.com/raddad. Winners will be announced on June 30th, 2010.

What I thought…
The Handy Dad book is chock full of gorgeous full color photos and handy directions for building things as easy as a “bomb-proof paper airplane” to weekender projects like a tree house.  The instructions are incredibly easy to understand (even for a non-technically inclined person like me).  The instructions even include a degree of difficulty, which I appreciate, because I want to know if a project can be finished or not.  I also appreciate the handy dandy knot section in the back.  While my husband was an Eagle Scout, I never attended any scouts.  So, I do well to tie my own shoes.

My personal favorite project in the book is probably the treasure chest, and I can’t wait to get started on Daddy making one for each of the kids.  Oh, and the doll house?  My daughter will HAVE to have one of those…

My husband, who is a technically inclined geeky type, really liked the book as well.

What I would change

I wouldn’t change anything, but I would love for them to come out with a Handy Mom edition with 25 different projects!

How I rate it…

Lady V dZine rates My Privates are Private a 5 out of 5 hearts

Lady V dZine rates Handy Dad a 5 out of 5 hearts.

Where you can buy it…

Available through Chronicle Books.

Win It… Chronicle Books has graciously offered to give one lucky Lady V dZine reader a copy of Handy Dad.

Mandatory Entry: Simply visit Chronicle Books and comment back with the link of one other book you would like to add to your personal library.

***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

Contest Specific Bonus Entries:

1 bonus entry- Like Chronicle Books on Facebook, comment on their wall that I (Lady V dZine) sent you, then comment back here with a link to your share.

1 bonus entry- Follow Chronicle Books on Twitter, tweet them that I (@ladyvdzine) sent you, then comment back here with your tweet link.

1 bonus entry- Sign up for the e-mail newsletter at ChronicalBooks.com and comment back here with the email address that you signed up with.  Remember, to avoid spam bots, please use the yourname[at]domain[dot]com formula for submitting your email address.

5 extra bonus entries- You can typically earn 3 bonus entries for each of my blog giveaways by blogging about the giveaway and linking back to my giveaway post.  However, because I want MORE people to learn about the Chronicle Books Help Dad Look Rad Sweepstakes, I am offering 5 extra bonus entries if you blog about this contest and link both to my post and to the sweepstakes at   www.chroniclebooks.com/raddad.  That is a total of 8 bonus entries if you blog about this giveaway, link to my post, and link to the Help Dad Look Rad Sweepstakes. To earn the 8 bonus entries, you must leave eight separate comments with direct link to your blog post.

Have you entered my other current giveaways yet?  You can earn extra entries into this contest by doing so!

Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for additional entry options.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 06/29/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.FTC Compliant Disclosure- Chronicle Books graciously provided me with a copy of Handy Dad to facilitate my review and is providing the copy for the contest winner.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience.  Your experience may differ.

Fantastic Father’s Day Finds- Treat him to dinner at Chili’s

 

Lady V dZine

Have you been to Chili’s lately?

IMG_5134

I was so excited when I received the opportunity to review Chili’s new freshly prepared menu items for Lady V dZine.  My family and I enjoy going to Chili’s because of the great food and the friendly staff there.  Another important reason we enjoy Chili’s is because you can access the Chili’s Allergy Information online.  With a food allergic child in the house, we love it when we can find out about the potential allergen exposure BEFORE we visit a restaurant.

IMG_5136 <—Here’s the fam.

We ordered the freshly prepared chicken nachos as an appetizer.

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The new menus choices made it difficult for me to choose.  Not Brian, though.  He is a huge Country Fried Steak fan, so he ordered this.

IMG_5139

I was in the mood for something different, so I thought I would try one of the Big Mouth Burgers.

IMG_5135Chili’s has four new Big Mouth Burgers.

ULTIMATE STACKED BURGER™–Two Big Mouth Burger patties stacked a mile-high with melted American cheese, mayo, applewood smoked bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato and crispy onion strings.

AVOCADO BURGER–A warm wheat bun bursting at the seams with fresh avocado, tomato, red onion, pickles, lettuce and Swiss cheese topped with avocado-ranch.

ROJO BURGER–A classic that’s back. Mouth-watering burger with cheddar cheese and topped with a rich, smoky hickory sauce.

SHINER BOCK® BBQ BURGER–Our newest burger to crave, topped with sweet’n tangy Shiner Bock® BBQ sauce, cheddar and crispy onion strings.

I decided to get the Shiner Bock Burger, because I love onion strings.

IMG_5138

And we ordered the Pepper Pals Cheese Quesadilla for the kids to split.

The food was absolutely delicious.

We don’t normally order dessert when we go out to eat, but we decided to make an exception.  Brian ordered the Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie and I ordered the White Chocolate Molten Cake.  We were so overwhelmed by the PORTION SIZE (they were HUGE) of our dessert that we forgot to take pictures, so I will tempt you with these…

Needless to say, we left Chili’s STUFFED.  Our dinner could not have been better!

I ***big puffy heart*** Chili’s.

Chili's Shout Out to Eat Out promotion

Chili’s Shout Out to Eat Out Contest

Chili’s is currently running a promotion called "Shout Out to Eat Out," located at "Shout Out To Eat Out." This contest is centered around telling Chili’s why you don’t want to cook tonight, and you could be entered to win a gift card to Chili’s everyday until August 30th, 2010.  To enter the contest users have to upload a 10 second to 30 second video telling why they do not want to cook tonight. One winner each day will be selected at random.

Want Free Chips & Queso
Join Chili’s email club to get exclusive offers and coupons as well as a coupon good for an order of Chips & Queso absolutely FREE! You should receive your coupon within 48 hours. Who can say no to Queso?

Why not treat your guy to dinner at Chili’s?

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

FTC Compliant Disclosure- Chili’s marketing team graciously provided me with a gift card to facilitate my review.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience.  Your experience may differ.

Fantastic Father’s Day Finds: NachoMamaTees

Lady V dZine

When I contacted Crazy Dog T-shirts to ask if they would like to be included in my Fantastic Father’s Day Finds gift guide, Amy wrote back and said they would love to participate, and that their other site, NachoMamaTees would love to participate as well.

About NachoMamaTees…

nacholog

Nacho Mama Tees will be taking the offensive shirt route.  While some of the inventory will mesh with our www.Crazydogtshirts.com the majority of the tees on www.nachomamatees.com are going to be geared to an offensive tee shirt nature.

Funny t shirts and crazy offensive t-shirts! We love creating cool t-shirt designs and we are funny shirts experts. Nachomamatees.com offers vintage t shirts, unique novelty t-shirts, priceless movie shirts and stylish cool t-shirt designs. Our vintage shirts are awesome. The source to buy funny t shirt online that can’t be beat!

What I thought…

The site www.nachomamatees.com offer a large selection of t-shirts, ranging from funny to offensive and just about everything in between.  The site is easy to navigate and

Here are a few NachoMamaTees that I thought were comical…

Find X shirtDid it at home t shirtYou Rock you rule t shirt

And this is the one that I selected for review…

Flux Capacitor t-shirt

Of course, the Flux Capacitor is in reference to the Back to the Future movie.

The shirt washed well and has no flaws.

What I would change…

I wouldn’t change anything about the shirt itself.  However, as one who does not curse, I would have appreciated if some of the shirts on NachoMamaTees had either been listed in an “Offensive T-Shirt” category, like on Crazy Dog, or not had the graphic shown on the search page, but rather a disclaimer button or something that warned the shopper that the language and/or graphic may be offensive to some viewers.

How I rate it…

ladyvdzzine_blogbutton_rateit_4andahalfof5

Lady V dZine gives NachoMamaTees a 4.5 out of 5 hearts, but only because of the unexpected viewing of curse language.

Where you can buy it…

Shop NachoMamaTees here.

Win It…

Amy at Crazy Dog T-Shirts and NachoMamaTees is graciously offering one Lucky Lady V dZine reader one shirt of their choice from NachoMamaTees.

Mandatory Entry: Simply visit NachoMamaTees and comment back with a link to the shirt you would like if you win.

***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

Contest Specific Bonus Entries:

1 bonus entry- Like Crazy Dog T’s on Facebook and comment on their wall that I (Lady V dZine) sent you.  Comment back with a link to your share.

1 bonus entry- Follow Crazy Dog T’s on Twitter and tweet them that I (@ladyvdzine) sent you.   Comment back with your tweet link.

1 bonus entry- Signup for Crazy Dog T’s email list (http://www.crazydogtshirts.com/servlet/the-template/facebook/Page) and comment back with the email address you signed up with.  To avoid spambots, please use the yourname[at]domain[dot]com format for your email.

Have you entered my other current giveaways yet?  You can earn extra entries into this contest by doing so!

Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for additional entry options.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

A special thanks to Amy at Crazy Dog T-Shirts, who provided me with a shirt to facilitate this review and who is also providing the prize for the winning entrant.

Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 06/20/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.

FTC Compliant Disclosure: I received the aforementioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are 100% mine and are based on my experience.  Your experience may differ.

Fantastic Father’s Day Finds: Crazy Dog T Shirts

***Please Note–This Giveaway Has ENDED. ***

Please see Winners page for winning entrant information.

Lady V dZine

A few months ago, I was brainstorming, trying to come up with Father’s Day gift ideas.  My husband, Brian, has a knack for always knowing exactly what I would love to have and gets it.  I do not share that knack.  It takes me a while to find a gift that I think would be suitable.  I web browse for hours at holidays and birthdays and often agonize over getting him a gift.  Because he is an engineer, I rarely even bother with looking at gadgetry for him, as I know that he would make a much better choice on what to get.  So, I tend to lean toward clothing.

It was on one of these web browsing escapades that I found Crazy Dog T-shirts.

About Crazy Dog T-Shirts…

Birth of Crazy Dog T-shirtscdbowl: We’re CrazyDog T-Shirts and we made it here by accident. A beautiful accident to be sure, and one that has provided us years of entertainment, but still, an accident is an accident whether its spilling your milk or having a surprise kid.
7 years ago, CrazyDog Owner and CSO (Cheif Snacking Officer), Bill, started CrazyDog as an eCommerce project in the dark dormroom hallways of Ithaca College. Forgetting to take down the website, orders kept coming in, and Bill kept filling them, working out of his moms basement for a year or 2 before she stopped making him Meatloaf and told him he better start leasing the space or she’d stop making his bed and folding his laundry. Not long after that we started leasing space in the artsy Village Gate in our hometown of Rochester, NY; home of Genessee Beer, Garbage Plates, and a really nice water reservoir. Several years later our space is 3500 square feet of pure awesomeness; and we run the joint will a staff of 6 who love every minute of it.
Wondering what happened to Bill’s mean mom who stopped making meatloaf? She still works here Part-Time…packing shirts and doing Bill’s Laundry. In all seriousness though, we wouldn’t be here without some great customers. We have tons of original designs, and several that come from our partners such as David & Goliath and Junk Food Tees. We are the go to shop for funny tees, clever shirts and hilarious Couture. We wear the shirts we sell, and we think that stands for something nowadays. Real people read and answer your emails, not robots or tiny underpaid children. We think bacon is the bomb, we still say “The Bomb”, and we love naps. We work hard but have fun doing it. We are everything you think a company should be, and we stand by our promise to give you the quality shirts you deserve.
If you are unhappy with your purchase, send it on back and pick a new one! So give us a call, join the party on Facebook, Tweet us on Twitter, read the blog or peruse the site and have a giggle at some of the tees. Questions? Ask. Have a happy story to share? Email us, we love to hear it! Complaints? Speak loudly into our garbage can. We’re looking forward to having you as a customer and joining the fam. Cheers to happy accidents!

What I thought…

The site www.Crazydogtshirts.com offers a large selection of t-shirts, ranging from funny to weird and just about everything in between.  The site is easy to navigate and

Here are a few shirts from Crazy Dog T-shirts that I thought were neat…

Caffeine Addicted t shirtGizmo shirtAwesome Hands Shirt

Here is the one that I chose for Brian…

Ghostbusters t-shirt

He loves the Ghostbusters movies!

The Ghostbuster shirt is a licensed t-shirt as described on the Crazy Dog site.  As an added bonus, it glows in the dark.  I can’t wait for Brian to wear it to a bonfire!  The shirt washed well and has no flaws.

What I would change…

I wouldn’t change anything about the shirt from Crazy Dog or the site itself.

How I rate it…

Lady V dZine rates My Privates are Private a 5 out of 5 hearts

Lady V dZine rates Crazy Dog T-shirts  a 5 out of 5 hearts.

Where you can buy it…

Shop Crazy Dog T-shirts here.

Win It…

Amy at Crazy Dog T-shirts is graciously offering one Lucky Lady V dZine reader one shirt of their choice from Crazy Dog T-shirts.

Mandatory Entry:Simply visit Crazy Dog T-shirts and comment back with a link to the shirt you would like if you win.

***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

Contest Specific Bonus Entries:

1 bonus entry- Like Crazy Dog T’s on Facebook and comment on their wall that I (Lady V dZine) sent you.  Comment back with a link to your share.

1 bonus entry- Follow Crazy Dog T’s on Twitter and tweet them that I (@ladyvdzine) sent you.   Comment back with your tweet link.

1 bonus entry- Signup for Crazy Dog T’s email list (http://www.crazydogtshirts.com/servlet/the-template/facebook/Page) and comment back with the email address you signed up with.  To avoid spambots, please use the yourname[at]domain[dot]com format for your email.

Have you entered my other current giveaways yet?  You can earn extra entries into this contest by doing so!

Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for additional entry options.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

A special thanks to Amy at Crazy Dog T-Shirts, who provided me with a shirt to facilitate this review and who is also providing the prize for the winning entrant.

Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 06/20/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.

FTC Compliant Disclosure: I received the aforementioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are 100% mine and are based on my experience.  Your experience may differ.

Fantastic Father’s Day Finds: A Free Night from I Love Inns

Lady V dZine
Do you have a dream vacation?

bed&breakastguide

I have always dreamed about visiting the East Coast in the Fall and staying at a Bed & Breakfast.  I love Bed & Breakfast’s.  I love to learn the stories behind how each one came to exist as a Bed & Breakfast. I recently received a complimentary copy of the I LOVE INNS guide to “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns.”  It was there that I found Parkside on Ellery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  What a gorgeous place!  I am adding Parkside on Ellery to my Bucket List.

Parkside on Ellery GalleryCirca 1865. Built in 1865 and renovated for modern comforts, Parkside on Ellery boasts all the comforts of home and the privacy of a hotel. This bed and breakfast in Cambridge, Massachusetts is just a ten-minute walk to Harvard Square. It is perfectly located for a day trip to historic Boston. Three elegant guest bedrooms are well appointed and feature private entrances and Internet access. The Victorian Room has dark wood furnishings and warm colors. A crisp, white décor awaits in the cheery Cambridge Room and a wall of shelves lined with books is inviting in the rich Scholar Room. A continental breakfast is served in-room.
Read more: http://www.iloveinns.com/parkside-on-ellery-id36843.html#ixzz0pZiC0Qkh

Often times, you do not have to travel far from home to find a Bed & Breakfast.  One of the local Bed & Breakfasts that I would love to stay at is The Beall Mansion in Alton, Illinois.

Beall Mansion, An Elegant B&B GalleryCirca 1903. An eclectic blend of Neoclassic, Georgian and Greek Revival styles, the mansion was designed as a wedding gift by world renown architect, Lucas Pfeiffenberger. Original woodwork, eleven and a half-foot ceilings, leaded-glass windows, pocket doors, crystal chandeliers and imported marble and bronze statuary reflect the era’s opulence. Elegantly appointed guest bedrooms are unique in size and decor. Each includes a private bath with shower and clawfoot tub or whirlpool for two, imported marble floor and chandelier. Voted “Illinois Best Bed & Breakfast” by Illinois Magazine’s Readers Poll.
Read more: http://www.iloveinns.com/beall-mansion-an-elegant-id6144.html#ixzz0pZh2jfLW

I would also love to visit Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, which is home to several really neat B&B’s.

Book Description (per http://www.iloveinns.com/)…

What would life be like if you took more frequent getaways – the kind of little trip that renews your sense of joy and wonder? What if you planned a trip for every anniversary and birthday instead of just dutifully going to a restaurant?bed&breakastguide

Each copy contains a certificate, valid at any bed and breakfast listed in the guide, that can be redeemed for a free-night’s stay with purchase of the first night* – an offer that can help you save hundreds of dollars on your next trip. Here’s how to start planning adventures and meet your travel goals.

  • Purchase your copy of Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns today.
  • Choose from the more than 1,400 B&Bs and Country Inns who participate in the program.
  • Go to iLoveInns.com/freenight and search additional properties added since publication.
  • Make travel goals – you could save hundreds of dollars at many of the participating inns.
  • Set your dates and insert a calendar into your new book!

So many of you have shared your wonderful B&B experiences with us. There is nothing so rewarding to us at American Historic Inns than to hear how much joy our books make possible! And to give you a free night worth an average of $142 — really makes us feel good!

* Check with individual inns for blackout dates and other restrictions.

What I thought…

I sat and drooled looked at my copy of the I LOVE INNS guide to “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns.”  I am absolutely in LOVE with it.  I can’t wait to start booking our getaways!

What I would change…

I wouldn’t change a thing about the guide.

How I rate it…

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Lady V dZine gives I LOVE INNS guide to “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns”  five out of five hearts.

Where you can buy it…

You can buy your own copy of the I LOVE INNS guide to “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns” on iloveinns.com

Win It: Three lucky Lady V dZine reader will receive their own copies of Bed & Breakfasts WITH a Free Night from I LOVE INNS.

Mandatory Entry: Simply visit iloveinns.com and drool over their incredible list of Bed and Breakfasts. Then come back here and leave a link to one of their inns where you would like to spend a long weekend.

***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

Contest Specific Bonus Entries:

1 bonus entry- Follow iLoveinns on Twitter, tweet them that I (@ladyvdzine) sent you, and comment back with the tweet link.

1 bonus entry- Like iLoveinns on Facebook, post on their wall that (Lady V dZine) I sent you, and comment back here letting me know you did.

1 bonus entry- Write a Review at I LOVE INNS for one of the places you’ve already stayed. Then come back here and tell me about it (leave the name of the Inn so I can check it out!)

1 bonus entry- If you have an iPhone, download the free B&B application InnTouch, then come back and tell me about it.

Have you entered my other current giveaways yet?  You can earn extra entries into this contest by doing so!

Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for additional entry options.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

A special thanks to Deborah at I Love Inns who provided me with a complimentary copy of the I LOVE INNS guide to “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns” to facilitate this review, and who is generously providing the copies for the lucky Lady V dZine readers.

Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 06/19/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.

FTC Compliant Disclosure: I received the aforementioned product to facilitate this review.  No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are 100% mine and are based on my experience.  Your experience may differ.