*giveaway is closed*

When I think of Nintendo Wii and video games, I do not immediately think of relaxation and meditation. But that’s exactly what I was in for while playing the Leela Wii game. I’m being serious, y’all.

Healing expert and renowned author Deepak Chopra, M.D. has teamed up with gaming giant THQ to create a new type of video game experience: Leela, which means “pastime, sport, or play” in Sanskrit.

Deepak Chopra’s Leela is inspired by the ancient system of Chakras, which are the body’s seven energy centers through which the life force flows, helping us to maintain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance. By using the Wii motion technology, players can focus their attention on specific parts of their bodies to relax and develop a flow state. This is hippie talk for it’s supposed to help you chill out.

Leela consists of two main modes, REFLECT and PLAY. With REFLECT, you can listen as Deepak guides you through traditional meditation practices. You can also choose silent meditation, which are sound meditations that include a time limit you set for yourself. I had a difficult time reflecting because my phone was ringing, and my three year old kept asking for a grilled cheese.

With PLAY, you can get down with Leela through games and active participation. Leela’s seven Movements are games that engage your body, mind, and spirit. Each Movement has seven levels, and you unlock each level by completing the previous level. Here I am in Movement One-Origin, where I used the Wii remote to control my planet and guide it to thrive and bloom by watering and sunning virtual trees and mushrooms at the appropriate times to create energy.

As I expected, being a mushroom farmer is hard. What I didn’t expect was to enjoy this game so much. There are no points or time limits, and I found Leela to be somewhat relaxing. Even if I had to stop and make a grilled cheese.

Enough about me, what about you?

Would you like to win your very own copy of Leela? What about your very own Wii?

This is pretty much the best giveaway ever. To be entered for a chance to win Deepak Chopra’s Leela game, provided by THQ, and your very own Nintendo Wii console, provided by BlogHer, just tell me: “How do you find balance and peace?”

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/11/2011 – 12/8/2011.

Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Also check out the Leela Mandala Facebook App to create and customize your own personal “mandala” – artwork that expresses an individual’s unique essence and intentions.

Good luck!

Bare Escentuals believes Beauty is a force.

We aren’t talking about “oh, she’s so pretty” here folks, we are talking about true beauty. I believe beauty comes from the inside; it is a force, like empathy and compassion. That’s beauty, and we all have it. We are all capable of being beautiful.

I love the bareMinerals® message about beauty so much, and I was stoked to try the bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow.

I received the READY Eyeshadow 2.0 The Promise, and it contains ‘Vow‘ + ‘Aspire‘. Isn’t that just fabulous?

I have never tried mineral makeup before, and I was hesitant that it would, you know, actually stay on my face.  bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow is made with positively-charged sea minerals created through a unique cold-pressed method resulting in pure color that’s wicked long-wearing and amazingly blendable. And! It contains anti-aging benefits, like antioxidant protection and depuffing.

Not only did the Eyeshadow stay put on my eyes, it also serves as a reminder. I am a force, dammit.

May the force (of beauty) be with you.

***

How do you define a Force of Beauty? Share your thoughts and opinion in the comments section for your chance to win a bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 2.0.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from October 25 – November 30, 2011.

Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win. For even more information about the Force of Beauty, like Bare Escentuals® on their Facebook page.

Good luck!

As I get older, my skin is beginning to revolt.

I have more breakouts now at 35 than I did as a teenager. My new personal favorite: Getting a pimple in a wrinkle.

Not awesome.

I was recently given the opportunity to try the new Olay Professional Pro-X Clear skin line, which is oil-free and specifically designed with the needs of mature skin in mind and contains clinically proven fancy face technology to control breakouts PLUS reduce the appearance of pores and refine texture in less than a month.

To me, this means your zits adult acne will go away quickly and your wrinkles appear less noticeable in like less than four weeks.

Most acne treatments are designed for Justin Bieber’s biggest fans AKA people young enough to be my children.  This limits skin care options for women with acne prone skin because grown up skin has special grown up needs.  According to the American Academy of Dermatology, over half the women in the U.S. between 25 and 58 have some form of acne.

FYI and probably TMI: My acne seems to be hormone related.

Olay Professional Pro-X Clear consists of three steps.

1.   Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Pore Clarifying Cleanser I washed my face nightly with this cleanser that contains a salicylic acid that reduces oil and removes dead skin to prevent new acne from forming.

2.  Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Skin Clearing Treatment  After washing my face, I applied this full face leave-on salicylic acid lotion designed to bring acne under control and prevent future breakouts.

3.  Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Complexion Renewing Lotion  The last step is a sheer moisturizer that hydrates and helps fade the look of spots and redness for a overall renewed appearance.  I have debated using this lotion on my entire 35 year old body, I love it so.

Verdict:  Olay Professional Pro-X Clear worked for me and my zits acne and I’m old enough to be the Biebs mom.

BlogHer is giving away a $50 gift card to drugstore.com and you know you want it.

So leave a comment and tell me, What’s your biggest challenge regarding your skin?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open between October 3rd – November 3rd and to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here and you can check out the BlogHer round up pagefor more chances to win.

Speaking of taking care of your skin, this post by Roxanna Sarmiento in the Life Well Lived section of BlogHer.com has some cool tips for healthy skin habits.

Good luck!

Confession: I am 35 and I don’t really know how to wear makeup.

This mostly stems from the panic I feel when trying to purchase makeup. I’m all, “There are too many choices, gah, what do I do” and then I panic and leave the store.

When I was approached by Mary Kay to try their products, I was a bit skeptical. I was sure I would be an embarrassment to Mary Kay and makeup aficionados everywhere with people referring to my post as a how not to guide for your face.

The precious packaging helped me to be less afraid.

I received the Mary Kay TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set step one and two, Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara, a Mary Kay Compact Mini and a Mary Kay Creme Lipstick.

I started with Step One of the TimeWise Microdermabrasion, Refine, because I figured this is the one step I couldn’t screw up. The advanced exfoliator states if fights fine lines, refines pores for immediately smooth skin.

I debated using it on my entire body, but I followed the directions and applied it to my face only. It hurts a bit, but beauty is pain and besides, that’s how you know the exfoliating crystals are working.

Step Two of the Microdermabrasion process is Replenish, a rich serum that contains vitamins and antioxidants and nourishes the skin revealed by Step One.

I couldn’t stop using this serum, y’all. It made my face soft and seemingly un-35 years old. This is the highest compliment I can give a beauty product.

On to the makeup part.

I started with a blank canvas.

After applying a bit of my own concealer and tinted moisturizer, I applied the Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara in black. I usually wear brown mascara, so I was skeptical to use something so dark. I used one coat and it went on like a dream, mostly because of the brush on the mascara, it seemed to hold the correct amount of the product and managed to separate and sculpt each individual lash.

Next I moved onto the Compact Mini. It contains three mineral eye shadows and a cheek color. These colors are artfully arranged in the compact that also happens to be magnetized and you can switch the colors out. The blush, Cherry Blossom, went on light and was very subtle. The eye shadow colors, Silver Satin, Iris and Sweet Cream threw me for a loop.

I sparingly applied Sweet Cream to the eye and then the Iris close to eyelid and I LOVED it. It made my blue eyes totally pop and I really didn’t even notice the purple, I mean, Iris.

The Creme Lipstick in Fuchsia is normally not a color I would purchase, but it went on just right and seemed to bring the whole look together.

I ran to my daughter’s school to drop her lunch off after my morning makeup party and when she saw me, she said, “You look very pretty, like you got a lot of sleep”.

Mary Kay for the WIN.

Mary Kay wants to give one of ZDub’s readers a Mary Kay gift pack worth $100!  Leave me a comment below and let me know what beauty product can you absolutely not live without-like mascara or lip balm-and one winner will be selected.

The giveaway runs 9/22-10/16/2011.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods. No duplicate comments please.

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and you can read up on the official rules here.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

And check out this page to read more Mary Kay blogger reviews so you can enter their giveaways for even more chances to win!

Good luck!

Last month we had the pleasure of shopping our faces off at REI.  We had a $250 gift card to spend on goods for our family to enjoy and I think we did a fine job.

We had every intention of going camping before school started. I won’t name any names, but some people in the house are afraid of the dark (see photo below) and aren’t on board with this plan. Yet.

So we picked up things to keep us outdoors. Where the lighting is superb.

I selected this SuperDisc for my ten year old daughter.  SuperDisc=frisbee.

My three year old isn’t much of a frisbee aficionado, he ducks every time my daughter hurls delicately aims it at his head hands.

While he isn’t into discs, my three year old is wicked into searching for bugs. My husband picked out this Roly Poly Playground for him and the top flips open and you can move your bugs into a palatial bug home, complete with their very own air holes.

We have always coveted a hammock and guess what? REI delivered. The Byer Amazonas Paradiso Double Hammock is a brazilian style and this means you sit in it diagonally and wish you could live in it.  (Editor’s note:  We deliberately meant for the hammock to rest just inches from the ground due to the three year old confusing the hammock with a trampoline.)

Just in case we can ever convince the children to sleep outside in the dark, we purchased a Primus stove. Because you gots to eat.

Even if it is just roasted marshmallows on your deck in broad daylight.

What outdoor activity do you pledge to do with your family this summer and how would a $100 REI gift card help you get there? Take the REI Outdoor Pledge and submit your comment to be entered!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and runs from 9/7 – 9/27 .

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here  and you can head on over to the  the BlogHer Roundup Page for more chances to win.

Good luck!