Adoption Countdown

We were matched with a little boy, due March 18th. :-D pregnancy calendar

Funding Our Adoption

My husband and I are adopting a baby from the US and it's a very costly process, so if you or anyone you know is willing to help, we would greatly appreciate it! To Donate by Check: Any checks should be made out to International CARE, Inc. and mailed to: I CARE PO BOX 1603 Bel Air, Maryland 21014 NOTE: Please DO NOT write our name in the memo line as the IRS does not like that. Just enclose a brief note with Melinda & Sean on it. To Pay by Credit Card/Paypal: Go to to http://www.intlcare.org/ and go to the Helping Us page. Specify in the note section that the donation is for Sean and Melinda's adoption. Any amount helps. Thank you!

February 05, 2010

New Year New You Series #14 - Cover Your Hair - CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Celestia said...
My favorite hair accessory from the site is the Cotton Paisley Wide Pre Tied Headband in either black or lime. I can't decide which color I like more!
celestia dot price at gmail dot com



Haircoverings.com sells a complete array of headcovering for women, girls and children. From the Pre Tied Bandanas to the hairbands there are many to choose for each style and taste.


Their exclusive Pre Tied Bandannas are made in the U.S. There are many different fabrics including lycra, velvet, cotton, velour, cotton lycra, terry and embroidered. Besides for being used as a religious haircovering these banndanas are used for cancer patients who have hair loss due to chemotherapy or patients with alopecia, trichotillomania and other medical conditions.



Hair coverings.com has a beautiful collection of hair clips, banana clips, scrunchies, pony holders and jewel clips. They are great for wedding accessories or any other occasion. Some hard headbands have teeth and some are smooth. The hair bands have stones, crystals, feathers, appliqués and other unique ornaments.



They carry wide headbands, headbands with tails, untied headbands, tied headbands, elastic headbands and silk headbands. They have also expanded to carry winter weather accessories such as scarves, hats, and shawls to help stay warm in the cold weather! Berets, hats, pull on hats, ski caps, turbans, hairnets, snoods, winter hats and summer caps can all be found here in many different colors. Right now they are offering 10% off with code: Winterize


Debbie from Haircoverings sent me a winter hat for review and I really love it. It's black and pulls on like a ski cap, but has a bill/brim like a base call cap. It keeps my ears warm, and keeps the snow out of my face, while looking fashionable and cute! They have so many products to choose from, I’m sure that everyone can find something they love on their site!



WIN IT: A Surprise $25 Box Full of Hair Accessories!

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Mandatory- Visit their site, and comment with your favorite hair accessory
2) 1 extra- Blog about this giveaway, and link back to my home page, this giveaway link, and haircoverings home page…and leave me the link to your post in a comment.
3) 1 extra- Become a Melinda Joy Follower via blogger/FB
4) 1 extra- Become a email subscriber
5) 1 extra- Grab my button
6) 1 extra- Become a fan of hair coverings on facebook
7) 5 extra- make a purchase from haircoverings (I will verify this)
8) 1 extra- vote for our kitten, Dewey, here
9) 1 extra- Follow hair coverings on twitter

Open to: Anyone Worldwide!!!
Deadline: March 5th, 2010 at noon EST
Good Luck!

February 03, 2010

New Year New You Series #13 - Qdoba Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

bayctygrl said...
omg I love this place so much! I have only eaten there a couple times, and is was sooo yummy!I follow on twitter @bayctygrl
hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com

AND

ProjectHope7 said...
wow... thisd would be such a great win... we could take ourselves adn 2 other friends out to lunch, or our family. Thank you for the offer.I am a google connect follower.
cathy
bprojecthope7 at gmail dot com


Qdoba is a Mexican restaurant chain that I was recently introduced to. I am not a fan of spicy food, in fact I may be the biggest wuss there is when it comes to hot foods, but I LOVE Qdoba because they allow you to choose the level of spice, or order something that has no "kick" at all.

I love Qdoba for so many reasons. Their food is fresh, wholesome and is easy to customize for specific dietary needs or preferences. Qdoba allows customers to pick and choose what they want on their - Quesadilla, tacos, burritos, salad etc. You could choose chicken, pork, beef, steak or vegetarian. I always get the chicken burrito with black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and guacamole, and it is absolutely delicious!!! Again, let me reiterate, if you don't like spicy foods (like me) you will still absolutely love eating at Qdoba because you can choose the level or spice, or lack of spice in my case. So if you are a wuss like me, or love the super spicy jalapeno flavors they have something for everyone and every palette!



I wanted to feature Qdoba in my New Year New You Series because they have so many healthy alternatives to "fast food" or lunches/dinners on a time crunch. Whether you want to cut carbs, reduce calories or lower your fat intake they have the perfect option. For a lower calorie option they offer the Naked Burritos® and Naked Taco Salads™, which contain all of the delicious ingredients in our burritos and taco salads — just without the tortilla or tortilla bowl. By simply ordering a Naked meal, you've cut 330 calories and 54 grams of carbs. If you're looking to reduce carbs or calories even more, skip the rice or don't order chips. And if you want to reduce fat, just say no to cheese and opt for pork — the leanest protein on the menu.

If you haven't had a chance to try Qdoba, you're in luck, as I have 2 pre-loaded gift cards to give away!

TO WIN: Two of my readers will each win a prepaid Qdoba gift card that has 3 free meals loaded on them.



HOW TO ENTER:
1) Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
2) Follow my blog (blogger/FB)
3) Follow Me on Twitter, and leave a comment with your twitter name
4) Tweet about this giveaway @melindajoy926 (This can be done DAILY)
"Qdoba Gift Card Giveaway @melindajoy926 here: _____(link)_____"
5) Post my button on your side bar and leave me the link
6) Subscribe to my blog via email/google reader
7) Send this giveaway link to 5 of your friends and let me know you did or post this link as your FB status - honor system
9) Vote for our kittens, (new contest), here: http://mvp.bissell.com/mvp_PetDetail.aspx?id=8589992022
Deadline: February 28th, 2010 at noon EST

Open to: US Only

Disclaimer: I was provided with a gift card for review, and Qdoba provided the 2 cards for giveaway

Why send a card when you can send a Cupcake!


I think this is a great idea for a Valentine's Day gift, for those of you whose wives/girlfriends love to bake as much as I do! :)

Surprise someone special with a Cupcake Mix Greeting from Vintage Bakeshop. Each mix is individually handmade using the finest ingredients available including Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon vanilla and rich Barry Callebaut cocoa.

Choose from our six gourmet cupcake mix flavors... Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Chocolate Mint, Ginger Spice and our signature flavor, Champagne. Add a heart felt message to your recipient on the included personalized greeting card, and the best part, they are only $15 delivered!

February 02, 2010

Tis the Season To Do TAXES - Turbo Tax Giveaway!!! - CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Claudia said...
I voted for Dewey and commented on his picture.
February 3, 2010 3:01 AM



TurboTax is the #1-rated, best-selling tax software

TurboTax Online Deluxe:
1) Guides you through your taxes step by step, like a GPS… with special guidance for first-time users
2) Double-checks to be sure you get every deduction and credit you deserve
3) We're here to help with answers at every step



My husband usually has the tedious task of preparing and filing our taxes long hand, but this year it was so much easier with Turbotax Deluxe online. Chelsea with Intuit generously offered to send us a code to use TurboTax Deluxe to file our Federal & State Taxes for 2009, for review purposes. We were really impressed with TurboTax, and how they walked us through every step. We got to certain points where we didn't know how to answer a question, and there were links to click which thoroughly explained what the question meant, and how we should answer it. Being first time home-buyers in 2009 we knew that there would be new parts to complete for our taxes, and TurboTax walked us through each and every detail, making sure we got all the deductions we qualified for.

I would highly reccommend using Turbo Tax for your 2009 (and future) taxes, and ONE lucky reader will have a chance to try it for themselves!!!

TO WIN: One reader will win a code to prepare and file their Federal & State Taxes with TurboTax Deluxe!!!!

HOW TO ENTER:
1) Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
2) Follow my blog (blogger/FB)
3) Follow Me on Twitter, and leave a comment with your twitter name
4) Tweet about this giveaway @melindajoy926 (This can be done DAILY)
"TurboTax Deluxe Giveaway @melindajoy926 here: _____(link)_____"
5) Post my button on your side bar and leave me the link
6) Subscribe to my blog via email/google reader
7) Send this giveaway link to 5 of your friends and let me know you did or post this link as your FB status - honor system
9) Vote for our kitten, Dewey, here: http://mvp.bissell.com/mvp_PetDetail.aspx?id=8589965834&cid=MVP10_Widget_0404589

Deadline: February 18th, 2010 at noon EST

Open to: US Only

Good Luck!

Paperback Swap!!! (get rid of old books and get new ones)

Trade Books for Free - PaperBack Swap.

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