Celebrate National Doughnut Day with an Entenmann's Giveaway (Open to U.S. only, 18+; ends 6/17/2015)

National Doughnut Day is June 5, 2015. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than picking up a pack of doughnuts to share with my loved ones (or pick up a pack and eat them all before I get home; either, way there's doughnuts involved!). This year, Entennman's (you know, the company that produces packaged, delicious baked goods?) is celebrating with a new product: Rich Frosted Patriotic Donut Eight Pack. Kelly, over at Kelly's Thoughts on Things, is helping to promote this product. Read on to found out why!

“Our new Patriotic Donut combines the classic fan favorite of our Rich Frosted Donut with an American flare that we know will bring out the red, white and blue in consumers nationwide,” said Entenmann’s Head Baker Kathleen Robbins.

The Salvation Army established National Donut Day in 1938 to honor the “Donut Lassies,” who served the treats to the soldiers during World War I. 2015 is the Salvation Army's 150th anniversary, so this year's Donut Day is a truly special occasion. To celebrate, Entenmann's is hosting a National Donut Day campaign with a Facebook Sweepstakes that will benefit both consumers and the Salvation Army: the Sweepstakes is set to offer consumers a variety of delicious prizes, and Entenmann's will donate $1 to The Salvation Army for each sweepstakes entry received during the campaign, up to $30,000! You can enter the Entenmann's Sweepstakes on their Facebook page.

Entenmann's has created a sweet and iconic treat to celebrate National Donut Day.  Introducing … Entenmann's new Rich Frosted Patriotic Donut Eight Pack that combines the classic fan favorite of their Rich Frosted Donut with star-studded, red, white and blue sprinkles. This new product will be introduced just before this year's National Donut Day celebration in June.

In addition to the Sweepstakes, I'm helping to promote a giveaway for an Entenmann’s insulated canvas lunch bag and five $7 coupons! Enter below.

The Giveaway is open to US only, 18+; ends 6/17/15 at 11:59p est.

Be sure to come back daily for more chances to win!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: This blog is not responsible for this giveaway or prize fulfillment.

The Calphalon Classic SharpIN™ Forged 12-pc. Giveaway (Open to US only; 18 and up; ends 6/25/2015)

As you've probably gathered by now, I love to cook. I am also addicted to Chinese food, which means I love to make chicken stir fry, which means I have to cut chicken a lot. I do not particularly like cutting up raw chicken, and I am especially not fond of cutting up raw chicken with dull, weak knives. My friend Christina over at Mom Knows Best 2 understands my dilemma; she is very picky when it comes to her kitchen knives. Christina says that she has tried a lot of knives, and that the Calpahalon classic knife block set with self sharpen technology is one of the best. Below is what she has to say about them:

When preparing food, I can't stand it when I can't cut through the food without any problems. With Calphalon's new knife block set with sharpeners helps keep the knives sharp, every time you put a knife in or take it out, you are sharpening a knife. SharpIN is a cutlery set which features ceramic sharpeners built right in to all the straight edge knife slots. These in block sharpeners ensure that knives are effortlessly sharpened every time they are removed or replaced, or remember to sharpen before you start. With normal use, Calphalon SharpIN knives stay sharp for a lifetime.    

The knife blades are high carbon, no stain steel. The handles are triple riveted, hygienic poly resin. The block is made of maple finish. Handmade only. Do not wash in dishwasher. Calphalon Classic Self-Sharpening 12-pc. Cutlery Set with SharpIN Technology. This set includes:

• 8-in. Chef’s Knife
• 6-in. Serrated Utility Knife
• 5-in. Santoku
• 4.5-in. Parer
• 6 Steak Knives
• Kitchen Shears
• Sharpening Knife Block

Knives stay sharp for a lifetime with Calphalon Classic Self-Sharpening Cutlery featuring SharpIN™ Technology. Sharpeners are built right into the block, automatically sharpening straight edge knives every time you remove them from the block to ensure peak sharpness at the start of every cutting task. Knives are made from high-carbon, no-stain forged steel, and feature full tang construction and a comfortably balanced, triple-riveted handle. In addition, knife handles are labeled so you can always pull the correct knife out of the block. The Calphalon Classic SharpIN™ Forged 12-pc. Cutlery Set includes a great selection of essential knives for dicing, chopping and more, plus six steak knives, too.

Benefits of the set include:

• Built-in ceramic sharpeners automatically sharpen knives with every use.
• Forged, high-carbon, no-stain steel. (Steak knives made from stamped steel)
• Full Lifetime Warranty.
• Full tang design for strength and balance.
• Labeled handles for easy identification in the block.
• Triple-riveted handles are contoured for a secure grip.

Christina says that these knives cut through onions and tomatoes like butter. I would love to have a set of these knives in my kitchen! If you agree with me, you can learn more/connect with Calphalon by clicking: shop/ Facebook. You can also enter the giveaway below. One winner will receive this 12-piece knife set. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Into the Dark Book 3 News (and a Contest!)

Good news, fellow book lovers! Bree Despain's latest series, Into the Dark, will, in fact, have three books. It was uncertain whether or not the third book would be published because of a publishing conflict (Despain's original publisher Egmont went out of business, and it was uncertain whether her new publisher, Lerner Books, would agree to contract a third book).

According to Bree Despain, "Yes, there will be a third book in the Into The Dark series! Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Books, will be publishing Book 3 (most likely in Fall 2016). That means Haden and Daphne will get the ending to their story that I always envisioned!"

That also means that the fans (myself included) will get to read the ending that Daphne and Haden deserve. Yay!

To celebrate this announcement (and her excitement), Bree Despain is hosting a contest.

One lucky winner will receive the Grand Prize, which consists of:
Having a character named after you in Into The Dark Book 3.
A Cupid's Arrow Ring.
And (because Daphne and Haden love music so much): a $25 iTunes giftcard.

Three runners up will win:
A Cupid's Arrow Ring and an Into The Dark swag pack.

All you have to do to enter is solve the following anagram and then use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A SHARE UNTOLD

Hints:
3 words
Reading THE ETERNITY KEY will help you solve the puzzle.
Daphne's gifts. 

Rules:
U.S. Residents only.
The contest is open until May 26, 2015 (so if you need a little help solving the puzzle, you have enough time to read THE ETERNITY KEY).
The winners names will be posted on Bree Despain's blog on May 28th. Winners will have 30 days to claim their prize or else their prize will be forfeit.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book of the Month - May 2015

This month's book of the month is none other than The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain. If you've been following along with my posts and social media, this really shouldn't come as a surprise. My mom was selected to be a Series Ambassador for Bree Despain's Into the Dark series, and I, as her self-proclaimed junior helper, have taken on the responsibility of promoting this new-found favorite series of mine.

Image courtesy of Goodreads.

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails.  As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

A pulsating romance of epic proportions, Bree Despain’s The Shadow Prince will leave her fans breathless for the next book in the Into The Dark series.

Synopsis via Bree Despain's website.

In addition to the fact that I am helping promote the Into the Dark series, I have selected The Shadow Prince as May's book of the month for two other reasons.

• The elements of the book are a good representation of how YA fiction is evolving, which I believe makes it a good book to kick off summer. Instead of the typical, underrated teenage girl who falls in love with the mysterious new guy (who is usually a modern version of the Byronic Hero), The Shadow Prince has Daphne Raines, an independent girl with a plan that doesn't include distractions. Also, the mysterious new guy is more Thor-like than Batman-like.
• Bree Despain has managed to write a retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth without creating a story that's been told a thousand times before. I really enjoy this retelling and I think Bree Despain deserves praise for avoiding falling into cliche territory.

You can read my full review of the book here.

Happy reading!

Molly

THE SHADOW PRINCE by Bree Despain Book Review

What do you get when you combine a disgraced prince, an unwilling damsel in distress, the myth of Hades and Persephone, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice all into one book? You could get a story that’s been told before, or you could get a magical concoction that comes off as cute, spunky, and intriguing rather than cliché. Bree Despain manages to do the latter in The Shadow Prince, the first book in her latest series, Into the Dark.

Lord Haden of the Underrealm has finally been offered his one chance at redemption – of gaining back his title of Heir to the Throne, and, he hopes, his father’s love – but he soon learns that instead of a gift, Fate has bestowed him with a genuine challenge: win the heart of Daphne Raines, a girl with a plan and no desire for distractions, and convince her to give up everything to follow him back to the Underrealm. Haden eventually begins to realize that Daphne isn’t the typical Boon that the Champions are sent to bring back to the harem, and he discovers that bringing her into the dark will have more consequences than the fact that Daphne will never get to see sunlight again. Haden’s Challenge is definitely a challenge: in the end, it’s Haden that falls in love, and Daphne, to say the least, is not very keen on letting him drag her into the Underrealm.

I’ve been fascinated by the Greek myths ever since I learned about them in grade school, and I’m especially interested in the myths of the gods and goddesses. The myth of Persephone wasn’t one that I really got until I was older. “What kind of a creep drags a girl into the underworld and then tricks her into staying there?” However, as I got older, I learned to look at stories from different perspectives, and I began to realize that maybe there's more to the myth than meets the eye. Maybe Persephone wanted to live with Hades and rule the Underworld. Maybe Persephone loved Hades. She definitely wouldn’t be the only female to fall for the “bad boy” (something I definitely didn’t understand until I was older).

The idea that even a goddess isn’t immune to the Byronic Hero is one that has shown up time and time again in recent novels, so much so that it’s difficult to keep the story genuine and avoid falling into cliché territory. When I found out that Bree Despain’s latest series was based on this myth, I was torn. I’ve been a fan of Bree Despain ever since reading The Dark Divine. The idea of reading a new series by her was tempting, but I didn’t want to be disappointed by yet another retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth.

Of course, I ended up reading The Shadow Prince. After all, I do love the Greek myths, no matter how many times they’ve been retold. Plus, it’s Bree Despain. How could I pass up the chance to read her latest series? But not only did I end up reading it, I also ended up loving it.

The Shadow Prince might be based off of a story that’s been retold over and over again, but Bree Despain has managed to avoid writing a cliché novel by incorporating fresh elements into one of the oldest stories out there. I don’t want to spoil the plot for you readers, so I’ll keep my summary brief.

• Haden is not supposed to be Hades, nor is he a son of Hades, or even a grandson of Hades. Daphne isn’t all-too willing to follow him to the ends of the earth; she’s a leader, not a follower. In fact, Daphne is disgusted, not attracted, to this dark and mysterious character. 
• In addition to the myth of Hades and Persephone, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice plays a major role in The Shadow Prince, which definitely helps make the plot fresh. 
• I don’t know if Despain found different version of the Greek myths while researching, or if she just put her own spin on them, but the myths featured in The Shadow Prince aren’t the ones I’m familiar with (although they are similar), so I wasn’t forced to read through a 400-page novel filled with stories that I’ve heard countless times before.

Needless to say, I’m very glad that I decided to read The Shadow Prince.

The good news about waiting so long to read The Shadow Prince is that I don’t have to wait so long to read its sequel, The Eternity Key, which was just recently released. Hooray for procrastination!

I highly recommend this book. Not only is it a fresh retelling of an old story, but it’s also an example of how YA novels have been evolving. Instead of having the typical, underrated teenage girl who falls in love with the dark and mysterious new guy, The Shadow Prince boasts a heroine who isn’t willing to follow along just because it’s what’s expected of her, and Haden is more Thor-like than Batman- or Superman-like (a comparison I thoroughly enjoyed when it came up in the novel itself).

Happy reading!

Molly

P.S. In case you need a refresher on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth before reading The Shadow Prince, check out Bree Despain's homemade video ("The Orpheus Myth in 4 Minutes") below!

INTO THE DARK Book 2 THE ETERNITY KEY Teasers

If you are a returning reader, you probably already know that my mom is a Series Ambassador for Bree Despain's Into the Dark series, and I am her self-proclaimed junior helper. If you are new (or just didn't know), now you know! To celebrate Bree Despain's Into the Dark book 2 The Eternity Key's upcoming release, Despain sent out three teasers for the book that I was able to share with the world via social media. Below you will find said teasers.

Craving more? I know I am. And I've got good news and bad news.

The good news: The Eternity Key was officially released today, so you can go out and satisfy those cravings!

The bad news: If you're like me, you'll finish the book within a week, and then you'll have to wait a while to satisfy your cravings with book three.

If you need to order your copy, you can do so at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Indie Bound, and The King's English Bookshop.

Happy Reading!

Molly

BONUS:

Check out the book trailer below!

The "Ideal Body"

DISCLAIMER: None of the images featured in this post belong to me. I found them all via Google image.

Here's what I don't get:

The perfect "real" body. So what, the Victoria's Secret models have fake bodies?

Okay, I get the idea. There's no way the VS models naturally have such small, toned bodies; the DOVE campaign women are showing off [what I assume are] their natural bodies. Not a lot of women look like the VS models, so the idea is to present more "natural" looking bodies as the ideal body. But what I'd like to know is, Why do we need an "ideal body"?

One of the women featured above has been a recent victim of Fat-Shaming, and the other has been criticized for being too skinny. There is plenty that could be said for this, but there are two things I'd like to say. One, Kelly Clarkson just had a baby, and Giuliana Rancic is as skinny as she is partly because of her cancer medication. Two, WHOSE BUSINESS IS IT???

Every time I get on Pinterest, I'm bombarded with images of fit girls in sports bras and shorts. Here's something that I frequently come across:

It's totally great if you look like this. Really. But what about those who are still just skinny? Not to mention, this is still kind of insinuating that curvy and robust is at the bottom of the pyramid. If we really want to empower women, we need to accept them all; not just "the new skinny."

This really makes me scratch my head:

If the goal isn't to look fit, why post a picture of a perfect set of abs and that much-desired thigh gap? It's not like feeling fit and looking fit are one in the same; I feel fit, but I definitely don't look like that!

I get it. Fitspiration. There's nothing wrong with striving to be strong and fit. However, it's when things like this show up that my hope for humanity decreases about three feet:

Have you never had pizza? Double Stuf Oreos? Chinese food? Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory???

I believe that our society is making a true effort to help women love themselves and feel beautiful. However, I also believe that in our attempt to make ourselves feel beautiful, we fall back on old, childish habits like tearing someone down to elevate ourselves. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be fit and strong ("the best you you can be"), but there's also nothing wrong with loving your "natural" body. I feel like we find ourselves in one camp or the other, and, like rival high schools, we go after each other like wolves defending their territories.

Confession: I play the comparison game. I look at other girls and think, "Oh, I'm doing much better than they are" or "My legs are so much more attractive than theirs" or "My body looks similar to theirs, and they don't look too bad, so I must be doing okay." I'm not positive, but I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only person who does this. It isn't fun.

I don't want to play the comparison game anymore, and I don't want anyone else to play it, either. I want us all to look at each other and acknowledge that we are all created differently, and we're all beautiful in our differences. On the bright side, I do believe that we are making progress in this area and are becoming more encouraging. Unfortunately, the encouraging thing can get a little... off course?

Jessica Kane, who a lot of people would consider to be plus-size, went to the beach without a coverup. People told her she was brave. Her [shortened] response was "THIS WAS NOT BRAVE. Things that DO take bravery? A family battling tragic illness, a mother trying to beat addiction, a person trying to break free of domestic violence, reaching out for help when you have already planned your suicide and feel like you can't breath one more day. THAT is brave. Not wearing a swimsuit at the beach." Check out the original post here.

Why should we be considered brave for not being ashamed of our bodies? We are all human, whether we're size 0 or 32 or 74 or 102. Real women are not skinny, curvy, strong, or whatever. The following meme sums it up perfectly.

Another celebrity who has been in the media for weight issues is Demi Lovato. In case you missed it, she posted a picture of her lack of a thigh gap with the caption: “You don’t have to have a thigh gap to be beautiful. It is possible to love your body the way it is.”

During an interview for E! News, Lovato explained, "For some reason this whole thigh gap thing has kind of swept over what people think is beautiful. And if you have that naturally, then that’s totally fine, you’re still beautiful. But my body doesn’t naturally have that. I wanted to show my fans out there who don’t naturally have [the thigh gap] that it’s okay. You don’t have to have what you see in the magazines if that’s not what your body naturally has." I couldn't agree more!

Health is what's key. If you are diabetic, pre-diabetic, suffer from high blood pressure or any other weight-related disease, then you have something to worry about and need to start paying attention to your body. But needing to lose weight because of health-related issues is not related to beauty or attractiveness; it's not that you need to "fix" your body because there's something "wrong" with it, it's that your body isn't healthy and needs a little TLC. However, health comes in many different shapes and sizes; there are larger-than-average people out there who don't suffer from weight-related issues. So unless your doctor recommends weight loss or you're really bothered by your weight, don't sweat it (the same goes for people who are smaller-than-average).

"Real" women are not curvy. "Real" women are not skinny. "Real" women are not strong or fit. Real women are curvy, skinny, strong, fit, and everything else. You want to know who isn't real?

Sorry; I couldn't resist.

You are beautiful if you eat a burger or a salad or an entire package of Cadbury Creme Eggs. Starving yourself isn't beautiful, and neither is gorging yourself. Healthy is what's beautiful, and, as discussed earlier, healthy comes in all shapes and sizes. Don't starve yourself and don't gorge yourself (and don't beat yourself up for eating all of those Cadbury Creme Eggs). Go for more walks, drink more water, eat more fruits and veggies, and do more of the things you love.

Be happy and be healthy, because that is what's beautiful.

Molly

P.S. If nothing tastes as good as skinny feels to you, then good for you! As for me, I'll follow up my salads and protein shakes with my DQ Blizzard. (It's all about balance ;) )