Glass Dharma - Product Review and Giveaway

Hi guys!  Hope everyone is gearing up for a good week.
It's time for another product review and giveaway here at "Life is a Highway...and There are Potholes," so get ready to do some serious entering to win!

I've been interested in Glass Dharma company for awhile now.  I read about them a long time ago and really wanted to learn more.  Glass Dharma is a glass manufacturer that makes glass straws of all things!  I know....I thought the same thing, "Glass straws?  That is just strange!"  They are really AWESOME though you guys!

The company was started by a glass-blower who recognized our huge problem with overuse of plastics.  Plastic straws are a small portion of what we use, but he created this line of glass drinking straws in order to contribute at least one solution to our misuse of plastics. 

Why glass?  Well, plastics leach toxins as they are used.  Plus, being able to re-use these glass straws over and over again keeps us from using how many plastic ones?  I can't tell you how many soft drinks, or sweet tea I get at fast food places...there are no telling how many plastic straws I have used over the years.

I had the opportunity to try out 3 different types of glass straws, and I love them all!!  First are the sippers.  They are small, 7mm diameter and they are best used for tea, coffee, wine, and juices without much pulp.  I got to try the cute ones with decorative dots...they are adorable!

The next kind, and this one is my favorite...is the bended straw.  They are bent at just the right angle and are perfect for just basic all around use.  They are 9.5 mm in diameter.

Lastly is the big smoothie straw.  These are great for....you guessed it....shakes and smoothies.  I use it for regular drinks too.

The larger straws come with cleaning brushes so you can clean the insides of them.  There is a lifetime guarantee against breakage.  Any straw that gets broken because of defect will be replaced for free!
They are all dishwasher and microwave safe, they even recommend that you sanitize the straws in the dishwasher before use. 

So.....ready to win?  I have a $25 gift certificate from Glass Dharma to give away.  I have several ways for you to enter, so let's get to it!

1.  Go to Glass Dharma to learn more and check out their products.  Share a comment on this post with one of the items you would get with your gift certificate if you win.

2.  Follow @GlassDharma on Twitter, come back and comment here to let me know.

3.  Follow me on Twitter at @Karenappy, come back and comment here to let me know.

4.  Follow Glass Dharma on Facebook, comment here to let me know.

5.  Most important one....follow my blog!  Join the crazy posse here at LIAH!

You MUST leave your comment here letting me know about the Twitter and FB follows or the entry will not count.

This giveaway will run for 2 weeks, I will select a winner on Sunday, 11/13.  Good luck to all!  Can't wait to see who wins!

The South is Not Dead Series - Southern Women

I haven't forgotten about my "The South is not Dead" series!  Sorry it's taken so long to get to the second installment.  Our topic this time is Southern Women.

I'm definitely a southern woman. Southern women are brought up a certain way by their families.  From the time I was tall enough to reach the stove, I learned how to cook.  When I got big enough, I learned how to clean house, fold laundry, you name it.  Me and my mother did the inside chores, and my Dad and brother did the outside stuff. 

Some might think that's pretty old fashioned, even anti-feministic that I was brought up learning these things from an early age (feministic?  is that a word?).  I definitely don't think of it that way at all.  We are brought up this way so we know how to take care of our families.  I for one am grateful I knew how to cook when I first was married!  God knows we would have eaten some burned up crap for sure for awhile, but that wasn't the case.  I was already a decent cook by then and it was easier to get into that role than it would have been had I not been prepared in my childhood.

I remember summers at home, and at my grandma's snapping string beans, picking and shucking corn,  de-shelling beans so we could freeze and/or can vegetables for the summer.  My Dad and Grandaddy took care of the garden itself, so they had plenty of work to do too!

My grandma especially was the epitome of a southern woman.  She went and had her hair done every week at the beauty parlor, usually on Friday so it would be pretty for church on Sunday.  Even now, older ladies are still going to the beauty parlor every week to get their hair set.  Grandmama would set her own hair at home sometimes and had one of those old big dryers with the cone-thing you put on the side table and then put the cone thing around your head to dry your hair. (see below for a picture)  When she got sick years later and couldn't make it to the beauty parlor, I would set her hair for her and put her under the dryer.  No, I'm not a hairdresser, but I knew how important it was to her to look her best, so I learned!

My grandparents never missed a week at church unless they were on a trip and they always dressed to the nines!  Appearances are still important in some areas here, and church is one of them. 

Southern women are strong.  We not only have careers and our own dreams we follow, but also fulfill that sense of duty to our families - making sure they are taken care of.  We are definitely caretakers 100%.  Sometimes that means we go without, and that kinda sucks but that's life in the South at times.

Again, sorry it took me awhile to get to part 2, hoping I can come up with a part 3 for ya!

Have a good week!

Hey, It's Okay Thursday!

I decided to link up this week with Neely at "A Complete Waste of Makeup" for "Hey, It's Okay Thursday!"

It's really my Friday (haha suckers!!!!), I'm off work at noon and don't have to come back till Monday!!!!  Hootie Hoo!!!

Anyhow, let's move on to the "It's OK's!"

It's okay.....

.......that I am waaaayyyyyy too excited that I'm getting off early.  I'm so easily entertained.

........that I don't have a working flashlight and I'm going camping in the woods with a bunch of girls this weekend.  Can anybody say, "horror flick in the making?"

.......that I REALLY miss my BFF Alicia and can't wait to have our girl's night next week for our Belated Birthday Extravaganza!!!!!

.......that I am obsessed with nail polish and lip gloss.....keep me away from ULTA for goodness sakes!!

.........that I am sooooo sad to have to retire my new Coach bag from Nassau for the winter.  It's a      spring/summer bag and I have to put it away until warm weather rolls around again.  *sniff sniff*

..........that I hit the snooze at least 3 times every morning, guaranteeing that I irritate Hubby (sorry babe!)

.........that I am behind in my product review blog posts...I have 2 that I need to do and a 3rd coming once I get the product to try out.  (procrastinate much?)

........that for the last 2 friend requests I've gotten on Facebook, I've had to message the person to ask how I know them (how embarrassing!).  That's Fibro Fog for ya though....my memory is so terrible. Even worse, I used to be really close to both of these people!  (Bad bad Karen!!)

That's all I got!  If you want to link up your blog, go to Chronicles of Neely and link away!

A List for Cheesy Bloggers

This week's topic on Cheesy Bloggers is making a list.  I am all about lists!  To do lists, grocery lists, wish lists, and on and on. 

I thought I would make a list of things that make me feel good and happy when I'm not feeling well.  We all have our little comforts, thought I would update mine.  I posted a list about this very topic back in February on a Fibro Friday post. 

So here's my new list of those warm fuzzies that make me feel all better, in no particular order:

1. My Nook e reader - I love my Nook!  I can use it in bed which is great.  I can read on it or get on the internet and mess around since I have the Nook Color.  It's wonderful!
2. My husband - Hubby is great when I don't feel well.  He lets me rest but also looks after me.  Just him taking care of making dinner is such a help.
3. Sunshine, my dog. Pet therapy is so helpful, and most of the time she senses when I don't feel well and she snuggles with me to make me feel better. So sweet!
4. Fuzzy socks - 'nuff said!
5. Glee - Yes, I love this show...deal with it! If it's not on TV, I pop in my season 1 or season 2 dvd's and watch those. They always cheer me up, music is a great mood lifter for me.
6. This blog - Yes this blog is a warm fuzzy for me!  Writing is a great distraction and is so theraputic.  I sometimes don't have much to say but sometimes it helps so much to just get things out.
7. My TENS unit - This thing is a godsend for pain relief...my doctor is a genius for getting me one of these!
8. Heating pads - Totally essential for anybody with fibro or chronic pain, I have these all over the house and one at work just in case. 
9. Heated throw blanket - I sleep with this most winter nights, keeps me from waking up with stiff muscles. Best money I ever spent. If you don't have one, get one!
10. Naps - getting extra rest always makes me feel better.  I don't sleep well most nights so nappies are great!