Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com bs with no BS. Tue, 21 May 2013 18:33:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Save LOTS on flattering plus-sized apparel from Kiyonna thru 5/23! http://bellesouthblogs.com/kiyonnasale/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/kiyonnasale/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 16:01:57 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2811

FB_5_16_Sale_1up_1

OMG Squeee! Kiyonna is having an AMAZING sale right now: Take an extra 50% off all SALE items at Kiyonna.com with coupon code HOTBUY50 through May 23, 2013! To get to these great items, just head over to Kiyonna, click on the “Sale” tab to the very right of the navigation bar, and you’re there! These prices are truly amazing.

Now, if you’ve never shopped at Kiyonna, you’re missing out – and this is an amazing way to get some quality items. For instance, the Rosalie wrap top you see up there has been marked down from $68 to $31! I love this look because it flows at the waistline and accentuates the bustline; perfect for ladies like me because it flatters a figure with an average bust and a not-so-average tummy. The top comes in a variety of colors!

One of my friends’ favorite tops is the Kaycee Twist Top shown here. It’s great if28101801-1th you have an ample bustline and don’t want to show off your cleavage, but also need coverage in the midriff/waist area.

This top is a staple to many wardrobes, comes in a variety of colors so you’re sure to find the right color for you, and is normally priced at $58.

The top has been marked down to $52, but by using the code HOTBUY50 at checkout you can get this top for only $26! Such a lovely design at such a great price.

22112206-4thIf you want to show off the bust area, get great coverage for your arms, but don’t need to worry about the tummy, Here’s a beautiful top: the Keira Kimono Sleeve Top, normally priced at $62, on sale for $56… use the code HOTBUY50 at checkout and get it for $28!!!

I sooooo wish I could get away with wearing this top, but I’ve been walking every day so maybe that tummy will go away soon!

Now, remember, to access these and many more items, visit Kiyonnna.com, click on the “SALE” tab on the far right of the navigation bar, and select the items you want. Keep in mind that whatever the sale price is as shown, it’s down by 50% through May 23, 2013 as long as you use the code HOTBUY50 at checkout. Enjoy!

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/kiyonnasale/feed/ 0
Tiny Prints. Business Cards. Totally awesome. http://bellesouthblogs.com/tiny-prints-business-cards-totally-awesome/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/tiny-prints-business-cards-totally-awesome/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 17:13:42 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2805

I was given free product from Tiny Prints for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

734001_10151404525278175_1603386216_n

For the second year in a row, I asked Tiny Prints to help me out with conference season by providing me with their superb custom business cards. Last year’s cards were SUCH a big hit at Reviewer’s Retreat that I knew I had to have them again at SoFabCon.

Last year I put my logo on the front of my business cards, but this year I decided to put my face on the front so those I met could instantly see my face while flipping through the cards they collected, remember the conversations we had, and reconnect from there. I decided to put my skills set and my logo on the inside.

30355_10151404530028175_1793533091_n

I even had my nails done to match my logo, so those who received my card could even remember me as the gal with the nails who matched her business cards! Ha!

repost (2)

On the back of my card, I added a QR code, just as I did last year, but this time I  indicated where the QR code would lead.

644531_10151404533458175_617396083_n

Now, I have done some shopping around in the business-card department. I’ve even been given the opportunity to get free cards from other companies. But when I look at their selection and what they have to offer, absolutely NOTHING compares to Tiny Prints.

Tiny Prints offers products in a number of shapes and designs, and you can either use your template or upload your own photos and logos to create your own design. They have flat business cards, folding business cards, a sweet number of designs that will definitely get you noticed.

Also, Tiny Prints has a team of designers who will work with you to get exactly the look you want.

Are you unable to center the text? Need to match up some colors correctly? Are you unable to enter text where you want? Just leave a note for the designers, and they’re awesome about communicating with you if they have any questions.

The designers also send you proofs to view and approve before they go out, so you know exactly what you’re getting when they arrive!

I’m serious. I know there are about 40 billion business card companies out there. And I will note that Tiny Prints may be a bit pricier, but I have NEVER had a better experience than I have with Tiny Prints. It’s why I keep coming back to them as an endorser and a customer; because I truly believe their products are top-notch.

Check out the latest coupons from Tiny Prints. Through May 21, enter the code 10BIZMAY to get a 10% discount on all business card orders!!!!

This is truly an amazing way to make a great first impression, whether at a networking event or just leaving your card at the local coffee shop. Give ‘em a try!

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/tiny-prints-business-cards-totally-awesome/feed/ 2
Free Kindle books for teens (5/17) http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindleforteens/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindleforteens/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 00:20:57 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2713

It’s back again! The last round of Free Kindle Books for Teens was such a roaring success that my friend friend Frugal Tattooed Lady is continuing to compile FREE Kindle books  for your teens to download.

Thanks for your great feedback, and as long as you keep coming back and sharing and thanking us, we’ll keep bringin’ you free books while they’re available.

I decided to download Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck, author of What A Girl Wants. Normally this book would be $9.99; today I snagged it for FREE! Check it out:

Ready for the list? Here you go!

Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1)
Raven (The Raven Saga)
Lonely Souls (Witch Avenue Series #1)
How to Get Dirt
Ravenous (Book 1 The Ravening Series)

House of Cards
Glimpse (Zellie Wells #1)
Skid
The Deepest Cut (a MacKinnon Curse novel, Book 1)
Lovesessed

Springtime in Hades
New Moon Summer (#1) (The Cain Chronicles)
Prince of Wolves (The Grey Wolves Series)
Blackbird (a Sometimes Never novella)
Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1)

Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1)
Cornerstone (Souls Of The Stones)
Perfectly Dateless (My Perfectly Misunderstood Life Book #1): A Universally Misunderstood Novel
Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)
Verity (Cursed #1)

Have you read any of these before or did you decide to download any today?

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindleforteens/feed/ 0
How to spot a lame pickup line http://bellesouthblogs.com/lamepickups/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/lamepickups/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 03:18:54 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2791
Look at this face. Look at that smirk. Do I look like someone who will fall for your lame-azz lines?

Look at this face. Look at that smirk. Do I look like someone who will fall for your lame-azz lines?

If you are a single woman – or maybe even not one, who knows? – and you have a presence on the Internet, chances are, some guy is going to hit on you. And it will be lame.

There are a wide variety of lame pickup lines. They include the textspeak pickup:

Hi. How r u?

There’s also the “let’s get right to the point” pickup:

Make lust with me!

Then there’s the textspeak/misspelled words/missing punctuation pickup:

hey how r u doin hope ur gud will love to have a descent chat with u

And the marriage-proposal-that-is-likely-from-a-scam-artist pickup:

I wana marry u baby,ar u truelly single bcos am ready to knw u nd stick wit u.

I’ve gotten much worse ones, but I still try to keep this site a family show. But this one – and it’s one that apparently is in some dude playbook SOMEWHERE out there – has been making the rounds for a few years. I call it the Punchline Pickup. It goes a little something like this:

“Hi, I lost a stupid bet and Kelly gets to punch me, but a stranger decides where. Can you say leg or something?”

Today I caught a guy using this line, because it looked familiar not only to me, but to some of my girlfriends. I found out he discovered it on a dating web site a couple of months ago and thought it was clever.

I had to break the news to him that it was an old line, and that he just admitted to me that he couldn’t be bothered with actually starting up a conversation so he told a lie.

I tried googling the phrase, and it varies usually, but the concept is always the same:

1) I’ve lost a bet/dare (sometimes with a guy named “Trent.”)

2) My girlfriend/Kelly gets to punch/kick/hit me anywhere.

3) A stranger has to say where.

But there is no bet, no Trent, no Kelly, no girlfriend. The dude is really just too lame to think of something interesting to say to you. You know, like, “Hi, I noticed you liked Tom Petty; I saw him on tour a few months ago.” Today I actually engaged one of these people in conversation, and it ended up being even  more lame than the pickup line he actually used on me.

Basically, if someone is not willing to actually engage you in conversation, or has to use someone else’s material – that person isn’t interested in you; he’s just interested in whomever the line works with.

AskMen.com has compiled a hilarious list of the 10 Worst Pickup Lines for Men. Some of them are NSFW.

What’s been used on you lately – on or offline? Have any of you had success with someone who’s used a pickup line on you?

 

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/lamepickups/feed/ 1
Win $1500 to finish the Backyard of your Dreams with Flood.com! http://bellesouthblogs.com/win-1500-to-finish-the-backyard-of-your-dreams-with-flood-com/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/win-1500-to-finish-the-backyard-of-your-dreams-with-flood-com/#comments Sun, 12 May 2013 03:00:21 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2788

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood® Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a Dream Deck – one with comfy furniture, enough shade so my friends and I don't fry ourselves in the middle of July, a space for a grill so I can fire up some brats and burgers, and, of course, enough room left in the yard so my dog and my friends' kids can run out in the yard and play. 

But alas, I live in a rental condo, so I must make do with  my concrete slab patio and a partially-fenced-in area. However, thanks to Pinterest and Flood® Wood Care, I can start planning to build the Deck Of My Dreams if and when the time is right.

Check out this adorable cedar deck I found on Pinterest! Isn't it awesome? First of all, it's attached to a Little Pink House, it's got inviting and comfy furniture, enough room for a grill in the corner, gorgeous flower beds and plants, and, of course, stairs so the kids and dogs can all run up to the deck, beg for burgers and go back out to the yard when they're done eating. 

To prep myself for building the Deck Of My Dreams when I find and own that Little Pink House, I used Flood® Wood Care's Staining Made Simple widget. I started out with the type of wood I was using, how many square feet my project would be, my wood's current condition, what I wanted the finish to look like and even where I wanted to buy my products – just by entering my ZIP code and selecting the store closest to me! 

When I finished going through the widget I found that I'd need Flood® Wood Care's Cleaner/Brightener Concentrate and Transparent Wood Finish. There were even instructional videos to accompany the projects! Here's the one for the transparent wood finish:

Easy, huh? This is what I love about technology – you can actually instantly view instructions on seemingly impossible projects. Anything from a small piece of furniture to a humongous deck can be completed using these products and videos!

You can build the backyard or deck of your dreams right now with the Flood Better Backyard Sweepstakes! They're giving away a $1500 gift card or one of 12 $10 gift cards to be given away daily! Alll you have to do is like Flood® Wood Care on Facebok to enter and be on your way to building and finishing an amazing project for your home!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States of America and (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/17/2013. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions visit www.facebook.com/flood. Void in Puerto Rico and where restricted or prohibited. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook. 

Visit Sponsor's Site

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/win-1500-to-finish-the-backyard-of-your-dreams-with-flood-com/feed/ 0
All My Neuroses #ThisIsMe http://bellesouthblogs.com/all-my-neuroses-thisisme/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/all-my-neuroses-thisisme/#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 18:05:51 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2778

Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, OCD and recently Compassion fatigue are all things that I’ve been diagnosed with – and struggle with every day in my life and in my work. Without explanation, these terms often equal to “mental case.” I’ve endured psychological and physical abuse, abandonment, trauma and a lot of hurt. It’s something I’m open about – but usually only if the subject comes up.

When you look back at the great writers and minds of the past, most of them likely had serious psychological disorders. Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, Spalding Gray, Sylvia Plath and one of my favorites, David Foster Wallace, are a few among the many brilliant writers and essayists who committed suicide. These were often combined with drug and alcohol problems – some type of escape from reality. Thankfully, I’m not in that place – but a long time ago, I was.

Me, forever blowing bubbles. Probably under 5 years old.

Me, forever blowing bubbles. Probably under 5 years old.

I had all the characeristics of a child who was perfect for being picked on: Glasses, boy-cut short hair, weight gain and early puberty. I also was thrust into the spotlight as a minister’s daughter – which didn’t help my self esteem but made me more shy than anything. And I had some emotionally abusive members of my family. All of these things contributed to a low self-esteem.

Short hair, pink sweater - still mistaken for a boy.

Short hair, pink sweater – still mistaken for a boy.

My childhood traumas – so many I can’t even list them all – eventually came back to haunt me in my young adult years. I had serious anger management issues. I remember yelling at my roommates for borrowing my cheese to cook something. Or withdrawing from them when they needed friends. I craved attention and made a lot of things about me. And if I wasn’t withdrawing, I was worrying too much about others. And I developed an eating disorder – bulimia nervosa.

In my mid-twenties I went through a lot of self-destructive behavior. Alcohol was my drug of choice, and combined with my antidepressants, it made me unafraid, but also made me vulnerable. I had joked about my many male conquests – even writing my experiences in dating and sharing them with my friends. But I was unaware that I was enduring a lot of emotional abuse by men who didn’t treat me like a person.  In the midst of  all these troubles – about five years ago, I was raped. By a stranger. At a friend’s house. When I was drunk. And when I told my supposedly closest friends about it, I suddenly became the Girl Who Cried Wolf. I wasn’t believed, I didn’t report it because I was a reporter and didn’t want my coworkers and colleagues reading about me – and I stopped trusting.

Don't I look foxy? Yeah, this was taken hours before I was raped. Is it weird that I still like this photo?

Don’t I look foxy? Yeah, this was taken hours before I was raped. Is it weird that I still like this photo?

Then, four and a half years ago, my mother happened to be moving up here the day I was being laid off from my reporter job. I soon moved in with her, and her already bad health became worse. I now serve as her caregiver; while she’s very independent in many ways, I struggle with balancing a social life with a life at home, where I often feel tethered.

So I have all these neuroses. I could put them in a giant book, but I’ve laid them all out here. And it isn’t easy. Each day I wonder if I’ll ever be “normal.” I wonder what “normal” even is. I wonder if a romantic partner will see me and love me for who I am, and be understanding that I have baggage and I can’t help but have it. And that I’m not going to be able to take vitamins and supplements and exercise all this pain away. I’ve found in my dating life that men just don’t want to hear about your drama. No matter how much they have of their own and have bottled up because that’s what Manly Men do.

My dog, Sebastian, dressed as bacon. No particular reason to put this here.

My dog, Sebastian, dressed as bacon. No particular reason to put this here.

So this is my job, and it’s also my outlet. And this is who I am. I can’t change it. But I can manage it. And I can be open and honest about it in the hope that others will realize they have nothing to be ashamed of.

This is me.

Lookin' like Nick Nolte's mugshot in the morning.

Lookin’ like Nick Nolte’s mugshot in the morning.

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/all-my-neuroses-thisisme/feed/ 6
How to use nail art to make friends and influence people #SoFabCon http://bellesouthblogs.com/bellesouthnails/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/bellesouthnails/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 19:29:17 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2768

For SoFabCon this year, I decided to collaborate with the best neighbor and nail gal in the universe, Nails By Tammi, to create some nail art that would stand out and get people talking.

I have a passion for nail art and spend way too much time pinning and instagramming my nails.

When I approached her with the idea to match my nails up with my website for SoFabCon, she jumped right on it and immediately started seeking inspiration and sending me pics. I waited until my new business cards came in, and we went to the store, business card in hand, to find the perfect colors to match up with my logo.

This was the result:

IMG_20130501_140544

 

Awesome, right? I even started promoting my nails before SoFabCon by taking three bottles of Sally Hansen nail polish to give away. While Sally Hansen’s latest campaign has been “I Heart My Nail Art,” I asked people to say “Let me see your nails!” to get a free bottle.

2013-05-02 13.55.51

 

When I got to SoFabCon, I immediately ran into my friend Rebecca E. Parsons, whom I met last year at Reviewer’s Retreat and have worked with on a campaign or two with Social Fabric. I sat next to Rebecca as a group of us dined together in the hotel lobby and she said, “Let me see your nails!” She had no idea she was going to get a free bottle of polish, so she picked out the gorgeous one on the right.

She loved ‘em, called them “Great branding” and immediately snapped and uploaded a photo to Instagram.

repost (2)

That night at the cocktail reception, I walked right up to Mallery Schuplin because I heard SHE had Star Wars nails. Alas, her nails were a blank canvas. I broke my own rules and handed her the purple bottle of polish because, as I told her, “You’re worth it.”

The next morning, I caught up with Rebecca and met Cyn Gagen, who traveled all the way from Canada down here to Arkansas to attend SoFabCon. Cyn was convinced I’d be out of nail polish but asked to see my nails anyway. I showed her, she won the silver bottle and we immediately became friends. Later that day, as we started talking to each other, we realized that even though she lived in Canada, we shared a common bond. She actually lived in the Arkansas town where my oldest brother serves as pastor for the United Methodist Church, and he was her pastor and continues to be Cyn’s SISTER’s pastor. Who also married Cyn’s Sister’s niece. Now, say that five times fast. I haven’t even had TIME to tell my brother this, but here’s me and Cyn:

2013-05-04 12.12.50

 

Small world, huh? I should also point out that even though we have both lived in Arkansas and I have never lived in Canada, Cyn says “aboat” instead of “about” and I say “sore-y” instead of “sorry.”

I was certain I had crushed everyone with my brilliant nail-branding idea, but then my friend and Reviewers-Retreat-’12-roommate Shanaka of Mama Bee Does had to show up with adorable bees on her nails!

315465_10201091991961171_1417005326_n

 

But it’s okay, because we were besties again by 80′s bowling night.

944987_10201107067618053_641851930_n

When others asked about my nails, it was also a great opportunity to get out my business card, show them how they matched up, and have them keep it!

See? Nail art isn’t just cute. It has the power to bring people together.

 

 

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/bellesouthnails/feed/ 10
Rod Stewart’s new original-material album a complete waste of ‘Time’ #TimeWithRod http://bellesouthblogs.com/rodstewarttime/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/rodstewarttime/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 01:23:51 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2760

I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

What on earth has happened to Rod Stewart?

He’s been in this business for over 40 years. He was a force in amazing bands, including the Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, he wrote AMAZING songs like Maggie May, Stay With Me, and Every Picture Tells A Story. I’ll even give him some credit for “Young Turks.”

In the past decade, Rod has made the transition from rocker/disco one-hit-wonder/pop star to suited-up performer of the Great American Songbook. He’s released quite a few albums of standards, performed in blacktie, and basically abandoned his songwriting.

Well, apparently he’s been inspired by something, and that something is ‘Time.’ It’s 12 tracks of original material – most co-written by Stewart with a Tom Waits-written song thrown in there – and if you’re looking for Rod to pick up the guitar on the cover of his album and seriously rock, you may be disappointed – particularly if you are a fan of his work.

I decided to take my friend and old-school Rod Stewart fan, Robert, out for a drive to listen to his new album. Apparently Robert had already seen some clips of the new album on Youtube and said we should prepare ourselves for disappointment.

Here’s the track preview from Youtube:

The album starts off with a very bubblegum-sunny-day song called “She Makes Me Happy.” These are the lyrics you hear upon its beginning:

She makes me happy on the coldest day
She makes me happy when the clouds are gray
Every day’s like Christmas when she’s in my house
She makes me happy and I wanna shout

Really? “Every day’s like Christmas?” These are not the same caliber of lyrics of someone who once wrote “Well, I suppose you’re thinking/I bet he’s sinking/Or he wouldn’t get in touch with me/Oh, I ain’t begging or losing my head/I sure do want you to know/That you wear it well/There ain’t a lady in the land so fine, oh my” (“You Wear It Well,” Stewart/Quittenton, 1972).

Here’s the video for “She Makes Me Happy” so you can decide for yourself:

Stewart’s writing and musical ability certainly hasn’t evolved, it’s devolved into this mushy, gooey stuff that could just as well be sung by a pop star, remixed and given the autotune treatment and possibly turn into a hit.

In his younger days, Stewart was known for being a bad boy – he wrote songs that bragged of

“Look, Mom – same haircut!”

his real-life exploits with women, sweetly begged to deflower a chaste young woman in “Tonight’s The Night” and also wore plenty – perhaps too many – tight, shiny pairs of trousers. In this album, yes, he’s a bit grown-up. But there’s no sense of atonement or apology. In the song “Can’t Stop Me Now,” he’s talking about how he’s made his Dad proud with his many years of success.

In “Brighton Beach,” he’s reminiscing happily about a teenage love. Now, I’m not one to spread rumors so y’all didn’t hear it from me, but the woman about whom this song is supposedly written has come before The Daily Mail basically upset about the whole thing, saying the song has brought her very painful memories – including a story of a child the two had that was given up for adoption. The Daily Mail has also grabbed an interview of the aforementioned child, who has forgiven and is now in contact with Rod.

I think the main problem with this album is that he wrote and produced 11 of the 12 tracks. You know who should have produced this album? Rick Rubin. It would have been perfect! The album’s on Capitol Records, Rick Rubin is the co-President of Capitol, and Rick can produce the hell out of some albums – most notably Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings” albums. He gets to the substance beyond the style – something Rod has apparently overlooked and now, at 68, is still overlooking. Apparently he started writing these songs in preparation for his memoir:

Suddenly ideas for lyrics were piling up in my head,” he says. ”Next thing I knew, I had a song called ‘It’s Over’ about divorce and separation. And now I was getting up in the middle of the night and scrambling for a pen to write things down, which has never happened to me. I finished seven or eight songs very quickly and I still wasn’t done, and it became apparent that I would eventually have a whole album of material to record.”

Very quickly? You don’t say.

Well, you can check Rod out on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (5/6/13), where he’ll most likely be performing “She Makes Me Happy” and when I’ll most likely be sleeping. The album comes out tomorrow, and you can buy it on iTunes and Amazon.

I say, if you’re a fan of Rod’s early recordings, prepare for disappointment. If you have enjoyed Rod Stewart since about 1984, it might be right for you. This music fan is disappointed.

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/rodstewarttime/feed/ 1
Allergens: Get outta my car, get into my dreams with the FRAM Fresh Breeze! #freshercar #cbias http://bellesouthblogs.com/framfreshbreeze/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/framfreshbreeze/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 20:29:20 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2747

freshbreezefrontI am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and FRAM #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own unless otherwise attributed.

I don’t just have seasonal allergies. I have year-round allergies. From pollen to pet dander to potpourri, if it has the potential to make anyone’s eyes water and nose itch, chances are I’m allergic to it. It reminds me of the pilot episode of The Wonder Years, in which older Kevin narrates that his best friend, Paul Pfeiffer, was “allergic to his own snot.” That’s pretty much me in a nutshell.

My dog, Sebastian, may be adorable, but he sure knows how to stink up the place and spread his doggie dander about.

My dog, Sebastian, may be adorable, but he sure knows how to stink up the car and spread his doggie dander about.

As the owner of a dog who has to take trips in the car, as well as a resident of the South, I face allergens every day. So I was really excited to head to my local Walmart to purchase and try out the FRAM FreshBreeze cabin air filter for my almost-new 2012 Honda Civic. I headed to FramFreshBreeze.com and used the easy tool to choose my car’s year, make and model and was instantly able to find out the perfect size filter for my car. You’ll need to know this before you start purchasing your filter!

IMG_3525


The cabin air filter is located behind the glove compartment in my 2012 Honda Civic. I was able to get to it with no tools and without even breaking a nail.

First of all, I didn’t even know my car had an air filter. But, yes, just like my house, it does. Unlike the standard filter for my car, the FRAM FreshBreeze is a carbon air filter that also includes Arm & Hammer baking soda to add deodorizing to the amazing filtering qualities of carbon. (I’ve changed enough air filters in my home to know that if you suffer allergies, carbon air filters are far superior to standard ones.)

Let’s see how this thing works. I headed out to my car to install it, almost certain that I would not be able to do this by myself, I would have to call someone who has fixed a car or two in their lifetime, and need assistance. Not so! It was extremely easy to open the cabin and take my car’s original filter out.

The original air filter for my car. According to framfreshbreeze.com, your air filter should be changed every 15,000 miles. Since I've put slightly over 4,000 miles on my car, it's no surprise that there's very little dust. However, my car has yet to see the wrath of pollinating insects yet to come this year. I'm saving this air filter since the condition is still pretty good.

The original air filter for my car. According to framfreshbreeze.com, your air filter should be changed every 15,000 miles. Since I’ve put slightly over 4,000 miles on my car, it’s no surprise that there’s very little dust. However, my car has yet to see the wrath of pollinating insects yet to come this year. I’m saving this air filter since the condition is still pretty good.

The box for the FRAM Fresh Breeze has a QR code you can scan on your smartphone to access a tutorial video. I tried scanning the QR code on the box during the installation, but alas, the video was not available. I really hope they fix that soon. I had to do it the old-school way and (gasp) actually read the instructions in the box.

IMG_3514

One mistake I made was failing to line up the filters to make sure I was installing them the correct way. I assumed that because my old filter had the “down” arrows on the side that I immediately saw when opening the filter cover, that the arrows on the FRAM Fresh Breeze needed to be in the same part. So I slid my new air filter and realized it didn’t fit. Naturally I started trying to force it in there. Which of course you don’t do with anything because it will never work. So I finally decided to actually compare the two filters and line them up. Above you’ll notice they’re uneven just because the filters aren’t lined up. Let’s fix this.

IMG_3518

That’s much better! So I slid my new carbon filter in. It fit perfectly!

I closed up shop and was ready to test this thing out.

IMG_3527

I haven’t had much time with my new FRAM Fresh Breeze, but today I took Sebastian The Dog to the vet and somehow he managed not to fill the car with his rolling-in-the-grass, eating-weird-things-in-the-yard stench. This made me an extremely happy puppy parent, and I’ll continue to monitor this as I go on many more trips with dogs, cat owners, smokers, leftovers from Indian restaurants, and of course, my own sweaty self after I’ve been outdoors in the middle of July.

My entire purchase (including tax) was just over $20, and it will last me over 15,000 miles or for the next year – whichever comes first! That’s about as much as I spend for indoor air filters that I have to change every three months! I’ll remind myself to change my filter easily, because I happened to install it around May 1 – May Day, the day you’re supposed to start planting!

If you want to try out the new FRAM Fresh Breeze air filter, you can get a $4 mail-in rebate by visiting http://cbi.as/itn-w. I plan to use mine! Also, be sure to visit my G+ album in which you’ll see how easy it is to select, purchase and install the perfecgt FRAM Fresh Breeze for your car!

In the meantime, hope you survive the end of spring, the entire summer, and the dust, pollen and stickiness in between. Maybe the FRAM Fresh Breeze can help make it that much easier.

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/framfreshbreeze/feed/ 6
FREE Kindle books! (5/2) http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindlebooks/ http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindlebooks/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 16:40:31 +0000 Bellesouth http://bellesouthblogs.com/?p=2387

Free Kindle BooksI’d like to thank my friend Frugal Tattooed Lady for compiling regular lists of FREE Kindle books to download. This is so valuable and is such a great way to find independent authors.

Here you go!

A Pledge of Silence
Seducing the Knight (Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars)
Sedition. A Political Thriller
Maui Widow Waltz (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series)
The Blasphemer – An Islamic Thriller (Maya Raines #1)

Judgment Tramp (An Eb Maclean novel)
The Ketogenic Diet: A Blood Sugar Solution
On the Road: Book Two (Life After War)
Sleeping Roses (Dead Roses)
Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel

Touched (The Marnie Baranuik Files)
A Body in the Backyard (A Myrtle Clover Mystery)
365 Days of Happiness: Inspirational Quotes to Live By
This Time Next Door
Valor (A Greystone Novel # 1)

A Punctual Paymaster
Dear Bob and Sue
Closure: An eShort Story
Indelible Love – Emily’s Story
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Cafe Series)

Have you read any of these before or did you decide to download any today?

]]>
http://bellesouthblogs.com/freekindlebooks/feed/ 7