Finish the Sentence Fridays --- I used to love... #FTSF

Today is my first entry in the "Finish the Sentence Friday" blog link up!!
It's a fun weekly event hosted by a bunch of great ladies, click on the button above to learn more about the hosts and how you can join in the fun!
This week's theme: I used to love...
going to concerts! Man, it wasn't that long ago when I was going to a concert in the Tri-State (NY/NJ/CT) area... or was it? I haven't been to a rock concert since 2011 and I haven't frequented the concert circuit since 2009/2010 but I still used to have a blast at them and look back on those times pretty fondly! It all started, honestly, when I used to be the chaperone for my sister Sara who used to go to a lot of metal/hard core/punk concerts at a famous area concert hall called The Chance. I ended up going to a LOT of concerts in 2006/2007 because of her and then started browsing Ticketmaster regularly for bands that I liked or were similar to bands that I liked. Once I started dating the Hubs in July 2007, we quickly discovered that we had similar tastes in music. It wasn't before long that we started going to a lot of concerts ourselves. The best concert I've ever been to was MuteMath at the (then called) The Filmore at Irving Plaza (NYC). They became my favorite band that night and they are an AMAZING live show - I have never seen anything like them. If you have never heard of them before, I highly recommend you check them out!!

(l to r) Mute Math playing songs from their self-titled debut album, and the future Hubs and I posing before the show began.
If there was a great concert I couldn't get the Hubs to go with me, my mom was awesome enough to go with me!! She was a good sport - she's seen some pretty awesome bands with me and enjoyed them a lot. But I think the most fun we ever had at a concert was seeing Michael Buble' back in 2008 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. We were sitting in the 4th or 5th row (I can't remember now) but we were SO close. It was fantastic... what a show. He's quite the artist.

(l to r) Michael Buble' doing it up like a classic crooner, and my mom and I taking "selfies" in between sets.
 When the Hubs and I moved in together back in 2009, we still went to a couple concerts here and there because we were making good money. But then money got tighter when we got laid off and once we got new jobs, we were engaged and then married and then pregnant and now new parents :). I still have a strong desire to go to fun concerts, but I don't think I'll be able to really go to concerts regularly until Valentina is old enough to come with :)

(l to r) Mom and I at a Mae concert at Irving Plaza in March 2008, my friend Michele and I at Jones Beach in 2010 seeing 311 and the Offspring , and the Hubs and I waiting online for doors to open to see Saliva and Sevendust in April 2008.

Hey Sevendust fans! The band is giving away tickets to their shows for their current tour! check it out on their Facebook page here! Thanks for reading!  Sincerely, Christina

Matilda Jane Children's Clothing Giveaway! Ends 8/30

Go Back to School in Style with Matilda Jane!

Hosted by More Than Mommy

and co-hosted by

Mommy's Craft Obsession and Simply Southern Couponers

Matilda Jane is a wonderful children's clothing boutique. They are the 'Unpredictable Clothing Company’! From the style, to the colors and craftsmanship, you won't find clothes like these anywhere else!

Matilda Jane reflects the uniqueness of each child who wears their clothes in a fun and fabulous way. You can check out a full review by Renae from More Than Mommy HERE.

Since we didn't find out the gender of our baby before we gave birth, we didn't have any dresses or anything at home once we had our little girl. I kindasortamaybe went on a spending rampage which hasn't really ended yet (and she's 11 weeks old now) that consisted of buying any and all adorable dresses I could get my hands on. If you are looking for adorable clothes for your baby or toddler, Matilda Jane is the place to go! The clothes in their collections are so adorable and well made, and most certainly a great addition to any children's wardrobe.

One lucky winner is going to win 2 outfits from Matilda Jane! That is 4 pieces of clothing, which will make a great addition to your back-to-school wardrobe. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I have not received compensation in return for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own, and yours may differ. More Than Mommy and Tia's Sweeps Go 'Round is not responsible for prize shipment. This promotion is not affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest in any way. The winner will be given 48 hours to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen. Entries will be verified.

{Post By Sara!} Buying the Best Food for Your Pet

I subscribe to a Flame Point Siamese cat group on Facebook since I own a 9 month old. Today, one poster said she was at the vet all day and just found out that her cat Elliot’s kidneys were failing. He was only 5 years old. She came to the conclusion that her mistake was feeding him Blue Buffalo brand food, which she found out later has been known for causing diarrhea, vomiting, and the worst: kidney failure like what happened with Elliot.

There’s nothing more heart wrenching than indirectly being the reason why your pet got sick. I can’t imagine how she must feel. You want to rewind time and pick up a different bag of food, but unfortunately there’s nothing that can be changed except how act in the future. All pet owners must research brands before they buy and try their hardest to get the best food within their budget. It could save an animal’s life. There are some steps you can take in order to stop unknowingly giving companies that poison pets your money and start giving it to companies that care.

Here are three tips to ensure you are well-aware of what you’re feeding your pet:

1.) Know what your pet is eating. Ingredients in pet food are listed according to the greatest amount to the least amount – the same with how human food is labeled. Chicken, lamb, and turkey listed as the first few ingredients is a good sign. Brown rice, grain, corn, and soy products placed before the meat is never good.

Here are lists of good and bad ingredients for cats: Happy Cats Haven, Betty Vine

For dogs: The Dog Food Project.

2.) Pay attention to food recalls. Sometimes newspapers run stories on recalls but companies often have ties to other companies that run the journalism world (it’s the sad truth). Your best bet is to do a monthly Google search on the brands you buy. Simply search “Cat food recalls 2013” or “Alpo recall 2013” to come up with more than enough results to satisfy your worries.

3.)  Join an online pet group. Whether it’s a message board, chatroom, Facebook group, or Meetup.com event, it feels go to have a group of animal lovers to go to if you have an issue or question. You could be concerned about your pet because she hasn’t eaten in two days but don’t have enough money for a vet visit or life gets in the way. Proposing questions to a social group by no means should be a replacement for a veterinarian consultation, but it can ease your worries or tell you that it could be an emergency.

What furry friends do you have at home? What brands do you feed them? Let me know in the comments!

~Sara

Where were you 10 years ago today? Remembering the "Big Blackout" of our generation

So ten years ago today, something happened that was kind of a big deal in the Northeast. If you lived here during that time, you will remember that today marks the 10th anniversary of the biggest blackout of our generation. Wow! In many ways, I can't believe it was 10 years ago already, but in other ways, it feels like a life time ago!

Ten years ago today, I was:

• A teenager just wanting to move out of my parents' house! Ahh, life without bills. How naive I was!
• Working at a gas station/convenience mart when the power suddenly went out. People were pumping gas on our digital pumps and they all ended up getting free gas because we couldn't 'prove' how much they got. 
• Listening to our customers' moods go from excited about the monumental event unfolding to annoyed about how crazy people were driving on the roads without functional traffic lights to worried about how long a blackout during the dog days of summer would last to relaxed and wanting to buy and subsequently drink all the beer we had in the store.
• Counting money by candlelight scared out of my mind that area knuckleheads would try to break into the store since our security system was down (we only had a simple deadbolt on the front door, made of glass).
• Wanting to go home because work was driving me crazy, only to get more annoyed once I got home since I was trying to read books by candlelight.
• Hoping the store would be closed the next day so I wouldn't have to go in.
• Waiting to hear from my aunt who was going into labor with my baby cousin!

So where were you 10 years ago today? Were you affected by the big Northeast blackout of 2003? Leave your story in the comments :)

Awesome Pretty Mommies Products Giveaway from the Blogging Mamas Network! Ends 8/25, Open US/CA!

Pretty Mommies is the #1 physician recommended maternity skin care line on the market.

Although it's aimed at those who are pregnant or nursing - it's natural, safe, skin care that's great for ANYONE - men included!.

It's a simple three step system - Cleanser, Skin Brightener, and Sunscreen - it'll cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, brighten, soothe, provide high levels of antioxidants and anti-aging properties, as well as, physical broad spectrum sun protection. If you're curious about how these products work, be sure to check out the review on According to Jenny.

There are lots of new things happening at Pretty Mommies. If you're a Zulily fan then you might have noticed them pop up there this past week! Not only are they now reaching their target audience online, you might also see Pretty Mommies in your OBGYN's or Midwifes office. And if you're in China - you can now get Pretty Mommies there, too!

Pretty Mommies feels so deeply about educating women on the importance of safe maternity skin care that they've created a campaign on www.causes.com to raise awareness of this important issue. You'll also soon find them offering up educational resources on http://safematernityskincare.com/ and they support an open forum for Q&A for anyone who has questions about skin care during pregnancy, nursing - or just in general.

To celebrate all these new and exciting events (and their newly redesigned website) Pretty Mommies has partnered with the Blogging Mamas Network to answer your questions about safe skin care and giveaway LOTS of Pretty Mommies products!

Giveaway is open to US/CAN, 18+, and ends on 8/25/13

**Ready to purchase Pretty Mommies for yourself?? Use code pretty20 at checkout for 20% off through 8/31/13!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tia's Sweeps Go 'Round, The Blogging Mamas Network and participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Participating bloggers did not receive compensation for this post, although they may be eligible for a reward upon completion.

Introduction from Our New Co-Blogger, Sara!

Hello everyone! I figured I’d introduce myself before I started writing about my daily life as well as sweeping and reviewing. My name is Sara and I’m the younger sister of Tia.  She’s basically my third parent being that she helped raise me and also named me! In return, I gave her the nickname “Tia” which started out as “Ca-Tia” since I couldn’t pronounce Christina as a toddler. Funny enough, Tia means aunt in Spanish. So maybe she isn’t a third parent; she’s a hybrid sister-aunt.

Not sure if the older sister is mimicking the younger or if the other way around…

I have a journalism and public relations background but my true passion lies in fiction writing. I have a million and one projects lined up but my main focus at the moment is my sci-fi/fantasy novel set in an alternate desert world. I would love to travel around for inspiration before I have to settle down, but unfortunately money plays a big role in everything (or lack thereof). Until I’m the next J.K. Rowling, I’ll have to click around on Google Earth or the Universe Sandbox until I can satisfy my wanderlust.

 I lived in Scotland for half of 2012, so I can’t complain too much. 

Photograph featured is me at Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands

In my spare time, I’m a writer, artist, a gamer, reader, and cheapo. The latter meaning I’m disappointed if I don’t have enough food at a restaurant to bring back home a doggy bag so I can have it the next day for lunch. I currently write for Girl Gamer Vogue and Tomodom, both gaming websites. I’m also a proud mom to a Flame Point Siamese kitten named Grenwauld aka “Grenny.” I started running a store called Delicabella which you’ll definitely see a lot more of on here.

From kitten to full-grown menace

For five minutes a day, I enter sweepstakes. I win an average of three things a month and I think that’s a good pay off considering how little I invest into it. Off the top of my head, I’ve won: a snowboard, Dyson Bladeless Fan, concert tickets, a year’s supply of Perrier seltzer, gift cards, shopping sprees, an espresso machine – you name it. I consider myself really lucky. My Italian last name “Ventura” comes from Bonaventura which translates to good fortune or luck. I give my namesake credit whenever I win. Luck is in my blood.

What I want from blogging on Sweeps Go 'Round is to give everyone a different perspective. My sister and I share a lot of the same ideals, but since there’s an age gap, I’ll always be in a different chapter in life than her – maybe even a different book all together. Right now I’m on the cusp of a three-year-relationship turning long distance while my boyfriend starts his first year of law school four hours away from me. I also graduated college last December and then recently left my job for personal reasons, so I’m in a huge transitional phase. What’s next?

I look forward to starting my new chapter with an audience.

Sara

Fun new Blogger Opp!! Sign up today!

Free Blogger Opp

Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest Link with Promotional Post

At LEAST 2 Winners!!!

Top Referring Site Gets Free Co-Host Spot --- Please say that you were referred by Tia's Sweeps Go 'Round!

Event Will Run October 7-30

Click HERE for details!!!