Pepsi Throwback Winner

Congratulations to Betty C from Bea's Creations! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Pepsi Throwback giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Pepsi and Weber Shandwick for sponsoring this fun, retro giveaway!

Stay tuned for more exciting contests...coming soon!

Pepsi Throwback Groovy Retro Giveaway

If you're like me and love all things retro, you are going to love Pepsi's new Throwback look and taste. This spring, Pepsi and Mountain Dew are inviting consumers on a nostalgic trip back in time by offering special retro versions of the two beverages.



Not only is the packaging retro cool, but the beverages themselves are sweetened with natural sugar, just like they were in the 60's and 70's. Now you can get a "taste of the past" when you try Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback!

"As we revamp our brand with our 'refresh everything' campaign, we want to give a nod to the fun things of the past," said Anamaria Irazabal, director of marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. "For some it will be a trip down memory lane, but for others it will be a chance to experience a new twist on their favorite brands."

Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback will be available nationwide for about seven more weeks and are available in 20-ounce, single-serve bottles and 12-pack cans.

Visit PepsiThrowbackHub.com for cool desktop threads, tools for giving your blog a throwback look, and more!



To help celebrate the throwback campaign, Pepsi is giving away a fun package (pictured above) of retro goodies to one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. The winner will receive:

• Pepsi Throwback Trucker Cap
• Retro Pepsi Tin Lunch Box
• Retro Clock Radio/CD Player
• USB Lava Lamp
• Pepsi Throwback & Mountain Dew Throwback

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you love about Pepsi products. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

WINNER MUST RESPOND TO THE WINNING NOTIFICATION WITHIN 24 HOURS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY. Pepsi needs the winner's information by May 1, so this rule can not be relaxed....sorry!

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:



<a href="http://www.soablondewalksintoareview.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="So A Blonde Walks Into A Review" src="http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll303/BlondeBlogger/dawn_125button.gif"/></a>

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:





Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. WINNER MUST RESPOND TO THE WINNING NOTIFICATION WITHIN 24 HOURS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY. Pepsi needs the winner's information by May 1, so this rule can not be relaxed....sorry! Good luck to all!

An Interview With Chester French

On April 21, Chester French's album "Love the Future drops.

I had the privilege of speaking to both DA and Maxwell Drummey (Max) by phone today and it was a blast! I already loved their sense of humor in previous interviews I've seen them do. Just as I expected, they had me LMAOing the whole time.

If you have not yet heard of Chester French, you don't know what you're missing! This band is ON FIRE, let me tell you! And they are rising quickly with stars like Diddy and Paris Hilton taking notice among many others.

In fact, they've been touring around the country with Lady Gaga and crowds have responded well, snatching up their CDs after the show like candy. Diddy gave them a shout-out on Twitter, causing their followers to rise by 3,000 (DA said that it means a lot to them to have the support of such a legend). They recently performed for Paris Hilton at her birthday party in Vegas. And MTV has made them a featured artist.

If I could lay money on it, I would bet that they will be a household name by the end of the year.

In keeping with their fantastic sense of humor, Max answered "medium-loud" when I asked him what kind of sound fans can expect from "Love the Future." Seriously though, the CD will have lots of diverse tracks, and DA hopes everyone can just "listen straight through, close their eyes, and get into our minds" when they hear the music.



What sets Chester French apart from most other bands is their DIY-style. DA said that they write their own music, and do their own engineering and producing so that everything is "self-contained."

"We've been doing this for six years now," he added. "We're not entitled to anything more than anyone else is, but we've worked really hard to get where we are. We've played to empty rooms, we've sold CD's in the streets and after shows. We've put all of our energy into making music."

And it shows. The band is currently offering a free mix tape called "Jacques Jams," the brainchild of Clinton Sparks ("Get familiar!") Max said that Clinton "made them do it" and that he and DA are Clinton's "mix tape children."

"Jacques Jams" is more than just music. It's an entire story, complete with skits. In addition to CF and Sparks, it features other amazing talent such as Diddy, Solange Knowles, Pharrell, Lady Gaga and more.

Click here to check it out and sign up for your free copy. (My favorites are "What a World," "Ciroc Star" and CF's exclusive remix of Lady Gaga's "Love Game." I can't get enough of those three tracks!) With 60-80 thousand copies already downloaded, you'll definitely want to be in on this one!



Another thing that sets CF apart from other artists is their love and dedication to their fans. DA and Max will sit in their tour bus until 5 am just responding to emails from their fans.

And just as a side note....when I asked them what a typical day is like on their tour bus, they jokingly told me, "Usually a combination of binge drinking and gang banging." Max wanted me to emphasize the latter part and to mention that it's "every day." I assured him that I had underlined it in my notes.

Not only does CF try to write back to every email they receive, especially ones from their biggest supporters, but they also reach out to fans...and even haters....through Twitter.

Check out this recent exchange:

AgentSkitzer: @brooklyn3383 chester french does not rock!

DAChesterFrench: @AgentSkitzer Hope to win you over. We think you rock, at least! xoxo

CF has even been known to surprise their haters with free copies of their album and other goodies to win them over. "I try to keep an eye out for what's being said about us," DA said. "Some of our strongest supporters started out as haters."

He said he understands when others judge them because "we can be judgemental" at times too. With the band being so new, he said there are a lot of misconceptions about them.

"If someone is talking shit about us, I ask them what can we do to get them on the same page as us," DA added. They've found that most people are open-minded and receptive once they've reached out to them.

As for how the band got its name, it's actually derived from Daniel Chester French, who sculpted the Lincoln Memorial in my hometown of Washington DC. When I asked if they'd been to the Lincoln Memorial yet, Max chided that he makes a point of going there once-a-month.

I told them that even though I've lived here my whole life, I've never been to the memorial myself, and that I was going to visit it just for them. "You'll have to write our name on the wall," DA said.

"Oh good idea," I laughed. "I'm gonna graffiti up the whole memorial just for you!"



When I got more serious and said I had some ideas in my head for what I could legally do, maybe something with a photo, they assured me not to worry if I went to jail because they would bail me out. ;)

So who knows...maybe my next blog can be "So a Blonde Walks Into a Jail?" All for my love of Chester French! I'll be sure to sing their hit "She Loves Everybody" at the top of my lungs in my cell while I'm there too:



Click here to check out more on this fabulous band so you too can fall in love with them, find out their tour information, watch their hilarious videos, and more.

Pre-order "Love the Future" here. (Exclusive tracks will be available on Amazon and iTunes - different tracks depending on where you purchase)

And don't forget your free copy of Jacques Jams!

Finally, watch for Chester French on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on April 21. They assured me they are in touch with the most reputable designers (couture fashion is SO them) so be prepared for them to be dressed to the nines for the show.

I'll have to Tivo the show because you know where I'll be that night, what I'll be doing, and what music I'll be doing it to! ;)
***************************************

Note: Many thanks to my assistant Heather who helped me with preparing questions for the interview and who will most likely be joining me when Chester French plays in DC. I need to confirm this, but I believe they will be opening for Lady Sovereign at the 9:30 Club in May. I'll be sure to post the exact details once I confirm them.

UPDATE: Chester French will indeed be opening for Lady Sovereign at the 9:30 Club on May 9 at 11 pm. Click here to purchase tickets to the show (CF is not listed as an opening act as of yet, but I have been assured that they will be there).

Note: Originally published at So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog.

Making Life Better

With the spring holidays upon us, families are gathering around the table to celebrate with good food and good company. But with the current economic situation, it may be hard to prepare the perfect meal without breaking the bank.

MakingLifeBetter.com has come to the rescue with valuable meal ideas at affordable prices from trusted brands. In fact, the site is filled with tips and recipes for every day of the year, as well as vital information for other areas of your life.

If you missed it, check last week's newspaper for a valuable offer from the site for up to $20 off a holiday ham or turkey purchase.

Here are a few ideas from MakingLifeBetter.com that are great year-round:

• Knorr Sides: Spend less time in the kitchen by making a quick one-dish meal in three easy steps. Simply add your favorite cooked meat or chicken to Knorr Rice and Pasta Sides to make your family a satisfying one-dish meal, like Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo.
  
  
• Recipe Secrets: Creating a Country-Style Pot Roast is as simple as combining a few ingredients in the Dutch oven to roast, including Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix, which provides the perfect blend of seasonings to create delicious, affordable meals and great recipes for every occasion.
  
  
• Breyers: Bring a sweet ending to your holiday meal with a classic Hot Fudge Sundae using delicious Breyers All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream - a family-favorite made easily (and more affordably) at home!

Visit MakingLifeBetter.com for other ways to "feel good, look good, and get more out of life," today!

Corneille CD Winners

Congratulations to SeahorseLady and to Whall! Their names were selected at random as the winners of Corneille's new CD "The Birth of Cornelius."

Thanks to all who entered, and to Music Moms who sponsored this fabulous giveaway.

Stay tuned for more fun contests to come!

Veggie Adventures

I'm very fortunate that my youngest child's favorite food is actually....broccoli. I know that's a rare thing, especially since getting my older two to eat vegetables is always a challenge.

As part of their continued effort to help parents overcome the challenges of getting children to eat their vegetables, the makers of Hidden Valley Salad Dressings have created Veggie Adventures, a free online game that can be played now at LoveYourVeggies.com.

A recent study showed that 60 percent of parents play computer games with their children, so it's pure genius on the part of Hidden Valley Dressings to combine the fun of a computer game with education on the importance of vegetables.

The graphics and illustrations in the game are adorable and eye-catching. On "At the Farm," kids will virtually grow their own vegetables. Then, they'll have to drive carefully to ensure safe delivery of the vegetables in "On the Road." Finally, they can serve up their veggies when they play "In the Kitchen."

In addition to the fun and easy games, there are great tips and facts that kids will learn along the way. To make it even more exciting, players receive a printable certificate at the end of each game to commemorate their success.

Just click here to start playing with your child. Enjoy!