Frigidaire Features

I've already shared with you several of the wonderful features my Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher has to offer: how quiet and roomy it is, how much energy and time it saves, and how sleek and sophisticated it looks. But there's STILL so much to tell you!

One feature that I love that I haven't yet written about yet is the stay-put door:



No matter what angle you open it at, the door stays in place!

In addition to having the most adaptable delay start (1- to 24-hour options), the Frigidaire dishwasher also offers multiple cycle options:



We usually use normal wash, but for dirtier loads, you could choose the power plus wash cycle, or, for lighter loads, choose the light wash option. There's also an energy saver cycle to help you save money, and a china/crystal cycle for your more delicate dishes.



The air dry option will also help you save money but I personally like to have my dishes heat-dried. The germaphobe in me also prefers to use the high-temp wash option, and even better is the sanitize feature, which I use if we're throwing sponges in with a load of dishes to get them clean.

Frigidaire's DishSense™ Technology is automatic for all cycles and sensors inside the dishwasher either shorten or lengthen the washing time based on how soiled your dishes are.

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.



“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.”

Build-A-Bear Winner

Congratulations to Stephanie! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Build-A-Bear giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Build-A-Bear for sponsoring this fun giveaway!

Honor Society Winner

Congratulations to smilekisses! Her name was selected at random via random.org as the winner of the Honor Society giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Crowd Surf for making this fun giveaway possible!

Frigidaire Dishwasher Update

I'm now well into month two of my Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher ownership and wanted to share with you how well it's been performing. I have to say my favorite feature of the dishwasher so far is how quiet it runs. You can barely tell it's even running...that's how quiet it is. There's a reason it was voted the quietest dishwasher in its class!



I also love the rinse-aid displays that alerts you when you're running low. There are two indicators as you can see in the pictures above and below. With my old dishwasher, it was always hard to tell when I needed to refill it. I would refill the rinse aid dispenser every couple of months or so, which apparently wasn't enough because this dishwasher has reminded me to refill twice in the month and a half or so that we've had it. And as you can see:



...I need to refill again!

There's exciting news that just came out on Frigidaire's entire professional line of appliances. The EPA just awarded their prestigious 2010 Energy Star award to the line for their “Swap and Save” Energy Star Promotion. The award recognizes Frigidaire’s commitment to smart energy management and its efforts to share the importance of energy efficiency with a wide audience.

In addition to the time-saving features, the new Frigidaire collections also save you considerable amounts of energy and water. My dishwasher uses at least 41% less energy and 40% less water compared to dishwashers from just ten years ago. There's a really cool energy calculator on Frigidaire's energy savings page that you can use to find out how much energy, water and money you would save by swapping out your dishwasher for Frigidaire's.

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.



Disclosure Notice: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

Win Tickets to See Honor Society With Meet and Greet Passes!

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Honor Society for the first time when they opened for Timbaland at the 9:30 Club in DC. I had never heard of them before then, but I definitely became a fan after seeing them perform.

Check out their video for their hit song "Over You":



Here is a list of upcoming shows for Honor Society's new tour:

3/19/2010 St. Petersburg FL State Theatre
3/21/2010 Ft. Lauderdale FL Culture Room
3/22/2010 Orlando FL The Social
3/24/2010 New Orleans LA House of Blues
3/25/2010 Houston TX House of Blues
3/26/2010 San Antonio TX White Rabbit
3/28/2010 Dallas TX House of Blues
3/31/2010 Scottsdale AZ Martini Ranch
4/2/2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
4/3/2010 Los Angeles CA Club Nokia
4/6/2010 Denver CO Marquis Theatre
4/7/2010 Kansas City MO Beaumont
4/8/2010 St. Louis MO The Old Rock House
4/9/2010 Milwaukee WI The Rave
4/11/2010 Pontiac MI Eagles Theater
4/13/2010 Minneapolis MN Varsity
4/16/2010 Chicago IL House of Blues
4/17/2010 Pittsburgh PA Chess-A-Rena
4/20/2010 Toronto ON The Opera House
4/21/2010 Cleveland OH House of Blues
4/22/2010 Philadelphia PA Theatre of Living Arts
4/24/2010 New York NY Nokia Theater
4/25/2010 Norfolk VA The Norva
4/26/2010 Washington DC Rock and Roll Hotel
4/27/2010 New Haven CT Toad's Place
4/29/2010 Allentown PA Crocodile Rock
4/30/2010 Clifton Park NY Northern Lights
5/1/2010 Montreal QC Le National
5/2/2010 Boston MA House of Blues
5/4/2010 Charlotte NC The Fillmore
5/5/2010 Raleigh NC Lincoln Theater
5/7/2010 Nashville TN Rocketown
5/8/2010 Atlanta GA The Loft

Click here for ticket information.



Thanks to Crowd Surf, I have two tickets as well as meet and greet passes to give away to one lucky reader!Due to the quick turnaround of this contest, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of their winning notification or the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know which show you'd like to attend (city, state and date). Since the winner will be selected on Sunday, please be sure to only select a date from 3/23 and beyond. The contest is open to US residents only.

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

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Please be sure to include @honorsociety in your tweet.

~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, Saturday, March 20, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I will be receiving two complimentary tickets and meet and greet passes to see Honor Society in Washington DC on April 26 in conjunction with this giveaway.

Build-A-Bear Blossom Bunny Review and Giveaway

My little girl has been a long-time fan of Build-A-Bear and has amassed quite a collection over the years. So she was thrilled when, thanks to Build-A-Bear, she got to take a trip to the store to build the new, limited edition Blossom Bunny, part of the Collectibunny® line. (There's also an adorable limited edition Cheerful Cheeks Chick available)



First, my little girl chose a heart, rubbed it in her hand, made a wish, then gave it to the attendant to put inside the bunny. One of my favorite parts of Build-A-Bear is how your child gets to give their animal a hug test to see if it's stuffed just right. If it's too firm or too soft, the attendant will make the adjustments needed until it's perfectly huggable.



After Natalie picked out an outfit for her bunny, she headed over to the "dressing room" to dress it:



Here she is at home with her new bunny, Valerie. So cute!



Until April 4, while supplies last, kids get a free Easter basket and candy with every $20 purchase. And of course, as with all animals made at Build-A-Bear, your child can bring their creation to life at Build-A-Bearville.com.

Thanks to Build-A-Bear, one lucky reader will be selected to win a $25 gift card to use toward anything the child in your life would like to create at the store. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you love about Build-A-Bear.

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, 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, Sunday, March 21, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a $25 gift card from Build-A-Bear to facilitate this review.

More Father/Son Drama This Week on General Hospital

This week on ABC's General Hospital, Sonny is already suspected of a murder he didn’t commit, but wants his son Dante's approval. Sonny is driven to tell the truth about Claudia’s real killer...his other son Michael. If Dante finds out the truth, what will he do with it?



Don't forget that you can follow along with me on Twitter each day as I tweet about the show. You can also follow all of the discussion among mom ambassadors and fans with the hashtag #ghmoms and/or #generalhospitalmoms.



Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Sir Elton John Will Discuss "Hot Topics" on The View This Week!

My favorite part of The View has always been the "Hot Topics" segment. But Thursday's episode will be even more exciting as Sir Elton John joins the women of the View at the table to weigh in with his take on things. I can't wait to see how that plays out!

Here's the rest of the schedule for the week:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies).

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera.

In case you missed Monday's episode where the women discussed all of the fabulous dresses from the Oscars, here's a clip:



You can join me in discussing The View on my Twitter account, as I'll be tweeting about the show each day. You can also follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.



Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Sing Along With Barbie DVD Winner

Congratulations to shimmala! Their name was selected at random as the winner of the Sing Along With Barbie DVD giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered!

Robert Pattinson Visits "The View"

Actor Robert Pattinson made his first-ever appearance on The View on Tuesday with his “Remember Me” co-star, Emilie de Ravin. In case you missed it, here's a clip:



Here's the lineup for the rest of the week:

~Thursday, Mar 4: Celebrity guest co-host Valerie Bertinelli, former Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin from Broadway’s “The Miracle Worker,” Mia Wasikowska from Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and a musical performance from Broadway’s “Fela” will be featured on this jam-packed episode.

~Friday, Mar 5: The View’s “Road to the Oscars” episode welcomes former Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes and “Fashion Friday” celebrates “The History of Oscar Fashions” with a two-part look back at some of the most memorable – and perhaps forgettable – Oscar hits and misses, with host and celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. Hosts of “At the Movies” Michael Phillips and Tony Scott will also be on set to unveil their 2010 Oscar predictions.

You can join me in discussing The View on my Twitter account, as I'll be tweeting about the show each day. You can also follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.



Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

This Week on General Hospital

This week on General Hospital, Dante is determined to put his mobster father Sonny behind bars and might have to use his brother Michael to do it. Also this week, Dante questions Michael— will Michael confess or will Dante realize on his own that it was Michael who was responsible for killing Claudia and not Sonny?



I have the privilege of sharing with you a never-before-seen interview with Brandon Barash of General Hospital, the actor who plays Johnny Zacchara. The questions and answers have been provided courtesy of Mom Central and Barash:

Q: What would you do if you could turn back time?
A: I would meet Benjamin Franklin.

Q: What do you do in your down time?
A: I like playing music, standing on my head, walking around in nature -- and if I’m really feeling ambitious, I’ll do all three at the same time.

Q: What is the best way to prepare for a love scene?
A: The best way to prepare for a love scene is by spending lots of hours at the gym.

Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball – college or NBA.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor?
A: If I could not act I would NOT be one of those people who give you tickets for expired parking meter. I would be a surgeon or a police office in Alaska. Only in Alaska.

Q: Describe your perfect date.
A: My perfect date is being with a girl I can talk to.

Q: What is one of your favorite things to do?
A: When it is just me and my dad my favorite thing is to sit outside, drink a scotch and talk about nothing.

Q: What do you do for Thanksgiving?
A: I spend Thanksgiving with both sides of my large extended family.

Q: describe your most memorable moment on GH.
A: When Johnny was shot 5 times and survived it, recovered and went to a wedding the next day.

Q: What was the most memorable moment of pop culture in 2009?
A: Clearly it was when we lost the late and great MJ.

Interesting guy, isn't he? :)

Don't forget that you can follow along with me on Twitter each day as I tweet about the show. You can also follow all of the discussion among mom ambassadors and fans with the hashtag #ghmoms and/or #generalhospitalmoms.



Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.