As promised-puppy pics

As promised, here are some pics of our furry family members.

This is Ozzy. Isnt he a cutie? Believe me, he knows it too.

He is a 4 1/2 months old Soft Coated Weaten Terrier.

These are our 2 standard poodles Ziggy and Cash (Cash has the ball in his mouth)




While unloading the pics on my camera, I realized that
I had lots of photos stored on my camera that I havent downloaded yet.

This is the love of my life (El Amor de Mi Vida), my husband Tommy.

We are at the Botanical Gardens in Washington, DC

Here is a pic of a piece of artwork that I made for my friend
Tony Nelson as a birthday gift.

This piece is called "How long have we been in space?"

This is a piece that I made after returning from a trip to DC. Its called "Missing My Poodle Boys"This proudly hangs in our gallery-the bathroom :)

HUMP DAY~

Had a wonderful lunch w/ my friend Anna today that I havent seen in a while. And she has the day off from her job. Another lunch at Carinos.....she likes to have a drink with her lunch-ha.. She is so funny, she told me to 'dress casually'-like I need to be told that-ha. Everyday is 'casual day' in my life.

Of course, you cant ever go wrong with Carinos. I got the Chicken Panini. Its awesome and if you do not want the fries to go with it, you can ask and they can substitute a veggie-I got the green beans and they were awesome too!! Be sure to get the Italian Wedge salad-it ROCKS!!

Puppy update:

"Ozzy" the Puppy goes to his 2nd training class today at Petsmart. Glad to say that he is improving BIG TIME! We are now completely housebroken as long as you pay attention to his clues of going to the door when he needs to go outside. Both of the other dogs (standard poodles-Ziggy and Cash) have totally accepted him and love him. There are some great wrestling matches in the backyard with all of them and they are a RIOT! I should sell tickets to those matches-ha. I promise to get some pics up later today..

Just another Thursday....

My family and I LOVE Carinos. Its one of my favorite restaurants and one of my most favorite places to have Happy Hour!

My mom went to Carinos today for the Mothers Day promo (a free 3 course meal). She called me from the restaurant to tell me what a wonderful lunch she had and to thank me for telling her about the deal. :)

This promo ends tomorrow-you can view it here: http://www.carinos.com/
My mama gave it thumbs up in case you wanna try it out for yourself.

Our local coupon club meeting is tonight in S Austin @ Wm Cannon library from 7-9pm in conference room. I would love to see you there! Feel free to join us. Just bring your unwanted coupons, sissors and something to carry your coupons home in.

In case you didnt know this, you can get a free 1 lb package of strawberries at Tom Thumb, Randalls & Safeway stores with a printable coupon from their websites! No Joke! And you can print 2 coupons-so that is 2 free packages of strawberries. The coupon coupon is valid until 5/31 and you must use your card and purchase $10 in produce. Just go to their website to print the coupon. Here are the links if you need them:

Tom Thumb
Randalls
Safeway

Mothers Day Freebies

**I will constantly update this section as I find the deals.

FAZOLI'S- All Moms eat FREE on Mother's Day, May 10. No other purchase required.

Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse - Free Entree for Mom on Mother's Day.

TCBY is giving a free cone to moms on Mother's Day

T.G.I.Friday's - Mom's get their choice of free dessert with the purchase of an entree. Always call ahead to make sure your location is participating! Join the Give Me More Stripes program and get an email with a coupon for a BOGO Free Entree!

FREE Mothers Day card on Photobucket. Limited time offer Use coupon code: mom2009

Carino’s- Mom’s eat FREE May 4th-8th at Carino’s. With the purchase of one entree at regular price, Mom receives one 3-course meal FREE!

Cold Stone Creamery- free ice cream cones to moms on Mother's Day

FREE Kickboxing and Taekwondo Classes for Mom. Drop off four cans of vegetables at any of the 18 Sacramento area Robinsons Taekwondo locations during the month of May and receive one month of free Cardio-kickboxing or Taekwondo classes for your whole family. ALSO-Join the Robinsons Family for a special Open House Saturday May 9th from 1p-4p for special prizes, demonstrations and fun for Mothers Day.
Mom's get in FREE to Medieval Times on Mother's Day Weekend with purchase of one full price ticket. (Texas, Maryland). You can add the Mother's Day Package for an additional $30 and get a Royal Mother's Day photo, glass of champagne or mimosa served in a keepsake flute, Mother's Day sash, knight's cheering flag, and commemorative scroll.
Hallmark- http://www.hallmark.com/ iFree Hallmark card including stamp (they mail the card for you). Use coupon code: CARD4MOM at check out.

Michaels-
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/static?page=mothersday-events Celebrate your mom and take these free workshops; make various things such as T-Shirts, Keepsake Plates, Wooden Frames and more! There is a new and different class every day May 3- May 10th.

World of Wines of South Tampa- They are celebrating Mother's Day with an Italian Wine Celebration and learn all about these fine wines. The cost to attend is FREE!

San Fransisco Bay Area has 17 Museums you can visit for FREE on Mother's Day

Daily Grill - Austin Join us for Mother's Day & all moms will receive a $15 gift certificate on her special day to use on a future visit.

Free Small Root Beer Float or Freeze or Free Small Slushee or Limeade with purchase at A&W. This coupon also expires May 30,2009.

Outback Steakhouse http://www.outback.com/ is having a Mothers day promo too. They are giving Moms a $10 gift card on their next visit when they eat there on Mother's Day.

FREE KickButt Coffee!!

Click on the link below to get a coupon for a FREE cup of coffee at Kick Butt Coffee in Austin, TX. Expires 6/21 **this is ONLY available to the first 50 people that use this coupon. After the limit has been reached, I will take down this coupon.

When_Are_you_Going_to_Kick_Butt.pdf [~1500K]
*hope this link works...

If the link above does not work, feel free to cut the coupon off this page and copy it to a word doc and print it.

Puppy News

Boy, I am still elbow deep in housebreaking the new puppy. He (Ozzy) is so adorable. My other 2 dogs have now accepted him into the pack and love him as a brother.

Today Ozzy got a walk around the block. Since he is only 15 weeks old, that took alot out of him so now he is taking a nap. This Wed. we start taking puppy training classes. I cant wait, he really needs these classes. Its been years since I have had to go thru training classes so I am really rusty. He is also needing to get use to being in the cage when I leave the house. He HATES it and cries alot when I put him there, but that is the breaks. The cage will also help me to house break him.

Yesterday I made some crackers. Everytime I make them, they just taste better and better. I now want to try my hand at baking other things too. But since there is only 2 of us, I cant bake too much at one time unless I am going to make room in my freezer for these things. I have also been making my own doggie treats and I am finding it to be quite rewarding.

Just typing about baking has put me in the mood to bake. Maybe after the dogs wake up from their nap, I can make some biscotti-its easy and there is room in the freezer for it.

Here is the link to the Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti that I made about 2 weeks ago-it was awesome! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Walnut-Biscotti-10994 I substituted pecans for walnuts tho-its a Texas thing...ha. If you have never made Biscotti, do not let it intimidate you its surprisingly easy. Really...try it and see..

I cant believe it-I won something!!

I just got an email a week ago that I won the grand prize! Get Clean Starter Kit ($176.00 value) from a blog at:http://livehealthygreen.wordpress.com/

The package arrived yesterday and WOW! Its really nice. It even included a caddy to carry all the products in from room to room.

We got a new puppy last Friday. He is a Soft Hair Weaten and we named him Ozzy. He is 14 weeks old. So I have ALOT of training and potty training to do. What a perfect time to win & recieve this prize.

The products are made by Shaklee and they are enviromentally friendly. The one product that got me really excited was a product called "Scour Off". It replaces a product like Easy Off. But it doesnt contain harmful chemicals. I decided to use it on the glass top of my smooth top stove and it really cleaned it up WONDERFULLY!! It looks as good as it did the first day that I got the stove-really! If you are needing to clean that glass top on your stove, you should REALLY consider this product.

That is not the only product I have tried. The other products have cleaned up my guest bathroom really well too. Most of the products are concentrated-which means you will got alot of uses from one concentrated product. Tomorrow I will try the laundry products. I cant believe that I am so excited to do laundry-ha!

I would like to congratulate "DebInTX" for winning the Sweet Leaf Tea giveaway. Deb, I sent you a email please reply.
**A BIG Diva "THANK YOU" to April Riggs with Sweet Leaf Tea.

DivagirlsDeals.com 1st ever giveaway!!

We have a brand new giveaway thanks to the generosity of a local Austin, TX company-Sweet Leaf Iced Teas!!

This giveaway is for 6 coupons:
3 of the coupons is for a FREE ice-cold bottle of Sweet Leaf Tea.
And the other 3 coupons read:
Buy one tea, get one FREE!!
All of the coupons expire on 12/2010.

There are 2 ways to enter:

1st way to enter:

Leave a comment here after visiting the Sweet Leaf Tea site. You need to visit the Sweet Leaf Tea site at: http://www.sweetleaftea.com/ and tell me what flavor of Tea you like or would like to try. You will get one entry for that.

2nd way to enter:

You can also enter on our forum at:

http://divagirlsdeals.forumakers.com/

Then you will see the section under that called:

Divagirls Deals Giveaways!!! -or you can just click this link.
This giveaway will be listed there. And that is where you will enter.

You need to visit the Sweet Leaf Tea site at: http://www.sweetleaftea.com/ and tell me what flavor of Tea you like or would like to try. You will get one entry for that.

If you want additional entries, you can tweet about it or twitter or post a link to your blog (or website) to my website or forum and let your readers know about this giveaway.

Be sure to post a link to your blog or site (or your Twitter handle) on your entry in the forum.

Winners will be chosen on April 26th randomly (by Random.org). The winner will be announced on this site as well as on the forum.

I LOVE SWEET LEAF TEA and I know that you will too once you try them. The Mint and Honey Green Tea and the Mango Green Tea are my favorite flavors. They are made just like granny used to make tea--delicious! They also have lemonaid and limeaid!

**A BIG Diva "THANK YOU" to April Riggs with Sweet Leaf Tea.

Feel free to visit their website at:
http://www.sweetleaftea.com/

get a FREE sample of Dunkin Donuts coffee
they go fast-hurry!!

working hard

I am SOOO happy that April 15th is behind me...taxes schmaxes!!

Looking to revamp, update and create more buzz about my DivagirlsDeals.com website. How? Well, I am starting to do giveaways!!! Still looking for companies to give me stuff to giveaway and provide them buzz at the same time. I will do it for just about ANY company including etsy shops.

If you are interested, just email me at: divagirl@myself.com and put "divagirlsdeals giveaway" in the subject line.

**that way I dont think its spam and delete it without reading it.

getting back into the groove

I am very happy that SXSW is over.

I was pretty busy during SXSW helping my friend Exene go around town for her interviews, shows, ect....

I really need a vacation...hopefully this weekend I will plan one.

SXSW EMERGENCY KIT

If you have never been to SXSW before here is some info that you need to know.

First, wear comfy shoes. Dont wear heels, you will look like an amateur and you will quickly regret it since you will be on your feet ALOT! I have had 2 foot surgeries, trust me-wear comfy shoes....

**Feel free to comment on this....

There are a few things that you always want to have with you while out and about: a bottle opener (the kind that goes on a key chain), aspirin, 2 pairs of earplugs (in case you lose one or give one pair to a friend who forgot theirs), pen (a disposable one in case you lose it), notebook (the paper ones), lots of business cards (you will go thru ALOT of these), & cell phone. **And if you are a chick, you may want your lipstick (I dont leave home without it).

A great tip to remember is, if you EVER need a taxi-go to the nearest hotel and you can get one there. Also, the hotels will have the cleanest public bathrooms too. No porta-pottys for you! And if you are really watching your money, The Embassy Suites Hotel has a FREE Happy Hour everyday (yeah, free drinks and munchies). But that is not usually an issue during SXSW coz there usually is alot of free drinks and food at parties.

If you are traveling from out of town, you may also want to pack:
Your laptop & adapter, One extra battery that clips on, Surge protector,
3-prong adapter from Radio Shack, and a camera.

Also, I cant stress this enough. If you are staying in a hotel, please bring your own pillow!! I know, you are thinking I am crazy...but am I? WHY? This is easy to prove, just take the pillow case off of a hotel pillow-you will FREAK out! Hotels do not clean the pillows they ONLY change the pillow case on them. Just pack one (even a small square one or a travel sized one) and you will thank me later for that. I am always amazed that people use hotel pillows-ewwww....

But SXSW is fun--so have a good time. You can sleep when its over!

The SXSW Motto: Sleep is for WIMPS!

KEXP & ME (Music & Entertainment) Television preformances 3/18-20th FREE

Location:

Me Soundstage
South Congress AvenueAustin, TX 78704

The studio is located 2 miles south of downtown Austin at 2130 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704, at the corner of South Congress and Live Oak.

The entire broadcast, including the live performances, is FREE and open to the public. You are welcome to stop by any time. No signup is required. Entry is available on a first come, first served basis. We expect many of the performances to fill up quickly, so come early to get a spot!

Here is the schedule:

Wednesday, March 18th Performances

11:30am BLK JKS
1:30pm Alela Diane
3:30pm Pete & the Pirates
5:30pm Wild Yaks
7:30pm The Features

Thursday, March 19th Performances

11:30am Elliott Brood
1:30pm The Love Language
3:30pm Akron/Family
5:30pm First Communion Afterparty
7:15pm Gomez

Friday, Marth 20th Performances

11:30am Razorlight
1:30pm Andrew Bird
3:30pm Peter Bjorn and John
5:30pm PJ Harvey & John Parish
7:30pm M. Ward

**All of this info was yanked from: http://ultra8201.blogspot.com/

A SHAMELESS PLUG....DivagirlsDeals.com

Yeah, yeah.... I love finding ya'll the cool parties, but I gotta give my website a little plug here....

LOOKIN FOR MORE DEALS??

If you are looking for some other money saving deals, be sure to check out my website: http://www.DivagirlsDeals.com/ my website ROCKS-check it out!!

**be sure to check out the Restaurant.com info on there. I almost always have a coupon code there. You can get a gift certificate to a restaurant for CHEAP! So, if you are comin' to Austin get a Restaurant.com gift certificate and eat at a wonderful local restaurant for CHEAP!!

the +1 House Party Friday 3/20

If you cant getin to the Playboy party--do not fret...the people that did the Playboy party, also is doing this +1 party!!

If you tried to get into the Playboy Party and didnt, then kudos to you for trying!

When: Friday March 20th :: Noon to 5pm
Where: Hank Sinatra's 2407 Riverside Farm's Road (just off East Riverside between Pleasant Valley and Montopolis)
Free to all:: No RSVP or Badges required!

thurs. 3/19 & Saturday- Playboy Magazine and C3 Presents

When: Thursday, March 19,

Time: 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Strictly invite-only

This is already being known as the hardest party to get into...but if you can manage it be sure to comment here and brag to the rest of us.

Two of the hottest afterhours parties during SXSW will take place at the former Safeway location next to CVS on the I-35 frontage road and East 12th Street. The Thursday night bash will be hosted by Playboy magazine and C3 Presents.

Then, on Saturday at around midnight, gossip-monger Perez Hilton takes over. Lady Sovereign is the only confirmed act we could find for that one.

Double Stereo Launch Party at Tiniest Bar in Texas 3/19-3/21 RSVP!

You are all invited to attend our Double Stereo launch party on March 19th-21st at the Tiniest Bar in Texas. This is a free, all ages show open to the public.

RSVP to sal@cdfuse.com for complimentary drinks and such during the show.

The launch party will include artists from Universal Motown Records, Myspace Records, Equal Vision Records, and Rumblefish including After Midnight Project, Nico Vega, The Photo Atlas, and Loch Lomond.Plus, Austin standouts White Ghost Shivers, Driver F, The Mother Truckers and more!

It's the Launch Party of Double Stereo! We think its awesome and so will you. Pass it on!

3/19 Sounds Australia House Party w/ Lenka and more!

Another FREE party

Sounds Australia House Party w/ Lenka and more!

WHEN:
Thu. 03/19
TIME: 12:00PM
WHERE:
Friends, 208 E Sixth **I am not familiar with this place, but the party sounds pretty good.
No RSVP needed.

C'mon down (under) and enjoy a great event Aussie style! The party kicks off with six daytime performances, followed by official Aussie SXSW showcases at night. Enjoy two great Aussie traditions - music and hospitality. We'll also be raffling off a pair of roundtrip tickets to Australia courtesy of Qantas Airlines (hell yeah)! Don't forget to say G'day! Artists performing include Lenka, The Boat People, An Horse, Andy Bull, Birds of Tokyo, Red Riders, and many more!

Thurs. 3/19 KOOP Radio Garage/Twang party 3-7PM at Lovejoys

No RSVP needed...

WHEN:
Thu. 03/19
TIME: 3:15PM
WHERE:
Lovejoy's, 604 Neches

**check out Rosie Flores, should be good!!

Line-up includes:
3:15 pm Chip Robinson's Heavy Beat Outfit (Raleigh, NC)
4:15 pm Jon Langford & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts with Rosie Flores (Chicago / Austin)
5:15 pm The Ugly Beats (Austin, TX)
6:15 pm The Higher State (UK)