To enter to win this gift, comment here before 10am PST on Monday, December 24, 2007.

Alas, today’s great gift is the last of this year’s Gift A Day Giveaway (sniff, sniff). I’ve had so much fun playing Santa that I’ll be back at it again in the new year (February)–with lots of fun stuff to give, get, and win for Valentine’s Day.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’ve got one last fantastically lovely present to bestow upon one lucky reader: Flor’s 8×10-foot Classic Quilt area rug ( $339 ).

In case you’re not familiar with Flor, let me tell you why their rugs are so cool: They’re modern, good looking, and made of modular carpet tiles, which means that if red wine or baby’s avocado smears ruins one tile, you can swap it for another. Or if you want to do a decorative reorg, you can easily do that, too!

This particular pattern comes in three color patterns:

Mango (pictured above)

Blue (below)

Cream (below)

Should you choose to buy this for yourself or someone you love or want to browse Flor’s extensive offerings (like their supercute buttons, which I’ve got my eye on), visit their website.

Or enter to win this righteous rug by comment here before 10am PST on Monday, December 24, 2007.

Regardless, have a fantastic holiday and please drop by again for fun New Year’s ideas, fantastic recipes, finds for the home, and other practical-chic eye candy for a lavish and livable lifestyle. Happy Holidays!!!

Technorati Tags: rug, carpet, area, tile, Flor, color, free, giveaway, contest, sweepstakes, present, gift, home, decor

Good luck and to see if you won, visit the Winners Circle on January 3.

Erika Lenkert

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To enter to win this gift, comment on this posting here before 10am PST on Friday, December 21, 2007.

On the second to last day of my Gift A Day Giveaway, allow me to present to you one of my personal addictions: In Fiore.

A favorite with superstars like Gwen Stefani, Liv Tyler, and Meg Ryan, this face and body brand out of San Francisco is ultraexclusive, luxurious, and extremely high-quality; everything in the line is hand crafted and made from the finest natural ingredients in very small quantities. (Mark my words: this IS the next Jo Malone.)

I truly can’t live without In Fiore body balms (a trio of which is featured here today)–especially this drying time of year–and use them every morning after the shower. I also have a parfum solide compact in my purse so I can touch up with spectacular scent anytime.

Soooooo…since I continue to be in the giving mood this season, today I am delighted to present you with the perfect gift for any product-loving gal (or metro guy!):

* In Fiore Body Balm Trio ( $95 ): 3.3 ounce jars of balm in scents of Jolie, Shevanti, Tangiers or Dayala, Kashmir, Tiagi (for details on the armoas see the website).

* In Fiore Parfum Solide ( $58 ): See the scent selections on the website.

Give this gift to any woman to spoil her with luxurious pampering self-care products or enter to win the trio and parfum solide by comment on this posting here before 10am PST on Friday, December 21, 2007.

Good luck and to see if you won, visit the Winners Circle on December 21.

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I’m super excited this morning because I can finally give you a sneak peek at my pregnancy book, which is coming out in March!

The cover was recently posted on Amazon and while it doesn’t tell you what’s inside, suffice it to say that if you or your friends have been craving a more modern, practical, realistic, lighthearted, and frank perspective on the wild and wacky road to motherhood, this is it.

You can learn a tiny bit more on The Real Deal Guide website, which will be more robust once the book launches, but what I really want to know is what do you think of the cover? What does it say to you about what’s inside? Inquiring minds want to know!

Also, while I’m on the subject of books and shameless self-promotion, if you’re entertaining this season and need last-minute recipes and ideas, grab The Last-Minute Party Girl…or drop me an email on my party-girl website. I’ll be happy to brainstorm with you.

Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: pregnancy book, hip, modern, practical, guide, best, easy, entertaining, books

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To enter to win this gift, comment on this posting here before 10am PST on Thursday, December 20, 2007.

As an overworked mom, I love cosmetics that give instant glamour because they take seconds to apply and make me feel fabulous without much effort.

Thus, on this 19th day of the Gift A Day Giveaway, with holiday parties upon us and New Year’s Eve right around the corner, I present you with four of my favorite Benefit instant-beauty products, which are great gifts for you or any gal in your life:

Speed Brow ( $16 ): With one brushstroke your arches look sculpted. I used this daily after my daughter was first born and it immediately made me feel fashionable despite the disheveled hair and dark circles under my eyes.

10 ( $28 ): A bronzer and highlighter combo, this powder pair instantly turns any wintertime woman into a sexy snow bunny with glistening and defined cheekbones. I am flat-out crazy for this stuff and often use it with nothing other than lip gloss for a sweet, fresh, and subtly sultry look.

Pocket Pal ( $20 ): This lip tint and gloss compact carry-along makes creating a pretty pucker effortless when you’re on the go.

BADgal Lash ( $19 ): Great mascara is a makeup bag essential. This is the one you’ll find in my cosmetic case.
You can scoop these up online at Benefit or enter to win this gift by comment on this posting here before 10am PST on Thursday, December 20, 2007.

Technorati Tags: benefit cosmetics, best mascara, best blush, highlighter, lipgloss, free, contest, giveaway, sweepstakes

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I’m not a dieter. Never have been. I’m far too into the pleasures of food to deny myself anything. And as a food critic and recipe developer, I have a professional excuse to eat like every meal is my last. However, even after my most gluttonous excursions I still want to fit into my jeans–without doing anything harmful to my body. Thankfully, I’ve found a surprisingly simple way to have my cake and eat it too: apple cider vinegar.

Sure I work out regularly, but trust me when I tell you that at my age, even that’s not enough. But apple cider vinegar is pure magic for the metabolism.

After skeptically reading on a website that ACV (apple cider vinegar) helps cure a sinus infection, which I had at the time, and encourages weight loss, I tried out the recommended useage: drink 2 tablespoons of ACV in an 8-ounce glass of water three times daily (especially after a big meal).

My sinus infection did go away, but far more exciting was that the pooch leftover from baby bearing more than two years ago went away, too–even when I went through the occasional chocolate chip cookie dough binge. It also cleared up my skin quite a bit.

Now I drink it regularly and my husband was so impressed he’s chugging it too.

Don’t get me wrong: ACV is not an excuse to eat shamelessly; I doubt a couple of swigs of vinegar can contend with a diet of nothing other than pizza and French fries, but if you eat reasonably and happen to tack on dessert or your favorite fried foods AND drink ACV, you’ll probably be surprised by the positive results.

Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: diet, how to, weight loss, lose weight, apple cider vinegar

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