Bertolli Meal Soup: Warms the Soul, the Heart and Everything in Between! PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Recently, I had the opportunity to try Bertolli Meal Soups for dinner. I tried the Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken.  Bertolli's makes four different kinds of soup if you aren't partial to Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken. They are: Chicken Minestrone; Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta and Tuscan Style Beef and Vegetables. You can buy them in frozen foods section of the supermarket. You can get more information about Bertolli by visiting their Facebook page by clicking here and by following them on Twitter by clicking here!

My daughter and I had one hour to prepare our meal, set the table and get everything done. Well, little did we know we would need less than half an hour! Woo hoo! BONUS!!!!

As Tiny got busy setting the table, I started slaving over the stove.
HA! It was real hard work!
All I had to do was cut the bag open and put it on the stove with one cup of water. Easy-peasy!  A few minutes later, a smell permeated my home with the most amazing, rich aroma. I am talking like somebody's sweet old Italian -grandma's-house-that-you-just-can't-wait-to-go-visit-because- their-house-smells-like-an-Italian-farmhouse-from-a-dream-and-the-food-is-to-die-for-and-its-always-like-that???? Do you know what I mean, or is it just me who knows someone like that?

I am not Italian, so whenever I went to anyone's Italian grandma's house like that, I was enamoured, fascinated and in love with her, the smell of her house and her food!

Well, I digresss....but, look out, people, because Bertolli's soup has found a way to bring those smells to my house....and I haven't even started to tell you how wonderful this soup TASTES!

Manga! (uh, am I spelling that right? I was going to say "Voila"!)

I personally hate the way chicken comes out in canned or frozen foods; its usually rubbery and gross. I was prepared for some nasty, slippery chewy chicken. However, the chicken here was superb and fresh. I ate it and enjoyed it all. There were also big pieces of tomato, lots of spinach and of course, delicious tortellini.  Oh, and have I mentioned? All of this was in the most heavenly, rich, (but not too rich), creamy red broth. No, wait-I can't use that word, "broth"-I should call it something better--like a wet blanket that tucked in some creamy goodness. It was THAT good!

I was going to make a salad, but when I saw how many veggies were in this soup, I decided to forego that plan. I made some garlic bread with some cheese inside, or "cheesy dunkers", as my daughter Tiny calls them. She had a ball dunking away in her soup--TWO servings of it!

You know, this red soup would make a terrific and easy Valentine's Day meal if you are staying in and want a quickie (MEAL, that is, get your minds out of the gutter people!)  You could easily serve it up in heart shaped bowls if you want and the red soup will make its own statement. And trust me, you will win him or her over with this one. After all, the way to one's heart is through his or her stomach.......;)

WANT TO GET SOME FREE BERTOLLI'S MEAL SOUP FOR YOURSELF?

Well, I have an extra coupon for this amazing soup which I would love to give away to one of my followers! I promise you, your going to LOVE this!

To get a chance at scoring this one, here's what you have to do:

1) Go to Bertolli's Facebook page and "like" them and write the following:

"Just read Year in the Life of June Cleaver's Blog and can't wait to try your Meal Soup!"

Then just come on back here and let me know you did this! Make sure you are a follower of mine.

And be sure that your email is there so I can reach you if you win this!*

Extra Entries:
2) Go to my Facebook page HERE, Like me and leave me any comment and then just come back here and let me know so I can count your entries. You will get FIVE extra entries. If you already "like" me, just leave a comment at the Facebook page and come back here to let me know.

*Contest will end on February 20, 2012. I will select a winner by random and email you. You will have to contact me within 36 hours to claim your prize or I will choose a new winner. 18 years and US residents only.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that I was provided a coupon for a free soup to review as well as a cash compensation for this sponsored post.  However, please note that all opinions are my own. Thank you!

New Life, New Directions and New Journeys

Well, 2011 saw huge changes in my personal life. I took time away from writing here and definitely missed it! I have made some major changes, some extremely difficult, but necessary to do. I have also relocated and am now living in North Carolina.

I am loving my new home so far and getting used to a new life as well! During the next few posts, I will share some of the significant changes with you all as I begin to regroup and "get back on the horse"!!!!

Hope you will follow me on my new journey!

Giveaway from Downeast Basics!

Downeast Basics* is one of those companies that has become a "go to" for easy everyday solutions for my wardrobe. These days, I cannot get enough of their dresses! I recently had the opportunity to try out their Miss Maxi Dress in Grey Stone which is this beautiful purplish color with a grey undertone. I have been wearing this constantly this fall and keep getting compliments. Its great for all sorts of occasions. I find I am wearing it to everything-from waiting for my daughter's bus, to getting together with girlfriends for a night out, to church and more! The versatility is fantastic!

Miss Maxi Dress

Want to Get the Miss Maxi Dress?

Downeast Basics has generously offered to give one of my followers an item of their choice from their collection!

How to Enter the Contest:

All you need to do is the following:

1) Visit their site by clicking here. Then come back to my blog and let me know what item is your favorite.
Be sure to leave your email so I can let you know if you won! (NOTE: you have to be a follower of my blog to win, so make sure you are a follower if you are not already)

EXTRA ENTRIES: (each one will get you FIVE extra!)

 2) Like Downeast Basics by clicking here and leave them the following message:
I just entered a Giveaway from  the A Year in the Life of June Cleaver blog from Downeast Basics & hope I win! Thanks Downeast Basics!
Then come back here and let me know you did so I can check it out!

3) Spread the word about this giveaway-tweet it, post it on your blog, etc....and just come on back and leave me a message so I can check it out!

Contest ends on October 28, 2011.
This contest is open to US residents only, 18 years of age+. Item given to you by Downeast Basics is subject to availability of in stock items only.

*I was given a sample item from Downeast Basics. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Make Up Giveaway: SMASHBOX Custom Color Set

There is nothing I like better than EASY makeup! I have discovered the best, easiest makeup in town. Its Smashbox's Masters Class 9 Custom Color Set. I use it in Light because I have a fair complexion. The kit contains an entire set of coordinated shades, from eyeshadow, blush, liner and lips, so all you have to do is put it on and you are good to go. There is even a super-easy guide inside for the make up challenged (ME).  There is no thinking here. I love it. Its an easy Mom no-brainer time saver and you will look completely put together. Who doesn't love that?

Want to get one of your own?
I recently received an extra one of these and I am giving it away!!!! It is a Light set, and here is what you will get if you win:
- 0.053 oz Cream Liner Trio for light skin (soft plum, dark brown, deep royal blue)
- 0.34 oz Fusion Soft Lights for light skin (champagne, peach, rose)
- 0.075 oz Eye Shadow Trio in Fizz, Minx, and Obsidian (peach beige shimmer, silvery taupe shimmer, pewter gray shimmer)
- 0.14 oz Lip Enhancing Gloss in Radiant (sheer color/ metallic golden rose)
- 0.19 oz Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Sorbet (sheer golden pink)
- 0.04 oz Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx (black)
- 0.04 oz The Nude Lip Pencil in Light (soft nude)

HERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO ENTER THE CONTEST:
1) BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG. Leave me a message to tell me you did or you are a follower.
EXTRA ENTRIES:
(these will get you 2 extra entries-please be sure to number them so I know how many to give you!)
2) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER BY CLICKING HERE
Be sure to leave me a message here to tell me you did so I can verify.
3) FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE
4) BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY OTHER BLOG, Fresh Jessie and leave me a message here to let me know you did.
5) Include a note about this giveaway in your blog. Come back here and leave me the link so I can check it out. Thanks!
6) Grab my cute button! Let me know where I can take a peek at it for verification.

A winner will be selected by random on or about October 11, 2011 and will be emailed! Please be sure to leave me your email address so I can contact you. This contest is open to US residents who are 18 years of age and older only. Thank you!

Win a $50.00 Target Giftcard!

Hi everyone! I have just started a new blog called Fresh Jessie.  It is my new blog which will focus on great healthy recipes which feature farm fresh ingredients and photos, design based features, product reviews and of course, what else---giveaways! 

To start out on my new blog and to get me going, I am giving away a $50.00 giftcard to Target for anyone who becomes new followers on Fresh Jessie.  So, to get in on this giveaway, here's all you have to do:

1) Become a follower of my NEW blog, leaving me a comment on my NEW blog, by clicking on Fresh Jessie. This will get you one entry. Don't leave your comment here-make sure you visit the NEW blog by clicking on the link highlighed above! Thanks!

For Extra Entries:

2) Follow me on Facebook here. Leave me a comment on Fresh Jessie to let me know you did. This will get you another entry.

3) While you are visiting me on Facebook, leave a message on the Wall. This will get you one more entry. Please be sure to go back to Fresh Jessie to let me know you did so to be sure you receive your entry.
*** REMEMBER-ALL COMMENTS MUST BE POSTED ON THE NEW SITE and NOT ON THIS SITE TO BE ENTERED INTO THIS CONTEST!!!!

The winner of this contest will be selected by random on or about July 30, 2011. Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 48 hours of email or will forfeit prize. Open to US residents only, 18 years of age and up. Thank you.
Kristin is the winner of this contest! I have sent an email to you-Please contact me to claim your prize!!! Thank you!!!! Thanks to everyone who participated.

New Direction for June Cleaver

A Year in the Life of June Cleaver, as a project, is over....but do stay with me because I will be coming back soon with a new look and a brand new focus! My new outlook will be some of my favorite things- dining and designing! In addition, I will be featuring lots of product reviews, giveaways and more. So, stay tuned.......

End of the June Cleaver Project and What I Learned

Well, my year long project has been over for about three months now. While there were many great lessons learned from June Cleaver, there were also some disappointing ones. I have thought for many months about what I would write about my experience and here are my final conclusions:
1.) It’s not possible to be June.


Even though June made it look so easy, there is no way to do it all! Cleaning, cooking, shopping, ironing, playing with the kids, finding time for your husband, having any time for yourself, let alone friends-HA! There is no way it can be done. Something has to go if you want to really live the 50’s happy housewife lifestyle. And of course, in my case, I was working part time as well. I was trying to do everything and found myself stressed out all the time trying to do this. The whole point of my project was to get back to a simpler way of life, but at the end of the day, I found it was more complicated. Which leads me to my next point…..


2.) The Importance of “Me” Time.

During the June Cleaver project, I lost myself entirely. I gave up everything that pertained to “me” time and put all of my focus on family and trying to be a good wife and mom. Without a doubt, I gained from this effort in many ways, but at the same time, I lost personal happiness. I did not do any of the small things that could bring me happy, like taking some time to paint a picture or going out to lunch with a girlfriend. I realize in retrospect that this was a mistake. You know that old saying….If “Momma” ain’t happy, then no one’s happy…..I realize the truth in that statement now. In order for a family to be happy and healthy, the mom has to be happy and healthy—so, “me” time is definitely something that must be added into the mix somewhere.

3.) Technology is a good thing-when necessary.

During my June Cleaver project, I tried avoiding technology whenever possible in order to keep my focus on family. This meant giving up my cell phone a lot as well as the computer more often than not. For example, I frequently left the cell phone home. However, I cannot tell you how many times I would be out at the grocery store and wonder if we needed milk or toilet paper, only to find out when I arrived home that we did or did not need it! I won’t get into the nasty details here. In any event, I realize that technology would have made June’s life a lot easier when it came to practical details. So while my project reaffirms my believe that technology can make life harder in many ways by distracting families from what is important, it can be a good thing-when necessary!

4.) Television- Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It.

Well, as much as I hate to admit this one, I eventually decided to allow Tiny to watch some television in small quantities. I started out with a bang, filling our free time with projects and distractions. However, as time went on, Tiny became so used to looking at ME for fun, she started to have attachment issues. She actually stopped playing independently and sought me out everywhere. I finally snapped one day and let her watch the ole television once again. The good news is that she is way less interested in it these days. She has also developed a very strong interest in drawing and now keeps a series of drawing journals which keep her very busy.


5.) Money-Didn’t Save Any!

Somehow, I did not save money this year despite my efforts to be frugal. I tried cutting coupons all the time. While I did save at the grocery store with those and created a super coupon organizer, I found that at the end of the year, I spent more money. I think I spent the money I saved in the grocery store on craft projects and hands on activities with Tiny during the year.
6.) Cleaning Relieves Stress.
I have discovered that I love to clean. I have also realized that it is a huge stress reliever. And it burns calories. Why pay a house cleaner—or go to the gym for that matter? No wonder June was cleaning all the time-and so fit.

7.) Ironing Still Stinks.

Ok. I have finally mastered ironing. I can iron whatever you throw at me now. It still stinks.