FREE sample of Dove hair care

Right now, you can snag a FREE sample of the reinvented Dove shampoo and conditioner. If you want this sample, be sure to act fast - they went really fast last night! Allow up to four weeks for delivery. Limit one sample per household.

FREE sample of Nivea lotion or body wash

Right now, you can snag a FREE sample of Nivea Happy Sensation lotion or Nivea Touch of Happy body wash from the Ellen Degeneres Show. I've used the body wash before, and I love this scent - it's very summery!

(Thanks to Free Snatcher!)

Snag FREE NIA exfoliating serum - first 500!

Starting at noon EST today, Allure will be giving away NIA 24 Rapid Exfoliating Serum to the first 500 people who sign up here.

Upcoming giveaway from Allure:

May 7 - Avon Perfect Wear ExtraLasting Lip Gloss in Eternal Rose

FREE samples from walmart.com

I'm a huge fan of the product samples that walmart offers, and I've received some really cool things from them, including a full-size roll of toliet paper. (What's not to love about TP showing up in your mailbox?) These samples change often, and they typically come with decent coupons.

Right now, you can snag samples of the following products:

• Parent's Choice infant formula
• Eucerin daily skin balance body lotion
• John Freida root awakening hair care
• Prilosec OTC

Go here to request your FREE samples.

Snag FREE Redken styling wax - first 500!

Starting at noon EST today, Allure will be giving away Redken Structure Wax 17 Classic Styling Wax to the first 500 people who sign up here.

Upcoming giveaways from Allure:

May 6 - NIA 24 Rapid Exfoliating Serum

May 7 - Avon Perfect Wear ExtraLasting Lip Gloss in Eternal Rose

Snag FREE Fekkai Shampoo - First 500!

Starting at noon EST today, Allure will be giving away Fekkai Marine Clean Detox Shampoo to the first 500 people who sign up here.

Upcoming giveaways from Allure:

May 5 - Redken Structure Wax 17 Classic Styling Wax

May 6 - NIA 24 Rapid Exfoliating Serum

May 7 - Avon Perfect Wear ExtraLasting Lip Gloss in Eternal Rose

BzzAgent: Test new products for FREE!

In the past few weeks, I've received invitations to sign up with three different BzzCampaigns through BzzAgent. I'm really excited about getting the chance to test out the new products they're sending my way!

I've posted about BzzAgent before, but here's a quick recap:

BzzAgent (pronounced "Buzz agent") is a word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing company that puts products directly in the hands of consumers to test out. As someone who's studied advertising and marketing, I think this is a really, really cool concept. Plus, it means FREE stuff for you!

It's completely free to sign up, and you're under absolutely no obligation to buy anything. Once you sign up and fill out some short surveys, you'll be contacted to participate in campaigns. While most of the campaigns are free, some require a small fee. You can decline any campaign you don't want to participate in, and it won't affect your eligibility for future campaigns.

In the past year, I've received several really awesome products to test out: L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting System, Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions products, Bic Soleil Bella razors, and a Glade Sense & Spray. Each campaign kit contains a free, full-size product, as well as coupons and even samples to share with friends.

I'm a huge, huge fan of BzzAgent.

If you're interested in signing up or want to learn more, just go here.

Book Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

Everyone has those moments where they're ultimately left wondering "Why did that happen to me?" and "Why isn't God fixing this mess?" Plan B: What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought He would? by Pete Wilson offers insight on how to cope when your original plan just doesn't work out. Wilson uses examples from his own life, friends' lives, and the Bible to illustrate how life can take unexpected (and often unwanted) turns and how God ultimately has a plan for us in difficult times.

A couple of years ago, I experienced my own “Plan B” moment when I was struggling to find even a part-time job straight out of grad school and my now ex-fiance cheated on me. I would've loved to have had Wilson's book when I was going through these "Plan B" moments. I'm pretty confident that it would've helped me, as I'm sure it will help others who read it.

Plan B is engaging, and it has a great conversational tone that makes it easy to relate to. Wilson does a good job of sharing his message without coming across as condescending or "preachy." I definitely recommend Plan B.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a member of Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program.)

Book Review - Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge is essentially about uncovering the deepest desires of a woman's heart. I can remember many of my friends and classmates going crazy over this book when it first came out a few years ago, so I was excited to finally check it out for myself. Maybe my expectations were too high going into it, but I had a hard time making myself finish reading Captivating. It really didn't grab my attention like I thought it would

In my reading of Captivating, I was actually surprised to find more popular culture references than Biblical ones (I'm not saying this is a bad thing - I just wasn't expecting it). It also seemed like there were a lot of generalizations. Overall, I thought it was ok - nothing more, nothing less.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a member of Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program.)

Book Review: Webb Garrison's Why You Say It

Why You Say It: The Fascinating Stories Behind over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases by Webb Garrison is a compilation of words and phrases that we often hear and use. This book is categorized as a reference book and is set up in various sections, such as feathers and fur, names and games, and the great outdoors. There's also an index that lists every word and phrase covered in this book.

Why You Say It offers a glimpse into the deeper meaning and origin of words and phrases like "three sheets to the wind," "whippersnapper," and "hook, line, and sinker." As someone who likes words and enjoys learning random bits of informations, I thought this was a pretty neat book. Why You Say It is great for when you've got an extra 10 minutes or so to kill. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a casual read.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a member of Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program.)