The Fat Lady Is Singing

Lee's National Denim Day is over, and so is our contest for two of your favorite jeans. In a moment, I'll be announcing the winner (I know you are all excited about that, I am too!).

But first, the results of our fund-raising.

Sadly, we didn't reach our goal of $150. We got close, I donated (twice!) myself, and I admit I'm disappointed we didn't make it. 

But I appreciate each and every one of you who commented, tweeted, blogged, posted and helped spread the word about this important issue. Any more awareness about breast cancer and the need for more research is a GOOD thing. So let's give ourselves a pat on the back for our efforts.

And I want to give a very special, and heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who donated. I know that we're used to the internet providing us with information and entertainment free of charge, and asking people to step up and spend money was tough for me, even though I knew this was a good cause. And I also know that times are tough and a lot of us don't have extra money to give, no matter how much we might want to. 

So, again, thank you to the very special people who made that extra effort and found it in their hearts to give. I love you all.

Thanks to you, we raised $130! 

Oh, and here's how the other bloggers working with Lee for National Denim Day did (and wow, are you going to be amazed and impressed with the "first place" blog's efforts! I know I was floored myself):

 Wendy Will Blog - $1,725

Periwinkle Papillon - $475

Cool Moms Rule  - $130

The IE Mommy - $48

All Things Chic - $30

Family Life in Las Vegas - $15

Laughing Lindsay - $10

A Frugal Friend - $0

Shop With Me Mama - $0

The Mom Reviews - $0

And now, without further ado, the winner of TWO pairs of her favorite jeans (chosen by random integer generator): 

So, comment #40 was our winner! And that was....(drum roll)

lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com!

Congratulations!

Lewalk, I'm emailing you right now to get all your information on those jeans! 

Thanks again, everyone!

We. Are. SO. Close!

UPDATE: We have reached $130 in donations, only $20 to go to meet our goal, and Team We Got All the Cool Jeans could go even higher!

That's the good news. The bad news is, we only have hours left to do it!

So how are we going to do this?


Remember, you get FIVE entries in our Lee Jeans giveaway for TWO pairs of your favorite jeans just for donating.


NEW! I have 3 Pink Ribbon pins to award to the first 3 people who donate between right now and 3 PM (October 7th) if we reach our goal.


NEW! You'll also get FIVE entries into the REAL STEEL giveaway for making any donation between now and 3 PM October 7th!

Thank you so much for helping us meet our goal, and 

more importantly, raising money in the fight against breast cancer!

We Got All the Cool Jeans: Enter to Win Your Favorite Lee Jeans and Support National Denim Day on October 7th.

UPDATED: Now TWO pairs of your favorite jeans will be given to the winner! Thanks for helping us reach over $100 in donations so far. 

One in eight. That's how many women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

So, instead of just putting up some Facebook status message, wouldn't it be great to actually make a difference in the fight against breast cancer?

Since 1996, Lee National Denim Day® has raised nearly $83 million to do just that.  So I'm proud to announce that I've started a team for National Denim Day®, October 7th, called We Got all the Cool Jeans.

And guess what? You're all invited to join the team!

I'm pledging to donate what I'd normally spend on a new pair of jeans to the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation for Lee National Denim Day®. I hope you will join the team by contributing what you can to the cause. Every little bit helps.

Then, on October 7th, put on your comfiest jeans to show your support!

And, as a thank you, we're giving away a free pair of your favorite Lee Jeans here on CoolMomsRule! Now, you don't have to donate to enter, but I hope you will anyway. Those who do donate will get FIVE extra entries in the contest, no matter what their contribution.

To enter to WIN your favorite pair of Lee jeans, just leave a comment below this post (required for initial entry).

For FIVE extra entries, make a donation, of any amount, by clicking on the DONATE NOW image to the left of this post. It will take you to the We Got All the Cool Jeans team page (optional).

For more additional entries (optional):
LIKE National Denim Day on Facebook.
Tweet about this giveaway and use this hashtag: #cooljeans. Link to your tweet in a comment.
Share this post on Google+ (5 extra entries!).
Add this giveaway to any site that lists giveaways and link to the listing in a comment. You'll get an entry for each one.

Increase your chances of winning: You can Tweet as often as once a day from now through October 7th! And, of course, if you want to donate more than once, you're welcome to do that, too.

To sweeten the pot, when donations through We Got All the Cool Jeans reach $100, we'll add another pair of Lee jeans to the giveaway!


For coordinating a team and participating in Lee National Denim Day,  Lee Jeans is providing me with four pairs of Lee Jeans and a Denim Day apparel item. 

BlogHer '11 Photo Roundup (Or: "You Thought YOU Took Bad Pictures?!")

So, look, I'm going to put up some BlogHer photos here that include me in them, but only as a public service.

I realize a lot of you may not be on Twitter or Google+ and so didn't see these when I tweeted them, and though my normal reaction to that would be a fervent, "Thank God!" because I look hideous in them, I also know that there are others like me out there.

By which I mean: The Photogenically Challenged.

That's right: my name is Viv, and I take bad pictures.

"Some people are taking silly pics. You know, hugging the shoe,
kicking their feet up, that kind of thing." --Anonymous PepsiCo Woman

See? You thought I was kidding, didn't you?

Even when I was a teen and skinny as a rail, the moment a camera focused on me I'd get this glassy-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look on my face; pretty much the same dazed expression Michelle Bachman had in this cover photo that caused so much ruckus (I'd rather there was a ruckus about her opinions, but that's another story).

You know, that photo that had critics declaring Bachman was a zombie who ate her young? Which, while it might possibly be true in her case, is not kind, people!

Oh, yeah, take a look at this pic, over on the Twizzlers Flickr page, too. What was I thinking?!

If there was a class on how to pose, or how to look like you aren't posing maybe, or even if someone just stood there holding up a big cue card reminding me "Don't slump, your stomach is sticking out! Watch your posture! Don't blink when the flash goes off," maybe then I could take better pictures and not be mistaken for a zombie caught on film myself.

The lovely Giuliana Rancic, from E! and me, at the Trop 50 booth. Guess which one is me?
I have no clue what I am looking at to the bottom right.  Maybe an escape route?

It really is the pictures and not me, by the way. Honest.

I know that I am not generally quite so hideous in Real Life, because people assure me all the time that my photos, "look nothing like you!" and that, "They don't capture how lovely and vivacious you are!"

Okay, so it's actually my Mom that says that. Shut up.

I am posting these pics for you, gentle readers, and my fellow photogenically-challenged, so that you will know that you are Not Alone.

The things I do for you people. *Sigh*.

I had a lovely lady at the Philosophy booth at BlogHer'11 tell me that she held The Secret to taking flattering photos.

She told me AFTER she took this picture. Obviously.

She told me that it's because I feel that I am going to take a bad picture that I actually do.

She says she never takes bad pics, and it's all because she tells herself beforehand that she takes amazing pictures!

Yes, that is the reason. Not because she is gorgeous, and probably 15 years younger than I am in addition to that wonderful confidence. Apparently she can parallel park, too.

Okay. So there is one last picture of me that I want to share with you. I don't think this one looks half bad, but it's not because I told myself I took amazing pictures and suddenly *poof!* it was true (like the women in that Star Trek episode that were irresistible to men because they took that pill, remember, and they would suddenly be beautiful, but it turned out that in the end there wasn't anything in the pill, because they had just replaced it with some placebo or something, and really it was their CONFIDENCE that made them beautiful? And, apparently, fixed their hair and makeup and stuff, too?).

That's not what happened with me.

Here's what did happen: the very busy women at the Lee Jeans booth managed to fit me in* (one of the perks of being a Lee Fit Ambassador! Yay!), and one looked me up and down and asked me what I thought my size was, and then she went over to these stacks and stacks of Lee jeans and took out just two pairs.

Now, there are a bajillion different types of Lee jeans, especially once you factor in all the different lengths and fits, which is what makes them so popular in the first place, so when she said she was sure one of those pairs would look good on me, I was pretty dubious.

I mean, I know Lee jeans put a lot of thought and design into making their jeans fit, but I hadn't been there ten minutes and usually I take a whole afternoon to find jeans that both fit me and are flattering.

But I went into the cute little blue changing tent anyway, because they were being so nice.

Cute little blue changing tent!

And I didn't even have to try on the second pair, because the very first pair fit me perfectly! They are one of the new Lee Jeans Slender Secret stretch jeans with the purple label: 

Not so secret any more, come to think of it.

These are lighter and stretchier than my usual jeans, and really comfortable. And they were even a little loose on me. I thought they were the "relaxed" fit or something, but they weren't.

Which, naturally, totally made my day.

So, if I look happy and not so much like a dazed zombie on the prowl for some tasty brains in this last picture?

It's probably the jeans I have to thank for all that.

*See what I did there? Fit me in? Get it? I'm so clever.

Oh, I guess I should mention again that Lee jeans gave me a free pair of jeans at Blogher11! I drank some pink lemonade while waiting to meet Giuliana Rancic. And I totally snagged some Twizzlers for my kids, too. But I didn't tear them off the Twizzler Statue of Liberty or anything, I swear. Also, the Philosophy people that took that pic of me kindly gave me some Philosophy product samples to make up for it. 

Lee Jeans for free? Happy Birthday!

The Lee Jeans 120th Birthday Giveaway begins today!

That's right, Lee Jeans is turning 120, and for THEIR birthday, YOU get a present. A giveaway! And a chance to win a pair of great-fitting jeans.

Just head on over to Facebook, and you could be a winner. And there will be LOTS of winners, because Lee is giving away 120 pairs of jeans EVERY DAY during the month of December on Facebook in celebration of their birthday!

I'm also putting a graphic up over on the sidebar, to remind you that the giveaway is all month long and you have a chance to win every day.

I'm a Lee Fit Ambassador. I received no compensation for this post, but I do learn about the latest Lee products first, and sometimes I get a chance to try them out for free.

Oprah Can't Wait for Lee Jeans!

As an official Lee Fit Ambassador, I couldn't be more thrilled for Lee Jeans!

Oprah recently taped Oprah's New Denim and the Rest of the Best show, and guess who was featured? LEE JEANS!

Oprah selected Lee Jeans and Cookie Johnson’s premium brand, CJ by Cookie Johnson, as her top denim picks!

The Lee Jeans No Gap collection was featured for its no gap hidden elastic waistband.

I'm set to receive a pair of the new No Gap jeans next week to review them for you, and Oprah was going to run her show then, but I guess she just can't wait, because she has moved up the show to THIS THURSDAY, October 22nd!

So make sure to watch Oprah and Lee Jeans, set your Tivo, do whatever you have to do to catch CJ and Lee's No Gap collection, okay?
In my role as an official Lee Jeans Fit Ambassador, I will sometimes receive a pair of jeans to review for my readers, which Lee sends me free of cost. Lee also offers giveaways to my readers on occasion.

Tomorrow is National Denim Day!

As you all might remember (okay, I know you have busy lives and more important things to do, but humor me), I am an official Lee Fit Ambassador.

And so, in my official capacity, I just want to remind you that tomorrow is the BIG DAY, people!

Tomorrow, October 2nd is National Denim Day! Woohooo!

If you saw the video I posted a while back, you'll know that this year’s Ambassador is Christina Applegate. Love her!

National Denim Day helps raise money (and it's in the millions now) for the Women's Cancer Programs of EIF.

And it's really easy, and doesn't even require much in these tough economic times.

If you signed up already, good on you! If not, today's the last day.

Here's how you can help:

Sign up on Denimday.com to register a team, or join an online team.

Donate just $5 to your team.

Encourage friends and family to donate as well. Click here if you are interested in finding out more about where the money goes.

Wear your jeans tomorrow, October 2,
on National Denim Day to show your support!

Lee's Colorwashed Khakis (You Can Win 1 0f 5 Pairs)!

So I come home this morning, after dropping my kids off at school, and what do I see on my doorstep?

A package from Lee!

As you all know, I'm one of the new Lee Fit Ambassadors (I'm preening myself now, feeling all important and stuff), which means Lee occasionally asks my opinion on some of their fantastically fitting line of jeans and khakis and what have you.

And you know what I have?

A really cool pair of Lee's new Colorwashed Khakis!

I wish you could see my pair up close and IRL--my camera really does not do them justice. Plus, you know, that's my butt, not a model's, so...yeah. *sighs*

Anyway! The pair I received are this beautiful shade somewhere between, in my opinion, salmon and coral. In fact, the color name is Spiced Coral, and that sounds about right. They're bright and breezy, just right for Spring, without being too overwhelming. They are nice and long and flattering to the line of your leg, but you can roll up the legs, too--there's even contrast piping on the cuff.

I don't know how Lee picked this color out to send me, but they did a great job, because these khakis will go really well with my wardrobe. I'm looking forward to wearing them to Tennessee over Spring Break, where will be hanging out in log cabin and doing some (easy!) hikes through the Smoky Mountains National Park.

So, I know what you are all thinking: Hey, that's really great, Viv, good for you and all, but we're sitting here, envious, so could you stop talking about the Colorwashed Khakis already?

And the answer is: No.

But!

Lee is going to let me give some pairs away to you, too!

So, here's the deal: Lee is coming up with a brand new website, with a Fit Finder tool which is just going to rock your world...and it's not quite ready just yet.

Right now, you can check out the Colorwashed Khakis online here (they're available in JC Penney stores). That, by the way, is how great they look on an actual model, in case my picture made you wonder.

We're going to give away 5 pairs of Lee Colorwashed Khakis because I can handle that many without going crazy planning for Spring Break, okay? Okay!

To Enter: Leave a comment below this post with what you think about this new offering from Lee. Please don't just put that you want to win a pair, that's a given. I'd love to hear your favorite colors, why you like Lee, etc.
I really want to spread the word around about these, so here's how to get additional entries:

Tweet about this contest on Twitter!
Blog about this contest and put my button in your sidebar
Subscribe to the site's feed

Important: Lee is the best, IMO, but they don't have infinite quantities of these in your size just lying around, so if you are one of my winners, I'm going to need a few color choices from you, okay?

Deadline to Enter is Easter Sunday, April 12th!

Good luck!

Quick Reminders!

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter the Amazing Lands' End giveaway! Remember, all you have to do is pick your favorite of the three choices from the Lands' End site and comment on it to win!

Also, if you were one of my Lee Jeans winners and haven't given me your info (jean wash, size, inseam and shipping info, I MUST have it all by noon tomorrow (EST) so that I can get it out to the fantastic folks at Lee, who gave us those TEN FREE PAIRS of One True Fit Premium Bootcut jeans to give away!

And make sure you subscribe to our feed for a chance to win the Nintendo DS Princess Debut game from Natsume, which will also be decided tomorrow, so subscribe now!

Finally, you can still WIN a year's free membership to Kidzui, the Internet for Kids, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Tough Times if you enter by this Thursday. Winners will be announced on Friday, December 12th.

Whew! Okay, that's it for now, but stay tuned, because I'll be announcing some NEW contests to enter within the next couple days!

Lee Jeans Wants You to Shop in Comfort--Win one of ten pairs!

So, you're going out to do your holiday shopping. You know you'll need a pair of walking shoes to keep you going all day long as you ferret out the best deals for your family. And you're also going to want to put on the most comfortable clothes you have.

And that means jeans.


And, if you're like me, when you think jeans you immediately think Lee jeans.

They're the best-fitting jeans out there, comfortable and well-made. Lee offers a variety of styles from straight-leg to bootcut, tab waist to traditional, and lots of flattering fits to help minimize that tummy bulge or lengthen the line of your legs. There's even a no-gap option so that when you bend over, you don't show off those granny panties you grabbed out of the drawer this morning in haste. ; )

You know you can trust Lee to have just the right pair of jeans for you. And you know they're durable, too--I still have a pair of Lee jeans in my closet (hope springs eternal!) from my pre-baby days.

You also know that Lee jeans are reasonably priced--but here's what you don't know: for Cool Moms Rule! readers, Lee jeans can be free!

That's right, your favorite jeans just got even better, because Lee jeans is offering not one, not two, not even three, but TEN free pairs to our readers here on Cool Moms Rule!


Up for grabs in this incredible giveaway, courtesy of the gracious folks over at Lee jeans, are ten free pairs of One True Fit Premium Bootcut classic jeans! You can pick from one of four different washes: Union Blue, Blackdigo, Shadow Blue, and Galaxy blue, and even petite or plus size, in short, medium or long inseam. The jeans run from size 2 to size 16 in Average, Petite or Plus sizes, and our winners can choose which wash they want in addition to the correct size and inseam for them. If you're picked, you'll need to give me all that info (in private, in email, don't worry! I won't tell anyone if you've gone up a size. Been there, done that).


I love that Lee approached me because they wanted to do something special for Moms this holiday season, and I'm so glad to be able to offer this giveaway to you all!

Here's all you have to do to enter:

Visit the Lee Jeans website, check out all the jeans they have to offer, then come back here and leave a comment below the post about your favorite pair on the site. Feel free to include your favorite jeans story--maybe that special pair that you can't throw away even though they're falling apart now, because they're just so perfectly soft and worn-in, or your favorite, too-tight pair of jeans you finally fit back into after losing that post-pregnancy weight.

I'll be giving additional entries to those who:

• Visit GiveRespect.org and comment about it below,
• Subscribe to our feed,
• Add our badge to their sidebar,
• Blog about this post, or
• Tweet about the Lee Jeans giveaway on Twitter.

That means you can have as many as SIX total entries into the contest! And remember, we have TEN pairs to give away, so your odds on winning a pair Lee jeans for yourself in this giveaway are excellent!

Deadline for entries is next Saturday, November 29th. I'll pick the winners over the Thanksgiving break and let you know the results after the weekend!

Good luck!