Chris Mann from "The Voice" has a new album! Great music #Roads

Do you remember that gorgeous face those incredible vocals from "The Voice?"  Chris Mann was a finalist on the NBC television series “The Voice,” which included judges such as Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo. After the series ended, Chris quickly had  two songs on the iTunes Top 10 Pop Singles Chart. Not a surprise considering his powerful vocals on his brand new album titled "Roads."  

Mann was influenced by a variety of talent as he trained his own voice.  His influences included Pavarotti, Robbie Williams and even Sinatra.  You can really hear that in "Roads."   The album is a fascinating blend of classic tenor and contemporary pop which is pretty unusual.  Songs like "Need You Now" and  "The Blower's Daughter" are so intense but kind of easy to listen to at the same time. You kind of feel like you are sitting in the front row of a Broadway show--the tenor of his voice is that amazing.  I can't wait to introduce it to my friends...it will be nice to play as a background for holiday get togethers this season.

I recommend you purchase his new album on iTunes  or Amazon.com.  It would make a really nice Christmas or holiday gift for someone special.  The songs are so pretty it is something that anyone would enjoy. 

You can find more of Chris Mann's music here.

“This is a review post from One2One Network. I was provided with a copy of the album and I am eligible for a prize drawing. As always, all opinions are my own.”

New! Love these EZ Pouches of Crock-Pot® Seasoning Mixes: Savory Pot Roast, Hearty Beef Stew and BBQ Pulled Pork @CrockPotMixes @MySmiley360

I just found out about these new Crock-Pot® Seasoning Mixes through my association with Smiley360 and the timing could not have been more perfect with the cooler fall days coming fast!  I love to use my Crock-Pot® and these seasoning mixes make it super easy for me especially on those busy work nights. I can set it up before I leave for work and dinner is ready when I walk in the door!  What more could a busy mom ask for?  

I snagged myself a few extras this past weekend when I saw them in my local Target by the crock pot section too!  You can find it in your area by checking out the link HERE. There are three great flavors to offer lots of variety too : Savory Pot Roast, Hearty Beef Stew and BBQ Pulled Pork.  I just tried the BBQ Pulled Pork this weekend and it came out great. My whole family LOVED it.

Here are some recipes to give you a start for each of the different mixes:

Crock-Pot® Beef Stew Seasoning Mix Recipes 

Crock-Pot® Savory Pot Roast Seasoning Mix Recipes

Crock-Pot® BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning Mix Recipes 

Don't forget enter their great "Crockin' in the USA Sweepstakes here. Enter an original recipe using Crock-Pot® Seasoning Mixes for a chance to win groceries for a year worth $8,000!
You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook too!

Disclaimer: I received free product samples from Smiley360 in order to review it.

Kmart Decorate It Forward Sweepstakes and LOTS of Holiday Goodies!

#DecorateitForward with Kmart

Kmart has tons of great items to decorate your house for Christmas and help you entertain in style for 2012.  Kmart now has a digital gift list to help you get ideas for purchase and to truly DECORATE IT FORWARD.  Now that is a smart way to shop and to let others know the things you really want this year.

I always look forward to the Kmart Christmas shop as my first destination during the holiday shopping season. I know I can find great items from ornaments to housewares to to make my house  look so festive too and not break the bank.

I was able to scoot over to Kmart recently to make sure my holiday decor is top notch. I was impressed, once again with the great selection of decorating and entertaining items that were available throughout the store.  Items were neatly organized and I loved how colorful the store was with all the beautiful Christmas decor! From the adorable hand towels (from $6.49!),

Seasonal Hand Towels

to the adorable snowglobes (from $9.99)

to the glittering ornaments (from $6.49) you just can't beat the holiday prices at Kmart.

I was able to really spruce up my home for a song at Kmart.  My little one loves the snowglobe on the mantel too. It is adorable.

Kmart has a new sweepstakes too, the Decorate it Forward Sweeps--you can win yourself a holiday shopping spree with Sandra Lee or Jaclyn Smith--wow!!  There are tons of great items in their exclusive Kmart Holiday Collections that I know I would love to win. I bet you can find a few too....just add them to that handy digital gift list that Kmart created for you!  Don't forget that Kmart has a cool virtual Ornament Creator to make something special to send to your friends too. Make sure they all know you are modern and up to date so send that e-ornament today. 

Last of all you just have to check out that adorable St. Jude Holiday Bear Collectable Ornament.  Just take a peek now. Kmart is generously donating $1.00 to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital for every ornament that is purchased. Kmart really knows how to decorate it forward but isn't that what the holidays and Christmas is really about?

You must visit ShopYourWay.com to sign up for the Kmart rewards program. What is that you might ask?  You can earn 10 points for every $1 you spend. No minimum amount of points to redeem either.  Redeem when you want for what you want at any time. Wow, that is a great program and I have been a member for several years now.  You will be amazed at how quickly the points add up! The sweet part is that you just swipe the card when you shop--it is that easy!

Hop on over to Kmart and decorate it forward yourself!

Disclaimer:  I received a gift card from Smiley360 and Kmart to review products for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Brining a Turkey with Kikkoman Soy Sauce: My Experience @KikkomanKitchen @MySmiley360

I was curious about a cooking technique that I had heard about from time to time which involving brining poultry, like a turkey.  People had told me the turkey comes out really moist and tasty but I had never tried it. I finally had an opportunity recently when I was offered to actually try a turkey brining project through my partnership with Smiley360 and Kikkoman.  I love Kikkoman sauces and use their Teriyaki and soy sauce often. There are always bottles in my refrigerator and an extra down in the pantry just in case.

I was excited to give the recipe a try. I found a turkey brining recipe on the Kikkoman website.  It was easier than I thought to make a brined turkey using Kikkoman soy sauce! Truly you just marinate it.  It came out tasting great and we all enjoyed it a lot. It was pretty much worry free and very easy to follow.  I would definitely do it again--fun for a large group and very flavorful. It would be fun and different to do it for Thanksgiving too!

It's great because now you can also get Kikkoman coupons to try it out yourself by giving them a LIKE on Facebook.  Check out the Kikkoman Twitter page too. You can find more yummy Kikkoman recipes HERE.

Disclaimer:  I received a free sample of the product in order to review it. As always, all opinions are my own.