Monday Mingle (text version): Couponing, iPhone apps and Music!

I want to vlog these questions, but I am going to have to do that when I get home.  Unfortunately, I got up early and had planned to do this early, but my kids woke up too and got me busy.  Alayna decided she hated the uniform I had picked out for her -- she didn't want the khaki jumper, she wanted the navy blue jumper.  I choose my own battles and decided that I would just wash her stupid navy blue jumper.  Ha!  On top of that, getting my kids to eat breakfast is a battle all in itself.  Got Alayna to school and had time before work, so I was going to go home and do Monday Mingle... Starbucks decided to give me a Macchiato instead of what I asked for... Such a mess!

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30 Day Blog Challenge: DAY SIX - 20 Of My Favorite Things

You want to know my 20 favorite things?  Well, it's really hard to choose since I love so much! (I'm easy!) Though I can painstakingly pick 20 out of the millions of things going through my mind right now!! 

1. My kids -  I am grateful for my kids every day of my life.  Even though I was nowhere near ready for motherhood when my oldest was born, instinct kicked in and it became the most challenging thing I had ever faced.  Now, you may not thing challenging is a good thing, but being a mother kind of challenging is amazing.  Everyday is a new adventure and though I face many obstacles, it's just great how I can overcome them with creative thinking.  The mommy mindset is an amazing thing that you acquire when you become a parent. :)

2. My Macbook - Once you go Mac you never go back. :)  It's true! I remember when I first got my iMac G4 back in 2003.  I was petrified of it.  I didn't know how to use it, I thought it was very different from my PC and therefore I freaked out.  (I'm not good with change!)  It took me all of a day to get used to it and realize how much better than a PC it actually is.  Macs are amazing. 

3. My Blackberry Storm - Though I'm not too fond of Verizon, I love my Blackberry Storm.  I have had it since it came out and I just love the ease of use, the suretype keyboard and the whole interface.  I've always loved Blackberry for numerous reasons, but I really think it's a great phone despite it's popular name. :)  I can't wait to upgrade to the BB Storm 2 when my upgrade date comes around!  It's supposed to be even better.  Anyone else a Crackberry Addict?

4.  My iPhone 3Gs - I know, I know, why do I need two phones?  Well, my iPhone I use as a business phone for my jewelry business as well as blogging and my media/PR contacts.  I think the ease of use for business is just spectacular on this phone and I also love all the apps.  Games for the kids? There's an app for that! ;)  I just had to say that.  This phone is great for many uses and cuts down my need to bring my iPod with me everywhere!  I was very iffy about the iPhone when the first one came out, but despite my hesitations I did get the first iPhone and I've been addicted ever since.  One day I'll upgrade to the iPhone 4 too.  :)

5. My car - I am just so grateful for this one.  My car is my new baby.  Since I drove around for so long in a car that needed a lot of TLC that I couldn't give, my new car (that I have had for 3 weeks) is just a blessing.  I'm so glad that I was able to trade my old car in and find a great deal on this new car.  I'm giving this car all the love it can get right now so it will last me longer. :) 

6. My friends - (no pic for this one because I don't have a pic of them all!)  I love my friends because they're the people who keep me positive.  They are there for me when things go wrong, they never let me down, they listen to my complaints and always have great advice for me... My friends are so important to me and I don't know how I can thank them.  They deserve so much more than I give them and I love them each so dearly. 

7. New York City - This is a very broad thing, but I absolutely adore New York City.  I'm there so often and I'm blessed to live so close that I can get there whenever I need to or want to.  There is so much NYC has to offer like Broadway shows, shopping, all the tourist attractions you'd ever want to see, concerts, great restaurants... I love it because it's so full of life.  When you're in NYC there is no way you can ever feel sad or down.  The upbeat nature of the city will naturally keep you happy and I love that.  

8. Juniors Cheesecake/Food - OH YEAH!!  Blueberry is the best you can ever taste.  If you find yourself wherever there is a Juniors (I always go to the one on 44th and b'way...in Shubert Alley) definitely get a piece of their Blueberry Cheesecake!  If you're going there for food besides cheesecake, get a cobb salad with bleu cheese dressing OR a yummy bacon cheeseburger no onions with fries and onion rings.  THE BEST!!

9. My room - Come on, who doesn't love their own room?  To me, my room is an escape from everything crazy.  While most people think the colors are loud, I find them calming and relaxing.  I have everything I need in here and could probably stay here for months at a time if I had to! LOL  My bed is so comfy having a pillow top and my favorite (expensive) foam pillows. (Yeah, $40 per pillow.  Don't hate!! I have bad allergies/athsma and these are hypoallergenic.)  I love this place!

10. MAKEUP!  Yeah, I love makeup and I'm not afraid to say it.  I have a large collection of makeup (even more than shown in this picture) and I do use it frequently!  When I'm bored and have nothing to do, I do experiment with makeup.  If I had the patience, I'd become a makeup artist, but I don't. Ha!  Makeup stores draw me in like a magnet... I can spend hours in those places.

11. Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza - Oh yes, I have to be specific.  I LOVE STUFFED CRUST PIZZA!  I don't know what it is about pizza hut, but it's just amazing.  It's an occasional treat since I'm on a diet, but oh how i crave it often!

12. Target - Seriously one of my favorite places to shop because of their prices and sales.  It's like a freaking one stop shop for everything that you need!  Target is so great. :) (Oh, and ours has a Starbucks AND Pizza Hut inside of it!)

13. Starbucks - Who doesn't love the taste of Starbucks coffee?  People say it's too expensive, but I would pay the money for a good cup of fresh Starbucks coffee or one of their iced drinks on a warm summer day!  I really love the taste.  Some can't tell a difference, but most can.  Starbucks is crisp, clean, very flavorful and doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste.  I love Starbucks!

14. Shopping - I'm such a girl.  I love shopping and can stay at the mall all day if I had the time to and had nothing to do.  Just aimlessly walking around window shopping or going on a shopping spree, it's all the same to me.  Of course, I try to avoid malls because I am seriously a shopping addict.  Once I get started, sometimes there is no stopping me until I feel that financial guilt... It's bad!! But I love it.

15. Music -  I seriously couldn't live without music.  Honestly, I need music on to clean, to think, to write, and even used to need music to do my homework.  To me, it's calming and fights the anxiety I get when I do certain things.  I love music.

16. Coach - Yes, I am a Coach addict.  Though rightfully so!  The purses I have purchased from Coach stand up tot he test of time.  I have had one for almost 5 years now and that purse is as strong as the day I got it while others have broken down within a year.  Even though Coach is pricey, the quality is worth it.

17. Anything that is pink!  Again, I'm such a girl.  The color pink makes me smile and happy.  It is my favorite color everrrr!!  Actually, when I was in college I did dye my hair pink.  As much as I never want to tell anyone that because it is embarrassing.  Though -- I was in art school so colored hair was absolutely no problem amongst everyone there!

18. Victoria Secret - Love their bras, panties, perfume and lotions.  They actually are great!  Expensive, but definitely worth the price.  Their products actually last while Target and Walmart bras I have had broke fairly quickly.  Love this store!

19. Sunglasses -  I don't know why, but I am obsessed with sunglasses!  I must have more than 35 pairs that I actually use.  They're all different kinds.  Some are brand name like Coach and Juicy and some are just cheap dollar store sunglasses that I thought looked cool.  I kind of feel like I have a different pair to coordinate with every outfit. 

20. Blogging -  Finally, blogging makes me happy.  Why?  It's an outlet for me to say what I want to say and be very honest.  It's a place for me to brag about my kids to people who actually care, to share new products, share my thoughts and so much more  I have met some great people through blogging and wouldn't change that for the world.  It's one of my most favorite past times.

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We love Miscellany Monday! Coupons, Free Satellite Radio and just LIFE!

1. Are you Sirius?

When I got my new car radio I could have gotten one with satellite radio, but the prices of those radios were so expensive!  I didn't have the extra $200 to spare on top of installation!  However I do love satellite radio for many reasons!  Commercial free music, whatever type of music you want right then and there, there are channels for EVERYTHING.  I love that they have kids music that my kids can listen to as well.   When I found out that you can get a 30 day RISK FREE trial of Sirius Satellite Radio I was so excited!  I can listen to it now whenever I want and for free!  I also love that you can listen to it online OR on your smartphone! (iPhone, Blackberry, etc...)  

Believe it or not, that's how I listen to it in the car!  I hook my AUX cable up to my iPhone/Blackberry and turn on the satellite radio!  It's just plain awesome.  As I said, there is a station for EVERYONE and every type of music!  You can sign up below for the FREE trial!!  As I said, you really should because it's great.  

SIGN UP NOW! :)  You won't be sorry!

2. Everyone Needs Some Extra $!

Making extra money is something that everyone wants these days.  Even if it's just some extra pocket change or smaller amounts that we can put into a savings account for our kids.  Maybe some extra money to go towards bills.  In this economy, it's really hard for everyone financially.  I have been spending long night hours researching ways to monetize my blog or to just make some extra money and I have really found some awesome ways.  I wanted to share them with you guys just in case you're in the same boat I am. 

Sponsored Tweets - I've only been on here for 2 days and I have made $7.50!  I really can't complain because any money is money that can be put towards things we need.  They let you choose your own tweets to publish and they allow you to phrase your tweets on your own, so you're not dealing with pre-written advertisements all over your twitter.  I love that I can choose what would interest ME and my readers.  You also can choose your own price to tweet at! I figure that if I made $7.50 in two days, maybe by the end of the month I'll have something decent.  Either way, it's worth signing up and trying it out!  As I said, anything is more money than you previously had!!

Swagbucks - So many people talk about this but I have to do it as well.  I LOVE SWAG BUCKS!!  Earning money just for searching like you would normally do??  I usually end up making approx 150 swag bucks a week and it's so easy to cash those in for money in PayPal, gift cards, iPods, etc...  They add up quickly!  Swagbucks also has random codes every once in a while... The swag bucks toolbar and site will tell you when a code is out and where you can find it.  I really love this because there is really so much you can do with it.  I just recently got money VIA PayPal for cashing in my points.  :)  Sign up and try it out today!

3. Frustration with Kids!!

As I say many times, I love my kids but they drive me INSANE.  Today especially.  I completely went off on them a little earlier because they were not listening.  They had been watching TV peacefully in the living room.  Out of nowhere they start screaming and jumping off the couches.  Wtf?  Ok, so I go in there and ask them to please stop when I get hit by a flying Little People car.  WTF!? I took the car away and went back into the kitchen.  It was quiet for a few minutes before I hear other things getting thrown around.  I go in there and they're throwing everything out of the toy box everywhere.  They started throwing my freaking cell phone too!  I just lost it.  I screamed at them and told them they were never watching TV again as long as they lived.  I unplugged the TV, I took away the toys they were playing with and just had a mental breakdown.  Sometimes they just push me too far and I try to be patient.  I try to be patient so much that sometimes I just can't take it anymore and scream at them.  Worse part is, they don't even give a flying shit!! Does anyone else get to the breaking point sometimes?

4. Great Savings!

I was at Walgreens today to pick up my printer cartridge I was having filled when I decided to stroll down the baby aisle.  GOOD THING I DID!!  I saw that they had 2T/3T Pull Ups on clearance for $3.19!!  Those things are usually $11.00 a pack!  I picked up two for Olivia since we go through them like crazy.  $3.19 is a freaking steal for those!!  I suggest wandering over to your nearest Walgreens and seeing if they have them on clearance there too! 

Also, I have so many people asking me where I get my coupons from.  I google very often brands that I use and find printables that way,  I use the Coupon Mom site as well as the two coupon sites below.  (Cool Savings you DO have to sign up for, but it's worth it since you get some great value coupons!)

Printing out coupons and searching for them may take some time, but it's worth it when you walk out of the store spending 60% less than you usually would!

5. Bachelorette Finale tonight!

I haven't read any spoilers because I did the last two seasons of the Bachelor and I felt that it wasn't the same!  But I'm a little frustrated, this season, that they may have just given away the ending in their commercials/previews.  I really hope they didn't give it up because that would definitely suck. I'm still very excited to watch tonight!  Why do we find others heartbreaks so exciting? LOL

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30 Day Blog Challenge: DAY ONE - Your Favorite Song

I saw a post about the 30 Day Blog Journal tonight and I decided to research it because it looked very interesting.  I decided to do it even though I'm delayed on it all. :)  It just sounds like such a great way for my followers/readers to get to know me over the 30 days and it gives me a reason to blog every single day!  I think it's very important to know the person behind the blog because then a blog is more than just words on a page.  :)  

30 Day Blog Journal Day 1

Your Favorite Song

Honestly, this is probably a very hard question for me to answer.  Why?  Well, I don't have just one favorite song, I have quite a few.  They all mean different things to me for different reasons.  These are in no particular order.  Just the order that I remembered them in. :) 

Bryan Adams - Heaven (I can't find a YouTube of this that allows embedding.)

I loved this song for a long time before it became memorable to me, but the situation and story behind it is why it's important to me today.  Even though it has both a good and a bad memory attached to it, it's still something that is memorable.

My ex fiancee and I used to go to karaoke every other day with my brother. (Who is DJ)  I wouldn't sing, of course, but my ex fiance would sing a lot because it was something he always did when he was there.  The one song he would sing to me every single time we went there would be "Heaven" by Bryan Adams.  It became a very important song to me because of the emotion and importance at that point in my life.  Even though the story behind my ex and our relationship is still heartbreaking to me, and even though I couldn't listen to this song for about two years after our break up, the song is very important to me and still one of my favorites.  Because of what I've been through with that relationship, it just stands for my strength to get over my ex and be a stronger person on my own.  It may sound stupid, but the first time I was able to listen to it in it's entirety after our breakup (that 2 years later) it made me feel proud that I was finally able to move on.

CIay Aiken - Proud of Your Boy

I don't know why I like this song so much, but I just do!  I think that every child, in a way, struggles to make their parents proud of them.  Hell, I still strive to be someone my mom will be proud of and every day I still feel like I fail at that.  This song was one that was supposed to be in Aladdin II, but was cut out for some reason.  I just like the song! (And the singer!)

Hanson - I Will Come To You

Since 1998 this song has been one of my favorite songs and even to this day, the song makes me cry.  I don't know why it's so special to me, but the song is amazing.  Just listen to it.  The lyrics are so moving.  "When you have no light to guide you, and no one to walk beside you, I will come to you.  When the night is dark and stormy, you won't have to reach out for me, I will come to you."  If you haven't heard the song, listen to it above right now.  You won't regret listening to it. :)

CIay Aiken - This Is The Night

Ever since I heard this song for the first time on American Idol, I knew this song was going to be my wedding song.  It's just one of the best songs of all time, in my mind.  I'm sure everyone has heard this song before since it was CIay's first big song besides "Invisible" and I think most people know how great the song is.  

*N Sync - This I Promise You

This is another song that I just love because I do.  I'm sure everyone (or almost everyone) has loved *N Sync at one point in their lives and this song was just one of the best that they had.  

I know I'm a dork and I know I like the geekiest music, but that's just me and that's just who I am.  I enjoy Hanson, CIay Aiken, *N Sync and all of those pop groups.  I'm proud to say that I'm a huge fan of pop music. (Even though I do like other genres as well.)  Music is something that I definitely cannot live without in my life.  It's very important to me as I am sure it is to others as well.  

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Wisdom Teeth & Music!

WisHas anyone had their wisdom teeth out?

I'm pretty sure this is coming for me.  My wisdom teeth came in about 5 years ago with minimal problems.  When they first came in, I did have one problem for a couple of days with my lower left wisdom tooth.  As it came in, the left side of my face swelled up and it was pretty painful for maybe 2-3 days.  Then it stopped.  Fast forward 5 years later...

Last Saturday I woke up in quite a bit of pain with my bottom left wisdom tooth.  The gum was swollen (TMI, I know...) and it hurt to even open my mouth or swallow on that side.  Unfortunately, that was also the day I was leaving the hotel we had stayed at for a night and I had to drive home.  Excedrin was my savior because it took a lot of the pain away for my drive, but it was still very uncomfortable.  It was so swollen that I couldn't eat without almost biting down on the gum itself.  It's been basically like that since then.  (Except the swelling has gone down a bit. 

Every morning I have to do a stupid annoying and time consuming routine of rinsing with salt water to make the swelling go down, I put those Bayer Fast Acting Crystals packets directly on the tooth and let it dissolve and then a few hours later I take two Excedrin and it helps the pain for most of the entire day.  At least I can live that way temporarily, but I can't keep that up forever.

Now, I have a fear of dentists & oral surgery.  Exciting, huh?  I think it's finally time to get to the dentist and if I need my wisdom teeth out, I should go for it.  I have a low threshold for pain.  It's terrible how cranky I am until the pain goes away.  I'm just petrified beyond belief!!

ANYWAY...

Last night was the Hanson concert that I went to and I had so much fun!  I've been a fan since 1997, making it the band I have been a fan of for the longest. :)  I love Hanson and always will.  The one thing I have to complain about, is that I hate general admission concerts.  Firstly, getting there hours before the concert starts just to get in is not my piece of cake!  Especially in 100 degree weather with sun beating down on you.  At least the people who were waiting near us were very nice and very talkative.  It made the time go by a little quicker than it normally would.  Secondly, the people in back of me at the concert itself were VERY ANNOYING!  They were making fun of everyone who was around them and she kept trying to squeeze in next to me.  Now, we ended up being 3 people from the stage so she was 4th in back of me.  I think 4th is pretty damn good.  Why the hell do you have to try to squeeze your ass in next to me when there's no room at all.  Then, as she's trying to squeeze in next to me, she's blaming me for pushing her.  I wasn't pushing her at all, I was simply STANDING IN MY SPOT THAT WASN'T HERS!  Excuse me, if you're short and you get stuck in back of someone who's taller than you at a general admission concert, don't complain.  There's always that risk if you're short.  Was she thinking that because she was short I would have compassion for her?  Not when she's acting like a complete prissy bitch behind me.  Yeah, no thanks.  None the less, I enjoyed myself.  :)  I took too many pictures, which are on my Facebook, but here are a few.  

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Monday Miscellany & Monday Mingle- I love Random!

I love Miscellany Monday because I can randomly write things that I wanted to write that really have nothing in common at all. :)  Let's go! 

1. Plus Size What?!

I can't stand how Plus Size starts at a size 10.  Are you serious? Plus Size?  I can't stand how those plus size stores have models that are probably a size 10 with a flat stomach and skinny arms and legs.  Come on...let's see REAL women that won't make the plus size women feel inferior!  I'm happy to say that I no longer shop at those stores and now fit in normal Juniors size clothes, but I know how I felt when I did and saw their advertisements with the skinny girls.  It drives me crazy.  It's bad enough the media makes the "perfect woman" out to be a stick thin beautiful airbrushed model.  Even Dove airbrushes and fixes their "Real Women".  

2. Imagination Movers ROCK!

Come on, aren't they the BEST kids show ever?  Maybe I'm biased because I have a secret crush on Rich and my kids absolutely LOVE the show, but it's awesome.  We watched them on The View this morning and that's what reminded me. :)  I was going to bring my kids to the show, but I wasn't sure if they would let kids in or what.  So we just watched from home.  My kids (and I) hope they go on tour again because we'd love to go! (Any other Movers Mommys reading?!)

3. Gaining Weight, thumbs down.

I haven't been caring too much about what I'm eating, which is bad.  Today I restarted caring and eating very healthy.  I felt the difference too when I splurged and ate what I wanted to.  It's only noon and I'm feeling SO much better from eating healthy. :)  Yay. I would love to lose a few more pounds within two weeks.  

4. Potty Training Update!

Olivia is more or less trained!  When she came home from her dad's house on Sunday, she had underpants on and stayed dry all day!  She did her poops and pees in the potty, and we're so proud of her.  She only wears pull ups now when it's bedtime.  Of course, we fight her on it, but we're all so proud of her for doing it!

5. MMMBOP!

Laugh at me, make fun of me, tell me I'm old school or a geek, but I'm so excited.  Tomorrow I'm going to Sayreville NJ to see HANSON!!! I could not be more excited and can hardly wait until we leave at 1pm tomorrow. :)  I've been a Hanson fan since 1997 and will always be one no matter how much people make fun of me! BRING IT ON!! :D  (You bet you're gonna hear about it tomorrow!)


That's all I can think of for now, but I'll update this if I have any more random moments!!

My Monday Mingle is going to be written today because #1. I look like crap. #2. I'm still in crappy clothes because I haven't unpacked my car from my weekend trip and #3.  My tooth hurts too damn bad to actually talk. (Wow, me? Not talking? What a miracle!!)

1. How many computers are in your house?

We have 3.  I have a desktop that I use occasionally, my mom has a Verizon Netbook and I have my MacBook that I use all the time and am in love with. :)  Sometimes I consider selling my desktop and just using the laptops, but Windows is good occasionally for some things.  Just not everything.  I'm so used to Apple.


2. Are you connected on the go? (via cell phone with data service, netbook, laptop, etc.)


YES!!!  I am.  I have a Blackberry Storm w/ Data Plan, iPhone w/ Data Plan, a laptop (Macbook) and a Netbook w/ Data Plan (HP).  I love my connectivity and it's very important to me.  Especially being a blogger!  My iPhone is my "business phone" for my Jewelry business as well as my blogging.  My Blackberry is for calling, texting, Yahoo, Aim, etc...


3. What is the longest amount of time you can go without the internet before missing it?


ONE DAY! LOL  The hotel that we stayed in this weekend had NO Wifi service without paying for it or being in a certain set of rooms. I tried to go without it for as long as possible, but I did end up caving and signing onto my Netbook by that night.  I love the internet, I love checking and reading blogs when I have nothing else to do and I love to blog...  How did I ever live without internet when I was a kid??

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Album Review: Clay Aiken - Tried & True

NOTE: Yes, I am a very proud Clay Aiken fan and have been since 2003.  I think he has an amazing voice.  I know some people have mixed feelings about him as a recording artist (or any American Idol artist.) but I would appreciate it if there were no harsh words said about him.  I'm not meaning to turn this into a whole debate, I am just expressing my love for this album and hoping people would give it a listen.  - COMMENTS ARE WELCOME, however. - Thank you!

Whether or not you grew up in the 50's, 60's and 70's, you'll enjoy Clay Aiken's new album Tried &; True, which drops on June 1, 2010.  Singing the real classics, Clay really shows off his amazing vocal range and talent.  Songs that he made fan favorites on American Idol such as Unchained Melody and Mac The Knife, he gives his own twist to; really making the songs his own.  (Side note: I believe that EVERYONE has to listen to Unchained Melody at least once.  This version of the song is breath-taking and just spectacular.)   Not only is his voice flawless, but the musical arrangements are genius.  The entire CD has a modernized big-band sound, making it completely different from anything else you'll hear these days.  This is real music, and good music at that.

The CD features songs such as Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You,  It's Only Make Believe,  Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, What Kind Of Fool Am I  and so many more amazing songs. (Track list below.)  If you're not a fan, I guarantee you will listen to this once and his voice will amaze you.  For us fans, well, it's just another chapter of our journey being fans over the last 7 years.

Clay also has a tour coming up starting July in Asheville, NC.  He will be touring with Ruben Studdard. "The Timeless Tour" will be amazing fans in 17 cities and will end on August 14th in Biloxi, MS.  Check his official website at ClayAiken.com for all of the tour dates!

This morning, June 1st, Clay will appear on Good Morning America previewing some songs from his new album.  He will also appear Tuesday night on the Joy Behar Show.  (CNN Headline News)  Wednesday he will appear on The View to perform songs from his new album as well.  Please tune in!!

• Track List for Tried & True:

• 1. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
• 2. What Kind Of Fool Am I? (Featuring David Sanborn)
• 3. It's Only Make Believe
• 4. Misty
• 5. Mack The Knife
• 6. It's Impossible
• 7. Unchained Melody
• 8. Suspicious Minds
• 9. Crying (duet with Linda Eder)
• 10. There's A Kind Of Hush
• 11. Moon River (featuring Vince Gill)
• 12. Who's Sorry Now
• 13. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

You can purchase the CD on iTunes, Amazon or any other music retailer!!

Video credited to International Media. Clay Aiken's PBS special will air in August. Date TBA.

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated at all for this review.  This review is solely my opinion and my feelings towards the artist and the recording.  

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