This is a compensated review by BlogHer and HP.

A few weeks ago I got an email asking if I’d be interested in reviewing a new HP TouchSmart 600 computer. And yes, I was interested, because I am a nerd and always terribly entertained by anything that plugs in and has a screen, but since I’d never seen the TouchSmart before, I had a mental image of a big, clunky desktop coming into the house. Besides that, we haven’t owned a PC in about ten years, and part of me wondered if accepting the HP was some unforgivable act of Mac betrayal.

But then I remembered the 10 year-old Mac desktop in my office (that, bless its heart, can’t run more than two applications at a time before it starts to wheeze), and I got over my reservations. BRING ON THE HP.

The new TouchSmart arrived a few days later, and y’all, I cannot tell you how impressed we have been by this computer. We love it. It looks great (do you see how skinny it is?), and when David was setting it up, I actually asked him where the rest of it was. It’s essentially the same size as a flat-screen TV. In fact, it can work as a TV – you just plug in your cable and you’re good to go. It can also work as a DVR (CAN I GET AN AMEN?) or a BluRay movie player. There’s even a remote. Be still my heart.

And I wish y’all could have seen my husband’s reaction when he realized that you can mount the TouchSmart on the wall. Suffice it to say that his eyes lit up and then glazed over and I thought for a brief moment that he might need to sit down and put his head between his knees.

We started using the TouchSmart approximately 53 seconds after we set it up, and while I didn’t know how much I’d use all the bells and whistles in our day-to-day routine, I have to say that the touchscreen features are actually my very favorite part. Besides the fact that it makes me feel like Tom Cruise in “Minority Report” when I move my finger around the screen and resize pictures and create collages and pretend like I’m some sort of technological wizard, it’s just so EASY. I can write notes, save recipes, browse the web, play a movie via our Netflix account, laugh at something on Hulu, listen to my Pandora playlist, edit photos and so much more – all without touching a keyboard or a mouse. The computer HAS a keyboard and a mouse, of course (they’re wireless!), and you can use them with any of the TouchSmart applications – but once you get the hang of the touchscreen, it’s oh-so-convenient and fun.

I really could go on and on – about how Alex loves it, about how the touchscreen is COMPLETELY intuitive for a child, about how I adore the Recipe Box feature that lets me add any recipe I happen to run across on the web and will even READ THE RECIPE OUT LOUD TO ME while I cook. But I’m going to quit talking now because we need to get this giveaway started. I think it’s time.

So.

If you’d like to win an HP TouchSmart 600 computer, leave a comment below and tell me where you’d put the computer if you won. Family room? Office? Playroom? Kitchen? Inside Mama’s closet where NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH IT? On top of a thrift store desk that you overhauled with turquoise spray paint?

Or, if you’d like, you can leave a comment with a link to a post about the HP on your blog.

And whatever you do, please make sure that your email address is correct.

This contest will begin December 9th and end December 24th.

Before I forget:

1) If you’d like more information about this computer, just click on over to HP’s official site.

2) Rules!
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older (I’m so sorry, Canada).
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules.

The winner will be selected using random.org.

Also, there are four other bloggers giving away the HP TouchSmart 600 (that means there are five free computers up for grabs, people), so check out the BlogHer.com special offers page for links to their sites. You can enter to win on all five blogs.

Happy TouchSmarting, everybody!

Thursday 12/10 at 8:40pm – comments seem to be working just fine again. Thanks for your patience!

This giveaway is now closed.

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and L’Bel.

When I was younger, I was all about make-up. I loved looking at it, trying it, applying it, buying it – the whole shebang. I could spend an afternoon sitting in front of a mirror and trying out various and sundry new looks with one of my mama’s big ole palettes of eye shadow, and on more than one occasion, my sister looked at my handiwork and said something along the lines of “Um, less is more, you know.”

Now that I’m a little older, I know that my sister was exactly right. Less is definitely more when it comes to make-up. I still get a little giddy when I buy some new powder or blush, mind you, but I’m not nearly as concerned with make-up as I am with taking care of my skin. That’s one reason I was so happy to participate when the folks at BlogHer asked me if I’d like to try some skin care products from L’Bel Paris. I was even happier when I read that L’Bel – which is manufactured in France – focuses on “radiant skin that withstands the passage of time.” That sort of hit me where I’m living right now.

Ahem.

Anyway, here’s what they sent me:

You will never know how happy I was to see that tube of really nice mascara. Sometimes it’s the little things, you know (and the fact that the mascara brush is excellent makes it even better). And they also sent me some perfume, but unfortunately I ripped the perfume packaging when I got my shipment-o-products. You’ll be happy to know that the perfume is none the worse for the wear and is currently resting comfortably in my bedroom.

I’ve been trying the L’Bel products for about a week now, and oh my goodness, I like them so much. They’re light enough that my face doesn’t feel coated, but they’re moisturizing enough that my skin feels completely hydrated. And there’s this stuff called Collagennesse – and I can only hope that I’m spelling that correctly because it is currently packed in my suitcase since I WILL NOT LEAVE TOWN WITHOUT IT – that is pure magic. I put it on after I put on moisturizer, and it fills in the fine lines and makes my skin feel super-smooth and quite honestly I’m not sure how I’ve lived without it. It’s one of the best products I’ve ever tried.

And believe me, internet: I have tried some products in my time.

It makes my head hurt a little bit when I think about all the time and energy (and money) I’ve spent on my skin over the last twenty or so years. But here’s the thing, at least with me: make-up isn’t the thing that makes me feel beautiful. I have never looked at my adult self in the mirror and felt oh-so-attractive because I’ve achieved the perfect smoky eye. But do you know when I probably feel the most pretty? When I’m hanging out at home with my people without a stitch of make-up on. When my face is clean and I’ve put on all my “potions,” as my husband calls them – and I feel like LO, THESE MANY YEARS of taking care of my skin has been worth it.

I mean, I can always buy new eye shadow. But I’ve got to live with this skin of mine forever.

I’m so happy to be able to share these products with y’all, and one lucky reader is going to win $500 worth of L’Bel products to try. Seriously. $500 of skin care products and make-up. The prize will include Delyr, Bleu Intense, Resurgie Jour, Cellvivance, Pore Specialiste, Day Moisturizer, Night Moisturizer, Eye Cream, Makeup Remover, Cleanser, Toner, Face Mask, Divenesse Lotion, Supremacie Mains, Lip Gloss, Mascara and a sassy little bag to hold it all.

By the way, if you think I have any idea what all those French words in the list mean, you are sadly mistaken. But still. I bet they make your skin super-pretty. And I bet they smell really good, too.

Now. A few rules before we get our little skin care sweepstakes started:

To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me the place where you feel the most beautiful – or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will end on January 8th. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct. I’ll select the winner using random.org.

Also, be sure to check out the list of other bloggers who are also doing a L’Bel giveaway – you can enter to win the giveaways on their blogs, too.

Have fun, y’all!

p.s. You can follow @LBelParis on Twitter for beauty tips and special offers if you’re interested.

This giveaway is now closed.