My favorite princess with my favorite Disney Princess

As an avid reader, Belle has long since been a favorite of mine, and my favorite “Belle” can be found at the France Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. She is less formal and extremely engaging. And lucky for us, we walked right up to her with no line at all.

Reminder: If you have an avid reader in your house, make sure to enter my Disney Publishing/Percy Jackson Summer Reading Giveaway.

Follow along on the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

Memorial Day is weeks away, and the end of the school year is upon us again. One of my favorite part of the summer holiday as a kid was finally getting to read the books I wanted to read, and not a book that I was assigned to read.

So, it is with great excitement that I announce a wonderful giveaway, sure to kick off the summer reading season for any kid (ages 8 to 18… and maybe older). Readers of The Disney Lifestyle Blog will be able to enter to win the complete boxed set (in paperback) of Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Everyone can enter up to 5 times – fitting as there are 5 books in the series!
What a great trailer… make me want to read this series again.

My quick review: This is the original series where we are introduced to Percy and his friends from Camp Halfblood. My oldest son, a once reluctant reader, began reading this series as a fifth grader, and he has read every book written by Rick Riordan since. He even asks for them for Christmas and birthdays – wow. You know an author is worth his weight in books when a teenage boy asks for books as gifts.

But these books aren’t just for boys. With a strong female friend, Annabeth, this series appeals to both boys and girls.

So good luck!

The Rules:

I use Random.org to choose the winners of my giveaways. This means each entry – and you can enter up to 5 times – must be posted as a separate, individual comment to this blog post.

To enter, you must leave a comment on this blog post. Let everyone know your favorite book. It could be a book for kids or grownups. I am always looking for new books to read myself or to share with my own kids.

All entries must be posted by May 27th. A winner will be drawn on Memorial Day, May 28th via Random.org.

For a second entry: Follow me, @DisneyLifeMel on Twitter. You must post this in a separate comment.

For a third entry: Follow author Rick Riordan’s on Twitter: the official handle is @CampHalfblood. You must post this in a separate comment.

For a fourth entry: Follow Disney Hyperion Publishing on Twitter: @DisneyHyperion. You must post this in a separate comment.

Finally for a fifth entry: Follow @DisneyReads on Twitter. You must post this in a separate comment.

Disclaimers: I am not affiliated with the author, publishers or Disney in any way. Disney Hyperion has not paid me for my reviews. They did provide me with the prizes for this giveaway, but my enthusiasm for Disney, reading and the Percy Jackson books are purely my own.

It is Election Day here in North Carolina… so get out and vote!

Click the My Polling Place Button to find out where to cast your vote today!

Ladies…. we have a winner in the PixiGlow cosmetics giveaway. Congratulations to Helen T (@iDisneyGirl)! I will send you a DM on Twitter to finalize the details.

This has been a fun giveaway to host. Pixi Beauty really does have a nice line of higher end beauty products. I have extremely sensitive, occasionally acne-prone skin. During this review, I stuck with my regular foundation (Bare Minerals) and moisturizer (Eucerin with sunscreen). Otherwise, I have only been using the Pixi products. They have a new fan in me…. and you guys know I rarely say that about products.

For transparency, this is how the winner was chosen.

Once again: I was in no way financially compensated to review or promote this giveaway. I was provided with products to review, but the opinions posted are my own. I am not associated with Pixi Beauty, Target or any of the Disney affiliates who license this line. I am a Disney fan who loves spreading the word about new ways to bring the magic of Disney to our everyday lives!

Today’s review includes two products. First the Catching Shadows Crayon for eyes. I have mixed review on this one. It is easy to apply, and shimmers beautifully when the light hits it just right. Otherwise, it is the same color as my eyelid, so when I am indoors, it is almost impossible to tell I have it on at all. But, if you are looking for a hint of sparkle without the makeup-look, this is a great option.

Recommended: Yes, but for ladies who want a natural, nude-face look.

Now onto one of my favorite pieces in the collection…. Fairy Dust ~ Moonlight Luster! This little vial of Pixie Dust can add a touch of sparkle to any area of the face. It is designed to be applied as a highlighter for the eyes, but for an easy night-time look, I would dabble a bit onto the apples of my cheeks and blend it in with my blush. It is so light and airy…. helps get that dewy look without the dewy feel.

The color is similar to the whitest color on the Fairy Face Palette, but this is an excellent option for day looks when you just want a visible bit of shine on the eyes.

Recommended: Definitely…. great product to enhance the doe-eyed look.

For more information on these products visit the PixiGlow store at Target.com or PixiBeauty.

Remember, to enter my PixiGlow by Pixi Beauty Giveaway, you need to CLICK HERE. Only comments posted to that blog post will count as entries. All entries must be posted by midnight tonight. I will be announcing the winner tomorrow. Good luck!

PixiGlow: Fairy Face Palette

 PixiGlow: Fairy Face Palette

Ladies, this is my new go-to cosmetic item. It is almost all you need to make-up your entire face in one small case.

The compact itself is enough to make any Tinker Bell fan excited. The retro design is diving. But what had me more surprised was the fact that this is real makeup.

The Blush: Love it. I am more of an “autumn”, and there is a lot of “spring” pinks in this palette. But, hey, I am an adventurer. These pinks are so flattering. I tend to keep my blush brush in the bottom-left corner. I fall this the autum-friendly zone. But I like to add a bit of the top pink to my nose and forehead area to give my winter-white skin a touch of spring color.

The Eye Palette: This is my favorite part of the entire line. I love it. I use the top two colors for daytime. The dark brown on the bottom works great as a dusty eyeliner – if you have the right brush for the task. I don’t care for the pink in the middle, but that is my fault. I have not mastered the art of wearing pink on my eyes without it looking like I have seasonal allergies. Overall, this eye shaddow palette is practically perfect.

The Lips: Whether you consider yourself to be a “spring” or an “autumn” fairy, you will find a shade or two to suit your style. The brush is great for mixing the colors and is pointed for a perfect application. I will tell you that the lip color is matte, more like a lipstick. It is not glossy, so if you want that sheen, simply finish with a touch of your favorite clear gloss on top.

PixiGlow products are available at Target or directly from PixiBeauty.

The Giveaway: To enter my PixiGlow giveaway you must follow the instruction on last weeks post – just click here! The contest ends soon, so go post those entries! Comments to this post, while welcome, do not count as entries into the giveaway.

Courtesy of DisneyClips

This image sums up my feelings about technology this morning. No worries. We will have our happy ending as soon as I can set up this giveaway in a way that is easy for both you to enter and me to run.

I will begin the contest as soon as I can, and it will still run for 7 days.

Thanks for your patience.