To show our appreciation for everyone who’s been donating and sharing our Kickstarter campaign, we created this contest! Haven’t watched the series, donated, or shared out our Kickstarter yet? There’s still time! Just follow the instructions in the contest below:
I am a huge fan of the girls’ night in. It gives us a chance to be silly, play games, watch old movies, stay up late talking, and not have to spend tons of money at bars. Basically, for an introvert with a lot of nerdy friends, it’s perfect.
I’ve watched old YouTube videos, played board games, and even actually talked about “feminine issues” and yogurt commercials. Seriously. Luckily, Lipton seems to get what us average geeky ladies want, and are ready to make our perfect “girls night in” come true. They’re currently running a contest to win a 60 inch LED HDTV, a blue-ray, an XBOX 360 Kinect bundle, Dance Central 3 for XBOX, and more. This would be more than I could even hope for for the perfect girls’ night–I would LOVE a larger TV and the newest Dance Central! And hey, after winning, you may as well re-hydrate after a giant Dance Central session with the new Lipton 100 Calorie Half and Half (Lemonade and Iced Tea) or Lipton Diet Green Tea Honey Ginseng. Need a bit of “jiggle juice” to get your dance on? I’d recommend adding a dash of honey whiskey or peach rum to your iced teas.
So make sure you enter the contest for the “Girls’ Night In” entertainment system. And then invite me. Please?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton Iced Tea. The opinions and text are all mine.
Her Universe has introduced some fantastic new quote tees to help you share your true feelings with your Valentine, Galentine, or even yourself. Pick your favorite fandom (between Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who) and make sure you get your order placed in time for Valentine’s Day!
Her Universe has graciously decided to give away a shirt in the fandom of your choice to one reader! Enter with the Rafflecopter below. The contest will end on February 5th so the winner will receive the shirt in time for Valentine’s Day. Good luck!
Not very lucky? You can order the shirts now for $25 at heruniverse.com.
Yes, that HTC One X+. As in, a brand new phone. Haven’t heard of it? Take a peek at some of its features:
Hostess has been going through a bit of trouble lately: strikes, bankruptcy, possibly closing down their company… so lucky me, to receive this shirt the day before the trouble started. After today, it could become a hot commodity! Plus, if they do shut down, I may actually become the Hostess with the Mostest. (Too soon?)
T-Shirts.com sent me the shirt and wants to give one of you the shirt as well! The only catch is that if we’re ever both wearing the shirt in the same room, we must immediately enter into a Hostess’ duel. It’s kinda like Iron Chef, but cooler. You’ve been warned. Enter below!
(This contest is open to US residents only. Sorry!)
Ana from the fantastic (and Seattle-based) company, The Pretty Peacock, contacted me about her jewelry a month or two ago, and I fell in love. Her pieces are all deeply personal and customizable–things that will always make you think of the person who gave it to you. The Latitude Longitude necklace is one of my favorites. You can add the coordinates of anywhere you want: your home growing up, the place you met, the location of your wedding or honeymoon, or just a favorite place that you always want to keep close to you (Disneyland, perhaps?). This necklace is also a favorite among geocachers, and would make a great gift to give after a day out geocaching.
Lucky you: Ana is giving one of these necklaces away! Use it as a fantastic holiday gift or just keep it for yourself.
Also make sure you take a peek at the rest of the items at The Pretty Peacock: They’re offering a discount code for Geeky Hostess readers! Just use the code GEEKY2012 for 10% off your order and free shipping until November 30th. And if you’re doing any holiday shopping, get your orders in soon: the international ordering deadline is November 17th and the US ordering deadline is December 5th.
Thanksgiving’s coming up, and this year, I wanted to try something a bit ambitious. I wanted to roast a pumpkin. From scratch. Like a big kid.
You see, bringing a side dish to Thanksgiving is one thing, but bringing roasted pumpkin (instead of say, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes) allows you to have a smug “Autumn Goddess” smile about you all evening. It’s not quick, but it’s worth it. The result is a comfort food-like treat that most folks don’t get.
Follow the recipe below, and see if you can use all parts of the pumpkin. The seeds are excellent roasted (use a low heat for a long period of time, essentially drying them out) and the stem could make a jaunty Thanksgiving-Day hat. Also make sure you enter the contest at the bottom of this post–you could win some sweet gear to get you in a pumpkin-roasting mood!
Start with a pumpkin that is meant for baking. I purchased mine from Top Foods, and it was a “Delicata” pumpkin. This list will tell you a bit about the various types out there, and can help you check if yours is right.
Pro Tip: If your husband sticks a mustache on your pumpkin, you will feel bad cutting it open.
Roasted Pumpkin
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil.
Rinse the pumpkin.
Core the pumpkin (as you would if you were going to carve it) and de-seed and de-”gut” it. Keep the seeds if you want to roast them later!
Slice the pumpkin into quarters, finish scraping out the “guts”. A spoon works wonders here.
Cut the pumpkin into smaller slices–I cut it into three for every quarter.
Cut the slices into cubes and slice off the rind. Think of it like a cantaloupe.
Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl, and pour 1/3 cup of melted Country Crock over the top.
Season with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and/or pumpkin pie mix to your tastes. I did a quick shake of everything.
Using your hands, mix together until the pumpkin pieces are thoroughly coated.
Pour the pumpkin pieces out on the baking sheet, and make sure they’re all laying flat in one layer.
Pour the remaining Country Crock from the bowl onto the tops of the pumpkin, and salt once more.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is golden and a bit crispy on the edges, and tender on the inside.
Serve with a bit of Country Crock and salt or nutmeg to taste.
Plan on making roasted pumpkin for Thanksgiving? Hosting Thanksgiving dinner yourself? Enter this contest to win a Thanksgiving Kit that includes the following:
Check out more great recipes at CrockCountry.com and let me know what you’ll be making for Thanksgiving!
Thank you to Country Crock for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Before we go further with this post, there are two things you should know:
1. I love nail polish. It’s the best accessory to an outfit, it’s easy to change, it lasts a while if you want it to, and it’s not too expensive. I feel way more awesome when I’m wearing nail polish.
2. I am AWFUL at painting my nails. I’ve gotten a lot better since I’ve started wearing it more (practice makes perfect!), but let’s just say I’ll never be a manicurist. You will see some pictures below that may shock and concern you. Let me tell you this. If you’re not great at painting your nails, do it anyway. You’ll get better eventually, and until then, the polish you get on your skin can easily wash off next time you take a shower.
WIth that being said, I’d love to introduce you all to Julep. Julep is my absolutely favorite nail parlor, and they’ve launched their own line of toxin-free nail colors (and everything else you need for an awesome manicure/pedicure). Their polish is now available in Sephora, and you can get the newest colors before everyone else by joining their Julep Maven program. They send you monthly boxes based on a personality quiz you take, as well as other fun goodies. I’m obsessed with the quick dry polish drops that came in the October “Bombshell” package!
The candy corn came wrapped up in the box. But I thought it was more fun spread around. 
The October box featured polishes that would be perfect for your vampire or zombie costume: a dark, blood red, and a black crackle polish. I haven’t tried crackle before–it’s really cool! This color combo especially makes a sexy, fun “I just crawled my way out of a coffin” look. And that’s a sentence I never thought I’d type. Anyway, whether you need colors for cosplay or just want to stay on top of the trendiest shades, Julep is for you.
You can try the Julep Maven box yourself for just ONE PENNY! (Unless you’re in Washington State–you have to pay tax on the box, so you’ll end up paying around $1.90. But still!) Just make sure you go to this link, take the quiz, then put “GEEKYHOSTESS” in the promo code.Is one penny too much for you? Want to grab a box for a friend? Can’t decide between the style profiles? Then enter to win an intro box for free! I will pick one winner (must be from the US or Canada, sorry!) on Tuesday, October 30th. Just enter through the Rafflecopter, below!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: I was provided the October “Bombshell” box for free by Julep Maven in exchange for the review. I will also receive boxes based on the amount of people who sign up with my affiliate link. All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own, and I only work with sponsors and companies that are a good fit for my blog. I truly love Julep and their Maven program and thought you would too!
Staying fit and active can be a tough, but necessary, part of everyone’s life. Having a job that has me sitting from 9-5 plus a blog that has me making a lot of amazing baked goods makes it extra tough to fit into that cosplay outfit or cute nerdy tee.
In the summer, I’m a big fan of protein-packed smoothies for breakfast to help stay healthy and fit, but my smoothies always turn out a bit less than perfect. I always put in way too much fruit and protein powder and not enough liquid, which turns it into delicious-but-difficult-to-eat sludge. Luckily, Silk (the soy milk company) has put together a bunch of fun summer drinks including a Strawberry-Banana smoothie they’ve named the “Straw-Nana Flip.” The smoothie has the perfect mix of liquid and fruit, plus an added dash of vanilla and sugar (my sweetener of choice). Add a dollop of protein powder, and you’ll be feeling better than Wonder Woman. Find this recipe and more on the Slkology Facebook page.
I’d love to work this smoothie into a morning workout party with some of my favorite geeky ladies. Maybe as a good break between “Just Dance” sessions?
Because they’re awesome, Silk is giving away a chance to win Silk for a year and an entertaining set. Whether you use it for a workout sesh like me, or for another summertime party, you’ll be in good hands. Just answer this question below: How can you reinvent your favorite summertime gathering? Is there something new you want to try? (Bringing smoothies instead of cupcakes would sure be a change for me!)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
At SDCC, I got to chat with one of my favorite bloggers, justJENN of justJENN Recipes and justJENN Designs. She makes cute and snarky stationary, comics, buttons and more. I particularly love the Robot Love card and the “I like big bundts” button. When she’s not crafting up new designs, she is blowing everyone away with her geeky recipes. She is a huge inspiration to me!
I was excited to hear about her comic recipe cards that she launched at SDCC. These cards are a cute and clever way to pass on some delicious recipes. This first pack includes 4 cards that will make a complete meal, and Jenn has other sets in the works that can be mixed and matched with the recipes you already have. I picked up a copy of the recipes seen above, and would love to give it away to one of you! (Seriously–you’ll love them.) Just leave a comment with your favorite dish to make, and I’ll randomly pick a winner on Wednesday, July 25th!
Good luck!
EDIT: Congrats to comment #8, Nicole! I’ll be in touch so I can ship you your prize!
