I’ve got pretty things for you in a quick and dirty giveaway.

Ready?

These are pretty pretty shoe clips from Bando.  Bando is a Los Angeles based, awesome-ladies-making-awesome-things, company.  They inspire me.  They have gorgeous and fun headbands, fluuuufffyyy pompom pins, hair clips, and shoe clips.

I happen to be obsessed with their shoe clips.  Hearts, PomPoms, and Rhinestones that you can clip to you flats or heels and instantly, instantly feel more like a pretty lady with pretty things.

Note:  sometimes it’s important to feel like a pretty lady with pretty things.

More Important Note:  it’s always important to feel like an intelligent, confident, and capable lady.  Don’t get it twisted.

I’d like to give three sets of sparkling, fun, effervescent shoe clips to three of you sparkling, fun, effervescent readers.

To win a pair of Bando shoe clips, here’s what needs to go down:

Pick up your technology phone and let someone know that they inspire you, let someone know that you appreciate them, let someone know that you love them.  Drop some sincerity and good love in the world in a phone call, text, or email.  Then come back here and leave a comment.

Put some love in the world.  Don’t worry.  It feels GREAT!

Giveaway ends at the end of this day.

photos from bando.  giveaway from joythebaker.

UPDATE! Paige!  You’re looking forward to big, bright SUNSHINE this summer.  It’s a good thing you just won this Juice Beauty sunscreen!  Yay for you!

It’s a good thing you’re here.  I have treats for you!

It’s the first day of summer and I want to share a few of my favorite things for you.  They’re things for your face!!

Juice Beauty makes my absolutely FAVORITE facial sunscreen.  It’s a tinted mineral sunscreen.  There’s organic white grape and pomegranate juice, antioxidants, and just a hint of makeup coverage.  It’s like make-up without wearing make-up… plus sun protection!

Juice Beauty also makes an amazing face wash and mask… made out of apples.  The Green Apple Cleanser and the Green Apple Repair Mask help with brightening and refining.  They’re like anti-aging face products without completely frying your face off with weird chemically stuff.  I also happen to be obsessed with face products that have food items in them like… green apples, lemon, and cane sugar.

I’m into Juice Beauty, organic skin care.  I totally am.

So!  Let’s get you on this!  There’s two things you need to know!

(One)  One lucky reader will win the Juice Beauty Mineral Tinted Sunscreen, Green Apple Cleanser, and the Green Apple Repair Mask.  All three things!

Leave a comment on this blog post.  Tell me what you’re looking forward to this summer!  Comments close Friday evening June 24th.

(Two)  Juice Beauty wants you to be pretty pretty pretty.  So!  They’re offering you a Green Apple Repair Mask with any purchase of any Juice Beauty product.  Do you see what I’m saying here!?  A free, full-size face mask with the purchase of aaaannnyyything!  You could snag the Mineral Light Tinted Sunscreen and get a free mask!  Free stuff!!!

I’m totally not telling you what to do… I just like to put a bargain in perspective.  Ps.  When you buy stuff… Juice Beauty totally gives you extra little samples too.  Awesome.

Coupon Code: JOY

Offer stands : June 21- July 8, 2011

Boom.  Amazing.

Last week I told you all about my juicy juicy juice experience with Blue Print Cleanse, remember?

Last meals, juice, colonic, more juice, exercise… that whole no-food-thing.

I was amazed by your response.  You all might be into juice as much as you’re into Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

Let me tell you two important things:

Laura Dunlop!  You won one day of free juice, delivered right to your door!  Stellar.  Super awesome.  I hope you drink and drink and drink and forget about food for one whole day.

And!  Blue Print Cleanse was so thrilled with your response that they’d like to offer you all a 15% discount on juice!  Seriously.  Mega.

Discount applies to purchases made until 11:59 pm EST today March 4th.  Discount applies to the cost of the juice and will not affect shipping costs.  Not valid with any other discounts.  Not valid retroactively on BPC Bridal or gift certificates.  That’s the fine print.

Visit Blue Print Cleanse.  The case sensitive 15% discount code is: JOYTHEBAKER  (that’s me… I have a discount code named after me… I’m kind of a big deal)  ((I’m totally kidding))

If you were interested in trying Blue Print Cleanse I hope this is just the nudge you need.  Happy Friday!

Friends.  Hi.

You might know that I just finished working on my first cookbook.  It’s a baking book…. duh.  I spent months knee deep in butter and sugar and flour and cream.  It was delicious.  It was overwhelming.  It made my waist bigger.  It made my pants tighter.  How could it not!?  I think I was absorbing butter and sugar through my pores.  Wait.  Can you gain weight through your pores?  Call a scientist.

After I turned in my manuscript, I decided to clear out my system with a cleanse.  Before you tune out… listen.  I’m not a cleanse girl.  I’m not particularly fancy.  I really really really like to eat food.  I just thought this might be a good thing to do for my body to regulate my sugar cravings and try to get myself back in control.  I don’t own a scale.  I wasn’t trying to lose weight.  I just thought a few days of wholesome juices might be a good way to counteract the constant stream of butter I had allowed into my system.

I embarked on a three day juice cleanse with Blue Print Cleanse.  The word ‘embark’ makes this process sound far more daunting that it actually was.  This post is more words that I ever write on my blog.  I just wanted to tell you what happens when a girl that is totally into food only drinks juice for three days. Also!  There’s a giveaway at the end…. so that’s pretty rad too.

In the days before my juice cleanse I tried to revamp my diet.  I stayed away from meat.  I ate salads.  I drank tea.  And I don’t want to talk about how many french fries I ate…. the number is more than 10.  Whatever.

Day One:  Alright belly.  Food is so… yesterday.  I start off strong with the juices.  Juice. Water. Tea. Water. Juice.  Everything is going along just swimmingly.  And (miracle of all miracles)  I’m totally not hungry. Well well well.  Imagine that!  I have a pep in my step, I go for a long bike ride, and I’m stoked on the day.  Unfortunately, it all came to a screeching halt when I went for my first colonic.  See… the BPC website highly suggests you go for a colonic during your cleanse.  I wanted to get the full cleanse experience.  Um… I’m sure this procedure works for some people.  It’s just not for me.    (If you’re feeling faint at the mere mention of a colonic, feel free to skip the next paragraph.)

…If you don’t know what a colonic is… google it.  It’s a hot mess.  I hated every single second of it.  Sweet Lord.  Not ok.  The lady tried to convince me that I had major problems going on inside my body.  Um… guess what super ancient colonic lady?  I totally don’t believe you.  I’m pretty sure I’m young and healthy, and I take care of my body, and the major problem with my body right now is the hose you have shoved where the sun don’t shine.  Kindly remove that hose, your hands, the giant massager you insist I put on my belly.  Get everything off me exactly right now so I can run screaming from this place.  The classical music isn’t helping.  What are you doing on your iPad, colonic lady!?  You’re like… 80.  Are you playing solitaire?  Cause that’s annoying.  Oh Lord.  Help.  Stop saying I have high cholesterol.  Did you know there’s a legit test for that?  Yea.  Check your iPad.  There’s nothing wrong with me…. except for the fact that all  I want to do now is sit in the fetal position and eat cheeseburgers.   See what you’ve done?  Thanks for that.

Day One (the saga continues)… I don’t eat cheeseburgers.  Ooooh heavens.  I really want to.  It’s not that I’m hungry, it’s just that I want fat in my face after such a traumatic experience.  I push through, drink more juice and handle my business.  The first day was much easier that I thought it would be.  I thought I’d suffer without cookies and kale and rice and bacon…. the things I normally eat.  There’s was no suffering!  I even struggled to finish all of my juices because I felt so full.

Day Two:  Whoa!  I woke up from the craziest dreams.  Not scary-clown crazy… but vivid and topical and totally appropriate for where my brain is.  I was dreaming about issues that I’ve shoved to the back of my brain in an effort to avoid.  … But after one day of no food, they all can rushing forward.  It felt good.  I felt like I could settle some things and get some clarity.  Now… I know this sounds totally hippy-dippy… and this is totally not my style.  But!!  I felt like I had some amazing mental clarity.  My brain felt unclogged and I didn’t even know it was stopped up.  I took some time to sit and be quiet in prayer.  Supreme.

What’s up lunchtime?  It’s not that I’m hungry… It’s just that I want a giant sandwich for my face.  I had meetings on my second day of the cleanse.  That means that I had to be out in the world, interacting with people… normal people who eat delicious food for lunch.  I had juice.  I didn’t make a bit deal out of it.  I didn’t feel superior.  I didn’t feel fancy.  I just drank my pineapple juice thingy and enjoyed it.

I went to a spin class on Day Two of the cleanse.  I was feeling particularly badass.  I had enough energy to sweat buckets for 45 minutes.  Um… where did all this energy come from?  Amazing.  The only slight downside was that after the mega work out, all I could think about was dinner… and beet juice didn’t really fill the dinner void.  To fill the void, I heated up a mug of low sodium vegetable broth cut with hot water.  I know.  This sounds totally crazy.  I just wanted something savory and warm and dinnery feeling and the vegetable broth solved the dinner problem.

Day Three:  Alright.  Another day, another six juices.  By now I feel like I’m an old pro at this.  I even get in the kitchen and start making this soup.  It’s totally weird cooking food that you can’t really eat.  It smelled really good.  That’s a problem.  I took pictures of the soup.  I took five small tastes of the soup.  I put the soup in a container in the fridge and forgot about it… until dinner time.

Dinnertime: when I naturally want to shovel food into my mouth.  In a moment of weakness, I texted my friend for a dinner date.  Dinner date!  Since this friend had ribbed me through my whole cleanse… I thought he’d surely be happy to help me break my fast and cheat a bit.  His response “I secretly hoped you wouldn’t break your cleanse”.  And with that, my confidence was restored and I stuck to the juices.

After the Cleanse:  Food.  Food.  Food.  Food!  It’s a day for foooooood!  The one ironic bit about the first day back at food; I’m not really hungry.  Like… at all.  This is practically unheard of in my life.  I started slow with a banana, warmed up to a small salad and had lots of tea.  Amazing, my craving for sugar did not rule my life.  I know in my brain that that bag of Cheetos is delicious, but for some reason I don’t need to pour it into my face.

Overall, I feel great!  My wine consumption is in check, my sugar cravings have toned waaaaay down, and the jeans that were once a little tight at the waist, now fit like a dream.  I can’t tell you whether or not I lost weight, since I don’t have a scale, but I can tell you that I feel great from the inside out, my skin is bright and happy and my clothes fit better… and!!! I crave whole, healthy foods now more than junk.  I’m stoked.

I wouldn’t suggest this cleanse as a weight loss, ‘I need to go on a crash diet’ tool.  I don’t think you should ever go on a crash diet… so there.  While it seems that I did lose a few pounds on this system, I fully expect to gain some weight back… you know… since I’m eating real food again.  This juice cleanse was very effective in helping me reset my food choices and I think that will benefit my waistline in the long run.  Also… the juice is delicious.  Deeeeelicious!

Please also note:  I’ll happily chow down on some fries next week and I won’t even feel a little bit guilty.

Now it’s time for a giveaway!!  Read the blue text below for giveaway details!

Blue Print Cleanse would like to offer you a one day juice cleanse delivered right to your door.  If you’re curious, this would be a great way to start!  Or… if you’re already convinced, you could put this credit towards a three day cleanse package.  Also pretty cool.

Now…  I know these juices aren’t exactly cheap.  It’s not lost on me that this service is a total luxury.  Blue Print Cleanse also has a book (The 3-Day Cleanse) that teaches you how to cleanse on your own, at home.  They give you tools!  How great is that!  I’m giving away four copies of the Blue Print Cleanse book on Facebook and Twitter this week.  Keep your eyes peeled for that.

To enter to win the one day BPC juice package, please leave a comment on this post.  Comments close Friday at 6pm pst.   To have a chance to win one of the four copies of the BPC book, make sure you keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter.  Other than that… just be happy and smile lots.

Last week I offered you a beautiful Breville mixer as the grand finale to the November giveaway.

I made you work for it though… right?

I asked you to send me a picture of you with your favorite kitchen tool and daaaaang!  You really like to show off!

Your beautiful faces absolutely lit up my inbox.

So bright.  So shiny.  I just had to share.

Some of you are really into your whisks.  I get it.  I think my whisk is pretty excellent.

Look at these faces.  I wanna kiss you all… in a totally normal way.

Coffee!  Totally important.  I feel ya.

Nice mugs.

That sounds like a boob joke, but it’s not.

Silpats are totally handy.

So are hands.  You so clever.

Ps.  I’d really like one of those pretzel sticks please.

Um….

….um….

Dudes read this blog!?

Now there’s proof.

Weird.

Hello gentlemen.  Um… I feel shy.  Sorry about all the pink and kitten pictures?

Ladies and their knives.  Fierce.

Now…. Let me interrupt this love fest to say that… well, if you don’t see your picture here, it’s not because I don’t think you’re beautiful and talented… it’s just that there were aaaaaaaa lllllooooootttttt of pictures to process and not nearly enough hours in the day.  Stay tuned for more surprise pictures in the future.

You guys really like your fancy pans.  Super swell.

Ps… Nice winter hat in the kitchen.

I love my microplane too!  Mine usually smells like orange zest or nutmeg.

Whatever.

I wish I could use my microplane as a nail file but that would be weird and gross.  Ew.  Nevermind.

Pretty Pretty Apron Ladies.  I wanna cook with you.

These rolling pin shots made me laugh.  You ladies seems serious.

Also… I’d like some chocolate.  That has nothing to do with anything.

Look at you and your mixers.  You look so happy!

And finally!  You boozers are my kind of women.  Wine in the kitchen.  Highly suggested.  Invite me over, pretty please!

Thank you for your smiling faces.  You turned the Internet into real life.  That was pretty rad of you.  I wish I had a thousand mixers to give to all of you.

Jennifer!  I have some major news.

You and your turmeric spoon won a Breville mixer.

Major!

Congratulations!  It’s a very good day.

Your hair looks pretty today.  I totally love your shoes.  Those pants make your butt look incredible.  Can I borrow that scarf?

Today is a great day.  Dang near everything is stars and roses.

Today is the day that I get to offer you a super fine, extra swell, kicka*s mixer!  Yea.  This is totally a big deal.

The generous people of Chef’s Catalog would like you to have this GORGEOUS 5-quart Breville mixer.  This thing is an absolute powerhouse.  I suspect that it’ll get you through some major holiday baking, be the prettiest thing in your kitchen, make your husband do a double take, help raise your children, and become your absolute favorite baking tool.  These are my predictions.

Now!  How do you win this darling?

This is a two part process:

Leave a comment with this post AND send me a picture of you with your favorite kitchen tool.  Maybe you’re really into your whisk or your cast iron skillet.  Hold that puppy up and say cheese.  I want to see your shining face.  Send your picture to joythebakergiveaway at gmail dot com and you’re entered to win.

Winner will be selected by random.org and giveaway ends Saturday December 4th at midnight.

I like to show you how to do things… like how to make buttermilk if you’re fresh out.

I also like to give you things.

This post will combine these two wonders.

At the top of the page you’ll notice a new page header called November Giveaway.  That’s the page you should be glued to every single day this month.  That’s the page that will change every day with all sorts of prizes and such.  Visit.  Often.

Now!  Let me show you how I show you how to make things.

Ps.  I’m glad you’re here.

Buying cake flour just seems so silly.  I think you should totally just make your own.

I’m in love with my cast iron skillet.  Food maker meets murder weapon.  Do you have one of these?  Here’s how to season it!

How to make the good stuff:  brown sugar.

How to make warm dough with mustard and put it in your face.  How to make soft pretzels.

How to frost a freakin’ cake.  You should add this talent to the list of awesome things that you can do.

Speaking of cake.  I want this Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake, right now.

I’m terrible with surprises.  All that dang waiting… it just seems so silly.

I have a surprise for all y’all.

This November… just some days from this day today… there’s going to be a giveaway everyday of the month here at J the B.

Everyday!  Something lovely for you to win!

Tell your friends.  Call your Mom.  Write your Congressman.  I’m going to wait in line at the post office.  It’s going to be fun.

I just thought I’d let you know… in case you were thinking of blog breaking up with me between now and next month.

Hey sugarplums!

There’s a little something going on over at Minted (you know… the awesome stationary company) that I wanted to tell you about!

Minted is having a rad (and suuuuper easy to enter) photo contest!

It’s all about JOY!  Not me… that would be weird.. but JOY the emotion… big bursting smiles, laughter, bright eyes, happy times… you get the idea.

See, Minted is looking waaaay into the future and already planning for the holidays.  Weird.  I know.  But this photo contest has some pretty great prizes that will come in handy around the holidays: a super profesh photo session and dollars towards custom holiday stationary!

People have got all sorts of JOY surrounding them.  Just looking through the entries is a heartwarmer.

Want to see? It’ll make you smile… unless you’re a robot.

Trampoline in the brush JOY.

Little baby pumpkinbear JOY.

OMG, I just got a diamond JOY.

We totally just had a fancy wedding JOY.

Sleeping with kittens JOY.

Shirtless brother JOY.

I suggest you share your own joy with Minted.

It’s super easy.

Here’s how you enter and what you might win.

I’m a guest judge.  Probably because my name is Joy.  That can’t just be a coincidence.

Update!

Wow y’all!  Thanks for all the inspiration!  You’ve certainly got my gears working.  I’ve got summer berries in the works.  I’m plotting some lavender goodness.  And chocolate never goes out of season… does it!?  Our tart pan winner is… drum roll…

Look at this!  Bright!  Shiny!  Scalloped!

It’s a tart pan with a removable bottom.  It’s pretty snazzy.

For some reason,  it took me about 28 and 3/4 years to buy one of these pans.  I thought these pans were for super fancy bakers that make fancy French style fruit tarts all day and all night.

It turns out… this 9-inch tart pan is our secret weapon against having to roll out pie crust.  That’s right!  Secret weapon.

With this tart pan all you have to do is throw together a dough and press it into the pan.  Press.  Not roll.  Just like I did for this Strawberry Banana Cream Pie.  Genius.

And!  The best news ever!  I’m giving away one tart pan this weekend.

All you have to do is leave me a little comment inspiration.  Tell me something you’d like me to bake up and post on Joy the Baker by the end of this Sunday, April 25th… and you could have a tart pan delivered right to your doorstep!

My next move with this pan?  Brownie Pie.  It’ll happen.  Prepare yourself.