FREE IS MY LIFE

Sunday, September 26, 2010

FREE On Your Birthday: bd Mongolian Grill

How to get a FREE bd Mongolian Grill unlimited bowl meal for your Birthday!

Today I am continuing my new series called "Free On Your Birthday" where I highlight companies that want to help make birthdays more special - and FREE! Two weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday and I am making my way through all the email birthday offers I received from businesses.

So far, I have written about my FREE 16 oz drink from Orange Julius, my $30 free lunch at Benihana, and the Denny's Grandslam that I did not get to try because the FREE coupon was only good on the day of my birthday.

Now, I want to tell you about my wonderful FREE lunch at bd Mongolian Grill. A good while ago, I joined Club Mongo where in exchange for my email address, bd offered to send me an occasional newsletter and something special for my birthday. This something special is a voucher for a FREE meal. I received my voucher by email 7 days before my birthday and the voucher is good for 14 days from the date it is sent.

I decided to go to Mongolian Grill for lunch. The servers and staff were super friendly - they are totally into good customer service. After I was seated, I handed my server the voucher. I did not have to provide any proof of who I was or my date of birth. The server explained that the voucher covered everything except my drink and my dessert and that I could have unlimited everything else.

I had not been to a Mongoilan Grill in some time, so I had to get used to the concept of getting my own food and taking it to the grill. There are multiple stations in the food prep area. The first station contains meats and seasonings. You can have one meat per bowl so I chose the raw chicken with teriyaki seasoning. The second station contains all kinds of vegetables so I chose lots of broccoli and mushrooms. (Click here to view all the offerings for each station.) Everything from the meat to the vegetables have to fit into the bowl. There is also a salad station where you get a separate plate for that preparation. I took my salad to my table and then my bowl back the grill.

The guys running the grill are very friendly and they talk with you while they are grilling your meal. They were running a poll the day I was there about the new ABC TV cop drama "Detroit 1-8-7" to see who liked it. They had a customer count and the results on the black board behind the grill, and if you care, no one liked the show.

After my meal was cooked, I took it back to my table to chow down. I was totally full by the time my server made it back to see if I wanted another bowl for another round. Everything I ate was delicious and everyone from the greeter to the guys at the grill were very nice. The whole experience was wonderful and totally a great birthday treat.

It is definitely worth joining Club Mongo for this FREE birthday meal.

Enjoy!

The poll that the Mongolian Grill was running for Detroit 1-8-7 got me to thinking about my own blog. So, here's a list of the top 10 posts with the most page views over the last 7 days on Free Is My Life...

1 - FREE On Your Birthday: Benihana
2 - MOVIE REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Secretariat
3 - "Taking Time for Me" Series: Pampering for Pennies
4 - COUPON: Macys Wow Pass for 15% off purchases
5 - REVIEW: Detroit Fashion Week Salon Showcase
6 - FREE Limo Rides at "Girls’ Night Out" in Rochester
7 - Blogging and the City - BlogHer 2010: How UPS Saved my Swag
8 - Free Xtend Barre Workout Class At Somerset Mall
9 - EMPLOYMENT: Michigan Nonprofit Job Center - September 23, 2010
10 - FREE International Freelancers Day Online Conference

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REVIEW: Detroit Fashion Week - Couture Showcase

My photo of a design from JA Apparel

Detroit Fashion Week Couture Showcase at the Royal Oak Farmers Market
September 25, 2010

On Saturday night, I attended the much anticipated couture fashion showcase which closed out this year's Detroit Fashion Week. The show was held at the Royal Oak Farmers Market and the rustic location, complete with bugs and flies, was an interesting juxtaposition to the high fashion clothing and the decked out fashion patrons.

The show attracted Detroit's most fashionable sporting both high style urban wear and glamorous evening wear. There was even a surprise guest in attendance. What would a fashion show in Motown be without a Michael Jackson impersonator in the mix? Yes MJ was in the house and the tween fashionistas were in heaven, running from their front-row seats to touch the King of Pop. (Sorry, no photos of that)

The drag queens return
The show started with designs from JA Apparel. When the first model appeared on the runway, I felt a little déjà vu and realized I had viewed these fashions and models before at The International Academy of Design and Technology's Sixth Annual Imagine Fashion Show in May. It was just as exciting to see the designs from Matthew Berger and Aaron White this time as the last since the drag queen models put on just as good of a show as before with glam posing and kiss blowing. Matthew and Aaron are costume designers and their fashions do turn heads and make a definite impact on the runway.

(Correction 9/27: Matthew Berger is no longer part of these designs. JA Apparel is made up of Jordan Woods and Aaron White.)

Leather mixed with Lace
Designer Janel Lafleur showed very short baby doll dresses, short shorts and leather corsets mixing the hard with the soft.

Click to enlarge

Every women deserves a great LBD
Designer Reginald Robinson showed an all black collection that included lots of dresses from floor length to micro mini. Every women should be able to find a little black dress of choice in this collection.

A T-shirt and Jeans kind of Gal
Designer Terrah Bonhard showed blue jeans and (really short) shorts for every body shape along with figure hugging t-shirts.

Men on the Runaway
Men's fashion was also part of the evening with jeans and shirts from the Uneek Collection.

Cute and Flirty
Designer Leslie Austin showed a collection of flirty dresses - all very cute and fun.

The 14 year old designer takes her bow...

And the Young Shall Inherit Detroit Fashion
The collection of the night in the totally adorable category was from 14 year old designer Lela Bocci. It was all sweet and colorful, but with a definite urban edge. The designer even had the models walk to her own theme song with live rapping.

Wedding Wear Turns Heads
What is a fashion show without a wedding gown? How about an entire collection of wedding gowns and evening attire from designer Ariel Taub. They were all very beautiful with tight corsets.

Designer Beulah Cooley ends the evening with her bow

An Icon takes Her Bow
The evening ended with a large collection by designer Beulah Cooley. The clothes were all well tailored classics from solids to florals. This designer with over 30 years in the business showed a little of everything that a woman would want in her wardrobe. When I saw the clothes coming down the runway, I thought they all looked very "Michelle Obama" and according to the program, Ms. Cooley did design an Inaugural gown for the First Lady. I think the First Lady needs to come to Detroit and check out this collection.

Can a Dress Save Detroit?
Time Magazine asked the question "Can a Dress Save Detroit?" when referring to Detroit Fashion Week. While no one industry can bring back economic prosperity to Detroit, I saw real talent on Saturday night at the Detroit Fashion Week Couture Showcase. Talent and Tenacity? Yes, those two things can save Detroit and the fashion industry in Detroit has both.

Leave a comment below and tell you your thoughts on Detroit Fashion Week.

Click here to read my review of Detroit Fashion Week Salon Showcase Event

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a media pass to attend this event

Like the photos in this story? (yes I took every single one)
This is the camera that I use (affiliate link)...

EMPLOYMENT: FREE Chris Brogan Webinar for Job Seekers 9/30 - RSVP

Enhance Your Job Search With Social Presence
Thursday, September 30, 2010 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM EDT
Webinar Registration

I met social media expert Chris Brogan back in February at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference at Disney World. He gave a wonderful speech on how bloggers can use social media to connect more with readers. Now Chris is using his social media knowledge to help the unemployed with searching for jobs.

From Chris' Website -
"One in every 10 people in the US (on average) is out of work. Several more are "underemployed." With so many people clamoring for jobs, the traditional methods one uses to find work aren't cutting it.

Join this FREE webinar conducted by Chris Brogan (perhaps with special guests) to help you get more out of your job search by enhancing your social presence."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

Enjoy!

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Motown Love: Theme to Mahogany by Diana Ross

Click here if video is not shown

Another Installment in the Weekly Motown Love Series

Memories are FREE! So in honor of Detroit Fashion Week, let's take a moment to go down memory lane to celebrate the wonderful Motown Legacy of Detroit with the theme to the Motown produced movie "Mahogany".

Remember "Mahogany" with Diana Ross and the fine Billy D. Williams? - the story about a girl that becomes a high-fashion model and clothing designer in Europe, only to realize that her hometown (parts of this movie were filmed here in Detroit ) holds all she really loves. Mercy!

What a great way to start or end the day in the D! So turn up those computer speakers and Enjoy!

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FREE MP3 from John Legend and the Roots - Limited Time Offer

FREE Song on Amazon.com

Free for a limited time on Amazon.com: "Shine", a brand-new song by John Legend and the Roots. Get it today, before the FREE goes away.

Enjoy!

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EMPLOYMENT: Current Job Listings in the Detroit area from CareerBuilder.com 9/25

Recently Posted Jobs in the metro Detroit area on CareerBuilder.com

Sr Java Applications Developer Data Consulting Group
Data Entry: $950 A WEEK. Work At Home w/Fortune 500 companies. Work At Home Jobs, Inc.
Internal Audit Senior Associate PricewaterhouseCoopers
Best job on careerbuilder : FINANCIAL ASSISTANT Coventry Health Care
Marketing Firm Has Entry Level Sales and Advertising Positions Entertainment Advertising, Inc.
Entry Level Outside Sales - Pharmaceutical Sales StratStaff
MI/RETAIL SALES REP II/GREETER/30035 Adecco Staffing
Help Desk Technical Support Representative VisionIT
Master Educators Oakland University
ONLINE SURVEY TAKER Earn Extra Income Surveysay.com
F & I Manager Detroit Metro Area Dodge Chrysker Jeep Ram Dealer
Commercial Sales Person JAM Best One Tire & Service
Health Care Attorney Robert Half Legal
Director, Market Management Siemens PLM Software
Speech Language Pathologist Job Family Health Professional Subs POH Regional Medical Center
Admissions Recruiter The Art Institutes
COMMERCIAL RM II Fifth Third Bank
Truck Driver - Company-Paid CDL Training Provided USA Truck
Research Chemist Henkel Corporation
Maintenance Area Supervisor – Welding Engineer Chrysler Group LLC
Intensive Care Unit RN Reliance One Inc.
Customer Relations Representative Just Energy
Team Leader: Train & Develop SALES Teams Rockland, Inc.
Sales Associated Community Services
Care Manager - Care Giver Sunrise Senior Living

Friday, September 24, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW: Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole in 3D

A beautiful, enjoyable and exciting movie

On Tuesday, my son and I went to the Emgaine Theater in Novi for an advance screening of Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole in 3D. We were treated to our movie passes from Liz Parker from Yes/No Films.

This movie is about a young owl named Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess) who is in awe of a story told to him by his father of a group of solider owls called "The Guardians" who fought and won a war many years ago that brought peace to the owl nations. It is said that "The Guardians" live in a magical tree on the other side of the sea and they appear when owls are in trouble.

One day Soren is pushed out of the nest by his evil brother and they are both captured by the spinster owls of St. Aggie's. Soren's brother joins the owls in their plot to take over the owl nations, but Soren refuses and is put to work gathering metal pellets to make a strange machine that the owls of St. Aggie's plan to use to kill "The Guardians". Soren makes friends with another owl named Gylfie (voiced by Emily Barclay) and they both escape and set off on a quest to find "The Guardians". The rest of the story is about their adventures along the way and their battle to bring peace to the owl nations.

This movie is stunningly beautiful to watch. The 3D effects and the animation make for a visually stimulating experience. The story is also inspiring. Soren's belief in a legend about the power of good over evil gives him the courage to fight against seemingly insurmountable odds in his attempt to save all the kidnapped young owls. There are times when the movie is a little dry, but the excitement at the end totally makes up for any slow scenes.

One word of caution on taking young children to see this movie. Even though this is a cartoon, the movie deals with themes that include the cruelty of war, prisoners of war and the kidnapping of young children. The most exciting scenes in the movie are the battles, which are graphic in parts so this movie is really not appropriate for children who get scared when confronted with these themes. My ten year old son is the perfect age for this movie. He loved every minute, especially the brutal fight scenes. We will definitely see more about these owls since the end of the movie was setup perfectly for a sequel.

"Legends of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'hoole" is a beautiful, enjoyable and exciting movie that is just made for 3D. I would highly recommend seeing it.

Click here if video is not shown

FREE Detroit Pistons Fanfest 10/2 at the Palace of Auburn Hills

FREE 2010 Hoops Happiness Coca-Cola and Domino's FREE Fanfest

Attend the Pistons Open Practice on Saturday, October 2nd and Coca-Cola & Domino's Pizza fanfest at the Palace of Auburn Hills for Free!

You will get FREE admission to watch the Pistons practice, FREE parking and FREE locker room tours. Coca-Cola and Domino's Pizza are providing FREE food.

Doors open at 10:30am and the practice starts at 11:30am.

The following is from the Pistons website:
Pistons players will practice on the court beginning at 11:30 a.m. Coca-Cola has teamed with the Pistons and will provide a free soft drink and hot dog as well as free preseason tickets. In addition, the event will feature a number of exciting opportunities for those in attendance. Pistons coaches will be on the microphone at the beginning of the practice to provide interaction with the fans while the 2010-11 Pistons Dance Team “Automotion” and Pistons mascot Hooper will perform along with the Pistons Flight Crew. Tours of the Pistons’ locker room will be available at the conclusion of the event.
“The Coca-Cola system, through its partnership with the Detroit Pistons and Domino’s Pizza, is offering Detroit fans free refreshments at the Pistons Open Practice and the opportunity to receive free tickets to a future preseason game,” said Mike Alter, Marketing Development Manager for Coca-Cola. “Coca-Cola has always been about small moments of refreshment – something that we all could use – so we’re inviting people to enjoy an ice-cold Coca-Cola, a hot dog and a future preseason game, all free of charge. It’s a little break that everyone can enjoy, and it’s on us.”

Enjoy!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

REVIEW: Detroit Fashion Week Salon Showcase

Models styled by John Gooden

Detroit Fashion Week Salon Showcase - Fashionably Late and Totally Hot!

On Wednesday night, I was given an unique opportunity to experience a very fashionable side of metro Detroit. For those of you that don't know, this week is Detroit Fashion Week. The events kicked off on Sunday, September 19th with a press party launch event downtown at The Whitney and Detroit Fashion Week will end with the Fashion Couture Showcase on Saturday night. Last night was the FREE Salon Showcase at the Douglas J Aveda Institute in Royal Oak.

The Salon Showcase featured hair styling from four local area hair salons. I really did not know what to expect from the show. Was it going to be like the infamous Bonner Brothers Hair Show that was featured in the Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" with smoke machines, dancers and stylists hanging upside down cutting hair? I really doubted it was going to be that kind of show, but I definitely made sure to bring my camera to catch every moment - just in case.

Some things are worth waiting for
I am a stickler for events starting relatively on time. So as I was sitting there 50 minutes after the scheduled start time, I was hoping that the show was going to be worth the wait. And I have to say, it definitely was. It was 15 minutes of rocking hair and fashions. No out of this world hairdos were shown - just beautiful, shiny, superbly styled hair accompanied by clothing and makeup to seal the deal. I would count it a privilege to have my hair styled at any of these salons. One salon sported a rock-and-roll vibe. Others showed quiet elegance and one went for total over-the-top glam showmanship. They all did a great job.

So let me show you some of what I saw so you can judge for yourselves...