The following post is sponsored by FitFluential, LLC on behalf of Verizon Wireless. (And it features a seriously rockin’ giveaway!!!)
Lunch at Stella’s Modern Pantry
Today is flyin’ by!
After I published my morning blog post, I headed out the door for a quick workout before I had to train a client and attend a lunch meeting for the Taste of Ocala. I wish I had time to shower in between, but hopefully the patrons at Stella’s Modern Pantry can forgive me for showing up looking a little worse for wear.
I’ve popped into Stella’s a time or two before, but just to browse around their eclectic kitchenware and gourmet food products. This was my first time dining at the casual restaurant and I was really impressed with the food.
I ordered the salad of the day that came with pine nuts, fresh Parmesan, roasted peppers, marinated onions, olives and sundried tomatoes. It was fantastic!
I also had a cup of mint tea because it was quite chilly inside.
Our meeting lasted a little less than two hours and then I took some time to browse around before driving home. Stella’s always has such fun stuff and I figured I might be able to find something for Christmas for the hard-to-buy-for people in my life.
My friend Jennie and I thought these Rewind candles smelled fantastic.
I love that they are made with recycled wine bottles. Too cool, huh!? (They also come with a hefty price tag.)
I ended up leaving empty handed but I have a few gift ideas in the back of my mind that I may go back for at some point this weekend.
Once I said goodbye to everyone, I headed home to type up this afternoon blog post which includes one heck of an amazing giveaway.
Are you guys ready for this!?
Yes, that is a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4!!!
I am pretty sure this is one of the most valuable – if not the most valuable – giveaways ever offered on PBF. I am so, so, so thrilled to be able to feature this on the blog today!
Verizon Edge
This amazing giveaway is possible thanks to a campaign with FitFluential and Verizon Wireless. I am honored to be able to offer this giveaway – especially right in the middle of the holiday season!
After I applied to be a part of this campaign, I received a bunch of information about Verizon, who has been my service provider ever since I had a cell phone. One of the most recent developments within the company is the new Verizon Edge program.
Verizon Edge allows you to get a new Verizon phone this year, and every year after that with no upgrade fees and no long-term service contract.
Here are the highlights of Verizon Edge:
- First, pick a phone! The full retail price of the phone you select is split into 24 monthly payments, and added to your usual monthly bill.
- Use your phone for six months and, with at least 50 percent of your phone’s price paid off, you are now eligible to upgrade. you’re eligible for upgrades
- Now you can “edge up” and trade in your existing phone for a new one.
One question I asked was whether or not you had to stick to a certain brand and the answer is no! You can choose an Apple iPhone and use it for six months and then “edge up” to the Samsung Galaxy S4 the next time if you want to try something new.
iPhone 5s
Another development within Verizon that I’m sure many of you already know all about is the launch of the Apple iPhone 5s and 5c. I recently upgraded to the 5s and have been incredibly impressed with the quality of the camera.
Of course Sadie is my number one photography subject.
That picture, as well as all of the pictures from my lunch featured in the beginning of this blog post were taken with my iPhone 5s and were not edited in any way.
I love the camera and can absolutely tell a difference in the quality of my photos from the original iPhone 5. The new phone has a slightly larger sensor (1/3 vs 1/3.2 inch) and seems to produce better images in very bright lighting. I’ve also noticed that it seems to snap photos faster which is key for photographing moving subjects like Sadie (or me on a wedding dance floor).
So now let’s move on to the part of this post I am sure you’re all most excited about… The giveaway!!!
Samsung Galaxy S4
One PBF reader will have the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, equipped with a 13–megapixel, premium point–and–shoot camera and 5–inch full HD display!
There are two ways to enter this giveaway:
1. Comment below telling me why you want to win the Samsung Galaxy S4
2. Tweet some variation of the following: Hoping to win a Samsung Galaxy S4 from @PBFingers and @verizonwireless!!! #vzwff <— Don’t forget to leave a separate comment below, letting me know that you tweeted so I can be sure to count your tweet!
A winner will be randomly selected on Friday.
Twitter Chat Tonight
Verizon and FitFluential will be giving away another Samsung Galaxy S4 tonight! Be sure to check out the Twitter chat this evening at 9 p.m. EST, using the hashtag #VZWFF. Every single hashtagged tweet that goes live during the chat has a chance to win the Samsung Galaxy S4!
P.S. For those of you in the market for a new tablet, Verizon also has a promo on their 4G LTE tablets right now. You can get $100 off any 4G LTE tablet with a two-year activation.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I’d love to win a new phone, I’m still working with a broken iPhone 4 and am beyond ready to upgrade!
I would love to win this new phone because I still have a qwerty keyboard phone and have not entered the smart phone world yet! 🙂
I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/ShortandHealthy/status/413424871171833856
I need a new phone b/c I dropped mine a few months ago and I haven’t been able to afford to replace the screen so its shattered still and incredibly hard to read/see.
This would make my holiday!
I would LOVE the galaxy S4 because I am still stuck using an old school plain keyboard phone, so this would be a huge treat for me!! Awesome giveaway 🙂
I’d love an upgrade – faster response time and better photos would be wonderful!
Would love to upgrade my oldie!
I have the sumsung s4! It’s a great phone… much better that iphones!
Great Giveaway! I have an iPhone 5 and I love it. The camera stinks, and the screen is a little small but it’s user friendly and I’m not too techy so it does the trick. I want to win the Galaxy S4 for my husband. He currently has the Blackberry Z10 and hates it! (He has a hard time admitting that because he loves BB and wants to support a Canadian company). Plus then I could try it out… next phone?
I also tweeted for a chance to win!
I am so behind the times. I could really use an upgrade!
Winning this phone would catch me up with the 21st century! Still stuck with a basic phone that will not be very helpful when I head off to college next fall! 🙂
I also tweeted 🙂 https://twitter.com/FuelingHappy
I also tweeted 🙂 https://twitter.com/FuelingHappy
I’d like to win because my dad has wanted this phone forever, and I could give it to him for Christmas!!!!
I would love to win the phone to give to my mom for Christmas! She still has a flip phone, *gasp* and it would be great to be able to share pictures and messages with her faster and more efficiently!
I desperately need a new phone! But it’s not in my budget as a full-time student working part-time. My current phone is a dumb phone parading around as a smart phone 😉
I would love to win the phone so I could give it to my mom to upgrade. She never takes the upgrades for her phone and she’s always giving of herself to help others so I’d love to be able to give this to her.
I would love to win this phone especially for the camera capabilities. My boyfriend has this phone and it takes some amazing photos!
I would love the samsung phone–I am a huge fan of samsung products and would love to try out their newest (sure to be fantastic) phone!
What a FUN giveaway! Who wouldn’t love a new phone? Samsung makes the best of the best, so of course I’m hoping I win this fun gadget!
I want to win this phone because who doesn’t want a free new phone??
My screen is cracked and I have basically no more storage on this phone. I definitely need an upgrade!
I tweeted about this too! @GigEmKYL
OMG, my boyfriend has been wanting this phone! He needs a new one and loves the Galaxy phones. Such a great giveaway!
I would love to win as my current phone is on its last leg and I am not due for an upgrade until September!
I would love to win this phone. I am in need of a new phone and this is the one I would like to get. Winning it would be even better!!
I tweeted! https://twitter.com/Rachel_Kerrigan
I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/whattheF_blog/status/413426898262192129
I have an iPhone 5 currently – and I honestly don’t love it. Many of my friends are on a Galaxy device and I’d love the chance to try it!
I tweeted!
https://mobile.twitter.com/AliW5188/status/413427029896605696
I want to win the Galaxy so that I can take some FANtastic pictures! 🙂
I would love to win the Galaxy S4 for my Fiance. His current phone is on the outs and we can’t upgrade him yet!
I would love to win this phone as I am currently in the dark ages – still using a “dumb” phone!
I want one because I broke mine chasing after my 2-year old in a parking lot and can’t afford to replace it!
I also tweeted @pinklillypage
I tweeted! What a great giveaway!
https://twitter.com/jmaribuchholz/status/413428161397796864
I would love an S4! I’ve been eyeing one every time my husband and I start to buy new phones…we just haven’t made the leap yet!
I would love to win because who doesn’t want a new phone! I have been on the iphone train too long and just can’t keep up! My phone was top of the line….3 years ago haha
I would love the galaxy S4 for my husband! I just got an iPhone 5s and he deserves a new phone too!
I would love to be able to give this phone as a holiday present. Happy hump day!!
I still have my iPhone 4 and am beyond ready for an upgrade!
I tweeted! WonderlandAT
I would love the Galaxy! After having an iPhone for the past 5 years (still have the iPhone 4, not 4s) a change in pace would be nice! Plus my screen is basically “totaled” as I have dropped it at one too many college football games!
I would love to try the Samsung Galaxy S4. I love the size of the sreen!!
My iphone is busted!! I would love to give this phone a try!!
I’d love to win because 1) my current phone is really old and slow, and 2) the camera on the galaxy is awesome! My friend has a 3 and I’m so jealous of her pics.
I would love to give this to my dad to replace his ancient flip phone!
My boyfriend just broke his S3 and hasn’t had a phone for the past week. With both of us in college, that makes his mother very sad! He would LOVE the S4. Perfect for the holidays, too! Fingers crossed! 🙂
My eyes are getting so bad! Yes, it is true the closer to 50 the worse they get. Samsung Galaxy S4 has a big screen and I know from using a friends that is it so easy on the eyes and easy to use too:)