First, let me tell you about the pair of No Gap Lee Jeans I received last month (or was it October?). (Note to self: Check your editorial calendar more often and actually abide by it.)

These jeans have a band of elastic inside the top of the jeans so that when you bend over, you aren’t giving away the store. Or something like that. It’s not that crinkly elastic waist your mom used to make in those homemade pants (and, dude, I know about the crinkly waistbands). Nope. It’s completely hidden and it’s quite comfortable. In fact, not only does the elastic keep the back of your jeans from gapping when you sit or bend, it keeps your tummy in check too! Suh-weet. I love it when a plan comes together (and can keep my body contained).

So here’s my low-down of the No Gap Lee Jeans. I like them a lot. They have a dressy dark wash and are perfect for the days I want to take it up a notch and wear heels to lunch with my friends or have dinner with my husband. The elastic is comfortable and not binding and, as I said, has the added bonus of holding in the fluff of my stomach. One of the things I loved about the jeans is also something I wished were different: the length. Since I’m right on the cusp of petite (I’m 5’5″), I have a hard time finding a length that works for me. The petite or short lengths tend to be a tad too short and the regular lengths tend to be too long. So, this isn’t really a problem with Lee, it’s just in general. But if you have the short legs like I do, just be aware that the No Gap Lee Jeans are great with heels.

Would you like to win a pair of Lee jeans for yourself? Well, in honor of its 120th birthday, Lee is giving away 120 pairs of jeans each day in December on their Facebook Fan page. Did you read that right? 120 PAIRS OF JEANS PER DAY! That’s 3,720 pairs of jeans this month. Your odds are pretty good, wouldn’t you say? The contest starts December 1 and runs for the entire month of December.

And now some Lee trivia (because I am a complete sucker for interesting information I can whip out at the Christmas party). Lee’s innovations through the years include:

1911: Lee introduces the overall
1926: Lee produces the first zipper fly
1949: Lady Lee Riders was introduced to the women’s market
1964: Lee introduces the first no-iron pants
2007: Lee introduces the Natural Fit instantly slimming tummy panel
2009: Lee introduces Slender Secret, an ultra-stretch slimming jean for every woman

In case you don’t know, I’m a Lee Fit Ambassador and I’ll be trying out a pair of Lee’s No Gap jeans this week. I’ll let you know how they pan out for me. The idea behind the No Gap jean is that the jeans have a hidden elastic waistband that prevents the back of the jean from gapping open. I don’t know about you, but that’s a feature I can’t wait to try out. Check out Oprah this week and then I hope to have a review for you next week.

I’ve had Your Songs for about three weeks now. I’ve listened to it while working, driving around town, and making dinner. Any time I listen to a new Harry CD and he’s changed his style or is trying something new, it takes me a while to get on board and this CD is no exception. As I’ve listened to the CD, it’s grown on me. I’ve also realized why it’s not my favorite of his albums: a) he’s re-creating songs that were good to begin with and b) there’s not enough of Harry playing the piano. My favorite Harry Connick, Jr. albums are those that feature him playing piano or singing stand-bys from the early to mid-20th century. This album features a few of those stand-bys (e.g., All The Way and Mona Lisa) but not enough to suit me.

I can’t embed it here, but you can head over to Amazon.com and check out a behind-the-scenes video of what went in to making Your Songs. In that video you’ll see how Harry’s career has evolved from playing the piano and re-creating stand-bys to arranging and conducting full orchestral music. While I can certainly admire that talent, it’s not the talent I like to hear. I’m a creature of habit and I like Julia Roberts with long, curly hair; Meg Ryan before botox; and Harry Connick, Jr. when he’s playing original piano scores or singing standards.

I encourage you to head over to Amazon.com and listen to Harry Connick, Jr.’s new album before you buy the CD. Here’s the track list:

• All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
• Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
• Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
• And I Love Her (The Beatles)
• (They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
• Besame Mucho
• The Way You Look Tonight
• First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
• Your Song (Elton John)
• Some Enchanted Evening
• And I Love You So
• Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
• Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
• Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

If you’re interested in finding Harry online, check out his the Harry Connick, Jr. web and Facebook pages.

Thank you to One2One Network for including me in this promotion.

Note: All links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. If you choose to buy something via one of my links, I’ll get a small percentage of the sale.

Then, last month I received another pair of jeans. These are a dark denim wash and long. I have to say, they are comfortable as all get out. They’re just a touch stretchy, but not tight stretchy like some brands. It’s just enough to make the jeans fit. The waist on these jeans is higher than normal, it sits at your real waist. You know, like the jeans of the 1980s and early 90s? Yeah, like that. To me, that’s not a big deal because who would even know where the waist comes up to unless you either tuck your shirt in or have a short shirt on? I do neither of those things. And I like to have the muffin top contained.

The only issue I have is that the jeans L-O-N-G. I’m 5’5″ and even with heels on these jeans are skimming the floor. I may have them hemmed or I may just roll them under (because lazy is klassy no matter how you break it down). So, if you’re of the long-leg variety, you’re in luck! If you’re of the short-leg variety, like me, just check to see if they have a petite version (or, as so many companies call them these days: the ankle version instead of the regular).

Bottom Line: I like these jeans. They’re super comfy, have just enough stretch, and the wash is dark enough that they can be casual or dressy.

Lee National Denim Day

But that’s not all! I want to tell you about an important cause that Lee Jeans takes seriously: Breast Cancer Awareness. They’re working with Christina Applegate (remember, she had her own brush with breast cancer) as they host Lee National Denim Day on October 2. If you’d like to help, please consider donating just $5 to Lee’s National Denim Day campaign. From the site: “The Women’s Cancer Programs of EIF receive 100% of the net proceeds raised for Lee National Denim Day®. Funds are used to support groundbreaking early detection and treatment research and community educational services nationwide in the fight against breast cancer.”

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

66

Timestamp: 2007-11-10 19:44:19 UTC

That means, Karin at kb9800002 at yahoo dot com wins! She said:

Count me in.  Haven’t tried this one yet…could it possibly make laundry more enjoyable?!?

Yes, Karin, this stuff will make laundry more enjoyable. Or not. But it’s free! Please e-mail me with your snail mail address so I can forward it on to the fine sponsors at Proctor & Gamble!

Thank you to everyone who participated. I love giving stuff away!

Chrissy at Proctor & Gamble has graciously offered to let me host a give away of their products for you.

Included in the prize package are

• 50 oz. Tide Pure Essentials
• 44 oz. Downy Pure Essentials
• 70 sheet Bounce Pure Essentials
• 27 oz. Febreze Fabric Refresher
• Wicker basket
• Bath towel

To enter for a chance to win, simply comment on this post (only once, please). I will close the comments on Friday, November 9 and use a random number generator to determine the winner. Please make sure you leave your e-mail address in the comments so I can get in touch with you. If you are the winner, I will need to pass your snail-mail address on to P&G because they will send the package directly to you. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, please do not enter the give away.

Good luck!