blogging Archives - Emily Roach Health Coach

Canon Powershot G15 Giveaway from 42nd Street Photo

This year I’ve spent a fair amount of time trying to improve my photography skills. I have a great camera and finally learned how to shoot manual, thanks to a class by the wonderful Kerry Goodwin. I’m excited to partner with other bloggers and 42nd Street Photo on a giveaway for the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera. Life flies by fast, especially when you have kids. Especially young kids. It’s vital to capture our time with them while they are young and be able to share it with them when they are older.

42nd Street Photo is a camera store based in New York City and they have a vast selection of digital cameras and camcorders. They have been in business for over 40 years, established back when we used to capture memories on film! It’s convenient to shop there as they have great deals and sales, a variety of ways to pay, free shipping, and a free cleaning kit with your purchase. 42nd Street Photo is generously sponsoring this giveaway for the Canon Powershot G15, a small camera with big performance. This camera is a great step-up from the average point-and-shoot with a lot of features of more expensive DSLR cameras in a compact package. It also receives raving reviews from users!

Our Favorite Features of the Canon Powershot G15:

Fast 5X zoom lens
12.1 MP High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, enables rapid continuous shooting, no lag!
Exceptional low-light performance to ISO 12800, 1.8 to 2.8 aperture
1080p HD Video Capture
High speed automatic focus
Intelligent image stabilization
Bright, high-resolution LCD
RAW image capture capability
Hot shoe for optional flash in addition to build-in one

Purchase: You can purchase the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera at 42nd Street Photo.

Win It! 42nd Street Photo is generously blessing one winner with the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera!

Special thanks to AnaB Social for hosting this giveaway. Huge thanks to 42photo.com and all the fabulous participating bloggers as well! Giveaway ends September 3rd at 11:59 pm, open to residents of US and Canada, ages 18+. See detailed terms and conditions on entry form. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below (see directions on how to enter here). Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: AnaB Social and all participating event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. I did not rece

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August 6, 2013/37 Comments/by eroachwellness

blogging, organizing, social media

Goodbye Google Reader, Hello BlogLovin

If you are busy this summer like me, you barely noticed that Google Reader has bit the dust. Thankfully there are a couple of new feed readers you can use to keep up with your favorite blogs. Many have a more visual format, similar to Pinterest. I think some of you like that sort of thing. 😉 In both cases below, you can import your current feeds. I do think this is a great opportunity to reduce the online clutter you may have and just start with your top 10 favorite blogs to read.

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is my current go-to blog reader. I use it primarily on my iPhone so download the app too. My only con so far is you can’t pin from the mobile app. I hope they add this function in a future upgrade.

Feedly

Another popular option. I like being able to categorize my favorite blogs here. Overall though I like the Bloglovin layout better.

How do you keep up with your favorite blogs? Feed readers? Facebook? Or old-fashioned email? If you want to get all the latest posts delivered right to your inbox, head over here.

p.s. Thanks for your patience as I take a maternity leave/vacation this month. I’ll return next month with new stories!

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July 10, 2013/2 Comments/by eroachwellness

When I first saw this collection of ebooks I was pretty excited. I already have some of them so was familiar with the authors. This ebook library is pretty big, and each book isn’t for everyone. However, there probably is at least 4-5 books that you can learn from making the price of the package worthwhile. It’s a homemaking theme, so it covers food, budgeting, parenting, schooling, marriage, health, blogging, holidays and more. It’s not just for my eco-friendly readers, but for any mom, sister, grandparent, newlywed or blogger that is interested in building up her home-keeping resources. (I should say dad, brother or grandfather too, right.)

Why am I buying the ebook bundle?

I am already a fan of ebooks. They are with me on the go in my iPhone or iPad, plus I have others organized on my laptop. When I download a bundle, I have everything go to my laptop. Then I pick and choose as needed and email it to myself to open in either my Kindle app or iBooks app so I have it when I’m waiting at a doctor’s office or traveling.

The reason I’m buying my own bundle is because I wanted these specific books for myself. I’ve seen them advertised and now is the right time to purchase them, plus the balance of the library.

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)
Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($2.99)
Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)
Real Food, Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

The cost of these four books alone is $34.91 so the low bundle price of $29.97 already gives me a deal, plus I’ll get all the free products too. Keep reading to the end of the post (sorry it’s really long!) and the freebies are noted at the end.

Some of my favorite ebooks I have already read and would recommend:

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99) (FAVORITE ebook, keeps me sane as a mom to a preschooler and toddler)
How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)
Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

The Details

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio (for new members) or $20 off a Yearly Membership (for current members), where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28’s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

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April 29, 2013/1 Comment/by eroachwellness

blogging, Boston, Cooking, Food, Recipes, smoothie

A Smoothie Throw-down at Whole Foods

Ever since we received a Blendtec blender, smoothies have become a regular part of our day. Sometimes it becomes a meal replacement on busy days, other times it’s the perfect snack in the afternoon to hold us over till dinner. The kids get to pick their color and we go from there.

Everyone started artfully arranging their ingredients. I just went straight to the blender.

Last week I attended a “Smoothie Summit” at Whole Foods Fresh Pond in Cambridge. A group of local Boston bloggers got together to share and test out some smoothie recipes. The results were amazing!

My drink of choice is one called the Green Machine. I love the balance in flavors I get when I blend spinach with fruits. When I have a smoothie without spinach, I often find it too sweet now.

A Smoothie Throw-down at Whole Foods

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup guava juice
1 cup Stonyfield Greek Yogurt
2 bananas
1 navel orange peel and cut into quarters
1 apple cut into quarters but not peeled
2 cups spinach
1 cup frozen mango

Instructions

Add everything into a blender in the order above.
Blend on smoothie setting until desired consistency.
Serve immediately.

Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyroachwellness or tag #erwellness!

As our group of bloggers recipes come online, I’ll share them here as well. Thank you Whole Foods for hosting us, it was a wonderful experience to test out some healthy recipes. There were a lot of new ingredients tossed into those smoothies that may find their way into my kitchen too.

Leah’s Spring Egg Cream Smoothie Recipe

I had a great time hanging out with Lori from Groovy Green Livin, Sharon from ViolaCay, Julia from It’s Not Like a Cat, Sharon from umommy and KidNosh, Jessica from Don’t Mind the Mess, Isra The Frugalette, Niri of Mommy Niri, Leah from Oh Baby Boston, and Jean The Shopping Queen.

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April 8, 2013/7 Comments/by eroachwellness

Blissdom, blogging, Giveaway

My First Blissdom Trip plus a Giveaway

Blissdom was always the blogging conference I was most curious about as some of my favorite bloggers always attended the event. This year I finally made it and there were wonderful bloggers I got to meet who made the whole event worthwhile and inspiring.

Our picture with Chris Mann and Amber Riley

I travelled to Blissdom with my friend Nikki, who writes from the heart and has a totally different blog than I do. Together we are able to get a good feeling for the overall conference, both for the writer/photographer and from the business side of blogging. We made our way through BlogHer NYC last summer and throughout the weekend we made lots of comparisons. As a green blogger, I appreciated the sponsors approach to swag at Blissdom. It was just right and (mostly) relevant items. Plus I know now not to just accept things to be nice; it only makes it into the luggage to come home if I think I can use it.

They have organic options which I didn’t know about! My kids do love these as a treat.

Here are some of the highlights from the trip…

Photowalk

Pink flower RandomRecycling

Nikki taught me how to shoot in manual and I learned about what ISO actually controls. I have a lot to learn, but I’m getting there.

Here I got a lesson in capturing motion.

The weather was freezing in Dallas, just like Boston. Not exactly what we planned for, but it was lovely to enjoy some beautiful flowers inside the atrium at the Gaylord Texas.

Scott Stratten

His opening keynote was so jammed pack with tips that I wrote a whole post about it.

John Michael Morgan

I love talking about branding and being true to your message. As a healthy living blogger, it would be strange for me to partner with McDonald’s. Be consistent with your brand message. John Morgan said, “the only difference between you and your competition is your brand.”

Wendy Scherer

Wendy provided some interesting tools and tips to represent your blog statistics in a creative manner. My big takeaway is to create a page where I share quotes from the brands I have worked with in the past so future brands understand my commitment to providing a quality blogger/brand relationship experience.

Jeff Goins

While I don’t typically consider myself a writer, I guess that really is what I am doing here in this space as I share commentary, recipes and stories. My favorite quote from Jeff, “Just because it happened doesn’t make it interesting.”

Handmade Marketplace

This was a wonderful opportunity to help support small businesses, social good business and just enjoy some cool new items. My sister is the lucky one who will get a beautiful gift I found at the market. I liked it so much from Better Life Bags I may just have to order myself one.

Me and fellow Boston Parent Blogger Christine Koh, co-author of Minimalist Parenting

Jon Acuff

Jon’s love for the Blissdom Conference experience is just sweet. He knows how to talk to this audience, which certainly had a Chri

stian influence in it. He was kind enough to share his newest book with us, and I’m going to share it with you!

Two lucky readers will get a copy of Jon’s new book, Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters.

To enter to win, please just leave a comment here sharing your Blissdom experience, comments about a blog conference you have attended or just say hello! Contest will be open until April 5th. US residents only, winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to confirm their address.

Thanks to all my friends, old and new, who made Blissdom a fun and relaxing experience. The pace was much slower than I expected, but at 30 weeks pregnant, it was probably just right for me!

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March 28, 2013/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

Blissdom, blogging, social media

My Top 10 Scott Stratten Take-Aways from Blissdom

My head is still swimming a bit from all the new information and people I learned from over my time at Blissdom last week. There were speakers, workshops, and great conversations at lunch. The highlight of the weekend though was the kick-off keynote speaker, Scott Stratten. I couldn’t write about Blissdom until I wrote about what I learned from Scott’s motivating talk.

Brands shouldn’t just be awesome to influencers, they should be awesome to everyone.
Marketing is not a task, it’s a verb.
Knowledge plus passion equals profit.
Don’t treat Twitter as a broadcasting tool. It should be about 75% replies.
The secret to social is to be social.
Branding happens in real-time. Don’t get burned by not having alerts set up to see if someone is talking about your business.
Humanize your brand.
The best time to post is when you have something to say.
Pinterest works because of passion, not profit.
Don’t use technology because you can, use it because you should.

Scott knew his audience was filled with bloggers and social influencers at many different levels. I appreciated his passion for making businesses better, while making sure his ideas are practical and thoughtful to a wide audience. If I get the chance to hear him again, I will jump on it.

In the meantime, you can find Scott on Twitter and I’m just getting started reading his book The Book of Business Awesome / The Book of Business UnAwesome. I’ll share a little more about the overall Blissdom experience in my next post.

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March 27, 2013/4 Comments/by eroachwellness

Blissdom, blogging, travel

See you in Dallas!

This week I’ll be enjoying some fun (and hopefully some sun) in Dallas for the 2013 Blissdom Conference. It’s a blogging/social media conference primarily for women. There will be green bloggers, food bloggers, photography bloggers, craft bloggers, and bloggers who don’t really subscribe to a specific theme. I’m excited to visit with old friends and meet others I’ve talked with only online. Networking is one of the best things about a blogging conference. If anyone heading to Blissdom is attending their first conference, just keep your eyes and ears open for new conversations to join. Your new friends just may become your partner in some new endeavor.

If you are visiting Random Recycling for the first time, you can learn more about me here. I’m a green blogger, but my real passion is cooking healthy meals for my family. You can find my weekly meal plans here and some favorite recipes here. I try to mix in our stories of sustainable living in the modern world alongside product reviews and giveaways. I often put my kids to work in the garden or kitchen, so you will see some pictures of them included here. They keep me on my toes and I love them to pieces. I’ll miss them and my husband during my time away in Texas.

You will be able to spot me at Blissdom with my sidekick Nikki from Days with Us, plus our other friends from Boston Parent Bloggers.

Oh, and I’m 29 weeks pregnant. Please don’t tell me to sit down, but do remind me to drink more water.

See you in Dallas!

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March 20, 2013/6 Comments/by eroachwellness

Blissdom, blogging, Giveaway, paper, shopping

123Print.com $250 Giveaway! Perfect for Blog Conferences

In two weeks I’ll be enjoying some time away from home at Blissdom, one of the bigger blogger conferences of the year. It kicks off blogger conference season for many people and one of the few things on the “must-pack” list is business cards. Whether you are a new blogger or a veteran, business cards are key for handing out to new contacts and businesses. Today I’m partnering with 123Print.com to offer you $250 worth of products, including business cards, to get you ready for a blog conference. Not a blogger? Use the giveaway to order fun product labels for food gifts, order baby announcements, office organization supplies and more. And yes, 123Print has recycled business cards to choose from.

If you are creating your blogging business cards for the first time, what you should include? Here is my list of what to include and what is optional.

Your Name
Blog Name/Tagline
Email Address
Blog Website Address (skip the http:// part, and make an effort to ditch the “blogspot.com or wordpress.com portion)
Blog Facebook Page Address
Twitter Handle
Pinterest, Google +, Instagram address are all optional
Phone number is optional
Personal Photo is optional, but helpful for others when they meet hundreds of people at a conference
QR code with a link to your media kit is optional.

It’s important for your card to highlight your personal brand and what makes you unique. However, you don’t want it to be cluttered. White space is golden so people can make notes on the card to refer back to when they are at home sorting through their collection. Also, skip the swirly lettering that is challenging to read. Make the card creative, but user-friendly.

In terms of organizing business cards, I had success with packing small snack size zippered bags for each day of the conference. At the end of each day, I added the cards to a bag. When I wanted to go back and find a card it was easier for me to remember when and where I met them, and then refer back to that day’s bag. Second, people I know pack a large binder ring and a hole punch. They punch the cards daily and add them to a ring. For more blogging tips, you can follow my Pinterest board here.

Giveaway time! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Contest is open until 3/12. US residents only. Winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I did not receive anything for this giveaway, just wanted to share with my readers as it’s a great value!

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March 6, 2013/45 Comments/by eroachwellness

blogging, blogs, mom business, moms

Connecting With Moms Offline: My Guest Article

I recently shared a guest article at 360 PR about how brands can connect with Moms offline. While I do my fair share of keeping up with social media, my most important relationships are those with friends and family in real life. I am blessed to be part of a fabulous playgroup that keeps me inspired and gives me lots of great ideas for the blog. I hear their concerns and questions about how to live a healthy lifestyle and I try to answer some of those questions here.

For brands that are looking to partner with “mommy” bloggers, I encourage them to look beyond the traffic numbers of a blog. There is so much more to the person and their social influence than their blog statistics may indicate.

Here’s a clip of the article…

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to share new products with friends and bloggers in a variety of settings. I hosted a home party in collaboration with the Healthy Child Healthy World organization that featured Seventh Generation and Plum Organics. The discussion centered on how moms can keep kids safe from toxins, and the products provided actionable take-aways for moms to incorporate in their daily lives.

Click here to read the rest.

Let me know if you have a question you would love to see addressed here on how to live a greener lifestyle in your family.

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February 15, 2013/by eroachwellness

blogging, product review, technology

NetZero 4G HotSpot Review and Giveaway

As a mom and a blogger, I like being connected. I like to know what’s going on with my friends, my family, current events and my Google calendar. Being able to connect to the internet whenever I want to is a key part of this. Usually my iPhone is enough, but other times I would like to read through emails and such on my iPad or laptop with a larger screen. I tested out the NetZero 4G HotSpot and now I can get connected whenever and wherever I may be. To some it may be a curse, to me it’s a blessing.

Here is my favorite part about the Hotspot. I can take it anywhere to get work done. In addition to this blog, I co-manage a second blog, cover social media for our local farmers market and get way too many emails a day. I try not to spend too much time at the computer, but it’s kind of a job requirement. My most productive time with the computer is spent at a coffee shop where I can work undisturbed. With my NetZero HotSpot, I can go to any coffee shop. Happily I can go to the small, local shop instead of a big chain coffee shop. It’s quieter and I’m even more productive without the distraction of major people watching.

You can take the NetZero HotSpot to your favorite coffee shop, big or small.

One important factor in using a HotSpot is maintaining privacy. The NetZero offers a private, protected internet connection. You can however, let a small team use the HotSpot. Up to 8 people can log in and use it. This offers great flexibility for people who work in small groups. Or, use it in a car that allows you to amplify a HotSpot for all passengers. Everyone can tune in to their own mobile devices while on the go.

Want to try it out? Check out the NetZero website for details on all the many options available. The hardware is on sale now for the holidays, plus the value-priced monthly data plans cover a wide range of needs. For any blogger than attends a conference, having your own wireless is a lifesaver.

NetZero is also offering a $300 value giveaway for one lucky reader. This will include 3 months of their Platinum Plan. Just think, you could be getting some work down while you sit in a waiting room, enjoy some fresh coffee or while your kids are busy at after-school lessons. The contest is open to US residents only, it ends December 20th at midnight. Please enter using the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided a sample from NetZero to facilitate my review. All opinions shared here are my own. This is part of a Mom It Forward campaign.

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December 14, 2012/44 Comments/by eroachwellness

Canon Powershot G15 Giveaway from 42nd Street Photo

Why I am buying the Ultimate Homemaking eBook Library

Why am I buying the ebook bundle?

The Details

What’s Included in the Sale?

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

Educational Children’s Resources

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Pregnancy & Baby Care

Holidays & Special Events

Spiritual Growth

Marriage & Romance

Motherhood

Health & Fitness

Beauty

Working from Home & Blogging

Ecourses

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

The fine print:

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

A Smoothie Throw-down at Whole Foods

A Smoothie Throw-down at Whole Foods

Ingredients

Instructions

My First Blissdom Trip plus a Giveaway

Here are some of the highlights from the trip…

See you in Dallas!

123Print.com $250 Giveaway! Perfect for Blog Conferences

Connecting With Moms Offline: My Guest Article

NetZero 4G HotSpot Review and Giveaway

Free Meal Plan

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