function validateForm(){
		 var errors = false;
		 $('#errors').hide();
		 //clear any previous errors
		 $('#first_name').css({'background-color':'#eea8e4', 'border':'1px solid #681975'});
		 $('#last_name').css({'background-color':'#eea8e4', 'border':'1px solid #681975'});
		 $('#email').css({'background-color':'#eea8e4', 'border':'1px solid #681975'});

		 //validate form
		 if($('#first_name').val()=='') {
			 $('#first_name').css({'background-color':'#E94592', 'border':'2px solid #ffffff','color':'#ffffff'});
			 errors = true;
		 }
		 if($('#last_name').val()=='') {
			 $('#last_name').css({'background-color':'#E94592', 'border':'2px solid #ffffff','color':'#ffffff'});
			 errors = true;
		 }
		var emailPattern = /^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,4}$/;
		var email = $("#email").val();
		if (!emailPattern.test(email)) {
			 $('#email').css({'background-color':'#E94592', 'border':'2px solid #ffffff','color':'#ffffff'});
			 errors = true;
		}
		//if any errors to process form
		if(errors) {
 			$('#errors').fadeIn(500);
		  	return false;  
		}
		$('#progress').addClass('progress');
		//submit form with ajax if no errors
	     var firstName = $("#first_name").val();
		 var lastName = $("#last_name").val();
		 var email = $("#email").val();
		 var country = $("#country").val();
		 var dataString = 'first_name= '+ firstName  + '&email= ' + email + '&last_name=' + lastName + '&country=' + country ;
		 $.ajax({
			 type: "POST",
				  url: "includes/processContact.php",
				  data: dataString,
				  success: function(data){
					  //if form submit successfully fade in success message
					  if(data == "true") {
						  $("#message-area").fadeOut(1000,function(){
							  $("#message-area").html('<p class="success">Entry submitted successfully, good luck! For more information about Hoopla<br/> <a style="color:#ffffff"s href="http://www.hoopla.com/minisite" target="_blank">Click Here</a></p>').fadeIn(2000);
						  })
					  }
					  else {
						  $("#message-area").fadeOut(1000,function(){
						  $("#message-area").html('<p class="fail">Unable to submit entry, please contact us by <a href="mailto:info@hooplacity.com">email.</a></p>').fadeIn(2000);
					  })
					  }
				  },
				  error: function(){
					  $("#message-area").fadeOut(1000,function(){
						  $("#message-area").html('<p class="fail">Unable to submit form, please contact us by <a href="mailto:info@hooplacity.com">email.</a></p>').fadeIn(2000);
					  })
				  }
		 })
		 return false;
		 }