Looking for a great giveaway?

Well, I'm steering you over to Lady Brain's awesome giveaway featuring this blanket.

Lady Brain is a hilarious and very candid radio program co-hosted by a friend of mine.  She is one of those fun, funny, smart, pretty AND nice women most of us aspire to be like.  And when you are around her you usually walk away feeling more fun, funnier, smarter, prettier and nicer than you used to feel because her energy is contagious!

So I encourage you to check out Lady Brain's website/blog and Facebook page.  Their topics tend to be not for the weak-kneed or faint-of-heart... these chicks are ballsy, in your face, asking the questions we all want to ask... or at least want to know the answers to ;-)  Although there have been some topics that have been way over my provincial head...

Anyway... these Ladies are a gas.  See for yourself!

Sappy Thanksgiving Post

For what am I most thankful?

"My husband" is what pops into my mind immediately.

Here is why:

Thanks, love, for having the faith and the courage and the love to take it on.

Turkey Trot 5K Run Report!

Yesterday, I participated in the Fifth Annual Family Fun Turkey Trot!

I woke up on Thanksgiving morning to beautiful and cold weather.  Where I live it was about 40ºF and where the race was to be held it was about 30ºF.  But the sun was shining and the skies were clear and the air was calm.  The 50-minute drive up was lovely...fall colors through the vineyards, the bay was mirror-like, everything felt clean and crisp.

The event was very well-run... easy and adequate parking for all, an assortment of yummies including coffee and hot chocolate, a bathroom very close by that was heated (so nice! people were joking about hiding out in there), friendly and efficient traffic control provided by the husband one of the hosts, personalized timing provided by the same husband, a very well-marked "real" 5K course... my compliments to the race organizers!

The course started off with a nice, long  downhill through a beautiful vineyard and continued with a nice, long downhill through a tree-lined residential area.  I realized pretty quickly that this nice, gentle, long downhill stretch would be turning into a not-so-nice, seemingly-less gentle, and suprisingly longer-feeling uphill at the very end of the run!  It then looped around through some semi-farm-ish/residential areas, a good mix of flat and hills up and down, past a very helpful 2-mile marker (so happy to see that) until heading back up toward the start.  I got to see frost!  And frozen puddles!  We don't often have those where I live.

With the fresh reminder that this was called a "run" and not a "race"  lol  there was no jostling, no tripping, no slapping, no name-calling... oh, that was back at home... and everyone just truly trotted along, really enjoying the beautiful morning.

I finished the course in 28:52.  So Catey was right... faster than my prediction... by a good amount.

Met some very nice people!  Anne Marie and her friends are fun and friendly.  She and her co-host attract a good bunch!

What a great way to start a day of giving thanks!

A Most Understanding Husband

He is.

Yes, he questioned the sanity of me getting up super-duper early to drive a long time to a place I've never been to run for a half an hour with people I've never met and then drive a long time home... on Thanksgiving.  Hmmmm... might be a shred of rationality in his "concern"  ;-)

But when the man then spends the entire morning with 4 children, making pancakes and folding Clothespile Peak (actually successfully getting the children to help with said folding) AND completely and immaculately cleans the kitchen that his running wife destroyed the night before with all of her Thanksgiving preparations and then left for the elves... you know this man is definitely a KEEPER.  Clearly, he more than understands... he groks.

This is the scene every morning.  I am not kidding.  He is The Morning Guy... takes the first shift just about every time.  He understands that I take a little time to get going, but that once I am up to speed I am good to go for even the longest of hauls.  I am The Night Lady.  (I think that's part of why I'm not also The Morning Lady).

When I think about giving thanks... any time of year, but especially on Thanksgiving... truly the first thing that pops into my mind is the man you see in the picture above.  My most understanding and loving and hard-working husband.

Love Actually is....

going home with...

PAMELA!!!!!

winner by virtue of the DVD method... except I didn't use Disney this time.  Each person was assigned a series and had the same number of that series DVDs tossed into the box as s/he had entries.  Pamela was Diego... "Magical Missions" was the lucky draw!

Congratulations, Pamela!!!!  Happy watching!

And Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

All you cool cats in blogland, thanks for entering!

Pamela, let me know where this feel-good is going by emailing me at the(underscore)missus(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.

Tomorrow I'll be Turkey Trotting

I'll be getting out of bed much earlier than I prefer because I have the opportunity to participate in a somewhat social exercising situation.  And I am VERY excited!  A fellow blogger, AM at GFTW (Goals for the Week), co-hosts an annual 5K Turkey Trot that is not too terribly far away from me.  So I am going!  My husband is ridiculing me for driving nearly an hour to trot for 3 miles to drive nearly an hour home when I could just go outside and do five painfully lonely and boring loops around the development without needing to get in the car AT ALL.  He just doesn't understand.

And I don't need to hear about carbon footprints and gas-consumption.  Just don't go there with me.

Wish me well!

Time prediction:  a hair under 31 minutes.  We can't mention PR stuff because remember that I ran eons ago when I was young and spry and childless.  None of which continue to be the case.

The Three Dancin' Machines will be...

... as selected at random using the Scrabble method...

are...

Shooting Stars Mag!!!!!

and

Shelley!!!!!

and

Catey, again...

What is UP with that?  lol

Well, she did say she was feelin' lucky...  guess she meant it.

Congrats to you all!  Please let me know where this fabulous item will be going by emailing me at:  the(underscore)missus(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.

And thank you, everyone, who participated!  You all make it so much fun!  Thanks for sharing your musical movers with me, too!

A chicken in every pot...

a plunger in every bathroom and a million little plastic containers that require hand-washing covering every countertop.

Two things I cannot stand and am terribly un-PC to slam are:  Low-flow toilets and waste-free lunches.

I am all for saving the planet.  I am very conscious of conserving our natural resources and minimizing land-fill, but our low-flow toilets are ACTUALLY huge water-wasters and I am still not entirely convinced that waste-free lunches are worth it.

First, let's look at the powerlessness of the water-saving toilet...  If you do anything other than just pee (male) or pee and wipe with more than 4 squares of tissue (female) or toss just the bizness from a "big" diaper into a water-saving toilet, that sucker is going to get stopped up.  I am so sick of hearing one of my kids scream, "CLOG ALERT!!!!" as they completely freak out in fear that the water (and other stuff) is going to flood out over the edge of the toilet and onto the floor where it will definitely make it's way to their feet and up their legs and consume them whole... like The Blob.  They are so afraid of these clog events that a couple of them will no longer flush... they just slink out, hoping no one knows who did "it."

We talk about doing one's bizness and then flushing before it gets to be more than the pathetically wimpy toilet can handle.  Sometimes this means flushing upwards of seven times... no lie.  (Water-saving, right?)  And even then, it will sometimes clog anyway!  We are, for the most part, a very "regular" family.  Our systems usually work very efficiently.  Some of our work could even be considered museum-quality (thanks, Ab!).  We are doomed in this house, in these bathrooms, on these toilets.  Doomed.

There is a plunger in each of the three bathrooms, but a couple of these toilets are "designer" models and the exit hole is at a funky angle so the plunger doesn't plunge all that well.  I seem to end up with a whole lot o' mess around the rim and on the floor and still nothing going down.  So given the amount of mess that needs to be cleaned up after (which uses water) and the average number of flushes actually needed per use, I would say that they are not water-savers at all.  Combine that with the time-wasting factor and the aggravation factor and I say "NO" to low-flow toilets.

Now let's turn our attention to waste-free lunches...  How many frickin' little containers with matching (or at least fitting) lids do you need for 3 kids' waste-free lunches?  One million.  This is because you can NEVER find the pieces, sizes, colors (grrrr) that you need when you need them unless you have one million.  These little containers cannot be washed in the dishwasher because they are too light and will either melt or flip over and require hand-washing anyway.  So they must be hand-washed and set out to dry... or hand-dried if you are looking for a really mindless and irritating chore, which I know I don't have enough of those.  And how much water are we using washing these one million little containers?

These little containers are always just a little too big or a little too small for my purposes.  They take up just a little too much space in the lunch boxes.  And they sometimes leak.  And the lids get lost always.  And let's not forget the spoons... lost.  Plastic not allowed.  tsk, tsk...

I miss my Ziploc baggies... And I did reuse them.  The kids always brought them home and if they weren't gross, they were reused.  "Gross" being subjective, of course.

But I miss my Zippies...

And I definitely have flush-envy whenever I use the bathroom at Target or on an airplane.

I don' wanna be a chicken...

I told you I was going to do it... but how many people really read the crap words of wisdom and inspiration in the sidebar of any blog?

In case you didn't know, I am giving this chickie-poo away!  Yes, for real!  Can you believe it????  It can be YOURS!  

This would make the most awesome gift for someone who keeps giving you fruitcake for the holidays.  Or perhaps for that relative who insists on giving your kids really loud and annoying toys.  We all know what payback is...  ;-)

Whatever you do, though, don't give it to your own children or they will hate you when you take it away... which you will.  I know this to be true.  From personal experience.  I am now hated.

The one, the only, X-Treem-ly Annoying, Screechy, Dancing

FUNKY CHICKEN TOY!!!!!

(and a hush falls over the crowd...)

Sorry 'bout the quality of the video... my lil' doo-doo camera is really old and I actually didn't even know it had a video feature.  Lucky us!

So to win it, just tell me a little about why you want it.  There will be nothing random about the selection, it will be totally up to my whim and fancy.  Of course, I know that no one is going to try for this bad boy.

Oh, and just in case you were worried about damaged merchandise, I did catch it before it hit the ground!

Winning the Tree of Life Necklace...

Due to the large number of entries for this giveaway, I had to resort to my very first random-selection method... the two decks of cards.  (Click that if you need clarification).  This time was made even more random by my spilling the entire bag of cards while shaking them up!  (yes, I did retrieve them all!)

And the winner of this lovely necklace that was given to me by the insulting ex-boyfriend is....

Getrealmommy!!!!!

Judging from her blog, extra congratulations are in order ;-)  So here's to you... *chin, chin* ... best wishes and thanks so much for giving my giveaway a go!  Enjoy!

And many thanks to all for playing!

Batman is NOT a superhero...

I learned something new the other day (along with what chuthers and darps are).  I learned that, contrary to popular belief, Batman is NOT a superhero!  My five-year old spent a little time schooling me properly as to who is and who isn't a superhero...

Some examples of real superheroes...

 

Batman Beyond, Spidey, Elastoman, Captain America, Nightwing, Shazam...

all heroes.

But this guy:

No way.

No matter how Batman arrives on the scene...

No matter how he's dressed...

Even in this spiffy SILVER suit!  (ooooooooo, cool...)

Neither big nor small...

Not. A. Superhero.

And this guy:

Also NOT a superhero.

Green Lantern either:

Even inside of his force field, like this:

In fact, ALL of THESE guys (and gals) are NOT superheroes:

Each one of them is Just A Sleeve.

And don't try to tell my son that he's wrong.

I can't wait until he learns to read.

Winner of the Lapis and Larimar Jewelry

is.....

asl  (Audrey) !!!

again, using the Scrabble technique ;-)

Audrey was the letter "I" and that's what came out of the bag.

Congratulations, Audrey!

Give this set the life it deserves... one free of destructive toddler paws, one where it will be SEEN!  Enjoy!

Many, many thanks to all who participated!!!

Giveaway Finale! Holiday Feel-Good...

Alright, so the finale isn't really all that climactic.  It isn't grandiose.  It isn't worth a lot of money.  It isn't pretty.  It isn't useful.  It isn't award-winning.  But it is something that always makes me feel good, and life is soooooo much better when you're feeling good!

It is a "holiday" movie.  Silly me, I didn't even realize it was a holiday movie until a friend was asking about favorite holiday movies and someone mentioned this one.

This is not the best movie I have ever seen, but it does make me feel better than any movie I've ever seen!

Here's your opportunity to FEEL GOOD!!!!  Each of the following will gain you entry into this game of chance:

1. Follow me!  OR
2. Give a lil' ol' link on your blog or website  OR
3. Share with us YOUR feel-good fave and/or your holiday fave (worth two chances if you put two!)

Four ways to play!  EVERYone wants to feel good, right!  Try them all and share the love!

"Love actually IS all around."

Enter before midnight Tuesday November 23rd.  Winning isn't everything, but you gotta play if you you're looking to win.

Thanks to everyone who plays!  And even if you decide not to, I sincerely wish you all great love in your lives!

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of this DVD because I bought it specifically to giveaway to one of my special readers!  That is how much I love this movie and how much I enjoy blogging :-)  )

running is an OUTDOOR sport

I stole that.

Back when I used to row, there was this guy who was pretty old... like 34.  Ancient, I know.  But he was a very accomplished oarsman and still made the Olympic team at that oh-so-advanced age.  (Now that I am more "mature" myself, I really get what a feat that was).  So this guy was kind of annoying, but a lot of the annoying-ness was because he really did know more than the rest of us... but his presentation left a lot to be desired.

One time I heard him droning on and on about how people (primarily women) really didn't understand rowing.  I was doing my best to ignore him when he suddenly said something that will forever remain carved into my athletic psyche...

"Rowing is an OUTDOOR sport.  I started rowing because I like to be in the OUT OF DOORS.  Sometimes it rains in the OUT OF DOORS.  Sometimes it is cold, and sometimes it is hot.  If you don't enjoy being in the OUT OF DOORS... perhaps you should pick a different sport.  Like badminton."

Today it was rainy... mostly just drizzling.  Until 6 o'clock when it was time for me to go for my little run.  Really, little.  Just 2 miles.  Then it was pouring.  I did not balk at the rain.  I did not hesitate because of the wetness or darkness or coldness.  Another saying I heard recently was this:  There is no such thing as bad weather, only insufficient preparation and inadequate equipment.  So I suited up 'adequately' ;-) and off I went.  And as I ran, I remembered Espy's words... but stuck running in the place of rowing.

Running is an OUTDOOR sport.

And I reminded myself how fortunate I am that I CAN run... at all.

Giveaway that should have been yesterday :P ~ $10 iTunes gift card (3 winners!)

It was bound to happen... I have punctuality issues :(

I didn't have time to look around the house for something to give away that people would actually want.  I DID find an awful, screechy, ugly, annoying Funky Chicken toy.  And I still have that set of pieces that can turn your average cake into a Pirate Cake!  But I didn't really think anyone would be all that interested in those.  

Then I was digging around in a drawer, trying to find a thick, black, permanent-ink pen to use to address a big box of baby clothes and ... VOILA!  I found a fun and desirable giveaway item!  Three of them, actually.

Times 3.

So it's time to juice up your iPod... or some such thing... 

If you are in the market for some new tunes, this is just the ticket!  If I had an iPod or an iPhone, I know what I'd be putting on.  Sure wish I had one....maybe I'll win that giveaway in my sidebar...  $10 can set you up for a good half-hour plus workout mix.

Three lucky people can get the jazzin'est jazz, the rockin'est beats, the mellowest jello... whatever.... that ten smackers worth of iTunes can provide!  

Ready for the rules?  You bet!

1. "Get up on THIS" by being a follower   OR...
2. Link this "Thriller" of a giveaway on your blog or website  OR...
3. Share with us all what tune or tunes help you to "Push It" when you really don't want to!

Three terrific opportunities for three readers to win one of three gift cards!  So time to "get jiggy wit it" and PLAY!  'Cuz y'all know that's how to win it.  I'll tell you the deadline for entering so you can "Beat It".... Monday night, November 22, 2010.  

Best of luck to all!  And thanks for playing!

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of these gift cards by legal and above-board means... no bad things happened surrounding their existence or ownership... scout's honor).

And the winner is....

envelope, please...

Cinderella II  !!!!!

This time there were a total of 17 possible winning entries.  Some people only had one; someone had 4.  The randomness was provided by Disney this time.  I took 17 identical-feeling (in size, shape, texture, etc.) DVDs and assigned a DVD to each entry... just went down the list of entries in chronological order and paired each up with a Disney DVD from my already-OCD-alphabetically-arranged selection from "Aladdin" to "Incredibles."  I put them all in an enormous box w/ a lid and shook 'em up really, really well.  Then I closed my eyes, thrust my hand into the darkness and pulled out "Cinderella II" who lined up to be...

Catey!  Again.

Sometimes randomness is sooooo random.  But she did hedge her bets and increase her chances with 4 possible ways to win.

Congrats to Catey!

Living proof that it pays to play.  lol

Thanks go out to everyone who participated!  There will be many more opportunities in the future :-)

Giveaway of the Day – Lovely Silver Necklace w/ Amethyst and Garnet

Whew!  Almost forgot about today's giveaway.  Not too sure what jogged my memory, but so glad it happened!

Today's entrants will be commenting for a really lovely necklace... "The Tree of Life".  It is sterling silver with a little brass (I think it's brass, but for all I know it might be gold)  tree springing up from an amethyst and a little garnet above.  The pendant is about an inch and a half across by an inch and a quarter and hangs from a 16" sterling silver chain, 4-sided chain.

Here is a pic (blurry-ish again... I really need to figure out the macro feature on my doo-doo camera):

and this is how it sits on a real person...

Here's how the game goes:

1. Follow my blog, let me know that you are following and you get a chance  OR...
2. Tell me your birthstone and you get a chance  OR...
3. Link this giveaway on your blog or website and you get a chance  OR...
4. Comment saying something like "Oooo, pretty!"  and you get a chance.

FOUR easy ways to win!  Try one or try them all!  Or maybe just two or three ;-)  And you have until Sunday night... that's right... November 21st at midnight.  Winner to be announced Monday morning.

Share the news!  Invite your friends!  The more the merrier!  

All together now.... You gotta play to win!!!

Many, many thanks to all who chose to play!

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of this jewelry by legal and above-board means... ages ago I dated a guy who gave me this, and not only did he say something really insulting to me but now I can't wear necklaces because my toddler will rip them off of me and I never go out, so you can have a chance to give this jewelry the nightlife it deserves and in a 'baggage-free' environment!).

Buggy Boom Boom

SILVER PUNCH BUGGY!!!!!

*WHAM*

*No punch backs!* 

*OWWWW!!!* 

*WHAM*

*NO punch backs!* 

*HEYYYYYY!!!! MOMMMMMM!!!!*

I wish there were a jaggedy, more spidery font that could sort of visually approximate the ear-piercing, spine-shattering, nerve-damaging screech that normally accompanies that first statement ...
and a font that could somehow convey the sense of pain and deep-seated injustice that the punch recipients feel.

I hate this game.  Loathe it.  DETEST it.

I have hated it since 1995.  I have no siblings.  If I had siblings and had been subjected to this game as a child, my loathing would perhaps extend back to the 60's.  But I was introduced to this game by my stepchildren... they were 9 and 10 at the time.

OLD FASHIONED RED PUNCH BUGGY!!!!!

*WHAM*

*STOPPPPPPPP ITTTTT!!!*

*THAT'S ENOUGH!*

Back then, I outlawed the game... a couple of times.  They always found a loophole.  "What if we don't actually hit?"  "Okay."  Stupid, stupid, stupid.... why did I say that?  

WHITE PUNCH BUGGY WITH BLACK TOP!!!!

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

NO PUNCH BACKS!

NO, I saw it first!

NO, I DID!

NOOOOOO, I DID!!!!

*WHAM*

HEYYYYY!!!!!

A few incarnations and loopholes discovered later, and the game was totally and completely outlawed... for good... forever.  And they lost interest, I think, as it had all been going on for MONTHS.

Why is it that those who cannot remember the past... until it is too late... are doomed to repeat it?  The same thing is happening NOW.  I hate it.  Why don't I have the heart (or smarts) to just outlaw it completely again?  I think I'm getting there... lil' Miss C is only 20 months old and she now says:

B'OO BUGGY BOOM BOOM!!!

but it IS kind of cute when she says it!  

The X-treem-ly Cool Bibs go to....

The White Peg!!!!


This time it was 3 red Battleship pegs for Catey and 2 white Battleship pegs for Laurie, put 'em in a camera pouch and shook 'em up and pulled one out... which means that

LAURIE is THE WINNER!!!

Congrats to Laurie!


Please let me know where these bibs are going by emailing me at:  the (underscore) missus (at) sbcglobal (dot) net.


Thanks, ladies, playing my game of chance!  

The Gate

We are renters.  We like it that way.  But with renting comes an element of uncertainty.  When we rather suddenly needed to move last year, we spent a lot of highly concentrated time looking at places.  Well, I spent a lot time, anyway.  Poring over Craigslist for hours on end.  Every day getting on there, hoping to see and snatch up the perfect home for us.  24 houses total over 3 months time... actual appointments and go-inside-of-it looking.  That doesn't count my drive-bys.  A lot of places.  And with a 6-month old...oh, and 3 other kids.

There were just a couple of neighborhoods in which we were looking.  Family-friendly, close to amenities, easy access for commuting... Schools were not an issue because our kids would be staying where they were.  We wanted something big enough so that we didn't feel like too many rats in the cage.  We wanted something nice but not fancy (fancy does NOT work if you have kids).  A nice landlord was also a must, as was a yard for the kids.  And, of course, we had a price range.  lol

We ended up in a place we would NEVER have considered in the beginning of the hunt.  But after seeing all that I saw and evaluating what was REALLY important to us, we wound up not in the charming, character-filled, 100-year old brown shingle walking distance to shopping and other amenities that we had envisioned but in a cookie-cutter development... a Gated Community (we joke about it, saying the words like the South African bad guy in the movie "Lethal Weapon" says "diplomatic immunity" and laughing uproariously ... we're weird that way).

It is right by the water and a stone's throw from a waterfront trail.  Because it is near the ghetto (no lie) it is very affordable... but it is quite separated from the scary places by a freeway, and there is a police headquarters in the middle.  And there is The Gate.  The Gate tripped me out at first.  Who wants to live in a place where you need to be locked in and others need to be locked out?  But I have grown to love The Gate.

The Gate means I can run at night!  That is pretty much the only time during the week that I can run.  I have a loop that is 0.6 miles and I can mix it up with a couple of figure 8's on the dividing streets.  And right now I don't really run all that far so it isn't too boring yet.  I can leave the front door open and if I scream from anywhere in the development, my husband would most likely hear me.  If it weren't for The Gate I wouldn't be here... on this blog.

The Gate also means that my kids can run around the neighborhood and ride their bikes right out of the garage into the streets without being nailed by an oncoming car.  This is not common in these parts!

When people get freaked that I run at night, I simply claim, "Gated Community" in my best Afrikaans accent.  They never get it.

Looming...

getting dangerously close to 1000 people having looked at this.  I need to get back to writing about my kids and my running.  Although it is nice to find special homes for some of my treasures!

Coming soon...

The gate I've grown to love, the game I've grown to detest, something about Batman you may not have known, and two "green" things I cannot stand.  OOoooooo.... watch out!

Lapis and Larimar Necklace and Earrings Giveaway!!!

After 3 giveaways geared toward kids, here is one geared toward grown ups!

Enter to win this lovely necklace and matching earrings:

The top stone is lapis and the larger bottom stone is larimar.  The setting and chain are sterling silver.  Each pendant is a little over an inch in length and the chain is 17.5 inches long.  I had a really hard time getting a good, clear shot of this set... sorry 'bout that.  But it is lovely.

This set would make a great self-gift as well as possibly being a nice holiday gift for someone else.

How to get this giveaway:

1. Become one of my lemmings  followers... or let me know you are already one OR...
2. Push Show this to your viewers on your blog or website  OR...
3. Tell me when was the last time you got yourself something pretty!

There ya have it... THREE ways to win!  And THREE days to wait... this giveaway will close on Friday night, November 19th... post your entering comments before the last stroke of midnight.

And I'm not gonna say it this time... I'll just send it telepathically 'cuz y'all should know my next line by heart ;-)  (and if you forgot... it's that whole thing about playing and winning... lol)

Best of luck to all the players!

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of this jewelry by legal and above-board means... ages ago I used to work for the company that sold it and bought it for myself or a for a gift and then misplaced it and now I can't wear necklaces or dangling earrings because my toddler will rip them off of me and I never go out so you can have a chance to give this jewelry the nightlife it deserves).

The Infant Massage DVD goes to...

the letter "E"!  This time the numbers were more manageable, so I used Scrabble letters shaken up in a bag to select the winner.  Each entry was assigned randomly to a letter and then the letters were put in the bag.  Then I reached in and pulled one out!  (Aren't you all astounded by my ingenuity? lol).

And "E" = Catey !

Congratulations, Catey! 

Catey, please contact me with where you would like to have the DVD sent.  the (underscore) missus (at) sbcglobal (dot) net.

And a hearty "thank you" to all who participated... thanks so much for taking a chance on my game!  

The Giveaway Insanity Continues! *Family Car Organizer*

This nifty bag/box will help control car clutter.  I ordered it awhile ago, and when it came, it just didn't fit on the seat the way I had imagined (not really sure exactly what I had in mind).  So I had planned on returning it... all boxed up and ready to go back to the supplier.  And then it sat... and sat... and sat.  And sat next to the front door for the next time I went to the post office.  Which never happened.  I hate going to the post office with my kids.  I hate it at least as much as some people hate going to the dentist ;-)  The wait is always too long, the space is always too crowded, there are too many very interesting forms and machines accessible to curious monkeys... and have I ever mentioned that my kids bicker?  I avoid the post office like one avoids dog doo on the sidewalk.  Wide berth.  

By the time we moved, several months had gone by and the window of opportunity on returning it had closed, so I moved it with us.  And it still sits in the packaged-up-and-ready-to-go box... never been used... pristine... MINT condition!  And now it is ready to be sent to the lucky winner of this giveaway!  I promise... PROMISE... I will be timely with shipping ;-)

The Family Car Organizer

You can read more about it here.


Ways to walk away with this awesome item:

1. Be a follower, tell me you are and say something nice  (gets you two entries) OR...
2. Share the info with others via your blog or website, and let me know you've done that  OR...
3. Share with us what constitutes the bulk of YOUR car clutter!

Giveaway ends at the end of Wednesday 11/17/10.  Lots of ways to win... but.... yep... you've gotta play to win!

Best of luck to all!


(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of this item by legal and above-board means... no hanky panky, deception, trickery, thievery, or other untoward behavior of any kind was involved).

Giveaway #2 - Mallybibs Leather Bibs

Day 2 brings another baby-oriented giveaway...

Cute leather bibs!  These don't have food-catching pockets like the ones on the Mallybibs website, but they are otherwise like the ones described.  Easy to clean, reversible, magnet closure that also can stick it to the fridge for easy finding!

Ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Give a shout out saying, "hey, cool bibs!  need me one o' these!" and tell me what your baby likes to eat  OR.....
2. Let your readers know about the giveaway on your blog or other website  OR....
3. Followers always get a chance if they let me know they want one!

Three ways to win!  But.... what's that saying now?  All together.... You Gotta Play to WIN!!!  lol

You have through all of Tuesday 11/16/10 to post an entry comment or two or three.  The name of the lucky recipient will be posted on Wednesday.

Good luck to all who play!  And thanks for taking the chance ;-)

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of these bibs by legal and above-board means... no hanky panky, deception, trickery, thievery, or other untoward behavior of any kind was involved).

Infant Massage DVD... Kicking off a WEEK of Giveaway Madness!

Every day for the next week, I will be offering something up for YOU (if you're interested).  I know that some of you will think, "Why in the heck would ANYone want THAT?" and others will think, "Oh, AWESOME!" and it will be about the exact same item.  Some of the items will be brand-spankin'-new in their original packaging, some will be new but out of the box and some will be gently used but (in my opinion) totally worth having... especially for FREE!

Kicking off this insanity is today's offering...

This is a wonderful DVD about infant massage.  You can read about it here.  This item is brand-new in the shrink-wrapped "eco-wallet."  And this copy is the english language version.

The BabyBabyOhBaby Infant Massage DVD can be YOURS!  But remember... you gotta play to win!

Here's how you play:

1. Post a comment here saying "hi" and a little intro to your sweet snuggle-muffin for one entry into the drawing  OR...
2. Posting about this giveaway on your blog will net you two chances at winning  OR...
3. Let me know you are a true follower of Taking It On and you get one entry just for that PLUS if you win I'll throw in a bonus goody.

Just imagine... 4 chances to win!  WOW!  All are welcome to enter... invite your friends, your family, your neighbors!

The giveaway will close on Monday night (11/15/10) at 11:59 pm PST.  The winner will be announced Tuesday morning.  Good luck to all!

(Disclaimer:  I have not been nor will I be compensated in any way by or for conducting this giveaway.  I am in possession of this DVD by legal and above-board means... no hanky panky, deception, trickery, thievery, or other untoward behavior of any kind was involved).

6 Under 60!!!!

And can I just tell you how surprising that is?

My shorties this week just were agonizing.  S-l-o-w.  Flat.  Short.  Boring.  Nearly intolerable.  Of course, during the week I run at night.  I know, I know... be safe... there is a whole 'nuther post on that coming ;-)
However, getting up earlier than the family to run just ain't happenin'.  My babe (20 months old) gets up by 6.  Then the 5-year old is up around 6:30.  The 11-year old is up very shortly after that, and the 8-year old is awake by 7.  Between all the screaming and yelling and lunch-making and baby-nursing I have to do in the morning, there is plain no way I could run in the morning.  As far as during school hours and taking the babe with me, running strollers and me, well, we just don't work well together.  Had one once.  Finally sold it.  Best move for the both of us.  So I run at night.

My shorties are usually about 2 miles... sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.  And I am usually running for between 20 minutes and 30 minutes.  I drag my sorry behind out after all the kids are in bed... finally.... which is usually shortly after 8.  And of course by then I am exhausted, if not completely and entirely then at least totally emotionally.  Kids can take a lot out of you!

My longer weekend runs are such a treat!  Daylight!  Fresh!  Not down-trodden by the daily grind!  Today I did 6 miles.  The last time I ran 6 miles was in October of 2001.  I remember because it was when I was pregnant with Baby X.  I was faster when I was pregnant.  But I am no longer comparing the past with the present ;-)

Today is a glorious day here.  Just beautiful.  Sun shining, not hot, very slight breeze.  Perfect for a mellow weekend run.  Ran my "out" in 28 minutes just about exactly.  3 miles.  Contemplated calling home and having my husband round up all the kids and come pick me up.  lol   Then I shut up the voices in my head and started running.  What was so awesome was that running with the sun at my back in the morning made for some great long and lanky shadows.  My shadow looked HOT!  lol  My shadow looked like a "real" runner!  So I just tripped out on my awesomely athletic shadow for the next 29 minutes... exactly.  And I was home!

6 miles in exactly 57 minutes.  Go, me!

"tag" - courtesy of Emz

I've been tagged.  I'm "It."

Now you get seven facts about lil' ol' me!  We have Emz, runner extraordinaire, at "If I can't convince you--I'll at least confuse you" to thank for this.

1. I always wanted to be a young mom (like mine) so that I would be fun and and have energy and not be bothered by noise and high-jinks.  We don't always get what we want.
2. I loved "The Sound of Music" when I was a kid and wanted to be like Maria...able to sing gloriously and marry a man with LOTS of kids.  One out  two isn't bad  ;-)
3. I once ran a 5:45 cross-country mile... I was 26.  And I remember it like it was yesterday. 
4. I wash my hair about once a week.  This is NOT gross.  My hair looks like straw if I wash it more often.
5. I have yet to have a cavity in any of my teeth.  But I can't say "never" cuz then it'll probably happen.
6. I am living proof that even a really sucky athlete can, with perseverance and years of hard work, buck the odds and stick it in the face of stupid naysayers.  Nyah!
7. I did something pretty cool a long time ago, and I have this to show for it:

(I'm the one on the left, with the medal tucked into my shirt).

Now TAG... you're "IT"!!!

1.  Q-man at Q on the Move

2.  Corey at Corblue's Closet

3.  Rachel at GetRealMama

 Have a wonderful day!

I need help...

And I'm looking to you for it.

I have a couple of on-going house projects that are proving to be something akin to the bane of my existence.  The garage is Numero Uno.

Here it is:

From the outside:

From the inside:

Please understand that this is VASTLY improved from when we first moved in... 10 months ago.  Back then it was seriously like a 4-D puzzle.  It was packed.  PACKED.  Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, front to back.  There were no pathways, no wiggle room, not even mouse-sized.  My mission when we moved in was to get it half-empty by June 1st.  Which I did (thanks to a local town-wide garage sale on Memorial Day... nothing like going for it last minute).  My next vow was to get that half cut in half again... by December 1st.  Hmmmmm....  I know.  It looks like things have gone backward.  And they have :-(

So here is my plan... and I'm implementing the whole "just 15 minutes a day is all it takes" strategy that my husband shoves down my throat reminds me of daily... at least one big plastic tub a day eliminated from the space.  One of these:

I am going to post the progress and tell of my finds, holding myself accountable.  What is in there?  I don't know about you, but I seem to keep just waaaayyyyyy too much crap.  I am sure I'll need it again, or it's just "too cool" to toss, or the kids might really want this, or "this has got to be worth something", etc.  It is time for it to GO.  Well, maybe not all of it ;-)  Some of it really is too cool to toss!

Encouragement appreciated!  And if you see anything in the posts that you might want, speak up!  We'll see what we can do ;-)