Skyfactor Signal Strength CD giveaway!

I discovered the band Skyfactor back in 2010 basically because the guy I had a crush on at the time liked them and I wanted to see if we had similar taste in music so I of course went to check them out on iTunes.  I ended up downloading their whole album that night!  I even blogged about them and they sent me a CD and a t-shirt to giveaway!

Three years later and I no longer have a crush on that guy, but I still have a crush on this band!  A few weeks ago they emailed me to let me know they were coming out with a new album and asked if I wanted a copy and even offered to send a second copy so I could do a giveaway!

Their CD Signal Strength has been on repeat in my car the last few days and the more I listen to it, the more I love it.  It is so my style.  I love that I find myself singing along by the end of the song.  Their lyrics can be so sweet (and y'all know I am a hopeless romantic!)  Sometimes the guitar melodies remind me of Jack Johnson but with more of a rock vibe?  I'm not good in describing music so listen to one of my favorites from this album called Wake Up:

  

If you want to hear more, you can find the other tracks on iTunes.

My other favorites from this album are Signal Strength, Superstar, and In the Morning.  But really I liked them all!  It's the kind of CD you don't have to hit skip on any of the songs.

I have one copy to give away!  I'm not going to make this complicated (I could write a whole rant about how much I hate the "here are the 6 trillion ways to enter this giveaway...follow me here...share this...like that" posts that have been filling my feeds lately).  So here's how you can enter:

Leave me a comment on this post!  Say whatever you want.  Let me know if you like them too...or tell me who you've been listening to lately or just say hi!  I'll pick the winner Monday June 24!  Good luck!

The Lumineers at Koka Booth Ampitheater

Last Thursday I went to my first concert ever at Koka Booth Amphitheater:

Image from their Facebook page of a NC Symphony concert

I loved so much about this venue.  I think it is the best venue for concerts in the RDU area!

It isn't huge so it didn't feel crazy like other concert venues do.  Parking was free.  A man in a golf cart asked us if we wanted a ride and dropped us off right at the entrance.  You can bring your own lawn chairs.  They have pretty good sounding food options even though all I got was a pretzel.  You can buy a whole bottle of wine to take back to your seat with cups!  You didn't have to walk a mile to get to a bathroom and they were actually clean.  The sound was amazing even though we sat pretty far back and you can even still see the stage (as long as rude people aren't standing in front of you).

I also have to mention that there was a severe storm warning that night.  They were calling for really bad storms with hurricane force winds.  All day I kept an eye on their Facebook page and they did post updates throughout the day.  Finally they decided to push back the gate open time from 5:30 to 7pm and the concert would start at 8pm.  On my way home from work around 5:15 pm the storms hit pretty hard.  The wind was crazy, but by 6:30 pm everything was fine and the storm had actually cooled everything off quite a bit.  There was still a tiny bit of rain but not much.

J. Roddy Walston and The Business started out the show and even though I had never heard of them they were pretty good.  Next up were the Cold War Kids and they were fabulous as well.  Finally The Lumineers came on!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Lumineers.  They are probably the only band that I could sing all of the songs on their album by heart in the last year.  They played every song from their album and even some new stuff.  The crowd sang along to almost everything.  At one point they came out into the middle of the crowd and did a song or two from there!  It was probably the best concert I have ever been to!

I would have taken more pictures and video (I did upload one crappy Vine), but my phone was pretty much dead and at one point during "Ho Hey" Wesley, the lead singer, encouraged everyone to put away their phones and be in the moment.  I loved that.  I hate wasting time tagging, uploading, or making sure I document everything I do.  I mean I love it sometimes because I love documenting everything, sharing everything with all of you and I love seeing other's adventures, but he's right.  We do need to put away our phones and be in the moment with the people who we're with more often!

The only negative thing about this concert was the parking lot situation after the concert.  It was almost midnight and Kristin and I were anxious to get home because it was a school night after all.  But the traffic was just not flowing well out of the parking lot.  I don't know if they just weren't prepared for it or if someone was new on the job or what.  I do not do well in traffic and may have cussed out a few people for pulling out in front of me and threatened the lives of others if they even thought about pulling out in front of me.  Once we got out of the parking lot it was great, no traffic at all.  They really need to fix that situation.

So that's one thing off my Summer Bucket List- going to see an outdoor concert.  I'm going to see Matchbox Twenty in August and possibly some others before the summer is over.

Oh and I have another music update for y'all.  Back in 2010 I told y'all about a band I had fallen in love with called Skyfactor.  They saw my post and sent me a CD to giveaway to you guys!  Well last week they emailed me again to offer me a copy of their latest CD- Signal Strength!  I've been listening to it all weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about it and there might even be a giveaway for you!  So comeback later this week to see!

Lenovo Pinterest Challenge!

My Pinterest Challenge for work is finally live!  It launched a few weeks ago and runs through August 17th.  You guys should go enter!  You can win a new computer and three accessories to go with it and trust me your chances are probably better than just about any other contest you could enter to win a computer in!

Let me tell you...those people who say do what you love, I don't know how working on something you love doesn't ruin the enjoyment of it a little for you.  Working on this Pinterest Challenge definitely made me hate Pinterest a little.  I was so sick of hearing about it, worrying about it, trying to make sure everything was ready and in place, pulling the metrics on it...it was very stressful.  I used to check Pinterest and pin everyday and now I am lucky to get on there once a week!

Some of it was fun though.  I threw a Pinterest Party for my co-workers to get them excited about the contest.  Everyone brought something to eat that they had found on Pinterest (well, most everyone.  There were some moochers.)  It was fun to try everything.  My favorite by far were these cookies:

Source: hotpolkadot.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

I hope at the end of all this, the contest is a success. It's a great prize! I have been trying to win a computer at various internal contests at Lenovo for two years, but unfortunately I am one of the most unlucky people I know.

I finally gave in and bought a new computer a few weeks ago and I love it. It's different, and cute, and light enough to take anywhere. It is just perfect for me! It is last year's ultrabook and I got it on our outlet site a few weeks before our new ultabooks launched. The new ones are super stylish too!

 Here are a few pics of mine:

So go enter the Pinterest Challenge and win one for me!  If I could enter here are the items I would pick:

This thing is so cool! 27" touchscreen and folds completely flat!  Although I would take one of the ultrabooks too!

Everyone needs Microsoft Office!

I think these little speakers are so cute

This multimedia mouse/remote thing is really cool!

What would you pick?  Go check out the other options you can win HERE!

And no, you don't have to be a student or going back to school to enter or win!

And if you don't win, but want to buy a new computer, email me and I will give you my employee discount!

Oh how wonderFALL Pinteresting Wednesday!

I am linking up with The Vintage Apple again for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

Please follow me on Pinterest so I can follow you and see all the pretty things you are loving!

Follow Me!! - ncsuz on Pinterest


The theme for today's pinboard is fall!

Summer is my favorite season just because of all the fun summer vacations, daylight until 9pm, coconut scented everything, sun-kissed skin, fruity drinks and my birthday!

But fall comes in a close second. Crisp cool (not cold) fall air, the pretty leaves, apples, pumpkin carving, football games, Halloween costumes, and of course all the yummy pumkin flavored/scented things!

Source: laaloosh.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

What could be more pefect for fall than Pumpkin Cream Cheese!?

Ingredients:
- 8oz low fat cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup canned pure pumpkin
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- dash of salt Directions: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy.

Source: half-bakedbaker.blogspot.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

How perfect would this be for a fall party? And it is somewhat healthy with the apples right? This is a pretty lengthy recipe so check out the pin for the link to the original.

Source: tastesbetterfromscratch.blogspot.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

OMG! Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon syrup?!

Pumpkin Pancakes (yields 6 pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs vinegar

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Cinnamon Syrup:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup water

Stir all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, stir occasionally until boiling. Let it boil for a few minutes while stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.

Source: thegainesgang4.blogspot.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

I would love to give these out for Halloween! But I doubt parents let their kids eat anything that isn't factory sealed nowadays right?  Any parents out there reading- would you let your kids keep these if they got them trick or treating?

Source: amerrierworld.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

This Pumpkin Cake is so stinking cute! Maybe I will make it for the annual Halloween party!


On a side note- I had a fabulous Labor Day weekend! I hope you guys did too!  Girl's weekend at the beach was just what I needed to put the exclamtion point on this summer! I'll try to post a little something about my weekend festivities tomorrow.

Happy Hump Day everyone and don't forget to enter my $75 NOVICA gift card giveaway!

Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Remember how I said if I reached 300 followers by my birthday I would host a giveaway?  Well, I didn't make that number.  I was still at 299 followers on August 12. But at the time I am writing this post I have 311 followers!!  Yay!  I am so happy to have you all here!

So we are still going to celebrate with a little giveaway ok?


NOVICA is one of the leading fair trade artisan websites. They work with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market. They have thousands of top fair trade womens accessories, mens accessories, jewelry and home decor.  I particularly like their wool scarves!


So what am I giving away?


A $75 NOVICA e-gift card!


Here are some of the super cute things I might buy with that:

Monkey Bookends- $59.95

Pearl Cocktail Ring- $20.49

Elephant Teapot- $30.74

Wood Chess Set- $29.95

How do you enter?


1. Leave me a comment with your email address letting me know how you discovered my blog!  (1 entry)
2. Be a follower of 30 Before 30 list! (1 entry)
2. Tweet about this giveaway!   Maybe something like "@ncsuz is hosting a giveaway on her blog!  enter to win a $75 gift card here: ncsuz.blogspot.com " (1 entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog!  (2 entries)

Leave a separate comment for each of your additional entries with links to your tweet and/or blog post.

You have until midnight EST Thursday September 8th to enter.

I will announce the winner on Friday September 9th.  Good luck guys!

Free Stuff Friday (almost)!

This is a big weekend!  It is kind of bittersweet if you ask me.  It's the end of summer, the start of fall, the start of college football season, my last summer hour Friday...I'm so confused am I happy or sad?!

Whatever you are doing, I hope you all have a fun and fabulous labor day weekend!

And to get it started right, here's some free stuff I've come across recently:

Free Breakfast at Chic-fil-a!  Chicken minis are freaking heaven in my opinion!  You can sign up HERE.

Here are some coupon codes for a free rental from Blockbuster Express:

38JEAH9- Expires 9/2/11
43PBCG5- Expires 9/2/11
36TTDR9- Expires 9/2/11
62PGAR5- Expires 9/2/11
24KRVF9- Expires 9/2/11

9HLG4X- Expires 9/3/11

38RMAQ2- Expires 9/5/11
57TPLD3- Expires 9/5/11

I got these from a friend on Facebook.  The ones she posted a few weeks ago worked great for me (except you could only use one at a time).  But I haven't tried these out yet, so don't shoot me if they don't work!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

P.S. Come back to visit me on Tuesday for an awesome giveaway!!

Feeding my blog addiction and great giveaways!

I have been blogging for a few years now.  Over the years it has grown into an addiction.  I have 148 blogs I am subscribed to and I almost always read every.single.post.in.there.  It can get overwhelming because I am just so darn busy now, I don't have time to read blogs like I used to.  But the sad thing is I am always on the lookout for more interesting ones to follow.  It's an addiction I tell ya.

Here are two that I just started following today that happen to have awesome giveaways:

Slumber Designs- Jen was kind enough to leave me a comment to check out her giveaway! She is giving away a $75 EmersonMade gift certificate (their stuff is beautiful!)  Plus she has this great Location Central thing that helped me discover some more great local bloggers!


Jenn's Journey- she is giving away some awesome Bath and Body Works goodies and a Starbucks gift card

And a shout-out to Ashton @ Soulshine for helping me discover that second one on her blog today!


I also got a Blog Award from Stephanie @ The Odd Duck (THANK YOU!!)

Rules:

1) Thank & Link back to the person who gave you the award

2) Answer 10 questions

3) Pass it along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy

4) Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award.

Questions:

1. Why did you create this blog?
To document marking off the things on my 30 Before 30 list, but it's turned in to so much more!

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
Mostly personal blogs, but some fashion blogs, DIY home decorating type of blogs, Christian blogs and some cooking blogs.  I also follow some funny blogs like People of Wal-Mart and Lamebook.  I even have a wedding blog in my reader (a girl can dream right?)

3. Favorite Make-Up Brand?
Benefit

4. Favorite Clothing Brand?
I don't really have one

5. Indispensable Make-Up Product?
I have to agree with Stephanie and say mascara

6. Favorite Color?
It might be yellow...I used to say pink, but I am drawn to yellow lately.

7. Favorite Perfume?
Escada

8. Favorite Film?
Film as in movie?  Hope Floats

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
Tahiti- I want to stay in one of those over the water bungalows

10. Would you rather forget to put on mascara on one eye or forget blush on one side of your face?
um neither

I am breaking the last 2 rules since I have already linked to some of my favorite new blog finds above and really I love so many blogs it is too hard to pick.  Of course my favorite blogs are the ones of my readers so this award is for you!  Feel free to grab it and participate!

(I even made a special folder for my readers and I make sure to read those first.  But if you have never commented on here before or haven't in a while, I may not know about your blog!  So please come out and say hi so I can check out your blog too!)

Lucky

The lucky winner of the Skyfactor CD is- Daisy-Pie!

Congratulations!  Email me your address and I will get the CD out to you.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

It's easy to feel unlucky.  It's easy to complain about things, about life, and the unfairness of it all.  I've been doing a lot of that lately.  I didn't even realize it.  It was just a little complaining here and there, a bad attitude every once in a while, a lack of gratitude for things God has done for me.

I've been trying to adjust my attitude over the last few days.  Or at least keep it to myself.  I don't want people to see that negativity.  I don't even want to have it in me!  I don't want my complaining to cloud my view or other people's view of things I may really love, but still complain about.  I don't want to be a negative nelly.

I'm trying to remember how God got me through a lay-off and dropped this job in to my lap out of no where.  How God provided over $3,000 for me to go on a mission trip that I never, ever thought I would raise enough money for.  How Jesus paid the ultimate price for me.  Gratitude is the ultimate medicine for a bad attitude and I need a fix.

CD Giveaway!

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you guys I discovered a new band that I loved called Skyfactor?  Well, the guys from Skyfactor saw my post and emailed me!  They thanked me for the support and offered to send me a free t-shirt and CD!  How awesome is that??  I thought about you guys and asked if they could send an extra CD that I could give away on my blog.  And they did!

I love all their songs!  Seriously I can not even pick a favorite off this album because they are all so good!  If you want to hear some samples go visit their website: www.skyfactormusic.com

You can win a copy of their CD Daydreams!  And you can enter more than once. 

Here are the ways to enter:

 1. Leave a comment telling me about a lesser known band you love and if you had ever heard Skyfactor before. (+1 entry)

2. Become a follower and tell me in your comment that you are a follower of my blog. (+1 entry)

3. Tweet this giveaway "@ncsuz is giving away a CD from the awesome band Skyfactor.  Enter here: http://ncsuz.blogspot.com/"  (+1 entry)

4. Blog about this giveaway (leave me a comment so I can go check it out).  (+3 entries)

I will leave the contest open until 5 pm EST Monday Sept. 13th.

Good Luck!

You should know...

The pity party is over. At least I hope it doesn't sneak back up on me. Back to being Miss Optimism because I've heard what you put out into the universe, it comes back to you, plus it just sucks being in that kind of mood. So I'm getting off the pitty party train and picking up a ticket for the Optimism Express.

To jump start my way to the Optimism Express here's five things I have to be happy about:

1. It's a 4 day workweek!
2. The weather is beautiful!
3. I have some yummy wine from Trader Joes waiting for me at home
4. Got to sleep on fresh clean sheets last night
5. Only 1 more weekend until I get paid- finally!

Here's what you should really know about though. Over at April Showers, April is going to be having a whole bunch of giveaways during the month of April. Want an automatic entry for all of the giveaways? Go check out her blog today to find out how.

Last Grateful Giveaway Winner and Brain Rotting TV

Wow, I'm glad so many of you all entered my Favorite Things Giveaway! You guys had so many cool favorite things yourself! Definately going to give some of them a try!

And the winner of my last Grateful Giveaway is...

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 25
Result: 14

CARLY!

Email me your address so I can get your goodies out to you!

Thank you again averyone for reading my little blog. I wish I could send you all something! And I hope to do some more random givaways throughout the year.

Now onto more mindless things...

Did any of you watch the Bachelor last night? I watched Jake on last season and I liked him then, but last night I was like OH MY!

He does seem a little bit perfect doesn't he? Perfect body, a pilot (doesn't everyone love a man in uniform?), handy around the house, really looking for love, and so sweet. I was regretting not signing up for this season just to see this mythical creature in real life!

The girls however disappointed me. There were only about 2 I liked and one of them didn't get a rose. There also seem to be a lot of models/dancers. And one girl had her occupation as Homemaker. How do you earn a living being a single homemaker? That just confused the crap out of me.

I was glad to see Deanna and Ed still together. I liked Ed.

But man! Jake just may be the best Bachelor yet. I hope he doesn't do anything to screw that up over this season!

I know this crappy TV rots my brain, but it's so entertaining isn't it?

What do you think of Jake? Who is your favorite of the girls?

These are a few of my favorite things...

You get a car and you get a car...

No just kidding it's not like that. If you are at all familiar with Oprah, you may have heard of her favorite things show she does around Christmas. I would have given anything to be in the audience at one of those shows because not only does she share her favorite things, but everyone in the audience goes home with one of each of them!

She gives away things like $200 pj sets, refrigerators, and the latest and greatest gadgets...but I don't have Oprah kind of money. However I still wanted to share a few of my favorite things with you and give away a set of them to one lucky winner!

Here it is:



What's Included?

Bath and Body Works Foaming Antibacterial soap in Coconut Lime- I love this foaming soap and the Coconut Lime is by far my favorite scent. If you need to kill germs on the go, they have these tiny little bottles of hand sanitizer for like $1. I always have one in my purse just in case, but the foaming soap is still my favorite.

Sephora's Whipped Body Delight in Marshmallow Fluff- I love, love, love these little tubs of body butter. They are harder to find in the stores now, but they still have them online in gift sets sometimes. I have one in my car and they are the perfect size to take on vacation. I love the Coconut or Grapefruit scent in the summertime but the Marshmallow Fluff and Peppermint Mocha are my favorite fall/winter scents.

Cover Girl's Lash Blast Mascara- I'm not a huge make up person, but I always keep a travel sized eye lash curler and mascara in my purse because a) my eyelashes need help and b) that one little step can make you look so much more awake. I used to be loyal to Benefit's BadGal mascara, but I decided to give this one a try because it is available in more places and cheaper. I think I may like this one better! Now they just need to make a travel size!

Miss Manicure's Mini Emory Boards- I have these all over my house, car, purse, work...they are great. I am always breaking a nail and I used to just rip it off. But now that I have these handy little things, I don't have to destroy the whole nail. Plus they are super cute- you know how I love travel sized things!

Got2Be Smooth Operator- I got a free sample of this stuff and have been a loyal user ever since. Every morning I am always in a rush, but all I have to do to my hair is quickly run a straight iron through it and put a tiny dollop of this in my hands, rub them together, and run my fingers through my hair. It leaves me with smooth, silky hair and tames all those little fly-aways.

Would you like to win this loot? I know you guy readers are just clamouring to get your hands on this stuff! Here is how to enter:

1. Become a follower- if you're not already AND
2. Leave a comment on this post with one of your favorite things!

And since this is going up a little late and I know you'll all be out partying it up over the weekend, you have until midnight on Monday Jan. 4th to enter.

This is the last Grateful Giveaway, so don't miss out!

Merry Christmas!

This week has felt crazy! I have been so busy, but I pretty much got it all done. It may not have been exactly perfect- my poinsettias died and some of the gifts I bought for people weren't exactly what I wanted to get them and cooking was hectic, but it's all said and done and it was pretty good.

I cooked a turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed red potatoes, gravy, rolls, cranberry waldorf salad, pumpkin dessert squares, and cranberry walnut cookies. I chopped, beat, blended, mashed, baked, and stirred my way through the last 24 hours and now have enough left-overs to last through the rest of the year! And it was all delicious!

But no wonder people were skinny back in the day before fast food, microwave, and food processors...cooking is hard work!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and took a moment to remember the most important gift of all- the birth of a savior. For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

As promised one of you lucky readers will soon get a little after Christmas present from me. And the winner of the Border's gift card is...

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 18
Result: 13

Caitlin!

Email me your address so I can get it in the mail to you!

And don't worry if you didn't win...there is one more giveaway this month, so come back for another chance at a little after-Christmas present!

Countdown to Christmas & Giveaway #4

We are getting closer and closer to Christmas!

Are you all ready?

I’m certainly not. I haven’t wrapped a single present. I still have some shopping to do. I have to cook Christmas dinner and I haven’t even made my list and gone shopping for the food yet (although I do have a huge turkey defrosting in my fridge). My mom requested I cook a turkey this year. I have never cooked a turkey before, so we shall see how this turns out. Maybe I should have some microwave lasagna on hand just in case?

Speaking of cooking, I watched Julie and Julia this weekend. It was pretty good. I liked the blogging aspect of course. But really who does that happen to? I mean what a dream come true…to become a writer because of your blog!

Back to the point- Grateful Giveaway #4!

You know I love to read and I hope you all do too because this week’s giveaway is a $10 Borders gift card!



I used to be loyal to Barnes and Noble. Now with paperbackswap.com I don’t have to buy books too often (although I do make way more trips to the post office!) But when I do buy books, I find myself heading to Borders more and more. They always have good deals, send out way more coupons, and you don’t have to pay to be a part of their membership club (unlike B&N). Even if you don’t win the gift card, you should check them out!

If you'd like to win the Borders gift card, here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower- if you're not already
2. Leave a comment on this post with YOUR favorite book or a book you are dying to get your hands on!

I'll draw a winner on Friday (Christmas Day!). Good Luck!

P.S. Shoshanah at From L.A. to LA is doing a book giveaway on her blog in honor of her Blogoversary! Go check it out!

And the Winner is....

The winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is...

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 19
Result: 12
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Aritza, Goddess of Sarcasm and Unfinished Sentences!

Congratulations! Email me your address so I can send it out to you!

By the way, I tried the Caramel Brulee Latte and Peppermint Mocha this week (skim- no whip) and I have to say the Caramel Brulee Latte is my new fav!

Also we got about 15-20 minutes of beautiful snow this afternoon and it so felt like Christmas! It is calling for more tonight. I wouldn't mind a few more flakes, but I hope I don't get snowed in this weekend!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

Grateful Giveaway #3

You know what is almost a good as Christmas cookies? All the yummy Starbucks flavors that come out around the holidays! So for my Grateful Giveaway #3 I am giving away a $10 Starbucks gift card!



My go-to drink there is usually a grande skim caramel machiatto so I would probably like their new drink this season- the Caramel Brulee Latte.

I also love their Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Last year I tried the Gingerbread latte but I didn't like the little pieces of ginger in the bottom.

This year I really want to try the Peppermint Mocha!



Also I heard you can pick regular or Godiva chocolate for your hot chocolate there. Yummy!

If you'd like to win the Starbucks gift card, here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower- if you're not already
2. Leave a comment on this post with YOUR favorite Holiday drink or Starbucks favorite!

I'll draw a winner on Friday. Good Luck!

P.S. Caribou Coffee's White Hot Chocolate is to die for too!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

I don't know where that phrase comes from but it makes me chuckle.

The drawing for the CD winner was a little complicated because of the anonymous comment throwing things off. Anyway there were a total of 11 people once I skipped over the anonymous comments, my comment, and comment from friends who already got the CD. And the winner is...

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 11
Result: 9

AnnQ! Congrats and send me your address so I can get this in the mail to you.

And a special bonus second chance drawing for the book The Traveler's Gift (I couldn't get in touch with the original winner)

And the winner is...

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 7
Result: 7

Sam! Congrats and send me your address so I can get this in the mail to you.

Thank you for all the kind comments and emails on my last post. I really appreciate it and am glad I can share my journey with ya'll!

Chistmas Elf Spreading Christmas Cheer

I'm a little elf spreading Christmas cheer this year! Last year I didn't even put my tree up because it was too much work. This year, I have went all out.

I have the inside of my house decked out and the outside too. I'll be posting some pictures next Monday when I go on The Christmas Tour of Homes with The Nester!



Also this year I did a little something different with my Christmas cards. I included a mix CD of some of my favorite Christmas songs! I mailed them out this weekend, so people started getting them yesterday and I got so many positive comments on them!

I also tried to write something personal about the person I was writing to in each and every card. I think this is the most important part. It lets the person know you weren't just a part of some kind of mass mailing. I often feel that way when I get a generic card with just a person's signature, or even worse, their TYPED NAME. I mean thanks for slapping my address on the front, but really you could have saved a tree and a stamp. Thanks for letting me know I made your "list". I feel so honored.

The picture ones kind of bother me too sometimes. It's like, lets promote our perfect little family. "Look how happy and perfect we are in our matching outfits...just wanted to let you know...no we don't care about you, but look at us and Merry Christmas anyway."

Ok, I digress...losing my Christmas spirit...anyway, back to the point.

I spent a lot of time and money on these cards. I bought songs I really liked. I burned over 50 CD's. I bought cases for each one and made a personalized cover insert. This was my gift to all the people who made a difference to me! Even though it was a lot of work and it cost $1.28 to mail each one (dang post office...I hand delivered some, so take that!) it was so worth it! I love spreading Christmas cheer!

I wish I could send you all one! But I have limited resources...

So for my Grateful Giveaway #2, you can win a copy of my Christmas Mix CD and a handwritten personal card! Some of the songs include Sugarland, Dave Matthews Band, Martina McBride, Mariah Carey and more!

If you'd like to win my Christmas Mix CD, here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower- if you're not already
2. Leave a comment on this post with YOUR favorite Christmas song!

I'll draw a winner on Friday. Good Luck!

We have a winner!

The winner of my first Gateful Giveaway contest is...

True Random Number Generator

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Result:3
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Congratulations Amanda!! Email me you address so I can mail the book to you!

Thanks for all your bits of wisom everyone! Look for my next Gateful Giveaway next week!

Speaking of winners...my neighborhood is having a contest to see who has the best decorated house this year (outside only). I had no intention of entering because there is this crazy person who has a huge blow up Santa every year and I thought they would win. But I think those people moved, because I have not seen the Santa.

Last night I drove around my neighborhood to check out the competition. There wasn't much! I mean we live in townhouses, so there isn't much you can do anywaay. There were a couple houses that had some lights on the bushes, some with candles in every window, but not too much else going on.

So now I am on a mission. I want to win! I got a candle for each of the windows in front and got wreaths with red bows to hang on each of the downstairs windows. I wrapped a tree in white lights. I got a lighted garland to wrap the column on my porch with. I put out a Christmas garden flag.

But I have this tree with bare branches right in front that needs something. I want to find some lighted balls to hang in the tree but I don't know where to find them. I was thinking of hanging some big pretty ornaments in the tree, but I don't know if you'd be able to see them at night. So I need some suggestions!

Here's a picture of my house (it was from when it was first built, the tree in front is much bigger now):



So give me some suggestions...what can I do to win this thing without being tacky?

Grateful Giveaways

As you know Christmas is the time for giving and who better to be an the receiving end than YOU!? When I first started this blog, I never thought anyone would read it other than my loyal friends who I sent a link to. It is just crazy how people (i.e. YOU) have discovered this blog and started following along!

So for the month of December I am going to have a giveaway each week!

Giveaway #1:



Remember how I blogged about a book my office was reading called The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews? I finished it last week and it is just too good to NOT pass on to someone else.

A unique blend of fiction, history, allegory, and inspiration, The Traveler's Gift has motivated tens of thousands since its release in late 2002. David Ponder's lost his job, his confidence, and his will to live. And just when it seems that things can't get any worse, they do: his only child falls ill, and he's involved in a serious car accident. But a divine adventure that includes encounters with seven of history's most inspirational characters, among them Anne Frank, Abraham Lincoln, and Christopher Columbus, leaves him with a glimpse of life's big picture, and seven bits of wisdom with which to confront his future. This thought-provoking book encourages readers of all ages to reach their full potential using these simple keys to success.

If you'd like to win my paperback copy of this book, here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower- if you're not already
2. Leave a comment on this post with YOUR best little bit of wisdom or favorite quote!

I'll draw a winner on Friday. Good Luck!

And be on the lookout for other giveaways all this month!