ChicBuds Winner!

woohoo! I have a winner! And that winner is....the lucky Teresa! I have contacted you with a post on your blog...but I know you follow my blog too so please be sure to contact me so I can send you your new bling! Congrats!

Bloggy Giveaways-$10 Omaha Steaks GC-US only OVER

Food, glorious food. And it is even better with Omaha Steaks. Have you ever tried their burgers? OMG, we had them this past summer and they are delicious!

To spice up things a little, I am offering one of you your own $10 GC to Omaha Steaks to use to buy what you want. This is an actual gift card, to use in store or online-your choice. Combine it with sales they have going on from time to time and save even more! Check out all the goodies you can get: www.omahasteaks.com Drooling yet?


This giveaway starts tonight and ends on January 31, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. US only, please. Rules are simple, but BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR ENTRY if you are not a blogger. I want to be able to send you your prize!

1. Leave me a comment, telling me your favorite thing to BBQ. Mine is burgers, hands down!

2. For an extra entry, follow my blog. Leave your entry in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, let me know about it in a separate comment!

3. Follow me on Twitter. Leave your entry in a separate comment. If you already follow me on Twitter, let me know by leaving me a separate comment.

Good luck and be sure to check out the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival going on here: http://www.donttrythisathome.typepad.com/bloggy_giveaways/ there are THOUSANDS of prizes! Good luck!

Bloggy Giveaways-Win ChicBuds! International OK OVER

I am going to be SO busy this week entering bloggy giveaways! But while I am doing that, at the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival here: http://www.donttryit.com/bloggy_giveaways/ make sure you enter my giveaway to win the sour apple/white ChicBuds pictured above! Valued at $49.00 a pair, they will make a nice addition to your MP3, iPod, computer, etc... or they can make a wonderful gift too.

ChicBuds are wonderful bling for your ears, and in person they are simply amazing! I have already gotten several compliments on mine! Check out ChicBuds for all the styles they offer as well- www.chicbuds.com you won't be disappointed! And be sure to check out all the great Bloggy Giveaway Carnival entries too! Here are the rules:

1. I WILL post internationally if someone from another country wins it-I've won goodies from several international blogs, and it's only fair to repay the favor and make this open to ALL.

2. Giveaway ends on January 30th at 11:59 pm EST. PLEASE leave an email address in your comment if you don't have a blog so I can find you!

3. Just leave a comment, any comment will do. I know you will be busy entering other giveaways too!

4. For one extra entry, you can follow my blog. Leave a separate comment letting me know this. If you already follow, let me know as well.

5. For another extra entry, you can follow me on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling me you did that. If you already follow me on Twitter, let me know as well.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified over the weekend. Good luck in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival everyone!

Ends 1/31/09 Heart Shaped Pendant-So Pretty!

This would be so perfect for Valentine's Day!

http://hail2thesnowqueen.blogspot.com/2009/01/kt-kreations-giveaway.html

Movie Tickets winner!

Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence:

25
11
22
8
15
5
27
16
24
19
28
21
4
12
20
6
1
2
10
13
14
9
7
3
26
23
17
18
Timestamp: 2009-01-24 12:52:46 UTC

so that means number 25 is the winner! That means the very lucky areyoukiddingme gets to go to the movies on me! I will be contacting you soon so I can get these in the mail to you! Congratulations!

Sharing the Love....

I was extremely, extremely fortunate to win quite a few pairs of ChicBuds (www.chicbuds.com) the awesome ear candy and must-have accessory for your MP3, iPod, PC, you name it. I was shocked to find out that I had won pairs that I could share with friends and family, and rather than being greedy or re-selling them on Ebay or something-I wanted to do the right thing and share the love with my coworkers. We have worked hard all year, and all deserve to have some fun as this season of doing Fuel Assistance and providing help to needy households has been a rough one.

To be honest, I was surprised to find out I had won so many and thought there had to be some mistake. But when they arrived, and I took them out of the package I was so in love with their design and color. I will tell ya, the ladies at work really preferred the black ones to the white ones-it makes the "bling" stand out quite a bit more. The colors are much more vibrant in person, and they really stand out.

Last week I brought in a pair just like the one above and held a drawing for my coworkers in the building. Everyone thought they were pretty and Nicole won them. Since she didn't have any mp3 players or iPods, she gave them to her mom. She said green was her mom's favorite color and since she works in a stitching factory, she listens to music all day but just can't keep a good pair of quality headphones going. Let's hope Nicole's mom is happy with her new chicbuds and her fellow factory workers are asking her where she got this gorgeous ear candy.

Today was a big day, with the Inauguration and all. And to celebrate this time of change and hope, I decided I'd have another little drawing and I gave away a second pair. It was Janet's lucky day. She had come down from one of the outer offices to fill in for a sick coworker and was my first lucky winner. Now I say FIRST because after lunch and watching Obama take the Presidential Oath (and also by having hints dropped by non winners who REALLY wanted these!) I brought back three more pairs to give away. Rhonda, my first winner chose the black ones with blue crystals, Natalie chose the white with white diamondlike crystals, and Becky chose the white/green pair. All together, I gave away $250.00 in these gorgeous accessories and have one other green/white pair I will be giving away during the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival next week...because I just can't forget my bloggy buddies, can I?

I did keep a few pairs for my immediate family, but it felt really good to be giving away something that people were so happy to receive. Before I did this giveaway, no one knew about Chicbuds, or what they were. But now they do, and I am sure they will tell their friends and people who stop to admire their ear bling as well. I tried mine out earlier this evening-the sound was crystal clear and I gotta admit, my iPod is definitely looking more fashionable now. Plus the fact that the wires retract is great, no more tangled headphone wires in my purse, on my desk etc... I can't tell you how frustrating it is to want to listen to your iPod and have to pause to untangle the jumbled mess of headphone wires.

I really want to thank Chicbuds for giving me the chance to share my prize package-I won from two different blogs and hope that my coworkers will spread the word about the product to their own friends and family too. Watch for my giveaway next week and be sure to check out Chicbuds, they have several new designer series-including some cool designs for the guys in your life too!

Movies, anyone? Another giveaway! OVER

Note: These tickets are only valid at the REGAL CINEMA chain, no expiration and no restrictions either! Please check to see if there is a location near you: http://www.regmovies.com/

In addition to my wedding anniversary on the 12th, my birthday was on the 15th...whew, it's been a busy week! Unfortunately, I didn't take the opportunity to go to the movies for free on my birthday or eat a meal for free at the local Chinese buffet due to a hectic work schedule and sub zero temperatures all week. Who wants to venture outside when it's 30 below zero? I sure don't! So I pretty much confined myself to work and house, with the exception of a birthday party yesterday and forcing my husband to take me to dinner on my birthday so I could get the nachos I had been craving.

Ok, so to enter this giveaway which starts now and ends Friday the 23rd at 11:59 pm EST all you need to do is:

1. Post a comment wishing me a happy birthday. I turned 43 and at the bday party we went to yesterday the boys little brother asked me my age, and then he proclaimed loudly to Deja and all within earshot "Boy, does your mom look OLD!" ouch! I am currently looking for the fountain of youth, so if any of you have found it, please let me know!

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES: (leave a separate comment for each & email so I can get a hold of you! Or leave a way to get in touch with you through your blog profile, your choice)

2. You can follow my blog-if you already follow my blog, that is fine, just let me know in your comment.

3. Follow me on Twitter as well, if you already do please let me know!

4. Send out a Tweet about my giveaway, and come back and post the link to it so I can find it for another extra entry.

Good luck!

We have a winner folks!

Sorry no screenshot but I can't figure out how to put one in my post-and my digital camera has no good batteries, so had to resort to cut and paste!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

10
Timestamp: 2009-01-18 14:24:46 UTC

the winner is..... Exotic1 aka Rhonda! Wow, what a surprise! I will be contacting by email to let you know you won! And if you didn't win this giveaway, be sure to enter my next one!

Michele

Birthdays and Bows...

Earlier this week, Deja was invited to a birthday party for one of her classmates, Evan. The party was today, but unfortunately I don't have pics because my digital camera batteries died :( After picking out his gift (a Webkin Lizard) and signing his card she was ready for the party.

Deja is a girly-girl but not used to wearing dresses. So I was surprised when she was insistent that she was going to wear a dress, tights and a pretty bow in her hair. I'd gotten a beautiful hairbow with a winter theme (light blue, shimmery and with snowflakes, gorgeous!) from A Joyful Baby Bowtique www.ajoyfulbabybowtique.etsy.com
and she wore it to the party. Everyone commented on how pretty it was, and it was the perfect size for a 7 year old who wanted to feel special. When we left, she told me Evan, the classmate who had the birthday had told her "how pretty she looked" with her dress, jewelry and hairbow. She's trying to grow out her bangs, so clippies and hair bows seem to be the item of the moment. Check out their website, she has many gorgeous hair accessories for your little girl :)

At the party, they played lots of fun games and a great time was had by all. Another little classmate friend named Gavin showed up with his mom and the mommies had a fun time chatting away. I wish I had been a little more talkative, but towards the end of the party I ended up getting a migraine and came home to a Fioricet and a nap. I've been working so much and probably overdid it last night by staying so late after a full day. I tend to get my migraines when my body is overtired so this was probably it. Anyways, the nap worked.

Thanks so much to the Joyful Baby Bowtique for sponsoring the giveaway for the lovely hairbow, and to Sara at Momma Findings for having the giveaway! Deja loved her new hair bow and it was the talk of the party! Be sure to visit Sara's blog-her button is on my sidebar with the cute little lady bug-because she's always having some great giveaways!

UPDATE: I just went to her Etsy site and got another bow for Deja-a beautiful chocolate brown and pink one. By the time I get it I should have my camera working and be able to take pics of her pretty new hair accessories!

It's my anniversary, & you get the gift! GIVEAWAY-OVER

Yesterday was my anniversary and I was so busy that hubby and I didn't do anything special... actually we were in court all day with my teen son dealing with his issues but that is another story! So I am a day late in getting this post up, sorry!

Today hubby is sick, and he's blaming the ham fried rice I got him at lunchtime. Personally, the stomach flu is going around and since our daughter had it last week I am thinking those little buggers found their way into HIS stomach. As he lies in bed, moaning in pain, I thought a giveaway would be in order. (men can be such babies when they are sick, they moan and groan and want us to wait on them hand and foot. If only they had to deal with childbirth, PMS, and THAT time of the month I bet they'd know enough to keep their mouths shut.) Sorry guys, if you are reading this, but the majority of women I spoke to are in agreement with this one!

To capture those precious moments (or a pic of YOUR hubby or significant other moaning and groaning in his/her sickbed to show all your BFF's) I am giving away this Coby Digital Photo keychain. Bear with me: I am still new to the giveaway scene, and my blog is somewhat boring graphic wise until I can scrape up the bucks for a blog makeover, so I will make it SIMPLE . The rules are below:

1. Giveaway will run from now- 1/13/09 until 11:59 pm 1/17/09.

2. International entrants are welcome, so feel free to enter as well!

3. Just post anything you want, ON THIS POST-I love comments!

4. You MUST leave a way for me to contact you, by blog or email in your post.

5. EXTRA ENTRY: You can follow my blog & let me know in a SEPARATE comment.

Winner will be selected by Random.org on 1/18/09 and posted here & emailed as well.

15 families can win 1 yrs free breakfasts!

Head on over to the Consumer Queen's blog before the 15th and enter to win! With 15 winners, your chances are good and who can resist free food, right? Also-be sure to check out ways to save even more on their delicious meals!

http://www.consumerqueen.com/win-a-years-supply-of-breakfast-579.htm

A Great Dinner with our Brazilian Friends-

Yesterday we spent a great day/early evening with our friends Joao & Regina from Brazil. Here is hubby, Joao (we call him John) and Regina after we'd finished dessert.

It's fun when we get together, because our conversations are a mix of broken English, Spanish & Portugese... and the food, well it is really, really good! Yesterday we had lasagna with chicken & veggies and regular oven roasted chicken, beans and rice... I SO wish I could cook as good as they do!

The last time I went to visit though, I wasn't impressed with hubby. See, Jose knows I have never eaten venison and would never eat it IF I knew I was going to eat it. So he didn't tell me that John cooked venison (which was delicious, by the way!) and we all sat down to eat the "beef" and other good stuff. Hubby kept watching me and smiling, but never said anything until we got home. THEN he asked me how I liked eating deer meat. I could have killed him at that point, but it was useless. Now I have learned just NOT to ask what I will be eating.

It reminds me of the time I went with him to get tacos on a Sunday morning when we lived in RI. After a night out at the bar, the guys would be suffering a major hangover but couldn't legally buy beer on Sundays in RI. So they'd head over to the taco guys house (who I am sure did not have a permit to cook in his kitchen and definitely didn't have one to sell beer!) and buy beers and tacos and eat and drink. (The taco guy is still around, he just has to keep moving alot as they keep arresting him for selling beer illegally lol... what he should have done is sell the tacos for 5 bucks apiece instead of a buck apiece and give the person a "free" beer to wash it down with-but now you can get beer in RI on Sundays, so his business has dropped a bit too.) Betcha didn't know people make money selling beer after the bars have closed down there and people still wanna drink, did ya? Yup, if it's 3 am you give him a call and he will deliver to you what you want for beer-as far as I know that still goes on and he pretty much makes 100% profit so it's not bad money. Anyways, Jose would always bring these awesome tacos home, just meat, double tortillas, cilantro and onions with a side of limes to squeeze the juice over it...wicked good. Can't tell ya how many I ate of them. So one day, he decides to take me to the taco house which is traditionally men's territory (except for the man's wife/daughters) I go there and get my tacos on a plate, but I don't drink beer so I bring my own Diet Coke, thank you. Hubby starts in talking to all of his friends who are in varying degrees of hangover or getting drunk all over again. I ask one of the ladies to go to the bathroom, which is by the kitchen. In the kitchen, they are preparing the tacos. I made the mistake of looking-and there in the sink, grinning in all it's glory was the skull of either a cow or a hog that had been boiled and THAT was the taco meat.

I politely told hubby we had to leave-NOW. And that was the end of my delicious tacos every Sunday from the taco man. I still go to RI and eat tacos, from restaurants and sometimes bakeries will sell the things and other foods such as tamales, chiles rellenos etc... on weekends. I just don't ask any more, I prefer NOT knowing, lol. (this can happen anywhere, I remember when I worked for the state and a local Chinese restaurant was closed by health inspectors after serving up Fluffy in their chicken fingers. I can't tell you how many of those I ate on lunch break. Even my son, to this day calls his chicken fingers Carne de Gato-cat meat)

Yesterday we had a great meal, and I was thankful to be with our friends. They are super nice people and lots of fun to be with! Thanks Joao & Regina for a great meal and some great company as well!

Cats and Vets-They just don't mix!

Well tonight after work I managed to corral my cat Brujita into the carrier and take her to the dreaded annual vet exam. First off, I had to bribe her with a nice can of wet cat food to even get her to come out of hiding. Usually, every day when I come home she runs to greet me. They say animals don't understand, but I told her yesterday she was going to the vet after work today and I will tell ya--that cat understood me loud and clear. I came home at lunch, no cat. I called her, she didn't appear. After work, again no cat in sight. Finally Deja located her underneath the kitchen table, with no intention of coming out.

Things got worse when I went to the basement to get the cat carrier. She and Shadow knew something was up. Tippy, my outdoor kitty bolted out the pet door before I could even set the thing down. In an effort to entice them out into the open, I opened a can of wet kitty food. She cautiously started to eat and I lunged. She ran. Under the bed. Hubby scared her out, and finally I caught her back in the kitchen again and put her into the carrier. She was NOT happy, and was growling at me.

In the car, the pleasant smell of fresh cat poop wafted under my nose and Deja proclaimed that Brujita had pooped in her carrier. We arrived early at the vet and the wailing resumed. After I explained her little accident, they took her out back to clean her up. Soon they brought her back to me in a cleaner carrier and I waited with her and Deja in the exam room. Deja stated that she still reeked, but there wasn't much we could do about that. I tried to comfort her, but she was having none of that. She was pissed. I had to laugh as she turned her body from me and she faced the corner of the crate, not even looking at me-kind of like a little child reprimanded to face the corner. Finally, the vet came in, checked her over, she got the shot and we left.

She's home now-the minute I walked in the door she knew the scent of the house and began to paw frantically at the carrier door. I opened it and she ran out and hid. It's been a couple of hours and I am still on the shit list because I haven't seen her once. She will get over it in a day or two, she always does. And in two weeks I get to repeat the same scene all over again, with another cat! Wish me luck!

Dad's lung cancer update...

My dad has been doing chemo and radiation now for a little bit. He is currently on hiatus from the chemo until the 19th. The radiation treatments are all of 45 seconds, 15 seconds on each spot they want to zap, as he calls it.

He is nauseous, and doesn't want to eat. Today he told my half brother he will be dead within a week. I have been wanting to see him, but my daughter is still sick (puking and running to the bathroom a few times a day-but she's eating AND going to the bathroom, so no risk of dehydration again, tho' I am watching it.) He has a mask, rubber gloves etc... and can't be around sick people. I am not sick, but my coworkers are as well as my daughter. Whatever she has, he certainly doesn't need as he has gone from 145 lbs down to 119 and continues to lose weight. Last week, he was weak and fell down. Luckily my mom was there and able to help him. Pretty soon, we will all be pitching in to take turns giving him rides to the hospital since he won't be able to drive-he would get into an accident for sure because he is so tired and weak.

We are worried he is giving up and not fighting this thing. These treatments are much worse than the skin cancer laser treatments he had on his face a few years back. I will probably be laid off in March sometime, and will have more time to attend to his needs when that happens. I am also facing my teen son's court date on Monday, where he will be looking at a very lengthy juvenile detention center stay. I will be visiting other blogs, cleaning house, working like a fiend, doing stuff to keep me busy as I question my sanity and how I can keep it all together during times like this. I might not be posting much, as I am a bit down in the dumps about all of this sh*t going on right now. Bear with me, I will be back again soon!

OMG, Live Game Shows Rock!

I was part of a focus group awhile back for a new, fun live game show/website called It's Easy to Win, put on by Eric Friedberg from CFA Promotions in Massachusetts.

During the testing phase, we offered our opinions on the site and gave Eric ideas to help promote his site. It was lots of fun, but unfortunately my PC settings were not working very well and I couldn't get in on the first game shows. It was a bummer, and so I did what every internet addict would do. Bought a new computer...and also a Apple iMac laptop this Christmas just for good measure. Now BEFORE I had the chance to hook up said new computer, which has been sitting in my living room since last summer-I managed to get this one up and running reasonably good.

So far, I have logged in to several of the Live Game Shows, and have had so much fun watching and listening to Eric. He really is so down to earth and a really cool guy-I enjoyed our emails back and forth during the focus group and I can tell you he REALLY likes to see people win.

And that is why tonight, as I am sitting here at my PC logged in and scarfing down the rest of my McD's french fries with Deja watching beside me-I was SHOCKED to be the first player on the State Your Case Game! I was playing for TWO THOUSAND dollars... visions of little dollar bills (and big ones too!) danced in my head as I picked up my cell to call Eric and tell him I wanted case 42 (my age, shhh....) with Maine for the license plate inside. Eric even so nicely offered me 100 bucks to not take the case, but hubby Jose was next to me telling me to go for it. Well, I did. And nope, it was Arkansas in that case but gosh wasn't it fun just imagining what I'd do with all that money. I was kinda bummed about giving up a hundred bucks, but ya know-I went into the game with nothing, so if I leave with nothing, that's okay too. It was FUN, and that is what counts.

Head over to www.itseasytowin.com and check out their instant games, register for the site, and be sure to visit the live games schedule. You just never know, you might be picked! Hey, if he asks you if you have a referral, tell them Michele from Waterville, ME sent ya and GOOD LUCK! Win Big! Oh, if you doubt that these prizes are sent out, I can tell you they are...when I was in the focus group this past summer, I won $25 and Eric sent me the check within a few days, so yes, this is a LEGIT site!

Love birds? Check out this Giveaway---

Diane over at Diane Knott's Musings is giving away a beautiful pillow with a cute little chickadee cross stitched design-so pretty! You must have a blog to enter, and her drawing ends on January 15th, my birthday! Good luck!

http://dianeknottsmusings.blogspot.com/2009/01/happy-new-year-give-away-for-someone.html

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15: A Review

Living in Maine, dry skin is almost a given in the winter months. The cold winter weather tends to chap the skin quickly, leaving it rough and needing some TLC. I hate wearing dark colored clothes in the winter, because my skin will leave it's "dandruff" all over the clothing and it just looks horrible.

Another thing about winter weather is that while the sun may not be as bright as the summer months, sun damage can occur anyways. The snow and ice are perfect reflectors of the sun's damaging rays-I've seen skiiers and ice fishermen come back home with sunburns on their faces even when it's 20 below zero. That being said, you shouldn't just let your guard down because it's cold outside and the sun may not be as hot as the summertime. I make sure to wear sunglasses if there are snow and ice outside and I'm driving, because there are days when the glare is so terrible it makes it difficult to see.

I was pretty excited when Pete Grimaldi from 21st Century Formulations contacted me and asked me to try out their new product, Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15. My dad has had skin cancer lesions removed off from his face, ears and lips by lasers within the past few years-and the results are not pretty. He is fair skinned like myself and the years of working outside in construction, fishing and hunting caught up with him. I actually went to a women's health clinic last year and checked out my face with ultraviolet lights and was shocked to see signs of damage I had from the sun due to the few sunburns I had when I was a child.

In the wintertime, I tend to look for the heavy, creamy types of skin lotions, usually with alot of scent. And I NEVER use it for my face, I'd be sure to break out from clogged pores or something. When I tried the Skin Care MD lotion, I was surprised to see it was for face, hands and body. The lotion was thinner than I expected, so I decided to try it on my face too. I've been using it for about two weeks now, and no breakouts! I like the fact that it absorbs quickly, leaving my skin feeling soft but not greasy. There is a slight sunscreen type smell, but it is not unpleasant. I have a rather large scar on my right forearm and that area tends to dry out the quickest but when I used the Skin MD I noticed that the area didn't dry out quickly at all-which was a nice surprise.

I ended up bringing the Skin MD Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15 to the office and had my two co-workers Rhonda and Nicole try it out. Nicole tried it, and didn't think it was that bad-but she is someone who likes alot of scent, and the slight sunscreen smell it left didn't appeal to her. Rhonda, on the other hand really liked the sunscreen smell and used the product a couple of times. She has pretty sensitive skin and was a bit hesitant to put it on her face, thinking it'd break her out but she did-and so far no rash or breakouts reported. You really don't need a lot of this product to get the job done-it tends to sink right into the skin almost immediately, and a little will go a long way.

There are many benefits to the Skin MD line, and you can read them here: www.skinmdnatural.com I would probably wear this product with the added sunscreen more in the summertime than in the winter since I tend to hibernate inside during cold weather. But working in the garden, by the pool with my daughter, or on vacation in a warmer climate I would be sure to have it close by. I know CVS sells the product, because I saw it on the pharmacy counter-you can also buy from the website but if you want to save on shipping costs I'd see if there is a store near you. This particular product retails for about $25 a bottle for a 1-2 month supply. The regular Skin MD retails for about $18 a bottle. If you have CVS ExtraBucks to use, you could even use those towards the purchase cost. While the price may seem high for some of you, I can tell you that those laser treatments my dad got were several thousand dollars A POP-with no health insurance. Which would you rather be paying for?

April Showers can bring you... a $25 GC to B & BW!

Oh my goodness, if you head on over to visit this blog before tomorrow at 8 pm mountain time you can enter to win a $25 GC to Bath & Body Works! I SO need some new wallflower scents for my home and love their longlasting fragrances. Plus, you can win an Avon Mark GC as well, based on the # of comments she gets for this giveaway. Right now it's up to 23 and I still have to post my entry too! Head on over before it's too late! http://aprildurham.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-years-giveaway.html

A Sick Kid, an IV and Some Cool Rewards!

Monday I went to work and got a call that Deja was sick and puking up all over the place at the school program she goes to during vacations and before/after school. It was strange, and must have hit like lightning because I'd dropped her off an hour earlier and all was fine. So daddy went to pick her up, and all this week she has been lifeless, tired, not wanting to eat or drink and just being fussy saying she wasn't feeling well.

After saltines, ginger ale and a myriad of other things failed to touch it-I was pretty convinced this thing was viral. Then the sneezing, stuffiness, and coughing started. And the headache and fever were the finishing touches. I'd been at work today about an hour and a half when hubby called and I could hear Deja crying and screetching away in the background. She is usually a pretty tough kid, so I knew something had to be wrong. And hubby was very nervous, begging me to take her to the doctor's for her head pain. I told him to give her some more Tylenol for the fever and pain, and I'd be home shortly. Her headache would come in waves and she still wasn't eating or drinking so off to the ER we go after being told her dr. couldn't fit her in. She was moderately dehydrated, so they gave her an IV which didn't go over well- but she managed.

I promised her if she was good she'd get some type of a reward and boy was I relieved when I checked the mailbox and found a couple of really nice bloggy rewards to give her! As you can see above, they DEFINITELY brought a smile to her face after she'd just left the hospital!

First thing she opened was a small box and in it was a beautiful, heavy and well made Precious Girls Club charm bracelet! She immediately ditched her hospital bracelet and put this on-after I took the pic of course. Thank you Alaina, from http://www.threeladiesandadad.blogspot.com/ for hosting such a nice girly giveaway-Deja loves the Precious Girls Club-we've read the book and visited the web site and it is a great SAFE place for little girls to go online and have fun! You've got to check out Alaina's blog header, I just love the photo!

The NEXT item she received perked up even daddy's ears. Now, while we don't have a Ridemakerz near us I love the fact that you can make your ride online. I was home at lunch time and caught Deja and daddy scoping out the site-and I couldn't tell who was more excited-him or her. This $75 Ridemakerz GC I won from Sarah over at http://twobroomsup.poisonousroses.us/ is going to be so much fun to do over the weekend! I know Deja has already said it has to be PINK so we will go from there... and once I get it will post a pic for all to see! Thank you Sarah, for hosting such a neat giveaway that even little girls love! (and big boys too!)

So both of these rewards fit the bill for Deja's suffering thru her IV today-and even though she still didn't feel very well for the photo, she's grinning from ear to ear with happiness! Thanks Ladies!

EDIT: We just finished building the car online. It is a very easy process and lots of fun. Deja opted for a pink little car with a monster Chassiz, and remote control! Boy she is going all out for this one! Pink stickers, golden wheels, a cool sound-I had just as much fun watching her do this online and now she is counting down the days on the calendar until she gets her car! Since they come unassembled, she and Daddy will have fun when the package arrives too. Will post some pics of it when it arrives. Thanks Ridemakerz!

Brrr... Pics from Snowstorm awhile back

This was from the huge storm we got a couple of weeks back, 18 inches! One part of Maine got almost FOUR feet from that storm. Since I am 4'11" guess I would have had a hard time walking in it and probably would have been buried till Spring.

I let hubby have the camera and he went around taking pics of the snow before he started his snowblowing. Most of it is melted now, due to another storm which dumped sleet and rain on us a week later but right now we are having clear skies, sun and below zero temps due to this wind! The wind chill is horrible. I would have hated to be in Times Square last night as they predicted a wind chill temp of zero.

Tomorrow it's back to work--for one day. I would have loved a long weekend but unfortunately that is not about to happen. My coworker is very sick, and she needs to get well-plus I need to take my time for one of my son's court dates. He has several coming up-January, February, and March. It is all part of living with a teen with conduct disorder and a drug addiction. I pray that once he is in a juvenile detention center he will get off the marijuana and get the help he needs, along with his education. He really is a good kid, but needs help and deep down he knows it.

Hope your New Year was wonderful! Me? I fell asleep at ten o'clock last nite and slept soundly right through the New Year. Hubby worked, and both the kids were asleep as well. Guess I am getting old, 10 years ago I would have been in a club with hubby and our friends dancing the night away. Now I opt for quiet nights at home with family, movies and popcorn/pizza! How did you spend your New Years Eve?