Here’s the Deal…

I’m going to start off by saying “A Million Thanks” to HP for giving me the opportunity to be a Santa Angel this year. I’d also like to thank them for giving all of the fifty bloggers the room to run each individual contest in our own way.

That being said, here’s the deal:  I love traffic. We all do. So in that spirit, I’m framing this contest to include some link love and encourage visits to all the blogs entering into this crazy giveaway.

How?

Each contestant will post their stories on their own blogs or vlogs for all of us to go read or see. Use the Mr. Linky widget below to sign up. Fill out the fields as requested, using the url for your post, not your site. (This is very important... do not link to your blog, but the post specifically written for this giveaway within your blog!!! If you don't know how, please ask in the comments...)

It would be great if all the contestants would visit the other blogs in this contest to show some community spirit. Not saying that I care, but the judges might... Feel free to share your favorite posts back here in the comments section. If you have a Twitter account, follow me and the other contestants. Our hash tag will be #SugarMagic

What?

Tell us what you are doing to make an impact on the lives of others. It doesn’t have to be a Save-The-World kind of story. I just wrote about an ordinary refrigerator that helped me and many others. But saving the world is not off the table, either. Brian Carter will tell you all about One Day for Human Rights today… if you have a minute.

Tell us what you are planning to do with all this great hardware. I mean, there’s A LOT of hardware. More than one person could possibly ever need. How could all of these gadgets impact the lives of others that you know? How could these gadgets help you in personally inspiring or empowering others?

Who?

Winners will be chosen by a secret panel of ineligible (but still pretty nice) people. This group of wise and whacky women will read through all posts and follow the comment trails, so be nice out there…

When?

This contest officially ends at 11:59pm, December 16th, 2008. The winning entry will be announced no later than 11:59pm December 17th, 2008.

That’s it!  You don’t have to pull some silly stunt like getting a tattoo. ;)

So think a little before you write that post. Who would you like to help other than just yourself? How can you make an impact in a way that changes not only your life, but brings opportunities to others? How much time are you willing to invest in community?

This is a great prize package, for sure. I mean, I’m going to be really really really bummed to pack up that TouchSmart… REALLY bummed… not to mention all the other great products. But I know (or at least hope) that it will go to benefit someone that will in turn be of service to others.

Peace and Good Luck!

 

Technorati Tags: HP,TouchSmart,Magic,Giveaway,HDX,Human Rights Day,Brian Carter,Twittermoms,Twitter,tattoo

The Refrigerator

Once there was a refrigerator. It wasn’t a very special refrigerator. As far as appliances went, it was pretty ordinary. No water dispenser. No ice crushing function. It wasn’t really much to look at either. Some color between cream and eggshell and boring.

Just a refrigerator.

The first home of this ordinary appliance was with a family. I don’t know who they were. I only know that when they upgraded, they passed on the plain vanilla fridge to a young couple just starting out in life. They had both recently graduated from college and were in their first “real” jobs as managers for big companies with household names. In fact, this fridge was regularly stocked with some of the products that the groom represented. They worked hard and did well and soon moved into a home stocked with all new appliances.

What were they going to do with the fridge?

The bride had an assistant at the hotel that she worked at. That assistant was a single mom that always seemed to be just a little behind, no matter how hard she worked. The single mom not only worked for this new bride, but for brides-to-be on their wedding days as a coordinator. She was even known to work during the holidays checking coats for all the big parties at the hotel. And she heard that she was also waiting tables at night. She would do well some day, but at that moment, this mom was struggling. “Could you use this fridge?” The assistant was so thankful and tears filled her eyes at the kindness of this woman. She finally would have more than a cooler to store her family’s food.

The assistant did work hard and eventually was awarded a position opening up a new hotel in another city. She found a home for the fridge. It went to a struggling family who had just moved into the complex she was leaving. It wasn’t anything pretty to look at, she told the family, but they didn’t mind. They were just happy to not have to worry about paying extra rent for a place to keep the food that would feed their own family.

Just a plain, no frills, no ice maker, boring vanilla refrigerator.

I’m not really sure where that fridge ended up. I think about that simple appliance all the time and wonder… I hope it gave a few more families some relief, however small, for a few more stops. It’s amazing how something so plain and so simple made such an impact on the lives of so many.

How do we impact the lives of others? How do our small offerings make a big difference to those around us? Some of us will never know the peace that a person feels after being given something of little value to others, but of greater consequence to them. This is the season that we remember those little things. My hope is that the spirit of giving stay alive throughout the year. This is going to be a time in history when we will have many opportunities to find simple solutions for others that may possibly impact not only how they live, but how we all live. I pray for God to open my eyes to those opportunities and that I continue to be blessed with the chance to fill some needs for others... however simple.

Please come back VERY soon for a chance to impact the lives of others. VERY VERY soon!

;)

Which Three?

I got this question from the lovely ladies of Twitter Moms.

If you were stranded on an island and could have three movies with you, which three would you choose?

So, I’m going to make a few assumptions here… I’m assuming that I have brought some sort of tracking device with me, and at worst, I will be located within a few days. I’m also going to assume that all of my hours of watching Survivor Man, Man vs Wild, and of course, Castaway have prepared me to live and keep busy for those few days. So, I’m going to redefine stranded here. I’m thinking something more like snowed in at your in-laws. That’s scary enough, I suppose, right?

These are the three movies I would need to keep me sane:

Princess Bride - I saw this one when it first came out in the theater. I say that because I want you to know how long I have been madly in love with this snarky fairy tale. I could repeat the movie, and usually do, line by line. “She doesn’t get eaten by the eels at this time.” “As you wish.” “True love is the best thing in the woild. Except for a nice mutten lettuce and tomato when the mutten is nice and lean… mm… they’re so perky! But that’s not what he said!” “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father… prepare to die.”

Big Fish - I love that the father was always just a little too big for this world. I love the unending devotion the mom had for the father. I always completely lose it at the end, when the son, finally understanding his father, tells the final adventure, carrying him off to the river, parading past the cast of characters, waving goodbye before being released. And then at the funeral when the characters are retelling the adventures… you can’t hear any of their words. You only see their expressions and gestures... and their smiles. I always think about my eventual “last party” and hope that my “guests” will be doing something similar.

Forrest Gump - So many simple truths about life in one little movie. I’m always amazed  how I can be Jenny in life, striving, searching, chasing… and really, if I’m a little more Forrest, I’ll fall ass-backwards into the good things in life.

Now it’s your turn. Which three movies would you take with you if you were stranded at visiting your in-laws for a month?

I'm Not That Kind of Mom

It dawned on me that many people being directed here from the blogoshpere might be wondering if this is a "Mommy Blog." Since humans like things in categories, I might bug you a little... and I'm okay with that. While I am a Mom...

I'm not *that* kind of mom.

I'm not the kind of mom that makes breakfast and packs lunches and whistles the whole time. I'm the mom that makes her kids get their own cereal, not only because I want them to learn to do things on their own, but because I'm a late riser and like to sit with my coffee on the patio in peace during my ME time before starting my day as "mom."

I'm not the kind of mom that cares if the Chicken Dinos will cause my children to lose 3 days at the end of their life. Chances are, they will live full and happy lives regardless. I do buy organic milk and eggs and read labels like crazy, but I need easy. Microwavable chicken in the shape of T Rexes make my life easy!

I'm not the kind of mom that will smile politely when your child is being naughty and say "Oh, how cute." I will call him out on his behavior, usually beginning my interaction with a strong, "Hey buddy! Don't do that!" If you have a problem with that, control your young...

I'm not the kind of mom that will let a mom bash another mom while she's not there to defend herself. I don't think there is anything that shows the ugly side of humanity more than a bunch of women clawing at the reputation of another woman. I'd love to see those same catty women try to say this with a straight face to their kids: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

What kind of mom am I?

I'm the mom that will squirt whipped cream into her kids mouths when they say they want dessert.
I'm the mom that will suffer mess after mess so that her kids can be creative.
I'm the mom that screws up... a lot... and cries about it... a lot.
I'm the mom that is ALWAYS late. To everything.
I'm the mom that hates homework more than her kids ever could. That's one reason we homeschool.
I'm the mom that hates volunteering in the classroom more than she hates homework. Another bonus reason for homeschooling.
I'm the mom who never folds the laundry and some mornings forgets to check if the kids brushed their teeth before leaving the house.
I'm the mom who tells the kids to turn the music up.
I'm the mom that unabashedly and imperfectly loves her kids.

I'm responsible... but I'm not perfect. And I don't ever want to be.

So I blog and I happen to be a mom. I guess I'm a mommy blogger if that's how you want to categorize me. But don't forget... I'm not *that* kind of mommy.

And if that bugs you... don't look.

...

Some Light Housekeeping

I've been a lotta busy lately... so rather than continue to go to bed every night with this horrible feeling that I left the stove on or the front door unlocked... I figured I'd take care of a few items and maybe -- just maybe -- this OCD feeling will go away...

1) I was recently tagged by the ever awesome Brian Carter. Brian is a competitive optimizer who married his teacher. Seriously... he is really an optimizer... Anyway, if he was an avid reader of this blog, he would know that I had already been tagged with this meme. But I figured I'd lead him to the answers to The Six Things he doesn't know about his buddy, Sugar Pants. Especially since he was nice enough to do this to me:



2) The ladies over at One 2 One Marketing, Barbara Jones (no relation) and Arianne Segerman have been so kind and generous. They are the energy behind the Seal giveaway and were the Angels that bestowed me with that awesome Epson Artisan 800 that I love so much. They were also waiting for me to review a phenomenal voice recently, and because of my lack of structure in my life of late, I missed the date. So now, two weeks late... let me tell you... I am totally enjoying this CD, The Other Side of Me, by Linda Eder. I have been listening to her music all week. The first track, Let It Rain just makes me want to dance and be joyful. Track #11, Ghost reminds me of The Indigo Girls, which if you are fans of theirs, you will likely enjoy this CD. ((Haha... turns out Ghost was a remake of The Indigo Girls' song... told ya it sounded like them!!)) When I first heard the music samplings, I thought... this is a little bit country, but not really. Tell me what you think after you've given her a listen at: www.LindaEder.com

And if you want to share your opinion with others, sign up with One 2 One. You can land there by using the link on the left hand column... go on... they don't bite!

3) This HP Giveaway is an amazing opportunity to win $6,000 worth of products, but don't forget... there are 49 other blogs who are giving the same package away. While you are only eligible to win one package, you can enter as many of the contests as you'd like. I have to leave you in suspense until I'm allowed to tell you MY start date, but there's nothing stopping you from checking out all the other sites for a chance to win their package. Many are in full swing RIGHT NOW! So check out the other 49 of the Fifty Bloggers who get to be Santa this year!

4) I'm looking for a room mate. No, not to live here, you freaks!... one to share a room at Chicks Who Click in Boulder this January. There will be lots of learning, networking, and chattering. This event is the brain child of Gwen Bell and Denise Smith and is being sponsored by Walmart, Metzger Associates PR, and Kirtsy. There will also be a day on the slopes. Although I've always stayed safely on sticks, I'm thinking I'm going to try a day of boarding this trip... we'll see... If you are considering making the trip, let me know. I'll need to know that you've never been acquitted of any kind of manslaughter-ish crimes, but other than that, I'm thinking we're good.

5) and if you are one of my friends "in real life" who is just now starting to read my blog that you used to think of as Shoog's Diary but now you're thinking "hey, I want in on this HP package..." yeah, hate to tell you but you aren't eligible. Please refer to item #3 on this list to link to the other 49 bloggers that you CAN win from. And before you start getting all like "We're not THAT good of friends, here is the deal:

If we've had a beer together, we're friends.
If I've ever held your hair while you puked, we're friends.
If I ever had to wear a ridiculous dress in your wedding, we're friends (sort of).
If I sent you or received from you a Merry Chrisma-Hannu-Kwanza card, we're friends.
If we've prayed together, laughed together, cried together, we're definitely friends.
If our husbands fly together, we're friends.
If we ever worked together, we're friends.
If you are the bastards I worked for a few years back, we are not friends, but this is my contest and you are SO not eligible...

All righty people... be well.

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