***COMMENTS NOW CLOSED**** Today I'm getting right to the point (my mom is coming in town and my housekeeping standards have slipped this week, not sure why...).

Please check out my other four giveaways. All are open until Friday. I will have another (different) glass pendant for tomorrow. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 5.

Back to today: I love to read. Usually I'm at home, but there's something about going somewhere else to read, like the beach or a coffee house, that I really enjoy. So I'm giving one winner a $10 Starbucks card and a $10 Barnes and Noble card.

To enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you have planned for the weekend - required.

2. I MUST have a way to get in touch with you! NoReply@Blogger will not send you a response. I will have to delete comments with no contact info.

3. Comments will close on Friday, August 1st at 11:59pm CA time.

4. I will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email and in a "Winners" post on Saturday 8/2.

5. You don't need a blog to win, but I MUST have a way to contact you. US residents only (sorry!)

Thanks again for coming! Be sure to keep checking the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway hub for more great prizes. I popped in before posting and there were 960+ giveaways. 1,000 should be no problem. Have fun!

Bloggy Carnival Giveaway Day 3

***COMMENTS NOW CLOSED*** Today's giveaway is inspired by my trip to the grocery store, an email Drama Dad sent me and a funny video. He forwarded a slide show from The Pocono Record about plastic grocery bags and how harmful they are. Seeing the data expressed in numbers really hit home.

I'm sure these have gone around the web, but they're new to me. I found both the videos on You Tube. The quality (and music!) of the slide show isn't that great, but the other video is really funny.






This past Monday, I took all my canvas bags and one paper bag to the commissary. I had enough of my own bags that I only needed to take one (paper) bag from the store. And it felt really good.

I confess, I still have some plastic bags. I use them in my bathroom trash cans and for the cat litter. But I use them until they are nasty. When I find a better alternative I'll definitely switch.

One person really can make a difference. My small changes plus yours do add up. In the spirit of going green little by little, today's winner will get four re-usable bags from Trader Joe's (3 totes and 1 bottle carrier) and a $5 gift card.

To enter:
1. Watch the videos above if you haven't already or go to The Pocono Record's site to view the slide show (the slide show is much cleaner).

2. Come back here and leave a comment on this post and tell me your thoughts, impressions, what you're doing to go green or what re-usable bags you use (I'm looking for a few more cute ones) - required. Easy.

3. I MUST have a way to get in touch with you! NoReply@Blogger will not send you a response. I will have to delete comments with no contact info.

4. Comments will close on Friday, August 1st at 11:59pm CA time.

5. I will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email and in a "Winners" post on Saturday 8/2.

6. You don't need a blog to win, but I MUST have a way to contact you. US residents only (sorry!)

You can still enter my first pendant giveaway here, the Chick Lit, Starbucks/Barnes and Noble GC and second pendant giveaways. I will have new prizes tomorrow and Friday. The easiest way to keep up, of course, is to subscribe to my feed but that's not a requirement of entry (yet, hee hee).

Thanks again for coming! Be sure to keep checking the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway hub for more great prizes. I popped in before posting and there were 800+ giveaways. I bet this year will break 1,000. Have fun!

Bloggy Carnival Giveaway Day 2

***COMMENTS NOW CLOSED*** 

Hello! Today I have books to give away. Hopefully this author,

Jennifer Coburn, will be new to you. I love discovering new authors. It's like finding $20 in a jacket pocket.

I first read one of the books in the giveaway, The Wife of Reilly, a few years ago when I was working at a TV/radio station. This book was sent to one of the on-air talent.

I asked if I could borrow it and I read it in a few days. It's a quick, fun, funny read - just as Chick Lit should be. Coburn is currently living in San Diego. Gotta support the locals.

The winner of today's giveaway will receive three (new) paperbacks: The Wife of Reilly, Tales from the Crib and Reinventing Mona. I'll admit I've never read the second two (not sure why, probably because I'm cheap and waiting to come across one at the used book store). I wonder how quickly and carefully I can read them before I have to send them to the winner? Kidding.

To enter:
1. Go to Jennifer Coburn's site to read the synopsis of each book.

2. Come back here and leave a comment on this post and tell me which of her books you're most interested in reading - required. Easy like Sunday morning.

3. I MUST have a way to get in touch with you! NoReply@Blogger will not send you a response. I will have to delete comments with no contact info.

4. Comments will close on Friday, August 1st at 11:59pm CA time.

5. I will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email and in a "Winners" post on Saturday 8/2.

6. You don't need a blog to win, but I MUST have a way to contact you. US residents only (sorry!)

*Enter my first pendant giveaway here, the re-usable totes giveaway here, the Starbucks/Barnes and Noble here and the second pendant here (not required, but c'mon, more free stuff!). The easiest way to keep up, of course, is to subscribe to my feed. But I won't make that a condition of entry (unless I get really desperate).


Thanks again for coming! Be sure to keep checking the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway hub for more great prizes. The last time I popped in there were 580+ giveaways. Have fun!

It's Carnival Time! Giveaway Day 1

***COMMENTS NOW CLOSED*** Yeah! It's that time again. Time for late nights, ignoring the housework and finding new blogs. If you're here for the first time, welcome and thank you for coming! I hope to see you again.

I really enjoyed last year's carnival and wanted to do something special for this one. I am putting the finishing touches on my prizes and should be giving away a new item each day so please check back.

For my first giveaway, I have a beautiful handmade glass pendant from Jeanne Lee at Trinity Treasures. I adore fused glass jewelry and bought two of her pendants as my Mother's Day present to myself.

Jeanne is so sweet and I was so happy she agreed to give me pendants (notice the plural, hint, hint) for the carnival. She is local to San Diego and I always like to support local artists. But it's going to be really hard for me to give them up!

My camera does not do this necklace justice. It's several shades of green with an almost teal sparkle to it on a brown silk cord. Gorgeous!

To enter:

1. Go to the Trinity Treasures store to see Jeanne's other items (click on 'go to store,' top left).

2. Come back here and leave a comment on this post and tell me what other piece you'd buy - required. Simple! (You can thank me later)

3. I MUST have a way to get in touch with you! NoReply@Blogger will not send you a response. I will have to delete comments with no contact info.

4. Comments will close on Friday, August 1st at 11:59pm CA time.

5. I will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email and in a "Winners" post on Saturday 8/2.

6. You don't need a blog to win, but I MUST have a way to contact you. US residents only (sorry!)

*Enter my Chick Lit giveaway here, the re-usable totes here , the Starbucks/Barnes and Noble here and the second pendant here. (Not required, but more free stuff!)

Thanks again for coming! Be sure to check out the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway hub for more great prizes. Last quarter there were more than 900 giveaways. Have fun!

Blog Business- Or, Because I'm Just Really Forgetful

Hello! A few things I've been meaning to discuss:

1. For those of you who are oh so kind as to have me on your blogroll, first Thank You! and if you can pretty please with sugar on top make sure you have my new blog name? I keep meaning to ask you individually, but then forget because I'm sure I have adult ADD. Thanks, love you, mean it!

2. If you are participating in the next Bloggy Carnival Giveaway and have solicited your own sponsors, can you please let me know? I wrote a letter and I'm not getting the response I'd hoped for. I'd love to pick your brain. Thanks!

3. For those of you who use Mozilla instead of Internet Explorer (and Sitemeter tells me there are plenty), this site doesn't look the way I designed it to. It's got three columns, not two. The stuff you don't see (like my reading list, favorite posts, etc) is all the way at the bottom of the page. I have no idea how to fix this. If someone can enlighten me, I'd appreciate it.

4. On the very bottom of this page I have buttons taking you to The Greater Good network of sites where you click to donate towards mammograms, food, books, healthcare, the rainforest and animal rescue. It literally takes seconds to go through each site. When you remember, please click when you come here to comment. Mwah!

5. There's a great lineup of speakers at BlogHerNot. Mommy Pie is such a gracious hostess and I hear there's swag! Drunken debauchery to commence soon, hurry!

6. I'm late with my 100 Things About Me post. Sue me.

7. Plane Jane Mom posted her cell phone number so those not going to BlogHer can call her for updates. Seriously. I'm so calling.

OK Book Lovers! Show Me What You Got!

Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late to my own party. Childhood friend + last minute visit = night of drinking. Anyway, I hope you have your books handy 'cause I really need help.

The book we're reading now for Book Club, Love Monkey by Kyle Smith, just isn't doing it for me. I should like it. It has funny parts and Smith really has a way with words, but so far I just can't into it. It's about a single guy, Tom, who lives in New York and writes the headlines for a tabloid. He's single and still hung up on his ex.

This synopsis is from Google Books:

"Many men aim high; Tom Farrell dares to be average. While his friends accumulate wedding rings, mortgages, and even, alarmingly, babies, Tom still lives alone in his rented apartment with nothing but condiments and alcohol in his refrigerator. He spends Saturday mornings watching cartoons and eating Cocoa Puffs out of an Empire Strikes Back bowl, and devotes the rest of the weekend to his other favorite hobbies: sports and girls."

There are parts that made me laugh out loud. I really should like this book. But I don't. So, please tell me what you're reading. On this post or on your own site using Mr. Linky, give us the title and author, a review and three sentences from page 38 (I used the length of Love Monkey - 336 pages - to choose the number).


"Now Eli's in the Zone with Hillary. I confronted him about it one night. They had been making cute little call-me-later gestures at each other across the newsroom as I was stuffing my backpack with stolen office supplies, and when I left, he and his gonna-get-some-tonight smirk followed me onto the elevator."

My hope with this carnival is that one of you will get to post three really exciting sentences from your book that make me want to read more. And then I can go to my next book club meeting armed with awesome suggestions and everyone will love me and think I'm brilliant and well-read. So have at it!

Attention Students! 1-2-3 Eyes on Me!

Hello! Not a lot going on today. Drama Kid and I are headed to the beach campgrounds where Drama Dad's cousins spend a week every year.

Your homework assignments: I have two different meme's/carnivals scheduled, one for readers the other for football fans.

For the readers: Have whatever you're reading handy next Tuesday 7/15 (I think I saw this at Kate's). I'm reading Love Monkey for my book club and just can't get into it.

So, I want to know what you're reading. I need some suggestions to take to the next meeting. I'll use random.org to come up with a page number. And I'll use Mr. Linky so that anyone who wants to participate can post the title, a review of the book and three sentences from the chosen page.

For the football fans: Are you getting excited?! Opening day of preseason is only 28 days away! I'm sqealing and clapping like I just got nominated to Homecoming Court. I got a new sticker for my car and I'm on the lookout for new shirts for Drama Kid and jewelry for me. I can't wait for Sundays! And Mondays. And some Thursdays.

I want to know who you'll be cheering for this season. Post one of your best fan stories, pictures of you in your fan gear, all your memoriabilia and inflatable fingers, your tattoos; whatever you want. But no team bashing or name calling please. I'll leave up another Mr. Linky so we can see who's the biggest fan. I'll do this the following Tuesday 7/22.

And, just to see who's out there today and who read this far down, the first four people to say "Ska Doosh" in their comments will win the Kung Fu Panda Panda-Monium activity CD from HP and Mom Select.

Enjoy your day!

Movie Madness Carnival - Review of True Romance

One of my favorite movies of all time is True Romance. I don’t think it made huge box office dollars (at least by today’s standards) but I don’t know anyone who’s seen it who hasn’t liked it. It has an incredible cast and was written by Quentin Tarantino (Brad Pitt is freakin’ hilarious! and Val Kilmer has a split second cameo).

In college (November 1995), I used this movie to write a paper. The topic was Gender Analysis in the Movie True Romance. I took the stance that even though Patricia Arquette’s character, Alabama, gets the stuffing beat out of her, she’s no Cinderella waiting for and needing a man to rescue her as many female leads seemed to do. She thinks on her feet, improvises and turns the tables on the bad guys.

She doesn’t need Clarence (Christian Slater) to say, “now honey, when we walk in, let me do the talking and follow my lead.” No sir. She totally holds her own, gives as much as she takes (if not more!) and in the end it’s she who saves the day, rescues her man and rides them off into the sunset. Arquette kicks some serious ass in this movie and it’s why I love her today.

The writing and acting in this movie are phenomenal. Did I mention the spectacular cast? This is definitely a move to watch after the kids are asleep (or better, staying at Gramma’s).



For more movies, head over to Daily Mish Mash. There are prizes!