Another Giveaway That I Don't Really Want YOU To Win

So since I'm all about trying to win free good stuff (Target gift card from Blogged-In, A&E Romantic Classics from everyone - but most presently Barb), I might as well tell you about the Netflix giveaway at Kelli's place, Living In Grace. She's giving away a mighty fun prize.

"I'm giving away FOUR! FREE! starter memberships to Netflix. You will get a one month subscription to Netflix, and can rent up to three movies at any time. So, if you play your cards right, you could watch between TWELVE! and SIXTEEN! movies FREE! at home.

But wait! there's more!
Netflix also lets you watch movies on your computer! Instantly!

But wait! There's even MORE!
The winners will recieve a Movie Goodies Box from me, full of yummy treats to indulge in while watching their movies! (To win, you will need to be willing to trust me with your physical address).

Word on the street is that you shouldn't trust her at all. I'm just sayin'...

I don't want to tell you because I'm stinkin' selfish and I'd love to watch some of may favorites-but-I-don't-own-them movies, but really, it's worth the 10 extra entries to hope that you'll enter and then "forget" to tell others because you want to win too.

Hmmm, I was just thinking... I wish that someone would have a Colonix giveaway. I think my chances would be MUCH greater at winning that kind of prize because I'm probably the only one who would want to win something like that...

Do I Have To Share?

I really don't want to tell you this little tidbit of information because it will decrease my chances of winning... But I'm also striving to be less selfish, so this will make a great start.

So you wanna chance to win a cold hard gift card to Target? Then head on over to Blogged-In Network to see how you too could pay for your daughter's new tennis shoes. And some new shorts for her ever-growing body. And a new swim trunk for your son. (So you see, I wasn't completely self-centered. I'm pretend spending it on my kids. That has to count for something.)

If you win and I don't, just remember that my kids may be going commando next year. You're welcome.

And We Have A Winner... And Another Giveaway

First, for the lovely polka dotted pink bag:




(The Girl does not come with the bag. I need her to stay here for slave labor and for future modeling gigs for the up and coming giveaways.)

Suzie G (who unfortunately doesn't have a blog... yet), who actually answered the suntan/sunscreen question, was the lucky #124.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway.

Now, if you're interested in another ongoing giveaway, you can find out more details about it on my Birthday Bites post.

As an update Ornery's Wife of Thoughts from Miller's Manor has graciously offered two of her homemade card sets from her Etsy shop as giveaway prizes. She is seriously talented and I can state from experience that you will be fighting with your family over who gets to give the cards. They're that beautiful!

I sincerely hope that you'll come to my birthday celebration because I need all the friends there that we can get. So go out into the hiways and byways and invite everyone you know to this shindig!

Birthday Bites

Hey, did you know that my birthday is coming up in a week? Normally I wouldn’t beg for a gift, but seeing how it’s not actually for me, I think I’m allowed this little faux pas in birthday etiquette. I mean, you would generally WANT to get something for a friend’s birthday, right? And I'm your friend, right? So I’m just going to cut to the chase and tell you want I want most in the world. And it’s probably within your grasp to provide it.

What I want more than anything in the world for my birthday - which really isn’t until next Saturday, May 3rd, but hey at least you won’t have to worry about it arriving on time - is for you to make a donation of $10 for a mosquito net. But it’s not for me. It’s for others who really need them to stop the malaria epidemic. Want to know more about it? Watch the following to find out more.



Want it in print? Head to Bite Back to find out why these nets need to be bought… now. So that we can bite back at a senseless, stoppable disease.

I would love to have the donations to be in the hundreds or heck thousands! To encourage your outpouring of birthday love (but more importantly love to families in need), I’m holding a special giveaway for those who donate for those who give me this special present. There’s nothing like a giveaway to encourage this blogging force!

Leave a comment when you’ve bought one for my birthday. And if you made a donation already, yay for you, but it doesn’t count! You have to buy one with me in mind… because buying one for someone else and then giving it to me just doesn’t have the same special feel in a birthday present. (See? I’m nothing if not self-centered, but you knew that already, I think.)

So the giveaway will work as such: for every one hundred comments that state that you’ve bought my present (on blogger’s honor of course), I will give a prize to one randomly chosen commenter. The prizes are yet to be determined because once again I’ve had a brainstorm without having all the details. But they will be good prizes, I promise… not some piece of candy that I found squished in the side of the couch. I’ll post pictures as soon as I figure out what the prizes are.

Obviously you don't have to be a blogger, but you will need to make sure that you leave a working email where I can reach you if you are one of the chosen ones. And to spread the birthday cheer, these giveaways will be open to the entire blogging world. No matter if you live in Idaho, Italy or Ireland, you give to Bite Back, you're in the drawing!

If you could go one step further and blog about my birthday present and the giveaway, asking your readers to give me a birthday present and directing their “I bought your birthday present” type comments to this post, I'd really appreciate it. (I’m only doing that so that I’ll be able to keep track of the number of giveaways I’ll need to have.) Then ask them to blog about this birthday present thingamajig to their friends… and so on and so on. Get the word out people! It’s party time, and I want everyone to know that they’re invited! And really, I want a lot of presents… because I am greedy presents are part of my love language.

I'm not going to give dates for the drawings because as soon as each 100th comment mark is reached, I will have a drawing. So it might be multiple drawings in one day or it might be a drawing every few days. The number of drawings will be left up to you and your generosity.

Personally, I’m someone who loves to celebrate her birthday. I love knowing that I’m still alive and kicking. And I really like the cake and ice cream deal too. I’m looking 37 in the face and laughing myself into a new year.

I just hope that this year I will get best birthday presents that I never got.

It's In The Bag...

It’s that time of year again – the time where you put all your hopes into the hands of others and pray that the Random Number Generator will be your best friend time and time again…

If this is the first time at Shalee’s Diner, then welcome! Coffee is on the house for you, and you’ve just got to try some of the strawberry pie… it’s that good. As the sign says, I’ll be serving the same slop as I always do. Now doesn’t that just make you feel special?

If you’re a regular, then welcome back. You’re seats have been awaiting your derriere and as usual, pour your own coffee. I’ll bring “your usual” when I get a moment. Oh, and I’m putting off the 1986 post until next Monday. I don’t think anyone except my Mom or Chris will be disappointed about that delay...

This time I’ve got a fun bag to give away and it just shouts “Spring!!!” And to model it, I once again enlisted the help of The Girl.

Notice the brightness of the bag and those cute, adorable dots?

Did you see how deep it goes?

Just think of all the goodies you could sneak into the pool this summer if only you had this amazing bag!

If you don't need a new bag, can I interest you in a new hat?

Or tiara?

How about an apron?

Hey, you shouldn’t use the bag as The Girl is using it right now… Oooo, she’d better watch it! The Boy is getting bigger and stronger every day and one day, he’s gonna let her know it. I’m just saying... (Oh, I hope I’m not the one around when that happens. That should totally happen on Mr. Right’s watch.)

Alrighty little blogging buddies, if you would like to win this sweet carry-all, leave me a tip telling me what kind of suntan lotion you love to use.

And just to sweeten the prize: for every comment that the winner (yet to be determined by the handy dandy number generator) leaves on the Tuesday through Friday posts, up to one comment a day, I’ll add a mini prize to the bag. (For example: If you’re the winner of this giveaway and you leave comments on Wednesday’s post and Thursday’s post, then you get two addition prizes that will fit in the bag. Make sense? And don’t ask me what they are because I only just thought of this little brainstorm, and now I’ve got to figure out what those prizes might be. Sometimes I'm too smart for my own good...)

So the more you actually talk to me, the more you can win! It's a win-win for everyone, especially me because I love chatting with y'all!

The drawing, open to ALL bloggers - no matter if you live in the tundra of Siberia or the tropics of South America or any place in between - will be left open until 12:00 CST Friday night (April 25th). I’ll draw the winner on Saturday, and please, for the love of trying to make things easier on poor old waitress, would you be kind enough to make sure that I can easily contact you? If you don’t have a blog, then please leave your email address so that I know where to leave the check tip.

And The Winners Are...

The Giants!!!

Oh, how I love that Brady was still beat by a Manning...  That, my friends, is what I call poetic justice.

I also have another winner to announce for the Bloggy Giveaway.  

But first, let me tell you that I laughed over many of you comments.  I wouldn't be able to limit myself to just three things to put in the bag either.  And for all of you wondering, yes - putting a bag over you head is a perfectly acceptable fashion statement... especially when you either have a truly bad hair day or a huge zit.  Or if you just don't want the world to see you.  Any of the above will work.  

But if you're trying to hide from your kids, it won't work.  Trust me on this one...

And I give a special shout out to HolyMama!... she's the only one who recognized the great about of restraint I had when I mentioned Mr. Right and whipped cream.  I was hard, but I didn't want to scare anyone off on the first day.

Anyway, the winner of the fabulous bag is Rachie S.  at Two for One.  Congratulations, you mother of twins!  I can only assume that you will need all the help you can get...

Bloggy Giveaway - It's In The Bag

In case this is your first time at Shalee's Diner, let me share a few things about it first.  

Hi.  My name is Shalee and I'll be your server today.  As you can see from the profile, this place proudly serves "the same slop everyday."  From book reviews to life with kids to the occasional insight to God/grace/forgiveness/faith (usually by means of some stupid thing that Shalee has done) to the joys of marriage to ways to get an IT person to laugh and then actually fix your problem, it all gets served with a smile.

And, of course, being a diner, there's always pie. Because coffee and pie were just meant to be together.  Kind of like Mr. Right and me, but with whipped cream.  

Okay, okay... I know you're sitting there saying, "Just get on with the giveaway already!  There's other prizes to win out there with my name on it, so let's just move along..."

My giveaway is from Bath and Body Works.  It's a beautiful, fun tote that just screams "Spring!  Wherefor art thou, Spring?!  I am ready for someone to fill me with a book, a snack and all the other mommy junk that cannot be left behind so that we can sit in the sun and relish the rays!"

Let's let the beautiful and talented The Girl model it for you.

See?  Isn't she a beaut?  The bag's not bad either.  

Ummm, I have her enrolled in Big Mama's Fashion Fridays, but so far, the advice hasn't took... Poor girl, she's just like her mother...

(The Boy wanted to model it too, but Mr. Right said no.  I think he's realizing that the picture could come back to haunt him some day... oh around high school.)

Inside is a zipped pocket for all the candy bars that you don't want your kids to see.  On the other side are pockets - one perfect for a cell and the other one is perfect for your keys so you won't have to dig around for days looking for them at the bottom of the tote.  They thought of everything...

So if you want the tote, please leave a comment telling me three things you'll put in the tote.  I'll leave the drawing open until 11:59 PM Saturday, February 2nd.  Please make sure that I have some way to reach you if you're the winner - blog address, email, smoke signals... something that will let you know that the bag is yours.  If I can't reach you easily, I'll have the random number generator pick someone else, so please don't let stop you from winning.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, February 3rd sometime between church and the Super Bowl - but not after.  I'll be too busy watching the last game of the season.  (sniff)  But I have to say this now:  Go Giants!

Winners!

Here are the randomly generated integers for the I Love You More giveaway.

True Random Number Service
Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11 19 14

Timestamp: 2007-12-09 20:46:09 UTC


Congrats to the winners: Stephanie, Needanap2 and I know you can hear me!  Please email your addresses to me so that I can have these sweet books on their way to you.

Christmas Carols for the Psychologically Challenged

Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY that is going on until Saturday, December 8th.  You can read about it here.

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I had a great little laugh over these.  Maybe you will too...

Christmas Carols for the Psychologically Challenged

1. Schizophrenia - Do You Hear What I Hear, the Voices, the Voices?
2. Amnesia - I Don't Remember If I'll Be Home for Christmas
3. Narcissistic - Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
4. Manic - Deck The Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets andStores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Treesand Fire Hydrants and...........
5. Multiple Personality Disorder - We Three Queens Disoriented Are
6. Paranoid - Santa Claus Is Coming to Get Us
7. Borderline Personality Disorder - You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Shout, I'm Gonna Cry, and I'll Not Tell You Why
8. Full Personality Disorder - Thoughts of Roasting You On an Open Fire
9. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, JingleBells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, JingleBells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
10. Agoraphobia - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn't Leave My House
11. Senile Dementia - Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from MyHouse in My Slippers and Robe
12. Oppositional Defiant Disorder - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus SoI Burned Down the House
13. Social Anxiety Disorder - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate
14. Attention Deficit Disorder - We Wish You......Hey Look!! It's Snowing!!!

And The Pie Plate Goes To...

All right, Interwebs...  It's time for the results to my giveaway for that fabulous pie plate along with the top secret recipe for the Diner's apple pie.  I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the giveaway and ask y'all to stop back in for a visit and a cup of coffee any time you'd like.  I'm open 24/7.  That's dedication just for you.  Now doesn't that make you feel special?

Research Randomizer Results

1 Set of 1 Unique Numbers Per Set
Range: From 1 to 186 -- Unsorted

Job Status:
Set #1:
22

That means that Alaina from Reflective Ponderings is the winner. Congrats Alaina!  Send me your address, and I'll get your prize right out to you... just in time for Thanksgiving.  (And remember to keep that recipe our little secret!)

Fall, Y'all! Bloggy Giveaway

Better late than never is what I say!

Welcome to my addition to the Fall, Y’all! Bloggy Giveaway at Bloggy Giveaways - the place where good stuff can be found and friends can be made overnight. I mean, what speaks better to really grand friendships than bribery that says, “Hey! Come to my place and visit me. I’m really, really nice! See? I’ll prove it. I have something really nice to give to someone who will visit me!”

Yeah. I’m all over that. Because really, I need all the help I can get.

I missed the last giveaway due to circumstances that weren’t on my control. (But really y’all, can you blame me for wanting to go on a week vacation with the man of my dreams and my reality rather than staying home and visiting all the beautiful sites in the giveaway? I mean, we’re talking really quality time in the most beautiful setting that I’ve seen in a looooooong time.










See? I couldn’t have possibly visited everyone when I was on my own dream vacation getting the best giveaway present possible – Mr. Right’s heart. Sigh. I love that man.)

Where was I? Oh yeah, the giveaway.

So I thought I would give away something that is related to Shalee’s Diner. And if you read me at all, you know I love me some pie – apple pie in particular. MY interweb-famous apple pie if you want to know the truth of it.

So here’s the deal: The winner of my giveaway will get this lov-er-ly pie dish AND my apple pie recipe.

Yes, you did read that right – the Shalee’s Diner official apple pie recipe is on the block. Hey, I was serious about this friend thing.

Leave your comment below and I’ll pick one blessed winner on Sunday – sometime after the Patriots-Colts game. I have to tell you though, I’m giving kudos and “I really hope I pick you” vibes to the commenters who share with me why Manning should make Brady cry on Sunday. (And if you don’t know who they are, you need to email me and I’ll give you the 4-1-1 on them both.)

Coaching the Masses

Here's another little contest that I'd love to win!

And a huge thanks to Quietromance for thinking of us with her hand-me-downs. I happen to know somebody who has a birthday coming up for whom this item would make quite a great present...

Dyson Anyone?

Oh. My. Lands. I need this vacuum in the worst way...

So you need it too? Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to see how you can enter for a chance to win.

Write-Away Contest

I originally published this post last June, but I'm bringing it back so that I can submit it for Scribbit's Write-Away contest this month which has the theme of love. Normally I don't submit to any kind of writing contest, but there's chocolate involved, y'all. Alaskan Chocolate to be exact. You know I have to give it a try...

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Listen To My Heart

God has been putting something on my heart lately. It's about you, so I thought I would take the time to share it with you. It is not something that most people say, so I hope you won't take it the wrong way. But I hope you will know that it comes from the deepest, remotest part of me.

I love you. Yep, you read that right. I love you.

Yes you, the one sitting at the computer still in this morning's pjs. You who have coffee stains on the front of your shirt. You who are trying to figure out what to make for dinner... I love you all. You are adorable and delightful in my eyes.

Yes you, the one trying to find a moment's peace over the summer break, with kids running everywhere, whose hair is now shorter just from pulling it out.

I love you - the one who really can do all things, be all things to all people, the ones who really know who they are and where they are going. You give me hope that I too can achieve such lofty goals.

You, the one who sits at work, wishing to be somewhere else, I love you.

I especially love you working moms. I know the struggle you face each day of holding two jobs - full time employee and full time mom. It's tough, but you can do it.

You who are rich I love, not because of your money, for that doesn't define you. I love you because you are worth more than gold.

I love you who are poor and I don't mean the charity love, but the love that knows that even though times are tough, you smile and have faith that God will keep you in the palm of your hands.

I love you all. It makes no difference your religious (or lack of religious) background. I love you no matter your race, sex, political view, whether you are straight ot gay, whether you agree with my views or not. You are valued beyond measure to me.

You who are young and think that no one notices you, that you are unimportant - think again. I love you with all of your mistakes, all your growing pains, all your blemishes. (And just for the record, time can help you to forget the mistakes, pains and blemishes. You will be able to look back and see who beautiful you are now.)

I love you who look perfect but feel empty inside. Your beauty runs deeper than your pretty eyes and flawless skin. I love you for the being within you, the precious you that the skin and hair covers.

I love you, the shy one, the one who thinks "Nobody likes me" or "I'm not pretty enough" or "I don't look/act like everyone else." Those are lies that you need to remove from your mind. I like you, I think you're stunning and I'm glad you aren't like everyone else. How boring would that be!

Those who cannot love yourselves? I love you too, for you need to know that you are beautifully and wonderfully made. That it is only in receiving and accepting love that you can ever know true happiness. If you cannot love yourself, then you cannot accept that others find you radiant and cherishable.

Those who are single, I love you. You are so precious to me. Don't think that because no one is bound to you in marriage that you aren't important to others.

For those of you who are married and madly in love with your spouse, I love you. Thank you for the example you give to me.

For those of you who are in marriages that are loveless, please hear that you are loved by me. May you let God rekindle the fire within you that drew you together.

For you single parents, I love and respect your commitment to raise your children without the help of a spouse. Thank you for being such an example of strength.

I love you, you who have had an ugly past, who have made some bad calls, who regret decisions along the way. Those things don't define you. They just are markers that I call experience. I love you despite/because of them. (By the way, no one in this world today has had a perfect past. Please don't let yours keep you from loving and accepting the love of others.)

Unwed mothers, I love you and I praise you for taking the hard road and not the "easy" way out.

Those of you who are longing for children, I love you and pray that God will fill you with peace as you hope for a child of your own.

Those of you who are homeless, I love you. Having no place to lay your head doesn't make you less valuable that the person with one. May others who know you are there, see you and give you a helping hand of kindness.

Those of you who are sick, I love you and pray that your pain will end, that you will be healed, and that you will find comfort in the arms of those caring for you.

I love you my dear sister in Christ who is angry with me for speaking words of love to you. You didn't want to hear them, but that doesn't mean they didn't need to be said. I pray that God will soften your heart and see that you are not being judged, just being loved.

I love you who are struggling with your purpose, your reason for being, you who are wondering if you are important in this life. You are so important! You are so needed! You are loved more than you know, even if you cannot see it right now.

And for those who I have hurt or have not actively shown my love, for those I have judged and found failing, for those who do not equate Shalee with love, please forgive me and let me try again. I am just a struggling, imperfect person who wants so desperately to have a do-over to get it right.

To all of you, and to those who I did not name, I freely give you my heart and ask for you to accept it. You don't have to return your love to me. This is a love with no strings attached, no conditions. It's a gift to you whether you take it or not. If you don't want it, don't worry. It's not a limited, one-time offer. It will be right there if you change you mind.

People just don't take the time to show love - real, honest-to-goodness, you-are-more-important-than-me kind of love anymore. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It needed to be said... and you really needed to hear it.

Free Stuff (and Jewelry to boot!)

Just so you know...

5 Minutes for Mom is having a sweet little contest for an adorable piece of jewelry from Alli's Originals. Head on over here to see what all is going on...