by Sarah | Dec 2, 2013 | All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Indy Geek Girls
I have this awesome friend, maybe you know her?
Emily, aka Designhermomma
Back in early October she made
<—This tweet.
I was intrigued, and asked if she wanted another participant for control. She said “Sure!” and off I went to the races.
Over the course of 3 days I entered 100 random giveaways using the #giveaway hashtag on twitter.
I was NOT picky. Not in the slightest.
I signed up for iPads, Kindles, ebooks, diapers (which, really, I don’t need), toys, power tools…pretty much everything under the sun including coupons.
I figured, hey…it’s just for fun.
I guessed I’d win 1…maybe 2 tops…since I don’t have stellar luck most times (Still in total shock I won a KitchenAid 6 years back).
To keep my mental status somewhat in check I kept records.
The websites URL, the end date, and the product. I figured I’d win something I had NO use for and donate it to someone who did.
I kept track, and as the month, and most of the giveaways, drew to a close I realized I had won a grand total of…
ZERO.
None.
None?
I know my luck is bad, but that couldn’t be right. 100 giveaways and nothing?
I thought it was a fluke, so I tried again. I took another weekend and randomly entered another 100 giveaways (plus a few I spotted I really wanted…grand total was probably around 125).
This time I was even more particular. I didn’t put extra entries in anything, I did the minimum required entry for everything and left it at that (no matter how bad I really wanted it). Figured maybe a level playing field would be better.
As November drew to a close and still no “Congratulations!!” emails came my way…
I mean really?
I’m not a greedy person, and I didn’t care one way or another.
But 200+ giveaways entered, and I won…NOTHING?
Talk about a bust!
So this was one social experiment that, for me, was a wash.
Emily? Oh, she entered about 80 and won 4 little items.
Wonder if she’ll send me some of her luck?
by Sarah | Nov 30, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Clever Girls
Up until now our Wii got most of its use from watching movies, or the teenager playing one of his games. There was only one or two games that we could all get into.
Then we got a hold of this one…Just Dance Kids 2014.
I have to admit when I first read the back I got a little excited when I saw “Make it Shine” from Victorious on there…plus a song by Ariana Grande. I’m such a closet (or not so closet anymore) Victorious lover. It’s one of the shows I miss now that we aren’t on cable. 😀
So this week we brought out the Wii for something we all could play – and play we ALL did…even the teen!!
The girls, of course, got first run and boy did they tear it up, to several songs, including “Make it Shine”.
Then it was time for Erik and I to play.
And wouldn’t you know…we did THE HUSTLE!! It was a laugh-riot getting Erik into the mix and doing The Hustle with me. Both of us were laughing by the time it was done, and were reluctant to return the remotes back over!
Then, with a little nudging and encouragement we actually got the teenager to play along. It was only for a game, but I know that he’d never admit how much fun he had.
The girls kept playing for another good hour before we settled down and got ready for bed. By the next day they were begging to play again…and we were all too happy to oblige. The game is addicting, and clean fun, and everyone enjoys playing it. I have a feeling the Wii will stay out of hiding for a good long while now.
As you can see, the girls LOVED it. They were all too happy to lend their review once I managed to get their attention away from the game!!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
by Sarah | Nov 19, 2013 | All About Me, Story of Me
In remembrance…
Great-Gramma-B, Uncle Richard, Aunt Janet, Uncle Tom, Gramma
Grampa
You all left our lives at different times in different ways.
Each taking a piece of our hearts with you when you left.
But we’ve kept a part of you within ourselves.
Joy.
Love.
Kinship.
All within us, all carrying on.
Helping us move forward and grow.
Our spirits our bound, and always will be.
And yet, we still miss you.
Perhaps always will.
And at my worst times,
even when I didn’t know I needed it,
I’ve sense you there.
And I know you are okay.
by Sarah | Nov 15, 2013 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, NaBloPoMo, Random, Story of Me
Back at the start of NaBlo I spoke of a coon tale with a happy ending. I also foretold of a second story minus such an ending. Today I give you that story.
I was young, probably 6 or 7 when this happened.
Back in New York we had a place we called “The Farm”. It was my dad’s hunting lodge, acres of trees and a small plot of land with a two story run-down old farm house.
Often my dad and uncle would take us kids out and we’d climb trees, play in the woods, ignore the scurrying of mice when we slept in the attic.
My dad and uncle would make repairs as they went. The stairs one year, the roof another. We had a fancy outhouse (not designed for girls, modifications were necessary for me). No electricity, a wood stove. We played outdoors 95% of the time we were there. There was a beehive in the walls that buzzed, and everything was old and drafty and I loved every visit.
The year the roof was redone my dad was up working hard peeling off tiles and taking off rotting decking.
He peeled back a panel of decking and happened upon a coon’s nest. A momma and her five babies.
Keeping in mind at this time Rabid Racoons were a major issue at the time – and the momma was PISSED, my dad did what was necessary to defend himself.
He grabbed the nearest weapon, his hammer, and took care of momma. He would have moved the babies, but they were way too young to fend for themselves, and so he also took care of them.
For years we tormented my poor dad with this tale of bopping the baby coons on the head…
But it was necessary (unlike in the earlier story I told).
A sad tale, true…but also a fitting descriptor of survival of the fittest.
Because if dad hadn’t taken action…that momma coon sure would have.
by Sarah | Nov 14, 2013 | All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Indiana State Museum, Indy Geek Girls, NaBloPoMo, The Reluctant Hoosier
Did you know that Mammoths and Mastodons probably walked the very ground you’re walking on? That it’s possible when you’re walking through a park or driving past a field of corn, underneath those layers of soil could be the bones of Ice Age giants?
I had NO idea of this myself – or I was just blissfully ignorant of the fact.
Either way, I was totally privileged to get a sneak peek of a new IMAX movie and the ensuing exhibit at the Indiana State Museum yesterday.
The IMAX movie is in 3D and let me just tell you – the last 3D movie I went to was the Muppets show at Disney World in 1994…and holy shnikies, 3D today is NOT your Momma’s 3D! The imagery and cinematography was amazing. The CGI – incredible! I was in awe and wonder throughout the whole movie, even though I think Erik got a little vertigo at the sweeping landscape shots, he was impressed too.
Then we were able to step into the exhibit itself which is both big in scope and detail, and easily geared toward kids – including a dig site and a bone they can touch!!
Throughout the exhibit you get to see how Mammoth and Mastodon skulls could well have been the inspiration behind the Cyclops of legend and myth, how the animals had growth plates just like humans and animals today, and see teeth as big as your head.
I mean, how awesome is that? I could have spent hours in there, and I know my kids will spend hours in there this weekend.
At the very end you get to see two full size skeletons and just awe over how there were tons of flesh and fur over them.
It’s an exhibit totally worth seeing (even if it did replace the Star Wars exhibit ~pout~)…and I can’t wait to let my girls “dig” in!
This exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, November 16th at 11AM. Get more information at the Indiana State Museum’s website!
Now…onto what I know you’re waiting for – the pictures!!..
The Mammoth’s greatest threat – Man:
Porous bones look like ancient caverns:
The Inspiration for Cyclops”
Growth plates:
TEETH:
I loved this one. You set your hands down, and not just hear the sound, but FEEL the vibrations:
Tiny Bones:
Dig:
by Sarah | Nov 11, 2013 | All About Me, Crap, Random
* My brain is still a pile of mush, and sometimes I can barely focus.
* In the span of four months I’ve gone from not working outside the home, to a part time job, to a full time job I started today.
* I’m still not sure how I feel about that (pretty sure I don’t like it).
* We’ve been having kleptomania issues again.
* I have a book coming out in just a couple weeks and I’m totally unplanned for it.
* My series “completed” back in September and I haven’t had time to crow about it.
* I’ve got a to-do list a mile long and absolutely no time to do any of it.
* The game obsession in my house has reached critical mass. Uno is the big winner, but the kids have been going bonkers.
* It started snowing – and sticking…today. I’m both elated and a little upset by the end of the fall.
* I have a ton of posts planned and just haven’t been able to write them.
* I’m barely hanging on by my nails on this NaBloPoMo thing. This was supposed to help me better my blogging activity…but I’m failing.
I have this awesome friend, maybe you know her?
