Everglow Party Winner's Circle

Are all my party people here?! Whoohoo!!

Welcome to the winner's circle - where we'll have sooooo many winners in the Everglow Party (30!), we thought it'd be neat to post everything in the same place. Now you'll know exactly where to go to look for your name! :D

"The envelope, please..."

• Pre-Party Contest Winner - VeraBear
  
• Giveaway #1 Winner - Mom of 2 Boys, Wife of 1
  
• Giveaway #2 Winner - AmandaSue
  
• Giveaway #3 Winner - Dawn M.
  
• Giveaway #4 Winner - Chelsea
  
• Giveaway #5 Winner - Mom of 2 Boys, Wife of 1
• Giveaway #6 Winner - Caseykelp
  
• Giveaway #7 Winner - Valerie M.
  
• Giveaway #8 Winner - Delaney
  
• Giveaway #9 Winner - Jamie
  
• Giveaway #10 Winner - Stacey Moore
  
• Giveaway #11 Winner - Erika Lynn
  
• Giveaway #12 Winner - Valerie M. & Jamie
  
• Giveaway #13 Winner - Ciara
  
• Giveaway #14 Winner - Katy
  
• Giveaway #15 Winner - Michelle Kuo
  
• Giveaway #16 Winner - Ebedner
  

*To our giveaway winners, please send me an email at mammadawg [at] gmail [dot] com with "Giveaway Winner" in the subject field and include your name, address and phone number. I will send your contact information to the sponsor of your giveaway so that they'll be able to ship your item to you directly. CONGRATULATIONS!!

NOTE: If prizes are not claimed within 7 days of announcement at On the Rocks, a new winner will be drawn.




Bonus Prize Winners

• Bonus Prize Winner #1 - Sherry
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #2 - Rosa
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #3 - Rose
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #4 - Myslaugitao
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #5 - Suwari
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #6 - Momof2boyswifeof1
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #7 - Blogger Templates
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #8 - Karun
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #9 - Wiehanne
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #10 - Ciaraj
  

*To claim your bonus prize, send me an email with subject line "Everglow Party Bonus Prize Winner" and let me know your top 3 prize choices. Remember... first come, first served!!

*~* 2nd Place Winner is... Rosa! *~*

*~* 1st Place Winner is... Save Your Money Mama! *~*

*~* And our GRAND PRIZE Winner is... Sherry! *~*

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!
Thank you for rockin' out with me at MammaDawg's Everglow Party!

TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE(S):

***Prizes listed at original Everglow Party Post***

Please contact your sponsor(s) directly with a link to this post and advise them that you are a MammaDawg.com Contest Winner. Most of them can be contacted thru the Entrecard Community, a contact page at their blog, or you can always leave a comment on the most recent post at your sponsor's blog as well.

Your sponsor will then be able to give you further instructions on how to claim your prize(s).

Special thanks to ALL of our sponsors and participants for making this such a successful contest - and congratulations to everyone! WHEW!!

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Winner of the Pre-Party Contest

Betcha wondering who's the winner of our Pre-Party Contest?? Thanks to all of you for grabbin' the banner and helping me spread the word. Remember - this is just the beginning... by the end of the contest, we'll have a total of THIRTY WINNERS.

You read that right - 30 winners altogether. So even if you may not have won the first prize - there are plenty more prizes to be won! :) And since we'll be celebrating SO many different winners, we've created a page where you'll be able to check and see if you've won that day.

Introducing... the Everglow Party Winner's Circle. This is the place you want to have your name listed at. :)

Are we ready? For our first winner??? The 1,000 Entrecard Credits, 30x30 ad for 3 months and the $25 Best Buy Gift Card goes to....

*~* VeraBear!!! *~*
Congratulations, girl!! I'll be in touch to get your contact info so we can get you your prizes. :)

Thanks everyone - more (and I mean, MORE) to come!!

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I think I'm in shock...

We've never done anything like this before. Ever.

Got a place to stay for free. Got flights for free. And then we watched, day by day, as the tickets that started at $6,000 dropped down to less than half.

Of course, we can't just pick up and go without getting the kids situated. So tomorrow, at 4am, I am driving down to Los Angeles to pick up my Mom.

Who's going to stay here with the kids while Hubz and I get our asses on a plane to Tampa.

Just tonight, not 5 minutes ago - we bought our tickets. Talk about last freakin' minute.

OMG. I can't believe we're.... going... to.... the... SUPER BOWL!

Somehow, within the next 24 hours, I will need to finish up my projects at work, get the mortgage and those dang property taxes paid and find some time to pack. The monsters have a dentist appointment tomorrow afternoon, and I still need to write up the posts for the upcoming contest. *gasp* And buy groceries, too!

Oh yeah - I have such great timing, don't I? lol - I told Hubz he better get me internet service somehow!!

I still can't believe we get to see the Steelers play in the Super Bowl. Hubz very rarely asks for anything... so when he does - how can I say no? Especially after that last stunt he pulled for our 10th anniversary.

My jersey may scream Big Ben, but it's Troy Polamalu I love!! And Hines Ward!! They might be able to actually hear me holler - we're in the LOWER LEVEL - at the 40 yard line....!!

GO STEELERS!!

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Aliens must have paid us a visit

It's inevitable, isn't it? The morning rush?

We have the little ones take their baths in the evening, before bedtime. But in the morning, getting Daredevil to brush his teeth is still a chore. He's 8 years old - c'mon now!

Einstein is the first to rise every morning. At 14, he's in charge of feeding Samson and letting him out - so he gets up at 7am. Not too bad for a teenager.

The Cheeky Bandit scooted his 3-year old heiney into bed with me about 6am - I've got no problem with that if it means I can sleep for just a wee bit longer. That's the problem with us night owls - always going to bed too late.

It was weird, though, when I heard Daredevil get up... I couldn't tell what he was into, but I heard Einstein gently guiding him on the morning rituals. "How sweet," I thought, for him to help his brother stay focused in getting ready for school.

A little later, I finally rose out of bed, and went to check on Daredevil. He is the toughest one to get ready, and I was mentally reminding myself to stay calm and just get him to eat breakfast.

Of course, there he was in the playroom. Playing video games at 7:30am.

*deep breath* Here we go.

But before I could say anything, he greets me, all jolly and everything. "Hi Mom!"

Then he processed the look on my face, and kept talking, I think to keep ME from talking.

Gesturing to his already dressed self, "See - look! I'm already dressed, Mom. I ate breakfast, and brushed my teeth - and I'm already ready for school."

Huh? This NEVER happens in the monster house.

"Oh." Still waking up. "Did you brush your teeth?" See, I told you.

lol - he let me inspect his teeth, and sure enough - all nice and minty fresh.

"What'd you eat?" I asked.

"Eggos and grapes. And some milk."

HOLY CROW. Am I in the right house?!

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Win a $25 Best Buy Gift Card

Psst! Guess what? It's almost time!

Starting on Sunday, February 1st, we will be kickin' off the "MammaDawg Everglow Party" - and I would love to have you join me and help spread the word!

So far, we have 100,000+ Entrecard Credits, a multitude of advertising space, and a boat load of some really neat products and giveaways - worth over $1,000.00 collectively! A new giveaway - on top of the main contest - every day for 2 weeks! :D

Did I mention... some really, snazzy Twilight Jewelry as well?! My birthday's coming up on 2/11 - you know I had to get my Obsessive Cullen Disorder into the mix. ;)

But I'm thinkin'... why wait to get started on handing out some prizes?

WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS?

• 1,000 Entrecard Credits
• Free 30x30 ad to run for THREE months at MammaDawg.com's PR4 blog ($15 value)
  
• $25.00 Best Buy Gift Card
  

TO ENTER MAMMADAWG'S PRE-PARTY CONTEST:

• Grab one of the banners below and post it on your sidebar and leave a comment below with your website URL (required)
  

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

• Tweet about "MammaDawg's Pre-Party Contest" on Twitter.com and leave your Twitter URL below (2 pts)
• Blog about this contest with one of the banners and leave your blog post URL below (5 pts)
  

*If you have multiple blogs and are posting on more than one site, please leave separate comments for each blog URL.

Props out to my girl, Cathy, at My Design Workbench for designing these awesome buttons - grab one of 'em and please help me promote!!



<a href="http://www.mammadawg.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m407/mammadawg/Bday125-2.png" title="100,000+ ECs and $1,000+ in Prizes and Giveaways!" alt="MammaDawg's Everglow Party" /></a>

---

<a href="http://www.mammadawg.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m407/mammadawg/Bday400-1.png" title="100,000+ ECs and $1,000+ in Prizes and Giveaways!" alt="MammaDawg's Everglow Party" /></a>

Look for the official kick-off announcement on Feb 1st for the FULL list of prizes and giveaways and be sure to tell your friends to join the party. Are you ready to get your groove on?! Don't forget - a new giveaway, every day!


NOTE: Best Buy Gift Card giveaway limited to the United States due to shipping costs. MammaDawg's Pre-Party Contest will end at 6pm (PST) on January 31, 2009.

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Guess who gets to meet the Twilight cast?!

Did I tell you what I'm getting for my birthday?! The official day won't be here until 2/11, but I've already got my gold weekend package ticket to attend the "Salute to Twilight" Convention in San Francisco.

OMG!

This will be my first ever con (outside of work conferences) - and I still can't believe I'm going to a freakin' Twilight Convention - lol. But when I found out this one was around the corner... I just couldn't help myself. Figured - why the hell not?

ESPECIALLY... when I'll get the chance to meet other TwilightMOMS, and of course, our celebrity guests:

• Michael Welch (Mike Newton)
• Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black)
• Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen)
• Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen)
• Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Cullen)
  
• Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen)
  

Holy. Freakin'. Crow. WHOOHOO!!! I just hope I can actually SPEAK when I get to meet them in person!!

We have a Vampire Ball on Saturday night - and I have my costume ready to go. I just hope I have the nerve to actually wear it! Sunday is the Twilight Character Costume Competition - but you already know who I'll be dressing as for that one, right? ;)

Four weeks to go... you can click on the banner below for more info. There's only one thing that would make this any better... if I could take you guys with me!!!

Have you had a chance to meet any celebrities? Or attend a convention similar to this? I met the King of Pop when I was a teen, and Dr. Huxtable himself just a couple of years ago. I didn't scream or anything, but I wasn't entirely just myself, either. My heart started skittering as the line in front of us to Bill Cosby grew shorter and shorter!

How was it for you? Holla below and let me know how it went!!

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Getting Connected

Saw this really cool way of connecting with your friends and readers - so I decided to try out Google Friend Connect. Do you see the widget? Over to the right, just under the subscription links. :)

Are you using Google Friend Connect? Holla!! And while I'm on announcements - I'd love to introduce you to my sistah blog, too. I'm still working on finalizing it, possibly changing the theme as well, but I've officially closed the Crib and moved it on over. :)

Motherhood and Wifeyhood and WAHMhood can get a little crazy sometimes. And sometimes, a glass of wine just won't do. If you'd like to join me for a shot of tequila, or maybe a glass of margarita, ya already know I'll take mine... "On the Rocks..." with salt, please.

Which leads me to ask... how many blogs do you manage??

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Yes, dear, we don't touch people's bu-tays

It was a breezy, almost sunny afternooon, and the kids and I were enjoying the day at the park. I was sitting at the picnic tables, nearly engrossed in my book of the month, The Thirteenth Tale.

I think it was Daredevil's playful cries to "Stop. Stop!" that made me look up.

He was on the swing, and the 9-year old girl I had met about half an hour ago, was pushing him on the swings.

Pushing him on the behind.

I started to move forward - then held myself still. And watched.

When she didn't listen the second time, Daredevil made a decision before I could. And simply jumped off the swing.

It was a helluva jump - and he didn't give away any awkwardness or discomfort. Instead, he hollered with approval at his own jump, and made a mark - challenging her to beat his.

But now it was her time to swing, and I wasn't the only adult watching.

It wasn't her mother, that I was sure of based on our little conversation earlier. I'm assuming it was her Aunt that tentatively made her way over, objections already forming on her lips. But she stopped herself just two feet short of her target.

Daredevil was pushing his playground friend, but not on her behind. He pushed using the sides of the swing, or the seat... but carefully managing to stay away from her behind.

And a goofy look of adoration crept up on my face as I watched my son, the diplomatic kid. Amazed that the little shit does actually listen to me. ;)

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Scrapbook Saturday Keys

Hey girls... so how 'bout it?

I've been thinking about this for a while... not wanting to do it (call it denial, I guess) - but then not being able to keep up with it, either.

I *heart* Scrapbook Saturday... but I'm just not able to do it any justice. There's so much more I wanted to do with it... network and meet other scrappers, promote the SS Club... but I can hardly get a scrap page completed in time, much less anything else.

So... to be fair to the club and to all of you... I wanted to ask - if any of you would be interested in taking over the keys to Scrapbook Saturday.

Let me know?

You guys have been awesome - so inspirational! And don't think I won't still be seeing you... I'll post the new host for SS with an update below - and will definitely be dropping in to catch up with you guys. :)


NEW SCRAPBOOK SATURDAY HOST: Jessica at Nothing But Purple

Surprise, surprise ;) Thanks Jess!!

**It may be my last time to host, but don't forget to sign Mr. Linky below so we can check out your SS post!**

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A First of Many Lasts

I sat there. Staring at my laptop. Pages of unread email staring back at me, but for some reason... I couldn't seem to stay focused.

The executive desk in my office was a clutter of paperwork, receipts and leftover items from switching between handbags too many times. Oddly, the house was quiet... and when I woke up from my reverie, I asked aloud to no one, "What was I working on?"

I'd been so emotional the last few days... eyes tearing because of a heart wrenching news story, or my throat constricting with the announcement that someone from our team is getting laid off. The economic outlook for 2009 was not any better than 2008, and we're in our third round of re-doing budgets to reflect this.

"What is WRONG with me?" I wondered internally the last time I caught myself getting choked up. This is SO not me. I'm the one who doesn't cry. I'm the one that's emotionally detached. I'm the one with the dry eyes - the one who can't cry, even when she wants to. Not in public, at least.

So I'm doing an inventory. And first things first, no, I'm not pregnant. lol - no way. Maybe it's because Hubz and I are having a disagreement. One that's lasted for a few days already. About the age old problem many married couple go through:

Physical and Emotional Needs

What's ironic, is that Tyler at Building Camelot has a post up about this exact same thing.

And then... I realize that it's not any ONE thing that's bothering me. It's a couple.

Today, my youngest started pre-school.

"And...," you might ask?

I know, I know. It shouldn't be a big deal. I never tripped out when his older brothers started school! Okay - well, maybe when Einstein graduated from junior high... but still! Up until 3 years ago, I've always had my mom close by to help me with the kids. Even when I started working from home full-time, Mama was there to help with the kiddos.

Then we moved here. Where we knew, hardly anybody. No close friends or relatives - no one I could feel comfortable putting on the emergency contact card at school. And since I'm still working from home, I always have at least one of the kids with me. If I didn't, they were with their father, their grandmother (if she came up for a visit), or each other - if we got lucky enough to get a babysitter.

But at pre-school?

It's just him. Surrounded by people he's never met before, aside from his teacher. Away from me for soooooooo long. I was worried he might get scared, or lonely...

I should've known he'd be just fine when we he cheered out loud as soon as he caught sight of the school. Or when he showed off his homemade lunch to the whole family - proudly telling us all that it was HIS lunch, that it was HIS name on the brown bag with the smiley face.

But he's my baby, the last of the bunch. It may be just pre-school today... but I know this is just the first of many lasts...

lol - lookit - I just noticed... the Cheeky Bandit had his fingers crossed.

I love you, Little Shit.

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Kickin' It Off

Hi everyone!

It feels like I've been away for so long - I can't wait to catch up with you guys and see what you've been up to. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and thanks again to Jess for hosting!

This was Daredevil's first try at football - well, flag football for his age group. I was so surprised when he got named QB for the team! Hubz helped coach again - another one of my favorite things about moving to a smaller town. :)

Check out the smile on the Little Shit - he sure is happy perched up on Einstein's shoulders!

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Looking for Contest Sponsors

Have I mentioned that I have a birthday coming up? To celebrate, I thought we could host a birthday bash, right here at MammaDawg.com.

I promise some linky love - this blog has a Google PR4 and Technorati Rank in the Top 10K - today is ranked 5,374 and have a Technorati Authority of 495.

I'm totally open to all kinds of sponsorships, accepting a wide array of giveaways at your choosing:

• Advertising Space
• Cash or Gift Cards
• Products, Services or Consultations
  
• Entrecard Credits (1,000 minimum please)

You could also get your Etsy Shop featured here and sponsor a giveaway!

If you're interested in sponsoring or have any questions, please send me an email at mammadawg [at] gmail [dot] com (including cash value, if applicable, please) and I'll start setting up your links! Cheers!

EDIT: Comments closed on 1/28/09 - thank you EVERYONE for all of your sponsorships!!

Note: Contest info to launch on Monday, January 26th, officially kickin' off on Sunday, February 1st and will last approximately 1-2 weeks. After winners have been announced, they will be instructed to contact the sponsor(s) directly to claim their prize(s). More info to follow at the kick-off.

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It's a Father and Son Thing...

It only took them 4 days... but they got it done! Props to Hubz and Einstein for our very own Light Show Extravaganza :)

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Wishful Thinking

I'm back! Well, sorta - trying to play catch up and see what everyone's been up to. I miss you guys!!! The holidays over here were quiet and peaceful, minus the noise from my rambunctious monsters... and I don't mean just the kids. ;)

It's the night before Christmas Eve, and we're making sugar cookie cut-outs with our homemade cookie dough. As we're decorating the 46th cookie, "Silent Night" rings through the house speakers, and Hubz remembers something with a start.

"Daredevil! Do you know what song this is? It's Silent Night, sung for the first time by a Choir Director named Franz Xavier Gruber."

The rest of us are stilled by his sudden history lesson.

"You wanna know how I know that," he continued. "I played him and sang it in a Christmas play, TWICE, when I was a boy in school."

Daredevil gasps. "You mean, you got an encore?!"

"Yep," Hubz replied with a wink. "People were calling my name, throwing money at me..."

[Pause.]

"That's how I bought this house," he declared.

The rest of us erupted into a roar of laughter that, I think, the neighbors might've heard. :)

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