Someone had a birthday!

Hello 45

Hello 45! Ready or not, here I am!

Yep. The good ol' age machine flipped another digit on me earlier this week. (hahaha! Get it?) I'm taking it well, though, reminding myself that every day is a gift and it's so good to be alive! And I vow to embrace every age as best I can, striving to be healthier, happier and a better citizen of the world every day. Some days are better than others because let's face it, as fabulous as the 40s really are..sometimes it really sucks when I think about how I'm probably closer to the end than I am to the beginning. Oh I try not to think about it too much or let it get me down, but sometimes it sneaks in on me! Not good.

cupcakes for my birthday!

Anyway, I had a fabulous birthday on Tuesday. My husband gave me flowers and the new iphone 5S woot! which totally delights my youngest because she promptly inherited my 4S the lucky (spoiled) kid. My dear friend Claudia treated me to a fabulous lunch at nice Italian restaurant and the weather was so nice that we dined on the restaurant patio. It felt so decadent. I was flooded with birthday wishes from friends and family all over the world (thanks to Facebook and Instagram) throughout the day. Thank you so much for those of you who did this! Then around dinner time I got the sweetest surprise.. Maria came home from college for the evening just for my birthday! Wow! I was so surprised and so delighted. We all went out for sushi, came home for cupcakes and then Maria and I watched some cooking shows we had recorded while she was away. (We got into Cupcake Wars, Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen just before she left for college). What a special day!

It turns out this is the first time since I started my blog over five years ago that I didn't post on my birthday and do a birthday giveaway. I feel badly about that so I'm doing a belated birthday giveaway now.

My Birthday Present to one of you:

The 'Fabulous At Any Age' Gift Bag

Mini facial kit 

Package of Harvest Blend Herbal Tea*

Fancy chocolate bar.. your choice of dark or milk chocolate 

Book of your choice, up to $15 US value.

*Harvest Blend tea is caffeine free and contains cinnamon, ginger, hibiscus, natural cinnamon and apple flavors with other natural flavors, chamomile, roasted chicory and orange peel. Other tea may be substituted per winner's request or if it becomes unavailable.

Sounds nice, right? To enter this birthday giveaway, all you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below and then leave a comment in the comment section of this post telling me what you love best about October.

I love pumpkin desserts, cool evenings and warm sunny days and colorful leaves swirling to the ground in the breeze.

Giveaway terms and conditions:

• Giveaway runs from today, October 4, 2013 through Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 12 am EST (midnight). All entries received after the close of the giveaway will be disqualified. 
• You must be 18 years or older to enter. 
• No purchase necessary to win and void where prohibited. 
• Book may be sent anywhere in the world via TheBookDepository as long as they deliver to your mailing address. I will do my best to mail other gift items via international mail as allowed per shipping restrictions to your country. 
• Prize value: $25 US plus shipping 
• Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received. 
• One winner will be drawn on October 11, 2013 and notified by email within 48 hours. Winner will have one week from the time I send my email to get back to me with their book choice and mailing address or their gift will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen. 
• Contact information [email and mailing address] will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and prize delivery. Information will not be saved, sold or used for any other purpose.

By entering your name in the Rafflecopter form below and in the comment section below, you agree to these terms and conditions.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Happy Birthday Giveaway!

It's that time of year again-- it's my birthday today. The calendar has rolled over again all too quickly, but I'm not complaining (much) because I have so much for which to celebrate!

44 years strong. :)

First and foremost, my health. I may not be at the trimmest I've ever been in my life, but I'm more active and fitter than I've probably ever been in my entire life. Biking--sometimes for so many miles that even I can't believe, running, strength training, going to the gym. I eat well and my blood pressure and cholesterol are excellent. I feel great!

Second, I have a wonderful husband with whom I'm still in love. A man who still makes my heart skip a beat and my girl parts sing after more than two decades since our first kiss. TMI but it's true!

I have two beautiful, healthy, amazing daughters who keep me on my toes and may have contributed to a few gray hairs, but I wouldn't want it any other way. It is joy to be a part of their journey from birth to the amazing young women they are becoming. I love them with my whole being.

I have many people in my life who I am lucky to call friends. Friends to whom I know I can turn in times of need and in times of joy.

Lastly, I am grateful for how fortunate I am to have a home, plenty of healthy food and clean water, access to good medical care and the opportunity to live life to the fullest within our means.

I am exceptionally grateful for my life and the people with whom I am lucky to share it. I truly have a lot to celebrate on this birthday and I hope you have the same in your life every day.

In my tradition of celebrating my birthday on my blog, I'm giving away a birthday gift to one lucky person. I'm gifting one lucky winner a one year's subscription to either Everyday Food Magazine or Whole Living Magazine--both my current favorite publications. Note: I am not affiliated in any way with these magazines, Omnimedia, Inc. or their affiliates. I'm merely a fan who wants to share the goodness.

October 2012 issue

I have been a subscriber to Everyday Food Magazine for several years now and look forward to every issue. The recipes are simple, easy and delicious. Each issue contains recipes and food preparation ideas to enhance the daily cooking of both the beginner cook or the experienced home cook.

October 2012 issue

Whole Living magazine is new to me in the last year. Whole Living magazine is a sponsor for the Danskin Triathlon and gifted participants with a complimentary one year subscription to their magazine. My subscription started in the summer of 2011 and I was hooked with the first issue. This magazine is chock full of recipes, nutrition and health news and information, as well as ideas, suggestions and inspiration for living a whole, healthy lifestyle--"body+soul in balance." Many of the recipes are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.



To enter my birthday giveaway, all you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below and then leave a comment in the comment section below telling me what your favorite autumn comfort food is. Mine is pumpkin anything. :)

Here are the terms and conditions of this giveaway:

• Giveaway runs from today, October 1, 2012 through Monday, October 8, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. All entries received after the close of the giveaway will be disqualified.
• You must be 18 years or older to enter.
• No purchase necessary to win and void where prohibited.
• Magazine subscriptions can only be gifted to residents of the US. I am willing to work with an international winner, however, with an ebook or a gift purchased of equal or lesser value from thebookdepository.com as long as they deliver to your country.
• Prize value: US $15
• Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received.
• One winner will be drawn on October 8, 2012 and notified by email within 48 hours. Winner will have one week from my email to get back to me with their gift choice and mailing address or their gift will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen.
• Contact information [email and address] will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and prize delivery. Information will not be saved, sold or used for any other purpose.

By entering your name in the Rafflecopter form and in the comment section below, you agree to these terms and conditions.

This is my first time using Rafflecopter, so please bear with me as I learn how to use it.. hopefully it's as easy as all the testimonials say it is. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to subscribe to the comments of this post by email so you're kept in the loop about the giveaway. Thanks!

Good luck!


Note: Special thanks to Donna H. who blogs at Girl Who Reads for her very informative articles about the laws regarding hosting contests and giveaways on blogs. I highly recommend you check them out.

Thursday Bloggiesta Edition
Tips on Thursday: Giveaways a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas in July FIVE {A Giveaway}

Can you believe we're about halfway through the year to Christmas? It's the last thing on my mind right now as I'm packing up for vacation, but at least I remembered to do my 5th annual Christmas in July giveaway.


This year, one randomly selected winner will win their choice of one the following prizes:



The Cozy Prize: [US only]

A gently used book of their choice from my gift shelf,
A homemade beaded book thong [a bookmark made with thin ribbon and jewelry-quality beads],

A few extra goodies like author swag, a bonus book of my choosing,
AND a trinket souvenir from the London Olympics! Woohoo!

OR

The Glossy Prize: [US or international]

A shiny new mass market paperback of your choice, shipped to you via TheBookDepository.

OR

The Modern Prize: [US or international]

An ebook of your choice, valued up to $10, delivered to you by the magic of technology.

To see what books I'm offering for the cozy prize, please visit my gift shelf.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment in this post telling us which summer Olympic games are your favorite?

I honestly could be thoroughly entertained watching them all. Some of my favorites, though, are swimming, diving, volleyball [beach and court], track and gymnastics. I'm also interested in following the triathlon and cycling events after having competed in a sprint triathlon last summer myself. ; )

Will you be watching the games over the next couple of weeks?

Giveaway is open everyone, although international winners can only receive The Glossy Prize.

Giveaway ends on August 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST, at which time I'll use random.org to select the winner. Winner will be announced in a separate post and I'll also leave a comment here on this post, so be sure to subscribe to comments if you enter.

Winners have one week to claim their prize, after which a new winner will be selected.

Good luck! :)

Winner of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! Without further ado, the winner the signed copy of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran is ....

BRANDY! 

Congratulations!
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.



List Randomizer 

There were 11 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

 1.   brandy
 2.   joy weese moll
 3.   samantha.1020
 4.   orannia
 5.   alex
 6.   kim
 7.   rebe
 8.   shelley munro
 9.   little_alys
10.  brie
11.  azteclady

Timestamp: 2012-03-16 21:27:02 UTC

March Madness for Romance & A Giveaway!

Basketball isn't the only place where you can find some March madness! DABWAHA is a bracket tournament for romance novels created and hosted by Jane from Dear Author and Sarah from Smart Bitches Trashy Books. It's a tournament of books in which 64 books published in 2011 among 8 different categories are put up against each other bracket-style and voted on by readers over approximately 2 weeks until a single champion is crowned.

Visit the DABWAHA site to learn how the tournament works, which books are competing, the rules and prizes. Of course, while you're there, fill out your own bracket and join the fun. You have until Wednesday 11:59 am EST to submit your picks.

I submitted my bracket today and was faced with some tough decisions! I struggled with quite a few of my choices--even for the books with which I'm familiar. In fact, the hardest part was when some of my favorite books ended up facing off against each other and I had to choose! Like Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison up against Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh?! Gah! Can both win? In the end, I simply tried to take my preferences out of the thought process and just speculated which book voters would more likely choose.

But speaking of my favorites. .. Meredith Duran is an historical romance author who wrote one of my all time favorite romances, The Duke of Shadows, published in 2008. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of her books to date, including A Lady's Lesson in Scandal which I was pleased to discover is the readers nomination for the historical romance category in this year's DABWAHA tournament!

Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Meredith Duran in New York City after the literacy signing at the RWA National convention in June. She wasn't participating in the signing event, but she so graciously offered to meet up with me anyway and signed two copies of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal for me! Did I mention she's super cool as well as immensely talented? I kept one copy and the other was meant for a giveaway on my blog, but I never got around to it, so I'm doing it now. :)

To celebrate the nomination of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal in DABWAHA and the upcoming release of Meredith's next novel, At Your Pleasure on March 27, 2012... I'm giving away a new copy of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran, autographed by the author! 

Giveaway Rules: 
To enter for a chance to win, you must have left at least one comment on my blog in the past, leave a comment in this post about anything related to DABWAHA or Meredith Duran's books.

Giveaway ends on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm EST. Open in US only. Winners have one week to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Please leave an email address in your comment if it is not easily found on your blog or profile page.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran will be released on March 27, 2012.

Glittering court socialites and underworld cutpurses alike know that Adrian Ferrers, Earl of Rivenham, is the most dangerous man in London. Rivenham will let nothing—not the deepening shadow of war, nor the growing darkness within him—interfere with his ambition to restore his family to its former glory. But when tasked by the king to uncover a traitor, he discovers instead a conspiracy—and a woman whose courage awakens terrible temptations. To save her is to risk everything. To love her might cost his life. 

Lady Leonora knows that Rivenham is the devil in beautiful disguise—and that the irresistible tension between them is as unpredictable as the dilemma in which Nora finds herself: held hostage on her own estate by Rivenham and the king’s men. But when war breaks out, Nora has no choice but to place her trust in her dearest enemy—and pray that love does not become the weapon that destroys them both...

Visit Meredith Duran on her website at www.meredithduran.com for information about her books including excerpts, stories behind the story, research, reviews and where to purchase her books.

Meredith Duran also blogs with fellow historical romance author Sherry Thomas at Plotters & Manipulators Unite.


 p.s. In case you were wondering... DABWAHA = Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors

Winners of Lisa Kleypas Book Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a copy of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas and for telling me your favorite LK novel. I have read all of her contemporaries so far and only one of her historical romances--Secrets of a Summer Night-- so I have a lot to look forward to!


I used the free random list generator at random.org to select the winners for this giveaway. The three lucky winners are ......

Angiegirl

Rowena 

azteclady 

Congratulations! I'm so excited for each of you! I hope you enjoy Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor as much as I did and it gets you excited for Rainshadow Road coming out later this month!

List Randomizer

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Angiegirl
2. Rowena
3. azteclady
4. Isabel
5. Lisa
6. bn100
7. Lusty Reader
8. Alex
9. Paula

Timestamp: 2012-02-04 14:45:08 UTC

Get Excited for Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas & Book Giveaway

Oh how I wish I was giving away copies of Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas, but no. I'm afraid I'm going to have to sit tight and wait for this book's release just like the rest of you.

You ARE anxiously awaiting Rainshadow Road, too, right? Did you read the first chapter excerpt on Lisa's website yet? No?! What are you waiting for? Go read it HERE. Go ahead and read it right now. I'll wait for you....

So what did you think? I love this opening scene. Already I'm in love with the Pacific Northwest setting. I was lucky to visit the region two summers ago with my family, so I can attest to the grandness of it's natural and rugged beauty and I can see why Lisa Kleypas chose this particular setting for her Friday Harbor series. It truly is a majestic place and invokes a sense of both peace and wonder.

As for Lucy Marinn and Sam Nolan, in just one opening scene, we can see there's a subtle chemistry between them, don't you think? I can already tell their relationship is going to be a sweet discovery, although it's not going to be so straightforward. There's some obstacles in this love story of which we already know and I'm sure even more to come as the story progresses. One thing we definitely know about Lucy is her strong sense of caution when it comes to relationships with men, and who can blame her after the awful break up she's going through. Oh, but you haven't heard the details of that one yet, have you? Well, as a member of Lisa's Divas I was able to read the second chapter excerpt recently, and let me tell you the break-up is a tough one. I hope Sam is good at convincing Lucy of love and happily ever after. Although, to tell you the truth--he's going to need some convincing of the possibility of that, too! I can't wait to see how Lisa Kleypas brings these two characters together.

To help get you psyched for the February 28, 2012 release of Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas, I'm giving away three beautifully bound hardcover copies of the first book by Lisa that introduces us to Friday Harbor and the Nolan brothers.... Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is the story of Mark Nolan and Maggie Collins, the owner of a very special toy store in Friday Harbor. This heartwarming story is so charming and will leave you believing in the magic of love.

You can read my review of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor HERE. I can't believe I read it way back in October 2010! That was many, many books ago for me, but the characters, their story and the setting!--are still fresh in my mind.

Want to be entered for a chance to win Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor? Just follow these steps and rules:

• Leave a comment below telling me your favorite book by Lisa Kleypas and you're entered in the giveaway.
• Haven't read a book yet by Lisa Kleypas? Then leave a comment below telling me why you'd like to read this one. 
• Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if it is not easily found on your profile.
• Open to US and Canada only. It's out of my budget to mail outside these two zones--I'm sorry.
• Giveaway ends on Friday, February 3, 2012, 5 pm EST at which time I'll use random.org to select three winners.
• Winners will be notified by email and have three days to get back to me with their mailing information or their prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

Good luck!  

To discover more about Lisa Kleypas and her books, visit her website at http://LisaKleypas.com.

There's also a great interview with Lisa that includes a lot of talk about Rainshadow Road at SmartBitches website HERE. The book giveaway is over, but do go read the interview with Lisa--it's very good!


NOTE: I'm one of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info & content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks & swag in return. Including the copies of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor provided for this giveaway! 

A 500th Post Holiday Giveaway

It took me almost exactly four years [my blogging birthday is December 29, 2007], but I've finally reached my 500th blog post and this is it! That's an average of 125 posts a year, 10.4 posts a month or about one post every 3-4 days. That sounds about right.

What started out as a place to share my thoughts on books with an emphasis on romance novels has expanded and transformed into pretty much a personal blog. I still post regularly about bookish things, but also about fitness, food, family and other assorted adventures. All are topics I'm passionate about and enjoy sharing with my readers here on the happily ever after... I hope you all enjoy the mix, too. :)

To celebrate this 500th post milestone and the upcoming holiday season and to thank all of you who visit the happily ever after... and keep me company on this blogging adventure, I'm giving away a holiday ebook prize to one lucky winner. Below is a list of holiday novellas, most of which are new releases, from which one lucky reader will win up to three stories of their choice.

I'm afraid I don't know a lot about the restrictions of purchasing ebooks for recipients overseas, but I will look into that between now and the closing of the entries and see what I can do. In the meantime, assume that you will at least need to have one of the following to qualify for the prize: A kindle or kindle app on your reading device OR an iPod touch, iPad, or iPhone with either iBooks or the Kindle app installed, depending on the book below.

Winner will choose from the following list of fantastic holiday ebooks:
  Click on titles to see the book on goodreads.

   

Newly Fallen by Megan Hart [kindle only]
A steamy contemporary Hanukkah romance!

A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian [iBooks or kindle]
A Midnight Breed novella, book #9.5
Paranormal romance, not so Christmas-y

Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare [iBooks or kindle]
A Spindle Cove novella, book #1.5
Historical romance.

Or perhaps one or more of the following contemporary romance novellas from the Carina Press holiday anthology, Holiday Kisses:

 

Mistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey [iBooks or kindle]

It's Not Christmas Without You by HelenKay Dimon [iBooks or kindle]


 
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton [iBooks or kindle]

This Time Next Year by Alison Kent [iBooks or kindle]


Romance not your thing? That's okay! We can still be friends and you can choose this "regular" Christmas book: ;)

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere [kindle only]







To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment letting me know which THREE holiday novellas you would like to read.

All entries must be received by Friday, December 16, 2011 12 noon EST.

Be sure to leave an email address if it is not easily found in your profile.

Happy holidays! :)

Birthday Giveaway Winner

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. I used random.org to generate a random list from the list of entries and the first person on the list is ....

Deanna!!! 

Congratulations!!! Email me! :)

Deanna blogs at Paperback Dreamer. I encourage you to visit her there--she reviews and discusses romance novels, usually preferring paranormal, but she also reads some contemporary and historical romances. Plus she does a lot of cool giveaways.

The results from random.org:

List Randomizer


There were 14 items in your list. Here they are in random order:


Deanna
Brandy
Lisa
Sarah
Maija
Dru
Hilcia
Paula
Tracy
Phyl
nath
kim h
Alex
Gina
Timestamp: 2011-10-09 19:38:45 UTC


As a side note, I'm thinking of changing my blog look already. The blue is really nice and I like the fresh, clean look, but I don't know... it doesn't quite feel like "me." I need warmer colors maybe.

A Happy Birthday Giveaway!

It feels like I just celebrated one of these, but here I am again! Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun. ;)

This first thing I did this year to celebrate my birthday was run in a 5K race. What a nice way to celebrate life, right? The best part--I ran the 5K in 30:02 minutes--my new personal best! Whaoo!

It was like a surprise birthday gift to myself! : )

The rest of the day was spent at home hanging out and relaxing with my husband and daughters and ended with a warm apple pastry, vanilla ice cream and a mug of my favorite herbal tea.

In the spirit of celebration and per my annual birthday tradition, I'm giving away a "birthday gift" to ONE lucky winner on my blog.

This year's "birthday gift" includes two of my favorite things-- a book [winner's choice ebook or paper book--mass market, trade or comparable priced hardcover] and a bar of dark chocolate with caramel with Hawaiian sea salt from Trader Joe's.* [It's SOoooo good!]

You're going to want to enter just for the chocolate bar. It's out of this world.

To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment below telling me how you like to celebrate your birthday.

Giveaway ends on Saturday, October 8, 2011 EST and the winner has one week to claim prize before I'll give it away to someone else.

Please also include your email address if it's not easily found on your profile or web page.

Open to everyone, but international winner*, if chosen, will receive book of their choice per the guidelines above and shipped from The Book Depository ONLY. Thanks for understanding.

Good luck!

Christmas in July IV Giveaway WINNER

I used the free list randomizer at random.org to determine the winner for the Christmas in July giveaway and the lucky winner is .... 

little_alys !!!! 

Congratulations!!! *confetti* 

little_alys has already expressed enthusiastic interest in the Cozy Prize which includes two used books from my gift shelf--one her choice and one mine, a jar of my homemade strawberry jam, a beaded book thong in her choice color scheme and some random book and author swag. 

little_alys, please email me with your book choice and the color scheme you would like for your book thong. I have a wide variety of colored beads, so name your colors and I'll make it happen!

Thanks to everyone who entered. :) 

List Randomizer

There were 7 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. little_alys
2. Natalie
3. paperbackdaydreamer
4. orannia
5. Jess
6. BookBelle
7. Alex

Timestamp: 2011-08-04 04:05:51 UTC

It's Christmas in July IV {A Giveaway}

Just as we come off a terrible heat wave in my corner of the world, I'm thinking wintry thoughts for my 4th annual Christmas in July book giveaway. Christmas is only five months away and Hanukkah bit less than that, beginning at sundown on December 20th this year. Has anyone given these December holidays a thought yet? I know I haven't! Winter feels so far away right now, especially after a week of temperatures soaring into the 100s every day last week, plus I can't seem to think about any other long term plans until after my triathlon in September. Crazy, I know. I've become a little anxious, preoccupied, etc. with training and mentally preparing for the race and admit it consumes a lot of my thoughts these days. Next week I'm going to a workshop given by sports psychologist for "Managing Triathlon Performance Anxiety," compliments of the tri-women group to which I belong. I think I really need this workshop! lol!  ;)

Traditionally, I give away gently used books from my shelf to celebrate Christmas in July and I plan to do the same this year, with a few extras to sweeten the deal as well as an option for a different prize.  One randomly selected winner will win their choice of the following prizes:

The Cozy Prize: [US only]
A gently used book of their choice from my gift shelf,
A small jar of my homemade strawberry jam,
A homemade beaded book thong in the color scheme of your choice,
and a few extra goodies like author swag and a bonus book of my choosing.

OR

The Glossy Prize: [US or international]
A shiny new mass market paperback of your choice, shipped to you via TheBookDepository.

To see what books I'm offering for the cozy prize, please visit my gift shelf. I suggest the following favorites, but of course it's winner's choice:

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb, the first in the very popular futuristic In Death crime fiction series. This copy is actually a well worn copy since I bought it used and have read it a few times. Don't worry, I'm not giving away my only copy! I'm keeping my autographed copy that friends gave me.

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. This is the first book in Ms. Kleypas' Travis Family contemporary romance series and an all time favorite of mine. I have an extra paperback copy on my gift shelf. I have a hard cover copy on my shelf, autographed by Ms. Kleypas. :)

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. This is the second book in the Travis Family series and a very special book to me. I have an extra hardcover copy to giveaway. It can be read as a stand alone.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment in this post telling me your favorite holiday themed book, whether it be a book from your childhood, a cherished holiday cookbook, a romance, mystery, anything holiday-themed!

I have very few objects from my childhood in my possession, but one item I do have is my favorite Christmas book-- a brightly colored children's book version of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore that's probably now considered vintage. Yes, I'm that old. ;p The edges are worn, the staples holding the pages together are rusted, and there's even a scribble of crayon on the cover, but it is a rare treasured keepsake from some happy times of my early childhood. I still remember having the story read to me on Christmas Eve, leaving butterflies in my stomach anticipating the arrival of Santa while I slept. It's a happy thought.

This Christmas in July Giveaway is open everyone, although international winners can only receive The Glossy Prize.

Giveaway ends on July 31, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST, at which time I'll use random.org to select the winner. Winner will be announced in a separate post.

Winners have one week to claim their prize, after which a new winner will be selected.

Good luck! :)





If you want more Christmas in July spirit, head over to Deanna's blog, Paperback Dreamer. She's dedicated the entire month of July to Christmas with holiday book and movie reviews plus giveaways. There's still an open giveaway going on right now. So go check it out!

Kiss My Face Giveaway WINNERS!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes last week, whether you greeted me here or on facebook, twitter, email or other means. I appreciate all the warm wishes-- you helped make my day extra special!

The three winners of the Kiss My Face Mini Facial Kits have been selected using the list randomizer at random.org and the winners are.....

Gina

Mary

Christina

Congratulations, ladies!

Please email me at krauscakes [at] verizon [dot] net with your mailing address and I'll get your gift out to you asap.


List Randomizer


There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:


gina
mary
christina
janicu
lea
firepages
sarai
maija
susi
michelle
melissa
doodlegirl
orannia
hilcia
dru
Timestamp: 2010-10-09 16:41:53 UTC

It's a Happy Birthday today...

Mine! Didn't I just celebrate one of these last year? Before you know it, the next one's upon you! I can't complain, though. I'm really happy where I am right now in my life and I have a lot worth celebrating.


Sure, I've got a few gray hairs, but I try to look on the bright side. They're highlights! 


And then there are the small wrinkle lines by my eyes and mouth, but they're evidence that I've been laughing and smiling, right?


I can't really think of anything on bright side when it comes to sagging breasts, but I suppose that's where our friend Victoria and her secrets come in. *coughpushupbracough*


But if that's all I have to complain about in my midlife years, I'll take it! 


Right now, I'm probably the healthiest I've been in at least two decades. I've been working really hard at taking good care of my body in the last year ... eating healthier than ever before and I've even lost 34 lbs.[15 kg] in the last six months, and I exercise hard nearly every day and have a lot of fun doing it. I even had a physical recently and got an excellent report from the doctor. I'm so grateful for my good health.


As for emotional well being, I have a wonderfully attentive and sexy husband who makes me very happy and two beautiful children who add such joy to our lives. When they're not driving us crazy, that is! I have an amazing group of friends who are not only fun to be with, but they're compassionate, supportive and also generous with their time and attention. Some of those friends are people like YOU who I've met online.

As part of my happy birthday celebration, and maintaining my tradition of previous years, I'm giving away a small token gift to three people here on my blog-- Kiss My Face Facial Mini Kits! It's a really cute little kit that comes with a sample size of the Kiss My Face Soy Soft Facial Cleansing Bar, revitalizing Facial Toner and Cell Mate-15 moisturizer and sunblock. When I say "little kit," I mean little, but it'll be a fun, natural treat for your skin and a great way to try out these three products. Click here to find out more about the products in the kit.


To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below telling me what's so fabulous about being in your 40s. And if you're younger than that ... make something up! ^_^


Giveaway ends on Friday, October 8, 2010.


Three randomly selected winners will be chosen and announced in a separate post. Winners will have three days to claim their prize before I'll give it away to someone else.


Please include your email address if it is not easily found on your profile.


Open to everyone.

Christmas in July III giveaway WINNERS!

Thanks to everyone who left comments on my Christmas in July III giveaway. It's great that so many of you love to give and receive homemade gifts for the holidays. I loved reading all of your ideas... and totally forgot that I also often give an assortment of Christmas cookies away as gifts. At least on those years that I have my act together and actually get my baking done on time!

I used the List Randomizer at www.random.org to select the winners to the giveaway and the winners are ....

Alessandra

azteclady

kimehak

Congratulations! Please email me at krauscakes [at] verizon [dot] net with your book choice from my gift shelf and your mailing address so I can get your book in the mail to you this week. Alessandra has already claimed Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie.

Thanks for playing, everyone! :)

List Randomizer

There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

alessandra
azteclady
kimehak
jackie b
maija A
dru
misuesedinnocence
orannia
elaing8
lea
venus vaughn
cecile
mariska
breanne
kris

Timestamp: 2010-08-09 15:36:39 UTC

It's Christmas in July III

... my annual gently used book giveaway.

I know, I know... I'm a day late. It's not July anymore, but 'Christmas in August' just doesn't have the right ring to it. In any case, it's that time of year again for my Christmas in July giveaway. I usually post this giveaway on July 25 at the 'five months till Christmas' mark, but alas, I was on vacation. I still planned on the giveaway, and when I realized that Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 1, 2010, exactly four months from today, I thought today was a great alternative to my usual. So a heads up to all my Jewish friends and followers: you've got four months and counting to prepare for your holiday! Those who celebrate Christmas, we have a little less than five months to go.

Normally, I'm a last minute kind of girl when it comes to birthdays and holidays. I don't mean to be, but that's just how things go for me. I end up pulling it together somehow and things usually work out fine, but every year I say next year is going to be different. In that vein, I'm saying now that this year is going to be different. I'm going to have my shopping finished well in advance, homemade gifts crafted, presents wrapped, greeting cards mailed, gifts shipped, cookies baked and the house decorated so that I have time to savor the season with friends and family. Wish me luck! ;)

I realize for some people--myself included, it's not easy and frankly quite insane to start thinking about the holidays now when we're in full summer vacation mode. I don't even like seeing school supplies in the stores right now, so forget about thoughts of Christmas, right? The truth is, though, if my game plan of being ahead of the game in December is going to come anywhere near fruition, I need to start now. I figure this is a good time to at least pull some ideas together for home crafted gifts I'd like to give to some friends and family, so that's what I'm starting to do now.

So far, I've made homemade strawberry jam and a few jars of these amazing rum soaked cherries that I will give as gifts for Christmas. In the next week or two, I'll be making peach preserves and then later in the summer, raspberry and blackberry jam, and I may even try my hand at jalapeno jelly for the first time. I think these will make delightful little gifts for some lucky people on my gift list. If I may say so myself... ;)

Other homemade gift ideas I have in mind include bookmarks, beaded wine glass charms, quilted coasters or those little scented pillows to put in your underwear drawer to make everything smell nice, both made using decorator fabric scraps. Maybe some other ideas will come my way along the way.

Enough talk about my super advanced holiday preparations and on to the giveaway. In the tradition of the past two years that I've held my Christmas in July giveaway, I'd like to give away some books from my own, overflowing bookshelves. Some of the books are brand new and some of them are gently used by either me or my book fairies--Kate and Mariana who have so generously passed on boxes and bags of books to me. Some of these books are doubles of books I already have, some are ARCs with the final covers and some are ARCs with plain card stock covers, the latter of which I know is important if you're a cover art junkie. Hey, don't be embarrassed if you are--it takes one to know one. ;)

I'm going to give three winners a book of their choice from my gift shelf on Shelfari, which you can view by clicking on the link.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment in this post telling me your favorite homemade gift to give or receive. I'm looking for some ideas!

The giveaway is open to everyone--I'll ship overseas, but will use the cheapest mailing option to mail outside the US or Canada.

Giveaway ends on Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 12:00 pm (noon) EST at which time I'll use random.org to select the winners. Check back that evening or the morning of August 9, 2010 for the results.

Winners have one week to contact me with their book choice and mailing address. After that, I'll choose a replacement winner.

NOTE: I have at least two dozen more books--some of them fairly new releases, to add to the 40 books already on my Shelfari gift shelf, so if you don't see anything that interests you right away, click back to my gift shelf in 24 hours or so for a bigger selection. I need some time to enter them in Shelfari.

Good luck! :)

AutoChef Winner!

Raise your hand if you wish you could have won an AutoChef* as featured in J.D. Robb's In Death series FOR REAL? Wouldn't that be awesome? I actually love to cook, but every now and then-- maybe two or three times a week-- I wish I could walk up to an AutoChef and punch in a dinner request and Voila! Dinner is served!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the In Death series, the AutoChef* is a fictional food service appliance in the futuristic mystery series by J.D. Robb that provides your food or beverage choice by the touch of a button. In my April In Death Challenge post, I asked what would be in unending supply in your personal AutoChef and coffee, Coke, and chocolate were the repeat answers. Since the main character of the series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD in futuristic NYC has an AutoChef in her office that is stocked with real coffee, which is near impossible to come by in the year 2058, I decided to giveaway some coffee to one of the In Death Reading Challenge participants who have kept up with the challenge for the last four months. There were six readers who entered the giveaway and I used random.org to randomly select a winner from the group and that lucky winner is . . .

Lori !!!

Congratulations! Sorry it's only a Starbucks gift card and not a real AutoChef. ;)

I've been having a lot of fun with the In Death Reading Challenge and hope that everyone plans on keeping up. The next giveaway will be in August, so to qualify for the prize, be sure to read (reread or listen to) at least one In Death book in each month from May through August. Then visit my monthly challenge post at the end of each month to link your review, comments or reading list to be qualified.

If you'd like to join the challenge, visit the sign up post HERE. If you have any questions, leave a comment or email me at the address in my profile.

This and That + 2 Winners

Can you believe it's May already? The days and seasons are just flying by. I don't know where the time goes and I sure could use some more time in my days, that's for sure.

HEALTH & FITNESS
I'm going to try to be brief on this topic, because Lord knows I can go on and on and on about diet and exercise these days. Back in the beginning of April, I blogged about starting a calorie counting program to help me lose weight using the Lose It app on my iPhone. I started on April 1 and am happy to report that I've lost 8 lbs. as of May 1! All I can say is thank goodness I got some great results right away, because I was pretty miserable--hungry and cranky--for the first week or two. Don't get me wrong, it's still not easy, but it's definitely easier than those first two weeks.

April was a great month in exercise for me. I've been working out 5-6 days a week now as opposed to the 4-5 days a week previously, which has been awesome. Not just because I'm burning more calories, but my body simply craves the daily exercise now, too. When a day off comes along, I get kind of restless and my body keeps whispering, "go, go, go!" but my brain says, "wait! ice, ice, ice baby before you get hurt!" I battle myself the whole day.

My friend Maureen, who is also my running class instructor from the gym, started up a mixed level bootcamp class on Friday mornings at 5:45 am and of course, I signed up for it. Last Friday was our first class and while the drills were intense, because it was the first class, there was also some downtime for her to explain things, so it wasn't brutal. During one drill she said we would probably have muscle soreness over the weekend, and I nearly tuned her out thinking that didn't really apply to me. I workout six days a week and even cross train! Well, I've got one word to describe how I felt over the weekend: OUCH! I winced and maybe even groaned out loud every time I sat or had to go up or down the stairs. I'm thinking this class will be good for me.

I only went running four times in April, but I made the most of those runs and worked on my pace. One of my fitness goals for 2010 is to run at a 10:30 minute mile pace and this morning I ran 2 miles in 21:05-- the first mile at 10:33 and the second mile at 10:32. Totally made my day.

My husband and I also went out on our first cycling rides of the season in April. I think all the running I've been doing since last fall has improved my cardiovascular fitness level because I only needed to stop once on two of the most challenging hills of my favorite route through the wildlife reservation. Last fall, I had to stop twice on each of those hills. I'm hoping to do the entire loop without stopping at all by the end of the summer.

COOKING
I've got a handful of recipes that I want to share and will hopefully get them up soon. Most are main dish recipes, but I also want to try my hand at making Angel Food Cake and biscotti that is less than 100 calories per piece. I love biscotti.

GARDENING
I really wanted to re-establish my vegetable garden this spring as I haven't had one in three years because of the addition we did on the house, but it's nearly time to plant summer crops here in Zone 6, and I'm no where near ready. I wanted to get a fence put up in the yard first because the garden will back up to it and I haven't even called anyone in for an estimate yet. So I was thinking for this year, to maybe plant some vegetables in with the flowers that are in my side yard perennial garden. It's a small garden between the house and the driveway, but it gets enough sun and I'll see it every time I go out, so I'll probably be more likely to weed and water it anyway. I just wondered if it would be too accessible to the deer, but then decided no. The deer would have to walk up my driveway, go between my car and the house that is only maybe 6 feet wide and the only way out is the way they came in because the steps into the house are right there. Well, clearly, what do I know. Look what I spotted in that space this past Sunday:

Isn't that the cutest thing! It was so small, I wondered if it was born there early that morning or the night before. A couple of hours later it was gone and I couldn't find it anywhere in my yard. I wonder if it wandered away alone or if the mother came back for it. I kind of hope I'll see it again so I'll know it's okay, but it'll probably be back in a month or two eating my garden! I wonder if I'll think it's a sweet little thing then.


2 KIDS AND A DOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!
Finally, I used the list randomizer at random.org to select two lucky winners of the 2 Kids and a Dog Calendar giveaway! And the winners are ....

BRANDY and DOODLEGIRL !!!

Congratulations! Please email me at krauscakes[at]verizon[dot]net with your mailing address so the lovely Alexia from 2 Kids and a Dog can get your calendar out to you in the mail. I hope you get some smiles out of their calendar like I do! Thanks for playing! :o)

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I want to know what's going on in your world lately... do you have anything to share?

Do you have a garden? Do you container garden? What vegetables, herbs or flowers do you like to grow every year?

List Randomizer

There were 6 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Brandy
doodlegirl
Dru
orannia
Lover of Romance
nath

Timestamp: 2010-05-03 02:30:32 UTC

Clowning Around with 2 Kids and a Dog + Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to a new-to-me blogger and YouTuber named Alexia through Kwana of Kwana Writes. I then spent the better part of an hour watching Alexia's videos and literally laughing out loud. I think you would too!

Here's a little background. Alexia is an American woman who lives in Rome with her Italian Sicilian husband and their two kids and a dog.

Alexia and her family make fun, quirky family calendars every year for their family and friends and recently decided to entertain the world with behind the scene videos of their escapades in capturing the perfect family photo. So much fun!

Please meet Alexia:



And for some clowning around :o)

... and teamwork O_o





I won a 2 Kids and a Dog Calendar from Alexia over at Kwana's blog --it's VERY cute, by the way-- and would now like to pay the fun forward and giveaway a calendar to TWO of you. I know, I know ... you probably already have your 2010 calendar by now, but you gotta see this fun and quirky calendar for yourself. Hang it by the water cooler at the office and stimulate some fun conversation.

Just leave a comment and I'll select TWO winners at random next Friday, April 30.

Giveaway open to everyone. :o)


2 Kids and A Dog blog

2 Kids and A Dog YouTube channel

Truths Revealed

See Truth Game here.

When Tracy first tagged me on the truth game meme, I didn't think I could come up with any good lies. But to tell the truth, once I sat down and came up with one... then two... then tree... it turns out it was a lot of fun stretching some truths about me into lies. Not only that, but I was good at it, too, because no one guessed the correct two truths! However, one person did get one truth correct, so I am awarding her the grand prize. Read on to find out if it's you....

It's time for confessions!

1. I spent my summers as a kid on eastern Long Island, NY where I spent days "working" on my grandfather's fishing boat.
LIE
I spent my summers as a kid on eastern Long Island, NY but I spent my days sailing, swimming and sunning. So spoiled.

2. I have only been out of the country once, when I visited the Philippines with my husband the year after we were married.
LIE
I have actually been out of the country five times-- twice to Mexico, twice to Canada and once to Bermuda. We do plan on visiting the Philippines someday, though, so my husband can show me and our daughters his native country.

3. Both of my daughters have my mother-in-law's first name as their middle name.
LIE
Each daughter has a variation of either my or my husband's first name as their middle name.

4. I met my husband in college when he was my TA in physics and I was his student.
LIE
I did meet my husband in college when he was a physics grad student and I was an undergrad, but he was never my TA nor was I ever his student.

5. I have never beat my husband in Scrabble.
LIE
It is a rare occurrence, but every now and then I score a win in Scrabble!

6. The only state I have ever vacationed in twice is Utah.
TRUTH
Two of my most spectacular and most memorable vacations of my life have been to Utah. I know! Who would have guessed Utah would be the place to be, right? I spent a week in Utah for a winter ski vacation, during which we skied at five different ski resorts: Deer Valley, Park City, Sundance, Alta, and Snowbird. Each one was unique and awe inspiring. Several years later, I spent a week in Utah for a summer vacation visiting Utah's many spectacular State and National Parks, starting at Salt Lake City and ending at the Grand Canyon. This vacation was A M A Z I N G! Antelope State Park near Salt Lake City, Arches National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. I saw sights on this trip that just took my breath away. I would go back to each one of these places in a heartbeat.

7. I was on the track team in high school.
TRUTH
I tricked almost all of you on this one with running being such a new thing to me. The truth is that running is new to me, but I was actually on my high school track team for one year when I threw shot put and discus. I wasn't very good at it. I think I placed only once the whole season and that was just because my one teammate was absent and the other team sucked. LOL. Needless to say, I didn't return the following year.

8. I have my bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and my master's degree in business management.
LIE
I have my bachelor's degree in electrical engineering but my master's degree is in teaching. I'm qualified to teach high school math.

9. I recently reconnected with my best friend from childhood with whom I was friends when we were 4 years old for the first time on Facebook.
LIE
I have never lost touch with my best friend from childhood. We have been close friends for about 38 years. We started out as neighborhood playmates at age 4 and despite the fact that she moved away when we were 10, we have maintained a close friendship over the years and still see each other regularly throughout the year.

10. I had a part time job in high school working in my town's public library shelving books and making sure the card catalog was properly alphabetized.
LIE
I had a part time job in high school working in the town's violations bureau doing filing and eventually assisted the court clerk during weekly court sessions. It was enlightening to find out which of my classmates were getting busted for pot or vandalism.


The two true statements are #6 and #7.

No one guessed #6 to be true and only orannia guessed #7 to be true, so she wins the grand prize!

Congrats, orannia!!! :)

I put everyone else's name in the random list generator at random.org and the winner of the homemade bookmark is ....

Natalie!!! :)

Sorry I'm such a good liar, but I hope you all had fun playing the truth game with me, anyway! I know I sure had fun seeing what everyone was guessing to be true about me. :)

Thanks for playing, everyone!!!

List Randomizer

There were 19 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

natalie
CJ
hilda
i heart book gossip
phyl
layla
sarai
taja
nath
lori
venus
renee
azteclady
KB
hilcia
yesenia
brandy
tracy
amy

Timestamp: 2010-03-18 17:07:33 UTC