...Bloggy Carnival

I'm so excited, the Bloggy Carnival is here. I love the Carnival not only for the great prizes being given away but for finding fun and interesting blogs to read. Some of these ladies are great writers and I'd love to see a book written by them. Here are some of my faves from the Bloggy Carnival:

Musings Of A Housewife - giving away a great laptop case

Mom Most Traveled - giving away a Fountain Jet Home Soda Machine from Soda Club. My 12 yr old would love this as he's always asking to have his own soda machine in the house.

Unexpected Bliss - giving away a $100 VISA gift card. How cool is that?!!

Blogger Instinct - giving away a pair of chicbuds, which you all know I'm dying to own. What girl doesn't want more bling?

Have Kid Will Travel. I will be forever indebted to Jody for bringing Janine King Designs to my attention. I just love her work! Jody is giving away one of Janine's passport purses and it's simply gorgeous! Check it out.

60 Miles Or Bust - giving away a save the ta-tas tee shirt. Love the blog, love the cause, love the tees.

...Jack & Ella Designs

Looking for more Twilight merchandise? Then you must check out Jack & Ella Designs. I am so in love with their "Bitten" bracelet that I had to share it with all you other Twilight fanatics. Hey...what are you still reading for? Go now and check out the merchandise. You won't be sorry!

...Crazy

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written anything since Thanksgiving but it's been a crazy time. With all that's involved in the holidays...the shopping, the wrapping, the celebrating I haven't had a minute to myself. With all that going on, my husband and I have ventured into a new business distributing Mona Vie. I love this juice! It really is doing wonderful things for me and you can read more about it at Yaya's MySpace.

On top of that, I'm trying to get my other business, That Referral Chick moving. I had to sideline it for awhile but I'm now back in the game and hope to get it flourishing before Spring.

Like I said, it's been crazy here and I haven't had time to find new products that I love to share with you but I'll get back on track soon. Until then...may 2009 be the year that all your dreams come true!

...Thanksgiving

Just wanted to take a moment and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter and great food with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

...Blogging For The Peek

You've all read how much I'm dying to get the Peek through an earlier post that I wrote so you can guess how excited I was when perusing blogs last night and found a giveaway for one. OMGosh! I was so thrilled to have a chance to win one that I couldn't sleep. The Peek has been at the top of my Christmas Wish List ever since I first heard about it but I'm not so sure the man (husband) will pay attention. He rarely ever does (love ya honey!! lol) So of course I'm blogging about it in hopes to win one from Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls and also to give you the same chance. And while your entering for the Peek, check out the rest of her blog too. It's pretty cool!!

...chicBuds

Back in my day, and we're talking decades ago, the word 'buds' was slang for beginning breasts or nipples. You'd be at a family gathering and that one Aunt, who was always loud, always bringing attention to herself would exclaim (so that everybody could hear) "Look George, Moo's got her little buds. Isn't that sweet." So when I first heard the term chicBuds, my initial thought went straight back to those days when my Aunt would tweak my nipples and I would run from the room. I figured that chicBuds must be some kind of nipple pads or "petals" (you know, those things you put in your bra so your nipples don't show.) I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they're the 2008 version of "buds", they're earbuds - blinged out!! And if you'd like a pair of your own, and what girl doesn't want some bling on her buds, check out berrie Sweet Picks for your chance to win a pair! If blinged ear buds aren't your thing, stay tuned to her blog for other giveaways and reviews. You might find something that really turns you on.

...Answering Your Questions

I've received several emails asking me about sweeping and thought I'd address them here. No, I do not enter every single sweepstakes. I don't have that kind of time. I'm a mom, a grandma and I run my own business. Time is limited. No, I do not enter sweeps to win something to turn around and sell it. That's not what I'm about. I only enter the sweeps, contests or giveaways for items that I know my kids would like or need. I enter for items that I think my family would enjoy, like a dream vacation to a destination I may not be able to afford otherwise. My daugthter-in-law is trying to have a baby so I'm now entering for baby items. These are items I stayed away from in the past so that others who needed them could win. I don't enter for vehicles because we don't need new cars right now. I don't go for boats, waverunners, etc. because we have no need (or place) for them. However I do enter for cash prizes because cash is always good. lol

Tips? The only tips I can give you are 1) read the official rules. Every sweep/contest/giveaway has their own rules and if you don't follow them, your entry will be disqualified. 2) Look at the ARV (Approximate Retail Value) of the prize (you'll find it in the official rules.) That's the amount that will be submitted to the IRS for tax purposes. Can you pay the tax on that amount? Some people fail to look at that and after they accept the prize, they panic because they can't pay the taxes. I always look at the ARV to determine if the larger prizes are worth it. Note: You only have to pay taxes on an item that is $600 or more. 3) Enter. Enter. Enter. You can't win if you don't enter. 4) Don't expect the wins to come rolling in right away. It takes time. And luck. A whole lotta luck.

I believe in Karma and I believe in The Secret. I believe that if you put positive energy out there, positive things will come back to you. So think positive, think that you will win and you will. It may not be right away, but it will happen. And always be nice to people. Treat them the way you want to be treated. Smile at a stranger. Let a car merge into your lane. Help an elderly person. Pay it forward. Karma will come back around and reward you. It will also bite you in the arse if you're unkind. Best of luck to you!!