The winners and other stuff

June 14, 2012 by Kelli

Once upon a time I threw the biggest birthday party known to mankind. That’s only barely an exaggeration. When Sloan turned five, I threw a fire fighter birthday party and fell prey to fear, which led to me inviting every single person we knew and their entire families.

I have deep seeded people-pleaser issues.

I was so afraid of someone feeling left out that I just invited everyone I could think of assuming that with it being summertime many would be out of town and unable to attend, but at least they would know I thought of them, right?

Almost every single person RSVP’ed. Twenty-nine (or more, I lost track) kids, 16 adults and a sprinkler. I have never done that again.

All that to say, I can’t choose just one winner from the Name that Photo contest. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and plus you guys flipping made me laugh so hard. I wouldn’t know how to start. I laughed out loud (I did NOT LOL…ugh) so much, then I went and reread the comments and laughed again. Out. Loud.

My readers are funny...and apparently know me too well.

Sloan mooning us? Nutella locked in the van? Draining noodles? Timmy trapped in a well? Fat tourists in thongs? 1-800-CONTACTS? Smokey Bones? Oh heavens…you guys are the best. So funny.

Well done all of you. VIRTUAL HIGH FIVE’S ALL AROUND. Hold your hand up…wait just a sec…

There! High five. BOOM!

And here’s your side hug.

Now the super-duper feelings of awesomeness and glory will take a few days to get to you. You should all receive those by Monday at the latest. Be on the lookout…

In other news…

– Today I am guest posting at Bohemian Bowmans on the impact Tanzania has had on my writing. Hop on by and check out the Bohemian blog – they’re Canadians now, dontcha know…

– In order to retain my Mom-Blogger card, I am required to post a recipe now and again. Otherwise my membership may be revoked and then I’ll be relegated to writing about, I dunno, politics or something.

*shudder*

I’ve made these eggs twice this week and both times my first born, he who gags like he’s dying when I serve him eggs, has gobbled them up. So what’s in this magic eggs concoction?

– 1 leek, thinly sliced (leeks are like big, fat green onions – I had no idea…I’m not what you’d call a cook.) Sautee the leek in 2 T of butter and add one garlic clove chopped.

– 4 cups of Kale. Add the Kale to the Pan and pour in 3 T of white wine (you read that right), cover and let simmer until Kale is melted. Salt and Pepper to taste.

– Crack four eggs on top of the greens, put a lid on the pot and let cook on low until eggs have hardened and set. Serve hot and watch in amazement as your kids eat so much good stuff without complaining.

*This is not an original recipe. I got it out of Men’s Health magazine, which, naturally, I was only reading for the recipes… *nervous laugh*

– I want to Hulk Smash the alarm system in our house. I hate it. Every time the power trips, the alarm goes off. Last night the power tripped three times. When that alarm goes off in the middle of the night I wake up prepared to kill. It explains why today I am drinking this, which I only drink in the most dire of situations.

My hands are trembling uncontrollably right now.

– I downloaded all three Ingrid Michaelson albums today. I’ve loved her since “The Way I Am” came out, but lately we have been listening to the Over the Rhine station on Pandora and every time she popped up on the screen I got goosebumps. She’s freaky good.

– I signed all three kids up this week for gymnastics camp. I’ve had about three hours a day to myself. At home. ALONE. I had kind of forgotten what this felt like. It’s a little boring at times, but for the most part it has been entirely enjoyable.

Empty Minivans are HAWT!

Okay, I’ve talked enough. Now it’s your turn. Tell me something funny, or sad, or happy. What are you doing this weekend. Do you have a vacation coming up? Did your kid say something funny to you this week?

Who’s gonna make me laugh? Come on, help a sister out. I didn’t sleep much last night and you guys demonstrated yesterday that you are plenty funny so lay it on me.

Happy Thursday, friends.

Filed Under: Giveaway, Life, Random Tagged With: Funny, Giveaway, Photography, Prize, Random Stuff

Name that Photo

June 12, 2012 by Kelli

I’m wicked tired today and so distracted. I don’t feel funny, or deep or contemplative – I just feel…blah. So I’m offering up a giveaway to end all giveaways. Seriously, you’re glad you stopped by here today.

Some of you have already seen this on Facebook, but you can still play the game. Jenni from Avodah Images snapped this candid shot of us when she did our family shots. At some point during that evening, Landon stepped on a sand spur and I thought this picture was taken during that time, but Lee reminded me that that happened later in the evening on a different part of the beach.

So I have no idea why our faces look like this:

So, who wants to play a rousing game of Name That Photo?

Give this photo a clever title, or tell me what you think is happening in this picture to make us look so, um…scary.

The rules of this game are easy: Leave a comment with your suggested photo name or scenario. At the end of the day I will choose my favorite Name and will award the lucky winner two virtual high fives, one telepathic side hug and super-duper thoughts of awesomeness and glory.

This prize package is nothing short of stellar, friends. I mean, this is big time…

So what are you waiting for? What’s happening in this photo (because for the life of me, I don’t know why we look like that)? Don’t hesitate to enter – this is a prize you don’t want to miss out on.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this post…sadly. The virtual high fives, telepathic side hug and super-duper thoughts of awesomeness and glory are my own and have not been provided to me by any third party.

Filed Under: Giveaway, Photography, Random Tagged With: Avodah Images, Name that Photo Contest, PArenthood, Why does my face look like that?

A Little Pre-Holiday Cheer from Shutterfly

October 24, 2011 by Kelli

Comments are now closed. Winners have been chosen and will be notified tomorrow when I can think clearly. Right now I must sleep. Thanks everyone!

So Christmas is around the corner. I’m not sure if you were aware or not. Maybe the Santa Clause standing next to the Grim Reaper tipped you off?

At any rate, this is the time of year when we all begin to prepare for the holidays. Despite the fact that I keep up with most everyone I know online, one of my favorite traditions remains: Christmas Cards.

I love receiving them and I love sending them, despite the hassle of addressing labels. So imagine my delight when Shutterfly contacted me and asked if I would promote their holiday line of Christmas cards. In exchange, I will receive some free cards and I have the great opportunity to offer three of my readers 25 free cards!

I browsed through Shutterfly’s selection of cards and I was more than thrilled with the broad array they have to offer. There are tons of beautiful selections where you can add anywhere from one to six photos plus a customized greeting. In addition to the cards, you can also do a bit of Christmas shopping through Shutterfly. They have some wonderful personalized gifts that would be perfect for the adoring grandparents in your lives!

So, here’s how to enter to win 25 Holiday Cards from Shutterfly:

– Visit the Shutterfly website and browse through their holiday collection. Then leave me a comment and tell me one of your favorite Christmas memories. (Or you could just leave me a comment that says I wanna win! Either way is fine – but I’d love to hear Christmas memories…)

You can earn more entries by doing the following:

– Tweet about this contest and leave me a second comment telling me you tweeted. It could say something like, I’m a Twit who Tweeted! or more simply you could just leave a comment that says Tweet!

– Link to this contest on Facebook and come back and tell me that you did so and earn a potential third entry.

– You can also send me an email saying you would like to be entered if you’re not the commenting type. My email address is kellistuart00 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

I will choose the three winners via random.org on October 30.

Disclaimer: This is a promotion sponsored by Shutterfly. In return I received free holiday cards of my choosing. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, Giveaway, Holidays, Product Reviews Tagged With: Christmas, Giveaway, Shutterfly Cards

DotDotDash

October 20, 2010 by Kelli

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to join some local bloggy ladies at a boutique here in town where we enjoyed wine, appetizers and shopping! It was like a beautiful dream.

Organized by the lovely Lisa (my partner at STL Family Life) and Ria Sharon of My Mommy Manual, a group of us got together and talked all things blogging, mommy and fashion. We were blessed by Alyson, owner of a Clayton boutique called DotDotDash, who provided the goodies and acted as our personal shopper for the night.

It was a Fall Fashion Haul and was geared specifically toward the busy mom. That’s me! (And probably a lot of you…except for you guys that read here daily – you know who you are). Alyson provided us with $100 store credit and pulled outfits for us based on our lifestyles. My outfit included yoga pants and a wrap.

Awe-to the-Some.

I also pulled several cute dresses off the racks, eyed a rockin’ hand bag and drolled over the racks of jewelry. Alyson’s shop boasts styles from the fabulously casual (ala yoga pants) to super chic and sassy. She even had Jeggings (Jeans + Leggings = Jeggings). I tried a pair on and guess what? I’m not ready for Jeggings. Extraordinary Mommy, Danielle, however, put them on and looked all kinds of awesome…

Alyson also stocks adorable gear for the wee ones and I guess I probably could have used some of my store credit to purchase something for the kids…

But they don’t need anymore clothes. They have grandmother’s who act as their personal shoppers and they do that very well. I, however, am convinced that one can never have enough pairs of yoga pants. And now that I am the proud owner of my first wrap, I have a new wardrobe essential.

Alyson’s main purpose behind her store is to outfit moms. She wants to be a blessing in mother’s lives by providing comfortable, fashionable and affordable clothing that suits our busy lifestyles. It’s a noble ideal and I am so glad to know about this little gem of a store!

Alyson is offering a discount to any of our blog readers who would like to come in and shop. Mention Minivans Are Hot and receive 15% off your purchase! Or send your husband and tell him to mention Minivans Are Hot when he buys you Christmas presents. Here is the one of the completed looks that Alyson pulled together for me:

Yoga pants, tank top, long sleeve cotton V-Neck and a lovely wrap to pull it all together. The three shirts cost under $100 total (the pants were mine). I also got a rockin’ sweater that will work well with the yoga pants or with jeans, or khakis. I can easily make five to seven outfits out of those pieces. FOR LESS THAN $100!

And here is look number two – an amazing wrapknit sweater with oversize buttons and loads of sass. Makes me feel cute..and warm. I love it.

If you’re interested in fun, affordable and chic fashion, visit Dotdotdash. Happy Tuesday!

You can follow Dotdotdash on Facebook here. If you have a chance to head to the store and you end up buying something, leave me a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear all about the goodies you got!

Filed Under: Giveaway, Motherhood Tagged With: busy mom apparel, clothing duscounts, Danielle Smith, Dotdotdash boutique, Melody Meiners, Ria Sharon, Suzanne Tucker

Taking Care of Business

November 23, 2009 by Kelli

– First of all, I am going to announce the winner of the Testament Focused drawing. I now know why I don’t like doing giveaways. I wish every one of you could win and I hate that I only get to pick one winner – or that Random.org only got to pick one winner for me. If I could afford it, I would buy and ship a book out to every one of you.

But I can’t afford it, so you’ll have to buy your own! Ha!

Anyway, drumroll please…

The lucky winner of the Testament Focused drawing is…

Number 9 – Nicole from Here’s the Diehl!

Congratulations, Nicole. I’ll get that book to you as soon as it comes in and I’ve had a chance to look through it myself 🙂

To the rest of you – thanks for playing and I am really sorry you didn’t win. But you can still get a copy for yourself and don’t forget that 100% of the first 25 copies sold goes to Soaring Wings Ranch.

– It was another busy weekend for the Stuart family. Daddy was out of town, which always lends itself to insanity. We watched the movie Up on Friday night. I laughed to not cry through the first half hour of the movie, then genuinely laughed the second half. It’s a very sweet film.

– While Lee was gone, I noticed it was rather frigid in our house and realized the furnace was blowing cold air. so, with Lee talking me through it over the phone, I managed to relight the pilot light on the furnace thereby restoring warmth and order to my home.

Because I am She-ra.

– Saturday we got to stay home in the morning and I got some laundry done while the kids attempted to drive me insane played quietly around the house. Then we headed out the door to visit with a sweet friend who’s in town for a little while before going home to greet her husband who is fighting for our freedoms in Afghanistan!

We love you Jeremy!

– Sunday I woke up to discover that my voodoo face cream apparently works by burning the skin off my face. I guess I got it too close to my eyes because both eyes were swollen shut and the skin was rather enflamed. An ice pack and a lot of lotion later, I headed out the door where I spent the next 11 hours at church leading worship, making Christmas crafts with Sloan, singing Christmas carols for the craft workshop and previewing scene one from our upcoming Christmas musical!

Whew – I’m still exhausted.

– When I returned home, I wrote this article for the St. Louis Blogger’s Guild in which I took a rather unpopular opinion on an incident that took place here in St. Louis. You’ll have to read the article to know what I’m talking about, but I still firmly belive that while Kurt Greenbaum may be known as a bit of a jerk around town, the person posting the comment had no business doing so from school grounds and I therefore think he is suffering a dreadful consequence for his foolishness.

Not many people agree with me. There is widespread belief that Kurt Greenbaum violated an unspoken code of conduct on the web and he is being slaughtered for it. Perhaps that is the case, but the fact remains that this school employee still made a foolish choice.

It’s a tough situation.

If you haven’t read the article you have no idea what I’m talking about.

– Now I’m home, still nursing swollen eyes and trying to gear myself up to put away the mountains of laundry I washed this weekend. I also may pull out a few Christmas decorations, much to my husband’s chagrin. He has this crazy idea that we shouldn’t start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving!

I know, right?!

Filed Under: Blogging, Christmas, Giveaway, Holidays, Life, Random Tagged With: A Time for Christmas, Kurt Greenbaum, Soaring Wings Ranch, Testament Focused

Testament Focused: A Giveaway

November 18, 2009 by Kelli

*Update-Okay folks, you have to comment to win. Even if you’re not sure you want this, surely you know someone who would like to have it. Click on the link below to preview the book, then please leave a comment. Giveaways are more fun when you have several commentors to choose from!

This post is a sticky post. It will remain at the top of the page until the contest ends. To read updated posts simply scroll down.

I’ve been blogging for almost two years now and I’ve never before done a giveaway. I’ve thought about it, but just haven’t really gotten around to doing it.

But today changes as I am hosting my first giveaway. And what will I be giving away you ask?

A copy of my sister-in-law Becke’s new book, Testament Focused! That’s right – I’ve ordered a copy of the hardbound edition of the book and I plan on giving it away to one lucky reader. But first, a little about the book.

Testament Focused is beautiful. It’s 72 pages of spectacular images, each with a corresponding Bible verse. Becke’ has combined her love for photography, God’s creation and God’s Word into a coffee table style book. This would make a great gift for Christmas or would be the perfect book to have sitting on your coffee table. And you could possibly have one for FREE! That’s a value of over 50 dollars. Seriously, you guys are going to love it!

So, to enter simply leave me a comment telling me what a fantastic idea this is telling me how much you would love to own this book and you will be entered to win!

Want to earn extra entries? Great! I’ll tell you how: Leave a status update on Facebook announcing the contest, then come back and leave me a second comment telling me you did that and you will be entered again. If you tweet about it, I’ll count that as a third entry. And if you announce it on your blog, leave a comment with the link and I will consider that an entry as well. Oh so many ways to win!!

So leave a comment, then get to tweeting/facebooking/blogging for more entries. I will use Random.org to pick a winner on Monday, November 23.

Filed Under: Family, Giveaway, Random Tagged With: Testament Focused