Tuesday's Tribute-Moxie Media

Don't forget to enter to win my Famous Footwear $100.00 giftcard giveaway, here.

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What is it?
Well, we'll tell you what it is NOT... It's Not About YOU. It's about SOMEONE ELSE. It's our chance, each of us, to shine our light on someone else.

Huh? Whaddya mean?
We each spend a lot of time talking about ourselves and our lives, but we are also fairly GIVING people too...Tuesday's Tribute is a chance to talk about OTHER people, OTHER blogs, OTHER lives.

Now's your chance to shine your light on someone, or something else.

Go ahead. Click on the image. Then tell me what you think.

Doesn't Moxie Media have the coolest web design?

I'm so excited about this new adventure that I can hardly contain myself. Moxie Media contains a group of forward thinking bloggers that are committed to sharing their stories in a non-traditional way via social media campaigns. "Moxie Media is the comprehensive web advertising tool that businesses need in order to build brand awareness, drive traffic, and boost sales among women" (since as women, we know women).

Moxie Media is going to LAUNCH September 21st with a week long (5 business days), 70 plus participant trip around the blogosphere. It's going to be so much fun, you won't want to miss it. And pssst......a few days before the launch, check back here. I'm going to be giving away almost $500.00 worth of goodies.

Hum. I've turned it back to me again. I'm not very good at this, am I?

Bottom line. Moxie Media is something I'm totally excited about. It took a tremendous amount of work and dedication to get to this point (thank goodness it was in exceptional company). I'm hoping it'll change the way we market on blogs. I'm excited for all the possibilities, for the potential. I'm excited, period.

Famous Footwear $100.00 Giveaway

Famous Footwear and Mom It Forward have teamed up to bring us a delicious giveaway!

I'm pretty sure that I've heard somewhere that two things most women share is their love of shoes and ice cream. Famous Footwear blends these two ingredients together on its site Make Today Unexpected, which allows us the chance to discover our style and flavor in a most unexpected way.

After going there and taking a short quiz, I found out that my personal ice cream flavor is "Mella Carmella," which means that my flavor is best appreciated while curled up on the couch. {I can't think of a better place to eat ice cream.} Additionally, I have the following ingredients: "I like to lay low and take it easy, and I can't figure out why a perfectly good bubble bath should go to waste." They somehow know me so well. :)

What is your ice cream flavor? Let me know by entering this stylish, not to mention FABULOUS, giveaway!

Giveaway

Grand Prize

This week, Famous Footwear is awarding one lucky winner with a $100 gift card. Shoes anyone? (See Entry Requirements below.)

Coupon

Everyone's a winner in this giveaway! Make your back-to-school shoe shopping spree a little more affordable by visiting MakeTodayUnexpected.com and entering to receive $10.00 off your next purchase of $50.00 or more.

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win the $100 Famous Footwear gift card, please do these four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries).

Note: Entries that do not follow all of these requirements will not be considered.

1. Take the 'Find Your Flavor' quiz by clicking here. Leave a comment on this post with your flavor and e-mail address.


2. Become a fan of the Famous Footwear's Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-Today-Famous/112646406371?ref=ts)


3. Follow @maketodayfamous on Twitter.


4. Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:

What's your flavor? Click here to find out: http://bit.ly/a5zhj PLS RT

Download Famous Footwear coupon 4 back-to-school/fall savings: http://bit.ly/fogQH PLS RT #gno

Extra Entries

You can earn up to two extra entries for this week's giveaway. Leave an additional comment for each.

• Click here and become a Famous Footwear REWARDS club member (free).


• Post or tweet about something unexpected that has happened to make your day or week more positive on @maketodayfamous or on the Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page.

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Famous Footwear and Mom It Forward employees, and giveaway hostesses are ineligible to participate. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winner will be notified on September 3rd and must confirm by September 4th at 8 a.m. PST.

JumpStart on Wii-Review

Mark your calendars! Jumpstart's Pet Rescue on Wii is being released September 1st.



Even though the ESRB (the Entertainment Software Rating Board), has rated Pet Rescue “Early Childhood”) , my older kids (5, 7 and 9) enjoy it as much or more than my preschoolers. {Gasp.} It just hit me. My twins are preschoolers. Anyway, Jumpstart Pet Rescue for Wii features more than 70 learning lessons (don't worry. I didn't count them, Jumpstart supplied me with that information) and activities that teach wild monkeys kids over 75 essential skills they need as they grow. They get to create their own Avatar and then head into one of five "worlds".


I must not be the brightest light on the block though because I still haven't navigated through all of them. I'm kidding. But seriously, there is lots to do in each "world" so I'm imagining that there is HUNDREDS of hours of possible play time here. If the transition between activities was instantaneous, it might be better for me with my time constraints and all. Wait. This game is really for Pre-schoolers. Not adults. Check.

I've been told that navigation through the 5 different "worlds" can improve their (children's) pre-reading skills, memory, creativity, motor skills, and listening. I'm still waiting for the improved listening part, but if there is a chance, I'm all for it.


My seven year old told me that she likes Pet Rescue because "you get to discover lots of things, and you get to explore and it's really fun".



So there you go. She summed up our thoughts.

We like it.

If you'd like to win a copy of Pet Rescue for the Wii, JumpStart is holding a contest of "creativity, cleverness, and downright resourcefulness." You'll want to go here for more details.

Wordful Wednesday-The Backyard Completed

*Wordful Wednesday is for those of us that like to showcase a photo(s) but that just can't seem keep our mouths shut about it(them). If you'd like to play along, post a photo on your blog, and let the words roll. Feel free to "capture" my 7 Clown Circus button (below and on the left) or simply hyperlink to my site, and be sure to add yourself to Mr. Linky. Thanks for playing along!

Grab My Button



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I have been dying. Dying to have this project complete so that:

1. We can enjoy our finally-pretty-much-fully completed backyard.

and

2. So I could finally show you our work that is basically no longer in progress.

I'm beyond excited.

Wanna see the transformation?

This is the pool before:

And this is the pool after.

This is what the lack of landscaping looked like before:

And this is what it looks like now. Just for perspective, the retaining wall that we put in is 60'.

More of what the side of the house looked like before:

And what it looks like now.

Excuse me while I go lounge in my very own oasis. Actually, I think I'll take my laptop and see what is making you Wordful today. Don't forget to sign in with Mr. Linky!

To see the actual pool remodel process, go here.

Whrrl.....

SEE BELOW for TUESDAY'S TRIBUTE.

I'm trying to "win" my Las Vegas SITScation trip, compliments of Whrrl. All I had to do to qualify was compose the little Whrrl video below.

Fingers crossed that I'm "lucky".

Powered by Whrrl

If you have time to go see why "I feel lucky", click the "I like it" button. Maybe, just maybe you can help my "luck".

Many Thanks!

Tuesday's Tribute-Twisted Silver

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What is it?
Well, we'll tell you what it is NOT... It's Not About YOU. It's about SOMEONE ELSE. It's our chance, each of us, to shine our light on someone, or something else.

Huh? Whaddya mean?
We each spend a lot of time talking about ourselves and our lives, but we are also fairly GIVING people too...Tuesday's Tribute is a chance to talk about OTHER people, OTHER blogs, OTHER lives.
Let's talk Twisted Silver for a moment, shall we?

I *HEART* Twisted Silver jewelry. Like, LIKE. LIKE. it. It's my favorite. If you haven't checked them out. You must.

{Now on to the part about me that technically doesn't belong in a Tuesday's Tribute post}:

I was selected to be a "Twisted Insider."

" These chic blogs have been chosen for their sense of individual style, their relentless pursuit of all things fashionable, their creative writing style and the overall coolness of their loyal readers.
As a team, TWISTED INSIDERS will receive free un-released Twisted Silver designs from the upcoming SALVAGE line every month. They will post their reviews for all to read, and many will host contests where readers can try their luck at winning a bit of Twisted."

Exciting, exciting news. For me, and you.

By being a Twisted Insider, I get to review new Twisted Silver pieces that have not been released. And then, one of you gets a piece just like the one I got. That's a new Twisted Silver piece EACH month for the next SIX months.

Can you say yahoo?

Another Pssst.......

I'm here, but not here. You get it, right?

We've played this game before.

I'm guest posting today. Again.

If you get the feeling there is a hint of a gloat in that again, rest assured there is.

I feel special when I get asked to guest post.

Go see what I have to say. Pretty please?

mypunchbowl

Have you heard of mypunchbowl?

In my opinion, it's the latest, greatest, FREE ecard and party planning site out there.

They really do have all the tools necessary to plan a party, from start to finish. You can design your own invitation (and there are TONS of options to chose from) for free, send it out electronically for free, arrange for a pot luck list, a To-Do list, and a shopping list. It's easy to manage your guests, too. On-line, that is. There are applications for publishing on social networks and TONS of party ideas. ALL for FREE.

If parties aren't your thing, their ecard selection is pretty great, too.

Just thought I'd share......

Am I the Only One?

Whose children don't back to school for 2.5 weeks?

Every child possessing blogger I know is blogging about their kids having already gone back to school, or getting ready to go back to school this week.

Am I the only one whose kids don't go back until AFTER Labor Day?

And another thing. Am I a bad mother if I'm excited for them to go back to school?

WNBA-Los Angeles Sparks Game

I love this WNBA logo. Expect Great. So apropos.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to a WNBA game with the whole family. Yep. All SEVEN of us, including the very squirmy-usually-can't-still-for-a-minute-twins. I wasn't sure what to expect. It was the first time taking any of our kids to a professional sports game. I should have paid attention to the logo and not fretted because I had nothing to worry about. Every one really enjoyed themselves.

Especially this guy, who literally couldn't sleep for a few days he was so excited for the game. The Staples Center is right off the freeway, and super accessible, with more than 5 parking lots, so conjestion and parking isn't an issue. Thank goodness.

(this picture does not have the Staples Center in it...just a shot of LA close to the exit.) The inside of the Staples center is really nice, too. Clean. I appreciate clean. Especially since my twins still find unlimited facination in things found on the ground.

I could watch the Sparks practice/play for hours. Literally.
Having never been to a WNBA game, I wasn't prepared for the fluidity and grace in which the professionals played. I was struck by their team work and commaderie, and really appreciated that although the game was intense, it was not tense. I couldn't keep the smile from my face everytime I saw Shannon Bobbitt (5'2") walking alongside some of her taller teammates like Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker (over 6' tall). Watching her weave in and out of the court and Lisa Leslie score repeatedly was a real treat, too.

The Sparks were matched against the Sacrament Monarch's for the second time this season at the Staples Center and it was a closely, closely matched game. The Monarch's went home victorious, the Sparks lost the close game graciously, and I'm pretty sure most of the spectators went home happy.

With the season nearly over, I doubt that we'll get back for another game, but I'll definitely try to go to a game next season. If you'd like to go to a WNBA game before the season ends, click here for specials.

Until next time...... A special thanks goes out to One2OneNetwork for providing my family with this opportunity.

Reader updates

FREAK OUT mode in effect. My blog feed somehow got corrupted or disappeared on me. As a result, my feed has not been updating in over a week and I've lost all of my subscribers. I now have a new feed. See that little widget in my left sidebar? It used to say something like 697 subscribers. Now? ZERO. ZERO. I'm crying. I'm devastated. So, please, re-subscribe. I miss your visits and your comments and I'm going through withdrawals. Please?
(WORDFUL WEDNESDAY below.)

Wordful Wednesday-Scenario's for Girls

*Wordful Wednesday is for those of us that like to showcase a photo(s) but that just can't seem keep our mouths shut about it(them). If you'd like to play along, post a photo on your blog, and let the words roll. Feel free to "capture" my 7 Clown Circus button (below and on the left) or simply hyperlink to my site, and be sure to add yourself to Mr. Linky. Thanks for playing along!

Grab My Button

<center><a href="http://angiescircus.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://assets.blogaliciousdesigns.com/clients/angie_7clown/html.png" /></a></center>I know this isn't a typical Wordful Wednesday post, but sometimes you just have to break the rules.

Look who's been published! My bloggy friend Nicole O'Dell's two books have been released. As a published author want-to-be, I'm super excited for her. Congrats, Nicole!




For a review and giveaway of these SIGNED tween books, see the post below. Happy Wordful's everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to be wordy about!

Scenarios for Girls: Review and Giveaway

Barbour Publishing released the Scenarios for Girls series on August 1st. The books, written by Nicole O'Dell are geared for tweens, and are certainly books you can feel comfortable letting your tween read.

The best part about these books is that they are about issues that tween girls actually face. The books don't just tell a traditional story. Rather, they tell a story with a twist. Each book is about a character who has to make an important, life-changing decision. They can make a good choice, or a poor choice. The reader gets to decide which choice to read first, and then see the ramifications of that choice. It's a brilliant idea, really. Especially for this age range, I think it's important to have the ramifications of choices clearly illustrated, and these books do that.

I had my almost tween daughter read these books, and this is what she had to say,
"I liked them. They were a good lesson. I liked being able to read about both choices. The stories were interesting, and when I'm older I think I will relate to the characters in the stories".

These books are written with a clearly Christian viewpoint (to learn more about Nicole O'Dell, visit here) and discuss morals and values that I think most of us teach our own children. It's refreshing to see this in books that will hold a tweens attention, without sounding like a sermon.

If you'd like to win a signed copy of All That Glitters and Truth or Dare, follow the rules below.

Simply leave me a message letting me know that you are interested in the set. If you'd like additionally entries, Tweet this giveaway, and or follow me (here or on Twitter) AND/or Nicole O'Dell on Twitter. If you'd like to blog about this giveaway, you'll get some serious bonus entries (10) as well. Winner chosen randomly on August 25th at approximately 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday's Tribute-Wanda Sykes and wedgies

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What is it?
Well, we'll tell you what it is NOT... It's Not About YOU. It's about SOMEONE ELSE. It's our chance, each of us, to shine our light on someone else.

Huh? Whaddya mean?
We each spend a lot of time talking about ourselves and our lives, but we are also fairly GIVING people too...Tuesday's Tribute is a chance to talk about OTHER people, OTHER blogs, OTHER lives.

Now's your chance to shine your light on someone else.

Have I told you that the hubs, the kids and I went to a Sparks game on Friday? That's right. The WNBA. Totally enjoyed myself WAY more than I expected I would. Not only was the game pretty darn exciting...{the players were surprisingly graceful, the score incredibly close and the kids attention was engaged}...there were some outside "influences" that totally helped make the night. (More on the game later this week).

I suppose first I should tell you that potty humor slays me, and wedgies send me over the edge.

So back to those influences that were the icing on the cake. First, one of my favorite "Crank Yankers" was there. That would be Wanda Sykes. Seeing her on the big screen reminded me of her phone call about a "present" left in her backseat that makes me cry tears of laughter each time I hear it. I kept laughing for no reason just thinking about it.

And then. Three words. Wedgie City, Baby. Let me explain. The man sitting in front of me stood up. A lot. And everytime he had a huge wedgie. The guy seriously

1. somehow didn't know he had a wedgie

or

2. didn't care that he had a wedgie

I'm thinking he had to have known. Because that's something you know about, right? I guess it doesn't matter. What does matter is that I almost cried every single. time. he stood up. How I forgot to take a picture is beyond me. I mean, this is something you would have all been interested in. Right?

So, todays tribute is to Mr. Wedgie Man-in-the-red-shorts-whom-I'll-never-forget and Wanda Sykes. Because you both make me laugh. A lot.

Here's to you.