Category: Contests

Contests and monthly group writing projects from MamaBlogga: mom’s search for meaning.

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Contests Kids/Parenting Ryan/Married Life

What love is

Today, I’m told, is a holiday. I’m afraid I don’t much care. I’m not politically opposed to it or offended by the “commercialized and forced romance fostered by social pressure on men blah blah blah.” I just don’t see much point in going out of my way one day a year for romance—because Valentine’s Day just isn’t about love.

My father has told me a lot of things (if you know him, I’m sure he’s told you a lot of things, too 😉 ). One that has always stood out in my mind was when he invited me to watch the very end of the movie Fargo with him (edited on TV).

It’s probably the least interesting scene in the movie: policewoman Marge Gunderson is sitting in bed with her husband, Norm, talking about his entry in to the duck art stamp contest. He’s disappointed to take second; she reassures him that he’s done well (and that people will use three-cent stamps).

“That’s love,” my father informed me. “That is real love.”

At the time, I was probably a young teenager and just had to take his word for it. But today, I have to say that I agree. I see that same level of real love in my relationships of all kinds today.

Love is paying attention. It’s knowing what your loved ones are doing, what they care about, what their aspirations are. Love is encouragement. Love is hoping the best for one another, thinking the best of one another, and finding the best in one another.

Love is being there. (Can you even imagine where you’d be without them?) Love is remembering one another. Love is caring for and about one another.

Love is listening to my husband’s account of his day with interest. Love is rehashing the same four political discussions we always have. Love is helping Hayden climb onto the couch even though he just jumped down. Love is making dinner despite Hayden’s constant clamoring to see into the cooking pans—and despite the fact that he probably won’t eat it.

Love is the sum total of every action that shows that we are thinking of one another. Love is the constant underpinning of a secure family life.

Despite this talk of love, I don’t plan much of a Valentine’s Day celebration. We may not have a ton of chocolate or flowers or balloons or cards or romantic dinners for two (though there will be tokens, I’ll admit). That’s okay with me; honestly, I appreciate the tokens more when I get them because it was his idea, not the calendar’s.

For Valentine’s Day, like the days before and the days after, our family will have love. May yours also.

Enter Scribbit’s February Write-Away Contest, too! Oh, wait, I mean, don’t enter. Just let me win 😉 .

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Contests

January Group Writing Project Finale

Happy Super Tuesday. I presume (though this may not be a sure thing) that we in the US will find out some important winners today, so I figured I’d give another winner a reason to celebrate. But first, we all get a reason to celebrate (or at least commiserate). The January Group Writing Project was all about “Me Time.” With 21 great entries, we have a wonderful array of solutions, discussions and pleas for help waiting for your eyes and your comments.

Now, feel free to spread the link love by copying the above list (instructions) and posting it to your own blog. Believe me—they all deserve it (and some serious “me time”).

The Winna!
Chosen at random the winner of our prize, a $30 Amazon.com gift certificate, is <drum roll>…

Me Time! by Joleene Libby

Congratulations, Joleene, on not only winning the gift certificate (again, she was chosen at random!) but also on participating in a GWP for the first time! The gift certificate will be winging its way to you soon!

Still working on your entry? Even though we’ve awarded our prize, we’ll continue to accept, read, link to and comment on submissions through next week.

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Fulfillment Contests

Me time for moms

I think that “me time” is really important for mothers. I think most mothers would readily agree—in fact, I think that most mothers have so little downtime that we’re desperate for that one little minute we can claim as our own. And we’ll take it wherever we can get it.

Though it’s easy to look back and think that I haven’t really had any “me time” since my son was born, I know that isn’t the case. There was a while there where I got in the habit of getting up at 7, while Hayden suddenly began sleeping in until 8 or 9. I could get a jump start on work, I could write something great on MamaBlogga (well, as great as I get), I could read my favorite blogs, and not have to worry about my personal projects until Hayden went down for a nap.

And then he started waking up at 6:45.

When Hayden still took three naps, I had up to 5.5 hours to myself during the day—plenty of time to get lots of work done and spend time straightening up the house and doing things I wanted to do. Of course, as soon as I came to rely on this, Hayden stopped taking his third nap. After a while, two naps came to be more than adequate.

And then, of course, he was down to one, which has been whittled away until some days it’s not even enough to get all my work done. (Let’s not even discuss the normal state of disarray the house is in!)

But then there’s the other side of the coin—the special occasions where I get to go out (or stay home) without my family. And feel guilty or simply miss my family.

While I spend much of my time wishing for regular “me time,” I don’t know what I’d do if I took it!

Edited to add: as I read through your wonderful entries, I realized that “In my opinion, anything that helps you to feel recharged, happy and more or less ready to take the next onslaught of life’s challenges counts as ‘me time.'” This definition is much broader than what many of us think of—pampering, relaxation, etc. But this is what I’m looking for in “me time.”

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Contests

January Group Writing Project

This writing project has ended. Please view the full list of wonderful entries at the January GWP Finale, and subscribe to MamaBlogga to find out about the next group writing project!

After eight excellent Group Writing Projects, we’re gonna do it again. It’s time for the January MamaBlogga Group Writing Project!

In honor of this time of year, the theme for the January Group Writing Project is “Me time.” Feel free to write about how you take time for yourself, how you need time for yourself, what you do with time for yourself, and/or anything else that comes to mind.

Feel free to go in any direction that appeals to you. Even if you don’t choose to participate, you can encourage others to participate!

  • Your post can take any form as long as it reflects this theme—this includes anything from serious to sarcastic, about your children, your future children, your pet, etc.
  • You can participate with a blog post, a podcast, a video, a page on your website, etc., etc. If you don’t have a website, contact me and I’ll be happy to publish your entry here on MamaBlogga.
  • Only NEW posts (i.e., posts have not been published prior to 28 January 2008) are eligible. Posts must be submitted through the submission form before Sunday, 3 February 2008.

Why participate?
There are lots of reasons to participate! All entries that meet the guidelines will be listed and linked to here on MamaBlogga. This an opportunity for you to discover new blogs (and for others to discover yours!). In July, I came up with five ways to get the most out of the GWP.

And, of course, there is one more incentive: one lucky post author, drawn at random, will receive a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com (to be announced Tuesday, 5 February 2008).

Finally, we’d appreciate it if you linked to this post or to the guidelines/submission form on your entry post so that others can learn about the project and participate.

Now get writing!

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Contests

December Group Writing Project Finale

Whoa, where did I go? Oh yeah, I spoke at a conference last week, and I’ve just been too immobilized by stress to tackle the projects that are stressing me out. And I have a toddler. He takes up a lot of time.

But I didn’t forget you! Here are our 15 17 great entries for the December Group Writing Project. The best time of year ranged from the holidays to spring to back to school. Read through and pick your favorite time of year!

Now, feel free to spread the link love by copying the above list (instructions) and posting it to your own blog. Believe me—they all deserve it.

And the winner, chosen at random, is . . .

The best time of the year… by Deb – Mom of 3 Girls


Deb has long participated in the GWP, so I’m especially happy to reward her continued diligence and creativity with a $30 Amazon gift card, which should be winging its way to you soon, Deb. Congratulations!!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Still working on your entry? Even though we’ve awarded our prize, we’ll continue to accept, read, link to and comment on submissions through the end of this week.

Categories
Contests

December Group Writing Project

This writing project has ended. Please view the full list of wonderful entries at the December GWP Finale, and subscribe to MamaBlogga to find out about the next group writing project!

After the six previous very successful and fun Group Writing Projects, we’re gonna do it again. It’s time for the December MamaBlogga Group Writing Project!

In honor of this time of year, the theme for the December Group Writing Project is “The best time of the year.” You can finish that thought with whatever reflections you’d like: on this holiday season, on the best time you’ve had all year, etc.

Feel free to go in any direction that appeals to you. Even if you don’t choose to participate, you can encourage others to participate!

  • Your post can take any form as long as it reflects this theme—this includes anything from serious to sarcastic, about your children, your future children, your pet, etc.
  • You can participate with a blog post, a podcast, a video, a page on your website, etc., etc. If you don’t have a website, contact me and I’ll be happy to publish your entry here on MamaBlogga.
  • Only NEW posts (i.e., posts have not been published prior to 10 December 2007) are eligible. Posts must be submitted through the submission form before Sunday, 16 December 2007.

Why participate?
There are lots of reasons to participate! All entries that meet the guidelines will be listed and linked to here on MamaBlogga. This an opportunity for you to discover new blogs (and for others to discover yours!). In July, I came up with five ways to get the most out of the GWP.

And, of course, there is one more incentive: one lucky post author, drawn at random, will receive a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com (to be announced Monday, 17 December 2007).

Finally, we’d appreciate it if you linked to this post or to the guidelines/submission form on your entry post so that others can learn about the project and participate.

Now get writing!