Giveaway Winner!

Of the 11 giveaway comments, number 6 was randomly chosen.  And number six is Stacey!  Who happens to be my cousin.  And what's so great about her winning today is that in a few hours she is graduating from Ryder!  I BBMed her to tell her the good news and she sent me this picture back.  I am really proud of Stacey, who will be heading to UConn for grad. school in a few days.  One day I'll do a proper post about Stacey and her family, who are all remarkable people who have been through some remarkable things.  So, congratulations Stacey!  Your bracelet is on its way!  You deserve it!

I was going to post a Healing Corner post today of something that I wrote, but then I thought about things.  Here I am excited about Stacey winning (and graduating) and then I'm going to go right into a depressing literary piece in order effectively bring down my mood and the mood everyone who happens to read it? 

Ugh. 

Add to the fact that I might have figured out a way to get my cat to cease urinating in one corner of my home (and it doesn't entail getting rid of the cat), we are getting some new carpet installed in our family room this weekend, and I got a 30% off coupon in the mail from Kohls!  These are all good things, and, despite a death of a family friend and a grave medical situation for a family member, I think I would like to just take some time today to focus on the good. 

So there you have it:  Stacey is graduating and gets a bracelet from Jo's Codependent Kitty Creations, (don't forget:  free earrings with every purchase of $15 or more between May 16-June 15, when you mention DeenutsDana in your transaction), cats don't pee on aluminum foil on, I'm single handedly bringing back shag carpet, and Kohl's loves me, really loves me!

Have a good weekend, folks! 

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Family of Four

Since I was five and a half, I've always been part of a Family of Five.

Being a family of five had its difficulties at times. 

Someone always had to sleep on the cot in hotel rooms while on vacation.

Someone had to sit in the dreaded middle seat in the back of the car.

Someone had to ride solo on roller coasters.

But, I can honestly say that the good outweighed the bad.

There was always a majority vote...no Mexican standoffs in our house.

There was always a choice in who to hang out with. 

I was able to hone my big sister skills twice.

And now, we are a Family of Four.

I'm still searching for the good qualities.

For the record, I despise this picture. 

I feel like Quasi Modo standing next to those aliens on V.

**There's one more day to enter the Giveaway.  Winner announced tomorrow.**

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Lowered Ears

Over the weekend, I took Leah for a hair cut.  Her hair was getting really long. 

Case in point:

 

I mean, don't get me wrong, she was still the cutest kid that I've ever laid my eyes on, but, her hair needed some direction.

In the past, going for a haircut has been a stressful experience for all involved.  Long story short: Leah doesn't like to have her bangs cut, and Mommy's cried at three different salons, so we've made some changes to our hair expectations.  Those changes are that Leah no longer has bangs, and we've found a new salon that never needs to know that I tend to weep when my daughter loses it and screams at the sight of scissors.

                         WIN WIN.

                  Cute hair, interesting smile.

Do not forget that the Giveaway is still going on. Head on over and enter to win a beautiful bracelet designed and hand-made by the Quirky Jo Ellen Roberts! Good luck! Winner to be announced on Friday.

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Running Update-Week One: CRAPPY

Week One of running is over and all I have to say is that running totally bites the big one. 

Just getting ready to actually begin running takes planning of epic proportions. 

First, I have to find someone to watch Leah.  Then I have to find something to wear while running. And lest you think that I am talking about some cute little fitness get-up--NO.  I just need to make sure that all of my parts are er, well supported, if you know what I mean.  I try to show as little skin as possible.  Believe me, it's for the better.

Then, I have to find my gel insert for my left foot arch, some sort of head sweat band, an arm band for my ipod, those damn ear buds that give me a headache.  All the moons must align so that Venus is in retrograde and Confucius must have deemed this a proper running day.  I have to check the Farmer's Almanac....ok, I'm kidding.  But not about the clothes, the gel insert, the head band, and the ipod with all of its accoutrements. 

Oh, and finding someone to watch Leah.  Because the last thing I want to (translated: can) do is run while pushing one of those jogging strollers.  I am concentrating too hard on not breaking my ankle(s).

Add that to the fact that last week I was driving  to a place with flat streets so that I could run and not see anyone that I knew....well, that didn't last.  I now run around my neighborhood and if the neighbors see me, who cares.  If they have time to be watching then they have time to be standing on the side of the road handing me little cups of water. 

Two things of note this week:

1-Greg asked how it was going, and I told him that I am the slowest runner that I've ever known.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that most of the running world wouldn't even consider what I'm doing running.  He then said to me, "Oh, so no one's passing by and yelling 'Slow down!,' huh?"  

That one, as supportive as an athletic cup, right?

2-I was talking to some co-workers about the program and told them that I was pretty sure that running never becomes enjoyable, just maybe sucks less.  My boss then told me that my short-term goal should be to find "The Absence of Suck."  Hehe.  Ok, then, it'll be my quest.  I'll let you know when I reach it.  (Don't hold your breath.)

So, I am chugging along.  I am ready to begin Week Two's podcast, which will probably kill me.

At the rate we are going, I should be able to run a 5K by the time I'm 56 years old.  Can't wait.

Thinks mommy's gel insert should go in her sneakers. 

Do not forget that the Giveaway is still going on.  Head on over and enter to win a beautiful bracelet designed and hand-made by the Quirky Jo Ellen Roberts!  Good luck!  Winner to be announced on Friday.

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The People In Our Neighborhood: Jo Ellen (And a Giveaway!)

Today's post features my friend Jo Ellen.  She has been a very good friend since college.  Instead of getting her words for the first part of this post, I am going to write about her.  And then, since she is such a nice person, she has offered to host our Giveaway this week.  Which I am really excited about!

So, Jo. That's what I call her.  First off, it took my husband a good five years not to give me the hairy eyeball when I mentioned "my good friend Jo."  Since, well, he thought Jo was a boy.  But, Jo is definately not a boy.

Jo may also kill me for posting this picture.

I don't care.

I met Jo the summer after sophomore year of college when we subletted rooms on opposite sides of a duplex near Boston.  She's originally from Cordova, Alaska, and one of the things that I admire most about Jo is that she's a little off--quirky is what I call it--and she knows it, and she embraces it, and she doesn't give a crap what anyone thinks about it. 

Jo is Jo, and she's true blue.

What Jo doesn't know is that she is responsible for keeping me in college Junior year.  You see, second semester Junior year, my roommate and best friend, along with a few other good friends of mine, went to study abroad.  A stranger moved into my apartment, and I found myself spending a lot of time alone.  I stopped going to my sorority house, stopped hanging out with my other friends, and just pretty much stuck to going to class and then going home.  I was incredibly lonely and probably a little depressed. 

Now, I'm going to tell you something that may shock you.  Especially you, Dad.  So, I would like you to just be prepared and understand that it happened a long time ago and your perfect, rule abiding girl Dana would NEVER do something like this now.

Right around the time that my close friends went to study abroad, I happened across a fake id.  The specifics are not important, ok?  I am telling you this because it's pertinent to the story.  Jo turned 21 a few weeks after the semester started, and, since most of our friends were still 20 (uh, like me), and most of our friends did not have a fake id (unlike me), Jo and I started going to this one bar next to my apartment to hang out and have a drink (or seven).  We had a lot in common, like our love of film and tv, and it was nice to have someone to be able to talk to and hang out with and just be myself with.

Now, if you think this is the part where I go into my brief, yet torrid foray as a college lesbian, stop right there!  This is a PG blog, and also, that never happened.  Jo and I just became really good friends, and I was so happy to have someone that I clicked with.  She got me out of my funk, and convinced me that I liked being at school and wanted to stay there.  Once my friends returned to BU senior year, I introduced them to Jo and we all became close. 

Over the years, Jo and I fall in and out of each other's lives, but we always are able to pick up right where we left off.  These days she makes her home in Minnesota with her husband Nate and her mentally unstable cat Ren.  She just launched her new business and is nice enough to giveaway a piece of gorgeous jewelry to one of my readers, along with a discount offer to anyone who wants to purchase anything!

I own a piece of her jewelry and I can attest that her stuff is gorgeous.  I hope you feel the same.  I'm going to turn over this post to Jo, who has written some words about the Giveaway.  If you'd like to enter, all you need to do is post your name and email address in the comments.

I'll leave this contest open until Friday, May 14th.  I urge you all to take a look at Jo's site.  If you don't go for the jewelry, go for the photography.  Or just go for Jo.  She's uh, what's the word?  Oh yeah, quirky. 

I mean, really, who gets married at the Mall of America? 

Jo.

“Sky-Blue Hearts” features freshwater pearls and hand cut blue-green apatite beads dangling from a delicate chain of heart-shaped links. Plus, I’ve topped it off with a sassy, yet sweet, arrow and heart focal encasing a matching pearl. I only used sterling silver throughout—from the chain to the clasp to the wire—so it’s appropriate even for those with common metal sensitivities. It measures a tad over 7”, but those with smaller wrists can easily adjust the length.

I’ll be adding one of these bracelets to the Codependent Kitty Creations Etsy site the week of May 16th when I launch my summer collection. Price: $32. But I’m so excited you’ll be giving one away to one of your lucky readers!

Plus, I’ve decided to give your blog readers a FREE pair of simple dangle earrings from my summer collection with any purchase of $15 or more from http://www.codependentkitty.com/ between May 16th and June 15th. (But, only if they mention your name when they place their orders. Hey, I gotta have a way to keep out the riff-raff.)

Ok folks, so there you go!  Post your name and email address in the comments section and I'll pick a winner on Friday.  Also, please visit Jo's site and don't forget to mention DeenutsDana when placing your order!
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Dear Mom...

Well, here we are.  Our third Mother's Day without you.  And hey, guess what?  It's not any easier! 

Go figure.

My first Mother's Day without you was also my first Mother's Day as a mother.  It was the holiday I was dreading the most to have to experience without you there.  But, we managed.  As we always do.

What I like about Mother's Day is that Adriana wants to spend it with me each year.  Her reasoning is that I'm the mother that she's closest to.  She always does something nice for me, too.  Like takes me for a pedicure or changes Leah's diapers.

This may make me sound like a bad person, but on Mother's Day I just want to be able to do what I want.  I know I should say things like, "I want to spend the whole day with my family." or "I want my family to shower me with love, attention, and gifts." 

But I really just want to do what I want to do and not have to answer to anyone.  Sometimes, that means not spending the whole day playing with Leah.  Sue me.

I wonder if that's how you ever felt.  You never said it, and for good reason.  We would have been hurt if you said you didn't want to be with us for the entire day.  Or, maybe because you hadn't lost your mom, you didn't really dread the day the way I do.  Maybe you didn't want to just quietly have the day pass without much fanfare.  Like I do.

Well, this year I want to get a pedicure with Adriana (and only Adriana, Leah) and then I want to order Chinese food so that I don't have to cook and clean the kitchen.  That's it.  Everything else is just gravy.

Mom, 1978

Stay tune on Monday for a great Mother's Day Giveaway.  It's our first giveaway sponsered by an actual person with an actual business and not something I grabbed while on line at Pathmark!  Have a good one!
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Tax Day (And Giveaway Winner!)

First things first, you're not going to believe this.  I took karastefa's advice and used RANDOM.ORG to generate a winner for $15 Starbuck's gift card, and, she won!  So, uh, that's interesting, huh?  She's happens to be my neighbor, so I will be hand-delivering her gift today.  Congrats, Kara.  Enjoy your high-priced caffeinated drink!

Second, around the world today means one thing--tax day. But not for me.  Today, 8 years ago, my husband Gregory asked me to officially be his girlfriend.  For reals!  He really asked me.  It sounds so cute, right?! 

We had been dating for a couple of months and he asked me to meet him after work at his friends' house for a BBQ.  It was the first time I was meeting these friends, and I knew that Greg really trusted their opinion.  After the BBQ we went back to Greg's house and that's where he asked me.  I don't think I had ever been asked to be someone's girlfriend, so it was sort of a big deal to me. 

And it was tax day.  So, that's how I remember it.

It's been a great 8 years, Greg, and here's to another 8! 

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Giveaway!

I love coffee.  In a weird, strange way.  Like, I LOVE coffee.  I'm in the market for a new coffee maker these days, and while I was returning one that I tried out last week, I thought of what would be perfect for our next giveaway.  And, so therefore, I present a $15 gift card to Starbucks!

There were some questions during our last giveaway as to whether family and/or friends could try for the giveaway, and the answer is, "Yes! Of course!"  Anyone can enter the contest. 


So, leave your name and email in the comments of this post, and on Thursday, April 15th, I'll announce the winner.  Good luck!


One entry per person, please.
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Last Words (And Giveaway Winner)

On the evening of Thursday, November 8, 2007, I called my mom and told her that I had just felt my daughter kick from inside my belly.  I was just about 20 weeks along and was getting nervous and anxious (me? nervous and anxious? How unlike me) because I hadn't really felt Leah move much throughout my pregnancy.  All of my pregnant friends were complaining about kicks to the ribs by this point, and I wasn't even sure if the small tiny flutters I were feeling were baby movements or just gas.  (PS-it was gas. Because I still feel those flutters, and I am most definately NOT pregnant.)

So, on Thursday, November 8, 2007 I laid down on the couch with my hands on my stomach, like I did EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and waited to feel her move.  And waited.  And waited.  And finally, she moved.  TWICE!  I called my mom immediately.

And that was the last time I spoke to her.

On the afternoon of Friday, November 9, 2007 I emailed my mom to ask her if she had the name and address of the makeup lady I had used for my wedding.  I was finally writing vendor thank yous, and I didn't have the makeup lady's information.  She wrote me back at 12:42 p.m. and this is what the email said:

                             Dana,
                                     Here's Rhonda's address:

                                              Miss Rhonda S*****
                                              1** C***** Avenue
                                              Little Falls, NJ 07424

                                    Talk to you soon!
                                   Mom

 And that is the last letter I have from her.
 
 

 

Definately kicks more now.

 
 
Ok, now onto something more fun---THE PEN GIVEAWAY. 
 
So, I counted the entries and we have 8.  (The last two don't count, as they are from my tool-husband.)  Since we are small potatoes here at DeenutsDana, I cut 8 pieces of paper and put them in a container.
 
Here a where a picture of the 8 pieces of paper was to go, but Blogger has some issue with me and turns my pictures sideways when I upload them and I don't have the patience to deal with this today.
 
Then, I asked a co-worker to pick a piece of paper.  If anyone that I work with reads this, please note that this endeavor took 40 seconds and was done while we were all on break.  Ahem.
 
 

This is Adam and he installs solar panels for a living. 
Let's give it up for Adam.

 

Closeup:

 

 

 
That's says 6, and the 6th comment was left by ANDREA CLAYTON.  Who just happens to be my husband's cousin.  But, I swear, it wasn't fixed!  I've emailed Andrea to inform her that she is the lucky goose who gets the pen, and will be mailing that off to her today.

I know this giveaway was sort of lame, but I'm using it as a test case, and I think it was pretty fun.  I'm going to try it again soon, and I promise we'll get some better prizes as we go along.  I've enabled AdSense on this blog, and for every click that one of the ads gets, I make a little money.  I'm going to use that money for the giveaways on this website.

Life With This Guy

This guy.

Come Spring, life with this guy gets very interesting.  It's Gardening Time.  And, so, if you look around the house, you see this:

A closeup:

It's EVERYWHERE. The plant stand in the hallway looks innocent enough...

    

But look closer.

The basement...

         

The deck:

                                                  

It's everywhere.  And Greg is excited. He talks about the seeds--the sprouts, the plants, the greens--all day long.  He spritzes them all with water several times a day.  I have to admit, it's cool to go to bed to a bucket of dirt and wake up to rows of little teensy sprouts. 

This guy:  he's pretty great.

**Don't forget: DeenutsDana's first GIVEAWAY is still going on until Wednesday!  Make sure you head on over HERE and enter!**

Week in Mobile Uploads

Well.  This week just about did me in.  I make it a point not to talk about my job on here, but this week the amount of work that accumulated for me to tackle reached insurmountable proportions.  Again.

Suffice to say, Dana: 0, Dana's Job: 1.

Therefore, my picture taking was, at best, lax.  Let's see if I can piece together my week by what's on my phone.

Ah, yes, Sunday brunch.  The week started with such high hopes!  These little babies were part of a brunch that Greg and I hosted at our house.  Just looking at them makes me thirsty.

This is a picture of Leah with her block books shoved in her pockets.  I think it's adorable when kids put things in their pockets, and I showed Leah how she could put things like ONE block book in there if she wanted.  She's an overachiever, that kid, because she had to put the entire set of block books in her pockets. 

This week brought some nice weather, which was greatly appreciated.  Our neighborhood ice cream parlors have opened and guess who's babysitter works at the Sparta Dairy?!  This is Leah enjoying a cup of ice cream.  It's vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.  And, no, she'd rather not share.

Ah, to be young and have the time to sit down on a tiny bench with a tiny book and think tiny thoughts about tiny problems.  So jealous.

Yo, even princesses have to sit at the table and eat dinner. 

And finally, I love office supplies.  Whenever there are new pens in my supply closet at work I get a little giddy.  I think about a certain type of pen fondly.  Something that I have referred to, for the last 25 years, as THE TEACHER PEN.  And last week, in a moment of nostalgia, I began googling the coveted teacher's pen. 

Back in fourth grade my homeroom teacher Mr. Grimes gave everyone a teacher pen for Christmas. I made the mistake of leaving mine in my desk when my class switched rooms for language arts (Mrs. Kish: ker-ray-zee), and, when I returned, the pen was gone.  I explained what had happened to Mr. Grimes, but he refused to give me another one. I was devastated. 

And then, one day, while walking in the hallway, I looked down on the floor and there was a teacher's pen!  I just about died right then and there.  So, it should come as no surprise to you all that when 12 of these little babies arrived at my house on Thursday, I was estatic.  It took a while, but I had found a place that still carried the teacher pens and was willing to ship me a dozen.

It's hard to tell but it's a two sided pen: one side red, one side blue.
All sides COOL.

So, how about we have a little giveaway?  Sounds fun.  Ok, here are the rules.

In the comments section, answer this question: Do you think that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio should get married and live happily ever after forever and ever?

Totally kidding.  Just put your name. 

Don't forget to include your EMAIL ADDRESS, so I can let you know that you've won and get your mailing address.

I'll randomly pick a number on Wednesday of next week and that person will win a TEACHER PEN of their very own!

Have a great weekend, everyone.  Let's hope that next week is better! (It obviously will be for whoever wins the teacher pen! Who's with me??!!)
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