Holiday Toy Shopping With Free Shipping At Amazon

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Winners From Your Sick Host

Hello Dear Readers,

I am sorry to have been away for so long. The last seven days haven't been kind to me. After finally dragging my sick ass to the doctor yesterday, I am on some meds and a warning! I was two days away from the hospital!!! Bronchitis, early pneumonia!!! I managed to take Handsome to the doctor on Saturday for an ear infection even though I was sick since Thursday. Well, actually I have been sick since October, every time I started feeling better, I was blessed with a sick kid, making me sick yet again.

It has been days since my husband and I have been able to kiss hello or goodbye. I give him a fast kiss on his outstretched neck. He cannot get sick!

This is the longest amount of time I have been in bed ever. Even after my cesareans I was up and around that very day.

Since I am working on only about 40% breath right now, I cannot promise that any winner will be receiving anything from me until the New Year but here we go with the winners...


The Winner of the $25.00 gift certificate from Apericots is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
17 - Whitney
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 18:47:55 UTC



The Winners of the Lovely Bones Audio book CD Set are:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
22 - Jaime P
8 - Marjorie
25 - Daniel M
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 18:55:17 UTC



The Winner of the Romance and a Soak is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
61 - Amanda
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 19:00:53 UTC


The winner of the AC/DC CD (BTW, I love how many AC/DC fans are out there. I was floored with the amount of entries in this one. You go Rock N Rollers!!!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
215 - Rose A 
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 19:10:10 UTC



The lucky winner of the Chenile Slipper socks is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
12 - Sylvia 
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 19:19:52 UTC

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Self Portrait Dec 19, 2009

Hey, in case anyone wants to play along!

I have been fighting a really bad cold, cough, fever, chills, stomach thing and sick baby boy.

Please feel free to link up; I will hopefully get linked up tomorrow.

Were You A Winner?

The Winner of the $25.00 AMEX Card giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
91 - Cindy Dyer
Timestamp: 2009-12-20 00:07:16 UTC




The winner of the Autographed New Beginnings Book is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
3 - Karenk
Timestamp: 2009-12-20 00:13:52 UTC



The winner of the Curious George CD giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
3 - Elizabeth
Timestamp: 2009-12-20 00:20:11 UTC

Day 11 of 12 Giveaways from Sony Music




Thanks to Sony Music's Legacy Recordings, we are celebrating day 11 out of 12 days of Music.  I have been having so much fun with this campaign and today the Sony CD Giveaway is Kristin Chenoweth: A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas.


The film, Tony and Emmy Award-winning star celebrates the holiday season with a wide range of Christmas songs from “Christmas Island,” to Kristin’s personal favorite “Come On Ring Those Bells,” and Christmas classics such as “Silver Bells” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”   A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas is an eclectic combination of full orchestral arrangements, along with big band, a bit of tropical island flavor, pop and country. Check out the sounds of Kristin over here.
To Enter: Let me know who will receive this CD.
Contest Ends: January 4, 2010
US Only

For Extra Entries:


*Blog about this, and leave me the link for 3 extra entries
*Follow my blog
*Subscribe to Chotskies
*Follow me on Twitter, leave your twitter name
*Enter another giveaway on my blog and let me know which one.
*Comment on a non-giveaway post and tell me which one.

*Tweet this giveaway and leave your link

*Become a fan of Maria's Space on Facebook
*Add me to your blog roll and leave the link
*Add my main button to your side bar
button



Day 10 of 12 for Sony's Legacy Music CD Giveaway

ReesSpace
On the 25th Day of Christmas, 
Maria's Space Gave to Me, 
Mariah singing Christmas songs

Thanks to Sony Music's Legacy Recordings, we are celebrating day 10 out of 12 days of Music.  I have been having so much fun with this campaign and today the Sony CD Giveaway is Mariah.


2009 Dance Remix - A holiday classic reimagined and remixed for 2009

Personally, I am not a Mariah fan but tons of my friends are. I used to live with two girls and they adored everything Mariah. It used to make me crazy.  They would love this CD. I should really let them know about this giveaway.

To Enter: Let me know who will receive this CD.
Contest Ends: January 4, 2010
US Only

For Extra Entries:


*Blog about this, and leave me the link for 3 extra entries
*Follow my blog
*Subscribe to Chotskies
*Follow me on Twitter, leave your twitter name
*Enter another giveaway on my blog and let me know which one.
*Comment on a non-giveaway post and tell me which one.

*Tweet this giveaway and leave your link

*Become a fan of Maria's Space on Facebook
*Add me to your blog roll and leave the link
*Add my main button to your side bar
button



Thursday, December 17, 2009

My Baby Girl's First "Boy" Friend


Now, I am in no way suggesting that she has a boyfriend at 4. Thankfully she has no idea what that even means. I am simply stating that she has a friend who happens to be a boy. The reason I am writing this down is because this morning she was creating yet another work of art (she loves drawing and giving little presents). So, I assumed it was another picture for Daddy or me. I was wrong. This picture she informed me when she was done, was for "Mitchell". Mitchell and Goddess have been friends since school started. She has always talked about Mitchell. In fact the first time she sat in the naughty chair was because she was having so much fun with Mitchell that she started throwing toys around with him.  Ummmm hummmmmm....be still my mommy heart.

She rolled the picture up which happened to be a drawing of her and "Mitchell standing on a mountain". Then she got a sandwich baggie, put the picture in there with some tinsel that had fallen off the tree. Awww..her first little present.

She carried it to school and I just had to watch what would happen. I mean, this experience could sit with her the rest of her life (give me a break, I'm a helicopter mom and what? It could. Don't judge me). It was her first gift to a boy and I wanted to see it unfold. She walked through the little circle of boys who were sitting on the floor, held out her gift and said simply, "here". Then she stood patiently while he tried to open the baggie (he is only 4). He said, "thanks" and finally tore it open.

I looked at her face to see what she was thinking about the tearing but she seemed ok. I walked over to tell her good-bye. She didn't look up at me, she simply said "bye mom". Leaving, I had a glimpse of where I will stand when she finally does have a "boyfriend."

When I went to pick her up, Mitchell's dad was there. While we were waiting I told him about the gift. We did a few "Awwww's" together and waited for them to come out. I overheard Mitchell telling his father that "Goddess had made that for him." The dad asked if he said thank you and he said yes.

As we were leaving the school, Goddess turned to me beaming and said, "Mommy, Mitchell kissed the picture I gave him."

So, there it is, in all its innocent glory. The first "boy" that happens to be a "friend" gift. Hopefully, this will be the last for a very long time.


IMG_4893

The Pebble, MP3 Digital Audio Player Giveaway

ReesSpace
On the 24th Day of Christmas, 
Maria's Space Gave to Me, 
A 1 Gig, Digital Player I Can Wear

This Digital Player is called the Pebble! It is black and holds about 13 hours of music. It can be worn like a necklace and comes with headphones.

To see a video of this really cute piece of musical jewelry go here

This is a great idea for a holiday gift or Christmas stocking stuffer. The price is reasonable and the Samsung Pebble comes in so many awesome colors.


  • 1 GB capacity stores up to 13 hours of music (MP3 files @ 128kbps)
  • Play up to 13 hours of audio on a single charge
  • Concealed LED along the bottom edge of the MP3 player flashes various colors and patterns based on the playback mode you select
  • Supports MP3, WMA, and Ogg audio formats
  • 1-year parts and labor warranty
  • Included in the package is the  Samsung S2 1 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Black), lanyard earphones, USB adapter, installation CD, user's manual.  
  • To see all the features of this little cutie, go here.
To Enter: Tell me the first thing you will download onto your Pebble if you won.
Contest Ends: January 3, 2010
US Only

For Extra Entries:


*Blog about this, and leave me the link for 3 extra entries
*Follow my blog
*Subscribe to Chotskies
*Follow me on Twitter, leave your twitter name
*Enter another giveaway on my blog and let me know which one.
*Comment on a non-giveaway post and tell me which one.

*Tweet this giveaway and leave your link

*Become a fan of Maria's Space on Facebook
*Add me to your blog roll and leave the link
*Add my main button to your side bar
button



*Add my holiday button to your side bar
button



The Giveaway is open only to U.S. residents and will run until Jan 2, 2010 at midnight. I will choose the winner using Random.org. The Winner will receive an email letting them know to forward me their mailing address. Winners have 48 hours to claim prize.



This is an unsolicited giveaway. I was not asked by anyone to write about the Pebble. I am simply offering 1 to my readers because I love them.

Winner List



The Nancy Appetizer Giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
38 - Amanda
Timestamp: 2009-12-17 17:54:49 UTC



The Winner of the Stonyfield Baby Giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
6 - Amy J
Timestamp: 2009-12-17 18:00:43 UTC



The winner of the Golden Moon Tea Giveaway is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
22 - Ben Herman
Timestamp: 2009-12-17 18:05:07 UTC
Thank you to everyone who entered.

Emails were sent to winners, if you have not received one, please contact me directly. You will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is selected.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Day 9 of 12 of Sony Music's Legacy Recordings

ReesSpace
On the 23rd Day of Christmas, 
Maria's Space Gave to Me, 
A Way To Share My Music with my Friends
Thanks to Sony Music's Legacy Recordings, we are celebrating day 9 out of 12 days of Music.  I have been having so much fun with this campaign and today the Sony CD Giveaway is The King.

Day 9 Enter to Win
Good Rockin' Tonight: Elvis 75
A collection fit for a king. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Aaron Presley, Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight is the definitive retrospective, a remastered Hot 100 of Elvis classics in one beautifully-packaged four-CD boxed set.


Could there really be a collection that doesn't have at least one Elvis record? Elvis was it! He changed music and was one of the first iconic singers ever. Whose mom or grandma wasn't at one time in love with Elvis. He was handsome, sexy, different, sang and moved his hips like no one else.

To Enter, fill out the form below before midnight, January 2, 2010 and let me know your favorite Elvis song.

For Extra Entries:
*What was your favorite Elvis Presley movie?


*Blog about this, and leave me the link for 3 extra entries
*Follow my blog
*Subscribe to Chotskies
*Follow me on Twitter, leave your twitter name
*Enter another giveaway on my blog and let me know which one.
*Comment on a non-giveaway post and tell me which one.

*Tweet this giveaway and leave your link
*Become a fan of Maria's Space on Facebook
*Add me to your blog roll and leave the link
*Add my main button to your side bar
button


*Add my holiday button to your side bar
button


The Giveaway is open only to U.S. residents and will run until Jan 2, 2010 at midnight. I will choose the winner using Random.org. The Winner will receive an email letting them know to forward me their mailing address. Winners have 48 hours to claim prize.

I Have The Book To Start Your New Year With!

The beginning of the week I mentioned that I was reviewing this book and really wanted to get it up so that maybe you could add it to your Christmas/holiday list before everyone is done with their shopping.



The Happiness Project by best-selling writer Gretchen Rubin is an amazing read. You will feel compelled to live your best life or at least start the journey that will lead to total life happiness.

Gretchen is like most of us, she is a mom, married to the love of her life, has a great career, great relationships with her family and friends but felt that she wasn't living the happiest life she was entitled to. So she gave herself a time line, and began The Happiness Project. Decideding on 12 Personal Commandments and tackling a few keypoints each month, the Happiness Project will show us the way to personal happiness.

What I appreciate about The Happiness Project is that Gretchen DECIDED to get happy and found a way to do it.

The book reads like a novel, it isn't just a self help book, all choppy and full of bold headlines. This is Gretchen's story on how she became happier. I always felt that you can MAKE yourself happy if you choose to. This is a very inspiring book and I am taking the Challenge in 2010.

You too, can take the Happiness Challenge starting in 2010. What a great way to really do something good for yourself. And as we know, if we do something good for ourselves, we do something good for everyone we touch in our lives. It's a win-win.

Check out the Happiness Project Toolbox for lists, inspirations, and more.

To help you get started with your happiness project, answer the following questions:
1. What makes you feel good? What activities do you find fun, satisfying, or energizing?
2. What makes you feel bad? What are sources of anger, irritation, boredom, frustration, or anxiety in your life?
3. Is there any way in which you don't feel right about your life? Do you wish you could change jobs, cities, family situation, or other circumstances? Are you living up to your expectations for yourself? Does your life reflect your values?
4. Do you have sources of an atmosphere of growth? In what areas of your life do you find progress, learning, challenge, improvement, and increased mastery?

Happiness Project
Join in! Promise yourself to make 2010 a HAPPIER year.

Each month, Gretchen will propose an area of life to tackle in your happiness project, and suggest simple, manageable resolutions to help you boost your happiness.

Sign up now! Studies show that taking an action, like signing a pledge, will help you hold yourself accountable for your resolutions.
  • January--Body
  • February--Love
  • March--Work
  • April--Money
  • May--Mindfulness
  • June--Order
  • July--Spirit
  • August--Fun
  • September--Parenthood
  • October--Friends
  • November--Attitude
  • December--Boot Camp Perfect
These categories are just suggestions. The important thing is to get started. Whenever you read this, and wherever you are, you are in the right place to begin.

More? Well, Gretchen will be promoting the book on a tour next year starting in New York. Check the locations here.

To follow Gretchen on Facebook, go here.

Browse the book here for sample pages.

To pre-order the book go here.
Dear Readers: At this time all giveaways on Maria's Space are for the United States and Canada unless otherwise noted.