And the prize pack goes to...

The weekend winners started on November 1st. I have been giving away prize packs every weekend for the past 10 weeks. And now, we have finally come to the end of the extravaganza. I have felt like Santa Claus. It has been fun to think of new themes for each week. And I actually did not have the whole thing planned out from the beginning.

I have won one blog prize. I won a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble from Angie over at Angie's spot. And I did my part to the help the economy by spending over $100 while I was there.

Now my husband on the other hand. He has that lucky touch. He enters online sweekpstakes. And we have won lots of things. Lots of it is junk. I have more chip clips, hats, and t-shirts than I know what to do with. He won a watch not too long ago. It's really ugly. And we are not sure who we can pawn it off on.

He's also won some really cool things. Like a stainless steel gas grill and a year of steaks from Omaha steaks. A huge Dell flat screen tv. A small flat screen tv. A $500 Visa gift card. Luggage. A hammock.

I keep waiting for his winning mojo to rub off on me. I have made him enter the more recent Pioneer Woman give aways. Like when she gave away a laptop last week.

And I suppose you want to know who won this week.

Who won the Wicked Soundtrack?

The Save the Ta-tas car magnet.

Pink spatuala thingies.

Gift cards to Barnes and Noble, Darden restaurants, and Office Depot.

Warm Delights.

LOST season 1 dvd

Scrapbook stuff

And Blokus.

All of these fantabulous prizes go to....

oh...sorry I didn't post this in the middle of the night.

I fell asleep early last night.

I am such a party animal.

Oh...yes...the winner.

It's Elena from Manwaring Moments. (Email me your address - and I'll get all your goodies out to you!) Congrats!!

I always end my posts with questions for you. But this post really does not suggest many questions to ask. Or at least none that I can think of. So...how about you ask me the questions again. I did a few posts back in October with your questions. And I am here to answer whatever it is that you are just dying to know. Or just curious about. Or whatever. So...what has you wondering?

Theme song: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give it Away

Weekend Winners: Greatest Hits

My goodness. I had no idea that family game night would be the give away that would get you all excited. With 194 entries. Second only to the Twilight week that ended with 195 entries.

We seem to be having non-stop family game nights here. Game days. Game mornings. Because we got a wii for Christmas. We have been playing wii sports. Lots of tennis. Bowling. And I had no idea that I have mad boxing skills. We also have become addicted to Mario Cart. All thanks to Heather from Mindless Junque. So addicted that I HAD to buy a second wii remote. And so much that we are considering two more remotes. So that we can all play. And Michael and I keep playing after the girls go to bed. Is there a 12 step program for the wii?

But for you guys. The big winner of the semi-unplugged family night. That includes the two movies. The read aloud book. Blokus. Snacks. And some hot chocolate. That lucky family belongs to Jori-o. Maybe you all can console yourselves by seeing if she'll invite you over. (Email me your address so that I can get all your goodies out to you!)

Over the past nine weeks there have been some amazing give aways. And I love all the new faces that I see here. But. Today is the last week of our weekend winners. And for our final give away...I thought we might revisit the past. And give again some of the greatest hits.

Week one was all about Wicked. With JenniferSusan as our winner. Let's add the Wicked soundtrack to the goodie basket. (Oh, and one of my favorite Christmas presents was I got Pop-u-lar as the ringtone on my phone!)

Week two was in the pink. Jen won. And got a bonus goodie from Amazon in her box. For the week 10 winner, I have a Save the Ta-tas magnet for your car. And some pink spatulas for your kitchen.

Week three was all about Twilight. With the most entries - by one. And Sassy Stephanie won on her birthday. And you can now have the Twilight Barnes and Noble gift card. So that you can read Twilight. Or whatever book you might want to read. Or buy a half off calendar. Or even some godiva chocolate.

Week four brought us the favicon and Mommy cards from Darcy. Michelle from Tales From the Lunchroom was the lucky winner. Who decided she did not need mommy cards - and she got a button instead.

Isn't it cute? You can get yourself some office type things at Office Depot with another gift card added to the pot.And on the fifth week of giveaways, my true love gave to me some sex and chocolate. With Jen (a different Jen. Hmmm...that is the third "jen" or variation on Jennifer to win. Veddy, veddy interesting) from Buried with Children as the big winner. And this week, you can have your cake. And eat it too.The sixth week of winners was also rather pop-u-lar. With dvds for season one of Weeds and Lost. Michelle was our big winner this week. (Hey....that is two Michelle's. What are the odds of that?!) And guess what? I have another 1st season of LOST to add to the mix. Ya'll must get caught up before the new season starts.

Week seven was all about Disney. And scrapbooks. I gave away a huge Disney prize pack to Darcy. And two mini packs. Those supplies came right from my shelf. Because I used to be a Creative Memories Consultant. This week's prize is an assortment of supplies. An album. Some paper. Some hostess only goodies. I am not sure what will go in the box. But it will be at least $100 worth. And it will not be any of the items pictured above. Because they are all gone now.

Week eight was to have a night out. With the prize being dinner and a movie. Debbie from Finding Normal is looking forward to her night out on the town. And now you can go to dinner with your honey. Or your family. Or your best friend. Or maybe you just "vant" to be alone.Whatever you choose - you can eat at a Darden restaurant - Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn, or Bahama Breeze.

And the surprise favorite week. Was week nine. With it's game, movies, book, and snacks. That have found a home with Jori-o. And now one of you will be the proud owner of the game Blokus. And can add it to your family night repertoire.

To summarize - week 10 Weekend winner will receive: The Wicked soundtrack, a save the ta-tas car magnet, a set of two pink scraper/spatulas, Barnes and Noble giftcard, Office Depot gift card, some warm delights, LOST season 1 on dvd, at least $100 worth of scrapbook supplies, restaurant gift card, and the game Blokus.

Worth playing for? Here is what you need to do:

1. Post a comment here. If you could pick a week that you would have won, which would you choose? Have you ever won a prize from a blog or somewhere else? What have you won?

2. For another entry...follow me. If you already follow me, you also get an extra entry. Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment saying that you are a follower!

3. Blog about this week's contest.

4. When you comment you get an entry. When you follow, come back and leave another comment saying you follow me. If you are already a follower, post another comment saying that you are already a stalker follower. When you post about it...come back and leave a third comment saying you did it. Then I can truly use random number generator and I won't have to type in all those names!

5. Contest ends Friday (Jan 9th) at midnight. Winners have one week to email me to claim prizes. All unclaimed prizes will be added back into the pot. Winner will be announced next Saturday.

Theme song: Popular from the "Wicked" soundtrack. Because that is the song that launched our Weekend Winners.

Weekend Winners: Games people play

I loved reading all your entries. About who you would take on a date. And what you might see. And about how so many of you haven't been on a date in years. And I really hope that you all can find a way to escape for an evening. For an hour even. Because for right now, you are just going to have to be jealous of Debbie over at Finding Normal. Who is the winner of the gift card for dinner and a movie. And a copy of "Love Actually." And our second copy of "Love Actually" goes to Shalee over at Sometimes it's Good to be Speechless. Congrats ladies! Email me with your addresses and I'll get your prizes right out to you.

Now that you have had a night out on the town. Or not as the case appears to be. This week's weekend winner prize centers around having family night.

One of my favorite kinds of family night is game night. We like to play cards. Board games like Monopoly. Life. Trivial pursuit. And then even games like Mah-jong. Which can be enjoyed by people other than those at the Jewish retirement home.

But one of my favorite games is Blokus.It's a challenge. It makes you think. And yet it can be played by your entire family.

Another option for family night is to do a read aloud. I have friends who did the entire Harry Potter series this way. Read together. As a family. My voice doesn't always hold out - and a lot of times we opt for the audio version. But storytelling is a great way to spend an evening. And one of my very favorite books is just the ticket. It's a tale that will be loved by boys, girls, and grown-ups alike. It's adventure on the high seas. Vikings. Trolls. Magic. And a wonderful way to spend an evening.And then one of the easiest and best ways to spend a family night is to watch a movie. And I cannot think of better movies than these two 80's classics:And if you already have the Princess Bride movie - you MUST read the book by William Goldman. It is wonderful! The movie is a faithful adaptation - but the book goes into more details and there are a few more adventures.

And what is a family night without snacks? You need some popcorn. Some candy. And even some Hot chocolate.To summarize: This week's weekend winner prize pack includes: Blokus, The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer, dvds of "The Goonies" and "The Princess Bride," and snacks.

Worth playing for? Here is what you need to do:

1. Post a comment here. Do you do family nights? Do you have a favorite game? Family movie? Book that would be a good read aloud?

2. For another entry...follow me. If you already follow me, you also get an extra entry. Be sure to come back and leave another comment saying that you are a follower!

3. Blog about this week's contest.

4. When you comment you get an entry. When you follow, come back and leave another comment saying you follow me. If you are already a follower, post another comment saying that you are already a stalker follower. When you post about it...come back and leave a third comment saying you did it. Then I can truly use random number generator and I won't have to type in all those names!

5. Contest ends Friday (Jan 2nd) at midnight. Winners have one week to email me to claim prizes. All unclaimed prizes will be added back into the pot. Winner will be announced next Saturday. Along with the final week of prizes!

Theme song: REM - "Man on the Moon." Because "and the Game of Life yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...Monopoly, twenty-one, Checkers and Chess...Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...Let's play twister, let's play risk...Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah..." And I thank you for playing my "game" every weekend!

Weekend Winners: A little quality time

I think I am still on my Disney high. And its so nice to know that you all share my love of all things Disney. And I love that I might have inspired some of you to finally get your Disney pictures in albums. And for those of you that are hesitant. To create a scrapbook does not mean a work of art. It's a work of heart. With your pictures. And your stories being the most important thing.

I can't wait to hear about Mama Dawg and the Light of her life creating a sparkly, purply autograph album.

Or about Heather taking her kiddos for their first trip to Disney next year. And making another small album of their trip. Maybe just for keeping their autographs.

Or about Darcy's big surprise for her Boybarians. And she can document her whole trip in the big Disney scrapbook package.

Congrats ladies! Email me with your addresses and I'll get your albums right out to you.

Vacations to Disney got me to thinking. About the family togetherness. Because sometimes with a vacation. You get rather sick of each other. And the whole togetherness thing. Sometimes a little one-on-one is just the ticket.

I love to go on dates with my husband. We try to go out once a week. Try being the operative word. We used to have a standing date every Wednesday night. After church, I'd leave my mom to sending the girls up to bed. And Michael and I would play triva. But. The girls were really slacking on the cleaning up after themselves. And with the housekeepers arrival on Thursdays. It made for a crazy morning before school. So now. We just keep trying. Whether it's just running an errand together. Or actually going out to dinner. Or to a movie.

Don't you just love date movies? Lula did a post the other day about one of my favorite date movies - "Love Actually." I love that movie. All the stories. About how women love men with British accents. Hugh Grant and his little dance. And really. What is a nativity play without the Christmas lobster?

And speaking of dates. And quality time. Do you guys go on dates with your kids? Michael is great about taking the girls on adventures. Like to go go-cart racing. Or bike riding. Or on a walk through the woods.

I usually opt for the sedate kind of date. Like getting manicures. Or shopping. Or even better. A movie. We saw "Madagascar 2" a few weeks ago. It was so much fun. With much popcorn. And a ginormous diet coke. And my favorite kid date movie was "Enchanted" from last Christmas. So much fun. So silly. And a great way to introduce my kids to song and dance numbers. Or making dresses from curtains.

And then one of the best dates of all. Is a date with your girl friends. Sometimes the ticket is to just escape from your family entirely. I've done girls night at restaurants. My book club does a road trip each year. And I am usually forbidden from blogging about it. Because there might be some praying to porcelain gods. And movies that were discovered that were labeled with numbers. And the statement that all the actors are over 18. You know. Actors is a very loose term.

And besides road trips. Where said events might not have ever happened. (I do have an active imagination.) There are always movies that are best seen with girl friends. Like "Sex in the City." Or "Twilight." Or my favorite "Mama Mia."

So...this week's Weekend Winner prize is a dinner and a movie gift card. It includes a $25 gift card for dinner at your choice of: On the Border, Chili's, Macaroni Grill or Maggiano's. And a $25 gift card for Regal theatres. And a second winner will receive a dvd of "Love Actually." And you can have a date night right at home.

Worth playing for? Here is what you need to do:

1. Post a comment here. Tell me who you would take on a date with your winnings. Do you have regular dates with people in your life? Is there a movie coming out that you want to see? What is your favorite date movie?

2. For another entry...follow me. Almost to 200. I am ready to sing Pop-U-Lar again! If you already follow me, you also get an extra entry.

3. Blog about this week's contest.

4. When you comment you get an entry. When you follow, come back and leave another comment saying you follow me. If you are already a follower, post another comment saying that you are already a stalker follower. When you post about it...come back and leave a third comment saying you did it. Then I can truly use random number generator and I won't have to type in all those names!

5. Contest ends Friday (Dec 26) at midnight. Winners have one week to email me to claim prizes. All unclaimed prizes will be added back into the pot. Winner will be announced next Saturday. Along with the week nine prizes!

Theme song: All I want for Christmas is you - Love Actually soundtrack

Weekend Winners: May I have your autograph?

I am counting down the days until my beloved LOST returns. I finally got myself caught up on the Tudors. And season two comes out on dvd in January. Big Love starts back up in January. And I am considering adding HBO back to my cable package. And maybe Showtime. So I can watch the Tudors. And Weeds. And Californication. Patience is not my middle name. And my brother just let me borrow the box set of Firefly. Who needs movies?

Well, Michelle over at Honestly and Truly doesn't need any movies. Because she can go back and watch the first season of LOST. And get herself addicted to Weeds. And Brandy over at Not Your Average Soccer Mom can also join me in the Weeds addiction. Does this make me a dealer? (Ladies...Email me your address and I'll get your dvds in the mail to you!)

And now...this week's magical prize offering. After my post on Thursday. About my 13 tips for a Disney trip. And after reading about Kori. And the trip gifted to her family from special angels. And after Angie's visit just this week to the mouse. And Lula, Tiffany, and Andrea's upcoming trips...it got me thinking about all those pictures.

After spending almost a month in the parks last year. Well...I have a few coughthousandcough pictures. And one of my favorite things that I did with the pictures was to make autograph albums for each of the girls.

Let's have a moment. Because I think I am about to tell you how to make something. Again. Twice in one week. I sure hope that the world is not coming to an end.

Creative Memories has these cute 7x7 albums with the classic Mickey head on the cover. And they also have these cool things called snap packs. Which is kinda like scrapbooking for dummies. The kit comes with all the paper and stickers you need to make an entire album - and it even has pages that tell you what to put on each page. You can follow the instructions. Or blaze your own path of glory.

I chose to do my own thing.

This is what I did:

I got those little autograph albums from Disney.

And then cut some small colored/patterned paper to put on top of the pages. We brought our own pens.And then when the character autographed the book - we scanned it. And shrank it. Processing it like this:And then...I put the pictures and autographs together like this.

Even if you don't have a trip to Disney in your future. These are still fun albums. You can give them to your Disney loving kid to keep as their first scrapbook. You could use it as a baby gift. A gift for a friend that is Disney crazy. Or just do a year of pictures - two pictures a month - and you have a whole album done for one year.

And guess what? I have THREE of these albums to give away! I have two Mickey ones. And a purple Wish-upon-a-star album plus Princess stuff for another lucky winner.

Oh...but wait...there's more. For our grand prize winner...I have an entire Disney scrapbook kit.Including a big 12x12 Mickey album. Pen. Adhesive. Corner rounder. Paper. Stickers. Disney punch. Disney decorations. And ways to remeber that magical adventure for lifetimes.

To summarize. The grand prize winner will get the big Disney album package. AND a 7x7 Disney album with a snap pack. A second winner will win a Disney 7x7 album, Disney snap pack, and Disney punch. A third winner will receive the purple 7x7 album, Disney snap pack, and a princess pack.

Worth playing for?

This is what you need to do:

1. Post a comment here. Do you have any autographs? Do you scrapbook? What Disney character would you most like to get an autograph from? Do you have a favorite Disney ride? Movie? Song?

2. For another entry...follow me. 20 more to 200. Are ya'll all going to leave me when I stop giving stuff away? If you already follow me, you also get an extra entry.

3. Blog about this week's contest.

4. When you comment you get an entry. When you follow, come back and leave another comment saying you follow me. When you post about it...come back and leave a comment saying you did it. Then I can truly use random number generator and I won't have to type in all those names!

5. Contest ends Friday at midnight. Winners have one week to email me to claim prizes. All unclaimed prizes will be added back into the pot. Winner will be announced next Saturday. Along with the week eight prizes!

Theme song: The Goo Goo Dolls - Name. "Don't let the moment pass you by" so that you can get a lot of those names in your books. And. If you stick around a bit. Perhaps reading all my bits of drivel brilliance from the past week. You can also hear the music played during the ride Soarin' - my favorite ride at Disney. Just listening to it...I can see the canoers. Smell the orange groves. And see that golf ball with the hidden Mickey headed my way...