Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Denying Yourself

I've always tried to live my life in a way that makes me happy. I love my husband and my kids, but they are not my entire life. I need time for myself. I need to do what I enjoy, even if no one else does. I think it is very important to be happy. If you hate your job, look for a new one. If you hate your body, work hard to fix it. If you're in a bad relationship, kick the loser to the curb. If you feel bored all the time, try new things until you find something you enjoy. Life is short, far too short, to spend any of it miserable.

I know a lot of people who deny themselves things. I just don't get why. I'm always being told how it always looks like I am having so much fun. I am. I am always doing fun things with my family and friends. I do things on my own that don't include my family. I like enjoying my life. I like experiencing all the things that are out there. I want to fill photo album after photo album with memories. I want to be 80 and look back and say "Damn, I had a great life!"

I've heard so many people say, "I wish I could do that." Well, you can. Just go out there and do it. Let the housework pile. Throw away all cares about looking stupid. Get the hubby to pitch in more and watch the kids. Or get mom and dad. Time ticks away fast and before you know it, twenty years have flown by.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Winners!!!!




It's finally time to reveal the winners from my Big Fabulous Summer Giveaway Extravaganza!!!!!!

First of all, I want to thank everyone who entered!! It means so much to me. I NEVER thought I'd have over 1000 entries for this giveaway!! :) I greatly appreciate everyone who helped spread the word about it and helped me make this fun giveaway a success!!!

Second, I need to make sure I explain to everyone that I did set up the contest in a way so that every person had the opportunity to earn many many entries, and continue earning them the entire length of the giveaway. And I also allowed for people to win more than one prize. It did happen, so there are a few winners who won several prizes. All I can say is that these people earned tons of entries by pimping the contest over and over again! So, it really does pay to keep at it!

So here we go!!

- $5 GC to Amazon or B&N, winner's choice: Shadow Kohler

- $10 GC to Amazon or B&N, winner's choice: Kassandra Appel

- Digital copies of my Karma books- A Bitch Named Karma and Karma Kameleon (in whichever format the winner chooses): Jessica Nollkamper

- Digital copy of my book Paradise Cove: Shadow Kohler

- Digital copy of my book Soap Dreams: Erika Lang

- Bath and Body Works Pocket Bacs Hand Sanitizer! Five winners, scent selected at random- Margarita, Pink Lemonade, Flip Flop Fruit, Wildberry, and Island Nectar. (US only.) : Amy Cavanaugh, Lori Tinkerbella, Sheri Vidal, Lauren Seiberling, and Heide Simon

- Nail buffers and Cake Batter lip balm! Two winners! (Each will win one buffer and one lip balm. US only.): Shadow Kohler and Lauren Seiberling

- Nail polish and polish remover pads! Two winners! (Each winner will receive one polish and one container of remover pads. US only.): Stephanie Jacob and Shadow Kohler

- A cool water bottle and box of yummy single serving iced tea packets! (US only): Erika Lang

I'll be emailing everyone soon!!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

How to Twitter

I can't say I'm a pro at anything. I'm not real sure how anyone can say they are unless they've spent a long time learning the ins and outs of a certain thing. And even then, can a person truly know everything??

But anyway, I do feel like I have a decent handle on Twitter, even if I don't have thousands of followers.

So here's my basic little Twitter How-To!

I know it can be real intimidating for those who have never used Twitter before. I'm the kind of person who likes to get in and just start using something, figure it out as I go. I have always been a hands-on learner. I get bored reading too much text. I often skim. Which can be bad. I know I miss things. Once I get into something and if I hit a snag, then I will go back and read and figure it out. It's probably not a great learning strategy, but it works for me.

The first time I gave Twitter a go, I didn't really get it and didn't have the time to figure it out. So it lost luster fast. I gave it a second try and that's when I really figured it out. Here's what I've learned:

- Twitter is social media-emphasis on social- and it only works if you mix up your posts. It's very encouraged to mix business with pleasure. People want to connect, not just read promo. People will pay more attention to your promo if you have a personal relationship first.

- In relation to the above, many people on Twitter are not there to promote themselves. They are just there to socialize. They're not going to follow you if all you do is talk about your business stuff.

- Reply to other people's Tweets. Converse. I know it's not easy to chat with someone with a 140 character limit, but the more you do it, the better you become at keeping your thoughts brief and getting right to the point.

- Have a few laughs! People are always posting funny things. Twitter can be for fun, not just business purposes.

- Share other people's links, but don't go crazy. It's great to help friends out, but whether it's your own promo or promo for someone else, it's still promo.

- Don't go into it thinking you have nothing to say. Everyone has something to say.

- Use the search feature. If you're interested in a certain topic, search it. You'll be amazed at what you find. If you love knitting, you'll find other Twitterers who also love knitting. If you're a fan of a band, you can find others who are also.

- Use Twitter to connect with local stuff. Follow your newspaper's Twitter feed. Follow local organizations and businesses, sports teams, etc... I get much of my news updates from my Twitter feed and find out about local happenings that way too.

- And lastly, go ahead and follow celebrities! They rarely reply to you, but it really is interesting to get a glimpse into their lives. If you're into that sort of thing!

So there's my simple guide to Twitter! Hope it was helpful! And if you wnat to come check me out on Twitter, click here!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Ever read a book so moving....

...it makes you cry? And cry in public???

With the invention of digital reading devices it's easier and more convenient than ever to read anywhere you want. I think people read more on the go since devices are so easy to transport. People read on their phones too, and everyone always has their phone on them. Whether they're on their commute, at the gym, at the doctor's office, I think more than ever, people are reading in public.

And depending on what you read, some of these books can be pretty darn emotional. I openly admit, I cry at sappy movies. I cry at sad movies. And of course, books too. Sometimes the stories of the characters are so emotional and overwhelming, I can't help the tears. It's only human to be affected in this way. Sometimes the stories hit close to home. Other times they restore faith in true love and happily ever afters.

I often read at the gym, while on the treadmill or cross ramp. I hate cardio machines. I prefer getting my cardio in enjoyable ways like Zumba. But there aren't classes everyday, so I do get on the machines too. But the most I can stand without something to keep me entertained is 5-10 minutes. So I started bringing my Kindle. It really makes the time fly by. One day I started a new book. By the end of chapter one there was a horrific car accident and a character died. Have you ever tried to keep your pace on a cross ramp while holding back sobs? Not an easy thing to do.

So how about you?? Ever been in public reading and unable to hold back the emotions??