Tag: giveaway

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When Lazy and Nihilistic Have a Baby, and GIVEAWAY!

the outside lane

An 18 wheeler full of beer just pulled up alongside my building and unloaded 34 kegs onto the sidewalk.  I have a feeling they meant to be on the other side of our building, which shares parking with a tavern and 3 restaurants.  I’m watching the driver run fulls over (to the tavern, I am assuming), and bring the empties back to his truck.  Nice day for it, at least.

So, tomorrow are the auditions for the community theater.  Even though I’ve had weeks to prepare, I’ve done nothing toward it.  This is nothing new.  I always tell myself, “I’ll prepare.”  Then, a day before, I tell myself, “Well, if you can’t ace it without preparation, you didn’t need to be doing it anyway.” 

That’s what it looks like when Lazy and Nihilistic have a baby.

I’m still leaning toward going, if only because I need to do something outside my comfort zone before I become a full on hermit.  As I’ve said, worst case scenario is I come back with an embarrassing story to relate to you all, and that’s still full of win, so I may as well go.

And, In case you missed it:

We’ve just hit 100 subscribers to The Outside Lane, so it’s time to celebrate!

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The giveaways of Some of my Favorite Things will be done by random drawing on Tuesday, May 6.  You have until 11:59 pm, Monday, May 5 to get your name in the drawing as many times as you like.  To get in on the drawing do one, or all of the following as many times as you like:

  1. Leave a comment on ANY entry from the blog
  2. “Like” the Facebook page
  3. Leave a comment on the Facebook page
  4. Share the blog from your Facebook, Twitter, or Blog (and leave the link in a comment on TOL or the TOL Facebook page)

Don’t go nuts, though.  If you leave 50 comments saying the same thing, you’re only getting one entry.

When I have 2 winners, I’ll pick some of my favorite things to fit the person.  I’d hate to send a guy a bunch of face cream.

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Double Giveaway Celebration!

the outside lane

We’ve just hit 100 subscribers to The Outside Lane, so it’s time to celebrate!

cropped-tol-smug1.jpg

The giveaways of Some of my Favorite Things will be done by random drawing on Tuesday, May 6.  You have until 11:59 pm, Monday, May 5 to get your name in the drawing as many times as you like.  To get in on the drawing do one, or all of the following as many times as you like:

  1. Leave a comment on ANY entry from the blog
  2. “Like” the Facebook page
  3. Leave a comment on the Facebook page
  4. Share the blog from your Facebook, Twitter, or Blog (and leave the link in a comment on TOL or the TOL Facebook page)

Don’t go nuts, though.  If you leave 50 comments saying the same thing, you’re only getting one entry.

When I have 2 winners, I’ll pick some of my favorite things to fit the person.  I’d hate to send a guy a bunch of face cream.

Giveaway, holiday guest blog, Style

Days of Christmas: Holiday Have to WIN!!! Jewelry by June Bijou

the outside lane

As part of today’s Holiday Guide, Win These Earrings!

The Gaby Earrings by June Bijou

June is one of those unforgettable people. You meet her and she makes an indelible impact on your life. Then you see her jewelry. Oh my word, the jewelry. For several years, June designed for brands and for her own June Bijou line in major department and apparel stores, but after having her first baby in 2008, she decided to scale back the operation to better suit her lifestyle as a mother. “Having it all” meant maintaining her art, but changing the way she did business to open up the time she wanted to spend with her growing family.

Now, with two little boys (and one big man!) at home, June has reinvented herself as a boutique jeweler, selling her meticulously crafted art directly to individuals, through her website and trunk shows.  You can “like” her on Facebook here.

When June and I reconnected (in a Barnes & Noble parking lot) last January, and she told me she was making jewelry, I expected to see pretty, Etsy-style crafts on her website. I did not expect to find fine metals and gemstones. I didn’t even know you could do what she does by hand! My first sight of her jewelry took my breath away. The collection features a variety of semi-precious, faceted gemstones and beads such as different types of quartz, jade, and various kinds of pearls. The metals, wire & chain used to craft this special jewelry include 14K gold filled, sterling silver, and vermeil.

Free shipping through December 15th.

Her collection is light and airy, and evokes white sand beaches as frequently as white powder slopes. What I am trying to say is that June’s jewelry would be perfectly at home on a sarong wearing supermodel in Ibiza, or a fox-furred socialite in Aspen, and you–at work, at play, at that glittering holiday party. It is amazingly beautiful and accessible.

These are a few of my favorites:

Green Garnet Almond Shaped Vermeil Rings
Vermeil Trio Disc Necklace. Look for the gorgeous matching earrings.
Bohemian Chic Earrings.
The Hope and Love Bangle. Would you ever guess that was handmade? So beautiful!

From now, through December 15, there is free shipping on any order, AND, June has offered The Outside Lane, the chance to give away a pair of her gorgeous Gabby earrings. Leave a comment about your favorite piece of personal jewelry here or at The Outside Lane on Facebook, and be entered to win!  “Like” The Outside Lane on Facebook for another chance to win.

Chef Lane, Contest, Giveaway, holiday guest blog

Days of Christmas: Holiday Have to Have–GIVEAWAY! Membership to JulieAnneRhodes.com

the outside lane

You all know how much I love Julie Anne Rhodes and her Personal Chef Approach to meal preparation.  Since joining her website as a Premium Member, in just under a year, I’ve gone from a woman who (not in)frequently set her kitchen on fire, and whose son would beg to go out to eat rather than attempt a mouthful of my Better Off Dead culinary offerings to a fairly decent cook, if I do say so myself.  I’m even venturing out and sharing my own little recipes in a fitness community–to nice results.  I give Julie Anne a lot of that credit.

Why?  Because her Personal Chef Approach to cooking took a weight of stress out of meal planning and preparation, so I could just get down to the business of food.  I also give her site and recipes a lot of credit for me being able to lose 15lbs since this summer.  With my foods prepped ahead of time (especially my lunches!) it’s been easier to eat healthy meals–and tasty meals, too.  It doesn’t hurt that she is fantastically funny, and shares more than just how-tos for cooking on her site.  Premium Members have direct daily access to her in the Forums–worth the membership when you have a question!

As part of the Holiday Shopping Guide, Julie Anne has offered up a gift certificate for a month-long Premium Membership.  One lucky The Outside Lane reader will win an all-access pass to JulieAnneRhodes.com for a full month.

The winner will be selected from all the comments received on The Outside Lane through the month December 30th, with the prize being announced on December 31st–so you can opt to start your membership as part of your New Year Resolutions to get fit, eat better, learn to cook/cook better, get to know interesting people, or just try something new.

Like The Outside Lane on Facebook, and that will count as an entry into the contest, too!

Share The Outside Lane with friends on Facebook, or share individual blog entries, and those will also count as entries.  Lots of ways to stuff the ballot box in your own favor 😉

Here’s what you could get (from Julie Anne herself):

Premium Members enjoy all-access privileges to The PCA™ and receive insider-only tips, exclusive recipes (including archived info), and a weekly menu plan. The menu plan alone is worth more than the price of membership in time, ease, and effort saved! Premium Member benefits include:

WEEKLY MENU PLAN Eliminate any guesswork and save time with an entire week’s worth of meal ideas. Easily tailored to your family’s specific tastes, detailed menu plans come with easy recipes, ready-to-go grocery shopping lists, and heat-to-eat instructions.

PREMIUM RECIPE LIBRARY ACCESS Access a much larger variety of original recipes. Every recipe is one I created (not borrowed from another source) and each has been tested and approved by the clients of my multi-award winning Personal Chef Service. Many recipes also offer variations to accommodate specific tastes and are so easy that, “if you can read, you can cook!”

HOW-TO VIDEOS Some people learn easier when shown than told, which is why Premium Members can view simple step-by-step slideshows for some of the site’s most popular recipes.

ONLINE FORUM Gain a sense of community by joining others and myself as they share their experiences in the kitchen – whether they’re cooking for the very first time or professionally. It’s a G-rated space where you can ask questions, share your successes, and personal cooking challenges. Plus, you’ll gain the secret tips, tricks, and good advice I’ve learned in more than a decade as an award-winning personal chef.

  • CYBER LIVING ROOM An easy way to stay in touch and make friends with other members with your interests. Share thoughts, questions, reviews of local restaurants, events you’ve attended, or family and pet photos. Popular topics include the current week’s menu plan and The PCA™.
  • RECIPE SHARING Have a tried-and-true recipe? Here’s your opportunity to tell everyone about it and discover fellow member’s favorite dishes.
  • MEMBER PROFILES Give your postings a personal touch with the ability to upload a profile pic, your interests, talents, or any other information you want to share.

Inside Dish A monthly e-newsletter with tips on applying The PCA™, advice on safe-food handling, and advance notice of upcoming products, shows, and news! (Premium Members also gain access to archived issues of the newsletter.)

 Our version of “Dear Abby,” only with kitchen woes instead of those of the heart. Send in any cooking desires, queries, or catastrophes, and each month two member’s questions and answers will be featured in the Inside Dish newsletter.

So start commenting, sharing and liking, friends!  Can’t wait to see you in the Forums on JulieAnneRhodes.com!