It's A Goodnyou? Giveaway Day {Able and Free}

This giveaway in officially closed! Thank you for all who participated!

Now, without further delay… the winner of this wonderfully cute apron, thanks to Able And Free is…………….. Jodie from It's ALL Good in Mommyhood!! I'll get your new pinktastic apron sent out to you ASAP!

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Ok… I see no other way to start this post than in a direct and informative way. I'm going to just take the leap and say it……. I've already started my Christmas shopping.

Go ahead… throw your stones, cast your dirty looks, direct your profanity my way… I can not only take it, but over the years, I've come to expect it…. I almost want to scoff at myself. 

I have lists with assigned names, idea titles with bulleted details, a plan of attack and a small stock pile of already purchased gifts. 

I understand it's only October 7th, but even now, I feel a sense of dread that I've started this task too late. Can we all just agree that I may have a bit of a pre-pre-pre-preparation problem and move on? 

Yes? ok, good… carrying on…

Fortunately for you guys, my pre-game planning gives us today's Goodnyou? giveaway host Able and Free, a Portland Oregon based shop that makes handmade accessories for the modern doer. Erika, the talented shop owner, is giving away one of her sweet aprons… an apron that I have tried on…. sent pictures to my friends about… tweeted being over the moon in love with… and thought about canceling the giveaway, sending Erika some money, and keeping it for me, myself, and I…I've used every excuse to try it on, to show it off, the sing it's praises. 

Like last Goodnyou? giveaway, all you have to do to be entered to win is go over to Able and Free's Etsy shop {click here or check out her link under the sponsor's tab on the top left hand side of your screen} and check out her goods, come back here and comment below on what your favorite products was in her shop, favorite fabric, or anything you'd like to see her offer {kind of fabric, style of apron, material used}

Unlike last Goodnyou? giveaway, Able and Free and I are allowing up to 5 entries per commenter. That's right… you can enter up to 5 times to win, but make sure you submit 5 individual comments. {that way we can  assign you a comment number for our drawing, one comment = one comment entered to win.}

The giveaway will close Wednesday and one winner will be announced that same day. Win it for yourself, win it for someone else, win it and prove your 'I never win anything' declaring self, wrong!

You know what they say… it's never too early to start preparing for the holidays… and you know what I say… if you haven't started by now, you're already too late!! 

************************************************************************************************

Giveaway ends at 12:00 PM on day of winner announcement. Any entries after 12:00 PM on announcement day will be void. Although the sponsor has thoughtfully provided their product for our lil' old giveaway, thoughts and opinions on the product itself, are all mine, mine, mine.   

The Dempsey Challenge

A week from tomorrow I will be participating in my first 5k. I'm excited about the experience, but would be lying if I gave off the impression that I was anything close to a competitive runner.

I run because I like it, I think it's important to make physically active part of your every day in a 'pushing your body' kind of way…. {that and I love to eat… like love love love to eat}. With that said, I would just as soon trade lacing my sneakers up for push mowing the lawn, downward dogging during a rainy day yoga session, or toting kids back up a snowy incline.

When I do run, like other areas in my life, I push myself to go until I think I can't do it any longer…. than I go a little more.

I'm also a mood runner… if I'm worked up, anxious, or overly stimulated I run hard and purposeful. On the other hand, I've also slowed down my pace on the treadmill and run 15 minute miles in order to sneak in a few episodes of Modern Family.

Saturday, my goal is to finish 3.2 miles, under 30 minutes, more importantly, I'm switching out the 'why I run' for the 'who I run for'. I could go on from here about how cancer affects us all, takes lives needlessly, creates struggles, heart breaks, success, and strength, but I wont…. I wont be daunting on the details here on my blog, I wont share statistics with supporting articles, convince you all of a reality we all know too well, I'm more of a do'er than a say'er anyways. 

What I will do is double knot my shoes, throw my buds in my ears, stretch out my quads and run…… purposefully.

I would really appreciate your help in reaching my fund raising goal of contributing $250.00 to be donated to The Patrick Dempsey Center for Hope & Healing, by participating in The Dempsey Challenge. 

{That's right ladies… Patrick Dempsey... I'm officially name dropping}

Click Here to Donate

Fall Frenzy

I've been in a peculiar state of mind lately. One that could most accurately be described as manic, distractible, or bewildered. If you took any of those adjectives, wrapped them up nicely with a cozy sense of purpose, gusto, and drive, then smothered it all with a heavy layer of urgency, I think we have a nice little Sam-tastic frenzy on our hands.

I'm going to take a minute here to brag a bit. My house has never been more orderly, maintained, or clean…. at least not all of those, at the same time, without the drive of hosting a holiday.

I'm not just talking about how the bleach sprays has been just-a-misting away or the laundry having an impressive and consistent turn around time. I've painted walls, pulled out winter clothes, thrown patio furniture into big red barns, moved couches single handedly from one level to another, throw together a rather impressive jewelry board, consistently rotated the compost and sharpened all the knives.

Without diving too deeply into the psychology abyss of Sam, I'll simply say I'm wavering between being in a state of preparation for a winter's hibernation and finding control, in the cleaning, to counter all the areas in life that are proving to be overwhelmingly uncontrollable.

Either way, it matters not, I'm completely planning to continue taking advantage of this ambition, as long as I keep this level of task kick ass.

Wednesday, you might want to brace yourself.

Day's Start

Yesterday morning, as soon as my mind came to, I instantly had a vision of myself, blanket covered, couch curled, and lap top perched. I was hot coffee sipping and acutely aware of the stillness of the house that still slept. The mornings are starting to have a cold bite to them and yesterday's overcast, rain threatening sky just begged me to take advantage in its early morning offerings. I even entertain the thought of starting up the fire.

An indulgence of undisturbed writing seemed like inevitably fool proof.

As soon as I set out to make this vision a reality, the slight touch of hitting the 'brew' button on the coffee pot seemed to cause just enough of a ripple effect in the house.  The patter of one set of little bare feet lead the charge for a second set of slightly bigger jammied feet to follow, only to have the shuffling clumping of the reluctant third set, bringing up the rear.

From there, the day took off, as every day seems to do. Cartoon requests turned into lunch pick up, turned to pretend play, turned to no-nap-rallies, turned to a dirty dish scavenge, turned to 'just got to sleep' threats, turned to an overly crowed bed night.

24 hours later, here I'm sitting.. accompanied by wrestling chattered boys and a juice demanding girl, having almost forgotten about that glimpse of serenity I had yesterday morning.

Today isn't at all overcast and the day's dos feel as thought they have doubled over night. Going through pictures to upload, I'm realizing how unorganized I am in that department and just stumbled upon Wesley's first day of school pictures that I was just about to clear, before unloading, from a card.

I've been busy beeing at its best lately, multi tasking to the max, and almost buckled under the pressure of having too many irons in the fire, when yesterday proved to add a few more staffs to the flames. I've been cleaning every nook, decluttering every corner, and still I feel like I'm very much in the weeds of it all. {Ok, I really only used the expression 'in the weeds' because it makes me feel like I'm on Top Chef, which reminds me to check to see when the next season starts, which reminds me the DVR needs to be freed up, which reminds me to read up about switching providers, which reminds me I need to switch the seats in the van, which reminds me I need to clean the van, which reminds me about cleaning the coop, which reminds me about taking eggs to Becky, which reminds me about soccer shirts for the kids today, which reminds me about soccer, which reminds me about preparing something today for supper tonight, which reminds me how I wish I was a judge on Top Chef, which reminds me I need to check to see when the next season starts}

Would it be too exhausting to admit that that's how my mind works, 100% of the time? Or validate when Nate interrupts me mid-sentence and reminds me to focus on the first point I was trying to make, 15 subjects ago…. yes? Then never mind my admission to either...

Regardless in the way this day has started, it has and apparently my attention to it is need…..

Happy Thursday!

It's A Goodnyou? Giveaway Day {Kim's Korner}

The randomly selected winner is……….. *drum roll*…………

Heather Hanning! Congratulations Heather! Email me at samantharichardson83@gmail.com or Facebook message me, with your mailing address and your beautiful Maple handcrafted bowl will be sent your way!! 

Thanks again to everyone who participated and I would like to remind you that you can still use coupon code Goodnyou to save free shipping on any order at Kim's Korner today!

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

When I was in high school, I took the elective course Shop. I loved it. More importantly, the teacher loved me…. Easiest 2 points of credit I ever got… except for playing Varsity Basketball…. wait... basketball wasn't a credited elective?

Well, doesn't that clear the whole GPA things up a bit now, doesn't it…Sorry Dad...

Anyways, I digress, back to Shop class… When I look back on my semester spent dabbling in the art of woodworking, I'm proud to say I was head of my class. I tell myself it's because I could manipulate a piece of raw wood into something not only breath taking, but inspiring, the reality is, I was one of two, who were polite when talking to Mr. Cushman, didn't hackle, throw things in his general directions, or play hooky on a regular basis….as often as others….. Hi Mom!

All of the above information, is neither here nor there… the point that I am trying to make is, as great as I thought I was at maneuvering a paper thin piece of wood around a bandsaw, cutting out the letter 'S', I've got nothing on the talent it takes to make anything that our latest Goodnyou? Giveaway host has, over at Kim's Korner.

{Side-note:  I was able to come up with the name 'bandsaw' by asking Nate what that "stationary like thingy is, in Shop class, that the blade goes *motioning fast, up and down, with my right hand* and you can do this *moving my left hands around like snakes* with a piece of wood to make letters?'}

From today until Sunday, Kim's Korner and I are accepting comments below, to be entered to win this beautiful Maple crafted bowl. All you have to do to enter, is head over to Kim's etsy shop {check out her badge on the top left on the screen} or {click here}, snoop around a bit, then come back over to Goodnyou? and comment below on what was your favorite piece in her shop.

Viola, you're in the running.

And not only is Kim's Korner giving away this bowl, she is also offering anyone who orders from now until Sunday free shipping on any products ordered by using coupon code: goodnyou

Sunday, I will randomly select one commenter to be the recipient of this amazing product…. Good luck!

Just by chance, if someone by the name of Fancy Helga Rodriguez, happens to enter and just miraculously pulls off the win, she may or may not have plans to use the bowl like this…..

Just putting that out there.

************************************************************************************************

Only one entry per e-mail. Giveaway ends at 12:00 PM on day of winner announcement. Any entries after 12:00 PM on announcement day will be void. Although the sponsor has thoughtfully provided their product for our lil' old giveaway, thoughts and opinions on the product itself, are all mine, mine, mine.