It Is The 5th Anniversary Of Jodifur-Contest

I can hardly believe it.  I have been writing this nonsense on the internet for 5 whole years!  This thing that started as "yeah maybe, I'll have a blog," has continued for 5 years!  5 years!  That is half the length of my marriage!  One year younger than Michael!  The wood anniversary!

As is the tradition around here, I'm going to run a totally unsponsored, out of my pocket contest.  Leave a comment with one of your favorite posts that I've written from this past year and you are entered to win either a itunes gift card or a Starbucks gift card.  Contest closes Sunday, November, 20th at 5 pm.  I will pick two winners on Monday, November 21, randomly.

Hint: I have a favorite posts page.

May The Force Be With You

We had one of those insane weekends, those weekends that involve running from here to there and everywhere.  Two birthday parties, karate, swim team, Father's Day, and dinner with friends.  Dinner with friends we never get to see but that I adore so much.  The friends that you have known forever and when you do get to see it is like you have never missed a beat.  And you laugh so much you cry.  And when they leave you wish you saw them everyday.

In between all the running around and craziness we snuck in a game of  Star Wars Monopoly. Michael was tired of Monopoly Junior and wanted to play "Daddy's" grown up Monopoly."  Personally, I think he just wanted to play with the Star Wars pieces.

And then, the 6 year old, who just learned how to count money and how to add, kicked Doug's and my ass at the game.  Notice the amount of money and property in this picture.

He is also a master trade negotiator.

 

 All these space ships, are his.

In the end, Doug and I were mortgaging properties and selling of colonies while the child danced around and celebrated his victory.

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The winner of the Port Discovery Giveaway was Aimee.  You should have gotten an email from me, but if you did not, email me at jodi@lucidphoenix.com.  

Tinkering Away #Giveaway

On Sunday, my family was lucky enough to be invited to the new exhibit at Port Discovery in Baltimore, Md. We love Port Discovery.  Michael loves the climbing structure and the Egypt exhibit and the Mystery House. It is one of our favorite day trips.  

I was thrilled when the lovely people at Port Discovery invited me and my family to spend the day there. Not just because we enjoy the place so much, but also, it was the first long distance drive for the Prius! And Doug announced, I think I like this car better than your Passat.  And I did not kill him.  Win/Win.

The new Tinkertoy exhibit was our first stop after they provided us with breakfast. The 1,500 square foot exhibit, targeted to children ages 3-10, includes giant replicas of the classic Tinkertoy construction set.

Throughout the exhibit, children are encouraged to invent, collaborate, energize, change, process, connect, develop, create, and PLAY.  A museum, that encourages children to touch!  No wonder my 6 year old loves it!

 

One lucky reader will be awarded a family 4 pack of tickets for admission to Port Discovery in Baltimore, MD.  If you are local, or plan to be in the Baltimore, MD area this summer Port Discovery is a great place to spend the day.  The tickets will be good through the summer.

To enter, comment on this post telling me why you want to visit Port Discovery and the Tinkertoy exhibit this summer.

For one extra entry, like my new Facebook page and leave me a separate comment telling me you have done so.  

Contest closes Friday June 17th and a winner will be announced Saturday June 18th.  The winner will be picked randomly.

**My family received free admissions to Port Discovery and was invited to a special members breakfast.  Michael was also given a goodie bag.  I was not compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.  

I Do Not Have A Green Thumb

Ever since we moved into this house Doug has wanted a garden.  Last year we bought Pear trees, and this year we are going full out garden.

Here's the thing, I should not garden.  I suck at gardening.  I'm allergic to basically the outside, and I kill plants.  But Doug really wants to do this and has been researching plants and vegetables and fruits and has made like 52 trillion trips to the plant store.

This is how he and Michael spent Saturday.

And I said things like "why can't we plant in the ground like normal people?"

And then I got a lecture about why the box was important.  And stopped listening and went back to taking pictures.

And mocking.  Because how can you not mock?  They are just both so serious about this. 

I doubted the goldfish, and that is still alive.  And I love vegetables.  So perhaps this whole thing will work out.

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The winner of the Scout bag or bin is:

Robin.  Congrats! 

Two Quick Things

I know, no one reads blogs on weekends but the weather sucks in DC, so what else are we doing?

(I should be cleaning for Passover.  And exercising.)

1.  There is still time to enter my contest for a Scout bag.  I can not express how much I love these bags, and everyone who sees these bags loves these bags, so go enter.

2.  And in case you missed the HUGE ALL IMPORTANT announcement on Friday, Jodifur now has a Facebook fan page.  I know!  It is so exciting!  (It is not even a little bit exciting.)  I've decided I'm moving all of the links to places I write over there, so if you want to keep up with everywhere I write go like it.  Please? 

Happy Weekend!

Friends With Bags-Giveaway

It is safe to say I was having a crap week last week.  My friend Lindsay invited me to an event at Artisans Gallery, a unique gift shop I had been to a few times before.  And I knew the one thing that would really cheer me up would be my DC blogging pals.  So I headed out in the pouring rain to learn about Scout bags and bins.  And to see my friends.  Which made me so happy.

I had never heard of Scout before this event and I am a convert now.  They have bags and bins for everything.  And when I got home with some of the bags Scout and Artisan had given me, my husband, who is not easily excited, was all "this is a perfect beach bag."  And then we started fighting over the lunch bag.  And I'm headed back to Artisans today to get the Tote that holds your phone and your keys.  Because I'm always losing my phone and my keys, so maybe if I had one thing that holds them both it would help.  Maybe. 

I'm reviewing them more fully at Joeshopping.

Love Scout too?  I have got two ways to help you.

Shop Artisans Gallery website and save 15% off EVERYTHING online until April 22nd, 2011 using the discount code ART15.  Live in the DC area?  Just go into the store and use the code in the store.

• ART15 can be used multiple times.
• Gift wrapping is free on website items (as it is always at the store!)
• Shipping is free on all orders over $60.
• Orders under $60 ship for only $6.99.
• All in stock items will ship within two business days using USPS.
• That's for everything, Scout items or not Scout items.

SCOUT Bags, Bins and More GIVEAWAY!

ONE winner will get to choose ONE of these beautiful SCOUT items in any pattern you choose.

• Doggie Bag – Love this lunch bag.  (I'm buying one for Doug....shhh)
• Baguette Market Scout Tote –  It's a tote, but it collapses.  Tip, pack it in your luggage for conference swag, and you have an extra bag.  Or, if you are going somewhere and expect to buy a lot there.
• Hang 10 Bin – Great for filing papers, toys, clothes, declutter!

Contest will close Monday April 18th at 5:00.  (That is also my Dad's birthday.)  To enter, please go to the Scout website and tell me your favorite thing you see.  It does not have to be one of the items you can win.  One comment per person please and winner will be choosing randomnly and announced on Tuesday.

HAPPY SCOUTING.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend an event sponsored by Scout and Artisans, and was not compensated to attend.  I was presented with gifts by Artisans and Scout and also purchased items at Artisans by Scout at a discounted rate.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post, and I was not asked to write about the event. All opinions expressed are my own.  And Doug's.  He really loved the Pocket Rocket.
 

Let Me Apologize Now: I'm Going To Blog About Blogging

I've been thinking about how I do things around here.

Ever since this blog started I have emailed every single commenter back as long as they left a valid email.  I feel strongly about it.  I have gained really strong friendships from doing this, and I think it helped me build a sense of community and get to know my readers.

But.  On the other sites I write for I respond to comments on the site.  And I see the benefit of that as well.  Then the conversation happens on the site as opposed to off the site.  But, for me, once I leave a comment on someone's site I never, ever go back to that post.  Well, rarely.  So if someone responds to my comment it is lost on me. 

So tell me, readers, what would you prefer?  Do you like it when I email you?  Would you rather I responded on jodifur so everyone could see?  (Yes, I refer to jodifur as a living thing.  Doesn't everyone do that with their blog?)

Also, Facebook?  I kind of have to join don't I?  All of the good conversations are happening over there.  You can't be a blogger and not be on Facebook.  I KNOW.  I'm working on it.

So, it has been four plus years, I'm ready to change things up, what do you want?

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I'm on TLC.com.  Go take a look.

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Robin (noteverstill), Susan (whymommy), and Roberta, you all won Life From Scratch.  Enjoy it!

2 Things

Today is the last day to enter my Life From Scratch Giveaway; and

My Next Great Baker Recap is up.

Life From Scratch

 

I'm lucky enough to call Melissa Ford of Stirrup Queens fame a friend.  When I heard her read at the BlogHer 2009 keynote I made sure to find her and tell her I thought her post was amazing, but also, I thought we knew each other.  We played some Jewish geography and discovered we went to camp together.  Overnight camp a million and a half years ago.  Since then she had became one of my favorite DC blogging pals.

Becuase of that I could not wait to read her novel, Life From Scratch (affiliate link).  And it is not because she is my friend that I can tell you all that I loved it.  I read it it in two days and every time Doug or Michael tried to talk to me I shushed them.  True story.  I then asked Melissa if I could interview her or do a giveaway.  I get to do both!

Here is my interview and below you will find out how to win one of three copies of Life From Scratch.

photo by Mary Gardella

J: Why did you decide to write a novel?

M: I didn't exactly.  When I sold my first book,  Navigating The Land Of If (nonfiction) (affiliate link), the book contract had a right of first refusal.  Which meant that whoever published the book they would get to see my next book first.  My agent suggested I write a non fiction book so she could try to sell that.  And even though I had an MFA in fiction, it wasn't were my head was.  My head was in nonfiction and blogging.

J: How similar are you to the character of Rachel?

M: Well, I'm neurotic like Rachel and I tend to over think.  I'm also awkward like Rachel.  (For the record, I don't think Melissa is awkward at all.)  But I'm not a food blogger and I'm not divorced.

J: Your known for being an infertility blogger but this story is not about infertility.  Even so you weaved infertility through it.  Was that important to you?

M: It was important to me to show it is not always easy to have a baby.  I wanted to show a more realistic view of single motherhood than is frequently shown in chic lit, that the crazy friend just has a baby by accident.  That a lot of single mothers try hard to have a baby and it is not always easy.

J: You grew up in in DC, yet you set the book in NYC.  Why?

M:  I couldn't imagine Rachel living anywhere other than NYC.  I'm not a fan of NYC, but when I tried to set her in other places the story didn't work.  I tried Boston but it didn't work.  It's not that food bloggers don't live in other places, they do.  But she needed to live in NYC.

 I wanted to show Melissa two of my favorite passages in the book and have her commenton them.

The first one I loved because Melissa captured exactly how I feel about blogging and why I love it so.

Blogging can seem a little self-indulgent; foisting your free therapy on everyone else in the world.  But some of us can't afford a vacation from life and therapy, so free isn't half bad.  Plus, the night I recieved my first comment was like finding life on Mars.  I was this tiny voice yelling from my apartment in New York City, and someone actually heard me.  And took the time to tell me so.

M: Blogging is sometimes like free therapy.  Which was why Josh set up my blog.  I stopped going to therapy when the blog started.  Instead of one persons point of view I had so many other people's point of view.

The second section I highlighted because I'm an average girl.  And I never, ever believe I'm pretty.  And I've never heard anyone put it in words before.

But average girls can never believe it when they're told that the cute boy likes them or that they've been nominated for homecoming queen or that their blog is being read by thousands of people each day. 

M: I'm an average girl.  I get it.

J: You told me there was going to be a sequel.  Can you give us a sneak peek?

M: Rachel is getting remarried.  And it is going to be a different wedding process than it was doing the first time.  She tries to learn how to balance her private life with her blog life.  Plus it take place in the summer and there is a certain blog conference she could attend....

J: When I tweeted I was interviewing you people wanted to know "how you did it all?"

M: I don't do nearly as much as people think I do.  I'm not on line all day.  When the kids are home I'm not on the computer at all.  I shut down email from 11-3 and write.  It takes me three months to write a novel.  (My chin dropped by the way.)

Melissa shared with me she has finished a different piece of fiction, it is a young adult book without vampires!

I have 3 copies of Life from Scratch to give away.  Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite book.  3 winners will be picked from random.  Contest closes Tuesday, January 11th at 5 pm and a winner will be announced Wednesday morning. 

*This contest is not sponsored.  The books are being provided by the publisher.  I was not compensated in anyway to interview Melissa or do this giveaway.   In fact, I asked to do it.

 

 

Tangled Winner

The winner is Julie, who does not have a blog.  I emailed you but if you did not get it email me at jodi@lucidphoenix.com.

My mom is taking Michael to see Tangled today and I'm cooking for Thanksgiving.  I'm jealous.