Time's Up!

Thanks to www.random.org, the winner of the Baby Naming Contest is...

#2 - WHIMSY!

Thanks to all who submitted your name suggestions! You all gave great ideas, some which we had already encountered and others that we can add to our ever-growing list.

Although we have still not decided on the name for Baby Boy Goodwin, we have a great selection of ideas and advice to sort through in the next 90 days. With your assistance, our kiddo is unlikely to leave the hospital with his current name!

Naming Game

OK, folks - it's time to get serious!

We are back from our Utah trip - a little tired, seriously damp (from all that UT rain) and we are not any closer to picking a name for the baby. We're about to hit the 100-day countdown mark and I'm just a tad concerned.

My sister-in-law, Rachel, shared a great idea for our naming quandary. She teaches at an elementary school (3rd grade, I think) in Layton. Since she started working there, she has been pregnant twice. To include her students in this exciting adventure, she told them that they could help name the baby by submitting their ideas in a "Name Suggestion Jar".

She said that during the first pregnancy the kids provided a wide array of names, courtesy of popular Disney movies. Because she already knew what they would name Baby Boy #2, the second round became a "Nickname Suggestion Jar"; I can hardly imagine what hilarious gems that round produced!

For fun, and because we are in desperate need of some great name ideas, I propose a little challenge: the "Virtual Name Suggestion Jar" contest. The rules are super easy - simply submit your idea/s in a comment below... and wait... and that's it! The winner will not be based on whether or not we choose the name, but simply by random selection; a delightful care package will be delivered to the lucky winner.

Time to put on those baby-naming thinking caps! Contest ends on Friday, May 15th!

Roll of the Dice

It's the post you've all been waiting for - well, at least the folks that entered the movie tagline contest!

I assigned each respondent with a number:  Nana (1), Marianne (2), Mindy (3), Stacey (4), Angela (5).  Then, I went to random.org for selecting the big winner, using the die roller shown below.

After a quick roll of the virtual dice (or die, since I only needed small numbers) - and the BIG winner is... #5!   Angela, it's your lucky day!  Just post a comment of your choice of the selected prizes and we'll work out the rest via email.

Thanks to all for participating - the comments were funny and gave me a good laugh after a weeklong vacation.  Stay tuned for more fun-filled contests... you may be the next winner! 

There's Something in It for You!

"Bring me two piña coladas; One for each hand..."

Tomorrow morning, at the early hour of 6'o clock, Dave and I are hopping on an airplane that will swiftly transport us from the grey skies and frigid temperatures of Seattle to the 80-degree, sandy beaches of Mazatlán, Mexico.

Honestly, I am so ready for a break from work, chores, responsibilities and life in general.  I can say, with absolute assurance, that that is a ditto for Dave.

The funny thing is this: neither of us really loves hot weather.

What???!

You may be asking yourself, "Then, WHY in the world are you going to Mexico, you silly girl?". Well, it's a really long story which will surely bore you to death.  All you need to know is that we are quite grateful for the opportunity for a break - and never fear, we will persevere through the heat!

In our absence, and because I will not be able to blog while in Mexico, I thought I'd host another fun contest for my blogging friends.  It's only fair to you, really.

So, here's the scoop.  In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards on Sunday, I present to you the Movie Tag Line Contest!  If that doesn't make sense, check out this article. The trick is, I want you to pen a creative & funny movie tagline that encapsulates your life right now. Make it funny, make it yours.  We need a good laugh, so get to work!

The Super Easy Rules:

1. Write your tagline.
2. Enter it in a comment to this post by Saturday, February 28th.
   
3. Wait with eager anticipation until the winner is announced the following week.
   

But wait - what about the prize? Well, I figured that super funny people deserve something fabulous - so I'll give you a choice of one of my world famous (well - at least in Everett) desserts:

• Strawberry Yogurt Cake
• Chocolate Mousse Piroutte Cake
• Cheesecake-filled Dark Chocolate Cupcakes 
• Marshmallow Flower Petal Cupcakes 

Once the winner has been decided (by a random drawing), I will contact you for your address and determine the best time to deliver it to your house.  How's that for service?!

Sadly (& quite obviously), I am unable to ship the desserts.  If you are the winner & live outside a reasonable driving area for me, you will be the recipient of a collection of my handmade cards.  They're super fabulous too - I promise!  I know, it's not the famous cake, but do you really want mashed, dry cake parts in a shipping box?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

So... get to thinking and get to posting - and stay tuned for the results in early March!

The Envelope, Please...

Thanks again to all of the willing participants - you are some pretty creative folks . After careful deliberation from a wide variety of clever captions, the votes are in and Amanda Schurig!!! is the lucky winner of our Caption Fun Friday Contest! She will be receiving the Halloween mystery prize this week, which includes some festive, homemade treats and other surprises.

For your viewing pleasure, her prize-winning caption accompanies our contest photo below:

"Where's the beef? Right here!"

Thanks again to all for playing and stay tuned for more fun-filled, contest-making fun to come!

Caption Fun Friday Contest!

OK, folks - it's time again for another fun Friday contest - let's get excited!

For those not in the know, here's the scoop: everyone loves Friday, so to make the special day that much better, I periodically sponsor fun, little contests for my lucky readers! Below, we have an old birthday picture of Dave and our friend, Chris. Your job, should you choose to accept, is to write a funny caption to accompany the photo.


The Super Easy Rules:

1. Think of a funny caption
2. Enter it in a comment to this blog post by Friday, October 24th
3. Wait with eager anticipation until the winner is announced on Saturday, October 25th

Yes, it's THAT easy! So, put your creative hats on and get to work. And in response to comments from the last contest, this one is open to everyone - yahoo! The winner of this month's contest will receive a Halloween mystery prize... enter soon, because you know it will be awesome!

Funny Story/Friday Contest!

Everyone loves Friday, right? Well, to make this special day that much better, I wanted to sponsor a fun, little contest for my local readers*! Reach back in your minds and try to recall something funny that happened to you, someone you know or even an absolute stranger. You have one week to submit your funny story in the Comments section of this post. An esteemed panel of judges will make the winning selection.

But wait - what about the prize? Well, I figured that super funny people deserve something fabulous - so I'll give you a choice of one of my world famous (well - at least in Everett) desserts. A collage of my creations can be found below:

• Strawberry Yogurt Cake (the name sounds way too healthy, but I can tell you that it garnered a $65 winning bid in our YW auction, so you be the judge!)
• Chocolate Mousse Piroutte Cake (a picture is posted in the collage below)
• Cheesecake-filled Dark Chocolate Cupakes (do I really need to say more?)
• Apple spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Fudge frosting (these are a new addition to my baking collection)

Once the winner is decided, I will contact you for your address and determine the best time to deliver it to your house. How's that for service?!

*Sadly (& obviously), I have to limit this to my local readers... for now. Someday, I may figure out a good way to deliver my desserts so that they are in one piece and still fresh. Nobody likes mashed, dry cake parts in a box, right?

So... get to thinking and get to posting - and stay tuned for the results next week!