The Best Gift I Ever Gave

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards. For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

When my new friends at SWAGG - who happen to know I'm an iPhone junkie - told me about their new online shopping app, I was immediately hooked! My favorite part is being able to download store coupons on the spot, and then have them scanned right at the register! Super cool, IMO.

To celebrate the holiday season (and of course drum up some business and interest in the SWAGG app), my new found friends asked a bunch of us bloggers to write about the best gift we ever gave. It took me a hot second to think of something because honestly, my gift giving prowess has had the breaks put on it in the past year or so once I decided to resign from my job and become a stay-at-home mama to Miss Paige. The money isn't quite coming in like it used to : ) I haven't let that dampen my joy of gift giving though - I just had to get a little more creative! But I definitely have to separate my gift giving life into two parts - DI and SI (dual income vs. single income).

So - the best gift I ever gave "SI" was definitely to my favorite niece last Christmas. (I can say favorite because she is my only niece... but any future nieces have big shoes to fill to take Miss Ellie's crown!) My niece is super creative and imaginative. At 4 years old, she has an amazingly creative mind. So for Christmas last year, I knew I wanted to get her something that would allow her to keep dreaming, exploring and playing all year long. My concept started big and needed to be scaled back a bit... initially I wanted to create a "Costume Closet" for her full of everything any little girl could dream of for playing dress up and make believe. I knew my highly organized and "everything has its place" sister wouldn't go for that much craziness, so I scaled my idea back to a "Costume Bag" (you're welcome GiGi!).

I started the day after Halloween, hitting all the big box stores and picking up clearance costumes and accessories - crowns and boas and dresses and shoes. Then I raided my own closet for pre-mama/college wear that I was still holding on to - glittery belts, trendy hats. And finally, I hit up the craft store to get a few more must haves for any legitimate Costume Bag - beads, feathers, pom poms, long flower stems - basically anything fun and glittery. When I finally put the gift together, the large tote bag was spilling over with all things fabulous. When my niece saw it, her eyes lit up with the possibilities of what could be inside. In less than a second, the bag was tipped over and all the dress up goodies were spilled all over the room. We spent that entire weekend running around as fairies with wings, playing cowgirls with our pink bandannas on, and pretending to be princesses with our bejeweled tiaras. It was a blast, and I realized I could create magical moments and perfect gifts without spending a small fortune. It was definitely the best gift I ever gave!



Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.


More info about Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)
http://www.standup2cancer.org/


SWAGG has partnered with non-profit Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to SU2C up to $125,000. Awesome, right?! Visit the SU2C site for more info http://www.standup2cancer.org/


More info about the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes
http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/82357


Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a lucky pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! The sweepstakes is offered exclusively through the Clever 1000, and it has a pretty kick butt prize, including:


* 2 night/3 day stay at Yarrow Hotel in Park City Utah (Jan 21 - Jan 23, 2011)
* Ground transportation to and from hotel to airport in Park City, Utah
* Dinner for two at Tao Lounge, including 2 nightclub passes
* All access to The House of SWAGG Gifting Suite
* 2 tickets to a movie premiere on Saturday, January 22nd -- movie tbd
* $4,000 value

Floor Dweller

Most everything is the same with this pregnancy as the last. Morning sickness - check! Extreme fatigue - check! Food aversions - check! (Although last time it was BBQ sauce and marinades that made me gag... this time it's anything made of beef). However, there is one major difference. Last time I couldn't have enough pillows when I slept. In addition to my giant pregnancy pillow that I strategically wrapped around my body each night for maximum comfort, I used at least 5 other pillows. This time around, it's the complete opposite. The pregnancy pillow has been banished to the hall closet. The thought of sleeping on more than one pillow makes me feel like I might suffocate. AND - the icing on the prego cake - I feel like my mattress is way too soft and I might drown in the pillow top. At first the mattress in the guest room seemed to be better. But that joy lasted about 3 nights before my body decided that mattress was also way too soft. So what's a mama to do? After I decided that crawling into the crib with Paige might not be the best idea, I went for the next best thing... the floor : ) And let me tell you - it is the BEST sleep I've gotten in weeks!! Just me, the carpet, a single pillow and a light blanket. HEAVEN! Of course my husband thinks I've lost my mind as he peers down at me from our Queen size bed. But I can't get enough of it. I've even started taking my daily cat naps on the floor. I'd probably sleep on the driveway if it wasn't 18 degrees outside. And you'd think I'd wake up in the morning with terrible back pain, right? WRONG! I feel totally refreshed. I'll keep you all posted on how long this phase lasts - but after 2 weeks and still going strong, I think I've found my manger : )

Awkward Encounters and Questionable Confrontations

I wouldn't say that I enjoy confrontation. But if the cause is just and weighing on my heart or mind, I don't back down from saying how I feel. Especially if it is in someone else's defense. There have been a few recent encounters that have caught me off guard, when I should have said something and didn't... and from now on I vow not to keep my mouth shut again.

Each of these awkward moments involved one of two words: "retarded" and/or "gay." Specifically, using these words as inappropriate adjectives. For example, when someone says, "That is so gay!" or "That thing is really retarded." Even writing those statements makes me uncomfortable. With the billions of words available, is it really necessary to poke fun or criticize at someone else's expense? It makes my blood boil when people use these words in that context. I can't say that I've never ever used them myself (although I really can't remember why or when I would have), but it's about time we take them out of our daily vocabulary and think up a few, more appropriate, adjectives.

The thing that makes confronting someone who used one of these words a little awkward is that I don't think they use them on purpose - it's more of a habit. I don't think they consciously say, "I'm going to offend all disabled people right now by describing my hairstyle/clothes/car/random thing as "retarded"." I would imagine that they've never thought of the power behind what they are saying, or how it could be construed as offensive. However, with that said, ignorance is NOT a defense, and they need to wake up and realize what they are saying. It's immature and naive to not consider the meaning of words that you speak. And using the words "retarded" and "gay" as inappropriate adjectives must stop NOW!

From now on, if someone uses one of those words in my presence, I'm not going to be afraid to say something. In fact, I've already thought through my response (so let me know what you think): "Would you mind not using the word "retarded/gay" as an adjective in my presence? I find it offensive." I know it's going to create a few awkward moments, but not speaking my mind and doing my part to eraticate ignorance is far worse in my opinion.

OK... I'm off my soapbox.  Now I can continue on with my day with a clear conscious : )