A Loveliesh, Christmasiesh Blog Post

People who blog and then start reading other people’s blogs (women, in particular) start to realize there are recognitions for superior blogging that come in the form of a badge you can paste on your OWN blog. And, if you are insecure and moody like I am, you may start to develop “blog award envy” and also frustration because a) you haven’t paid anyone to give you a great website design b) your idea of Photoshop is the edit function that came with the Windows Photo Gallery and c) even though you took a class in college, you are a horrific photographer whose good photos are absolute flukes. (Second lowest grade in college, by the way, after an eight o’clock math class that I missed six times.)

EcoMeg, a cool chick who writes a very cool blog about parenting and green living, has awarded me “The Lovely Blog Award.” I’ll take it, man! It’s over to the left. Isn’t it cool?

EcoMeg may have actually unwittingly saved my family's lives this evening. Her latest post lists the shelf-lives of various foods IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR RIGHT NOW. I had leftover ham in my fridge I was intending to use in a yummy quiche for dinner. (Yes, you can eat quiche at dinner. And despite what my husband says, quiche is perfectly acceptable for anyone, no matter what their sex or sexual orientation, to eat.) My ham had been opened later than 3-4 days. Much later, actually. So, with great drama, I threw it in the garbage. (Chicken nuggets it is!)

The deal is that I’m supposed to pick 15 blogs that I have discovered and award THEM the “Lovely Blog Award.” I figure, if this continues, everyone who has a blog out there will have this award, probably by the end of the year. Except people of the straight male persuasion, because it is definitely a very girly award.

It’s going to take me a couple of days to do this. But I will. I take this responsibility very very seriously.

My ego has taken SUCH a boost because another friend nominated me for this OTHER blog award and, get this, it comes with money cash. If you win. (John’s G.O.L.D. award didn’t even come with money cash!)

Look to the left… it’s all pink and says DivineCaroline. You can follow the link to the voting booth, where they WILL allow you to bring your child in with you, so that’s not an issue at all.

The problem is a) I have been entered late in the game… lots of people entered a couple of months ago and already have over 100 votes and b) people have to register on the dumb site to vote. Which is totally lame.

I haven’t even voted for me yet because I haven't registered. It's a cool site, however, and a fun place to explore. If you really love me, you will go on there and vote, darn it. (I'm a big proponent of emotional blackmail.) $250.00 in a Visa check card! Remember, I have four kids, two sisters, a brother, a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, five parents, two grandmothers, two nieces, two nephews, and a really greedy husband to buy Christmas presents for. (THANK GOD for the Secret Santa thingie we do with John’s brothers and sister and their respective others. Because if we didn’t? EIGHT MORE GIFTS.)

Christmas is such a hassle. I always intend to start shopping early but inevitably wait until five days before Christmas. Since I’ve been married, I have spent every Christmas Eve wrapping presents while watching It’s a Wonderful Life on television, even though we have it on DVD. And predictably, only half of the presents are wrapped by the time I start crying like I just lost my puppy, which is always at the end when George Bailey’s brother toasts, “To my brother George, the richest man in town.” TAKE THAT MR. POTTER!

After that, I put in my other favorite Christmas movie, Gremlins, and fall asleep around 3am, that much closer to carpal tunnel syndrome from excessive scissor cutting, taping, and wrapping. (Actually, at the beginning of marriage bedtime was much earlier. Then people kept getting married and having kids and, well, you know. It’s happened to you too.)

People, I will so start Christmas shopping like two weeks earlier if I win this $250. I will be out there STIMULATING THE ECONOMY! (That sounds suggestive. Oh well.)

All this self-promotion is great practice for my presidency run. Merry Christmas!