2014 will be the year I finally...

Care to complete the sentence?

I'm often not so much on the New Year's resolutions, but there are a few things that I've been wanting/needing to do for ages and years and ever.

So.

I feel like I need to make a concerted effort towards the following, and a new year is the perfect point in time to begin.

2014 will be the year I finally:

1. Get organized. I am not kidding.
2. Stick to a writing schedule. Which leads to...
3. Write a whole book. Seriously, Lisa.
4. Embrace color.

Oh, hahahahahaha! That last one's a joke. Want to see my new scarf that my dear friend Jude knitted me to go with my neon orange jacket?

(No, I don't know why I always look so suspicious in selfies. Maybe that should be another resolution? Learn how to take a relatively normal picture of myself?)

Happy New Year! Love to all!

Wishing you joy, joy, happiness, delightitude, more joy, and love. So much love.

This morning Jordan asked, "Is today someone's birthday?"

I started to say "No, it's Christ..." and then realized. "Actually, yes. It's Jesus's birthday. Tonight. Tonight is when Jesus was born."

"Who's Jesus? Are we going to his house?"

Parental Christianity fail.

But we love the holiday, nonetheless.

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate Christmas!

To those who don't, wishing you a joyful day!

Love and hugs to all!

Powerocks Magicstick giveaway winner!

Dear entrant number 7, Ann AKA Snapdragon Surprise, you are the lucky winner of the shiny new Powerocks Magicstick!

Huge thanks to Powerocks for providing the Magicstick for the giveaway, and for introducing me to the product! I think I'm going to get one for myself now. I mean, after Christmas. Because, you know, Christmas spirit and all!

And with that, I'd like to share India's Christmas message:

GIVEAWAY: Powerocks Magicstick! Because who doesn't need an extra charge?

Every so often someone contacts me and asks me to review a product or post a giveaway on my blog.

So far, I've declined, because none of them have been things I've thought I'd use. (Because why Why WHY are people not offering to send me pounds of chocolate or fabulous boots to review and offer to readers?)

Anyway!

Powerocks contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in either reviewing or giving away a Powerocks Magicstick - a portable charger for smartphones, Bluetooth headsets, cameras, GPS, e-readers, iPods, etc. Its 2800mAh battery capacity provides up to 2 full charges before needing recharging.

I should mention that they also make other devices that provide more charges or charge larger things, like iPads. Scroll down on this page for a chart.

The one I have is red, but it comes in a rainbow of colors. It comes with a USB cable and a little pouch, as shown above. And a push-button LED shows charge status. Easy, no?

Maybe you are an outdoor adventurer? Whose phone or camera needs a boost? 
 (I myself am an urban adventurer, and am not above scrounging power in a Starbucks for a quick charge. But I understand there is a paucity of coffee shops out in The Nature.)

I was given the option of either reviewing or giving away...and I was torn.

As I said, who doesn't need more charge? I could use it and write about how fabulous I thought it was and go on my merry way, never worrying that my phone would die. Fa la la la la, la la la charge!

But then I sat myself down and gave myself a talking-to. I said, "Lisa, it's almost Christmas. And look! The Powerocks Magicstick they sent you is red and cute and could make someone else very happy! Or maybe someone they know will wind up with it in their stocking. Happiness!"

I was stern. I had a tone. And thus, it was decided: my first giveaway!

So! If you are a person who needs a back-up charge for your smartphone or music or what-have-you, leave a comment. I'll pick a winner at random and announce on Monday, December 23.

You don't need to have a blog, just an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway ends at 12:00 noon EST on December 21. 

No, this is not the cold you had last week. This is a plague of deathy death and it is much much muhuhuhuhuch worse.

Nick got a bad cold last week, and what did he do? He powered through. He coughed a lot - a lot lot - and said he didn't feel great. But on the whole, he still did all the Nick things that he always does. Work, home improvements, etc etc.

In fact, he's still coughing. It is a bad one.

Yah. And then yesterday morning I woke up with his cold.

But not just his cold. One that was much, much worse than his. I felt that he wasn't taking my cold seriously enough.

And how was he so mean as to give it to me? Doesn't he know that I have asthma and everything goes to my lungs and I always get twice as sick as him?

(This is, in fact, true. He's strong like bull.)

He was all, "Oh, stop being a martyr."

So then I walked around muttering about how he was raised by wolves and such. I mean, in between the Neti-potting and paroxysms of coughing.

He came home last night and said, "The first day is the worst. You'll feel better tomorrow."

But today, today I woke up shaking, in a cold sweat, still with this giant quantity of phlegm sitting where my lungs used to reside. My body aches. I have no energy.

And I feel very, terribly sorry for myself.

I probably won't make it to Christmas.

However. Tomorrow, if I'm still alive, I'm doing a give-away on the blog.