I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning with all of these great giveaways I’ve had and will have going on around these parts. But, as they say, when it rains it pours and it’s raining some really awesome things these days.

Today it’s all about the stationary…

Whether you are looking for just the right Christmas cards for your business, blog, or just because; holiday cards, because, hey, not everyone celebrates Christmas; or want to jazz things up a bit with photo cards, Cards Direct is for you!

I know, I know, you can buy cards super cheap at the local big box store. And you may even be able to get your favorite picture on them, too. But there comes a time in everyone’s life when those over-the-counter, everybody is using the same thing, 5 choices of design from the store cards just will not do.

The birth of your first child

There are 348 custom birth and baby announcements available from CardsDirect. Ready in 2-4 business days plus shipping time, envelopes included. Prices starting as low as 99¢ per card.

When your first child graduates high school, college, and beyond

Choose from 101 different styles, starting at 95¢ each. And don’t forget all those thank you cards.

And more

Need to have a few cards on hand for those time you forget someone? Yeah, I know, I do it all the time, too. Why not get an assortment instead? They come recycled, too (my personal fav).

There are cards in Spanish, for announcing your move, for Earth Day, and don’t forget the birthday cards.

Oh, and did I say how easy it is to personalize?

• Choose your card
• Click on personalize
• Then add images, change fonts, change greetings, and more.

Create an account (for free) and save for later.

With products ranging from birthday cards to holiday cards to business referral cards, this is a time to stock up on the products that you need.  You can even order custom cards with your blog’s logo!

Win 25 Cards (up to a $50 value) from Cards Direct

Giveaway Rules:

Mandatory entry:

Tell me ~ What is your favorite card from CardsDirect?

Additional entries:

• Like AnneOnLife‘s page on Facebook
• Like CardsDirect on Facebook
• Follow @AnneOnline on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in a comment)
• Follow @CardsDirect on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in a comment)
• Enter another current giveaway (leave a comment for each one entered) **
• Subscribe to AnneOnLife via e-mail* (must confirm) or in a reader
• Tweet about this giveaway (once per day) Be sure to include a link to your tweet for verification. You may create your own or use this:
  Win 25 Custom Cards ($50 value) from @CardsDirect & @AnneOnline perfect for holidays or any-days http://anneonlife.com/?p=7600 #giveaways

* Anyone who subscribed to my feed via e-mail prior to May 1, 2010 will need to resubscribe. Sorry for the inconvenience.

** NEW ADDITIONAL ENTRY METHOD ADDED 10/19/10 [if you entered a giveaway that recently closed, leave a comment for that as well]

Giveaway will end on October 21, 2010 at Midnight EST and is open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age or older. Winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will be notified via email. Additionally, I will post the winner’s name on my site in a separate post on October 22, 2010. Winner will have 48 hours from the time the email is sent to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

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Disclaimer: I am participating in a campaign sponsored by CardsDirect in conjunction with the Global Influence Network and will receive a code good for 25 cards (up to a $50 value), just like the winner of this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Giveaway: Personalize Your Message With CardsDirect {closed} is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Nineteen years ago…

A scared almost twenty year old new mom to be was in the hospital anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new little one.

When the doctor said her blood pressure was high and she begged for something to stop the pain, or for someone to just shoot her, she still managed to asked if her baby was okay.

While your father sat there worried he would lose both of them, feeling helpless, and wishing for you to hurry up and get here, she did the same.

Projection is a wonderful thing. I knew soon enough all this would be a distant memory. What I did not know was that 19 years would be as well.

Happy Birthday, Megan!

Reflection: Happy Birthday, Megan! is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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March is the time for new beginnings

Short little story, really.

When I married the kids’ father back on March 16, 1991 we [he] chose March for two reasons: 1) I was pregnant and he did not want Megan to be born out of wedlock and 2) not a whole lot happened in March [only his mom's birthday]. Needless to say, Amanda was born on March 12 and Stephen on March 21. So much for it not being a busy month.

We are no longer married, but not because of that.

And it just gets better.

I still have the two birthdays in March. No anniversary. Yet, not wanting to deviate too much from the festivities, I meet Dwayne who happens to have been born on March 17th! Gotta love it!

Here is how we celebrated this year.

First up – Amanda

Since I [we] buy for the kids all year long, holidays and birthdays are not big gifting days. Instead, we make a special meal and eat cake. Amanda didn’t have a preference for dinner this year and it was Friday, so I made homemade pizza, with homemade [from scratch] garlic bread and a white cake with vanilla frosting for dessert.

Birthday #2 – Dwayne

Dwayne is Scotch/Irish and the gods were smiling on him when he was born on St. Patrick’s Day all those many years ago. We always have Corned Beef and Cabbage with boiled potatoes for his birthday. I also made a devils food cake [bundt style] with green vanilla frosting for dessert. If he could have he would have married that corned beef dinner. It was love at first smell, taste, and every bite afterward.

Last but not least – Stephen

Stephen didn’t have a preference for dinner so I made a gorgeous roast that Dwayne had picked up from the local Minute Market. We guess this is local beef, but don’t know for certain. I cooked this in my slow cooker all day with carrots, celery, onions, and mashed potatoes on the side. He did request a peanut butter ice cream pie for his dessert. I’ll be sure to post the recipe later this week. It’s pretty good and super simple to make.

I didn’t feel icing would taste good on this, so I just stuck in a few random candles.

Do you have a month full of birthdays?

What do you do to make each day special? Do you have fun birthday traditions? What kind of cake is your favorite? I ♥ comments! Why not drop me a line and let me know all about it. Leave a link to your post if you prefer. This is a Do Follow blog, so why not get in on the bloggy love.

Happy Birthday! is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Did you know that Wordless Wednesday is now every day? Even if it were not I would still post this today… Monday! My beautiful fall birthday flowers from DH. The kids gave me a bag of Smarties (my absolute favorite and Amanda’s usual suck-up ploy) and Twizzlers – YUM! I made a nice ham dinner and was so stuffed from dinner that we did not have cake (or ice cream as was the plan).

Find more great Monday Wordless Wednesday posts here and enjoy!

Fall Flowers is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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image courtesy of Scott Dungan

Fall is my favorite time of year. I think this has to do with when I was born. Okay, so my birthday technically falls in summer. What is the saying? A day late and a dollar short. Ah, now I have let the proverbial cat out of the bag. If you actually keep track of the seasons, then you know exactly when I turn thirty-ehrmph. Huh? Didn’t get that? I said thirty-eihrmph. Okay, thirty-eight! That is not too old, is it? I am not quite forty, yet. Which is more than I can say for my oldest brother [turns forty-two today, must call].

Yes, I am holding on to my 30′s for as long as possible. My twenties slipped by and before I knew it I was thirty-five! How did that happen? And then it was mid-thirties, and mid-to-late thirties. And just when I was getting comfortable with saying I am thirty-seven another year has passed and, well, now I am officially in my late thirties. Don’t laugh. Someday this will be you.

And with the passing of my youth another year, wait a minute. I must stop and comment on a change in my writing style. My wonderful sister, sent me a lovely comment regarding my blog. Yes, she reads this. Everyone say Hi, Tracey! She ever-so kindly pointed out my ancientness in writing style as I like adding two spaces after every period as opposed to the one space that has become more commonplace. All of my posts today have used this one-space style and I must say, “I do not like it.” But I will try it out a little more and see if I can make it fit. (fit, fashion, see how it all seems to go together)

Now back to my regularly scheduled post. Fashion.

Yes, there is a point to my rambling on about my age. As we get older we should pay attention to how we dress. Are we holding on to our youth because we cannot let go? Or is it that we just do not realize we have aged and our sense of style has just stagnated? For me it is about wanting to feel a certain way. I want to dress in something comfortable, pretty, and age appropriate. I am not sure I always hit my mark on this, but that is my goal.

As I think about what is a must have for fall I cannot help but think earth tones and the familiar scents of the season. Apple pie baking and hot chocolate with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Family and holidays and reminiscing and preparing for the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

My five fashion must-haves for fall are:

1. Jeans. Jeans never go out of style. They are comfortable and versatile. I am not talking about the super low-rise, make my butt crack show [as my kids would say, "crack kills]. I am talking comfy and proper fit. Medium tones and to the floor. No high waters for me.

2. Boots. I love my boots. Boots with faux fur and without, to the knee, to the thigh if you can pull it off. A medium heel, not too high. I prefer a square toe, but cowboy boots can be fun, too. And a good hiking boot for those fun fall days of raking up leaves and then jumping in the pile.

image courtesy of chicgeek

3. Skirts. I am a girl and what girl does not like to wear a pretty skirt. I know the fashionistas will spout the virtues of the mini, but I am not built for the mini, not right now anyway. There is always winter and spring! I prefer a longer, looser skirt. I like them to fall below my knee, showing off the smallest part of my leg.

4. Shirts. I am all for the simple off-white t-shirt/blouse. If you are in a warmer climate, then a pretty tank top paired with a nice shawl says fall. -Hey, that rhymes -

5. Scarves. I am a sucker for a scarf. Not around my neck, but in my hair. Ever since I read an article in Self magazine two years ago about protecting your hair from the damaging effects of the sun by wearing a scarf I have been sold on the high fashion of the scarf. Oh, and a nicely placed bandana works nicely, too.

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This post is one of many promoting the upcoming Shop Smart Look Fab event taking place at over 140 GGP malls nationwide from September 17-20. Want a chance to win one of 50 $25 GGP mall gift cards? Head on over to TwitterMoms for complete details and answer this question: “What are your 5 fashion must haves for fall?”

Fall Fashion Must Haves – 30-Somethingish Style is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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The chickens have arrived!   (First our day Saturday)  I promised Stephen we would take a trip up to Best Buy today to see if they had anything he wanted.  He has a $20 gift card from Christmas and VISA and AMEX gift cards as well.  We picked up Amanda from her birthday party sleep over (her best friend’s birthday is Sunday) and off we went.  First we stopped at Arby’s.  I was wishing I had printed the free roast burger coupon, but I never thought I would be stopping by Arby’s.  I used to love Arby’s.  I ate two pieces of popcorn chicken, my fries, and drank the sweet tea, but that was about all I could handle.  Best Buy had nothing for us.  Stephen does not know what he wants.  We are going to look online and see if there is something he will want and use.  We are not going to spend just to spend.  We stopped in at Target and Walmart.  He is interested in an iPod alarm clock radio.  Target and Walmart both had the iHome, but it was $20 cheaper at Target.  I told him I would go in part way if that is what he really wants.

We come home to find DH took a trip the tractor supply store and picked up 24 baby chicks.  They are cute, but so very loud.  At this age, about 2 weeks old, they have to be kept indoors and under a heat lamp.   DH built one box and converted Ivy’s [old] kennel for a second box.  He is keeping one breed, all females, separate from the mixed lot.  He used all of his birthday money on the chicks and feed.

Right now the chickens are staying in the house as it is too cold for them outside.  Their coop is almost ready and I will have to get in gear and help get it painted.  We [read me] need to start the garden: tomato seeds in pots, potatoes & onions to go directly in the ground, and weeding around the strawberries that are reappearing from last year’s planting.  This is all part of our minimizing our costs for food [in the long run] and providing more for ourselves, by ourselves.  We already have one buyer for eggs.  Now if our fruit trees would start to take off.

Want to learn more about living a frugal lifestyle?  How about a free one?  Life in the free world means stacking coupons, signing up for freebies, never paying for magazines again, dining out for free, downloading music for free, and even driving your next vehicle absolutely free!

Also, check out these wonderful sites:

• Freebies4Mom
• The New Frugal Mom
• Money Saving Methods
• Carolina Clipper
• Little People Wealth

Chicken! is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Today is a busy one for me.  It is the end of my school week, meaning I have to finish up any homework not done and take my weekly quiz.  Did I mention I am a procrastinator?  Huge procrastinator!  I have my p90x workout – Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper X.  I can barely walk from yesterday’s Plyometrics and the rest of me is sore from Thursday’s workout, so this should be loads of fun!  It will get it done, even if it is after midnight.  Tomorrow is Yoga X and Miss Amanda says she will do that with me.  I can use a good stretch after all of this abuse working out.  And, most importantly, today is my son’s birthday.  He turned 13 at 3:53 AM.  I am officially the mom to three teenagers.  Where does the time go?  Happy Birthday, Stephen!

I have tons to write about and will catch up with everything tomorrow.  Now I have to finish that homework and everything else required of me on this beautiful Spring day.  Did I mention how tired I am since I started working out?  I am definitely going to have to put together a schedule and allot more time for naps.

Short & Sweet is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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oh, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day, too!  

Today is my darling DH’s birthday.  He would tell you he has earned every single year and every gray hair, or lack thereof, that goes with it.  He spent this overcast day building a run for the baby chicks he will be getting in the very near future.  Eventually these chickens will be free-range, but while small will have to be nurtured and restrained.  Me, I went to scope out some deals and pick up dinner and cake.  

We have a tradition in our house.  The birthday guy/gal gets to choose whatever they want, within reason, for their birthday dinner.  When I worked full time we would celebrate on the weekend for meals requiring more time.  Since that is not the case these days, we are able to celebrate properly on the actual date.  Amanda wanted Hamburger Helper.  Megan tried to talk her into stuffed peppers, but she would have nothing of it.  Dwayne wants corned beef and cabbage, his usual.  We do have one more birthday to go this month; it is a busy one for us.  Stephen will be 13 on Saturday.  He is being a bit stubborn and not letting me know what he wants.  Past years I have made ham with mash potatoes, pizza, stuffed peppers, and stuffed shells.  I usually want ham for mine, and yes, I make my own birthday dinner.  Funny, considering I am an unlikely cook.  

So, today we celebrate all things green, Irish, and eat cake; ice cream, of course!

Happy Birthday, Honey! is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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