Pragmatic Compendium

This week’s giveaway is for the book just give me a little piece of quiet, 60 mini-retreats for a mom’s soul

So how do you enter to win this book? Comment on this post!

What’s the comment topic today?

Share one of your favorite mini-retreats!

How do you de-stress? What do you do when you take time for yourself? (Or how do you wish you could de-stress and take time for yourself?)

One of my favorites? A mani-pedi in a salon with massage chairs. $30 of relaxation. I told my husband that this was an expense he hadn’t considered when we bought the boat. More frequent pedicures.

I’ll close comments Sunday evening, April 20th and use a random number generator to pick a winner!

Check out the list of previous winners and the books they won!

This week’s giveaway is for the book Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

So how do you enter to win this book? Make a suggestion in a comment!
Don’t have a suggestion? Just leave any comment and you’ll be entered to win!
Don’t want this week’s book(s) but still have a suggestion? Add “no thanks” to your comment.

My request today? Suggest a name for our “new” boat!

Since I have two copies of this week’s book, I’m actually going to expand this drawing a little bit - everyone can ENTER TWICE.

If you want to make sure you get in the drawing for the book, just enter ANY comment now. I will award Simple Abundance to a random winner.

If you want to think about a boat name and leave your comment later, do that too. That way, you won’t miss the drawing if you forget to come back before Sunday night. If we actually pick YOUR suggestion, you will win both Simple Abundance AND the audio tape edition of Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self, also by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

The Details: We bought a boat on Saturday! We used to own a boat (pre-kiddos) and since the kids are older now, we think it’s time we introduced them to our love of saltwater fishing. We’ve actually wanted to buy another boat for while now, but we waited until we could afford it and we’re so glad we did. It wouldn’t be very relaxing to go out for a little stress relief on a boat that owns US, instead of the other way around.

We named our first boat “The Briar Patch.” For this boat, we’re leaning toward the name “The Briar Patch II,” but we want to consider other options first. FirstHusband says a 22 foot boat is too small to have a name, but that mindset has been overruled by the rest of the family. He also has the idea that we may even head on out on a Friday night and spend the night on the boat so we will wake up on Saturday morning and not face the hour long drive to the coast. hmmm. we’ll see. (It does have a porta potty.)

Notes:
Only the comments on THIS post will be eligible to win.
If your comment “signature” doesn’t link to any contact info:
please include your email in the comment or check back to see if you won!
The books I give away here are usually “treasures” in “very good ” to “like new” condition.
I’m trying to give away a book a week, so I can only afford to ship within the U.S. So sorry!
Check out the list of previous winners and the books they won!

I’ll close comments Sunday evening, April 13th and use a random number generator to pick a winner!

And the Winner is: MOMMY BRAIN! Now, the cool thing about this is that Mommy Brain won the LAST Clean Sweep(stakes) here at Pragmatic Compendium, but she asked me to pick another winner because she had just won a larger prize during the Ultimate Blog Party and she wanted to give someone else a chance.

I found that people had entered the sweepstakes in two different posts, so I included any comment with “snow advice” in the entries. I use a Excel to generate a random number with the formula @randbetween(1,X), where X equals the total number of entries. (eek. that sounded like a little like algebra.) So, I PROMISE this was random! Congratulations Mommy Brain! I’ll email you to find out what book you prefer!

Check out this week’s Clean Sweep(stakes)!

Once again, I need help, so I seek it with a bribe. A little advice in exchange for a chance to win a book!

We’re taking the family on a trip to Utah to see snow. We’re flying into Salt Lake City and we intend to spend at least one day at Park City. We aren’t going to ski, but we hope to rent snow mobiles and do some tubing and sledding. But we have a problem. We’re not sure what to take or what else we might want to do. (We have borrowed some winter clothing, but we don’t know if we have everything we really need.)

You see, we live in Florida. We are water park people. Beach people. We understand heat, humidity, perspiration, sunscreen, preventing dehydration, beach gear, saltwater fishing . . . you get the idea. We do NOT understand snow. Or cold. Or winter clothing. Or “outerwear.” Or winter sports and activities. My kids and I have never made snow angels, snowmen or even snowballs. We are actually taking our bathing suits so we can swim in the hotel’s indoor pool. (Somehow, that seems wrong.)

We have no idea what to expect, what is possible, what we should be sure to do, what we should be sure NOT to do. Basically, we have no clue.

So that’s where you come in. Post a comment and give me a clue. It can be ANYTHING. What to bring, what to do, where to go, what you’ve experienced . . . anything snow related that might help me.

Commenter’s Choice! Just note which book you would want to win in your comment, along with your tip! I provided the Amazon links so you can “LOOK INSIDE!” for a preview.

Book Choice Number One: A Promise for Ellie (Daughters of Blessing #1) by Lauraine Snelling (Christian Fiction)

Book Choice Number Two: 500 Fat-Free Recipes: A Complete Guide to Reducing the Fat in Your Diet by Sarah Schlesinger (LOVE this - I just have two of them.) The Amazon “LOOK INSIDE!” provides the index - a list of ALL the recipes in the book!)

Book Choice Number Three: Wit and Wisdom from the Peanut Butter Gang: A Collection of Wise Words from Young Hearts

Book Choice Number Four: MEN ARE FROM MARS WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS by John Gray (it has a few stray pen marks I picked up a newer, clean copy yesterday)

(I’m really sorry, but I’m trying to give away a book every week, so I can only afford to ship within the United States.)

UPDATE: The winner, Mommy Brain sent me the following email:

I was just thinking about how I already won a big prize through 5minutesformom.com. Would it be too much trouble for you to draw a new person for your contest? This way someone who didn’t win a big prize gets something? Let me know.

Honoring her request, I ran the random number generator again and Stephanie is the new winner! I popped over to Stephanie’s blog and her Sunday, March 16 post entitled “MMM” follow-up” indicates she could use a little random act of kindness today! Thank you Mommy Brain!

CONGRATULATIONS Mommy Brain! You Won! Could you please email me your mailing address? I can’t find one for you on your site. Thanks!

In honor of the Ultimate Blog Party hosted at 5 Minutes for Mom AND in an effort to participate in Works for Me Wednesday, which is hosted by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer, I’m combining a giveaway with a plea for visitors to share something that works for them!

I’m giving away the book “The Kite Runner” (paperback)

Used books are a treasure! At least I think so. I buy my books from thrift stores, garage sales, rummage sales, library sales and online through ebay, half.com, amazon, alibris - ANYWHERE I can get a book and pay less than retail for it. So if you feel the same way about used books, you get a chance to win one right here!

This book is in beautiful condition, the spine isn’t even bent yet! I just happen to own two of them. (So, I forget what I already own sometimes. Just help me purge will ya?)

How to Win: Just comment on this post and share your favorite time saving trick. It can be a gadget, a habit - ANYTHING that saves you time. - personally or professionally. (Can you see the hidden agenda here? Short of getting sleep in pill form, I need to find some extra minutes in my everyday life!) Only the entries with a time saving tip will be eligible to win. (Seriously. I need some help, people!)

I’ll close comments Sunday evening, March 16th and use a random number generator to pick a winner!

Note: If you live in Canada (or anywhere outside the U.S.) please only enter if you can walk me through EVERY step of the process of mailing this book to you from Florida. I need to be able to print the mailing label from www.usps.com because getting to the Post Office during operating hours is a real challenge for me. I mail domestic packages using usps.com all the time, but I’ve never shipped internationally. (The customs form scares and confuses me - and even if I figure it out, I don’t think I ever be brave enough to mail anything over 4 pounds.)

My random number generator produced the number 36! Congratulations Erin!

Welcome to my Bloggy Giveaway! I’m offering one giveaway on each of my blogs, so check them out! If you have a minute (a second?) check out my “i sort my m&m’s by color” page, my latest “Devotion” post or my post on my anti-filing system to see if one of my blogs might of interest to you in the future! If so, you can keep up with everything by subscribing to my “main” blog, Pragmatic Compendium!

Thanks so much for stopping by and GOOD LUCK on the Giveaways!

Shannon, over at Rocks in My Dryer is hosting a Bloggy Giveaway! Check out my contributions to the fun!

Go on over to Rhetoric (Pragmatic Communication) and post a comment, entering to win a hardback copy of Deborah Tannen’s “I only say this because I love you” How the Way We Talk Can Make or Break Family Relationships Throughout Our Lives (This is one of those books I bought not remembering I already owned it!)

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On Devotions (Pragmatic Communion) enter to win a SET of Beverly Lewis books! This is the series ANNIE’S People and includes gently read (once) paperback copies of The Preacher’s Daughter, The Englisher and The Brethren.

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I don’t have any computer books I’m ready to part with, so if you head over to Pragmatic Computing, leave a comment to win a framed quote. The frame is 6 x 6 inches, with a wood frame painted gold, kind of distressed.

Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” Pablo Picasso

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Finally, here at Pragmatic Compendium, add your comment to THIS post and be entered to win a STACK of weight management books:

The Ultimate Weight Solution, The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom by Dr. Phil McGraw
The Ultimate Weight Solution FOOD GUIDE by Dr. Phil McGraw
The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, M.D.
The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide by Arthur Agatston, M.D.
Body for LIFE, 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength by Bill Phillips

I already own all of these and frequently pick up good used copies to give to friends and family. So go ahead friends, leave a comment on this post and be entered to win!