Travelin' With Marie v.1 (the old blog): 2009

Last Post of the Year

I just wanted to make a quick post and wish everyone a happy new year. The winners to my contest have been chosen and contacted. The announcement will be posted at 12 midnight (PST). Thank you everyone for joining my contest. Whatever your plans are for tonight, please be safe. Here's to a great new year.

I have plans for tonight so I won't be able to post what I wanted before the end of the year, but tomorrow I will make a post about my resolutions. I also have a lot of new things coming around in the January, so stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

Breast Cancer Awareness

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of CryoCell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a couple of months ago but its never too late to take part. Whether it has affected you, or someone close, breast cancer has affected us all, in one way or another.

Cyro-Cell International, Inc. has partnered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to treat breast cancer by exploring the potential utilization of menstrual stem cells. They are using the partnership to better understand the C'elle stem cells. C'elle stem cells could have a potential benefit in the treatment of breast cancer. Stem cells from menstrual blood are proven to be a rich source of stem cells. They are the subject of extensive, aggressive stem cell research and development. Industry experts anticipate that C'elle stem cells will be next in line for diagnostic and regenerative medicine.

Cyro-Cell Breast Cancer Donation has offered contributions to the Susan B. Komen Foundation. They will contribute $50 for every purchase of the “Protect Baby, Protect Mom” service and $25 for every purchase of the “C’elle Menstrual Stem Cell” service.

Remember, it is never too late to take part in helping others, or in helping yourself. I encourage you to research your options. You can purchase a collection kit, to collect and preserve your menstrual stem cells. A C'Elle Breast Cancer Donation will be made for every purchase.

I've Been Munked

Ain't she cute? :]

Contest Is Closed

Hi everyone! The contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who joined and an extra thank you to all of my sponsors. Without you, this contest wouldn't have been the same. The winners will be announced at the count of midnight (PST) on January 1st. See you all then!

Paper Bag Journal

I've been searching for weeks now for the perfect journal. I've been looking for something that won't cost me an arm and a leg. I love the handmade journals on Etsy, but they are still out of my price range. This would be my first art journal, so I'm kind of scared of spending too much money on it. Being a little crafty, I decided I wanted to try and make my own. So, I've been searching for the best way to make one. I want one that's at least 5x8 (or something similar). I want a good sized journal, not one of those small ones. I wear big purses anyway, so I don't need one of those "purse-sized" ones. I've been reading up on hundreds of articles of different types of bindings and sizes. I've found some cool ones that I want to try someday, but not one that I feel is right for me for right now. But I came across this video, and thought it was really cool. I think the guy in the video was making it for his young son, but I think I can make one work for me. Its very inexpensive, and I won't feel bad if I make mistakes (even though mistakes can be art too). Tell me what you guys think of this video! :]

WW: Merry Christmas!

My contest is almost over, and Christmas is on its way. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I will see you all on the 26th to briefly announce the end of my contest. I will then see you again on the 1st to announce the winners. Remember, there is still a couple of days left to join my contest, so don't forget to join! :]

My 100th Post

Woohoo! This is my 100th post! I don't have anything special for you guys. Just a thank you to everyone for keeping my blog alive. Thanks to my subscribers and followers. Thanks to sponsors and contest participants. And lastly, thanks to my commentators. I love you all.

Charter's Best Deal of the Year

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.

Until the end of December, Charter's Daily Deal Web Site will be giving away new prizes everyday. They are offering you a win-win situation. You can save money with their great deals on Charter cable, internet, and phone services plus free gift cards and you'll get a chance to win awesome prizes in time for the holidays. The gift cards will come from major retailers in electronics, home, clothing, accessories, and restaurants.

Come back to their website often because each day the prizes will be different. Some of the prizes include: iPods, camcorders, TVs, GPS units, web cams, photo frames, and more. These are awesome prizes! I would love some, or one! For today's deal, you'll get a FREE gift card up to $150 with any special online order. As a bonus, you can get a FREE Entourage DVD when you order digital cable with HBO/Cinemax, Showtime/TMC, and Starz/Encore!I don't know about you, but that sounds like a great deal to me!

Want to know the best way to keep up with their daily deals and prizes? Just become a fan of Charter on Facebook. Its that simple. Their information gets updated every day. To become eligible, you must be a United States resident (except for New York), reside in a Charter Communications serviceable area, and be at least 18 years old.

I Won Again!

Yay! I won again! I'm so happy :]

I won 3rd Prize at Cornyman's Holiday Contest. Remember how I told you that I won in this post? Well, that was from his blog: All About Babies and Kids. Well, I won the 2nd time from his blog: Cornyman's Money-Blog. Cool, huh? Thanks Cornyman!

And I won something else! I stumbled on this blog designer last week. Her website is called Bloggy Blog Designs. And I must have stumbled at the right time, because she had a giveaway going on at the time. I quickly joined and now I'm glad that I did, because I won! Yay! I won a $20 giftcard good for any of her blog services. I have to put in my order by tomorrow night so now I need to figure out what I want. Thanks Jenna!

Here is some extra linky love for the both of you!

MM: This Christmas by Chris Brown

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Its Quiz Time

I'm just not ready to go to sleep yet, and not in the mood for a good blog post, so here are some quizzes. The results all turned out to be true and very much like the person I am. Try em out, and tell me what you get/think!

You Act Like You Are 19 Years Old

You are a teenager at heart. You don't quite feel like a grown up yet, but you don't feel like a kid. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. You're quite rebellious, and you don't like being told what to do. You like to do things your way. You have your own unique style, taste in music, and outlook on life.

What Age Do You Act?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated. At work and school, you do best when you're organizing. When you love someone, you tend to worry about them. In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic. Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management. You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

The Birth Order Predictor

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Need More Participants

Anymore contest participants out there? Remember, today is the last day to receive 3 extra entries just for joining. Tomorrow, it will only be 2 extra entries. Go on, join today! :]

I'm a Winner!

I forgot to add this in my last post, but I'm a winner! :]
I actually won two prizes. They both are from Cornyman's blog - All About Babies and Kids. This blog (Travelin' With Marie) won the 2nd prize which is a 2-week ad on his blog. My challenge blog (Leilanie's 101 in 1001 Challenge) won the 6th prize which is 1000 ec credits. How cool is that? Thanks Cornyman! And here is some extra linky love just for you! :] -->

Liz's Birthday Contest

Many Updates

It seems like its been forever since I've updated you on things. I finished finals yesterday. Yay! :] I also created a new blogs just for contests and giveaways [ Oodles of Contests ] . Check it out if you'd like. I have a place on there were you can post your giveaways and contests. Kind of like a directory. I also am offering some free ad space on there as well. So, go check it out! :]

I also wanted to update on my contest. I have added my final two last minute sponsors. Sorry for the late update. I was finalized the coding for you to grab. If you've already posted about my contest, you don't have to update your post, but it would be appreciated. [ Click here for my contest mechanics ] . You still have three more days to receive three bonus entries. After that, you will only receive two until the 20th. Remember, my contest ends the day after Christmas, on Dec 26th. So, please join my contest! :]

Sponsors: Lately I've been contacting my EC sponsors. Please, if I have missed you, or you have not responded, I need you to send me your EC credits to my entrecard account. [ click here for the link ] .

Other than my contest, I have earn some awards! Yay me! I earned some awards from Bambie and from Melandria. This first set is from Bambie:

Thanks Bambie! I am offering these awards to all of my blogger friends! If you want em, just leave me a comment and go ahead and take em. You all deserve it!

This award is from Melandria. This a special award from her, that does not get passed around. Thanks Melandria!

Melandria also passed me another award. This one is up for grabs! Thanks again, Ria.

Thank you to everyone for thinking of me when receiving these awards. I am offering them to everyone of my readers. Please go ahead and grab them. Just remember to link me. Have a good night everyone!

Earn Your Degree Online

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you ever thought about going back to school? Or going to school online? I have. I've taken a few online classes for my degree. I'm actually taking one right now. But I've also considered getting a complete degree online. It gives you a lot more freedom than normal classes. You aren't restricted to a location or a time. There are assignment deadlines, of course. But you don't have to show up to class at certain times, like campus classes.

Have you ever thought about being a teacher? I've thought about that too. If you are interested, the USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC is offering an online Master of Arts Teaching degree. It is currently open to current educators and aspiring teachers. That means you! :]

USC is an internationally renowned elite research university with a 100-year history of educating teachers. Their program has many benefits available to you. Besides the convenience and flexibility of studying online, it is a highly interactive learning combined with field-based experiences. This accelerated programs allows you to complete your degree in as little as 12 months. They offer a great tuition reimbursement program and don't forgot that you'd become a part of the elite USC Trojan Family. In addition to becoming a part of the family, you'll receive full USC student status and benefits, including participation in commencement ceremonies and free lifetime Alumni Association memberships. Don't you just love the sound of that?

If you are interested, check out the program information for more details about this program. From there you can read about all this school has to offer. Remember, education is the key to success. Well, at least one of them, anyways.

MM: All I Want For Christmas by MC

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

The Artistic Adventurer

Ok, these will be the last two for today, I promise. I'm just so addicted to quizzes, I love em! :]

Your Travel Personality Is: The Adventurer

For you, travel is how you learn about the world. And you like to learn the stuff that's not in guidebooks.

You truly have wanderlust. When you're not traveling, you're dreaming about where you'll go next.

And your travels are truly legendary - they leave you with stories you'll be telling for the rest of your life!

What's Your Travel Personality?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

You Are the Artist

You are unique and inspired. You aren't happy unless you are making art of some sort.

Almost anything can be a catalyst for your creativity. You find the whole world stimulating.

You have beautiful visions, and you're good at expressing them. You like people to see what you see.

You also have an inventor's spirit. You're always thinking up new ideas and concepts.

What's Your Life's Mission?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

I think both are pretty much true. How do you measure up? Also, do you enjoy quizzes? Tried any interesting ones lately? Let me know! Alright, talk to y'all tomorrow! Have a great day! :]

Let's Dance

You Dance Through Life

Your journey through life is inspired, creative, and optimistic.

You are an engaging, positive person - and you're always looking for the possibilities in life.

You hope to motivate and uplift other people. You want to change the world in your own little way.

You are confident and expressive. You're happy with who you are, as unique and different as you might be.

How Do You Travel Through Life?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

What can I say? I guess I'm just on a quiz spree right now. Hahaha, nothing better to do. I believe this quiz result is so true about me. One of my greatest fears is dying without living. I want to live a great life. One where I accomplish many things. That's why I create things like my bucket list and join the 101 in 1001 challenge. I want a fulfilled life full of interesting experiences that are shared in a creative way. What about you? How do you travel through life?

A Film Writer?

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind.

You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life.

Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling.

And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Hmmm...what do you think? I'll admit that I've thought about it before. But I'm not sure if I write well enough to make it to film. Let me know what you guys think! And if you take the test too, I wanna know what you get.

Bucket List Meme

Source: Flickr

I'm stealing a meme from my friend Clara at Coming Back to Life. It’s called a Bucket List Meme. A “Bucket List” is stuff you want to do in your life before you kick the bucket. See the post that I stole from here.

My personal list would not have some of these items and would include others. So this is a generic Bucket List. The reason for using the generic list is that it allows us to compare our answers. That said, here is the list. Things I have done are in bold face.

Been to Canada
Been to Mexico
Been to Florida
Been to Hawaii - lived there for three years
Visited All 50 States - no, but its on my list!
Been to Europe - went to United Kingdom in 2006
Been to South America
Been to Central America
Been to Asia
Been to Australia
Been on a plane
Been on a helicopter
Been in a hot air balloon
Been sky diving
Been on a Cruise - only if a dinner cruise counts :]
Been to Washington, DC
Been on the opposite side of the country
Driven across the United States - no, but its on my list also!
Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Been deep sea fishing
Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
Seen the Statue of Liberty
Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle - no, but I live so close, I need to visit it soon!
Swam in the ocean
Swam in the Mediterranean
Gone on a blind date
Watched someone die
Been lost in a neighborhood
Cried yourself to sleep - I don't see why this would be on a bucket list, but yes, it has happened
Played cops and robbers
Recently colored with crayons
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Sang Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only
Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t
Made prank phone calls - in Junior high with my friends
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain
Watched the sunrise with someone
Blown bubbles
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Been skinny dipping outdoors
Gone ice-skating
Gone to the movies
Gone snorkeling
Skipped school - a few times during my senior year of high school
Gone snowmobiling
Lived in more than one country
Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
Seen a falling star and made a wish \
Truly believe in the power of prayer
Seen whales in the ocean
Ridden on an elephant - when I was little, I remember being so scared thinking it was going to poop on me. Yes, I know its not possible!
Ridden on a camel
Swam with dolphins
Saw and heard a glacier calf
Traveled by train
Traveled by motorcycle
Traveled by subway
Been horseback riding
Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
Been to Disneyland or Disneyworld - been to both! :]
Been in a rain forest
Been to Niagara Falls
Walked on the Great Wall of China
Been to the Olympics
Been spinnaker flying
Been water-skiing
Been snow-skiing
Been to Westminster Abbey
Been to the Louvre
Been to a Major League Baseball game - Seattle Mariners!
Been to a National Football League game - does the Pro Bowl count?

Feel free to steal the meme. I stole it from someone who had stolen it from . . . Well, you get the idea.

**I actually have already made my own bucket list (or some of it). You can view mine here. And my challenge blog here.

Favorite Christmas Tradition

It took me two hours, but I've finished my adgitize clicks and entrecard drops. Anyways, since I am asking all of you to post your favorite christmas tradition for my contest, I decided to join in and post my favorite.

You can click to make it bigger. The first picture is from Saturday, and the second picture is from today. I'm not sure if you can tell the difference, but its there. The updated one has figurine ornaments while the first only have ball ornaments. And there are more presents! :]

My favorite Christmas tradition is putting up the Christmas tree. We usually do it the day after Thanksgiving but we went shopping on black friday so we put it up the day after, on Saturday. We finally finished decorating it yesterday. We've never had a theme, mainly because my mom just puts up whatever decorations she owns (but it still always turns out great!). But when I will celebrate my Christmas on my own (hopefully next Christmas because I will be married), I will have a theme every year. I think my first one will be a blue and silver "Winter Wonderland," what do you think?

Also, since I'm on the topic, I decided to post up some pictures from my black friday shopping. I will post them small, but you can click on them to make them bigger. My dad bought me a netbook and portable hard drive, and Xbox360 games for himself. The Wii games and Smallville DVDs are for my mom. My dad decided to get himself an Xbox360 for Christmas so he kinda went on a shopping spree for games. Even now, he is still buying more games but he is only buying cheap ones and ones from the pawn shop (because they are only $10-20 there).

Some more updates

I don't really have anything else to say about my life at the moment, so I couldn't come up with an interesting title. But I did want to say thank you again to my followers, subscribers, sponsors, and contest participants. You all make my life worthwhile. Remember, if you are joining my contest, please, please leave your email in the comment so I am able to contact you if you are winner.

That's all I have to say for now. I am off to do my adgitize clicks and entrecard drops and then afterwards I will come back for a more interesting post. Keep the comments coming, I love them! :]

Updates

I've updated the sponsor and prizes list. Thank you for your generous sponsorship but pledges are now closed. Cornyman, I still have a spot for you if you are still interested, :]

So, no one wants to join my contest? I've only had one person so far, and a bunch of maybes/join later. Please join everyone. You can win cash, ec credits, and ad spots. I even have some other cool prizes like postcards, handmade cards, and jewelry. Don't you want to win some of that? If so, just click on the big banner at the top of my page. It'll take you to the contest post. Remember, the earlier you join, the more entries you get!

Aside from my contest, I don't really have much to say. Finals are next week, and I'm drained. I still have a paper due tomorrow that I haven't even started. I have my topic and some ideas, but that's it. I hate being a procrastinator. I think the worst part about procrastinating is procrastinating to stop procrastinating. Does that make sense? Well, that's what I always do. I know I should change my procrastinating ways, but its hard.

On top of that, I'm planning on going to Hawaii right after Christmas, but before New Years eve. I still will be able to announce contest winners on Jan 1st, like I planned. But now, I'll just be announcing from a different state! :] I plan on staying out there for three months so I'm trying to pack up and get ready to go out there.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to post about my Black Friday shopping goodies. It seems to irrelevant now but go ahead and leave me a comment and let me know if you still want to see my pictures. Alright, I'm out for tonight. Goodnight, and please join my contest! Thanks! :]

November Top Droppers

Thank all for dropping this past month. Sorry I was not able to drop back to everyone. Some days I was able to drop 300 and some days I was so busy I wasn't even able to drop 1. But, I am trying to make a difference for the month of December. I am going to seriously make an effort to drop 300 every day. From now on (at least for December), if you drop on my site, then I will drop back. Without further ado, here are my top droppers for the month of November:

Sorry I was not able to personally link you. But as always, you will have a spot in my sidebar with your link. Thank you again for being my top droppers. As an added bonus for my number one top dropper, I will add your badge to my sidebar instead of just your link.

Official Start: The 25 Days of Christmas holiday contest!

I got the idea for this contest just about a week ago. I had to hurriedly find sponsors, and I am proud to say, thank you to my generous sponsors! I am still waiting to hear from some sponsors so you might see the sponsor list grow over the next couple of days. Sponsorship is still open until Dec 3rd. Let me know if you would like to sponsor. So here it is, the official beginning to The 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Contest. Remember to come back again, as I might have updates to the contest mechanics.

**----Updates----**

12/4/09: Want to read about my Christmas Traditions? Read my post here.

12/5/09: I've added some new sponsors and moved the prizes around a bit to make it more fair.

12/9/09: I added the last two sponsors and moved around the prizes again. Sorry for the inconvenience, this will the last time I will update/edit the contest mechanics. I also have fixed up the coding because it was a little messed up.

The rules are simple. Nothing too difficult for this contest. There are only two required tasks, the rest are optional. However, the more you complete, the better your chances at winning! Anyone can join, even sponsors.
1. Accomplish the required tasks. Include your email in the comments so I can contact you. All entries must be in this post only to be counted.
2. The contest will run from December 1st through December 26th 11:59 PST.
3. Three winners will be chosen using Random.org. There will be extra winners for the special prizes. All winners will be announced January 1st.
4. I will notify winners by email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond and contact me by email. After 48 hours, I will choose a new winner.
5. You can enter up to 5 blogs total.

Tasks.
1. Write a post about your favorite Christmas tradition. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then you can just write a post about your favorite holiday tradition. Include a link to the post in your comment. In your post, include sponsor links and prizes, and the contest banner. (Required) - 3 entries

Prizes and Sponsors List

Prizes and Sponsors. 1st Prize: $5 Paypal funds- <a href="http://crayonsnpencils.info/">Crayons n' Pencils</a> 5000 EC credits - <a href="http://mommyko.com/">Wonderful Things in Life</a> 4000 EC credits - <a href="http://shydub-simplehappylife.blogspot.com/">Simple Happy Life</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.tsangreqz.com/">Blog Fusion</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://mywpblogonline.com/">Life's Journey</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.mycraftstoresonline.us/">My Crafts Stores Online</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.blogdemanila.com/">Blog de Manila</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://maradeguzman.blogspot.com/">Mara's Personal Bubble</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://liz.mommyslittlecorner.com/">Mommy's Little Corner</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://serenityoverload.blogspot.com/">A Woman Remembers</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://love.mommyko.com/">My Life's Adventure</a> 1250 EC credits - <a href="http://theoneminuteguide.blogspot.com/">The One Minute Guide</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://meowdiaries.com/">Meow Diaries</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://tekla88.info/">Take a Coffee Break</a> 6-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://narvasamarga.blogspot.com/">Gossips of a Princess</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.labambita.com/">Azumi ★</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://thefishgate.blogspot.com/">Life Expressions</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.joshandme.com/">A Momma's Journal</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://walkingnewspaper.blogspot.com/">Walking Newspaper</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://pinoymedicaldoctor.blogspot.com/">Pinoy Medical Doctor </a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://worldtravelandvacation.com/">World Travel and Vacation</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://pinaymom.org/">Pinay Mom</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://travelwithmarie.blogspot.com/">Travelin' With Marie</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.melandriaromero.net/">My Journey to Life</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.isherrygo.com/">isherrygo</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.mymomsbest.us/">My Mom's Best</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://iluvcontest.blogspot.com/">iLUVcontest</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://sherrygo.blogspot.com/">Sherry Rambling</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://liezl-read-write.blogspot.com/">Bloguardian Hellsite: OVERCASHED</a> 2nd Prize: $5 Paypal funds - <a href="http://cottoncandybuzz.info/">Cotton Candy Buzz</a><a href="http://cottoncandybuzz.info/"></a> 5000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.nessa-mumblings.com/">Nessa's Mumblings</a> 3000 EC credits - <a href="http://chris.happymomiam.us/">The Fountain of Happiness</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.momgencraftcorner.com/">Momgen Craft Corner</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.kayamopinoy.com/">Kaya Mo, Pinoy!</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.mommyjourney.com/">The Mommy Journey</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://mlizcochico.com/">A Simple Life</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://randomwahmthoughts.blogspot.com/">Random WAHM Thoughts</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://liezl-read-write.blogspot.com/">Bloguardian Hellsite: OVERCASHED</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.jnjmilestones.com/">Milestones</a> 1250 EC credits - <a href="http://cornys-moneypage.blogspot.com/">Cornyman's Money-Blog</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://marasappetite.blogspot.com/">Mara's Appetite</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.thisismyblog.info/">This is My Blog</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://mymariuca.com/">Wishing on a Falling Star</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://fedhz.com/">Home Buddies</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://coupleslovebook.blogspot.com/">Couple's Love Book</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.gardenofmoments.com/">Garden of Moments</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.walkingnewspaper.com/">Latest Buzzzz</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://walkingnewspaper.blogspot.com/">Walking Newspaper</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://leilanie101challenge.blogspot.com/">Leilanie's 101 in 1001 Challenge</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.blogdemanila.com/">Blog de Manila</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://fabbielous.blogspot.com/">Fab Momma</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://yashirokuru.blogspot.com/">Yashiro</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.happythoughtshappytot.com/">Happy Thoughts Happy Tot</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.mommydiary.net/">Mine all Mine</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://lurvevertyhing.com/">Lurvevertyhing</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://sherryshopping.blogspot.com/">Shopping</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://hotelsforall.blogspot.com/">Hotels For All</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://anothercontest.blogspot.com/">Another Contest</a> 3rd Prize: $3 Paypal funds - <a href="http://marasappetite.blogspot.com/">Mara's Appetite</a> 5000 EC credits - <a href="http://yashirokuru.blogspot.com/">Yashiro</a> 3000 EC credits - <a href="http://wondermom.info/">The Wonder Mom</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://mlizcochico.blogspot.com/">Moms...Check Nyo</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.happymomiam.us/">The Joy of Life Forever</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.kwarta4me.biz/">Rewards Station</a> 2000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.sheaky.com/">Worth's Road</a> 1500 EC credits - <a href="http://pinaymom.org/">Pinay Mom</a> 1250 EC credits - <a href="http://cornymans-blogreviews.blogspot.com/">Cornyman's Blogreviews</a> 1250 EC credits - <a href="http://babyandkidsworld.blogspot.com/">All About Babies and Kids</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://www.philippineusana.com/">Philippine USANA</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://mariucasperfume.com/">Mariuca's Perfume Gallery</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://yummyascanbe.info/">Yummy as Can Be</a> 1000 EC credits - <a href="http://writingsofmaria.com/">Life's Sweets and Spices</a> 500 EC credits - <a href="http://entrecard.com/t/oc/36001">Elai's Haven</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.masipagwapa.net/">A Shopaholic Diary</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.pinayinstates.us/">Pinay in States</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://pinoymedicaldoctor.blogspot.com/">Pinoy Medical Doctor</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.walkingnewspaper.com/">The Latest Buzzzz </a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://travelwithmarie.blogspot.com/">Travelin' With Marie</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.kayamopinoy.com/">Kaya Mo, Pinoy!</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.philippineusana.com/">Philippine USANA</a><a href="http://worldtravelandvacation.com/"></a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.handyreviews.net/">Handy Reviews</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://www.celebritydiary.net/">Online Scoop</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://ibloagholic.info/">ibloagholic</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://namesherry.com/">nameSherry</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://heartrandom.com/">heartrandom</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://sherrycontest.blogspot.com/">Sherry Contest</a> 1-month 125x125 ad - <a href="http://serenityoverload.blogspot.com/">A Woman Remembers</a> Special Prizes: 10 various postcards from United States - <a href="http://travelwithmarie.blogspot.com/">Travelin' With Marie </a> 1 pair of earrings (Worldwide shipping) - <a href="http://momgen.etsy.com/">Momgen's Corner</a> 4 sets of mixed handmade cards - <a href="http://darlingrose.etsy.com/">DarlingRose Paper Goods</a> $10 gift certificate to Etsy shop- <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaisyBookworm">DaisyBookworm</a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaisyBookworm"></a>

2. Add the contest badge to your sidebar. (Required) - 1 entry

3. Subscribe to Travelin' With Marie by email. Include your email in your comment. Only verified emails will be counted. - 1 entry

4. Follow Travelin' With Marie. - 1 entry
5. Add links of sponsors to your sidebar. Title it "Ms. Marie's Sponsors" - 1 entry
6. Add Travelin' With Marie badge to your sidebar. - 1 entry

7. Add the following blogs to your blogroll: Travelin' With Marie and Leilanie's 101 in 1001 Challenge - 1 entry each
8. Join this contest in the first 12 days (Dec 1-12) - 3 entries
9. Join this contest between Dec 13th-20th - 2 entries
10. Join this contest between Dec 21st-25th - 1 entry
11. If you are a sponsor, you get an extra automatic entry - 1 entry

Prizes and Sponsors.

1st Prize:
$5 Paypal funds- Crayons n' Pencils
5000 EC credits - Wonderful Things in Life
4000 EC credits - Simple Happy Life
2000 EC credits - Blog Fusion
2000 EC credits - Life's Journey
2000 EC credits - My Crafts Stores Online
2000 EC credits - Blog de Manila
2000 EC credits - Mara's Personal Bubble
2000 EC credits - Mommy's Little Corner
2000 EC credits - A Woman Remembers
2000 EC credits - My Life's Adventure
1250 EC credits - The One Minute Guide
1000 EC credits - Meow Diaries
1000 EC credits - Take a Coffee Break
6-month 125x125 ad - Gossips of a Princess
1-month 125x125 ad - Azumi ★
1-month 125x125 ad - Life Expressions
1-month 125x125 ad - A Momma's Journal
1-month 125x125 ad - Walking Newspaper
1-month 125x125 ad - Pinoy Medical Doctor
1-month 125x125 ad - World Travel and Vacation
1-month 125x125 ad - Pinay Mom
1-month 125x125 ad - Travelin' With Marie
1-month 125x125 ad - My Journey to Life
1-month 125x125 ad - isherrygo
1-month 125x125 ad - My Mom's Best
1-month 125x125 ad - iLUVcontest
1-month 125x125 ad - Sherry Rambling
1-month 125x125 ad - Bloguardian Hellsite: OVERCASHED

2nd Prize:
$5 Paypal funds - Cotton Candy Buzz
5000 EC credits - Nessa's Mumblings
3000 EC credits - The Fountain of Happiness
2000 EC credits - Momgen Craft Corner
2000 EC credits - Kaya Mo, Pinoy!
2000 EC credits - The Mommy Journey
2000 EC credits - A Simple Life
2000 EC credits - Random WAHM Thoughts
2000 EC credits - Bloguardian Hellsite: OVERCASHED
2000 EC credits - Milestones
1250 EC credits - Cornyman's Money-Blog
1000 EC credits - Mara's Appetite
1000 EC credits - This is My Blog
1000 EC credits - Wishing on a Falling Star
1-month 125x125 ad - Home Buddies
1-month 125x125 ad - Couple's Love Book
1-month 125x125 ad - Garden of Moments
1-month 125x125 ad - Latest Buzzzz
1-month 125x125 ad - Walking Newspaper
1-month 125x125 ad - Leilanie's 101 in 1001 Challenge
1-month 125x125 ad - Blog de Manila
1-month 125x125 ad - Fab Momma
1-month 125x125 ad - Yashiro
1-month 125x125 ad - Happy Thoughts Happy Tot
1-month 125x125 ad - Mine all Mine
1-month 125x125 ad - Lurvevertyhing
1-month 125x125 ad - Shopping
1-month 125x125 ad - Hotels For All
1-month 125x125 ad - Another Contest

3rd Prize:
$3 Paypal funds - Mara's Appetite
5000 EC credits - Yashiro
3000 EC credits - The Wonder Mom
2000 EC credits - Moms...Check Nyo
2000 EC credits - The Joy of Life Forever
2000 EC credits - Rewards Station
2000 EC credits - Worth's Road
1500 EC credits - Pinay Mom
1250 EC credits - Cornyman's Blogreviews
1250 EC credits - All About Babies and Kids
1000 EC credits - Philippine USANA
1000 EC credits - Mariuca's Perfume Gallery
1000 EC credits - Yummy as Can Be
1000 EC credits - Life's Sweets and Spices
500 EC credits - Elai's Haven
1-month 125x125 ad - A Shopaholic Diary
1-month 125x125 ad - Pinay in States
1-month 125x125 ad - Pinoy Medical Doctor
1-month 125x125 ad - The Latest Buzzzz
1-month 125x125 ad - Travelin' With Marie
1-month 125x125 ad - Kaya Mo, Pinoy!
1-month 125x125 ad - Philippine USANA
1-month 125x125 ad - Handy Reviews
1-month 125x125 ad - Online Scoop
1-month 125x125 ad - ibloagholic
1-month 125x125 ad - nameSherry
1-month 125x125 ad - heartrandom
1-month 125x125 ad - Sherry Contest
1-month 125x125 ad - A Woman Remembers

Special Prizes:
10 various postcards from United States - Travelin' With Marie
1 pair of earrings (Worldwide shipping) - Momgen's Corner
4 sets of mixed handmade cards - DarlingRose Paper Goods
$10 gift certificate to Etsy shop- DaisyBookworm

As an extra addition for being my reader, DaisyBookworm would like to give you free shipping on all Etsy orders. Use the promo code "Marie" to get the free shipping.

So that's it! Have fun and good luck! Don't forget to refer your friends.

Favorite Digiscrap Designers

Here are some of my favorite digiscrap designers. List updated as of 12/13/09.
* = my all-time favorites

ScrapMatters
Britt-ish Designs
Denise Beatty Originals
Designs by Tater
Erica Zane*
GG Digital Designs*
Haynay Designs
Jennifer Barrette
Juno Designs
Plum Dumpling Designs
Purple Tulip Designs
Sahlin Studio*
WM[squared] Designs

Daydreamer Designworks
ValerieN Designs
Fairytale Studios
Miss Erin's Scraps
Paula Kesselring Designs

Elemental Scraps
Bella Gypsy
Chrissy W.
genia Beana
Jennifer Barrette
Meredith Cardall
simply.scraps

Pehpot, a great writer

Blog Review: Make or Break

Make or Break is Pehpot's personal blog. At the very least, I would call Pehpot a writer. Its what she does best. Well, other than taking care of her family, of course. Visit Pehpot's blog and you'll get a two for one deal. You'll get a great writer and a great mommy. One thing I love about her site is Utoy, a little boy she (and her husband) created to make adgitizing easier. I have not yet had experience with Utoy, but I have heard great reviews about him. Want to learn more about Utoy? You can click here to read about his birth and here about his interview. Both are great posts and I recommend reading them both. Another benefit to Utoy is his weekly list of friends. Every week, Pehpots writes a list (with a small review) of some of Utoy's friends. She is now also writing list of followers as well. Click here to view the lists. Since this is Pehpot's personal blog, she often writes about her family. I would like to say congrats to Pehpot because she just recently added a new addition to her family. She is a newborn baby girl named Sati. She gave birth to her beautiful daughter on November 8th, 2009. Sati is Pehpot's fourth child, but her first girl. She had three older boys already. One post I remember coming across was Pehpot's new sling. In this post, Pehpot writes about her new sling that she made for Sati. I've always thought about getting a sling for when I have children, but I never though about making my own (or buying a handmade one). Now Pehpot has got me thinking. Maybe I should ask her to make me one (with payment of course!). Like I said before, Pehpot is a great writer. Her blog had much more content than I could ever cover. To read more about Pehpot, visit Make or Break. Overall rating: 9/10.

Random thoughts, not so random

Blog review: RandomWAHM Thoughts

At first glance, I marked this blog as pretty and cute. But this blogger has more than just a pretty face. She is real person, with real thoughts. Kaye, the author, writes about her family, her friends, and her work. She mostly writes stories about her life, and what goes on it. However, her posts are most than just stories. She shares her insight with her readers in a way that they are able to walk away, so to speak, with something to think about. To me, her thoughts don't seem so random. They seemed to be based around her family, her friends, and her work. She sends shoutouts to her friends on their birthdays, she writes great reviews, and she helps me wonder what its like to be a mom. One thing I found out about her while reviewing her site was that she designs blog templates. How cool is that? You can view her portfolio here. Her posts are entertaining and she is quite a character. Almost every single post shows her personality. With every post, I am able to laugh, giggle, and appreciate life. I haven't had the pleasure to meet her in person, but her blog is a great substitute. If you are in the mood for a blogger with a great personality, visit RandomWAHM Thoughts. Overall rating: 8/10.