New Years resolutions you can keep

It never fails. This time of year people think about the new year coming up, look at the year past, and try to come up with resolutions that will make their life better, make them a better person, or are just crazy, wacky, or that the person has no chance of ever achieving.  So this year, I'm starting a list of resolutions you can be sure to keep... Feel free to add your own.

The one I alway start with... I resolve to have a new year's resolution I keep next year (it's worked so far ;) ).

The obvious: I resolve to be grow a year older and a year smarter.

The local: I resolve to not complain more about New England weather than I did this year...

The simple: I resolve to make my desk less messy... at some point

The confused: If I lose weight, I resolve to find it again as soon as I can.

The omnipotent: I resolve to not let it snow in July... in Florida.

The BEST Sweepstakes Site on the Internet.

I have been an on again, off again member of OLS (aka http://www.online-sweepstakes.com/) for several years. In fact my first paid subscription was back in 2005.  OLS has helped me win a number of small prizes over the years, a few gift cards, a few useful things, and even a few things I wonder why I bothered entering the contest for in the first place.

OLS is more than just an Sweepstakes and Contest site; it is a community. It is a community of many interesting, diverse people from all over North America, and I would even guess some from other continents as well. The people in this community are generally friendly, kindhearted, and... well... lucky! After all, we're all there to win a little, learn a little, and share a little. For those of you who frequent OLS, I am known as Schmoolander. I also have to be honest here.. that OLS is the *only* sweepstakes site I've really looked at. I know it is the best... but I really haven't done any comparisons :)

As a member of OLS, I have an uncontrollable urge to check my mail daily, my email every minute, peep out the front door for FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other delivery services, and get excited when a box is on my doorstep... even if it is something I ordered myself. With my birthday coming up (and no, I won't say exactly when, so don't ask), I expect a few more things in the mail... cards, the occasional freebe signed up for online, etc., but today I got something unexpected... a second "My Parent Rewards" card. I'm not completely sure where the second one came from; maybe it was a mistake; maybe I won a second blog contest and was never notified. I received my first one only two weeks ago. I have yet to use it, but it looks promising. Now, I'm not here to review the card, tout its pros or cons, or any of that. In fact, they aren't even a sponser of this blog. It just happens that I have an extra card, and decided to try my very first blog contest!
...And just to give back a little to OLS, this one is only for OLS members.

The giveaway:
1 unopened, unusued, My Parents Reward card (http://www.myparentrewards.com/)... from my mail to yours. No sponsor. Just a prize. No need to visit the site, comment about it, etc.

Here's How To Win:
1) You MUST be a member of OLS, and have been a member since before December 21st, 2009 (the posting of this blog entry). You do not need to be a paid member, just a member.
2) You MUST comment on my blog... otherwise I won't know you entered. Please comment something about OLS. I really don't care what. Or comment about the Blizzard of 2009. I am going to respond via email care of the blog for the winner. If you do not have an email address as a public part of your profile, please enter it in the comment.
3) If you win, you may choose the prize for yourself, or for any other OLS member. The winner email will ask for your OLS username, or the username of your designated prize recipient. I will verify you on there.

BONUS ENTRIES
Everyone love's bonus entries... which is why I'm not having any. Nah Nah. Everyone get's a fair shot. No Twitter, no Facebook, No Problem!

For a full list of rules please read HERE. Giveaway will end on Tuesday December 24th at 9am EST.  U.S. and Canadian entrants only please.

Good luck!
No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. I received the product in the mail, and am not reviewing the product, condoning the product, or have anything to do with the product originator or company of origin.

Contest Results:

Congratulations Lilyk! I'll be contacting you soon.

Working from home with a 4 year old

We decided to keep our son home from Daycare for a few weeks over the holiday. My mother-in-law is coming next week, but the past week and this week it has been difficult for me to get my work done. My son is an only child, and he still insists on including me in EVERY activity. Lucky him, he is getting his fill of TV and computer games while I work.  I just wish he understood that when I am on the phone (especially with a client) he needs to keep quiet. Oh well... the clients are understanding.

I'm doing what you are doing...

This is about one of those things that you don't find in any parenting book, or hear about in any parenting class. I think this is one of those cruel jokes that other parents have... they have been through it; they know you are going to go through it... and they stay silent, sit back, and watch with a grin on their face. It hits when the kids are about 3 1/2 years or so. So if yours are younger... be forewarned.

Oh sure... it's cute for the first week. Oh sure... it makes you feel good that your kid likes what you like, and wants to follow in your footsteps... for the second week. But now I'm on MONTH four, and it really gets on your nerves sometimes. It has many names... "I'm eating what you are eating", "I'm watching what you are watching", "I'm what you are ". Where was that independence you showed just 5 months ago? 

Nobody told me I was going to have to act like I was sleeping at 8:30pm just so my kid thought I was, and would do the same. Ahh... the joys of being a parent.

And a blog was born...

Hello world. That seems like the appropriate opening to a brand new blog in cyberspace. It is definitely more appropriate than "How now brown cow". This is my first blog, at least my first personal blog. I figured that contributing to other people's blogs was good, but having my own is better.

So let me say "Welcome!" to all.

Giveaway rules

Yes, I borrowed these from another site, but it seems like it is best to publish these just to be safe.

1. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. TO ENTER AND PLAY: Please follow the methods listed for contest entry on my blog posts (http://newenglanddad.blogger.com/) related to each giveaway. Sponsors offer products for giveaways in hopes that you, the readers, will go to their site and have a look around. Do not post a comment stating, "They all look great, enter me please" or your comment/entry will be deleted.
Non-winning entries will not be rolled over to future drawings. No responsibility is assumed for lost, late, incomplete, stolen, misdirected, or illegible entries; or for any computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, availability or garbled or jumbled transmissions, or service provider/Internet/web site/use net accessibility or availability, traffic congestion, or unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information, or the failure to capture any such information.

By entering you agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of myself, any Sponsor. or its designee, which are final and binding in all respects.
Sometimes giveaway rules will differ depending on what the sponsor wants, so be sure to always read the rules for the giveaway you're entering posted on our blog. (Do not enter on this page, but enter on the giveaway post). You cannot leave several identical comments for extra entries, you must earn your extra entries by following the different rules under Extra Entries section of each giveaway as listed on our related blog posts.
ENTRY PERIOD: The start and end dates/times of each Giveaway (the “Entry Period”) will be posted on the applicable blog post..


3. ELIGIBILITY: Giveaway is offered only in the United States to legal residents of the 50 United States at least 18 years old at time of entry, unless specified otherwise in the blog post. Void where prohibited by law.

Winners of any Giveaways are ineligible to win any other Giveaways for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of the Giveaway.

4. PRIZES: prize values will vary for each Giveaway. Prizes will be listed on each blog giveaway. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by the Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. If you have any questions regarding the value of a prize, please contact Ken at kenneth.michelson@gmail.com.
5. ODDS OF WINNING: Odds of winning are based on the number of emails and/or responses received. We use Random.org to choose contest winners, and post the result directly on our blog post.

6. WINNER NOTIFICATION AND ACCEPTANCE: The winners will be notified via email. They will have up to the following 72 hours (3 days) of the Giveaway end date to email us the winners’ postal addresses. The winners’ addresses will be forwarded to Sponsor who will send the prize to the winners directly. Please make sure your profile is Public so that I can access your email address should you win. If you do not have a public profile, please leave your email address with your comment.


Inability to reach prize winner by email after reasonable efforts (as determined solely by Giveaway organizers) may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. Winners may waive their right to receive a prize. Prize is nonassignable and nontransferable unless specified in the giveaway. No substitutions allowed. The sponsor is solely responsible for providing the prize directly to specified winners. Design Style Guide assumes no liability for prizes not properly presented by Sponsor. Winner is solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on the prize. Except where prohibited, participation in a Giveaway constitutes entrant’s consent to the publication of his or her name in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation or further compensation.

7. PARTICIPATION: Participation in the Giveaway constitutes an agreement by each entrant to comply with these Official Contest Rules. In the event the Giveaway is compromised by causes beyond the reasonable control of the blog owner, which corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Giveaway, the blog owner reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Giveaway. Should the Giveaway be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, the blog owner reserves the right to award the prize based on the entries received before the termination date.
8. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By entering the Giveaway, entrant agrees that (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Giveaway, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (2) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Giveaway, but in no event attorney’s fees; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.
Sponsor is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by web site users, tampering, hacking, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Giveaway and assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the web site. Sponsor is not responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Giveaway or downloading materials from or use of the web site. If, for any reason, the Giveaway is not capable of running as planned by reason of infection by computer virus, worms, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which Sponsor, in the sole opinion of Sponsor, deems could corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Giveaway, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Giveaway and select the winners from entries received prior to the action taken or in such other manner as Sponsor may deem fair and appropriate. IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE NEW ENGLAND DAD BLOG INTERNET SITE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING ON THIS SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE IMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.

9. CONSTRUCTION: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Contest Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant and the blogger, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of Massacusetts, or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Massachusetts. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the invalidity or unenforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.


10. GENERAL RELEASE: By entering the Giveaway, entrants release New England Dad blogger, and each of their respective affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners and agents from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Giveaway or with the acceptance, possession or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light).
11. SPONSOR: The Giveaways are sponsored by the blogger himself, or by designated third parties, whose decisions regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Giveaways shall be final and binding in all respects. New England Dad blogger will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Contest Rules or in other materials relating to the Giveaways. If you have any questions regarding the Giveaways, please contact kenneth.michelson@gmail.com.

12. WINNER'S LIST: Each winner will be posted on the respective blog entry.