A little over a year ago, I got engaged and promptly shut down the news cycle on my side of the family beyond my parents lest the wedding juggernaut roll over my intended and me and leave just two imprints in the cement. The tradition, it is that strong.
With plenty of angst and worry over defying my cultural tradition, depriving my parents of the last rites of parenthood, I fled to Meg’s domain (literally), A Practical Wedding, to discover that other brides, to be, had been, years past, had shared the same need for a simpler?quieter?less “but everyone says” wedding. There I found that so many similar issues were being discussed and debated in a warm and welcoming forum that the wedding thing seemed just a little less daunting. Bridal parties, stage fright, budgets, families, oh families.
Not less so that I didn’t end up running off to fauxlope. I’m still me, after all. And to date, that’s been the toughest decision to live with. I remember being so happy but the memory of the day is layered with so much sadness now that it’s defined as the last time I ever saw my mom. That’s always going to be part of that day. And whether she was fully there for that day, well, that’s another thing.
Reading A Practical Wedding the website as a survival guide up until I actually got married, and now reading the book as a survival guide until we celebrate the marriage has been nothing short of a lifeline.
I was sure it would be, so I bought five copies. Selfishly, I’m keeping one for myself. The other four? I can bring myself to share some of them with you good people.
Enter using the Rafflecopter submission form below for each type of entry. Javascript is required to see it, I’m sure, but it’s dead useful for organization.
Note: Please don’t use the Facebook login – I don’t use Facebook and won’t be able to contact you via FB if you do, but didn’t have any way of removing that option.
Terms and Conditions ~ This promotion is self sponsored. ~ I will ship up to 2 books to international winners, if drawn. ~ Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends January 31st midnight (EST) and must respond with mailing information within 5 calendar days or a new winner will be drawn.
Oh so very randomly, except for the bit where he entered on purpose, PiC won a giveaway for a free entry to the Chicago Marathon. I’m told that registration runs a bit over $100, and it’s one of the races he’s always wanted to run, so I was willing to support his desire to go. In spirit. To complicate matters, though, because our friends have moved out of the Chicago area, he wouldn’t have anyone to stay with so he wanted to make a weekend of it with me. Oh, the nerve of him, wanting to spend quality time together! 😉
Financially, I was hesitant. We have very different saving and spending styles, so if the Travel Fund doesn’t support it, I’m usually less in favor of taking a trip. He, on the other hand, regularly saves a big chunk every month sight unseen and says that’s good enough – the rest is for spending.
Leave it to a giveaway prize to reveal our money philosophies, yet again!
My compromise was this: Given the potential cost of a marathon weekend out of town, I’d be willing to consider going if we could keep it under a certain amount. In the meantime, however, I would check hotel points and other airline points/miles/reward options to see if we could creatively fund the trip. Between a Southwest reward flight and Hilton points, I was seeing the budget drop to less than $400 for transportation. Clearly, I was Olly-olly Optimism.
Alas, Southwest’s Standard rewards were already all booked out, leaving me with only the Freedom reward. For those who aren’t familiar, that’d call for using two 1-way tickets to equal an unrestricted free 1-way flight. Not exactly worth it in this situation.
A sale came up and PiC jumped on it during the work day, but I’d rather he didn’t yet tell me how much we blew my second estimate out of the water (I’m guessing airfare was about $900 for both tickets, *cringe*); meanwhile I’ve finally put my hard-earned Hilton points to good use and booked two nights for free at a downtown Hilton hotel. I’ve been using the Hilton Platinum American Express for six years, charging only post office, cell phone and restaurant bills for a 5x point return to earn enough points for two nights in a decent hotel. Call that dedication to the financial cause! 🙂
It’s a bit stressful doing all this last minute planning for a trip in early October, and all the while wondering if he’s going to be physically prepared for the race because I can’t carry a full grown man to the airport on my back if it comes to that.
We set up the reservations so that I could back out up to the week before without any real financial repercussion and he wouldn’t lose the hotel room as it’s booked in both our names. Well worth the 10 minute phone call to the Hilton reservations line!
Speaking of giveaways, here’s hoping my luck is as good as PiC’s but costs us less money in the following!
Our houseguest just got a new job with a hefty salary in a low COL and so when I introduced her to Shabby Apple, she filled their coffers with nearly four hundred dollars in exchange for, among other things, my favorite dress. Finally I can see it on someone in real life! It’s pretty fun to watching people with zero budget problems shop like there’s no tomorrow.
And in the spirit of spending freely, free money for two people!
Out of 51 entries, including comments, tweets, and a hilarious arm-twisting referral, my first winner is entrant #46: Elaine of Clothed Much and my second winner is entrant #25: Kay Lynn of Bucksome Boomer!
I brought this purse back from my last visit with Grandma three years ago always intending it for a gift. But it never quite seemed to fit the personality of the gals I know. (I was going to give away the Southwest drink coupons too, but I have no idea where they went. If enough people mention they’d like them in their comments, I’ll try to find them.)
P’raps you’d like to help it find a new home? P’raps you would like to welcome this purse into your home?
To Enter: 1. Leave a comment with your name and email address, and who you’d like the purse for. (1 entry) 2. Tweet about this giveaway, include my handle so I can track your entries: “Win a tiny purse from @RevancheGS: http://bit.ly/9SnS2L” (1 entry per day) 3. Blog about it and leave a comment with your link. (2 entries) 4. Bonus entry: Referring another entrant who will credit you for the tip! That entrant has to leave your name in a comment.
The Rules: 1. Enter by Monday, August 16th, 11:59 PM PDT. 2. Winner will be chosen by randomnumber.org and all decisions are final. 3. Winner must respond to my contact email within 48 hours or I’ll choose another winner. 4. Open to U.S. and Canadian readers.
I have a lovely set of postcards to give away courtesy of Uprinting which has expanded to postcard printing. You can design and order your print cards online. Y’all have three days to snag this prize!
The specs:
100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) Winner
Paper Stock: 14pt Cardstock Gloss
Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; 3 Business Days Turnaround
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
How to Enter:
(One entry)Leave a comment with your name and a valid email address. Tell me anything you like about yourself.
(Five entries)Follow me and tweet this up to five times “Win postcards from @RevancheGS: http://bit.ly/biwtBJ RT to win!”
(Two entries) Blog about this giveaway Link back in a comment to let me know.
(Two entries)Subscribe to my feed (If you already subscribe, let me know in a comment)
Rules and Restrictions
1. I will select a winner at random using a number generator. 2. My decisions are final. 3. Open to US residents only. Sorry, my non-US resident friends! 4. Giveaway closes 11:59 pm PST, March 27th.
