Lately I've been having some serious issues with writer's block. It seems like all the time I have so many ideas just floating around my brain until I sit down to actually write. The second I pick up a pen/pencil, or sit down at the computer my brain just empties. It's beginning to make me insane. I have all these things plotted out and notes written down, but when it comes time to turn them in to something -- *poof*.
Sometimes I get lucky and can get a few words down, but then if I look them over I am horrified. I start wondering who on earth would read this? It's worse than the worse thi...
Hi everyone!
I'd like to apologize for the long hiatus. Many things have been going on in my personal life. I won't go in to too much detail, but I've had a lot of health issues and a couple of surgeries in the interim time. I've also lost three close family members in the space of the last couple of years that have thrown me and I have still not really absorbed their loss.
Another reason that I have been absent so long is that I've also had a lot of self-doubt as a writer. I have actually gotten some writing done, as well as a bit of my first novel started. After the first bit I was hi...
Just recently I began submitting my blog to various blog related listing sites, and found I had a small problem. All of them ask me to classify what this blog is about. Uh-oh. For some reason they all seemed to lack the proper category. The neglected to add the "whatever strikes my fancy" category.
That led me to sit down and really think about what this blog is about.
I've been told it's a "mommy blog" since I have posted parenting relating things, or it's a "contest blog" because I post giveaways. Ok, I can get with that, sort-of. Those are parts of me, but I have a problem with cla...
Many of you don't know that I have both a sister and a niece with special needs. My sister suffered brain damage as a result of her belirubin climbing to record heights as an infant. Her functioning level was put at that of a six year old, even though she is 30 years old. She is the sweetest person, but has had a very rough life due to this and other unrelated problems. My niece has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and I have been learning all I can about this very common Autism Spectrum Disorder.
As a result, I am a proud supporter of sites and causes that promote information and f...
Word Cloud advertising will be $5.00/basic link. I am developing one for each of my sites, so if you are interested please let me know and I will tell you when they are live. As of now ALL words are open. Exclusive word links are available for $10.00. If you would like a list of sites that will be offering them or have any questions, please e-mail me.
I am also developing sites that will have featured WAHMs with heavy promotion. Introductory pricing will be $15 for a month spot-light (regularly priced at $25) and will include a feature on your choice of site. It will include a picture, bio, and unlimited links to your sites. There is only one spot available per site per month. There will also be bargain spots available (up to 10 per month) for $5 for a month introductory pricing (regularly priced at $10.) Please feel free to contact me for more information.
Pre-order questions, inquiries and orders can be made by contacting me or leaving contact information in a comment below.
I just wanted to add a couple quick notes on the subscriber contests. Last updated: 05/25/2008
Drawings are held each Monday, barring any family complications. In the event of a drawing delay I will add some extra item(s) to the prize.)
You must subscribe to this site with a user account. Subscribing to feeds does not count, as it complicates the drawing process. Quick link to create an account can be found here. Why do I do it this way? Honestly to save time. If I had to jump around to all the different options that are available to this site it would become confusing and time consuming.
You must confirm your account via the e-mail confirmation sent. These are sent to prevent spam users and bots from registering. Any accounts not confirmed are deleted and will not be entered in the account. You have a full week to confirm your account before it is deleted, but you will miss out on all contests until confirmation takes place. Why do I do it this way? Users are not shown on my subscriber list until their account is confirmed. This helps to simplify the drawing process for me.
Only current subscribers are entered during the week. You do not need to post a comment or anything, just have your account validated. Easy peasy.
Prizes change weekly. Most prizes are available for purchase for those of you that didn’t win. Keep an eye out for how to purchase them, contact me, or comment asking for more info and it will be made available.
Each contest posted in addition to the weekly contest will have additional entry rules, details, etc. Please check the specific contest post for contest particulars. There is also a contest category that you are able to check that will list all contest related posts.
If anything changes at any point I will post here. I will update this specific post with details of the change, the date it was made, as well as the reason it was changed. Please feel free to bookmark this post to refer back to.
That’s about it for now. Any questions? Contact me or comment below.
Here is the new contest for the week. This one will be a little different than the others. (In case you are all a little e-booked out….)
The prize:
I will provide winners choice of a static banner, a blog or site header, or signature tag designed by me. (Courtesy of my design site at http://www.onfairywingsdesigns.com.)
To enter:
Create an account on this site. You must confirm your account as well with a valid e-mail address. This counts as one entry.
Comment on this post telling me which prize you would like and why. This counts as one entry.
Exchange links with this site. You can either link the blog name and URL, or contact Heather@HeatherQuarnstrom.com and I can send you a banner to use. (If requesting a banner, please specify the size you would like.) Comment this post or e-mail me with the page URL that I can find my link, and general area to look for it, to be counted. You may also comment or e-mail me the link you would like me to add. This counts as two entries.
Refer someone to this site and have them subscribe to the site. (Two fold on this one. You get another entry and they can enter the contest .) Your referral must e-mail me at Heather@HeatherQuarnstrom.com and tell me your user name on this site to qualify. This counts as one entry.
All entrants will be entered in the generator on Random.org once per entry and will be drawn randomly by the top result. To qualify you must remain a subscriber through at least the end of the drawing. (Though we hope you will remain longer. ) Drawing will be held next Monday with results posted the same day.
I just realized that the blog party was over last week. I just got so caught up in the fun that I didn’t want it to end, I guess.
What does this mean? I have to do a drawing for all Mommyfest Blog Party contests and announce the winners All winners will receive their prize(s) at the e-mail they used to comment.
(A HUGE thank you to Mommy Meryl — who has a GREAT site by the way, if you have a second, please visit it — for showing me the wonders of Random.org. This site is fantastic! You can put all the names in and it spits out a random one. I used their “List Generator” and added each name that qualified for an entry in. It then gives you a random listing of the names you entered. I chose the first name in each instance as the winner.)
Contests: (Can’t remember what each was for, or if you entered? Then click on the link for more details.)
And the winner is…. (drum roll, please….): Shalise
I will be sending your e-books to the e-mail that you listed with your post. If for some reason you don’t receive them, please let me know by commenting here.
For those of you that did not win and are interested in purchasing an e-book, you may either contact me, or keep an eye up for my follow up post on how to purchase them. (I am putting together an e-book site, but it’s still in development.)
And the winner is…. (drum roll, please….): littleladybugdesigns
Please remember that I will have a weekly drawing for a prize EVERY SINGLE week, so make sure create an account as a subscriber to be entered.
Want to stay up to date on all contests we are currently offering. You can view all contest related posts by clicking on the Contest category on the right or by clicking here.
How to Eliminate Stress and Anxiety from your Life
How to enter:
Leave a comment and tell me what you would like to see on this site. Please include ideas such as articles, information, prizes, stories, poetry, or anything that would make you come back to this site.
Also, thanks for the heads up on the commenting problem. Sorry to everyone that had problems posting a comment without an account. This is now fixed.
Here are the top ten that I have found most attitude altering (in no particular order):
1. No matter the love you have felt before, your love for your child will eclipse it.
2. If you’ve just put on clean clothes something will make it necessary to change. (Baby spit up, food, mud, some unnamed substance you really don’t want to know what it really is….) The same is true when children get dressed up to leave the house.
3. Each child is different, and each child is different from moment to moment. (This is especially true of what foods they like. If I had a penny for the number of times I have heard “But I don’t like that!” even if it’s something they couldn’t get enough of the day before.)
4. It doesn’t matter how clean your house is, within 5 minutes of children returning it will look like you haven’t cleaned it in a year.
5. Anytime you sit down to do something for yourself, you are guaranteed to have a life threatening emergency of biblical proportions. (Such as a splinter in a little finger, someone spilled milk, child one accidentally spit while talking and it hit child two, etc.)
6. If you put something in one spot it will be gone in the space of five seconds.
7. It doesn’t matter how many socks go in the dryer, you will always end up with an odd number and at least 5 socks that have no match.
8. If something spills, breaks, disappears, etc and try to find out who is responsible the culprit is always “not me” no matter who you ask. (Personally I think Not Me should start paying rent. I’ll bring that up if I ever find him.)
9. If you schedule a big event that involves you and the special someone in your life (husband, boyfriend, whatever) at least one of your children will come down with a bizarre mystery illness. This illness will include but will not be limited to a fever, vomiting, and/or other unknown symptoms that make it impossible for your intended evening festivities.
10. You can’t sweat the small stuff, more of it keeps cropping up. (And you’ll just go insane if you keep letting it get to you.)
Thanks MommyFest Blog Party for this great topic! I never stopped to think how much my children have taught me!
With this great MommyFest Blog party I thought I should put together for a new intro.
I am a 31 year old mother of five. I have four boys ages 12, 11, 6 and 7 months and a daughter that is 9 years old. I am a writer, web/graphic designer, web host, and WAHM for many different businesses. I like to have many different avenues to express myself. I actually counted the other day and I currently own 18 domains! (Unfortunately hubby was around for the count and gave me a raised eyebrow. )
In my spare time, what little there is I either read or play World of Warcraft and Second Life. I find that I am more apt to work or read in my spare time than play though.
That’s about it for getting to know who I am. I have many blogs and web sites that you are free to wander around. They’ll help in getting to know me. (Though many may wonder if I’m schizophrenic based on the wide variety of things I’m involved with… I’m not. Just, ummmmm… Diverse. Yeah. That’s a good word.)
If anyone is interested in exchanging links with any of my sites, please let me know in the comments below.
I look forward to getting to know everyone during this party. Now I’m off to surf some more mom blogs.
Here is the contest that I promised to post for the Mommyfest Blog Party. To check out some other great mom blogs, just click the banner in the left had column. (After you’re done reading mine, that is… )
Just leave a comment and a way to get in touch with you. You can leave an e-mail or web site that has contact information. Another option would be to join this site and use your user name to post. (Hey — if you create an account you are entered in BOTH contests, as well as my weekly contest!)
Please note: If you want to enter in this contest as well and create an account on this site — you must still leave a comment while logged in. This will help make it easier for us to contact you if you win this prize and will save you from having to leave an e-mail or web link in they post.
I wanted to desperately to get started on this contest thing, so I decided I would post one. (Who says I have to wait?)
The prize:
101 Tips for Avoiding Procrastination
Here is a blurb for it:
“Who Else Wants To Stop Being A Slave To Procrastination?”
Are you ready to start ramming your head into the wall as a punishment for repeated procrastination?
No matter what you do, what you promise yourself, you never seem to be able to get your work, chores, or projects done. It can happen to the best of us and it’s a hard habit to break.
Let me ask you this…
…As a procrastinator, are you having trouble meeting your personal and professional goals? Are you in the same place you were a year ago?
These are the terrible effects waiting ’til the last minute can place on all of us. If procrastinating is slowing your life down to a halt, you need to do something fast. You need…
…101 Tips For Avoiding Procrastination!
How to enter:
Create an account on this site. That’s it. Simple, huh? I will be giving a free e-book away once a week to one lucky subscriber.
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) Drawing will be held next Monday with results posted the same day.
I just got so caught up in the fun that I didn’t want it to end, I guess. 
Please note: If you want to enter in this contest as well and create an account on this site — you must still leave a comment while logged in. This will help make it easier for us to contact you if you win this prize and will save you from having to leave an e-mail or web link in they post. 
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