04 March 2009

My Favorites

My pal, Auds, over at Barking Mad is hosting a contest with a prize of $250 Target Gift Card so I just had to enter. (Auds, I tried to add the button but it wouldn't work...)

How do you get in on this action and lower my chances of winning?

All you have to do is put together a post that showcases your favorite 5 to 10 posts from your blog archives. Easy enough...

I guess I better get busy and share my favorite blog posts!

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When I started blogging it was just to be able to share pictures of Kirstyn without having to send them in emails to people that may or may not care to even look at them. My posts didn't even have titles back then, just pictures with captions, but in order to link to them I have to add titles so your reader may be a little annoyed with me.

Then, my friend Elaine started sending emails trying to increase her blog readership. Something I didn't understand yet because I had no idea there was a way to "meet" the blogging community short of pushing the 'next blog' button in blogger and eventually landing on some scary sites and giving up. Then, as I started reading her blog and following some of the links on her sidebar, I started making some fabulous friends and I participated in my first meme and Blog Carnival.

Then, I came across a blog where someone was being successful on Weight Watchers and using her blog for accountability. Amanda's blog made me believe that I really could lose weight and be successful! So, I started sharing weekly about my progress. I posted before and after pictures when I lost 50 pounds and then when I lost 20 more pounds on my 20 lbs in 20 weeks mission I posted pictures again! I have also shared personal victories like running my first 5K! I am currently on a new mission to lose my last 20 and am posting about that on Fridays.

I still use my blog to post pictures of my kids James and Kirstyn along with funny stories that come up in our day to day life. Occasionally, I share about my husband David. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He works very hard to take care of our family and make sure that I can be a stay at home mom.


Okay, IF you are still here...thanks for reading and going back through some of my favorite posts! And now you know.... all of those events and people make up what is Normal to Natalie!

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Here are the links to my friends that I didn't know if I could put in my contest entry post: my in real life blogging friend Elaine, fabulous blog friend Kami (I redesigned her site by the way!), and weight loss inspiration Amanda.

So, tell me, how would you spend $250 at Target if you win? I plan to buy myself some smaller clothes!

sign

7 comments:

Kelly the Happy Texan said...

Wow, just came across your blog. I am so inspired by your weight loss! I am doing WW for the first time but have been dieting off and on for years and years. I want this to work so bad this time.
Thanks for your post. It meant a lot to me. I'm adding you to my blog roll. :)

Falling Around said...

$250 at Target = Lots of decorative accessories... for me and my home. Love their throw pillows, misc decorative items, and LOVE their jewelry!!!

I'm pretty new to the bloggy world, so I understand what you wrote about when you started off. It's hard to wrap the mind around all the different bloggy avenues. The memes, carnivals, Mr. Linkys, blog rolls, groups, and on and on....

I still get so overwhelmed by it all. I don't know how everyone keeps up with all of it!!

Cynthia said...

First, good luck to you. If I won, I'd buy kiddo clothes:)

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhh that's right! The smaller clothes! Well, stick around because I have been bugging companies left and right lately and you just never know what I'm going to be giving away.

Seriously though...I need to find a contest where they're giving away Osh Kosh girls jeans...*lol* especially considering they seem to be on Casey's diet lately. Oiy!

I'm so glad you entered...I have had the BEST time reading everyone's posts. I'm not done by a long shot though. I think overall this went over pretty well!

Anonymous said...

I've always loved what you did at Kami's site. :) And I hope you win that gift certificate so you can shop and then do a little fashion show for us in your fab new (smaller) clothes!

Unknown said...

I missed the contest but I think I will still link to my favorites one day soon. It's so fun to go through your own archives, isn't it?

Thanks for the mention... : )

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

Aw, yes you did redesign my site and it's been what? a year? AND I STILL LOVE IT!!!

Thanks for mentioning me :) and I send the cuke seeds yesterday, it should take 3 weeks or so with our postal systems :)