I heard you like to laugh. At my expense. Sounds like you're ready to take our friendship to the next level. You won't be disappointed. I swear on teeny, tiny baby chipmunks.
Who made you that cake, Sis? Not some g.d. slouch, I’ll tell you that much.
Today you turn thirty…something. But don’t worry – you don’t look a day over 18! Must be all of that running and biking and swimming and not drinking and how are we related again?
Being the kind, compassionate sibling I am, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to remind you of my forthcoming inheritance. I mean, ha ha, the family’s not getting any younger, are they? (Are we? Are you? Is that what’s going on here? Families don’t keep secrets, Sis.)
Anyway, like I was saying. My inheritance: Babs’ photo albums.
Oh yes. Remember when I staked my claim long, long ago? As a kid, younger than you as ever, I’d creep into Mom’s craft area (by the way, nice of you to share part of your room for that), sit on the floor, and flip through her photo albums for hours.
Even before scrapbooking was ‘in,’ Babs created masterpieces. I’ve yet to see photo albums that rival hers. Oh, except yours, of course.
And one day? They’re mine. All mine.
Don’t worry, Sis, I’ll take pictures of the pages any time you want.
Of course, Uncle Jesse will be in all of them.
To soothe any hard feelings, I got you this lovely 11 x 14-inch canvas print from Printcopia.
There you are, right in the middle. I’d have competed too, but, you know. Don’t want to spill the drink.
Well. Technically they gave it to me. For free.
But it’s the thought that counts, right?
What’s more, Printcopia said I could give one away to a lucky reader! Yeah! Doesn’t that make you happy, too, Sis? To give something to one of my blog readers?
Happy Birthday! You’re welcome.
Love,
Jul
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Let’s just say Babs is better with scrapbooking than she is with haircuts.
You heard correctly, Chipmunks – and all you have to do for a chance to win a free 11 x 14-inch canvas print like mine (but, you know, with your own pic… No you can’t use this one. Don’t be weird. Weird was so three days ago. Now we’re being satirical) from Printcopia is leave a comment below telling me a sibling rivalry story. If you don’t have any siblings, what ridiculous rules did your parents have when you were growing up?
Deadline: 8am EST, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14th.
I will announce a favorite answer at 6am EST on Monday, October 15, 2012. The winner will receive a promotional code from Printcopia via email and can order their free print online, just like I did (it’s easy peasy)! Cool beans, Printcopia! Thanks!
As you might recall, I had to create a basic web page featuring certain elements like an image and a list. Since content doesn’t matter in this kind of class, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to show my eccentric side. And yours. Thank you for your phenomenally weird suggestions. I think we can all agree we made my professor and classmates uncomfortable had fun.
Here’s the web page I we came up with (click on either image to enlarge):
Pretty special, huh? In case you’re wondering, the “wizard” link goes here, and the “She-Man” link goes here (thanks, Byronic Man and clemarchives!).
I also made a lasting impression when, in the first class, the professor brought up this page, and…
…I burst out laughing.
I was the only one.
Thank god you guys have a sense of humor.
Because apparently no one else does.
Has anyone else headed back to school this fall? If you could teach any class, what would it be (go ahead, be phenomenally weird again [please])?
No, it’s not giving the middle finger. I never said I was good at this.
Last fall, when this blog was still called Go Guilty Pleasures!, I asked readers to make a 30-second video blog about a favorite guilty pleasure. The winner received a custom jack-o-lantern, designed and carved by yours truly.
Imagine apple picking with THIS.
I know. As if fall wasn’t already the Darren Criss of seasons.
I had so much fun with it, I immediately started thinking about next year’s contest. Video blogs are tricky; I wanted something easier for participants.
Then this happened:
Did you hear Renée likes to win? (rasjacobson.com)
And it hit me. I love hats. All hats. It’s, without a doubt, a top guilty pleasure. Thus, I bring to you:
The Rules
Design a hat incorporating something fun / funny / silly that speaks to your inner chipmunk. Use ANYTHING, so long as you can find a way to put it on your head and take a picture.
If you want to stay anonymous, you can put the hat on a pet or stuffed animal, or I will gladly superimpose a head of your my choosing onto the picture before posting it.
Submit your pictures via email, Twitter, or your blog (just be sure to let me know you’ve done so).
One submission per person.
The Deadline
Friday, October 26, 2012, 12 MIDNIGHT EST.
DEADLINE EXTENDED to Saturday, October 27, 2012, 12 MIDNIGHT EST.
The Prize(s)
1st Place: A custom jack-o-lantern from Go Jules Go. Since I can’t ship that to you, you’ll also receive a pair of ‘stache glasses!
Runner-up: ‘Stache-glasses, ‘o course.
(If you already have a pair of ‘stache glasses, I’ll give you some other fun, ‘stache-y options.)
I’ll post your submissions throughout the month, and announce the winner on Halloween (Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 6am EST).
If you didn’t just pee a little from excitement, you’re dead to me.
Chipmunks, this is undoubtedly the most polarizing post I’ve ever published.
If you make it through, I’ll know where we stand.
Once upon a time, this came into my life:
Wait for it…
Maybe I should back up. Speaking of backs, that’s a bag of back hair.
My father-in-law’s back hair.
Still with me? Okay, good. It really makes perfect sense. You see, a guy’s gotta shave his back, and my mother-in-law heard sprinkling hair around the perimeter of your property keeps deer away.
And if the deer are away, Peppermeister‘s (Husband #1) garden is safe.
And everybody’s happy.
Though this was a surprise to us, it was like it was meant to be. Like recycling between father and son. Mother Nature at work.
…No? Are you saying you’re against recycling and Mother Nature? You probably just want us to shoot those poor deer, don’t you? Wow.
The day we were given the back hair, my sister-in-law (SIL) caught sight of the exchange, and, well… She was less than pleased. Disgusted might be the word. Yeah. That’s the one.
So, naturally, there was only one thing to do.
Before we left the family gathering that night, Peppermeister hid the bag ‘o back hair in SIL’s cooler. Specifically, the cooler where she keeps her children’s food.
Because…obviously.
Over the next few months, we found various unsettling ways to keep the back hair traveling between each other’s houses. It landed anywhere but scattered around the perimeter of our house, clearly destined for greatness.
And then it went missing. For months.
Until last Saturday, when I did my yearly cleaning.
Well played.
Thank god. I should really clean more often.
Do you have any ongoing pranks / inside jokes that tickle your back hair fancy?
Isn’t she cute? I wonder if they make prescription ‘stache glasses…
Hannah’s entry delivered it all. Rather than copy and paste it here, I thought it would be more fun to act out. Because of course I did.
What do you think I’m doing here? Just giving sh*t away?
Thank you again for all of your spectacular entries, and congratulations, Hannah! Don’t forget to pick one of these ‘stache glasses and email me your address!
P.S. – Just WAIT ’til you see the giveaways/contests I have in store this month. For a partial sneak peek, here’s what I did last October.
Somehow, on Tuesday night, I found myself back in school.
After earning my Bachelor’s in 2004, I never thought I’d go back.
Homework is for suckers, am I right?!
Yet there I was, on my merry way to a web design certification class.
Yes. They make nerd ‘stache glasses!
Okay, technically it’s a continuing education class for old farts like me who want to broaden their skill setschange careers eeny-meenie-miney-mo between Pottery 101, How to Interpret Your Dog’s Dreams, and House Plants for People Who, Sorry Mom, Are Never Having Kids.
But still.
There’s a teacher. There are students. There are rad new school supplies:
But then I got my hands on Dreamweaver (HTML editor software), and well, I think I’m gonna like it here.
There’s just one thing.
I need your help.
For my first homework assignment, I have to create a basic HTML webpage. It must contain a header, intro paragraph, a picture and a few bullet points.
The actual “content” doesn’t matter.
HA!
Like I’m going to write about the weather!
This is far too much temptation.
The possibilities are endless!
So, please have at it in the comments section. What weird, random stuff can I pull into my web page to make the entire class uncomfortable? (And don’t worry, I’ll report back and show you the final product. You know I live for this shiz.)
Who cares that it’s Friday, all that matters is: It’s ‘stache glasses giveaway time!
I hope you were sitting down.
This month is EXTRA chipmunkalicious, because Sun-Staches sent me ‘stache glasses to give away for free! That’s how awesome you are!
They’re just…they’re just so…I can’t even…
To win a pair of Sun-Staches glasses, tell me in the comments section below about the funniest way to quit a job. What would you say? How would you make your grand exit? Whether or not you’re a disgruntled employee, I encourage you to go all out, and use some part of a current or previous job as inspiration. Extra points for puns and creative use of office supplies.
I’ll choose a favorite and announce it on Monday, October 1, 2012. The winner can pick a pair of ‘stache glasses from the below and I’ll have them shipped faster than you can say, “Does polygamy really only apply to multiple wives? Because I’ve looked this up and frankly it’s unclear. And, P.S., polyandry is not nearly as fun to say.”
Nicki’s the first person to let me pick a pair for her. Annnnd probably the last. But seriously. They’re beautiful.
Deadline: Midnight EST, Friday, September 28, 2012.
Print that’s way less fun than this video (thanks, Darla!): This giveaway is open to anyone who’s willing to enter and provide their mailing address in the event that they’re the winner. If you have any trouble leaving a comment in the comments section below, you can enter via email: Julie(dot)Davidoski(at)yahoo(dot)com. One submission per person.
A few months ago, I wrote a post called, “On Blogging & Bacon,” which covers the top three things I’ve learned about blogging. Essentially, I said in a super charming and funny way I got out of blogging what I put into it.
I feel this slipping… Oh dear god. Not the bacon!
Ironically, shortly after that, I realized I’d put too much time into blogging. I wasn’t able to write new blog posts, respond to comments, and read and comment on other blogs without devoting several hours a day.
I’d been eating way too much bacon (is that possible?) and neglecting other responsibilities and relationships. It wasn’t healthy.
Between working full-time as a project manager, part-time as a freelance writer, earning a web design certification, maintaining personal relationships, a marriage, home, and dog, I had to find the right balance between blogging and the rest of my life – fast.
But one thing was certain:
I needed this blog.
I needed you.
You were, and are, my Jack Dawson (go with it). You opened my eyes to a whole new world, and if you jumped, I’d jump. And I think we all know there’s enough room on this blog for both of us.
Rather than struggle alone, I reached out to some of the busiest bloggers I know. Bloggers juggling kids and/or full-time jobs and/or other writing gigs. I wanted to know how they struck the balance, and where blogging fell on their priority lists.
Angie is my hero. In so many ways. Here she is on a totally regular day.
How, for example, did they make time for both family and blogging? Angie from Childhood Relived shared her 9pm cut-off rule, at which point the computer goes away and she spends time with her husband. Darla, from She’s a Maineiac, took a hiatus for part of the summer to spend more time with her children.
And what about how often to blog? How important is it to post regularly? Would I lose readers if I started posting less, or more sporadically?
Deb Bryan – lovely inside and out.
Nina Badzin posts once a week. “If I’m guest posting elsewhere,” she says, “then THAT is my post of the week.” Deb Bryan blogs 1-2 times a week in the hopes that it will allow her to “maintain an online presence without doing so at a huge cost to [her] offline life.”
You should see Renée in a bikini.
One of the most comforting pieces of advice came from a phone conversation with Renée Schuls-Jacobson. In a [chipmunk] nutshell: No one was going to stop following me because I didn’t publish a certain amount of new posts every week. Her words reminded me that while I want to hold myself accountable to writing goals, I never want to stop having fun. And ‘forced and rushed’ don’t equal ‘fun.’ For anyone.
One of the biggest struggles for me was finding the balance when it came to reading other blogs. If I tried to keep up with more than a few blogs a day, minutes turned to hours and Peppermeister (Husband #1) got that puppy dog look.
The bloggers I interviewed also agreed that they had to get real about how many blogs they tried to read each week. Following more than 30 blogs was unanimously impossible, though some of us had, at one point or another, tried to follow over 100.
Renée shared my desire to want to get to everyone, but she also reminded me that using all my time to follow the same blogs meant denying myself the opportunity to meet new people. I decided I didn’t need to read and comment on every post. Even my favorites.
It’s still a hard pill to swallow. I still worry people will take it personally.
After all, we bloggers rely on our community.
I heart D-Pants.
As Darla put it, “I am grateful that I have a chance to show a slice of my world to people and they respond in a positive way. So over time, we are able to form a relationship that’s full of laughs and tears. That is my favorite part of blogging. Making a genuine connection.”
“The best part of blogging,” according to Angie, “is friendships with the other bloggers.” Deb said, “Thanks to blogging, I’m able to see life through the eyes of so many other observant, compassionate eyes.”
Don’t hate Nina ’cause she’s pretty AND smart.
And if you’re still wondering why I called you my Jack Dawson, I’d like Nina Badzin to speak for me: “I love that blogging has allowed me to just be more ME. …Even in real life now I feel more confident and have a stronger sense of self.”
Thanks to all of this wonderful advice, I feel much more comfortable reading blogs and writing new posts when I genuinely have the time, and hope that this approach won’t alienate the community I’ve come to cherish.
But if there’s one thing I could change about my blogging experience? I’m with Darla: “I’d have WordPress install a button so that every time I clicked ‘publish’ I’d get five bucks. Or some beer. Or Skittles. Something.”
A heartfelt thank you to Darla, Renée Schuls-Jacobson, Nina Badzin, Deb Bryan and Angie Z. for taking time out of your busy lives to openly share your experiences. I look forward to blatantly misquoting you in the future for my own amusement. My blog and I are the better for knowing you!
How do you strike a balance between blogging and everything else? To non-bloggers: How do you balance work/family life with your other passions? If that question bores you: What’s the coolest bacon-themed product or website you’ve ever seen?
And okay – enough of the serious stuff – on Friday we kick off the September ‘Stache Glasses Giveaway!
A little trip to Maryland for a family retirement party. Pretend it’s this past Saturday and your friend Jules is looking very cute overdressed in her lacy black dress…
Peppermeister (Husband Number Uno) and I headed down to Maryland in the morning and made great time – under 4 hours from western New Jersey.
We were staying overnight, but didn’t have time to check into the hotel first. No matter, because once at the party, I got to do one of my favorite things:
Drink Color.
I had to keep a safe distance from my other adorable nephew, who brought just one toy. Yes. A scorpion. The only thing I fear more than a world without cheese.
Everyone’s a comedian.
After the party, Peppermeister and I headed a little over 20 miles north to Baltimore to check into our hotel. We paid to park, and dragged our luggage (complete with cooler full of beer, natch) a long distance through the parking deck. We anticipated issues at the front desk, because Peppermeister and his dad have the same name.
Sure enough, they didn’t have us on record. Peppermeister called his parents, who had somehow gotten to the hotel before us, despite having left the party after us.
It all soon made sense, though.
Because we were at the wrong hotel.
We’d driven 20+ miles away from the party and the correct hotel because, like Peppermeister and his dad, both hotels had the same name.
We hauled everything all the way back to the parking deck, where this happened:
Thirty minutes later, when we walked into the RIGHT hotel lobby, Peppermeister’s family members greeted us with snickers.
“How was Baltimore?” they all chortled, one by one, as we passed. (“A gauntlet of chop-busting,” Peppermeister would later call it.) I shook my head warningly in Peppermeister’s general direction, and wondered how Second Husband would have handled this situation. Probably with a sense of humor. And a song and dance routine.
I made a mental note to recommit to finding Second Husband’s cell phone number.
We got to our room and changed into casual clothes. Where were we headed for dinner?
Baltimore! A few blocks from the “wrong” hotel!
Yes, I was still laughing. And no, Peppermeister was still not. Okay. Maybe a little.
In the end, we both had a lovely time, but I called it a night after dinner and drinks.
Peppermeister and I were sound asleep by 12:30.
Annnnd…
That’s when the fire alarm went off in our room and throughout the hotel.
We stumbled to get dressed and evacuate, but found out it was a false alarm (literally). Sound asleep once more, the alarm went off again, accompanied by a seizure-inducing strobe light.
By now it was clear the alarm system had gone Charlie Sheen. If we weren’t totally sure, we would be by 5:30am. Because the alarm would go on and off for the next five hours.
“This never would have happened if we’d stayed at the wrong hotel,” I said for the hundredth time, still finding it funny.
albums.
Go Jules Go 