Monday, December 8, 2008

250th POST PRIZE!!

This is my 250th Post. I've been blogging for almost a year and it's time to gift a faithful friend/stalker.

I want to see if I can break the 20 comments barrier and I'm bribing you, my faithful "readers" to show yourselves.

Please tell me which posts you enjoyed the most in the last year. Tell me WHY they're your favorite and if you brown-nose me enough . . .


I will be sending you a lovely box of CHOCOLATES from my Favorite Local Chocolatier (it's only 2 miles from my house, so it's not hard for me to make good on my promise!)

I know many of you are motivated by Chocolate, as am I.

So please, I want to know why you keep coming back to this blog, why you like reading it. Tell me your opinions so I can keep up the fun and excitement that is "THE SEVEN VILLAGE IDIARTS."

Thanks.You won't be disappointed. This Chocolate is worth the few minutes it will take you to share your opinions about my posts. I'll close this contest and choose a winner (or two) a week from today!

And if you're daring, I'll send you my favorite, the Red Velvet Almonds. Those will put some FIRE into your Christmas Prep!

31 comments:

Kristi said...

First! Wow.
My favorite posts were your bad habit confessions. It was a three part series and was hilarious. Comedy always wins the vote for me. I love a good laugh. Perhaps that is why I have become a loyal commenter. You make me laugh, I leave a comment.

You've got the wit sister- thanks for sharing it. That may be the reason you are able to put out a daily blog, because you have THAT many witty things to say. I only come up with something after a week or so.
Keep on blogging. I hope this feedback has been helpful, and I hope to have some delicious chocolate to eat in a week's time.

Anonymous said...

Well, this is the easiest contest I've ever tried! All my favorite posts are the ones you copied from ME!!

My favorite posts are always tags. I love to get to know people better and find out all about their secret lives in a non-threatening, casual (and sometimes downright silly) way. And then you get to spread the joy and rapture by passing it on!

I just love your silliness and wit and even though I have to wait 24 days, I would REALLY LOOK FORWARD to enjoying that luscious prize!!!

(Oh, and p.s. -- I got released from YW yesterday, so I could really use a pick me up!)

(p.p.s. -- and what do I have to do to still be able to come to camp?)

Michael Larsen said...

Yeah, I have to also go with the 20 worst habits of me posts, too. Those were awesome, and I enjoyed reading about them. Self deprecating humor is always a win, and it's something I strive for in what I write about.

As a "try to be daily blogger myself" I can appreciate the challenge that goes into it. I cheat a little bit, in that I write about a bunch of "writerly" topics to help fill in the gaps. Yours is entirely personal, and that's even more impressive, I think :).

Jennie said...

I'm really excited about this challenge! I love reading your blog because it's fun to get some insights into your life. I've always felt like I never really know any of my cousins very well, so I've loved reading your posts about growing up in Alaska, and the ones about your family. I spent several hours when I first found your blog, just reading things and getting to know you better. I just started blogging in September, so I've taken a lot of "lessons" from your blog. I love getting your comments on my blog. The internet is pretty amazing.

Brandan and Becky said...

I like your Alaska posts. Since I've only known you for a few years (and lovely years they have been), I've enjoyed hearing your back story.
By the way, thanks for the pasta. I'm not sure what occasion will be worthy of genuine Italian pasta with real Italian words on the label. What a treat!

Amber said...

Sarah, you are great. I have read your blog daily since I found it. I love the posts about your family. My favorite would be the sweet post about Ben, right before you guys left for vacation and he recieved a priesthood blessing. So sweet to see/hear the spirit working in our little ones lives.

Thanks for taking the time to post daily, sometimes its a great laugh and sometimes it a pick-me up. Thanks for the friendship.

Kari said...

Oh sweet Sarah, I love that you are bribing us with chocolate for comments, that is something Annie would do!! I love your blog because you are a hoot, and you just say it like it is! I also LOVED the Alaska Mocumentaries. I could look at you in a swimsuit all day long! Your cooky upbringing with the 40 foot snow, and library, and the house that was once a restaurant, who could not love that!

Also, big props to the new pics, you all look amazing!

Autumn said...

My favorite posts are by far any type of confessions, and it looks like I am not alone. Not only does your make-me-pee-my-pants-laughing sense of humor come out, but you admit things that a lot of us do or have done and it's so nice to know we are not alone! I also love that you take the time to include such a great assortment of pictures - including fun ones from back in the day (you made us all jealous with those muscle swim pics - all muscle and a teeny waist!). What can we say, I think we all aspire (okay or at least I do!) to have such an entertaining, wity, and honest blog as yours. Until then, we read and live vicariously! You are a hoot Sarah - thanks for always sharing.

PS - Good idea bribing your readers to come out into the open -my family always reads and never comments - argh!

Cherie said...

I love keeping track of your family. My girls like to see what your kids are up to. Taryn always remembers the fun times she had with Josh. Your family was such a great influince on my kids when we were in CP.
I love the Italy wedding and all the tags and bad habbits.

Your blog is my one conastant of keeping up with what is going on in CP.

I also love Lillie Belle. I'v only had 2 peices, but soooo good!

Kristi said...

I also love your blog because you are so pretty.

After reading all of the other comments I realized I better step it up. Flattery always works for me when making a decision about who is most worthy to receive chocolate.

Krystal said...

I loved your posts about Alaska, your 20 worst habits, and Briana's and Michael's weddings. Your posts always make me smile and laugh, and I love that you post everyday. It gives me something to look forward to reading daily! I enjoy getting to know you better, as well as your family, through your posts, stories, and pictures. I also love the sweet birthday tributes that you do for your family. Current pictures and baby pictures are so fun to see too! So, basically I love all your posts, AND I love all your comments that you leave me on my posts too! :) You are so sweet! Love you, Krystal

Nicole said...

Just another member of the "Sarah's Fan Club" here, ready to report! Since I was lucky enough to grow up along side of the Goold's in Valdez, Alaska I got to admire her all of my growing up years. I was best friends with her little sister Briana. Whenever I would go over to "play" I would suggest to Briana that we sneak into Sarah's room to peek at all her cool stuff. My favorite find was a collection of homemade earrings. They consisted of catalog cutouts glued to card stock and mounted on a post for your ears, the only ones I can remember are a watermelon slice. I am so curious if you ever wore them?

My mind is filled with all kinds of Sarah memories, I truly love you and am thankful I know such an amazing person. Now to my favorite blog you have submitted. It's not really about what you wrote in your blog its about when your Mom corrects you in her comments after she reads it. I love how our memories are somewhat vague and another family member will say, "no thats now how it happened, it was this way".

Whenever all five of us Wilson siblings get together I will ask my brothers questions about our childhood because I have such a terrible memory. We sit around and laugh about things and share our perspective of how it all happened.

So keep on blogging for our entertainment. I really am going to start a Sarah Fan Club one of these days!

Grandma Duffy said...

I don't need the chocolates but I do really look forward to your posts everyday. You are so entertaining and fun and yet you are so sweet and loving. I love getting to know you better and getting to know your family better. You are pretty amazing!

Leslie said...

My dear Sarah, how do I live thee? Let me count the ways:
1. I love your family birthday tributes. The old pictures are classic and great blackmail.
2. Your pictures and stories from Alaska - they made me actually want to take a trip there some day. With you as my guide of course.
3. The pictures from your sisters gorgeous Italian wedding - especially the one where they "took the plunge" into marriage.
4. I love seeing and hearing about the stories of your beautiful children. I'm having a hard time picking which one of them I want to marry one of mine.
5. I love you because you are like me: extremely beautiful, talented and a super mom. And most of the faults you listed in your 20 worst habits series make you the best mom in the world (once again- like me).
6. I love you more than chocolate - but a treat every now and then is nice. :)

Unknown said...

Sarah, I read your blog every day when I get home from work .... I used to be able to read it BEFORE I left for work ....but the time change messed that up...very frustrating!! : ) I too, enjoy how honest and real your blog is, how you can laugh at yourself, I loved the lists you made of your 20 "worst" habits..hysterical! I would do it too, but my list isnt nearly as funny and I would get too depressed! ha ha ha! I love your pictures, you have a beautiful family...it is wonderful to see how your Faith is such a part of your life and home...I know you are a blessing to those you serve. Even growing up in the same town, going to the same schools and our Dads working together, we never spent great amounts of time hanging out...so I enjoy learning about your childhood in our tiny town! I think after 250 posts you deserve to hear how much you brighten my day! love you! ~Tamara

suzy said...

You are definitely very witty. And you remind me a lot of myself. Not the witty part, but all the bad habits. Which I don't think are all that bad, but rather endearing, or at least that is what I tell myself. I loved your posts in Italy.

utmommy said...

I don't know if I could pick one favorite. I love your blog for many reasons. Let's see:
1. We're cousins
2. We were roomies
3. I love seeing pix of the kiddos
4. I love seeing pix of you
5. I love hearing about what's going on with the Idiart clan
6. You always make me laugh
7. I miss you guys and this is a way I can be a little informed on what's going on in your lives
8. ..and I could go on and on

I'm so glad you have a blog. It's been fun to keep up with you this way.

I'd love to win that chocolate. I'm a total chocolate lover!

Andrea said...

Congratulations on your 250th post!!! We should all send you chocolate for entertaining us on 250 seperate occasions! I do love your blog posts every day, but my favorites are the series. I don't even think it matters what the series is about (except the AK ones because I could show my friends where I grew up without actually taking the time to dig for pictures myself, so thanks!). I am going to rip off this idea from you (but I am not so sure I could get 20 comments on one post!) and that reminds me that I also really enjoyed the tutorials. Love you.

Lana said...

I love them all. It's so fun to peek at your life and feel like we are closer than the miles really allow.
But if I had to pick I would choose the Briana Wedding series, it was just like being there!

BTW, I'd just like to point out that the chocolates are monogramed with my initial and there fore.....

Aselya said...

Sister, Sarah, I love you blog because it gives me an opportunity to know news about your family. Every time I go to your blog I know that almost everyday there will be something new and entertaining. For people who live FAR away from you, it is the best way to keep up with your life. I can't say that I have favorite blog spot. Each of this blog spots make me to know your family better and I am grateful for that. Sometimes you blog spots inspire me and remind me about America.Please keep writing. Thank you

P.S You know I love chocolates :)
Aselya

Mandy said...

Do I break your 20 comment quota?? I hope so. I also hope you keep blogging because I read daily and feel so informed on all things Idiart and all things Oregon. Thanks for keeping me in the loop and giving us smiles and laughter everyday!

Jennie said...

Did I mention that I sometimes use your blog in my classroom? I used the italian blog to teach a little about european culture. I used pictures of your family to teach words like "cousin" and "uncle." I also used pictures of Alaska to teach the vocab word "snow." So, not only do I find your blog highly entertaining personally, it is serving as an educational tool as well. I should get bonus points for that, right?

Anonymous said...

wow- I want to get in on this too... I told Kari once after I started reading your blog that I could tell you and I have similar personalities because of the way you write. You obviously love your kids and hubby, but come on the mother needs attention too. That's why my favorite part of your blog is the subscript of your title. "All about me, me, me, me, etc..."--- soooooo funny and I can totally relate:)

Heather said...

Congratulations on 250!!! Thats amazing!!! Next year are you going to try to do one per day??? You almost made it...trying to choose a favorite post of yours would be hard, quite honestly I love all of them. To be honest I check your blog daily cause I never get to see you or your beautiful family enough. Its amazing to see how much they grow day by day. But I guess if I had to choose, I would choose "my longest running friendship". It's amazing how brothers and sisters relationships grow, I mean growing up some days you totally hate your sibling and the older you grow, the closer you get.(Plus I just like seeing the older pics of you and your bro)!!!

Elaine Goold said...

Chocolate!!!! Well, I love correcting you (Thanks for the vote, Nicole!), but my favorite posts are the Italian ones because I didn't take my camera and so the only photos I have of Italy are the ones you took and I love showing the beautiful photos you took of Briana and Sem to everyone. They think a professional photographer must have taken them! I get a lot of compliments from them that I am supposed to pass on to you, but I forget! So here they are: "Wow, tell your daughter she is a great photographer! These photos are gorgeous!" etc. etc.

But I also love your birthday and anniversary tributes and your Alaskan mockumentaries! They are a hoot!

melaska said...

Hi Sarah...this is Tamara's mom, Melinda. I've only read bits & pieces so I really don't qualify to take part in the contest but I do want to let you know that you have a very unique & real blog - one that we can 'believe' ya know? No sugar coating - except the candy for the winner! ;) I enjoyed seeing the pictures of your parents - the one of your dad in front of the fountain in Rome (was it?) - what a crack up! Like Tam said, even though we all lived in the same town & didn't really get to hang out - it's fun now to make up for lost time & reconnect!

I wish so much that we had had this technology when I was raising my 4 kids & a husband...the guilt I experienced for not writing tomes & libraries of 'labeled' pictures for each child! Blogging sweeps away that guilt for your generation...you can have fun and leave a legacy for your children. No more guilt for not writing more in the baby book! :)

God bless & keep on bloggin!

Autumn said...

I just wanted to add that despite my recent "sweet tooth extraction", I would still LOVE to try those chocolates (it would just be my one sweet for the week - see how great this works?). I read your blog every morning while I am pretending to be on my way to the shower (I am writing this wrapped up in a towel...I really am on my way there!) so I can have a happy outlook for the day. I want to develop the ability to laugh at the insanity of being a mom and you do it so well I am hoping it will rub off!

So there. I love your blog more than blow drying my hair (because that's what time I am using right now). Next time my hair is not looking so cute, you will know it was a worthwhile sacrifice!

Anna said...

Hmmm how can I pick a favorite? I'm gonna have to go with the Alaska Mockumentary series. Makes me laugh out loud!

Cindy and Robert said...

I love love love your posts about alaska. I too am an Alaskan so it really brings back memories. You have such a great wit and are an amazing writer that I always get so excited at a new alaska post.....THanks for sharing your stories with us.

Steph said...

LOL .. The last thing I would need was chocolate .. lol .. I need to put a running tracker on my blog like you have done to try to motivate me!! I like all your posts .. you write very well and it's fun to read them!

Merry Christmas!!

Cherie said...

I just want to add, that I will be in Medford at Christmas, so IF you happen to choose ME, you could save on shipping, and I could come for a visit and pick up my goodies too.