1,000 visits Giveaway

So I've been tracking unique visits to my site using SiteMeter for about 15 months. I've watched those numbers tick up and up and I am SOCLOSE to 1,000 visits. I know 1,000 visits in 15 months is measly for some of the bloggers out there. I'm sure I'm one of thousands that DAILY visit several of my favorite blogs. But 1,000 visits is big to me, so I'm celebrating.(And I've set it to not track my own visits, so no, that's not just me clicking on the site to up my stats) Hopefully this giveaway will push me over the edge.

I wanted to save my first giveaway for a special occasion. I think this warrants it. This also coincides with my first significant check from eBates, guess where that money is going? That's right. To you.

I was trying to think of an amazing prize to giveaway and everything kept pointing back to gift cards. Then I started thinking where I would give away a gift card to. I was worried about localization (does everyone have an Anthropologie or Home Goods?) and was over thinking the whole thing. Since this giveaway is not sponsored (except by my wallet), I'll just do an American Express Gift Card to the lucky winner. That way you can spend it on ANYTHING you want! (As long as they take AmEx). I can also purchase through eBates, to get my next check started off on a good note.

$50 American Express Gift Card to the lucky winner.

How to enter:
The giveaway will be closed at midnight, EST, on February 14, 2011. I'll choose the winner with random.org and announce the winner on February 15. Good luck everybody!!!

1. One entry if you leave a comment below. Say hello. Tell me what you'd do with 50 bucks.Don't forget to include your email address if it's not included in your comment profile.

2. One additional entry if you Follow my blog. Not on your Reader, but on the actual blog. If you are already a follower, leave a comment saying that.

3. One additional entry if you Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure you include @kimrally in your tweet or it doesn't count. Come back and leave a comment that you tweeted.

4. Another additional entry if you blog about the giveaway. Come back, leave a comment with a link to your blog.


Let's get the traffic moving my way and the next 1,000 visits will hopefully be quicker than the first!

Thanks for stopping by and reading so often!!!! I can't wait to hear from everyone!

Ape House - Chapters 1-12

Our online, blogger bookclub, is reading Ape House by Sara Gruen, the author of Water For Elephants. I'm only 12 chapters in and I LOVE it. So good. Below are my answers to the questions for the first 12 chapters. SPOILER ALERT. If you plan to read this book, which you should, stop reading here!!!!!

Alright, now that we got that out of the way....

I immediately fell into love with this book. I can't wait to see where it goes. I had to make myself stop reading last night so that I could finish weekend chores and so I didn't finish the book in one sitting.

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans? I didn't see this concept as too far fetched. I think that they are probably closer to us genetically that we think they are. I know ASL has been taught to some primates, probably the extent of their language skills was the most surprising. The fact that they could be asked to accept or reject visitors, order food, etc was a little far out there, but it's fiction, we'll just roll with it. I have no doubt that animals can express emotions and the fact that they can actually vocalize (by signing) their feelings would create a unique bond between the bonobos and their caretakers.

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two? I think that she meant that the apes don't think that being human is better than being ape. They are living a pretty sweet life, getting taken care of in a controlled environment with humans that genuinely love and care for them more than just a science project. I don't think that they are envious of the people around them for BEING human. This could maybe be similar to boys know they are boys and that girls are girls, but one is not better than the other.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out? I was guessing from the beginning, based on how John described his day with Isabel, that he was into it more than just platonically. And then we found out he has a wife. A wife that he cares for. But he can't get Isabel off his mind. I think that they will have a romantic relationship, I would be surprised if they didn't at least slip up and share a kiss.

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken? I think she will track them down and try to rescue them from their new owners. It was heartbreaking that the University would just sell them off at the first sign of trouble, especially after having put so much time, money, effort, and personnel into the project.

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center? No, I think it would be too obvious if she is. Although, it would only be one step deeper to show alternative motives. I like Isabel a lot, I think that if she believes that Celia is innocent, she may be right. I will be sad if she turns out to be involved.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda? I think John is having a rough go of it right now. At a time where his wife seems to be in a depression, he meets this new girl, Isabel. By the time he gets home, Amanda has a turn of events that may be her key to getting her life back on track. Now that he's already let his thoughts and emotions consider Isablel, he's torn between getting his wife back and the new girl. I hope he sticks with his wife, supports her, and they turn out OK. 

What are your initial impressions of the book? Love it? Hate it? Think it's ridiculous and over the top? I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks!

A new month, new goals

So starting in February I'm trying a new tactic at achieving some of my annual goals. I decided to make a visual reminder, paper chain links to be torn down as steps are made to making the certain goal.

I've made four chains. Three for monetary goals and one for my weight loss goal. I'm hoping to have a HUGE dent in these chains by the end of the year, with at least two of them GONE.

I took some pics of me with the chains so you can see what I'll be chipping away at all year. I really got dressed up for ya'll. Wet hair, PJs, just for you guys.

Since one of these is a weight loss goal, lets consider these before pics, cause I look TERRIBLE.

Up first, the weight I want to lose. Each link represents 3 pounds. My starting weight will be what I weighed in on January 1. I've already gotten to take down two links, almost three. Well on my way!!!!

This one is our credit card debt. I plan to reduce this one by at LEAST 3 links per month. I figured if I could take links off for smaller amounts, I could see the progress quicker and stay motivated. This one will be GONE by the end of the year.

Up next, our down payment fund. This just represents the difference between what we have and what we'd LIKE to have to put a much more sizeable amount down. Again, hopefully we can knock a couple out a month. Who knows.....

And here is the final chain. It's taller than I am! This one represents the difference between what we own and what we can sell the condo for without bringing any money to the table. This will be the toughest one to get down, but again, wanted to make the links in small enough increments that we'll see results.

Here are where the links will live. On the bedroom closet door. I'll see them several times a day and be reminded of what we're working towards. As I see the chains disappearing, I'll get more and more motivated to keep it up. When they are all gone, that's when we can get back on track to buy a house.

Here's the kicker. I also made some black links. These will be ADDED to the chains if we start going the wrong direction. If I gain the weight back, if credit card balances go up instead of down.

I'll take some pics as the year goes on to see what progress is being made.

How do you track your goals and stay motivated throughout the year?

the new addition

So after the Sofa Debacle of 2010 (where we got a little tipsy at brunch and bought a new sofa that we didn't need) and all the old furniture was gone, there was quite a bit of time with just the new couch, nothing else in the living room. I had sold the coffee table since it was too big for our space, sold the arm chair that had matched the old sofa and we were left with just a sofa with nothing else.

I started scouring the interwebs looking for just the chair and coffee table or ottoman to put in the room. Lo and behold, I found just the perfect chair at Target of all places. All of the furniture I had seen in stores has seemed to be very college dorm room. When I was looking online, I was a little weary of what the quality would be like. The chair I wanted happened to be 15%, plus free shipping, and I got 6% cash back from ebates. With a deal like that I pulled the trigger and ordered. Hubs unpacked and assembled it before I even got home.

I walked into the house to find my new love.

The color is fantastic with our green walls, but isn't so bold that it over powers the room. The added seating was also a bonus. Now the sofa doesn't look so lonely.

We also got a couple other items from Target that I am absolutely smitten with. 

A little blurry, but this is the Chesapeake Dining Buffet

And the Falls Village Nightstand, I can't get a picture of it, but check out the link.

These two items were a little time consuming to put together, but totally worth it. I love them, and I love that they are from Target even more.

Next up on the search list, the perfect coffee table or ottoman. I'd really like an over sized storage ottoman, we'll see what I can find.

Do you have any go to places for online furniture shopping?

because it's been a while

It won't be anywhere near snowmageddon 2010, but we're in the midst of what will probably be our biggest snowfall of the year. Hubs called me at about 2:45 to say "leave work now, it's BAD out there" I got home a little after 4. I work three miles away. Everything is a disaster here, haven't seen a plow yet and we have about 6 inches on the ground already. So for your viewing pleasure.....

my first video on YouTube!!!!

2011 won't be the year ....

we buy a house.

There I've said it. As eager as we were to move, I doubt that it'll be happening anytime soon. After meeting with our agent in December and going over the comps in our neighborhood, there is no way we can sell our condo without taking a HUGE loss. We don't have money to be losing. So we'll stick it out until we can get a little closer to the selling price. I don't think that means a couple months, I think that means a year or more. Sad.

We would need about 3 times what we had in cash reserves to be able to sell, paying sellers agent fees, and buy with a meager down payment and closing costs.

I'll still be looking at houses on the market and I'm sure we'll still be doing open houses, but unless there is a ridiculous deal out there, we won't be buying.

I was just too stressed with paying down the house, credit cards, while also saving cash to take to closing. Trying to be so frugal and cheap was really stressing me out and stressing hubs out. We want to be able to live our lives, and staying in the condo isn't the end of the world. It's just not preferable.

Yes, rates will go up. Home prices will go up. But we just can't buy right now, unless we win the lottery.

In the meantime, we'll be paying down the mortgage to try to bridge the gap of where we are and what we can sell for. We'll continue to increase the cash reserves so when the time comes, we are ready with down payment and closing costs to buy. But really, the stress level is lifted and we can relax and just enjoy whatever 2011 brings us.

and maybe i'll be wrong and we do win the lottery.

Happy 2011!!!!

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I hope everyone had a fun New Year's Eve! We have really taken it easy the past couple of years. This year we did dinner out with friends and then headed home to play Just Dance 2 until Snookie dropped in the ball.

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I'm not usually one to make resolutions, but I really need to get some things done this year! What a better motivator than tell everyone online what I intend to accomplish this year.

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First up, I'd like to get all of my CDs uploaded to my itunes. I can then start selling some at yardsales or just donating. Get that clutter out of my house!

Along the same lines, I'd like to purchase an external hard drive to back up all of those uploaded songs. I have so much music and so many pictures that only exist on one computer that I would hate to lose should a crash occur. Eventually I'd like to purchase a new computer as well, but that may be more than 2011 can handle already.

The next goal is to get rid of our credit card debt. I've gotten down to zero several times, and as soon as we get there, EMERGENCY! and we have to rack up the debt. The slippery slope is then started and once a big purchase is made on the credit cards, a tank of gas, a lunch out, or a new sweater just doesn't seem like a big deal, but that stuff adds up quick. Since we are trying to get approved for a home loan, we have to get that debt to credit ratio down. I've been slowly chipping away at it in 2010, but I think we can knock it out once and for all this year.

Finally, as cliche` as it is, I need to get on the Fit Train this year and get serious about losing some lbs. I'm starting Weight Watchers again and making hubs do it with me for a while. I think with both of us on board, we'll be able to get the momentum rolling quickly. We did the official weigh in this morning (YIKES) and started the year with a sensible breakfast. It'll also be back to the gym and maybe finding some dough to do personal training again. I'll be one of those resolution folks that all of the avid gym goers hate. Too bad for them.

There are a number of other things I'd like to do over the year, but these are the biggies. Hopefully this will give me plenty to blog about and get back online!!!

What are you resolving to do this year?