Just "reply"

OK. I'm going to vent for a few minutes.

I have several (many) pet peeves, but there's one that just sends me over the edge every time - and that's when people don't respond to email.

I mean really.
How difficult is it to hit "reply" and type up a quick response when somebody sends you an email that obviously DESERVES A RESPONSE?

If I send you an email that poses a question (or two or three) it is COMMON COURTESY to reply. In a timely manner. You know, within 24 hours or less. 

I don't care if you don't have the "right" answer - just respond with ANY answer. Tell me that things are still progressing. Or things are at a standstill for some unforeseen reason. Or tell me to quit sending you emails.

Just reply.
It's the proper thing to do.

Happy Thanksgiving ... and a Global Resort Homes giveaway!

As most of my faithful readers know, my vacation destination of choice is Orlando, Florida. On any given day you can find me on Twitter or Facebook lamenting the fact that I'd rather be at the Walt Disney World Resort or wishing I was moving to Orlando. What can I say? That city feels like "home" to me.

Now, in all the years I've been visiting Walt Disney World and staying overnight, I've always stayed "on property." My "home away from home" has always been at Walt Disney World.

This is going to change in February 2012.

For the first time ever, I'll be staying OFF property, in a Global Resort Homes vacation home!

To say I'm excited would be a bit of an understatement. I'll be sharing the space with two very dear friends Kristen, a.k.a. @DVCMom (The DVC Mom), and Jackie, a.k.a. @jjzmgailey (Jackie's Magical Moments)- and we're going to be running (a.k.a. WALKING) the Royal Family 5K during the Walt Disney World Princess Half-Marathon weekend!

Whew.
I'm tired just from writing that paragraph.

Back to Global Resort Homes. You really need to check out their website to see the amazing townhomes, condos, and vacation homes that could be your "home away from home" during a trip to Orlando.

Your choices range from two-bedroom upscale condos to seven-bedroom luxury homes! And, there are nine distinctive resort communities to choose from when you stay in a Global Resort Home - all conveniently located close to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and the Orlando Convention Center. Each home is maintained and managed by Global's staff - and there is on-site personnel in the communities, to assist you with any needs you might have while in your vacation home.

And, just to entice you a little more: "Unlike traditional hotel rooms and Orlando hotel properties that offer minimal accommodations and amenities, vacation homes in Orlando offer the added space and functionality that can make all the difference in the world. Numerous bathrooms, fully-furnished kitchens, spacious living areas complete with large screen TVs, game rooms and private screened-in pools and spas all promise to enhance your Orlando vacation." (from the Global Resort Homes website)

Now, here's the really, really exciting part of this blog post.

Kristen, Jackie, and I are thrilled to announce that we are hosting a contest over our three blogs for a 7 NIGHT STAY in a four bedroom or larger vacation home, with a pool!

Yes.
You did read that right.
You could win a seven night stay.
In a luxury vacation home.
In Orlando.

Are you excited yet?
(I know you are!)

There are a few rules you must read, before entering the contest:
1. Not available to anyone who has won a prize with Global in the past 6 months, active/inactive Global staff, or affiliated companies.
2. Prizes are not transferable.
3. Entrants MUST be 25 years of age or older.
4. Black out dates apply - March, April, June, July of 2012, and December 20, 2012-January 4, 2013.
5. Valid for stays completed by December 20, 2012.
6. Prize is valid for a 7 night stay in a Global Resort Home, 4 bedroom or larger, with a pool, based on availability.
7. Actual property will not be guaranteed until 2 weeks prior to travel; however, once dates are chosen, winners WILL be guaranteed a home.

And now for the RULES!

You must enter using the Rafflecopter form below. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. (Be sure to click "read more" below to find the Rafflecopter entry form!!!).

This contest runs from November 24 through December 24. Winner will be announced on December 25! What a great Christmas gift!

You can find Global Resort Homes on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclaimer: Global Resort Homes is sponsoring our stay in February. No other compensation was received for this post. All opinions are mine.

JAWS a review ... and a giveway!

So, let's talk cleaning house, OK?

I don't mind cleaning most rooms in my house - probably because I'm cleaning counter tops in the kitchen every day (it's a mild obsession) or busting out the hardwood floor sweeper twice a day (two dogs, two kids, one cat = major hairballs).

But, I dread cleaning certain rooms in my house - namely the bathroom. I have an aversion to cleaning toilets, I can't lie. I usually reserve that job for my darling husband - you know, 'in sickness and in health and oh by the way you get to clean the toilets for the next 50 years."

However, I was lucky enough to get a cleaning kit recently that might have me rethinking the "no scrubbing toilets" rule.

Have you heard of the JAWS - "Just Add Water System" - products?
No?
Well today is YOUR lucky day.

JAWS is manufactured RIGHT HERE in Toledo (yay for local products!!) - so of course I jumped at the chance to try them out. And let me tell you...I think I'm in love. With cleaning products.

What is JAWS?
"JAWS cleaners are super-concentrated to work on your toughest household tasks yet they are kinder to the environment. The reusable spray bottles and refill cartridges of concentrated cleaners reduce plastic waste, conserve resources and save you money." (borrowed right from the product brochure, fyi)

These products are so easy to use - you just fill the reusable spray bottle with water, insert the cartridge, twist on the sprayer and VOILA!...you're ready to clean.

The first product I used was the Glass & Hard Surface cleaner and it wowed me. It said "streak free" and it means it! I think I used it on every glass surface in my house - doors, windows, mirrors. You name it...if it was glass, I cleaned it. And there were NO streaks after. Amazing. I also liked the cleaning power of the Bathroom Cleaner/Deodorizer (great on those toilet seats!) and the Multi-Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser (really gets that nasty gunk off the top of the stove vents).

What do I love about these products?
1. I can reuse the bottles with the refill cartridges - it's recycling!
2. The cartridges and starter kits are reasonably priced - it's economical!
3. They don't have a harsh chemical smell, which is nice. I don't like feeling asphyxiated when I'm cleaning.
4. Oh, and did I mention the "streak free" windows and glass?

I know you want to try it....

And now I have some good news for those of you in the Toledo area: From now through November 27, all four JAWS products are being offered at a special promotional price (starter kits $4.49, recyclable refill cartridges $3.49) at these Toledo and Findlay area stores:

- The Anderson's (Maumee, Toledo, and Northwood) - Kazmaier's (Perrysburg and Toledo) - Sautters (Sylvania and Waterville) - Schorling's (Toledo - both stores - Bancroft and Stickney Ave.) - Walt Churchill's (Maumee and Perrysburg) - Brinkman's (Findlay)

For a full list of where to find JAWS products, click here.

But wait! There's more! (for everyone!)

One lucky reader is going to WIN a JAWS cleaning kit! The kit will include a full bottle each of the Glass & Hard Surface Cleaner, the Multi-Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser, the Bathroom Cleaner/Deodorizer, and the Disinfectant Cleaner/Degreaser. Each bottle comes with one refill (the Disinfectant comes with two refills!

For a chance to win the JAWS cleaning kit all you need to do is leave a comment telling me what area of your house you hate to clean AND include your email address. (If you don't include your email address, I can't contact you if you win!). That's it. Easy peasy. The contest is open until 11:59 p.m., November 27, 2011. The winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. I will contact the winner via email in order to get their home mailing address.

Good luck!

(Check out JAWS on Twitter and Facebook too!)

UPDATE: Nov. 28 - Comment #2 (Diane) is the winner (chosen randomly using Random.org). I have contacted her via email. Thanks for entering and reading my blog!

Disclaimer: I received a full JAWS cleaning kit to use and review as part of this blog post. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yeah. I need a swift kick in the pants.

Yeah.
A swift kick in the butt.
At least when it comes to this blog.

I'm sorry but lately...in the past two weeks...I have not felt like blogging.
At all.

I haven't had anything witty to write.
I've just been feeling snarky and cranky, and grumpy.
And those three things mixed together do not lead to great blog posts.

As it is, sitting around the house being a total crank isn't getting me anywhere.
In fact, it's just making me feel worse.

So....
I'm back.
I'll be blogging here again.

In fact, I'll be posting a really cool giveaway later today.
And I'll be blogging about another totally amazing contest later this week with two of my very dear friends. (Trust me when I say you DO NOT want to miss that one).

And, I'll be blogging about life again too.
Even if things aren't going my way at all right now.

Have blog, will use it.

Thanks for being patient with me.

Once in a lifetime day

11-11-11 ... a date that only happens every 100 years.
That's pretty cool, in my humble opinion.

So, my head is clear ... more so than yesterday.
I cried all the tears I could muster.

Yes, I didn't get the dream job I've wanted for 10 years.
I see that as their loss.
They have no idea what they are missing by not hiring me.
And someone else will be lucky enough to add me to their staff.

As for the other bad news yesterday, I have this to say:
I will prevail.
You lied.
Again.
Liars don't win.
Karma will find you.
And Karma doesn't like liars.

The truth always prevails.
And I'm nothing if not brutally honest.

Today is a new day.
A 'once in a lifetime' kind of day.
And I'm running with that.
Good news might not happen today, but I'm not giving up hope.

11-11-11.
Here's to hope and luck and truth.

Terrible Thursday

Remember on Monday when I wrote about "potentially" good news?

Yeah, well it wasn't good news.

I just got rejected for a job that I've wanted for more than a decade.
They "really liked me" but "were fortunate enough to have a very talented pool" from which to choose.

They liked me enough to call all my references last week.
Guess that wasn't enough.

Oh, and then I got more bad news.

And I'm sure my former employer - the devil and her minions - are celebrating today.
That celebration will be short lived however, because unlike THEM, I intend to tell the truth.
And the truth will win in the end.

Today has been one of the worst days I've had in a very, very long time.
I don't think I've cried this much in YEARS.
I feel completely defeated.

So I guess this must be what rock bottom feels like.

Manic Monday

Hey would you look at that?

I haven't blogged in a week.

Typical.

Anyway...last week was one of those crazy-in-a-good-way kind of weeks. I had an AMAZING interview on Monday. Then we had a great Halloween with the kids, family, and friends. And then I found out more potentially good news on Wednesday. And Friday, the girls and I had a mommy/daughter day - lunch and then the movies (since Liv had a day off school).

All in all the week was good.

Granted, the "potentially" good news didn't turn into anything more than that (yet)...but my fingers (and toes) are crossed.

Today is a different story.
I'm not sure if it's the gloomy weather or the PMS...but I'm feeling 'off.'

I'm on edge.
I feel anxious....sort of jumping out of my skin.
Still waiting to hear something, anything about my "potential" good news.
Have something important to do Wednesday.
And then something totally and utterly annoying and frustrating that I have to deal with tomorrow.

It's making me rather snarky, to be honest.
I mean snarkier than normal.

Case in point - I just paid an unnecessary tax "penalty" to the City of Toledo.
In the subject line on the check I wrote "morons."

Yeah, I went there.
But I'm annoyed with the city.
Very annoyed.

They sent me a notice waaaaayyyy back in September that I owed them $58.29 as an abatement because I failed to pay any estimated payments on my 2010 City of Toledo taxes. Well, there's a good reason for that - (1) I was under the [mistaken] impression that my employer at the time [idiots] was taking city taxes out of my paycheck - they were NOT; and (2) I hadn't worked IN the city since 2005, therefore I had nothing to base my estimates on.

All of this was explained to the city tax department by my CPA (twice!) via letters - and, of course, the city ignored the letters and just kept sending me notices for this $58.29. Finally it was decided that I should just pay because the tax department is too stupid to understand the reason why I shouldn't have to pay.

So, today I wrote a very snarky letter to the tax department telling them how moronic they are and I sent my payment with that letter ... and in the subject line of the check is the word "morons."

Ah, yes...it is probably childish....but I felt much better.

Here's hoping for a calmer Tuesday.
Unlikely, but one can hope.