It’s the sixth night of Hanukkah, and Smart Bitches gave to me… the Extrava-Hanukkah Giveaway of great simplicity!
Sometimes you just need books, and maybe some things to read with.
Whatever you need, we’ve got you covered: today’s giveaway is….
A $100 Amazon gift certificate!Â
That’s easy enough, right?
Here’s how to enter: leave a comment below and tell us something good you learned this past year. Maybe it’s a new author, or a new skill, or a Very Important Lesson suitable for a Very Special Episode of Blossom? Whatever it is, tell us about a good thing you learned, and you’re entered to win!
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 years of age and ready to shop though there’s no need to stop, drop or roll. We’re all safe here. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Comments will close at or near 12pm ET on Friday 30 December 2016 and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Good luck and thank you for being here!Â
Update: The winner is Sue Rice, who learned some pretty powerful things this year.
Here’s to more learning and growing in 2017!
This year, I learned that I really had a bad luck when it came to giveaways since I never got anything :”)
I learned that I am ready to take the leap and write my own romance novel!
Roll with the punches. It’s been a weird year filled with a lot of challenges, but I’ve learned to move with the changes and find a way to move forward. It’s taken a long time, but I finally get it. Still, I will be happy when 2017 gets here.
This year I learned that being 57 and newly divorced opens me up to all sorts of things–graduate school (finally!), better relationship with my teenage daughter, more genuine joy and laughter, and a sense of finally becoming myself again.
This year I learned a LOT about feral cats.
This year, I learned how to comfortably spend time with myself. Still haven’t worked out how to effectively cook for one person though.
I learned ways to keep myself going, which I needed and which I’m happy I tried
I learned that I’m not fighting every battle myself; that there are good and true people out there who are battling, tooth and claw, with me. I learned that there are very, very smart folks out in the world, reading and talking about the art and music and books we all love, and incredibly committed to making it better (for POC, for trans folks, for the disabled community…for everyone).
I’ve learned that change is scary but sometimes necessary
I learned how to use a sewing machine.
I learned that losing your job is not the end of the world and can potentially be the best thing for you.
I learned that I’m enough. It’s been a very good year.
I rediscovered non-SFF YA this year; Girl Mans Up, Style, The Other Side of Home, and 3 were all great. (I also truly learned why people use spacers of some kind in the not-yet-woven threads on a loom.)
I learned how to bounce back. From disappointment, from setback, from things not going the way I’d hoped. There was a lot of this year, on many fronts, and the world didn’t end any of those times. In fact, I found new direction in every instance. It’s a lesson I’d really like to hold on to.
This year I finally learned to say “no” sometimes, and that I don’t have to feel guilty about it when I do. It has been glorious.
I learned how to cable knit (inspired by a pattern posted on this very website!), and have knitted several pairs of arm warmers with a lovely cable pattern for friends and family for Christmas.
This year I learned that I have the power to change my own life – I can ask for and work for the things I want.
I learned that it’s OK to let some things and some people go. My control over situations never was, should or will be absolute.
I learned more about canine fitness, and earned my CCFT through the University of Tennessee. It was hard to finish up the coursework given that I got a full-time job in the middle, but I persevered and made it! I’m very proud of that!
I learned that turning on local news just in time to catch the weather forecast and then turning it off was the key to staying sane this year.
That better work-life balance makes *everything* better. 🙂
I’ve learned never to say, “That could never happen.”
I learned basic two color knitting!
I am still learning how to effectively handle grief and how to let go of things and save memories.
I learned how to crochet this year 🙂
Well…
Sort of.
Grandma taught me a long time ago but now I can crochet cute stuff and it is so nice and relaxing! <3
I learned that doing the hard thing is painful for yourself and others but ultimately worth doing.
I learned how to take a break. I deleted Facebook for awhile and I read from my long TBR instead of checking the news every hour. It was so nice!
My 2016 lesson: to live and love in the here and now, being grateful — and truly happy — for every single day! [My sweet husband was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer last month. 2016 truly sucks.]
I learned that even though I’m an introvert’s introvert, I really have more fun at conferences and conventions when I volunteer, present, and otherwise get really super involved. And as a result I’ve started volunteering a lot more!
This year was HARD, and I learned I can (w/ God’s help) survive the hard.
I learned that a favorite author is starting a brand new Gothic romance series starting in 2018!! Yay!
I’ve learned that it can be okay not to care what others think of you. While I don’t always practice this lesson, I do try to keep it in mind!
Just this morning, I learned how to order replacement parts from Lego in the event that your daughter’s DC Superhero Girls Batgirl Batjet is missing something, you can contact them and order the replacement part. It’s a whole new world!
Seriously, I know this should have occurred to me before, but there you go.
I learned that you just have to just keep on swimming, no matter how bad things get.
As a new homeowner, I learned to fix my own toilet!
This year I learned that saying I need help doesn’t hurt me. I have to advocate for myself.
I learned so many things this year, but I’m going to go light and say that I learned to read a knitting pattern! And that everyone in my house is happier when I let myself sit down each night and put that skill to use and thus retain some sanity.
I’ve been hired to proofread (and light editing) a doctoral thesis and I’ve learned that I love being a grammar geek!
I learned deep breathing which really helps wth my anxiety.
I learned how to crochet!