It’s the fifth night of Hanukkah tonight!
And we have another giveaway to share with you.
Like I said when we started, each night includes items for comfort, warmth, reading, maybe some writing, and also creating a welcoming reading space for yourself.
Tonight we have something soft, something clever, and something for reading!
First, a Kindle, Wi-Fi with Special Offers:
Winner’s choice of black or white – woo hoo!
Plus, a typewriter pillow! How cute is that? You can use it for reading, typing practice, and relaxing time:
And, since maybe you want to write down your brilliant ideas, brilliant thoughts, or brilliant future works, a journal:
Yup, it does indeed say Fucking Brilliant on the cover. Because you ARE.
Ready to enter? Just leave a comment and tell us the best idea you’ve had lately. Was it to skip work and read at home? Carpool early so you don’t have to drive later? Share your brilliance, and you’re entered to win!
Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents were permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to wow yourself and those in your immediate vicinity with your outstanding brain works. Absolutely your brain is a smart and clever brain. Comments will close Sunday 17 December at or near 12pm ET, and winner will be announced shortly afterward.
Good luck, Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches!
WINNER UPDATE: And the winner of night five of our Hanukkah-palooza is lorieo828! Check your email inbox and spam folders shortly!
My best idea lately was starting an online fundraising auction (via Facebook) to help a dear friend facing some very steep vet bills trying to save her dog. Jack Russell people tend to lend a paw to each other. <3
Best idea lately was to ditch work to go to the Star Wars Double Feature Thursday night!
My best idea was to use my new-to-me slow cooker to make soup. I make excellent soup.
I would like to head to a cabin in the mountains the day after Christmas and stay for the rest of the week. It’s been a busy and stressful couple of months. No, really stressful 2 years. I wanted to skip the various Christmas day family get togethers and spend Christmas in a cabin with just my husband and dog. But, that was vetoed, so day after Christmas it is.
After much fretting over what to give my friend’s children for Hanukah it occured to me that I loved coloured pencils as a kid, so I each gave them a pack and they LOVED it. Best idea recently. And a reminder that sometimes it’s the simple things.
To finally get my library card after moving to a new city nine months ago. I can’t drive so it took some finagling. The ebook selection is pretty slim compared to the tiny town where I was but there’s a ton of audio books.
My best idea lately was to finally go and get my library card updated so I can check out ebooks again! It’s been helping me hide my wallet so that I can spend money on Christmas presents!
My best recent idea was to volunteer to lead my library’s book club. I need to meet new people in my town and read more diverse books and that’s a great way to do both.
The best idea I had lately was making sure I had all the gifts ready for packaging/mailing so I didn’t have to stand in the big long line at the post office!
Couldn’t skip work, but I did manage to sneak out a little earlier just for the hell of it.
Instead of going on a vavation (the vacation planning stressed me out beyond reason), I will take a day or two at a local hot spring resort. Since that will have to wait until next year: christmas baking tomorrow for friends and family.
I wish I could say I did something amazing, but my idea was a purely selfish one to try to help me function a bit better.
I have terrible insomnia, so I decided I should try to make the environment more conducive. I got new pillows, lavender linen spray, blankets, tiny bedside lamp, and white noise machine. (Mattress is next.) I won’t say my problems are solved since I often still toss and turn until my alarm tells me I have to get up to go to work after little or no sleep, but when/if I do fall asleep, it’s glorious.
Not a best idea: Hey, Susan, I had terrible insomnia too, which led to me getting mildly addicted to zzquil (it is too addictive, at least psychologically). My best idea was getting off that stuff.
Anyway, lifestyle things that have helped include: No caffeine after noon, no sugar after 6, and no electronics for 1 hour before bed. In Also, I try to get to the gym regularly as a general stress burner. All that has helped. Good luck!!
My best idea this year was to get into meal prep. I wake up ridiculously early every morning, so a trip to the supermarket on Saturday and a couple of hours on Sunday morning saved me a ton of money and gave me the peace of mind of knowing I didn’t have to scramble around when I got home from work. It also saved me from a lot of empty calories from hitting the drive-through if I was too beat to think of supper or simply munching my way through a box of crackers because I couldn’t be bothered. Bonus: clean-up is usually a plate, container and a couple of utensils.
My best idea lately is to use my reward points on gift cards for the holidays since I’m so terrible at deciding what to buy.
My best idea lately was to adopt a puppy! Finn made our house way more lively and keeps my older dog young at heart. We couldn’t imagine our family without him now.
I decided to make calligraphy bookmarks for a friend who doesn’t eat candy because carbs.
My best idea recently was to *not* take the replacement bus when the trains weren’t running. People were waiting over an hour in the rain for the replacement buses. I was on a tram within 5 minutes.
To binge watch The Family Cooking Showdown on Netflix! Co-hosted by Nadia from the GBBO! Only problem – I was left so hungry!
The best idea I’ve had recently was to go into work early and be proactive in getting some work done ahead of time. I ended with some extra time on my hands and managed to snag some Christmas treats that was gone in the blink of an eye!!!
My best idea lately was to join the Bad Decisions Book Club and stay up until 1 am because I didn’t want to quit reading Cat Sebastian’s newest. I regret nothing!
Speaking of insomnia, I decided to stay up Friday morning instead of just lying in my toasty bed. I took a chance by showing up at the dealer service department to deal with a recall. I was the first customer, but they were booked solid as is usual for Fridays and Saturdays. The first tech wasn’t due for another 30 minutes, but they added me in as a work-around. Turns out the three people scheduled for 8am didn’t start arriving until nearly 8:20. I got my scheduled maintenance and recall completed only a little after the estimated time and at no charge because of a manufacturer’s incentive offer.
Showing up for a 10:30am showing of Star Wars before 9:30. Place wasn’t packed, so I could have found somewhere to sit, but my seat was excellent.
My best idea was to build a daily meditation practice. I do it first thing in the morning and my day days looks brighter .
My best idea lately was to read the entirety of Rumer Godden’s The Story of Holly & Ivy to my second grade class in one sitting. Sexism be damned, it’s the holiday season for many, and not even my fiercest “i don’t want to read a GIRL BOOK” little boys sat riveted, cross-legged on the floor as I read. When I’d stop for predictions and discussion, one boy piped up, “I just want Ivy to have a safe home,” while a girl said she loved the part where Ivy looks in the shop window at Holly and they choose each other and wish together. They cheered at the end when Holly, Ivy and Mrs. Jones got to be together forever. There was hugging. We were caught up in the story, and they were united in hatred for the owl who didn’t want anyone to be happy or loved.
I totally had a moment there.
Christmas will be the perfect time to watch the Hobbit trilogy while I knit. (What? I’m brain dead from all the thinking and planning and logistics and figuring out I’ve got going in my brain. I’ve got nothin’.)
My best decision lately was to take a day this week as a work away from my office day. Caught up on my reading and planning. Really helped get my creative juices going.
My best idea today was postponing Christmas cooking and just watching soccer all day 😀
My best idea lately was to take time off this month and hire some people to finally finish our basement renovating project. Since I’m home I can answer their questions as they come up and got so much stuff organized during those days.
Best idea was to buy a pressure cooker! Six minute risotto!
I sent some lengthy snail mail to a 92yo friend who is out of state and he was very happy, I got a nice Christmas card back!
Also, I finally found the perfect flatbread recipe.
Figuring out how to create a weekly routine that actually makes time for yoga, the gym, and writing!
I haven’t enacted this idea yet, but everyone in my family loves my aunt’s cooking. So I was thinking I’d make a photo recipe book with either family photos or photos of her cooking. Then have them printed and given as a gift for her kids and grandkids (and the nieces). 🙂
I signed up for my local grocery’s curbside service. I have the app on my phone and I use it during the week to add items to my cart and then schedule the pickup, this service is $5! I would pay so much more than that to have someone shop for me and this has been a success for me so far … I love it. I have always hated the grocery store and this is the best invention – seriously.
My best idea lately was to rush around in the snow this week to get my errands done, and even though I wasn’t the happiest camper then, the payoff of having a completely free day off today makes it absolutely worthwhile.
Oh, easy. It was buying my daughter tickets to the Dancing With the Stars tour. She’s a huge fan, and loves her dance classes. She made the highest of high-pitched squeals at the thought of getting to see some of her favorite professional dancers live.
to get someone to the house to clean out the gutters rather than do it myself.
My best idea recently was to stop worrying about finding the perfect Christmas present for each of my family members (most of whom never have any specific wishes) and just getting them gift cards for stores I know they like. It also saves me from spending hours in crowded shopping malls.
I’m considering going back to school for my grad degree. 🙂
My best/worst idea was to binge-watch Season 1 of Holiday Baking Championship on Wednesday. So much relaxation! So much procrastination…