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 is just to stop worrying and trying to be perfect.
Buying lots of advent calendars for me and my men (50 and 17). We have a complicated schedule on who opens what when – and lots of fun each evening, showing off our treasures, sharing sweets and tea.
I’m going away for a couple of days this week to recharge alone before I have to face the holiday onslaught next weekend!
My kid started running mg cross-country over the summer, and the team is required to have a pacesetter (the coach) and a sweeper, someone who runs behind in case a kid is injured, ill, etc. When our sweeper bailed, in a fit of temporary insanity, I volunteered. For the first several months, my choice didn’t feel like a smart decision, but…making it through 6 months and cutting my two-mile time in half has turned out to be a giant, unexpected confidence boost. It isn’t impressive compared to the team time, but it’s a half hour in the morning that’s now a form of (slightly torturous) self care.
My best idea lately was to store up some vacation days for the end of the year, then take off every Wednesday for the past month. It’s been awesome. I work harder on the four days I’m in the office, and every Tuesday feels like a bonus Friday. Super relaxing and definitely worth the wait!
Put on a pot of split pea soup the day before traveling so that when we can eat leftovers while packing.
I ordered from the grocery store a premade, “homemade” Thanksgiving dinner. It was awesome and meant I had the perks of homemade food (tasty and plenty of leftovers!) and still got to spend all day having fun with family (went to parade, made crafts with kids, visited family, etc). A total win. Will definitely do again!
My best idea lately was to book myself a massage. I need it!
I retired earlier this year. I can stay up as late as I want and sleep in the next day. I have time to read, listen to podcasts, travel and do volunteer work. Best idea ever!
My best idea is to try not to micromanage my adult kids – they resist it and it doesn’t do any good anyhow. And they don’t live with me so what do I really know about their lives. Gonna relax, travel, go out more, let the kids manage themselves.
My latest brilliant idea was to get a lipstick sampler from Sephora for my bestie AND myself! Why should she be the only one looking cute?
My best idea lately was to start writing again.
My best idea lately has been shopping local for my family’s Christmas presents. It’s been great finding new stores and checking out all of the local artisans!
Staying in bed reading thiand ignoring all of the presents waiting to be wrapped.
I recently broke my wrist (due to a trip, it hurt a lot) and the cast was originally only on until Thanksgiving. Then, the doc was like “congrats, you really did break it. You get 3-4 more weeks in a cast” which filled me with woe…as it is my right hand and dude, casts are a PITA.
I parlayed my broken wrist into finally getting a KitchenAid Stand Mixer…because otherwise there would be no seasonal cookie baking. It has been amazing. I love it, it is a beautiful cinnamon color, and I cannot wait until I get my new kitchen in my new house next spring. WHOOP.
I bought a windshield protector so i don’t have to scrape ice off my car in a canadian winter! Brilliant initiative on my part
I’m exhausted and finishing my own Annus Horribilis (kudos to anyone who gets the reference), and I’m going to skip hosting Christmas dinner this year. It’s more than I can manage, and I’m going to take care of me.
My best idea recently was to shampoo my hair at night so I can just take a quick, shower-cap shower in the morning before work when I’m always running late.
My best idea was to finally box up all the extra books (non-keepers) I’ve accumulated through various means and drop them off at the local VA hospital volunteer-run library. I also included a jumbo roll of wrapping paper and spools of ribbon so they can wrap up some of the books as presents to hand out to the veterans. (I would have wrapped them myself but they preferred doing it themselves.)
My best idea was to reduce my Facebook time, and internet use in general, to read more.
Best idea? Shutting the bedroom door this morning so I can lay reading my book while the kids run riot…. which may yet turn out to be my worst idea too. No regrets though!!
My best idea lately was to rewrite my WIP to make it the first in a series. Tiring but so worth it!
Take a half-hour bath (followed by a hurried shower) every morning because it starts my day on a relaxing note!
My best idea recently was to shovel the snow as soon as it stopped snowing, before the day warmed up and the snow started to melt a little and get slushy and much heavier. Yay! Dry blacktop! No ice. (But no guarantees that idea will be sustained all winter long.)
I’m struggling with this one. I must have had a good idea recently. I’m going to say that I came up with some creative Christmas gift ideas for some hard to buy for relatives that I shared with other family members when they were stumped.
fly the kid home from college rather than driving 14 hours (one way) to pick him up
My best idea was to not buy impulsively and wait. I got a better deal and saved more.
To jave my son use his Prime account to order my husband’s present and ship to the house.
Having gifts mailed directly to the receiver. Totally worth paying a few more dollars for gift wrap.
My best idea was for my immediate family to stop wrapping Christmas gifts. Instead, we just hand over the present. Saves on wrapping time/money and helps the environment. It’s a win-win!
While overcome with cheapness and laziness, I decided to cut green masking tape with my fancy edged craft scissors to use as gift tags.
To cut sugar out of my diet almost completely– feeling great!
My best idea lately was to go get my driver’s license renewed yesterday, instead of waiting till the day before my birthday! It was stressing me out thinking about it, so I decided to bite the bullet. I brought a good book, and settled in to wait at the DMV. Ended up going much faster than I thought!
Best idea: buy a nightgown. I had been wearing shorts and tank tops to bed for years, but I invested in a nice nightgown, knee length, and i love it!
Since February, every time somebody in the family admired something, said something was cool, or clever or that they would like to own it….I saved it in my phone notes under Gifts. Then in October I had a list of things to get people for Christmas without buying stuff they wouldn’t like or use. Best Stress Free Christmas ever.
I’ve been drowning under a never ending to do list this year that only seems to grow. The last couple of weeks I’ve been choosing 3 things from that list per day and setting a timer for 15 minutes per task. Something about the limited time frame makes me stop procrastinating and overthinking the task and just do it! And now I feel a sense of accomplishment each day – huge win for me!
Best idea was to star meditation this year. It has taken away a big chunk of reading time, unfortunately, but I’m sleeping better, so yay me.
To enter a local 95-word fiction contest. So much fun.
deciding to have yummy leftovers for dinner last night instead of cooking
My best idea was to “unfollow” several family members on social media. I was getting far too frustrated and enraged seeing some of the (political)things they were sharing, liking, posting. I am much more calm and can probably manage to speak to them during Christmas visits now 😉