Thursday, December 11, 2008

HP Magic Giveaway Contest

While I was visiting a friend's site, I noticed she had a joined a contest http://livingintheory.blogspot.com/2008/12/heres-deal.html so I thought I would check it out. I was expecting to 'sign up' with my name and email address and have equal odds of winning. When I reviewed the criteria, I considered not entering. After I decided to go ahead and take the plunge (what's to lose) and began reading everyone else's posts, I contemplated what I might write about that could even come close to competing with the incredibe giving hearts of the other contestants. Not that I think I'll win, but I am posting about it all the same, because I think it is an ingenious way to encourage people to think of others ahead of themselves, and try to make the world a brighter place.
So, here's the deal: HP is offering a mega give-away, and allowing each sub-contest to be run at the discretion of the chosen bloggers who are awarding the prizes. I happened to find this one (click on the title to learn more), but apparently there are 50 simultaneous Blogger Magic Giveaways going on. http://http//www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/blogger-magic/

including one at http://www.techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/ and another at
http://merlotmom.blogspot.com/2008/12/its-here-hp-magic-giveaway-begins.html
One of the fun things about entering is you get to visit some really cool blogs. You might even find a few you want to follow. Each blogger sets his or her on rules. Most of them encourage you to at least tell how you would share the magic.

In the Living in Theory contest, our challenge is to write about how we impact the lives of others. I am not quite sure where to begin. As a mom of twelve, nine still living at home, I guess I could say I impact lives everyday. My hope is that through nurturing and instilling compassionate values in my children my investment will be compounded as they can far out reach me in making a difference in the world.

If you read any of my other blog posts, you'll realize that I am passionate about health. My goal, or mission statement, if you will, is to impact the lives of thousands through helping them learn more about wellness, and how to improve the quality of their lives. Nothing is more gratifiying to me than to be able to help someone recover their health, and get their live back (outside of watching my children grow up and achieve their dreams.) I am especially concerned with helping families with special needs children. Part of that drive comes from losing a son (who had a medical condition) ten years ago. I always think... "if I had known then what I know now would things have been different?" So I make it my goal for other parents to not have to ask themselves that question.

I am a MannaRelief Champion and I raise funds to sponsor children with medical challenges. The sponsorship provides Optimal Nutrition for children and helps to improve their quality of life. I also personally sponsor an orphanage through MannaRelief. A long term goal of mine is to take my family on a MannaRelief missions trip where we would actually participate in distributing product, and meeting the children. Currently I am working with a family that has two children with special needs. Both boys have seen great results and the parents would like to keep them in the program. As the economy suffers, so does charitable giving. As their champion, I am on a mission to find the funds to keep them enrolled.

How does this relate to what I would do with the HP Majic Giveaway prizes? It doesn't really, except that one of the boys who is autistic would greatly benefit from having the touchscreen computer. I would love to be able to offer it to this family for their son.

Also in my rambling blog posts is the saga of our family, and our current separation from Daddy. My wonderful husband is on the other side of the country while we are here, waiting for our house to sell. He is incredibly lonely, and having a laptop to 'link' back home would help him trememdously. It is, in fact, on our items to purchase list... only I have yet to take the time to search out the best deal. With us having to stretch our budgets to cover his living expenses as well as ours, winning the contest would allow us to save that laptop money for other things while we stretch our dollars.

With as many children as we have, we are probably one of few families that *could* actually use all the giveaway ourselves. However, we aren't in need of another printer. I am perfectly happy with the HP we currently have, so I would donate it to the local Pregnancy Center, or the Care Cottage (which is a liason for children who are in the DFACS system.) The mini would be perfect for my younger children to do their school work on and would help me keep my sanity when we pack the caravan to drive thousands of miles across the country. I am sure it would help to eliminate the incessant "are we there yet" questions that will no doubt test my last nerve without a portable DVD player to distract them.

Even after I have written all this, there were so many contestants who are far more deserving, and had much loftier plans in place were they to be the lucky winner. I think the neatest thing about this contest is that it doesn't matter who wins. Just by participating, we have stimulated our thoughts (and hopefully our actions) about how to pay it forward and make the world a better place. So, by all means, check out Sugar's blog (follow the title link) and share what you are doing to make a difference. Entertain the idea of winning, and how you would share the Majic.

15 comments:

smussyolay said...

i love that you point out that no matter who wins, we all have made each other think about good things and that we've probably all inspired each other in some way.

blessings to you and your family. hope you reunite soon.

Unknown said...

I am still trying to wrap my head around a dozen kids. My mom was one of 10, but that was in a different day and age. And yet, you are struggling to accept that you are having massive impact on the world? All that you do, all that those children will become , all the people they are kind to as a result of the things you taught them is some of the best impact you can have. I am going to go off and poke around in the rest of your blog...so excited to get to know you...

Unknown said...

I can't imagine living so far away from someone so loved for any length of time! Such a great story, and great heart you have!

Cindy said...

Wow - 12 kids? Whew. I can't even imagine. Good luck in this contest and take a look at the other blog sites/contests too - some are easy to enter and some are hard, but you certainly can't win needed technology unless you enter! God bless!

Anonymous said...

What a beautifully written and positive post! I am impressed by all that you do, especially with your own wonderful large family to care for! Good luck in the contest and in hopefully selling your home soon so you can be with your husband again. Take care!

Dee Dee said...

Thanks all for your kind comments. Hubby's new employer is so awesome. He hasn't been there but six weeks but they are letting him have two full weeks off at the end of the year. I am enjoying reading everyone else's blogs. So wise of Sugar to plan it this way, no?

feathermaye said...

Great post, Dee Dee. Of course, I'm already aware of the awesome impact you have on those around you, and I really hope your family is officially reunited soon.

Good luck to you in the contest(s). I ended up entering two, figuring if I was meant to win, then I would, lol.

I've just been really touched by all the stories. Yours included.

Good luck to you!

Jyl @ MommyGossip said...

Wow! You are an example to us all. It must be really difficult to be separated as a family right now. I wish you peace and joy during this season. Thanks for the uplifting post.

Dee Dee said...

Thanks Feather and Jyl,
I have entered as many of them as I can techincally comprehend. LOL There are a couple that are a bit more challenging. I would really, really like to win this for Clay & Rachel (and the itty bittys). In an update to our personal need to win, my ethernet port died so my laptop is relatively useless. And then a virus/spyware hijacked my son's desktop - to the tune of over $250 to restore and protect for the future.

NASCAR Race Mom said...

You are right, one of the funniest things about entering this contest is that you get to visit some really cool blogs.

Best of Luck to you.

Tina Kelley said...

This contest has been such a soul invigorating experience. Thank you for your inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your story! How wonderful it would be if you could give that little boy the Touch!!!

Thanks for visiting and commenting at technomomreviews.com!!! I love to make new friends!

Anonymous said...

I appreciate how you've used your own loss to motivate and inspire...yourself, as well as others. Your entry is wonderful--I'm glad you went ahead with it. Thank you for sharing from your heart!

Dee Dee said...

Thanks for all your kind comments. I think we are all motivated by our experiences. Choosing whether they will motivate us positively or negatively is what separates successful people from whiners, imo. I don't ever want to be a whiner!

Unknown said...

This is a great post! I am amazed that you have 12 children. Wow. I agree that this contest in particular makes all of the entrants think about how they are making a difference. It really is empowering reading all of the posts. I certainly wouldn't want to be a judge!