Sergei and Lily at a Jets game

Recently, my daughter’s boyfriend Sergei had a similar experience. The prize this time isn’t a cell phone, but something so much more.  Having entered an online contest at Monster.com, Sergei started receiving emails telling him “Congratulations. You have been selected as a winner in the NFL Director of Fandemonium Contest Presented by Monster.com.”  In this case, Sergei didn’t ignore the emails, but decided to ‘play along’ with them, thinking this was a joke.

It wasn’t until Sergei was contacted by phone by the director of Monster.com’s sports marketing agency that he started believing this all might actually be real.  So far, Sergei has won a ton of NFL swag along with season tickets for the NFL team of his choice.   He also wins a trip to New York City, but being that we live within ten miles of midtown, a limo ride from home will have to suffice.

Now for the really exciting part - Sergei, who also happens to be an aspiring sports journalist with quite the online presence, now competes with 31 other contest winners from around the country (who have also won in a similar manner as Sergei) to become the NFL Director of Fandemonium.

Sergei and the 32 winners will compete in various stages in the competition including trivia, endzone celebrations, dealing with the media, as well as a sit down with Monster.com and NFL brass.

The lucky winner of the competition will get a signing bonus of $100,000, as well as key roles in the NFL Draft, International Series, Thanksgiving game, Wild card game, Pro bowl, and Superbowl.

So, online contests DO have winners and they sometimes ARE real. The best advice is to approach contests with a discerning eye, a sense of skepticsm and don’t give personal information away until you’ve absolutely confirmed that the company is legit.

GOOD LUCK SERGEI!!!
Read Sergei’s sports blog at FROM RUSSIA WITH GLOVE

As the years have gone by, reading became more difficult. The fonts just seemed tinier and blurrier. It just wasn’t fun.  When I got the Kindle 2 a month or so ago, I thought it might be a better option for me. Not only was I right, I feel like I am reading SO much more than ever - even more than the days back when my eyesight was perfect.  I really underestimated this thing!

My Kindle 2 has become part of the contents of my handbag. I read while waiting at the doctor’s office, I read at my desk lunchtime, I read curled up in my favorite chair on a Sunday afternoon.  I bought a relatively inexpensive Amazon leather cover for it and it makes the Kindle2 feel even more like a familiar book.

New Features & Enhancements

• Slim & Lightweight: Just over 1/3 inch and 10.2 ounces
• Books in under 60 seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
• Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight
• Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
• More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
• Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
• Read-to-Me: Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.
• No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill.
• Large Selection: Over 230,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and blogs available
• Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Check out Kindle2 here on the Amazon site

So, in no particular order, here are a few of the gifts I found under my tree this year:

Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS I got a red one!
Brain Age Game I do these brain/memory exercises on my Nintendo DS every day.
Crash Bandicoot: Crash of the Titans I’ve always been a huge Crash Bandicoot fan. This game is great fun.

Macbook Air I was completely surprised and thrilled to receive the world’s thinnest laptop as a Christmas gift. Everytime I open the lid on this 1/2 inch thick laptop, I am in awe. Love it and thank you to my dear husband who gifted me with this.

LeSportsac Jen

LeSportsac Jen Tote I love this convenient tote that doubles as a handbag. It folds over and has a shoulder strap and loads of zippered exterior and interior compartments. Mine came in black, my go-to color.

BOOKS THAT I GOT AS GIFTS AND THAT I’M NOW IN THE PROCESS OF READING:
The Art of Racing in the Rain If you’ve ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein’s third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoë, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny’s old racing videos, coins koanlike aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil After discovering in the early 1980s that a super-saver fare to Savannah, Ga., cost the same as an entree in a nouvelle Manhattan restaurant, Esquire columnist Berendt spent the next eight years flitting between Savannah and New York City. The result is this collection of smart, sympathetic observations about his colorful Southern neighbors, including a jazz-playing real estate shark; a sexually adventurous art student; the Lady Chablis (’ “What was your name before that?” I asked. “Frank,” she said.’ “); the gossipy Married Woman’s Card Club; and an assortment of aging Southern belles. The book is also about the wealthy international antiques dealer Jim Williams, who played an active role in the historic city’s restoration–and would also be tried four times for the 1981 shooting death of 21-year-old Danny Handsford, his high-energy, self-destructive house helper.

For my 25-year old hockey loving son:
Clay Thompson’s Valley 101: A Slightly Skewed Guide to Living in Arizona

Esquire Presents: What It Feels Like: *To Walk on the Moon*To Be Gored by a Bull*To Survive an Avalanche *To Swallow Swords*To Go Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel*To Be Shot in the Head*, etc

Step Brothers (Single-Disc Unrated Edition)

Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator

Tackla Air 9000 Adult Ice Hockey Pants

For my 19 year old college student daughter:

Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season

30 Rock: Season 2

Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Black with Green Accent)

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

NFL History of the New York Jets DVD

For my barbecue-loving husband:
Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue: Barbecue Your Way to Greatness with 575 Lip-Smackin’ Recipes from the Baron of Barbecue

Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue Sauces: 175 Make-Your-Own Sauces, Marinades, Dry Rubs, Wet Rubs, Mops, and Salsas

SIRIUS Stiletto 2 Portable Satellite Radio with MP3 Player

Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)
LEGO Batman for Wii

Apple iPod touch 16 GB

Personally, I’m glad another holiday season has come to an end. I really do enjoy the days leading up to Christmas Eve. I really do enjoy Christmas morning. After that, I’m done. Toast.

This year, for a change of pace, my new husband and I packed up the car and drove from northern New Jersey down to Lake Worth, Florida to visit relatives. Quite the trip. Instead of just focusing on the long drive down there, we decided to turn the drive into part of the fun. Using our Iphones, laptops and a great book called Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia by Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner, we were able to incorportate interesting, historic (and sometimes silly) stops along the way.

We discovered and rediscovered Savannah, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Orlando and found some great barbeque places along the way too!  I have to add that having SIRIUS Satellite Radio in the car really helped pass the drive time.   What did YOU do for the holidays?

With days dwindling down to hours and snow and time constraints preventing you from finishing up your holiday shopping, here’s a quick and easy solution. Give an Amazon Gift card and your recipient can purchase the perfect gift for themselves in the color, size and shape that’s exactly what they want.

There are 4 easy ways you can give Gift Cards:
1) E-mail a personalized gift card for immediate delivery.
2) Print a personalized gift card on your own printer. (Remember to have your credit card handy when you’re ready to print).
3) Mail a personalized gift card (shipping is free, of course). Please allow 5-7 business days for delivery.
4) Add a $25, $50, or $100 Gift Card – or a box of them! – to your other purchases in your Amazon.com shopping cart.

Thanks!
Ilse

Hi again, Ilse!

A non-geeky computer geek. I can relate (or so I like to think).

I was thinking about your challenge and started searching for something appropriate. I stumbled upon this HUGE list of very specific Monopoly games. You can find a Monopoly game for just about every hobby, interest, team, and personality.

If board games aren’t his thing, maybe comic books are. Mad Magazine has issued this special Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years . Every issue from the past 50 years is included on these 2 DVDs. Every page is there as originally published as well as videos from writers, illustrators, etc.

Complete comic book editions of Star Trek, Amazing Spider Man, and Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer are also available in digital versions and make great gifts.

Hope those ideas give you a great start!
GIM