Monday, June 30, 2008

Pay It Forward!

Inspired by Swistle, I am one of many participants in a group of Pay It Forward contests. Here's how it works:

1. I tell you about a prize.

2. You decided to enter the contest and leave a comment on this post, by the deadline.

3. I use a random number generator to select a winner.

4. I send the prize to the winner.

5. The winner sends a fun package to someone else.

For my prize, I'm going to put together a writerly package. It will include things like a fun/funky journal or notebook, pens, note cards, or other items along those lines. The winner of my Pay It Forward will be able to choose whether she'd like writerly items geared toward an adult or a child (the child's option, for one example, would likely include stickers).

To enter you must leave a comment on this post by Friday, July 4, at 4 p.m. EST. If you don't know what to say, how about leaving the name of a book you really love, or telling me if you've ever kept a journal.

I'll announce the winner sometime the following week, and, with any luck, I'll get the package mailed out before Christmas.

If I don't know you personally, make sure you leave an email address or blog link in your comment, that way I'll be able to let you know you've won!

55 comments:

Ecchs said...

Hi! I keep a journal when I find myself scattering to the four corners of the world. I'd love to start a blog, but I haven't figured out the technical mumbo jumbo yet. you can contact me at family(AT)northernwall(DOT)com.

moo said...

I started a blog because it was easier for me to type out my feelings than write them with a pen and pencil.

But I STILL love having journals and writing things! Cool prize!

Mary O said...

I've never kept a pen and paper journal, but have recently started a blog.
A recent book I've enjoyed is David Sedaris' "When You are Engulfed in Flames".

Daycare Girl said...

I find I don't stick to paper journals much, although I do have books I write to each of my kids when I think of it. I started blogging to replace a bit of that.

Stacy said...

When my son was little I started a journal of letters to him. Hopefully they won't seem too cheesey when he is old enough to read them. There are about a dozen written so far...which reminds me! :)

Sara said...

I used to journal, in highschool It's hysterical stuff. I was so shallow, and totally thought life revolved around my highschool. I talk about that place like it was the WORLD.

My favorite book: Love in the Present Tense by Pay It Forward's author Catherine Ryan Hyde

MzEll said...

I try to keep a journal but then I forget to write in it. Best book is a tie; Fledgling by Octavia Butler and The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.

Emily said...

Fun!

I used to keep a pen and paper journal when I was single. Now I consider my blog to be my journal.

hangel said...

Except in grade school I have never kept a pen/paper journal. Actually, besides having printer paper and scrapbook paper, don't even have notebook paper in the house. Hmmm....

Favorite book? Classic: Gone with the Wind.

Emily said...

I really love the Harry Potter Books. So original, I know. . .

Fiona Picklebottom said...

My favorite book ever is "Beach Music" by Pat Conroy. I'd pick items geared toward a child because all my girls LOVE writerly stuff.

Brooke said...

I love journals and pens...however the journals always end up turning into a notebook of lists...lists of the things to do around the house, grocery lists, measurements for new kitchen cabinets, etc.

Michelle said...

I kept a journal in junior high and it's really interesting to go back and visit!

Barb said...

I used to keep a journal in high school. I need to get back in the habit.

Kate said...

hooray! I keepa blog, not a journal anymore. i love kiddy books, but I can buy anything I want for the library! I still haven't read the most recent Janet Evanovich book-- #14!

Anonymous said...

I do have a journal, but I don't write in it as often as I once did. Now my blog is sort of like a journal, right?

I just finished "Patty Jane's house of Curl" and it was GREAT.

Anonymous said...

My journal is my blog. I haven't kept a paper journal in years.

Anonymous said...

Good for you for doing this! I wanted to participate but didn't think I'd be able to get my act together in a timely fashion :-)

Kept tons of paper journals in high school, then peetered out. Now my blog is my journal, though I do miss writing on paper and seeing my handwriting. Sigh.

A book I really love is Seabiscuit. OMG so much better than the movie, and the movie was really good!

Jen said...

I've never been good at keeping a journal, but used to love to scrapbook. 3 kids later, I don't have much time to scrapbook, so I blog instead.

I love books by C.S. Lewis and Beverly Lewis (no relation to each other).

Mommy Daisy said...

I really love historical fiction series by Tracie Peterson. Like "Belles of Lowell" or "Lights of Lowell" or "Alaskan Quest"...I could go on and on.

NotAMeanGirl said...

I'm currently loving the Stephanie Meyers Twilight series.

I keep a journal but not like you think. It's a calories journal :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Kelsey! I know it has been a while and I never update my blog but I check in once in a while :) My favorite book is The Giver or East of Eden!! I do a lot of paper journaling and have since I was in high school..

here's my favorite quote about kids: "You cannot catch a child's spirit by running after it, you must stand still and surrender in love to each passing moment." I know you didn't ask but I thought I'd leave it anyway.

Know you and your family are in my prayers often!

Love, Megan :)

Janice said...

Crossing to Safety,by Wallace Stegner. My all time favorite book

Erin said...

I am FINALLY reading the last Harry Potter book. It is keeping me up late at night, which as you know, means it must be really good.

Missy said...

Hey, if I win, I'm demanding stickers. For myself.

Anonymous said...

my fav book of all time is Little Women. i've kept a journal on and off since i was, oh, probably 10 or so. i haven't journaled in years but maybe it's time to get back to it.
Nan

Alice said...

i'm terrible at keeping a written daily journal (blogging i'm good at, though!) but i loooove to keep a journal whenever i travel. i have journals documenting morocco, an italy tour, germany, austria, and paris. love.

one of my current favorite books: water for elephants. oh, and also lamb: the gospel according to biff. and! the princess bride. :-)

Misty said...

I always wanted to be one of those people who journaled, but hated my own handwriting and couldn't bring myself to sully a beautiful blank journal page with its messiness.

And my favorite book is Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

SP said...

I love journaling. It's the only thing that has kept me sane over the years... well, mostly sane.

Tess said...

Do you know, I feel like the only blogger alive who has never been a paper journaler? I've never really identified as a "writer", I guess. Just another reason to pull my crap together and keep blogging, I guess!

Anonymous said...

I believe that my jr high/high school journal deserves to go into the "Things you immediately burn when I die without looking at it AT ALL" box. God, how dramatic was I?

Jenny Grace said...

I've always hated journaling, even though I love to blog, and I can see how it's similar. Now I keep journals for notes to self and ideas for blogging, which is maybe the same thing?

Britni said...

I kept a journal all through high school and now blog for the same reason, because I like to keep track of my life. Fun.

Heather said...

I kept a journal/diary from when I was about 8 through adulthood (until I started blogging!)

www.coolzebras.blogspot.com

Marie Green said...

I'm a sporadic journal-er. I'd love doing it, but I can go months/years without. I DID manage to journal through both of my pregnancies, though.

pinkelefant said...

i journal now... it's called blogging!

Sarah said...

One of my favorite books ever is A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. And I have kept sporadic journals since I was probably thirteen. I have one for each of the kids that I've written for them since I found out I was pregnant.

Jennifer said...

The Solace of Leaving Early.

I've kept a journal since I was 17.

jenny said...

i've kept a journal since high school - i love looking back on them. that's part of the reason i love blogging so much - just the online version of it. :) your prize rocks!!!

Unknown said...

I love The Count of Monte Cristo.
I kept a daily journal for over a decade, but I've fallen off the wagon. I want to get back into it.

Aimee @ Smiling Mama said...

Oh what a great prize and I'd totally want it for myself. (I'm selfish like that!). Hmmm...great book. Well I just finished Middlesex which I really liked. One of my all-time favs is The Mists of Avalon.

Dr. Blondie said...

Memoirs of a Geisha is an all-time favorite.

Hillary or Ryan said...

My Favorite Books:
1. To Kill A Mockingbird
2. The Great Gatsby
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
4. Any of the Harry Potter books
5. Any in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series

There's more. I could go on....I'm an English teacher.

Catherine said...

I was a avid journal writer until I got married. Now, I scrapbook and blog.

Jenny H. said...

To Kill a Mockingbird.

Anonymous said...

Harry Potter.

A writerly package is so cool!

Kristi said...

Journaling for me always begins with good intentions. And ends after one day, waiting for me to pick it up again in a few weeks =o)

Books....i always go back to LM Montgomery.

Whimsy said...

Two of my favorite (recently read) books are The Time Traveler's Wife and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. So good.

And I've kept a journal for years and years.

ya ya's mom said...

I'm so bad about journaling...

Ginny said...

I love the Stephanie Plum series & I also just finished Twilight which is very good.

I have kept journals, I think that is why I fell in love with blogging.

Courtney said...

The Kite Runner is fabulous!

I did keep a journal as a child, but now I just blog.

Tiffany said...

The Harry Potter series
The Anne of Green Gables series
Wendell Berry's fiction (like Jayber Crow or Hannah Coulter)

CP said...

I find it so odd that I love having a blog but hated having to keep a journal for any reason as a child.

Anonymous said...

I love so many books it's hard to choose but The Count of Monte Cristo has always been a favorite. I'm also a fan of Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver.

Anonymous said...

Kelsey,
You are the winner of my drawing! I'll have to read up about you and figure out something fun to send!