An Oreck Magnesium Giveaway

2 February 2012 by

It’s no big secret that I’m a huge college sports fan. Basketball and football are my favorites, and a lifelong love for Mississippi State teams of both varieties has left me well-acquainted with all sorts of game-related stresses. In fact, if you asked me how, as an adult, I’m able to remain relatively calm in the midst of a stressful situation, I would refer you to a dozen different clips on YouTube that chronicle a shocking, come-from-behind win by the Bulldogs – or a devastating, last-minute loss.

The Bulldogs have taught me some ridiculously strong coping skills, y’all.

I can’t remember the exact date, but I think it was sometime back in the mid-90s when I realized that the perfect way to get through a tense basketball game was to turn down the volume of the game, plug in my vacuum cleaner and GO TO TOWN cleaning whatever rugs or carpets were in the reach of the vacuum’s power cord. Over the years it’s become my all-time favorite stress reducer when I’m just BESIDE MYSELF with game time nerves. And as an added bonus, the living room / kitchen / playroom / wherever I happen to be watching is oh-so-clean by the time the game is over. Win or lose.

A few weeks ago I got an email asking if I’d be interested in receiving a (free) new Oreck Magnesium vacuum cleaner to use and review, and it took me all of about 45 seconds to respond to the email with a hearty “YES, PLEASE.” My old vacuum was on the brink of collapse, and since my mama and my sister have always raved about their Orecks, I thought the new Magnesium model would make a lovely addition to our family.

And oh, was I ever right.

My husband assembled the Oreck Magnesium in all of two minutes, and I decided that the perfect time for its inaugural run in our house was during a Mississippi State basketball game the next afternoon. I was watching in the playroom since I could only get the game via ESPN3, which meant that the vacuum cleaner was going to be put to the test on hardwood floors as well as a lime green shag rug.

I don’t know why I felt it necessary to mention the color of the rug.

Apparently I like to overshare when it comes to the various flooring surfaces in our home.

By the middle of the first half I was vacuuming like there was no tomorrow, and there were several things about the Oreck that won me over right away and continue make me want to refer to it as “The Baby.”

1) I don’t have to stop and adjust the vacuum height when I move from a rug to the hardwood floors. The vacuum works equally well on both.

2) The Oreck is incredibly light, which means that I don’t have to wrestle with it when I’m trying to turn corners, vacuum couch cushions, etc. If I wanted to, I could lift it over my head with one hand. Which I don’t. BUT I TOTALLY COULD.

3) Much to my surprise, the Oreck is really powerful. I can pretty much control it with the tip of my finger, which is a whole new experience for me when vacuuming that shag rug.

4) Because it’s so small, the Oreck easily fits in between the bottom of my kitchen cabinets and the floor. I don’t have to sweep and then vacuum – I just vacuum. Love that.

And in addition to all that stuff, the Bulldogs beat Alabama on the Saturday when I first tried the vacuum. So I think it’s probably a given at this point that I AM A FAN OF THE ORECK.

Storage is a big plus with this vacuum cleaner, too. In the past I’ve stored our vacuum in the hall closet, but the Oreck Magnesium is so small that it fits in a little corner of our laundry room – without sticking out in the middle of the floor and without needing to be moved whenever I open our pantry cabinets.

See? Doesn’t that just make you sixteen kinds of happy?

In all seriousness, it’s so great to have the vacuum on the end of the house where we need and use it the most. It’s handy if I need to clean up crumbs at the breakfast room table or if I accidentally spill sugar all over the kitchen floor.

That last thing is an embarrassingly common occurrence, by the way.

The bottom line is that I’m absolutely thrilled to have the Oreck Magnesium, and I think you’ll love it, too. If you’ve ever lugged a vacuum up or down stairs, the Magnesium is going to be a dream come true for you. It’s lightweight, compact and powerful – which, in my opinion, is pretty much the best of all worlds as far as a vacuum is concerned.

If you’d like to enter for a chance to win an Oreck Magnesium of your very own, it’s oh-so-simple. Just visit Oreck.com, do a little reading, then come back here and leave a comment telling us one thing that you learned about the Magnesium.

If you’d like an additional entry, then just mention the giveaway on Twitter (making sure to tag @oreck) or Facebook, then come back here and leave a second comment with a link to your tweet or post.

I’ll leave this giveaway open until next Thursday, February 8th at noon central, at which point I’ll draw for a winner using random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my notification email. If the winner doesn’t respond to my email within 48 hours, I’ll draw for another winner.

Happy Oreck-ing, y’all!

The giveaway winner must be a resident of the U.S. 48 contiguous states.

Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes.

This giveaway is now closed.

Filed Under: Giveaways

Because Of All The Cuckoo

30 January 2012 by

I’m going to be a little out of pocket for the next week or so. Granted, I realize that people aren’t exactly sitting around and hitting “refresh” and waiting for me to write a blog post because, well, not even my own mama cares that much about what I have to say, but since the blogging schedule is going to be reliably unreliable for a few days, I thought I’d go ahead and get my “uncle” cry out of the way.

For the record: UNCLE.

And also: TÍO.

See? I said “uncle” in two languages. Because 1) I am very fancy like that and 2) I am still trying to redeem myself from the unfortunate “My name is fried chicken” incident in Ecuador.

Anyway, the good news is that I’m still planning to do a vacuum (Oreck!) (yee-haw!) (I think that’s maybe the third time I’ve used the phrase “yee-haw!” in my life) (when not watching The Dukes of Hazzard, of course) giveaway this Thursday, and next week will hopefully be a little more normal-y. Or normal-ish. Or at least not as HOLD ON TO THE REINS, GLADYS, ‘CAUSE IT IS ABOUT TO GET LIVELY as this week.

So. If I don’t see y’all before Thursday, I will definitely see you Thursday. Or at least I will see those of you who are interested in entering a giveaway for an Oreck vacuum cleaner. Or maybe I will see some of you who just want to say “hi” and then maybe we can sing a medley or something. It’ll be a bonding experience.

Have a great week, everybody!

Filed Under: Rambling

10 Things

26 January 2012 by

1. I am so behind on DVR’d programming. In fact, I haven’t watched a single episode of American Idol this season. I’ve only seen one episode of The Bachelor. The only show I stay caught up on consistently is Top Chef. What does it all mean?

2. Dave Barnes’ new single is called “Mine To Love,” and it makes me sway and smile. Totally infectious. I think you need it in your life.

3. Slowly but surely I’ve been following up on some of y’all’s new music suggestions. I’ve loved NEEDTOBREATHE’s music since we saw them open for the aforementioned Dave Barnes a few years ago, but somehow I neglected to buy their latest album. WELL. I bought it earlier this week, and SWEET FANCY MOSES it is a winner.

4. It’s a winner because of songs like this one.

That right there? Will restore your faith in American music.

5. I have a big giveaway coming up next week. And it’s for a fancy vacuum that I have grown to love and treasure. Stay tuned.

6. Earlier this week Melanie wrote a post over at Ree’s about her favorite book quotes, so I spent the next two days thinking about all of my favorite book quotes. There are a couple from classics like To Kill A Mockingbird and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that make me teary-eyed every single time I read them, but here’s my favorite makes-me-teary-eyed quote from a more recent book:

“My sister, Swede, who often sees to the nub, offered this: People fear miracles because they fear being changed – though ignoring them will change you also. Swede said another thing, too, and it rang in me like a bell: No miracle happens without a witness. Someone to declare, Here’s what I saw. Here’s how it went. Make of it what you will.” – Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I adore that book.

7. Remember how I told y’all that I was using a new skin care regimen that a sweet friend sent me? Well, I’ve had to stop using it for a little while. I think some part of it is just too much for my skin. I say that because there has been a great deal of itching (especially after I use the morning moisturizer) and no shortage of break-outs. So I think a change is in order (cue the sad trombone).

8. This little sign is speaking volumes to me these days.


9. This little sign makes me say “amen.”


10. And this one? Just makes me laugh.


Have a great weekend, y’all!

Filed Under: Rambling

Well Hello There, Yosemite

25 January 2012 by

Over the years I’ve made no bones about the fact that I mostly prefer to enjoy the nature from the comfort of, say, a moving car. Or while relaxing on a couch in our living room. My preference for the great indoors has nothing to do with a lack of appreciation for the nature; it’s mainly because – in this part of the country, at least – being one-on-one with the nature means there’s a better than average chance that I’m going to be burning slap up. And people, I am no fan of the heat.

The older I get, though, the more God gets my attention in and through the nature. I don’t know why that is, exactly, but I will say that it’s some sweet, sweet irony for a girl who has spent years avoiding any sort of camping-related activity. I’ve actually turned into one of those people who TAKES PICTURES OF SUNSETS, for crying out loud. Not to mention that when I was in Ecuador back in November, I was moved to tears when I realized that the round rocks along the riverbank provided the perfect place for our canoes to anchor, followed shortly by another realization that OH MY WORD IT’S LIKE I DON’T EVEN KNOW MYSELF ANYMORE.

I suspect that my increasing wonder where the nature is concerned has something to do with a deeper sense of gratitude for how majestic and creative God is – and how kind He is to share that creation with us. The consistency of His character is evident in all of His creation, and I love that I can remember that by doing nothing more than looking out a window. Or by walking outside and taking in the scenery. Or maybe even by hiking while surrounded by all sorts of nature. But only if I’m feeling particularly crazy, of course.

Yesterday I ran across a video that proved to me all over again that the nature, it really is something else (EVEN WHEN YOU’RE WATCHING IT ON THE COMPUTER), and oh my goodness – it was mighty sweet of God to give us such a spectacular gift.

(via)

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth, over and around us lies: Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.” – Pierpoint

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17

Filed Under: The Nature

I Couldn’t See Past Me ‘Til I Saw You

23 January 2012 by

Sister sent me a link to this video earlier today, along with a message that said, “Oh. This is STRONG.”

So I watched it. And after I managed to remove my heart from my throat and put it back in its proper place, I responded to Sister’s email and told her that I might need a mild sedative in order to avoid a prolonged bout with the ugly cry.

If you’ve ever loved a young’un all the way down to your toes, watch and listen at your own risk. And for heaven’s sake, make sure that there’s a stash of Kleenex nearby.

Pretty much the sweetest thing ever, isn’t it?

Yeah. I think so, too.

Filed Under: Rambling

Got Home A Few Hours Ago…

22 January 2012 by

…from a very fun weekend in Houston. Melanie and I had all sorts of adventures with sweet friends (and with some MIGHTY FINE Mexican food, I might add), and I’ll have much more to say about all of that as soon as I get my suitcase unpacked, catch up with my people, and recover from one of the craziest days-o-travel I have ever experienced.

One good thing about the crazy day-o-travel is that I was able to sit and read and enjoy a few magazines, and I would just like to encourage you to buy the February issue of Southern Living at your earliest possible convenience, mainly because there is an article about pimento cheese that almost made me weep when I read it. There is also a recipe for some savory pimento cheese cookies with a strawberry preserves filling, and I kid you not: I TALKED BACK to that recipe when I read it. It got a hearty “COME ON” from me, and I might’ve even thanked the Lord out loud when I saw the part about the strawberry preserves.

Because that’s not embarrassing or anything.

I also read a New York Times article about Apple (the computer company – not the fruit – and certainly not Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter) while I was waiting for my plane to leave Houston this afternoon. I cannot quit thinking about it. It’s fascinating and sobering and maybe even a little bit scary. But mainly it’s fascinating. Here’s the article if you’re interested.

And not that I’m proud, of course, but I may or may not have read an Us magazine from cover to cover on the way to Houston. I can ignore new issues of Us all the livelong day when I’m in the grocery store at home, but at an airport? Oh, forget it. Put a boarding pass in my hand and suddenly I AM LIKE A MOTH TO THE US MAGAZINE FLAME.

What do y’all do to pass the time on airplanes? Are you a book person? A magazine person? An iPad person? A movie person? A stare-into-space person? A fall-asleep-at-the-gate person?

I’m beside myself with curiosity.

Filed Under: Rambling
« Previous Page
Next Page »