MNR is Turning Two (Kind of) and I’m Giving Away $50 Dollars

I’ve never really a birthday kind of a person. In the past, I would “celebrate” it some years, but usually I wouldn’t because the idea of getting older used to scare me. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve changed. I celebrate my birthdays now, every year, but always in understated ways. I don’t throw big parties or walk around with bright T-shirts with special decals asking that others be nice to me, but I do celebrate.

Today, I’m celebrating the second birthday of this blog.

(Throw out the confetti and glitter, drop the balloons, and turn on Abba, then Earth Wind and Fire, then Journey (because I’m going retro!) Yes, it’s totally an understated affair we’ll be having.

As a bit of history, I started this blog in February of 2010. However, when I started it, it went by a different name (actually two different names, chosen in the span of an hour). And that first blog wasn’t a public blog. It was private.

I wrote my first of two welcome posts in February, then a second one again in April when I changed the name. But MNR officially became a public blog in May of 2010. (whew)

So, technically, I have three blog birthdays, one in February, another in April, and another in May. That’s entirely possible, right? That’s exactly what I thought. Last year, I celebrated my blog’s birthday in February, but this year, I’ve decided to declare and celebrate it today, in April, and drag this whole “celebration” thing through the month of May to get all my blog’s beginnings covered.

So these next 30 days? Yeah. They’re my blog’s birthday month. I can do this, I rationalize, since this blog is self-hosted, meaning I own this blog. It’s paid for with the money I, I mean, my husband works hard for.

In two years of blogging, a lot has happen.

I’ve been syndicated on BlogHer.

I had an essay published on Babble.

I moved from Blogger to WordPress.

I became a contributor to Baby Gizmo.

I started another blog.

I’ve published hundreds of posts on everything in my two year journey in motherhood. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING.

I gave birth to a baby.

I found me.

I’ve made some great friends.

I wanted to celebrate this…month because I do want to use this time to stop, look back, and say thank you for this ride. Thank you for reading my posts and commenting and being there for me when I needed you most, like that time I quit my job, failed at fashion, and cried about my kid turning one, then two.

If I were a millionaire, I’d get you all a trip to Hawaii and some really hot stilettos that your husbands would beg you to wear, but that you probably wouldn’t wear that often. But since I’m not, and in honor of this day and you, I want to offer some gifts to some lucky winners.

Today’s gift that I’m offering is  a $50 dollar Visa gift card. This gift is being sponsored by me just because I think you all are that awesome!

And this giveaway is easy to win. Just do the following:

Mandatory entry:

• Leave me a comment here to tell me one word that you think of when you think of this blog.

 Additional entries: (Leave separate comments to let me know you’ve done each one)

• Like my page on Facebook.
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet “I entered to win a $50 Visa gift card by @mommyhoodnxtrt and you can, too! (Leave the url of your tweet in a comment

Everyone is eligible to enter and win. The giveaway will run from now to MIDNIGHT EST on May 8, 2012 May 7, 2012 . The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on May 8, 2012 May 9, 2012. I hope you win!

Oh, and this is just the first present. Each week, I want to give away presents from great companies that I adore. So stay tuned!

**Oh, and in case you missed it, the $50 Visa Gift Card in the giveaway was paid for, thought of, and written about by me.

Tagged as: blogoversary, giveaways, MNR birthday