Billy Twitters Book

I was strolling through the children’s section of our local public library, and I spotted the spine of this book on the shelf. I thought, “is that really a kids’ book about Twitter?!” and grabbed it to take a closer look. As it turned out, it’s not a book about the Twitter “fail whale,” but a story about a boy and a whale.

Still, I thought it was pretty funny, and worth sharing. If you’re familiar with Twitter and the infamous “fail whale” that is displayed when the service is unavailable and/or over capacity, you will appreciate the humor in the coincidence.

Twitter Fail Whale by michperu via flickr

And even if you’re not a fan of Family Guy, you’ll still understand the parody and humorous asides, as long as you’re familiar with the dialogue and jokes from the original version of “Empire.” Enjoy!

P.S. I’ve watched all of the Star Wars movies more times than I can count, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I still don’t know what a nerf-herder is. Am I the only one who doesn’t know?

You know how it is when you first join Facebook, and you go a little bit crazy with everything? It’s fun, it’s novel, and you click “Like” and “Share” and you “Poke” your friends all the time? You know, right? It’s not just me. (That’s what I tell myself…)

So it’s normal for Facebook newbies to go nuts at first, with the games and sharing features. But you know there are a few people who take the craziness to an extreme. They never outgrow those noobish tendencies, and they drive people crazy by flooding the news stream with their stuff.

from theoatmeal.com

That is one way to suck at Facebook. And the folks over at theoatmeal.com have cleverly illustrated several more, in user-friendly, very shareable cartoons here: How to Suck at Facebook. So check them out and be sure you send them to all your friends so they show up in the news stream! And by the way, I’m not going to stop poking my friends.

Wading and Camping at Turquoise Lake

How did this happen? My kids will be out of school in a day and a half, and then we’ll have a whole summer of family togetherness. Every day, we’ll be together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus, since the days are so long and beautiful, and the sun doesn’t set until almost 9 p.m., we’ll have extra quality time in the evenings!

I love my children to bits. All three of them. Really, they are my greatest joy in life.

But there is a limit to the amount of time a person can spend in the presence of so much joy. Seriously!

We have plans for swim lessons, camping, a family reunion, and visits from grandparents to help occupy the hours this summer. I’m looking forward to (almost) all of it. What do you have planned for the long summer days? Any favorite activities or tips to prevent the “Mom, I’m bored!” doldrums?

Fracas, my favorite perfume

My five year-old daughter watched me getting ready one morning. She observed me brushing my hair, applying make-up and getting dressed. As I spritzed on a bit of my favorite perfume (Fracas by Robert Piguet), she said…

Hey, Mom? I know why you use that. It’s so you can smell good. Like bananas and cheese!

Well, I don’t think there is any banana extract or cheese essence in my favorite fragrance, but maybe my little girl has a future in weird perfumery…

Bag End Hobbit Hole by Maddie Chambers

Happy Mother’s Day to all of my geeky mom friends out there! I have a quick site to share with you today, which is guaranteed to make your geek heart happy.

Fellow mom and admitted geek, Maddie Chambers, created this beautiful miniature version of Bag End, and she has posted photos and descriptions on her blog.

Her attention to detail, from the design on the rug to the food on the table, will warm the little hobbit holes of your heart. Check out the fireplace, which she made from her own backyard stone, and the barrel of Longbottom Leaf pipeweed in the pantry. Also, notice the stained glass windows, miniature statues of Sam and Frodo, Gimli’s axes, and Baggins family tree… It is all wonderful and amazing!

Thank you, Maddie, for undertaking this project and sharing it with us. Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Maddie Chambers and Bag End dollhouse

BellaTwilightShop.com logo. Click to view full size.

Hello, dear Facebook friends!!!! Thank you for your support and friendship, and for helping BellaTwilightShop.com surpass 2100 fans on FB!!

To celebrate this milestone, we wanted to take a world tour and meet you all in person!!! But, since that plan didn’t work out, we decided to give away some free stuff in a logo photo contest instead. We can’t come to you, but you can kinda show us around your neighborhood! Here’s how it works:

1. Become a “Fan” or “Like” Bella Twilight Shop on FB.
2. Print out the logo attached to this note. Add some hearts or doodles or stickers to the page if you like. Make it your own.
3. Take the logo out on the town, and snap a photo of yourself and your friends having fun with Bella Twilight Shop! Take us to your school, your mall, your special meadow, your backyard, wherever! Be creative!
4. Upload your photos of yourself holding the Bella Twilight Shop logo, and be sure to tag yourself!
5. I will evaluate the photos, choose the winners, and send out the prizes. I’m the judge, and my decisions are final. Make me smile!
6. Maybe there should be some fine print in the rules here, but let’s just say you should use common sense and be nice. Don’t do anything dangerous or disgusting with our logo.
7. This contest is open to people in the USA, Canada, and other countries, as long as it is legal in those countries.

Prizes will include Bella Bracelet, Team Jacob Charm Bracelet, Wolf Pack Tattoo Necklace, Twilight Sweethearts Candy, Bella Twilight Shop Wristbands, Bleeding Heart Bookmark, Find Your Own Vampire t-shirt, and more!!

Good luck, and thanks again!!!!! Peace, love, Twilight!

Hello, friends. You might have noticed I haven’t been posting as frequently lately. I blame Modern Warfare 2 (LOL). Yes, I started playing MW2 online via the PlayStation network, and it is very fun, and very time-consuming. It appeals to my obsessive-compulsive personality, and I’m like Pavlov’s dog when I hear the electric guitar riff during gameplay, because I get so excited to see what new reward I’ve unlocked! I mean, without the panting and salivating…

Ooooh, a new attachment for my M16A4?! What is it? Under-mounted grenade launcher? Holographic sight? Can I have it now? Please please please?

So I’ve made it through all 70 levels of the online game once so far. And even though I enjoyed having the AK47 and all of its attachments at my disposal, I decided to enter Prestige mode and start over again. Not because I’m awesome. Definitely not. Because I need more practice, and because I missed the frequent unlocks and rewards that come at lower levels!

I don’t mind going against the boys in Team Deathmatch alone, but I thought it would be fun to put together a group of girls who play together from time to time. We’re all busy and have real life work and responsibilities, so this isn’t anything formal or demanding. But if you’re a girl who plays MW2 on the PS3 network, change your clan tag to [GRRL] and leave your online ID in the comments below. I’m projectalice00. I’ll add you as a friend and maybe we’ll find a few other gals who want to pwn boys together.

P.S.: Boys, we still love you. But this clan is just for us. See you at the Deathmatch. *kiss kiss*

Win a shirt with this IFST logo on one side and the Coca-Cola logo on the other side!

The site highlights the fun, fictional “International Federation of Snowball Throwing,” (IFST) and includes videos with information and training tips for aspiring Olympic Snowballers. In the spirit of Olympic fun, Coca-Cola is offering a few lucky readers the chance to take home an “official” IFST t-shirt or a set of 8 commemorative Beijing Olympics Coke bottles!

Win a set of 8 beautiful Olympic Coke bottles

All you have to do to enter is visit the IFST blog at snowballthrowing.com, and then come back to this post and leave me a comment about your favorite snowy-day activity!