It’s time for another sports giveaway. I haven’t done one in a long time, but judging from the hundreds of hits I still get on my old sports contests, folks like them. And baseball is the theme, given the season is well underway and what is summer without baseball? What is America without baseball?

Today in baseball history, Satchel Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1906. On his 42nd birthday, July 7, 1948, he was signed by the Cleveland Indians, a historic first for this amazing veteran Negro League pitcher. What a birthday gift. In honor of this great moment from the archives of baseball, TeamMASCOT.com is giving away a baseball.

Visit the TeamMASCOT baseball page to pick your team, and leave a comment right here on this post by Saturday, June 11, including your team choice. Two winners will be randomly chosen. Be sure to leave an email for me to contact you. Your information is secure and is never shared.

All of the childhood exploring was possible because my husband and I were busy breaking our backs trying to get the yard prepared to plant some grass. I snapped off my shovel handle just above the spade (is that a bad sign?) trying to pry up a boulder and I bent the prongs of my husband’s $50 rake. I’ll go soak my weary bones in a hot bath and try to focus on how green that grass will be in a few months.

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Well, it’s June now. I have a special giveaway for DADS (or grads). Father’s Day is June 15, just two weeks away. I’m going to let the winner choose any in-stock item under $30 from our online sports store, TeamMASCOT.com. We carry team logoed products across six leagues - NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL, and NASCAR. If you’re not going to settle for giving another necktie on Father’s Day, consider a key chain, wallet, or even a hammer with his favorite team’s logo!

Please be sure the item is in-stock (noted after the product description), because I’ll need to get this shipped by the end of the week to guarantee arrival for Father’s Day. CONTEST CLOSES Friday, June 6. TO ENTER, leave a comment on this post, letting me know which product you would like. Open to U.S. and APO addresses. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you, so I can notify the winner and get this shipped to the correct address.
******

Marriage Monday, hosted by Chrysalis blog coming tomorrow! Submit your post after today on any aspect of your wedding here.

There are several blog carnivals that you may want to catch up on. Just topical collections of blog articles.

Christian Carnival and up again Wednesday at Ancient Hebrew Poetry.
Carnival of Homeschooling, and up again Tuesday at Tami’s Blog.
Carnival of Family Life, and coming again tomorrow at Live from Waterloo.
Homesteading Carnival, and coming again tomorrow at Lighter Side.

Technorati Tags: blogging, family life, blog contest, giveaway, Father’s Day, outdoor play, outdoors, parenting, baby jackrabbits, ranch, sports business, spring

Principle #1: Never Miss an Opportunity

Big L doesn’t like candy. He just never has. He’ll eat an occasional Smarty, and perhaps a Skittle every blue moon. Give him a piece of bread, oh, he loves bread, but the candy he’ll pass. There IS an exception. We had the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Aunt & Uncle’s house, and Big L was caught up in the wild excitement. He collected 43 eggs, all brightly colored and filled with candy.

The fact that candy is not one of his indulgences was no matter. Big L had a plan. Several days after Easter, he set up shop at our dining room table. He earned about $3.25 from his sisters who love candy, and were more than happy to buy his goods after they’d gobbled up their own baskets. “That will be 10 cents,” he’d say, eyeing the size of the candy. And “If you buy three, you get one free,” he would bargain. Even Mom and Dad bought some. (Some merchandise was eaten by Little L while he was “napping” one afternoon, else Big L would have earned much more.)

Principle #2: Fill a Need

This morning, Big L asked Dad a question: “Dad, what is something that every human needs?” I overheard the conversation, and thought perhaps Big L had a new joke, or a trick question. “I don’t know…why do you ask?” said Dad, not sure where the conversation was headed. “Well, I was thinking about inventing things, and figured I should make something that everyone would need, so they would buy it.”

Dad was amazed at the eight-year-old’s business sense! He has a business degree in marketing and management and can spot good business principles (though, honestly, such common sense does not come by degree). Being an entrepreneur himself, Dad was amused to see his son following in his footsteps. When Dad was not much older than Big L, he started a detective agency, a candy store, and a football league. These little adventures into industry were short lived and not exactly successful, but are great examples of a child’s business mind at work.

Dad had a string of other businesses in his young life, and continues to this day with new ideas. He encourages this inventiveness in his sons and daughters. He sat Big L down and told him all about patents and the role of the patent in American life as a protection and encouragement for new ideas - new ideas which have shaped America’s amazing progressions in science and medicine and agriculture and other areas.

Dad has promised Big L that if he comes up with a really useful and unique invention, he will help him obtain a patent. For real. Even eight-year-olds should be given the opportunity to be the next Thomas Edison.

p.s. Lest you think our girls are any less business savvy or industrious, they melted down all the chocolate purchased from their big brother, and attempted to sell it at a much higher price to Mom and Dad. You should have seen the smooth division of labor: JoJo did the purchasing (as she just had a birthday and was the one with more money), while JJ made up the recipe for “Roasted Chocolate” with a fancy recipe card and all, and kept driving up the price.

It’s Home Education Week over at Principled Discovery - check out the other great articles from home educators around the world.

Technorati Tags: children, home education, homeschool, business, Easter eggs

I’ve been wandering all around. The Christian carnivals, Carnival of Family Life, food blogs, homeschooling blogs, homesteading blogs, BendBlogs. And principled government.

Whew, I’ve been to a lot of places, and more to go!

Puss ReBoots thinks I rock. Wow, what a compliment! I’m passing this blog award on to:

Sometimes I’m Actually Coherent
Funki Planet
The Parenting Diaries
MooBee Farm
Peregrinations

Check out these blogs that rock - I think you might agree.

Announcing the winners of my sports products Giveaway:
(please email with a shipping address)

Living For God: New York Giants Rug
An Untraditional Home: Pittsburgh Steelers Stainless Steel Thermos
Thou and Thou Only: Georgia Tech Trailer Hitch Cover
Funki Planet: Ohio State Watch
Brett’s Blog: Dallas Cowboys Tire Cover

Congratulations to these blogging winners!

BlogCatalog

The products and information are posted HERE (read down past the “blog party” stuff). I’ve done several giveaways, but never including so many high quality products - check it out and support a family business.

Technorati Tags: contest, Dallas Cowboys tire cover, giveaway, New York Giants rug, Pittsburgh Steelers thermos, prizes, Ohio State watch, Georgia Tech Trailer Hitch Cover, sports business

Welcome, I’m so glad you stopped by! The 5 Minutes for Mom blog is hosting another Ultimate Blog Party, which is basically a “carnival” to meet other mom bloggers and surely win some prizes! The idea is to go to their sites and browse through the hundreds of mom-bloggers who’ve linked up there - get your own blog noticed and get acquainted with some you’ve never encountered.

So, if you’ve come here through 5 Minutes for Mom and have never noticed me before, here is my introduction:

I’m Jennifer and I live in Central Oregon. You’ll figure that one out pretty quickly, since I write about my region quite a bit - I love where I live and can’t help but tell you about it! We are country folks, me and my husband and four children and dog. We’re desert dwellers trying to live a simple life with a high-tech twist. We have a few internet businesses, including one that I mention here fairly often, TeamMASCOT.com. I manage that store and am about to give away some cool prizes, so keep reading!

My husband got me into blogging one year ago, as an experiment in marketing. He designed my lovely site and enjoys tinkering with it - myself, I have NO clue how to program and have trouble placing simple icons in my sidebar. Well, I discovered to my amazement that I loved to write and now I can’t stop! My husband and I have always made a nice business partnership - he creates businesses, I manage them; he programs, I write. Except for that one day early on when he fired me and I quit all in the same breath. Oh, we’ve come a long way, baby.

We changed my blog format last month, and I’m really excited to see where this goes. You’ll notice on my main page that I have a monthly topic, and each week I publish a “feature” article. Last month was famous artists, this month is vineyards, next month will be highlighting some of my industrious girlfriends who have their own businesses. This new endeavor has been a blast - sometimes, I just need a little direction and my features keep me focused as I explore topics that I want to learn more about. I still blog in between my features about the other issues that are very important to me, like education, faith, family life, and world news.

Thank you, those of you who check in here regularly - I can’t tell you how enjoyable it’s been to meet people from all over the world, some of you even in real life! And are you ready for my prizes?? Of course, these all come from my business, which happens to be a sports-themed store, so if that’s up your alley, here’s the list of truly excellent products:

1. New York Giants Rug
2. Dallas Cowboys Tire Cover
3. Pittsburgh Steelers Stainless Steel Thermos
4. Ohio State Stainless Steel Mens Watch
5. Georgia Tech Trailer Hitch Cover

TO WIN, just go follow each link, browse around TeamMASCOT to see what other items you like, and come back here and leave me a comment, telling me which product you’d like to win. You will get special consideration if you mention this contest on your blog and link to TeamMASCOT! And that would just be really nice of you. Let me know if you link. But, you do not have to be a blogger to win. I’ll choose 5 winners (in honor of 5 Minutes for Mom) on March 14, the end of the Ultimate Blog Party. Be sure to fill in your email in the comment form so I can notify you if you’re a winner! Oh, and you don’t even have to be a mom to win!

Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you come back soon!

Technorati Tags: blogging, children, giveaway, contest, prizes, sports business, ultimate blog party

Super Bowl XLII is set for February 3, 2008 in Arizona, a showdown between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots!! Diary of 1 and TeamMASCOT are hosting another giveaway right here, right now, in honor of this great football tradition!

This Super Bowl Giveaway is an auto accessories package for the team of your choice: The Patriots or the Giants of course — and I will even let you choose a different NFL team, because I know those team loyalties run very deep! The package will contain the following three items:

1. An auto emblem: an officially licensed auto emblem made of hard plastic with a metallic finish and adhesive on the back to stick to your car or truck, or any hard surface - refrigerator, RV, door, etc. Measures approximately 3×3 inches and 1/4 inch thick.

2. A sheet of static cling decals: Better than a sticker, remove and reuse these team logo window decorations whenever you like. Each sheet contains five decals with team logos and graphics, of various size and design. Removable and fade-resistent. The sizes of the static clings are: One is 2.5″x4.75″, one is 4.75″x6.5″, two are 5″x9″, and one is 3.75″x19″.

3. A plastic license plate frame: These team logo license plate frames attach easily to any vehicle and feature bright graphics and team colors. The license plate holders are 6.25″x12.25″ and meet the vehicle standards for display of registration tags. These auto tags are made of hard, sturdy plastic.

How to win: Simply leave a comment below, and include the name of the NFL team you want for the auto accessories package, and I will randomly choose a winner on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008! I will notify the winner via email on Sunday, Feb. 3. If you are a blogger and would like to have an extra entry included in the drawing, just mention this contest on your blog with a link back to this post. You must have a U.S. mailing address to win this contest.

For hundreds of NFL and other team-logo products (NCAA, MLB, NASCAR, NHL, and NBA), please visit my family business, TeamMASCOT.com - support America’s small businesses!

This contest is part of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival at Rocks in My Dryer. Head over there for literally hundreds of amazing giveaways all week!!

My many conflicting commitments have sent me into a tailspin. With pressing financial obligations that require me to leave Homeschool Fantasy Land, I’ve seriously looked at my options. How can I homeschool and run a business? When I can’t afford outside tutors, how do I teach my kids in the disciplines in which I’m not equipped, like music, but which are very important to me? Can’t someone else do this for me?

I did what I have to do in cases of extreme distress: I called Catherine. I look upon her as my Homeschool Mentor-Mom Mentor-Wife Mentor, and she’s always the one to help me readjust my perspective.

She gave me a real talkin’ to this time. She’s not one to say, “Oh, honey, you poor thing, I feel for you.” It’s more like, “Are you even thankful for what you have? You are where you are, now work with it.” I complained about not being able to afford private music lessons, and how, unlike her, I don’t have 10 years of music training in the French conservatories. “You can listen to CDs of classical music, can’t you?” I grumbled about having to work at our family business. “Do you know how many people would die to have a family business? To have that opportunity to teach their kids a life skill at their side?”

I groused about feeling inadequate. “Jennifer, I would say that about some people, but never you. You’re intelligent, educated, and love the Lord.” However, she maintained that all my education and degrees may actually hinder me, as I’m tempted to reproduce an educational institution in my home. Her main point, as she talked, and I humbly listened, was that God has our family where He has our family. She is adamant about just living life with your children, and learning as you go. Her style is much more un-schooling than mine, and her children are so bright and lovely and competent. “You just need to ask the Lord, how do I accomplish this? will You please provide what I need?” she asserted.

Nothing has changed about my situation. I still have to find a way to spend several hours a day working on the business; I still have to buckle down and really stretch myself on the music education; I still don’t have anybody to pass my kids off to; I still don’t have any more money than I did a week ago. However, I’ve regained a little bit of the mind of Christ, which was lost over the past month of holiday insanity. The mind of Christ seems to be telling me to chill out.

Chill out and educate my children one day at a time. “Why do you homeschool?” Catherine had pointedly asked me. Oh, yeah. It affords us the opportunity to bring up our kids as children of God. It empowers our family to grow together in ways that we can direct. It enables me to take advantage of those daily moments where training happens, moments I can even set up in advance to teach my children life lessons on character and friendship. And homeschooling, perhaps most importantly, ensures that my children are not trapped in an artificial construct, but are learning to live a real life in the real world. Okay, I’ll do it.

Smooth and sweet, this gushing garden gulp is a blend of sweet apple juice and luscious purees of peach, mango, strawberry and banana, expertly blended with green foods including wheat grass, barley grass and wheat sprouts, plus other great stuff.

The best part is that it tastes GREAT! So, what works for you?

To win, just leave a comment below, letting me know which item you’d like to win. You have until next Wednesday, December 5, at midnight, to post your comment. U.S. and Canada bloggers only, please. I’ll have a random drawing and announce the thirteen winners in next week’s Thursday Thirteen! I’m offering free shipping and delivery guaranteed before Christmas. Links back to TeamMASCOT and this Diary of 1 post would be appreciated.

Merry Christmas to all, and let your blogger friends know about the Diary of 1/TeamMASCOT Holiday Giveaway!

1. Boston Red Sox Wall Clock

As clocks tick your life away, do you ever dream of something more stylish on your walls than twelve numbers encircling two spindling hands that snatch away your lunch hour? How about a bright, colorful Boston wall clock that tells you the time and reminds you how much you love the Red Sox.

2. Detroit Red Wings 3×5 Flag

This 3′ x 5′ flag has vibrant colors & true team graphics and logos. The durable one sided flag can be used for indoor or outdoor use! Made with a nylon material & features a canvas strip on the side with a D-ring on top & bottom for hanging on a wall, or attaching to a flag pole. A high quality, large size flag with great designs. Fly this flag for your team on game day or everyday! Go Red Wings!

3. Detroit Lions Blanket: Woven Tapestry Throw

Known as the “Three Point Stance” design, this blanket is tough! This design is no longer made, but I have this ONE blanket left. This beautiful loom woven triple layer tapestry Detroit Lions Blanket with fringed edges is a tasteful way to show your team spirit. The Detroit Lions Blanket displays a beautiful array of color and a unique design of the Detroit logo. With its large 48″x60″ size it also makes for a prominent wall hanging. Go Detroit!

4. North Carolina Tarheels Stainless Steel License plate

For collectors or those lucky enough to live in states that don’t require a second license plate! We’ve affixed a colorful metal North Carolina Ram logo on the stainless steel license plate to create a visual statement for your vehicle or bookshelf. Very classy, sturdy, holds up to weather outside and shines inside! Go Tarheels!

5. New York Yankees 27×37 Vertical Hanging Flag

Hang this New York Yankees Banner Flag with pride anywhere and it’ll look great! The logo and graphics are on one side. Bright colors to show your team spirit, great for indoor or outdoor use. Made of a nylon material. The banner has an opening at the top to slip a stick or pole through for hanging. Go Yankees!

6. Chicago Cubs Glow Pen

Chicago Cubs Glow Pens are a great item for any fan! They are a high tech, innovative ball point pen with colorful LED glowing light. You can use this Chicago Cubs Pen as a personal emergency flashlight or use it to write in the dark! Go Cubs!

7. Atlanta Hawks Pennant

Decorate your room in team style with this high quality Atlanta Hawks felt pennant. Felt pennants are the standard for sports! The pennant flags measure 12 x 30 inches and feature fade resistant coloring and bold team logos. Go Hawks!

8. Michigan State Lapel Pin

Fine pewter is the base for these colorful pins with school insignias. The Spartans lapel pin is made from hand poured fine metal then carefully hand finished and colored. This beautiful Michigan State Spartans pin is approximately 1 inch across and includes a clutch locking back. Go Spartans!

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 Trash Can

The perfect way to declutter your messy room or office is with a sparkling new Dale Earnhardt Jr. Trash Can. Now you can be proud to throw away junk mail in your wide rimmed 10 inch diameter, fifteen inch tall, Dale Earnhardt Jr. waste basket. With Jr. now sporting the number “88″ this item will soon be hard to find. Go Dale Jr.!

10. Dallas Cowboys Stainless Steel Water Bottle

This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer, and I have ONE left. I’ve removed the stainless steel water bottles from my website, and you can only get this right here! This water bottle holds up to 28 oz of fluid and has a sports top for easy drinking at the gym. The unique water bottle displays a gorgeous 3-dimensional pewter emblem with enamel color. Go Cowboys!

11. Texas Longhorns Stainless Steel Travel Mug

16 oz. stainless steel Texas Longhorns Coffee Mug will keep that steamy brew hot while you’re driving. Features a screw on lid with a drink spout, and a plastic interior. This artistically detailed, three dimensional pewter design is becoming a collector’s item. Take it camping, to the office or even to the big game! Go Longhorns!

12. Oregon Ducks Chrome License Plate Frame

A classy way to spice up your ride is with our Oregon Ducks chrome license plate frame. Features the team colors and logo, and has pre-drilled holes for easy mounting. The chrome frame is very durable and will last for a long time! Go Ducks!

13. New Orleans Saints Auto Emblem

This officially licensed New Orleans Saints Auto Emblem adds a touch of spirited class to anything. I currently only offer the chrome (no color) auto emblems on my website, and will soon be adding these color emblems. But you can get this Saints color emblem right here! Chrome-finished oval with durable color insert showing a screened team logo. Applied to vehicle with automotive 3M tape (included on emblem). Part can be removed without damage to paint or surface and is UV protected. Go Saints!

Thanks for visiting the Diary of 1 Holiday Giveaway of Sports Stuff! You can visit the Thursday Thirteen meme hub here.

I haven’t told my readers this yet, but I have a sports blog I started recently, and you can read my first post on the Rockies here, before they won the National League Championship, then here after sweeping the NL Series. You’ll read about a series of unlikely events that propelled the nearly unknown Rockies to the world stage; now the start of the World Series looks instead like a series of unfortunate events. But I have hope, speculative as it may be!

There’s the Coors Field advantage and the Colorado Rockies magic, and that’s what I hang my hope on. The advantage is not the beer, it’s the altitude, and the magic is a club that’s played together with one of the greatest team spirits in the leagues, doing the impossible at every turn.

While the thin air in Coors Field makes for long hits for both the Rockies and the Red Sox, it’s the seasoned Colorado pitcher who knows that his ball won’t get the same break who will most benefit in the next three games. And then I keep hearing about the spacious outfield - apparently it’s big? So, maybe lots of running for those non-acclimatized Red Sox who will be huffing and puffing.

And, oh, just to be home! I quoted another stanza of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High in my previous post, but this time, the first four lines seem most appropriate:

He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin’ home to a place he’d never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door

Let’s watch the Colorado Rockies be born again, and while I wrote earlier about the spiritual sense of that, I believe a new team will emerge back at Coors Field. The Rockies surely are coming home to a place they know well, but have absolutely never been before. I just read an article by Howard Bryant at ESPN, and I got another giant boost of optimism when I came across this bit of history about the Pittsburgh Pirates:

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost World Series games to the Yankees by 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0 but won the Series in seven games, the last 10-9 on Bill Mazeroski’s famous Series-ending home run.

Oh, yes, it can be done! Stay tuned for Game 3 of the 2007 World Series on Saturday night.

*****

Do I have any Rockies fans out there?? For you bloggers who can’t get enough of the Colorado Rockies, here’s a free giveaway for you!

I have a gorgeous (free) Colorado Rockies stainless steel coffee mug for you! Here is how you can enter this Blog Give Away:

You must have a blog or website and write a piece (doesn’t have to be long) about the Colorado Rockies. Anything - funny, serious, satirical, or how you think I’m a nut to believe the Rockies have a chance in this Series. Be sure to include a link to this blog post, as well as a link to the Colorado Rockies stainless steel coffee mug at TeamMASCOT.com. This is our family business and I’ll pack it up myself for you! Leave me a comment here as well so I don’t miss your post, and so I can reply to you when you win.

I’ll keep this contest open until Friday, November 2, by which point the Colorado Rockies will have won the 2007 World Series! I’ll do a drawing for the winning entry on that date.

UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOSTON RED SOX - IF YOU WOULD INSTEAD LIKE A BOSTON RED SOX STAINLESS STEEL COFFEE MUG, I’M HAPPY TO OFFER THAT AS WELL!

It’s Colorado Rocky Mountain High…I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky…

Humidifying Secrets From Coors Field

I told Shannon I wanted to give away two youth College Cheerleader Uniforms, since Halloween is coming up. Then several days later I said to her, wait, I forgot about the little boys! So, I added the youth Football and Helmet uniform sets, which we carry in both College and NFL teams. Shannon and I ended up deciding to choose FOUR WINNERS, and they can choose from either the cheerleader or football costumes. These always sell out, so I chose the earliest blog giveaway date that Shannon offered…good luck to you all!

We don’t actually celebrate Halloween at my house, but we do go to a church Harvest Party, so our kids still get to dress up and have a ton of fun. I tell you, the one time I took my kids trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, the people who opened their doors to give out candy were often scarier than the children dressed up like a bleeding brain.

My kiddos will all be decked out in these fun uniforms this year. My 6 year old girl wants to be an Oregon Ducks cheerleader, since we live in Oregon, and my husband and I both went to the University of Oregon. My 4 year old girl wants to be a Michigan Wolverines cheerleader, since I’m from Michigan and nearly my entire family still lives there, including my awesome cousin who’s right in Ann Arbor, the heart of Wolverine country! My 8 year old and 3 year old boys want to be Dallas Cowboys football players because that’s Daddy’s team! I promise I will post pictures of them all dressed up!

Okay, folks, have fun playing over at the Rocks in My Dryer Bloggy Giveaway! I’ll be in touch with the winners to make shipping arrangements.

Bending the Twigs had an excellent post on the Boston Red Sox; (a Red Sox-themed nursery!)
Pebble Chaser posted a funny piece on the Denver Broncos; (and her crazy uncle)
Principled Discovery really likes Australian teams but played anyway; (bless her heart!)
Consent of the Governed is a Yankee fan; (regardless of numbers)
Under His Construction supports a variety of teams; (mostly the Washington State Cougars)
Our Seven Qtpies loves the Minnesota Vikings; (you’ll get kicked if you don’t)
Chasing the Wind comes in with notes on the Oakland As and Houston Astros (love those boys of summer).

TeamMASCOT will continue to partner with Diary of 1, and if one of you wonderful bloggers out there ever writes about your team and includes a link to TeamMASCOT, YOU WILL GET A PRIZE! Same deal, anything on TeamMASCOT.com up to $20 in value, with free shipping. Ongoing. Even a past sports post, with an update to include the TeamMASCOT link, will be just fine.

Other loose ends: I’ve missed so many great carnivals lately; July has been a whirlwind of activity with hosting my French exchange student, along with my 15 year old niece…and still trying to maintain sanity in the home. So, here’s a reading list for you:

The Expatriate’s Kitchen hosted the Carnival of Family Life a few weeks back. While you’re there, be sure to read about the Strange Baby Gear. I’m sorry if you own any of these items and actually paid money for them. If someone gifted you with the Baby Safe Feeder, The Baby Care Timer, or the Designer Potty Stool, maybe I can understand, it’s not your fault.

The So Called Me hosts the current edition of Carnival of Family Life.

Principled Discovery hosted the Teacher-in Service edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. And Tami host this week’s State Flower edition.

Mere Orthodoxy hosts the current poetry-themed Christian Carnival. (poetry courtesy of the host; while Mere O claims “bad poetry,” it’s all good!)

I’m sure I have more loose ends to gather, but that’s all for the moment.

I wrote once before about TeamMASCOT.com, the business my husband and I run. Mostly he programs/designs and I pack/track orders/keep customers happy. It’s part of what I do every day. I’ve been thinking for a while about this, and was inspired when I saw that Crimson Wife is a 3rd generation Red Sox fan! It put to rest my fears that my readers would have no interest in receiving sports merchandise!

Why the contest? I want links to my business, of course. TeamMASCOT is in need of links - it’s a competitive industry, and we’ve been lazy about marketing, to be honest. So, without further ado, here is how it works:

1. The first 20 people to post an article on their blog about their favorite sports team will each get to choose any item/items up to $20. Free shipping, and if it’s in stock, will ship within a day. If not in stock, I usually get shipments of new merchandise within 2 weeks.

2. The blog post can be funny, informational, serious, satirical, whatever you want! But it must be a team in a league we carry: NFL, College, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, and NHL. When you are on the TeamMASCOT site, scroll across those leagues at the top of the page and choose. Then, the individual teams will be listed in a sidebar on the right. It’s a simple site to navigate, but let me know if you have questions.

3. The blog post must include a link back here to Diaryof1.com, so I know you did this, and email me as well at blessedinthewest at yahoo dot com, because my links don’t always show up for a while. Your blog post also must include a link to the item or items on TeamMASCOT.com that you wish to win - again, the total value should not exceed $20, and shipping will be FREE as well.

4. The first 20 entries I receive will win, it’s that simple. Contest ends on the 4th of July.

5. When I receive your email, I will email back to let you know you were among the first 20, and I’ll need your shipping address.

6. When the contest is over, I’ll do a blog post with links to all of the winners, so everyone can read about your team, and throw rotten eggs your way if you’re a Steelers fan (haha).

I walked through my eclectic house this morning and took some pictures of the random sports merchandise items I’ve collected. Samples from vendors, returns, slightly damaged merchandise, but all useful things I needed in my home. Here’s a peek at a few things I found:

Under my kitchen sink:

In my kitchen cupboards:

On my son’s bed:

In my living area:

The funny thing is, we’re really not die-hard sports fans, but touring our house you’d really think so! And teams you see on display here we may not even care for, so don’t be fooled. We are however, Cowboys fans. :-)

Let the sporting begin!

We have an online sports merchandise company, TeamMASCOT.com, that I have to juggle along with the needs of the family every day. But as far as jobs go, this isn’t too bad. It’s online only, so no need to keep store hours or tend to walk-in customers.

I thought I’d give you a little glimpse into this part of our life. First, a few FAQs:

1. Are you big sports fans? No, we just have a sports store because, well, other people (lots of them) are sports fans. The sports marketing industry is enormous and rapidly growing. My husband just came up with the idea, along with another buddy of his, and he built the website (it helps to be a computer programming genius).

2. Where do you keep all your products? Well, up until a year ago, it was the home office, the hallway, the bedroom (yes, my bedroom full of NFL trashcans…very romantic), the garage. You can imagine the tripping that occurred, so we now have a warehouse in town where we keep it all.

3. What’s your role in the business? My job is mostly product management. We carry various items, from bumper stickers to wall clocks, with team logos (NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NASCAR). I order products to maintain our inventory, look for new vendors, manage customer service, and pack orders on the days our part-time help is out. There was quite a learning curve when I came on to help my husband over two years ago, since I didn’t know whether the Steelers belonged to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, or whether they played football or baseball. I’ve learned a thing or two since then, and can now fairly accurately predict the contenders for the Superbowl, the World Series, the Bowl Championships, etc.

4. How do you fit your business in with homeschooling? This is a question that some days I ask myself as I’m ready to throw that Indianapolis Colts hammer out the window. I have to spend an average of 2-3 hours a day on TeamMASCOT, depending on the season. Less during the offseason, much more during the Christmas rush. I have a computer set up at home that is remotely connected to the warehouse, allowing me to order products from my vendors, add new products, reply to customer inquiries - really anything except pack up the order. So, I try to work very early hours and very late hours and save the bulk of the day for the family.

OK, there’s a little run-down. The kids sometimes come to the warehouse on the days I have to go in, for a few hours, and I get to teach them some business skills. My son pictured above, who is 7, is very capable of learning the various teams and their logos, and can pick orders for me. He’s learning about buying and selling - wholesale, retail, and profit margins. Even my five year old daughter is eager to help:

Is this the Steelers, Mom?

And right down to my three year old, who LOVES to put the labels on the packages (I won’t even go into the large packages that require packing peanuts, such fun for a three year old):

Some customers might get a crooked postage tag!

There are actually a lot of skills to teach, and I think that figuring out what size box to use for what product is a great math lesson. Then there’s the matter of weighing and deciding on the postage amount.

Overall, a family business/homeschool model can be a great tool for teaching your children about responsibility, life skills, and money matters. And just like any family chores, kids’ involvement increases their self-confidence and happiness, because they are an integral, important part of your life, and they know it.

“There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.” Winston Churchill