We have a Winner!!

Congratulations to Jessica H. - you won the Mall of America Shopping Experience from Operation Relax!! :) Thank you to all of my wonderful followers who entered. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Small Business Saturday 2012 - Support Small Businesses (and small Authors!)

Support your favorite small businesses and skip the big box stores!

This November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country. In the United States, small businesses provide over half of the nation's employment - and that's no small feat!

Authors count as a small business, as their book is their "product." If you're looking for some good reads, check Smashwords, Amazon, and other eBook options as well as author websites and see if you can find a book or two with an indie author (such as myself) that you can buy to help support them in their career!

As most of you know, I also run a small travel agency called Operation Relax. Operation Relax is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th. Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday offer! Come meet owner Jess at local family-owned restaurant Crystal Jade for a Sandal's Resort seminar, where you can learn about how Sandals and Beaches resorts make the best vacations, sip $1 Mai Thai Martinis courtesy of Crystal Jade, and enter to win a beach prize pack. Gift certificates will also be available for purchase to help keep Operation Relax and Crystal Jade up and running throughout the holiday season. If you have a Facebook account, please also support our businesses by "liking" our Facebook pages and RSVP-ing to our event:
Operation Relax Facebook Page
Crystal Jade Facebook Page
Small Business Saturday Event RSVP

Even if you can't make it to our event, get out there, Shop Small, and let’s make this November 24th the biggest day of the year for small business.

To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com.

Let your voice be heard!

It's time to vote - for Goodreads' Best Books of 2012, that is! :) If you're an avid reader, don't miss out on your chance to give these hard-working authors the praise they deserve.
Fifteen books will be nominated in the following categories: Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, Memoir & Autobiography, History & Biography, Nonfiction, Food & Cookbooks, Humor, Graphic Novels & Comics, Poetry, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, Middle Grade & Children's Books, Picture Books, and Goodreads Author.
There will be three rounds of voting, which will be open to all 12 million Goodreads members, and winners will be announced December 4th.Opening Round: October 30 – November 11
Voting open to 15 official nominees and write-in votes.
Semifinal Round: November 12 – November 18
The top 5 write-in votes became official nominees, bringing the total to 20 books in each category. Additional write-ins no longer accepted.
Final Round: November 19 – November 27
The field narrows to the top 10 books in each category, and members have one last chance to vote!
The best part of all of this? Nominees were chosen by looking at the reviews and ratings left by all of us Goodreads Readers! They analyzed statistics from the 170 million books added, rated, and reviewed on the site in 2012 and nominated based on a book's number of ratings and average rating. 
So make sure you visit Goodreads and help choose the best reads for 2012 - just click here. 

Happy voting one and all!

Giveaway - Mall of America Shopping Experience!

It's hard to believe it's already November - which means in two weeks, I'll be graduating with my Master's of Science in Management from Bellevue University! Sorry about neglecting my blog lately but life has been a bit hectic to say the least. ;)

So let me kick off my return to the blog with a HUGE GIVEAWAY! How does a shopping experience at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN sound? Get your shopping done before the holidays and avoid the lines with this great prize pack!

One winner will receive : a $50 gift card toward a hotel stay in Bloomington when booked through Operation Relax; a 20 Years of Fun 2012 Mall of America Coupon book with hundreds of dollars worth of coupons and freebies; a 2012 Mall of America Map and Directory booklet; a coupon sheet and Mystery Ticket (good for one ride, a day's worth of rides, or a year's worth of rides - scanned at the counter to determine what you've won) for Nickelodeon Universe; a Minneapolis-St Paul Official Visitor's Guide; a Minneapolis Visitor Map; a Metro Transit Hiawatha Line rail schedule; and a Minneapolis luggage tag!!

What it does not include: transportation to/from Bloomington; transportation while in Bloomington; or the full hotel reservation, which you will still have to make depending on your preferences.

But it's still a huge gift! I'm only going to run this contest until my graduation on November 17th - then draw the winner as my graduation gift! So spread the word and let everyone know that this is a limited time offer.


Good luck and happy holidays!

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