This is it, my final day in the United States before I set sail and officially leave the country for the first time in my life! I am excited and slightly scared all at once. It is also my first time cruising and I am prone to motion sickness. Thankfully, I am bringing a ponytail holder should I become ill…it’s called the best friend. She is super excited now too.
This week I was blessed with smiles all week-long leading up to vacation:
- Cruise Haircut & Pedicure!!! What better than pampering yourself before you go on vacation and pamper yourself?
- Received two prizes I won from blog giveaways! A super cute headband from Your Beauty Junkie and a package still unopened from Not So Skinny Genes. I owe Miss Laura a happy dance with Christmas socks and until she gets it, the package cannot be opened. Stay tuned for a fun and embarrassing Stephanie dancing video coming your way when she returns from her cruise. I’m thinking something along these lines…
- A dear friend took in my cruise dress for me so that it actually fits! Yay for being lucky enough to have such an amazing friend who I adore! (And now a dress I can wear).
- Date night with the Mr. before I leave him for a what I’m sure will seem like an eternity to him. No worries, I left him well stocked.
And now I embark on vacation and get to swim with dolphins and visit the Mayan ruins, crossing two things off my bucket list in one trip! Does it get much better than this?!
Answer: It does. Because Simply Stephanie Blog has officially reached (and surpassed) the goal of 500 subscribers! As promised, that means it is time for our next gift card giveaway! $25 to Target, Amazon or Starbucks, winner’s choice.
We’re keeping the rules simple: must be a subscriber, then leave a comment below continuing the Counting Smiles theme (so what made you smile recently or link to your own Counting Smiles post). Want extra points? Pay it forward by sharing this opportunity with others (1 extra entry each for FB and/or Twitter or your own Counting Smiles post…so up to 4 entries max). Please include how you shared it in your comment below so I can count your points (honors system please). Winner will be announced on October 1st!
Good luck, and keep smiling!
What made me smile recently? Being able to spend time with the one I love. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.
I hope you had a wonderful time. Oh, I shared on Twitter too!
Thanks Matt Stewart! That is a fantastic reason to smile. And you’re absolutely correct, absence does make the heart grow fonder.
Have a great time! I can’t wait to read all about it when you come back! I am going away to Cuba in January for the second time and THAT has me smiling because I love the Caribbean and I love spending time with friends, enjoying new adventures to cross off of MY bucket list!
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Have a fantastic time on the Fun Ship! My “counting smiles” moment happened when I learned that my oldest nephew is adjusting quite well to his new big boy room and his big boy bed. I can’t wait to hear how he adjusts to becoming a big brother in November. Also shared on my blog’s FB and my personal one because I don’t have a Twitter.
This past week while on my long run, I encountered a bagpiper on the running trail. It made me smile and I actually ran a bit slower to enjoy the serenade (which of course I believed to be directed right at me
) I posted about it in this post below:
http://sandbetweenmysneakers.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/strange-encounters/
Thanks for smiling!
have a great time & dont get too seasick!!!
Wheeeeeeee1 Have fun and be careful!
Thanks, I absolutely will do both!
500 subscribers! Wow!
Have a great trip, Stephanie!
Yay! Thank you Maggie!
Oh please please please dance gangnam style for me! that would definitely make me smile! Today I had a hard time finding a reason to smile standing in the rain for the bus to work especially after all the yucky this week has unloaded on my poor little brain. But reading this post gave me a little smile. So count me in. We’re getting Target in Canada finally! I’m also FBing and Tweeting this for some extra entries. P.S. Have a FABULOUS trip and if you still have time to pic them up, motion sickness wristbands are a lifesaver! Oh and eat your face off! I expect pictures!
I’m planning on it. Brian and I are figuring out how to get the different scenes. I may have the shortened edition…but it should still be good.
I love that I made you smile, I kind of want to give you extra points for that, LOL!!! I have you down for 3 so far. If you want to do a counting smiles post next week while I’m away that’s cool too, there’s no time limit! I fully plan on eating everythign in sight. I may need to dance it off when I get back, lol!
I will definitely do a post. It might even be today’s
I’m sure there will be plenty of dancing opportunities on the boat too!
Yay! Can’t wait to read it.
Excellent! Have an awesome time, you’ll loooove cruising. Your Mr. must be bummed out being stuck at home. If your on a Carnival ship, your gonna just love it. They are wonderful, the people, the food, oooohhhh the food. Can I hide in your baggage? hehe
Thanks John! It is Carnival and I’m SOOOOO excited!!!! (And I just can’t hide it…). I’m sure Brian (despite my joking), will miss me after about 24 hours of bachelor time. Truth be told, I will miss him too.
Hope you have a fantastic week next week and talk to you when I get back!