A Giveaway for Giving - Donate to Sophie and Madigan's Playground

Today is Giving Tuesday (as I write this), so I'm sharing with you a way I'm helping to give, and a way you can give to others. I recently announced that for the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World this January, I'll be running for a charity: Sophie and Madigan's Playground. When I announced my working with the charity, I offered up some additional reasons to donate, some perks for your donations. I also mentioned that I was working on a giveaway. I'm happy to now share that giveaway with you.

A quick bit about the charity

Sophie and Madigan's Playground is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created to honor the lives of Sophie and Madigan Lillard. Their mission is an uplifting one, but not without a heartbreaking background.

On January 31, 2013, the Lillard family of Myersville, Maryland was struck by unthinkable tragedy when a horrific house fire claimed the lives of their daughters Sophie and Madigan, killed the family's four pets, destroyed their home and virtually all the family's possessions, and hospitalized the surviving family members.

As Sophie and Madigan's parents struggled to cope with the loss of their daughters, they looked for a way to honor the memory of Sophie and Madigan and pay tribute to the joy Sophie and Madigan brought their family and friends during their too short lives.

Having lost all their possessions, the Lillards were left with no physical reminders of Sophie and Madigan...none of the toys Madigan and Sophie played with, the clothes they wore, their hand drawn pictures and art projects, their favorite books, handmade jewelry...the list goes on and on. The Lillards were struck by the harsh reminder of how important memories are, especially those memories that a family creates together.

At the same time the Lillards were coping with this horrible loss, they were touched by the outpouring of support provided by the greater Frederick County, Maryland community that was rocked by the tragedy.

The Lillards realized that by creating a memorial park and themed playground, they could create a place that honors Sophie and Madigan in a way that reflects their personalities and spirits, while at the same time provide the community with a place where children and their families could build memories together that last a lifetime.

The Lillards created Sophie and Madigan's Playground in June 2013 to honor the lives of Sophie and Madigan by providing opportunities for children and their families to play, learn, and create lifelong memories together.

Having two children of my own makes the mission of this charity personal to me. I think giving other children and families happiness is a great way to honor the memory of Sophie and Madigan.

The Fundraising

In racing for Sophie and Madigan's Playground, I have a fundraising goal for $1,100. You can help by donating on my runner page. While the good this money will do for the mission of the organization is reason enough to donate, I'm going to offer you additional incentives, in a Kickstarter "perks"-like fashion. Based on levels you donate, I'm going to offer you some extra rewards as my personal thank you.

Every $5 == Giveaway Entry
First and foremost, I'm offering a giveaway to any donors of at least $5. For each $5 you donate, you'll earn an entry for a giveaway package, to be drawn in conjunction with Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. That means $5 gets you 1 entry, $10 gets you 2, and so on (maths people). Here's what you can win so far:

BibRave Trucker Hat + BibRave Tattoos
I'll start you off with the first items donated to me, from the team at BibRave. As you know, I'm an ambassador for BibRave and BibChat as a BibRavePro. I've had a lot of great opportunities teaming up with this fantastic group of people. They were the first to offer up items for my raffle. Thanks to the BibRave team, you can be sporting this awesome BibRave Trucker Hat as well as some BibRave temporary tattoos. (Image from https://squareup.com/market/bibrave/item/bibrave-trucker-hat-limited)


XX2i Gift Certificates
Next up, one of my favorite brands, which you've seen featured many times on this blog: XX2i. This awesome eyewear brand has given me several gift certificates good for a free pair of sunglasses of your choice! Pick the frame and color you want most. Since I have several of these, I may use some as early giveaways as we build towards our giveaways, so the earlier you donate, the more chances you'll have to win a pair. You could choose from many that I've written about (shown below): France1, USA1 (my wife's favorite), Bermuda1, Australia1 (my goto running glasses), Brazil1 (my goto everyday), or one of the frames I haven't personally tried out yet.

AfterShokz Trekz Titanium

Another of my favorite products that I use almost every run are my AfterShokz headphones. I love these headphones because they give me my music (without wires) on my run but also keep me safe with their unique, advanced, open ear design. You can read my full thoughts from my review written earlier this year but the tl;dr version is best way to have your music without compromising your safety. AfterShokz has provided me a pair to give away to you, in the same color I rock regularly: Ivy (green / black). Plus, they're bluetooth, so if you have a phone that ditched the headphone jack, they've got your back.


The Square: Clean Bottle

The next product I have for you is pretty unique in that you can't currently buy it, only back it on Kickstarter. It's The Square. It's a large, 32 oz bottle. It's square, so it won't go anywhere if it falls. It's got a convenient handle built into the top. Plus, one of my favorite features, the bottom also screws off for easy cleaning. I hate trying to get the bottle of a water bottle clean. It's even BPA-free and comes with a lifetime guarantee. You can win one here with your donations to Sophie and Madigan's Playground or go back the Kickstarter right now. Or do both. (Image from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1793909617/the-square-bottle-32oz)


Donated by Me:

Nuun
I wanted to throw in a couple items myself to the raffle, to share with you more of what I love. To start, I'm going to throw in some of my hydration of choice: Nuun. I'll be giving you an assortment of 4 different tubes, including a tube from my stash of can't be bought Kona Cola. I'll also throw in an individually packaged trial of Plus for Nuun, great for adding some carbs to your hydration for your longer runs.


Walt Disney World Mystery Item
Lastly, I'll be giving you a little something from the Disney Parks. While I'm in the magical happy place of Walt Disney World for the races, I'll also pick up one last item to add into the raffle. What will it be? You'll have to wait to find out.


Want to win? Go donate now!

The Other Perks

I've already written all about the perks you can get for your donation. These are little ways for me to say thank you to everyone, since only one person can win the big giveaway. Below is the quick version, or read the full post.

$1: Website Thank You
Every donation will come with a heartfelt thank you on my website.

$10: Social Media Shoutout
The next reward is also electronic, but I'll shout my thanks to the internet beyond my site and into the world of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even reddit if I need to!

$25: Disney Trading Pin
I'm going to offer you one of my own assorted pins, as a thank you for a donation of $25.

$40: Postcard from Walt Disney World
For the next level of donation, I'm going to offer you one fun bit of mail, a postcard direct from Walt Disney World, sent with my personal handwritten thanks.

$150: Pick a Race Costume (first 2 donors)

One thing I love about runDisney is the number of race costumes. For this perk, you pick what my costume will be and I'll find a way to make it work. This offer is up for grabs for up to 2 people who donate at least $150. Of course, I'll also throw in ALL the other perks above and plenty of thanks (and photographic evidence!).

How to Donate

Donating is easier than obtaining a FastPass for Frozen: Ever After! All you need to do is head over to my runner's page and selecting "Sponsor Me". Then, all you have to do is fill out your information and decide how much you want to donate. Submit and you're done! You've helped me and, more importantly, you've helped out Sophie and Madigan's Playground.

Now, some of my perks require me sending you a little something or needing your social media account. So, for all of these, you'll need to drop me a line. You can choose to send me a message via Twitter, Facebook, or an email via john at rungeekrundisney.com. Since I don't control the page you donate through, this is the easiest way to ensure I get your information.

Thank you for reading all the way through and thank you so much to all of you who donate!



UPDATE: I'm also linking up with Running with SD Mom and Erica Finds for the Wednesday Giveaway Round Up, so go check out their other giveaways for chances to win.

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Running for Play - Donate to Sophie and Madigan's Playground

I announced some time ago that I'd be running the Dopey Challenge this year. When I decided I was going to run this four race challenge, I also decided I wanted to try and make a difference by running for a charity. When looking over the charities partnering with runDisney during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, I found one that felt personal to me: Sophie and Madigan's Playground.

What's the charity all about?

Sophie and Madigan's Playground is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created to honor the lives of Sophie and Madigan Lillard. Their mission is an uplifting one, but not without a heartbreaking background.

On January 31, 2013, the Lillard family of Myersville, Maryland was struck by unthinkable tragedy when a horrific house fire claimed the lives of their daughters Sophie and Madigan, killed the family's four pets, destroyed their home and virtually all the family's possessions, and hospitalized the surviving family members.

As Sophie and Madigan's parents struggled to cope with the loss of their daughters, they looked for a way to honor the memory of Sophie and Madigan and pay tribute to the joy Sophie and Madigan brought their family and friends during their too short lives.

Having lost all their possessions, the Lillards were left with no physical reminders of Sophie and Madigan...none of the toys Madigan and Sophie played with, the clothes they wore, their hand drawn pictures and art projects, their favorite books, handmade jewelry...the list goes on and on. The Lillards were struck by the harsh reminder of how important memories are, especially those memories that a family creates together.

At the same time the Lillards were coping with this horrible loss, they were touched by the outpouring of support provided by the greater Frederick County, Maryland community that was rocked by the tragedy.

The Lillards realized that by creating a memorial park and themed playground, they could create a place that honors Sophie and Madigan in a way that reflects their personalities and spirits, while at the same time provide the community with a place where children and their families could build memories together that last a lifetime.

The Lillards created Sophie and Madigan's Playground in June 2013 to honor the lives of Sophie and Madigan by providing opportunities for children and their families to play, learn, and create lifelong memories together.

Having two children of my own makes the mission of this charity personal to me. I think giving other children and families happiness is a great way to honor the memory of Sophie and Madigan.

The Fundraising

In racing for Sophie and Madigan's Playground, I have a fundraising goal for $1,100. You can help by donating on my runner page. While the good this money will do for the mission of the organization is reason enough to donate, I'm going to offer you additional incentives, in a Kickstarter "perks"-like fashion. Based on levels you donate, I'm going to offer you some extra rewards as my personal thank you.

Every $5 == Giveaway Entry
First and foremost, I'm offering a giveaway to any donors of at least $5. For each $5 you donate, you'll earn an entry for a giveaway package, to be drawn in conjunction with Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. That means $5 gets you 1 entry, $10 gets you 2, and so on (maths people). I'm still reaching out to some brands, but I'll be giving away a combination of items donated by companies and ones donated by myself. I am hoping to have some goods from many of my favorite brands to share with you, plus a little something from Disney, to put together the best giveaway I can. But even if you don't win, you'll have helped Sophie and Madigan's Playground, so that is a guaranteed win.

$1: Website Thank You
Every donation will come with a heartfelt thank you on my website. A little electronic piece of long lasting thanks in 1's and 0's. An electronic monument to your generosity. A little corner of the internet that says "All these people here are good people helping others". Who doesn't want that?

$10: Social Media Shoutout
The next reward is also electronic, but I'll shout my thanks to the internet beyond my site and into the world of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even reddit if I need to! I'll tell the world of your good deeds and of my gratitude, shouting from an electronic rooftop with @'s and #'s and missing punctuation in order to stay below arbitrary character limits.

$25: Disney Trading Pin
One fun thing I love about Disney is all the trading pins they have. I love collecting pins for Disney hotels I stay at, ones with my favorite character (Goofy), and attractions I love. When you have Disney Trading Pins on property, you can actually trade pins with cast members throughout the parks and resorts (hence the use of "trading" in trading pin). You can take any pin of yours that you're willing to part with and trade for any pin from the cast member. I'm going to offer you one of my own assorted pins, as a thank you for a donation of $25.

$40: Postcard from Walt Disney World
Who doesn't love getting mail? Well, real mail, not junk mail and bills and 95% of the crap you actually get in the mail. For the next level of donation, I'm going to offer you one fun bit of mail, a postcard direct from Walt Disney World, sent with my personal handwritten thanks. Mail, fun. Postcard, fun. Mail and Postcard from Disney, FUN. (Wife interjecting here, since he asked me to proofread this....there is *no* guarantee you will be able to read said postcard! xoxo)

$150: Pick a Race Costume (first 2 donors)

One thing I love about runDisney is the number of race costumes. Yes, other races have people who dress up to race, but not to the same extent and fevor of those at runDisney races. I plan to dress in some version of a costume for all 4 races. Granted, longer races require less "costume" and more "inspired by" or Disney-bounding style outfits, but I still plan to do all that I can do. I'm going to offer up this to any potential big donors: you can have the opportunity to pick who I race as for a race. The preference is, of course, to do Disney first, but exceptions can be made. You pick what my costume will be and I'll find a way to make it work. That means I will pick the actual outfit for what works for me, meets the race guidelines, and in good taste (that does not mean no princesses, just that I'm not running in a bikini). Not sure what to choose? I'll gladly throw out some options as idea starters, as I keep a running list of ideas. This offer is up for grabs for up to 2 people who donate at least $150. Of course, I'll also throw in ALL the other perks above and plenty of thanks (and photographic evidence!).

I've listed the rewards here in increasing value, but they do stack. That means if you donate enough for a postcard for yours truly, I'll also send you a pin, call you out on social media, and list you here on the blog. This is about showing my thanks to you and hoping you'll consider to donate to this great charity.

How to Donate

Donating is easier than obtaining a FastPass for Frozen: Ever After! All you need to do is head over to my runner's page and selecting "Sponsor Me". Then, all you have to do is fill out your information and decide how much you want to donate. Submit and you're done! You've helped me and, more importantly, you've helped out Sophie and Madigan's Playground.

Now, some of my perks require me sending you a little something or needing your social media account. So, for all of these, you'll need to drop me a line. You can choose to send me a message via Twitter, Facebook, or an email via john at rungeekrundisney.com. Since I don't control the page you donate through, this is the easiest way to ensure I get your information.

Thank you for reading all the way through and thank you so much to all of you who donate!

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BUFF in the Wild | BibRavePro

Disclaimer: BibRave and BUFF have partnered up for a BUFF prize pack giveaway, and as part of being a BibRave Pro, I am giving you a chance to win!. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

It's no secret how much I love my BUFFs. I first discovered the brand when I got the opportunity to test out the UV Half BUFF as a BibRave Pro. Since then, I've tested the full BUFF, the BUFF thermal hoodie, and the Merino Wool BUFF. These are not even the only BUFFs I own. I own two more full BUFFs, a BUFF headband, and a polar bandana. Even my daughter got her first thermal BUFF this winter.

Want to get BUFF?

Would you like to kick start or grow a collection of your own? BibRave and BUFF are partnering for an amazing giveaway which can net you $215 worth of BUFF gear.

You can win:

• 1 Original BUFF
• 2 UV BUFFs
• 1 Merino Wool BUFF
• 1 UV Half BUFF
• 1 Headband
• 1 Shirt
• 1 Sweatshirt
• Stickers

How can you enter to win?

Step 1: Find me at a race. 

    (Hint: I'll be at The Color Run: Baltimore on this Saturday, May 21st)

Step 2: Snap a BUFFIE

    Selfie + BUFF = BUFFIE.

    Simply, take a selfie with you and me in my BUFF

Step 3: Post it, share it, Give the world the BUFFIE

   Post the BUFFIE to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #buffie and #bibchat then tag @bibrave and @buff_usa

Step 4: Lather, rinse, repeat

    Only one BUFFIE per race per pro, but you're eligible to find other pros at other races and enter again. You'll find us all over the US in all sorts of races, so be sure to watch for more tweets and posts of where to find us all. Treat us like Pokemon, and try to collect us all!

The contest is for U.S. residents only, and will run until the end of May.

More Pros, More BUFFIES

UPDATE: The Color Run Baltimore has been rescheduled to August 13, so you will not find me there this weekend. Currently, I have no other May races scheduled, so check out the other Pros below. I'll be sure to update you if I add anything in my schedule for the later half of this month.

Check out where you can find more Pros and opportunities to win:

Angie — Brenda — Elizabeth — Gina — Heather — Jenny — Karen — Katherine — Lisa — Mark — Samantha

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Get Tropicolored! The Color Run Baltimore Discount and Giveway | BibRavePro

Disclaimer: I received the a swag pack and entry to The Color Run to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador, tell them I sent you), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I'm excited to share with you the next race I'll be running. My next race won't be in Disney, it won't be a half marathon, but it won't be lacking in fun. I'll be running The Color Run Baltimore on May 21. The Camden Yards Sports Complex is an upcoming stop on the Tropicolor World Tour 2016. You can join me and save 30% on your registration with the code BRP16.

This will not be my first time doing The Color Run. I ran one two years ago in Hershey over the sumer. If you remember my review, at the time, I wasn't overly enthusiastic. I had fun, but wasn't sure if I would want to do one again. Why the enthusiasm now, you may wonder? First, this time, my expectation is fixed to know what to expect. Second, part of the problem I had was with the course, and this is a new location. Third is simply time. It's been two years. I know what I'm doing and I'm out to have fun. I want to do this race because it isn't your traditional 5K, and I'm looking to have fun with it.

Sweet Swag

The lovely folks of The Color Run provided me with a nice little swag bag to get ready for the race. This is on top of the swag I'll get race day with my registration. It's some pretty cool stuff. The hat is a good quality, and a design that is fun with colors but also realistic to wear outside of the race day. Next, what kind of tropical party would it be with out some shades? Simple black frames with The Color Run colorfully down the sides. Lastly, are some socks that are just awesome for race day. Tall white socks with tricolor bands on top. I'll be breaking these out for Baltimore for sure.

#Bibchat Meetup

I mentioned I'll be running the race in Baltimore and you can join me, right? I mentioned you can save 30% with the code BRP16, right? Let's say you take me up on that option. Not only will I be there to run, but I'll also be hosting a BibRave Bibchat meetup. I alwasy love when people I follow have these, so I thought why not have one with any of my favorite Bibchat friends who decide to join me? Race day I'll throw out a spot to meet me once I find the lay of the land, then you can find me. I'll be sure to have some BibRave and other fun stuff with me. Then, we can be more than just internet friends! If you want to, we can even all have a colorful run together.

Giveaway

I hope to see you in Baltimore, but even if you're not, I have one last thing for you: a giveaway. Remember that swag The Color Run sent me? Well they want to send you a pack two. Enter below for your chance to win, so even if you can't come run with me, you can look the part. The pack will be provided by The Color Run directly, so may vary slightly. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you ever run The Color Run? Will you come run in Baltimore with me?

I'm linking up with Running with SD Mom and Erica Finds to #WinAllThePrizes. Check out their blogs for the full listing of awesome giveaways this week in the Wednesday Giveaway Roundup. There's always plenty of awesome giveaways from those two plus lots to find in the linkup.

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Blog-a-versary and Giveaway

Huzzah! It's my blog-a-versary!

It's... your... blog-a-versary! (Source)

I have officially been writing a blog for 2 whole years! That's kinda hard for me to believe. It all started with a simple "Obligatory Intro Post". Back then, I had started by blog to help keep me accountable as I looked to get fit. There were posts about getting to the gym, missing a workout and my first encounter with nature, which I guess I can officially call the start of when I became a runner. And then there was the moment I was "officially crazy" and I signed up for my first half marathon, a runDisney half marathon. That would snow ball everything for me: the new name and theme for the blog, my love of running, my healthy obsession(?) of runDisney and my love of blogging and sharing my experiences. To think I'd go from just writing some blog posts to keep myself honest, to co-hosting a linkup, writing 2 - 3 posts a week, and to being both a BibRavePro and run for Team Nuun. I never would have believed it then. But here I am. :-)

Let's Celebrate

So, I said to myself, "Self, we should do something for my blog-a-versary." Then, I said the same thing to my wife. She, with all her infinite wisdom, suggested "Why don't you do a giveaway?" Well, why don't I? So how about we do that? And how about we stop asking questions?

Ok, so what do I give away? (sorry, couldn't break the cycle). I have to decided to give away some items based on the name of my blog: run. geek. run(disney)

run.

First up is run. For here, I'm going to turn my hydration drink of choice, and my team, Nuun. I love Nuun Active Hydration and Nuun Energy. You should know that by now. Really, I post all the time about it. But something I first started trying at the beginning of this year that I also really love in Nuun All Day. Nuun All Day provides a mix of vitamins to keep you healthy, as well as the same all natural, no sugar, under 8 calorie flavor. I count this as responsible for helping me almost completely cut out soda. I used it to replace drinking soda over lunch at work, which then lead to me not drinking any in the afternoon. Now, about the only time I drink any soda is if we go out to dinner, and even that isn't guaranteed. The offer 4 different flavors online. I'll be sending the winner 1 tube of 2 different flavors to try.

Don't want to wait to see if you win? Why not order some now? You can save 20% now with the code LuckyNuunFriends until March 26th.

But wait, there's more!

That's right, I couldn't let you go without a little swag too. So I'll be throwing in some temporary tattoos for both Nuun and BibRave. That's right, rock out tough on the race course. Show you have Nuun in your veins (if you're like me) or that you'll be reviewing the race after you finish on BibRave. You are doing that, right? You should be. Orange is the new fast.

geek.

I always enjoy to spread some geek love. This one was easy and hard to pick what to do. I came to a quick decision of what to give. To share my geek love, I'm going to share a comic with the winner. Now, the hard part was to pick which comic. I decided to go with something a little more widespread as far as enjoyment by many: Star Wars. So, to the winner of my blog-a-versary giveaway, I am going to be giving away issue number 1 for the brand new Darth Vader series. Not only that, I picked my daughter's favorite variant on the cover.

run(disney).

Part three of my title, the combination of running and Disney. I love running, I love Disney, and I love runDisney. I couldn't help but give away something from runDisney to my readers. So for this, I went a little less traditional route, because while you can get a lot of runDisney merchandise at expos, they official store is lacking throughout the rest of the year. So, we turn to Etsy. There is a page on Etsy, Happily Ever Tees, that offer some great Disney-centric designs. They're all about showing your Disney side. They offer their designs generally through t-shirts, decals, bags and frame-able prints. I have to be honest, there are a LOT that I want from there. There is one that is just perfect for the category of run(disney) in this giveaway. The winner will receive the Run Your Ears Off Vinyl Decal. This will work great for your car, computer, window... any stickable surface really.

Not enough?

How's that for a giveaway for you? More? Well, I'm glad you asked. No, the winner will not get more stuff, but in honor of it being TWO years of blogging I'll be giving away TWO prizes packs and therefore two winners! The second winner will get 2 tubes of Nuun All Day as well as get tatted up [run.] a copy of issue one of Princess Leia comic in the same style variant [geek] as well as the Run Your Ears Off decal [run(disney)].

Enter Player 2 (speech bubble not included)

How to win:

Winning will be simple. I'll again use Rafflecopter as I did with my 1K Giveaway. If you've entered contests on blogs, I'm sure you've interacted with it before. Just follow the different ways you can win and at the end of the giveaway period, I will validate entries and then let Rafflecopter do it's random thing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#WinAllThePrizes

I've added my updated to the weekly linkup with SD Mom and Erica Finds, so go check out their giveaways and all the other great giveaways this week!

Contest Rules:

No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. 2 winners will be selected via the Rafflecopter widget.  Open to Residents of the United States 18 years of age or older.

Winner(s) will notified via email (if available) and blog post, and will have 48 business hours to claim prize.

If original winner(s) do not claim prize within 48 business hours an alternate winner(s) will be selected.

Contestants must enter on the Rafflecopter in order to win.

All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.

Winner(s) will be provided the prize from me, via mail.

Non-Disclaimer: I was NOT provided any of the following. The thoughts and opinions are all my own. The giveaway items are purchased by me and given to you. I hope you enjoy. If you don't like the stuff, don't enter.

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1K Giveaway Winner!

Let's not beat around the bush, especially because that bush didn't do anything to me. The winner of my 1K Giveaway is...

... as drawn randomly by Rafflecopter...

... as powered by Random.org...

... as generated from atmospheric noise...

Kay Lynn Akers

Kay will be receive a BondiBand, a variety pack of mini KIND bars and some Nuun Active Hydration. And while we're talking about her, why not congratulate her on Twitter @Kaylynnakers or Google+ +Kay Lynn Akers or check out her blog Weight Chronicles.

Thank you to everyone who entered. Thank you to the first 1,000 followers on Twitter to make the giveaway happened and welcome to the 242+ that have joined us since then. Thanks for reading!

</mushy-thanks-stuff>


Image credit: bigtimeteez.com

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