Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Don't Move My Cheese IWSG

IT'S MOVING DAY!!!
(Or it was two days ago and I may or may not have a functional internet connection.)

So how about some moving funnies, eh?





Is it just me, or is this guy moving a wedge of stinky cheese?


This is about how I feel right now. (Like the dog.) My insecurity this month is simple: will I lose my mind around this move? And will I be able to make any writing progress while wrangling the kids at our two month "vacation rental" while the new house is being built? Send some virtual love to keep me going, eh?





Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, the amazing Tara Tyler shared BROKEN BRANCH FALLS with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her ebook.

Tara's game:

1. When Tara was young, she and her classmates would have recess in the snow and once made a dragon as long as the school.
2. When she was growing up, she and her family were the victims of burglars two times in two different houses.
3. When she was young, a huge St Bernard tackled her, causing her to be afraid of dogs.

And the lie is: 

#1. The dragon they made was only half as long as the school, but it was huge!  In Massachusetts, they had blizzard days rather than snow days and had to wear heavy layers to school and leave them in a big walk-in coat closet. Additional truth - Tara was once sent to the coat closet at school for laughing too loudly! She's always had a big mouth.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Hilary Melon-Butcher!

Congrats Hilary!
And now to today's feature:

When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin's world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that could change everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so, how far will he go to bring her back?  

As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going, even if it kills her.

THIS IS SARAH serves as a meditation on loss, love, and what it means to say goodbye.
Get your copy NOW.

Ally Malinenko is the author of the poetry collection, The Wanting Bone (Six Gallery Press) and the children’s fantasy Lizzy Speare and the CursedTomb (Antenna Books). She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Her favorite cheese is camembert and her favorite place to eat it is the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris - which is also the only place she's eaten it. She's also cool with extra sharp cheddar and would even break her "no eating food on the subway" rule for it.

Ally gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of THIS IS SARAH

You have until Tuesday, July 8, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on July 9.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Ally fell off a waterfall in high school and cracked her skull open.
2. She was kicked out of the country of Monaco when she was 16 for "trespassing."
3. She's stepped foot on nearly every continent in the world.

Which is the lie? What's your favorite/least favorite part about moving? What's the best place you've ever lived? Have you ever made a snow dragon? Do you read tear-jerkers?

164 comments:

  1. Ha! Love those gifs, especially the poor dog. Hope you find writing time amidst the chaos! :)

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    1. Thanks Emma, and lady, is that snazzy new profile picture for you? Very nice.

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  2. Oh my God I hope #1 is a lie!

    And yes, moving is definitely stressful isn't it?? It's one of the most stressful things we do. But hopefully the two months go fast :)

    I hope you have a great holiday weekend!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Keith. The move went as smoothly as could be expected, and here we are, temporarily settled and ready to go again in a month or two. Whew!

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  3. The worst part of moving is putting stuff back together once you get to the new place. It's easy to dump everything onto the bed, then grab the blanket by all four corners and haul it out to the car. (I did that a few times back in college). But once I get to where I'm going I actually have to sort through the stuff. Arggg!

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    1. LOL. A blanket... You must pack like my husband does. I'm a little more meticulous about making sure everything gets in the right boxes so the house is easier to put together once we get landed. =)

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  4. Good luck on that move. Been there--actually last September. Everything is NOT in its place because Hubs decided to finish the basement so we'll both have offices. Nice, right? WRONG. All my writing "stuff" is still in boxes. Except my laptop, thank goodness. It will all work out, I'm sure. Sending you a cyber-hug and lots of patience.

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    1. I know how that goes. When we got in our last house we have plumbing issues, then some flooding and it put "settling in" on a delay.

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  5. The first two - wow! I'll say the second is the lie.
    Don't stress the move. Know that it will take some time off your writing and don't pressure yourself.

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  6. You'll be fine! Maybe think of your vacation rental as just that, a vacation? Are you still here in FL? Eek - hot, hot, hot! Hang in there!

    Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

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    1. Yes, still in FL, and trying to work on the "vacation" mentality. I'll be glad when the vacation is over. ;)

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  7. Good luck on your move! Advice: get rid of everything you don't want to tote into your new home. You will be glad you did. :)

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    1. I KNOW. We've moved so many times... When we get to our new place, it's going to look so empty.

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  8. (Okay, no idea where my first comment went...so if this is a duplicate blame it on summer-brain.) Best of luck moving! It's never fun, but it does end...theoretically. I still have boxes around here from my last one. My guess is #2!

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    1. Oh my. Do we need to come have an unpacking party at your house? ;)

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  9. Moving is so hard, especially if you have to go through transitional housing in between permanent residences. Hang in there.

    Also, I love the sound of both of those novels.:)

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  10. Whooboy! Well, if you are wrapped up in bubble wrap like that pug, then you wouldn't have to worry about hurting yourself if you ever fell out the moving truck. :)

    Here's me wishing you all the sanity a writer can have!

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  11. Ooh, interesting book!
    And OMG! I'm going with #1 just because I so hope it's not true!

    Gifs! ^_^ Best wishes and lots of calming vibes with the move!

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    1. Thanks, Krystal. I'll take all those vibes and more. =)

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  12. This sounds like an amazing book--and the cover is so beautiful! I'm thinking #3 might be the lie.
    And I love tear-jerkers!

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    1. You do? Well I'll have to point more your way in the future!

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  13. Oh, the book sounds great and the cover art is gorgeous!

    I'm guessing the lie is number three. And if number two is true, I really want to hear that story about that.

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  14. Moving is definitely on the high stress end of the spectrum. I hate moving, and it totally freaks me out. Like a lot. Like Maybe a whole lot. So yeah. Moving. I hope it all went well.

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    1. Thanks, Rena. We've moved enough times it's not as difficult as it might be for some people, but I did have hopes we'd be able to stay in one place a little longer. *sigh* It will be good.

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  15. Okay, three times a charm. Just signed out by mistake when I meant to publish and needed to sign-in to publish.

    I empathize. We have friends who just moved from Manchester, NH to Dallas, TX. Most of the time the husband had to be in TX to work while the wife had to pack.

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    1. Oh man! What a tough move. I've done that before--when we went from Utah to NYC. That's a rough transition for you.

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  16. Does that mean you have to move AGAIN when the new house is done? Yikes! Hope you find time to write during the chaos.

    I'll guess #1 is the lie.

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    1. Yeah... Moving again in 1 to 2 months. It's the price we pay, eh?

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  17. Oh, moving is the worst! I hope you are able to find some writing time in the next two months of rental craziness! You will be so happy when you finally step foot in your brand new house—so exciting!!

    I LOVE the premise for Ally's new book! Can't wait to read it! I'm gonna guess that the lie is #2, but I have to say, this was a great list of truth/lies!

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    1. Yeah, when we move it's going to feel like we're living in a mansion! (It's only 3.5 times the size of our rental...which is substantially sized for temporary housing.)

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  18. Those moving funnies are hilarious! Good luck with getting everything moved and sorted out!! :D I'm going to go with lie number 3.

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  19. Poor pup in the last pic!!! Hope you manage the next bit with lots of fun and smiles. Hope the new house is amazing! :)

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    1. Thanks, Jemi. We're working on those--the fun and smiles. =)

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  20. Love the moving funnies. Good luck with your move, I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible.

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  21. I know when I am going through a change, or even have a simple head cold, I can't write at all, but I hope that's not the case with you. :)

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    1. Are you kidding? I'm the multitasking queen. They should write manuals based off me. (Kidding, kidding...sort of.)

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  22. Sending virtual love AND cheese. I just know you will weather this challenge and come through with flying colors. And I do understand moving. It's not on my top ten list of fun things to do. It's actually not on my top 100 fun things to do, either. :)

    Have a good 4th weekend!

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    1. Wahoo! Thanks for the cheese, Karen. It was much needed. Hope you had an amazing 4th.

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  23. Good luck with your move. We've moved a lot - love the adventure, hate the process.

    I hope the lie is #1.

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    1. Seconded. Actually, I've moved enough times I'm okay with a little less adventure. Here's hoping for a bit more stability out of the next home!

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  24. My fav thing about moving is going through everything when packing and decluttering. Least fav thing is the actual moving part, lol. We'll be doing it in Sept, so we can keep each other sane!

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    1. *high five* That's when I'll be moving again too. Here's some virtual cheese for you and for me. =)

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  25. Moving is exhausting! I feel for you.

    THIS IS SARAH sounds good. And I say 2 is a lie.

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  26. That guy has the sliding down the steps drill done to perfection!

    I'm guessing #3 is the lie.

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  27. Moving is stressful. Take care of yourself. Keep cheese on hand.

    I'll guess the lie is #2

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    1. Definitely keeping cheese on hand. I should got eat some now. =)

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  28. Love the cover for THIS IS SARAH! and the book summary sounds great too. :) Best of luck moving, be safe, and keep your sanity while in temporary limbo during the next 2 months! Sending cybercheese as a housewarming present. Lots of it. (nom nom)

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  29. Love the cover of Ally's book and the blurb sounds great! Crystal, moving is the pits. I wish you well and good luck!

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  30. You're building a house? I want to build a house!

    Wait... you're not building it out of cheese, are you?

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    1. LOL!!! We could build a house of cheese. That would be epic...until it melted in a tropical storm. Hm. Maybe not such a good idea.

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  31. LOL these are funny! Best of luck with the move and hey, lots of virtual cheese going your way! ;)

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  32. Try to unpack as quickly as possible, otherwise you will find yourself searching boxes trying to find something you "really need." Best to get it all out of boxes, even if it isn't directly put away. Good luck with the transition period. You will be in your new digs soon enough and it will be your new oasis!

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    1. Ooh! I like that idea--living on an oasis. In fact, I think that's what I'll dub it: "The Oasis." Mm-hm.

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  33. Good luck with the move! Hope you settle in OK :)

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  34. Let's see; I'll guess #1 is the fib.

    Worst thing about moving? For me, it would be packing up all the stuff we've accumulated in the 43 years we've lived in this house. Ugh! Gives me heart palpitations just to think of it. That's why we're staying put! Hopefully, we'll get all of that "stuff" down to manageable levels before we die, so our poor kids won't have to deal with it all.

    Sending hugs your way. (Oh, and cheese, of course.)

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    1. 43 years in one place? That's AMAZING. I don't know that I'll ever be able to settle in to a single location for so long, but that's the dream, eh?

      Thanks for the hugs and cheese!

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  35. Oh moving is the worst. I think I dread packing the most. It seems to go on forever. I'm planning a big move to an island in 2016, and I'm sure it will be a nightmare. But, while all moves are stressful, they do signify a new beginning--an adventure. Good luck with everything, and enjoy your new home!

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    1. Ooh! To an island? How exciting. I don't know if I could do that--get freaked out by being completely surrounded by large bodies of water--but wow!

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  36. Your dog wrapping is the best. May I hire you do something like that for my pooch? Here's to getting through this and settled. It will be wonderful to hear about how your new home is once you're in.

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    1. LOL. (It's not actually my dog wrapping. Shhh.) ;)

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  37. Do share with us photos of your new abode! I just moved into a new house and oh, my, hopefully no more moving in the future! I remember saying this in 2007 when we last moved!

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    1. I will, for sure. It's going to be gorgeous.

      If you can go 7 years between moves, I think that's pretty great! The longest we've ever lasted was 3.5 years. Here's to putting down roots, eh?

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  38. I loathe moving, but sometimes I dream of moving to get rid of clutter and to get extra-organized. I love that starting over fresh and new feeling! I think the lie is #2. I will think of you these next two months and pray you don't lose your mind!!

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  39. Moving? Ick. I'm currently looking for a new place (have 3 appointments to look at places tonight), and I can't say there's anything I particularly like about it. Sigh.

    Lie? I'm guessing #2 this week.

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    1. Liz, I hope you've found an amazing new place where you'll feel at home and have plenty of cheese. =)

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  40. Yikes! Good luck--moving is such a stressful event!

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  41. Moving is no fun - it's so stressful and time-consuming. Here's to hoping it goes as smooth as possible and it's over quick. :)

    I'll say #1 is the lie.

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    1. Thanks, Kimberly. Can you make the universe bend to your will? I'd appreciate that. ;)

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  42. Yes, you will lose your mind. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. A lost mind will help with wrangling AND writing. Trust me ;)

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    1. Ooh! I'd never thought of it that way. Should I seek to lose my mind? ;)

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  43. Oog, moving... I'm seeking a job in Seattle, so I keep thinking about it, and I know moving will be difficult - I've lived in this place for 10 years, so packing should be... fun. -_- But I moved here from Vermont, where we got massive amounts of snow. I piled up a big lump of it once and tried to carve it into an angel or something, using a sword. Yep, an actual sword. It didn't go well. Got weird looks from the neighbors too.

    Hope your move goes well and you can still get in some writing time despite the chaos.

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    1. LOL. I would carve up snow with a sword...if it was proofed against rusting. That's awesome!

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  44. First, it does look like stinky cheese. I'm not a fan of moving and I move at the end of July. I hate how sweaty and gross I get. It's exhausting!

    Good luck moving and trying to keep up with writing!

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    1. Definitely exhausting, but a good kind of exhausting methinks. Thanks for the well wishes!

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  45. Oh my gosh Crystal, I am sending out prayers and good thoughts for you... I don't like moving either, I am going to have to do this next year for sure... I don't look forward to it... I am taking this year to purge. I hope you get settled soon... oh and yes that does look like stinky cheese...

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    1. As everyone has been saying, it's good to have the occasional adventure. I hope yours ends up being epic!

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  46. Hey Crystal,

    What a moving post. I share your pain. I'm also about to move. If it helps, I'm getting no help with my move. Yep, me and my boxes stacked in another home. I'm moving because it's the only way I can get rid of my son. LOL

    Yay Hilary. Yay to Ally. What the heck, yay to everyone! Yay to stinky cheese.

    I'd say number one is correct.

    Cheesy wishes, your way,

    Gary :)

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    1. LOL! You and your puns... My hubby did one move where it was just the two of us--no family, no friends, no moving service...and I was 6 months pregnant. It worked out pretty well, all things considered.

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  47. Love your moving day funnies! I hope your moving day went well. Congrats to Hilary! And I'm guessing the lie is #3.

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    1. Thanks, Christine. I think I find the most joy from sharing things that make me laugh. We all need to lighten the mood with regularity, eh?

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  48. I hope moving goes as smoothly as possible! And ouch, I also hope #1 is the lie.

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  49. Good luck with the move. Hope everything goes well - not too many losses or breakages.

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    1. Ooh... Yeah, don't talk about breaking things. That just makes my heart sad. Hopefully the moving company we hired will be gentle with our stuff.

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  50. Wow, you're moving! That IS stressful. Hang in there, girl.

    Um, I'm going to guess that the lie is #2 ???

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  51. Sending heaps of virtual love, virtual stamina and virtual patience. Moving is very, very stressful. Love the wrapped up dog, HA!

    Good luck :)

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    1. Thanks, Juliette. (We can't take ourselves too seriously, eh?)

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  52. We're moving next week, and we won't have phone or internet for a few days. So I'll have to keep coming to the old house (which is 5 mins away) to check email and phone messages. :P

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    1. Ug. I think that's the worst part of moving, losing connections. It drives me batty.

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  53. Sending you lots of calming vibes for the move and for a new house being built. I worked at a real estate/builder company before I moved to the east coast, so I understand how frustrating it can be. Deep breaths! :)

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    1. *breathing deeply* Hey, I should do this more often. ;)

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  54. Hi Crystal .. and Tara .. thanks so much for this amazing win - very lucky me .. sorry I'm somewhat behind to the party and I have no excuse like moving house, building a new one or two kids tagging along!

    Brilliant .. I'll be emailing Tara for a Kindle version ..

    Thanks so much .. good luck to one and all .. happy 4th of July .. cheers Hilary

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  55. Lol, great pics:) Best of luck on moving day!

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  56. Good luck moving! Love the pup wrapped in bubble wrap.

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  57. Congratulations to Hilary! Know you will love your new house, so two months in a vacation home should be fun while you wait!

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  58. Moving is stressful. Been there, done that.
    I heard somewhere that, from a traumatic perspective, it's ranked somewhere closely after death... yikes!
    Good luck with the move!
    Is the lie no#2? I think it may be... just guessing...

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    1. Goodness, then death shouldn't phase me too badly--we've done this moving thing so much. =)

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  59. Ugh. Moving. I feel your pain. Good luck with it and hold on to that mind. You kinda need it for things like writing. ;)

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    1. Are you sure? Maybe I only need my fingers... =)

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  60. Congratulations on your book, Aly!

    Loved the stairs gif, Crystal. Good luck on your move!

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  61. I'm going to guess #2 is the lie.

    Moving is stressful no matter how organized or "smooth" it appears, although my husband and I have often thought it would be easier to move rather than clean the house. :)

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    1. LOL! I know that feeling. My husband has been instructed that for Mother's Day, all I want is a maid service. =)

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  62. Moving is just HARD! It's so much work and it's not a quick job! And the GIF with the dude going down the stairs is crazy-awesome!

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    1. I know, right? He's right up there with Doctor Who on a scale of awesomeness.

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  63. Lol. I hope you have a successful moving day.

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  64. *Virtual hugs* maybe that pug has a suggestion for what to do with the kiddies? Haha I choose #3 just coz I like to go for the underdog fact ;)

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    1. We'll just wrap them in bubble wrap too and roll them into the moving van. =)

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  65. Good luck with the move. I know it'll be harder moving twice but so worth it. Don't worry if the writing isn't as productive. Sometimes life just gets in the way.

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    1. Sometimes we should live life more than write, eh?

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  66. I also just moved. Good luck with all the work that's still ahead ;-)

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  67. Hope everything goes well with the move!
    Congratulations to Hilary, and Tara!

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  68. Here's hoping you complete the move without losing your mind.
    I'm thinking number 3 is the lie.

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    1. It might already be lost, but maybe it's just in one of my boxes, eh? ;)

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  69. Good luck with your move!!! I hope it went well!! How exciting!!! Sending you all the virtual love in the universe! And cheese. Lots of cheese! Yay!!! Take care
    x

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    1. Yay! Thanks for the cheese. Definitely needed that.

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  70. I'm thinking Ally's lie is number 2.
    I'm also quite impressed at Tara and her friends' ability to building a "snow dragon" half the size of the school. I think the biggest thing I built in the snow was a tunnel which fit about six of us kids inside=)
    There is nothing fun about moving! Good luck with everything, Crystal. Just think about how beautiful your house will be after its been built and you've put all of the right touches inside and out. Be sure to bless the kitchen with a gorgeous cheese platter!

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    1. Oh yeah! That kitchen is going to be stocked with all kinds of amazing cheese ALL the time. =)

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  71. Hope everything goes well with the move!
    Congratulations to Hilary, and Tara!

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  72. I think #3 is the lie. Ally's book looks interesting.

    Good luck moving. I never like the experience, but once everything's settled it's so nice.

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  73. Ooh best of luck with settling in! I know it's hard work.

    I'm going to guess 3 is the lie. :-D

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    1. Yeah, you did that pretty recently, right? Here's to surviving!

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  74. I have a suggestion for anyone who's doing a big move.

    Get pregnant. And make sure you're far enough along so that you can't carry heavy stuff. It worked great for me. Especially considering it was minus 15 on the day we moved. :)

    Hope it all went okay!

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    1. LOL. Here's where I admit I've moved about 8 times while pregnant. It didn't get me out of much, if anything.

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  75. I love the dog in the packing peanuts. That's hilarious! I hate moving. If I never had to move again, I'd be happy. But to get to a nice new place, it's necessary. Congratulations on successfully making it through all the craziness.

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    1. Thanks, Stephanie. The new house will definitely be worth it...once we get there.

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  76. All the best with the moving and settling in!

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  77. I hope the move went as smoothly as possible and that you've been able to come up for air by now, Crystal.

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    1. Air...yes. But what I really want is CHEESE. ;)

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  78. Good luck with the move, Crystal. We just moved cities and went without a decent internet connection for over a month! Now I'm dealing with power breakdowns. What won't kill us will only make us stronger and all that! ;)

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    1. A month? Holy cow. Are you still alive? I'm not sure I would be. You are one STRONG woman.

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  79. Hi, Crystal! I couldn't take that photo of a sheep... er, dog out of my mind. Hehehe... Really, I thought it was a strange looking sheep at first glance. LOL! Hope you had a wonderful move and are now settling in nicely at your new place. Take care.

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    1. Thanks, Sittie. I think we're getting settled here, and I'm sure the next move will be smooth.

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  80. Good luck with your move!! I can remember moving being one of the most exhausting things I have ever done. ♥

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  81. Good luck with the move! Never one of my favorite things to do. Looks like I might have to buckle up to it though, next year. Might be moving then... after our daughter is married! Arg! Yep, I'll be in wedding planning pandemonium until next June!!!

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Hit me with your cheese!