While I didn’t get a booth at either the Mamas and Chicks Show or Mompreneur Market this spring, I did donate two stuffed gift baskets to raffle off.

This morning one finally went in the mail to Theresa in Oshawa, and the other was picked up for Andrea of i’mnotsurebutshewasveryexcited.

I have to thank the following generous local businesses who donated products. Please support them if and when you can, as they help keep this site going, are Durham-based and Canadian and make things especially for you!

• Shelby from Natural Earth Tones natural body care in Oshawa
• Alexandria of Clippopotamus hair and soother clips in Pickering
• Tamarra of Lollipops & Lizards children’s boutique in Pickering
• Kristen of T Bag & Co. gourmet market totes in Uxbridge

I have to send the list of ticket winners in on Thursday, so you have just two more days to win free tickets to this weekend’s Mamas and Chicks show in Oshawa.

Click here to find out how to win!

…to enter the contest for free tickets to the Mamas and Chicks show! I still have lots left to give away (so if you email and need, say, four, I can SO hook you up).

The Mamas and Chicks show is coming to south Oshawa’s Holiday Inn on Sunday, April 27, and I’ve got a whole lotta free tickets to give away!

This is the spring version of the highly successful fall show we told you about last year. More than 50 vendors will showcase fashion, art, food, photography toys and more. We are definitely going again (wanna meet up?), and donating a prize basket.

Winning is easy: Visit the show site, surf around, and count how many times you see our funky logo. Email me at info@durhamregionbaby.com with the correct answer, and I’ll hook you up.

Good luck!

We have the winners of The Bribery Photo Contest!

1st: The Swanky Blankie Holder: Nate, 14 months, from Karla of Ajax, ON. Karla wins our grand prize, a $600 photo package from Bowmanville professional photographer Sarah of Studio Casamento. It includes a photo session, images on high resolution CD, 10×20 portrait collage, and 7×7 custom-designed album.

2nd: Wrinkle butt!: Ayven, 8 months, from Krystle of Whitby. Krystle wins our second prize is a $170 photo package from Whitby professional photographer Mike of MJP Photography (read his blog here, too). It includes a portrait session at the winner’s house or park in Durham Region, an online proof gallery and slideshow, and an 8×10 and 11×14 print.

3rd: Bad idea, doggie: Owen, 13 months, and Bailey, from Lauren of Courtice. Lauren wins out third prize, a $50 gift card from Henry’s in the Oshawa Centre.

Congrats ladies! I’ll be in touch to set up your prizes.

My very scientific evidence of vote tallying. I took results at 10:56 p.m. yesterday, ’cause that’s the latest I could stay up.

Despite all the controversy, this was still a lot of fun. I’ll definitely do things different next time, but there definitely will be a next time. Thanks to all who entered!

Holy hell, this was not supposed to be this freaking complicated.

(You know I leave for a conference in a few hours, right? And that my contract is on the line? Hahahaha. What a day.)

This poll thing was not fully explained to me, because I did not fully explain that I wanted you to be able to vote each day. Therefore, I discovered just a few minutes ago, the poll only allows one vote per IP address. Period. Unless I remove the IP blocker, make you all delete your cookies, refresh and come back, repost etc. etc. etc. It’d make things unfair and complicated (wait….could it get any more complicated? I don’t think so.)

So, I’m terribly sorry. I cannot tell you what an ass I feel like, and how stressful this has become, especially today of all days. I’ve learned a lot the past 24 hours: About computer stuff, decision making and people.

Voting will still continue today and tomorrow, so continue to rally your troops if you haven’t given up on me already.

April 1 @ 12:12 p.m. UPDATE: I’ve closed comments (and deleted some) on all voting posts because I just can’t manage them today, and will not have accusations floating around. If you have a problem with something, email me at info@durhamregionbaby.com and I’ll do my best to get back to you.

We’ve figured out that “So young to be flipping you off already” should have 90 less votes than what it shows. As of this second, it has 96, so it should be 90 (I cannot change results). If tomorrow it shows 115, it will still only be 25. I don’t know how that happened, whether it was the proxy stuff or what, but am going by what Cindy herself says.

(Note to self: Polls suck ass.)

The end. I’m going to huddle in a corner now. Be good!

A few of you have left comments and emailed about The Bribery Photo Contest voting process. You’ve raised the issue, in various ways, of why we need two rounds of voting, especially when I’m trying to create a fair process apparently making it a lot of work to vote.

Eric had me walk through the thought process tonight of why the two rounds, and I’m just going to concede defeat that it’s a silly thing to do.

(Y’all could have pointed this out to me, like, weeks ago when the contest launched, but s’ok.)

So unless there is a mass riot or any of you raise a compelling reason not to, I’m going to drop the second round of voting. Whatever the top three photos are at the end of the day Wednesday will be first, second and third place.

That work for everyone?

Sorry to make things so complicated. Carry on.

p.s. — Cindy put up a helpful comment for those, oddly, unable to vote from work. Check it out in the voting post.

We have a poll! We have the fabulously embarrassing photos! Now it’s up to you.

To even the playing field, there is an IP tracker built into this doohickey — which means you can only vote once. It’s not fool-proof, I’m sure, but the point is to prevent vote stacking. What it also does it make it very difficult for those of you who entered more than one photo and more than one child. You’ll have to pick your favourite. Uh-oh…

The good news is that voting will be live from Mon. March 31-Wed. April 2. So you have three days for you, your friends, family and co-workers to log on here and vote (although ask your co-workers to vote from home, ’cause only one person can vote from each IP address, remember?)

Winners announced Thursday.

Remember what’s up for grabs? Custom photo sessions with two local professional photographers, Sarah of Studio Casamento and Mike of MJP Photography, plus a $50 Henry’s gift card from the Oshawa Centre. See details here.

Got all that? Ready to vote? Click below to see the poll and cast your ballot.

Read the rest of this entry »

More Bribery Photo Contest entries up! If you’ve emailed at all this week, they’re (finally) up here.

(Sorry. It’s production week. Which has been a rough one. Is my head on? Grunlsahgyu?)

Tomorrow is your LAST DAY to enter! So get ‘em in.

Voting starts Monday, after I can figure out how to, um, get voting on here. *cough*

Just added another big batch to the Bribery Photo Contest set.

Check them out.

The contest closes a week from today, so get your entries in!

Details here. There are $800 in prizes to be won!