Can you believe 2008 is already over? It's crazy how fast time flies by! I mean, think about everything you accomplished this year. I personally survived the perils of pregnancy (no easy feat as my fellow motherly compadres know) and gave birth to the most adorable little boy on planet earth. (Trust me, this kid is just waiting to be discovered and plopped into a Pottery Barn Baby catalog. Sure I'm biased, but I'm allowed to be because he's my little one and frankly, I'm always right, as my husband knows too well.)

Being a mom has definitely been an adventure, but it's also been educational as well. I've learned that spit up can come anywhere at any time (so always be prepared), bottle warmers do not work fast enough and stuffed monkeys can fix nearly any problem. But I've also learned to enjoy my "me" time even more! Because let's face it moms, those moments happen about as often as your little one changes his own diaper (gosh, wouldn't that just be fabulous?)

So after my little future quarterback goes down for his nap on New Year's Day, I'm taking some "me" time and sharing it with IWON! I'm getting my hands on that new game that I swear was made just for me - Fashion Mah Jongg! Honestly, finding matching shoes and bags is what I was born to do!

And yet another fabulous prize is waiting to be won by one of you! A Prada bag - yes, the same Prada bag I've been drooling over for weeks now. Now it's available as a monthly sweepstakes prize! I tried to convince Pat, our Chief Prize Officer, that I should try the bag out and make sure it's in good condition. After all, I have your best interests in mind (ok, who am I kidding, I'm dying to get my hands on that luscious leather!) But he wasn't buying it. I've got to start getting more creative.

Anyway, I hope you and your families have a happy New Year and enjoy some time to yourselves. There's no better way to start off 2009!

Yep, I tweet and I'm proud! For those of you unfamiliar with this new verb (as I was until about 6 months ago), tweeting is a new way to give people the 411 about what you are up to. It actually comes from Twitter, one of the hottest sites on the Web (well, next to IWON, of course.) So now I've got my own account ('cause I'm special), and I'm hoping you'll follow me and my adventures as you do right now. After all, you are going to need something fun to do after battling all the people at the mall who are returning the ugly socks they received for the holidays. (Gift cards, people - you can't lose!)

But here's the fun thing. You only get a short amount of space to write, and I think we all know I'm pretty long on words. So this is going to be a challenge for me. But I'm up for it. And maybe it will teach me how to cut down on the chit chat...nah, who am I kidding. Dishing dirt is like second nature to me. Sewing my mouth shut would be like cutting up my credit cards - painful and devastating.

So look out for me, randi_team_iwon, on Twitter! And give me a little tweet if you are around. After all, birds of a feather need to stick together!

Usually I can't stand when people play mind games with me. Like when a guy you like says he's going to call and then doesn't. What's up with that? Or when he tells you that you are the only one he loves after he just got back from a hot date with your best friend! That's a big part of the reason why I'm married. No more mind games. Ok, so maybe there are a few, but now it's me doing the playing, which is an entirely different story!

Well now it's your turn to play some mind games of your own! These IWON elves are feeling mighty generous this year! (Maybe now's a good time for me to talk to them about getting one of those cute Prada bags as a holiday bonus! I've been a good girl...at times.) They are bestowing even more holiday cheer on you with new brain busting games like Alu's Revenge and Tigers! (I swear, Tigers is one of the most addictive games ever. I could not stop playing until I tamed those beasts!)

But here is what I'm even more excited about. IWON is introducing one of the coolest new prizes this site has ever seen - A Macbook! Yes, it's only the hottest new techie toy of the season. You don't understand. Everyone around this office is talking about how badly they want one - even the passionate PC peeps!

So become an expert at playing mind games because it's nice having the upper hand (and possibly a Macbook too!)

It takes a true competitor to survive some of life's greatest challenges. It requires training, dedication and a will to succeed. And in many cases, it also takes an intimate understanding of reality TV! No one now knows this better than wendy271, our very first Pick 'Em Survivormania champ! She outwitted and outlasted all the other players to grab a great grand prize - $1,000 to be exact!

Well, here's to you, wendy271. From one woman to another, let me just say, you rock! I have a great deal of respect for any woman who can strategize her way to the top! I mean, if I could master that, the world would be my oyster. I'd never pay full price on anything and would stop going to all of those ridiculous family functions you feel required to attend (like Uncle Lester's annual holiday sing-a-long. It wouldn't be so bad if Aunt Sheila didn't sound like a cat being tortured when she belts out Jingle Bell Rock.)

So wendy271, if you have some time, I'd love to hear some tips on how to become more strategic. That's of course if you want to share your game secrets with me. I think we all know that I keep my mouth shut about as often as I win the lottery (and since I'm still working here you can bet that hasn't happened yet!) So maybe just a hint or two would be nice! The sooner I can stop hearing Aunt Sheila's vocal stylings, the better off my ears and my sanity will be!

Congrats again and thanks to everyone for playing!!!

The holiday season is upon us, and everyone here at IWON is embracing the spirit of giving, especially when it comes to Team Challenge! After all, you have put in such hard work to make a difference for some very worthy causes! And that deserves a great deal of gratitude and a nice reward!

As you may know, for the first time, we added new cash prizes to November's competition. This in turn inspired some strong competition throughout the month. But some teams did come up on top and we're very proud to announce November's Team Challenge Winners!

Congratulations to our three National Charity Team winners!

First Place - $10,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Second Place - $2,000 to Best Friends Animal Society
Third Place - $1,000 to Susan G. Komen Foundation

Member-Created teams had an impressive month, as well. We're still in the process of verifying and contacting the Team Creators of our second-place ranking Member-Created team, but for now, we'd like to congratulate our first and third place Member-Created Team winner!

First Place - $10,000 to Wounded Warriors
Third Place - $1,000 to Common Cents

It's just amazing that members like you have come together to support so many admirable causes. I am extremely proud to be affiliated with such an incredible group! You should all feel such a sense of accomplishment for playing, recruiting, and working extra hard to get your team ahead! (And yes, I do read your team pages so I know personally how much effort you've been putting in!)

And on that note, I am excited to say that next month, we're going to do it all again! Six cash prizes are up for grabs. And the competition continues to heat up each and every month. So get out there and give it all you got, and hopefully next month you'll see your name in print! Until then, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year!

Good luck!

- Marie

C'mon, admit it. Having status in life is just plain cool. I mean, think about Michael Phelps - the guy has already won 14 gold medals in total, and I have a feeling he's not sitting on his couch alone on a Saturday night watching old episodes of Bonanza. And what about Joey Chestnut! Now how many guys can say they have reached iconic status in life by inhaling nearly 60 hot dogs in one sitting? (I've seen some relatives try this and let me tell you, it ain't pretty unless you clearly know what you are doing.)

Well now, you can have some bragging rights of your own! The big honchos over here at IWON have a lot of respect for you gamers out there, and they want to recognize all you've accomplished! So you'll now notice that your profile has a very dignified new look. That's because you've all gained a different status based on the IWON Achievements you've racked up. And you didn't even have to suck down mystery meat to do it!

The more you play, the higher your rank can go! In the beginning, you'll start out with a shiny Copper setting, but as you advance, you'll reach, Bronze, Silver, Gold and even Platinum! And take it from a girl who knows...platinum is just plain hot!

So enjoy your new position in life...after all, you've worked hard and earned it!

There are certain things you can never forget about growing up. The smell of hot chocolate in your kitchen after you found out school was closed for a snow day. The holiday card you made for your secret crush in elementary school, but were too afraid to give. The 8-inch thick Annie glasses that took up your entire face, but you thought were really cool. Oh you didn't have those? Guess only some of us could be classified as being fashion challenged back in the day. (Fortunately, I went to retail therapy, and I'm feeling much better now.)

Well, I think it's undeniable that some of the best memories ever come from the awesomely addictive games we used to play! Don't you wish you could go back and revisit all that fun (and finally beat your little brother who you know cheated so he could rub his high score in your face?) Well, you all must have been quite the good little boys and girls this year, because the IWON elves are bringing you a blast from the past! Get ready for some new twists on your old favorites - like Alien Attack and Follow Me.

And here's the best part. Because it's the holidays and you all are the number one priority for the hotshots here, they are introducing the coolest new prize. Get this - it's an Ultimate Gaming Bundle that includes an XBOX 360 game console package and a 32" Samsung HDTV! Are you kidding me? Do you know how incredible this is? Interestingly this is one of those times that I am actually happy to be ineligible for the prizes. If I won this, I would never see my husband again.

So start brewing that Swiss Miss and have yourself a good old time!

Ok, so I am sitting at my desk this morning minding my own business (ok, I was bag shopping when I should have been working, but that's not the point.) And Ben, our General Manager of Madness and Mayhem at IWON (I call him M squared) stops by to tell me that some of you lucky users have been winning diamonds. Did you hear what I just said? D-I-A-M-O-N-D-S! Yeah, and I had no idea we even had diamonds lying around here!

Naturally my first question was, where are we storing these puppies? But M squared didn't feel like sharing. I'm sure it had nothing to do with what happened last week. (They found me in the prize closet covered in Prada bags just smelling the leather. I have an addiction and I'm dealing with that.) So I asked him who was lucky enough to grab the most precious of prizes right before the holidays no less!

He told me that someone, specifically bima777, already grabbed a fabulous diamond pendant playing Prize Pop, our new bonus game you can only find in Diamond Slots! Get it? Diamond Slots, diamond pendant...I tell you it's genius. And there are still more to win! Score three white diamonds and you get a chance to pop one of three balloons. Behind one of them is that mouth-watering icy treat. Pick the right one, and it's yours! I mean has it ever been easier to take home such a treasure? It was certainly a lot tougher getting one from my husband! I put in six and half years for that! And I had to give birth to my son get my diamond earrings - this seems like a much easier endeavor to me!

So start pulling that lever in Diamond Slots, and you may get a chance to make me insanely jealous! And feel free to congratulate our first diamond pendant winner by checking out her profile page. The only thing a woman likes more than diamonds are compliments!

Ok, I can't hold my excitement in any longer! I just found out that IWON is giving away a $1,000 shopping spree to Macy's! Yes, Macy's!!!! The holiday shopping capital of the universe! I still remember my first trip to Macy's in Herald Square as a little girl. (Ok, so I was 19 at the time, which I guess isn't too little. But it left a lasting impression.) Oh the beauty of it. Floors and floors of clothes, shoes, bags, perfume, makeup, the list goes on and on. It's like Utopia. I mean, everything you could possibly want is there. Throw in a shower and I would pack my bags and live there if I could.

And now you can snag $1,000 and go nuts in this fabulous store! You can shop for everyone on your list, including your favorite blogger, should you feel so inclined! (I'm a size small on a good day.)

What's even cooler is that IWON is giving you new games to play that may help you score this primo prize. And these newbies happen to be some of the most fun games we all grew up with. Like Skeeball and Air Hockey! I'll have you know, I happen to be an Air Hockey master! I can shoot in a puck with intense speed, yet not even chip one magnificently manicured nail. I do get a bit competitive though. I know, it's shocking isn't it? There's a lot you don't know about me, but I have a big mouth so eventually it will all spill out. (Maybe one day I'll even tell you how I tricked the bigwigs here into thinking I actually know what I'm doing.)

Alright, well the game is on kids. Get out there and make me proud!