I consider myself to be a woman of wisdom. After all, I am a college graduate (with honors, thank you very much), a working professional, and a mother (the smartest creature in nature.) But despite this, there are still things in this world that continue to puzzle me. As hard as I try, I can't seem to derive any solid reasoning for why such phenomena exist. For instance...

Why do people speed up to get in front of you only to hit the brakes once they've cut you off? Are these car sharks so hungry for road power that they use the gas pedal as a form of human domination?

Why is it so hard for some people to be courteous? Is it physically impossible for certain individuals to smile? Or is there some sort of recessive nastiness gene that rears its ugly head when faced with politeness?

Why must men in the subway/train/bus (pick your favorite mode of transportation) spread their legs when seated thus taking up three seats and forcing petite ladies like me get squished? Just because we are smaller does not mean we don't deserve room!

Why are some salespeople so darn snotty? Last time I checked, my money was just as green as those crisp bills sitting in that well-coiffed lady's wallet. You know, the one in the dressing room who ain't buying anything? And by the way, those clothes don't belong to you so stop acting as though you sewed them together with your manicured hands!

Why can't you eat just one potato chip? Is the grease laced with a narcotic or something?

Why is Paris Hilton still in the spotlight? When will she go away?

We may never have answers to such perplexing questions. But there are some puzzles which are easier and much more fun to solve - like the ones in Jigsaw! If you haven't checked out this game, you are missing out some mind-bending fun. And unlike some of the conundrums that keep me awake at night, Jigsaw puzzles can be solved!

So put your brain to the test and see how fast you can put all the pieces together. And while you are at it, let me know what puzzles you the most. In the meantime, I'm going to take a break from pondering life's biggest questions and catch a quick Jigsaw game. See ya!

I think it's quite clear that I'm a bit obsessed with our prize selection here at IWON. I babble on and on about it enough, right? Well, can you blame me? There is just too much good stuff. And you put me in an environment with free goodies like Gucci bags and Apple Macbooks, and I'm like a kid in a candy store - a hungry kid who would give her left foot for just one delicious taste. Our Chief Prize Officer Pat knows this all too well, which is why I am temporarily banned from being within 50 feet of the Prize Closet. Man, you take one too many swims in a pool of designer handbags and you are labeled a fugitive!

Anyway, since the chances of IWON changing the rules so I can win a prize are about as likely as aliens landing in your backyard, I'm left to be jealous of all you winners out there. And let me tell you, there are TONS of you out there. In fact, you might be one yourself, you lucky scoundrel. Well, I think you deserve a little pat on the back, and I'm here to help you get one.

Keep checking your favorite spot on IWON (which we all know is this blog, of course) to get a look at some of those magnificent members who have scored our stellar prizes. And if you are one of those fortunate peeps, stick by your phone because I could be calling you at any point to feature you right here! And I promise, I won't try to sell you a set of Ginsu knives that can cut through shoe leather or ask you to join some weird religious cult. Not if you don't want me to.

So check back often to see if you our your friends are featured In the Winner's Circle! Oh and if for any reason you come home and aliens happen to be barbecuing on your deck, send me a note 'cause that could totally work in my favor with Pat. Thanks!

We love giving away cash here at IWON, especially to charities who are providing for those in need. And that's why we are thrilled to announce the April Team Challenge winners! As usual, its a group of hard working teams that embody the spirit of this exciting competition! Congratulations are in order for the Make a Wish Foundation, whose team took top honors in the Member-Created Team category. Kudos to them and to our National Team Challenge champs, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude's is certainly a force to be reckoned with, as the team has reached the top spot for the sixth month in a row - an incredible feat to say the least!

And let's not forget all our April Team Challenge cash donation recipients. Join me in wishing all these folks a hearty congratulations!

National Team Challenge Winners:

First Place - $5,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Second Place - $2,000 to Best Friends Animal Society
Third Place - $1,000 to Doctors Without Borders

Member-Created Team Winners:

First Place - $5,000 to Make A Wish Foundation
Second Place - $2,000 to Wounded Warriors
Third Place - $1,000 to Heavenly Angels

You continue to play hard, and for that we commend all of you. I especially want to thank our special "super" users (you know who you are), for making Team Challenge as strong as it is today!

Happy gaming everyone, and good luck in May!

Marie

That's right everyone. My little man and husband pulled out all the stops this Mother's Day, and made it absolutely remarkable. It started with a fabulous meal in bed followed by hour after hour of pure bliss. And when I say bliss, I mean not having to lift a single finger. My husband did it all - fed the baby, cleaned up the house, even let me sleep in. The boys also got me a beautiful bouquet of fresh spring flowers.

But that's not all! Brace yourselves for this one. My husband actually suggested we go...SHOPPING! I know, I almost fell on the floor in shock myself. But it's true. He insisted we head out to a packed mall so I could get something pretty. And this you'll never believe. He then went in all of the stores with me and picked out stuff he thought I would like. I must have won some sort of karmic lottery or something because this was the greatest Mother's Day ever!

I also hit the jackpot at the mall too as I scored a number of hot items that had friendly price tags to match. That just made the day even better. Getting a great deal is a high in itself. The only thing better is getting something for free - which is why I love IWON so much. Well, yeah I'd love it a bit more if I could benefit in the prize department too. But since I got the royal treatment this weekend, I'll lay off the complaining at least for a day.

Instead I'll encourage you to check out what prizes are up for grabs this month, including Rock Band Special Edition, a Dave & Busters gift card and an Apple MacBook, among many others. So now's the time to get gaming, 'cause IWON has got the prizes you know you really want.

Because let's face it, the countdown for Mother's Day 2010 is now on, and it's never too early to start planning. Yeah, and I guess Father's Day is around the corner so we should keep that in mind too! The bar has been set for high for me, so I better go start scheming now. See ya!

So I realize I've already alerted you to the fact that Mother's Day is fast approaching. However, with this important holiday only a few days away, I feel I simply must remind you once again. Not just because I'm your friend, but because frankly I'm a mom, and I have an entirely new respect for everything mothers do.

Don't get me wrong. Being a mom is my greatest pleasure in the entire world. (That's right - I enjoy it even more than shopping a fantastic sample sale. Probably because my little one is so darn cute.) But boy, I am exhausted on a constant basis. Let's face it, ladies. Being a mom is a full-time job more so than any other. You work crazy long hours, get no vacation or sick days and have a boss that screams his head off when he wants something from you. The benefits are pretty nice, though. (Although I certainly wouldn't complain if Summer Fridays were part of the deal.)

My point (and yes I do have one) is that a little bit of gratitude can go a long way. And when I say a little, I mean some words of encouragement. And I have the perfect destination for where you can find such a sweet sentiment.

You may have recognized our shiny new wallpaper. Well that's courtesy of our very own sister site, MyFunCards.com. They've got a slew of Mother's Day selections to send to those you love. Check out this one for the mom with a great sense of humor:

Or if you are looking for something a bit more heartfelt, try this:

So consider giving your mom a free card like any of these. And don't forget, nothing really says thank you for putting up with me all these years like an all-season classic designer bag. You know, in addition to an ecard of course.

If there was ever an excuse to party, it's Cinco de Mayo. What's not to celebrate? To be honest, I am not too aware about the history of the holiday, but I know it's filled with lots of madness, merriment and mmmm...margaritas! Does it really get any better than that?

Well, I have some fantastic games to get you into the spirit of this exciting day. Because if you are going to be partying up a storm, you gotta be in the mood, right? And nothing will get the fiesta started better than these fan favorites:

Dancing Queen - Get those digits dancing as you try to keep up with the beat! Warning: this game is super addictive, so if you already have plans outside of the house for Cinco de Mayo, you may want to change 'em, 'cause you may have a hard time pulling yourself away!

Wedding Conga - Wedding season is upon us, so now is the time to practice your conga line skills. You've got to have the right moves in this game. If you don't, you'll be escorted off the dance floor - and that's just plain embarrassing.

Rock n' Roll Slots - Ok, slots in general rock. But mix in anything and everything having to do with one of the hottest genres of music ever, well then you've got the makings of an awesome game! If some good old rock n' roll doesn't get you in that partying state of mind, nothing will.

Alright kids! I hope you all enjoy a very happy Cinco de Mayo. I'm going to play a few rounds of all these games today before I get off my culata and hit the road! Have fun, amigos!

Hooray for May! May is one of my 12 favorite months. The sun is finally warming things up (sometimes a little too much), and everyone seems to be in a better mood - including me! That's because there is so much to look forward to over the next 31 days. I actually started to get pretty excited yesterday 'cause I got to bring my little man in for Kids Day at work. As always, he was the life of the party. And since he was here in the office, I figured I'd give him a chance to see what Mommy does every day, and let him write some of this post. So here's what was going on in that genius brain of his:

d ,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm k o vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnh nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnbbbbbb b ,m, u jhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjhjh bb hhqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

Now, for those of you who may not understand my son's wisdom, what he's trying to say is that May has a myriad of options for entertainment enthusiasts including musical and theatrical displays of drama and art that force the mind to explore its self-imposed limits. Yeah, that's right - that's exactly what it says. So let me elaborate on his line of thinking by giving you a brief overview of May's hottest happenings:

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo - It's fiesta time! Let's party our little culatas off and enjoy every minute of it!

May 7 and May 15 - Angels & Demons and Star Trek open respectively - Two long-awaited films make their way into a theater near you! I know several people who are counting down the minutes until Robert Langdon and The Enterprise make their triumphant returns to the big screen. (Now wouldn't it be something if we could merge the two stories? Perhaps Robert Langdon discovers that Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Spock are long-lost brothers who have secretly discovered a dangerous intergalactic species who are ready to wage war with humans for planetary domination! Now there's a movie I'd go see!)

May 10 - Mother's Day - Need I say more? All you moms out there - here's hoping you get all you deserve (and by that I mean a winning lottery ticket and a nap!)

May 18 - We'll finally see if Jack Bauer is able to save the world for the seventh time. But can he save himself from the biological agent that has so heinously taken over his body, mind and soul? (Yes, I take 24 that seriously.)

May 20 - American Idol finale. C'mon, whether you admit it or not, you must be at least slightly curious as to who will take the Idol crown. My money is on Adam, although with him being in the bottom two last night, all you Lambert lovelies out there better start dialing or your boy may be history!

What May Madness are you looking forward to the most? Dish it out! I can take it!

All of us are good at something. For some, that talent is pretty easily recognized. Like Tiger Woods, per se. Now there's a guy who had his whole future mapped out for him the second he took a swing on the green. (Actually, for all we know, he could have discovered his talent when he grabbed a broom and shot a can of beans into his kitchen window.) Point is, there was true skill lying beneath the surface. And I believe all of us may possess our own abilities that are not always visible on the surface.

So I wanted to explore my theory and find out what my compadres believe to be their claim to fame. As you can see, I have quite the social circle:

• - My very good friend Shannon makes the BEST buffalo chicken dip on planet Earth. In fact, strangers have commented on it through multiple social networking sites, and it has achieved cult-like status with its more commonly known name: THE dip.


• - My fellow editor Robin insists she can put her foot in her mouth like nobody's business (and she isn't being literal here, folks.)


• - My other teammate Grace can think of apt musical references at any given moment. Meeting up with an old friend from high school whom you haven't seen for nearly 10 years? It took Grace less than five seconds to recommend "Reunited (And It Feels So Good)" as a soundtrack for such a rendezvous.


• - My buddy Bill is a walking GPS. Leave him in the middle of the desert with a compass and a $10 bill, and he'll be sipping Sangria at the closest bar faster than you can say "Arriba!"

Me? Well, I can pretty much convince anyone to buy anything - especially things they don't necessarily need. I wouldn't say it's brainwashing per se - I would refer to it more as strategic convincing. I have a way of making people feel really good about their purchases...well, that is until they receive the bill.

So I want to know - what's your hidden talent? Are you the fastest Fashion Mah Jongg whiz on IWON? Can you play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the harmonica while drinking a glass of water? (Now that would be impressive!) Do you know the meaning of life? And if so, can you let me in on that secret? I want to know what you've been hiding!

Admit it - you love a good competition. After all, you play on IWON (which we all appreciate, trust me) and you work hard for those stellar scores. No one ever dares to question my competitiveness any more, not since I scored an unbelievable deal on a handbag at THE sample sale of the seaon. (Some people did question the bruises I came back with, but I won't get into that now.)

Well, if you are as competitive as I am, then you are going to go nuts over WorldWinner games. Consider WorldWinner to be IWON's cool cousin and partner in crime! They've got game show favorites like The Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune, and awesome puzzle games like Bejeweled 2. Have you had a chance to play this one yet? The bling alone could make you drool!



So the coolest part about these games is that you can win cold, hard cash too! The chance to win moolah? Umm, where do we begin? Right here!

But before I go rock Bejeweled 2, I have to give a massive shout out to my dear Dad who is celebrating his birthday today. He taught me everything I know - including how to be a fierce competitor, a savvy shopper, and a loving parent. (So I'm a bit gushy - blame that on my Mom.) These are all lessons I hold close to my heart, Dad. I love you and hope you have the fabulous birthday you deserve!