So I've been working here at IWON now for a few months, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of things. I now understand that you actually have to go to meetings (yeah I know, it's unfortunate) and playing games is encouraged. C'mon, what job could be better? Well except for being an ice cream tester at Ben and Jerry's or the person responsible for cleaning out Vogue's designer closet (which, by the way, if there is an opening, I'm interested!)
But what I've also noticed is that people here have very different competitive styles. For example, I think it's pretty clear that I am a knock-down, drag out, all-or-nothing winner (yes I said winner because losing is simply not an option to me.) It may be hard to imagine looking at my 5 foot 1 physique and fluttering little eyelashes that beneath this cute core is the heart of a brawling beast ready to fight for what I want. (That's right, folks, just try to get in my way at Bloomies during 75% off sale!) But it's true. I think I could take on any man at any time in any game!
So this got me thinking about a question we've all been debating for centuries: Who are the better competitors? Men or women? I decided to ask my coworkers who sit around me what their thoughts were. (And talking to them is a great way to procrastinate, which I excel at.) A male coworker of mine, had this little nugget to share, "What we (men) do is more important to the masses." Because of this, he felt that men were naturally more competitive. Now being a mother who went through 16 hours of labor in immense pain to bring life to this earth, I think I'm going to have to disagree with that one.
His female counterpart had a great deal to add as well. She believes women are more competitive because they've been put in that position their entire lives. Plus, and not that she's proud to say this, but women can act in a passive aggressive manner, competing against one another for the same things. (If you don't believe me, check out the
Filene's bridal gown sale.)
By the way, it's been a few hours now and the two of them are still fighting it out! Give me some fodder to help end this discussion. What do you think?
Tell me! I'm dying to know!
Who Are the Better Competitors: Women or Men?
So I've been working here at IWON now for a few months, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of things. I now understand that you actually have to go to meetings (yeah I know, it's unfortunate) and playing games is encouraged. C'mon, what job could be better? Well except for being an ice cream tester at Ben and Jerry's or the person responsible for cleaning out Vogue's designer closet (which, by the way, if there is an opening, I'm interested!)
But what I've also noticed is that people here have very different competitive styles. For example, I think it's pretty clear that I am a knock-down, drag out, all-or-nothing winner (yes I said winner because losing is simply not an option to me.) It may be hard to imagine looking at my 5 foot 1 physique and fluttering little eyelashes that beneath this cute core is the heart of a brawling beast ready to fight for what I want. (That's right, folks, just try to get in my way at Bloomies during 75% off sale!) But it's true. I think I could take on any man at any time in any game!
So this got me thinking about a question we've all been debating for centuries: Who are the better competitors? Men or women? I decided to ask my coworkers who sit around me what their thoughts were. (And talking to them is a great way to procrastinate, which I excel at.) A male coworker of mine, had this little nugget to share, "What we (men) do is more important to the masses." Because of this, he felt that men were naturally more competitive. Now being a mother who went through 16 hours of labor in immense pain to bring life to this earth, I think I'm going to have to disagree with that one.
His female counterpart had a great deal to add as well. She believes women are more competitive because they've been put in that position their entire lives. Plus, and not that she's proud to say this, but women can act in a passive aggressive manner, competing against one another for the same things. (If you don't believe me, check out the
Filene's bridal gown sale.)
By the way, it's been a few hours now and the two of them are still fighting it out! Give me some fodder to help end this discussion. What do you think?
Tell me! I'm dying to know!
Congratulate Our December Team Challenge Winners!
Happy 2009 everyone!
It's been quite a year for IWON! With the launch of our new site this past October, we've had a lot of fun and exciting times. In this last year, we added new IWON profiles, chat rooms, lots of cool new games, and of course, our proudest accomplishment to date - IWON's Team Challenge! I've seen this program grow from a small, friendly contest to a massive, fierce competition featuring teams that are dedicated to helping their favorite causes. It's been great getting to know some of our Team Challenge members, and I look forward to watching the action continue in 2009!
That said, I'd like to congratulate all our Team Challenge participants for contributing to a program that now in its fourth month, has donated nearly $100,000 to local and national charitable organizations.
And now, the news you've been waiting for - who scored top honors this month! 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
And congratulations to our Member-Created Team winners!
First Place - $10,000 to Wounded Warriors
Second Place - $2,000 to Bell Ringers - Salvation Army
Third Place - $1,000 to Common Cents
I'd also like to announce our second place team which was never finalized in November. Congratulations to Tiger's Against Diabetes! They picked up another $2,000 for the American Diabetes Association. Incredible
Thank you all for your support this past year - you all made Team Challenge a huge success! We have another exciting year ahead of us, and I hope you are as psyched as I am to kick off the New Year with another batch of Team Challenge winners! So keep your spirits high and continue recruiting your friends and family to Team Challenge and hopefully, we'll see you in the Winner's Circle next month!
Good luck!
-Marie
Wanna Be a Celebrity? No Thank You!
So did you all catch the Golden Globes last night? First off, how unfortunate is it that the show went up against the return of my delectable
Jack Bauer? I have been waiting two long years for Jack to show that delish 5 o'clock shadow again and these networks put before me a huge quandary. Naturally I had to DVR Jack for several reasons. First, he deserves my undivided attention because frankly he's Jack Bauer and the man can do ANYTHING.(For all I know, he'd find me and make me pay if I didn't watch. Yes, he's that smart.) And second, you only get one chance to see all these starlets make a first and often flawed impression, and I'm sorry, but I love to see all the fashion faux pas in one place.
Oh c'mon, you know you love to pick apart celebs too! There is something very cathartic about it. I mean as a new mom, I'm so tired of seeing all these celebs lose their baby weight in the same amount of time that it takes the paparazzi to snap a pic of Britney on a sunny day in LA. I'm a working mom who simply does not have five hours a day to work with a personal trainer or have my meals prepared by a first-rate chef. (My meals are mostly prepared by Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima.)
So on that note, I started thinking, would I really want to be famous if given the chance? I mean, all the luxuries are nice, but do I really want to be worried about seeing flashbulbs in the morning right after I wake up with raccoon eyes and all? And I bet all the rags and TV shows would probably rip me apart for still hanging onto those nasty 10 pounds of baby weight that frankly just ain't coming off anytime soon.
Or how about just being rich? See, that I could definitely handle. I would have no trouble figuring out how to spend endless amounts of dough. The only question is, how on earth would I get rich in the first place? It's not like I can win any cash on IWON like you or
gramps45 who took home $500 on the Prize Machine. He's already on his way, which is more than I can say for me and my eight year old Honda.
Come to think of it, being a regular person isn't so bad. I can stuff my face with Haagen Dazs and my husband still tells me I'm beautiful (good man - I know!) and I can head out to the supermarket in sweats I haven't washed in a week and no one will care (well maybe the guy who's stuck behind me on line, but he doesn't have Page Six on speed dial.)
What do you think? Would you rather be rich or famous? Or are you happy just being Joe (or Josephine) Six Pack?
Do tell me! I'm dying to know!
A Hot Start to 2009!
Hello my coin collecting companions! And a Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating. My husband and I got off to a bit of a chilly start, and I mean that quite literally. You see, our heat died on New Year's Eve. Yeah, nothing better than coming home to have a wall of cold air hit you like a kick in the face. Of course my first thought was my little one, but he was sleeping like an angel, oblivious to any discomfort. I swear, this kid is unbelievable. He definitely didn't get his laid back personality from me. This was obvious when I started using every expletive I could think of to express my discontent with the situation. (This is when a writer's vocabulary comes in very handy.)
Well, needless to say, the heat got fixed and things warmed up. Although it definitely did not get as hot as IWON has been! And I don't mean the temperature of our office (which incidentally could be turned up a notch.) I mean people keep winning the most incredible prizes. Get this - so far 138, yes 138 people have already snagged diamond pendants from Prize Pop! That's 138 bling-bearing users who are now the envy of all their friends (including me.) And check out some of these fortunate folks:
Starting the New Year Off in Style
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!
Do You Tweet? (And I Don't Mean Like a Bird...)
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!
IWON's Mind Games
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!)
The Tribe Has Spoken
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!!!
November Team Challenge Winners Are Here!
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!
Level with Me
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!
