So, you may have heard about this little “awards show” that’s happening on Sunday. I’m not allowed to mention it by name for top secret legal reasons I don’t understand (see sponsored note below), but I’m pretty sure y’all know the one I mean. The one about all the TV shows, with the prizes that are shiny orbs, and most importantly, they brought one of my favorite Brits BACK to host again after he brutally trashed nearly all of America’s Hollywood royalty last year. Which, let’s be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of.

So this year, I plan on backing Ricky up with some cutting witticisms of my own on the tweets, with the help of my three new sassy gay roommates. WATCH OUT.

Why? Because Lean Pockets is hosting a Twitter party for their Live Famously Sweepstakes during the show this year, which means that myself and a bunch of other lovely ladies will all be live tweeting the awards, AND giving away free swag to you all to boot. Each of us will be raffling off a Live Famously swag bag full of all sorts of lovely, shiny things (most notably a $50 spa gift card, what what!)

Even cooler, the #LiveFamously Twitter party is merely a taste of the actual Sweepstakes, which are being hosted by one Perez Hilton and involves a grand prize of a trip to Tinseltown to hang out with him. (NBD.)

The winner and a BFF will be flown to LA to, quite literally, “live like a celeb” for a day. This involves ridiculously fun things like a swanky hotel stay, car service, a $1k shopping spree, a $250 spa experience, and a special concert experience, all hosted by Perez. Imagine how much celeb dirt you’d hear? Answer: ALL OF IT.

The promotion goes until March 31, so you have plenty of time to win one of their daily prizes as well – just head over to their Facebook page for all the deets.

And don’t forget to hang with me at the Twitter party (PANTS OFF DANCE OFF!!! – you know, since we’ll all be at home on our couches in our adult onesies, amiright?) starting this Sunday, 7pm ET! There will be snark and snark and FREE STUFF (and more snark) galore.

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FYI! This post (and my pending tweets on Sunday) are sponsored by Nestlé/Lean Pockets. Yes, they totally gave me money for this, but all opinions are very much my own, as is the sass they come with.

Mama said share.

Surf over to Mags Direct for savings on magazines.

Housekeeping! *fluffs pillow*

1. I announced yesterday on the Social Media Club – DC blog that I’ve taken over as President! We had such a successful year – even with some organizational challenges and a few people who had to drop out, we still held a high-quality panel or networking event every single month with 50-100 people in attendance. Imagine what we could do WITH a little more organization? So with that said, we’re currently accepting applications for the 2011-2012 SMC-DC Leadership Team. We’ll need people for the Events, Sponsorship, Digital, and Marketing teams (complete descriptions of the committees and roles here). If you or someone you know would be interested, you know what to do!

2. If you’re thinking about applying, or just want to hang out with a kickass group of social media enthusiasts, make sure you come to the SMCDC Summer Social tomorrow night at Co Co Sala. Scoutmob is sponsoring (Wednesday is also their official DC launch date!!) – and they’ll be buying a drink for every single person who downloads their app to their phone.

3. As part of the oh-so-awesome group involved with The Community Manager, I’ve volunteered to help organize the first ever DC Community Management meetup on Tuesday, August 2nd at Elephant & Castle. If you help manage the Facebook page, Twitter account, or other online community for your business or group, we’d love to have you! Register here.

4. I’ll be speaking at the D.C. Humanities Council “Humantini” on the “ABC’s of DC: Americans, Blogs, and Culture” on August 10th at Tabaq on U Street. It promises to be a grand old time…

5. I’ll also be speaking on the Baltimore Social Media Club’s panel on “Blogging and Social Media“ on August 11th with Jill of Scary Mommy, Scott Paley of Abstract Edge, and Sunday Stilwell of Adventures in Extreme Parenthood. I’d love to see some of you there (where my Bmore people at?!)

Mama said share.

It’s Friday, and that warrants a little fun. Free = fun, and cute undies = fun, so the two of them together?

Super duper deliciously fun.

If you haven’t heard of pull-in, I’m about to edumacate you. They’re a underwear/swim/clothing store in NYC that makes stuff so cool, it’d be what the Spice Girls wore if they were still hip today. (Or Marky Mark, for the men folk.)

Oh. Sorry, Mark.

It’s funky, sporty, sexy, with a bit of a Threadless vibe to it – but not nearly as emo.

{Click to see Ladies}

{Click to see Men’s}

To enter, all you have to do is tweet the following:

Need some new undies? RT & follow @pullin_us & @rachaelgk to win $80 of #pullin underwear! http://bit.ly/qxVihs #giveaway

Everyone (18+ and in the US, sorry Canucks!) who tweets will automatically be entered for the contest (now through 11:59pm on Saturday, July 16th). Winner will be notified via the @pullin_us Twitter handle. Boys will win two pairs of boxers/briefs etc., and girls will win a matching top & bottom set (both valued at $80).

So that’s it! Go forth and get you some new sexy underthings for the weekend. (Rawwwwwr.)

Mama said share.

Visit Scrubs Gallery for great prices on scrubs.

Vodka… lemonade. Amiright??

[source]

You know I am. So, how do we make it happen?

Well, first you have someone email you and say, “Hey blogger, we were wondering if you’d like to review one of our products…”

And you be all, “Thanks, I’m not really into reviewing stuff right now, I’m very busy and important.”

So then they say, “Oh, okay, I’ll just send this FREE BOTTLE OF CHERRY VODKA to someone else then!”

And then YOU go “ZOMG, please excuse my evil twin sister who just said that, because YES and also PLEASE.”

Then a week later this bad boy shows up on your doorstep:

And you’re all, “Heyooooo party in a glass FTW!!”

So, I let my dormant inner bartender takeover. As it’s been 928 degrees here in DC all week (give or take), I couldn’t think of anything more refreshing than some cherry (vodka) lemonade. And because I am a giver, and also because the people who sent me this lovely vodka would like me to, I’m going to share it with you.

Probably The Most Refreshing Drink Ever Recipe

Fill pint glass with ice. Add:

• 2.5 oz of Pucker Cherry Vodka
• 1 squeezed fresh lime
• 1 squeezed lemon wedge
• 2 strawberries cut into fourths or so
• 5 oz lemonade (pink or yellow – I like yellow so the sour contrasts with the sweet)

Shake well, then pour directly into face. (Also be 21. I feel like I should probably throw that in here somewhere.)

I didn’t have any on hand, but I think a couple sprigs of mint in this would be phenomenal too.

Got any other ideas for this delicious stuff? I still have half a bottle… (best one gets to drink it with me)!

P.S. I set up a fancy new profesh site over at rachaelgking.com. Would love your two cents on the design, content, all that jazz, as I’m still tweaking to make it perfect! If you’re interested in social media opines and general digital marketing info, feel free to subscribe too.

Mama said share.

Today is a big day, friends. Today is the day I retire my @livitluvit twitter handle for something more grown-uppy and profesh. (Does being an adult mean I can’t use the word “profesh”? Probably. LE SIGH.)

It is with a lot of relief, actually, that I leave behind @livitluvit, which kind of sounds like a 7th grader’s AIM screen name (KIT! LYLAS!!!)… for the much more mature and adulty:

@rachaelgk.

Doesn’t it sound like that person probably has fancy scarves, and knows how to wear them? She probably never forgets to cut off that thread-thingy on the bottom of skirts and jackets. I’m sure she doesn’t swear in front of children at brunch, and she’s probably never told a bathroom joke to a complete stranger in her life.

Well, I don’t know how many people I’ll fool into thinking I might be that lady, but you can’t blame a girl for trying. (And if you do happen to see my tag sticking out, thereby alerting you to the fact that my shirt’s on inside out… let a girl know, hmm?)

P.S. If you’re a lady in or just out of college, let me know in the comments if you wouldn’t mind answering five very QUICK research questions! You’ll be doing me a huge favor and… well basically, that’s it. But that counts for something, right? **HUGS**

All good on the survey front! Thanks so much for all the help!

Mama said share.

So, I may have mentioned before that I’ve never seen Glee. And before you yell at me and tell me how zomg it is the amazeballs!!!!! - it’s not that I didn’t want to; I just missed half of the first season and I can’t stand starting shows halfway through YES EVEN IF IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER FOR THE STORY (call it an OCD thing), and then suddenly it was season two and then two and a half or some shit and frankly, I have like 9 seasons of the Real Housewives to keep me occupied so I figured I’d just get around to it sometime, ya dig?

Well, I’ve recently discovered that A) you can rent awesome shows from iTunes and play them on your iPad for 99 cents, and B) 45 minute elliptical workouts are a hell of a lot better when you’re watching something that you adore and not freaking ESPN 8, a la Espanol to one side and C-SPAN to the other because apparently the people on either side of you at the gym prefer to be BORED OUT OF THEIR SKULLS on the treadmill. Maybe it’s a tactic to black out ever having gone at all, so you don’t remember how miserable it is? Either way, not my cup of tea.

SO. Once I put this magical possibility together in my head, I realized that Glee is available for iTunes “renting” and it is a glorious 43 minutes per episode. AKA the perfect length for a workout, and bonus- whenever I’m feeling extra tired, a musical number kicks in! THANKS KURT-AS-BEYONCE, I NEEDED THAT.

Now sneak attack back to the ring!!!

Mmmm hmmmmm. Work that sass, ladiiiiiiiiiies!

Anyway.

So yes, folks. I am officially a Gleek, and loving it. The hardest part is that I’m only allowing myself to watch it when I’m working out, so I foresee a LOT of gym hours in my future.

(Clearly, I’m not above treating myself like a five year old who wants a candy bar if it will get my ass on the treadmill. Only my Snickers is the Acafellas, and my Reeses is watching Sue Sylvester take you down a peg or eighteen.)

Oh and, sidebar… make sure no one’s around when you watch the scene where Kurt comes out to his dad. Because HOLY TEARBALLS, BATMAN.

If you like this post, I actually run a community blog called In It To GYM It with 100+ contributors, all… you guess it… In It To GYM It. If that’s your bag, feel free to check us out over there.

Mama said share.

Ahhhhhhhhh it’s been two weeks!!! What the what? How in the???

I missed you guys.

SO. Yes, the shiny new job is everything I hope it would be and more. I am a lucky, lucky girl… DON’T I KNOW IT.

There is so much going on my head is spinning, LIT-RALLY, but it’s all good- nay, great- so you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of me. I’ve been trying to scale back all those extra little projects I constantly seem to take on, but I think at my core I’m happiest when I’m busy and plotting planning and meeting friends and making connections, so as long as I’m “juggling” rather than “burning out at a terrifying pace”, life is what it is- one big, happy, crazy mess of STUFF ‘N THINGS that I adore.

For example, DC friends! It’s been far too long since we clinked a beer together. Let’s fix that at Tonic (Mt. Pleasant) on Wednesday, Jan. 26th, mmmkay? They’ve recently renovated the upstairs bar (next to Radius Pizza) and it is THE GORGEOUS. My dear friend Patrice, the best bartender in the world, will be personally taking care of our group, so RSVP here (no physical ‘ticket’ needed to come- that’s just Eventbrite’s way, just sign up and you’re good to go) and I’ll see you then! (Half-priced burgers, beers, and more… and don’t forget, Tonic is the king of the tator tot!)

Now! For everyone NOT in DC, it’s also been too long since I saw you. Particularly if we’ve never met.

Let’s fix that.

This May 19th-22nd, bloggers from all over the USofA and beyond will converge on America’s Playground, aka Las Vegas (Vegas, baby, Vegas!!!) for the renowned BLOGGERS IN SIN CITY ultimate meetup. Four days of drinking, bonding, sun, drinking, unicorns, hugs, dance parties, and drinking. All the info you need is here, but feel free to ask me any questions in the comments if you’re thinking about coming (please do!) It was an absolute blast last year, and with more organization and some crazy awesome sponsorship, this year promises to be even better. What what!!!

Next up: I finally decided to make one of those rad “Facebook pages” the kids are all talking about for this here blog, so if you want to add a little glitter to my day, head on over to the ‘book and LIKE this crazy thing. I’ll also be deleting my “blog” profile in lieu of that page, so if you wanna KIT, that’s where to do it!

Finally (housekeeping! You want me fluff your pillow?) – after a wonderful year as a contributing editor with DC Blogs, I’ve decided to relinquish my Tuesday slot to someone who has more time on their hands and is able to truly find the best, the brightest, and the most colorful from around the DC blogosphere. If you’re interested in being a weekly contributing editor at DC Blogs, shoot them an email with your info (name, url, etc.) and why you want to be a part of that stellar community (and trust me, it is).

*phew*

So that’s my news! What’s yours?

Mama said share.

Well, Merry belated Festivus to me! I woke up this morning to find out I’ve been nominated, along with a host of other awesome twatterers, as one of the Washington Post’s “DC Top Tweeps 2010″ in the (very appropriate) category of “Favorite Social Butterfly”.

(There’s an enormous trophy involved, right? I don’t think I’ve ever won a trophy other than for “being on a soccer team when I was 12″ so that would be really nice. Especially after watching The League for two seasons, I’m convinced that our apartment is tragically empty without a Shiva.)

Anyhoodle, as someone who dearly loves this fair city, and the time I spend hanging out with friends new and old in it, it would be an absolute honor to be recognized for my adoration of DC and to know that love is returned. Either way, it’s thrilling just to be nominated, and it just makes me love this city- my HOME- even more.

Anyone can vote (it takes just a few clicks and there are zero log ins required), so if you’d like to (yay!), just click the picture or link below:

D.C.’s Top Tweeps 2010: Voting is OPEN!

(thru midnight on New Year’s Eve, winners announced Monday, January 3rd- also my first day at my Shiny New Job!!)

My group is the last one, so check out the awesome categories before mine and the deserving people (like @LexaLemmy for DC Area Blogger!) in those as well, on your way to my Social Butterfly category.

Aaaaand enough about me. What’s new with you? How was your holiday? Did any of your relatives get drunk and humiliate themselves? Do tell.

Mama said share.

Well, this has been a long time coming. But the past couple weeks have been such a whirlwind of wonderful, I honestly didn’t know where to start. So, I’m just gonna lay it out there:

You know that shiny new job I wanted for Christmas?

Well…

I GOT IT.

As of January 3rd, 2011, I will no longer spend 40 hours a week at a “job”.

I will be spending it at a CAREER.

Specifically, a career in social media. All the hours spent with my many, many, many, MANY extracurriculars have finally paid off. No longer will my passions and my profession be separate- I will be doing what I’m good at, what I truly enjoy… and getting paid in cold hard cash.

(heyooooooooooo)

And I know that NONE of it would have happened without the internet. Without the web, the job wouldn’t exist. The connections wouldn’t have been made. I wouldn’t have figured out what I want to do with my life.

So God bless you, Al Gore. And more importantly, every single one of YOU who sent me a job link or forwarded my resume or put a shout out on the Tweet or FB or even just listened to me vent on Gchat all day long… or over a beer (or seven).

I don’t know what else to say. It feels like all the pieces have fallen into place, and at just the right time. I know this job won’t be easy- I wouldn’t want it if it weren’t a challenge- but I’m so READY to take it on. I can’t wait to start the new year fresh, with the professional finally matching the personal.

And to all of you who are out there looking… I offer you these words of inspiration and wisdom:

(image credit nataliedee)

Have a scrumptious and sparkle-filled holiday, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mama said share.

If you peek at my left sidebar, you’ll notice a lot of pretty buttons linking to, as I like to call them, “Lovely Stuff ‘n Things”. These are shops that I know and love and am honored to have as sponsors. In light of the holiday season, I thought we might take a closer look…

Santastitch

Among other things, Santastitch specializes in absolutely adorable homemade gloves (I like the fingerless ones for easy smartphone access) and cheeky cross-stitch quotes that I want, well, ALL of. (There’s even some from the infamous Sue Sylvester in there…)

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3crows

Next up, Sara Pulver’s adorable shop of “Whimsical, Fun and Funny Animal Paintings and Prints”! YES, PLEASE. This undeniably adorable-with-a-dark-twist shop has dozens of creations ready to purchase, OR Sara can make your very own custom painting. If your mother is as obsessed with her dog as mine is, it may just be the perfect extra thoughtful gift this Christmas. Check it:

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SwirlyGarden

Meena’s hand-painted glassware took my breath away the first time I saw it. How do you not fall in love with someone whose favorite materials are “Anything that can get messy”?  I mean, just LOOK as this stuff:

SWOON.

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per:cent

As if Kat’s adorable handcrafted jewelry (made from vintage materials, fabric, stone and found objects) wasn’t reason enough to surprise someone with a piece from her shop this holiday, she also donates 20% of her profits to the Sierra Student Coalition, an amazing youth run environmental organization. She’s a fellow blogger as well, so check out her there after you’ve picked out your favorites from her shop, like these…

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PuppyDogsNPolkaDots

Every time I take my iPad out in front of someone new, they squeal. Know why? Because its case looks like this:

I KNOW. This lovely shop features adorable handmade cases for eReaders, iPads, iPods, phones, cameras, and more, as well as a zillion adorable fobs that I basically want all of. They worked with me to create the exact case I wanted, from fabric to patterns to monogramming, and they’d be happy to do the same for you.

They’ve got so much freaking cute stuff in their shop I could never do it justice here- so please click through and check it out for yourself- but here’s a sampling of my favorites:

For the Twitter addict:

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simply – bags

This mom ‘n pop operation of monogrammed tote bags is one of my favorites. Whether you’re looking for a laptop, diaper or beach bag, they have every style you could ever want, from animal print to bold and fun to classic and chic. They even have WINE bags- um, love. Here’s a few of my faves:

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Finally, my friend Jess has a request for you, on behalf of her and her recently-deployed best friend, Alex:

“The site “Let’s Say Thanks” allows people to have cards sent with a personal message to deployed soldiers. It takes less than five minutes, but it means the world to the soldiers recieving them. In 10 short days, Alex will be one of the deployed on a 365 tour in Afghanistan. Thank you, very much, from the both of us.”

Please take just a few minutes from your day to remind a soldier abroad how grateful we are for what they do for us. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be across the world away from their families and loved ones over the holidays, but we can hopefully put a smile of their faces with a card of thanks. Do it. DO IT.

And happy freaking holidays, y’all.

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Want to see your shop/blog/etc. on my sidebar? Click here for more info.

Mama said share.