Contest Countdown 🎂 🎂 🎂 (To My Birthday)

How we gonna wrap up this #DontSettle summer?

On Instagram of course, with five solid weeks of picture perfect contests, rolling right up until Labor Day (AKA my Birthday) Weekend. (September 2nd: Holla!)

That cake? (And celebration of life.)  Still going down. Everything else gets the reboot. (So stay tuned 'ya scaredy cats of creativity.)

Each Saturday, check out @WriteOnGrrrl for a new quote from Settling Down, a humorous novel of female empowerment by Dawn Keable. To enter: (1) Follow me on Instagram, (2) Tag your favorite beach babe, then (3) Submit your picture perfect takeaway of what the quote o' the week means to you.

(Be sure to use the hashtag of the week, so I can find you.)

This time 'round it's a team effort: Creativity? On you. I've got the prizes. And my uber talented husband @thefunkyphotog shows up as your (non-Simon Cowell) judge.

Every week he'll determine one lucky winner of the #DontSettle prize pack, that will include: An autographed copy of Settling Down, a fierce luggage tag (for your own personal journey), twenty #DontSettle prayer cards (so you can help spread the message) and a piece of dope jewelry to vary weekly (and featured in the Saturday slide show).

➡ Contest rules (ugh. Sorry to be the wet blanket.) :

1. Open to lovelies ages 18+
2. The world needs love, but this contest is open to US mailing addresses only.
3. Previous winners of any #DontSettle prize pack must wait (60) sixty days in order to win another prize. Thank you for allowing us to spread the love equally. 

A Valentine's Day Giveaway? Yes, Please. Enter to Win the Don't Settle Swag-A-Licious Prize Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey, beautiful you. 

I wanna be your Valentine.

Yup. Be mine and all that. 

This February 14th, aka, the most isolating of Hallmark holidays for the single chick, we're gonna do things a little differently. This year, you'll be armed with heartfelt sisterhood backup, moi, ready to shatter the myth that you need a prince in your life, Charming or otherwise, in order to be complete in this world. And maybe, just maybe, in the end all you need is one.

So, rise up my single ladies. We're celebrating the individual awesomeness you bring every day.

All. By. Yourself.

My question:  You do believe this too, right?

Insert praying hands emoji. 

Phew. Listen. I understand. Life is a battlefield. And no matter how strong you are, everyone needs a reminder every once in a while. So I've got you:  Signed, sealed, delivered. 

Behold the swag-a-licious #Don'tSettle prize pack.

One lucky winner will celebrate the solo with a signed copy of my book Settling Down, a humorous fictional guidebook, if you will, in the spirit of Jennifer Weiner, that explores what happens to an otherwise strong intelligent woman when she looks outside herself for love and happiness. What did Providence Monthly Magazine have to say?  This:  "The reasons to like this book are numerous...It's funny, for one. Really funny. And a lot smarter than a lot of other "chick lit" books that all get grouped together in an unfairly negative way."

But that's not all. You'll also receive a #Don'tSettle luggage tag and beach bag, for your own personal journey. Plus, I'm even going to help you put your own ring on it, 'cause it is kinda integral to the storyline. How does.sterling silver, size 7, grab ya? And last, but not least, I'm including a heart filled with yummy chocolates, because, well, duh. 

The best part? You don't have to share.

Yeah, I know. I'm the best.

And guess what? You are too.

(Contest open to US mailing addresses only.)

May My Inspiration For Writing Settling Down Inspire Your (Single) New Year's Resolutions

"I'm always with him, because:  That. Is. What He Is. There. For."

As with all revolutions, this one started with a proverbial shot. Only this one emanated from a childhood friend's mouth. Someone that I had literally grown up with. 

Or so I thought.

Truth is, what started as a convo about friendship (ours), free time (the majority of it spent with her boyfriend) and working on the balance of the two, her angry words said way more.

About herself. What she wanted in life. And more importantly, what she was willing to sacrifice to get there. Unfortunately, this wasn't a place that I could comfortably stand anymore.

Indeed. I believe in love. Passionately.

I believe in romance. Of relationships. Of marriages, partnering up, of finding someone who will help you grow into your best self. In fact, the growth that I've experienced being married to my husband is something that I know I would have never experienced on my own.

I am IN love. Someone asked me that, quite randomly (and kinda frantically) at a nightclub a few years back. The answer is yes. Twenty-four years and counting (17 of them married), and I can honestly say that I did a surprisingly good job picking my mate.

It's what my husband 'is there for', that's a little different. His job is to challenge me to evolve into a better person, something he accomplishes on the daily -- instead of being a physical symbol that I am lovable. And there's a huge difference there. Because in order to get to this healthy place at all, I had to learn how to love myself first, instead of aimlessly looking for someone to complete me.

'Cause that never works.

The thing about settling, especially if you don't know yourself, is it won't even register at first. It's the long game where you'll miss out. Because, instead of waiting for Mr. Amaze-balls, someone who will help make you a better person, settlers desperately choose the wrong partner, simply because they don't want to be alone.

You don't want this life.

So how about you make it your New Year's resolution. To rejoice in being single. To embrace the fact that you're really okay being alone. Instead of being alone until the next guy shows up. Because, there's a difference.

If you need some help, a fictional guidebook if you will, I wrote Settling Down as my gift to you.

And while it was initially inspired by real life events, I was intent on writing a better ending.