Giveaway Time: Win a Ticket to Alt Summit 2013

If you're like me, then you probably missed your window to purchase a ticket to attend Altitude Design Summit this January (I think they sold out in about 15 minutes - sheesh). Fortunately I'll be there speaking (hooray) so my worries are over, but maybe you're still bummed about missing your shot! But today I think I might be able to help turn that frown upside down...

This week Vivint wants to give two of you the opportunity to get closer to your community at Alt. That's right...two readers will win an admission ticket to the sold out Alt Summit 2013 (each ticket is valued at $500)! Woohoo! Vivint is all about bringing neighborhoods and communities closer through simple acts of neighboring, and they want to hear more about what neighboring means to you.

So after you've caught your breath, here's what you'll need to do to enter to win:

1. Use Pinterest (it's free) to pin your favorite ideas or examples of random acts of neighboring (for example your pin could be a recipe that you'd bake or an image of someone shoveling snow from a walkway...anything).
2. Include the following within your pin's description: Your first name and last initial, plus the hashtag #letsneighbor and @vivint
3. Visit The Neighborhood blog and leave a comment on their post with with a link to your pin and that will be your entry for a chance to win.
4. You can pin additional neighborly images and enter each new pin as a contest entry with a comment on their blog to increase your chances of winning! How awesome it that!
5. Pin by December 14th to be considered to win. Two winners will be chosen. Winners will be announced on The Neighborhood, December 17th and will be notified of their win via email.

A big huge thank you goes out to Vivint for offering such an amazing opportunity to win! Find out more about how you can turn the word neighbor into an action word with special DIYs, printables, and other wonderful ideas on Vivint's blog, The Neighborhood. Also find more from Vivint on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

The fine print: Two winners will win a single admission ticket to Altitude Design Summit 2013 in Salt Lake City, UT (January 23 - 26, 2013). The ticket includes admission to Altitude Design Summit, as well as dinner on Wednesday evening and entry to the Alt parties. This ticket does not include cost of travel, accommodations, or any other trip expenses. No cash or trade-in value.

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Disclosure: This contest was sponsored by Vivint. All opinions expressed are my own.

Update on Friday, January 4, 2013 by Ez

UPDATE: Vivint has announced the winners of this contest and they are: Kate Wong and Jyl Johnson Pattee. Congratulations!!! You should have already been contacted by Vivint to confirm your win, but if you haven't, please get in touch right away. I look forward to seeing you at Alt!

DIY: A Neighborly Get Well Kit

Tip: click on the images for an enlarged view.

After moving from our last home, where we had possibly the world's most atrocious neighbors, I wasn't expecting much from our new set. So imagine my delighted surprise when several of them stopped by to welcome us to our new home. During that Spring when our lawn needed cutting for the first time, I looked out my window to discover our neighbor mowing it for us (he still regularly mows it...even though I run out and tell him not to). Our neighbors on the other side of us have offered to accommodate us in their storm shelter during the seasonal tornados we have. And two years ago they even shoveled our driveway after a freak 18" snowstorm left our city marooned for days. All of this is to say, that after having such horrible neighbors in the past, I truly know just how much it matters when the neighbors you have are good. And it goes both ways...I try to be an awesome neighbor too (these fleur de sel caramels were a huge hit last year)!

So when Vivint (a leading provider of simple, affordable home security and other home solutions) asked if I would like to create a couple DIYs with warm neighborly giving in mind, I was excited for the chance to put my neighborly thoughts into action. Vivint's new blog, The Neighborhood is a site with one purpose: to promote better safer neighborhoods through simple acts of neighborliness. Their site features tons of great ideas to bring your community together...DIYs, printables, activities and more. I'm all about this kind of mission...aren't you?!

So with cold and flu season upon us, it seemed that the perfect idea for my first project would be to put together a quick little get well kit that is ideal for a neighbor or friend who is under the weather. The kit includes ingredients for making a delicious Honey Lemon Throat Soother tea (I drink it every time I get a sore throat and it always helps), as well as comforting necessities like cough drops, lip balm, and tissues.

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Here's what I used to create my kit: 

• Large mug | Target, approximately $4
• Honey bottle | Grocery store, $4.50
• Fresh lemon | Grocery store, $.40 each
• Chapstick brand lip balm | Target, $2
• Tissues | Target, set of 3 for $2
• Burt's Bees Honey & Lemon Throat Drops | Target, $2
• Optional - Clear Cellophane Basket Gift Bag | Michael's, set of two small bags for $1
• Free printable gift tag (download found below)
• Twine
• Scissors

The Get Well Kit is as easy as can be to make. Just arrange everything inside the mug until it looks how you'd like it to. If you will be using a cellophane gift bag you can include more than one lemon (since it won't fall out). Print the file (download below), cut out your tags, and attach them to your gift with twine.

There are two tag color options (yellow and teal) with both "Get Well" text and the instructions for making the Honey Lemon Throat Soother, as well as one blank grey version (in case you'd like to create your own tag).

If you'd like to make the Honey Lemon Throat Soother for yourself, here are the simple steps:

Boil water. Wash a lemon and cut it in half. Squeeze the juice from one lemon half into your mug and place juiced peel into the mug as well.

Pour a generous serving of honey over the peel in the bottom of your mug. Carefully pour boiling water into the mug and allow drink to steep for 10 minutes. Remove peel and any seeds. Add extra honey if needed. There should be an even balance of flavor between the honey and lemon...not too sour and not too sweet. Sip and feel better!

Psst...If you want a chance to win a ticket to attend Alt Summit 2013, hop on over and check out the giveaway I'm currently promoting for Vivint!

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Vivint. Find more from Vivint at The Neighborhood, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. All images, content, and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Color Inspiration Daily: 12. 03. 12

Anteloper Art Print by Hillary Bird