Back to You: FINALLY! Giveaway winner announced!

I really suck at giveaways. I have such good intentions and I get all excited and then it takes me a year-and-a-half to coordinate very complicated logistics like buying a big old padded envelope and typing on my laptop. Apologies. I am totally going to get Oprah on myself to follow through better. Or maybe set ten to twelve calendar alerts to get my ass in gear.

ORRRRR....maybe pushing back announcing the giveaway to those of you I encouraged to claim a quiet space in your home was all just a rouse to see if you were breathing through the anticipatory weeks in that quiet space. Did it work?! Let's go with that one.

On with it:

[Click to read who the winner is]

I challenged you to find a place to spend a few solitary, relatively silent moments alone each day. I asked you to share what your makeshift retreat is, and I loved your answers -- the closet, your bed, locked in the bathroom, stretched out on the floor. 

All who chimed in were entered in a little, sweet giveaway of bath stuffs personally picked by Meagan and me -- drugstore products to pamper your skin and spirit. 

Here's what we chose to help you soothe:

• A gushy bath pillow to rest your head (and support all those wild and wonderful and meditative thoughts)


• Lavendar-scented bath foam to surround your body in baby clouds (and wash away the dried oatmeal and Sharpie marker stains)


• Mango and orange sugar scrub to exfoliate the stress (and callouses) 


• Strawberry lip balm to baby your kisser (and chase away winter chapping)


• One of those scrubby things we all need to use more often than we do

All of it is available at drugstores (I hit Target for these finds...plus, I needed to stock up on dishwasher tabs). 

I went to one of those randomizer sites, plugged in the commenters, and am delighted to announce the winner:

AMY SUE NATHAN! 

Do you know Amy? You should! She is a talented novelist and her first book, The Glass Wives, will be published next year. Amy definitely needs to rest those hardworking hands, so here's hoping she finds some retreat to soak and soothe soon.

Congratulations, Amy! And thanks to all of you who shared your getaway spots with us.

Now please, step away from this dreadfully late giveaway announcement and have some Back-to-You time. 

More helpful, happiness-inducing, fabulousness-inspiring Back to You posts:

6 affordable, adorable accessories to brighten fall fashions

Clear 1,000 emails (or more) in ten minutes

How to do the humble push-up

Back to You is a month-long project designed by Meagan Francis of The Happiest Mom and me to help moms remember to take care of ourselves during the busy back-to-school season. We will have great tips, giveaways, challenges and accessible activities to help you feel healthier, happier, gorgeous and even more fabulous.