It All Started With Hello

When I was a young girl I thought my friends were the best.  There was my friend Karen who I met at the pencil sharpener in 2nd grade.  "Hello, my name is Karen and I think you're pretty", she said. There were other friends too, but only a few really great ones - and we remain in touch still today.  I remember saying that I would never make connections as an adult like the ones I had growing up.

Truth is you never know who you will meet in life's beautiful journey.  Sometimes I believe people are put in place for a reason.  Years ago I found myself volunteering with a group of great women, all new to me.  When we came together the only thing we had in common was our 2nd graders.  Over the years, volunteering together brought us closer to one another and deep friendships formed.  We shared stories about our kids (now in college) and compared notes offering advice along the way.

We are no longer party planners or committee leaders, but we do from time have "emergency meetings".  We meet for lunch/dinner to celebrate a new job or a birthday or just to catch up and chat. We keep in touch regularly by group texts.  As a matter of fact, whenever I have a major parental decision to make I reach out to my girl friends (sometimes at the suggestion of Mr.). Together we text back and forth until we all agree on how an issue should be handled.  I love those girls and sometimes wonder what I would do without them!  And just think it all started with a "hello".

Speaking of HELLO...

Lindt HELLO, the hip, trendy brand in premium chocolate, is a new collection from Lindt of sinfully delicious premium chocolate inspired by classic American treats.  Lindt HELLO is available in stores nationwide, Lindt Chocolate Shops and Lindt.com.

Say “hello” to the enticing flavors like Caramel Brownie (my favorite!), Strawberry Cheesecake, Crunchy Nougat, and Cookies & Cream.  You can enjoy them in three different ways: bars, sticks, or mini stick bags.  What a sweet way to break the ice or just to say I'm thinking about you.

To enter the sweepstakes, visit the Lindt HELLO Sweet Connections Sweepstakes Landing Page and enter your email address - EASY!  Entries can be made daily for additional chances to win the below prizes.  The timing is perfect because today marks the beginning of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".  I think a shopping spree + chocolate sounds pretty amazing!

5 Weeks of Prizes – Enter here each week!

Week 3: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (9/24 – 9/30)
• Enjoy a shopping spree with the girls + yummy Lindt HELLO Chocolate!

Week 4: Sweet Staycation (10/1 – 10/7)
• Lindt HELLO treats you to a pampered night in – movies, books + chocolate!

Week 5: Besties Reunion (10/8 – 10/14)
• Reconnect with your bestie at the spa for a day + Lindt HELLO chocolate to sweeten the deal.

* No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 years or older (19 in AL or NE and 21 in MS).  Void where prohibited. See Rules at  for weekly sweepstakes entry periods, prize descriptions, odds and other details. Ends Noon on 10/14/14. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc., One Fine Chocolate Place, Stratham, NH  03885.

Thank you to Lindt HELLO for sponsoring this post.  Thank you readers for supporting brands who support this blog.