This Is How I Rise and Grind: Plus, An Awesome $175 #McCafeGrind Giveaway

This post is sponsored post brought to you by McDonald’s®.
I have partnered with them to spread the word about Free McCafé® Coffee Week.

Trust and believe: I was never the “fit” one. Me and exercise? We never got along. But as I got older, being a sedentary writer tied to her computer and chair, working from home and cooking all these home made meals full of love (and fat) started to take its toll; not only was I gaining weight, my metabolism was straight shot and I was tired all the time and, real talk? Feeling like an old, old lady.  But rather than accept that getting bigger and slower is just a part of growing old, I decided I wasn’t going out like a sucker. I mean, I’m too cute for that. Too smart for that. And really, too young for that still. So I took matters into my own hands: I hired a personal trainer to whip me into shape. With his help and direction, I’ve gotten so much better/stronger/faster/healthier, getting up most weekday mornings and heading to the gym to workout for anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes, mixing cardio and weight training, plus a lot of encouraging talk about healthy choices to get my life all the way together.

By the time I leave the gym, I’m ready for my daily grind. I come back home and fall into the shower, then a bowl of fresh fruit and a cup of coffee—in that order—before I deep dive into my day of writing/interviewing/business calls/transcribing, plus whatever else duty calls for me, a busy work-at-home mom. This is how I grind everyday.

Want some help with your everyday grind? You know I got you covered. I’ve partnered with McDonald’s® to hook up one lucky reader with $175 worth of awesome products to jumpstart your work day. One (1) winner will receive a prize pack with:

• One (1) IOGEAR’s GearPower Ultra Capacity Mobile Power Station- Compatible with most smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems, and mp3 players.  And, has dual charging USB port
• One (1) Premium business cardholder – Silver and gray carbon fiber.  And will be engraved with a name, message or your business name,
• One (1) Branded McDonald’s® computer mouse – Silver and flat and great for on-the-go
• One (1) McDonald’s® ArchCard – value $25

Want the hook-up? Here’s how enter via the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win:

• Leave a Comment below describing how you #McCafeGrind  
  
• Upload a video via the social media channel of your choice, stating how you grind each day (just you in the frame without third-party branding – i.e., Nike hat, Pepsi t-shirt). In the video description, tag the video with #McCafeGrind and provide us with a link to your video.
• Follow @McCafe on Twitter 
  
• Follow @McDonalds on Twitter
  
• Tweet about the giveaway:  I just entered a #Giveaway for a  #McCafeGrind prize pkg for Free @McCafe Coffee Event via @MyBrownBaby #ad 
  
• Follow @McDonalds on Instagram

The Sweepstakes will begin on Monday, March 31, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”) and end on Sunday, April 13, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. One winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday, April 14, 2014, right here on this post. Find the complete giveaway terms in the Rafflecopter widget below.

Good luck! And remember to stop by McDonald’s® every morning for your FREE small cup of @McCafe coffee today through April 13, 2014.

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This post is brought to you by McDonald’s®. I have partnered with them to spread the word about Free McCafé® Coffee Week happening March 31 through April 13 at all participating McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S.  Stay up to date on Free McCafé® Coffee Week via @McDonalds and @McCafe on Twitter.
All opinions and stories are my own.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway