In the spirit of trying new things, I entered my first Twitter party contest –unfashionably late. Who starts a contest for a family vacation at 8 p.m. on a school night? Bedtime is stressful enough without worry about answering questions on your favorite features of the Kalahari Resort in Poconos. By time I began, the “hosts” were already on question four.

Note to self: if you cannot attend on time, ignore the hashtag and move on with your life. I put in a good last minute effort. However, I was flustered. I forgot to use the hashtag on my first go around. I spent WAY too much time crafting my words. From my observations, speed is what matters. Reply fast, favorite everything, and retweet like your life depends on it. Also, do not be afraid to use cute photos of your children to draw attention to yourself. Sell, sell, sell those adorable faces that will be crushed if they are not given a free trip to a waterpark.

Overall, I was clearly in over my head. I looked at some of the winners who were negotiating multiple contests at once. I was willing to dabble, but I am not ready to devote my evenings to marketing products and places in order to have a chance to win a freebie. My hat is off to those who have the dedication, patience, fast fingers, and followers for such endeavors. I will quietly go back to my books and meditations.