Momma Told Me: Do you #GiveACup about Hot Dog Eating Contests?

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Do you #GiveACup about Hot Dog Eating Contests?

***I have been compensated for my time and efforts sharing the Peet's Social Sampling Experiment with you via a promotional gift card.
Check out Peet's Give a Cup social sampling experiment! Each week, you can vote whether you "give a cup" about a new topic.  Your vote helps to determine where Peet's hands out their new Single Cups. So do you #GiveACup? Image and value provided by our partner, Peet's
Momma Told Me: If I want to know, I'll ask.

Recently a national coffee chain invaded my email with the nerve to ask what I 'Give A Cup' about. I was a bit taken aback at such language in my inbox, but the question got me thinking. As it turns out, Peet's Coffee recently released their artisan roasts in Single Cup format, for use with Keurigs in home. Now they're touring the United States making sampling stops and asking consumers what really matters to them. Consumers can log on directly to the #GiveACup social sampling experiment website and track the Peet's bus stops, even weighing in on choices that decide the next stop on the road. How's it work?

It's simple, really. The brand puts out a weekly topic for their Facebook fans to debate. One week it's Zombies, this week it's Hot Dog Eating Contests as they enter New York. Vans vote on whether the topic has relevance to them, and Peet's decides whether to stop at a hot dog stand or move on, etc. It's a great social experiment designed to get people talking about things that generally don't matter, but everyone has an opinion on. Follow their Sip Cup on Twitter to track it's current location, and hunt it down for free samples of the new Single Serve Peet's cup, and a chance at sharing what you #GiveACup about.
#GiveACup
So do I #GiveACup about Hot Dog Eating Contests? Well, I kind of do. Okay, I don't follow them regularly, and I've never been to a live hot dog eating contest, but professional eating is something that has always fascinated my father and I. In fact, it may be an odd father/daughter bond, but we hold our own miniature eating contests several times a year. Our favorite past-time is to visit Red Lobster during their Endless Shrimp promotion (most recently 4 times in 2 weeks), to stack shrimp tails in ornate arrangements on appetizer plates. W each have our own preparation strategy, much like professional food eaters, and take pride in who can 'off' the most shrimp in one sitting. An average session can last 2-3 hours, and has some surprising technique. Personally, I drink nothing but water the afternoon of the 'big day', and forgo sides (all but my salad, which helps slow digestion), and head straight for the shrimp.

Here's where I sound like a glutton (but remember, I don't do this for a living, it's a treat a few times a year), but we've finished off over 460 shrimp in one sitting together. We often go into the restaurant joking that our photos are on the wall with our 5ft long receipt stapled next to it as a warning to the servers on duty! It's all in good jest, though- I am, personally, fascinated with the process professional eaters go through to prepare their bodies for such consumption. It certainly is an art!
Blind cat Rescue
So, that's what Peet's wanted to know if I gave a cup about; now for what I really #GiveACup about; animal charity. If I could, I'd have a menagerie. I avoid zoos at all costs because it breaks my heart to see animals confined to such small habitats, and I think every domestic animal, no matter it's circumstance, deserves a safe and loving home. Growing up Momma would often pull in every stray cat off the street, and we'd usually take ti to the vet to discover it was terminally ill from cancer or some sort of feline HIV virus. I've watched my share of kitties pass in my life, but each of them I knew had lived out their final days in love.

More importantly, are the kitties that require extra care, that can live a long and fulfilled life with the proper patience and nurturing. It's rare to see someone adopt a cat that is blind or deaf, knowing this factor. Some pets become blind or deaf after adoption, and are cared for as part of the family, but many pet owners are intimidated by these handicaps and reach for a 'healthy' cat. Now I'm not encouraging we all go out and hunt down blind and deaf animals, but I do champion the work of noble organizations such as the Blind Cat Rescue in North Carolina. This non-profit organization cares for over 100 blind and FEL/FIV cats, and I make an effort to support them in any way possible. Click on over to watch these kitties daily, and even see your personal donations for toys and supplies openned on camera. Let's face it, we could all use a little extra adorable in our lives!

What do you Give a Cup about?

What Daughter Says: I blog because I like sharing what matters to me, whether someone's listening or not.

7 comments:

  1. I feel strongly about our environment. That's definitely a cause I stand behind. What a neat marketing idea.

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  2. Definitely am with you on the whole animal rescue thing...I also am appalled by the conditions in "some" (I don't want to say "many" because I don't know the stats and don't want to malign those who are doing right and have humane practices in place) animal "rescues" or "pounds," etc. I've heard some awful stories, and they make you want to vomit. Or cry. Or both.

    As far as hot dog eating contests, my mom and my brother think they're the coolest thing ever to watch...while I personally cannot watch, because I just gag as I watch them wet the buns and force them down their throats so quickly. Ewwww. That being said, my brother and I HAVE eaten to the point where it could be like a competition. Bowl after bowl of angel hair spaghetti (weird choice, I know), buffets, etc...but now that we're older, we can't do it anymore. Which is probably good for me. LOL.

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  3. I'm listening, so keep writing!
    Hot dog contests make me gag, I can't think about putting a bunch of food in my mouth and forcing myself to eat it. Ugh. Zoos make me sad too, although I have been to them many times since my kids were born. I do avoid circuses.

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  4. I give a cup about my daughter. She has been gone a week on vacation and I miss her. But she is coming home today. :)

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  5. I give a cup about water. I believe if we can give everyone fresh free drinking water than the whole face of the earth can change for good.

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  6. I give a cup about my son. He's my little miracle and life wouldn't have been this wonderful if not for him.

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  7. Awe, I'm a fan of the Blind Cat Rescue! And always vote for them ;).

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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