Every Wednesday from July 17-January 8, you have the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card if you're the first person to guess the mystery picture correctly.

Did you ever try to guess the pictures at the back of the "Highlights" magazine when you were a kid? When I was little, it was my favorite thing to do when I was waiting at the dentist's office. I think it helped me to see the world differently and to use my imagination. Well beginning Wednesday, July 17th, and running through Wednesday, January 8, 2014, I will post up my own photograph every Wednesday of a not-so-easily-identifiable object (or objects) taken with my iPhone and you have to guess what it is. If you are the first one to guess correctly, you will be registered to win one of two $25 Amazon Gift Card Certificates that will be held in a drawing at the end of each 3 months. You might be thinking, three months is a long time, but when you're guessing every week the time will go by fast. So the more Wednesdays that you win, the more chances you have at each $25 prize! Theoretically, if you win all the drawings, then that's $100 in Amazon prizes in six months! I think your odds of successfully doing this is probably better than winning the Powerball lottery. I'll ask my husband who's an accountant on the exact odds and get back to you on the mathematics...for now I'll stick to taking pictures.

Here are the rules:

1) The photograph will be posted up on Wednesday at anytime between 8:00am-8:00pm EST (just like in a radio contest where you have to listen all day and then call in when you hear the correct song, like in that one John Cusack movie "One Crazy Summer" with the crazy uncle trying to win the radio contest and he finally does at the end while sitting on the toilet with his phone...LOL, I love that movie!)...anyways, I digress, sorry. The photograph will be posted on my Photogracey Facebook Page.

2) If you think you know the answer, then don't call in...instead enter in your guess as a "comment" on that photograph post. The first person to correctly and SPECIFICALLY identify the object(s) in the image wins that day!

3) In the event of close ties, the first most "specific" answer using the best key/descriptive words wins. For example, someone at 9am guesses "bread," then someone else at 2pm guesses "a piece of toast," but then someone else at 5pm guesses "a piece of wheat bread toasted on a plate." This last person would actually be the winner. However, it doesn't need to get into technicalities as to the ingredients of the bread, etc. Let's not get crazy, people. It's supposed to be a FUN game!

4) "Edited" and multiple answers by the same person will be disqualified. Also, you can't change your mind, delete your comment, and comment again with a different answer either. Each Facebook member only has ONE guess, that is -- ONE chance to comment with his/her answer and for him/herself only. Please note that Facebook sends me an email upon every comment I receive with a time stamp, so I'm able to keep track of all incoming guesses and the order in which they are received.

5) Your comment/answer must be posted on that same Wednesday between 8:00am-10:00pm (Eastern Standard Time; i.e. Florida time where I live) in order to qualify. It is to be entered as a COMMENT on the original Photogracey Facebook photo post and not as a separate message nor as a separate comment on a shared link to the photo.

6) The winner will be announced the following Thursday morning along with what the correct answer is. That person's name will then be placed in a hat (or whatever container I have) along with the names of other winners from each Wednesday. If you happen to win more than once then 1) Wow, you're really good at this game! and 2) then your name will be placed in the hat/container as many times as you are a winner, for a total of about 12 names per drawing.

7) The game days and drawing dates are as follows:

For Drawing #1: Game days will be every Wednesday between July 17 - October 2. The prize drawing will be held on Thursday, October 3, and the two $25 Amazon gift card winners announced on Friday, October 4.

*** There will be a 2-week "break" (no games) inbetween the October 2nd game and the new round of games that will begin October 23rd ***

For Drawing #2: Game days will be every Wednesday between October 23 - January 8, 2014. The prize drawing will be held on Thursday, January 9, and the two $25 Amazon gift card winners announced on Friday, January 10.

8) During each prize drawing, two names will be drawn to each receive the $25 prize. The first winning name will NOT be returned into the hat for the second draw. So only if you won multiple Wednesdays and hence your name is in the hat more than once, then you have a chance for your name to be drawn a second time and win both gift cards -- for a total of $50 Amazon gift cards. Note: Drawing #1 and #2 are separate events (entry names from the drawing on October 3 do NOT carry over to the drawing on January 9).

9) The $25 Amazon Gift Card Certificate will be emailed to each winner which can be used on Amazon.com. So if you are a drawing winner, you will need to provide an email address for which I can electronically send you the gift card certificate.

10) Each photo will only be taken with my iPhone and without using any special effects, filters, etc. Keeping it simple!

11) The weekly contest is open to any one with a Facebook account, except my husband -- he's not eligible to participate for obvious reasons. Sorry, honey, but I hope you'll still help me figure out that odds thing.

So now that you understand the rules, be sure to "Like" my Photogracey page on Facebook so that you can see the mystery photograph pop up on your newsfeed once it's posted on Wednesday. And it's okay if you ask your 6-year old for help...kids have good imaginations! But remember, only one guess allowed. Good luck and happy guessing!

P.S.:

The answer to the "mystery" image above is: the barcode on a water bottle, but more specifically, the barcode on an AQUAFINA water bottle (only because you can kind of see the Aquafina logo on the left side of the bar code). See how this works?