Review and #Contest - Purex Crystals Aromatherapy

As a Purex Insider, I am often given the opportunity to test out products for free. The products are provided to me by Purex but I am under no obligation to do anything, as far as I'm concerned - I don't have to say nice things and I don't have to write a review at all if I don't feel like it.

This time around, I jumped at the chance to try Purex Crystals Aromatherapy - because I misunderstood what the product was. Wait, stop. I'm not saying I didn't like the product (I did, you'll see), but I am saying I didn't realize that this was not Purex Crystals fabric softener. The fabric softener aspect of the Crystals seems to have been removed completely and all that remains is dryer sheets under the "Crystals" label. And I am very, very disappointed at this - I liked the fabric softener crystals because they smelled nice, had reasonable ingredients, and actually worked - even on my workout clothes. But now it's just a fragrance booster, which is...whoopdedoo?

Purex Crystals Aromatherapy - not to be confused with fabric softener

 I mean, I've noted this before here in reviews - I do like pleasantly scented things, but I don't necessarily want my everyday clothing to smell like anything. I gravitate toward free and clear detergents in part because of this. I like to wear BPAL fragrance oils, for example, and I don't want them competing with my clothing. To me, "scent" doesn't equal "clean."

HOWEVER, on the other hand, I do like my towels to have a light scent - and sometimes my sheets too. So when I get a scented product like this to try, I use it on my towels and I judge it just on how well it works on my towels.

Purex Crystals Aromatherapy works just fine. I was sent the "Energy" scent, which is citrusy (more orange than lemon, I'd say), and it made my towels smell nice. I can't really say much more than that - they weren't softer and they weren't cleaner. They just smelled nice. It wasn't overpowering and it has lasted a few days (which also makes my linen closet smell nice, a little bonus). It's not a product I'd necessarily seek out in the future, but I am curious about the other scents. (I think I'd prefer "Serenity," which supposedly is calming and smells like water lilies, to "Energy.")

I was also sent two coupons to give away to two readers of A Place to Write Things who might like to try Purex Crystals Aromatherapy. Judge for yourself. If you like to add scent to your clothes, this will do that. Also it's absolutely fun to try new things. So check out the Rafflecopter widget, do the tasks honestly (I'll disqualify you if you cheat), and enter. US residents only. Contest runs from October 15, 2014, to October 22, 2014.

Thanks for reading!

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#contest! Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash: Review and Giveaway

The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash plus coupons in exchange for a product review. Everything you see here is my own personal opinion and was not influenced by the freebies or anything else.

This is what Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash looks like. See? See.

When I signed up to try out Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Hydrating Body Wash (say THAT five times fast), I hadn't gotten stuck in the "thrifting post" rut. And now I'm trying to get my head around telling you nice things about body wash. This one is good though. It feels moisturizing, it smells good, it made me feel clean. I think that the idea of coconut water - drinking it, washing in it - is a bit overhyped (the New York Times agrees with me - and also mentions this Dial product line of all things), but it does make for a nice product, and Dial won't break the bank. Trendy ingredients, good smells, fruity stuff, and you can grab it at your local grocery store for cheap? Sure! I recommend it.

I have two free product coupons available to give away. I'll keep this contest simple - but do note that I am a small enough blogger who gets few enough entries that I have time to vet every single one. If you type random words or don't answer my questions in the Rafflecopter widget, I will delete every entry and you won't win this fabulous prize. This really happened to me in my last contest and it was disheartening. Just jump through my hoops, OK?

Contest runs August 4-10, 2014. United States addresses only, please.


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Purex No Sort for Colors Detergent: Stop Sorting Your Laundry! Review & Giveaway - Win a Free Bottle!

I'm a Purex Insider, and recently I was given the chance to try out new Purex No Sort for Colors detergent for free. I was not compensated beyond the free bottle (and the coupons I'm going to give away in a minute) and they can't make me say anything I don't want to say.

So.

The truth is that I rarely sort my laundry into lights and darks anymore. I just don't have the time. But because I don't do that, sometimes dyes do bleed into one another in my washing machine. I just sort of accept that fact as part of my life. And sometimes I leave one or two items of clothing out of my main laundry load because I am afraid that it/they will bleed. That's why I found Purex No Sort for Colors detergent so intriguing.

What I don't like about most specialty detergents is that they are often overly scented. I like to wear scented oils and perfume and I do not like those choices competing with my clothing's smell. But at the same time, I can't lie, I don't mind any of this on my towels and linens - I like those to have a light floral or soapy scent. While I use dye-and-perfume-free detergent for just about everything I wash - my clothes, my husband's clothes, my kid's clothes - if I get a scented detergent sample (or, in this case, if I get to try a whole bottle for free) I'll earmark it for towels and I'll enjoy it. I wish that Purex No Sort for Colors came in a free and clear/no perfume/no dye version - but when I used it on my towels, the scent wasn't too overpowering and I didn't mind it.

What I do like is that Purex No Sort for Colors detergent works to prevent color bleeding. It got my towels clean, and it seemed to work as promised. I won't be worried going forward when, as always, I don't have time for sorting my sheets and towels (and maybe, sometimes, my clothing) and I mix my colors and my whites - I feel comfortable knowing that the dyes won't bleed because the detergent will trap loose dyes to help avoid color bleeding accidents.

Look at all those towels! And none of the dyes bled onto one another AND everything was soft, clean, and nicely scented.

Do you want to win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex No Sort for Colors detergent so you can try it too? Go for it! Two winners. U.S. addresses only. Contest runs April 14, 2014 to April 20, 2014. Good luck!

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Review and #Contest! Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi - Win a Free Package!

The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi in exchange for a product review. The brand also provided me with the coupons for the contest. All opinions are my own and that's always obvious but I have to say it.

Laundry detergent capsules in general are definitely appealing. I don't have to measure anything, there's no dripping, no waste, no fuss. I just shove it in the drum of my washing machine and go about my business. So those are the things I really liked about Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi. Plus, the UltraPacks worked in my HE washing machine, so that's good. Also, the scent was nice - sort of a soapy, rainy, pleasant scent. That's fine.

Bottom line: Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi (with Zout stain removers) definitely helped to remove stains as far as I can tell. My clothes looked and felt clean. So the packs did the job.

Now...well, here are the things I didn't like: The scent, while it wasn't unpleasant, was so strong that I wound up rinsing my clothes three times (twice with vinegar) to get everything under control. And it filled my entire (very small) laundry space. I've said it before, I'll say it again - why can't these capsules come in a free and clear version? Why do they have to be blue and stinky? Also, the warning on the package that I had to wash my hands immediately after using? That was a bit disconcerting (and let me assure you - I washed my hands!). I know it's likely just a common sense warning, and of course I'd wash my hands if I got liquid or powder detergent on them too, but still.

If these were on sale and I had a coupon, I'd consider buying them again to use in my towel laundry (strong scents don't bother me quite as much with towels as they do with clothing). And they really are easy to use, so that's a huge plus if you want to save time and just be able to throw everything around and go and not have to fuss with adding extra stain removers and so on.

Want to try these for yourself? Enter my contest and you can win one of three coupons for a free package of Purex UltraPacks with Oxi! (Open to U.S. residents only. Sorry!) You have until Friday October 4. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest: Win a bottle of Purex - and maybe win $1,000!

As a Purex Insider, I get to try a lot of fun things (and host contests!). Right now I'm trying out the new Purex plus Oxi, which the company claims is "the most powerful Purex detergent available." I'll share my review of it soon. Meanwhile, you can win one of three coupons for a free bottle of Purex plus Oxi laundry detergent so you can try it yourself!

To win one of the three coupons, use this handy dandy Rafflecopter thing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends October 26, 2012. Purex provided me with a sample of Purex plus Oxi so I could review it, but all opinions expressed on my blog are my own - obviously.

But wait, there's more! Purex is hosting a contest where the first prize is $1,000! ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! Pretty sweet, huh? For that contest, you can enter right here or enter through the Rafflecopter widget! (Second prize is $25, which isn't $1,000, but it's not bad either, right?) You'd be doing me a huge favor if you'd click that link, whether you'd like to enter or not, as Purex is rewarding the Insider who drives the most traffic to the contest page with an extra prize. (Hooray, transparency!)

Good luck!!!

We - Yes, You and I - could win $500 in Chronicle Books! - November 7, 2011

Chronicle is one of my favorite book publishers. Seriously. When I'm out thrifting I do a dance of joy when I see the little glasses on the spine. When I'm in a bookstore, I gravitate toward Chronicle's books. Why? They're gorgeous. Whether a cookbook or a how-to book or even, on occasion, a work of fiction, these books are always SO beautifully designed.

And now Chronicle is having a contest. A CONTEST. First, they want bloggers to list $500 worth of Chronicle books that they would like. Well, I can give that a shot...

• Skinny Dips - $18.95
• Art of McSweeney's - $45.00
• The Bakerella Cake Pops Kit - $19.95
• A Beautiful Bowl of Soup - $19.95
• Coffee - $14.95
• Craft Inc. (Revised Edition - I have the previous edition and it's great) - $16.95
• Instant Iron-Ons - $14.95
• Stencil 201 - $24.95
• A Life in Stitches - $14.95
• Vintage Craft Workshop - $19.95
• The Button Factory - $18.95
• Creative, Inc. - $16.95
• The Sock Monkey & Friends Kit - $17.99
• Stitchable Stationery - $14.95
• Stencil 101 - $24.95
• Handmade Nation - $24.95
• Creatures & Critters Origami Craft Pad - $12.95
• The Soapmaking Kit - $24.95
• The Art of Pixar - $50
• How to Be Popular - $12.95
• The Small Object Thumbprint Masterpieces - $14.95
• World's Smallest Post Service - $22.95
• Fed Up With Lunch - $22.95

That was both difficult and really really fun. You can see from this list that I'm a fan of cookbooks, how-to books, craft books, kits, and randomness. Um...so, you can see that I'm random. 

Now here's the super fun part. If you leave a comment on this post, and if I win, you might win all of the above too! (I'll do a random drawing if/when.) AND I get to also choose a charity to receive all these books - and I choose to have all of these books donated to the City of Decatur (Georgia) high school's library. I suspect they would be very much appreciated and I like to support my local school system.

So go on, leave a comment. Tell me if you love Chronicle as much as I do. Tell me about your favorite book publisher. Tell me which book I should've chosen for my list (I don't think there's a rule against swapping before the deadline!). But please do say something!

The Winner of the Renuzit Fresh Accents - October 20, 2011

The winner is commenter #2, fivelittlekittens. Congratulations! I'll get these out to you as soon as possible!

Renuzit Fresh Accents Review and Giveaway - October 12, 2011

Let's get this out of the way right up front and right here: Renuzit brand provided free samples of two Fresh Accents holiday air fresheners so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed below are my own.
(That will probably be obvious though.)

Renuzit Fresh Accents

I like good smelling things and I love it when my house smells fresh and good. However, I don't think I'm quite the target market for the new Renuzit Fresh Accents Holiday line. While I think they are very pretty, and they do smell nice (I was sent one each of Festive Snow and Winter Berry - I preferred the Winter Berry scent), they were a little too cutesy and Christmassy for my taste, and the scent was a bit on the strong side for me. Also, I like foody scents (I lean toward things that are more cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla - that sort of thing) and these were not in that genre to me. Maybe if one was scented like a holiday cookie...?


I have to say, though, that the packaging is very cute - look at that snowflake design! - but I prefer my good-smelling things to be hidden (my tart burner is tucked away in a corner, and I actually hate its design but I got it on sale and it's electric rather than candle-based and so I keep it hidden and OH I DIGRESS WHAT A SURPRISE), and these are more meant to be out in the open. I can't have things like this out in the open anyway, what with a kid who grabs everything and two very curious cats. 


In a nutshell, I just didn't click with these although I think they're fine. (They're never going to send me anything else to review, are they? Ha. That's OK. I'm learning!)


So if you like your house to smell and look festive, particularly if you decorate for Christmas, you might like these. They're very inexpensive - around $2 - which is a great deal for something like this.


And I have THREE free product coupons to give away! Yep, one of you gets three free Renuzit Fresh Accents Holiday air fresheners. Are you psyched? Get psyched. 


To win, just leave a comment on this post telling me which scent you think you'd like best (Festive Snow or Winter Berry). I'll pick a random winner in a week - on October 19, 2011 - to get three coupons. Have at it! Good luck!

The Winner of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software - October 1, 2011

Rabbit rabbit! The winner of the really cool My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software is...

Kristen G! The last commenter on the post - she squeaked in under the wire and look, she won!

Don't forget, even if you didn't win, you can get $10 off your purchase of this great scrapbook software AND a $10 credit in the MyMemories.com store by going to http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software and entering the code STMMMS76900 during checkout. Full disclosure - I get a small kickback if you use this code.

Enjoy!

Giveaway - Win a Free Copy of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software - Or Save $20 On Your Purchase!

As a former zine girl, the idea of scrapbooking definitely is appealing. Paper! Pictures! Extras! Photos! Glue sticks! Cut and paste! But I don't really have the time or money for it, nevermind the space to store all the tools, so I just stare at the cute supplies in the craft store and move on.

But digital scrapbooking...that I might be able to handle. Plus, I have thousands of digital pictures on my hard drive that I never look at or print that probably should be organized and shared with friends and family.

So when I was approached by My Memories to try its scrapbook software suite for free, I thought sure, why not. And I have to say, I found the program easy to figure out and use. There are lots of nice touches - easy ways to add a variety of backgrounds; options for adding realistic-looking ribbons, brads, and other little details on the page; background music if you so desire (not my thing, but maybe yours?); and more.

One thing I noted is that this program reminds me a bit of the kiosks at CVS or the websites out there that I've used to create photo books, but this has many, many more options from which to choose. Plus, saving a project locally, having all of my photos at hand without having to upload them or bring them somewhere, and being able to choose where to have the final product printed is great. Also it's not a giant pain in the butt like those kiosks can be. Ahem.

(I should note that on my four-year-old MacBook, the software sometimes ran slowly or gave me the pinwheel of doom for a few minutes, but when I closed out all other programs it ran more smoothly.)

Also, you could totally use this to make invitations or holiday cards or calendars or all sorts of other crafty things, and you can print them yourself or export them to have them printed wherever you want. You can also make DVDs (that's where the music comes in) and even export iPod-friendly files. Seriously, this is a pretty impressive program and I look forward to exploring it further. I may even make Hanukkah presents for the fam with it this year.

And look below - this was my first attempt without even reading the directions. (Yeah, that's what I do. Dive right in.) I had pictures from our vacation last week right at my fingertips, so it was easy. And yes, the text is placed deliberately to obscure and watermark my daughter's face because I don't usually share pictures of her here (but she's just so cute...):

Created with the My Memories Scrapbooking Software Suite

I also like that this software suite is very reasonably priced - it's only $39.97 - and even better, I have a code that can get you a nice discount. Simply go to http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software and enter the code STMMMS76900 during checkout to get $10 off the software suite and a $10 credit to the MyMemories.com store. Full disclosure - I get a small kickback if you use this code. And that kickback will be used for such frivolities as paying down credit card debt - so you know, it goes to a good cause. Please use it!

A discount is nice, of course, but free is even better, right?

I was given two copies of the software. One was mine to keep (thank you, My Memories!), and the other is to give to a lucky blog reader. Woohoo, I love contests!

To enter the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software giveaway:

Mandatory entry: Go look around MyMemories.com and then come back and leave a comment telling me about your favorite digital kit or album template.

Optional entry: Tweet about the contest (once a day) and come back and comment with a link to your tweet. Here, look, I wrote it for you! "I just entered to win the @mymemoriessuite #scrapbook software from @marlatiara at http://aplacetowritethings.blogspot.com!"

Optional entry: Blog about the contest (once) and come back and comment three separate times with a link to your post.

Optional entry: Become a Facebook fan of My Memories and come back and let me know you did it. (once)

Optional entry: Follow My Memories on Twitter and come back and let me know you did it. (once)

The contest will end on September 30, 2011, and I'll use random.org to pick a winner. If you don't have a profile or something, MAKE SURE you put your email address in your comment so I have a way to find you!

And if you've come to my blog for the first time, I'd love it if you'd stick around. You don't have to - I don't want to make you stay, and you should know that I only do occasional giveaways and contests (when I really like the product!) and that this is more of a personal blog - but take a minute, if you would, to read my intro post and see if we'd click. I write about everything from thrifting and crafts to raising a daughter with cerebral palsy to reading to...well, a lot of brain dumping. If you like what you see, add me with Google or Networked Blogs or just come back and peek in once in a while. Thanks!

And does it need to be said that all opinions are mine mine mine mine and mine? If I hated it, I'd tell you. Trufax.

Please Vote for My Friend's Son - August 18, 2011

A good friend of mine sent me this email:

>>

http://childrensplace.promo.eprize.com/model 
My son, Shaun, is currently in a model search competition for The Children's Place (the kid's clothing store) and he needs votes in order to get into the judging phase. PLEASE go to the above link, register, then search for ID: 76676 Once you see the smaller photo of Shaun, click on it and it should take you to a larger picture and a "Vote Here" button should appear just to the right. Be sure to click on the Vote button so you'll be counted. I appreciate your help with this. You can vote once a day so please keep going back through September 21st. Also, it'd be great if you could forward this to others that you know and/or share the link on your facebook/twitter page (be sure to include his ID #76676). 
Right now Shaun is in the top 25 for his age group of over 7,600 entries! (he was in the top 20 though) 
Thanks so much!
>>

Please vote for him! He deserves it! PLUS when you vote, you get entered in a contest to win a gift card and you get a 15% off coupon as well. Win-win, I'd say!

Learn about Purex Complete Crystals Softener & Help Me Win! - March 3, 2011

Purex Complete Crystals - shiny!

I'm a Purex Insider, which means I get to try new laundry products, often before they hit the general market. Yesterday the FedEx man handed me a package with a generous sample of Purex Complete Crystals - their new fabric softener. I am really looking forward to trying this on my towels - the formulation of Purex Complete Crystals promises to not coat my towels with oils that will make them less absorbent and not to mess with my kid's flame-resistant sleepwear. Also it smells really good.

I'll post again when I've tried it - likely in the next few days - to let you know exactly what I think. But for now, if you could click and learn more about Purex Complete Crystals, you'd be doing me a huge favor - the blogger with the most clicks wins $500, and I could really use that right now. Please click! And then if you really want, share the following link on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you want, and encourage others to both learn about Purex Complete Crystals AND help me win a great prize:

http://www.purex.com/MXTQEPZOXYOMU5360AXODMQMFIYLHZ

I believe in transparency in things like this, which is why I'm sharing the actual link with you and telling you exactly what's at stake. I also really think this product is interesting and that you might like it - I wouldn't bother talking about it otherwise. I also will tell you that my fabric softener of choice is plain, white vinegar - chemical free and super inexpensive. But there are times when I wish my clothes had a nice scent to them (I love scented candles, scented bodywash, scented oils...) and I do sometimes use a dryer sheet (scented or unscented) with my towels to make them softer and smell fresher. I hate that it can reduce their absorbency though, so I'm hoping I've found a new solution that works.

Thank you in advance for clicking, sharing my link, and learning about Purex Complete Crystals!

Random Roundup - February 10, 2011

• I won a $20 Kroger gift card on Facebook. Hooray! Money is a bit tight right now (as it usually is in January/February) so the timing of this win was excellent.
• My daughter is amazing me with her progress toward potty training. Look, I am not one of those "I make Facebook status updates about potty training every 5 minutes" parents. I'm not even someone who wants to talk about this type of thing. But at the same time, my kid has CP and although I was constantly assured that she would be able to potty train, I still wasn't entirely sure she physically could. And yet, she's training herself with little help from me. I suspect once she can walk she will just...do it. We're going to buy her underwear this weekend, I think (we cloth diaper most of the time so pull-ups would, to me, be regressing), and give it a shot. She signs "potty," and she says a form of "potty," and at school she's been so consistent with going that she got a shout-out in her regular classroom's newsletter for her progress. So yay for potty training.
• She also has started doing downward-facing dog all the time. This is the precursor to standing up. I don't know if she's doing it because she does yoga at preschool (once a week!) or if she just wants to stand, but she's doing it. If I hold her by the hips, she can continue the process and stand. We're on our way!
• I applied for my blog to be a part of a "Natural Parenting" blogroll. I think that parents of special-needs kids are underrepresented in that universe and I hope I'm accepted. 
• I find more and more that I bristle when someone expresses a concern about his/her child's development on a message board or forum and the chorus loudly shouts "late bloomer!" "don't worry!" It implies that it's a terrible, awful, unredeemable thing to have a child who may need a bit of therapy (or more than a bit). It's not as supportive as it sounds on the surface - because while sometimes, yes, someone's cousin's hairdresser's best friend's neighbor's kid didn't walk until he turned three and then stood up and ran a marathon or didn't talk until she was two and then opened her mouth and said "Mother, I would like biscuits instead of pancakes this morning, if that is acceptable to you," that just doesn't always happen. It feels like it means if the questioner's kid doesn't do such things, there's a failure somewhere in there. I remember reaching out in the early days and asking in general parenting communities for others with children doing PT. I got a few good answers and then a few "just wait it out, she'll do it!" and even "I think you're overreacting! I would never start PT/OT/Speech that early!" If I had waited, I believe that we absolutely would have lost time and progress. And I did think for those first few months before she got her diagnosis that maybe she would simply start doing everything on a later timeline. And when that didn't happen, when we got confirmation that my daughter had cerebral palsy and that there was an actual underlying reason why she wasn't meeting her milestones, it hurt until I shook myself off and accepted that she just needed some help and it would be OK. All of those "she's totally fine, it's early days yet" responses just weren't helpful to me. I don't know if any of that makes any sort of sense, but I wanted to get it out of my system. And as always, do note that not everyone is me - shocker, I know! - and that others may feel that comments like that are helpful. 
• That got long. I think I'm going to drive out to the farmer's market today and buy some veggies and clear my head.

Winners of the Solofill Reusable Filter for the Keurig Brewer - January 22, 2011

My first contest was, I believe, a success! I received 62 entries to win a Solofill reusable/refillable filter for the Keurig single-serve coffee brewer system. I used random.org to pick the winners and they are...

Steve (samoregon930)

Bernice (shortstuff431)

Nancy (postalonen)

I've notified you all via email.

Thank you to everyone who entered! The Solofill is available directly from the company or through Amazon.com and I really recommend it to anyone who has a Keurig. I used mine just yesterday with some Dunkin Donuts pumpkin spice coffee, and the cup it made was delicious!

I hope to be able to do more giveaways and contests in the future. If you're a company interested in working with me, please get in touch. Thanks again!

Let's Talk about Freebies - January 16, 2011

Don't forget that my contest to win a Solofill reusable filter for your Keurig brewer is still going - it ends Friday!

I've been able to score a bunch of freebies at stores, I've won a contest, and I cashed in some MyPoints, so I wanted to make a note of it. My goal with this blog is not to give you the heads up on deals - there are plenty that cover that (including many in my blogroll!) - but to talk about the deals I got, both to keep track for myself (selfish! ha!) and to inspire you. I don't have a ton of extra time (right now I'm writing this blog post while my daughter works with her speech therapist) nor a lot of patience - I'll never be on Extreme Couponing nor will I ever have an entire floor of my house devoted to a stockpile - but I do love to get a deal!

• Best deals first - I won a Melitta One: Single Cup Coffee Pod Brewer and a box of pods from American Coffee Services!  So fun! They have great prices on single-serve coffee pods/K-cups/T-discs, etc., so check them out!
• I saved up enough points from MyPoints.com to earn a $50 Amazon gift card. (If you'd like a referral to the site, which would give me some bonus points, leave your email address in a comment on this post. However, you can also join without a referral, so go for it!)
• I won another few $5 Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks. I really like the new Food videos on the site, actually, and watching them has boosted my bucks a ton.
• I scored two bags of Hartz Crunch N'Clean cat treats at Target for free. They were on sale (or...is this the everyday price?) for $1.49 and I had two coupons for $1.50 off. I learned about this deal from CouponMom.com by the way - that's one of my favorite sites for the quick-and-dirty best deals. I also got two giant canisters of oatmeal for 4 cents each (plus I got 5 cents back for using my own bag so...6 cents for 96 ounces of oatmeal - and I love oatmeal!)
• I scored an adorable tree-shaped tent for my daughter's bedroom for $20 - $10 off of the regular price - because I found it hidden on a clearance rack on the perimeter of the Target store.
• I got a free bottle of Sierra Mist Naturals soda from Target because the last time I was there a coupon printed out for a free bottle with no extra purchase required. A nice treat, and I like that this soda uses sugar and not HFCS or artificial junk.
• I got four bags of Friskies cat treats for free from Kroger with a coupon that came out in November and that expires today. The treats are on sale for $1 per bag (a great deal already) and the coupon was $2/2.

However, I also bought the double paper today (the early and late editions bundled together for $3 instead of $4) and one was missing some coupons. (I emailed the paper; last time this happened, they mailed me the coupons. It's annoying though.) And the bedding we bought my daughter at Target last night is on sale today (of course) (but I may go back and get my refund if I have time). And I dropped off empty ink cartridges at Staples last week and then I found out that Office Depot is giving $5 per cartridge instead of the $3 I'll get from Staples. Ah well. I can't win them all! (I did get a box of 18 K-cups at Office Depot for $6 by using a 40% off coupon - yay!)

Why I Haven't Updated - January 13, 2011

Because I live in Georgia and the snow and ice have stopped time, more or less. I haven't gotten mail delivery since Saturday, I left the house for the first time yesterday (to go about a mile away for lunch) and I'm stuck with a special-needs child who is frustrated that she can't go to the swings (she keeps bringing me the pictures of swings and the playground).

The contest is going swimmingly though - please continue to enter and tweet about it and win yourself one of three Solofill reusable/refillable filters for your Keurig brewer. (I love my Solofill!)

Hopefully soon I'll have a book review (though right now I'm reading a rather trashy book that probably doesn't deserve a whole blog post) or something interesting to tell you about.

In the meantime, I've added some new referral links to the right side of the blog (like Shop At Home, which gives you cash back when you buy stuff online) and some new blogs to the blogroll on the left. You also could sign up for Shop It To Me through my blog so that you get really nifty emails about sale clothing in sizes you actually would buy (and that's an referral link too, yes). I like saying blog. BLOGGGGGGGG.

I'm sorry. The snow and ice have destroyed my brain cells. Check a blog from the blogroll (BLOG!) if you want something meatier than this vegetarian can provide right now.

Win a Solofill Reusable Single-Serve Coffee Filter for Keurig Brewers!

PLEASE help me win $500 by clicking here and learning about Purex Complete Crystals. All you have to do is click, you don't have to do anything else. THANK YOU! 


The contest is now over and winners have been notified. Thanks everyone!

My post reviewing the Solofill refillable, reusable K-cup for Keurig brewers has gotten my little blog more hits than anything else I've ever written about. I still absolutely adore my Solofill, so I asked the company if I could host a giveaway, and they sent me three Solofills to share with my readers! THREE! So three people will win one Solofill each - fabulous.

As a bonus, all three winners will receive a coffee-themed 1" pinback button made by me, just like the ones I sell in my Etsy store. (If you don't want it, feel free to share it with a friend. But they're super cute!) (FYI, I also sell magnets, pocket mirrors, bottle openers, and jewelry in my Etsy store, in case you were wondering.)

Win one of three Solofill reusable filters for your Keurig brewer!

So, would you like to win a Solofill from me? Just leave me a comment with your name and email address. Tadah! Done!

BUT BONUS ENTRIES CAN BE HAD!
(Make a separate comment for each bonus entry.)

1. Tweet about this contest using the text I've provided below, then come back and tell me you did it AND link to your tweet. You can do this for two extra entries by tweeting once on two different days.

I just entered to win a #Solofill reusable filter for my #Keurig! Enter by 1/21/11 for your chance to win. http://bit.ly/hYZDbP

2. Blog about this contest and come back and tell me you did it and link to your blog post. You can do this once.

This contest ends in two weeks, on January 21, 2011. I'll pick winners randomly (using random.org). Please note that I have my blog set to hold all comments until I manually approve them, but I WILL approve your comment as quickly as possible. This contest is open to U.S. residents only.

A personal note: Look, I know and you know that a lot of you (if you even read this far) are going to enter the contest, then take off and never come back to my blog. That's fine, I've done that too, and it won't affect your chances of winning. But if you have a minute, take a look around at my other posts. You might like me! I write about books and parenting and randomness and lists and coupons and...stuff! You won't get an extra entry for following me (via Networked Blogs, Google Connect, and so on), but I'd love to have you as a reader.

I bought my own Solofill and my original review was based on usage of the one I purchased. The three products being given away in this contest were sent to me by the Solofill company. I received one additional Solofill to keep.

Enter a contest to win your own Keurig MINI plus apple cider K-cups - December 29, 2010

I've rambled so much about my Keurig that I thought maybe you'd like one of your own. (Plus, well, I love contests...) You can win a Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System from Leslie Loves Veggies (a site that has a BUNCH of giveaways - woohoo!) plus a box of apple cider K-cups (which are really yummy - a friend gave me a few - they actually have real apples in them, not fakey stuff).

From the site: "Giveaway will end on Tuesday 1/4.Giveaway open to U.S.& Canadian entries only." More info and rules at LeslieLovesVeggies.net.

Ah, and maybe you just want to try the apple cider K-cups, but you already have a Keurig brewer? Then just enter the Thanks Mail Carrier contest for a box of 24 of them! (More great giveaways at the Thanks Mail Carrier site too!)

Let me know if you win one of these!

I Heart Contests - December 24, 2010

I enter lots of contests online, but I rarely win. Yesterday I opened my mailbox to find that I'd won a $100 Publix gift card from the Del Monte Family Meals Sweepstakes! Woohoo - free groceries! (The contest is long over; that link goes to the page on which I originally learned about it.)

I tried to remember if I'd won anything else in 2010. Here's what I came up with [updated 12/27/10]:

• I won a $50 Target gift card from the Dr. Oz giveaway a few months ago.
• I won a case of PopChips (the small 100-calorie bags - yum!).
• I won four tickets to the children's museum via Facebook.
• I won a box of Tetley Tea via Facebook.
• I won a giant stack of Laughing Cow coupons via Twitter.
• I earned about $200 in Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks (and since I started have earned almost $500 in cash and Amazon gift cards).
• I earned at least $100 in Amazon gift cards from mypoints.com. 
• I earned about $50-$75 from various online survey sites. I wasn't that strict about these - I just don't always have time to do a survey and I ignore 99% of the survey emails (I do MySurvey and Synovate when I see them, but other sites send me emails that I don't usually have time for).

Next year I'll try to be better about noting when I earn/win cash and prizes.

Do you like to enter contests? Where do you hear about them? I tend to learn about them from blogs like Money Saving Mom and iheartpublix.com, and a friend of mine just linked me to online-sweepstakes.com, although at the moment that's pretty overwhelming!

And who knows. Maybe in 2011 I will start being able to give things away in this blog! (That would be fantastic!)

Contest Post AKA "If you win, you can buy me a present!"

I just learned about the It Pays to Eat Pasta contest from I Heart Publix. The prizes include free groceries for a year (which really means you win a check for $5200). Who couldn't use some extra cash? It's easy enough to enter (I tend to only enter contests that are straightforward and easy) - name, address, phone number, and you're off. Check it out. You can enter once per day until October 30!

Note that all links in this post that take you to the contest page are referral links - I get an extra entry for each person that signs up through me. Thanks!