WIP Wednesday -- Quilt Retreat Report

I sure do love the quilt retreats.  I love how I get more sewing done in 2 (or 3) days than what I usually get done in a month.
I always come home and just want to keep on sewing, but life just doesn't allow me that  LOL

What to start with----I worked on several things, but only finished one little thing.  I guess that's a good starting place.

I wanted to see just how easy it was to make the composition notebook cover as I want to make those my Christmas gifts this year.  It was really easy, and here is the one that I finished.

5 years ago I had my daughter buy me the Braid in a Day Pattern with template when Pat Knoechel (Eleanor Burns' sister) was at our guild.   I had won a Moda Sweet Roll pack in a blog giveaway, so put it in the project bag with the pattern.   I finally pulled that down and took it to the retreat as one lady in our guild is a certified Quilt In A Day teacher and told me she would help me if needed.

Now that I know how to do the braids, I really look forward to doing more.  These are with the 1.5 inch jelly rolls instead of the 2.5 inch, and I plan to make 2 into a baby blanket and the 3rd one into a table runner.

I didn't get around to getting out my blue scraps, but I did take along my green string blocks and finished those up.  I still need to get to the blue before I start putting these together.

I brought along my flannel pieces and cut what I could from them as well as sewed some of them together---together as the 2 together, ready to start sewing rows.  I still don't have enough of either for a full blanket of either size so I will be on the lookout for more flannel when I am out and about.

I worked on adding yo-yo's to the first valance.  I have just 3 more rows to put on to finish the first one.  I'm back to making the yo-yo's for now, and dividing them into bags to ensure that I have some of every fabric in all 3 items.  I really need to work daily on these if I expect to have them done in time.

I feel very blessed to have won so many things at the retreat.  In the silent auction I won 4 rolls of wrapping paper, and the 4 charm packs that were in the basket.  The other small things were in a basket for everyone to take something free.  I was sent home with everything that was left in the basket.   I never won a single game of Left Center Right that we played with the 2.5 inch strips, but I was sent home with all of the strips that were left after we were done playing the game. (oops!  The strips aren't in my picture either, but there is a very large stack of those that I plan to use most of making more braids)

I also won another door prize on Sunday that I forgot to take a picture of.  It's a roll of 100% cotton batting and a bag of supplies that include quilt pins, pencils, chalk lines and a chalk marker.  I'm super excited about the batting because it means I can get back to making the microwave hotpads again.

The next retreat I get to go to is at the end of October, and I can't wait!


I link up with the following blogs:


Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

Frugal Friday With Marsha 6/28/13

We have another good sale this week at our grocery store.  I'm working to gather coupons....and kicking myself again for not having them cut and in to my binder.   
Using coupons does take time.  A lot of time is spent cutting and sorting coupons, however, when it's time to find the ones you need, if you are caught up then it's fast to get out the ones that you need!

I've been playing catch up here on my blog and I currently have 4 giveaways up.  You can click my Reviews/Giveaways page from the index to find them easier.

Speaking of blog giveaways, I want to start entering them again.   I've entered one here and there, but not like I used to.  My personal goal is to enter 2 per day. 
Recently I did win a book and 3 free cards for chicken sandwiches at Chick-fil-a.
I am working on deleting the expired giveaways from my Ongoing Giveaway Linky page.  Hard work when I hadn't done so since around the end of March!  

I'm getting there gang, so hang in there with me!
I can't wait to see what is linked up this week to motivate myself and my other readers.

 

Valpak Balthazar the Dragon Sweepstakes Plus Blog Giveaway!

Valpak presents the

"Bring Home Balthazar" Sweepstakes

Balthazar made his debut in Valpak’s national TV commercial. The preface of the adorable Valpak commercial on air now highlights the many ways you can use coupons from dining, toys, haircuts and carpentry. The great story follows one family recreating the daughter’s school play for her mom, all while using coupons from online, the Blue Envelope® and the app to set the scene.  

Have you ever used a coupon to make someone’s day?

Click the picture below to enter for your chance to win a life sized Balthazar the Dragon, or a mini-plus, or even a gift card!   Sweepstakes ends October 31, 2012.  Full details are available on the website.

What is Valpak?

Coupons and Deals in your Neighborhood

Coupons aren't just for the frugal. In today's economy, everyone can benefit from saving money at the grocery store, movie theater or checkout counter.
Valpak helps you maximize your buying power. We deliver valuable free coupons to millions of consumers for a wide range of goods and services - automotive, beauty, entertainment, health, home improvement and professional services.
Valpak also distributes restaurant coupons and food coupons that cut the cost of buying food in your city or town. Need an online coupon? Our printable coupons help you stretch your dollars when buying thousands of brand name products.

Yay!  Five (5) of my lucky blog readers will win their own mini plush Balthazar Dragon.  Enter using the rafflecopter form below.

Please note the giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 yrs. old or older.  Winners will be chosen using rafflecopter.  Winners will need to provide me with their mailing address to receive their prize.

Disclaimer:  Information about the sweepstakes was sent to me by Valpak.  Prizes are also being provided by Valpak. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join the National Consumer Panel!

I want to say that I've been a member of the National Consumer Panel--Home Scan for quite a few years now.  I've been very pleased.

You earn points by scanning your purchases weekly as well as taking short surveys about your purchases.

Over the years I've redeemed my points for a 3-man tent, a large griddle, a stick vac, 6 way plug adapter, and book light.   Just deciding now what I want to exchange my points for next.

Also, while scanning your are put in for their sweepstakes as well!

If you are not already a member, I do encourage you to join and earn as well.
 

Win a Spot at the Spooooky Celebration with the Online Craft Mall!!

I have talked about the online craft mall several times in my posts. I've been a member of the mall for many years.

We are getting back to having the online parties!! Starting with the Spoooky Celebration!

I am offering up for giveaway your own 45 minute vendor spot to sell your wares. Whether you sell for a direct selling company such as Tupperware, Avon, Mary Kay etc (Pampered Chef is already taken), sell your own hand crafted items, or sell your creations in cafepress, Zazzle etc, you will want to check out being a vendor.

The Spooky Celebration takes place Monday October 3, Wednesday October 5, and Friday October 7 from Noon to 10 pm CST each of the 3 days. Prize drawings are live on camera!

For full vendor information please visit http://www.online-craft-show.com/Halloween/

Not interested in being a vendor? Join us and support the vendors. It's a lot of fun with workshops, games, prizes, scavenger hunts, and the trip through the haunted house too!

Let's find a winner!! If you don't win and would like to buy a 45 minutes presentation time, please do so by the cut off date of September 26.

I can't say enough about what a good time these parties are!

Cascade Complete 24 Hour Challenge and $15 Wal-Mart Gift Card Giveaway (plus bonus winners!)

It’s time to answer the hard-hitting question – whose turn is it to clean the dishes after dinner?

With new Cascade Complete – you won’t mind taking turns at the sink. And if the thought of dirty dishes in the sink has ever made you think twice about making a favorite meal, Cascade Complete is here to help.

The excess scrubbing of cookware and dirty tableware is not only tiring, but time consuming. Allowing the remains of a delicious dinner to set in its baking dish could mean water logged fingers and hours in the kitchen.

Put your pre-soaking days behind you, and lighten your load with Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs. They break down, dissolve, and rinse away tough food particles, leaving your hands free and your dishes sparkling. Sound too good to be true? We dare you to take the 24 Hour Challenge. 

I took the challenge!! 


Challenge Instructions:

• Bake a Blueberry Cobbler.* Enjoy!
• Set the empty baking dish out for 24 hours
• Without rinsing, put it in the dishwasher with Cascade Complete

*Don’t have time to bake a cobbler? Try the 24 Hour Challenge with any dirty baking dish!


I wasn't able to make the blueberry cobbler, instead I made an apricot cobbler.  Heck, I even re-warmed it in the oven, so one side of the dish had cobbler baked on, not just dried on.

I'm sold!!!!!!


Check out how sparkling clean the dish came out using the Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs!  (This was in a full dishwasher, which also included Malt-O-Meal bowls and pan from breakfast that had sat in the sink all day.  They also came out just as clean and sparkling.)

 


Giveaway time!


One lucky reader of my blog will win a $15 Wal Mart gift card so that they can go purchase their own Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs.

Rules:
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents or military addresses.
Giveaway starts Thursday May 5 and ends Thursday April 19 at 9 pm CST.
You must make sure I have a way to contact either by email in your profile or leaving email in one of your comments.
Winner will be chosen using random.org.
Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their information or another winner will be chosen.


Bonus!!  5 additional winners will be chosen to each win a sample pack of Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs.  (same rules apply as for the gift card) 

Mandatory entry:   Comment and share which meal you are most anxious to use the Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs to clean up after.


Extra entries:  (one comment for each entry please)


1.  Follow my blog with google friend connect


2.  Subscribe to my blog by email. (upper left column)


3.  Friend me on facebook here.


4.  "like" Marsha's Spot on facebook. (left column)


5.  Vote for me on the fence.  (right column)


6.  Participate in any of my blog linky posts (giveaways Tuesday, squidoo blog hopping, or Frugal Friday's with Marsha)  Comment and let me know what one, or all 3.  


7.  Share this giveaways on twitter, facebook, your own blog, gather, or any other website where it's allowed.  (you can do this up to 3 times during the giveaway for up to 3 entries.)


Good Luck to all!!

Disclaimer:   P&G provided me with the Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs kit, 6 trial packs, information and the $15 Wal Mart card to give away through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions of the product through my own 24 hour challenge are my own.

Mailbox Monday May 2

Boy, I sure feel like I hit the jackpot this week!!
I rec'd:
Magazines:
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment Weekly (not pictured)
People (not pictured)
Ok ( I paid $2 for this subscription)
Bloomsburg Businessweek
Fortune

Other mail:
coupon envie from a gather friend (thanks!)
Book-Love Food and Live Well to read and review from blogging4books
Book--Inside the Mind of Car Dealers to read and review and do a giveaway on my blog, from the author
7 Fat Quarters (material) won on listia
Orville Redenbacher Pop up popcorn bowl with coupons
Coffee cup with free coupon for International Delight Breve Creme coffee creamer free as well as .55 coupons to hand out from vocalpoint
several other pieces of hausernet mail (about 5 pieces not pictured)
CD--Yael naim She was  Boy from Sneak Attack Media to listen to and review and do a giveaway on my blog (giveaway is now live!)
Cascade Complete blogspark package--includes Corningware baking dish and sample pack for me--$15 Wal Mart gift card and 5 sample packs to be won in a giveaway on my blog (coming soon so be on the look out)
Yoplait prize pack won in a posting campaign through myblogspark--includes gym bag, glass water bottle, jump rope, sweat rag, and a coupon for a free cup of Yoplait yogurt
Local coupon mailer
Michigan Bulb catalog
Ace Hardware coupon for $10 off purchase of $50 or more (not pictured)

In my email:
$1.13 paypal from mylikes.com
$8.00 paypal from beezag.com

I will take weeks like this every week!!

Online Black Friday Party!!

I'm currently in an online Black Friday party.  I invite you to join us!

Some of us sponsors are offering good deals as well as there are links to numerous merchants for great deals.

And hey, with each purchase, you are put in to the drawing to win prizes!!  If you remember, last year I ended up winning the grand prize from this party, which was worth about $150!

Join us in the chatroom here: http://www.computermoneymakers.com/chatroom.htm

Click here to find out more about us sponsors as well as prizes available to win:  http://www.computermoneymakers.com/blk2010.htm

and, this page will show you alphabetically all the great deals that are offered online right now!  http://www.computermoneymakers.com/blfirpend.htm

I hope you will at least pop in and chat for a bit throughout the day.  That's always fun.  You don't need to be a member of piepoints to participate in the party...(but if you are, you do earn points per dollar on purchases)  you will still get entries in for the prize drawings with purchase.
Hope to see you there!

Win $5,000 or One of Several Other Weekly Prizes!!!!!

Win $5,000 or one of several other weekly prizes. 

Hurry!  Expires Nov. 15, 2010

Giveaways Linky Tuesday

Come share your blog giveaways every Tuesday.

Blog giveaways are lots of fun, and your chances of winning are great compared to other sweepstakes, giveaways and contest!


Please put in the the prize to be given, and the URL to the giveaway, along with the date the giveaway ends.  (only allowed 25 characters for prize and date ending)

My current giveaway: 

Win a Handmade Hot Pad and Coaster Set!!

 

I Need a Mom's Blog Giveaway!

Hop on over to I Need a Mom blog.

To celebrate her 100th blog post, Sue is giving away some nice things! Hop over and check it out. She has a great blog too. :)

Friday May 8

Good Morning. It indeed was a great day weather wise. Hot enough that the kids played in the sprinkler and the hose. Woke up this morning to find it had rained all night and the driveway is flooded half way up.
Tonight is the carnival at Allen's school. They have loads of outdoor activities so I hope the rain stops until late tonight again so they can have a nice time.
I am working this evening at Headstart doing child care while they have a huge parent activity so I can't go to the carnival this year.

Nope, didn't get the books listed on homeschoolbuy. If I don't stop and just take the time to get it done it won't get done until at least Monday now. Tomorrow morning Jasmine and I are going for a youth day of helping a local agency work on someone's house (same agency that is working on my mom's house). Evening will be spent at Steve's again. Then comes Sunday, which is Mother's Day. Right after church we are spending the afternoon at Steve's with our whole family for a bbq. Can we say busy??

I won another prize at mycoolcontests yesterday but didn't get my squidoo lens updated until this morning. mycoolcontests
I really have a lot of updating to get done on squidoo too.

There isn't that much on sale at the store this week so I am just pulling out any coupon I think I might use. Shopping is just another thing I have to get done today. Allen gets out of school at 1 pm so I plan to have all my coupons ready by that time. I will have to nap after shopping to get ready to go deal with children at work. Last I heard there were 56 children signed up and only 5 child care workers, which is not enough by law. We will end up with other employees coming in to help us.

Saturday March 7

Good Morning! It's cloudy out and they are calling for rain. That's ok, the high is supposed to be 60...although the weather in my bar above is telling me it's 63 out right now....and it also says the sky is clear. Apparently it's not very accurate LOL

I got really busy yesterday on everything that I do online. In fact, I am really amazed at all that I accomplished on here! I got through all my paid to clicks and game type websites. I did a lot in my own gather group and then did a my work in some of the other groups that I am in. I got my Sample Gal, Under The Rainbow Gifts, and My Cello in a Box squidoo lenses updated for March. (I even updated my online craft mall lens this morning) I also started adding incense to my blujay store. I have several more listings to go to be done but got some of it in last night.
I had a prize to send out and didn't have any of my bookmarks left that I mail out with my orders. I had to redo the file to print them since it was lost in my computer crash. I got those bookmarks made too. This morning I am working on making some dish scrubbies that the gal decided to order to be added in with her prize package.

The prize is what she won from me at the last Under The Rainbow Celebration. It's almost time for the next Celebration!

I'm going to go for now and see just what I can get done this day too :) Have an awesome Saturday!
Marsha

Thursday March 5

Good Morning! High today is to be in the 80's...record high! It's 50 now so I do believe it will make it.
We didn't end up leaving the van at the shop yesterday. The mechanic said with the rod going out I would just be wasting my money replacing the bearing as in 2-3 months the rod will misshape and wear it out again. We are opting now for buying another motor to put in it.
The mechanic said I'm not going to hurt it anymore than it already is by continuing to drive it. It will eventually go all the way out, but hopefully not before we get the motor replaced. Please continue to pray that we get this whole thing worked out.

I will be taking Elizabeth, my oldest daughter, for a sonogram today. That will tell us a due date closer to being correct as well as maybe the sex of the child. She is hoping for another boy. Allen is hoping mom has a boy too.

This is a video that I put on gather a few days ago. It's of Willo with my cat Ichygo. It's really cute, I hope you will take a peek :) Willo and Ichygo Video

Yesterday I updated my mycoolcontests squidoo lens. I hope you will check it out. For each referral I get another daily entry, which will help me have more chances to win prizes. It's a neat website. Mycoolcontests..win free prizes!

I seem to be on a pretty good start on my internet stuff this morning, so I am going to keep working at it. I also need to get some more coupons cut and sorted while I work on here as well.

Have a great Thursday!
Marsha

Wednesday February 18

Good Morning. We sure enjoyed the 72º weather yesterday. Today's high is in the 40's.
It ended up being a strange day for sure. I left the house about noon, and I was so busy running I didn't even get back on the computer until this morning! All sites I had opened and was working in were still here. Days away from the computer like that are probably good for me every now and then.
The only place I plan on going today is to take the girls to Awanas this evening!! Otherwise I'm going to see just what I can do and earn on the computer.

I got some great mail yesterday! I got a prize package from a gather member for a contest she ran. I also got my grand prize (plus other prizes) package from the Under the Rainbow Sweetheart Celebration. (Don't forget, we are taking sign ups now for the Spring Fling Celebration at Under the Rainbow )

I'm figuring out twitter, I think it will be a nice asset to get my posts and lenses seen more. Just get those followers up there!

I updated my homeschooling lens yesterday on squidoo. I added a featured lenses module. Each day I am updating one lens. Homeschooling

Off I go.....have a great day no matter what you are doing today!
Marsha

Friday January 30

Good morning! It's Friday!
I got my wireless router in and hooked up yesterday. Now I am ready when I do get that laptop but I have a lot of saving up yet to do to reach that goal.
We ended up spending hours yesterday working on cleaning and organizing my mom's house here so I didn't get a whole lot of internet time. Sometimes you just have to do that.
I'm still working in my own group on gather...clearing content that has 25+ comments and posting 10 posts a day that don't have that many yet. It's really kind of fun and I am seeing content that I've missed along the way in the process.

Today is the final day of the Sweetheart Celebration at Under The Rainbow. I'm not presenting, but will spend most of my day there. I've been drawn to win 3 prizes, that is really cool. I think I will get the other 2 magnetic bracelets made and listed on blujay today. Otherwise I am going to work on cleaning around my desk area while I sit here.

I sold 3 auctions at homeschoolbuy recently, so I want to make my featured squidoo lens to be about that site today. It's a nice site, with a great owner who is always there to help when you need it. Homeschool Buy

I'm off for now, trying to get through all my paid to clicks and things before the online party starts.

Have a great Friday and an awesome start to your weekend.
Marsha