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!!

 

Win a Handmade Hot Pad and Coaster Set!!

Win this set of 2 hot pads and 4 coasters.  Hot pads are crocheted.  The coasters are made with plastic canvas.  Handmade by me.

I sell a set like this for $12, which includes shipping.  The set to be won is pictured above.  I can make them to order in the color, or colors of your choice.

How to enter: (right click to open in new tab or window, so that you don't lose this page)
***Be sure you leave in at least one comment how to contact you!***

*********Contest ends August 30, 2010 9 PM CST.   I will choose the winner using Random.org.
Contest is open to residents of the United States.   Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with mailing details, once I contact them.    In the event they don't, another winner will be drawn.





1.  **Mandatory entry**  Visit my website Gifts Galore and More and then come back and comment with a product that you like there.

Additional ways to earn entries:

2.  Visit My Blujay Store and come back and tell me something you see there that you like.

3. Follow my blog---if you already do, just comment that you do.

4.  Follow me on twitter (marsha32)--if you already do, just comment that you do.


5.  Join my blogfrog community.

6.  Subscribe to my blog by email.

7.  Add my button to your blog or website.  Please leave URL where I can find it.

8.  Connect with me on facebook (marsha32)--if we are aleady connected, just comment that we are.

9.  Subscribe to me via networked blogs on facebook.


10.  Blog or post about this giveaway.  This can be done on twitter, facebook, gather, sidetick, your own blog, or any other website where it's allowed.  I will allow up to 5 entries for each one throughout the duration of the contest.  Please leave separate comments for each one, with URL where I can find the post.




Have fun, and good luck to all! 

Mail Call! Week of August 8

Not a bad week, but most certainly not the best either.
I'm getting magazines now from hausernet, so if that keeps up I can earn the minimum per quarter to get paid.   However, according to their site, not to expect a check for the previous quarter for 10-12 weeks after the quarter ends because it's all hand done to verify what you earned.  I know one gal is waiting on checks and saying they are way behind.

In the meantime this past week I got one regular piece of hausernet mail and People, Entertainment, Time and Sports Illustrated magazines.

I also rec'd:
Good Housekeeping magazine--subscription redeemed for from recyclebank.com
Coupon train
Postcard from Maryland
Celebrate Urban Birds education kit
Covergirl Queen collection natural hues mineral bronzer

Not free, but I got in a sock order from Jc Penney's.  I used the $10 off coupon code and after shipping, I still paid less than half of the retail price for 6 prs of socks.

In my email I got $2.96 paypal from neobux.  (*** I have a banner at the bottom if my blog if you are interested.)

That's it for this week...not much on the money side for sure  :(  What will next week bring?  I've won things on listia that should be coming as well as hoping to get my sidetick pay and at least one from gather too.

Birthday Bags Completed for My Three Granddaughters

II completed the birthday bags for my 3 granddaughters yesterday.  I think they came out cute.

They are pictured below, along with the items going in to each one.  Very frugal gifts.  I got most of the items you see in the photo with my points on listia.  Some of them are won through mycoolcontests.  Some were bought at yard sales.  In total I only spent $2.10 out of pocket for it all.

To see full details, I hope you will visit my gather post  Birthday Bags Completed for My Three Granddaughters

If you aren't a member of mycoolcontests yet, please check it out.  It's free and lots of fun to do each day!!  I win often and I use the items for gifts.  


 

I Finished Another Quilt!

I finished another quilt!  It's a light blue with some peach and a lighter shade of purple in the mix.  It has a peach colored binding.

I have it up for sale now in my blujay store at http://www.blujay.com/item/Quilt-10050300-3402578&keywords= 

It's pictured below.  Three different angles including a close up.  I am still just a beginning quilter, but I love the colors in this one.  My next quilt will just be a simple baby quilt that I hope to have made by tomorrow.

(the white lines you see in the photos is the sun coming in my bedroom window...the photo is taken on our king size bed)

Nature's Bounty Free Adult Gummies Sample

I received this in my email from Nature's Bounty and wanted to share the link.
I can't wait to try these, as I am one who can not swallow large pills.  This takes me out of taking most multivitamins because they are always so large.

Enjoy  :)

Nature's Bounty Free Adult Gummies Sample

Walgreen's Friends and Family 15% off Warning to Watch For

I just wanted to do a post and give a head ups on using the Friends and Family 15% off coupon in combination with register rewards shopping.  If you haven't gotten yours yet, visit the Walgreens Facebook page to print it.

First of all, the 15% off coupon has to be used at the photo or cosmetics register only.  And, you have to give it to the cashier before they ring anything up.

Secondly.....if you are buying the items that are buy a certain $ amount to get register rewards, keep in mind the 15% off....and make sure that with the 15% off you are still hitting the amount you need to spend to get the RR's.

I went through the line first of all with my $11 + of Degree, Suave etc products to get a $3 RR.  At the end I tried to give the cashier the 15% off coupon.  That is when I realized I couldn't use it then as it was too late.   (I did get 1 Dove hairspray, 1- Degree deoderant, 1- Q-Tips and 1 Vaseline for Men lotion, using a total of  $3.55 in manufacturers coupons and paying $9.92....which isn't all that great at all.....a deal I should have skipped since I was getting back just the $3 in RR's.)

I then took my $10 worth of Hershey's candy to the photo cash register.  I used the 15% off.....oops....my $10 worth suddenly became $8.50, which means no $5 RR for buying it.  DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY is what I feel like.  I should have realized before hand and gone back and gotten $2 more in candy.
Now, I did use my $3 RR and a $2 RR from the previous week and paid $4.18 for all of the candy.  That's not bad, but DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY!

I just figured it up.....had I done what I intended, which was to use the 15% off on the health and beauty items, with the 15% off, I still would have been over the $11 needed for the RR.

Yes, I am kicking myself!!!  I am out of money and now have NO Register Rewards to use next week.  :(

I hope I have helped  at least one person to not make the same mistake as I did.

 

Final Day to Enter to Win Zebra Pens!!

Stop on over to Freebies and Much More and enter to win  Zebra Pen Corporation:

• 1 Pack of Z-Grip Daisies (5 pens in 5 different colored ink)
• 1 Pack of Regal Rollerbal Arrow Tip Pens (4 pens in 4 different colored ink)
• 1 Pack of Regal Rollerball Needle Tip Pens (4 pens in black ink)
• 1 Pack of Cadoozles (10 mechanical pencils with 10 fun designs)

Today is the final day to enter, enter by 11:59 pm EST

Entry is easy and who can't use more pens?!


Zebra Pen Products Back-to-School Review and Giveaway (Ends 8/01)

Let's Get Caught Up!!

Life has gotten so busy for me.  It's time for me to post here....let you know what is up....and work on getting my blog going again!

The busy busy time started the week of Bible school.  The week after that we were at family Bible camp for the week.

The following week I got into a little accident in the parking lot at the grocery store.  So, the lady's insurance company was fast to get to me and cut me a check for the damage.  After that was history....we spent days looking for a different car I could buy.  A week ago today my kids drove to a town 60 miles away and bought me a 1994 Lincoln Town Car.  It's looks good....but stalls on idle some.  I'm hoping and praying that will be a simple fix.
If you are interested in seeing the car, visit this post on gather:   My New "Baby" (Car)

We also were finally able to get a kitten.  He's going to be expensive to keep, but well worth it.  I've so missed having a cat over the past year.  You can see photos in my gather article here:
Meet the New Member of Our Family :)

This past week we've had my boyfriend's nephews staying with us.  My grandson also stayed the week to give them someone else to "play" with.

I've still been doing my Walgreen's shopping each week, but the deals seem so few now.  I am hearing rumors of a new rewards program to earn gift cards.  I don't think I will like it because I've so loved having the instant "cash" with the register rewards.   I am just reading about it here and there, can't find anything on the Walgreen's website itself.

I've also been able to do some coupon grocery shopping as well, which is always fun for me.  On one trip I had to have my daughter drive me in between cars.  She was amazed when the total after coupons was less than half of what it was before.  That made me feel good.

I am finishing up some crafts for my next giveaway here on my blog.  Be on the look out for that  coming soon.

I am in hopes in the near future to also have the opportunity to get some sponsored giveaways going.

I am also hoping starting this week to get back into my regular "groove" both online and around the house.

Until next time,

 

Walgreen's Shopping 6/27 and FRUSTRATIONS!

Off I went this afternoon for my  normal weekly shopping at Walgreen's.  I had my list ready as usual.  Also as usual, a coupon that was supposed to be out, must not have been in our paper.  I was looking for the Dentyne coupon that was supposed to be in the paper 2 Sunday's ago.  I got 2 copies of the paper that Sunday, but no Dentyne coupon that I could find, and one set of the inserts I hadn't cut yet.  I hate when this happens.

Here is what I ended up getting today:
Blistex Smoothie lip balm 3-pack--on sale for $2.99, got back $3 in register rewards.
AirPlus Aloe Socks--free (see my note below)
2-Twizzler packages, on sale for 2 for $4 with $2 back in register rewards
2-Dixie Plates on sale 2 for $5, used just one .50 coupon that I had--got back $1 in register rewards.
Package of Shrek mrshamallow treats on clearance for .75

I used my $5 and $4.50 register rewards from last week's shopping.

Notes:
I bought the Twizzlers for the kids to have to snack on while we are at camp....the Dixie plates because it's BBQ season and I, honestly, hate to do dishes.


I have had several weeks in a row of frustration free shopping at Walgreen's (minus them never having the $2 vitamins with the $2 RR)  This week seemed to be full of frustrations.
First of all, I asked about the Act II mini bag of popcorn that is advertised for $1 a box.  I had a .40 coupon and figured I would buy it since we are out.  No....I'm told my store doesn't even carry it since there isn't a marker on the shelf for it.
Secondly I ask them about the Airplus socks.  "oh, we have some over here, but we only got 4 pairs on the truck"  There was just one pair left so I grabbed them quick.
Thirdly, I get to the register and the cashier tells me that the register rewards are not printing out for the socks.  So, she can price modify them to 1 cent, then price one of my other items down 1 cent to make up for the $3 RR I'm not going to get.  I decide to go ahead with that.  After all, that made them totally free, not even any sales tax on them.
But, fourthly.....doing that with the socks made it so that I couldn't use my last RR of $2 since they can't be used to cover any of the sales tax.  After all coupons it came to $2.57 and the tax part was .83.

So.....I spent $2.57 out of pocket and got back a total of $6 in register rewards for next time....and I still have the other $2 RR that I wasn't able to use that has to be used by next Sunday.

Regardless of everything, I'm happy with what I got, and what I spent.  I just find it so frustrating how many times you can't find what they have advertised.....or if you don't shop in the day the ad comes out they run out of the product because they got very few in on the truck.

We have no Rite Aid or CVS here, so Walgreen's has to be my coupon deal shopping place.  We didn't even have a Walgreen's until  about 5 years ago.  I didn't get into doing the monthly rebate booklet until just a few months before they ended that and went to the register rewards program.
Rumor has it that they are going to be starting a new rewards program and doing away with the RR's.....does anyone have any info on if it's true, or what it will be all about.

I have found that I love the RR's better than the monthly rebate book.  With the rebate book I only shopped once a month, then had to wait about that amount of time for the refunds to be added to my Walgreen's gift card.  With register rewards, the reward is instant....I can even turn around and go do more shopping while I'm still at the store like so many do.

Enough rambling.......I hope to get some feedback on all of this.
Here's to a great rest of this day,