tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30866927862873379612023-11-16T05:57:48.011-06:00Farm LifeMary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-17444005678625838672012-07-08T07:46:00.001-05:002012-07-08T07:47:26.617-05:00McCormick Grill Mates Grill Ambassadors Party (Crowdtap)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7C5QtHEqqyiSv00C8jFvVPv5ZZo87YdH_wfiKX4kyvK0jt-LfXyxS6J-nP1kiygXMQJmzaCKXuS2b0mAQfhajxcfB0_T2P7MFgrvn1Sy0nWcIEvfSbwYak_Te8BMUIotCT2vk5QURR4/s1600/McCormick+Grill+Mates+products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7C5QtHEqqyiSv00C8jFvVPv5ZZo87YdH_wfiKX4kyvK0jt-LfXyxS6J-nP1kiygXMQJmzaCKXuS2b0mAQfhajxcfB0_T2P7MFgrvn1Sy0nWcIEvfSbwYak_Te8BMUIotCT2vk5QURR4/s320/McCormick+Grill+Mates+products.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks McCormick Grill Mates!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;">Its been a busy summer here on the farm, but we recently took time out to host a get-together showcasing McCormick Grill Mates. We love to entertain, and we love to grill out, so hosting this party was perfect. As a member of </span><a href="http://bit.ly/qsEDWO" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Crowdtap</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and a McCormick Grill Ambassador, I received a party pack of </span><a href="http://www.grillmates.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">McCormick Grill Mates</a><span style="background-color: white;"> products to sample with my guests. The party pack included Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, Molasses Bacon Seasoning, Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade, Slow & Low Memphis Pit BBQ Rub, and Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce, and an official McCormick Grill Mates chef apron. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_19-41-54_695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_19-41-54_695.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Grill Master!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Hubby is the "grill master" at our house, and he enjoyed experimenting with the seasonings as he cooked steaks for our 10 guests and the two of us. Although we would have loved to eat outside, the outdoor temperature was a blazing 105-107 with wind gusts of 25-30mph. (This is normal for Oklahoma in June and July.) So, we grilled outside, and ate inside.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-11-18_130-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-11-18_130-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to eat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-07-20_476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-07-20_476.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to dig in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Our menu consisted of grilled steaks, baked potatoes, baked beans, fresh fried okra and a cool tossed salad. The steaks were fantastic! We seasoned them with the various products we received as part of the McCormick Grill Mates package. Some of the guests even seasoned their baked potatoes with the Montreal Steak seasoning or the Molasses Bacon seasoning. The big hit of the seasonings was the Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ sauce. I was really wanting to save it to use on ribs later on, but someone found it, and tried it, and pretty soon, everyone was giving it a try.</span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbOgH6LTTdR7umZR4oySpwEkionjsGRwml4tfbguQ6fsMTEvObkJK311xcTZlQ-ErBsRS-G0hZJ6q5SUHJhfB9Q2U8DuXs6rCDZ4imoPps9W6mtWSurL7_Vyz_o7VIU8dMMadmmhH43g/s1600/Grill+Mates+Molasses+Bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbOgH6LTTdR7umZR4oySpwEkionjsGRwml4tfbguQ6fsMTEvObkJK311xcTZlQ-ErBsRS-G0hZJ6q5SUHJhfB9Q2U8DuXs6rCDZ4imoPps9W6mtWSurL7_Vyz_o7VIU8dMMadmmhH43g/s200/Grill+Mates+Molasses+Bacon.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">
As we discussed the seasonings, we agreed that the <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Seasoning-Blends/Grill-Mates-Molasses-Bacon-Seasoning.aspx" target="_blank">Molasses Bacon</a> was sweet and smoky, but surprised that it had a little bit of "fire" in the flavor. None of us expected that - rather we expected a sweet taste, but we still liked the seasoning. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Seasoning-Blends/Grill-Mates-Montreal-Steak-Seasoning.aspx" target="_blank">Montreal Steak seasoning</a> is a family favorite at our house, and we were all familiar with its flavor of pepper, garlic and spice.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLqODbkpPiTlqfC0pLuS-5HGVqWdoId6toAv10rTuFDavGSISg84zQF3JXxte_opf8kYVAiX9Kmo1yJoi89PyVR_IE07Yird3iqx0Wfv_BGEInHI-eJizUzKtVmLi6pKETUql2Efxc5Y/s1600/BSBourbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLqODbkpPiTlqfC0pLuS-5HGVqWdoId6toAv10rTuFDavGSISg84zQF3JXxte_opf8kYVAiX9Kmo1yJoi89PyVR_IE07Yird3iqx0Wfv_BGEInHI-eJizUzKtVmLi6pKETUql2Efxc5Y/s200/BSBourbon.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
I've always said that a good steak needs no sauce to hide its flavor, and a bad steak needs sauce to compensate for lack of flavor. Well, by the time our dinner was over, the whole bottle of <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Sauces/Grill-Mates-Brown-Sugar-Bourbon-BBQ-Sauce.aspx" target="_blank">Brown Sugar Bourbon sauce</a> was gone! The party-people enjoyed dipping steak in the sauce and now my mission is to find a store that carries this stuff and stock up!(Hmm...does that sound as though our steaks lacked flavor? NO! They were delicious, but everyone was anxious to try the new BBQ sauce, and everyone agreed it was even better than the "local favorite" which is manufactured in our home town.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I also received a packet of <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Dry-Rubs/Grill-Mates-Slow----Low-Memphis-Pit-BBQ-Rub.aspx" target="_blank">Memphis Pit BBQ Rub</a> and a packet of <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Marinades/Grill-Mates-Spiced-Brandy--Herb-Marinade.aspx" target="_blank">Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade</a>. When we fire up the smoker in a few days, we'll use the rub on a rack of ribs, and next time we grill chicken, we'll use the marinade. I bet they are every bit as good as the other Grill Mates products we used for this dinner.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">For more information and <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Recipe-Collections/Grilling.aspx" target="_blank">recipes</a> from McCormick's Grill Mates, be sure to visit their <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/products/grillmates.aspx" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GrillMates" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. And don't forget to check out <a href="http://bit.ly/qsEDWO" target="_blank">Crowdtap</a>!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Thank you to Crowdtap and McCormick's for choosing me to host a party - it was a great experience and I can't wait for the next hosting opportunity to come along!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am a member of Crowdtap and McCormick Grill Ambassadors. I received products and promotional items in in return for hosting this event in my home. As always, the opinions shared are my own.</span></i>
</div>
<br />
<br />Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-54028029807025205262012-07-06T16:42:00.000-05:002012-07-06T17:17:53.754-05:00Verizon VIP "Feed Your APP-etite" Party (Crowdtap)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/crowdtap-assets/media_attachments/images/4fbaa0931a45ca4dda0003cc/original.jpg?1337736780" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/crowdtap-assets/media_attachments/images/4fbaa0931a45ca4dda0003cc/original.jpg?1337736780" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">As a member of <a href="http://crowdtap.com/" target="_blank">Crowdtap</a>, I'm occasionally offered the opportunity to apply to host a party promoting one brand or another. I've applied for every party that came along for the past few months, but was never chosen. This spring, I applied to host a Verizon VIP "Feed Your App-etite" Party and I was chosen! YIPPEE!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzJd4GgzYDPw9-Ajd5XfEgECW_qC39DXHgevvc8mFzQ4DXO5PlcfMyffHozjd4TEErY4pH2P-KO5Z1TQfAtboXJvLcJwD96s6SHBe22NkXU9fNguaR4pxjQdzI_E-W6yW_9rm0zXhLlY/s1600/Verizon+Insider+swag+crowdtap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzJd4GgzYDPw9-Ajd5XfEgECW_qC39DXHgevvc8mFzQ4DXO5PlcfMyffHozjd4TEErY4pH2P-KO5Z1TQfAtboXJvLcJwD96s6SHBe22NkXU9fNguaR4pxjQdzI_E-W6yW_9rm0zXhLlY/s320/Verizon+Insider+swag+crowdtap.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swag provided by <a href="http://www.verizoninsider.com/" target="_blank">Verizon Insider</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Problems in shipping of the Verizon promo kits caused me to reschedule my party a couple of times, but we finally were able to host last Friday evening. I wanted to give my guests some goodies to take home, so I visited our Verizon store and they provided pens, phone stands, coozies and magnets. My promo kit included 4 bracelets, 2 water bottles and a shopping bag, and I planned to use the water bottles and shopping bag as prizes.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYeAXHlvi-r2OAwR1mfEJp6d37Z8wPda1knDeIpJT1dH5zRBrcH3BoCechAkFlzeqK4vV4uQjnnirQ9q0-fm8KPLLBND-nGVnqMHCbfp1QMdb62CmxIfjW-kbAiP30NSX3-Oqab3TDb8/s1600/Verizon+Insider+Crowdtap+food+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYeAXHlvi-r2OAwR1mfEJp6d37Z8wPda1knDeIpJT1dH5zRBrcH3BoCechAkFlzeqK4vV4uQjnnirQ9q0-fm8KPLLBND-nGVnqMHCbfp1QMdb62CmxIfjW-kbAiP30NSX3-Oqab3TDb8/s320/Verizon+Insider+Crowdtap+food+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As party time approached, we set up and decorated our patio in bright red, arranged the food and goodies on the table, and prepared to fire up the grill. Then the hot Oklahoma wind paid us a visit. Having a plan B is always important...and we moved our party indoors to enjoy the comfort of air conditioning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-07-20_476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-07-20_476.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to eat! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our menu consisted of grilled steaks, baked potatoes, baked beans, fresh fried okra and a cool tossed salad. The steaks were fantastic! Our dessert was cupcakes decorated with Verizon flags. I scattered the Verizon goodies randomly on the table for my guests.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_19-44-10_777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_19-44-10_777.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<br />
As we ate, we discussed our favorite apps. Of those attending our party, one person had a Blackberry and AT&T, one had an iPhone and AT&T, and the rest were Verizon customers with Motorola and HTC phones. I was surprised that most people prefer the game apps over any other apps, and Angry Birds was the favorite. So, after we ate, we had an Angry Bird race. The person who completed level 1 in the shortest time won the Verizon shopping bag and two runner-ups got the Verizon collapsible water bottles. I tried to get photos, but I barely had time to be a good hostess, much less take photos and tweet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-05-33_363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2012-06-29_20-05-33_363.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winner of the Angry Birds competition!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Favorite apps were (in no particular order): flashlight, Angry Birds, Instagram, various barcode scanners (ShopSavvy, ScanLife, Red Laser), TuneIn Radio, and social media (Twitter and Face Book). One person enjoys the Amazon Kindle app. When given the opportunity to download an app that cost money, no one could think of any they wanted that they could not either get free, or find a similar app that was free.<br />
<br />
Everyone really enjoyed the freebies provided by our Verizon store. The favorite freebie of all were the phone stands!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KclIHZrYjDfAHYRdOt98fd7atxVLdszDHYn6Enzb0u2fY01e_nO-XESsRHPJTVQ0GM93s3tsOcWcs2n6yo9loCSdrYt_UIMFMjGntzEY5T1-LWFaGfbPtTcfyhsTF1FPu22rIZhVYfg/s1600/Verizon+swag+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KclIHZrYjDfAHYRdOt98fd7atxVLdszDHYn6Enzb0u2fY01e_nO-XESsRHPJTVQ0GM93s3tsOcWcs2n6yo9loCSdrYt_UIMFMjGntzEY5T1-LWFaGfbPtTcfyhsTF1FPu22rIZhVYfg/s1600/Verizon+swag+small.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phone stands were a big hit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Those of us on Verizon also discussed the new Verizon Share Everything plan, and it appears none of us will be saving any money. Our bills will remain about the same, but the money will be redistributed to different areas, and we will lose our unlimited data. <br />
<br />
We had a great time, even though our "outdoor" cookout and party turned into a "come into the house where it is cool and not windy" party. Thank you to <a href="http://www.verizoninsider.com/" target="_blank">Verizon Insiders</a> and <a href="http://crowdtap.com/" target="_blank">Crowdtap</a> for sponsoring our get-together.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am a member of Crowdtap and Verizon Insiders. I received promotional items and financial compensation in return for hosting this event in my home. As always, the opinions shared are my own.</span></i><br />
<br />Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-2347890537770701952011-11-08T15:06:00.007-06:002011-11-09T09:41:08.220-06:00Have you tried new and improved PAM? (smiley360 mission)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://smiley360.com/?refid=84603" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VixR5KvOP4vX27HUOAQz4qAgcnVjJ0sNmsKC_fbvr8tepYTnaEJizoQcVYVQSsMaS81Midadkvl0IbGh19-OXMzfSfMZ6r5BvOhOJ1-SikJty5kkPnaIy8G2n7ADv2GiY9bRV_nzxcY/s1600/smilelyFormInstructions.jpg" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently joined <a href="http://smiley360.com/?refid=84603" target="_blank">Smiley360</a>, which is the world's first social media powered community designed to bring you new things to try and share. I was offered a "mission" (which is an opportunity for <a href="http://smiley360.com/?refid=84603" target="_blank">Smiley</a> to send you something to try out) to try the <a href="http://smiley360.com/197660.cfm" target="_blank">new and improved PAM cooking spray</a>. To sweeten the deal, they included a 9x13 Pyrex pan, coupons for a free can of PAM and a free can of Hunts tomatoes, a spatula, and a recipe booklet. I chose to accept the mission and try the products.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z409opDdKeyTpRpsrxE5L2kK8P7LL9AsedehLTbADbKV8gPeyiAIzrgJks88R1ETz-hUhMwxA3HDzLGK2YZsxUpmuIZzTbIpLOBfoZelqEKYHrB5J1keaJXKnzOhexHeYbLsYFfpzFk/s1600/IMG_8473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z409opDdKeyTpRpsrxE5L2kK8P7LL9AsedehLTbADbKV8gPeyiAIzrgJks88R1ETz-hUhMwxA3HDzLGK2YZsxUpmuIZzTbIpLOBfoZelqEKYHrB5J1keaJXKnzOhexHeYbLsYFfpzFk/s320/IMG_8473.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While looking through the recipe booklet, I decided I would make the King Ranch Chicken. So, I purchased the ingredients I didn't already have (yes I was lazy and purchased rotisserie chicken!) and assembled them into a delicious casserole for our dinner.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZYhidogysrowL8I6Uq2FVYMKGHQzOgcifQUTH3GHBxUy7QqsqYHvQBEMwkiEU6H8jMEaRAYK8T3S6Z1-D1ufgDGUfRiY2wh1XIly8WotoZh6jcQBh_ibHPHBRPHrgHibRWQUcJ_RiMk/s1600/IMG_8481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZYhidogysrowL8I6Uq2FVYMKGHQzOgcifQUTH3GHBxUy7QqsqYHvQBEMwkiEU6H8jMEaRAYK8T3S6Z1-D1ufgDGUfRiY2wh1XIly8WotoZh6jcQBh_ibHPHBRPHrgHibRWQUcJ_RiMk/s320/IMG_8481.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was skeptical that the PAM would not do any better than the (store brand) cooking spray I have been using. I thought all cooking sprays left an ooey--gooey sticky mess on the pans after baking. Guess what! I was WRONG! (In cases like this, I'm happy to be wrong!) My first clue that "this is a good thing" was when I dipped out my portion of casserole to put on my plate. It came out of the pan cleanly and didn't leave bits behind.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pY1pQF8evwQVOdH7dgQe2sGr3qJvqwzD2s2jzOff-9-8RgRfE_akL2XAhkirNkxx1Bg_bXm445eweBXMqKBvL-SgsuIZ2WOn8GuTNsT4ATS8jp3C2ddgX-AkWKETX8f2p058JY-4MgA/s1600/IMG_8482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pY1pQF8evwQVOdH7dgQe2sGr3qJvqwzD2s2jzOff-9-8RgRfE_akL2XAhkirNkxx1Bg_bXm445eweBXMqKBvL-SgsuIZ2WOn8GuTNsT4ATS8jp3C2ddgX-AkWKETX8f2p058JY-4MgA/s320/IMG_8482.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wanting to see if the PAM worked well with dried on food, I left the empty pan sitting on the counter overnight, and washed it the next morning. I'm happy to report that the pan came clean easily and quickly. There was no ooey-gooey sticky mess on the sides or handles of the pan from baked-on spray.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ibnOC6LOTVIBP64Ao4o4rnrS62vjiXpaWgihOfgRCwW-BQTylRcTbm2ICnSBqvsp65wc13ixlsP8Ym01UJMzow4hbuvyPbToHPwA8wI0YKKqZyQQIpyPHJla2_S1G7JYlQw95QS0RrE/s1600/IMG_8485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ibnOC6LOTVIBP64Ao4o4rnrS62vjiXpaWgihOfgRCwW-BQTylRcTbm2ICnSBqvsp65wc13ixlsP8Ym01UJMzow4hbuvyPbToHPwA8wI0YKKqZyQQIpyPHJla2_S1G7JYlQw95QS0RrE/s320/IMG_8485.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see, the Pyrex came out of the sink as shiny and clean as new. I'm sold on the new and improved PAM. I'm also sold on <a href="http://smiley360.com/?refid=84603" target="_blank">Smiley360</a>. Why don't you <a href="http://smiley360.com/?refid=84603" target="_blank">sign up</a> and accept a few missions of your own? <b>AND</b> - If you'd like to see for yourself how great the new and improved PAM works, <a href="http://smiley360.com/197660.cfm" target="_blank">here's a coupon</a> for 50 cents off your next purchase.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Disclosure</b>: I received the above mentioned Pam kit (coupons, pan, spatula, recipes) for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All opinions are my own.</span></i>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-29681706769051436082011-10-18T15:25:00.001-05:002011-10-18T15:54:48.666-05:00Trend Micro™ Titanium™ Maximum Security #imabzzagent<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><img alt="Trend Micro" src="http://us.trendmicro.com/images/common/logo_tagline_09.gif" /> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">re</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">nd Micro™ Titanium™ Maximum Security </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b>gives you the tools to help protect your digital life.</b> As a BzzAgent, I was given a copy of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">re</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">nd Micro™ Titanium™ Maximum Security to install on up to three of my computers. I've used several different brands of computer security programs in the past, from Norton and McAffee, which I paid for, to Avast and AVG, which were free. Of all the programs I have used, I am most impressed with the <b><a href="http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/titanium-maximum-security/">Trend Micro Titanium</a>. </b>After using it for a month, I am happy to report that it is the best security program I have ever used.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://us.trendmicro.com/imperia/md/images/us/consumer/free-trials/titanium-max-box.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security" border="0" src="http://us.trendmicro.com/imperia/md/images/us/consumer/free-trials/titanium-max-box.png" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Other programs have slowed my computer to a crawl, but the <a href="http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/titanium-maximum-security/">Trend Micro Titanium</a> <u>did not</u>. It was simple to install, easy to customize, and runs seamlessly in the background while I go about my business. Not once did it slow my computer. However, a quick check of the program dashboard shows that 468 web threats have been blocked from accessing my computer during the past month. I am impressed. It's quietly doing its job, and keeping my computer safe. What more could you ask for?</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span></span><br />
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Your Online World - protected</span></span></h3><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how can Titanium™ Maximum Security help protect your digital life? Here's the scoop.</span></div><ul class="bullet" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/trend-titanium.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=6668369144&Campaign=3932804498&Uid=1227807&token=e5a15175b04cc8c879e75fbc01f9f6f9" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/trend-titanium.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=6668369144&Campaign=3932804498&Uid=1227807&token=e5a15175b04cc8c879e75fbc01f9f6f9" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 8px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Your devices:</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>Titanium™ Maximum Security protects your PC, Mac and even your mobile devices</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 8px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Your privacy:</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>Titanium™ Maximum Security protects against malware, spyware, spam and other threats that allow cybercriminals to steal your private information like passwords, credit card numbers or even home addresses</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 8px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Your family:</span></strong> Titanium™ Maximum Security provides customizable tools to help you keep your kids safe online</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 8px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Your data:</span></strong> Titanium™ Maximum Security protects and defends your data with tools like the Trend Micro Vault, Secure Erase file shredder and SafeSync secure online storage</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 8px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Your social network:</span></strong> Titanium™ Maximum Security automatically shows you what links are safe and malicious on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace</li>
</span></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d;">Why don't you visit </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ojcEfl" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>trendmicro.com</b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d;"> to learn more about <b>Trend Micro™ Titanium™ Maximum Security </b>and see for yourself what a great program this is. If you choose to order a license on the Trend site, be sure and use the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">discount code "BZZ30" to save $30 off the cost of an annual subscription. Or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d;">download and print a </span><a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/member/campaigns/3932804498/BestBuyCoupon.pdf" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Best Buy coupon</b></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"> if you would rather shop at there. Either way, don't let this opportunity slip by! I highly recommend this security program!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><i>As a BzzAgent, I was provided a one year subscription to Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security in return for my using the product and sharing my honest opinion about the program. No other compensation was given.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span><br />
<div><br />
<br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<h4 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #5b5b5b; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></h4>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-34970324747504234972011-10-04T11:48:00.000-05:002011-10-04T11:48:36.914-05:00Thanks Mail Carrier has great giveaways!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love entering giveaways, and <b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/">Thanks Mail Carrier</a> </b>has some of the best giveaways around. I'm entered in three of their current giveaways:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5GfzKSEWF3taOvKFxhRsg3QbVZUTiJ_wsvH43du2oZVTATl29bDIRJqllLGB7QypBGfGJ52A9hZQKKLKpXarAiaAuqveW1Qe9o5Q-r_Kpqpsgw4qhis8obxwERzQLy5gY3nk2Xh-5wEh/s1600/Final+Touch+fabric+softener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Final Touch Fabric Softener" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5GfzKSEWF3taOvKFxhRsg3QbVZUTiJ_wsvH43du2oZVTATl29bDIRJqllLGB7QypBGfGJ52A9hZQKKLKpXarAiaAuqveW1Qe9o5Q-r_Kpqpsgw4qhis8obxwERzQLy5gY3nk2Xh-5wEh/s200/Final+Touch+fabric+softener.jpg" width="147" /></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/final-touch-fabric-softener-from.html"><b>Thanks Mail Carrier</b></a> is partnering with <b><a href="http://www.cleanitsupply.com/">Clean It Supply</a> </b>to give away a case of <b>Final Touch Fabric Softener</b>, valued at $25. The fine folks at Thanks Mail Carrier report that Clean It Supply has an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">extensive line of products to keep our house clean and running smoothly... without breaking the bank. Everything from <a href="http://www.cleanitsupply.com/c-37-laundry-products.aspx" style="color: #1a727b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">laundry products</a> to <a href="http://www.cleanitsupply.com/" style="color: #1a727b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">cleaning supplies</a> (and everything in between) can be found in one place and delivered in bulk right to your front door for less. <b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/final-touch-fabric-softener-from.html">Click here</a> </b>to enter this giveaway, which closes on October 7.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/hellmanns-chicken-challenge-25-visa.html">Thanks Mail Carrier</a> </b>and <b><a href="http://www.hellmanns.us/promotions/chickenchallenge/Default.aspx">Hellman's Chicken Challenge</a> </b>are giving away a $25 Visa Pre-paid Gift Card to one lucky reader.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMIvg2JWYlCWO7SlanoVMsChN2D5aLW3hJ5ts6pp79y78yjjGuKSNow4yfGiAlKAISU_jS-a9qexOpflxNksVufg6zKeODfXnW6jTv6WpHsPuP7YHdGX62SMpyKLvHFcyVGL1bUjXHoJt/s1600/Visa+gift+card+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Visa gift card giveaway" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMIvg2JWYlCWO7SlanoVMsChN2D5aLW3hJ5ts6pp79y78yjjGuKSNow4yfGiAlKAISU_jS-a9qexOpflxNksVufg6zKeODfXnW6jTv6WpHsPuP7YHdGX62SMpyKLvHFcyVGL1bUjXHoJt/s200/Visa+gift+card+giveaway.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/hellmanns-chicken-challenge-25-visa.html"><b>Thanks Mail Carrier</b></a>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Hellmann's is on a mission to help break us (and you!) out of our dinner menu repetitiveness with the kickoff of the <a href="http://www.hellmanns.us/promotions/chickenchallenge/Default.aspx" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1a727b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hellman's Chicken Challenge</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Plus, right on <a href="http://hellmanns.com/">Hellmanns.com</a>, you can enter into a weekly sweepstakes for a chance to win one of four $250 grocery gift cards... or, if more than 10,000 entries are received that week, the value of the grocery gift cards will double to $500. That could sure buy a whole lot of groceries... so go cast your vote and then enjoy your tasty meal! <a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/hellmanns-chicken-challenge-25-visa.html"><b>Hurry on over and enter</b></a>. Entries close for this giveaway on October 13.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never owned a pot especially for making pasta, so when I saw that <b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/bialetti-trends-pasta-pot-review.html">Thanks Mail Carrier</a> </b>and<b> <a href="http://www.bialetti.com/">Bialetti</a></b> were giving away a <a href="http://www.bialetti.com/aeternum-collection/trends-pasta-pot/">Bialetti Pasta Pot</a>, I knew I just had to enter! It would be so convenient to have a pot with a strainer right in the lid.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGWR8tJW7-Q5STWE8QD_wuvqsyz_uiB2srBqvjtcAQrVtGOd2R1Dag2Ft9wQrSdXE7l7llC0PSOIpISYov-RGeullH9PQw8nTJXKbXYjH8Lb669gEYAjJySf8U0D_eKpPvfKiBEocCRVl/s1600/blue+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bialetti Pasta Pot" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGWR8tJW7-Q5STWE8QD_wuvqsyz_uiB2srBqvjtcAQrVtGOd2R1Dag2Ft9wQrSdXE7l7llC0PSOIpISYov-RGeullH9PQw8nTJXKbXYjH8Lb669gEYAjJySf8U0D_eKpPvfKiBEocCRVl/s320/blue+pot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/bialetti-trends-pasta-pot-review.html"><b>Thanks Mail Carrier</b></a> states that the Pasta Pot is available in three great colors - Purple Passion, Orange Spice and <span class="il">Blue</span> Cheer, the size is 5 quarts and retail value is $35. <b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/09/bialetti-trends-pasta-pot-review.html">Click here to enter</a>.</b> Entries end for this giveaway on October 20.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be sure and visit <b><a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/">Thanks Mail Carrier</a> </b>to check out all the other giveaways they are hosting. They are currently hosting 17 giveaways, so you're sure to see something you'd love to win!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-86446968323565747802011-09-20T17:38:00.002-05:002011-09-20T17:50:21.049-05:00Three Giveaways Worth Entering<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;">I love to enter giveaways and I love to make lists, so today I want to share my list of three giveaways that you should consider entering:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/Damask_large-tote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Damask_large-tote.<span class=" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/Damask_large-tote.jpg" width="168" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thefrugalwife.net/2011/09/mixed-bags-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Dawn's Great Finds</a> is hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift card to <a href="http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Mixed Bag Designs</a>. These bags would make great gifts for Christmas and the sizes and types of bags available is just amazing. Don't take my word for how great the bags are, just click <a href="http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Mixed Bag Designs</a> to see for yourself. The giveaway ends on 10/2/11 at midnight.</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thedirtytshirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Toast2TV_PrizePack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://thedirtytshirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Toast2TV_PrizePack.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div><a href="http://thedirtytshirt.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-butter-is-toasting-tvs-biggest-night-giveaway/" target="_blank">The Dirty tShirt </a>is partnering with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! to give away a coupon for a free tub of <a href="http://www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com/Home.aspx" target="_blank"> I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!</a>, a bright yellow <a href="http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen/citrus-yellow" target="_blank">Dualit Toaster</a> and a <a href="http://www.tiffany.com/shopping/Item.aspx?sku=10337526&mcat=&cid=297560&fromGrid=1&search_params=s+5-p+3-c+297560-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+-k" target="_blank">Tiffany & Co. Butter Spreader</a>. Wow! Who wouldn't want to win this! I know I do! The giveaway ends on 9/30/11 at midnight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://momandmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Screen-shot-2011-09-10-at-2.31.16-PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://momandmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Screen-shot-2011-09-10-at-2.31.16-PM.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://momandmore.com/2011/09/dremel-multi-max-cordless-review-giveaway-ends-105.html" target="_blank">Mom and More</a> is hosting a giveaway with <a href="http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Dremmel</a> for a <a href="http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail.aspx?pid=Multi-Max+Cordless" target="_blank">Dremmel Multi-Max</a>. My husband would love to have this and I'd love to win it for him. This little tool can do it all, and comes with attachments, batteries and a case to carry it all in. The giveaway ends on 10/5/11. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Hurry on over and visit these blogs to enter for your chance to win. </b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>GOOD LUCK!</b></div>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-54842008747779116042011-09-07T15:22:00.001-05:002011-09-07T15:39:49.535-05:00What's on your Wish List?Recently my husband asked me what was on my wish list. At that moment, we were sitting on the couch, each reading a book. I replied that I wish I had a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite-Globally/dp/B002FQJT3Q">Kindle</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/img/campaigns/6438432460/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bzzagent.com/img/campaigns/6438432460/logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
If I had a Kindle, I would have access to a million books. Both my son and his wife have Kindles, and my daughter has a Nook. They are always talking about the books they have read and how convenient it is to use their electronic readers. My grandchildren have books downloaded on their parents readers and enjoy them as well. But me? Well, I've lagged behind in the e-book reader category.<br />
<br />
Did you know that the Kindle 3G has:<br />
<ul><li> <b>All-New, High-Contrast E Ink Screen</b> – 50% better contrast with latest E Ink Pearl technology</li>
<li><b>Read in Bright Sunlight</b> – No glare </li>
<li><b>New and Improved Fonts</b> – New crisper, darker fonts </li>
<li><b>New Sleek Design</b> – 21% smaller body while keeping the same 6" size reading area </li>
<li><b>17% Lighter</b> – Only 8.7 ounces, weighs less than a paperback </li>
<li><b>Battery Life of Two Months</b> – A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off </li>
<li><b>Double the Storage</b> – Up to 3,500 books </li>
<li><b>Books in 60 Seconds</b> – Download books anytime, anywhere </li>
<li><b>Free 3G Wireless</b> – No monthly payments, no annual contracts </li>
<li><b>Built-In Wi-Fi</b> – In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots </li>
<li><b>20% Faster Page Turns</b> – Seamless reading </li>
<li><b>Enhanced PDF Reader</b> – With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights </li>
</ul> You can read this information and more on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite-Globally/dp/B002FQJT3Q">Amazon</a>. I'm a <a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/">BzzAgent</a> and would absolutely LOVE to receive a Kindle as a part of their upcoming campaign.Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-86717982783576325952011-08-31T16:15:00.000-05:002011-08-31T16:15:28.686-05:00Praying for rain ...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-07-06_19-19-13_216-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-07-06_19-19-13_216-1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The thermometer on our patio says 110 again...</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We are still suffering from triple digit temperatures daily, and the weather man is predicting more of the same, with no rain in sight. The newspaper reported today that this summer will go on record as the <a href="http://newsok.com/oklahomas-scorching-heat-continues-to-smash-records/article/3599137?custom_click=rss">hottest in Oklahoma history</a>, and that <a href="http://newsok.com/official-says-drought-will-cause-nearly-2-billion-in-agricultural-losses-in-oklahoma-this-year/article/3599728?custom_click=lead_story_title">agriculture drought damage nears $2 billion</a>. Please join us as we pray for rain and an end to this terrible drought.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-07-22_09-25-40_587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-07-22_09-25-40_587.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of our pond. It used to cover several acres and was very deep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b>Thank You's: </b> First and foremost, I want to thank Sally at <a href="http://couponsandfreebiesforyou.blogspot.com/">In My Opinion</a> for choosing my entry to win the Sand Gone giveaway. I'm looking forward to sharing the product with my kids when they make their annual trip to the beach next summer. THANK YOU!<br />
<br />
<b>Giveaways entered:</b> Some of the giveaways I enter give extra entries if you "blog" about their giveaway. Its another way to get the word out for their giveaway, and for you to find out about great giveaways you may have missed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://twoclassychics.com/2011/08/luxurious-bamboo-bath-towels-from-bamboo-forever-review-and-giveaway/">Two Classy Chics: Bamboo Towel Giveaway</a> (2 winners) (ends September 12) Enter to win a 3pc set of Bamboo Towels from <a href="http://www.bambooforever.com/">Bamboo Forever</a>. I had no idea that towels could be made from bamboo. Be sure to visit <a href="http://twoclassychics.com/2011/08/luxurious-bamboo-bath-towels-from-bamboo-forever-review-and-giveaway/">Two Classy Chics</a> and <a href="http://www.bambooforever.com/">Bamboo Forever</a> to learn about these amazing towels.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thedirtytshirt.com/back-to-school-with-microsoft-office-professional-2010-review-and-giveaway">The Dirty t Shirt: Microsoft Office 2010 giveaway</a> (ends September 13) Enter to win a license to download Microsoft Office 2010. Words cannot express how badly I would love to win this!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com/2011/08/niagara-non-aerosol-spray-starch-from.html">Thanks Mail Carrier: Niagara Spray Starch Giveaway</a> (ends September 19) Enter to win a case of 6 bottles of non-aerosol Niagara Spray Starch from <a href="http://cleanitsupply.com/">CleanItSupply.com</a>. <a href="http://cleanitsupply.com/">Clean It Supply</a> sells any kind of cleaning supply you can imagine, from home to industrial strength. If you can't find a particular cleaning supply here, you probably won't be able to find it anywhere.<br />
<br />
<b>In my mailbox:</b> My mailbox has been pretty empty lately, but yesterday I received a treat. I'm a <a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/">BzzAgent</a>, and my first Bzz Campaign is <a href="http://www.jgrisham.com/the-confession/">John Grisham's book "The Confession."</a> As a BzzAgent, I am to read the book and share my thoughts on it. I'll be reading the book this weekend, so be sure to watch for my post about it.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/grisham.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=9534790314&Campaign=4230272623&Uid=1227807&token=eba34a554d76ef2b6206a0342aaa6cfe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/grisham.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=9534790314&Campaign=4230272623&Uid=1227807&token=eba34a554d76ef2b6206a0342aaa6cfe" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Grisham</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I'm also participating in the BzzAgent <a href="http://www.trendmicro.com/">Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security</a> campaign. I received a one year subscription to Trend Titanium Maximum Security to download to my computer. This is an all-in-one program to "protect my digital life." I'm still evaluating the program and will let you know what I think about it soon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/trend-titanium.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=7226678801&Campaign=3932804498&Uid=1227807&token=2683e35fbe81f587eca6e543dd6205e9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/trend-titanium.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=7226678801&Campaign=3932804498&Uid=1227807&token=2683e35fbe81f587eca6e543dd6205e9" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b>What is a BzzAgent?</b> Bzz Agents are sent products from top brands and we try them out. Then we share our opinion of the product every way we can - by word of mouth, social media, blogs, you name it. The program is totally free and we get to keep the products sent to us.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclosure: I was sent a John Grisham book and a download of Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security free of charge, in return for sharing my honest opinion about the product. No other compensation was provided.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-15110465226147121652011-08-13T21:20:00.022-05:002011-08-13T21:35:13.949-05:00GiveawaysThis has certainly been a summer to remember. Our area has been in an extreme drought since last October, and we have been trapped under the "heat dome" all summer. We've endured temperatures of 100 degrees or more for over 50 days, and most days, my trusty thermometer has registered 110 degrees. <br />
<br />
As farmers, our livelihood is directly affected by the amount of rain we receive and the temperature. Too much heat and not enough rain, and soon our ponds and pastures dry up. So many in our area have had to sell their cattle herds because the cattle have nothing to eat or drink. We're holding on, trying to make it until the drought is over. But if it doesn't rain soon...and I mean SOON, we will be joining the other farmers and ranchers at the local sale barn and dispersing our herd.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Giveaways Entered: </b> Do you enter bloggy giveaways? I love entering giveaways hosted by the blogs I follow. Here are some of the giveaways I've entered this week:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.shescribes.com/2011/08/sugar-free-ring-pops-giveaway.html">She Scribes "Sugar Free Ring Pops" giveaway</a></b></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>(ends 8-14) Enter to win 5 bags of Sugar Free Ring Pops. The Wonderkids would love to find these in the "candy" drawer at our house. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://goyay.blogspot.com/2011/08/pami-pocket-review-giveaway.html"><b> Go Yay "Pami Pocket" giveaway</b></a> (ends 8-17) Do you hate to carry a purse and wish you had a bag just large enough for your cell phone and a credit card or some money? The Pami Pocket is just what you need.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://momandmore.com/2011/08/connect-4-launchers-review-giveaway-ends-817-done.html">Mom and More "Connect 4 Launchers" giveaway</a> </b>(ends 8-17) When the kids were young, we played Connect 4. Now there is a new and updated version: Connect 4 Launchers. This game is perfect for family game night.<br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.shescribes.com/2011/08/new-80-calorie-cereal-from-fiber-one-giveaway.html">She Scribes "Fiber One Cereal" giveaway</a> </b>(ends 8-18) Enter to win a box of cereal, a pedometer and an arm band for your cell phone or iPod. The pedometer and arm band sure would come in handy when the weather cools down and I start walking for exercise again.<br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.shescribes.com/2011/08/smucker%E2%80%99s-uncrustables-unstoppable-family-photo-contest-giveaway-130-value.html">She Scribes "Smuckers Uncrustables Unstopables" giveaway</a> </b>(ends 8-21) Enter to win a Smuckers Survival Kit consisting of a lunch bag, 5 coupons for free Uncrustables sandwiches, sandwich holders, "Fifty Plates from Fifty States" car game, Moleskin Journal, and a 2GB memory card. Value $130.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.shescribes.com/2011/08/lady-bug-girl-giveaway.html">She Scribes "Ladybug Girl" giveaway</a> </b>(ends 8-22) Enter to win books from the Ladybug Girl series. These would be perfect for my granddaughter. She's a beginning reader.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://couponsandfreebiesforyou.blogspot.com/2011/08/sand-gone-review-giveaway.html">In My Opinion "Sand Gone" giveaway</a></b> (ends 8-22) Enter to win Sand Gone body powder, to remove sand from your skin when you are at the beach or lake. My kids go to the beach each summer and the number one complaint they have is the sand sticking to their skin. This product would solve that problem.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://couponsandfreebiesforyou.blogspot.com/2011/08/carmex-vanilla-lime-twist-review-prize.html"><b>In My Opinion..."Carmex Prize Pack" giveaway</b></a> (ends 8-25) Enter to win a prize pack from Carmex consisting of a picnic blanket and two tubes of Carmex lip balm. I have loved Carmex for years! It's a wonderful product.<br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;"><a href="http://lifeisasandcastle.blogspot.com/2011/08/kix-cereal-prize-pack-giveaway.html">Life is a Sandcastle "Kix Cereal" giveaway</a> </b>(ends 9-1) Enter to win 6 boxes of Kix cereal. Plenty of boxes to keep and boxes to share. <br />
<br />
Be sure to visit these blog giveaways and enter! Thank you to the bloggers for hosting these great giveaways!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-3951141039191043672011-05-04T14:48:00.000-05:002011-05-04T14:48:33.399-05:00Samples, Samples, Samples!I am so happy! We have a new roof on our house! The high winds we've experienced this spring caused a lot of damage to our roof, and our insurance adjuster decided it should be replaced. The roofers arrived early one morning last week, removed the old shingles and repaired some damage, then started installing new shingles. By 6:30pm, they had completed the roof, cleaned up any nails and trash in our yard, reset our satellite dish and headed on their way. Unless you have dealt with a damaged roof, you can't imagine how good it makes you feel to know that you have a new roof over your head.<br />
<br />
Can you believe that Mother's Day is next Sunday and school year will end in a couple of weeks? It seems as though Christmas was just a few days ago! When did time start flying by so quickly?<br />
<br />
<b>In my mailbox:</b><br />
I've received several wonderful surprises in the mail during the past few days. Today I received a box labeled "Estee Lauder." Some people might take Estee Lauder products for granted, but not me. Having something from Estee Lauder is indeed a treat! In the box was a full size bottle of "Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator" and a note from O, the Oprah Magazine. I'm to test the product and then let them know how I like it. NO PROBLEM! Glad to oblige! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-05-02_16-24-04_230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-05-02_16-24-04_230.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Are you a member of the ALL YOU Reality Checkers? I am and I've just received a pair of Sally Hansen tweezers to test. You can sign up to become an <a href="http://tinyurl.com/AllYouRealityChecker"><b>ALL YOU Reality Checker</b></a> too. While you are at it, be sure to look around the website. You can find helpful tips, valuable coupons, recipes, giveaways and more. One of the best things about ALL YOU is their daily free samples, and you <u><b>do not</b></u> have to be a Reality Checker to get these. <a href="http://www.allyou.com/coupons-deals/">Click this link</a> and look for the pink circle that says Daily Free Samples in the left column. This will take you to the current free sample. Be sure to enter your email address to receive an alert in your email each day. <br />
<br />
<b>EOS</b> sponsored a giveaway for their Everyday Hand Lotion, and I received a bottle and some coupons. This is the third product I've tried from EOS, and each one has been WONDERFUL! I love their lip balm and shaving cream, and I love the lotion. THANK YOU EOS for choosing me!<br />
<br />
Several other samples have arrived in my mailbox: a Dove body wash and deodorant for hubby, a can of juice from Ocean Spray, and a Kirkland shampoo and conditioner sample from Costco. <br />
<br />
Did you sign up for the <a href="http://www.startsampling.com/showcase/index.iphtml"><b>USPS Sample Showcase</b></a>? My box came last week and inside I found samples of Coffee-mate, GUM Soft-Picks, Secret Clinical deodorant, Wisk and Nonni's Biscotti. Also, coupons for Starbucks coffee and the GUM Soft-Picks. When you sign up for the Sample Showcase, be sure to check out the free samples. Look for a tab at the top of the page that says "Samples." The tab will take you to a page just FULL of samples for you to sign up for.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-05-02_16-23-43_980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-05-02_16-23-43_980.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Where do you get your free samples? Do you know of a website you'd like to share?Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-1352976144100203732011-04-11T10:14:00.013-05:002011-04-11T11:11:49.749-05:00My Walgreens Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-04-11_08-09-11_403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-04-11_08-09-11_403.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Alyssa over at <a href="http://kingdomfirstmom.com/%20" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><b>Keeping The Kingdom First</b></a> writes about <a href="http://kingdomfirstmom.com/5-dollar-challenges" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><b>The Walgreens $5 Challenge</b></a><span style="color: blue;">.</span> Basically it involves seeing how much you can buy with just $5.<br />
<br />
There are several blogs and websites that share tips and strategies for "extreme Walgreens shopping" but I only purchase items for which I have a specific use. <br />
<br />
Many thanks to Melissa at <a href="http://www.consumerqueen.com/walgreens/walgreens-ad-deals-410-416" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><b>The Consumer Queen</b></a><b style="color: blue;"></b> for providing the scenario to help me get started. I worked the ad, and realized that by spending a couple of dollars more and rolling my Register Rewards, I could purchase a decent haul of merchandise.<br />
<br />
I walked in to Walgreens with $7 in my hand and my hope was to walk out of the store with money left over. OK here we go:<br />
<br />
My shopping trip involved three transactions. The first transaction I purchased <br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Luster White 7 Toothpaste</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, 2.6 oz for $4.99 and </span></b><b><span style="color: red;">Carefree Pantiliners</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 22-ct for $.99</span></b>. I used a coupon for $1.50 from Smart Source insert 4-3-11on the toothpaste and a coupon for $.50/1 any Carefree product from Red Plum insert 3-27-1. <u>Then I paid out</u> (this is the secret to getting so much for so little). Total with tax was $4.51. I received two register rewards, one for $4 (toothpaste) and $1(pantiliners), which gave me $5 to pay toward my next transaction. Total savings on this transaction, with coupons and sale prices, was $4.50.<br />
<br />
Next, I purchased <b style="color: red;">Biore Pore Strips</b> 14 pack, on sale for $5.99 and <b style="color: red;">Biore Cleanser</b> 5 oz. also on sale for $5.99. I used a coupon from Smart Source 3-6-11 (Buy strips, get cleanser free). I added one of the pencils on sale at 8/$1 (costing me $.13, because I needed a filler item. A "filler" is needed when you have more coupons than items.) At this point, I owed $6.12, and then I handed the clerk the two Register Rewards I had just earned from the toothpaste and pantiliners. My total for the three items was $2.19.<br />
<br />
<b>OH NO!</b> How could this be? In my head, I was calculating that I owed $.99 for the Biore products and $.13 for the pencil, and those numbers did not add up to $2.19. Then I realized what the problem was: the store was charging TAX on the price of the items BEFORE coupons costing me an additional $1.07. This would have been good information to know BEFORE I started working this project!<br />
<br />
Anyway, there was nothing I could do other than abandon the whole project, so I paid. As soon as I paid out, I received another Register Reward for $5 (from the Biore sale in the Walgreens ad). Total savings on the transaction, with coupons and sale prices was $16.99.<br />
<br />
Finally, I made my last transaction. I had a quarter and a nickel left out of my $7. I purchased two bags of <b style="color: red;">Mars Easter Candy</b> on sale 2/$5.00, using a coupon for $2.00/2 any Mars Easter Products from "All You" magazine April 2011 and a $1.00/2 coupon found in the Walgreens April Booklet. This made cost of the candy $1 per bag! What a deal!<br />
<br />
Also 2 cans of <b style="color: red;">Carnation Evaporated Milk</b> on sale for $.99 per can, and used a coupon for $.50 off found in 03-27-11 Red Plum. Cost of the milk was $1.49.<br />
<br />
And, 2 packs of <b><span style="color: red;">Trident Layers</span></b> gum, on sale for $2 for 2.<br />
<br />
Having more items than I did coupons, I didn't need to add a filler this time. I handed the clerk my $5 Register Reward from the Biore, and my total rang up at $1.27. Only having $.30 in my hand left to pay with, I did what I had walked into the store hoping not to do - I opened my purse and got out another dollar. Savings on this transaction from sale prices and coupons was $13.00.<br />
<br />
Total retail before sales & coupon: <b>$42.46</b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;">Total out of pocket: <b style="color: black;">$7.97 including tax</b> for roughly 80% savings</b><br />
<br />
There are others who can play the game and save 90%. I'm just learning and by no means am I a Couponing Pro; I'm just very thrifty. I only buy what I can use, and I'll pass up a deal if its not something that we "need." Will I play the game again? Probably so. What about you? Have you taken the Walgreens Challenge?Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-25070543369412565572011-03-26T15:02:00.000-05:002011-03-26T15:02:35.386-05:00Spring is here and hubby brought me a bouquet of Lilacs today! I love lilacs! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-03-26_12-49-20_805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/sundancesurvey/2011-03-26_12-49-20_805.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
With the high price of scrap metal, we've been loading and hauling away old equipment from the junk hill on a farm we've bought, and my internet time has been limited. <br />
<br />
<b>In my mailbox:</b> I've received several checks from survey companies, as well as a couple of product tests. I can't mention what the product tests are (due to the confidentiality agreement) but I can say that if you haven't participated in a product test, you are really missing out. <br />
<br />
Basically, as you are working through a survey, and near the end, you will be presented a question that asks something to the effect of "if we were to send you some of "XYZ product" would you be willing to try it and tell us what you think of it." Of course you reply yes, enter your mailing address, and wait <strike>anxiously</strike> patiently for the mail or UPS to deliver a box. Inside the box you will find the product and instructions on how you are to use it. Soon, you are sent a follow up survey to share your opinions about the product. Sometimes you are paid for testing the product, and other times, the product itself is your payment. You get to keep whatever product is left over after the testing period is done. Easy breezy!<br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox:</b> Recently I qualified for another online focus group. Again, I signed a confidentiality agreement, and cannot discuss the details of the group, but can share that at times, I wonder what I've gotten myself in to. Each day there are a half dozen or so essay type questions to answer, and some of the questions make absolutely no sense at all. I always thought I could write something about anything, but these...well lets just say that I'm earning every penny of the generous compensation they are paying. OH - and if you do not "fully participate" then you will not be "fully compensated." That is motivation enough. <br />
<br />
<b>Giveaway entered:</b> Deb over at <b><a href="http://www.momstakeonthings.com/?p=9783">Just A Mom's Take on Things</a></b> is hosting a giveaway for a <a href="http://www.momstakeonthings.com/?p=9783"><b>Kodak PULSE Digital Picture Frame</b></a>. This digital frame is more advanced than any that I have seen in the past. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Kodak states that the frame has a touch screen and is WI-Fi enabled. As soon as I saw it, I thought what a wonderful gift this would make for my parents! They are older, but enjoy keeping up with their grandkids and great grandkids, and by being Wi-Fi enabled, we could all upload our pictures wirelessly no matter where we were. <br />
<br />
Entries close for the giveaway on <strong>Thursday, March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. </strong> Thanks Deb for hosting such a great giveaway, and I'm crossing my fingers that one of my entries is chosen!Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-84190723704304249992011-02-20T18:49:00.000-06:002011-02-20T18:49:08.474-06:00Its been awhile since I was able to update. To make a long story short, we changed internet service providers. Shortly thereafter, we experienced a blizzard and 50mph winds which damaged the ISP's equipment and tower. This left me without internet for two weeks. I got plenty of house cleaning done but I missed being able to communicate online.<br />
<br />
<b>In my mailbox</b>: I received the final $150 payment from the focus group I participated in over the Christmas holidays. I also received $75 from participating in a focus group on Healthy Lifestyles, and survey checks from Pinecone and Mindfield. <br />
<br />
Awhile back, I was a winner in the daily drawing at <a href="http://www.inetvideo.com/">iNetVideo</a> and I recently received my prize, which was a blu-ray dvd of "Boiler Room." <b>Thanks <a href="http://www.inetvideo.com/">iNetVideo</a> for choosing my entry!</b> <a href="http://www.inetvideo.com/">INetVideo</a> sells movies, music cd's and video games. Their prices are very reasonable, and you should stop by and check them out. While you're there, be sure to enter their giveaway of the day! <br />
<br />
One day I received a mystery package with nothing on the label or inside the package to identify the sender. I wasn't expecting any samples or prizes, but the package contained two small computer speakers. The speakers were shipped flat, but pop into a box shape for use. How neat is that! <br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox:</b> When my internet was restored, I had over 200 survey invitations waiting for me. It's so overwhelming, but I'm dealing with them as quickly as possible. We don't realize how much a part of our lives that the internet is until we lose it. Then...we clean house.<br />
<br />
<b>In my house:</b> During the blizzard and the days following while I had no internet, I cleaned. I cleaned my house from top to bottom, and everywhere in between. I bragged to my husband that my kitchen floor was so clean that one could perform surgery without fear of dirt or germs. I vacuumed the floors so much that I was emptying the dirt canister daily. I washed walls, polished paneling, cleaned light fixtures, sorted through "stuff" and weeded out unneeded items. The pile of items to donate grew bigger and bigger and the more I sorted out, the better I felt. Soon, I had enough items to fill my SUV <u>twice</u> and as soon as the roads were cleared, I took the items to the thrift store, so I wouldn't have an opportunity to "change my mind."<br />
<br />
<b>Giveaway entered:</b> PinchingAbe over at <a href="http://livingononeincome.blogspot.com/2011/02/general-mills-hot-wheels-breakfast-fun.html">Making Ends Meet</a> is hosting a General Mills and Hot Wheels Breakfast Fun Giveaway. The prize is five boxes of General Mills cereal that have Hot Wheels racers inside. I'd love to win this prize, and share a box with each of the Wonder Kids. The giveaway ends on February 20, so hurry on over and enter!Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-53550189580678447102011-01-23T00:11:00.000-06:002011-01-23T00:11:46.975-06:00I can't believe how time has flown by. My mailbox has been full of bad things (bills) instead of good things (checks, prizes and samples), and my inbox hasn't had anything great to share either. However, today, the mail-fairies finally smiled on me and I have good things to report:<br />
<br />
<b>In my mailbox</b>: It was certainly my day today. I had a coupon worth $3.50 off of Excedrin PM, a coupon for a free bottle of Extra Strength Excedrin, a sample of dog food which also contained a $2 coupon, a $20 check from Toluna, and a $10 check from Synovate.<br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox:</b> This week I received codes from various survey sites for Amazon gift cards totalling $16.Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-23554168864505886902011-01-05T16:59:00.000-06:002011-01-05T16:59:50.399-06:00<div style="text-align: left;"><b>In my mailbox:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ecQcfs" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://bit.ly/ecQcfs" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I received the giveaway prize I had won in December from Deb's <b><a href="http://www.momstakeonthings.com/?p=9211">Finish Quantum and JET-DRY Turbo Dry</a></b> giveaway. <b>THANKS DEB</b>!<br />
<br />
Do you love free samples? Then don't forget to check <a href="http://www.allyou.com/coupons-deals/daily-free-samples-00411000069695/"><b>All You</b></a> Magazine, <b><a href="http://samples.target.com/?ref=nav_t_15_4">Target</a></b> and <b><a href="http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-Free-Samples.aspx">Walmart</a>. </b>Today I had a sample of dog food from <b><a href="http://samples.target.com/?ref=nav_t_15_4">Target</a></b> in my mailbox. <br />
<br />
<b>Giveaways Entered:</b> I entered another bloggy giveaway today: Mary Beth over at <a href="http://b.imagehost.org/view/0481/PICT0798"><b>Oklahoma Pastry Cloth</b></a> emphasizes cooking from scratch, and has delightful recipes complete with pictures. I can't wait to try her English Muffin recipe! She's giving away an assortment of items any scratch cook would love to have:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Ball Canning Blue Book</li>
<li>Ball Brand Canning Utensils</li>
<li>Tea Kettle Timer</li>
<li>Onion Holder</li>
<li>Oklahoma Bedre' Chocolate Crisps</li>
<li>Box of Fortune's Blueberry Tea</li>
</ul>Click the link above and scroll down to the end of the "Deserve" blog post to enter your comment.<br />
<br />
Another wonderful blog I found today is<b> <a href="http://homeliving.blogspot.com/">Lady Lydia speaks about Home Living</a></b>. This blog is both inspiring and beautiful, and the amount of information shared on this blog is amazing. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-34308833347765598322010-12-21T19:57:00.000-06:002010-12-21T19:57:10.038-06:00<b>In my mailbox</b>: Today I received a check for $150, which is half of the payment for participating in an online focus group. Also another check from Pinecone Surveys. YEA! <br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox</b>: Last week I redeemed Swagbucks for two $5 Amazon Gift Card codes. Today the codes arrived in my email. If you're not a member of Swag Bucks, give it a try. I've purchased almost $200 worth of Amazon Gift Card codes with free Swagbucks during the past year. <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/coffeecup">Sign up here! </a>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-16132534558832093892010-12-15T20:17:00.000-06:002010-12-15T20:17:37.924-06:00<b>In my mailbox</b>: Another check from Pinecone. I love Pinecone surveys. If you ever have an opportunity to join Pinecone, DO IT!<br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox</b>: I was thrilled to hear from Deb of <a href="http://www.momstakeonthings.com/">Just A Mom's Take on Things</a> informing me that one of my entries was chosen as a winner in her FINISH Quantum and JET-DRY Turbo Dry giveaway. Thanks Deb!Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086692786287337961.post-10034606131449079952010-12-10T19:38:00.000-06:002010-12-10T19:38:28.511-06:00<b>In my mailbox</b>: Today I was thrilled to find checks from Toluna and Pine Cone survey groups. That's more money to apply toward a new computer.<br />
<br />
<b>In my inbox:</b> I qualified to participate in another online focus group. The only drawback I can see is that the discussions will take place during Christmas week, and that is a busy time. <br />
<br />
<b>Giveaways Entered:</b> I entered a couple of giveaways today. First of all I visited "<strong>Just a mom's take on things</strong>" and entered Deb's <b><a href="http://www.momstakeonthings.com/?p=9211">Finish Quantum and JET-DRY Turbo Dry</a></b> giveaway. The giveaway ends 12/12, and 5 winners will be chosen. Let's hope the Random Number Generator smiles down on one of my entries!<br />
<br />
I also visited "<strong>3 Kids and Us</strong>" and entered her <b><a href="http://3kidsandus.com/2010/televisions-are-less-boring-with-roku-giveaway/">ROKU</a></b> giveaway. I've been wanting a ROKU box ever since I first read about them but our internet speed was just too slow for streaming media. Not so now! With a recent upgrade by our ISP, we are faster, and my desire for a ROKU is even greater! Cross your fingers for me - evidently a LOT of people are wanting to win because many have entered. <br />
<h1><br />
</h1>Mary Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094707593223836009noreply@blogger.com0