Hickory Farms for the Holidays Giveaway

Every year while shopping at our local mall during the holiday season, a kiosk appears filled with delicious and tempting treats for sale. It’s impossible to say “no” when offered a sample, of course! From gourmet sausages to gourmet cheeses, candies to nuts, and much more, Hickory Farms has something for every member of the family to enjoy and has been a classic holiday tradition for many families for over 60 years. Many Americans have a distinct memory of Hickory Farms at their holiday gatherings and Hickory Farms is very proud to be a part of those nostalgic moments and continues to focus on and celebrate its long heritage of tradition and authentic holiday memories. Their yummy foods are the perfect thing to give as a gift, serve at home, or to take to holiday parties. They have a wonderful selection of food gift baskets and food gifts for even the hardest-to-buy-a-gift-for relative or friend.

Last night, my husband and I joined with our small Bible study group to share a Thanksgiving dinner. In addition to bringing a side dish for the meal, I also brought along a Hickory Farms gift basket I was sent to review. Only this “basket” was a very handy and useful tool bag that can used long after the food is gone.

Hickory Farms Tastes of the Trade Tool Bag

The Hickory Farms Tastes of the Trade Tool Bag is 2 gifts in 1! Delicious snacks and a handy tool bag!

Inside the Tastes of the Trade Tool Bag was:


-2 -Hickory Farms Signature Beef Summer Sausage 10 oz.
-Farmhouse Cheddar 10 oz.
-Jalapeño Cheddar Blend 10 oz.
-Holiday Spiced Almonds 4 oz.
-Golden Toasted Crackers 4.4 oz.
-Olive Oil & Rosemary Crackers 4.4 oz.

It only took a few minutes for several members of our group to start digging into the tool bag and munching down on the goodies inside. Comments ranged from “Hickory Farms has knocked it out of the park again!” to “These crackers are sooo good!” It was the big hit of the party! My favorite was the sausage on the Olive Oil & Rosemary Crackers. Fortunately we do have some left to enjoy for Thanksgiving! I tried the Jalapeno cheese but I don’t really care for Jalapeno so I found it too spicy for my tastes but for those who love Jalapenos, I have it on good authority from others at the party that it was delicious.

So if you’re wanting some great holiday food and gifts for family and friends, Hickory Farms can be found in over 750 holiday stores and kiosks in America, plus some select retailers. But if you don’t want to fight the crowds or you don’t have a store near you, you can easily order online at www.hickoryfarms.com or through their catalogs. You can also enter to win a Hickory Farms Tastes of the Trade Tool Bag from MomRN and Hickory Farms!

To enter, leave us a comment on this post telling us what your favorite Hickory Farms food is or if you’ve never had Hickory Farms, what your favorite holiday food is overall. (Be sure to include a way to contact you if you win!)

You can get up to 4 bonus entries by:

1) Liking the Ask MomRN Show Facebook page
2) Liking Hickory Farms Facebook page
3) Following MomRN on Twitter
4) Following Hickory Farms on Twitter

Remember, you must leave a comment first for the bonus entries to count and Good Luck!!!

This giveaway will end Friday, November 30th at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Winner will receive 1 (one) Hickory Farms Tastes of the Trade Tool Bag, which will be sent directly to the winner by Hickory Farms.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to All!

WINNER UPDATE: MomRN used Random.org to choose from all eligible entries and the winner is Debbie Jackson! Congratulations, Debbie! Thanks to everyone who entered. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.

 

 

CVS Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards and 2 $50 Gift Card Giveaways

Are you or a family member on a prescription medication? Multiple medications? Do you worry about side effects, drug interactions, how to get refills, or the cost of your prescriptions? Did you know that using one pharmacy for all your prescription needs can help you manage all your prescriptions, use them safely and even save you money?

Earlier this year CVS Caremark published the results of their extensive health policy research with Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the study showed patients who use one pharmacy are more likely to stay on their medications and talking with a pharmacist makes patients twice as likely to take their medications as prescribed and catch any potential drug interactions or side effects, all of which can lower overall health costs.

Now CVS is taking things one step further to help customers save money and use their medications safely. They have introduced a new rewards program, CVS Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards is designed to “reward smart healthy decisions that lead to increased medication adherence and take a more proactive approach to managing overall health”.

Here are the details of the program:

Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards offers customers the opportunity to earn bigger rewards when they fill prescriptions at CVS/pharmacy. The program allows members of CVS/pharmacy’s ExtraCare program to opt-in and start earning $5 Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards for every 5 prescriptions filled – up to $50 Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards every year, per enrolled member (more members in the family, more Rewards).

To find out if the program is available in your area, contact your local CVS or visit CVS Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards.

As a nurse, I know the dangers of discontinuing certain prescription medications abruptly or without a doctor’s supervision. I also know the dangers of potential side effects and drug interactions between prescriptions. And having a retired pharmacist in my family has always driven home the point of how beneficial it is to have a pharmacist you can trust and using one pharmacy for all your medications is a smart idea. But it doesn’t take any healthcare expertise to know that a program designed to prevent medication problems, help people stay healthy, and save them money at the same time is a program worth checking out.

Another benefit to the ExtraBucks Rewards is you can use them for anything you need at CVS, not just prescriptions. One-stop shopping that rewards you for your purchases!

To celebrate their new program, CVS is generously giving 2 of our MomRN readers a $50 CVS gift card! That’s right, we have 2 $50 gift cards to giveaway, so you have double the chance of winning!

Entering is easy:

Mandatory Entry - Leave a comment answering the following & a way to contact you if you win:

Have you signed up for Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards or would you if it were available in your area? Does it sound like a program that would benefit your family?

(Being a member of the rewards program is not a requirement to enter, but leaving a comment is.)

Bonus Entries – (leave a separate comment for each entry you complete)

1) Follow @MomRN on Twitter (leave a comment & your Twitter handle)
2) Follow @CVS_Extra on Twitter (leave a comment & your Twitter handle)
3) “Like” Ask MomRN Show on Facebook (leave a comment & your FB url)
4) “Like” CVS on Facebook (leave a comment & your FB url)

(For the following bonus entries, leave a comment with the url to the share/post)

5) Tweet the giveaway “I checked out @CVS_Extra’s Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards program & entered win a $50 gift card from @MomRN http://www.momrn.com/?p=1558

6) Share the giveaway on Facebook “I checked out @CVS_Extra’s Pharmacy ExtraBucks Rewards program & entered win a $50 gift card from @MomRN http://www.momrn.com/?p=1558

This giveaway will end Friday, September 21st at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Two (2) winners will be selected from all eligible entries using Random.org’s number generator. Each winner will receive one (1) $50 CVS gift card, being provided by CVS.

WINNERS UPDATE:

Congratulations to Courtney B. & Kelly D.! You have each won a $50 CVS gift card! Enjoy!

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. CVS will send 1 $50 gift card to each of the 2 winners directly. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Tea Giveaway

If you’ve been reading MomRN or listening to the Ask MomRN Show over the past several weeks, then you already know I’m on a journey to lose weight and get healthier. As part of that effort, I’ve been trying to drink more water and healthy beverages. And if a healthy drink can satisfy my cravings for sweets without any calories, then that is just the proverbial “icing on the cake”. Guess what, I found a great alternative that is both healthy AND is like having dessert in a cup with no worry about calories, carbs, or fat. And you have a chance to try it out for free!

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas are “a new, handcrafted black teas blended with specially developed natural flavor extracts. These blends marry high-quality tea standards with premium natural flavors.” Simply put (pun intended), these teas taste absolutely delicious!

This morning I had a cup of the Creme Caramel and it was a great way to start off a Monday morning (and I’m not a morning person!) and a sweet treat with none of the guilt! Since I like sweet teas, I added a little Splenda to mine and it was fabulous!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could share a cup of tea through the internet? Wish we could because I’d love to share these with you and enjoy your company. But since we can’t do that, Red Rose has offered us the next best thing: a giveaway of their scrumptious teas with a cute chalkboard mug that is perfect for enjoying their teas in as you relax and indulge.

Here is what one lucky MomRN reader will get:

The winner will receive one box each of the four Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas: Creme Caramel, Cinnamon Streusel, Peach Cobbler, and Lemon Chiffon PLUS an adorable chalkboard mug.

Entering is easy! Here’s how:

Mandatory Entry: (you must do this one or any bonus entries you complete won’t count. ALSO, please leave a way to contact you if you win. We PROMISE this info will only be used to notify you if you win and will not be sold or used otherwise.)
Leave a comment on this post telling us which flavor you think would be your favorite. If you have already tried the teas, what did you think about them?

Bonus Entry #1: Follow @MomRN on Twitter (leave a comment letting us know and your Twitter handle)

Bonus Entry #2: Follow @ShareRedRoseTea on Twitter (leave a comment letting us know and your Twitter handle)

Bonus Entry #3: Follow Ask MomRN Show on Facebook (leave a comment letting us know and your Facebook url)

Bonus Entry #4: Follow Red Rose Tea on Facebook (leave a comment letting us know and your Facebook url)

This giveaway ends at 11:59pm Central Time on Sunday, September 9, 2012. Winner will be chosen by Random.org’s number generator from all eligible entries and announced on MomRN.com that week.

UPDATE: Congratulations, Jordan D.! You are our winner!

Disclosure: Red Rose Teas sent me a sample of the Simply Indulgent line of teas and is offering this giveaway for our readers. No compensation has been received and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway: Win a Case of Hansen’s Natural Soda from the CAbi Style Suite

Last weekend I had the fun opportunity to attend the CAbi Style Suite hosted by MomTrends and Savvy Sassy Moms at the gorgeous London Hotel in New York City. The event features the clothing styles of CAbi clothing company, a direct sales fashion company started by Carol Anderson. Attendees were treated with opportunities to try on several garments from the clothing line and choose a couple to take home. Other sponsors of the event included Ciao Bella Gelato (yummy!), MAKE UP FOR EVER, Mama Mio, and STOKKE brand of strollers and high chairs. Another sponsor, who I think had the best view from the top of the Penthouse suite, was Hansen’s Natural Soda.

I was contacted a few days before the event and asked to be a social media correspondent for Hansen’s Natural Soda at the CAbi Style Suite. I had heard of Hansen’s but wasn’t sure I had ever tried their soda before. I did some research and found out that Hansen’s started out as a juice company, selling fresh juice in Southern California in the 1930′s. In the 1970′s they added a line of natural cane sugar sodas with no preservatives, no caffeine, no added sodium, and no artificial colors or preservatives. In 2008, Hansen’s stopped using high fructose corn syrup, opting instead for real cane sugar. They also have a several diet sodas available for anyone who wants to (or needs to) avoid sugar. We talk about healthy nutrition often on the Ask MomRN Show and here on MomRN, and soda falls into the category of a sweet treat so it should be consumed in moderation. I like that Hansen’s has made the commitment to keeping their sodas natural and without the added artificial ingredients most sodas contain.

While at the CAbi Style Suite, I enjoyed meeting with other bloggers and representatives from the various sponsors, including Hansen’s. The view from the Penthouse Suite of the London Hotel was gorgeous and the lovely sunset  made it even better! The lucky reps from Hansen’s had the perfect view!

Sunset from Penthouse of London Hotel, NYC, August 2012 copyright MomRN

This was the breathtaking view of the sunset from the Penthouse Suite of the London Hotel, NYC on August 2, 2012. Gorgeous!
Photo credit: Tamara Walker, MomRN.com

 

Hansen’s brought some of their popular flavors for all of us to try, and even provided recipe cards for yummy concoctions that can be made using those flavors. I tried the Kiwi Strawberry soda and it was delicious! Many others agreed, including some of my blogger buddies:

CAbi Style Suite bloggers (Andrea, Erin, & Susan) enjoying Hansen’s Natural Soda in NYC, August 2, 2012. Photo credit: Tamara Walker, MomRN.com

Overall, the event was a fun, exciting time and I am grateful to the hosts, MomTrends and Savvy Sassy Moms and to all the great sponsors. Thank you to Hansen’s for the opportunity to try your products and let others know about them. And a big thank you to CAbi for the gorgeous clothes!

Love Hansen’s and want to win a case? Never tried them but want to? Here is your chance! Hansen’s has offered to send one lucky MomRN reader a case of their favorite flavor of Hansen’s Natural Sodas!

To enter the giveaway, you must leave us a comment on this post telling us if you have tried Hansen’s before or not. If you have, tell us which one is your favorite flavor that you want to win. If you haven’t tried it yet, what flavor do you want to try if you win? (Be sure to leave either your email address or some way to contact you if you win.)

Bonus entries (must do mandatory entry above first):
1) Visit the Ask MomRN Show Facebook Page and “like” us there

2) Visit Hansen’s Facebook Page and “like” them

3) Follow @MomRN on Twitter

4) Follow @HansensNatural on Twitter

5) Tweet “I entered to win a case of Hansen’s Natural Soda from @MomRN & you can too: http://www.momrn.com/?p=1471″

*Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you have completed!*

Hurry! This giveaway will end at 11:59pm ET on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 and the winner will be chosen using Random.org.

Good luck!

UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations, Katie O.! You are the winner of a case of your favorite flavor (or the one you want to try) of Hansen’s Natural Soda!

 

Disclosure: I was selected to be a social media correspondent for Hansen’s Natural Sodas during the CAbi Style Suite and compensated for my work. As always, all opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone else.

 

Shaklee Get Clean Review and Giveaway

Do you know what is lurking under your sink? Do you have a cabinet full of cleaners? Do you know what is in those cleaners? What is in them might surprise you!

As a participant in the Shaklee Get Clean Campaign, I was challenged to find out if any of the following chemicals are present in the cleaning products my family uses: kerosene, phenols, cresol, lye, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfuric acid, petroleum distillates, ammonia, sodium hydroxide, butyl cellosolve, phosphoric acid, formaldehyde, chlorine bleach, morpholine, and phthalates by checking them in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Household Products Database.

Yes, I did discover that several of these chemicals are in the cleaners in our cleaning cabinet. It made me stop to consider the potential effects these chemicals could have on my family after being exposed to them each time they are used and how our health could be impacted since we’ve used them for years. It was an eye-opener to learn about these chemicals and makes me want to try more natural and hopefully much safer alternatives.

My cabinet full of our usual cleaners

To participate in their campaign, Shaklee sent me several products from their full line of natural and nontoxic cleaning choices that are “Safe for You, Your Home, and Your Planet®” called the Get Clean® Kit. Shaklee believes that health isn’t just about what you put in your body; it’s about everything around you.

The Shaklee Get Clean products have been reviewed and endorsed for their safety by Healthy Child Healthy World.

Some details about the Get Clean Kit:

· No harmful fumes or hazardous chemicals.

· Outperforms 20 national leading brands.

· You would spend $3400 for ready to use cleaners to get the same amount of clean found in the Get Clean Starter Kit!*

· Features Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate – just 1/4 tsp. makes 16oz. of all-purpose cleaner for only 3 cents.

· And when you purchase the Get Clean Starter Kit you also make a positive impact on the planet:

· Keep 108 pounds of packaging waste from landfills.

· Eliminate 248 pounds of greenhouse gas.

. Passing on one Get Clean kit to a friend is the equivalent of planting 10 trees!

* Based on comparing number of uses as set forth on product labels of conventional, ready-to-use cleaners.

My cleaner cabinet "makeover" with the Shaklee Get Clean Kit

I’ve been using the Shaklee Get Clean cleaners to clean laundry, wash dishes in the dishwasher, and clean surfaces. The kit includes several products that vary from having no scent to a very light scent.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Fresh Laundry concentrate and the Soft Clean fabric softener sheets. I put them through a tough test by using them on my dog’s blankets, which smelled bad and were in desperate need of a good washing. They came out of the washer with no more bad odors and no real scent at all. I put them into the dryer with one fabric softener sheet torn in half and placed on half under the blankets and one on top, as suggested by Shaklee’s directions on the box. The fabric softener sheets felt different from other brands I’ve used. These are papery and crinkly, so I was skeptical. To my surprise, the blankets came out of the dryer feeling softer and fluffier then ever before and with no strong fragrance left behind.

The powdered dishwasher detergent did a pretty good job on our dishes and a very dirty, greasy skillet. The liquid dish soap for hand washing dishes is concentrated and only takes a few drops to clean well.

The only product in the Get Clean Kit that I was not as impressed with is the Germ Off Disinfecting Wipes. They cleaned well but they are thinner than the brand I normally use and tore too easily. There is barely any scent at all, so that may be a plus for anyone sensitive to fragrances.

For more info on the Get Clean Kit, check out this video:

YouTube Preview Image

So how about you? Have you ever checked your cleaners or looked up what is in them? If not, I encourage you to do so and Shaklee might even reward you for doing your homework!

Shaklee is offering MomRN readers the chance to win a Shaklee Mini Household Kit {$46.95 retail value}. They want to inspire you to learn about what is in your household products and make the switch to safer, greener products like Shaklee’s Get Clean products. Official rules for the giveaway: http://blogger.myshaklee.com/us/en/about_giveaway_rules.html

To enter the giveaway:

1) Look under your kitchen sink (or wherever you keep your cleaners) to see if you find any of these ingredients in your products: kerosene, phenols, cresol, lye, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfuric acid, petroleum distillates, ammonia, sodium hydroxide, butyl cellosolve, phosphoric acid, formaldehyde, chlorine bleach, morpholine, and phthalates.

Then leave a comment below telling us what you discover and why YOU need a green cleaning makeover!

Additional bonus entries:

-Like the Shaklee Facebook Page

-Follow @ShakleeHQ on Twitter

-Like the Ask MomRN Show Facebook Page

Follow @MomRN on Twitter

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. You have up to 5 chances to win and bonus entries will not count if you have not completed the mandatory entry first.

This giveaway ends Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

UPDATE: Congratulations to our lucky winner, Christine! Her entry was chosen by Random.Org’s random number generator out of all the eligible entries. Thanks to everyone who entered!

 

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible by the Shaklee Corporation & Mom Spark Media. Incentives, product and support were provided. Thoughts are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teleflora Deal of the Day Bouquet Giveaway

Valentine’s Day is this week on Tuesday, February 14th. For many, Valentine’s Day is a day of showing the ones you love how you feel about them and celebrating relationships. It is also a big day for sending flowers! Even someone very practical like me, who doesn’t buy or receive flowers very often, still appreciates getting them on occasion and Valentine’s Day is a great time for a beautiful bouquet of flowers. With the cold, gray winter weather, who wouldn’t love a bright, cheery bouquet to bring color and festivity to a room?

I love roses of varying colors (especially pink, purple, and red) and carnations in the same colors. So I fell in love with this gorgeous arrangement of Valentine’s Day flowers from Teleflora!

Seriously, is that absolutely stunning or what? It’s called the Dance with Me Bouquet with Red Roses and I would love to see this on my dining room table (*hint hint to my hubby*) for Valentine’s or any special occasion!

Teleflora has a huge selection of flowers for Valentine’s Day and for any other special day or event. They even offer a Deal of the Day Bouquet ($50 value), a mixed bouquet created by an expert florist using the freshest, most beautiful flowers available. The flowers included in each one-of-a-kind bouquet are selected to give maximum value.

Teleflora is giving one lucky MomRN reader the chance to win your very own Deal of the Day Bouquet!

To enter, post a comment and tell us about your favorite flowers. Or tell us a time when you received or gave flowers and why it was special to you. Or share your favorite Valentine’s Day memory. It’s up to you but to enter you must leave a comment.

GET AN EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN by visiting the Teleflora flowers on Facebook and click the “like” button. Come back to this post and leave another comment to let us know.

You can also get another extra entry by visiting Ask MomRN Show on Facebook and click the “like” button. Come back to this post and leave another comment to let us know.

Entry Deadline: Sunday, February 19th at 11:59pm EST.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org from all eligible entries. This giveaway is only open to United States residents.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Kristen! You have won the Teleflora Deal of the Day Bouquet!

Disclosure: This promotional sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. I was compensated for my time investment and work on this campaign. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.

 

Cool contest for kids to win $5,000 for their business idea

Parents, does your kid want to someday run her own business? Think your kid might have what it takes to be an aspiring entreprenuer? Does he have a unique idea for a product or service? Want him to learn how to start and grow his own business? Want her to win $5,000?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will definitely want to check out a very cool contest by CreditReport.com (the Credit Report People) and Warren Buffett where your kid could make $5,000 if he or she has the winning business idea!

The Grow Your Own Business Challenge can be found on the Secret Millionaires Club kid’s website. The site features cartoons, videos, teaching tools, resources, and more for teaching kids all about financial literacy and entreprenuership. The site even has a section where kids can ask millionaire businessman, Warren Buffett, for his advice on finances and business. How cool is that?

The contest is designed to encourage kids to think like entrepreneurs by figuring out a product or service to offer and who their target market would be, create a financial plan, then draw the product on paper or describe the service to be provided, choose a name, logo, and marketing message, and tell how the business would give back to the child’s community through supporting a community program or cause.

Kids ages 7 – 16 in the United States are eligible to enter, either as an individual OR in teams of 2 to 4 members. Parents and teachers are encouraged to help kids sign up and fill out the necessary entry information.

IMPORTANT: Entries must be submitted no later than this Friday, January 20th at 12 noon EST.

To enter kids need to sign up here: http://www.smckids.com/learnandearn/user/48160/edit

On the entry form, kids will be asked to answer the following questions:

How did you come up with your business idea?

Who and what will you need to get started?

Who will your customer be?

How will your idea work?

What goods or services will your business sell?

How much money do you need to set up your business?

How do you plan to raise that money?

How do you plan to prepare, sell, or market your services?

What makes your new business different than other new businesses?

What makes your business likely to succeed?

How can you raise money for community programs by creating your new business?

In addition to the grand prize, there will also be prizes for finalists, semi-finalists, and even teacher awards.

For more information, all the details, and official rules of the contest, please visit the Secret Millionaires Club site for kids.

I highly encourage parents and kids to check out the site and the contest. You’ve heard me talk several times on the Ask MomRN Show about the importance of teaching kids about money, financial literacy and responsibility and we’ve even talked about kid entrepreneurs who are already growing their own businesses. Here is an awesome opportunity for kids to learn and to have a chance at winning $5,000 to help them achieve their dreams.

Good luck!!!

 

 

GameStop Puts Some Jingle in Your Pocket

Want an easy way to make some money for your holiday shopping AND clear out old, unused stuff to make room for all those new gifts you’ll get? GameStop can help put some extra cash in your pocket and take those unwanted electronics off your hands.

Just bring in your iPods, iPhones, and iPads to your local GameStop and a store associate will tell you the value of your trade items and give you cash or store credit on the spot. It’s easy – no packing, no shipping, no hassle!

Current Trade Values are:

· iPod Nano – Up to $70

· iPod – Up to $150

· iPhone – Up to $180

· iPad – Up to $300

Trading iPods, iPhones and iPads at GameStop is the best way to put more “Jingle in Your Pocket” this holiday season. To learn more, visit: http://gamestop.com/itrades and to find a GameStop near you, visit: http://www.gamestop.com/StoreLocator.aspx

Some other ways to save some cash and/or put a little extra jingle in your pocket this season are:

  • Make gifts from the heart
  • Offer gift-wrapping services for friends and charge a fee
  • Offer babysitting for friends so they can shop or attend parties without kids
  • Start buying gifts early or throughout the year to spread out the expense

What is YOUR best tip for putting more “Jingle in Your Pocket” this holiday season?

Tell us your tip in the comments below to enter for a chance to win a $50 GameStop gift card. ONE lucky MomRN reader will win a $50 GameStop gift card courtesy of GameStop. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 only. Be sure to include an email address or way to contact you if you win. Entry deadline is 11:59pm Central Time on December 21st. Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

GameStop is also offering a $1,000 GameStop gift card grand prize giveaway! To enter, visit MomSpark.net at http://momspark.net/gamestop-jingle-in-your-pocket-program-and-1000-giveaway/ and share a photo of yourself trading your iPod, iPhone and/or iPad at GameStop in the comments of her post. See more details on MomSpark. Good luck!

WINNER UPDATE:

Thanks to everyone who entered and for your great tips to save money and put some jingle in your pocket during the holidays!

Out of 20 eligible entries, a winner has been chosen using Random.org and the winner is:

#9 Mike Hoang

Congratulations, Mike! I’ll be contacting you soon!

Thanks again, Everyone, and don’t forget to enter the MomSpark giveaway for a $1000 GameStop gift card!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: This promotional sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I was compensated for my time investment and work on this campaign. Thanks to GameStop for providing me with a gift card to giveaway. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney’s The Muppets movie opens in theaters today!

Last week I was given the opportunity to see a screening of Disney’s The Muppets and it was just as fun, campy, and cheesy as I thought it would be! I loved it and so did my family!

As a child of the 70′s and 80′s, I grew up watching the Muppets on television on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street and the first few movies. Kermit has always been my fave so it was a dream come true when I had the opportunity to meet and interview him at Disney World last year!

YouTube Preview Image

Starting today, you can see Kermit and the whole Muppet gang in their newest feature film, Disney’s The Muppets!

YouTube Preview Image

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet MOVIE tonight!!!

Digital Folio for Smart Comparison Shopping

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve started your holiday shopping already! I have started but I’m nowhere near the finish line yet! It takes a lot of time to shop for the “just right gift” for each person on your list and when you consider the time it takes to comparison shop for the best price for each item then all that shopping can turn into a stressful chore. Enter Digital Folio to the rescue!

Digital Folio is a brand-new comparison shopping tool that simplifies your shopping and takes the stress out of trying to find the best bargain. It helps you find the right item, in the color and size you want, at the very best price available from the retailers it searches (currently Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Sears, with more retailers coming soon). You can easily search and add items to your “folio” folders (by simply dragging and dropping) and let Digital Folio do the work for you of tracking price changes in real-time. Even when your computer is offline, Digital Folio continues to monitor and update prices for you so the next time you shop, you have the latest information ready and waiting for you.

You can even share your folders with other people by allowing them to view the folio folders on their computers, which is great when you want to create a wish list for a birthday or holiday. No more too-small, ugly sweaters or hideous ties from relatives who didn’t know what to get for you. Now they will know exactly what you want and can save money when they buy it. And of course, you can do the same for the gifts they want. No more wondering what to get for everyone on your list.

Once you have used the tool to find that perfect gift and are ready to purchase it, Digital Folio takes you directly to the retailer to check out. After your purchase, you can choose to either delete the item from your folio or you can keep it there to see if the price drops. Many retailers will honor price drops within a specified time frame (some up to a full 30 days) and refund the difference to you. So Digital Folio will continue to monitor for price changes and save you money even after your purchase!

Best of all, Digital Folio is a free service. It can be downloaded onto your computer using IE or Firefox and works on both PCs and Macs. The developers are also working on rolling out apps for Windows, iOS, and Android smartphones. To take Digital Folio on the go with you, check to see if your version is available yet.

I downloaded and tested Digital Folio and found it pretty easy to use after a few minutes of learning how to navigate it. I like the ability to choose an item, such as a digital camera, drag it to the folio folder I created, drop it there and learn very quickly which retailer has that same item in the color and size I wanted and which of those has the best price on it. Since it downloads to your browser, the tool is handy to access but easy to hide if you want it out of the way when it is not being used.

To learn more about Digital Folio and have a chance to win a Target gift card, please join in on a fun Twitter party tonight at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central/5 Pacific. Here’s the details:

#DigitalFolio Twitter Party with Resourceful Mommy Tuesday, November 8, 8-9pm EST. Follow @ResourcefulMom and @DigitalFolio and participate in the party to be eligible to win one of six (6) $25 Target gift cards or the one (1) Grand Prize $100 Target gift card!

Now it is your turn to give it a try and see if Digital Folio helps you shop and save this holiday season and beyond!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Digital Folio too, so please leave me a comment after you have checked it out and tell us if it is something you like (or not) and why. Do you think it will help you with your holiday shopping and year-round shopping?

Also, by downloading and using Digital Folio, you’ll not only get to use it to help you shop, you will also be eligible to win a $200 Target gift card that will be awarded by Digital Folio on Wednesday, November 15, 2011! (All registered Digital Folio users will automatically be entered to win, so you don’t have to take any extra steps to enter – just create an account, download and start shopping! It is fast and easy!) Have fun shopping and good luck in the contest!

 

Disclosure: I was chosen by Global Influence and Digital Folio to share information and my opinion about the Digital Folio comparison shopping tool as part of a compensated campaign. Regardless of compensation, all opinions and thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way by either Global  Influence or Digital Folio. MomRN is committed to offering information and resources to help you and your family and will only recommend tools, products, and services that I believe are beneficial and worth checking out.