Tag Archives: giveaways

Shutterfly photo card contest winners

Thanks everyone for entering and making this one of the most popular contests I have hosted. Unfortunately, there can only be three winners. Selected randomly by comment number, here are the lucky readers:

Ida

Andra

Karen

I’ve contacted them by email, but if you’re one of the winners and you haven’t received an email from me, please get in touch with me so I can send you your promo code.

If you’d like another opportunity to win, head over to my friend Jes’s blog and enter there. If you’re a blogger, you can also register here for the opportunity to receive 25 photo cards for hosting your own contest.

Have a great weekend!

Win 25 free holiday photo cards from Shutterfly!

Sorry! This contest is now closed.

I realize it’s not even Halloween yet, but yes, it’s already time to talk about holiday greeting cards.

I just love this promotion, and I’m so excited to be participating in it again this year. Only now there’s a twist: I have three promo codes for 25 free custom holiday cards to give away to my readers!

Last year, when Shutterfly offered me the opportunity to write about their new holiday cards in exchange for some free photo cards, I jumped at the offer. I had a baby on the way, and I planned to use our holiday cards as birth announcements. I loved the way they turned out, and the quality was outstanding. Here’s the design we chose last year:

I can’t believe he was ever that tiny.

I looked through their selection this year, and they have lots of options for holiday cards, greeting cards, and photo gifts. I can’t make any promises obviously, but I was impressed with their shipping last year. I ordered at the beginning of December — the height of holiday card season — and I still received my cards in plenty of time to send them out before Christmas.

So how can you get 25 free photo cards for yourself? Just leave a comment on this post telling me how you plan to use your free cards. You can use them as Christmas cards, holiday cards, birth announcements, everyday greeting cards, or something entirely different. The best part about customized photo cards is you can really make them your own.

I’ll randomly choose three winners who will receive promo codes for 25 free cards each. Winners will be selected Thursday night at 9 p.m. and announced Friday morning. Make sure you leave an email address in the space provided when you write your comment so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

In exchange for this blog post, I’m receiving 50 free holiday greeting cards from Shutterfly. Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here.

Flip camera winner

The randomly chosen winner of the “Great Piggy Bank Adventure” Flip camera from T. Rowe Price is Kim with her comment:

I think its easier to talk about these thing rather than money because there are so many families struggling with their financials right now.

I feel terrible admitting this, but I didn’t consider that perspective. I can see how people who are struggling or feeling bad about their financial situation would have a hard time talking to their kids about it.

If that’s the situation you’re in, I really want you to know that it’s never too late! Despite the unsure economy, you can dig yourself out of any situation you’re in and help your kids avoid mistakes in the future.

Congrats to Kim, and thank you everyone for entering. Stay tuned for more contests and prizes in the future!

Financial literacy, your kids & a chance to win a Flip camera!

Sorry, entries for this contest are now closed. A winner has been chosen, and I will be announcing as soon as I’ve received the prize from T. Rowe Price and contacted the winner. Thanks for participating!

When I was a kid, my parents were a pretty open book. We talked about money just like we talked about everything else. My parents never kept us in the dark. We understood the financial choices they made, and they shared things with my sisters and me candidly.

Now that I have a baby of my own, I’ve already put thought into how I’d like to educate him about money. I think it’s important for parents to talk to their kids about money from an early age. The lessons should be age-appropriate, of course, but I think we’ll start Judah’s financial education pretty early.

We plan to ask Judah to put aside a portion of birthday and Christmas money given to him by grandparents into a savings account. He’ll be allowed to make choices about how he’d like to use the money, but we’ll talk with him about the value of saving money and spending it responsibly.

I’m not sure where I stand on the topic of giving an “allowance.” My sisters and I were given an allowance off and on throughout childhood, and it was usually tied to completing certain household chores. I think kids should learn that contributing to the household by doing chores is part of their responsibility as a member of our family — not an incentive for money. However, I think there’s value in teaching kids that work = money, and if they want to earn an income, they have to work for it.

Most importantly, Tony and I plan to be open with Judah and future children about our financial situation and choices. When they’re old enough to understand, I’d like to teach them about paying bills each month and show them how much things cost. I’d like to go over the family budget with them to show them where our money goes and discuss our emergency fund, savings, and other financial choices in depth.

I want to encourage our children to work part-time after school when they’re teenagers, and give them financial responsibilities of their own like car insurance, gas, and spending money. I was given financial responsibilities as soon as I was old enough to work, and I think it taught me a lot about money management and responsible spending habits.

As part of their financial literacy campaign, T. Rowe Price asked me to write a post about talking with kids about money. According to a recent survey conducted by T. Rowe Price, they discovered that parents found it more difficult to talk to their kids about money than talking to them about dating, drugs, smoking, or alcohol. That sort of blows my mind. I think money is a topic that you can begin discussing with children at a much younger age than I would bring up those other topics.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as playing “store” or “restaurant” with a young child and teaching them to exchange play money for toys or play food. The lessons can grow with your child as you discuss more complicated financial issues like budgeting, saving, and investing.

To help parents start talking about money with their children, T. Rowe Price and Disney have teamed up to launch the Great Piggy Bank Adventure, an interactive website designed for children ages 8 to 14 to teach them about important financial concepts like saving, spending, inflation, and more complicated investing concepts. In addition to the website, T. Rowe Price is also the sponsor of the Great Piggy Bank Adventure experience at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World. There, children and their parents can learn more about financial planning in a hands-on, interactive environment.

I love the idea of the Great Piggy Bank Adventure, because I think it makes financial literacy fun for kids and parents. There’s no reason to feel overwhelmed about teaching your children about money. It can even be a game!

As part of their campaign, T. Rowe Price asked me to talk to you about how you talk to your kids about money. In exchange for your participation in the discussion, you’ll be entered to win a Great Piggy Bank Adventure Flip camera provided by T. Rowe Price. Here’s how to enter:

Write a comment answering one or more of the questions below. For each question you answer, write a separate comment. Each comment will be counted as a separate entry.

That’s it! It’s easy. The winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, August 12 at 9 p.m. EST, so you have until then to enter.

Here are the questions:

  • Is it easier for you to talk about drugs and alcohol than your family finances? If so why?
  • Why do you think it is easier for parents to talk about drugs and smoking than family finances with their kids?
  • Was the topic of money “taboo” in your family growing up?
  • What advice would you give to other parents talking to their kids about the family finances?

Good luck!

Disclosure: In exchange for writing this post, T. Rowe Price provided the Flip camera for this giveaway and also provided me with a gift card for my participation. T. Rowe Price is not involved in or responsible for the outcome of this giveaway.

Photo credit

Giveaway: Vaseline Sheer Infusion lotion

Disclosure: I received three free sample bottles of Vaseline Sheer Infusion lotion for this review. Please view my Disclosure for more information on my review policies. In short, I do accept free products for review, but I do not guarantee a positive review. All product reviews reflect my honest opinion.

As the weather turns colder, I start to struggle with dry skin. So it was perfect timing when the nice people at Vaseline sent me two sample sets of their new Sheer Infusion lotion — one to review and one to send to my lucky readers!

According to Vaseline, this lotion is different because it penetrates below the surface of the skin to moisturize deep down. Obviously I can’t test that claim, but I can tell you that it made my normally dry skin very soft, and the three different scents are all pleasant and relaxing.

Vitamin Burst has kind a citrusy smell, Mountain Renewal is more perfumey, and Botanical Blend has a fruity, tropical scent. My favorite is Vitamin Burst.

Overall, I really liked the product, but I do have two complaints: Despite claims that the lotion immediately absorbs into the skin for a clean, non-greasy feeling, I felt like it took a little long to dry. Once the lotion had a chance to absorb into my skin, it didn’t feel greasy at all, but it took a few minutes to get there.

I’m also a little disappointed at the price. Vaseline typically offers great, budget-friendly products, but the retail price for Sheer Infusion is in the $7-$8 range for a 6.8-ounce bottle. It seems like they’re trying to cross over into the high-dollar market to line up with brands like Aveeno and Olay. To be honest, I’ve never found the pricier lotions to be better, so I kind of wish Vaseline would continue to offer their products at a more affordable price.

Now for the giveaway! I’m giving away one 6.8 ounce bottle to three readers. To enter, just comment on this post and tell me your biggest winter beauty problem. If you have a solution to offer, then go ahead! But if you haven’t figured out a solution, maybe someone else will comment and help you out!

Be sure to include your email address in the email box and your top two choices for scents (Vitamin Burst, Mineral Renewal, or Botanical Blend). The three winners will be selected at random on Friday night. First place will receive their top choice. Second place will receive their second choice if they requested the same scent as the first-place winner. Third place will receive what’s left. :)

Go here to learn more about Vaseline Sheer Infusion and print a $1.50 off coupon.

TGIF Link Round Up: Labor Day Edition

First things first: the Pond’s Cleansing Towelettes giveaway! Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I loved reading your beauty tips! If you haven’t checked out some of the great tips from other readers, head over to the comments on the post.

I wish I could send all of you the prize, but I had to pick just one winner. So without further adieu, the winner (chosen using random.org) is:

Heather, whose beauty tip was, “I use a foundation that has a sunscreen and moisturizer combined. This not only helps to fight skin cancer, but it also saves me 2 steps.” Great tip, and congrats!

And now for some links:

I’m SO looking forward to the long weekend. I want to get some rest, but I’m also itching to get out and do something fun. What are all of you doing for Labor Day? Any ideas for some frugal fun?

Win a 30-day supply of Pond’s Cleansing Face Wipes

ponds-clean-sweep-0709-lgIt’s hard to believe that after blogging for over a year this is my first giveaway!

Last month, Pond’s was nice enough to send me two packages of their cleansing face wipes: one to try and one to give away to a lucky reader.

Before I tell you what I think, let me remind you of my review policy on this blog: Free products do not guarantee a positive review. All thoughts on this blog are my own, and they’re not influenced by anything but my personal experiences. I promise. :)

These wipes are hypoallergenic for those of you with sensitive skin, and they’re safe to use for removing eye makeup even if you wear contacts. They’re also super convenient. I can be pretty lazy in my nightly beauty routine, and when I’m exhausted the last thing I want to do is go through a face washing routine. With these wipes, you just pull one out, scrub your makeup off, and you’re done.

My favorite time to use them is after my workout. Not only do they take off all the sweat and “waterproof mascara” that still somehow smudges when I sweat, but they’re cool and refreshing on my skin. And they definitely make my face feel clean.

Like a lot of beauty products, though, they can be a little pricey. That’s why I want to give one of you the chance to try them out for yourself for free! Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post, and share your favorite beauty shortcut. Make sure you enter an email address in the comment form so I can contact you directly if you’re the winner. The winner will be selected randomly tomorrow night, and I’ll announce it Friday morning. Good luck!

If you don’t win, you can get a coupon for $1.50 off here if you want to try them out.