Giveaway-Go-Round

What would you buy with a $50 gift card to American Express? MomStart wants to know..comment to enter to win $50 to spend on yourself this holiday. Deadline: 12/31.

And MomStart also has a giveaway going on to coincide with the movie "It's Complicated"...win a $50 Visa gift card and a tote bag of movie goodies. Deadline: 12/30.

The Not-So Blog has a $100 American Express gift card giveaway courtesy of Hall's Refresh. Deadline: 01/04

Stop by A Couch with a View and enter the Petcentric giveaway for your chance to win a Nikon 10mp Digital Camera. Deadline: 12/31

Start your spring cleaning early by winning a Hoover WindTunnel V-Series vacuum at Just for Me and You. Deadline: 1/12.

While you're there, enter the Just for Me and You Lavender Fields giveaway for a chance to win a cute pair of warm PJ's for winter. Deadline: 1/4.


Just for Me and You has 191 Unlimited giveaway going on; 5 winners will snag a great 191 Unlimited shirt for the favorite male in their life. Deadline: 1/6


Rockin' Mama is giving two winners a cute pair of Karen Neuburger Lady Boyfriend PJ's. Deadline: 1/9.

How about something for your furry friend? MomStart is giving away a snoozer pool, patio dog bed and Rachel Ray goodie bag courtesy of Petcentric. Deadline: 1/11

Also make sure you enter the MomStart giveaway for your chance to win three great books from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Deadline: 1/15.

Born to Impress has a Price Pfister faucet giveaway; win your choice of seven different styles offered. Deadline: 1/19.

Winner: BJ's Wholesale Club

Congrats elkaye

GIVEAWAY: OXO - STAPLES

If you read my review of OXO office supplies a few months ago, you'll remember that I'm a confirmed office supply junkie. Hand me a new pen and I'm in bliss. A trip to any retail store always involves a quick jaunt down the office supply aisle. So when I got a package a few weeks ago containing an OXO tape dispenser, scissors and two packages of OXO retractable ballpoint pens it was like an early Christmas present just for me!

Each time I'm amazed at the ingenuity of those folks at OXO. The OXO think-tank is working overtime and they're quite a clever bunch, I must say. When they decided to delve into office supplies, they did it right the first time. Someone must have sat down and said "How can we do this better?" and then, they did.

I have a tape dispenser, well actually it doesn't work anymore because it used to have a drop in spool holder for the tape that one of the kids lost. I put the base away hoping that someday the little black spool would reappear and I'd be able to set it on the desk again. Not anymore, because I am now the proud owner of an OXO tape dispenser and there's no little spool to get lost now. Bet someone at OXO has kids like mine.



The spool is built right into the side to hold the roll of tape and the side of the dispenser flips open: it reminds me of a DeLorean car the way it flips open to load a fresh roll of tape.



I love my OXO scissors. There's a tiny button on the handle that you can push so the blades of the scissors cross and lock together so they can be safely used as a box cutter. No more grabbing a butter knife or fanning your scissors like a Ninja blade to open a UPS box.

OXO is also designing a line of markers, highlighters and pens. I had a chance to sample their new retractable ballpoint pens and I'm smitten. Ever put a pen in your pocket and discover later that the ink has now stained your shirt? I frequently use pens at work and I have a breast-pocket that I keep a pen clipped to and it's happened to me before. Not with OXO pens. These pens twist to expose the writing tip. When the tip is exposed the clip for the pen retracts; you can't clip the pen to a shirt if the tip is exposed, you have to twist it back in order to clip the pen to a shirt. Pure genius! These pens are also refillable and have a nice, comfortable grip.

OXO office supplies are exclusively located at Staples. I happened to see an entire display of them the last time I was there and ended up picking up one of their cute pocket staplers for my husband to use at work. But one of you isn't going to have to make a trip to experience OXO office supplies from Staples because we're having a giveaway! One winner is going to get a package of pens, markers, a tape dispenser and scissors all courtesy of Staples and OXO. Next time you're wrapping a present or opening a package, I'm sure you're going to see for yourself that someone was thinking outside the box when they designed these office supplies. OXO designs their supplies with real people in mind and the real needs we face everyday.

Mandatory Entry:

1) Stop by Staples and peruse their line of OXO office supplies. Come back and tell me which one you're dying to add to your desk collection besides the ones mentioned here. (1 entry, leave 1 comment).

Extra Credit:

2) Follow my blog or take credit if you already do (top left sidebar: 1 entry, leave 1 comment).

3) Tweet the giveaway, can be done daily (1 entry, leave 1 comment with your tweet url daily).

Easy tweet you can use:

OXO - Staples giveaway: win office supplies designed with you in mind. Ends 1/6 http://tiny.cc/OXO2

4) Blog it, it doesn't have to be long or wordy but link to this giveaway and Staples. (5 entries, leave 5 comments with your blog url).

US residents only. Giveaway ends on January 6, 2010 at 11:59pm. Winner will be chosen via the almighty randomizer and notified via email. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile. Winner has 48 hours to respond with shipping information before we pull a do-over. Prize will be shipped to the winner from the OXO/Staples representative; I'm just the middle-man.

StyleGuidance 12 Day of Christmas

Make sure you stop by Style Guidance...every day is a new prize and a new shot at winning. Check out the calendar for daily prize details and methods of entry. Today's prize is an iPod Touch and the final prize is a Macbook Air worth $1499.

**CLOSED**GIVEAWAY: BJ'S Wholesale Club

I recently had the opportunity to check out BJ's Wholesale Club. I was given a $25 gift card from My BlogSpark and I was able to print out the free two-month free trial membership from the BJ's website. My husband and I decided to stop there last Tuesday and see what BJ's had to offer.

I'd never shopped at one of those "club" stores before and I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived. After being greeted at the door, I was shown to the Customer Service counter where the clerk signed me up for my free two-month trial membership. It literally took 3 minutes including him taking my photo and printing out my membership card. There was no hard-sell to purchase a full membership ($45 for a year). Right now BJ's is running a special new-member paid offer for $45, which includes a $10 couponB and an extra two months of membership. If you sign up for the offer, you also will receive:

~A Member Savings Book with more than $1,000 in coupons and instant rebates
~“Sign up and Save” coupons worth $117 in savings
~2 cards (one for you and someone else in your household)
~A no risk 100% money back guarantee on the fee if you are not satisfied

Vast is the first thing that came to mind. My husband lost himself in the electronics section as soon as we came in the store. You know how some grocery stores have babysitting areas for children where the parents can leave the child there while they shop? That must be why BJ's puts the electronics at the front of the store...so I would know where to find my husband when I was done shopping. I'll admit, I was looking too since I'm coveting a GPS for Christmas and BJ's had a display of all the models they carry at the end of one of their aisles.

I wanted to get a feel for all that BJ's had to offer so my husband and I walked down almost every aisle in the store. BJ's has just about everything: clothing, gift wrap and cards, books, office supplies, and toys.

We spent most of our time in the grocery section. Next time I have a party planned, BJ's is where I'm going to head. They had a wide variety of appetizers in the freezer section that would be perfect when you're planning a party. I loved all the goodies in their bakery section and ended up taking home a tray of danish very reasonably priced at $5.99 for 10 large iced danishes.

All in all, I felt their prices were more than reasonable. While you're buying most things in bulk sizes, the prices are still cheaper than what I've paid at the grocery store. My local grocer sells Chef Boyardee cans 10 for $10 and I found a package of 10 cans at BJ's to be priced at $9.27. A gallon of milk at BJ's was only $1.50, a big savings from what I usually pay at the grocery store. In addition, BJ's accepts all manufacturer's coupons alongside of any coupons BJ's also provides for products. When I came in the store there was a large display of coupons available for the taking.



I did get a huge box of Hershey's Brownie Mix that makes 4 batches of brownies for my holiday baking for $6.99. You just can't find sizes like that in any grocery store.

MyBlogSpark, BJ's and General Mills are offering one of my readers the chance to experience BJ's too. You'll get a $25 gift card to BJ's Wholesale Club so you can pick up some great bargains yourself.

Mandatory Entry:

1) Click over to the BJ's Wholesale Club website and tell me something you'd love to stock up on.

Extra Credit:

2) Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect, or take credit if you already do. (top left sidebar: 1 entry, leave 1 comment)

3) Tweet the giveaway, can be done daily (1 entry, leave 1 daily comment with your tweet url).

Easy tweet you can use:

BJ's Wholesale Club giveaway: win a $25 gift card & experience big savings. Ends 12/23. http://tiny.cc/TfhrB

4) Use the BJ's Store Locator and tell me the address of the BJ's Wholesale Club nearest to you (1 entry, leave 1 comment).


Giveaway ends on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. US residents only. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile. Winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information before there's a do-over.

Disclosure: I was provided a $25 BJ's Wholesale Club gift card, BJ's Journal with coupons and a free two-month trial membership courtesy of MyBlogSpark and General Mills for my review.

HP TouchSmart looks really smart

Want a chance to land an HP TouchSmart 600 computer? There are five blogs participating in a campaign sponsored by BlogHer and by commenting on their sites, you're in the running to win one for yourself! Deadline for all: 12/24.

1) BooMama

2) NieNie Reviews

3) McKMama

4) Totally Together Reviews

5) Kelly's Reviews

Winner! Original Scrapbox

A winner has been drawn for the EZ View Desktop.....



Congratulations goes to Mom of 3 Dolls who is now also a qualifier for the EZ View Craft Desk worth $495. I'm sending you an email now and I need to hear back from you within 24 hours before I redraw.
{ Mom of 3 Dolls } said... 278

#5 blog entry
http://momof3dolls.blogspot.com/2009/12/win-ez-view-desktop.html

**CLOSED**GIVEAWAY: The Original Scrapbox 12 Blogs of Christmas

The Original Scrapbox Gives Back with the 12 Blogs of Christmas December 4-11, 2009 GRAND PRIZE WINNER announced December 14, 2009

There are 12 ways to win and 12 blogs to visit to enter with a special way to help The Original Scrapbox give back!



Enter to win a NEW EZ View Desktop and an entry in the Grand Prize Giveaway for a NEW EZ View Craft Desk from The Original Scrapbox for FREE! Your entries will help The Original Scrapbox GIVE 2 of these desks to charity!


By commenting on this post you are entering for the chance to win an EZ View Desktop. The EZ View Desktop is designed to sit on a desk and has drawers that open on either end. The EZ View Desktop comes in black or vanilla colors, your choice.





The winner from my blog will be combined with the winners from the other 11 participating blogs into the Grand Prize Drawing to be held on December 14, 2009. Rachelle from Rachelle's Writing Spot will be drawing one winner from the 12 to win an EZ View Craft Desk. This desk is designed with a clear, glass-like top and the dimensions are 50"W x 25" D x 31" H. The desk is big, with 4 drawers with built-in partitions for easy organizing on any home project.






Pretty sweet, no? So by entering to win this giveaway for an EZ View Desktop here you'll also have a 1:12 chance at landing the EZ View Craft Desk. This giveaway ends on December 11, 2009 at 11:59 pm and I will draw the winner via Random.org for the EZ View Desktop. The winner will be notified via email and will need to respond within 24 hours with their mailing information, phone number (for shipping purposes only) and color choice (black or vanilla) or another winner will be drawn. I will forward the information on to Rachelle for inclusion in the Grand Prize Drawing for the EZ View Craft Desk that will be held on her site, Rachelle's Writing Spot, on December 14, 2009. The winner will need to respond to Rachelle by December 16, 2009. Unfortunately, Christmas delivery cannot be guaranteed.

How will The Original Scrapbox give back?

We will be tracking web hits to The Original Scrapbox during the giveaway and when we reach 12,000 hits, The Original Scrapbox will donate one EZ View Craft Desk to the Friends of Utah County Children's Justice Center. This charity helps abused children.

'Tis the season of giving and The Original Scrapbox wants to give back to a charity of your choosing. When we reach 25,000 hits during our giveaway they will also donate an EZ View Craft Desk to a charity nominated by you!!

Would you like to nominate a charity to receive this spectacular gift? Please send an email to RachellewritesATgmail.com with the name of your charitable organization as well as a description of what they do. We would like to choose a charity that will be able to utilize the EZ View Craft Desk in their program. Tell Rachelle why these products would benefit your charity.

Email the charity organization name, description, and contact person for receiving donations to

RachellewritesATgmail.com

Rachelle will review all nominations and The Original Scrapbox giving board will choose a recipient.

When you visit the website to choose your favorite product and enter the giveaway, you’ll help us get one step closer to our goal.

Mandatory Entry:

1) Visit The Original Scrapbox and pick a favorite item, other than the giveaway items, and tell me why you love it. (1 entry, leave 1 comment).

Extra Credit- you must leave separate comments for each entry you are entitled to for your entries to count!

2) Become a Facebook Fan of The Original Scrapbox. (1 entry, leave 1 comment with your Facebook name).

3) Share the giveaway on Facebook. (1 entry, leave 1 comment with your Facebook profile link).

4) Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (left sidebar), or take credit if you already do. (1 entry, leave 1 comment).

5) Tweet the giveaway on Twitter, this can be done every day for 1 extra entry per day!. (1 daily entry, leave 1 comment with your Twitter ID or tweet url).

An easy tweet you can use:

Enter The Original Scrapbox giveaway, win an EZ View Desktop or Craft Desk. Ends 12/11. http://bit.ly/92WuGW #scrapbox

6) Add The Original Scrapbox button to your sidebar - just copy and paste the code below (2 entries, leave 2 comments with your blog url).




<center><a href="http://www.theoriginalscrapbox.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c48/shel704/public-shel/300x250_Affiliate_Rachelle_Christma.jpg"/></a></center>

7) Become a follower of my Snipi Stream by clicking "follow stream" in the right sidebar of my Stream-A-Dream. You may need to register for a Snipi account, it is free. Then click-through any of the items I have added to my Snipi Stream. (4 entries, leave 4 comments with your Snipi I.D.).

8) Blog about the giveaway. Your post should include the following tags: The Original Scrapbox, Scrapbook storage, Workbox, EZ View Craft Desk. Please include a link to my blog. (5 entries, leave 5 comments with your post url).

***Remember, feel free to tweet the giveaway daily for one extra entry each day!

Giveaway ends on December 11, 2009 at 11:59pm. Open to US, Canada, UK and EU countries. You must leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile.. Winner will have 24 hours to respond with the required information before I pull a do-over.

There are 11 other awesome bloggers holding a contest to give away an EZ View Desktop (Yes, 12 EZ View Desktops will be given away—one from each blog!) and at each of these blogs you can also enter for the GRAND PRIZE-- EZ VIEW Craft Desk. Stop by their blogs and enter for more chances to win:

1) Life As Lou

2) Vanilla Joy

3) Priscilla Styles

4) Capadia Designs

5) Crafty Makes

6) Just Me, My Soldier, and My Two Little Chicks

7) Randomish by Nichole

8) Park City Girl

9) Lovely Little Handmades

10) Queen of the Clan

11) Rachelle's Writing Spot

There were survivors on the Titanic..right?

aka The Great Bathroom Remodeling Project of 2009-2010.

Welcome to my nightmare. My bathroom hasn't seen a coat of paint since I bought the house way back in 1988. The linoleum was in poor shape when I moved in and has progressively gotten worse over the years.



Andy cut out a section that was already coming up near the door so we could see what's underneath...it's not pretty.

Last weekend we removed the old rope window from the bathroom and installed a new double-hung window. How I'll miss opening that old rope window and jamming that section of wood molding into the frame to hold it open so it wouldn't slam shut and cut someone's fingers off....NOT! Andy also removed the old wood chair rail that ran around the middle of the room and patched and sanded the area where it was taken off.




After much discussion, Andy has agreed to replace the lighting, medicine cabinet, sink, vanity and faucet. I argued that since we were keeping the Titanic..aka the clawfoot bathtub with hanging shower combo..we could afford to replace those other items since everything in there now is old and showing signs of wear. I am working on convincing him to let me purchase the white vanity I saw at Home Depot. He's a strong opponent of any white fixtures since being the father of three sons he's seen firsthand how they dirty anything light-colored. My argument is that they're grown-ups now and no longer eat their own boogers, so any white fixtures should be fine.

Now here's the tricky part, I'm a color dummy. I have a lot of difficulty matching colors and I swear it's probably a defective gene..the same gene that controls balancing my checkbook and making crafts that don't look like a 2-year-old made it. I was leaning toward a deep red wall with a gray woodwork/trim. My bathroom isn't small, so I thought those colors might work.



I picked up two of the Glidden paint testers at Home Depot and gave them a try and I'm not liking the look...not even a little bit. I'm hoping to avoid another paint disaster; my kitchen looks like eggs and ketchup because I *thought* that yellow walls with red trim would look great in the kitchen. Trust me, it doesn't. Now I have no idea what to do in there. The shower curtain can and will be replaced, so I'm open to any color combinations except I want to stay away from white, off-white, and tan. It's hard to tell now, but the original color of the bathroom was tan although it vaguely reminds me of old cigarette smoke now. Tan walls, tan woodwork...lots of tan. Another reason why I want to replace the vanity and mirror. I'm tired of brown. So now I'm back to scouring the internet in search of a decent color combination for the bathroom. Wallpaper is out since there's no ventilation in the bathroom and I'm worried about steam accumulation from the shower making it peel. There was a small part of me that briefly thought about doing some type of faux painting in there and then I woke up. While Andy is an excellent painter with a roller; I'm not sure we can trust him with a rag or a sponge. I am a lost cause with anything creative. I'm open to any color suggestions anyone might have since I'm flying blind here.

As far as the floor goes, Andy is championing for linoleum and I want to go with a laminate wood plank flooring in a whitewash color. I like the Trafficmaster Allure in Blond Maple from Home Depot. After reading some articles online, I'm not sure that it will work in the bathroom. We're planning on hiring someone to put the floor in rather than do it ourselves, so that call will be theirs. I've read that it tends to "shrink" after being installed and I'd hate to have it pull away from the baseboard.