
I call my purse The Black Hole of Hudak. As I've gotten older, my purse has gotten bigger. I've now moved into a great smuggling bag from Guess dubbed the "Shopper's Tote". It's more like black patent-leather Samsonite with a shoulder strap. It's capable of bootlegging two 20-ounce colas and a king-size box of Raisinetes into the movie theater past the most probing teenage ticket-taker. Consequently, finding anything inside the purse makes me yell "Cover me, I'm going in!" while frantically digging with one hand. In the grocery store, I've been known to move to an end-cap and start removing contents in order to find that elusive pen or one of the 10,000 frequent shopper cards I've accumulated that never seem to stay put in my wallet. No notepad has been known to survive the turbulence that ensues by riding inside the dark abyss that is my purse. They end up being bent, twisted and ripped. Not anymore!
Welcome to Flip Notes. What are Flip Notes? Well, the Wellspring website says it best:
Flip Notes are Wellspring's #1 best-seller and are available in over 30 chic designs!
Flip Notes are perfect for notes on-the-go as they fit snugly inside pockets, purses, or briefcases! Flip Notes make perfect gifts for loved ones, teachers, hosts & coworkers.
Each Flip Notes features a stylish debossed metal spring-loaded case with a blank white note pad and a retractable pen.
When you run out of paper or ink, Flip Note refill pads and pens are also available.
I was sent this beautiful Pink Ribbon Flip Note.

In a nutshell, it's a hard metal case that contains a white notepad inside. It locks closed via the small pen that comes with each notepad. Flip Notes don't open until the accompanying pen is removed. That metal case is stronger than a Kevlar vest. Nothing will penetrate and demolish your notepad with the case as protection. It's a sentry for your scribbles.
Flip Notes are thin enough to slide into your wallet and they're very lightweight. Flip Notes aren't just for moms! There are plenty of styles suitable for men and so slender that they'll fit perfectly into a shirt pocket without weighing it down in the least.
The notepad inside is perforated at the top, making it a breeze to rip out the note you just wrote. Refills are available on the Wellspring website. The outside metal on my Pink Ribbon Flip Note is a shiny pink and the ribbon is raised making it look very stylish. I can tell you that when I'm diving in blind into my purse, that raised ribbon is better than Braille when I'm trying to find my Flip Notes. No more frantically searching for a pen either, it's locked into my Flip Notes. I can finally throw out all those receipts I keep in my purse as scrap paper. Maybe I can read the calendar on the back of my check ledger since I won't be using it to scribble down the titles of the books I want to borrow at the library when I see them in the store.
I'm sure your big question is "But Auntie, how much does it cost? Will I have to take on a second job to buy one?" No, no my friends....Flip Notes are $9.99 making them the perfect gift for co-workers or Christmas gift exchanges.
And the best part, you could land one for free! I've got two great Flip Notes to give away to anyone who's bothered to read this far into my post.
I have an Amethyst Flip Notes:

and a Word Art Ideal in blue:

How cool is that? Read on for the rules:
1) Spring over to the Wellspring Gifts website. Peruse the 30 different styles of Flip Notes and come back here and tell me one that makes you swoon and who you'd give it to. It's perfectly fine to say "It's mine...all MINE!"
In this same comment,also specify which of the two pictured above Flip Notes you want if you win. You can just say PURPLE or BLUE.
This is the only required entry. You must do this in order for any extra entries to count. I have the power to delete your comments MUHAHAHAHA..don't make me use it.
EXTRA ENTRIES (leave an additional comment for each entry you earn):
1) Follow FlipNoteFan on Twitter. Leave me a comment with your twitter name.(one extra entry)
FlipNoteFan is the generous sponsor of this great giveaway. You want to hear all about any upcoming Flip Notes giveaways, yes? (that's a hint people) You can also check out his website FlipNoteFan.com. Did you know Flip Notes appeared on Ugly Betty? That Nicholas Cage was sporting one in Bangkok Dangerous? Flip Notes are note-orious! (that's my attempt at a pun)
2) Tweet this giveaway on Twitter. For those of you who are my kindred spirits and can never think up a clever tweet under pressure, feel free to copy/paste the following:I'm flipping over this Flip Notes giveaway. Enter to win one for yourself! http://tiny.cc/KYSiz
Come back to this post and leave me your twitter name or the url to your tweet.(one extra entry & you CAN do this daily if the spirit moves you. Leave a comment each day you tweet)
3) Facebook the url to this giveaway and leave me comment on this post with the link to your profile.(one extra entry)
4) Email a friend and cc me at shel704 at aol dot com. Leave a comment on this post so that I can keep track and properly credit your entry.(one extra entry)
5) Blog it. It doesn't have to be long or verbose but you've got to link to my site. Leave the direct url to your blog blurb on this post.(three entries since it's a pain in the posterior, leave three comments as entries)
***Make sure to leave your email in your entry IF it is not visible in your blogger profile. I beg you, please do not to make me go on a search & destroy mission to find you if you win. You can pretend you're Nicholas Cage in Windtalkers and leave it in code, but leave me a way to contact you***
US residents only. This giveaway will end on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 11pm EST. The Mighty Randomizer decides the winners. You must do rule #1 in order for your entries to count, any additional entries are gravy and you can do one or all of them..just make sure you don't rip yourself off..leave separate comments for each entry that you've earned. I am lazy and I don't count well--unfortunately, you can't rely on me to credit extra entries. The prize will be mailed the following week to the winner provided the weather isn't yucky and there isn't anything good on tv. First winner drawn gets their choice, #2 gets leftovers. Winners have three days to respond with their mailing information before there's a do-over.






















