Saving Money and Having a Blast Doing It!

I wanted to thank everyone for being so patient with me and my internet issues. I am now back up and online (although my phone is not working now... go figure).

I havn't had the time to enter as many giveaways as I would like to lately, but I have been finding time for some other things.

I tend to find a new hobby and get very involved in it until there is nothing else I could possibly learn (at least not for free) and then I move on. It was like that with sewing, html, scrapbooking and so on. My mother calls it my hobby of the month. Is anyone else like that or is it just me?

Oh well. This months "hobby of the month" is couponing. I have been reading forums and matching coupons to sales and having so much fun doing it. I wish I could blog more about specific deals to help people out, but most deals are so specific to areas that I don't think it would be much help.

My favorite deal so far has been 8 boxes of betty crocker fruit snacks for $3.50.

If you want to find deals that match coupons to your local stores try A Full Cup. They have tons of different store "shopping lists" which are lists of everything that is on sale that also matches a coupon in their database. The database includes any kind of coupon you can imagaine... Printables, Sunday Paper, Tearpads and more.

Check it out and be sure to look for me in the forums. Username: Jennielee685

Until Next Time : Good Luck and Happy Entering (and couponing) !

Well Their was a team out in front of my house on Friday working on the lines and I got my hopes up thinking the internet might be back on by the weekend, but alas it is Sunday and still no internet. I am currently writing from my mothers house.

This time has not been a total waste. I have been thinking about ways to improve my blog and you will see some changes very soon. I plan to include more posts about general sweepstakes and winning other types of contests, while the focus will still be on blog giveaways.

My goal is to help you get lucky and win as often as possible. If there is anything you would like to read about, let me know. I am open to requests.

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Happy Entering!

My internet is down again... this time they are saying it may take a few weeks. I keep begging my husband to let us move out of these darn mountains. Sure it's peaceful and quiet but the winters are horrible.

So anyway for the next few weeks my posts will be few and far between. I hope to get to my mothers at least once a week and maybe get a few spare seconds at work. (If you happen to employ me please forget that last sentence)

I hope everyone is having a good time and winning lots of prizes!

Until Next Time Good Luck and Happy Entering!

What I Really Want Wednesday - Fancy Smancy Crock Pot

I already have a crock pot, well sort of. My mother borrowed it a few months ago and I havn't seen it since.

It is a good crock pot and gets the job done but it is a little small for my needs, but overall I was happy with it until I saw... This is the ultimate crock pot.

It comes equipped with features for easy cleaning, a touch screen and a feature that will turn itself down and just keep your food warm when it is done cooking.

And as for the size It holds 6.5 quarts of the most delicious recipe you could think of. Now my old crock pot looks like a cereal bowl to me.

So do you want to win this crock pot as badly as I do?

5 Minutes For Giveaways/Crock Pot e-Lume Giveaway
No fuss cooking with easy cleanup. Who wouldn't love that.To enter just leave a comment on the giveaway post.
Ends: January 24th
Extra Entries: Subscribe to feed, Subscribe to newsletter, add button, blog about it, spread the word via facebook, twitter, ext.

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Happy Entering!

Sunday's Featured Giveaway Blog

Thanks to a huge snow storm that knocked out my internet, I was not able to post yesterday. That's winter in the Pocono's for you. (If any one has been thinking about taking a skiing trip, now is the time) So Saturday's featured giveaway blog is not Sunday's featured giveaway blog. Don't worry I found a good one for you that is definitely worth the wait.

Jolly Mom is a super fun mom blog that goes beyond product reviews and giveaways. You'll find great crafts and activities to do with you child. I have been getting a lot of use out of them lately thanks to the snow storms that we have been getting and the cable that we have not been getting. I also enjoy her information on nutrition. One post that I have found invaluable is Getting Your Toddler To Eat Healthy.

I had the opportunity to ask Jolly Mom a few questions and here is what she had to say.

Why did you start this blog?

I started Jolly Mom because I wanted a way to connect with family members that live all around the world. It quickly turned into more than a place to display pictures of my son, Lucas. I fell in love with blogging and totally became addicted-lol!

What do you love about blogging?

I love getting to know other moms who are living a similar experience to me. I’m a WAHM so I get little interaction with the outside world. Blogging is really a support system for me.

What is your favorite product that you have ever given away?

I love the Plan Toys giveaway! It was a huge prize with a grocery cart and three sets of play food. I was so honored that they sponsored it on my blog because Plan Toys is an excellent company.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I just want to say thank you to the moms and women who read my blog. They are the ones that keep my blog going. They inspire me to want to be a better blogger. Also, I want to say to any new bloggers to not give up. Write about something you love and reach out to other bloggers if you need help. We should all help one another when we are able to. I had a lot of help when I was starting out and I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the mom bloggers who generously gave me advice.

Now for the good stuff. The giveaways!

Jolly Mom is hosting Blog Party with another blog that has been featured on this site, Go Grahm Go! You can get early entries for all of the giveaways by clicking on the link above and following the directions.

Boca Beth Beginner Pack (49.99)
Boca Beth is a great way to help teach your children a second language. You can win this beginner pack by visiting Boca Beth's website then returning to Jolly Mom and commenting with one way your child could benifit from being bilingual.
Ends: Jan 20th
Extra Entries: Blog about it, twitter and tweet, subscribe or follow Jolly Mom and Boca Beth, Add a button, stubmle, Add Mom Party 09 Button(2 extra), sign up for the Boca Beth News Letter.

Mod Mum Sling
Like to keep your baby close to your heart? I wish I had one of these when my kids were little, but it's not to late to get one for my sister (who is due in May). You can win one by visiting Mod Mum and choosing your favorite pattern, then posting it in a comment on the giveaway post.
Ends: Jan 18th
Extra Entries: Blog about it, twitter and tweet, subscribe or followJolly Mom , Add a button, stubmle, Add Mom Party 09 Button(2 extra)

No Squeeze Juice Box Holder
Okay so this product is exactly what it sounds like. Simple but verry necessary. My youngest daugter Sarah Belle loves to make her a volcano out of her juice box. Not so fun if you just mopped the floor. You can win this by visiting the no squeeze website and telling jolly mom one thing you learned.
Ends: Jan 15th
Extra Entries: Blog about it, twitter and tweet, subscribe or followJolly Mom , Add a button, stubmle, Add Mom Party 09 Button(2 extra), Telling a friend about the no squeeze juice box holder using the online form.

Have fun entering these great giveaways and be sure to get your early entries into the Blog Party.

Until Next Time Good Luck and Happy Entering!

Extra Entries Really Do Make a Difference

This Thursdays tip:
Use Extra Entries to win more prizes.

Extra entries really do make a huge difference. In fact out of all of the giveaways I have one I can only think of one that I didn't have more than one entry in, and that one did not allow extra entries.

Every blog has different rules about extra entries and how you can get them but I will go over some of the most popular.

Follow Me on Blogger: This is really easy to do if you already have a blogger account. If you don't it is very easy to set up and You Don't Need A Blog To Have A Blogger Account.

Subscribe: Some blogs give you the option to subscribe by RSS but many will require you to subscribe by email so it is easier to verify. For more information about subscriptions please see RSS Feeds: What They Are and Why You Need Them. If you do subscribe by email, make sure you read those emails. Some blogs announce winners in their feed and that will be there only form of contact.

Follow Me on Twitter: Twitter is a fun social networking site that is so easy to use. (Don't worry it doesn't even come close to being as complex as MySpace) This is an extra entry that everyone should get. Not only will you get the one extra entry, but you can also find out about new giveaways as they happen. Because it only takes a couple of seconds to update twitter most blog owners will post all of their contests there. I also use it to keep in touch with family. (I have 3 sisters scattered across the country and my husbands family is scattered across 3 different countries.)

Blog About It: Not many people choose this option, and I don't know why. It is so simple. Most blog owners won't mind if you use their pictures as long as it is in promotion of their giveaway, but be sure to ask first. It only takes a few sentences to describe the prize and where to find it. Then you add a link or two and click publish post.

Buy Something: You can usually get a few extra entries by buying something from the sponcers site. In most cases it doesn't matter if it is the cheapest item on the site. Still I do not use this one two often as winning something is not as much fun if it is not completely free. I do however use it if the sponsor is selling something I would normally buy anyway.

Digg, Stumble ext... : You can favorite the blog on a number of different sites to gain extra entries as well. The only site that I currently use for this is stumble. While it did take a little longer to set up then I would like it was worth it as I get so many extra entries for this one and I use it for other reasons as well. (Helps me find new giveaway blogs, because I am constantly stumbling the ones I already use)

If you are not already using all of these extra entries, take a good look at them and ask your self why. When you have some extra time set up the accounts. Then gaining extra entries should only take a matter of minutes...sometimes seconds from that point forward.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
Jennie Lee