Another Giveaway!

So Shutterfly contacted me again (really? feeling super popular, haha) asking if I would post about a special two-day campaign they're having to promote their Treat card line. Today and tomorrow (Monday 11/19 and Tuesday 11/20) only, can you create and send a personalized greeting card from Treat for FREE. Start at http://www.treat.com, create any card you'd like, and enter the code TREATBLOGR at checkout. This should deduct the total price of your card including shipping and handling. If you choose to send the card directly to the recipient from Treat, you only pay the cost of the stamp.

And no, it would TOTALLY not be cheesy to send your free card to me...just sayin',

Christmas Cards and a GIVEAWAY

It's not even Halloween and apparently stores feel the need to put out their Christmas displays........whaaaaat? I completely don't understand how people can start focusing on decorating for Christmas when there are so many other things to focus on before that.

However, that being said, it is usually around this time of year that I start thinking about Christmas cards, since it would be nice to have those done ahead of time (as in, not just a few days before Christmas, like last year). So you can imagine my excitement when Shutterfly sent me an e-mail telling me they'd compensate me for posting about their 2012 Holiday campaign. Whaaaaaaat? Um, let me think about that.

YES.

Even if they weren't paying me, I'd say how every year since we started sending out Christmas cards, I've purchased them through Shutterfly. I always end up with some kind of promotion from them this time of year, and they have AWESOME stuff, so it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. So please go check out their Christmas cards, and they'd also like it if you checked out their current special offers.

Now for the extra fun part...a GIVEAWAY!

Between now and November 10th, one reader will win $50 off an order of $50 or more from Shutterfly -- super cool, right?! All you have to do is leave ONE comment in the comments section below (NOT in Facebook's comments, if that's how you got here) about anything interesting you'd like to tell me. Please make sure you put a valid e-mail address in the e-mail field so if you win, I know how to contact you. A winner will be chosen at random on November 11th.

* If you subscribe to my RSS feed (http://blog.hestermania.com) or already have, you can leave a second comment letting me know, thus entering yourself twice. *

Please note: Max two comments per person (2nd comment only to verify your RSS subscription). Other extra comments or anything rude will be deleted. The $50 credit does not include tax or shipping, it can not be combined with any other promo, and it expires December 14th, 2012.

________________________________

UPDATE 11-14-2012

Annnnnnnd the lucky winner is:

Annie!! The big sister of one of my wonderful roommates in college, and someone who showed me the way (literally) to being a Web Designer and Programmer. Here was her winning comment:

 

 Congratulations, Annie! E-mail coming your way shortly...

Give-Away!

Some exciting news:
Brit over at Running Stitch is graciously hosting a giveaway from my Etsy store at Hestermania! I am so excited and THANKFUL that she wanted to do this.

If you'd like to participate, all you have to do is visit her post about the give-away, read the instructions, and leave a comment on her blog stating which item you'd like to win. She'll pick a winner Sunday evening (December 6th), so you have two more days to enter the give-away!

Also, since there can only be one winner, anyone who makes a purchases from Hestermania! between now and when Brit pics a winner this Sunday will receive 10% off his/her total purchase price - all you have to do is include the words "Running Stitch" in the comment section at checkout! The 10% will not come off automatically, but I'm sure you're all very smart people and will be able to subtract 10% from your total when you pay ;)

Thanks again, Brit, for this awesome idea!

*UPDATE 12/6*
The 10% off has been extended through NEXT Sunday, December 13th. Make sure to include "Running Stitch" in the comment section at check-out. Enjoy!!

Headband Give-Away Winner

The winning number is...



#47!
(Thanks to Random.org's number generator.)

And that makes the winning commentator...



I've sent Moira-Lin an e-mail letting her know. She has a blog called "Life is Never Boring" dedicated to her brood of four and their family "chaos."

Moira-Lin, enjoy!

(PS Don't forget - the glucose meter is still available to anyone who wants it! Just leave me a comment letting me know and I'll send it to you!)

Give-Away Day

I am so excited to participate in "Give-Away Day" sponsored by Sew, Mama, Sew. The rule was that items offered have to be handmade (or used to make handmade items), so I was wondering...what on earth could I make??

Headbands!
That's right, everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win this set of four headbands made with my wonderful new sewing machine.

I couldn't decide which blue one to include, so you'll just get both. I have been wearing headbands like these ever since I cut my hair short, and I like them a lot. They are all closed with a stretchy hair tie, which is way simpler than sewing in elastic...not that I've ever sewn in elastic.



(Click on either headband photo to enlarge.)

These patterns are pretty cute, with tiny flowers, stars, and hearts. The blue headband with little yellow flowers makes me think of duckies...and Ikea. The darker blue headband is the same fabric as the Boppy slipcover I made for Joshua. (Hi, Jen and Joshua! - feel free to enter if you want a headband to match your slipcover, hehe.)



So if you'd like these, just leave a comment and I'll pick a winner by the weekend. Please make sure to include your e-mail address or blog URL so I have some way to reach you (U.S. entrants only).



(Here's a shot of my little pumpkin and me wearing the paisley headband I made.)

Also...*drumroll please* I'm thinking of opening an Etsy shop, where I'll sell random little stuff like this. People can even choose their own fabric. I have a lot of ideas (though not a lot of time!) and have wanted to open a shop for a while. It might still be a while before I have enough things, but feel free to send your comments or ideas (or extra fabric...hehe) in the meantime.

And if you want some headbands, but don't win the giveaway, you can always commission them from me. ;)

Enjoy!!

CVS ECBs Plus A Give-Away!

Here's a couponing/CVS update: I'm still at it. I decided to give it a month or two and see how it goes. Does it really save me money, or entice me to spend even more? The jury's still out.

CVS ECBs are Extra Care Bucks. These are like store credits that print out on the bottom of your receipt after you've bought qualifying items and scanned your CVS card. For instance, Crest Pro-Health Whitening toothpaste is now on sale for $3.49, with $3.49 back in ECBs when you buy it. So, I "purchased" it for $3.49, used a $1.00 off manufacturer coupon, paid the balance with $2.50 in ECBs I already had, and got another $3.49 ECB back on the bottom of my receipt. So basically, it was free PLUS $1 overage. So they paid me $1 to take their toothpaste. Only in America, right?

Today, I went back and took full advantage of the sweet Duracell deal they currently have. You spend $20 on batteries, you get $15 back in ECBs. So I gathered 4 packs of batteries totaling $21, used one $5 off 2 ($5/2) CVS coupon and two $1.50/1 manufacturer coupons, and two ECBs totaling $4.50, putting the batteries at $9+change after tax out of pocket (oop). PLUS I got $15 ECBs back. So there again, they paid me to take four packs of batteries off their hands. Gladly!



Guess how much all that stuff cost me? $2.25! I was thinking it would only be $.25, but I didn't realize the Garnier Fructis deal had a limit of one, and I bought two (oops), so I was out 2 bucks. BUT that is something I was actually excited to buy and try...anything to tame this frizzy mane of mine! So I did not return it and chalked it up to experience.

The Garnier stuff was on sale for $2.99 each with one $2.00 ECB per customer (oops). I had a coupon for $1/1 so that made one of them free and the other still $2.00. Or I guess it could be $1 each and that sounds a lot better ;) The Glacier water was $1.59 with $1.59 ECB, so that was also free. Sweet. I'll drink to that. (Haha, get it? Water?) The dish soap was $1.99 with a $1.00 ECB, and I used a $.50 coupon, so it basically cost me $.50. I can always use dish soap.

The Breeze glucose meter was on sale for $30, and there was a $30/1 coupon in the paper recently. So that was free. FREE. Crazy, right? You may be wondering what I need with a glucose meter, but that is where the Give-Away part of my post title comes in! I would LOVE to give this away to someone who needs it, especially someone with gestational diabetes since I know so many people who have had that. It is brand new and unopened, and I will even foot the bill for shipping (you're welcome to pay for insurance if you want it). All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me that you need it! I will have my hubs randomly pick a winner. And if only one person wants it? Well, congratulations! Please spread the word and tell your friends. I really want this to go to someone who can really use it.

Here are a couple sites that let me know about the current CVS deals and which coupons to combine then with:
Money Saving Mom
Sisterly Savings

And this chick somehow gets the best deals on everything - you should see her grocery bills! It's like they pay HER to shop!
Super Coupon Girl

With two little munchkins taking up most of my time at home, I don't think I could ever have her dedication, but I'm enjoying my own challenges so far - especially as I rack up those CVS ECBs ;)

Don't forget to comment and let me know who needs that glucose meter!