CLOSED ~ Cook's Ham Giveaway!! 2 Winners

I love ham. In fact, I love any type of pork. But ham is one of my favorite holiday foods. When I was little we usually had ham for Christmas and for Easter. Nowadays, a lot of people are having ham for Thanksgiving and other special occasions. I actually have taken to buying a whole ham when I am having a party. It makes the perfect party food. It can be eaten as a meal, in mini sandwiches or just as a snack. It is easy to cook because mainly you just need to warm it through. It can be served whole or cut up. It holds up well and it is always a tasty treat. This year we will probably have ham for New Year's Eve.

And now the great people at Cook's Ham want you to make a fabulous ham dinner a tradition in your family. If you haven't heard of Cook's Ham you need to go on their website and check it out. They have several varieties of ham for your eating pleasure. They have boneless hams, bone-in hams, pork shoulders, briskets and more. My favorite is the Double-Glazed Spiral Sliced Bone-In Honey Ham. This looks so delicious. And spiraled hams are easy to cook and serve.

To help make your holidays a little more flavorful, Cook's Ham is offering two (2) of my wonderful readers an opportunity to have a delicious ham for the holidays. Yes folks, 2 readers will win a $30 gift certificate good for one Cook's Ham. WOO-HOO! Who can't use this wonderful prize? Now if you win, you have to invite me over for dinner!!

Thank you to Cook's Ham for this generous prize!! Now you all know the drill. So read the entry rules, enter and cross your fingers and your toes and hope Random.org picks you as the winner!!

Mandatory Entry

Visit the Cook's Ham website and come back and tell me one of the recipes you would like to try or visit the ham tips page and tell me one of the tips.

Extra Entries

* Subscribe to my blog through email (1 entry)
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza (1 entry)
* Tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Friday, December 18 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.




Disclosure: For this post, I did not any form of compensation. The opinions in this post are solely mine.

HOLIDAY GIFT ALERT: Craft Vogue Website and Product Review

I recently received the opportunity to review a product from CraftVogue. CraftVogue is a site that sells Eco-Crafts. CraftVogue is all about promoting the art and craft of rural India. By promoting the crafts of these artisans, they help these artists gain financial independence. They work with organizations that are also working to better the lives of the rural artisans. Promoting the handmade crafts by these artisans not only allows CraftVogue to sell quality products but it helps the artisans to keep their traditional crafts alive and develop their skills so they can earn a livelihood and lead a better life.

The items sold by CraftVogue are handmade and produced by using eco-friendly raw materials like natural dyes, hand-woven fabric, Bamboo, handmade recycled paper, etc. How fantastic is that? Not only do you get beautiful handmade items but they are safe for the environment and you all know I am all for going green.

I received this beautiful handmade tote bag. It is so cute. The bag is roomy and has a little pocket inside as well. All the animals, people and flowers on the bag are all cut out and stitched by hand. You can't tell in the picture but the people on the bag also have hair that is hand stitched on as well. It is perfect for the beach or just to take shopping. And I stuffed it full of stuff to test the quality and it held up beautifully.

Besides these cool, unique and funky handbags, CraftVogue has a a fantastic variety of gifts. For women they have tons of accessories like scarves, handbags, jewelry and belts. They have gifts for men too. You need to check out some of the ties! They are very beautiful. They also have gifts for your home including handmade table cloths and runners. They have beautiful placemats and wall hangings. And if you really want to go green they have bamboo jewelry and handbags.

The part I like most about this site is that they are helping artisans not only to make money but to keep their traditions alive. And every time you make a purchase, you are making a difference in the lives of these artisans and making the world a little better by supporting products that are environmentally safe.

The site is also very easy to navigate. Checkout is easy. If you are sending packages to loved ones around the country or the world, CraftVogue also offers a gift wrapping and gift note service. This is great so you don't have to send the package yourself!! They even have a order tracking function that makes it easy for you to see what you ordered and when your purchases will arrive.

CraftVogue also offers bulk sales for resellers. And right now all bulk orders are eligible for a 30% flat discount. You can contact info@craftvogue.com for more information. You can also follow CraftVogue on Twitter and Facebook.

This is a fantastic place to get some really nice holiday gifts for loved ones. And as a special added incentive, the first 15 people who comment on this post and tell me they want a discount code will get one for 15% off any purchase. Also, if you spend more than $50, you get free shipping.

So this year give out some unique and special gifts to loved ones and shop at CraftVogue.




Disclosure: As part of my review, I received the product I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

BlogHer and PEPPERIDGE FARM® Petite Pirouette® and Petite Twists® $150 Spa Gift Card

Woo-Hoo! Now this is a goodie. You get snacks and a spa card! You can get some nice spa treatments with $150. Hey, who can't you a spa day? So enter to win. Good Luck peeps!! Ends November 30!

Go to these sites to enter:
Busy Mom
Home Cooks Online
Piece of Cake
Cheat Day Cafe
Pensieve
Barefoot Kitchen Witch
Anali's First Amendment

WINNERS - Tyson Heat & Eat Dinner Meals

YAY WINNERS! The 3 winners of the Tyson Heat & Eat Dinner Meal coupons chosen by Random.org are:

JC

Erin in Long Island

WhiteChocolateCherries

Congrats! I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to get back to me. After 48 hours, I will choose new winners. So send me your info!! So I can send out your coupons!!

I want to thank Tyson for this great prize and the opportunity for three of my readers to win. I also want to thank everyone who participated. I appreciate your continued support! If you didn't win this one, there are a few more giveaways going on. Look on my sidebar for the current list! There are some really good ones!! So enter and win!!!

WOO-HOO!!

CLOSED ~ Need Holiday Gifts? Check out GCDSpa ~ Review and Giveaway

A few years ago my friend and co-worker Kathryn was getting married. I was put in charge of planning the Work Bridal Shower. We decided on a Spa Theme for the shower and asked everyone in the office to buy something spa-related for her. She received a massage certificate, a robe, slippers, spa stuff etc. I wanted to give her something unique so I went on the Internet and did a search.

One of the sites I came upon was GCDspa.com. What I liked about this site was not only did they have tons of bath and body goodies to pick from but they had Bridal Shower gifts. They had a beautiful Bridal Bouquet Box that included sugar scrub, hand cream, and bath gel in bridal flowers fragrance, a pumice stone and jute weave washcloth all in a beautifully decorated box. She loved it and so did I.

I also received two lip balms as a little bonus and I loved them as well. They were delicious and kept my lips soft during the winter! I was hooked. I always kept this site in mind if I ever had to plan a party or do an event that needed favors. So one day when I received the e-newsletter, I decided to ask if they would like to do a giveaway on my blog. I was thrilled when the answer was yes!!

As I said before, I am not a girly-girl but I am nuts about all Bath & Body items. I love them! I was so excited because I got to review the following products. I am using the descriptions provided to me by GCDspa.com because I want you all to see what's included and the ingredients used.

Red Currant Skin Smoothers Gift Set: This set includes 8 oz bath gel with colorful exfoliating jojoba spheres; nylon pouf; 6 oz sugar scrub with the gentle exfoliation of cane sugar and soothing shea butter, sunflower and grapeseed oils; and moisturizing body lotion, combining sunflower oil, soybean oil, and oils from palm and coconut for a non-greasy feel. All products share the fragrance of Red Currant, a bold, red berry scent joined by tart citrus, softened with a hint of rose, and anchored by subtle wood notes. Paraben-free. Wrapped in cello with tulle ribbon and gift tag. Retail price $19.95

The Gingerbread Bath Indulgence gift set: This special gift set is only available through the holiday season. Our gingerbread products will make your mouth water with their sweet, spicy fragrance--and ingredients so good your skin will eat them right up! NEW paraben-free Scrub offers the gentle exfoliation of cane sugar and jojoba spheres, while the shea butter, sunflower and grapeseed oils soften and soothe. After polishing, apply our Silky Cream and let your skin enjoy the shea butter, avocado and jojoba oils, aloe vera and vitamins as well as silk amino acids to impart a smooth powder finish. Scrub and Cream jars are stacked and wrapped in an organza bag with gift tag. Retail price $16.95
Candy Cane Pedicure ~ No matter what time of year it is, your feet can always use a little pampering! To get your toes ready for their "close up," try our Candy Cane Pedicure. It's packaged for holiday giving—to a friend or to yourself—a perfect at-home pedicure! We've included exfoliating sugar scrubs, a 2 ounce bottle of our moisturizing foot cream, and a tube of balm, all with the refreshing and invigorating scent of peppermint! We've tucked in a red pumice to rub away rough areas and leave your toes picture perfect! All of this is packaged in a cello bag and decorated with a candy striped bow and a holiday gift tag. Holiday special $13.95

Okay, can I tell you I was in heaven?? The first thing I did when I received the package was use the extra Gingerbread Lip Balm I received. It was delish. It was the same wonderful lip balm I remember. It kept my lips soft and moisturized for the whole day. Plus, the taste was exactly like gingerbread. It was spicy and sweet.

The next products I tried were the Red Currant sugar scrub and body gel. The sugar scrub worked like a wonder to get rid of my scaly dry skin especially on my legs. The sugar scrub buffed away all the dead skin. The Body Gel was smooth and felt wonderful after the scrub and I used the pouf to make sure I covered the entire body area. After my shower, the Body Lotion kept my skin feeling great. The smell is fantastic. If you like fruity scents with a touch of floral, this is for you. It is also not a strong fragrance but it lasted all day. I smelled yummy!

The Gingerbread Set was just as good. The Sugar Scrub was wonderful and I really loved the Silky Cream. I actually liked the Silky Cream more than the Red Currant Body Lotion because it was creamier. In general, I like Body Butters more than lotion. Again, the smell was fantastic. I smelled like a cookie the whole day.

I saved the best for last. One of my favorite fragrances in the world is anything mint. The Candy Cane set is right up my alley. If you saw my feet before I used the pedicure set, you would have run screaming for the hills. But now I have the smoothest best smelling tootsies ever! The scrub really took off all the dry skin and the cream really made them soft and smooth. They feel and look good.

As you can tell I am a huge fan of GCDSpa and have been for years. You can find some really great stuff there. My favorite things are the party favors. There are favors for every occasion under the sun. I was looking around at all the new cool things and I saw these fantastic favors for Quincenera parties. Quincenera parties are the Sweet Sixteen parties for the Latino community. I thought these were so darling and have some friends whose daughters are turning 15 soon so these will make fantastic favors for the parties. But GCDSpa also has favors for bridal or baby showers, bachelorette parties, weddings, birthday parties, girl getaway parties and holidays. It's just the coolest and cutest stuff. You just need to go visit the site and see all the cool things GCDSpa has.

GDCSpa has some really cool and unique holiday gifts. You can find body gels, sugar scrubs, lip balms, body lotions or even a gift for that special man in your life. You can also find some wonderful stocking stuffers there as well!! If you did decide to visit and buy some special gifts, GCDSpa has given me a special coupon code just for my readers! Use WILLYNILLY10 when you check out for a 10% discount!!! THe coupon is good until January 31, 2010!

Three (3) lucky readers have the chance to snag some of these great GCD Spa gifts. Thanks to GCDSpa, I have three gift sets to giveaway. I have the sets I got to review: Candy Cane Pedicure Set, the Gingerbread Gift Set and the Red Currant Gift Set. YAY!! I tell you, you will love these products! (see below for pictures of the packaged & wrapped gift sets)
By now you know the rules. Complete the mandatory entry then do the extra entries if you want more chances to win. Trust me, you want those extra entries! To make it fair the first person chosen by Random.org will get their choice of gift set, the second person will get the second choice and the third person will get the last gift set! What are you waiting for?? Enter now!

Mandatory Entry

Visit the GCDSpa and take a look around and come back and tell me your favorite product.

Extra Entries

* Follow GCDSpa on Twitter (1 entry)
* Subscribe to the GCDSpa newsletter (go to bottom of home page) (1 entry)
* Subscribe to my blog through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Friday, December 18 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.




Disclosure: As part of my review, I received the product I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

WINNER - SoftLips Pure Organic Lip Conditioners!

Drumroll please. The winner of the SoftLips Pure Organic Lip Conditioners chosen by Random.org is:

furygirl

Congrats! I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to get back to me. After 48 hours, I will choose a new winner. So send me your info!! Once I get all the info, I will send it our wonderful sponsor.

I want to thank SoftLips for this great prize and the opportunity for one of my readers to win. I also want to thank everyone who participated. I appreciate your continued support! If you didn't win this one, there are a few more giveaways going on. Look on my sidebar for the current list! There are some really good ones!! So enter and win!!!

WOO-HOO!!

CLOSED ~ Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Superhighway Tour Website Review and Giveaway

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. My obsession began in the 80's. My sister brought home the album Damn the Torpedos and I was hooked. Ever since I have been a hardcore fan. I have every CD they have ever put out. I have seen them several times in concert. There is something about his music that I love.

So when I got the opportunity to try out a membership to The Superhighway Tour website, I was thrilled. The Superhighway Tour is a brand new online music experience developed by the Tom Petty Team. When you join you have access to a collection of 48 tracks (MP3 and FLAC format) from his upcoming Live Anthology. Besides being able to download the tracks, the website also includes photos, set lists, videos, vintage memorabilia, behind the scenes info and much more all for around $25. The first 4 discs of the complete set - 48 tracks in total - will be released in digital form here on the Tom Petty Superhighway Tour site. An extra bonus disc of 14 additional tracks will be included with the Deluxe Box Set, available at a discount to Superhighway Tour ticket holders. Oh, I really really want that Deluxe Box Set for Christmas! *hint, hint*



Let me tell you, this site is fantastic. If you are a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers fan like me, you have to join this site. I was able to get information on their upcoming tour. I downloaded some tracks!! The live version of American Girl is amazing!! They had streaming audio commentary from Tom and the other band members. They had photos galore and the store is fantastic. I saw a few items that my sister would love for Christmas!!

So if you are a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers stalker, I mean fan, like me or you know someone who loves their music, a membership to the The Superhighway Tour will make a perfect Christmas gift.

I have an extra membership code to give away to one of my readers. If you would like to win it, please follow the rules and enter!!

Mandatory Entry

Tell me your favorite Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Song

Extra Entries

* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Friday, December 18 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.



Disclosure: As part of my review, I received a code to the website I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

Trident Layers Gum Review

I recently had the opportunity to review the new Trident Layers Gum. Since I am dieting, I like to chew gum to stave off the munchies. It really helps especially when I want something sweet. I pop a piece into my mouth and that seems to satisfy me. Because Trident Layers gum has no sugar and less than 5 calories per stick, it is the perfect bite size treat for me.

So I was glad to try this new gum. Trident Layers takes two flavors and layers them into one tasty piece of gum. You can see the layers when you pop open the one of the pieces. I got 2 packs of the gum to sample. I received the new Green Apple/Pineapple flavor and the Wild Strawberry/Tangy Citrus.

What did I think? I really liked the Wild Strawberry and Tangy Citrus flavor. It was sweet yet tangy. It was a little sour but I like that. I know others might not but it is just fine with me. The gum lasted a long time too without losing the flavor. It was quite good.

The bad news is that I really didn't care for the Green Apple/Pineapple flavor. When I first bit into it, it was tangy and the flavor was promising but I felt it was too tangy and sour. Unlike the other flavor that had the Strawberry to balance the flavor, this one didn't. It just wasn't a good idea to layer these two flavors together. But who knows, you might like it. But this flavor lasted a while too and I like gum that keeps it flavor.

So I liked one flavor but not the other. But overall, Trident does do good gum.




Disclosure: Trident contacted me to participate in a review of their new Trident Layers Gum in these two new flavors. As part of my review, I received the product I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

CLOSED ~ Truvia Review and Giveaway

For a few years now, I have used artificial sweeteners. I gave up using sugar in my beverages when I was dieting. I am always dieting so I never went back. The good thing about sweeteners is that they usually have no calories and that is always good for the diet. The bad thing about sweeteners is that they are artificial and god knows what you are putting into your body.

So when I got the opportunity to try Truvia a natural sweetener harvested from stevia plant, I jumped at the chance. I had seen blog reviews and ads about Truvia but never ever tried it but I have always wanted to try it.

I wanted to give you a few facts about Truvia from the website because they say it better than I can. And these are good facts:Truvia™ is the brand name for a great-tasting, natural, zero calorie sweetener made with rebiana, the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Truvia™ natural sweetener provides consumers with a new, natural sweetener choice to reduce the number of calories in their diets and provides a new option in their overall wellness plan. Truvia™ sweetener is available both as an ingredient and as a tabletop sweetener.

Truvia™ natural sweetener is safe for use as a general purpose sweetener. Based on stevia's long history of use around the world, previous scientific research, and a rigorous safety evaluation program, Truvia™ natural sweetener has been established as a safe product for use as a general purpose sweetener.

One packet of Truvia™ natural sweetener provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar. Truvia™ natural sweetener is suitable for people with diabetes. The product is kosher certified (Parve circle U).

Now with that being said, it's my turn to tell what I thought. I first used Truvia in my morning coffee. Right now I am using the little yellow packet sweetener and I like that. Truvia was just as good. It made my coffee taste sweet like I like it but it's not overly sweet and it doesn't have that chemical taste. It is easy to use and dissolves quite well. There was no weird aftertaste and I had a very good cup of coffee. Then I tried Truvia on my morning cereal and, once again, it tasted good and was perfect on cereal. I used it for a few days and had no problems and I really like it.

Now all things being equal, really no pun intended, I will probably switch over to Truvia the next time I need to buy sweetener. The reason? Because it is a natural sweetener. Why suck down artificial stuff when you can have the same product in a natural version? Plus it fits right into my diet. Because it has ZERO calories, it is a good alternative to sugar as well. You can also use Truvia like sugar and cook with it. Now again, if I can make shortbread cookies with less calories, I will. That just means more cookies for me. If you already use artificial sweeteners, Truvia is a great alternative. If you don't, this is a chance to stop using sugar and not have to use artificial sweeteners.

Thanks to Truvia and Cargill, 5 of my wonderful readers get to try Truvia as well. Not only do you get a box of Truvia to sample but you will also receive this beautiful Truvia tote bag and gardening gloves. Oh I am so jealous because this is a beautiful tote. Plus, I am a gardener now so I am coveting those gloves!! So if you want in, you know the drill: read the rules and enter!! Good Luck everyone!!

Mandatory Entry

Visit the Truvia site and take a look at the recipes and come back and tell me which one you would love to try if you won this terrific prize pack.

Extra Entries (You know you want them!!)

* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Wednesday, December 16 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.


Disclosure: As part of my review, I received the product I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

WINNER - Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotions

Drumroll please. The winner of the 3 bottles of Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion chosen by Random.org is:

etirv!!

Congrats! I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to get back to me. After 48 hours, I will choose a new winner. So send me your info!! Once I get all the info, I will send it our wonderful sponsor.

I want to thank Vaseline for this great prize and the opportunity for one of my readers to win. I also want to thank everyone who participated. I appreciate your continued support! If you didn't win this one, there are a few more giveaways going on. Look on my sidebar for the current list! There are tons. I have also started adding more reviews, freebies and deals to the blog so you can be in on them so keep checking back. I have some great giveaways in the next few weeks including some great spa goodies, an Amazon certificate and more!!

More Giveaways for you to enter

Keurig!! Oh how I love mine Keurig Brewer. It is possibly one of the best appliances I have ever owned. I won mine and now here are a few sites that have another one to be won.

Run over to Latina on A Mission and enter my friend's giveaway!!

Potamus Prefers has one as well. I tell you, you want one of these.

Woo-Hoo a Dyson DC23 Motorhead Animal vacuum is up for grabs over at Natural Mommies. These look weird but I bet they clean like nobody's business!!

When I was a young tyke, I loved loved loved Madeline. So I really want to win this doll. So don't enter this giveaway over at Busy Mommy Media because this baby is mine!!

Head on over to Mom of 2 Boys and Wife of 1 for a chance to win some boots!! I know I need these for winter.

Monetize Your Twitter Profile!!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Sponsored Tweets. All opinions are 100% mine.


If you use Twitter and haven't signed up for Sponsored Tweets, you are just missing out on some freebie cash! I joined Sponsored Tweets the day they opened it up because I figured what did I have to lose. It was easy and since I use Twitter, I figured why not.

What is sponsored tweets you ask? SponsoredTweets.com is an online marketplace that allows you to connect directly with advertisers to engage in sponsored conversations through Twitter. Advertisers compensate you with cash in exchange for a sponsored tweet. Think of it like eBay for tweets. Basically you sign up, you set your price and wait for an offer. Once you approve the tweet, Sponsored Tweets does the rest of the work.

I have actually made money and haven't done a thing. When I signed up the price was set based on my followers etc. I thought it was a fair price. Then one day I received a Direct Message from Sponsored Tweets that said I had an offer. I went to their site, logged on and approved the tweet. An hour later, I got a DM nforming me the tweet went out and I got money in my account. While it isn't a pile of cash, every little bit counts. Hopefully, more offers will start coming in and I can make more money. The best part is that you really don't have to do a thing but sign up for sponsored tweets.

The program has celebrities participating in the program including Kim Kardashian, Bob Vila, Sister Hazel and Leann Rimes! They are also very excited about the disclosure engine, referral program and API and they are looking for twitter developers to use our API in new and unique ways.

This is the interface you will see when you sign up. Look how easy it is. So give it a try. Sign up now and see if you can make a little extra holiday cash.

GIVEAWAYS GALORE!!

Oh I have been a slacker lately. I haven't give you any giveaways you should enter because I have been too busy posting my own giveaways for you to enter. But since I can't win my own giveaways, I have to start entering some!! So here is few for you to also check out!! Good Luck!

Like Bagels? Then head on over to The Mommy Files and enter for some delish Sara Lee mini bagels. YUMMO!

Do you like the edges of brownies or lasagna? Then go over to the Dirty Shirt and enter to win a Bakers Edge pan. This is so freaking cool.

If you need a new thermometer for the flu season, then head over to Coupon Kim's and enter to win one. These are great because you don't have to stick it in your mouth!!

Easy peasy lemon squesy entry. Just subscribe to 24/7 moms and leave a comment and you are entered to win some Progresso Soup with cute soup bowls! Yippee!

A Busy Mom of Two has one of those Taco Prizes that I have been seeing all over the web. This includes coupons for El Paso products! I love Tacos!

Mas tacos! Head over to Blessings Abound and try your luck at tacos! Que ricos!!

Yo quiero El Paso Tacos. And if you do to then head on over to Simply Being Mom and enter!!

Love Hallmark? I sure do. If you do, then hop on over to HomeFabulous365 and check out the giveaway there for $50 Hallmark card. WOO!

CLOSED - SavesPro Review and Giveaway - $20 Amazon card

I am always looking for deals. I need to find nice items at good prices. I came across Savespro when I was entering blog giveaways. I kept seeing these great items that other bloggers were reviewing and they were always at a great price.

If you haven't heard of Savespro, it is a one stop shopping site where you can find anything you need for yourself or for your family and friends. With Christmas quickly approaching you might want to go check it out. They have appliances, apparel, gourmet foods, kitchen items, electronics, baby items, books, music, office products, tools and hardware, toys and so much more. Savespro is an a certified online business in association with Amazon.com and eBiz-U.

Courtesy of Savespro I was able to choose an item to review. I wasn't sure what to review because there are so many great products but I decided to review a product I have been wanting. I chose the Rival U 2 speed Handheld Immersion Blender. I knew I needed one of these this summer when I was putting up my tomatoes and decided to make delish Creamy Basil Tomato Soup. It would have been so much easier if I had this little blender. In the end, I had to take the soup and blend it in a regular blender. Besides being messy, it took forever to do. If I would have had this blender, it would have been done in half the time.

The other day I made some tasty short ribs in wine in my crock pot and I realized that the Rival Immersion Blender would come in handy. I had cooked the ribs with onions and garlic and carrots and there was all this good sauce left in the crock pot when I took the ribs out. So I pulled out the handheld blender and went to town. In minutes I made a wonderful smooth and silky gravy for the mashed potatoes. YUM!

I want to thank Savepro for the opportunity to review this product. It will get tons of use this winter when I am making different types of soup. You need to check out the site because they really do have great products at great prices. The site is also easy to navigate and easy to use.

And thanks to Savespro,  I have $20 Amazon Gift certificate for one of my readers. Because Savespro is associated with Amazon, you can use this certificate at Savespro. YAY! This will come in handy for the Holiday season. Who doesn't need a little extra cash for the season??

You know the drill folks. Follow the rules, enter and cross your fingers!!

Mandatory Entry

Visit Savespro and come back and tell one product you would buy if you won this certificate.

Extra Entries (You know you want them!!)

* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Tuesday, December 15 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.



Disclosure: As part of my review, I received the product I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

WINNER!! Unilever Mystery Surprise Goody Box!!

Drumroll please. The winner of the Unilever Surprise Box chosen by Random.org is:

AMY!

Congrats! I have sent you a DM! You have 48 hours to get back to me. After 48 hours, I will choose a new winner. So send me your info!! Once I get all the info, I will send it our wonderful sponsor.

I want to thank Unilever and RocketXL for this great prize and the opportunity for one of my readers to win. I also want to thank everyone who participated. I appreciate your continued support! If you didn't win this one, there are a few more giveaways going on. Look on my sidebar for the current list! There are tons. I have also started adding more reviews, freebies and deals to the blog so you can be in on them so keep checking back. I have some great giveaways coming up in the next few weeks including some great spa goodies, an Amazon certificate and more!!

BlogHer and Oroweat Giveaways

Here are a few more of those fantastic BlogHer giveaways. This one is for bread. Enter to win a prize pack that includes some delicious Oroweat bread. Hey, who can't use bread?

Xiaolin Mama
Life's Random Thoughts
The Karianna Spectrum
Welcome to my Brain
Surviving Assorted Home Mayhem
Headless Mom
Little Girl Big Glasses

CLOSED ~ Simply Asia Thai Kitchen Review and Giveaway

More and more I am receiving opportunities to review food products and I love it. As many of you know, I love food. Any type, all kinds, all the time! While I am on the Nutrisystem program and doing quite well, I still have to feed the hubster so that means cooking dinner. Sometimes I run out of ideas though so I like trying new recipes and foodstuffs to get out of the rut.

When I got the opportunity to review Thai Kitchen products by Simply Asia, I was all over that like white on rice! I never ever even tried to cook Thai food because I am intimidated by the complexity of the recipes I have seen. I was worried that this could turn out to be a dinner disaster but I gave it my best try.

I was sent the following products to make Red Curry Chicken: Fish sauce, Red Curry Paste, Coconut Milk and Jasmine Rice. Now to be honest, I am not huge on curry but hubby LOVES it. He loves green curry, red curry, any type of curry but I rarely make it. Every so often I make an Indian Curry Chicken but I have never tried Thai Curry.

I got my ingredients out and read the recipe and was surprised how easy it was. It couldn't have been simpler. I only had to provide the chicken and a little brown sugar. Now the recipe said to use chicken breasts but I went off recipe and used drumsticks. We aren't really white meat type of people so I decided to make the recipe with dark meat. I don't think it made a difference. Firstly, I cooked up the drumsticks. Then the recipe said to mix half of the coconut milk with 2 tablespoons of red curry paste. Once that was done, then I added the chicken. Next the recipe called for me to add the rest of the coconut milk, brown sugar and some fish sauce. Then I cooked up the rice and the meal was done. I tried it and it was delish but spicy!! But I wasn't the one who had to be satisfied. It was hubby.

I served him a plate of the Red Curry Chicken over the Jasmine Rice and his verdict? He loved it. I was so happy. He did find it a l little spicy but Thai food is generally very spicy and he didn't mind because he really thought it tasted good. He even suggested that the next time I make it, I try it with shrimp. He said he would definitely eat it again.

Personally, I am thrilled because I never really wanted to try and make Thai food because I thought it would be too time intensive and difficult. But Thai Kitchen made it easy as pie. Plus the food was authentic enough to pass hubby's taste test. YAY! I know have to go out and buy some of the Green Curry Paste and make hubby some Creen Curry Shrimp!!

Guess what? You have the opportunity to win some Thai Kitchen products so you can cook up a great Thai meal for your family. Thanks to Simply Asia Thai Kitchens, I have 5, yes 5 Thai Kitchen Cooking kits for 5 winners. The kits will include: 2 jars of red curry paste, 2 jars of green curry paste, 1 jar of roasted red chili paste, 1 bottle of fish sauce, a cookbook and a coupon for a free Thai Kitchen product of your choice. Oh I am so jealous because I would love to win one of these for myself!! You know the drill!!

Mandatory Entry

Visit the Real Asian Made Simple site and take a look at the recipes and come back and tell me which one you would love to try if you won this terrific prize pack.

Extra Entries (You know you want them!!)

* Sign up for the Newsletter on the Real Asian Made Simple site (1 entry)
* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Tuesday, December 8 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.



Disclosure: As part of my review, I received the products I discussed in this review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

Got (Cheap Holiday) Gifts?

Looking for some Cheap Holiday Gifts? Then look no more. Go over to Shop.com and look around and you will find some really great deals.

In today's economy, you have to be a little more careful on how much money you spend on gifts. But who says you can't find something nice for a little money? I decided to take a look and I found the perfect gift for hubby. Shop.com has a Tomtom One 130 Portable Gps System for as little as $129.99. He really wants one and it fits right into my budget. That is a terrific price for GPS system.

While looking around, I even found a gift for myself. Shop.com had a Burberry Classic Check Signature Check Scarf & Tam for only $195!!! I am "accidentally" sending a link to hubby so he knows what to buy me!!

Shop.com have great and inexpensive gifts for anyone on your list! If you have teens you can find something cool for them. They have business gifts, electronics, baby gifts, a fantastic selection of kid's toys and so much more. The prices are great. So make your holiday shopping a little easier and save money and head on over to Shop.com.

CLOSED ~ Go Green! EcoStore Review and Giveaway!

As many of you know, I like featuring green products on my blog. I have been slowly trying to go green. I don't always do that well but I figure every little bit counts. So when EcoStore USA contacted me to do a review of the products they sell, I was thrilled. What I like about these products is that EcoStore USA is committed to making them green and they do. Their motto is: No Nasty Chemicals and their products don't contain nasty chemicals.

EcoStore USA products are plant and/or mineral based. So when they say No Nasty Chemicals, they mean it. They use recyclable packing. The products are not tested on animals. The products also meet the highest environmental standards. If "GREEN" is your thing then go onto the site and read up some more because the story of how EcoStore USA was founded is very interesting.

As part of this review I was given the opportunity to choose 2 products from EcoStore USA. Let me tell you that it was a hard choice. They have so many fantastic products to choose from. It took me a while to make a decision but I decided that I would give myself a treat and pick something just for me and not the household. I chose the Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Conditioner. I am always on the lookout for hair products. With winter coming, I like to find shampoos that will not dry out my hair because the winter weather already does that so I thought these products would be great to try.

The products are excellent. The first thing I loved was the smell. It has a subtle fragrance of rosemary. I was worried that they might be too strong after I requested them but the rosemary was in perfect balance with the orange and the smell is soft and light. The shampoo itself does not lather up like regular shampoos probably because of the natural ingredients but that made no difference because the shampoo cleaned well. My hair felt squeaky clean. The conditioner was light but it did work to make my hair smoother and silkier. Even after blow drying my hair, it didn't feel dried out. The next day my hair still looked and felt great.

I highly recommend these hair products especially if you want natural products with No Nasty Chemicals. I also would recommend other products from EcoStore USA. A few months ago I won a $25 gift certificate from a blog for EcoStore USA products. I tried the Front Loader Laundry Powder and the Lemon Aid Rinse for the dishwasher. They were fantastic as well. I especially like the Laundry Powder. It washed well and it lasted a long time because I didn't have to use that much. It also makes me feel good that I am using products that won't cause more damage to the environment. They have all sorts of products. Besides hair care, they have bath & body products, a line of baby products and household products. Visit the EcoStore USA website and do a little green shopping!

But if you want to try your luck, you have the opportunity to win some of the EcoStore USA products for yourself. I want to thank EcoStore USA for offering one of my readers his/her very own $25 gift certificate so you can do a little green shopping for yourself. This is a great prize for some great products. So you know the drill. Read the entry rules and enter!! Thanks and good luck!


Mandatory Entry

Visit the EcoStore USA site and come back and tell me which products you would buy with your certificate.

Extra Entries (You know you want them!!)

* Follow EcoStore USA on Twitter (1 entry)
* Fan EcoStore USA on Facebook (1 entry)
* Fan The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness on Facebook (2 entries) **NEW**
* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this giveaway. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Monday, November 30 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.




Disclosure: As part of my review, I received two products to review. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.

Giveaways You Should Check Out

Got Pork Rinds?
In a few weeks I will doing a review and giveaway of Rudolph Foods/Southern Recipe Pork Rinds. OMG I am a pork rind/chicharrones junkie! Yes, it will be a cheat on my diet but one or two or half a bag won't hurt if I exercise my butt off, right? Anyway, Southern Recipe is celebrating pork rinds with a new Facebook contest. It is called the Funniest Crunch in the South. Everyone is encouraged to submit photos of themselves and their friends enjoying pork rinds via Facebook. The photo that gets the most votes on Facebook will win a year’s supply of Southern Recipe pork rinds and cracklins (24 bags in one shipment of mixed flavors) and a Southern Recipe t-shirt. The runner up will receive a six month supply of Southern Recipe products along with a Southern Recipe t-shirt and the third place winner will be awarded a one month’s supply with a Southern Recipe t-shirt.

For additional information visit www.ExploreManCave.com or @SouthernRecipe

*************************************************************************

High Sierra Sports Company Weekly Giveaway
I hope you all saw my reviews of the High Sierra bags in the past few weeks. High Sierra has quality bags for every occasion. They also have a Twitter and Facebook page. If you sign up as a Facebook Fan you will be automatically entered into their weekly giveaway for a free bag. You should go fan them because these bags are terrific!!

Blogher and Samsung Giveaways

Here are a few more giveaways to enter. This one is for a $200 Best Buy card. WAHOO! Now you could buy some gifts for the holidays with $200 at Best Buy. So enter because these end on 11/15. Good Luck.

McMama
Bring The Rain's life
Kitchen Parade
She Just Walks Around With It
A Year of Slow Cooking
Nikas Culinaria
Fluid Pudding's
Over at The Life of Suz

BlogHer and Sonicare Giveaways

Yes folks, another cool round of the BlogHer contests again. This time you can win a $100 gift card. With the Holidays coming up, this would come in real handy! Here are some more to enter!!! Good Luck peeps.


Black Belt Mama
TheJoyfulChaos
The Karianna Spectrum
Home Grown's
Miss Merrittocracy
This Woman's Work
It's Twinsanity
The SmockLady
Painted Maypole

CLOSED ~ OMG Alight.com Giveaway Part 3

Remember my September and October alight.com giveaways? Well the really cool people at alight.com have given me another opportunity to giveaway another top to one of my readers!! I said yes because I know many of you have been entering to win and now you have another chance.

I am not really going to do a review in this post either since I reviewed alight.com here. But I included the good points in this post. The bottom line is I love shopping at alight.com and they have some of the cutest plus-size clothes around. I am Rubenesque and love fashionable clothing and I have found really cute plus-size clothing at alight.com. It's one of the online retailers I often visit.

What I like about alight.com is that they have plus size clothing that are stylish, hip and trendy. So often plus size clothing is boring and old fashioned. They carry sizes 14W to 30W and alight.com has quickly become the leading specialty e-tailer for plus-size women. I love it because they carry everything including dresses, jeans, tops, jackets, coats, skirts, and pants and accessories. They have over almost 100 brands and over 900 styles! You can find largest selection of contemporary and junior plus designers, including Blue Plate, pink.girl, Angels, Abby Z, Ruby Rox, Fashion Love, ToTo, Mecca Femme, Pink Apple, and Sele at alight.com.

They have such a great selection. If you have never shopped at alight.com and are a beautiful full-figured gal, you should check it out. I have found clothing that is fun and trendy. The dresses are to die for and since they have such a huge selection, you can find clothes that are casual or dressy. The quality is fantastic and the prices are really great too. I often find that plus size clothing can be extremely pricey. But alight.com always has some great deals and the prices are always right!

I am so excited that I get to run this giveaway again because I know that a lot of you wanted to win and now someone else gets the chance to win. YAY! Read the rules and enter. I really think you will love the clothes at alight.com!!

Mandatory Entry

Visit alight.com and sign up for the the email list on the site. You must be signed up for the newsletter to win and we will check. If you win and aren't signed up, I will choose another winner.

Want extra entries?

* Follow alight.com on Twitter
* Fan alight.com on Facebook
* Fan The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness on Facebook (2 entries) **NEW**
* Subscribe through email (2 entries) **NEW**
* Follow me on Twitter @carogonza and tweet this post. Leave the link to the tweet in
your post. (1 entry/tweet per day)
* Follow my blog (1 entry)
* Subscribe to to my feed (1 entry)
* Add my NEW button to your site (2 entries)
* Add this Giveaway to a Sweepstakes site, Mr. Linky,your giveaway list etc. Leave the link!! (2 entries per submission)
* Fave me on Technorati (leave your username - 1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway leave the link (3 entries)
* Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry - see right sidebar for widget)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for the entries you complete!

Deadline: Monday, November 30 at 11:59 pm EST. I will use random.org to pick the winners so everyone has a chance to win. **PLEASE leave an email if your blogger profile does not include it or you don't have a blog. I need a way to contact you.** Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.



Disclosure: As part of my review, I received a top for my initial review in September. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. My opinions have not been influenced by the product given.