Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway!

Remember that giveaway I promised you? I’m sorry it took me  a little longer to get it posted than I thought it would! It was worth the wait, though…because it’s…..drumrolllllll…..a gift card to Starbucks!!

You can win one of 2 (yup, not just 1 , but 2 gift cards are up for grabs)Starbucks gift cards here on Naturally Thrifty! See below for the details and how to enter (its SUPER easy!)

Prize: 2 prizes will be awarded. Prize #1 is a Starbucks gift card in the amount of $20.00. Prize #2 is a Starbucks gift card in the amount of $15.oo. That’s lots of free peppermint mochas (or whatever else you drink)!

Dates: The giveaway opens at the time this post is published. The giveaway will end on the evening of Wednesday, December 29, 2010.

Determination of Winners: All entries will be assigned a  number in the order that they are received. Random.org will choose a number that will correspond to the winning entries. Winners will be notified via blog, email, facebook, and/or Twitter.

Now the important part!!! How to enter: You may enter in 4 ways:

1. Leave a comment on the bottom of this post. Tell me your favorite                   Starbucks drink.

2.Leave me a comment on Naturally Thrifty’s Facebook page telling me your favorite Starbucks drink.

3. Subscribe to Naturally Thrifty’s email updates. Just enter your email in the small box to the right and you will instantly get updates on the latest deals!

4. Refer a friend to Naturally Thrifty’s Facebook page or blog. If your friend comments ” My friend (your name) referred me!” that will give you a valid entry.

That’s up to 4 entries into the drawing for one of the two Starbucks gift cards! I can’t wait to see what everyone else drinks…I am predictable. I almost always get a venti americano with cream and 2 raw sugars. Sometimes I go for something with chocolate in it, though….or a chai latte….mmmmm!!!

Good luck, and thanks for entering my giveaway!!!

 

Free Trio of Samples from Aveda

When you “like” Aveda and are one of the first 5000 to request the free samples, you will get 3 samples of Aveda products. The three that are included are:

~Smooth Infusion Shampoo

~Smooth Infusion Conditioner

~Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother

This offer was still going strong at 1o:58 pm on 12/17/10. If  you are still able to request these, please leave a comment to let other readers know. Thanks!

 

Mickey Ornament WINNERS!!!

We have 2 WINNERS of the Mickey Mouse Ornaments!! The winners, chosen by random.org, are:

1. Winner of the Silver Dangling Ornament is SHANE R. Congratulations, Shane!

2. Winner of the Mickey Santa Hat Ornament is  RENEE M. Congrats, Renee!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways! It was fun, and I truly appreciate every single one of my readers!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

P.S. I have another giveaway starting tomorrow morning, so check back!!

WINNER!!

 

We have chosen a winner (by using random.org, a random integer generator) of the $25 Disney Gift Card Giveaway! Congratulations Paige B. , you are the winner of the gift card!! Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Free Excedrin Coupon

If you use Excedrin, you can get a coupon good for a free bottle (up to $5.99) when you request it HERE. The coupon will arrive via snail mail in 2-3 weeks. You can also print a coupon for $1.00 off Excedrin(print up to 2x). Offer available to first 10,000.

Mary’s SoftDough

We love play-doh, and I’m really not worried about it being “organic” or not, but if you prefer the natural stuff(and I do like the sound of this), there’s a good deal to be had today at Eco Baby Buys. You can get Mary’s Softdough sets of 3 tubs for $6.75 which is 40% off the normal price of $11.25. Here is  a snippet of info from their page:

“Mary’s Softdough is a soft, non-crumbly modeling dough made from 100% food-quality ingredients. Completely non-toxic, this colorful tub of dough will last up to a year and provide hours of fun!

 

Each set includes:

1 5oz Tub of Red Playdough

1 5oz Tub of Blue Playdough

1 5oz Tub of Yellow Playdough

 

Softdough ingredients include flour, water, salt, cream of tartar, soybean oil, food coloring and sodium benzoate (a food preservative). Conforms to ASTM D4236-94.”

It sounds like good stuff, so if you are interested you can get it HERE!  I am still deciding if I want to try it or not.

 

New Michael’s Craft Store Printable Coupon

My friend asked me just today if there were any new Michael’s coupons available, so I was happy to see that there is a 50% off printable coupon available. The coupon is good for 50% off any 1 item and you can print as many as you like. Grab your COUPON HERE. It is valid Friday Dec. 16th and Saturday Dec. 17th.

Free Glasses at Coastal Contacts Today!

First of all, I aplogize for not posting this sooner! BUT you can still get your FREE pair of glasses at CoastalContacts this morning! They are giving away 10.000 pairs of free glasses to anyone who did NOT get a pair the last time they offered this promotion. To get your free pair, go to their FACEBOOK PAGE and “like” Coastal Contacts. Then click on the tab “FreeforAll”   to get your code good for a free pair of glasses. The free glasses includes basic lenses. If you want to upgrade the lenses, you are able at a 50% discount. I added the scratch, uv, and glare coatings for a total of $11 to my order. Shipping is $7.99. This is a really good deal because these are designer glasses that retail for up to $300.

Blogging direction and other musings…

I was recently asked to consider writing a sponsored post about my dreams and aspirations in life…and where I want to go in the future. So, I took a few minutes to consider what my goals really are. Do I want to continue blogging to reach higher,to have more? Do I need or want anything that I should be planning for?

To know where I want to go, I must first know where I am! I am quite happy with the growth of my blog over the last year, especially in the last few months. Last year at this time, Naturally Thrifty was just a way of entertaining myself and sharing bargains with a a few readers. Then I attended a conference in Walt Disney World and learned about all the possibilities that were within my reach just by blogging. It seemed like a dream come true- a way to make a difference for other families, stay at home with my family, and earn a little extra income through sponsored posts and free merchandise.  A few months later, I realized that homeschooling my kiddos was going to take my full concentration and decided not to blog for awhile. I tend to do nothing at all if I can’t “do it right”. All of the grand ideas for my blog were pushed to the back of my mind and I did my best to ignore them. A few months ago, though, I decided to give it another try…with strict time limits and priorities in place. I really enjoy my blog and I love the perks, but God and family MUST come first! So, I am doing my best to learn how to blog when I get the time (usually while the kids are working on a school project at the desk next to me) and not worry if I miss something. That’s where I am! Now where do I want to go?

There have recently been opportunities presented to me that would allow me to learn more about blogging, specifically about monetizing and becoming more profitable. Those things,however, would take up more of my time and more of my thoughts.   So, I have to decide if I really want to expand that quickly! Like I said, I really enjoy the perks of blogging. To be honest, I don’t need to get the freebies or the cash. My husband works hard and there is nothing that we need that we don’t have. I like helping other moms save money, It makes me happy. I like the freebies. I like the gift cards. I like the vacations, the people I meet, and the way it expands my horizons. But, I don’t really feel a need to become “huge” in the blogging world. I don’t need to be in the Top 50 Power Moms list. I don’t care if my stats are climbing slowly instead of topping the charts, because being a MOM is what it’s really all about.  My aspirations? My dreams? Simply to be a mother. I realize that may not seem like a lofty goal to many. But what can be more important than guiding little hands and hearts? What can I do that would have more of an impact on the future than to give my time and my love to the little boys that will someday become men and will need to lead others? I have never understood when I hear comments such as “Oh, you are ONLY a stay at home Mom! Then, no wonder you have time for (insert random item here).” There is no ONLY in being a mom. It takes every minute of my time, even when I am typing a blog post, taking a shower, or sleeping.  Mommyhood doesn’t end at 5pm, and it doesn’t end when I go to bed. Being a mother is one of the most important things a woman can do. All of the accolades of measurable successes in life will end one day. If we can manage to teach the next generation and to encourage them to reach their full potential, we will achieve success that is worth so much more than any award or aspiration could ever be. To me, success is in the little smiles of my babies, the small hands that reach up for a hug, and the ” I love you, Mom” notes that my 5 year old writes me every day. I can think of nothing that would bring me as much joy as those simple childhood memories will.  I plan to continue blogging as much as time allows, and enjoying the benefits and opportunities. But when I think of my hopes, dreams, and what I truly want to be, the answer is: what I am now. I want to be a MOTHER.

 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Free $5 Starbucks Gift Card!

UPDATE: This has ALREADY hit the limit! I hope you got it while it was hot!

If you act QUICKLY you will be able to get a FREE $5 Starbucks gift card just by agreeing to preview the new AOL mail platform. It is called AOL Phoenix and if you sign up to learn more about it (they will send you an email that you can choose to ignore if you don’t like it) they will give you a free $5 Starbucks Gift Card. One per address/household. Enter your email address HERE to get yours! Your gift card will arrive in 1-2 weeks.