CVSing 9/12

I am a CVSer. I might not be as good (or consistent) as some die-hard CVSers are but we do okay together- my husband and I. I taught him how to CVS and I think that he is better than I am. The student has become the master! Here is our haul from 9/11 and 9/12 at CVS. We only spent $7.90 !

Winner of Dingo online dog treat coupon!

The winner of the Dingo online dog treats coupon is musiclady! I have sent an email and will be getting your coupon code out to you shortly. Thank you all for helping me reach my goal of 100 followers and subscribers! I'm so thrilled about all of the support and growth my humble little blog has had these last couple of months. You all are great and I wish I could give you all a prize. I can't do that, but I'll keep trying to line up great giveaways so you will all have the chance to win! ;^)

Business card giveaway

CLOSED

Thanks to UPrinting.com I am able to give one subscriber 250 Die Cut Business Cards. From marketing materials to personal cards, business cards have developed from the plain boring to a more modern and rounded corners, square cards and slim cards. Check out some of the cool business card designs available. Want some ideas on how these can be used?

First I'll start with the obvious. Professionals in all fields benefit from having their contact info on a well designed business card. Keep a few of these in your wallet or purse and they can be handy reminders of your meeting with a prospective client. With professional looking business cards your name will stick out in memory. When you want to be remembered you need a business card. If you tuck a few cards away in random places like your vehicles, gym bags, diaper bag, etc., you will have a way to network and make new potential customers.

Bloggers, promote your blog! I am getting a set of 250 Die cut business cards from UPrinting.com in return for hosting this giveaway, and I plan on making business cards to showcase my blog. This is just another way that you can advertise your blog in a non-internet environment. And this is a great way to get local readers of your blog. Tell who you are and what you do on your blog. I plan on dropping off a few cards whenever I go to any type of office or restaurant that will allow me to do so.

Other ideas: Everyone can use mini thank you cards. Business cards can be made into gift tags too. Of course if you just want a way to promote an event you're having such as a wedding or party. You can make cards for a home business that you have or one that you would like to start! Their are many more possibilities out there! This is more than a $70 value people.

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. aged 18 or older! One lucky subscriber will win 250 Die cut business cards. Here are the options:

2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75" x 3.5” (slim card)

Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle

Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated

Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides

This offer is limited to US residents 18 years or older. Here is how you enter:

Mandatory entry- this has to be done before other entries count: Subscribe to my blog.

For 2 additional entries EACH:

+ Like me on facebook. My name is Mystery Shopping Teacher.

+ Change your facebook status to the following. You can do this once a day!

250 business card giveaway going on at http://www.mysteryshoppingteacher.blogspot.com/. $70 value! Get your entries in now! Giveaway ends 9/24

+ Follow me on twitter

+ Tweet about this contest! You may do it once a day. Copy and paste:

250 business card giveaway going on at http://www.mysteryshoppingteacher.blogspot.com/. $70 value! Get your entries in now! Giveaway ends 9/24

+ Put my blog button on your blog

+Follow my blog on networked blogs

Each of these earns one additional entry:

+Leave a comment on any other post on this site

+Enter another of my contests

+Leave a comment telling me where you saw this giveaway listed

The giveaway will run until 9/24 at midnight. I will select a winner via random.org and post the winner's name on this blog. I will also email the winner and he or she will have 48 hours to accept the prize. If I don't hear from him or her within that time, I will choose another winner. This is a $70 value people! You don't wanna miss out on this. Get your entries in now!

Disclosure: I will receive 250 business cards in exchange for hosting this giveaway. I have not received any compensation for this post.

Zoodles review and giveaway

Recently I had the opportunity to review Zoodles- a kid friendly game site. In exchange for hosting this giveaway, I was given a premium membership to the site to check out the features. As a teacher I of course LOVE the fact that you can choose the subject areas of games that are available! The games have all been tested by educational experts so you know that there will be actual learning and reinforcement going on and not just fluff.

One of my favorite things about Zoodles is that you don't have to worry about your child getting into something that they don't need to be seeing. The Zoodles brower covers the entire screen, and the only way to get out of the browser is to type "quit". This eliminates fear of your child deleting something important off of your computer or accidentally stumbling across an inappropriate web site.

Once you sign up for your account, there's this pie chart where you can go in and choose how much or how little of each subject your child has access to. I teach reading, so you can count on me choosing that subject as an area of importance for my trial. I'm excited about looking further into the reading games and implementing these into my classroom activities.




There are videos available to help teach and reinforce different subject areas. I looked at the Mister Roger's video because I love Mister Roger's. Does he still come on t.v.?

Zoodles also has popular characters that kids watch nowadays like Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, and American Girl just to name a few.

Another feature that I like about this site is that parents get an email showing statistics from the work done during the week. You can see how much time your child spends on each subject. There is also a way for you to adjust the amount of time that your child spends on each subject. When you are logged in, you can go to a tab called "progress report" which shows the subject area that your child has spent time in along with the amount of time spent on each.

Although I didn't try this feature out for myself, there is the ability to record yourself reading a book and upload it so that your child can hear you read a book any time! Although this is no substitute for reading to your child, I think it is great to use in conjunction. Other features for parents include the ability to block shows, sites, and games; the ability to limit violence; and the ability to add content that you find appropriate for your child elsewhere on the web.

I like Zoodles, and I think that it is something that I will implement in my classroom. I played some of the games and enjoyed myself so I'm sure my students will too. I'm a teacher so that might be why I find the educational games so entertaining, since they are geared towards children. There is a free two week trial if you are interested in giving it a try. There are so many more features available that I can't even describe them all to you. Click here to read more about the additional features. You'll have to try it for yourself- it's free!

Buy it: Have I piqued your curiosity? The membership fee is really quite reasonable. Of course you can always use the Zoodles web ap for free, but if you want the premium membership you can try before you buy with a free two week trial. The two week trial gives you access to the premium membership for two weeks which allows you to have access to parental controls. Click here to check that out.

Win it: Now for the best part. Zoodles has given me the opportunity to give away a premium 3 month membership to one of my readers!

Mandatory entry- This must be done first before other entries count!
Subscribe to this blog- you must click on the verification link in the email you receive for this to count!

For two additional entries each-

+ Like Zoodles on facebook. Tell them that Mystery shopping teacher sent you!
+ Like me on facebook (Mystery shopping teacher)
+ Follow me on Twitter
+Follow Zoodles on Twitter
+Put my button on your blog (it's on the top left sidebar of this page)
+Follow me on networked blogs
+Become a google friend connect (GFC- left hand sidebar) follower of my blog
+ Leave a comment telling me where or how you found this giveaway
+ Leave a comment on another post on this blog
+ Enter another of my giveaways

+ Post the following as a status on your facebook page: The Mystery Shopping Teacher has a giveaway going on for a premium 3 month membership to Zoodles.com. The site features kid- friendly educational games.

+ Tweet about this contest once per day! Copy and paste: Giveaway for a premium 3 month subscription to Zoodles- safe, kid-friendly educational games at http://www.mysteryshoppingteacher.blogspot.com/


This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, 18 or older. This contest will run from today until October 2nd.

Disclosure: I was given access to a Zoodles premium membership in return for hosting this giveaway. No monetary compensation was given, all opinions are my own!

Rock 'N Learn Phonics winner

I want to thank Rock 'N Learn for the opportunity to do the review, and I want to think everyone for their participation. The winner of Rock 'N Learn Phonics volumes 1 and 2 is fancygrlnancy! Thanks again for all of the entries!

Stay tuned for more giveaways coming up, and if you haven't already check out my diamondearrings.org review and giveaway. Entries are still low!

Make money, earn prizes

Do you like prizes and money? Of course you do, who doesn't? If you search the web with the Swagbucks toolbar, you can earn points to redeem towards cash and prizes. It really is easy. You can sign up here, search the web, and earn points. I have earned 7 Amazon gift cards worth $5. I stacked them and used several at once for a sweet discount! There are many other prizes that you can redeem your points for including gift cards to lots of different places, real stone jewelry, ipods, $ , and much more.

What I do is use the swagbucks toolbar to search. Instead of typing in web addresses, I search from the toolbar. I am randomly rewarded with swagpoints. I usually earn points this way several times a week. This is one way that you can also earn points. Other ways of earning points include referring (so please sign up with my referral link), completing offers, surveys, trading in your unwanted items, etc. I figure that if I'm going to use the internet, I might as well make it worth my while and get paid to do it! Check it out.

Diamondearrings.org review and giveaway

     "Diamonds are a girls best friend." Or so they say. What if you are a frugal girl like myself who does not care to spend a lot of money on diamonds? For me, diamonds are mere acquaintances. I see them every now and then but for the most part we are polite, infrequent acquaintances.

    If you are like me, you will be really excited about the chance to get your hands on some imitation diamond earring studs. After trying to get a shot of these earrings fourteen times (literally), I finally realized that it was best to place them on a hard surface (so my hand wouldn't be shaking), and under a table-top lamp. The earrings arrived in the cute heart shaped box, just like in the picture. They are so cute and fun to wear. And they are sparkly. Did I mention that they are sparkly?

    So you are probably wondering how you can get your hands on these cuties. Here's how the site works. Have you heard about the site Diamondearrings.org? The company is up-and-coming, but the premise is interesting! The company is compensating all of us to spread the word about them by giving away free earrings. How do they do it? Well instead of spending thousands of dollars on advertising, they are having social media users spread the word to friends, family, followers, etc. The only thing that would have to be paid is $3.77 for postage and handling. If you do jewelry shopping at all you know that it costs more than that to buy even imitation diamond earring studs.

   Diamondearrings.org sent a free pair for me to review. And since you are my readers, you have the chance to win a pair as well- postage and handling free. Here's how you enter:

Mandatory entry- this must be done first before other entries count:

Subscribe to this blog

For 2 additional entries EACH:
+ Mention diamondearrings.org on your twitter, blog, or facebook page.
+ Like me on facebook. My name is Mystery Shopping Teacher.
+ Follow me on twitter
+ Tweet about this contest! You may do it once a day. Copy and paste

Go to http://www.diamondearrings.org/ to get a pair of simulated diamond earrings for p+h. Win a pair at www.mysteryshoppingteacher.blogspot.com!

+ Put my blog button on your blog
+ Post the following as your status on your facebook page:

Go to www.diamondearrings.org to get a pair of simulated diamond earrings for p+h. Win a pair at http://www.mysteryshoppingteacher.blogspot.com/!

+Follow my blog on networked blogs

Each of these earn one additional entry

+Leave a comment on any other post on this site
+Enter another of my contests
+Leave a comment telling me where you saw this giveaway listed
 
The giveaway will end on September 17th at midnight. I will choose a winner via random.org and publish the name of the winner. I will also email the winner and he or she will have 48 hours to contact me to accept their prize, or I will choose another winner. Have fun and give it a shot! You'll love your diamond earrings :)

My dinnerware dream...

I could really use some dinnerware. We, I guess I should say, could really use some new dinnerware. Our dinnerware cost about twenty bucks at Wally World six years ago. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” as Seinfeld would say.

There is a time in your life when you need all purpose twenty dollar dinnerware. That time is when you are in your teens and early twenties and you are on your own for the first time. When we were early twenty-somethings, we were thrilled to have guests over to eat on our multi purpose formal dinnerware. Oh did I mention that it happened to be our informal dinnerware as well? Yes, this is what I mean when I say multi-purpose.

Shame on me, I’ve been mentioning our dinnerware the entire time and have not bothered to introduce you to each-other! That’s okay- it’s a quick fix. Plain black dinnerware meet the reader, reader meet plain black dinnerware. That is basically the extent of introduction necessary. And I’m sure the dinnerware you are picturing in your mind is exactly what we have…shiny, black porcelain dinnerware. Every story is better with a picture right? Not in this case. I’ll spare you because I am absolutely positive that the picture you’ve formed in your brain is what we have.

How did we obtain said dinnerware? Well, I believe that at the time of purchase it was on our registry and I was so hoping to get it at my bridal shower. Did we or didn’t we? I can’t recall. But I do know that we ended up making it ours and were very happy with the purchase, thank you very much.

Now I’ll be honest with you: I’m extreeeemely clumsy. Well, I used to be. Now I’m just a little clumsy. Had I purchased (even if I had the money then, which I didn’t) a fancy set of dinnerware, it would’ve been almost immediately destroyed. I’ve managed to mangle even my starter set of dinnerware so totally that we are down to three bowls out of the eight we started with.

Now in the past year of my life (2009) our family had some changes. Firstly, my husband had a kidney transplant. At all times, one or both of us lived about four hours away for six weeks. I could only work sporadically during this time. That is the first six week break I took from teaching in ’09. Shortly after we arrived home in about April, we found out that I was twelve weeks along. That’s right, we were expecting.

Fast forward a few months when I give birth to a beautiful baby boy. I have to have gall bladder surgery (of all things) just five weeks after the birth of my son. I’m off work another six weeks. Imagine missing three months of paycheck. Uh, yeah, not easy to do. I know that dinnerware is not really the most important thing right now, but I have a dream. A dream were we can entertain and have enough formal dinnerware that we don’t have to serve a meal on PAPER PLATES. A dream where I can be proud of the dinnerware we serve on. A dream where my dinnerware is Mikasa. I might be a few weeks or months (okay, let me be completely honest- probably more than a year) away from that. I mean, we are still paying hospital bills.

I'm not a fine china type of gal. I don't like the the kind that is put up in some hutch for-eva that is meant for decoration. To me that is just more to have to dust, and I do not care to dust anymore than I have to. I mean, I can appreciate people who have it in their home as a showpiece but I would much prefer to be able to get use out of my dinnerware. I would love to be abe to get a set for every-day use that's pretty informal. Maybe one that has square placesettings. And then I'd want a set of formal dinnerware too. (Sigh) However, since we do still have enough dinnerware to be able to eat on, I think there are other things we must prioritize. A gal can dream though, yes? Does anyone have dinnerware older and/or cheaper than ours?

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post based on my opinions. But I really would like some new Mikasa dinnerware cause mine is really long past its' expiration date. So if you have some to giveaway let me know...Hey, I'm just sayin' !

Winner of brochures

I used Random.org to pick a winner of the 100 Full color brochures. I want to say thank you to all of the participants. I also want to thank brochures printing online for allowing me to do this giveaway! The winner is susansmoaks. Thanks again for all of the entries!

If you did not win this time around, stay tuned! I have several reviews and giveaways coming up next month. Plus I have two other giveaways going on right now. Have a great weekend!