Swagbucks!

I'm so excited for next month! Why? I'll be getting a brand new Chi flat iron for FREE to tame my wavy tresses into smooth styles for summer. I've been wanting one for quite awhile, so I'm extra stoked about it. So how did I snag that deal? SwagBucks.com. I won enough swagbucks to redeem them for the amount of Amazon.com gift cards to get it.

Earning points or 'swagbucks' is really easy. You just sign up for SwagBucks.com and just use their search engine to search for stuff that you'd normally search for. There are other easy ways to earn swagbucks as well, including:

• Downloading their toolbar; you get swagbucks every so often just for using it.
• Checking their blog and facebook page for special swag codes
• Recycling your old cell phone through their easy service
• Completing special offers (you can get swagbucks for just LOOKING at some...no participation in the offers needed)

You earn 30 SwagBucks just for signing up.  Also, as a bonus, my friend Kim with Maven on a Mission is doing a SwagBucks-related giveaway for a $5 Amazon.com gift card (her favorite SwagBucks prize, and mine too!)  Kim's the one who got me into couponing and uses her blog to help coach many of us in the Orlando area and beyond in our frugal pursuits.  I'm so excited for her doing her blog's first giveaway, so go support her and hopefully win!

So what would you like to get for free?

Kitchen Giveaways Galore

So I've already given you the heads up about The Five Fish's Step 2 Kitchen giveaway in my last post.  Just so happens that there are several other opportunities to win a Step 2 Play Kitchen out there right now from some top mommy bloggers' sites.  You've got to hurry, though, most of them are only open until the end of November or soon thereafter.  

Here's the scoop on each.  Look for their blogs' buttons on the left as well:

First, Our Ordinary Life'sStep 2 Deluxe Kitchen and Give-a-way runs until December 1st.  Our Ordinary Life (Kristen) is a test drive mom for Frigidaire (which by the way, is sponsoring a Creative Kids in the Kitchen contest in conjunction with Step 2) so she knows her kitchens.  Her review of the Step 2 was just as positive as The Five Fish's.

Another great giveaway where you could win the Step 2 Deluxe Kitchen is on Amanda - A Stay at Home Mom's Point of View's blog.  Amanda took some great photos of her kids' kitchen to give you an idea of what the accessories and features look like.  She also remarks about the easy assembly.  Her giveaway runs until Nov. 30th.

Lizzy at Lizzy Dear's Life is holding a Step 2 Lifestyle Party-Time Kitchen Giveaway, also open until December 1st.  Her kids have really enjoyed playing with theirs, and Lizzy says that it's the perfect size for a play kitchen; not too big, not too small. 

Finally, if you're looking to win the granddaddy of all play kitchens, Two of a kind, working on a full house's Step 2 Lifestyle Grand Walk-in Kitchen Review and Giveaway is not to be missed. She takes great photos of the kitchen's amenities and talks about the ways in which her son plays with it.  It keeps him entertained for hours.  Apparently, it's not TOO big, and it even has a slighly squooshy faux hardwood floor.  Can I have that for my kitchen?

These are some great opportunities to win a big Christmas gift for your kiddo(s), but even if you don't win, I hope that you're able to get some great deals to help your gift budget stretch farther.  Check out the rest of Step 2's great toddler toys too!

Fishing for a Great Gift? Catch this Giveaway

Toys that keep your child entertained for hours are worth their weight in gold.  Ones that foster imagination, creative play and allow for several kids to play together are even better.  Another mommy blogger whom I've started following, The Five Fish, recently reviewed such a toy, the Step 2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen.  She should know about the multiple-kid, multiple ages playability of this toy -- she has twin toddlers and a 6-year old who've all loved it.

And, she's giving one of these fab kitchens away, courtesy of Step 2.  Read her review and enter the giveaway for a chance at your child enjoying the cool food & utensil accessories, realistic appliance sounds and lots of storage space for all of his/her culinary creations. . . for free.

Li'l girlie is already interested in kitchen play; she empties out her cupboard in my kitchen daily and one of the few recognizeable-to-the-general-public words is 'bowl'.  She loves bowls, especially the one on our salad spinner.  I could see her going nuts over this kitchen and its play food and dishes, and I'll probably play with it a ton too if we won, truth be told.  I love to cook, and am excited to continue fostering a passion for it in my daughter.

Thanks for giving away one of these awesome toys, Five Fish!   We all love the opportunity to get free cool toys like this for our kids to foster their imaginations.

Giveaways

In my world, free stuff = great. Free stuff that I already think is awesome or has rave reviews from a trustworthy source = uh, where can I sign up. . .now?

I'm getting into couponing, and in my searching around the internet for good deals, I happened to find The Bragging Mommy, a reviews, features, and giveaways site. The head bragging mommy, Heidi, and her team talk about lots of great kids/moms stuff, and they're very thorough in their personal reviews. I aspire to be like them someday; in my own personal vein of things, of course.

Now for the cool free thing: their Strider Running Bike Review also has a giveaway of a Strider Running Bike. Heidi writes a detailed description of how her toddler son has used and loved his Strider Running Bike, gives you a bullet point list of brag-worthy features, and has a giveaway where your entries make you learn more about the bike and of course, her blog. A little time and effort for a chance to win? Yes. But, if you're wanting to research a great product and get the info on other helpful stuff, it's worth it.

The Strider bike itself is something I wish they'd had when I was little. It's just like a small bike, but with no pedals. The hardest thing about learning to ride a 'real' bike is learning how to balance, and the Strider gives a child the opportunity to learn that skill in a fun, safe and confidence-building way. With training wheels, a regular bike just acts like a tricycle, so balance doesn't develop until the child is actually riding on their own....lots of opportunity for falls. Check out the video to see more.



Hope you think this giveaway and the Strider bike are worth looking into. Wait a minute... do I want more competition for winning the bike? ;)