Swept Up In Blog Sweeps

Here are some of the blog sweepstakes I've entered today:

*  The folks at The Best of Disney are giving">http://is.gd/DxM6Zi">giving away
a 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival – Disney Trading Pin Set
* The Folks at WDW Hints are giving away a $25 Disney Gift Card AND a choice of either a Frozen Calendar or Mickey Mouse Calendar

*  Win a Disney Themed Halloween Wreath.   This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 and older. The theme of the wreath may vary but it will be Disney and it will be Halloween.

*  Win one for your family! Spend two nights at Nickelodeon Suites Resort, a wild, wacky, and family-focused hotel with 24 acres dedicated to imagination, play and exploration. Make the weekend even more special and experience the magic of Walt Disney World with a $500 Disney gift card!

The Melting Pot Hosting #MeltySelfieMonday Contests

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but at The Melting Pot thinks a good selfie is worth a pot of fondue! Each Monday through Sept. 15, The Melting 

Pot will release a new #MeltySelfieMonday photo challenge on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/themeltingpotrestaurants and on Instagram @TheMeltingPo. The Melting Pot will award 10 great selfie-takers each week with $50 Melting Pot gift card.

From upside-down to group selfie themes, there are multiple chances to participate and win! So, don’t hold back. Showing us your cheesiest selfie could earn you a potof cheese fondue!  Stay connected with The Melting Pot on Facebook and Instagram to join the #MeltySelfieMonday fun!

Hershey's 2014 Summer S'Mores Grilling Instant Win Game

You could Instantly win a Hershey's S'mores Grilling Kit over one thousand will be given away!  

GAME began at 12:00:00 P.M. “EDT” on APRIL 21, 2014 and ends at AT 11:59:59 P.M. EDT on SEPTEMBER 6, 2014.

Open only to legal residents of the United States residing in the 50 United States, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, who are 18 years of age or older as of the date of playing. Employees

There are two (2) ways to play. During the Game Period, you may play for a chance to win a prize in one of the following manners:

(a) Text Message: text HERSHEYSMORES to shortcode 87963

(b) Internet: Visit https://www.veranohersheys.com/en-US

Limit one (1) Play per person/mobile phone/e-mail address/household per day, regardless of method of Play.

One Thousand One Hundred Twelve (1,112) Prizes. Each winner will receive a prize pack consisting of one (1) grill basket, one (1) Apron, and one 12" Inch SS Tongs w/Bamboo. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $48.97 each prize pack.

Limit one (1) prize per person, address and/or household.

Lean Cuisine Share the Wealth Sweepstakes

Can you say 'Best Friends Forever'? This awesome prize package is perfectly designed for sharing!

Prize: One (1) ”Share the Wealth” package consisting of two (2) Amazon® Kindle Fire™ tablets, two (2) $100 Amazon.com® Gift Cards, and two (2) $500 DSW® Gift Cards. ARV: $1,540.00.

How to Enter:  You must be a LEAN CUISINE DELICIOUS REWARDS member and meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in Section 5 (below) to participate in the Sweepstakes.

Membership is free. Log in to the leancuisine.com and follow the links and instructions to proceed to the DELICIOUS REWARDS Catalog (the “Catalog”). Once in the Catalog, there are three (3) Sweepstakes reward items ("Prize") available in the list of Rewards. You can enter for a chance to win them one (1) of the following two (2) ways:

a. Redeem Rewards Points:  Click on the Prize in the catalog and follow the links and instructions to redeem twenty (20) Rewards Points for which you will receive one (1) Sweepstakes entry toward Prize 1 or Prize 2, or redeem fifty (50) Rewards Points for which you will receive one (1) Sweepstakes entry toward Prize

b. Free Mail-in Method of Entry:  To enter without redeeming points, hand print your name, a valid mailing address (P.O. Boxes are not permitted), day and evening phone numbers and registered e-mail address on a 3" x 5" piece of paper and mail it in  an envelope (complete with proper postage) addressed to:

LEAN CUISINE DELICIOUS REWARDS
August Sweepstakes $1540 “Share the Wealth” Package
PO Box 5046
Department: 573055
Kalamazoo, MI 49003-5046

You will receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes drawing for the Prize selected.  Limit: One (1) entry per envelope. All mail-in entries must be handwritten, no mechanical reproductions. All mail-in entries must be postmarked by September 2, 2014 and received by September 9, 2014.

The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry and member of the DELICIOUS REWARDS program.

The DELICIOUS REWARDS from LEAN CUISINE August Sweepstakes begins on August 1, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") and ends on September 2, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the "Promotion Period").

A New Win Comes My Way

When I arrived home from the gym I was greeted by my favorite sight, a WIN.  I won a Mountain Dew Soccer ball from the Mountain Dew Soccer TV Sweepstakes at La Michoacana.  Looks like another gift for the prize closet.

Speaking of special deliveries, I received the novel  Ride Around Shining that i won as well!

The tip I've resolved to put to the test this week is to maximize my chances of winning by entering often. The more you enter the better your chances of winning.  I have always used the My Sweeps function on Online-Sweepstakes.  This allows me to save sweepstakes I'm particularly interested in so that I can enter them every day.

What I'm doing differently is making certain that I enter social media and texting sweepstakes as often as the rules allow.  I will let you know how this affects my winning.

A Day In The Life Of A Sweeper

So what is a sweeper's day really like?

Your day begins by checking your mail for ANY winning emails.  This means that you have to make a quick look-see in your spam box to prevent deleting a potential big WIN.

The next thing I do is begin entering sweeps on my go-to sweepstakes site, Online-Sweepstakes.  As a Premium member I have more sweepstakes available to enter than folks who only access the site as a freebie.  This is not to say that you still can't win things even if you are not a premium member.  It simply means that you have more opportunities to win.

As you know I have been making a concentrated effort to enter more sweepstakes in more mediums than I have been lately.  I will admit I had become complacent and lazy but I'm working to turn that around.  So today I traveled with a cut out of Charlie the Tuna to snap photos to show where Starkist and I have been.

I took Charlie to the mall and took some snapshots at this piece of local art they have on the mall concourse.   I felt it would make for good background.

Imagine for a second you are at the mall shopping the back-to-school sales and you notice some woman snapping photos of a cut out of Charlie the tuna that she has laid out on various locations of the mall sculpture.  I did get some looks but I am not one to let that deter me.  I snapped my photos and put Charlie away for his next photo op.

So what will I win for my strange behavior?  The Grand Prize Winner in the Charlie on The Go Sweepstakes will win a Sorry Charlie T-shirt, pair of StarKist ear buds, Starkist baseball cap, Wi-Fi enabled camera, selfie stick, online photo printing service gift certificate and two product vouchers for free Starkist Pouch products (ARV $600)

If I don't win the grand prize there are daily prizes which include:   Sorry Charlie T-shirt, pair of StarKist ear buds, Starkist baseball cap, and d two product vouchers for free Starkist Pouch products. (ARV $50)

I'd be happy winning either prize honestly. Who wouldn't want a Sorry Charlie T-shirt!

After stopping at the mall I headed over to Dunkin' Donuts.  They loved me enough to give me a FREE medium drink for my birthday.  I had decided to claim my gift a couple of days early.  Of course I had to take a couple of selfie there as though I was a teenager because Dunkin' Donuts seems to have a lot of Instagram and Twitter contests.  Although I don't know of any going on right now I take them and file them away for later.

When I arrived home I had to take another photo for my #CokeGrabSummer Instagram contest.  Today's entry was a photo of a letter of encouragement left for a friend.  I typed one up for my hubby and for extra points I made sure that my McDonald's Cup of Coke was displayed prominently in the photo.

Before you say something about how cheesy you might feel receiving a letter that I used in a sweepstakes, know this, my husband married into this.  He has enjoyed the fruit of my wins often enough to make it easy for him to overlook the commercialization of the note.  Nothing personal was in the note.  It contained a message of encouragement I had sent to all my Twitter followers today on my Friday shout-outs.  So no he is not upset at all.

Is it all worth it?  Perhaps.  I will tell you that I enjoy receiving winning emails and surprise visits from the UPS guy.  Like today when I arrived home from my errands to discover a box filled with Balance Bars S'mores.  It was kind of like an early birthday gift.  So I would say that for me sweeping is worth it.

Getting My Sweepstakes Mojo Back

Like quite a few other sweepers, I’ve been singing the “Dry Spell Blues”.  Most every sweeper gets them from time to time either because they are not winning at all or the prizes they are winning just aren’t what they used to be. 

I try not to let this get me down.  Over the years I’ve won some great prizes so when I hit a dry spell I remind myself that “this too shall pass” and move on.   Often what I do is take a look at not only how I’ve been entering sweeps but how I have NOT been entering some sweepstakes.  With this in mind I’ve decided to go back through some of my old issues of SweepSheet to see if I can put its tips into practice to turn this hobby around.

This week I remind myself that you have to enter to win.  The best way to put this into practice is to enter at least one sweepstakes every day using the variety of entry methods available, ie., mail, online, text messages, radio call-ins, drop box, send away for game pieces or original entry blanks, obtain game pieces, etc. 

Every day I enter about 400-500 sweeps online through Online-Sweepstakes.com.   I enter about one or two by mail.  I have been really negligent in entering text sweeps so I definitely need to do something there.  As for radio call-ins, that used to be my specialty years ago and now I no longer enter.  Perhaps I should try again. 

This means that the mission, should I accept it, will be to enter more text message sweepstakes this week than I have been entering and then report back with the results.  

It's Official - We Will Be Part Of The Super Bowl Half-Time Show!!!!

I've been wanting to announce this officially for days but I have been waiting for our NFL background check to come through.  Well now it's official.  I was one of 50 lucky fans that was selected for an on-field experience during Beyonce's Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show performance seen by millions of viewers around the world.

I submitted photos of specific poses such as head bops, toe taps, jumping, and more. in order to win this exciting prize which includes a trip for two to New Orleans, $500 spending money, the opportunity to attend a private Pepsi Party, and of course an on field experience during the half-time show.

This is another one of those "Only In Sweepstakes Moments" and my husband and I are so very excited about this win.  I can't wait to share our experience with you.

I Feel A WIN Coming On!!

Here’s a question for my fellow sweepers.  Have you ever entered a sweepstakes or a contest and just knew you were going to win?  This may sound crazy but it’s actually happened to me on more than one occasion.

A few years ago I entered a sweepstakes for a trip to Scotland.  I remember seeing the sweepstakes listed and just as I read the prize I just knew I was going to win it.  I was so certain I actually looked up the hotels that were listed as part of the prize.  Still I was surprised when I actually did win.

Another time I entered a sweepstakes that had a grand prize of a trip to California to meet the star of a show and go on a behind the scenes of the show.  This sounded very exciting.  The only problem was I didn’t read the rules.  Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa.  I was certain I would win but within moments of entering I caught myself felt an urge to go back and actually read the rules.  Turned out the sweepstakes was only for nurses and I am NOT a nurse.  Oh well I said to myself.  I only entered once I probably won’t win. 

Wouldn’t you know it, I did win and I felt like a real fool having to explain that I hadn’t read the rules because there was another sweepstakes for the same prize that didn’t have that stipulation.  The promotion company really was good about it and didn’t give me a lot of grief and even thanked me for my enthusiasm about the show. 

Getting that funny feeling that I’m going to win a particular prize isn’t a new phenomenon for me.   Years ago I remember learning that Phil Collins was coming to concert and one of my favorite stations was giving away skybox tickets to the show every other hour.  I was on the road about an hour and a half and I remember looking at the clock on my dashboard thinking I would arrive at my destination just in time to win.  Believe it or not that’s exactly what happened. 

I drove into the parking lot of my boyfriend’s apartment with the radio station blaring.  I shut off the car and ran up the stairs.  When he opened the door I ran past him and headed for his telephone telling him to turn on the radio as I began to dial.  On the second try the DJ congratulated me and told me I was the winner. 

I wish I could say that every time I enter a sweepstakes I could tell if I were going to win or lose. If that were true I could save myself a lot of time by not entering the sweepstakes I wouldn’t win. 

This Thursday I saw a contest sponsored by Pepsi and I just had this crazy feeling that if I entered I would win.  They were giving away 50 trips for two to New Orleans to participate in the Super Bowl Half Time Show.   To enter, visit the site and follow the directions to upload a photo. The winners were going to be chosen at random.

While I was taking a photo of my foot tapping that funny feeling came back over me.  I felt I was going to win something.  I didn’t want to get too excited but I just couldn’t shake that feeling that I won something.

Two hours later I had a knock on the door.  It was the UPS guy.  I figured it was something my husband ordered but I was wrong.  One of the boxes was something I had ordered with a $25 gift card I had won.  The other one was very light and at first glance a mystery. 

Inside the box was a large white envelope that contained a certificate congratulating me about winning a $100 GC for Dallas Cowboys .  Talk about coincidences.  This must be what  I was expecting.  Mystery solved.

The GC came from a second chance sweep I entered through a scratch-off ticket from the Texas Lottery folks.  That's actually the second time I've won from one of their scratch-off games.  A Redskin's fan myself, I must say I'm probably going to wind up giving this  as a Christmas gift. 

Monday morning I came home from my walk to find a message on my phone.  It was from the people at Pepsi letting me know that I was a potential WINNER.  I will know if I'm a winner once I pass my background check.

So what's included?  Each grand prize includes a trip for two to New Orleans, Louisiana to participate in the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and attend a private Pepsi Party. The prize includes airfare, hotel, admission to the Super Bowl Half Time Show Practice, Super Bowl Half Time Show, and to the Pepsi Private Party, and $500 spending cash.

Now if I could just have that feeling I'm going to win Powerball. 

2012 A Year Of Winning

A year or so ago I began keeping track of my sweepstakess by breaking them down by month.  It made the dry times seem more tolerable because I realized I really won more than I though.

This year marks the first time I won a second chance prize from a lottery drawing. It is also the first time I won a Pinterest prize.  Sure the Pinterest prize was a consolation prize but who am I to argue with a $25 e-Gift Card?  I used it to buy NEXT YEARS Christmas gifts for my dogs. 

All in all it was a pretty good year that included TWO trips. How great is that? 

Here are my wins for 2012:

JANUARY
*  Papa John's pizza with one (1) topping, awarded in the form of a unique, one-time use promotion code
*  A subscription to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine from Purex
* Quaker Flip Flops - Pepsi's Challenge sweepstakes

FEBRUARY
*  One (1) winner shall receive a Guy's Guy Weekend which includes a Trip for two (winner and winner's travel companion) to meet ESPN Radio personalities at ESPN Audio's Guy's Guys Weekend at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL . Trip includes roundtrip airfare for two to Orlando, FL, 4 days/3 nights accommodations for two at Disney's Yacht Club Resort; a Welcome Reception (includes dinner, drinks, fireworks); a "Drive Time" night NASCAR racing experience at Richard Petty Racing, optional 18-holes of Golf at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course, a Saturday afternoon Atlanta Braves baseball game at the Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and !iViva Los Guys! "Casino" Night. Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of $7,600 USD. 1-800-Flowers.com® - Arrangement of the Month 12 Month Bouquet Club (Product Code: 95119C12, ARV: $899.76 USD), Stock Yards® - The Twelve-Month Club (Product Code: #8805, ARV: $1,649.95 USD) and SONY - PS3™ Sports Champions™ Move HW Bundle (ARV: $349.00 USD). Total ARV of Grand Prize: $10,498.71 USD
*  Science Diet® Share the Love Sweepstakes

MARCH
* One (1) Underworld Trilogy on Blu-Ray.  One (1) Underworld Awakening Soundtrack.  Two (2) IMAX ticket vouchers
* Two Family Fun Cash Certificates valid for $5 of any movie or towards the purchase of any DVD electronics, sporting goods, or toy items at participating theaters/retailers. 
*  $10 Dollar General Gift Card
*  Reese's peanut butter cup coupon

APRIL
*  Reese's t-shirt (ARV $6.58).
*  Autographed Hunter Hayes CD.
*  Trip for winner and one (1) guest to attend the UFC Event as defined in Rule #2. Trip consists of round-trip coach air transportation (from gateway city nearest winner's home), double-occupancy hotel accommodations for two (2) consecutive nights, one (1) Bud Light/UFC gift bag (contents to be determined by Sponsor at a later date), two (2) tickets to the UFC Fight and access to Bud Light sponsored events. UFC Event and Fight date, location and seating assignments will be determined by Sponsor and Zuffa, LLC, in Sponsor's and Zuffa's sole discretion, at a later date and is subject to availability and change. Winner and guest must travel on the same itinerary and on the dates specified by Sponsor or prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Winner and guest must comply with all travel requirements, which may include, without limitation, presenting necessary identification (including passport or driver's license) at the time of travel. Flight schedules are subject to change without notice. Any costs incurred due to changes to the original itinerary are solely the winner's responsibility. Travel and accommodations are at the Sponsor's discretion and subject to availability and change. If winner cannot accept prize as specified, prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner (time permitting). Ground transportation, meals, gratuities and all other expenses not specified herein are solely winner's responsibility. Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $1,235.00

MAY
*  Four complimentary Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes dining passes
*  Package of Thomas' English Muffins or Bagels awarded in the form of a $5 electronic coupon.
*  $5 Amazon gift code.

JUNE
*  Box of drumsticks cones
*  $2 Pepsi download

JULY
*  10 MYCOKEREWARDS Points
*  $100 Aerosoles gift card
*   FREE one-year subscription to Ladies’ Home Journal magazine!
*  Guitar Bottle Opener (ARV $9).
*  Dot.Mine, day planner (ARV $13.99)
*  Hawaiian Falls Family 4-Pak includes four admission tickets, four combo meals and all day drinks
*  International Delight Iced Coffee free product coupon (ARV $3.99)
*  Chicago Fire soccer ball, outdoor blanket, in addition to Quaker products (Real Medleys, Cookies, Oats, Chewy Bars, Quaker Oatmeal Squares)
*  FREE any size bag of Kettle Brand Chips
*  Music Trivia Playing Cards (ARV $5.99)

AUGUST
*  Coupon for Buy 2 SHEBA® canned food for cats, and get 1 FREE. MAX Value: $.59
*  $10 Cheesecake Factory Gift Card
*  $50 Fandango Card
*  $25 Fandango Card
*  $100 Aerosoles Gift Card

SEPTEMBER
*  Panasonic Earbuds (ARV $9.99)

OCTOBER
*  A three month VIP memberships to the exclusive Inner Circle of the Blogs to Riches Club
*  A $5 O'Reilly Auto Parts Promotional Certificate*.
*  Travel Earbud Set (ARV $30).

NOVEMBER
*  Autographed copy of A Bride's Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer (ARV $13)
*  Congratulations on winning a $25 American Express® Shop Small® Gift Card,
*  Quaker/Play60 t-shirt (ARV $10).

DECEMBER
*  $25 MasterCard® Prepaid Code
*  You've won a $10 Walgreens Gift Card
*  $25 Frontgate gift certificate (first pinterest win)
*  Congratulations! You were selected as a prize pack winner in the TX Lottery World Series of Poker 2nd chance drawing.  Prize includes a WSOP branded poker table top, WSOP branded Automatic Card Shuffler and Shoe, WSOP branded Poker 400 Piece Poker Set, WSOP branded Watch and Custom Leather Case, WSOP branded Sunglasses and Hard Shell Case, WSOP branded Premium Fitted Cap. 

Entering Sweepstakes On Pinterest

Back in the Sixties, Bob Dylan warned us that the times they are a changin’ and that’s true about many things including sweeping.  If you want to win sweepstakes then you have to be flexible in the ways you enter sweepstakes. 

When I first heard of Pinterest I had no clue whatsoever what it was.  When I saw that I could get an extra entry by following someone on Pinterest I decided to create an account and following them.   I soon learned that some sweepstakes were actually entered by creating a “board” so I decided it was time for me to learn more about the site.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard to organize and share the things you love.  Users can add their own content, “repin” content from the “boards” of others as well as content outside of Pinterest and “Pin It” to one of their boards. 

How do you create a Pinterest account?  That’s easy.  To make a Pinterest account, visit pinterest.com. Select the button "Join Pinterest" at the top of the page.  You will be required to create a Pinterest account name, password, and associated email.  You can also register via Facebook or Twitter.

How do you create a pinboard?  You can create as few or as many boards as you like.  To create a new board, click Add+ on the top toolbar on Pinterest, then press Create a Board. Type in a board title, choose a category, and then click Create Board when you are finished.

What is a pin?  A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be added from a website using our bookmarklet or you can upload images from your computer. A repin is adding an image you find while browsing Pinterest to your own board. When you repin an image, the user who first pinned the image also get credit.

How can you enter sweepstakes using Pinterest?  As with any other sweepstakes winning is all about following the rules. Usually sweepstakes involving Pinterest ask you to create a board with a predetermined name for that board.  The sponsor will then ask you to pin or repin a certain number of images, often asking that you tag these images with a hashtag (#).  Usually pins relate to a specific topic such as recipes or fashion. The sponsor may then ask you to email the link to your board or ask you to complete an entry form which includes a space for the link to your board. 

 Some sponsors have a judging aspect for pinboard entries.  If this is true be certain to read the judging criteria before you begin pinning.  I found a contest which asked that you create a board about travel and I randomly selected photos of places I wished I could visit from their website.  When I went back to make sure my entry met all requirements I realized that my board was actually being judged as to its theme.  This required me to go back and remove some pins and insert some new pins.

I’ve also noticed that several sponsors are selecting their winners based on the number of repins your pins receive.  As I have stated before I’m not big on voting contests which is essentially what this is.  Still you can request repins using Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites.   

The odds of winning any sweepstakes depend on the number of entries.  There is a certain population of sweepers who still rely only on mailing in 3x5 cards.  There is a large segment of sweepers who devote their energy to sweepstakes that only require the entrant to complete a form and submit.  This means the odds are in your favor when you enter alternate entry sweepstakes such as Pinterest.   Entering sweepstakes using Pinterest can be time-consuming but remember the more difficult a sweepstakes is to enter, the fewer qualified entries they will receive. 

Finally, remember that sweeping is NOT a job, it’s a hobby.  Enter sweepstakes for the thrill of it because if it’s not fun then you need a new hobby. 

Sweepers Not Welcome!

I recently read a thread on Online-Sweepstakes about how PDXLAN decided at first to disqualify a person based solely because their hobby is "sweeping".  PDXLAN assured their follwers that they were ready to replace if they discovered this person at all cheated.  They are also considering amending the rules to disqualify FB profile pages that are not "personal" or "nothing but sweeps".

At first glance one could actually understand that PDXLAN was using this promotion as a way to reach out to their core constituancy, hardware enthusiasts.  Ideally organizations use demographics to identify the ideal consumer for a product or services and develop marketing strategies such as product packaging, advertisements, business location and pricing. Demographics can help organizations avoid costly mistakes in their marketing plan.

Certainly PDXLN is well within their rights to limit their sweepstakes to "hardware enthusiast" but doing so would require them to identify exactly who or what a "hardware enthusiast" is.  For example if you love building your own computers I might say you are a hardware enthusiast, but how does one prove what one does as a hobby?  Do I send you a photo of computers I have built?  Do I send you photos of my work bench filled with computer hardwares in various stages of completion?  How many computers must I have built in order to be classified as a "hardware enthusiast"?

I suppose PDXLN could make the contest only open members of their forums or require that they have made a certain number of posts in order to be eligible.  I can think of a particular movie site that requires you to be a member and have a certain number of recent posts.  This would discourage all but the dedicated entrant.

The fact that they called the winner and others who sweep as a hobby contest junkies misses out on some factors PDXLAN may not have thought about.

For example, I will admit that my hobby is sweeping.  I am not a "professional sweeper" nor do I know one but I'd like to share with you why a company offering sweepstakes as a form of promotion is not wasted on me. 

First of all many sweepers including myself tend to be brand loyal.  When I need flour, cake mixes, etc. my first choice is generally Pillsbury.  The reason is quasi-subliminal for me.  I associate the brand with their $1 Million Bake-Off and I imagine myself baking something worth of a million dollars.  Have I ever won the Bake-Off?  No?  Would I like to?  Absolutely!

Imagine for one second if the people at Pillsbury explicitly disqualified entrants who baked as a hobby or entered baking contests at the county fair.

Second of all, you may want to understand that sweepers provide "WOM" adversing.  For example, when I won a year's worth of flowers from 1-800-Flowers, I review each arrangement with photos on both my blogs as well as on Twitter and Facebook.  Everyone who sees my flowers asks me who sent them and I ALWAY mention 1-800-FLOWERS. 

I am also receiving a year's worth of meat from Stockyard Meats and when we get our delivery we often  invite someone else to share the tender steak, succulent lamb chops, or delicious pork ribs.  When people comment about how great the meat was we tell them where it came from and how they can order it. 

When I was younger I lived in Washington, DC so there were many radio stations to chose from and one of the factors I used to decide as to which station to listen to was the contests.  This was true for years before I ever began sweeping.  It was always so exciting to hear people win concert tickets, trips, etc.  I imagined that I might win even when I wasn't even entering.  How's that for crazy? 

When I did start playing radio contests I would excitedly tell people about new albums or upcoming concerts that I was trying to win.  When you're excited about an upcoming concert your friends probably are also and I always knew when tickets were going on sale or albums hit the store and always shared this information with my friends.

When a company uses a sweepstakes in conjunction with the introduction of a new product or a special promotion.  Often when my husband asks me about where I'd like to eat or what movie I would like to see, my mind immediately jumps to sweepstakes that promote them. This is true even though the rules don't require a purchase. 

The fact is that companies can increase their brand awareness with sweepstakes.  Companies can use them to increase their social media presence.  In the end PDXLN has to make it's own decisions as to how they will procede from here.  Hopefully they will take into consideration the points I have made before they write off "sweepers". 

Sweeping For A Living

First let me say if for some reason you honestly believe that you can quit your job and sweep for a living "PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE KOOL-AID".

Sweepstakes are games of chance. There is no guarantee that your effort will pay off EVER. While certainly you may increase the probability that you will win, it is unwise to stake your livelihood, and that of your family's well-being on your wins. Nothing is guaranteed with sweepstakes entry.

Having said that, I thought I'd share this video with my readers.

I'm a sweeper through and through but I absolutely understand that this is a hobby, only a hobby, and that it's important to make sure that you deal with legitimate sweepstakes. It's veryexciting to find out that you've won a prize. There's nothing like hearing brown pull into your driveway to drop off an affidavit.

Please, please, please, don't quit your day job, put this hobby in perspective and have fun!!!

Tips From The Pros On Winning Sweepstakes

Thinks no one wins sweeps, well think again. I can attest that people do win and that you could too if you simply remembered this little axiom, “You’ve gotta play to WIN”

OK I didn’t make that slogan up but this slogan from the Maryland State lottery is true. As a matter of fact I am always amazed at the number of people who complain that they NEVER win only to confess that they NEVER enter.

• You have the best chance of winning by using the snail mail route. Because so many sweepstakes are moving online, old-fashioned snail mail contests are seeing fewer entries
• Don’t get disqualified, make sure you READ the rules first
• Fewer people enter contests that require a skill like a recipe or an essay, so if you possess these talents, you will have better odds.
• Send a thank-you note when you win
• Don’t ignore social media. Lots of companies are using social media to promote their sweepstakes.
• NEVER send money or make a purchase in an attempt to win a sweepstakes! Any suggestion that you should buy before entering could be illegal.

The Winner's Circle

If you're a sweeper like me, then you've heard these words many times. "Oh nobody wins those things." or "You must just be lucky."

Trust me, luck has very little to do with it. As a matter of fact if you actually calculate the number of times I actually enter sweepstakes my luck must be incredibly bad.

This does not deter me however. I continue to enter sweepstakes and contests and I continue to win.

Here are my wins for the year 2010. Where possible I have placed the ARV of the prize.

January
Advance reading copy of Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff (ARV $5).
$100 gift card from Arbor Mist
Good Eats: The Early Years by Alton Brown (ARV $37.50).

February
$100 VISA gift card from the Tom's of Maine giveaway
Hill's Prescription Diet pet food for one year awarded in the form of coupons (ARV $$774/dog)
Prize: Fender Squire bass guitar, Ibanez electric guitar, Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, and Evans drumhead all signed and played by Saosin in the Changing music video.
Copy of Love & City Dreaming Poems by Margaret Havill Reid.
$50 snapfish gift card

March
Absolute Power by David Baldacci (audio book)
Marrying For King's Millions by Maureen Child (book)
$1,000, two tickets to Daytona and a Meet and Greet

April
Bake Me A Wish Cake
Photo notebook
Get Rid of the Performance Review! (book win)
A Touch of Scandal (book win)
Cienfuegos (book win)
This Ain't No Hearts and Flowers Love Story Pt 2 (book win)
Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet (book win)
$25 Rite Aid Gift Card

May
Little Billy's Letters (book win)
The Swimming Pool (book win)
Work Song (book win)
Still Missing (book win)
Corked (book win)

June
music download from Universal Music
$500 grocery gc
won the Guide To Online Dating.
Poison by Sara Poole (book win)

July
Focus Features DVD pack (ARV $80). Movies included Brokeback Mountain, Atonement, Away We Go, Etrenal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Pride & Prejudice.
Gary Allen Get Off On The Pain CD
Matched by Allie Condle (book win)

August
$100 Visa gift card
$25 Rite Aid Card
If I Stop Talking You'll know I'm Dead audio book win

September
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse "Team Jacob," "Team Bella," and "Team Edward" 1-liter aluminum water bottle set (ARV $30).
$100 Visa Card.

October
100 MyCokeRewards
1 bag of Ghirardelli Squares Chocolate
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards

November
Troll2 DVD
Tarizon: Conquest Earth (Tarizon Trilogy)
Francesca Battistelli t-shirt, CD, and bag; and Satellites and Sirens CD, poster, sticker, button, and guitar picks (ARV $60).
Jonah Hex DVD
$20 Dollar General Gift Card
Corona Summer Beach Kit with Weber Smokey Joe Gold grill, two beach chairs and beach umbrella (ARV $125).

December
Commemorative R.W. Knudsen Family® anniversary bottle of Sparkling Concord grape juice
$2 scratch-off ticket
3 FREE scratch off lottery tickets
Free Fries from Wendy's
Breakfast from Hardees for my Department from local radio station WLAQ
A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism - book win
The Devotion of Suspect X - book win
The Flirt Club - book win
$100 Publix GC
$10 Family Dollar Gift Card

Sweetie Sweeps

The tips for winning never seem to deviate. You have to play to win! Just yesterday I found out that I won a $500 GC for groceries and an audio book. It really does work. People really do win.

Confessions Of A ThriftyMaven

Rome News-Tribune Features Editor

SAvila@RN-T.com / 706-290-5255

In tough economic times, most people are looking to save a few bucks here and there. But Rome High School teacher Catherine Copeland’s home is stocked with brand new electronics and fancy gadgets and she’s taking trips all over the country, even being picked up at the airport in limousines. The catch is that she isn’t paying for any of it.

Copeland, who teaches business at Rome High, has been sweeping since she was 19 years old.

“Sweeping is when you enter sweepstakes,” Copeland said. “A long time ago I discovered that with patience and perseverance you can win a lot of stuff just by entering sweepstakes and contests.”

And for most of her adult life, Copeland has enjoyed the thrill of sweepstakes and contests and the chance at winning prizes and gifts.

She started with call-in radio contests and won more than 100 albums and saw 70 concerts including Billy Joel, Elton John and Queen for free.

Copeland then graduated to “snail mail,” filling out 3x5 cards and mailing them out to various sweepstakes.

And now, the Internet offers her thousands of choices for entering contests.

She is a member of the Georgia Peaches Sweepers Club as well as onlinesweepers.com. Through those groups, she shares information with other avid sweepers and gets information on thousands of contests.

“On average I enter about 500 sweepstakes per day,” she said. “But you have programs that make doing that very easy. It’s mindless. I could sit and watch television and send those out.”

There is also a big difference between sweepstakes and contests, as Copeland is quick to point out.

“Sweepstakes usually just require you to send in your name and address,” she said. “Contests require some sort of skill.”

Copeland has entered and won contests for recipes, photography, videos and even essays.

And that time spent has certainly paid off. Her home is filled with her prizes including radios, cameras, laptops, printers, gift cards and iPods.

She has won trips to the Bahamas, Disney World, Aruba, St. Lucia, several U.S. cities and even as far away as Scotland.

Her most unusual prize, she guesses, was a double ghost tour of New Orleans and Chicago.

And the most valuable?

“We sweepers have what we call ‘hall of fame’ wins,” she said. “Those are prizes that are worth at least $5,000. I’ve won three of those. Two were trips and one was an electronics package.”

But Copeland isn’t keeping all the wealth to herself. She’s taken to the Internet with a blog, thriftymaven.com, in an effort to share all her thrifty secrets with the community.

“The blog is a byproduct of what I teach my students,” she said. “I’m thrifty. I teach about good business and saving money and marketing and company strategies. So the blog is somewhere people can go to learn about some of those things.

Copeland blogs about everything from how and where to find deals to contests and sweepstakes and even coupons.

Readers can get special promotions, recipes as well as product reviews.

“I just want people to be aware of these money-saving strategies,” she said. “With rising joblessness, housing woes and other economic problems people are looking for ways to cut costs.”

Today is the day that my article appeared in the Rome News Tribune. Some 56 new subscribers signed up in one day. That's about the same number of people who signed up in one day after I began the Home Depot Contest.

I had posted that I had appeared in the paper on OLS and a couple of people were upset because I talked about sweeping and about OLS. They felt that this would keep them from winning because more people would sign up. That was fine. I guess I understand that. I do know that most of the people I turn on to sweeping generally lose interest quickly. They might enter a couple of sweeps and that's it, they're through with it. See I told you I never win!

One person though really lashed into me. She wanted to know why I talked about entering sweeps mindlessly while watching TV. Well if that person talked to my husband she would know that I don't watch TV in the sense that I stare mindlessly at the screen. I have the TV on, I listen to it, as I hit roboform. The reporter had wanted to know how in the world I entered 500 sweeps a day. I had chatted with the reporter about sweeping and I showed him Roboform. He thought that was pretty cool. He said "I guess you could just do that while you are entering sweeps." I said yes. The reporter had gotten the name of OLS wrong and he had put the mindlessly watching TV thing in his article and this bothered the heck out of this person on OLS.

Not once, but three separate times she came at me. Finally I had enough and I confronted her. She had been so snarky and then she said "Why are you being so defensive?" Uh hello? Are you following the same conversation I am I asked? As always I took it personally. So I told her look, some people will always believe they are right. It doesn't matter what is said THEY are always right so "YOU ARE RIGHT." She stopped posting. After that a few people posted how happy they were about my article.

So wish me luck, I'm still growing my blog.

One Of My Birdies Died Today

Every morning I get my video camera out and take a video of my birdies from a safe distance using the zoom on the camera. When I first noticed the nest I saw that there were four eggs. Then days later I noticed that there were three birds.

I've been documenting their life every day since I noticed they have hatched, now I realize that one of them has died. We found him lying on the ground beneath the nest. He must have been there for a little while because he already had mites crawling into his chest and his heart was exposed out of his chest.

I checked Alexa today and it shows I'm ranked 3,323,807. I guess like George and Weezy I'm movin' on up. Still it's slow progress. I picked up another couple of subscribers. It's interesting to watch this thing grow. If only I lived such a fabulous life that others would follow this site.

This morning was a busy day with grocery shopping, tending to the garden, and entering the end of the month sweeps. Darryl often says I'm listening to TV rather than watching it. That might be a little true. I watch but I'm also entering sweeps. Yesterday was a busy sweep day because it was an end of the month day. So while I "watched" Dallas, I entered content on ThriftyMaven and entered contests.

Then Darryl asked me, "Tiller got shot?" "Tiller?" I answered. Almost as soon as I asked the question I recognized the name. In the past he has been identified as one of the only doctors who perform late term abortions in the United States. Some media markets have labeled him as "Tiller the Baby Killer."

"Shot?" I asked. "Yeah he was shot. When did that happen?" He asked me. I had no clue. This was news to me. Darryl is one of the many people who is convinced I've already heard about a story on the news. In this case I had to claim I knew nothing about it.

The man who committed this in custody. His name is Scott Roeder and he was taken into custody some 170 miles away in a Kansas City suburb about three hours after the shooting.

In 1996, a 38-year-old man named Scott Roeder was charged in Topeka with criminal use of explosives for having bomb components in his car trunk and sentenced to 24 months of probation. However, his conviction was overturned on appeal the next year after a higher court said evidence against Roeder was seized by law enforcement officers during an illegal search of his car.

At the time, police said the FBI had identified Roeder as a member of the anti-government Freemen group, an organization that kept the FBI at bay in Jordan, Mont., for almost three months in 1995-96. Authorities on Sunday night would not immediately confirm if their suspect was the same man.

If one proclaims to be pro-life then one adheres to the belief that ALL LIFE is sacred. For me the Death Penalty has always been difficult for me. I said in an earlier post how difficult it is to reconcile a belief that all life is sacred and yet feel that it's OK to EVER execute someone. I remember the words that everyone is sacred in the good Lord's sight. Then sometimes someone commits a horrific crime like the rape and murder of a child and you rage and call for their death.

I do NOT equate Dr. Tiller in that category. I do not, have not, EVER wished for anything bad to happen to a doctor who performs abortions. I do not, have not, EVER support things like blowing up abortion clinics or killing doctors who perform abortions. I do NOT and have NEVER had the authority to condemn anyone to hell, although I have suggestion that my ex-husband go there on an extended stay.

I think the majority of people who are pro-life, like I am, do not feel that way at all. Two of my best friends had had abortions before I met them. When they told me it never colored the way I felt about them. It never stopped me from caring about them or seeing them for the wonderful caring mothers I knew them to be.

I think like a lot of people, I'd love to see a time when abortions were rare. As a rape victim, I know how it feels to be fearful that you might be pregnant by your attacker. For me I prayed and came to the conclusion that I would give such a baby up. Fortunately for me I did not become pregnant. I understand and the church even says that in cases when the mother's life is in danger a woman might choose abortion.

I do NOT understand how someone who proclaims to be PROLIFE can deign to take another's life. I hate the fact that some NUT can do something like this and now people like me will be painted with the broad brush of psycho, clinic bomber, anti-abortion wack-job. It got me just as angry because hours later they publicly identified the last doctor who performs late term abortions here in the United States. This is crazy. Why not draw a bull's eye on this other doctor to make the next nut's job easier?

George Tiller was killed the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church while serving as an usher. His wife was in the choir. I hope he doesn't start spouting off that God told him to do this or that he was doing God's work.

Here are the posts I entered today:

Prize: Vado pocket-sized video camera in choice of pink or silver from Creative Labs (ARV $79.99).

http://www.astheygrowup.com/2009/05/excalibur-dehydrator-review-giveaway.html

Sweep Meeting Today

I just love those meetings. The people in our group in Georgia are just so nice. I always look forward to them. I really like where we've been having them lately.

Still no word from the people at the Christian Radio Station. I don't know why I'm so convinced I will win but I just think I will be part of that Wedding Renewal at Stone Mountain contest. During the sweeps conversation I asked if anyone knew anything but no one did.

Here are a couple of the blog contests I've entered:

Prize: Hallmark’s Recordable Valentine’s Day Cards.

Whether or not you have a valentine, you'll want to win this gorgeous white gold and diamond heart necklace from A Little Aly-tude and JCPenney!

ONE (1) winner will win a Logitech® Indoor Video Security Master System:

FIVE gift certificates, worth $70 each, redeemable at ProFlowers.com!

FIVE gift certificates, worth $70 each, redeemable at ProFlowers.com!

FIVE gift certificates, worth $70 each, redeemable at ProFlowers.com!

Local Atlanta Sweepstakes

I have been checking the Atlanta Journal Constitution for sweeps lately. I thought I'd share these with you. Remember you have to be able to pick up your prize at their office.

Win a Pass for two to see Paul Blart, Mall Cop. Contest ends January 15, 2009.

Enter for a chance to win a Hannah Montana DVD Game as well as a High School Musical DVD Game.

Win Free Tickets to a Rialto Series Performance. Don’t miss these musical marvels praised by NPR and brought together at the Rialto. Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 8 pm. Contest ends January 18, 2009

Win tickets to see Mystic Indian at the Fernbank Museum’s IMAX Theater. Contest ends Sunday, January 18, 2009

Win the Step Up 2 The Streets DVD Contest ends January 18, 2009