Warning: Gift Card Theft

I'm always amazed at the trouble people will go through to steal. I got this message from a family member:

If you buy gift cards from a display rack that has various store cards you may become a victim of theft. Crooks write down the card numbers in the store and then wait a few days and call to see how much of a balance THEY have on the card.

Once they find the card is "activated," they go online and start shopping. You may want to purchase your card from a customer service person, where they do not have the gift cards viewable to the public.

I am trying to think of a store and online retailer that does not have the gift cards by the check out registers, on displays throughout the store or that has customer service reps who do not say go over to the rack, pick a card and bring it back. Leave a comment if you know of one.

WFMW: The Gift Storage Bin

A former employee used to store her children's gifts at work so they would not be able to find them while someone else kept them (the gifts not the kids - thanks anonymous!) in the trunk of her car. I, myself, keep them in bin so that I have one centralized place to keep the gifts I buy throughout the year for whatever occassion. Otherwise, I might turn into my mom and say, I got you XYZ but I can't remember where in my closet I hid it [insert mom's signature smile-shrug combo]!

Also, I attach the receipt and/or gift receipt to each item in case I need to return/exchange it or want to know what I spent. I remove the non-gift receipt prior to wrapping.

On Thanksgiving, my sister pulled out a game I gave her, although I could not remember if it was Christmas or birthday so I think I should start keeping a list of the gifts I give so I am not caught off guard as I have been with wedding gifts that I order online and get shipped directly to the couple.

Scene: Three years post-wedding, couple hosts dinner party
Me: I like this platter.
Her: You should! You gave it to me!
Me: of course. (huh?! that's what that was?!)

Back on topic, I realize this method will not work for everyone especially if you have a super-snoop like my brother used to be, buy truckloads of gifts or give bicycles as gifts, but on a smaller scale, it works!

Visit Rocks in my Dryer for more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips.

Free Stuff: My 2 gig iPod Nano

I needed a different bank account for my Paypal account so when PF bloggers posted about the free iPod when you open a Key Bank checking account, I gave it a whirl.

I knew going in I would have to pay tax, but some party-poopers told me never see the iPod because other companies offered similar deals and either they did not get the freebie or there was a huge catch. But there she is in all her tiny glory!

Sale: 40% off at Chronicle Books

Last year, I was tipped off to the Chronicle Books sale and now I am on the mailing list so I thought I would pass it on.

Now through December 10, get 40% off Chronicle Books (excludes gift packs and bargain books).

They have Anne Taintor items, Jenny Hart's Stitch It Kit, stationery collections, fun notecards (like cupcakeS) and of course books for all ages!

November 26 Target ad

This week and last were not noteworthy, but I did pick up 2 birthday gifts that I cannot disclose until after the 10th of December.

I did see that Mars makes mint and dark chocolate m&ms, which are good for baking easy holiday cookies.

Make It: Green Bean Casserole

My contribution to the Thanksgiving meal is green bean casserole, which is on the back of the crispy onion containers.

Combine:

• 3 cans of green beans, drained
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup of milk

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes

Top with crispy onions

Bake for 5 minutes

Serve

Happy Thanksgiving!

Get It: Hot/Cold Water Bottle

Some of the best money I spent was on this hot/cold water bottle from the drug store. As soon as the temperatures start dropping, I have cold feet until Spring warms them up again. It is so bad that I cannot fall asleep if my feet are cold so I put a water bottle filled with hot tap water at the foot of my bed to keep my toes toasty! I think I would like to make a cover for mine, but given my list of projects it might be a while!

Use It: Cupcake Caddy

Monday night I got to put my cupcake caddy to task by taking cupcakes when I met my pre-grad school workmates for dinner and then my friends for trivia night. Nothing spells dork like showing up at the bar with a pristine white cupcake carrier, but then again I was celebrating being one step closer to a becoming a librarian!

Note: this caddy only has room for 12 cupcakes. Who goes anywhere and only needs 12 cupcakes?! Also, the smaller-looking cupcakes were baked in an airbake pan, the others were baked in an older, less fancy tin. Regardless they all tasted the same because I used the butter golden yellow recipe with chocolate frosting - yum!

Free* Stuff: 1gig USB Flash Drive

TigerDirect has a 1gig USB Flash Drive FREE *after rebate.

I have bought a computer, memory upgrade and some accessories from TigerDirect and I do like their customers service, rebate center and super-fast shipping, but I have not purchased this product and cannot comment on it. Per usual, read through the details and decide for yourself.

Paid Review: ReviewMe

There's a Cranberries album called Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (I haven't actually listened to it, just know it exists), which is how I feel about the other bloggers making money off their blogs. However, I have not been busting my tail to make it happen, rather I am checking out what avenues are available and seeing what works (or does not work) for this blog and me.

Much like I am going to give ReviewMe a whirl and see if there is anything in the future that would mesh with this blog. As it is, I link to products, books and other web sites that I have found of interest without being compensated so why not try to earn a little "mad money" from this blog?!

On the plus side, bloggers HAVE TO disclose when writing a review for ReviewMe and they pay a nicer sum that some of the pay-to-blog offers I have seen others engage in and report about. Another cool thing for me, because I struggle with "do I want to junk up this blog with advertising?" is that this paid advertising will be in the form of posts, not adverts that remain on the sidebars of each page of this blog.

From the admin panel, I like that there is a countdown of how long I have to submita review, I can see that being handy and you can subscribe to your own RSS feed to keep track of your own account activity (and I love RSS feeds).

I will be interested to see how it works when an opportunity is presented and bloggers have 48 hours to produce and submit an entry. I wonder how many bloggers will be given the same opportunity? That is to say how much repetitivenss can we expect within certain blogging communities? Like when another pay-to-post company has an offer, you see a handful of simialr posts within the PF blogs. Also, when a new band gives its CD to a bunch of music bloggers, within a few days you see a gaggle of posts on said band. There is nothing wrong with it, advertisers call it impressions while my old coworker and I call it saturation :)

Lastly, according to TiredbutHappy, ReviewMe is from the people behind TextLinkAds, which is a Cincinnati-based company (although recently acquired by a NYC-based company) and if you have been reading this blog for a while you know I am a total homer!

If you are an interested blogger, go over and check out the cute and confident "Me" in the logo, sign up, submit you blog and don't be surprised if it is accepted quickly and you find yourself with 48 hours to post and submit your review! and if that money burns a hole in your pocket, my birthday is approaching ;)

Glitter: Scarf & Hat Drive

We are in the giving season, if you would like to join a scarf and hat drive, might I suggest the one Glitter at Supernaturale hosts?

For the last 4 years Glitter has created a winter hat and scarf drive. We donate these items to Sanctuary for Families. They are an awsome organization dedicated to the safety, healing, and self-sufficiency of battered women and their children. They offer an array of services including shelter, legal assistance, and counseling.

Please join our fourth annual scarf drive. Get your knitting needles and crochet hooks out and knit up some warm, washable hats and scarves to donate to people who need them. Send them in by December 10th, 2006 so we can get them to people in time for the holidays.

Mail to:
SuperNaturale
c/o Flat
391 Broadway, 3rd Fl
NY NY 10013

Link

Make It: Birthday Card

Friday was my favorite traveling friend's birthday. Unfortunately, her grandmother passed away earlier in the week so she had to cancel her birthday trip, which she had been looking forward to for months :(

I love polka dots and browns, pinks and blues so when I found pre-printed cards from DCWV that had that and more, I was elated! Not to mention I could use a coupon to get a deal on 50 pre-printed cards and envelopes. They give me a creative boost when I am short on time and have a majority of my craft supplies in storage!

Sidenote, somehow it came up in conversation that while I'm not a fan of Oprah, I like the way she says "make some noooooooooooiiiiiiiiseeeeeeeee" (obviously this does not translate well in print) and this friend said, she also says "it's your biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirthdaaaay!" in the same manner. So that explains the writing on the back of the envelope :)

Wilton 3 in 1 Caddy

I got this cake and cupcake caddy, but have not had an opportunity to use it. One of the Amazon reviews said the clips break easilythough the are plastic, breakage is possible. Naturally if you are really rough on your stuff or drop it just so on the clip it will break*. I do not anticipate rough-housing with my caddy nor will I be fending off 25 youngsters while serving from my caddy :)

*My Naglene Water Bottle rolled out of my car when I opened the door, fell on the corner of the lid and shattered. My mom won it at some work function and gave to me, so she's right I cannot take care of anything!

SOLD OUT: Chad Johnson Bobbleheads from Burger King

Burger King was running a promotion in the Cincinnati area where if you bought an adult combo meal and paid $4.99, you would get the Bengal bobblehead of the week. November 6 was the final week of this promotion with Chad Johnson (complete with gold teeth, but no mohawk)!

I do not know how many were available, but most locations sold out shortly after opening. Many of them ended up on ebay. One ebay seller has over 25 listed so I am guessing there was no limit to the amount one could purchase and/or the seller roped in his family or friends to help. Also, I'm guessing one did not have to buy a combo meal for every doll purchased, otherwise that is probably about $10 per doll, plus ebay listing, selling and Paypal fees.

I am sure many of these sellers think it was worth the investment. I, for one, would not be willing to get in line at a fast food joint at 5am on a Monday morning in order to turn around and sell these for a jacked up price. I bet the people who are like me are the ones who tried (but did not sell) their "Cinco Ocho" Bobbleheads for upward of $100 believing their time and/or the worth of the doll is much higher than the market is willing bear.

ebay: 10 cent Fixed Price

Depending on how you like to sell on ebay, this may interest you.

One day only, starting Wednesday, November 8, 2006 between 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second on Wednesday, November 8, 2006) and ending that same day, Wednesday, November 8, 2006 at 23:59:59 PT(11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

What is excluded?

Auction-style Listings, Auction-style listings with Buy it Now Upgrade, eBay Motors vehicles and non vehicles, International, Live Auction, Professional Services, Ad Format, Real Estate and Store Inventory listings.

Complete Details

I Voted

(graphic courtesy of jacqueline at running amuck)

November 5 Target Ad

The cover of Target's weekly ad has red kitchen appliances so naturally I like them. Not that I need any appliance that allows me to cook an 18-pound turkey, but the Rival Roaster Oven comes with a bonus buffet server insert!

I'm still not getting the hang of their new online ad, when click on wedding gifts it has one item: license character furniture and there are categories for kidswear and menswear, but not ladieswear. Who catalogs this stuff?!

Free Stuff: Antibotics at Meijer Pharmacy

In what Meijer is calling a no strings attached program:

The program covers leading, oral generic antibiotics with a special focus on the prescriptions most often filled for children. The following are FREE with your doctor's prescription, regardless of insurance or co-pay:

Amoxicillin
Cephalexin
SMZ-TMP
Ciprofloxacin
Ampicillin
Penicillin VK
Erythromycin

This a nice offer for those who need it, but in general I think this is a bad idea only because there seems to be some confusion between viruses and bacteria.

• Colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria.
• Antibiotics do not work at all in treating the common cold.
• Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria, not viruses.
• An environment that is more hospitable to the cold viruses is created when beneficial bacteria is indiscriminately killed.

Common sense says you can fight colds by washing your hands and keeping them away from your mouth and eyes. If you get a cold, rest and drink plenty of fluids, but do not load up on acetaminophen (Tylenol) unless you have a temperature higher than 105 degrees or muscle aches. If you exercise regularly do not skip, just lower the intensity. Stay bundled up so your body can work on fighting the virus not using energy to keep you warm.

Remember, cough syrup is a waste of money.

More Halloween Costumes!

More Halloween clips from Bloglines...

Snakes on a plane! pumpkin

DIY Transformer costumes
Trojan battle armor made from name plates (from past coworkers!)
Sushi costumes
OPERATION - The Halloween costume
Pacman arcade costume
Mr. Potato head costume
Space shuttle Atlantis kid (scroll down)
Giant Q-Bert costume