Sweepin Ain't For Sissies

Huge Gift Card giveaway **

2012-02-08T20:46:00.001-05:00

Enter here: -- Sparkling Reviews - Be My Valentine Giveaway

A real "Sweetheart" of a Giveaway :)

Another Useful Firefox Addon - Lazarus: Form Recovery

2012-01-29T18:16:00.000-05:00

Download it here ==> Lazarus: Form Recovery

How many times has this happened to you? You just answered the question on a contest entry with a heartfelt response. You couldn't possibly duplicate it. You hit submit - -- wait, where did it go??

I learned my lesson, and have gotten into the habit of saving any out of the ordinary response in Roboform before submitting just in case I encounter an error.

There is an easier option. I installed this Addon a while ago, today is the first time I've had to use it.

When you hit submit and your response disappears into a black hole, just hit the back button. Right click - and Lazarus: Form Recovery has magically saved your text. You simply click on it and it repopulates the text fields you just poured your heart and soul into. It saved a lot of time for me today, though unfortunately I felt the need to blog about it, and I spent another 20 minutes on this post.

13 Inch Macbook air and Apple TV

2012-01-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here's another easy Rafflecopter entry - with an awesome prize! Good Luck

Enter here: Sparkling Reviews

Enter to Win from Rafflecopter!

2012-01-26T12:37:00.002-05:00

You could win an Apple iPad 2 or a Kindle Fire!
Tell them "Sweepin Ain't for Sissies" Sent you! Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Redbox rental (if you haven't rented online before) Redbox Refer-a-Friend program

2011-10-26T19:18:00.003-04:00

If you haven't rented online through Redbox before Click here for a FREE DVD Rental Code from Redbox!!! That's my referral link. We will both get a free Redbox Rental!!!

Here is a description of the program from their site:

"Spread the word about redbox and you'll earn a free online rental credit every time a friend rents online using your referral link."

Plus, your friends get a free One-night rental credit if it's their first time renting online at Redbox.com

Click here to sign up for your own referral link
When anyone reserves online through your link, you earn a free movie rental code - good for 10 days. Here are the Complete rules

August is coming -- August is coming!!!

2011-07-12T16:50:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again. The Freebie Lover's Dream.

Every weekday in August, from 12pm - 7pm, there is a giveaway each hour at Allure.com. There are 25,403 prizes this year.

http://www.allure.com/free-samples

Each giveaway is different, but typically the first 500 to enter will win an awesome beauty product. This takes some skill, and you have to be focused. I have the attention of a 3 year old, so I usually only bag a few. But here's how I do it:

If you are not registered at Allure.com - set up your Account/Login ahead of time.
Set your preferred reminder for every weekday at noon. I use my Google Calendar. I set it to email me 20 mins ahead so I can log in, and get the form filled and ready to submit at exactly noon. I work every day so I just have to hope that the phone doesn't ring or a customer doesn't come in at that time.
After that first giveaway is over, I check the giveaway calendar for the rest of the day. http://www.allure.com/free-samples/2011/free-stuff-calendar#slide=1
There are 6-7 giveaways each day, on the hour. If there are other giveaways I want to try for I'll set my Google Calendar to send me a reminder email for that hour.
Lather, rinse, repeat

Makeup, Hair Products, Styling tools... they throw in some designer fashion items to keep it interesting.

Set your reminders now and Good Luck!

Alex, you have been Chopped.

2011-06-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

This was a ton of fun for all of us.

I was very proud of their kitchen skills, and I saw them using techniques they learned from me. They actually pay attention sometimes!

I think I went a little too easy on them with the ingredients, but it was their first time.

They both made a salad. Alex made a fruit salad with greens, and Chloe went with a Blue Cheese dressing. Dried, sweet cranberries gave them both great flavor.

Alex made a standard Pig in a blanket, while Chloe added some pizza sauce and cheese to hers. It was the lack of sauce, and dressing on the salad, that ultimately did Alex in, and sadly, he was Chopped.

Chopped For Kids!

2011-06-10T20:41:00.002-04:00

I was watching one of my favorites ,Chopped, with my son and he was totally into it. That made me think, we should have our own "Chopped" Competition.

Sunday at 2pm - my son (9yo) and daughter (12yo) will duke it out and see who gets "Chopped"

Here are the Secret Ingredients: (no, they don't read my blog)

Cranberries
Mini Hotdogs
Crescent Rolls
Spinach

This is their first time, so I'm going very easy on them..

Feel free to play along! I will post our pics and winning dish!!

Helping out a friend :)

2011-05-19T14:42:00.001-04:00

You may notice the Big Purple Box to the left of this post. A fellow sweeper has an entry in the Prilosec OTC Sponsorship Contest.

Just click on "Vote for me" in the box and you can send a daily vote her way! Or click the link here: Prilosec OTC Sponsorship Vote

Thank you!

Undo Close Tab

2011-03-05T18:23:00.003-05:00

I really love this feature of the Tab Mix Plus Addon for Firefox.

I use Shazam on Online-Sweepstakes.com and I have a lot of tabs open at any given time. I move pretty fast. Sometimes I click too quickly - close a tab and have no idea what I just closed. I just chalked it up to my stupidity and missed that daily entry for the day. But if you are using Tab Mix Plus, there is an easy way to figure out what Tab you just closed.

Just right click anywhere - A menu pops up - and on the menu you will see "Undo Close Tab"

Presto! That daily is back in play!

Another great feature is "Duplicate Tab" Right click on any tab label and you can open a duplicate of that tab. I've found this useful when entering blog entries, you can keep one tab positioned to enter the comments, and one tab positioned to read the gazillion ways to earn extra entries.

The Brady Bunch!

2011-01-05T19:47:00.000-05:00

I realized at dinner tonight that my kids have no idea who "The Brady Bunch" is! So, as we modern girls do, I looked online and found a site that has all the episodes for your viewing pleasure:

http://tv.blinkx.com/show/the-brady-bunch/MkF-bx00-7wIyFSu

Hysterical! That's what the world was like when I was 7 years old!

My favorite part from Episode #1:

Mike is nervous about getting married to "Mrs. Martin" (small bit of trivia there).

Carol says " Why don't you take a tranquilizer, dear?"
Mike says " I did"
Carol says "Why don't you take another?"

I think I like life in the 70's!

Since Cascade won't warn you, I will!

2010-10-24T10:49:00.001-04:00

I have been using Cascade Powder in my dishwashers for years and years. I have never had a problem in all this time. I noticed in the last .. maybe 4 months??.. my dishes are now coming out with a white film.

As a result, many of my glasses are now etched with this white chalky coating, and no amount of scrubbing will take it off. There were some plastics that I have always put in the dishwasher, that are now completely ruined.

It could have been the result of many things, I just thought the dishwasher was not working great and the dishes were not being rinsed properly.

Then I stumbled upon this article on my local news website

Turns out the State of PA has banned the use of Phosphates and Cascade has changed their formula to comply with the new regulations. I understand the need, but I would have liked a little warning on this Cascade!!

This has cost their customers money and it doesn't seem like they care very much.

The woman in this story was able to switch to a Gel formula and no longer has a problem. My dishwasher instructions specifically warn against using Gel - ever! I guess I'm out of luck. I'll be trying different brands now, but for me, the damage is done.

Update: We Won!! --Help my son win a new Bedroom!! Very Simple Voting Contest - 1x per email

2010-08-11T07:32:00.003-04:00

My son was selected to be in the final 4 for this contest. He could win a bedroom makeover valued at $1195 - and now it comes down to votes.

1x vote per email - ends Aug 17th at noon. Uncheck the box if you don't want to receive their newsletter.

Contest is over - Thanks for your votes!

Vote for Toni with this video:

Thanks very much!!!

Giveaway - Prototype for Xbox 360 - ends 7/31

2010-07-16T19:44:00.000-04:00

Brand new game - sealed in the box.

The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or I will select another winner - 1 entry per email please.

Review - Mr Clean Magic Eraser

2010-07-03T19:55:00.000-04:00

*** I want to make it clear that I was not provided with a sample, or compensated in any way for this review ***

I just bought a few of these today, and I thought my opinion was worth sharing.

When my kids were really little, we moved into a bi-level. We put a fresh coat of paint on every wall, and had the kitchen redone. We picked an "Eggshell" finish so it would be easier to clean. A few years later, I remember scrubbing those "Eggshell" walls, and there was no way they were coming clean. We really thought we would need to repaint.

A new product was being advertised - the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! I thought it was worth a try.

Holy Moly!! I worked like a dream! With really no effort at all, the smudges and crayon marks came off. We had walls that looked like they were freshly painted.

We have since moved, and the kitchen in this house is not what I would have picked. The counter top is a white speckled laminate - that I really don't like. If you set something down, you can expect it to leave a mark. Some things wipe up with a sponge, other times you need a spray cleaner, but most times it is there to stay until I pull out the Magic Eraser!

It's just an incredible thing. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it.

Giveaway - Pedigree Dog Food Coupons

2010-05-06T14:41:00.007-04:00

I have some coupons to give away -But first ---

Please take a minute to vote for my entry in the following contest:

You can vote Daily!

This is a contest that is just up my alley! To enter - they ask you to post a photo showing how you are helping to protect the environment. I think working tirelessly to promote electric vehicles should count for something!

I submitted a photo of our showroom with 3 shiny Zap Electric Cars. You can vote 1x daily. I'd sure appreciate it if you took the time.

http://caymansummersplash.com/pic/66/

Vote for Tonibelle!

There is also another OLS member in this contest, please vote for them as well http://caymansummersplash.com/#/pic/212

You need to register to vote, then after that it's a simple login and click to vote.
The top 10 votes move on to be judged for the final prize - a family trip to Grand Cayman!

~~Now for the contest at hand ~~

Prize is:
1 Coupon good for a Free bag of Pedigree Dry Dog food for Dogs - (20lb or 22lb - up to $14.79) and
1 Coupon good for a Free bag of Pedigree Good Bites Treats for Dogs (up to $4.99)
Total value of this prize is up to $19.78!

Both coupons expire 6/30/2010 - so time is of the essence.

The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or I will select another winner.

I will mail the coupons out immediately - but you will have to use them within a few weeks!!

1 entry per email per day
Contest ends 5/30/10 at 9:00 pm Eastern

I was picked for the Giant Shopper's Idea Exchange!

2010-03-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

My local grocery store has an online community for shoppers to take surveys, rate recipes, and participate in a forum about their experience with Giant.

I received an email invitation. I assume it is because I enter their online contests and visit their main store website.

They offer rewards for participating, I can't wait to see what that will be!

I already posted a photo in a small contest they had on the site, they wanted to see what I thought was a "Healthy" label There were 10 winners and only about 7 photos posted. I was a winner! And 2 days later had a Giant Gift card for $10 in my mailbox.

I think I'm going to like this program :)

Swagbucks! My New Sweeping Obsession..

2010-03-05T21:18:00.003-05:00

I have just discovered Swagbucks and I am hooked!

It's a Search and Win site - with some really great prizes! I've already won a $5 Amazon Gift Card.

You win Swagbucks by using their search engine, then you can trade the Swagbucks in for entries into their "Swagstakes". They have some great prizes, right now you can enter for a chance to win a $2500 Amazon Gift Card. There are only 50,000 entries being offered. 1 in 50,000 chance at $2500 is not too shabby in the online sweepstakes world.

Apparently, you earn even more by having friends sign up under your referral. I wouldn't know, because I don't have any yet. So feel free to sign up under me - we can all start winning! http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Tonibelle

Happy Searching!

I am the Treat Nazi - Giveaway ends 2/28

2010-02-19T20:05:00.010-05:00

I have some coupons, but my Golden Retriever is overweight -
NO TREATS FOR HIM!!!

Prize is 3 Coupons worth up to $4.99 each (Total $14.97) Exp 6/30/10
Free bag of Pedigree Good Bites - Treat for dogs. My guy loves them - that is the problem.

Comment Required for Entry:
Please answer the question ~~ What kind of dog do you have?

I am requesting that only dog owners enter - of course I have no way to enforce that...

I entry per email, Open to US residents only. Contest ends 2/28 at 7pm CM time
I will notify the winner by email, if I do not receive a response in 48 hours another winner will be drawn.

My Computer Crashed Today

2009-10-14T22:20:00.006-04:00

If this post only warns you to BACKUP YOUR IMPORTANT FILES - then my work is done.

My computer died today, and thanks only to Joe Bennett - owner and operator of HomePC and WorkPC in Lititz, PA - I now have a functioning Dell with all my Data intact.

It was an interesting day - we found this poor mouse, who will probably spend eternity in this Blower Motor- From a Hummer - not my computer. (We run a Car Repair Shop.)

Seriously though, I almost lost all my Accounting Files - I had backed up a few weeks ago, but that's just ages when you really think about all that goes on.

BACK UP YOUR FILES!!!!!

New Giveaway - ends October 9th at 9pm Eastern

2009-09-30T21:57:00.011-04:00

$10 iTunes Gift Card

Random drawing, 1 time Entry per person/ email please:

I'll send an email to the winner - the winner must respond to that email within 48 hours or I will select another winner.

When a winner is verified, I'll post here.
Good Luck!!

Setting reminders for future dates

2009-09-22T10:27:00.003-04:00

I use my Google Calendar for everything, school dates, bills, and Sweepstakes Entries! I'm reminded to enter the Allure giveaways, get my vote in for the survivor player of the week before the deadline, or to get my free Chocolate on Friday mornings at 9am from https://secure.realchocolate.com/

I just checked my Calendar and saw this --- for anyone who entered the 1st round of the Amazon Magazine cover voting contest, the 2nd round is up now. Vote for one magazine cover as your favorite and get an additional entry for $10,000 Amazon Gift Card

Find what works for you - Google Calendar, date book, or just your regular calendar. A little organization is a good thing.

Great Blog Giveaway - Ended 9/20 -

2009-09-16T21:04:00.003-04:00

I don't have any new tips today, but I found a great new giveaway on a fellow OLSers blog - ahappyhippy mom

She is giving away a $500 Walmart Giftcard!! Courtesy of Walmart and Rockfish International.

I'd say it's definitely worth checking out!

Looks like this one's over folks, sorry if you missed it.

Winner Chosen - Giveaway - for Blu-Ray DVD Owners - Ends 9/3/09 at 9pm Et

2009-08-20T22:31:00.016-04:00

Update: A winner was selected from 225 Entries received. We have have verified their address. Karina, you should expect your prize in the next few days- the holiday may slow things down a bit. Congratulations on a great win! I hope to have others in the future.

**********************************************************

We all love Giveaways, and I like to keep it simple - so Here's a very easy entry:

I'm giving away a prize that I was very excited to win - Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1

The problem is that it's a Blu-Ray Disc and I don't have a Blu-Ray Player - so you have a chance to win this fabulous - never played - 7-Disc set.

We did open the plastic shrink wrap - before we realized that we couldn't play it - but I wouldn't consider it used.

1 Entry per email - and per person please. Random Drawing from entries received by September 3rd at 9:00pm ET

I will send an email to the winner - the winner must respond to that email within 48 hours or I will select another winner.

When a winner is verified, I'll post here.

Good Luck!!

Does your Mouse have Programmable Buttons?

2009-08-11T17:54:00.004-04:00

I have another huge time-saver for you. Program those Mouse Buttons!!

My mouse is a Logitech Laser - Wireless Notebook mouse. I bought it on ebay - and I'm on my second one because I love it so much. I left the USB plugged in and when I moved my laptop - I wasn't very careful. After getting bumped around, a lot, it finally gave out. I'm much more careful now.

What I love about this mouse is the programmable buttons. Many mice have them so you may just be using one right now!

Mine has 2 programmable buttons, I have them set as follows:

1 - Close the current tab or window - Program the button for a Keystroke Assignment - "Ctrl+w" After I'm done entering and I see the confirmation screen, I simply click the button and the current tab closes. Take me to the next sweep please!
It's unbelievable how much time that saves, when you don't have to move the mouse and find the "X" to close that screen!

2 - Back - My second button is set to go back a page in the browser - great for unlimited sweeps, where you can just go back and enter from the same screen again. My laptop also has a button on the keyboard that goes back - I really love that key.

My mouse at work doesn't have programmable buttons, and it drives me crazy - I miss it so much! I may just end up replacing that baby. I hope I win a Gift Card soon to pay for it!

Another Great Win!

2009-08-09T21:20:00.002-04:00

I just found out that I've won a trip to Hershey!

The trip includes 3 day/2 night stay at the Hershey Lodge (very nice!!) and 3 day passes for 4 to Hershey Park! Worth about $1200!

I had a good feeling about this one -- here's why:

The trip did not include transportation. I live 45 minutes from Hershey so the transportation was not an issue for me, but it would certainly cut down on the number of people entering. Much better odds.

It was also a Blog contest that required trivia answers. Anything that requires effort will most likely cut down on the number of entries.

Great for me! We plan a day trip every year. But to actually stay 2 nights in the lodge, take our time and enjoy Hershey - the rides one day, and the waterpark the next day. This never would have happened for us - not in this economy!

I'm so grateful - my family would not have had any vacation this summer without this.

Firefox Addons

2009-08-05T20:00:00.003-04:00

Firefox is my preferred browser - and there are some fabulous addons that make sweeping easier.

My Favorites:

1. Tab Mix Plus -When using the "Shazam" button in OLS (Online-Sweepstakes.com) it works well to open the new links in Tabs, instead of new windows. (Go to Tools - Options - Click on the "TABS" tab, then under "Open links that open in a new window" -- select "New Tab" from the drop down list. The Tab Mix Plus addon allows you to customize your tabs any way you like.

2. Dogears - Avoid scrolling to find the submit button. On a form that you enter daily, just "dogear" where the submit button is, and the next time you open the page, it automatically scrolls to that marker.
Under Dogears Options -
a) check the box to Begin Reading each page at last viewed Dog Ear.
b)enable "Mark/Unmark" with Shift+click
c) enable "Move to next" with Shift+Space.

Just press the shift key+click to mark your spot. Then shift+space activates the Dog Ear. Now the next time you open that page, it will automatically scroll to your mark. No more scrolling!

There are many more addons at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ Find your favorites!

Sweepin ain't for Sissies

2009-04-05T22:44:00.003-04:00

One of the most common questions I'm asked is "Don't you get tons of Spam?" Well, the answer is Yes and No.

I mostly enter only sweeps that I know to be legitimate. Either well-known companies are sponsoring them, or they are run by well-known JA's (Judging Agencies - they run the promotion for the Sponsor).

On almost every form there is an Opt-Out box. It usually reads something like this: Yes, I agree to receive future emails from the sponsor. You simply uncheck that box before submitting the form. If you do start getting emails from a legitimate sponsor, they will have an unsubscribe link and it is very simple to be removed from mailing lists. I do not consider this Spam in any way. If you read the rules many times you are agreeing to receive emails even if there is no opt-out.

That being said, any time you put your email out there on the web, you are subjecting yourself to spam. So, Yes, I get plenty of spam.

My best advice for dealing with this is - set up a separate email account that you use only for sweepstakes. I prefer Gmail - their spam filter works very well, and I really like the interface and features.

You need to check this email everyday!!! Many times I have been notified of a win by email, and they require a response within a few days or you may forfeit the prize.

And, sorry to say, you must go through the Spam Folder to be sure that no wins have been sorted as Spam.

My spam story ~~ I found a win in my Spam Folder. It didn't say what I'd won, so I called, it was NBC. The gentleman I spoke to said that the only information they collected on the form was email so there was no other way to contact winners. If they didn't respond in time, they pulled another name. He then said "Thank goodness, I've been trying to give this away for a long time". Apparently it had gone into other people's Spam Folder unnoticed and this went on for him for months. He was really thanking me for calling so he could give away this darned LAPTOP - the one I'm using right now as a matter of fact.

Lesson learned, at someone else's expense, is to check emails often, I know I check too much, but it's so much fun when you find a Congratulations you've won... and it's not the Nigerian Lottery.

Those Pesky Flash Forms

2009-03-15T21:12:00.003-04:00

There are no form fillers that work with Flash forms. So here's a great program that will help you fill Flash Forms out quickly, without having to type out your name and address.. Shortkeys

I've found that I use this program at work now, and lots of other applications that have nothing to do with Sweepstaking. It is a very useful tool.

It may take some setting up, but you'll be glad you took the time. There are many ways to set it up, but here's what I found easiest.

Download the program from www.shortkeys.com
Run the setup
It will guide you through the initial setup. Choose to Use Prefix Keys - You can use any prefix you want - I use the letters "df", an unusual combination.

How it works:
Whenever you type your prefix followed by a specific letter, the program will replace that text with your chosen text.

example -- When I type "dfe" The program will replace "dfe" with my email address. When I type "dfn" it replaces "dfn" with my phone number. "dfa" is my address, "dfc" is my city. and so on and so on.

When you have completed Setup, it's time to add your own Shortkeys:

Right Click on the Shortkeys Icon in your System Tray,or press the Start Button and look for Shortkeys in your programs list. -this opens the Shortkeys Editor and you will now see your stored Shortkeys. The free version gives you 15 keys. If you upgrade - you get unlimited Shortkeys.
Click on the Add Shortkeys button. Another dialog box opens allowing you to Modify Shortkeys.
Type in a single letter in the Original Shortkey box. This is the letter you will type after the prefix you have chosen.
Type in the Replacement Text
Click on Save and repeat the process to add more Shortkeys, or Save and Close when you are done.

If you ever run into a situation where you need to type your prefix without activating the Shortkeys replacement - simply Right Click on the Shortkeys icon in your system tray and click on Suspend Shortkeys. The program will be deactivated until you reopen it.

Once you memorize your Shortkeys and get used to using the program, you will be flying through those Flash Forms!

Persistence Pays

2009-03-10T15:12:00.003-04:00

I'd love to say that winning is easy, but I think we all know that isn't true. It takes persistence, perseverence and patience and lots of other words that start with "P".

I dedicate at least an hour each day to my hobby, and it shows. A partial list of my winnings so far:

$1500 Gift Certificate to Crate and Barrel
$2500 Gift Certificate to Cooking.com
Several XM radios with subscriptions
Many smaller Gift Cards to Target, Starbucks, Boston Market, Burger King, Nordstrom, Smith and Hawken, and many more

My biggest win was a 2009 Toyota Corolla!!!

I'll try to break it down the best I can - how to enter, where to enter and what tools you can use.

My first tip is www.online-sweepstakes.com

Bookmark it, make it your homepage, and visit it daily!!

I spend the majority of my time on that site. It is free to join, but I highly recommend the Premium Subscription. For just $30 per year, it has more than paid for itself for me, just look at my winnings list. :)

2nd tip is www.roboform.com
With this form filling tool at your fingertips, you can enter in a fraction of the time it takes to type out your name and address - over and over One click and it's all filled out!

I'll have many tips and links to my favorite contests to come.

Enter often, and Work to Win!