a blog for women… I'm just sayin'

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine. And for those who know me personally, you will smile and agree this post is sooo true

Oh, My Gosh I wish I would have known about the Friendgiftr Network sooner! What a fabulous idea, buy and send digital gift cards, or physical cards if you choose, to anyone whether it be a business, family, friend, co worker whomever. Friendgiftr has over 120 merchants that include restaurants, retail stores, and online merchants as well. Gift card values begin at just $10, with $20, $25, $35, $50, $75, and $100 increments. What makes this even more awesome is the fact that if someone does not like their card, no problem they can change it at no cost and without anyone even knowing, no hurt feelings to deal with!

Friendgiftr is just perfect for my family; I always give gift cards for Christmas. The family gift card run down goes something like this: all the teenagers living nearby that drive receive a gas gift card and if they do not drive, they get an AMC movie gift card. I buy the nieces and nephews restaurant cards and parents’ department store cards like Kohl’s or TJ Max. Of course, the little ones still get toys but the rest of the family, gift cards. Then there is the problem of family abroad. We have relatives all over the country, from Massachusetts to Hawaii!  Thinking about it further, I could have sent all of those gift cards digitally with no postage, no postal time constraints, or lost mail. Friendgiftr would have been a huge advantage for my Christmas shopping needs. Now that I found them, next Christmas shopping will be a breeze!

The icing on the gift card cake – FriendGiftr is available from not only their internet website but users can access them via Facebook, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android too! See the Applebee’s logo over there on the left, that’s my favorite restaurant, eehhemm [big grin]

Now do you see why I was so excited to blog about this site?

Rambo Alert – TwitterMoms – Glue Dots Oh My!! I was so excited to be a part of the Glue Dots Summer Craft event!

The Glue Dots Project immediately brought to mind my niece Erika. There is a story behind my excitement so please indulge me, as a share my parenting story first.

You see I have a wonderful, loving niece who as a teen, had a passion for scrap booking and crafts. We spent many nights scrap booking together. Today,  Erika loves to do crafts with her three year old baby girl. Of course that makes Lulu, as well call her, my great niece. I am so pleased with and darn proud of my niece; she is a wonderful mom and has a beautiful, well behaved, and charismatic daughter. No one in the family would have ever imagined her life would turn out this way. You see, my niece was one of those unruly teens and I was the wicked aunt who took up the challenge of taming her. She lived with our family for some time, and after moving out continued working in our office until she graduated from high school. With due diligence we kept her close, rallied for family support, and expelled more love than could be imagined. My niece went on to married a fine man, further her bookkeeping skills, and give us precious  Lulu!

When I told Erika about the Glue Dots Summer Bonding Project she was excited too! “Another project for Lulu and I, oh yeah we can do that!” Without further delay I would like to share with you Erika’s quick and inexpensive Glue Dots Summer Bonding project, suitable for boys and girls alike. These cute canisters serve an abundance of purposes, including a lovely way to store just about anything, fun and economical project to create with kids, and a great way to recycle cans, jars, or boxes.

Materials:

glue dots (craft size)

crystal light can

12×12 scrap book paper (on hand)

green ribbon (on hand)

buttons (on hand)

Assembly

Clean a crystal light canister (or any can you have lying around) dry well

Cut paper to size of can

Using the Go dispenser, roll glue dots along the edge of the paper.

Apply Glue Dots to container and continue to do so every 2 inches.

Be sure to use glue dots along the paper crease.

Apply ribbon to cover paper crease.

On the opposite side of ribbon use one glue dot to hold ribbon in place, wrap around the can and tie.

Decorate as desired based on use or by theme

The buttons and foam letters spelling out “buttons” were attached with one glue dot each.

Try using an empty Grated Parmesan Cheese Canister to use as a Ribbon Dispenser!

Erika authors  Deals I have Received, sharing coupons, matching deals, and frugal tips.

Glue Dots Go Dispenser is quite convenient for younger children to roll onto paper. The glue dots have great substance and the adhesive is very durable. The spacing of Glue Dots make placement easy and consistent.

I would like to thank Glue Dots and Twittermoms for this opportunity. I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here for Twittermoms or visit Glue Dots Facebook fan page.

Free pens yeah!!  That is what I think when someone hands me a promotional pen. Logos are everywhere. Check out your desk drawer or desktop. How many pens, pencils, or mouse pads are imprinted with a business name or logo? How about in your kitchen, I will bet there are sport bottles, can openers, or coffee mugs advertising businesses. Not only are logo-imprinted products everywhere, often times they are within easy reach as well. Imprinted products are used to promote a product, service, or company program however, do they really work.

In 2004, a study of more than 800 business travelers, both men and women, was conducted at the Dallas International Airport area by P.P.A.I. The results indicated that at least 71% received a promotional product within the previous 12 months. Of that 71%, more than 33% had the promotional product with them, 76% could recall the advertisers’ name, and 52% conducted business with the company advertised! Over half  who did not do business with the advertising company said they would do business with the company that gave them the product. Impressions last and as you can see one of the primary advantages of using promotional products is the frequency of exposure.

My husband has been pondering the idea of using promotional products for our business. He took a local survey concerning the type of promotion product to use. Surveying numerous family, friends, and business associates whether they preferred a pen, magnet, or key chain revealed pens were the most popular. So my personal response  is a common one, not limited to women. People like free pens!  Consequently, I did a bit of internet browsing at USimprints.com and I was impressed.

In operation for more than fifty years, USimprints believes, “… people make the difference and use this belief to assure branding your custom logo on any of our promotional products will make your business stand out in the eyes of the people who have made and will make it succeed on a level your company has never before reached.”

In my opinion, contact information is most important when shopping online. Generally, I will not do business with a company that does not offer “real people” to contact. This company gives the customer several means of contact. Live chat is available to answer general questions and an 800 number for specifics. I did call the 800 number, no waiting and a very friendly, helpful woman answered all of my questions directly.

They put forward over 300,000 promotional products, including sport bottles, pens, pencils, mugs, and even umbrellas. The company offers a lowest price ‘exact match’ guarantee too. The terms of this guarantee are clearly outlined, conveying a sense of honesty. On the subject of pricing, as with most other promotional companies, the larger the quantity ordered, the lower the price per promotional product. As of this writing, there are 124 rush order promotional products available at no extra charge.

As a result, I will be getting a quote for promotional products from USimprints.com for our small business.

I would like to leave you with just one question, do you think promotional products afford the same exposure for blogs?

courtesy www.shesafari.com

Are you an outdoor woman? SHE Outdoor Apparel, a Texas-based company, designs and produces high quality womens outdoor clothing in safari, upland, camouflage, shooting, adventure, and lifestyle collections.

New in 2010, SHE offers a woman the Adventure collection. This collection includes eight new functional and fun casual wear pieces just right for boating, fishing, traveling, or simply hanging out around town. She apparel can be found at a whole host of sporting good stores across the nation, including Bass Pro shops and Mosquito Creek Outdoors, to name a few.

In April 2010, Nikon introduced its first binocular, carrying bag and strap designed from the ground up specifically for the outdoor woman. Nikon collaborated with SHE Outdoor Apparel on this venture, a  smart choice indeed!

courtesy shesafari.com

This All terrain binocular set comes with a leather binocular strap and multifunctional shoulder bag. The bag has numerous pockets and a built in optical case, making it perfect for travel and day trips.  The binocular specifications include central focus, 8X Magnification, 36mm Objective Diameter, and a Close Focal Distance of 8.2′. Additional features include a weight of 20.1 with waterproofing and fog resistance.

Attire made for the most rugged outdoor adventures yet perfectly designed for a woman earns SHE apparel a number one rating in my book!

Swimsuits for all is an excellent place to shop for swimsuits. This online retailer offers swimsuit brands like Delta Burke® Longitude® by Robby Len®, Beach Belle®, Liz Claiborne®, and Penbrooke® to name a few. Taking inspirations from sun, sand, and sea, they offers plus size swimwear, woman’s swimsuits, as well as related apparel & accessories that work for real women sizes 8 & up.

Black Draw String Tie Plus Size Cover Up

Everything from one piece swimsuits to stylish covers ups are offered at very affordable prices.

And, what is even more exciting is their clearance department. There you can find really beautiful swim suits and accessories at unbelievable prices. For example, currently being offered is a beautiful drawstring tunic styled cover up in black, brown, and white at 56% off.

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