2013...
The Year of the LUCKY DUCK!
To some... 13 is an unlucky number and something to always be avoided... I don't know why but I've always considered 13 to be my "Lucky" Number. So, I have a feeling that this is going to be a GREAT Year for my Sweeping Obsession.
I started entering Contests & Sweepstakes "back in the day", when I was a young SAHM. I'm talking 25 years ago. Before computers & the internet, when it was all Mail-In Enteries. I won lots of neat small Prizes from National Sweeps like Luggage, Albums, Books, etc... just small fun things. But my Biggest Wins were the local oportunities:
A FORD F-150 Pick Up TRUCK!
Our High School Band was having a Fundraiser selling Raffel Tickets.
I made a specific trip to our localDrug Store where they were selling tickets, the morning of the last day of sales... and bought 4 (My other LUCKY Number) Raffel Tickets. They drew the winning ticket that night at the Band Concert. I wasn't there because I had two little ones at home so I received the call about 10 pm that I was the Winner. I ran to my neighbor/friends house and she made me breathe into a paper bag because I was almost hyper-ventilating! My husband enjoyed the Truck for many years!
A $2000.00 Shopping Spree at a Furniture Store!
This was a Contest run by The Dallas Morning News. I chose some Beautiful Furniture that we used for many years.
A TRIP to The BAHAMAS!
This was a win from a mail in contest to a Dallas Radio Station. I mailed in 4 Entries (there's that 4 again!) I didn't have to do the "call in" entry style to the radio station. I didn't even know I had won until they called me and asked had I heard my name on the Radio? It was a GREAT Trip...all-inclusive one week Trip to Club Med / Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
These were my Big Wins, Life got in the way and my Sweeping Hobby went away.
Update to 2012.
Huge Life Upheavel
Traumatic Divorce, My Mothers Passing, etc...much more complete horribleness... I decided I want/need/have to get away from Small-Town, Texas. I'm a Disney "Fan"atic since childhood. My favorite vacations have always been to Florida. So hey, I'm moving to Florida. The dearest daughter in the world said, you're not leaving without me. So we got our "Ducks in a Row" I sold my House, she sold her house... and we along with her Hubby (The BEST Son in Law in the World) and my 2 Precious Grands moved to the most Beautiful, Perfect Town in the World... St Augustine FLORIDA! We did lot's of research before choosing where we wanted to live... St Johns County, #1 School District, The most Beautiful Beaches, Historical, so much to do... & only an hour and half to DISNEY WORLD! We LOVE it here and it was the best decision we ever made as a Family!
We chose a beautiful home in a Neighborhood with a Lake in our Backyard, Tennis Courts, Soccer Fields, Playgrounds, a HUGE Pool/Waterpark, Ammenity center, Palm Trees, etc.... Ashley loves her job at a Jewelry/Gift Shop in The Historical "Old Town" of St Augustine. She designs and Creates Jewelry and she also is able to sell her Creations there... perfect! Josh is in the Banking Industry and works up the Interstate in Jacksonville. I'm "Grammy Tammy" I take care of my Perfect Grandsons Austin (9) and Andrew (5). I like being a "Home" girl, taking care of the daily home duties. I like to scrapbook, read, watch movies, swim & go to the beach and/or Pool. MY favorite Hobby is SWEEPING... no, not the floors.... Sweepstaking!
I started back into the hobby January 2012 when we moved into our new house and had an addy for the companies to send all my Prizes to!So here's a List of Prizes from 2012:
Lysol T-shirtWave Vodka: T-Shirt
Ortega: Cook Book & Magnet
Kentucky Legend Ham $30
2 Movie Tickets: "What to Expect when You're Expecting" $15
Entenmenns: Free Coupon
Red Baron Pizza: Free Coupon
Craisons: Free Coupon
OutHouse Steakhouse Dinner $10
Frito Lay: Toy Figurine
Action News Jacksonville TV Station: 3 Day, 2 Night Vacation to Amelia Island Florida $945.00
Derm Store & Gladfaden: Skincare Products: $250 (really about $75)
BRISK TEA: Star Wars Promotion: XBOX 360 Kinect Bundle: $350
Dollar General: Gift Card $10
FX Movies: 2 Free Tickets
1 Free Movie Ticket to Disney's BRAVE
Sears: Live Nation Cash: $10
Dunkin Donuts: Live Nation Cash: $25
FX Movies: 2 Free Tickets
FX Movies: 1 Free Ticket
CORONA: "Here's Your Beach" : American Express Gift card: $100
Action News Jacksonville: Universal Halloween Horror Nights, 2 Tickets with Parking Pass: $349
Subway: 3 Free Footlongs : 3 $5 Gift Cards
LaraBars: Box of 100 Minis : $25
Corn Nuts: DVD & Package of Corn Nuts
TWIX; IWG 4 Free Candy Bars
CAMEL: $25 Amazon Gift Code
DARK & LOVELY: MP3 Player: $50
FX Movie Ticket
CABOT CHEESE: Box of Single Packs: $25
WALKING DEAD: Zombie TV Game: $75
LUNCHABLES: IWG: Nerf Blaster Gun
AMERICAN EXPRESS: Small Buisness Gift Card: $25
Dollar General: Gift Card: $10
3 Pepsi/ Frito Lay MYGDO Wins: NFL.Com Gift Codes: $150
Coke Zero: TWITTER: XBOX 360 NFL Football Game
Funky Monkey Snacks: TWITTER: Box of Assorted Snacks
Sun Chips: TWITTER: Picnic Bag/Basket & Tervis Tumbler ARV: $40
VH1, Morning Buzz: "Santa Paws II" BluRay DVD
Terro: "Holiday Happy Hours" Fruit Fly Trap
SOUR JACKS: Movie Tickets (4)
PINE BROS.: CVS Gift Card: $100
BEALLS FLORIDA: Pinterest Contest: Gift Card: $50
Signature by Levi Strauss & Co: Shell Gas Card: $10
Perez Hilton & LIVE NATION: TWITTER: Maroon 5, 5th Row Tickets to their Sold-Out Concert in Jacksonville Florida!
Thermal-Aide: Won 2 BEARS in 2 Contests on FaceBook: $40
SCOTTS / Kimberly Clark: TWITTER PARTY: Amazon Gift Code & a Big Box Full of Paper Products
Mary Kay: TWITTER PARTY: LipGloss $10
HUGGIES PULL UPS: PINTEREST Contest: I won & Ashley Won: 2 $100 WalMart Gift Cards: $200
BLOG Giveaway: The Review Wire: Yohay Baking Company: A Huge Box of delicious Fudge & a Fudge Making Kit: ARV: $59.50
BLOG Giveaway: Thrifty Mommy Ramblings: 3DS "Trash Pack" Game $ARV: $25
BLOG Giveaway: Tree, Twig & Branch: Lane Bryant Gift Card: $30
BLOG Giveaway: Andersons Angels: Stanley Steemer Gift Certificate: $100
++++ And my Best Win came at the very end of the Year ++++
BLOG Giveaway: Simply Stacie: Canon Rebel DSLR Camera: $600 They gave me a cash Option which I took as I already have a nice camera... yeah!
So that's my Wins for 2012.... in December I started with Blog Giveaways & Twitter & Pinterest Contests... I REALLY like them. My strategey for 2013 is to continue with My Dailies & IWG, Facebook. I keep a running list of approx. 150 to 200 that I enter Daily. I want to concentrate on Blog Giveaways because they are so much FUN & I like the Odds.
OK, Next Post will be The Wins so far for January 2013. I want this Blog to be a record keeper & also show Pictures & Screen Shots of Wins, It's mainly for me to stay focused & be inspired... if my little Story helps anyone else out there in "Sweeper" land...that's GREAT too!
