Giveaways

AMEX “Serves” Dinner for My Friends

December 20, 2011 by Lisa 16 Comments

Remember to sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found by clicking here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Recently, I was asked to take a few of my friends out to dinner. Not just take them out to dinner, but to buy their dinner….after they had paid for their meal.

You confused? Lucy, let me ‘splain.

American Express has a new service called Serve. It’s a new way to settle up with my friends instantly via email or mobile device. I’m notorious for never having cash, nor my checkbook. With Serve, not only am I able to send my friends money instantly from my account, but if they owe me money, they’re able to settle up with at the end of the night. Smartphones are genius friends, genius.

Set-up is quick and easy. I went to Serve and signed up. Knowing American Express is responsible for the safety and security of the site increased my confidence ten-fold in Serve’s digital payment service.

So, after we settled in at Good Food on Montford in Charlotte, I was able to fill them in about Serve. They protested, wanting me to use my funds to go on a date night with my husband. We’re a stubborn lot. After I convinced them to let me take care of our Christmas gathering, they went home that night and signed up for Serve. I had them text me how much I owed them for dinner and was able to send the money straight from my phone to them.

What did we eat? I had a cheese plate for an appetizer. Sorry there aren’t any photos. Cheese and I have a special relationship. And by special relationship, I mean a Pavlovian response. However, I did have these amazing mushrooms.

I also had these scallops with risotto, bacon and apple chutney. They were so good, I wanted to lick the plate clean.

Serve is a new way to settle up with friends/buddies instantly via email or mobile device
– Avoid the awkwardness of owing friends/buddies money
– Stop trying to chase down your friends to pay up
Setting up a Serve account is quick and easy
No more checks
Safe and Secure from American Express
Go to www.serve.com/blog from your computer
Get $10 just for trying it
Refer friends to Serve and get up to $50

Because, essentially, Serve works like a pre-paid debit card, AMEX will be asking you to provide some personal identification information in order to fully activate your account. Now, the good news is that:

This is done just to verify that you are you
It’s 100% secure, and backed by American Express
It does NOT require a credit check and doesn’t affect your credit report (there’s no credit line)

And? As a Holiday surprise? One lucky reader is going to get a $100 credit from AMEX/Serve! Open your account and let me know in the comments that you have. It’s that easy. The drawing closes on December 27 at 6pm EST.

This post is sponsored by Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATS TO KELLY WHALEN FOR WINNING THE $100 GIFT FROM SERVE AND AMEX!

Earthies Shoes Review and Giveaway

October 16, 2011 by Lisa 430 Comments

My friend Leahis this awesome chick. You’ll see her custom hashtag floating around Twitter that reads #mamavation. That’s all about Mom’s getting off their butts and getting motivated. She’s the one that keeps you pumped up and inspired. She also introduced me to Earthies.

What are Earthies?

Shoes. Not just any shoes, but amazing shoes! Believe me, I’m a shoes worst critic. I have a wide foot and used to be able to compensate by going up a half size. However, with the ways shoes are being manufactured today, it’s like their are all A width and the rest of us have the feet of Godzilla.

“Earthies® is the first footwear collection to bridge the gap between fashion and wellness in answer to the demands of even the most discerning fashionista who not only prioritizes style, but also personal health and well-being. As a company with a more than 40-year reputation in the design of “good-for-the-body” footwear based on its heritage brand, Kalsø Earth® Shoes, Earth, Inc. is in a unique position to establish Earthies® as a pioneer in the newly-minted category of fashionable wellness footwear.”

She asked me if I’d like to review a pair. Before I said yes, I researched. They were true to fit. They were a normal fit. And? They were a standard cut! Meaning? I could size up my 9.5 to a 10 and have a great shoe.

I was nervous when they got here, but I slipped them on and started strutting and they were comfortable! So much, I wore them to the Opera last night with dress pants. That’s right. New shoes, 3.35″ heel, and tons of walking. Sure, my feet were sore by the end of the night, but considering I’m a gal who wears flip-flops 24/7? They would have been sore even in my most well-worn shoes.

I checked out their site this morning, with feet that normally would have been in pain 24 hours later and found out it’s because of their wellness footbed. “A cupped heel sets the foot into the proper supported position. An anatomic arch increases touch points along the transition from the heel to forefoot. And, a cradle toe area evenly distributes weight away from the toes.”

In other words? The shoe is made the way it’s supposed to be. With support. Cushioning. Call me a convert! I’ve now added more pairs to my wish list. Admittedly, they are pricey. My pair cost $160. However, I’d rather spend the money on one pair of shoes like these than 3 or 4 pair of crappy heels that hurt my feet, or worse, fall apart after a few wearings. Ask the people that know me, I’m going to quality versus quantity.

Know what’s even better? I’m going to give a lucky reader a pair of Earthies. I like to think of it as a little early Holiday Cheer. Something to perk you up or help pull together a great outfit in a pinch.

Earthies Giveaway

One lucky Daily Pinchreader will win a pair of Earthies shoes. Style will be based on inventory, but will be in your size!

1. Head over to Earthiesusa.com and let me know which pair of Earthies you’re drooling over. Leave me a comment and let me know!

2. Follow EarthiesUSA on Twitter (leave a comment letting me know you did)

3. Subscribe to DailyPinch via feed or email (leave a comment letting me know you did)

BONUS!

Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (limit 5 tweet entries per day) including a link back to this post per link.

Product was provided for review and giveaway. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was provided. This giveaway will end Monday, November 7th. Contest open to US residents in the 48 contiguous states.

Raving Rabbids Delivers Rapid-Fire Action: Review and Giveaway

December 14, 2010 by Prof Pinch 14 Comments

It’s that time of year, when a girl’s thoughts turn to video games and relieving stress by going into her virtual world by playing video games. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick. So that meant I had to let my husband test drive my new “Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time”game for Nintendo Wii. I am crushed. However, now have an excuse to boot him off the game system since I haven’t gotten to play! Being the nice wife I am, I kindly nagged asked him to write a review so I could share it with everyone, and since ‘Tis the Season, thought I would give a copy away!

Since my wife is an Ubisoft Champion and my son and I like video games, we got chance to play the new “Raving Rabbids: Travel In Time”video game for the Nintendo Wii. We have other Raving Rabbids titles in the series so we kind of had an idea of what to expect, but since I don’t play as much as I’d like to, this also gave me a chance to see how quickly you can pick the game up and get acclimated to it.

Overall it’s an entertaining game. The time travel aspect is a nice twist and the fact you do your time travel via a washing machine is both funny and wacky; kind of like your favorite uncle coming over for dinner. Just don’t pull his finger. My son and I probably enjoyed beating each other up (just shake the Wii remote when you’re close to the other player) as much as actually playing the game. His character’s profile is dressed as Napoleon, mine as a Pharaoh. Whether it was shooting rabbits in the shootarium or flying in the flyarium, there’s lots to do in this game.

If there was one thing I’d change on the game it would be the way you fly your plane. I’d prefer it if you could do the flying a bit more simply instead of using both the Nunchuk and Wii Remote to steer the plane, but that’s just my preference.

Peanut loves the game. During my convalescence, I have been laying on the sofa watching him play and he makes the flying look quite effortless. I will take some photos of him later today to post. If it were me? I would be crash landing each time, kinda like my dear hubby.

So, do you want to win your own copy of “Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time”?It’s pretty simple. Just leave a comment below. If you want to make it fun, tell me the worst Christmas gift you ever received. Was it the thong from your Grandma when you were 16? (Yes, that is a true story). What’s that? Bonus entries? Ok. I can do that.

{Reindeer Points} (it’s too close to Christmas to say brownie points!) Each one gets you a bonus entry. Just leave me a comment for each.

Like @UbiParentson Twitter
Like Ubi Parentson Facebook.
Heck, like ME on Facebook.
Do the hokey pokey. {Just kidding!!}

Just kidding! I will be running this contest until 12/20/2010 and while we can’t guarantee Christmas delivery, we would like to get it to you by the end of the month. So make sure you leave me your email address when you comment. Contest is only open to winners in the Continental United States.

While Ubisoft sponsored this review, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

She’s Crafty!! {Not the Beastie Boys version!!}

November 8, 2010 by Lisa 5 Comments

Tis the season to be…WAIT!!Where is my to-do list? Why haven’t I started my Christmas shopping? Where is the hot cocoa and candy canes? But most of all, WHERE IS MY SCOTCH TAPE?!?!

I can guarantee that I will run out of tape while wrapping gifts. It doesn’t matter how much I have purchased, I am going to either misplace it, my son is going to tape stuff all over the house or my husband is going to try and defuzz his sweaters with a fist full of tape (at least I didn’t say his chest!). Take your pick, all three will happen. It also happens when I am crafting. But it’s usually glue for my hot glue gun. It’s like the project pictured here. Simple enough. 9×4 and 12×4 cones, covered in scrap booking paper and topped with a Christmas ornament on top for festivity. Since the craft only took an hour and I was going to have it ready and on my sideboard before I had friends over for dinner, I thought “piece of cake”.

It never happens that way. If it did, my mouth would be riddled with cavities.

No glue for my hot glue gun. No foam spray glue. So, I did what any self-respecting woman, with a naked side board would do, broke out the scotch tape. What you have before you my friends thought I spent hours on. Instead? I slapped it together with tape in under five minutes. It’s adorable and my dining companions looked at me as if I were the holy grail of domestic doyennes, Martha Stewart. Secretly, Martha would have been slapping me around my house for my lack of preparation.

I don’t want you to be caught unawares this holiday season. Does that mean I am giving you a great to-do list to keep you organized? Nope. I am giving you tape. Lots and lots of Scotch Tape!

Now, I am giving one (1) lucky winner five (5) rolls of Scotch Tape! That’s a lot of sweater fuzz! I am also giving five (5) lucky winners one (1) roll of Scotch Tape. Mosey on down to the comment section below and let me know you need some Scotch Tape. If you have a funny wrapping experience, even better! After all, I need to know that I am not alone in my domestic disasters.

Thanks to Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape for sponsoring my writing about crafts. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win free sample rolls to help with your upcoming holiday needs, and join the conversation on the Scotch(R) Brand Facebook Page. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective , which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Gratuitous Beastie Boys Jam:

Bean Chat with Gevalia

March 10, 2010 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Tomorrow, I am hosting #beanchat for Gevalia coffee. We are going to discuss coffee, blogging and various other topics regarding things near and dear to my heart. Cooking, coffee, parenting, volunteer work and Dress for Success.

Join me and the crew from Gevalia at 10:00 a.m. for #beanchat. Browse over to http://bit.ly/BeanGrid and log in to your Twitter account.

It will be a fantastic time for all!