Freebie Friday

Get a FREE Enfamil Lipil breastfeeding support kit.

Free Orient Keychain When you sign up for their newsletter

Free Santa Photo Stamp

Receive a FREE Home Made Simple Coupon Book with Over $27 in Savings.

High Heels Hurt
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Free Popcorn

Free Wildlife Calendar

Thrifty Thursday

20% off $125 or more!

Get 20% off your purchase of $125 or more at Nike.com when you enter the Keycode: NIKEGIFTS

coupon code : NIKEGIFTS Expires 12/20/2008 $20 Off All $120 Orders With Coupon Code! Enter coupon code at checkout for your extra savings! coupon code : ILOVE20 Expires 1/31/2009 20% off $125 or more! Get 20% off all orders of $125 or more at BananaRepublic.com when you use the Coupon Keycode: BRHOLIDAY coupon code : BRHOLIDAY Expires 12/15/2008 $7 Off $70 or More! Take $7 Off $70 at Target.com when you use the special Keycode discount coupon link! Expires 12/21/2008 $25 off orders of $125 or More! Save $25 off orders of $125 or more on purchases made at Kmart.com with the exclusive Keycode discount link! Expires 3/31/2009

Work at Home Wednesdays

Work at Home Companies

If you are just starting your search into working at home, a great place to apply is West. They are a company contracted out to perform INBOUND call center duties for various companies. For example, the Home Shopping Network (HSN) contracts West to hire their home based customer service representatives. West is a pretty big company with many work at home opportunities. They offer paid training and if you get hired, you will be payed as an employee rather than an independent contractor. West, like any company, has its positives and negatives. I worked for them for a while and my experience on a whole was a good one. Some pluses include being able to make your own schedule and the flexibility of changing your schedule very easily. Also, some of the lines they offer are open 24 hours a day. For example, the HSN line, which is the line I worked, is open 24 hours a day. This allowed me to have the flexibility of working late at night or very early in the morning around my son's schedule. Also, you can't beat working in your jammies, laying in bed! The negatives are that sometimes it can be very difficult to actually get the hours you need. You sometimes have to resort to stalking the scheduling board to pick up your hours. The pay rate is ok depending on which line you work.

Tip: If you decide to give it a whirl with West, try your hardest to get the HSN line. This is the best line in my opinion. No pressure selling. The customers are long time HSN shoppers so they know the drill and most are really, really nice! I know other West at home employees have had success and enjoy other lines so by no means should you be discouraged if you don't get the HSN line. All I am saying is that if you have a choice, the HSN line is a great one!

How to apply:
West

Recommended Reading:

The Resume
Avoiding Scams

Tuesday Giveaway Roundup

The blog universe does not disappoint! There are always some great contests and giveaways going around!
Ohana Mama has several giveaways going on right now. Head over there for a chance to win Toobeez (Dec 11) , Polliwalks (Dec 11), and a VW Gift Pack (Dec 12).

At Momma in Flip Flops you can win Layers Clothing-winner chooses dress (Dec 12/US), hip-T of choice (Dec 11/US,Can), or a Stellaroco shirt (Dec 12/All). A Wrestling Addicted Mommy is giving away a minky spa wrap (Dec 12/US). All Because Two People Fell in Love is giving away a pair of Polliwalks (Dec 10/US). An Island Review is giving away Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake (Dec 11/All), Elmo’s Countdown to Bedtime Soundbook (Dec 15/US), and a Jooble Plushie (Dec 14/US). An Island Life is giving away Excite Books for Kids (Dec 11/US) . All Because Two People Fell in Love is giving away 3 Baby Rompers (Dec 11).

The Mom Buzz is giving away the cutest plushes: Zygopsyche: Plush Rabbits& Guinea Pigs (ends Dec 11).

As for me, Jolly Mom is still running the handmade appliquéd children’s/baby shirt from Super Sweet Creations (Dec 14). Also, I will be having a week filled with giveaways this week! Please stop by for a chance to win many goodies!

More Money Mondays-Mystery Shopping

Mystery Shopping

If you'd like to make some extra money, mystery shopping is something you should look into. There are a lot of scams out there so please do your due diligence first. Some people are able to make a pretty good chunk of change by mystery shopping. Honestly, I don't know how they do it. However, for some extra spending money, free restaurant meals, and even free movies it is a good option especially if you work the shops into your current schedule. For example, if you have to run errands a certain day of the week, then schedule a few shops in the area. Some of the heavy hitters in the mystery shopping workplace are Shop n Check and Service Intelligence. These are great places to start out because they are newbie friendly. They don't always pay the best, but to get started quickly and see if this is something you want to explore further, they fit the bill.

Some others to check out:
Business Evaluation Services

Asset Protection Services

Service Evaluation Concepts



Recommended Reading:
Avoiding Scams
Surveys

Freebie Friday

Free Aquaphor Sample

Free Sabatino Tartufi Gourmet Olive Oil

Holidays at Home Free Christmas Ornament

Free Gift-Giving Labels

Free Sun-Maid Cookbook

Free Child Safety Kit

Free GeoTrax DVD from Mattel

Free Dr. Seuss Gift Labels

Free Arbys Shake-After you sign up, they will email you a coupon for your free shake. You'll also get access to upcoming promotions, new product info and member only coupons.

Free Mobile Ringtones + Games For All Mobile Users

Free Schick Quattro Titanium Razor or Trimmer

Thrifty Thursday

It's Thrifty Thursday again! Here are some coupons so that you can save your money for better things-like Christmas presents for me-LOL!

Sign up for Upromise and get $30 of free electronic grocery coupons in their grocery section! Most grocery stores and CVS participate (31,000 stores).

SmartSource printable coupons! No registration required.

Eversave More printable grocery coupons to save over $100 on name brand products.

$30 in savings at Chuck E. Cheese when you sign up here.

COFFEE-MATE - Special Offers - Coupons

Work at Home Wednesday

Here is a sample resume to use when applying for a telecommute position. Notice that your skills should be listed first.

Johnathan Doe
12345 Statestreet Ave.
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
(813) 555-2121
e-mail: johnathan@aol.com

OBJECTIVE

To obtain a telecommuting position with a professional organization where I can be creative and utilize my skills as a technical writer/desktop publisher.

PROFILE

• Technical writing (end user manuals, installation/maintenance/repair manuals, courseware, MS Windows help screens)
• Course development and instruction
• Desktop publishing skills (design/typesetting/illustration), and marketing experience
• Organized, self starter, detail oriented, with excellent communication abilities
• Supervisory background
• Operation, repair, and training of PC, and Macintosh computer systems
• Knowledgeable in wide variety of software applications: Adobe PageMaker, Macromedia Freehand, Adobe Photoshop, MS Word, HTML authoring tools, RoboHelp, dBase, EXCEL, various Internet apps, etc.

EXPERIENCE

1991 - Present COMPANY 1 INC., Homestead, Florida
Widget manufacturer & telecommunications

Technical Writer

Create end user manuals and MS Windows help screens detailing the installation/maintenance of hardware and software applications designed for Company 1 products. Develop procedures and standards for creating technical product bulletins and installation/maintenance manuals. Interface with all departments to acquire needed information for documentation. Assist company personnel with learning productive techniques for using computer software and hardware.

1979-1990 COMPANY 2, INC, Hauppauge, New York
International electronics communication company

Senior Technical Instructor (5/87-5/90)

Developed and presented technical courses designed to train field engineers on procedures for installing/maintaining computer hardware and software specific to Information Services, Inc. Instructed field engineers on troubleshooting techniques for the repair and maintenance of computer hardware and software. Instructed on the use of test equipment: data analyzers, oscilloscopes, multimeters, and software diagnostic tools. Wrote technical manuals and handbooks detailing installation and repair procedures. Designed and presented courses for technical staff, non-technical staff, sales, and management users. Provided evaluation reports and testing of trainees to determine competency level. Traveled Europe and U.S. to assemble course development information. Accomplishments Promoted to Senior Technical Instructor position. Initiated and completed a plan to design and develop all documentation given to trainees.

Repair Line Supervisor (12/83-5/87)

Appointed to reorganize and supervise the daily operation of the repair department. Implemented necessary changes for increased productivity. Hired, trained, and evaluated repair personnel. Maintained repair parts inventory. Provided management with status and productivity reports. Accomplishments Promoted to Technical Instructor position. Decreased turnaround time of incoming equipment from two weeks to two days. Initiated new inventory control program. Program was accepted for use in other departments. Increased productivity by 40% within 2 months.

Senior Repair Technician (12/79-5/83)

Repaired computer systems and peripherals to board and component level by locating defective parts and replacing them. Accomplishments Promoted to Supervisor. Increased productivity level of the department by introducing new testing and troubleshooting methods. Promoted from entry-level Technician to Senior Technician.

EDUCATION

AS - Electronic Engineering
State University of New York
Minor in Psychology

Certificate in Digital Computer Technology
Computer Technical School, 1979

Read Tips on Avoiding Scams

Tuesday Giveaway Roundup

Lots and lots of giveaways going on in the blog world!

Just in time for all of that holiday baking you are gearing up for, Thrifty Thoughts is giving away an 11 oz bottle of Watkins double strength vanilla and a 6 oz tin of ground cinnamon (ends December 8th).

Power of Housewife Word of Mouth is giving away a Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons Wii game, sponsored by The Game Factory who is holding a celebrity video game auction for charity on Ebay.

Bead Art Originals is having a special event, Twelve Days of BAO Holidays, with a new drawing every day. It started on Wednesday (11/26).

The Mom Fuse is giving away a Land's End Cashmere Sweater, homemade peppermint crunch fudge from Shake Your Bon Bon's, and a PhotoCuff from Smoy.

My Frugal Lifestyle is giving away a copy of "The Paper Bag Christmas" by Kevin Alan Milne.

My Junk Drawer is giving away some fabulous Mia Bella items.

Sherbet Blossom is hosting twelve days of prizes and giveaways starting December 1st.

Scary Mommy is giving away your choice of any t-shirt and your choice of notecards by Big Boo Designs. Winner will chosen Decemeber 7th.

As always, Erin from The Mom Buzz has some fabulous giveaways! First, you can win some yummy confections from The Gumdrop Cookie Shop by clicking here (ends December 8th). Or, you still have time to enter to win ListPlanIt by clicking here (ends December 4th). If you're a mom or need to get a gift for a child, you should enter to win a pair of super cute and practical Huggalugs by clicking here (ends December 5th). Win a $25 Gift Card to JuneBee Baby by clicking here (ends December 3rd so HURRY!). Win a sweet gift set by Pillsbury, which includes Pillsbury Brownie Mix and two (2) LIMITED EDITION SMUCKERS TOPPINGS - Smucker’s® Pumpkin Spice and Smucker’s® Magic Shell® Cherry by clicking here (ends TONIGHT-December 2nd at midnight so again HURRY!). Thanks Erin for all of these great giveaways!

Ohana Mama's Hawaian Holiday Party has started off with a bang! For a chance to win a $35 gift certificate to Cherry Creek Designs then click here. Also, make sure you check back every day because there will be new giveaways every day through December 7th! Yay!

Don't forget about Felicia at Go Graham Go who is giving away a must have children's health product, Exergen's Temporal Scanner . Giveaway ends on December 5th and everyone gets a chance at 7 entries.

And, now I will shamelessly plug my own giveaway at Jolly Mom. Monica from Super Sweet Creations has graciously offered to giveaway one of her handmade children's/baby's shirts to one lucky Jolly Mom reader! Contest will end December 14th and the winner (chosen via random.org) will be announced December 15th. US entries only.

Start entering!

More Money Mondays

If you are looking to make some spending money, here are some sites that pay you for your opinion. Some pay you cash and others pay you in gift cards, points that you redeem for prizes, etc. Please make sure that you never, ever PAY to join a site!

1. Opinion Outpost
2. Opinion Square
3. QualityHealth.com
4. Survey Payoff
5. Survey Saanvi
6. Survey Savvy
7. Survey Spot
8. Synovate
9. Pinecone Research
   

Also, if you have any textbooks laying around, Cash For Books will buy them back. They pay for shipping! It is really easy to do and a great way to make a few bucks!

*Tip* When you sign up for any of these places, make sure you have created an email address specifically for your survey jobs just in case they spam you with email.