Have you heard about Crowdtap??

Have you heard about Crowdtap??

If you’re looking for a way to help out charities and get rewarded in return, you may want to check out Crowdtap. Crowdtap is an online community that connects consumers with brands so they can directly influence new product and marketing ideas, while earning cash and free products in return! With Crowdtap, you’ll get to tap in to engage with brands, test products, and earn cash while helping charities at the same time! Here are a few well-known charities promoted on their site:

*Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation – funds efforts for breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health, ect.
*Autism Speaks – goal is to find the causes, treatments, and cure for autism and help those with autism and their families
*Pencils of Promise – help build schools for children who may not receive any education in developing nations around the world.
*ASPCA – mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of animal cruelty to animals
*American National Red Cross – provide emergency assistance, disaster relief, and education in the US and other countries.
…and more!

How Does it Work?

By signing up with Crowdtap you’ll be presented with a variety of opportunities to complete and you’ll be helping brands make major marketing decisions as well as help spread the buzz about products you like! You’ll also be able to answer “Info questions” that will help them better match you with more opportunities. How do you earn cash rewards? You can earn cash by earning top awards as a result of providing meaningful responses in discussions and participating in discussions daily. Also, once you reach level 5 you will receive a 5% cash bonus for every $10 you earn.

1.) Just head on over here and sign up for a Crowdtap account with your Facebook account
2.) Answer a few polls (click on Quick Hits) to help brands target you by your interests
3.) View Opportunities and participate with the brands and offers that interest you
4.) Earn status, rewards, and charity – the more you do, the more you get, the more you give!

How do the Rewards Work?

After your account reaches at least $10, you’ll be able to redeem your earnings in the following ways…
*Cash Rewards – Certain activity launched by brands will earn you cash rewards.
*Gift Cards – Your Crowdtap cash can be redeemed for Amazon.com gift cards
*Help Charities – You can choose to help your selected charity
*Free Products – Some activities will also offer free products and other goodies
Keep in mind that you’ll need to earn at least $9.99 before you can “redeem” your earnings (you’ll just click on the “redeem link at top”) AND 5% will automatically go to the charity you select on sign up which Crowdtap will match. Then just choose to donate the rest to a charity or get an Amazon gift card e-mailed to you!
Also, the points you earn determine your “level” and each level you obtain gives you privileges on the site and showcases your accomplishment. However, keep in mind that points and dollars are completely separate in Crowdtap. Points will help you level up, unlock badges, and compete with your friends while moving up the leaderboard. Dollars translate to real money and can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards or donated to your selected charity. Individual actions can earn you points, dollars, or both but points and dollars are not directly related to one another.
So what will you do with the extra cash you earn through Crowdtap?

Earn 100 Swagbucks for Joining Today!

 If you have yet to sign up for Swagbucks, now is the time. New members can get 100 Swagbucks added to their account when they sign up by 10/3/2011 and use the code BIGTIMEBUCKS. And it is all FREE!

Swagbucks is a search engine that pays you for searching. You earn “Swagbucks” that can then be turned in to gift cards and prizes. You can also play games, watch videos and other things that are super easy and they all earn you Swagbucks!

Swagbucks is the easiest way I have ever found to earn Amazon.com gift cards! I work at it a little bit at a time and it slowly builds. Well maybe not so slowly as I can get at least $25 a month in Amazon.com gift cards. Do the math: $25 per month x 12 months = $300!!! Now who can't use $300 in FREE money to spend on anything from Amazon.com??? And a lot of it you can get free shipping on. You can accumulate the gift cards in your Amazon.com account and it just sits there waiting for you to use. How easy is that?

This year I have already earned 26 Amazon.com gift cards from Swagbucks! And I have 3 more months to go. So check it out and see for yourself how easy and fun it is to earn FREE money for just a few clicks of the mouse. Seriously there really is no catch!!

Star Wars Released on Blu Ray

 I am a Bzz Agent and I am very happy and excited to be a Bzz Agent. Today everyone in the hive is excited because it is Star Wars Day!! Check it out!

 Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blue Ray]

Every home entertainment system needs a go to DVD that you can pop in and say to your friends, “Check out how awesome my TV and speakers are.” Well, maybe it’s time to have not one but six of those crown jewels. Really, what would be a better centerpiece for your collection than Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) on Blu-ray? Featuring all six of the Star Wars movies remastered so you can experience them in picture perfect clarity. All your favorites, but new and improved! (from Bzz Agent)

Everyone at my house is thrilled about the newest version and in the newest format. They can hardly stand it!! I think it is because in this version there are more scenes and extended scenes that you can't get anywhere else. So I don't blame them!! I remember when Star Wars first came out and standing in line to see the very first movie on opening day. Yes I am that old. LOL!! But it was an amazing thing to see. The audience was just as excited that day as everyone is today.

So if you haven't checked it out you might want to. I hear the sales for the set have gone through the roof and expected to go even higher.

And while you are at it check out the Bzz Agent site. We have a lot of fun over there. We get to try products out for free and let companies and fellow consumers know what we really and honestly thought about their products. It is so much fun to be a part of. So check it out and join us.

I did not receive a free copy of this DVD set. This is my own opinion of the new series release. I am a Bzz Agent sharing with you today.

Has Couponing and Freebies Changed My Life?

Recently I had a couple of questions posed to me I had to really think about. I often find myself talking about all the great deals I have found and the sales in stores I have found coupled with coupons making things almost or completely free. It's fun to mention all the neat things I get in my mailbox and how the FedEx and UPS delivery guys are on a first name basis with me because of all the things they deliver to my house.
Someone I know very well was really curious one day about the whole thing, everything involved and how much time it took me to do all that I do from finding the coupons and sales, clipping all of them, entering info on the net and so on. So I filled her in on all I do and how much I enjoyed doing it.
Then I was asked if using coupons as much as I do and signing up for all kinds of freebies and giveaways has really changed my life and if it has is it really better.
You know that is a very good question. My knee-jerk reaction is YES! But then I had to really think why it was yes. What exactly was better about my life from using coupons and getting freebies. So here is what I told her.
Yes, using coupons has really saved us money and we have been able to buy things we might otherwise not. In any given week we save from 40-50% on our grocery bill.
Yes it has given me some new friends who I share this with. I have joined some on-line sites and share links, ideas, and my life with these people. It's been really nice getting to know them.
Yes, I love the hunt for the coupons and freebies and then taking advantage of them. I'll admit it takes time searching the web for all the neat things available out there, but that's part of the enjoyment. I have learned so much from the whole process and i am better for it. To say the least I am much more computer savvy than I used to be and in this day and age that's a very good thing.
Yes, the freebies are fun. Who doesn't love getting mail? From childhood it is something we all have looked forward to, well except for those bills we all get! My poor mailman has quite a job some days. I've watched him try to stuff all my goodies in our box and I have to just giggle. But he never complains!! It's fun going through all the envelops and small boxes and yes even some big boxes from time to time. Some days it's almost like Christmas in the mail.
Yes, I have been able to help others with all the savings and freebies. Often I am able to find some really good coupons and match them up with some really good sales. Sometimes that even involves coupons to get things free. Because of that I have been able to stock up on things (not hoard like some extremists do!) and then in turn I have been able to share those things with people who really need it. One example is recently I got 8 coupons from Pantene for free bottles of shampoo up to $5 each. I was able to get large pump bottles for that price and then shared them with some needy families. Normally our budget doesn't allow much for charity or giving. So this was such a blessing to me and the families.
Yes, I have been able to get things on-line and in stores with the savings and coupons that I would not otherwise have been able to afford, things to use for gifts for friends and family. It's been wonderful to surprise people with things they thought there was no way we could get for them. And I love surprising people!
Yes, it has been a blessing to me and to others. I think mainly of my husband. Since I am not able to hold a job now because of severe migraines I want to do all I can to help out financially. So couponing and freebies have really helped him by cutting down on his burden. He's had more money left over each week for paying bills because of the savings. I also believe that it is one way for me to honor God. He has asked us to be responsible with what is given to us and stretching the money He blesses us with is one way I do that. As a result I am able to bless other people. How wonderful that is!
So YES couponing and freebies have changed my life and for the better. I'm not going to say it is what everyone should do, but for this Minister's wife it is the right thing to do for now.
Here are a few photos of some of the free products we have gotten this year.

We Love Kashi!!!

Over the last year we have been trying to eat healthier foods. Sometimes I have to admit it has been rough to give up some things and eat others. A lot of what is so-called healthy just, well, tastes yucky!!! And yet we go on eating it cause it is better for us. Ugh!
I have been going out of my way to try and find foods that are better for us AND taste good. It's been an adventure for sure.
Well one of the companies that really does make food that tastes good and are good for you is Kashi®. Now I won't tell you I have tried everything because I haven't. But we have tried a lot of their products and we love them.

One in particular we really like now is the TLC® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layerd Granola Bar. It is a great snack for everyone in our house including my husband who is diabetic. There are only 7 grams of sugar in each bar, so he isn't going to mess up his sugar level by having one now and then.
The flavor of the bars is wonderful. It is not overly sweet like a lot of bars are and it really does satisfy a little hunger crave you might have.
Here's what the Kashi® site has to say about them: Each bar starts with our signature blend of 7 whole grains for a hearty, natural wholesomeness. The chewy granola base is then topped with real fruit spread and hearty nuts. And with 4g of fiber, 4g of protein and real fruit, they're as nutritious as they are tasty.
When I read through the ingredients it was chock full of things that I know are good for us. One thing I was surprised that was in there was dates. I love dates!! So finding that was a very good thing.
We also love the cereals Kashi® has. My favorite is Island Vanilla!! Yum!! I eat it right from the box like you would a cracker. Even my dogs love it. LOL!!

If you haven't checked out Kashi® give them a try. It is well worth it and your mouth and tummy will thank you!

Hey while you are at it check out this great giveaway on another blog!
My Ribbon Barrette Maker Giveaway

I was given a sample from Mom Ambassador. The review of the product is my sole opinion. It was not influenced by receiving a sample.

Shockingly Good Fruit!!

I belong to a great site called Vocalpoint. It's a site that offers reviews of products and coupons and sometimes samples. One of the samples I was able to try recently was for Del Monte^® Fruit Naturals^® cups. We tried the pineapple and the peaches at our house. I have to tell you it was amazing. I have gotten used to the flavor of canned fruits and that was pretty much what I was expecting. But when I bit into the fruit and drank some of the juice I was surprised. It didn't taste at all like canned or packaged fruit. it tasted fresher and much much better!! I can honestly say that this fruit was some of the best if not the best I have ever had that can from something packaged. Now I won't say it is the same as fresh, but it is as close as I have ever tasted coming from a packaged product. I think Del Monte got something very right with these little cups! They have 10 different varieties and I am guessing they will all be as good as the pineapple and the peaches. I know the grapefruit is!!
Snag a coupon for yourself to buy one and get one free. You'll be glad you did!
Fruit Naturals Cup

I received a free sample from Vocalpoint. The opinion here is solely mine and not that of Vocalpoint or DelMonte.