The New Face of HSN (and a Giveaway)

HSN.com has completely relaunched all their digital channels, making the customer experience faster, more efficient and more social than ever before.  To celebrate the new look, HSN.com is running a Super (Re)Model Sweepstakes! There will be Weekly Grand Prize Winners and Daily Winners all this month, so be sure to enter.


The enhanced social aspect on HSN.com means that customers will be able to easily share their product finds, thoughts and reviews with their friends via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.  So, if you like shopping with friends, this is for you!  Whether shopping from home or on the go with your smart phone, HSN is committed to providing the same content rich experience, anywhere and everywhere.  Mobile apps are available for for iPad, iPhone and Android.

The integrated social media tools are also a big part of "The 20" - a list of 20 of the best HSN,com products, specially selected.  Customers vote for their favorites, and once the votes are tallied, those who voted for the winning product get a special discount on that product.   (Be sure to scroll down the page so you can vote for your favorite.)

Giveaway:

HSN.com has also agreed to give a $10 HSN gift card to two winners.  To enter, simply leave a comment here telling me what you will use your gift card toward when you win.  Get an extra entry for tweeting about this giveaway - be sure to leave a comment with a link to your tweet.  You can tweet once per day.  And I'll give you another entry for tweeting and letting HSN.com know what you like best about the remodel (be sure to use #HSNRemodel in your tweet), and leave me a link to that tweet, too.

Good luck!  Giveaway is open to US residents only, and all entries must be received by 11:59pm Central Time on February 5, 2013.

Disclosure: I am being compensated by HSN.com for this post.  All opinions are mine.

Win a Las Vegas Spa Weekend

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bloom.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How does an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas for you and 3 of your girlfriends, complete with massages, facials, and beauty treatments, sound?  Awesome, right?  It's easy to enter.  Simply join Bloom.com - for FREE.  Then get extra entries by inviting your friends.  You get an extra entry for every friend who accepts your invitation and joins.  And for every friend who joins and places an order, you get a $25 credit to your account - with no limits.

What is Bloom.com?  It's a social beauty network helping women find and buy the right beauty products.  When you join you'll create your own beauty bio that includes things like skin type and complexion, hair and eye color, hair length, etc.  You can also choose from different beauty concerns and categories to get information  that interests you.  Bloom.com will then be able to give you personalized recommendations from the 10,000 items available from over 150 top brands.  And, you can connect with other Bloom users who are using the products and read reviews from users.  So much nicer than standing in the beauty aisle in the store and wondering which product to buy, if a certain product is worth the extra money, or if I can get by with the cheapest one or the one without the annoying fragrance.  (except I won't ever be buying the product with the annoying fragrance)  I checked just one category - Daytime Moisturizers - and got several suggestions, including Best 4 You on a Budget (do they know me, or what?) and Best Natural 4 You.  Each item also lists product information that includes a description and full ingredients.  If only there was a way to smell them...
 
Purchases come with free gifts - I'd guess product samples based on your personalized recommendations, but that's just my guess - and 10% back in Bloom Dollars which can be applied to future orders.  Be sure to enter coupon code 30BACK, and you'll get an additional 20% back on your first purchase - 30% back!
 
All products come with a 365 Try It Love It Guarantee.  That means that if you are unsatisfied—for ANY reason—with a product you’ve purchased from Bloom, they’ll happily give you a refund within 1 year of your purchase date (not including any original shipping).  All they ask in return is that you share why your product didn’t work out, so they can pass it along to the other women of Bloom.   How awesome is that?  Not only do they work to match you up with the best products for your skin, hair, and style, but if the products aren't right, you don't have to keep them - while having to find and buy something else.
 
For your own personalized beauty recommendations and a chance to Win a spa vacation for 4 girlfriends! be sure to sign up for your own free account on Bloom.com and invite all your friends to join, too.  Good luck!
 

Check Out Everything This Phone Can Do

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LG Chocolate Touch. All opinions are 100% mine.

You've probably seen the commercials about a certain computer operating system where various people claim that it was their idea.  Well, I'm going to claim that the LG Chocolate Touch was my idea.  Of course it's not true, but I did say ages ago that people should be able to carry one device that does it all.  Why should they need to carry a separate phone, music player, and digital camera?  My thinking didn't go quite far enough, though, because the LG Chocolate Touch does more than that.  Besides being a phone, mp3 player and a 3.2MP digital camera, it also lets you connect to the internet, keep up with your social networking on sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, edit the photos you take and use them for picture messaging or upload them to your blogs or social network sites, and so much more.  Check out the Full Specs to see everything you can do with this phone.  There's even Visual Voicemail, as well as top-notch text, picture, video, and voice messaging.

Since I'm home most of the time with access to my computer, I'm not sure how much I would personally use all the features on this phone, but for someone who is out and about a lot, it would be great.  With this phone, you can stay in touch from anywhere with the One-touch Social Network Message Key for easy use of Mobile Blogging (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.), all while enjoying your music, and without lugging a whole lot of different devices.

The sound quality is really good, judging by the example on the website - you can play with it by flipping the switch to experience the difference of Dolby Mobile technology.  It certainly sounds better than the phone I have!  You can also adjust bass, treble, or voice, based on your preferences.  They say the crystal clear sound is the next best thing to a live performance.  I'm sure my husband would really appreciate it, being a sound guy.  You can add up to a 16GB microSD card, so it will handle a lot of music, and pictures and video, and of course manage your phone contacts, too.  There are also some sweet Visual Effects and features, including Rhythmical Beat that vibrates the handset to the beat of the music and the ability to get into the music by adding your own drums, keyboards, or even cowbell to any song.

The only question I have is - why do they call it Chocolate when it's purple and/or black?  That and how do I get my hands on one of these so I can play with it?  It does look like fun, doesn't it?

Wish Upon a Hero

I hadn't heard of this site until I saw it on the news tonight - again ABC World News with Charles Gibson. I think it's a great idea, an online community of people helping people. People post wishes which can be answered by 'heroes' who can make those wishes come true. Some wishes are big, some small. To quote Wish Upon a Hero founder Dave Girgenti:

"If you want to become a hero it's as easy as clicking on someone's wish that you are emotionally connected with," Girgenti said. "You never know what your super power is, meaning you never know what you can grant because it's as simple as advice or a birthday card. Anyone can be a hero."

Such a cool idea, huh? Visit Wish Upon a Hero to see if there's someone who needs you - and if you have a wish, maybe you'll find your hero.

Read the ABC News story

Spread the Red

I used to always color my hair some shade of red, from dark auburn to strawberry blond. I did it long enough that some of my mom's friends actually believed she had a red-headed daughter. I came by it somewhat naturally, since I always got reddish highlights when my hair bleached out in the sun. At least that's what I told myself. Of course, that's where I differ from true redheads. I like to be out in the sun. I can spend time in the sun, without freckling, burning, and all the other sun-related problems most redheads have. Of course, since we keep hearing that we're not supposed to spend time in the sun without lots and lots of sunscreen, they're probably better off anyway. I was just looking around a social network for redheads, and it looks like lots of fun. Their goal is to Save the Redheads and 'spread the red' by bringing redheads together. Currently, only 1-2% of the world's population is redheaded, but through the 3-generation program on this site, they expect to see that up to 10% by 2120. There's even a money-back guarantee on that. Did I mention the site is free? Can't beat that money-back guarantee, can you? This one is like many other social network sites with polls and blogs, groups, photos, quizzes and more. It's just for redheads and those who love them, so it's a little more fiery.

ETA: This post has been up for 14 years, and Blogger just this weekend contacted me and told me they had added a warning because it contained adult content. I've read it over several times and have no idea what they are referring to. Does this look like adult content to anyone?

I did remove the one link contained in the post - because it no longer went anywhere - and removed mention of the URL for the social network, because it no longer exists. I guess that money-back guarantee was important after all...

We Are Living in a Material World

I just joined a new consumer network called acobay. It's like a social network, only with stuff. What that means is you add the things you have to your account, rate them, review them, and even upload photos. Then, you can connect with and make friends with other people who have the same stuff you do.

I added my digital camera and my cell phone to my stuff, but I haven't connected with any people yet. I'm not sure that's really what I want out of this, considering I have enough friends to keep up with on Facebook. What I think is going to be helpful about acobay is the ability to see what other people think about the stuff they have. For instance, when I or one of the kids is ready to get a new cell phone, we can find people who already own that phone and see what they think of it. The same goes for new cameras, televisions, MP3 players, cars, books, and even restaurants. Just add the item to your wishlist and join the discussion.

Oh, I should add my MP3 player! Back when I first got it I was having trouble getting it to work with some of the audio books I downloaded from the library. I searched all over the Internet trying to find some answers, but didn't have much luck. A network like acobay would have let me ask the people who owned the same MP3 player to see if they had the answers. Now that I've figured it out, when I add the player to my stuff, other people will be able to ask me.

I'm also thinking this could be a very handy way to inventory all the stuff we have. You know how you're supposed to do that for insurance purposes? I keep meaning to do that.

So far, the only thing I don't like is that I have to put a price in when I add stuff. If I start adding as I acquire, that won't be a problem. I love telling people what a deal I got, but for the stuff I've had a while, I really don't remember. That's pretty minor, though compared with all the possibilities. What are you waiting for? Go add some stuff!

A Family Reunion of Sorts

Facebook is a real time waster, isn't it? At least it can be. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I love that I've been able to reconnect with people I haven't seen in years, and I love that I'm now in touch with all kinds of cousins and family members I haven't seen in years, either. I'm pretty sure I have more friends on Facebook than I have in real life - except that all my Facebook friends are my friends in real life, or at least they were at one time, or we're related.

So, I find myself on Facebook throughout the day, checking to see what everyone is up to, looking through old (and new) photos, thinking I really must get my scanner to work so I can add some too, commenting on said photos and status updates, and now playing Lexulous. I don't think all that is quite as bad as the new game Cory's dear Aunt Cindy has gotten him playing. It's called MouseHunt. Have any of you heard of it? I don't really understand it, and I'm not really trying because this game seems to take a lot of time.

This morning before school Cory asked me if I could do him a favor. He wanted me to go into his room periodically throughout the day and blow his hunter's horn for him so he could catch a mouse, or something. From what I could see, it was pretty random, but I did it several times throughout the day because I'm a nice mom like that. And because Tillie was lying in there on Cory's bed, so I had to stop in and pet her when I walked by. While I was in there, I might as well click, right?

One of those times, Tillie came over to the computer to see what I was doing and climbed up on the desk. So, I figure since she's a cat, and the game is all about hunting mice, then Cory should teach her how to play it for him. Sounds reasonable, right? And it will save me some time in the future, assuming he's going to keep playing the game.

It may be a waste of time, but Cory has really been enjoying playing the game and spending time with his aunt (and his uncle) while playing it. I even got to talk to Cindy for a little bit today when she asked Cory why he wasn't in school. He has also started talking about Doctor Who with one of my (his) cousins he's never met.

Facebook may not be quite the same as a family reunion, but it's better than nothing. Now, I need to go whup my mom at Lexulous!

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A Social Network for Sports Lovers

Jeffrey's brother Kirk was visiting the last couple of days. One of the questions he had before he came up was whether he was going to be able to watch his Bears game. I wonder if he would have stayed home if we said no? Some people are like that. They just have to watch their sports teams. I've never cared all that much about sports, except for the Olympics. I love the Olympics - Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics. I could be a real sports fan if I could watch the Olympics more than every couple years.

I'm excited to learn about a new sports social network called Sportsviews, because it's not only about all the typical pro sports like football, basketball and baseball. There's an Olympics category, as well as golf and Nascar, tennis, and hockey. Sportsviews is a free sports community. Anyone can join and post sports related videos, blogs and photos, and view other people's posts, too. You can join or create groups, and invite your friends, too. It sounds kind of like an online sports bar, with all the love of sports and none of the cigarette smoke.

I think this would have been really fun during the Olympics. Now I think it will be a good way to go back over the highlights, and soon a good way to look forward to the next Olympic games. I might even learn to like some other sports. It could happen.

Just for signing up you get $50,000 Sportsviews Dollars to start playing with. You can use some of those Sportsviews Dollars to create and place bets, and win Sportsviews Dollars to do more things on the site.

ETA: I registered, got my $50,000 Sportsviews Dollars and placed my first bet - on the burning question, How Many Olympics Will Pass Before Phelps' Record Is Broken?

A Site Especially for Pet Lovers

I just signed up for a new site for pet lovers and all about pets. It's called ZooToo, and it looks like a very helpful site. You can post pictures and information about your pet(s), connect with other pet lovers, find and review pet services, and even get free samples of pet supplies to try and review. If you have a pet question, you can ask the rest of the community at ZooToo to find an answer. I'm particularly interested in finding some opinions on what cat food we should be feeding Tillie. The vet said we should be feeding her a better food than we bought at first, but buying the food from the vet is way too expensive.

I haven't figured it all out yet because I was spending more time uploading pictures of Tillie than anything else, but you earn points through your activity on ZooToo. Inviting friends, writing in your pet journal, uploading pictures, all contribute to your point total. As you accumulate points, your status in the community grows, and you can use your points to help various causes, such as animal shelters and rescues.

If you love pets and want to know more about what real people think of the pet products and services on the market and in your area, then you'll enjoy ZooToo.

Paid Blogging Goes Social

Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that I write paid posts. While I admit that I do love the money, there have also been many other benefits. I have found out about so many websites and products that I would never have known about otherwise, unless, of course I stumbled across someone else's blog post about it. Even better, I have met a lot of really incredible people.

I recently signed up for SocialSpark, and I expect all of this to get even better. Yes, SocialSpark offers opportunities to get paid, but along with that, SocialSpark lets you connect with other bloggers and the advertisers, too. SocialSpark is about building relationships and community. I think most of us have been connecting in other ways, through services like BlogCatalog, MyBlogLog, Facebook, Myspace, and others, but SocialSpark brings it all together.

OK, SocialSpark doesn't have Scrabulous, but what it does have is the ability to find and add friends, prop them, leave comments, and learn more about them. You can also contact advertisers. For instance, if you think your blog would be perfect for an opp, but it isn't currently available to you, you can contact the advertiser and let them know why it would benefit them to have you blog about their company or product.

There will never be any question which posts are paid because the SocialSpark code of ethics means:

• 100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
• 100% Transparency
• 100% Real Opinions
• 100% Search Engine Friendly

Just because we blog for money doesn't mean we don't have high standards!

One of the things I'm liking about SocialSpark is the ability to browse the available paid opportunities and being able to see who has already written a post for that opportunity. There are even links so you can read those posts. I admit, I used to go hunting for other posts, or videos, for some of the opps I've taken. I was always interested in seeing what other people had to say about the same thing. SocialSpark makes this so much easier! SocialSpark also lets you send an opportunity to a friend. So, if I see a really great opportunity I think would be perfect for one of my friends, it's really easy to let them know.


I need to spend some more time learning about SocialSpark and all the features, but so far I'm really liking it. SocialSpark is part of IZEA.

If you're interested in making new friends, learning about new products, and getting paid to blog, SocialSpark is the place to be. So, I 'm going to shut up now so you can go check it out.