OUR FIRST BLOG CONTEST!

{CONTEST NOW CLOSED}

Hello Ladies! I'm excited to do something a little different from now until the end of 2009. I am running a little contest (actually, it's our first one here at Classy and Fabulous) to advertise your business for FREE! Why you ask? Because you are my valued blog readers and I want to bless you. I also believe in supporting other women and enjoy watching their success! Advertising can be one of the most expensive costs for a traditional business and I don't know any blogger that doesn't want more exposure for their blog.

If you have a blog, blog website, an Etsy Business or a traditional business website that you want to promote and will appeal to the readers of this blog, I will be selecting 3 different readers to showcase on my blog from Monday, November.16th  until the end of this year, giving each winner the same amount of advertising time.

In order to be selected as a winner, you will need to do 3 simple things:

1. Be (or become) a follower of this blog.

2. Leave a comment at the end of  this post with an optional link to your page (so this is actually FREE advertising for everyone entering the contest) and tell me how long you've had your blog website/business for and why you are so passionate about what you do.

3. Tell me what you like most about our blog or what draws you to return. :)

That's it! I will be selecting the 3 winners on Monday evening at 6pm EST by means of a random hat drawing and will be contacting each of you so that I can get your logo, blog button or a special image that I will feature in our sidebar along with a link to your site. If you want to link back to my blogpage, that is optional but always most appreciated!

If you don't have a business but feel that someone you know would enjoy this blog and may want to enter this contest, feel free to forward this page link to a friend. Look for the little envelope icon under this post to forward it or you can forward this post via twitter or facebook by clicking on the icon in our left side panel.

I'm looking forward to featuring you~Good Luck!

Fabulous Free Finds!

I don't know anyone who doesn't like to save money. Following my last post on budget decor, I wanted to share with you some non-decor related ways to save too. Here is a list of 9 ways that you can save money today and  get some amazing freebies!

1. Free Movies- For the past six months, my husband and I have moved away from movie store videos and towards the library for our weekend flicks. We are fortunate enough to have a library 8 minutes from our house and it has an amazing selection of DVD's. They often have new releases too! Bye Bye Blockbuster and hello FREE!

2. Magazine Mania- Following the same vein as the movies, libraries have many magazines to choose from. Most just ask that you don't sign out the current issue, and voila, you've got free magazines for up to 3 weeks! They have everything from decor mags to fashion, cooking and crafting. So, if you can't afford a magazine subscription right now or are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly, reusing vs. get a mailed mag is the way to go!

3. Sample It!- One of the best ways to try a new product without forking over the cash it to sample it first for free. Many vendors will send you free samples that come with coupons for the product and in some cases, they'll even send a coupon for a full size of the item for free. Set aside 30 minutes and google 'free samples' then fill out the info online and in the next few weeks you'll be getting everything from cereal to feminine products or diapers!

Always Infinity Pads

Huggies Pure & Natural 3-pack Sample

Free Magazine Issues

Food Freebies

Beauty Samples

Coupons to use on Sale items


4. Free Museum Admission (THIS SATURDAY SEPT. 26th ONLY)

Click on this link and scroll down to select your state to see which musems are offering free admission this saturday. Enjoy!

5. Swap Shop- If you haven't ever had a girl's clothing swap party, they are not only a lot of fun but free! The idea is that you bring several pieces of clothing or accessories and shoes that you know a close group of friends could use or fit into and they bring their items and everyone swaps. You can amp it up by giving out a certain amount of tickets to each guest and then bidding on each item. I've done this twice before and it is so much fun! You get some fresh, new items for your wardrobe to boot. It's great  way to stay glamorous and be green all at the same time, plus you get in some girlfriend time too! I also came across this website which might have locations that apply to some of you.

6. Get Paid for YOUR Opinion- I would never post anything on my blog if it were not legit, this is for real! I've signed up with these guys to provide my opinion in exchange for some cash! Take everyday products you use-cleaners, electronics, baby items, makeup and review it to get some upfront money and pay per clicks everytime someone watches your video. You do need a video camera or you can use the one on your camera, either way, upload it to your account and you're good to go! You will also need a paypal account so they can pay you, which is also free.

Look under promotions, then assisgnments for specific high dollar payout reviews. With their Tryology program, you'll get emails about reviewing up and coming products and you get to keep the full size product for free! I've been signed up for six months (posting for about 2 months only due to a busy schedule) and have made  $170 for minimal effort from the comfort of my own home.

7. Birthday Gift- You may have missed my previous post on a cool birthday gift from Cold Stone Creamery, so here it is again! Sign yourself up, your partner and your kiddos! Everyone will get a week to use their coupon for a free Cold Stone Creamery creation!



8. Free Target Gift Cards-In case you weren't aware of some of the cool things that Target offers, they often have sales items where if you buy multiples of an item (that you truly need), they'll give you a free $5 or even $20 gift card to use on future purchases. Free money, does it get any better than that!? Here is this week's gift card sale items. Go to their website and type in your zipcode for their weekly ad. These are quite common at Christmas time.

$20 Free Gift Card with Wii fit purchase at $89.99
$5   Free Gift Card with any (2) Arm & Hammer Multi Cat/Super scoop 28lb bags


Many are for lower ticket items too, like cereal bars. Stock up, save and keep those G.C's for your holiday shopping! They usually give $10 cards out for tranferred or new prescriptions too!

9. Craigslist- Need I say more? For anyone that is not familiar, craigslist is a site that allows you to buy and sell items online like ebay, but without any fees at all. They offer a free section where you can browse and pick up items in your area. It is categorized locally, so check out your local area or make yourself a little moola by selling some clutter you no longer need! You can also check out Freecycle too, which offers many free postings too.

For fun, here is one more money-saving idea that you can use at JC Penney!

What super thrifty ideas do you want to share? We want to hear from you! Do you have an amazing coupon website, secrets on where to get free goods, or do you have some items that you just fell in love with after sampling first? Leave us some comments and let us know if these tips were useful.

Celebrate & Save

It was 3 years ago today that my husband and I said 'I DO'. I cannot believe how fast these years have flown by! It feels like only yesterday we were preparing for the big day!

Dining out is one of our favorite things to do, but we're always looking for ways to keep money in our wallet too. If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that I am a coupon queen and I love to hunt for amazing deals. I wanted to share some great tips for eating well even if you're on a budget.

We began our morning with a wonderful breakfast at one of our favorite little places- Mimi's Cafe. Aside from their great menu, one awesome thing about them is that they will send you e-coupons on your birthday upon signing up for their club. This year's offer was $10 off any $20 purchase. Since my birthday is exactly one week before our anniversary, I still had time to use it. We got to enjoy a fabulous meal and a mimosa for a steal! visit this Mimi's Cafe link to sign up for their club and get free coupons all year round including one for a FREE breakfast upon joining!

We decided to do a double date Anniversary dinner with some close friends in the evening. They have the same Anniversary as us. How cool is that?! We attempted this last year but they had to fly to NY on short notice. Anyway, since we are both signed up with the Texas De Brazil Restaurant club, they too email us both birthday and anniversary coupons in the form of a free dinner. So the four of us headed out and got 2 out of 4 meals for free plus they provided a complimentary glass of champagne to all of us to toast our Wedding Anniversary! If you are not familiar with Texas De Brazil, it is a fabulous Brazilian all-you-can-eat (to die for) antipasto salad bar followed by unlimited cuts of meat-chicken, lamb, pork, flank steak, fillet mignon, etc. They also include some sweet plantains too for dessert and you can always pick up a more elaborate dessert afterwards, although I doubt you'll have room! If you are planning to go, you'll probably want to skip lunch to make room!

Here is where you can sign up for their free club!

For all of you with a birthday coming up soon, another great deal is the free cold stone creamery cup of icecream! That's right, they'll give you a free cup during your birthday week! Here is the link to sign up and get your sweet treat. If you have kids or a spouse, sign them up too so the whole family can enjoy free icecream year round!

I love to share ideas with you all and I'd love to hear some great deals that you've scored at restaurants, eateries, beauty salons, etc. Leave a comment and let us know!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Freebie Friday- Glidden Paint & Chocolate!

I believe that taking advantage of coupons, deals, freebies and other promotional offers is a great way to save money for the things you really want. I'm calling today Fabulous Freebie Friday because there are a couple free offers running that you'll want to take advantage of.

Mars Chocolate is giving away chocolate every Friday until the end of September. It's true! I've tested is already for you and I know it works. Here is the link: http://www.realchocolate.com

Visit the site and fill out the brief information required and you'll receive a coupon for free chocolate in the mail. Mine took about a week. Fill one out for each of your kids and your spouse too-you'll get a coupon for each person. (Up to 4 per household)

Glidden Paint is running a campaign from June.25-July.2nd where you can receive a free 1 quart can of paint in any color you choose and they will mail it to you! The finish is eggshell and there are many colors to choose from. If you want to be really accurate-go to your local Lowe's or Home Depot stores and get the exact paint chip then visit:

https://www.glidden.com/promotions/free-paint-giveaway.do

Wondering What to do with a quart of paint? Ideas below:

1. Paint a small piece of furniture like a desk, small chair, or even a smaller dresser to give it new life. I painted out an old antique dresser with a few coats of white and replaced the hardware. It looks amazing, you'd never know it was the same dresser!

2. Use the paint for a smaller accent wall in a bathroom or small office area. If you've finished every room in your home, could you use it in your laundry room for an accent wall?

3. Use old carpet remnant to make a rug and then use a stencil to create a pattern and use the paint to add a pattern to the rug.

4. By creating your own stencil or purchasing one, you can give a piece of furniture like a coffee table or end tables new life by simple creating a pattern on the tops of them or even a dresser or nightstand.

5. You can also use this paint for stencils on your wall too, such as writing words like dream, sleep, etc. in a bedroom or insipiring words in your home office.

Happy Friday Everyone & Enjoy your Freebies!

How to Save Money while Dining Out

Dining out can be expensive. Some spend hundreds, if not thousands per year on meals alone! Here’s how to enjoy dining in Restaurants without going broke.

1. Look Before you Tip! Automatic gratuity is common at many restaurants, especially for larger groups or parties. Don’t shortchange yourself by double tipping! Always look to see if a tip has been added before adding it in.

2. Coupons are your Friend-Use them whenever possible. You can usually find them online saving up to 50% of your bill, or in other places like the Entertainment book, newspaper coupons etc. Some people feel silly pulling them out or even cheap, but in today’s economy I assure you nobody will look down on you for wanting to save a little money.


3. Go Family Style-Sharing dishes is not only a tradition in many countries, but with larger portions, it is the perfect way to share with friend(s) or family. This way you get to try a little bit of everything and discover your favorite dishes, without the price to match.

4. Share Dessert! Sometimes you want something a little sweet to cleanse the palate after your dinner but aren’t sure you want to drop $6 on one. Sharing a dessert amongst 2-4 people will not only save you money, but the extra calories too! It’s a great way to enjoy the finer things without feeling guilty afterwards.

5. Insist on a Separate Bill- Many people enjoy eating in large groups but when the bill comes a few people always wind up putting in a little more for those that didn’t put in enough, to ensure the bill is paid with a suitable tip. An easy way to avoid overpaying it to request your own bill. You can also control the tip based on your specific experience.


6. Avoid the Alcohol! There is no faster way to drive up the check than to order alcohol. Sure it’s social but why not have a drink before heading out of the house. Instead, drink water with lemon a refillable drink like iced tea or coffee. You will notice a dramatic reduction in your restaurant bills if you change this ONE thing!

7. Save Room for your Entrée-Skip appetizers when you can, or share one or two with another person/couple to try out different items. Most people’s eyes are bigger than their stomach, so to speak. They feel so hungry when they order that they order too much and often feel stuffed by the second bite of their entrée. However, if you order an entrée only and are still hungry afterwards, then order more food at that point. If you absolutely must, share an appetizer, is just as fulfilling.


8. Extra Sauce is Extra Cost! With the increase in grocery items these days, so too comes the increase for restaurants, and believe me, they WILL pass that cost onto you when it comes to the little extras. If you want extra sauce or dressing, many eateries are adding those costs onto your bill, the $2 and $3 here and there starts to add up.
9. Share your Celebration- Tell your server what you’re celebrating. Many servers will even ask you if you’re celebrating a special evening etc. Often, especially for birthdays, you might snag a free dessert, a discount etc. It’s worth it and it doesn’t cost you a thing.

10. Speak Up- Places like Starbucks are notorious for letting their customer switch up their drink if they don’t like it. Well, the same holds true for restaurants. Let your server know that you are dissatisfied and why. If they don’t offer it up, tell them you’d like to return it to the kitchen but would instead like to have the “x” dish. There is no sense paying for a meal that you don’t enjoy. If it’s just a matter of food being overly well done etc, they will in some cases comp it on your bill or at least provide a discount all while replacing it with a new meal.

11. Save money by always bringing your leftovers home. You may not want to think of another bite while you’re at the restaurant but leftovers can turn into a snack or tomorrow’s lunch. So, why not save on your grocery cost by bringing home whatever there is left over, no matter how small the portion may seem. After all, you did pay for it!

12. Happy Hour! Many restaurants offer happy hour, and we're not just talking greasy wings at the bar kind of happy hour. Many sushi and other restaurants offer certain times and weekdays (usually between 4-7pm) where a variety of meals are offered at discounted rates or even half price! Use this to your advantage and head to a restaurant after work to catch these great deals. Also note that lunch is always cheaper than dinner!