Articles

*CLOSED* Microsoft Store: It is More than Just Windows – It is an Experience #GoMicrosoft — $100 Microsoft Gift Card Giveaway!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 13, 2013

1

This is a sponsored post by Microsoft.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced by any parties.

Winner:   jenn.1105@xxxxxxx

To be honest, when I first think Microsoft Store, I think “just another computer store.”  Or, at least that is what I use to think.  I recently had a chance to visit our local store and walked away with a head full of knowledge and anxious to go back to learn more and spend more time there!

When I first arrived at the store, I was instantly greeted by someone.  When I told her I wanted to just learn more about their store, I was introduced to a gentleman and without hesitation, he took the time to give me a complete tour of their store.  We went through each and every department and service that they offer and he explained them all in detail (and he didn’t even have to look at at any notes — he really knew everything).  Being a consumer, I appreciated his knowledge and the way he explained product features and differences in language I could actually understand!

He shared information about the different Surface Tablets (which are totally incredible, by the way), the difference between ultrabooks and laptops.  He showed me what the windows phones functions could offer.  I learned about Smart Glass — a feature which allows you to take your games and other Xbox items with you on your mobile device.  I experienced the Xbox 360 corner and checked out all of the accessories they sell.  It was more than just products, I also learned about services.

Surface Pro

They offer Answer Desk as well as personal training and workshops.  You can get free technical support and protection right in the store – with highly qualified technicians.  While you can make an appointment if you need help, you don’t need to do that.  You can walk in with your PC and they will help you out.  They can teach you everything from how to put parental controls to work to how to set up your mailbox.   If your PC has malware or registry errors, they can do a tune-up and get that taken care of for you.  The best part of all – you did not even need to purchase your product from them to get this service!    If you can’t get into the store, they can even try to remote connect and fix your PC in your home!  I love the Answer Desk (and am sure I’ll be using it to get my husband’s PC fixed up – it is a mess).

The other feature they offer is the theater.  You can actually host organization meetings (Girl Scounts), birthday parties, meetings, homeschool sessions – anything you want  You can bring in your own food and beverages to make your meeting just what you want for it to be.  And believe it or not, this is all free!  If you happen to host 6 or more sessions within a year, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card.  They’ve always supported non-profit organizations from Girl Scouts to the YMCA, so helping support your local group by hosting a meeting is something that they are more than thrilled to offer (available only in stores with the theater – contact your store to arrange a meeting).

Theater

Make sure you also check your local store for Youth Spark Summer Camps, starting June 3rd; Tech Tots camps for kids ages 2 – 5 to learn things such as keyboard skill; they even offer different Gaming Events.

tots

Microsoft offers 31 full-line stores (which include a theater) and 35 specialty stores (no theater).  So there are stores available coast to coast.  You can learn more:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MicrosoftStore
Microsoft retail store website - http://content.microsoftstore.com/Home.aspx

I really was impressed with not only the knowledge of those working at the store, but the store itself.
Like I said above – going to this store is more than shopping – it is an experience!

You can learn more and join in some fun during our Twitter party this next week!!!  We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #GoMicrosoft hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite:  http://twtvite.com/GoMicrosoft.  The party is Tuesday, May 14 at 1p ET/noon CT/10a PT).  Sign up – we will have a lot of fun!

THE GIVEAWAY:

One reader will receive a $100 Microsoft Giftcard!

This contest will be open until May 15, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email and the giftcard mailed to them at the address provided on the form.  GOODLUCK!!!

Be entering this giveaway/sweepstakes, you are attesting that you have read and can comply with the Giveaway Terms & Conditions.

Post Separator


Happy Mother’s Day

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 12, 2013

mothersday

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.  Today isn’t so much about the gifts as much as it is about being able to take the time to just enjoy and cherish your families today — and put work and other things aside.     Motherhood is the toughest job you’ll ever love.  I know I would not trade it for anything else in the world.

Post Separator

Stamp Out Hunger Tomorrow – May 11, 2013 #stampouthunger

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 10, 2013

food banks drive

Did you know that 50 million Americans – including 17 million children – are facing hunger?  Food banks currently feed nearly 6 million people each and every week.  that means they need food.  Each year, on the 2nd Saturday in May, the National Association of Letter Carriers hosts is annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.  This is the 21st year of this event, which truly helps put food on American tables.

It is so simple for you to get involved – and you don’t even have to leave your home!!  Take a look in your pantry and at some of those non-perishable you might have picked up at the store.  Items such as cereal, canned vegetables, peanut butter, etc are great items to donate.   Place those items in a bag and leave it at your mailbox tomorrow morning.  Your letter carrier will pick the items up and they will be delivered to your local food bank.    That’s it!

You don’t have to do much.  Imagine how much food they would have if each person gave one or two items to this cause.  Together we could feed millions of people!  Pass the word by sharing this post!!!

Post Separator

Beware When Answering Credit Card Debt Relief Sales Calls!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Joshua Rodriguez on May 10, 2013

Although, there have been several laws passed about the use of telemarketing to make unsolicited phone calls, this is still one of the favorite sales options for quite a few different industries. Unfortunately, credit card debt relief is one of the industries that has chosen telemarketing as a great marketing tactic. So, you may get calls from pushy salesman contracted to sell something that they really don’t know about. All they know is that in their mind, their product is a perfect fit for everyone and it is their duty to help consumers they call. Unfortunately, there are usually a few missed steps here…

The #1 Problem With Credit Card Debt Relief Telemarketers – They Have No Idea What They Are Selling

During the training process for all debt relief salesman, they will be told about how great the product may be. For instance, debt settlement can save consumers a huge percentage of their balance on payoff. When it comes to who should consider the option, the answer is anyone with $10,000.00 in credit card debt or more. However, what is often left out of these training sessions is the effect it will have on a consumer’s credit score. The truth is, although, these salesman are trained to believe otherwise, there is no one size fits all credit card debt solution.

The #2 Problem With Debt Relief Telemarketers – They Are Generally Paid Commission

Even if the slick talking salesman is well versed in the option that he is selling, he is probably going to be paid commission only or, a small salary plus commission. With this payment plan in place, the salesman on the other end of the line feels like they have to sell everyone they talk to in order to make a decent paycheck. Therefore, the salesman may consider the fact that you are not a good candidate for what he is selling and enroll you into his services anyway to get a better paycheck!

The #3 Problem With Debt Relief Telemarketers – Sales Quota Demands

If the salesman that calls you is not paid a salary, he is most likely being held to a weekly or monthly sales quota. If the salesman doesn’t meet the quota he will lose his job. Although, if used reasonably, I completely condone this form of management. However, unreasonable expectations cause even the most educated debt relief salesman to make mistakes due to feeling rushed to make the sale. Making a good credit card debt relief decision takes at least a couple of hours. I general tell my prospects not to make the decision until they have slept on it. This way, common sense has time to kick in. However, in a high pressure sales environment, a high percentage of salesman are expected to have phone calls that last no more than 20 or 30 minutes. Longer than that and, they won’t have time to reach minimum quotas.

Should You Ever Purchase A Debt Relief Service Over The Phone?

I didn’t write this article to tell you that all debt relief companies that use telemarketing as a way to market their products are horrible companies and you shouldn’t do business with them. I wrote this article so that you understand the dangers in making a 20 minute credit card debt decision as the result of a pushy salesman. The only time you should ever buy a credit card debt relief service over the phone is if the salesman is not push and, gives you information and time to think. By information, I mean the company name, phone number and the special details of the option he offers. Ask the salesman to give you a day or two to think and do research on the company and the option provided. Even if it is a reputable company, make sure that the option is a good option for you!

About The Author – Joshua Rodriguez

Hi, I’m Joshua Rodriguez, I’m the proud owner of CNA Finance and an avid personal finance journalist. I’m currently working on a new project entitled “The 7 Habits of Financially Stable People“! Join the conversation about this article, my series or the personal finance topic of your choice on facebook. I hope to see you next week for the next post on Friday Finance with Josh!

Post Separator

Planning a Wreck it Ralph / Fix It Felix, Jr. Party

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 9, 2013

2013-03-02 12.40.23

My son turned 5 a couple of months ago.  He is in love with obsessed with Fix It Felix, Jr. from the movie Wreck It Ralph.  He asked me to help him plan a party all around this little guy.  Of course, there are not too many games nor decor for this movie, so that meant I had to – *GULP*-  get creative!

We first started with the invitations.  I found an image of Fix It Felix and created our own little invitation, complete with video game font:

invitation

 

Once we had the invitations sent, we had to figure out what in the world we would do with these boys!  The first thing that came to mind was wrecking things.  I mean, what 6 year old boy doesn’t like to knock things down?

We had some building bricks and so we used those to make our very own relay game.  We set up the blocks into a pyramid – so 6 blocks for each team.  Once they were set up “Ralph” (aka my 8 year old daughter) would knock them all down.  Then, they would take turns being Fix it Felix, Jr and rush over to restack the bricks into the pyramid — 3 on the bottom, 2 in the middle and then one on the top.    These were the types of bricks we used:

bricks2

Once we finished playing that game, we moved onto another one — where they got to drop the bricks onto Felix.  My husband cut down small pieces of wood, around 1″ x 2″.  He sanded them smooth and spray painted them deep red.  I took a piece of posterboard and then printed and pasted various Fix it Felix, Jr. faces onto it.  The kids took turns leaning over the back of the chair and trying to drop the brick onto Felix’s Head (kind of spin on the drop the clothespin into the jar game).  The kids had a lot of fun playing this one:

2013-03-02 14.48.38

We then had to have cake.  I asked my local bakery to make me a cake, which looked like a pie.  After all, Fix It Felix, Jr is rewarded with pie when he does a good job!  (We also added in some blue iced cupcakes, since we were dealing with little boys).  My store, Price Chopper, did an amazing job making this cake look just like a pie:

2013-03-02 12.40.23

I also made rice krispie treats, tinted red and cut them into small bricks.  We then gave each boy a medal (just like Fix It Felix, Jr. would get), a wooden brick from the game, an edible brick and a balloon (from our decorations) — perfect party favors!!

medal

They had a great time and my 6 year old told me that he had the best birthday party ever!!  That’s all that really mattered to me, that it meant a lot to him.  We had fun and did not spend a lot of money (which made mom happy).  The little things mean the most and making up our own games and creating party ideas from the heart made all the difference.

If you have a Fix It Felix, Jr. fan, learn how to make your very own Fix It Felix, Jr. costume!!

Post Separator

RetailMeNot Mother’s Day Deals + Most Pinteresting Mom Giveaway

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 7, 2013

mother

 

The following is a sponsored post for RetailMeNot.  The opinions are my own and were not influenced by any parties.

If you are still stumped (and on a budget) for gift ideas for mom, you might want to check out RetailMeNot Mother’s Day deals.  Whether it is your mom, an aunt, grandmother, step mom or someone else, you can find the perfect gift — from kitchen items to perfume – they’ve got it all!     Whatever you decide to get for this special woman, make sure you get your order in as Mother’s Day is coming up Sunday, May 12th!  You don’t need to spend a lot to let her know you care, which is why you might want to look into the RetailMeNot Mother’s Day deals.

One thing I am is a stats junkie.  If you are like me, you might want to check out these very interesting stats from the RetailMeNot Mother’s Day Shoppers Trend Report*:

  • Over two-thirds of respondents would be more worried about what to buy Mom for Mother’s Day than what to buy Dad for Father’s Day!
  • 18% of moms most hope to receive flowers for Mother’s Day, while another 18% would most like a spa day, 15% would most like a gift card or gift certificate, and another 15% would most like jewelry.
  • Meeting her expectations, 27% of people will most likely be giving their mom flowers for Mother’s Day this year and 18% will be most apt to give a gift card. Unfortunately, only seven percent plan to give jewelry this year and just two percent plan to give a spa day.
    • Spouses will be honoring their wives/partners with gifts as well. The top three gifts are a nice meal (22%), flowers (18%), gift cards (12%) and jewelry (12%).
  • 42% of respondents intend to spend up to $40 on Mom for Mother’s Day, while 22% will spend between $41 and $60, and 23% will spend $61 or more.
    • 10% are not planning to give a Mother’s Day gift to their mom this year.

RetailMeNot Deal Alerts:

To ensure you never miss out on any deals, you can get new coupon and sales notifications for your favorite stores when you sign up for RetailMeNot Deal Alerts!

New and improved Deal Alerts from RetailMeNot allow you to:

  • Select and customize alerts to your favorite stores
  • Get new coupon and sale notifications
  • Shop the most popular offers from those stores

The Most Pinteresting Mom Giveaway:

When you are through shopping and have found that perfect gift for mom, why not go a step further to let her know how much you really care!  RetailMeNot is looking for the most pinteresting mom in the nation to pamper! Visit THIS PAGE through Sunday, May 12, for instructions on how to create a Pinterest board that describes the most pinteresting mom you know. Submit your board and you could win the mother of all prize packages: $1,000 for shopping spree and spa of your choice for you and the most pinteresting mom you know!

With RetailMeNot, Mother’s Day can be as special as the woman you are celebrating!

*Survey Methodology:

The survey was conducted between April 12 and April 17, 2013, among 1,067 nationally representative U.S. residents ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

Post Separator

Free Printable Download: Mother’s Day Coupon Booklets

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

by Tracie on May 6, 2013

Printable Mothers Day Coupon Book (2)

Mother’s Day is coming in just a few weeks – May 12th to be exact.  The gifts I love the most are the ones which come from the heart, or that my children take the time to make themselves.  One thing that is always popular are Mother’s Day Coupon Booklets!

This year, we have our own set of coupons which you an print yourself.  We’ve even made them in images which won’t require your colored ink — so your own kids can color them to personalize them as they would like!  Simply print, color, snip and staple and you’ve got a great booklet to give to Mom this year!

Download and print your own coupon booklet here.

Post Separator

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →