Showing posts with label Giveaways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giveaways. Show all posts

Saturday, July 30, 2011

BlenderBottle Review and Giveaway (Ends 8-20) US only

We all know how it goes when you're baking. You put the ingredients together and then you whisk, whisk, whisk until it's smooth enough to bake and your arm feels like it's going to fall off. When I received a BlenderBottle, insulated sling, and recipe book in the mail, I was more than excited to try it out!


This is the recipe book I received, as pictured on their website



The first thing I did was look at the recipe book, because I had heard from other bloggers about how awesome their recipes are and I was genuinely curious about the 'shakes' I kept hearing so much about. As I was flipping through the drinks section, I saw the recipe for an 'Apple Pie Shake,' using unsweetened applesauce and knew that was what I was going to make. In my mom's house, we have can after can after can of unsweetened applesauce in our pantry, and we have long since run out of things to do with it. We're not sure how so many accumulated, but we know that the extra cans need to be dealt with, so I knew this would be a perfect way to use them! I followed the recipe word for word, and the shake really did taste like apple pie! I was so excited that I immediately told my mom about it, whom I was on the phone with while I was making it. This is definitely a recipe I will use again! There are also recipes for things like Pancakes and waffles, salsa, sticky buns, french toast, all sorts of main dishes, salads, salad dressings, marinades, and all sorts of desserts (including an interesting Powdered Sugar Drizzle that I'll have to try out soon). I am convinced that there is at least one tasty recipe in that (if not 10) that you can make today with ingredients you already have laying around in your house! Of course, I found one for my house, but I'm going back into the recipe book tonight to look for another!


This is the insulted sling I received as pictured on their website. Check out the snap that comes apart! That meant you can take off the top really easily without having to take off the sling!



I also received an insulated sling that fits the Blenderbottle perfectly, hugging it just tight enough to keep it in, but not so tight that it's hard to get on. In fact, this was the second thing I played with when I opened the package. The sling is available in lots of different designs, and I picked the Stripes 2 design. The colors were beautiful and the stitching was really really strong. Also, there's a handle over the top of the bottle, so you don't need to hold onto the bottle while you're walking, you can just hold onto the handle. I bet that handle would also allow you to hang it from the handlebars of your bike, too! I checked the stitching on the sling (one of the first things to break on most similar products) and it was extremely well stitched! I do not think this is going to break on me anytime soon! On top of that, the bottom of the sling is rubber, but it's a particularly clingy rubber (I wish I had another way to describe it that's more flattering) and it's flat! That means that I can set my Blenderbottle down in the sling and not worry about it falling over! Now let's talk about why you might need the insulated sling in the first place, besides being able to hook it onto your bike for easy travel. As I mentioned before, I made an apple pie shake with my Blenderbottle. Imagine being able to make that shake, then take it to work with you and drink it all day. Or, for college students, imagine making it right before class, then being able to drink it while you take notes. I didn't think I would care for the sling, but when I really thought about it, I just love the idea and the product and I'm so glad it was included!


The 28 oz. Blenderbottle I received, as pictured on their website.



Now on to the main event: the Blenderbottle itself. This bottle is BPA free, which is great because that means you can store stuff in it and it won't have chemicals leaking into your food! It's also a very sturdy plastic. I didn't drop it, but I'm sure if I did it wouldn't break (always a plus, right?). The top screws off, but there's a little tab that you can pull off the top to reveal a small hole you drink or pour from, which is great if you want to drink out of the bottle or you want a low-mess way to pour pancakes into a pan. My main concern about this bottle was the 'whisk' part of it being, for lack of a better word, squishable. I was worried that it might flatten itself after a while of use, because it didn't look that sturdy on the website. Well, I no longer fear that at all! I spent a good 30 minutes playing with it (not for review purposes, I'm just easily amused) and it was extremely resilient and hasn't lost its' shape at all. 30 minutes of me playing with it is probably more stressful to the spring than 30 minutes of shaking it in the Blenderbottle, so I am very confident this product will last me a long time!


This little ball is amazing!



Since I am a college student, I do think about products from that point of view, so let's go over why this would be a great present for any college student, even if they don't have a kitchen:

  • The recipe book lays out everything you need to know about every recipe, as if it were the first time you're making anything having to do with that recipe. This simplicity is really great for students who are just starting to cook on their own.
  • The recipe book also has lots of recipes that don't involve cooking, like the shakes and various dips and salads. These things are surprisingly common in dorms without kitchens.
  • The insulated sling allows for easy transportation, so students can take their creations, whatever they may be, to another dorm or to class comfortably. Even if they're traveling on a bike!
  • There are two sizes of Blenderbottle, and most college students would get a lot of use out of the smaller size, because most college students are only cooking or making drinks for themselves.
  • Both sizes would easily fit in the door of a mini-fridge. This is important to a college student. Trust me.
  • The Blenderbottle is really easy to clean. Unless you're working with something that can make you sick (raw eggs and the like) you don't even need to really wash it. After I made my shake, I just poured it into a glass and rinsed out my Blenderbottle. No fuss!
By now you're probably wondering about the word 'giveaway' at the title of this post. Well, the generous folks at Blenderbottle have offered to give away a set of: one 28 oz. Blenderbottle (your choice of color), one insulated sling (your choice of color), and one of their recipe books!

Please post your entries as comments on this blog post, if it says 2 entries, leave two comments. All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win.



Mandatory Entry 
Go to the Blenderbottle website and tell me what color Blenderbottle and what color sling you would want!  (One Entry)

 Optional Entries
You must do the mandatory entry for any of these to count!
Like Blenderbottle on Facebook (Two Entries) Leave your Facebook name in your comment
Leave a post on their Facebook wall telling them we sent you with a link to this post! (One Entry) Leave a link to your post in your comment
Follow Blenderbottle on Twitter (Two Entries) Leave your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Blenderbottle's Youtube channel (Two Entries) Leave your Youtube account name in your comment
Like MewWoof on Facebook (One Entry) Leave us your Facebook name in your comment
Follow MewWoof on Twitter (One Entry) Leave us your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Our Emails (Four Entries) Must be confirmed, leave your email in your comment
Tell us where you found this giveaway (One Entry)
Enter another one of our giveaways (One Entry per giveaway entered)
Tell us what you're most interested in making with the Blenderbottle! (One Entry)
Tell me one of the famous celebrities that got caught using a Blenderbottle on camera! (Two Entries) I will be editing out the name so other people don't cheat. Hint: check their Facebook 

Daily Optional Entries
You may use these entries once a day only and are only good for one entry each per day
Tweet this giveaway using the following tweet or creating your own including @mewwoof @Blenderbottle and #giveaway along with a direct link to the giveaway:

@MewWoof is hosting a #giveaway for a @Blenderbottle Prize Pack! Ends 8-20, enter today http://educatedanddangerous.blogspot.com/2011/07/blenderbottle-review-and-giveaway-ends.html

Post about this giveaway on your Facebook with a link to this post and link us to it in your comment
Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 20th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where ours and Blenderbottle's pages are and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. We are not responsible for fulfilling the prize, the sponsor is sending it directly to the winner. I was not paid to write this post or to say positive things about the products in the post.                                                         

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Subscribing Via Email

I know a lot of people don't like to subscribe to blogs that do daily emails and reviews and giveaways, because they see it as spam, but I thought I'd mention something I have been doing with the past few giveaways: I usually post a giveaway at night, and then those that follow me will have at least one extra entry than everyone else, and if they do both the tweet and the facebook post, they'll get TWO extra entries! This is a pretty good advantage in the smaller giveaways, and in the bigger ones you should take every advantage you can get (I know I would!). Here's a list of the current giveaways on this blog, one of which I posted tonight without advertising yet!

Handmade Spring Green Scarf - Ends 8-4

Stuff Bucket Giveaway - Ends 8-9



Sweets By Leece Variety Pack - Ends 8-10


Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce - TWO WINNERS - Ends 8-13


$5 Amazon GC Giveaway - Ends 8-18


To those of you who are subscribers or who are reaching for the subscribe button-- thank you for supporting this blog! To those of you who aren't-- thank you for visiting! : )

-Mew

An Apology and an Amazon Giftcard Giveaway (Ends 8-18) (US only)

I know I haven't been around the past couple of days, and I feel bad about dropping the ball on the daily deals, but financial aid for college is kicking my butt and I've been so stressed it's crazy! I have a lot of respect for bloggers who can run a home, pay the bills, talk to PR people, email people who comment on their blog, kiss their kids' boo-boos, and still cook 3 meals a day. I have a part-time job (which I haven't been able to get back to yet), a blog/facebook/twitter, and neopets! I'm going to try to manage my time more effectively, but in the meantime, this is my apology to you guys for stopping for a couple days to get my act together: a $5 Amazon Gift Card!

If you're anything like me, you would prefer to browse online, where you can stop and eat if you need to, or look at reviews if you want to. I prefer to get products delivered to me than to get them at a store, so amazon is a lifesaver for me. Especially since I get two day shipping on most things with Amazon Prime! With the free shipping, I don't need a lot of money to get a great product, so a $5 gift card can go a long way. If you haven't set up your Amazon Prime membership and you're a student, what are you waiting for? If you're not a student anymore, don't worry,  you can get it for free for 3 months! However, you may have to cancel it in order not to get billed after that.

Please post your entries as comments on this blog post, if it says 2 entries, leave two comments. All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win.












Mandatory Entry 
Go to Amazon and find one thing you would buy with this gift card! (Leave a link to it in your comment, please) One Entry

 Optional Entries
You must do the mandatory entry for any of these to count!
Like Amazon on Facebook (One Entry) Leave your Facebook name in your comment
Leave a post on their Facebook wall telling them you are entered in a contest for a $5 gift card! (One Entry) Leave a link to your post in your comment
Like MewWoof on Facebook (Three Entries) Leave us your Facebook name in your comment
Follow MewWoof on Twitter (Two Entries) Leave us your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Our Emails (Five Entries) Must be confirmed, leave your email in your comment
Follow us via GFC (Two Entries) Leave your GFC name in your comment  
Tell us where you found this giveaway (One Entry)
Enter another one of our giveaways (One Entry per giveaway entered)
Tell us the last thing you ordered from Amazon! (One Entry)
Post a picture of you and your pet!  (Three Entries)  Leave us a link in your comments

Daily Optional Entries
You may use these entries once a day only and are only good for one entry each per day
Tweet this giveaway using the following tweet or creating your own including @mewwoof and #giveaway along with a direct link to the giveaway:

@MewWoof is hosting a #giveaway for a $5 Amazon GC! Ends 8-18, enter today! http://educatedanddangerous.blogspot.com/2011/07/apology-and-amazon-giftcard-giveaway.html

Post about this giveaway on your Facebook with a link to this post and link us to it in your comment
Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 18th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where ours and Amazon's pages are and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. Amazon did not sponsor this post, I am sponsoring it with a gift code. This code is only available in the US. I was not paid to write this post or to say positive things about Amazon.                                                                 

Monday, July 25, 2011

Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce Review and Giveaway! Ends 8-13 TWO WINNERS

When I emailed Country Bob's about possible sponsoring a review and giveaway on this blog, I wasn't too optimistic about them agreeing to do it because we didn't have any experience with reviews and how those work, and our blog only had one giveaway up, and it was self-sponsored!

The day after I emailed them about our blog, one of the owners of Country Bob's emailed me back. Wow! Not only was it fast, but there wasn't a middle man. Not to say it's wrong to have a PR person or another member of your team handle bloggers, but I loved the personal touch of having one of the owners be the one to respond to me. That's not the only personal touch you find in this company. The product itself is personal. A recipe that was made by Country Bob and given away to family and friends for 9 years before he thought to sell it. To me, that's an amazing story, because it sounds like something you or I could do! That makes this product all the more special, that it was originally something made for friends and family members and it just evolved into such a popular sauce all over the country!

Another great thing about this company is that I actually got an email with a tracking number for my review package! I love tracking numbers. It's more expensive to ship with them, but when you get one, you can figure out the exact day that you'll get it so you know you'll be around to receive it! My mail person always puts packages for me on my doorstep, and I am always worried about packages getting taken (even though it has never happened, and I've gotten lots of packages here), so knowing when the country bob's was going to be here made it so I don't peek my head outside every hour from 1PM to 5PM every day. On top of that, the bottles were packed really really well. I'm pretty sure I could have jumped up and down on the box and the bottles wouldn't have broken! They also sent a business card and a brochure with the bottles, which I love, because then you have all the information you need right at your fingertips!

Now that you've heard a bit about the company, you're probably curious about the product itself! Well, I tested it on a number of things. I dipped chicken fingers in it, I put it on breaded chuck patty sandwiches, I had it in hamburgers, and just today I drizzled it on garlic onion baked chicken breast! Some college students are great at cooking, but I am not one of them. Country Bob's made it so that I can dress up just about anything with just one sauce. That's great, because when I move into my apartment in the fall, I'll just need a bottle of country bob's instead of a bottle of BBQ, Worcestershire, and various other sauces. I can use this sauce on just about anything, even fish!

And if I were to run out of ideas on stuff to use Country Bob's on, they have a recipes page that makes it easy to find something new to use it on! It would also be great for thinking of new ideas to make in my apartment. I love this sauce, and I know you will, too!

How to Connect: Visit Country Bob's website, Like Country Bob on Facebook, Follow Country Bob on Twitter

The Prize: Thanks to Country Bob's, two people will win two bottles of Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce!!! How awesome are they?



Please post your entries as comments on this blog post, if it says 2 entries, leave two comments. All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win.

Mandatory Entry 
Go to Country Bob's website and tell me one recipe you would like to try! (Leave me a link to it in your comment) One Entry

 Optional Entries
You must do the mandatory entry for any of these to count!
Like Country Bob's on Facebook (Two Entries) Leave your Facebook name in your comment
Leave a post on their Facebook wall telling them we sent you with a link to this post! (One Entry) Leave a link to your post in your comment
Follow Country Bob's on Twitter (Two Entries) Leave your Twitter in your comment
Like MewWoof on Facebook (One Entry) Leave us your Facebook name in your comment
Follow MewWoof on Twitter (One Entry) Leave us your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Our Emails (Four Entries) Must be confirmed, leave your email in your comment
Tell us where you found this giveaway (One Entry)
Enter another one of our giveaways (One Entry per giveaway entered)
Tell us one thing you particularly like about Country Bob's (One Entry)
If you have a Country Bob's product in your home, take a picture of it in front of your refrigerator and post a link to the picture here! (Five Entries) 

Daily Optional Entries
You may use these entries once a day only and are only good for one entry each per day
Tweet this giveaway using the following tweet or creating your own including @mewwoof and #giveaway along with a direct link to the giveaway:

@MewWoof is hosting a #giveaway for two bottles of Country Bob's! Ends 8-13, enter today! http://educatedanddangerous.blogspot.com/2011/07/country-bobs-all-purpose-sauce-review.html

Post about this giveaway on your Facebook with a link to this post and link us to it in your comment
Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 13th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where ours and Country Bob's pages are and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. We are not responsible for fulfilling the prize, the sponsor is sending it directly to the winner. I was not paid to write this post or to say positive things about the products in the post.                                                                                  

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Everyone has Their Flaws

If you know me, you know I can become anxious over the silliest things. I have come to realize lately that I really am a perfectionist about certain things and if they're not done the way I feel like they should be done, I stress about it until I can live with the result, even if it's not much different from the way it would have been in my mind. I was really excited about starting to do giveaways on this blog. I still am. But I've found that this is something else that I'm particularly perfectionistic (is that a word?) about.

There's a product that I currently am in possession of, and I have not written a review not because I haven't tasted it, but because I don't have a picture of anything I put it on. I'm going to cook with it today and take pictures, but the thing that made me realize I was stressing over it was the picture problem.

I think in time it'll get better, but I also think I probably won't have so many giveaways in such a short amount of time in the future. Especially since school is coming up and Woof and I will be busy with classes, work, social stuff, and other things like that. I still want to do giveaways and reviews, but probably not rapid-fire like we did the past few days!

Speaking of school: we found out that the apartment Woof and I are sharing with two other girls has two double bedrooms. We were under the impression that it had 4 single bedrooms. When we realized that wasn't the case, I went searching through our university's website for something, anything that would have tipped us off to that fact. When you're looking for something, you usually find it, but this time was an exception. The only hint that the rooms were doubles on the entire website was a badly angled picture that barely showed a second desk and something that could have been a bed or a sofa. If you're going to a university and living on campus, be very careful to be absolutely clear about your living situations-- the colleges are not going to always be crystal clear with you. I'm ok with the arrangement only because Woof is still there, there's more space, and I can cook to save us money.

Also, I kinda like that we'll have two new roommates. At first, it was a source of anxiety for me, but now it's exciting to think of expanding Woof's and my circle of friends; And while one of them is leaving only a month into the semester for personal reasons, the other one seems extremely drama-free and into the same things Woof and I are. Here's hoping for a great addition to our circle of friends!

Let's end this on a positive note,
             Mew

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Sweets By Leece Giveaway! US Only Ends 8-10

Our second giveaway this week is from an etsy store called sweetsbyleece! Leece creates (if you're reading this aloud, take a deep breath, this is going to be long): Cake pops, cake balls, cookie pops, cookie balls, lollipops, regular cookies (not on a stick), desserts in a jar, truffles, frosting shots, and more! If you're anything like me, a list this long is impressive, let alone being able to make everything on it! My baking skills are so lacking, I turned the ingredients for what should have been yellow cake into cornbread (and no, I didn't use any cornmeal in it), so baking skills on this level are very impressive to me! On top of the types of items she makes, she also does it with flair and originality, just look at some of these pictures!

Ice Cream Cone Cake Pops





Reeses Cupcake Pops




Little Burger Cake Truffles




Red Velvet Cake Truffles

I'm sure that while you're looking at them, an idea immediately pops into your head about where or when you might eat one of those! In case you're just thinking about you at home, enjoying them alone (which is ok, too!), let me share a few other ways you can enjoy your treats! As a college student, the first thing that comes to mind is 'care package,' after all, usually students get a bunch of snacks that will destroy their diet forever. These are a 1-2 night deal, then your student gets back to the way they normally eat (for better or for worse). You could also buy the burger cake truffles for a barbecue as a special dessert for the adults ; ) And I can see buying the ice cream come cake pops as a small dessert for a kid's party, or to put on top of a yummy cake just to dress it up!

While I have you thinking about eating these, I do want to mention that Leece makes all of this from scratch and to order, and uses organic ingredients whenever she can. So few bakers can say that! So when you buy a product from sweetsbyleece, you're also buying a product that is better for you than most (if not all) baked products you get in the grocery store, and they're cuter, too!

If you're suddenly inspired to buy something (and after seeing those pictures who isn't?), you should know that custom orders are absolutely welcome. If you can imagine the taste combination, she can make it! She also takes orders for all types of events: birthdays, holidays, weddings, parties for no reason, gifts, or just as a personal treat! On top of all that, she also ships it out the day after you order! Most baking businesses tell their customers that they will  send the product out within the next 4 days, but when you buy at sweetsbyleece, you know that with the exception of Sunday, your order will be on its' way to you the next day! You may be looking at shipping and confused as to why on some orders the shipping is so high, and the reason is that during the summer, she sends some of her packages via 2 day shipping to beat the heat!


You must, by now, be wondering about the giveaway! Leece has agreed to give away the following items:




  • 2 Frosting Shots, your choice of flavor
  • 2 Vanilla Cake Batter Truffles - Uncooked, but no egg. SAFE TO EAT.
  • 2 Cake Pops, Strawberry Vanilla
  • 2 Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Icing
  • 2 Bacon Fudge Squares
  • 2 Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Caramels
  • 2 Peppermint Lollis
  • 2 "mystery items," items not yet in her shop! 

If you have an allergy and want to make sure the "mystery items" aren't anything you're allergic to, I will contact Leece and let her know, so don't worry!


How to Connect: Heart sweetsbyleece on Etsy, Like Sweets By Leece on Facebook, Follow Sweets By Leece Blog

If you like her facebook and follow her blog, you will be able to get in on freebies that nobody else will have access to, so like her today!

She is also offering a 20% discount on orders of $25 or more! Just use this code to snag it: 20PRCNT



Please post your entries as comments on this blog post. All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win. Last, please leave one comment per entry. Thank you!


Mandatory Entry
Visit sweetsbyleece and tell me what you would buy if you could have anything you wanted!

Optional Entries
Do the Mandatory Entry before doing any of these!!



Like Sweets By Leece on Facebook (Two Entries) Leave your Facebook name in your comment
Leave a post on her Facebook wall telling her we sent you with a link! (One Entry) Leave a link to your post in your comment 
Subscribe to Sweets By Leece Blog via email (Three Entries) Leave your email in your comment
Heart sweetsbyleece on Etsy (Two Entries) Leave your etsy name in your comment
Buy anything at sweetsbyleece while this contest is open (Ten Entries) Leave your etsy name in your comment
Like MewWoof on Facebook (One Entry) Leave us your Facebook name in your comment
Follow MewWoof on Twitter (One Entry) Leave us your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Our Emails (Four Entries) Must be confirmed, leave your email in your comment
Tell us where you found this giveaway (One Entry)
Tell us how you would enjoy this prize if you won! (One Entry)

Daily Optional Entries
You may use these entries once a day only and are only good for one entry each per day
Tweet this giveaway using the following tweet or creating your own including @mewwoof and #giveaway along with a direct link to the giveaway:

@MewWoof is hosting a #giveaway for a sweetsbyleece Variety Pack! Ends 8-10, enter today! http://educatedanddangerous.blogspot.com/2011/07/sweets-by-leece-giveaway-us-only-ends-8.html

Post about this giveaway on your Facebook and link us to it

Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 10th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where ours and our sponsor's pages are and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. We are not responsible for fulfilling the prize, the sponsor is sending it directly to the winner. I was not paid to write this post or to say positive things about the products in the post.



Good luck!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Guest Post by Alexis Dent and an Awesome Giveaway!

5 Bedding Sets For Any Girl’s Personality
Alexis Dent

It’s July, and we all know what that means! Independence Day, barbeques, beach parties, bonfires, and a lot of tanning? Well, yeah. But I was actually talking about getting ready for the upcoming school year! July is the month when everyone realizes that yes, we do have to go back to school in the fall. Naturally, that induces a scramble to find textbooks, cute clothes, and of course, dorm stuff.

Whether you’re a returning college student like myself, or an eager freshman ready to begin the most exciting four years of her life, either way, you’ll be picking out dorm stuff. And what is the number one thing that we all care about arguably more than anything else in our dorm room? Our comforter. Dorm room comforters are so important; not only do they showcase our style and personality, but they also are directly involved in how we sleep – night after night – for 9 months.

Looking to find some great dorm comforters? Don’t worry; I’ve already done the work for you. I inspected comforter after comforter, design after design, and fabric after fabric, in order to compile a list of some of the best comforters any college girl would love to have in their dorm.

If you’re…Fashionably Frugal

I think this comforter is super cute, and with its very affordable price, you can’t pass it up if you’re looking for a good comforter on a budget. Let’s face it, sometimes we have to be frugal; with the inordinate cost of textbooks for just one semester, there is not always extra money to frivolously spend. If that’s the case, there are reasonable bedding options out there that are absolutely adorable, even for the tightest budget. Just shop around!

If you’re…Plain Yet Pretty


If you’re looking for plain dorm options that are still girly,
this one might be up your alley. It’s a super cute pink color that reminds me of bubble gum, but with its simple design, you don’t have to worry about something that’s too vibrant and will clash with your roommate. At a price point equally as friendly as the first option, this comforter hits the mark without hitting your pockets too hard.

If you’re…Amazingly Artistic


I really love this comforter because it’s so unique. If you love photography, or just beautiful art in general, you’ll love this comforter. It’s a quilt, so it’s different than most dorm bedding options out there, and it has grayscale daisies all over it. Is it just me or is this piece awesome?

If you’re…Gung-Ho for Glamour


I don’t know about you, but personally I’m a sucker for anything that is damask – it’s probably one of my favorite prints ever. This comforter has a higher price point than the others I’ve mentioned, but is still a great deal for the amazing design and style you’re getting. Your dorm room should symbolize you. If you’re a glamorous gal with an eye for style, this bedding set is sure to show that.

If you’re…Concerned about Comfort


I saved the warmest for last! If you’re like me, and you love a good nap and truly appreciate a good night’s sleep, you’ll absolutely adore a comforter like this plush one. Between long days of classes and hectic weekends, you’ll learn to love comfort even more than you ever did before. With a price point smack dab in between the others, this comforter is both warm and worth every dollar you’re spending on it. I kid you not when I say that you’ll feel like you’re snuggling with a polar bear. And with 16 different colors that it comes in, you won’t have to worry about choosing between your style and your comfort.

All the bedding options that I’ve mentioned can be found on http://www.dormco.com.
When picking your dorm bedding lots of things come into play – price, design, and comfort are a few of the most popular criterion. Be sure to shop around at multiple stores and online retailers for bedding that you absolutely love, at a price your parents will love too!



Now that you've heard about bedding and how important it is (and I agree it's very important!) I bet you're wondering what the giveaway is for! Thanks to Dorm Co., we have a Stuff Bucket just like the one below to give away! 



The Dorm Stuff Bucket is one of the hottest, most popular, must-have dorm bathroom totes!  This well designed dorm product is meant to hold all your non-shower bathroom supplies.  Basically that means it is not geared to go in the shower.  What it is geared to do is to hold your cosmetics, make-up, toothbrush, hair products, female hygiene products, face wash, nail filer, lotion and any other bathroom type item that needs a convenient carry tote.

The Stuff Bucket has over 18 outer pockets and 7 inside pockets.  Store all your dorm room essentials in one spot!  


As soon as I read that paragraph, I knew exactly what they were talking about! As a college student myself, I was all too familiar with this problem. I'm pretty low-maintenance, but there were times when I would go to the bathroom down the hall, trying to hold on to my toothbrush, toothpaste, powder, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, hair brush, and 2-3 other things. It's not easy! This bucket allows you to have a second caddy (you'll need one for the shower, too, I assure you) that holds the stuff you don't want to get wet! This is an item that makes me think 'why didn't I think of that?' It's so simple and useful. Let me also say that if you don't have something like this, you need somewhere else to put the stuff, and wherever else you stash it won't be portable and won't take up this little space! 

How To Connect: Visit Dorm Co.'s website, Follow Dorm Co. on Twitter, Like Dorm Co. on Facebook

The Prize: A Stuff Bucket with a retail value of $19.99

Please post your entries as comments on this blog post. All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win. Last, please leave one comment per entry. Thank you!

Mandatory Entry 
Go to Dorm Co.'s website and tell me what you would want to buy, if you could buy anything! (Leave me a link to it in your comment) One Entry

 Optional Entries
You must do the mandatory entry for any of these to count!
Like Dorm Co. on Facebook (Two Entries) Leave your Facebook name in your comment
Leave a post on their Facebook wall telling them we sent you with a link! (One Entry) Leave a link to your post in your comment
Follow Dorm Co. on Twitter (Two Entries) Leave your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Dorm Co.'s newsletter and forward your confirmation email to us (Four Entries) Our Email is on the left hand side bar
Like MewWoof on Facebook (One Entry) Leave us your Facebook name in your comment
Follow MewWoof on Twitter (One Entry) Leave us your Twitter in your comment
Subscribe to Our Emails (Four Entries) Must be confirmed, leave your email in your comment
Tell us where you found this giveaway (One Entry)
Tell us where you're going to college! (One Entry)

Daily Optional Entries
You may use these entries once a day only and are only good for one entry each per day
Tweet this giveaway using the following tweet or creating your own including @mewwoof @dormco and #giveaway along with a direct link to the giveaway:

@MewWoof is hosting a #giveaway for a @dormco stuff bucket! Ends 8-9, enter today! http://educatedanddangerous.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-post-by-alexis-dent-and-awesome.html

Post about this giveaway on your Facebook and link us to it
Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 9th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where ours and Dorm Co.'s pages are and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. We are not responsible for fulfilling the prize, the sponsor is sending it directly to the winner. I was not paid to write this post or to say positive things about the products in the post.



Good luck!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Reviews and Giveaways

Woof and I talked about possibly doing reviews and giveaways when we started this blog. We considered how cool it would be to be able to try new things and then share our experiences with our readers, and even share the product itself! However, I believed that these opportunities would just come our way if we waited a little while, and that just wasn't true. After I realized that wasn't working, I joined She Blogs and Business 2 Blogger, thinking that would bring offers to us, but it turns out that mostly works for the bigger blogs, and not so much for the smaller ones. Finally, I decided to try to email some places I felt fit our readers, our blog, and our lifestyle perfectly. This was probably one of the best ideas I've had in months! The first place I contacted, Dorm Co., agreed to do a guest post and giveaway on this blog (hint: the product is a must have for college students). You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so surprised and excited to be working with them! I emailed more places, and I have yet to receive an email with a flat 'no!' While one company said they can't do it right now, they did leave possibility open in the future, and I'm really excited to have made that contact! Also, Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce agreed to a review and giveaway on the blog as well!

The blog will still be, at its' heart, a blog run by and for college students. We'll still update on our lives, interesting things that happen, and occasional lists (I sure make enough of them!), but we're also going to add in reviews, giveaways, and pretty soon I'm going to start posting about deals that students (and their families) might like as well! I'm really excited about this new development in the blog, and I can't wait to see where it takes us!

Perpetually Excited,
           Mew



P.S.

This song is so cute, I just know everyone is going to love it!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

New Products and a Giveaway! (US and Canada) Ends 8-4

Around midnight tonight/today, I added 4 new items to the MewWoof shop! The pictures aren't great, because I am not too handy with a camera, but they should be just fine to show the customers exactly what it is we're selling. I'm very excited about being able to stock the shop all on my own, because I am not good with new websites, and Woof was stocking it all on her own before. I just love learning new things about our business, even if I'm not that great at them!

Two of the items were necklaces I made for myself and wore myself for a while. I like unique pieces, so they're incredibly different from most other pieces you've seen. Even the classic ball necklace has a new, colorful twist. As I only wear my sapphire cat necklace now, I don't need these anymore. I can't wait to send them to someone who will love them as much as I did, if not more!

I have a thing for shaping necklaces like hearts


The other two are the knot scarves I've been mentioning on the facebook. These are really fun to make, and even more fun to wear! I test everything that I put up for sale, so of course I tested these very thoroughly. One of the tests I did led me to the conclusion that this would be a product that has to be hand-washed. Thankfully, no other problems arose, and the scarves are surprisingly strong, though it wouldn't be good to pull on it as it'll stretch and it might become more stringy if you pull too hard since they're made of cotton fabric. I had a lot of room to play with the scarves, so some are big and puffy, and some are thin and stringy (a unique look, even for such a unique product), and some are right in the middle : ) They are all in a loop, making it really easy to double up for the layered effect, or leave it as a long loop for a more unique look. There are also some really cool color combinations in the group that I almost want to keep for myself!

This is hanging from a candle holder on my kitchen wall. I was without a model, so I had to get creative!


We also have some old favorites, like the character charms and the hoodie bags! The character charms are made from figurines and are made into the customer's choice of silver necklace (long or short), keychain, or phone charm. These are pretty popular, and they're what we started our shop with and something we will continue to sell, just because they're so much fun!

Look! Another Heart!


Our hoodie bags are easily our most useful item in the shop. I have a personal love for this item, because when I made the first one (4 years ago) it was slightly after I passed the lifeguarding test, and I was working as a lifeguard. This bag came to work with me every day and held anything and everything I could ever want. I remember being shocked that it could hold a boombox in it and not rip or break, especially since I sewed it by hand. To this day, that hoodie bag is still going strong, even though my sewing skills were much worse than they are now! It is stretched because of lots of heavy loads, but that negative is outweighed by the fact that during my last trip to NH, it held about 50 pounds of stuff, and it was still comfortable! Everything goes in through the head hole, which you can pull shut tightly, if you're walking through crowds and want to stop wandering hands. It's also at a great length to where it will go low enough that you can sling it over your neck, so you don't need to adjust the strap all the time! These bags are so awesome, I can't wait for someone else to try them! : )



Now that I've talked about our shop, I'm sure you want to try something, right? Well, I have this cute spring green knot scarf for you! This is one of the lighter scarves, which makes it nice for summer. I think this wouldn't even heat you up if you wore it on a hot day! It's a nice, subtle green that really brings out the colors of what you're wearing. This scarf is somewhere in between fluffy and stringy, making it a great casual scarf! It's also a nice length to be doubled up.


Her shirt says 'Irish You Were Here'



How To Connect - Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Heart us on Etsy, or follow us here! : )

Prize - One Spring Green Scarf as pictured above! : ) 

Please post your entries as comments on this blog post! All entries will be verified, so please be honest! One participant per household. If I see anyone cheating, all your entries will be deleted, so please don't! Also, leave me your email in at least one of your comments if your profile isn't set to public. If I can't reach you, you can't win!

Mandatory Entry - 
(1 comment) Follow this blog via GFC
(1 comment) Tell us about your favorite piece of clothing!

Optional Extra Entries -
You must do the mandatory entry for any of these to count!!

(1 comment) Like us on Facebook
(1 comment) Follow us on Twitter
(1 comment) Heart us on  Etsy
(1 comment per day) Tweet the following, or make your own tweet with @mewwoof, the end date, and a direct link (remember to post a link):
@mewwoof is hosting a #giveaway for a cute spring green scarf! Ends 8-4, enter today! http://bit.ly/qrqKql

(1 comment) Tell us where you found this giveaway
(1 comment) Tell me what item in our shop you like the most
(3 comments) Subscribe via email and confirm the subscription
(1 comment per day) Share this giveaway on facebook and link me to your post
(10 comments) Make any purchase at our etsy store while the giveaway is open and leave your name in your comment


Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway ends August 8th at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, sorry international readers! Winner has 48 hours to answer an email sent to them, after which another winner will be picked. Facebook didn't sponsor this giveaway and has no part in it besides being where our page is and where you may promote this giveaway if you like. 

Good luck everyone!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Looking for Giveaway Sponsors!

Woof and I talked about becoming a review/giveaway blog, and we'd love to start off with a bang. After entering giveaways myself for a few months, I am very aware of how to promote giveaways-- especially big ones! I had an idea that will reach lots of people and I'm really excited about it: Back to School Bash. The idea isn't for younger kids, but college-aged kids like myself and Woof. Not only will this help us to know what we should get for our new apartment, but it'll hopefully help out some other college students getting ready for school as well!

We're looking for sponsors for giveaways that would have to do with college life. Please contact us with your product! In this case, we will be happy to just host a giveaway, but if you would like we can review your product as well!

Other than the Bash, we're also looking for anyone else looking to host a giveaway with us (especially fellow etsy sellers!).

It's important to us that your product is of interest to us, or we won't be able to write about it. After all, this blog is also about a couple of college students, and while between us there is a HUGE group of things we're interested in, there is also a pretty big group of things we're not. A short list: baby stuff, re-usable shopping bags/purses (we get way too many of these), sippy cups, bathroom stuff (we prefer to pick it out ourselves), makeup (I have it, and Woof doesn't wear it), maternity wear, etc.

Things we really really want to review, giveaway, or BOTH: Dish sets, Silverware, dorm stuff, pots and pans, fun kitchen stuff, fun gadgets, geeky stuff, etsy products, clothing of all kinds except maternity and baby, art for the walls, FOOD, etc.

That's all for now. If you're interested in working with us, please contact us, we'd LOVE to hear from you!

-Mew