my swagbucks are broken

Yes, you read that right. My swagbucks? Broken. How does this sort of thing happen? How did I do that? Only me, I tell ya, only me...

It all started right after they started giving 10 and 20 bucks instead of 1 or 2. I searched, and won! I had to enter a 3 letter code, but before I could do it...the whole thing just vanished.

*poof*

Now I can tell when I should have won. There's a big, blank, buckless area. My total doesn't increase. And it's just such a shame. Really. One of the highlights of my day was winning swagbucks. Yes, you may have occasionally heard a "sqee!" out of me when I won. All is not completely lost, I get a random buck here or there for having the toolbar. Alas, it is not enough.

I've contacted them, the swagbucks people, and they seem to be trying to help. Asking me various questions about my computer and browser, asking for screen shots of the elusive swagbucks. But try as they might, my problem has not been fixed. And it's a bummer.

By the way, if you haven't started using swagbucks instead of your normal searching methods...well you need to start. Seriously, it's a win/win! You do your usual internet searching and they give you bucks. Then you can trade bucks in for all sorts of things- gift cards, prizes, etc. If you want you can sign up under me *here* , then when you start searching and winning, I will win too. Up to 100 swagbucks per referral. Make sure that you pass along your referral link, too. Another win/win!

Now if only they'd hurry and fix my swagbucks...I'd be a happier girl! And seriously who besides me could manage to break their swagbucks?!

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sharing some websites that i like

the only problem with changing blog templates is that the different links, buttons and widgets don't make the move. i'm sure most of you know that already, but just in case, always copy and save all of your bloggy extras when you change your template! finally i've got everything back in place and have added a couple of new things too. i thought this would be a good time to tell you about some of them.


here is my disclosure statement: my blog isn't monetized, meaning i don't have any ads that pay me money when you view my blog or click on ad links. i do have a couple of buttons for places that i am an affiliate for. none of the owners of these websites have asked me to write about them nor am i receiving any compensation for writing about them. as an affiliate, if you click on the button for one of websites and buy something or join the site-i get credit, points, or money to spend on the same site or to go towards my own membership costs. i can't tell you how much i receive because at this point i haven't received anything. and i haven't read the small print. honestly, i just enjoy the sites and products and would love to pass them along to you all. and maybe one day i'll get something in return.





the first site is swagbucks. i'm new to using this site so i don't know all of the in's and out's yet. i use it as a search engine just like i would use google. that's it! every so often i win a "swagbuck" when i search. swagbucks can then be collected and traded in for prizes and gift cards to various places like amazon. i believe you can also take advantage of great offers and win prizes! i use the swagbucks search to visit all of my normal internet stops, even my blog. it just takes a couple seconds to type it in and click-but i earn more swagbucks. since i'm new, i'm still in the accumulation phase of earning. if you join by using my button and begin using the swagbuck search, when you win-so do i up to a certain amount. i have had a couple friends sign up but so far they haven't started utilizing the search engine, so no extra bucks for me yet. i'd love for you to sign up with my button because i love free money! but even if you don't, please still take advantage of this program, it's a win/win!









the silver jewelry club. this site is cool! they offer free (!) jewelry around the clock, several items at a time, switching every 15 minutes. the catch? you just pay for shipping which is usually $6.99, that's it. they list each item's retail value usually at $50 or more. i have gotten lots of earrings, rings, pendants and have always been pleased with them. i always feel like i'm getting my $6.99 worth and then some. for pendants they offer optional necklaces to buy. the items are pretty and good quality and always come in a little pouch. my blog has a current feed of one of the items available at that time. if you click from my button and purchase one of the other items, i'm not sure if i get a commission. but again, doesn't really matter-it's just fun to treat yourself to a little gift. not sure about you, but i love getting goodies in the mail!





you can make this. i love, love, love this site! they offer all sorts of crafty project patterns. from sewing to scrap booking to jewelry-there's sure to be a sweet project for everyone! i am such a crafty wanna-be, i dabble in a little bit of everything. i haven't perfected any skills. but what makes this site so awesome is that the contributors have perfected their skills and make them available to all of us in easy to learn and follow patterns. the directions are step by step and seriously couldn't be any easier to follow. there are different skills levels, even projects that you can do with your kids. they also offer a ton of free tutorials! once you purchase a pattern/instruction set it is available for immediate download and then it's yours to keep forever!





clickin moms. this is a great community forum all about photography! from point and shoot cameras to the more skilled DSLR cameras, you can learn how to take the BEST photos! always wanted to have a crisp, clear photo of your subject with that beautifully blurred background? you can learn just how to do that and so much more at clickin moms. any question you have about cameras, lighting, photo editing, printing or just how to get great photos, can be answered here. the members are of varying degrees of skills from me who is just starting to learn how to use a DSLR camera to professional photographers. and the members? they are all nice!

funny cancer shirts. i'm not an affiliate for funny cancer shirts, but wanted to give this online shop a shout out too! the owner and inspiration of this site is a friend i met when i was diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma and he was diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma. we all know that cancer sucks. but sometimes ya just gotta laugh! this shop makes all sorts of shirts and other items to do just that. and not only are you supporting a real live cancer survivor, but also a proceeds of sales go to various cancer charities.





the liz logelin foundation. i'm not an affiliate for this organization either. if you aren't familiar with the logelin family, you can check out their blog *here*. liz logelin died suddenly the day after her first child was born. her husband, matt, found himself not only a widower but also a single parent to a newborn. matt and madeline's adventures and life are shared via their blog. it's sure to make you laugh and make you cry. out of this tragedy came the liz logelin foundation which raises funds for other widows and widowers. one of the ways they raise money is "$7 on the 7th", donating $7 on the 7th of each month. it doesn't seem like a lot, but it does add up and many families have been helped through these efforts.


well, this is just a short list of websites i enjoy. and i hope that all of you will find one that you will enjoy too. if you sign up for any via my links...thank you! but even if you don't, still check out some great sites!

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i'm going to give swag bucks a try, but...

i don't hold out a lot of hope for myself. i'm kind of an online point redeeming reject.

a few years back i signed up for mypoints. it went ok in the beginning. i spent time opening their emails, taking surveys and even took advantage of some of their offers. i went back and forth between netflix and blockbuster a couple of times, earning lots of points. and i actually did earn a couple gift cards! but when it came to going through mypoints when i did online shopping, i would forget, all.the.time. i would make my purchase and inevitably remember after the fact, that i could of logged in through mypoints and earned 2 to 5 points for every dollar i spent. ugh! i wasted the potential to earn so many points. i even tried leaving a posty note on the desk so i'd remember. didn't work. finally i got so frustrated with the lost potential that i just gave up.

then i tried my coke rewards. if you know me you know that i can't live without diet coke and between family who would give me their codes and my own habit, i earned a lot of points! eventually they changed their rules and started limiting the amount of points you could earn each week. that way it really would take forever to actually accumulate enough points for anything big. so i stopped adding codes. however i still had over 9,000 points to redeem! (told you i'm a diet coke addict, plus this was well over a year's worth of points). i never redeemed anything and let them sit. for a long time. last night i reminded myself to go ahead and redeem my points for some awesome prize. mr. h and i sat here while i logged in. i checked my points balance and it was 0. yes zero. what!? how!? i hadn't redeemed anything. after reading around the site it turns out that your points expire after 90 days of inactivity on the site. well crap. they supposedly send emails to let you know if you are getting close to losing them, but i don't remember any emails. so...all those points? gone. ugh again.

everyone's been talking about swag bucks, so i figured what the heck, i'll give it a try. i downloaded the tool bar, and felt a bit guilty as i gave up my givoogle search (it's a google search that gives money to cancer charities). so far i've earned 6 swag bucks. every time i get one i kind of squeal like a little girl, yes i'm a dork, i already know that. i haven't figured out all the in's and out's yet. so like all of my failures before, i'm sure there are swag bucks passing me by.

you may notice i have a swag bucks button on my blog now. my blog isn't monetized. i think i may earn credits if you sign up for "you can make this" through me, but i don't know if that's a fact or not-i haven't earned any credits that i know of. so, to be a good blogger, i need to tell you that if you sign up for swag bucks through my button, that i earn something. i think. not sure of what or how much, but wanted to let you know. feel free to sign up through my button, or another's button, or just through the swag bucks site. but make sure to sign up! the way i see it, there's nothing to lose right?

and so the point earning reject tries again. wish me luck!

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