Year(s) Long Hiatus + A Schick Giveaway!

Hello Dear (Loyal Few) Followers!

Its been nearly three years since I last visited my site! I'm sorry I haven't been around, but I'm gonna try and make it up to everyone. ;) There's more than a few changes in my life, so lets do a quick recap and get down to some free-stuff business:

1. I have a new baby! Her name is Vivian, she's 5 months old already (boy does time fly by), and she is the Princess of my little family's castle.
   
2.  I'm now a Full Time Mommy, AND a Full Time Admin. Asst. (Secretary to us less fancy folk).
3.  My baby Noah is now 6, soon to be 7. Can time pretty please slow down?
4.  I changed up my blog name. Welcome CrazyHairLair followers to the New and Improved Sweeps&Swag  

So anyhow, there's more changes, but there are also things in my life that remain constant. I'm still a (self proclaimed) Sweeping Queen, I still love free things, and I'm still trying to hook you guys up! So lets get right on to it. As some of you may remember, and, my bazillion new readers (Ha) will obviously see, I am a BzzAgent, and as a BzzAgent, I get free Swag for my honest opinion. Here we go:

Ive tried many Schick products before (Intuition, Quattro, etc) with some mixed feelings...not enough blades, not a close enough shave, nice exfoliation, etc; Needless to say I wasn't a MAJOR fan: Schick products were ok, but I wasn't raving...and then came the Hydro. (Can we get some strobe lights up in here, cause there's about to be a rave!) The Schick Hydro Silk disposable razors are one of the BEST disposable razors I have ever used before. There. I said it. Here’s why:

There are 5 "Curve Sensing Blades" which, to be honest...sounded like fluff to me....but fluff it is not! These 5 blades are wonder workers. Usually I have to use some major force to feel as if the blades are actually shaving as close to the minuscule follicle as possible (no there are no forests to be chopped through on my legs, I just enjoy a close shave!), but with Schick Hydro, a gentle glide was all which was necessary.

“Really, you say? A ”gentle glide”…get out of here.” But yeah, really! I didn’t even use shaving cream. (Gasp! I know, this is not good practice, but I was in a rush when I first tried my Hydro. ((I feel your pain new/new-again Mommies of screaming 5 month olds!)) I believe the good shave was made possible (in addition to the 5 blades) by the “water activated moisturizing serum”. This Schick product is legit. Just add a steady stream of water, and your good to go.

And, here’s another little gem about Hydro Silk: I’ve used the same blade 3 times, with no shaving cream, and have had the same results each time: A smooth, razor-bump-free shave. 

What are you waiting for Ladies??! Go get your silk on...oh ok, wait. I know what your waiting on....a free sample. You know I'm gonna hook someone up! One of my readers will be receiving a 3 pack of Schick HydroSilk Disposable Razors, the NEW Skintimate Silky Skin Shave Gel, and a coupon or two to help keep your skin smooth. Score! Please proceed to the nearest Rafflecopter Form (Hint: located directly below this post) Winner will be randomly drawn from all verified entries. Prize has been purchased and supplied by me, and will be shipped directly from my home. Good Luck!

DISCLOSURE: I am a BzzAgent, and have received a product sample, coupon, collateral, or other special premium from BzzAgent. The information I have provided is my honest opinion, and has not been influenced by any factors other than my own experiences with Schick Hydro Silk Disposable Razors. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Gucci Flora Garden Collection - Sample Giveaway

Hi Ladies & Gents!

(Im not sure there are actually any "Gents" that read my blog, but yay for political correctness!)

Once again, I have another blog pertaining to some free Swag provided by BzzAgent. The lovely people there shipped me a pretty little box, filled with pretty, girly, smelly stuff. The new Gucci Flora Garden Collection. (AND, they made sure to have it delivered to me before Mother's Day, to make as a nice addition to my Momma's gift.)

Momma was very happy with the Gucci Flora Garden Collection, and quickly chose  Glamorous Magnolia as her favorite. Her Mother's Day box is pictured below. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following is information taken directly from my BzzAgent Campaign Homepage:

Express yourself

Inspired by one of Gucci's most iconic designs, Flora by Gucci: The Flora Garden Collection is a bouquet of refined eau de toilettes, designed to express the multi-faceted personality and depth of emotion of every woman. Glamorous, Gracious, Gorgeous — each fragrance is distinct, yet together all the scents embody the beauty and allure of Gucci's renowned Flora pattern, originally designed for the charismatic Princess Grace in 1966. Explore each bloom, and express your loveliness, with Flora by Gucci.

Flora by Gucci: The Flora Garden Collection is available in three distinct floral fragrances:

Glamorous Magnolia

A brilliant opening of buoyant freesia, zest and green leaves yields to a tactile fusion of peony and magnolia. Sandalwood, musk and warm chocolate lend sensuousness to a base that proves as lingering as it is addictive. Glamorous Magnolia celebrates the magnolia in all its guises: radiant freshness, velvet petals and an enduringly feminine sensuality. Glamour is assured.

Gorgeous Gardenia

A sparkling prelude of succulent red berries and juicy pear gives way to an opulent floral heart. The plushness of gardenia petals is enhanced by the creamy warmth of frangipani flower, underlaid by the delectable aroma of patchouli and brown sugar. Gorgeous Gardenia is a paean to the lightness of the shrub's first blossom and the addictive richness of it in full bloom. The result is gorgeously feminine.

Gracious Tuberose

A distinctively elegant tuberose in which a verdant overture of violet leaves and peach softens into the plant's silken blossom. A base of white cedarwood and cistus enhances the impression of refined charm. Gracious Tuberose embraces all aspects of the flower's loveliness: its fresh green shoots, dew-sprinkled petals and lingering sillage. The effect is the most gracious aura.

Visit macys.com and sephora.com to learn more about the collection and purchase your favorite scent.

 DISCLOSURE: I am a BzzAgent, and have received a product sample, coupon, collateral, or other special premium from BzzAgent. The information I have provided is my honest opinion, and has not been influenced by any factors other than my own experiences with Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine.

I have three sets of samples to give away, to three lucky people so that you may try the Flora Garden for yourselves.Enter today using the Rafflecopter form located directly below this blog post. Winners will be randomly drawn from all verified entries. The prize are samples that have been supplied by BzzAgent, and will be shipped directly to winners from my home.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine - Review and Giveaway

So, I love BzzAgent. I know Ive bragged about this particular website before, but Im going to do it a whole lot more.....again and again. I FREAKIN' LOVE BzzAgent. They continuously hook me up with cool Swag, and all they ask in return is my honest opinion. So Kiddos, lets get down to it!

Earlier this month I had a nice BzzKit in the mail with my full sized samples of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine. Garnier states these few claims in reference to Sleek & Shine on their website:

Get the most intense smoothing yet from Sleek & Shine Shampoo.

Now it locks out frizz for a full 3 days, even in 97% humidity.

FORTIFIED FRUIT SCIENCE
Ultra-smoothing Argan Oil from Morocco
Apricot Oil

Now, in order to honestly review, Im going to give you some quick background history on my hair, and the environment It lives in. (My hair is SO big, it literally lives in it's own environment. It has a life of it's own, seriously.)

I have big, thick, Texas hair. It comes to about the mid-point of my back, and frizzes in every other way/direction it so well pleases. I live in Texas, where humidity is like a season all to itself, that unfortunately lasts nearly all year long. To tame my "do" I use Head & Shoulders shampoo, and Aussie 3 Minute Miracle to condition, daily.

I was worried as to whether or not I should change up my system. My Hair seems to be quite content with the products It currently uses. But, Im a BzzAgent, BzzAgent's arent scaredy cats! My Hair compromised, and we tried out the Sleek & Shine conditioner in lieu of my Aussie product. Garnier Sleek & Shine conditioner has a great smell to it, nice and fruity, so no worries there. Its creamy, and seems to lather very well. Rinses out easily, no problems there either. After my blow dry, I straightened My Hair, and stepped outside. Usually, this is the part where My Hair grows ten feet, but after several uses of Garnier's Sleek & Shine conditioner, it only grows to about nine and a half feet. Sooooo, not a major difference in the frizz department, as Garnier claims. But I will say, my hair does feel much softer, and I did receive compliments on it. ;)

Also, please keep in mind that I DID NOT use the conditioner in conjunction with the Garnier shampoo. Im sure this did have an effect on the total outcome. 

I will not be replacing my Aussie product, cause I love it to pieces. BUT I will however, begin alternating with Garnier Sleek & Shinen conditioner. It has a nice smell to it, I seem to be finding great sales on Sleek & Shine, and it leaves my hair pretty dang soft. ;)

DISCLOSURE: I am a BzzAgent, and have received a product sample, coupon, collateral, or other special premium from BzzAgent. The information I have provided is my honest opinion, and has not been influenced by any factors other than my own experiences with Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine.

So, do you Dear Readers like nice smelling fragrances, want to kick frizz's tush, fancy a soft fluffy "do" of your own? Now is your chance to try out Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine for yourself! One lucky winner will receive a full product of Garnier Sleek & Shine Shampoo, and one full product of Garnier Sleek & Shine Conditioner.

Enter today using the Rafflecopter form located directly below this blog post.  A winner will be randomly drawn from all verified entries. The prize has been purchased and supplied by me, and will be shipped directly to winner from my home.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BzzAgent - What's the Bzz???

Hello to my Faithful Followers!

I wanted to let you in on yet another AWESOME website that allows it's users to score free swag in exchange for honest reviews. BzzAgent sends you a product, and asks for you to share with family and friends to get the conversation going. "Is this a good product, would you buy it, how much would you pay?" Simple questions, with easy ways to receive and share answers . (Bzzagent gives you the option to link your Facebook/Twitter/Blog to their site, it makes things sooooooo simple and easy.) AND, it's free to sign up! If you're interested (Why wouldn't you be??) you can sign up to become a BzzAgent by going HERE.

As a proud Bzzagent, I was able to participate in "Krogers The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies" Campaign. With words such as "awesome, chocolate, and cookie" in the campaign title, I knew it was going to be all sorts of yummy fun!

So, how were the cookies? Well, I'll be honest... I highly enjoy (and pride myself) on my baking, so I was a bit apprehensive towards these store bought cookies. "Homestyle" cookies ...from a box?" (When I received the cookies, and saw only eight came, I thought, "Hmm....that's not very much.") BUT, these cookies are not scrawny. (Picture your basic chocolate chip cookie, and multiply that by three.)

They come in a foil package, packed inside of a rectangular box. The foil makes all sorts of loud, "Guess-what-Mommy-is-unsuccessfully-trying-to-sneak-behind-your-back" kinda noise, so be sure to toss that out quickly, and place your cookies in an airtight container....that is, IF there are any left to store. 

The cookies themselves are crunchy. (Chips Ahoy, Grandma's Dipped Fudge Chip, Etc;) All my family quickly compared them to Chips Ahoy, and then quickly stated Kroger's "tasted way better". I must agree. You can actually taste the butter, and a very slight taste of salt. The taste isn't overpowering, it's "just right". These cookies are PERFECT for a bit, or a bunch, of milk dunking. Both boxes we received were quickly gobbled down.

I rather enjoy a softer cookie, but for those that prefer a bit of crunch to their sweets, Kroger's Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies definitely take the cake cookie. 

DISCLOSURE: I am a BzzAgent, and have received a product sample, coupon, collateral, or other special premium from BzzAgent.
 

Don't believe me, love cookies...believe yourself to be a cookie expert? One Blog subscriber will win two (2) boxes of  Kroger's Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies to have all to themselves. (Or to share, if you're feeling generous.) 

Enter today using the Rafflecopter form located directly below this blog post. (Click on "Read More" to access the entry form.) A winner will be randomly drawn from all verified entries. The prize has been purchased and supplied by me, and will be shipped directly to winner from my home.

I love to SWEEP (And I dont mean with a broom!)

A few years back, I (randomly) entered a contest through Parents.com. Several weeks later, surprise! I had  received a $25 Burger King gift card in the mail. It was like winning the lottery. I jumped up and down (very silly), yelled, whooped, and called nearly everyone in my phone book. My family had Burger King for dinner (Gotta love those dollar menus), and lunch the next day.

"WINNING!"

Pre-Sweep Win

Fast forward 3-4 years, and you will see my son (Noah) throwing up all over his Grandparents couches. It was disgusting. There was no way those couches would ever be the same, they had to be thrown out. I now, in turn, needed to supply my parents with new furniture....the only problem was, I COULD NOT afford it. So I turned to sweepstakes. I jumped on the computer and started my search: "Win Furniture", "Furniture giftcard", "Free furniture", etc, etc;  Finally, bingo, I hit the jackpot with Gallery Furniture, a local furniture store here in Houston, Texas. It was really simple, upload a picture of your old furniture (Pictured above), have friends/family/strangers "Like" the page on Facebook, and have the most "Likes". After badgering/spamming the heck out of EVERYONE I know, I won!!!! I took my mother to Gallery Furniture the very next day, and picked out a new set of couches. And thus began a Sweeping (Sweepstakes) addiction!

How to start Sweeping:
If you're a Newbie, I highly suggest heading over to OLS and creating an account. Access is free, but they do have the option of being a payed member. For the moment, I am listed as a "Junior Sweeper". (I'm new to the site, and have not paid for a membership, yet.) From various posts in the forums, I hear joining is well worth the money. As for the free membership, OLS lists sweeps in Categories such as "Single Entries", "Daily Entries", "Unlimited Entries", etc; OLS also offers forums that contain a wealth of knowledge. Great site to be a member of, paid or unpaid.

FREESTUFFTIMES   should be on your Favorites toolbar. Free stuff, plus contests.... No other comments, just go do it.

Also, your next step should be to download RoboForm. RoboForm saves your Logins, Stores your passwords, and fills out forms with a single click! What more could a sweeper want?

Can't remember exactly which sweepstakes to return to on a daily basis? No problemo! Be sure to set up an account with Delicious. It's a very user-friendly site that allows you to save a link, categorize it, and pull it up from any location. So basically, it's a portable Bookmark menu bar. Going out of town and want to be sure you sweep? Delicious makes it possible.

Helpful hints towards Sweeping?

1. Read the rules - I cannot stress this enough, READ THE OFFICIAL RULES. There are so many entries you could miss out on, or worse, you could be disqualifying yourself b/c of a simple mistake. For example,  I was entering a contest that I THOUGHT was a once a day entry. After several days of entering, I went to read the OR's, and discovered that I could actually enter 5x's per day. 5x's!!!!! I had been missing out on 4 extra entries every day!!! (What a rookie.)
2. Enter - You must enter to win, after all.
3. Verify your information - RoboForm is an awesome "Sweeping" tool, but it is a Robot after all...mistakes can be made. A simple mistake, such as an incorrect/incomplete phone number/email address can cost you a big win!
4. Check your email - Check your email, daily at the very least.
5. Double check Junk Folder - Sweepstakes sometimes get jumbled into your junk folder. If you fail to see a winning notification in time, or worse, accidentally delete it, you just flushed a win down the toilet. :(
6. Persistence is key - Single entries are great, because you only have to worry about entering once, but many contests are classified as "Daily Entries". Some people get lucky, and can win off of just one entry, but the odds will be stacked against you. So if you enter contests that allow you more than one entry, take advantage, this Momma sure will!
7. Local contests are your friends - Big national, worldwide contests are great, but thousands, if not millions, of people will be entering. Listen in to your radio stations,  browse through your local papers, log onto city websites. These are little goldmines!

 I'm new to Sweeping (definitely not a "pro"), but I'm pretty excited, and wanted to share what I've learned to anyone who cares to listen. I've already won some great prizes (gift cards, furniture, tickets to events, clothing, school supplies, etc;), and I'm hoping to win more. I hope it's your lucky day too. Happy Sweeping!