Breakfast With Jack Black

This month has been an insane house around here. But, with the help of General Mills and MyBlogSpark, life just got a little easier because they sent me a 11.8 oz box of Cocoa Puffs®. And, if that wasn't enough, I also received a DVD copy of Kung Fu Panda starring Jack Black. I can see it now, breakfast with Jack Black. Who knew life could be so much fun!

And, I just saw recently at our local cinema that Kung Fu Panda 2 will be out this week! What fun! My kids are all a big fan of the movie, from ages 9-17, and there's no doubt they're a big fan of General Mill's cereals. Okay, so I hate to admit it, but I just might have to steal a bowl of the cereal for myself! Now I wonder, if give the chance, would you do the same? Then, why don't I give you that chance, curteosy of General Mills and MyBlogSpark.

1. All you have to do is, leave a comment on this post and tell me who your child's favorite Kung Fu Panda character is and your email address, so that I can get in touch with you if you are my winner.
2. Want a 2nd chance to win? Link The Insane Writer in a blog post or Twitter Tweet and let me know you've done it and where I can find the link.
3. How about a 3rd chance to win? Become your own Kung Fu fighter and fight back by donating to the American Red Cross in your area. As you know, Joplin, MO was recently hit by a tornado and suffered massive and devastating damage. It hits home for me since I have family and friends living there. Many lives were destroyed and they need our help. If you donate and I'm trusting your good word on this, let me know.

3 ways to win and winner will receive one box of a participating Big G cereal, a Kung Fu Panda 2 spin fighter toy and the original Kung Fu Panda movie. You can't beat that! This giveaway/contest ends May 27th at 9am and is open to USA residents only. Good luck and lets kick some butt, Kung Fu Panda style!

Who Wants to go to Hawaii?

I'm getting a late start on this project, but as some of you already know, I'm a big fan of a program called Socialspark that was created by the company IZEA.

And right now, IZEA is offering a trip for two to Hawaii, when you sign up and become a member of Socialspark.

So, how does it work? What's the deal? What's the catch? 

Let's  clear up the what's the catch first. There is no catch. You don't pay anything to become a member, it's totally free and in addition, with each opportunity you're approved for, you get paid for writing articles of your choosing and your price set. 

I've been with Socialspark for a little while now and I've already made $12.00 from them, just from one simple article. Now that might not seem like much, but as busy as I've been away from my blog and with my health, I haven't really done much for them either. So imagine if you were willing to write 3 simple articles a week at let's say ohh $10.00, that's $30.00 a week that you could put towards gas, groceries, etc. And if you're a real go getter who puts a lot of heart and soul in your blog or website, you may even be able to earn a lot more.

So what's the deal?  Well, currently Socialspark is looking for more bloggers and website owners who wouldn't mind writing about products and making some money in the process. And to sweeten the deal, they're asking old Socialspark pros like myself, to help others get started and give me a chance and even you if you can get others to join your team quickly, to win a trip to Hawaii. How insane and sweet is that?

In addition, for everyone that's referred,  the referrer gets up to a 15 % commission.  Sweet! I get paid, you get paid, we all get paid, when we become a part of this!

Okay, so here's the real deal. For me this Hawaii vacation, would be the dream of a lifetime, because I would really like to treat my family to a real vacation, something that's never happened and before the kids are grown. Of course the trip is only for two, but I'm thinking if I can beat out the other competition and get enough people referred, I can use the commissions to take my entire family to Hawaii!

So who's ready to join my team and how does it work? Well, first, you need to be a blogger, whether it be with a free blogging service like the one I use, or a website you own that includes a blog. Then, once you submit your blog link to them, you're ready to get started. You'll find that all of the articles are based on a point system, but don't worry, those points actually equal dollars. For example, 1, 200 points = $12.00 and so forth. Pretty simple stuff if you ask me.

Okay, so now that you know more about this great program/opportunity,what do you say? Do you want to be a part of my team and get in on the deal of a lifetime? If so, let's get started!


Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter.



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Chex Party Mix Giveaway!

And the Winner is ToyStory of Virginia.

Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway and be sure to check back for more giveaways!


It's time for another giveaway, this time sponsored by General Mills and Myblogspark.

I'm a tad bit late running this contest due to the insane holidays. So, I'll be making this a 24 hr giveaway to one lucky reader of mine!

But first, let me tell you, I love this prize pack. As you can see from the photo at the right, I received:

1. A box of Chex
2. A set of measuring cups
3. A Chex Party mix tote bag that closes by a zipper

Now I'll be quite honest here, the kids got to the cereal before I could attempt to make the party mix, but hey at least we know just how much the kiddos love Chex! And the measuring cups have already been put to good use when my oldest son created his famous mocktails for family at Christmas.




So now that you've seen how we put our Chex mix goody pack to good use, how will you put yours? If you want to win it, simply leave me a comment on this post with your email address. If you want a second chance at winning, just follow me on twitter and let me know in a comment on this post that you've followed me. Want a third chance to win? Just tweet, facebook or blog about my giveaway and leave the link in a comment on this post.

Three easy ways to win, but hurry because this giveaway ends at 6pm Central Standard Time Thursday January 6th, 2011. Open to U.S Residents Only. Good luck.




Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter and you visit her official website at www.theinsanewriter.com.



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Win an Old El Paso Taco Kit!

This giveaway has ended. Please feel free to visit my blog again for more future giveaways.


The Winner of the Old El Paso Taco Kit is Karin! thanks to all who entered my giveaway!


Ask anyone that knows me well, and they can tell you that I have an absolute passion for Mexican food. So of course, it's really no surprise that Tacos are on our family's menu at least once a month if not more. So when I was offered the chance to receive an Old El Paso Taco Kit courtesy of Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark.

In my kit was:

• 1 package of Old El Paso's original and well-known taco seasoning
• 1 Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish
• 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes
• a $10 gift card to purchase the items needed to make the tacos or any other Mexican dish I may decide on.

Here's a photo to give you a good idea of what I received:So what do you think? Doesn't it look fun and tasty? Well okay, want a kit of your own? You're in luck! Thanks to Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark I'm able to giveaway one Old El Paso Taco Kit to one of my readers. It will of course include the same as what I received, so you can enjoy a delicious Mexican meal of your own. In order to win the taco kit, you'll need to leave me a comment with your email address and you must have a United states address. Simple and Easy, just like taco night!

This giveaway ends Saturday December 17th at 5pm Central Time Zone. Good Luck!

A 24 hour Grilling Giveaway With Lawry's

10/23/10 And the Winner is Russell Hills of Nampa, Idaho. Thank you to all who entered! I'm hoping to have more contests again soon!!!


Recently I was given the chance to review Lawry's new seasoning blends and marinades. It was pretty darn cool because I received two marinades: Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ and Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato, four seasoning mixes: Asian Style Beef & Broccoli, Chimichurri Burrito Casserole, Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken and Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil and a bottle of Lawry's famous seasoned salt. I also received a pyrex baking/marinating dish with cover big enough to serve a casserole in and a set of skewers for the grill.

I have tried both the Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken and Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil seasoning mix in a turkey pot roast which turned out really yummy and a chicken dish, which was just a delicious. The pyrex dish was put to good use in the oven and is so much better than trying to scrub a metal baking dish. Plus better for the environment in my opinion.

I haven't had time to try the marinades or other seasonings, but I am very sure they're just as good as the two I did get to try.

Now, here's the really good news, I am able to giveaway the very same items I received from Lawry's to one of my readers thanks to Lawry's and MyBlogSpark.

Want to win it? I'll make it simple. Just leave me a comment on this post with your email address and I will randomly draw a winner. Contest is only open to US residents and ends October 21st, 2010 at 7:30pm Central Standard Time. Good Luck!






Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter and you visit her official website at www.theinsanewriter.com.



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Wanna Enjoy Dinner With Wanchai Ferry

Not too long ago I got the privilege of enjoying Wanchai Ferry's Beef and Broccoli for two thanks to Wanchai Ferry and Myblogspark. Check out the photo to the right.
The complete Beef & Broccoli kit is ready in just 14 minutes and includes beef strips, Asian-style vegetables, broccoli florets, red peppers and water chestnuts. It also includes rice and a sauce. Doesn't it sound delicious? Now even though it was plenty for two people, I turned this great frozen meal kit into enough for 3 people by adding a little more broccoli.

The results of the meal were fairly good with a few concerns of the sauce being a little on the sweet side, but our family isn't big into a lot of sugary foods, so that's probably why. But, other than that, the beef was tender and the broccoli was yummy!

now the one thing I've noticed about many international dishes, their loaded with MSG, but not Wanchai Ferry's meals. They're MSG free. Now here's some more awesome news, not only can you enjoy their Beef and Broccoli kit, you can also try their Kung Pao Chicken and Szechuan Style Chicken. And soon to come there will be five more flavors joining their line including Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken.

Ready for even more awesome news? Wanchai Ferry and Myblogspark wants to give you your own Beef and Broccoli kit in the form of a VIP coupon and two green tea sets, which include loose green tea, tea cups and tea balls. How insane is that?

Wanna Win? Just leave me a comment in this post and you're automatically in the drawing. I'll then announce a winner Tuesday July 6th. This contest is only open to U.S. residents. Please be sure to leave your email, otherwise I won't be able to get a hold of you if you're my winner. Good Luck and have a safe 4th of July.

And We Have a Winner

The winner of my Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt Prize Pack is, Kristie of Kristie's Notes. And please remember, just because you weren't a winner doesn't mean you still can't snag a coupon for a free sample of the yogurt. All you need to do is go to my Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt Prize Pack post and click on the form at the bottom of the post to get your free coupon.

Better hurry, the freebie is only limited to my first 30 readers!



Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter and you visit her official website at www.theinsanewriter.com.WomenFreebies.com - Enter to Win Royal Secret II Perfume

Win a Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt Prize Pack

Our kids love yogurt. But, they're also picky about flavors, which is why Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt is awesome. And of course they're also handy for on the go since you don't need a spoon, and believe me we're always on the go so it's perfect.

So, when I was offered the chance to try out Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt's Goodie Pack courtesy of Yoplait and Myblogspark, I had to say yes!

And when I received my goodie pack I was thrilled to find:

• A coupon for a free 8 count package of Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt
• a travel size Etch a Sketch, which the kids loved using on our last camping trip
• A weekly organizer that contains 3 different stick note designs, a memo pad, weekly note pad and accordion envelope
• a seat back organizer, which I could easily turn into a writing station for road trips.
  

Whew that's a lot of goodies!

The coupon we could actually use at Wal-mart this time, without any problems, and of course the kids enjoyed ever bit if the yogurt. The cool thing was, we discovered we could freeze the yogurt for a real treat on hot days like today.

But, even cooler is the fact that one of my readers is going to get a chance to win the very same Yoplait Go-Gurt goodie pack that I received.

All you need to do to win is:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me how you found my blog
   
2. Tell me why you want to win.
   
3. Don't forget to leave me your email address.

This contest ends Friday, May 7th, 2010 at 3pm Central Standard Time and is open to USA residents only. Good Luck! Also, the coupon offer for free Simply… Go-Gurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

And if you just can't wait for the contest, my first 30 readers can just click on the "Try it Free" tab below for a coupon for a free 8 count pack of Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt. Thanks Yoplait and MyBlogSpark for making this so far the best year ever for our kids!

And the Winner of the MagnaPods is......

Taryn of Speckled Sunshine.

A big thank you to all that entered the contest and a big thank you to MagnaPods for providing me with the chance to give a set of these to one of my readers!

I hope to be able to do more giveaways for my insane readers in the near future. In the meantime, I'll be posting some writing and some book reviews, so please feel free to drop back by!





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Win a MagnaPods Cosmetic Organizer and Toothbrush Holder!

Last week I received a package in the mail from www.magnapods.com that contained a magnapods cosmetic organizer with 3 different organizers and a toothbrush holder. What are magnapods, you may be asking. Well, they’re these great little organizers that magnetically attach to the inside of your medicine cabinet.

Now first off I must say, I’m impressed with the magnetic power of each of the organizers. They stay put even when you fill them up! Another insane thing about this product is has adjustable dividers that can be removed so your items can fit in the space perfectly.

And of course you don’t have to use it just for cosmetics. As you can see from my photos I added hair pins, barrettes, essential oils and other odds and ends that were lying around my bathroom sink and in my medicine cabinet to one of the organizers.

Now, I did receive a toothbrush holder as well, but it’s not in use simply because the toothbrushes our family uses are battery operated and bigger than a regular toothbrush.

Update on the toothbrush organizer: Here is a photo showing it used inside a medicine cabinet by placing it sideways, even with adjustable shelves. And if you have a sliding door medicine cabinet you could place it on the outside of it.

Also, if you have sliding doors on your bathroom medicine cabinets the cosmetic organizers will only work outside of it. Our kids’ bathroom has sliding doors, so we could only use these organizers in ours. There is some good news however!

I discovered that the magnapods are perfect for garage and office odds and ends like screws, nails, push pins, pens, pencils, paperclips etc. These would be great for your kids school lockers to store pens, pencils, chapstick and even a small comb. So I’m thinking I’m going to send a few of these with my two oldest kids to school for their lockers!

Okay, here’s what you’ve been waiting for! Thanks to Magnapods, I am able to giveaway the very same items I received to one lucky reader! So you can win the cosmetic organizer and toothbrush holder just like mine!

Ready to win?

1) Simply leave me a comment and tell me how MagnaPods’ products can make your day! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re a winner.

2)Want a second chance to win? Just Follow me on Twitter and let me know in a comment that you did. Two great products, two great chances to win!

Contest ends Monday March 1st, 2010 at 10:30am! You must have a U.S. address to ship the items to in order to win. Good Luck!

And the Winner of the Yoplait Pack is......

BlackRose of Copperas Cove, Texas. Thank You to all who entered my contest for the Yoplait Summer Cool Down Pack. I'm hoping to have more contests available soon! In the mean time, I'll be updating my blog a little more often now that life has slowed down a bit! HA! Who am I kidding about the slowing down! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Guess What I won!!!

Not too long ago I found out that I was one of the winners of the Yoplait Yogurt's Prize Pack over at Gena's Yummy, Yummy, Yummy Blog. I love yogurt and I'm especially in love with Yoplait's whips, so when I found out I was a winner I was ecstatic.

Of course it didn't hurt that I not only won free yogurt, I also won a stationary set from Yoplait, complete with a pen and stick pads! The set is really cute and since I'm a writer I'm loving it! Of course I'm a little worried about the drooling that's bound to happen once I'm out and about using this cute set!

Here's a snapshot of what I've won! I want to thank Gena for sharing this contest with her readers and Yoplait for offering these free goodies.

And the Winner Is....

The winner of the FREE Gilden Tree All natural beauty products is Gena of Visions of Life: A Journey Towards Health and Wealth.

I want to thank everyone for entering the contest and I especially want to thank Gilden Tree for making this contest possible.

If you have not already visited Gilden Tree's website, please do so. They have some fantasic products that won't harm your skin or Mother Nature!

Last Chance to Win Free All Natural Beauty Products!

Looks like I'm a little behind on blogging. It's been somewhat of a busy week now that hubby has been laid off.

Don't forget tomorrow is the last day you can enter my contest for the FREE Gilden Tree All natural beauty products. Tuesday I will draw a winner and let the winner know from there. Although it might be late this would make a wonderful Mother's Day Gift or birthday gift!

Win Free all Natural Hand Cream and Cuticle Salve

I'm sponsoring a free contest for Duo New Nourishing Hand Cream and Hand, Nail & Cuticle Salve by GildenTree.com and you can win it!

The prize package includes a tube of Gilden Tree's Duo New Nourishing Hand Cream and a tube of Hand, Nail & Cuticle Salve, which will come in an organza bag.

This contest will run for 2 weeks starting Monday April 2oth and ending Monday May 4th. If there are any entries before then they will be void. The reason I am posting this contest before then is because I will be offline job hunting and will not have access to the internet.

You can enter the contest by simply leaving a comment on this post and telling me why you want to win this product and how you found my blog. Don't forget to leave a valid email address so I know how to get a hold of you if you're a winner.


If you have a blog or website and you want a second chance at winning, in addition to leaving the comment, blog about it with the links and text anchor The Insane Writer is Sponsoring a free contest for Duo New Nourishing Hand Cream and Hand, Nail & Cuticle Salve by GildenTree.com. Please do not edit the links or the text anchor because I will have to void your entry if you do. Once you've blogged your 2nd entry, leave a comment on this post with the link to your blog's entry post.

If you're a winner I will notify you by Tuesday May 5th. If I don't hear from you within 24 hours I will draw another name for the prize. Good Luck!

By the way this would make a wonderful gift for Mother's Day!

I need a New Laptop

I have a chance to win a new laptop. For those of you who already know, my laptop is going downhill really fast. This would be a wonderful Mother's Day aside from seeing my boys.

So far we're still without income, so we're hanging by a thread and my hubby is now pacing the floor. What he was promised in pay was incorrect and he has yet to receive an unemployment check due to his job applying as well as him.

My only source of income is my laptop. It's what pays the bills for the most part. When this peice of junk crashes I won't have any income coming in anymore. A few days ago my laptop told me it was low on virtual memory. Lately it's been making a squeaking noise which means the fan is going out. I've sprayed it, cleaned it, tried repairing everything, it still hasn't helped. If I move my laptop in any way it crashes because the plug unit is loose from overheating once again. The cooling pad I have isn't helping. It's time I retired this laptop before it's too late.

If you have a moment please look to the right of this page. You'll see a button that says Mom of All Bloggers Nominate. I would love for you to nominate me so I can win a new laptop. It doesn't cost anything and I would be very greatful.

Thank You!

Win a Hybrid Car

With the economy as it is right now, it would be nice to have a vehicle that is not only reasonable on gas, but also easy on the environment. Right now Charter cable is giving away a new Honda Civic Hybrid just for registering with them or buying their services.

The only downfall to this terrific contest is, you must be in a Charter services area to win! There are no Charter services around here, so I am hoping one of my reader's wins! That would be so awesome!

Here are the Car's Details:
Polished Metal Metallic (My favorite color, damn them!)
Up to 45 mpg highway (I wish our truck would get this!)
Fabric interior (Warm in the winter and cool in the summer!)
USB Audio Interface (Nice!!!!!!)
110-hp, 8 valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylider engine (Guy Talk!)
Continuously variable transmission (See above!)
MP3 Auxiliary Input Jack (My hubby would find this cool!)

Okay, so to be honest I’ve never used Charter services and know nothing of what they are like. And as many places as I have lived, you would think, some freakin’ area would have Charter, but nope! I haven’t heard anything bad about them, however. Sooooo that’s good news!

Now, one thing. If you win, can you at least let me know. Leave a comment or something, please! I would love to know if you won the car!

Win John Chow's Stolen Cash

Don't you just love contests? I know I do. Even if I am not a winner, contests are always fun to enter. Take for instance, John Chow's post on Blog Word Expo -Win Cash Money. This is the second contest for winning cash money with him and Market Leverage. This time however, he's teaming up with JoeTech.com or maybe Joetech's teaming up with him? Hmmm.

It also seems, John Chow has been up to no good for his readers by stealing money from the Cashinator when no one was looking.lol In total from all of his efforts and Joe Tech's efforts someone will be winning $67! How insane is that?

If you want in on the deal, just head over to John Chow's blog and tell him so. Then if you really want in on the deal, just blog about it.

Free Vegan Beauty Products

I am always looking for new and delish products, so when WordVixen of Quest to Write, shared this contest on her blog and twitter, I just had to check it out. Yummy. Coffee and Kahlua lip balm... And it's Vegan! No animal fats. So very awesome. Plus there are soaps.... I love natural products.

But the real reason for this contest is because the government (don't you love that word!)is trying to pass a law that would put small beauty product companies out of business. How very nice of them! Want more info? Check out the Indie Business Blog.

If you want to enter the contest and help out a great cause, visit The Vegan Skincare Product Contest Link or check out the Vegan Skincare product page and get yourself some fabulous beauty products before the government says, NO! NO! NO!

My New IPOD Shuffle!

A little over a week ago I won an Apple gift card from Brickfish.com. I used that gift card to buy an IPOD shuffle for my husband and one for me. Well, the IPOD shuffles finally arrived!!! Here's what our IPOD shuffles look like. My husband's is exactly like mine. Same color and style. So far he's loving his. I have yet to be able to try out mine. I am hoping I can upload songs and try it out when I walk the kids to school and pick them up this Friday!