Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

freebie

Portable North Pole!

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It’s that time of year again – time for Portable North Pole! If you’ve got a child, niece, nephew, grandchild – you name it – you simply must check it out.

Portable North Pole (PNP) is a free video message from Santa for kids (and adults). It brings the magic of Christmas to a computer near you! Users can have Santa say their child’s name, open a book with their child’s photo, trace the route from the North Pole to their child’s home and let them know what Santa will be putting under the tree at Christmas. All with a few mouse clicks!

The video is magnificent. Your children will honestly believe that Santa is talking directly to them, I promise. I raced through the process with Ryder’s details, and less than 5 minutes later I had a fun, personalized message from St. Nick himself – irrefutable evidence that there is a Santa Claus! I love that there are different messages tailored to children of all ages – even grownups – making it fun and relevant for everyone in your family.

Want to check out Ryder’s video? Click here – I promise, you’ll be inspired to create your own.

The best part? It’s completely FREE. You can have the message delivered directly to a recipient or to your own inbox for sharing. It’s definitely a must-do!

Click here to create a PNP message from Santa.

LMD: Beach Towel Giveaway!

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

I’ve decided to take a break from my Summer Beauty & Fashion Event to let y’all know about a neat little freebie that I think you’ll love – and give you a chance to win, too!

Now who doesn’t love seeing those little promotional tabs on cereal boxes? I sure do! And since our house is packed with cereal fans, I always check to see if I can get extra bang for my buck. Well, for a limited time, here’s a neat little promo that has summer written all over it!

Our good friends at Life Made Delicious would like to offer you a FREE limited edition beach towel, featuring iconic characters and patterns, when you purchase a specially marked box of participating General Mills cereals. Then, simply look for the code printed on the inside of your cereal box (looks like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX) and enter the code at www.lifemadedelicious.ca/freetowel.

You can have fun choosing the design that tickles your fancy, or you have the option of donating your towel to a deserving child through the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation (LOVE that!).

Here are the featured designs:

I don’t know about you, but I can always use some Lucky Charms!


As a Life Made Delicious Connector, I have the awesome privilege of offering a sweet prize to one lucky reader. The General Mills giveaway pack is valued at approximately $50 and includes three (3), 60” x 30” limited edition General Mills beach towels!

To enter, find your favourite easy summer recipe at Life Made Delicious and leave a comment here, telling us what it is.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) NEW Follow Listen to Lena! on Twitter
(4) “Like” Life Made Delicious on Facebook
(5) Follow Life Made Delicious on Twitter
(6) Tweet daily: Please use this General Mills Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on August 7th. Good luck everybody!

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Chocolate Cheerios! (YES! CHOCOLATE!)

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EDIT: Redeem Your Coupon TODAY Peeps!

It’s no surprise that Cheerios + Chocolate is a winning combination. In fact, Ryder – who regularly shuns every breakfast cereal imaginable in favour of his beloved O’s – literally fell off his chair when I placed a bowl of the chocolatey goodness in front of him.

(In case you’re wondering, one of the perks of being a Life Made Delicious Connector is advanced enjoyment of General Mills treats – therefore we’ve been enjoying Chocolate Cheerios chez Lena for the last few weeks!)

Just a few reasons your mouth should be watering:

– Naturally flavoured with real cocoa, whole grains, and only 9g of sugar per serving
– Is a source of fibre and is low in fat
– Tastes Delicious!!! (of course)

Want to try them for yourself? Of course you do! For a limited time, try Chocolate Cheerios for FREE through WebSaver.ca. You’ll have to sign up for a free account and choose at least three (3) coupons (won’t be difficult, I’m sure!)

Then, for ONE DAY ONLY – June 21st, 2011 – everyone will be able to redeem their coupon for a free box of Chocolate Cheerios.

And, don’t forget to check out Life Made Delicious for easy recipes your whole family will love.

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Everyone Needs Ziploc Bags, Right?

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Sure we do! And, if you’ve got a No Frills grocery store close by, you can get them for… FREE!

This week, the No Frills Ontario flyer advertises Ziploc sandwich bags (100’s) and freezer bags (15’s and 20’s) for just $2 – a savings of $1.67 off their regular price.

(It’s also their $1, $2, $3 Sale – they’re got some awesome name brands on sale for cheeeap!)

Visit Right at Home and you’ll find a coupon for $4 off when you buy any two (2) Ziploc brand products… making the bags absolutely free. To access the coupon, you’ll need to create a free profile and be connected to a printer.

Now there has been some concern about No Frills not accepting printed coupons, but I did some research and made a few calls. You should know:

It is No Frills policy to accept manufacturer’s coupons, including those printed on the Internet. However, from time to time, a location is hit with an influx of fraudulent coupons (easy to fake if they’re printed from a computer) and will temporarily disallow Internet coupons for a specific product. BUT, No Frills cannot turn away a printed coupon for a product that is not currently under scrutiny.

I received this information from the No Frills Customer Service line this morning. The rep then transferred me to my local store so that I could confirm the location was accepting Ziploc printed coupons – I was told they were. I took down the name of the person I spoke to and printed 5 coupons :) That’s 10 bags free for me!

I know it seems like a lot of effort for plastic bags, but I went through the extra steps so that I could blog this deal with peace of mind that readers should not be turned away for redeeming the coupon. Don’t forget: if your local No Frills is sold out, you can grab a flyer and price match the deal (and use the coupons) at Wal-Mart.

Picaboo: FREE(-ish) Large Custom Photo Book

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Special thanks to Tammi over at My Organized Chaos – she gave me the heads up about this awesome little promo!

If you’re a new customer to Picaboo, enter coupon code FREECC for a FREE(-ish) Classic Custom Photobook (you’ll just have to pay shipping, which is between $10-12 CDN). The Custom Photobooks normally retail for $40 (with a large hardcover), and based on several reviews, they’re supposed of excellent quality and are overall very beautifully done.

Simply design your book using Picaboo’s free software, and use the coupon code when you order your 8.5″ x 11″ Classic Custom book by March 22nd. The total cost of your book (including up to 20 pages) will be deducted from your order total. If you add more than 20 pages, the extra page cost will be $0.99 per page.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner… what a perfect gift!

Click here to visit Picaboo.

Toronto FabFind: Win Leafs Tix!

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Ho Ho Ho!

FabFind is in the Christmas spirit – and raffling off TWENTY (20) pairs of FREE Gondola Suite tickets to see Leafs vs. Capitals on April 5th at the ACC (Value $590)!

LOVE today’s write up:

“We asked our office chimp, George, to plan our holiday party this year. We gave him a healthy budget. We told him he was not allowed to hire stripping Santas. And we made it clear that we wanted the event to be festive. So what does the chimp do with our credit card? He goes out and buys a suite for a Leafs game and tells us that he’s giving away the tickets. For free. When we asked if we were at least getting eggnog, he said, “No, you’re getting Ovechkin.” Fair enough.

So there you have it, the sweetest gift a chimp can muster: 20 pairs of free Leafs tickets. Since a whole lotta people want these tickets and we only have a limited amount to give, we’ve decided the fairest thing to do is allow everyone to claim a free lottery ticket and let the puck fall where it may. At 9 pm tonight, we will be randomly selecting and announcing 20 lottery numbers. If you hear your number, you are officially entitled to shed tears of joy. If you come up empty, we expect you’ll arrive at our office at 1 am and attempt to pelt us with waffles. Such is life when you’re a giver.

On behalf of everyone at FabFind, we’d like to thank you for being an amazing customer. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. Peace, love, and prosperity. Now go get your free lottery ticket!”

Click here to grab your lottery ticket – hurry! Only about 9000 left at 7:45am. Thanks FabFind!

Shoppers Drug Mart v.i.b.

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If you’ve got a new baby or one on the way, chances are that you’ll (happily) accept all the help you can get. Whether you receive frozen casseroles, a pass from diaper duty or even a voucher for a relaxing prenatal/postpartum massage, accept all these gifts happily – you totally deserve them!

Shoppers Drug Mart wants to reward you – and your new baby – with the v.i.b. (Very Important Baby) program. When you become a v.i.b. member, you’ll receive Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points (which always come in handy!), exclusive offers on trusted brands and helpful advice on health and wellness for you and your baby (or baby to be!).

The perks of this program are huge! If you’re currently pregnant, be sure to sign up toute suite: you’ll receive a wonderful New Baby Gift Pack when your baby is born, which includes:

Aveeno Baby Fragrance Free Daily Lotion (29 mL)
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash (59 mL)
Johnson’s Head to Toe Body Wash (29 mL)
Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes
Huggies Pure & Natural Newborn Diapers (Package of 3)
v.i.b Bib
… and more!

Then, the program grows with your child – each v.i.b. member stays connected with content relevant to your child’s life stage, exclusive Optimum offers and hot deals on baby products through their e-newsletters. You’ll also receive a cute little card on your baby’s first birthday :)

I LOVE this program! During Ryder’s first few months of life, I can’t tell you how many times I had one-on-ones with my Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist. Teething. Drug reactions. Fever. Gassiness. They are baby experts! And with many Shoppers Drug Marts open til midnight or 24 hours, a pharmacist is always there to help.

You can also WIN with the v.i.b program – sign up to be a v.i.b member between November 3rd and December 1st and you could win 1 of 50, $50 Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards*! PLUS as a new member you’ll receive 2500 points the next time you purchase any Pampers diaper products!

Here’s the fine print:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Visit www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/babycontest for full contest details and information on how to enter without a purchase. Approximate retail value of prize is $50. Chances of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Correct answer to skill-testing question required to be declared a winner. Must be a Canadian resident and age of majority or older in province or territory of residence. Valid Shoppers Optimum Card® required to participate. Contest ends December 1st, 2010.

What are you waiting for mommies? Join now!

I am participating in the Shoppers Drug Mart v.i.b program by Mom Central on behalf of Shoppers Drug Mart. I received a gift card and a new baby gift pack as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

OOAK Art Show Toronto: Win a Pair of Tix!

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Tired of hearing me go on about the One of A Kind Christmas show? Here’s your chance to win a pair of tickets!

Courtesy of Bamboo Lily, you too can take in an endless selection of distinctive, handcrafted items created by talented artists and local craftspeople. You’ll probably bump into me – we can shop together!

Simply leave a comment on this post telling us which artisans you’d like to check out this year. (Click here for a list of exhibitors.)

Don’t trust your luck? You can also save $3 off the price of admission when you purchase online and enter code ADjk97x – once again, compliments of Lillian Chiu @Bamboo Lily!

(Don’t forget to ENTER TO WIN a personalized baby blanket… just scroll down!)

I’ll draw for a winner on November 20th. Good luck everybody – see you at the show…

Changes…

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I hate change. I am officially not tolerant of ambiguity. I’d rather watch movies I’ve already seen, re-read favourite books than crack open a new one, and order the same dish at a local restaurant. However, I’ve learned over the last few years that change is not only to be expected; it is constant.

So I’m coping, probably better than expected. And although I really haven’t learned to welcome change, I am certainly embracing it on a weekly, daily, and sometimes hourly basis (those are usually bad days).

When I started Listen to Lena!, it was simply a central place to post some sales that I thought my girlfriends would be interested in. The deals were specific to the likes and consumption patterns of the circle, and generally featured makeup, fashion, and some parenting deals.

Then, through word of mouth, the blog grew in readership (nice). All of a sudden I had readers e-mailing me with tips, questions, and praise for my efforts. It was gravy, and I pushed to publish more deals, established a review component, and pretty soon, a giveaway feature as well. And that’s how things have been for the past year or so.

Well, a lot has happened in the past year. And without going into the details of my daily responsibilities (Google “Mom” and you’ll figure it out) I’ve decided that I need to relax some aspects of my blogging life so that I can find more time for myself. On the chopping block? Daily deals.

Now I’m not abandoning this aspect totally, because as a frugal mama, I live for the sales, coupons and freebies. But I’m reverting back to the original Listen to Lena! format, which includes posting only those deals that I wanna chat about; the sales that make me want to write a story. How I love writing stories! So here’s fair warning: going forward, you’ll see far fewer deals and more personal entries for the ones that I do showcase.

Does that mean you won’t get your daily fix of sales? No way. I’ve been sourcing out websites over the past few weeks that I feel comfortable referring my readers to. Of course you’ve probably heard of Red Flag Deals and Smart Canucks, and while they’re a valuable resource for deals, the layout can be very busy. So unless you’ve been waiting for a sale on Raid Ant Traps (and have a coupon for it that would make it $0.39!) it’s not always pleasing to navigate through them.

Then I came across Canadian Daily Deals, an awesome new blog that takes the best deals and dishes them out in an uncomplicated, simple to read format. A bonus? The author, Justine, posts the kind of sales that interest me and talk to the shopping habits of many of my readers. I’ve been following her for a few weeks, and noticed that her sales are posted before RFD and SC get a hold of them – which makes me confident that she’s got the scoop on how to save you money! And, be sure to tune in throughout the day, as she updates her blog as the deals roll in.

So once again, this isn’t the end of Listen to Lena!, nor will I cease to post some of the hottest deals. But you will see changes – a different direction if you will – and I’m taking it back to Blogging 101. You’ll see more personal accounts, reviews, random rants, tips for saving money, etc. You know, more reasons to Listen to Lena.

In my next post, I’ll introduce you to Justine and Canadian Daily Deals. In the meantime, why not link over to her site – today she’s already posted some pretty sweet deals!

Click here to visit Canadian Daily Deals.

p.s. Show here some love by following her!