Product Review of Pratico Kitchen's Bamboo Cutting Board

 I was provided this product for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and images are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.  Disclosure Statement.

This is one item I've been needing for quite some time. So, when I was given the opportunity to test and review it, I jumped on it! When I ordered it I saw the dimensions, but I guess I didn't pay much attention to them, because when it came I couldn't believe how big it really is! This thing is huge....big enough to put my 17" laptop on if I wanted to, as it's 18" wide!

It has a flat side and the other side has a nice deep groove in it for liquid to have a place to go other than your counter or whatever surface you are using it on. That's quite helpful, as I've been using a glass top cutting board for awhile. My thinking with glass was that it was more sanitary than wood, and would last longer. However, I can't stand the way my knife sounds against the glass, it has no drip tray, and it dulls my knives.

Besides the fact that this bamboo cutting board from Pratico is huge, has a deep juice groove, it also is toxin free! That is a nice added plus, because a lot of cutting boards have stains or varnishes on them that are not voc free, are full of toxins that not only smell, but also can leach into any food that is placed on it. No worries with that here. It also has natural anti-bacterial properties as well, which makes me feel a lot safer about using a wooden item in my kitchen.

This board is made from moso bamboo, and I have other products made from moso, and they are beautiful, and are great quality. So, I am sure this board will last many years. Speaking of that, Pratico Kitchen has a "no hassle lifetime warranty". So should anything ever go wrong with this board, or I am not satisfied, I don't have to worry about it.

Some may not realize this, but bamboo is actually not wood, but a wood-like product. It is from the grass family, but has properties of wood. However, the sustainability of bamboo is an enormous benefit. There are over 1500 types of bamboo, but Moso is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It grows almost 20 inches per day with an average final height of approximately 60-70 feet. Because each pole has several shoots that grow from it, it self-propogates, creating new poles every year. There is no deforestation, as when they harvest annually, they typically keep 20-25% of the bamboo to continue to grow. It reaches it's full maturity around 4-5 years of age.....meaning that is how long it takes for the pole to reach the hardness density of hardwood. Oak takes at least 50+ years to mature which is why it's so costly. Bamboo products help our environment, and create much stronger products for us to use in our homes. Whenever I am able, and have the opportunity to purchase a bamboo product, I do. If you are in the market for a new cutting board, or possibly a gift for someone, take a look at this one.

Thanks for stopping by, and please feel free to stay awhile and look around if you have time.  You can also learn how to test and review products for free or nearly free by clicking here.  Disclosure statement.

Travel Pet Bowls by ForDogPremium Product Review

I was given the opportunity to test these Travel Pet Bowls at a discount by ForDogPremium. This post may also contain affiliate links. Disclosure Statement.

As someone who has had pets most of her life, there have been many times I wish I had some travel bowls. These Travel Pet Bowls by ForDogPremium are so handy! They are all the same size, and are made for small to medium sized dogs. The measurements are 5" wide x 2" deep, and collapse to half an inch when folded up. They are simple to use, as you just push in on them. I found that you can do that either direction too, so there's no wrong way to use them! As you can see in the image above, the bowls don't even have to be 2" deep if you don't need or want that much room.

Another great feature is that they can completely collapse! That means, they are super easy, and convenient to take anywhere.  They also have a little heart shaped cut out on the tabs so you can hang them if you want to, or clip them to the outside of a backpack if needed.

Another cool feature I found, is that they can even hold a curved shape if you need them to.

 My pup took to them right away. :) They have no odor at all, which is great, cause he really dislikes the smell of rubber, and will avoid it at all costs.

He wasn't done eating his food, so I emptied the bowl with water in it, and put it on top of the bowl with the food, and they fit. Not air tight probably, but snug enough that I don't think ants would've been able to get in and have a picnic.

It's the time of year when the weather is so nice, and we love to be outside. We have two huge maple trees that our friends, family and neighbors love to sit out under, and our pup loves to be out there with us. We go on lots of walks, car rides, camping, and to the parks, so these will really come in handy to take with us anywhere.  Oh, and because these are made from food grade silicone, you could even freeze some water or coconut water in them if you are going to be outside. Makes a great treat for your pet on a hot day! *If you use coconut water, make sure you use 100% coconut water, and not the kind that has added sugar.

I almost forgot to mention, one thing I was impressed with, and frankly was a bit concerned with because they are lightweight, is whether they would hold up on a windy day.  I am happy to say that they do, and THEY DID!  The day I took these photos, it was a super windy day here, and they never budged at all, even when empty. So, they are a good weight, and I'm very pleased with them.

The bowls, are nestable, collapsible, and are made from 100% food grade silicone. They are BPA free, dishwasher safe, come with a 1 year 100% money back guarantee, and a welcome item in our household. All communication I've had with this company has been handled very professional, and they are quick to answer any questions.
If you are looking for a new set of bowls or travel bowls for your pets, I recommend giving these a try.  If you click on the image below, it will take you to the Amazon page to read more information about them, and see what other people have to say as well.

Thank you for stopping by, and please stay and take a look around my blog if you have time. You can also learn how to test products for free, or nearly free by clicking here.
Disclosure statement.

Pratisphere Ice Molds Product Review

I was given the opportunity to test these Pratico Ice sphere molds, and part of that honor is posting a reviw on my blog. This post may also contain affiliate links. Disclosure Statement.

These ice sphere molds from Pratico Kitchen are a lot of fun to make.  I've been having a blast creating new designs with them.  As you can see in the above image, they are beautiful all on their own, but there are so many different designs you can make with these.  Think of them as creative ice art.  :)

One of the biggest benefits to these 2.5" spheres, is they keep your drinks cold
without watering them down.  So far, with my testing, these last around 4 hours. I plan on making a bunch of these up to keep in the freezer.  My pup also loves these!  I use 100% organic coconut water for his spheres, and he gets a nice cool, healthy treat and toy to play with for a little while. So cute!  I really must get a photo of him playing with one!

We have some edible flowers around our house, so I grabbed a couple.  Did you know columbine flowers are edible? Seem too pretty to eat! Just one clover, and one columbine in each sphere mold to see how they would look. I wasn't sure what would happen to them, but decided to take a chance.

You can see the clover peeking out of the center hole. 

After they were done, I opened up the molds. Look how pretty they came out! So simple, yet so beautiful. I also had done some blueberries and cranberries to see how they would look. The columbine flower came out amazing!

The designs you can create are unlimited. This would be a great project for kids to do at the beginning of class at school, and they'd be ready by lunch or shortly after. Would also be fun for a birthday party for any age. Just make sure you have at least 4 hours for them to freeze completely.  The floral ones would be so pretty for a bridal shower or wedding reception too!  Please make sure to use organic, edible flowers.

I have quite a few design projects up my sleeves, and I can't wait to try them out.  I will update this post with more photos as I get the materials to do them.  ;)

This particular set by Pratico Kitchen comes with 4 individual ice cube trays, which is great and saves time when you are trying to make a bunch of them up to keep on hand or for a party.

If you would like to purchase this set, please click on any of the links in this blog post or the image shown below.
 

 

I was given this product to test in exchange for my honest review.  Disclosure Statement.

Test and Review Products with AmazingDealsGroup

AmazingDealsGroup (ADG),  is a site that brings reviewers and sellers together.  You like to leave reviews for products you've purchased, and they have sellers who need honest reviewers for their products. It's a win-win for both!  In the interest of full disclosure, there are affiliate links and referral links within this post. The referral link is one I've been given, but receive no monetary benefit from.

So, how does the site work?

ADG has what they call "Deal Coins".  When you join, you get a deal coin, and then when you share the site on twitter or facebook, you get a second deal coin.

In order to review products on the site, you need a deal coin.  If you see a product you would like to review, you click on it. If you decide you really want it, you click the continue button, and it will show you the promo code to get the item at whatever "deal" they have it listed for on the site.  It can be anywhere from FREE to whatever the company has agreed to. Typically, they seem to be FREE to a couple of dollars.

You put it into your cart on Amazon, and when you go to check out, there will be a place to enter a promo code. See example image below:

Then the best part comes......when you see the price change right before your eyes like magic:

Now remember, you start off with 2 deal coins (unless you don't share or tweet when you join), and if you choose a product to review, you now have 1 deal coin left.  You can save it to use another time, or if you see something else you are interested in, grab it!  I say that because, you never know how many of each item is available at that discounted price.  There may only be a handful or hundreds....you just don't know.

Once you receive the item in the mail, try it out, and leave a review ASAP.  Companies prefer you leave a review within a week. Sometimes you may need more time than that.  If I find I need a lot more time, then I go ahead, write my review as best I can, and then note that I will update if I find I need to. Just make sure when you write your review, that you state something to the effect of "I was able to purchase this item at a discount in exchange for my honest review" to make sure you stay within the guidelines of the site you are using, Amazon, and .COM Disclosure.

You've used up your deal coins, now what?

Once you leave a review, and submit it for verification, ADG will verify it, and you will get another deal coin back. You can use it that very instant if you wish. So, we all start out with 2 deal coins, spend them, get them back when a review is verified. Easy system!

How do I keep track of my purchases on ADG?

Your purchase history is called the "Deal Queue". You see it first when you log onto the site. The purchase history shows the items in the order they were purchased. It has the date, code used, and the amount paid.  I like that I can look at my purchase history there, and at a glance, see all the details.

Is ADG on any social sites?

ADG has a facebook page, and a twitter feed. They are active on both, but more on facebook. I highly recommend checking their facebook page often when you have deal coins available to use! Sometimes they give you a glance at what will be offered that day, other times it's good information, a sneak peek of a particular item, or are there to answer questions you may have.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a question or issue with an order, contact them directly through their site, NOT the facebook page. They'll be more than happy to help you out. That advice goes for ALL company/site pages. Try to work it out behind the scenes first. If that fails, then go public with it.
By the way, ADG has AMAZING customer service!

What kinds of things are there to review?

Here is a sampling of just some of the products I've purchased and reviewed in the last few weeks:

These items I purchased from several review sites

I've been able to review a wide variety of items.  Some are:
Headphones
Cell phone accessories
Mouse pads
Exercise equipment such as Yoga mats, towels, ab rollers, foam rollers, resistance bands, jump ropes, bicycle gloves etc.
Supplements
Essential Oils
Teas
Jewelry
Pet items
Kitchen tools such as digital food scale, water bottle with infuser, silicone tongs, silicone cupcake molds/liners, kitchen gloves, coffee grinder, wooden spoons, veggie spiralizers, mandolins, teaspoon sets etc.
Personal items such as shampoo, conditioner, face cream, face serum, derma rollers, eyelash curler, miswak club (toothbrush alternative) etc.
Household items such as chalk markers, ceiling ocean projector, waterproof cases etc.
Baby items such as teething necklaces, bamboo changing pads, crib mattress protector, bibs etc.

Now, I've only been doing this right at 2 months, and between all the sites I am using, I have been able to purchase and review 121 items as of this posting.  It's addicting!!!  So watch out!  I think I might need a self-help group for testing products and review addiction!

Things you need to know:

1.  More than one person is allowed per household. However, additional ADG accounts
    require unique Amazon accounts. ie you can't create 2 ADG accounts from just
    one Amazon account.
2. If you purchase an item, and do not leave a review, you will more than likely be
    banned from ever using the site again.
3. You cannot purchase the same item more than once (not sure if that is per
    household)
4. Having Amazon Prime is a huge benefit for product reviewers/testers FREE S/H
5. You cannot purchase or receive any items with the intention of selling them to make
    money.
6. Your promo code they give for each product is a unique code that is single use only.
    **If you happen to be a seller participating with ADG, this is a HUGE benefit for
    you since there would be no "code sharing" to worry about.
7. You will need to enter your Amazon Profile link in order for them to verify your
    review. Log into Amazon, go to account, scroll down to profile, click and copy link.
    Enter on the site where prompted under "My Profile".
8. When writing a review be HONEST, and do not just write, "Loved it, I was able to
    purchase this item at a discount in exchange for my honest review".  That won't cut
    it!
9. It's FUN, and addicting, so be prepared!

I'm ready to test products and review with ADG, where do I sign up?
You can click here, or the image at the top or bottom of this post.

Interested in joining Amazon Prime so you can get FREE Shipping? Click here for your 30 day free trial.  Want to know more about Prime, click here.  Try it for 30 days, and  see how often you use it, and if it fits your lifestyle. I now purchase just about everything there, and you can read about that in my other blog post.

Ok, so what are you waiting for? Find some products to test and review, and have a blast!

*In the interest of full disclosure, there are affiliate and referral links posted within this blog. You can read more about my disclosure policy here.

How to Review Products for FREE or at a HUGE Discount on Amazon!

Extremely Small Sample of Products I've Reviewed. Total cost $14.73! Cost on Amazon presently $154.41!!!

Have you ever wondered how some people are able to do reviews on Amazon for companies? You know what I'm talking about? You've seen the reviews where people say something like, "I was able to review this product for free...", or "I was able to review this product at a huge discount in exchange for my honest review".  I always have wondered how they got to do that. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I found out purely by accident! Someone mentioned a site they belong to in a forum I participate in every month. I joined the 2 sites they mentioned through their links, and honestly, I didn't expect very much.

THEY. ARE. AMAZING!!!  Seriously!  They are FREE to join too!

See the image at the top of this post? That is just a VERY very small sampling of items I've reviewed, and received at significant discounts. Those are the first items I reviewed in the first week I started this new venture, literally just a couple of weeks ago. The items in that photo would've cost me $154.41 if I had purchased them outright. (and that is Amazon's sale prices, not retail!) Because of these sites that are an avenue to connecting companies to reviewers, I was able to only pay $14.73! I am an extremely frugal shopper, and that even blew my capabilities out of the water, lol.  Now, some items I needed, some I wanted, and some were just plain cool. :)  Since then, I've received and reviewed over 55 items! I haven't tallied it all up yet, but I will share it in an upcoming post with more photos of products I've been lucky enough to receive at amazing prices, and many of them completely free. You just can't beat FREE!

I have since found more sites that participate in connecting people with companies that have products that they need to have reviewed. I will list them all once I get permission from all of them to do so. I am still waiting to hear back from about half of them, and I am sure I will be adding many more to my list as I find them.  If you happen to know of some I don't have listed, please let me know.

So, what are the sites?
I'm sure you are ready to see what some of these sites have to offer, so to get you started, here are three of the sites I have joined, and participate with regularly:

*AmazingDealsGroup 
*EliteDealClub
*Snagshout

If you join any of them, please let me know how you like the sites in the comment section below.

Follow The Rules

Each site has its own membership requirements, so be sure to read their Rules/TOS/FAQ's. Some rules apply for ALL of the sites, such as:

1) You MUST leave a review in a specified period of time or you will be banned from ever participating again.

2) You CANNOT purchase the same item more than once.

3) You MUST include your Amazon Profile link somewhere...either in your account where it specifies, or in some cases, per item you request to review.

4) You CANNOT share your promo code with ANYONE, EVER!!!

5) You MUST mention somewhere in your review that you received the item at a discount or for free, in exchange for your honest review.

6) You CANNOT purchase or receive any of these items with the intention of selling them to make money.

Those are just some of the rules, off the top of my head, that I know they ALL go by. I will list more, as they become apparent.  If the rules are not followed, you WILL more than likely be banned, and possibly worse.

How is all of this possible?

Well, companies need reviews. Many of the sellers of these items are new companies, or have new products.  So, they join these sites, and agree to a certain number of items to be given away, or sold at huge discounts in order to get honest reviews for their products.

Sometimes it may only be 10 items, so they go fast. Sometimes it's 500 items. Some of the sites have time limits, will give hours of when certain products will be listed that day, or some are available all the time for a certain number of days. Another site, might have it so that the seller contacts YOU if they think your reviews you've written already are good and honest enough, that they want you to review their product. They all have their own way of handling this amazingly awesome opportunity. 
Oh, and all of the sites and sellers DO check your reviews. So, don't think you can just write a few words, and be done with it. They really check! Be honest, share your opinion of the product, and have fun!

PLEASE REMEMBER:

Don't forget, you absolutely CANNOT get the same item twice....even if it's from a different site. The seller is the SAME, and the item is the SAME. So, you can't leave a review on Amazon more than once for the same item. If you try to purchase the same item from multiple sites, you will most likely get banned. You also may have to pay full price to the seller for the items you bought. It's called stealing folks! So. Just. Don't. Do. It! Got it?!

FRIENDLY WARNING :)

These sites quickly become addicting!!!  You'll find yourself checking them multiple times a day to see if something new has come on. I know I do!
 I highly recommend you follow them on twitter, and on their facebook pages so you don't miss out on anything.

I will do a little summary on each one in an upcoming post that shows the differences between them. They all have their own unique way of doing things.

What about Shipping costs?

I must tell you, that unless you are an Amazon Prime member, you would still have to pay for shipping if you choose any items to review.  Amazon Prime members literally get these items for Free (as long as the item is a Prime item, which fortunately, for me, they all have been so far), or at insanely discounted prices!  So, if you are not an Amazon Prime member yet, it's truly worth your while to consider joining. Here is a post I did on it yesterday Amazon Prime There's an Advantage You Probably Don't Know About.
If you have thought about joining Amazon Prime, or just want to check it out, here is a link to the site where you can read up on all it has to offer. Just click on the image below, or click here: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

So, are you ready to see what products these companies have for you today? What are you waiting for?!  Have fun, and please feel free to share what you've gotten from them in the comments below. :)

*Note, this post and site may contain affiliate links. I only link to sites I use personally, as I would never feel comfortable linking to something I wouldn't use myself.

Don't Miss this!!! #FGCS Is Your DREAM Hashtag for 11-30-14

Has IGC gone and lost their minds???  Looks that way! And thank goodness for us, they have! :)  If you haven't joined yet, now is the time to do so! You can join by clicking the image above, and have a chance of winning an Amazon Gift card worth $1-$10 this Sunday, November 30th.

Here's the rest of the details from their facebook page:

Did you see the part where it says an Amazon Gift Card will be given out "EVERY MINUTE"?!?!  I had to read it several times to make sure I was reading it correctly. Should be an interesting fun time!  That's A LOT of $$$ they are handing out.
Now, it doesn't say how many of each amount they are handing out, but hey, it's literally FREE $$$!  I won't turn it away!

If you aren't familiar with InstaGC, here is a blog post I did on it awhile back:
InstaGC Where ALL Gift Cards are INSTANT!

If you are already a member or are just signing up right now, make sure you post or tweet about it to be considered for the give-away!

Good luck everyone, and remember it's Teamwork That Makes the Dream Work!

instaGC Where ALL Gift Cards are INSTANT!

Have you heard of instaGC yet? Well, you have now. :)  instaGC stands for Instant Gift Cards, and this site is by far, my favorite GPT program.  GPT stands for Get Paid To. That means you do tasks, complete offers, visit websites, watch videos, do surveys, or even listen to online radio and earn points to redeem for gift cards. Now, those who know me, know that GPT sites are the places I dislike the MOST when it comes to earning money online.  Seriously, these sites are just not my thing.

However, having said that, instaGC has changed my tune! Points are easier to rack up than on any other site, in my experience. Plus, the name of the site says it all....INSTANT Gift Cards! I figured that was just some ploy to get people to join, but it really does what it says! I am still amazed that ALL of the cards are literally instant. No waiting weeks or even months like other sites for your rewards. Heck, not even a day or hours. The very moment you choose your reward, it opens in another tab with your code to use online or print it out to use in the store! Below is an example of the $1 Walmart card I redeemed this morning. YES, you can redeem at $1 for Walmart or Amazon and even for as little as $2 on some other cards!

Click image to enlarge

They also have one of the largest selection of reward cards to choose from. Amazon, American Express, Kohl's, iTunes, Minecraft, Walmart, Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings, XBox Live, Whole Foods, Yankee Candle, Netflix, Olive Garden, Playstation Network, O'Charley's, Petco, PetSmart, Starbucks, Quiznos, Overstock, Steam, Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel, Facebook, Ebay, Dunkin Donuts, GameStop and BestBuy, are just a handful of the rewards available. There's so much more to choose from!

My readers who were previous members of SuperPoints probably remember the promised sales on rewards when they did a lot of changes and increased the points needed to redeem rewards. Those sales never happened.
Well, THIS site DOES have sales and they let you know by putting a "sale" banner over the rewards. You can select how you want to view the rewards to make it easier to find what you want. For instance, I wanted to view all the "sale" cards so I chose to list only the ones on sale right now.That's a lot of cards on sale!

Click image to enlarge

 If you would rather have cash, you can also redeem for a check.  Here is what the site says about check redemptions:
"Redeem your points (100 points = $1) for a check to be mailed to your profile address. There is no fee to receive a check. Checks are manually processed within 6-48 hours, mailed out from Louisville (KY), and are typically received within 6-11 days." 
I haven't done this yet, but many have and so far, they claim to receive them in the time frame stated above.

ALL rewards are set at the same redemption cost. So, no matter what reward you choose, it costs you the same amount of points. (unless it is on sale) For example, a $10 Walmart card costs the same as a $10 card for any other company they have, unlike many other sites where the point values differ for each reward. This makes it a very member-friendly site at instaGC.

Their point system is simple: 1 point equals .01. So, 100 points = $1, 1000 points = $10 and so on.

Unlike most other sites, they also have a chat area to the right of every page. This is very helpful since you can get an answer to a question right away from either another member or a moderator. Yes, the mods even use the chat AND they also participate on the site as users. They are very helpful and polite if you have any questions or just want to chat.  One of my favorite things about this site is that they also post instantly when someone redeems a reward. You will see all throughout the day, people redeeming for their rewards. In the image below it shows a shot of what the home page looks like and the chat area to the right.  Below it is a live running "ticker" that shows what tasks or offers other members are doing that credited for them and what the point value is for that offer. You can also click on those and it will take you to that offer as well if you want to check it out.

Click image to enlarge

As you can see above, a member had just redeemed for a $1 Amazon card. Also you can see that a moderator was letting members know about a contest. In chat, they also hand out codes throughout the day and night for members to enter and the first one to enter it gets whatever points is offered for it.  I have yet to be quick enough, but it's fun to try! It's also helpful to just read the chat and see what is going on sometimes. Occasionally, I'll find out about a great easy offer to do just by peeking there while playing videos and earning points. :)

Privacy is also respected on this site. If you want to be "hidden" while you are logged in, you can click on your user name and select "privacy" and from there you can choose to either have your user name shown or be a "hidden member". This way when you redeem a reward, win a contest, earn with a task/offer, or are fast enough to grab the chat code, you can decide whether it shows your user name or "hidden member".  I like that this feature is available and it shows a great amount of respect for their members. Images below show some users who chose to be "hidden members".

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

The site is easy to navigate and has everything listed on the left side of the page. Just click on the area of the site you want to visit and it'll take you there.  Also, please note the bottom topic is "Support".  This tab is where you want to get started. Click on the "Guides" link and it will show you a very informative guide they've just updated to introduce you how to use the site. It is GREAT and chock full of helpful information. I highly recommend starting there when you join!

REQUIREMENTS:

*Must be 18 years or older (13 as long as you have parental consent)

*They are accepting residents of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States.
The site also says: "More countries are allowed, but are privately listed at this time. If you would like to receive a full list of all allowed countries, please contact staff."
So, if you are from another country other than is listed, please contact them first to make sure your country is accepted before joining.

*More than 1 member per household IS allowed.

 TO CLAIM REWARDS:

When redeeming a reward for the first time, you will be asked to enter your phone number (google voice or other internet numbers, including magic jack will not work) and an automated call will go to your phone and give you a pin number to enter for verification. This is just for the first reward. You do not need to do this again.  If you do not have a phone number, just contact support for another verification method.  It does not say, but I am guessing each member would need their own phone number or contact support as to what to do if you have more than one member per household and only one phone number.

Here is a screen shot of the rewards I've claimed so far. I've actually been a member since May of 2012, but have neglected this site until late August of this year. I've been dreading looking into it since as I previously stated, GPT sites are not a favorite of mine, but now I am kicking myself because this site is amazing! I love that you can cash out at $1 on Amazon, Walmart or even a check!  So, here are my redemptions since the end of last month in the image below. As you can see, your rewards are accessible from your account. When I redeem for Amazon though, I automatically post it to my Amazon account. It's hard to resist cashing out at $1. I do it sometimes just because I can. :)

Click image to enlarge

I just came across another cool feature while writing this post! :) When you click on  a reward, it also shows you how many times that reward has been redeemed. I think that's pretty cool!  See the images below to see what I mean:

Click images to enlarge

IGC does have a referral program as many GPT sites do and it's a fantastic one!  When a referral joins under you, you will earn 10% of what they earn. That's a great program! So, if you are great at getting referrals, this program would be fantastic for you! If not, as I said, the site is easy to earn by yourself too. :) They have a lot of banners and different pages to help with getting referrals also and they are all available right in your account.  I only have a few referrals right now and only one actively participates so I'd be super happy to have you join me in this venture and will help answer any questions. :)

They also have referral contests every week as well as many other weekly and even some daily contests. Their week runs from Sunday through Saturday.

If you join under me, please let me know by commenting below, sending me a message on the inbox on instaGC, Twitter or send me an email. I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have getting started. The Guide they created is really good at explaining things too.  I'm always happy to help any way I can. :)  If you don't get your confirmation email, make sure to check your junk/spam folder, it might be hiding there. If not, support will be happy to help you out.

I have to hand it to instaGC, they have shown that a GPT site can pay INSTANTLY and also have great customer service! I love that the mods and even admin are available through chat to help us out or just have a laugh! The chat is open 24/7 too and a mod is always around.

I hope to see you @IGC, please stop in and say hello!

bing Rewards You For Searching

If you live in the United States, are you using bing yet to earn Amazon Gift cards, Redbox movie/game rentals or even Xbox Live Microsoft points? It's so easy you should be. It's FREE and you don't even have to download a tool bar!

Just sign up with bing using your facebook or microsoft account and start earning credits for searching the web. You can do 30 searches a day that will give you 15 credits, plus there's always another credit or two you can earn by doing their "daily offers" which usually consists of clicking on the link they provide and that's it.

I like how easy it is to see everything at a glance. In the image below, it shows I have 219 credits, that I am at Gold level and that I still need to do a few more searches today to complete my 15 credits. The little arrows to either side of that take you to other info about your account.

I've been a member of bing rewards since May 2011. I joined, but then kept forgetting to do the searches so I missed out on a lot of rewards. It wasn't until almost a year later that I started participating regularly and I'm glad I did.  Every little bit helps and when it's something that you normally do anyway, it just crazy not to.

Here's some of my order history and as you can see, it takes about a month to earn $5 Amazon, which is what I always redeem my credits for:

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 A month may seem like a long time to earn $5, but it's money you are earning doing what you normally do anyway. At least get $5 for it. :) If you save up for the Amazon cards, your balance just keeps adding up in your Amazon account and never expires.

Speaking of expiring, if you don't earn a credit for 180 days, your credits will expire. As with all site earnings, cash them out as soon as you can because they can always change the terms or close the program. Many of us have learned that the hard way. :(

Requirements:

Be a United States resident

5 members are allowed per household

To Claim Rewards:

Provide your REAL first and last names

Provide your REAL mailing address

Provide your REAL working phone number

Provide your email address

 There are a lot of different things you can redeem your credits for as shown here:

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You can either shop for Gift Cards you want or enter some credits to win a prize. The "win" section changes so keep checking it if you want to use your credits to try to win something.  Right now you can enter to win a Nokia Lumia 1020 phone or Xbox 360 Prize packs: Madden NFL 25 or Splinter Cell Blacklist. You can also donate your points if you wish and there are a few choices of charities or you can help your school win a Surface RT bundle. 

I have always used my credits for Amazon. They have $3 and $5 Amazon cards that you receive via email. Last redemption a couple weeks ago arrived in less than a few hours. I don't believe I've ever had to wait more than a day to receive my reward. :)

Referral system:

You can earn 10 credits per referral up to 100 credits. So, the system only allows up to 10 referrals per member. It's not a great referral program at all, so don't get into it for building referrals. I hardly ever advertise it, so I don't have any referrals under me. If you would like to join with my referral link just click on the bing images at the top or bottom of this post.  ***Remember, 5 members per household are allowed and they must use their real information to redeem rewards.***

A couple of features I do like with the program are that you can set a reward as a goal, and there is also a little bar graph below each reward to show you how far along you are in being able to redeem it. The image below shows I have set the $5 Amazon as my goal and am just under half-way there. Since I am at Gold level, I also get a 50 credit discount. It's normally 525 credits.

If you want to take a glance at more items in your account, just click on the
icon in the top right corner of any bing page next to your name and credit counter. There you can look at everything to do with your account, change settings etc. If you click on the "Rewards" on the left black bar your page will look like this:

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It shows a wealth of information and even has the share buttons for Facebook and Twitter for an easy way to share your referral link. You can also explore other areas of your account very easily. It's a very user friendly design!

If you are already receiving rewards from using bing for searches, you know how simple it is. If not, give it a try, it's not like you have to put forth any real effort since you most likely search more than 30 items in a day anyway so you might as well get something for it. I use Firefox as my browser and it works just fine. It used to not work with anything but IE, but now it works with Chrome and Firefox too. Just sign into your microsoft account or log in with facebook and start earning.  Since you don't need to install a toolbar, you can just use it to get your credits for the day and then go back to your normal browser if you wish. Maybe one day the other browsers will catch on and allow us to earn through them too.  Happy searching!

Darwin's Data: A Survey Site That Values Your Time

See that image above? Yeah, you see correctly, and it's not a scam either! :)

USA residents, listen up! Have I got an incredible new survey company for you to check out! It's been around for about 9 months now and it's called Darwin's Data.

It's a legal survey site, meaning their surveys consist of legal dispute cases.
Don't let the "legal" part deter you, it is interesting and a lot of fun! It's like being part of a mock jury. You watch a video of a legal case and then answer your opinions on it in the question part of the survey afterwards. 

I joined on May 2, 2013 and am very pleasantly surprised with my experience with them.  To join, you can go to their home page by clicking on the image above, or at the bottom of this post. When you get there, click on the "Request an Invite" tab, fill out some basic info and wait for them to email you an invite.   I believe I received my invite on the same day.

When you receive your invite to participate with them, it will include a link to do your online profile and it is done in a survey format.  This will take approximately 30 minutes of your time and has to be done in one sitting. After that, all you do is wait for them to send you your first legal dispute survey. Oh, and the best part is, you get paid to do your profile! I'm not talking points either. I am talking a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

$10 Amazon Gift Card just for filling out your Profile Survey!

They value your time not with a few points that you save up to get to some crazy amount before you can cash out, but by giving you actual money to use on Amazon. I received my $10 Amazon Gift Card within 3 hours of completing my profile! Now, that's fast in the survey world!

It sounded too good to be true......$10 to do my profile, yeah right.  Most other sites that lure you in with the promise of even $5 make you wait til you've reached $30 or more to be able to cash out. It's true though, they really do pay you $10 in Amazon and fast too! No cashing out is ever necessary either, they take note that you've completed it and email you your gift card shortly after.

I received my first legal dispute survey on June 6, 2013. That was just over a month after I joined. Don't expect this to be a site you can earn a living off of, but they DO pay, they pay on time and they are FUN to do!  It's so refreshing to do a survey that isn't based on whether or not I have purchased toilet paper in the past 3 months or if I've been on a plane in the last week, lol.  I mean these are super fun surveys and I can't wait for my next one!

The total survey with video and questions, ended up being less than an hour long. Very simple and worth my time. Within 24 hours I received my first $25 Amazon Gift Card as payment for completing the survey.

$25 for completing 1st Survey and every survey thereafter!

When was the last time you got paid $25 for less than an hour of your time doing a survey at home? It doesn't happen to most people very often! Well, you get $25 Amazon Gift Card for every survey you do with them, and possibly even a bonus! They may not come every week or every month or only a few times a year, but hey, it's easy, it's fun and it's so worth it! Plus, with Amazon Gift cards you never have to worry about them expiring. Just add them to your Amazon account and they stay in there til you use them! So, you can keep adding to your gift balance and save them all up as long as you want to. OR you can give the codes to a friend or family member if you wish also.

Darwin's Data has responded to any communication I've had with them, whether it was via email, facebook or twitter. They also actively participate with their members, which is always nice to see a company do. If you ever have an issue, you want to know they have your back and they certainly do at Darwin's Data.

The requirements to join are simple: 

• Be a US Citizen
• Over the age of 18
• Have a Driver's License or be a Registered Voter
• High Speed Internet Connection 

  
I know there are some wondering and yes, at least as the time of this writing, they do allow more than 1 person per household. Each person must have their own email address. Be honest people and do not create multiple fake accounts. It will not be tolerated! Just like any other survey company, surveys are sent out based on each individual's demographic information, so not everyone will get a survey at the same time. They send them out based on their client's needs and if they have one that fits your profile, you will receive an email to take it.

*** If you feel this post has been helpful to you and you want to join, please consider entering MyIncomeHelper as your referral when it asks "How'd you hear about us?". That question is part of the profile survey invitation they will be emailing to you. I would greatly appreciate it! Right now that is the way their referral system works.***

So, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge and give your opinion in a legal dispute and get a $25 Amazon Gift card for payment from a reputable company that truly values your time. :) 

Tellwut - One of the Easiest and Best Survey Sites out there!

Have you heard of Tellwut yet? They are a new, fun and rewarding survey site based out of Toronto, Canada and they are quickly growing in popularity.  Tellwut stands for "Tell What You Think". If you want to make some money online, you have got to check them out! They aren't like most survey sites where you get disqualified after spending 15 minutes or more. In fact, at Tellwut you will NEVER get disqualified! Yes, you heard me right! At Tellwut, you will ALWAYS get credit! The surveys are polls created by people like you and me and businesses create them as well.  Below is a screen shot of a survey I created so you can see what to expect:

 You can go ahead and take surveys without being a member, but then you'd miss out on all the perks!  Signing up is a breeze! No, spending lots of time filling out pages and pages of demographics and preferences. It only takes a minute! Here's the nitty gritty on joining Tellwut:

• Open to USA and Canada residents age 18 and older
• One account per household
• 100 Points for joining (only takes a minute to join!)
• 100 More Points for verifying your email and filling out Profile (name, address so they know where to send your rewards)
• 5 - 10 Points for every survey you complete
• 15 + Points if it's a business survey you complete
• 25 Points for every referral
• Rewards can be redeemed at 4000 points (3500 if you want a WWE wrestling dvd)

4000 Points may seem like a lot, but you will be amazed at how quickly those points add up.  The day I joined, I had earned over 1100 points from all the surveys I took and my sign up points! I only wish I had been more active the first few months, cause I sure missed out on a lot of surveys. Look at this screenshot of my order history:

 It shows I redeemed my first 4,000 points for a $10 Amazon Gift Card on June 5, 2012 and my second redemption was 10,000 points for a $25 Walmart Gift Card on July 30, 2012. Both times they arrived at my house in 2-3 days via postal mail. Now that is pretty awesome and fast too! You can see how quickly the points added up for me since the redemptions were not far apart and I even added an extra $15 to my second one! :)

Here is the list of rewards offered so far:

• 4000 Points = $10 Gift Card to: Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Future Shop or Best Buy Canada ($10 Walmart card is no longer offered as of 12/06/12)
• 4200 Points = $10 Gift Card to Cineplex (Canada only)
• 10,000 Points = $25 Gift Card to Amazon or Walmart
• 15,000 Points = Tellwut T-Shirt
• 20,000 Points = $50 Amazon Gift Card
• 40,000 Points = $100 Amazon Gift Card
• 100,000 Points = $250 Amazon Gift Card
• 250,000 Points = Motorola XOOM Android Tablet

That's a pretty good list of rewards. I am pretty fond of the Walmart Gift Cards these days, since to me, it is just like cash because we do a lot of grocery shopping there and it's money I would use anyway and hey, this way it's money that I earned doing simple surveys that don't take up any time at all.  You saw the poll above, it only takes a few seconds to complete!

When taking surveys at Tellwut, I highly recommend checking back often throughout the day.  I have it set as a favorite on my toolbar so all I have to do is click on the Tellwut icon and if there is a new survey to take, it comes up automatically. One tip to make sure you are getting all the surveys is to click on the "Home" tab after every survey you complete. If there is another survey to take, it will come up. If nothing happens, then that means there aren't any new ones to take at that time. Rest assured, it won't be long before there are more added though.  Plus you can always create your own to keep them coming in. You are allowed to create 2 surveys a day, so take advantage of that! When you create a survey and they approve it to be used, not only do you get the points for creating one, BUT you also get points for taking it!  :)

Another thing that is unique at Tellwut.....Have you ever wished you could comment on a survey afterwards? Well, now you can! Under the "Account" tab you will find a list of all the surveys you've ever taken at Tellwut. To comment on any of them, just click on the survey and under the "Results" tab you can scroll down and read other members comments and add your own if you wish. Just remember to play nice and have fun! You will most likely see me there as I comment fairly often. Come join in the fun!

I also have to say that if you ever need to contact Tellwut for any reason, you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice, friendly and professional the staff is AND they respond quickly too! That is hard to come by these days and they sure do a great job!
Don't waste anymore time, join Tellwut today! You have nothing to lose and only $ to gain!  See ya there!

 
***PLEASE NOTE: Edited 12/09/12 to show the $10 Walmart gift card is no longer being offered. :( We can still redeem for the $25 Walmart gift card, which is what I started doing already anyway, but liked having the $10 as an option! Hope they change it back! :)