Cash Money, Honey!

Last Christmas, my friend Michelle (who never, ever updates her blog, BTW), introduced me to Ebates. It's a nifty little way to shop online while earning sweet discounts in the form of actual cash money. Ya know - online rebates. No joke.

Yea, I know. You're skeptical. I was too. But after receiving a couple of checks in the mail, I realized the whole thing is legit. So, if you're thinking about buying anything online for the holidays, I recommend signing up (preferably through one of the links in this blog post!).

Here's how it works:

When you're buying something online, log into Ebates first. Check to see if your store of choice is an Ebates member. If so, you're in luck. You're able to earn 1% - 25% cash back on hundreds of stores. Ebates tracks your purchases and sends you a big fat check in the mail every quarter. It's that easy. Sweet.

Stuff you need to know:

• The payout percentages vary from 1% - 25% depending on the merchant
  
• There are HUNDREDS of popular stores to choose from – my favorites include Banana Republic, Macy's, Clinique, Nike, Target, Shutterfly, even Groupon. AND there are several travel websites that offer Ebates too. I booked our flights to Antigua through Ebates and earned 3% cash back on my purchase of plane tickets. Cha-ching!!!
  
• Some merchants offer cash bonuses for signing up
• Ebates also offers referral bonuses for friends who sign up (which is why you should click on any of the links in this blog post!)
  
• You can receive your quarterly payments via Paypal or a check in the mail

I've already started my online Christmas shopping, and I've done it all through Ebates. Never pay full price for anything, friends. That's just silly.

Ready to sign up? Click HERE.

Note: Ebates did not ask me to write about their website. Do you actually think anyone other than my mom and my crazy friends give a crap about my opinion? Um, no. I'm the probably the most insignificant blogger on the friggin' internet. Nonetheless, I wanted to share the Ebates system with the 7-10 people who read my blog. Just tryin' to save ya a buck or two, friend.

South for the Winter

Have I mentioned that the hubster and me are in the midst of planning another vacation? I'm not trying to rub it in or anything (well, maybe just a little), but we're headed to an uber-fab tropical destination very, very soon. Just a little slice of heaven on earth, otherwise known as Antigua.

Antigua (pronounced An-tee'ga - and, yes, I get a little grumpy when people pronounce it incorrectly) is in the Eastern Caribbean, approximately 17 degrees north of the equator. Translation: it's warm, sunny and nothing short of amazing!

So, while we could spend the entire winter hibernating in our townhouse, I think we'll head south for some fun in the sun instead.

A little preview...

Happy Holidays to me!

Fall Festivities

Last weekend, Jonathan and I took a quick trip to Knoxville for a whirlwind of family visits. Saturday was especially fun. We went to Oaks Farm with my mom's family for a day of fall festivities (complete with a corn maze and pumpkin patch). The weather was absolutely perfect, and we had a blast hanging out with family for the afternoon. I was particularly thankful that we were able to take a weekend "off" from our usual football-watching ritual. Don't get me wrong; I love football just as much as any respectable southern girl. I just needed a break!

Here are some photos from our adventure at Oaks Farm...


The husband and me

Frankie, Seth and Jonathan. Seth wanted to have his picture made with the men.

Seth racing around the dirt track.

Mamaw, mom, Leah and Emily

For some reason we thought it would be fun to let the little kids lead us through the corn maze!

And then we got lost. Seth is trying to read the map. Katie is saying "where are we?"

One big happy family.

Perfect weather for a day on the farm.

Leah and Emily choosing their pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

Seth and Leah checking out their options.

Isn't this one sweet?

Everyone with their pumpkins (a little out of focus, but you get the point!)

Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

No News, Good News

Clearly I have neglected the ol' blog lately. Not because there's nothing to report, but because I've been so busy with work, life and the delicate balancing act of work and life. Something had to give. And so it was the blog. Sorry, folks.

I'm still here though... ticking items off the house project to-do list, planning another vacation (details on that later) and making some big plans for the holiday season and upcoming new year. Things are about to get interesting. Sit tight, my pretties. I'll be back before ya know it. =)