Category: Pay It Forward
Reminder!: Send $10 Restaurant.com eGift Cards for FREE
| December 16, 2012 | Filled under Freebies, Pay It Forward, Restaurants, Savings Joy |
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about an event I attended at Restaurant.com’s headquarters where we learned more about their company and their programs such as Double Deals and Feed It Forward. I just want to share this article written by Restaurant.com about the event and all the bloggers, including myself, that they got to meet. There’s also a REALLY GREAT video with some of my favorite Chicagoland bloggers at the bottom of the article (there were some technical difficulties so I was not able to be included in the video, but I am in the article
). Please check it out, and if you have time, visit the other blogs too!
And don’t forget that Restaurant.com’s Feed It Forward program, which allows you to send $10 Restaurant.com eGift cards to your family and friends for FREE, is happening right now through January 1st, 2013! *There is a limit of 100 recipients, including 15 from Facebook, per day.
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Save & Give!: Restaurant.com Double Deals Program & Feed It Forward
| November 29, 2012 | Filled under Deals/Discounts, Food Joy, Pay It Forward, Restaurants, Savings Joy |
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending an event at Restaurant.com‘s headquarters to learn more about the company, their website, and some great offers they have going on for the holidays. In case you are unfamiliar with Restaurant.com, they offer restaurant gift certificates at a discounted price. For example, most $25 restaurant gift certificates only cost $10. They also often have promo codes to get an even deeper discount. I especially love to purchase gift certificates from Restaurant.com for gifts! You can choose gift certificates for specific restaurants (over 18,000 nationwide) or get general gift cards or eGift cards to send by email.
I have been using Restaurant.com for a few years now, but I thought it was interesting to learn that there is no money passed between the company and the restaurants. Restaurant.com is simply a way for restaurants to attract more customers by offering their gift certificates at a discounted rate. The cost is controlled by putting a minimum for each purchase when a gift certificate is used. I think the idea is pretty clever!
I have not used a Restaurant.com gift certificate for myself in awhile (we usually buy them for gifts to others), but I was happy to find out that they now have restaurant reviews on their website. The neat thing about it is that they are able to verify whether or not a reviewer actually ate at a restaurant and will only let a review be submitted if that reviewer used a Restaurant.com gift certificate at that particular restaurant. This ensures that the review is really authentic and trustworthy!
Restaurant.com has a couple of exciting things happening right now:
Double Deals Program
Restaurant.com just launched their Double Deals program which allows you to buy a $25 Restaurant.com eGift card and a $25 voucher to use a participating Double Deals business ($50 worth in gift cards) for just $25. This is a great deal just in time for the holidays! Click here for more information.
Feed It Forward: Celebrate the Spirit of Giving
Every year, Restaurant.com runs a program called Feed It Forward, which allows you to send FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift cards to anyone on your list! This year, the promotion runs from today, November 29th, through January 1st, 2013, and you can send up to 100 $10 Restaurant.com eGift cards per day for FREE by accessing the Feed It Forward website and either logging into your Restaurant.com or sending them through Facebook! I have done this every year for the past 3 years and it feels great being able to give pretty much everyone I know a gift for the holidays. Head over to the Feed It Forward website to participate.
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Disclosure: This post and the event was sponsored by Restaurant.com. The images were provided by A Savings WOW!. Thanks to Maria for hosting the event! This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
My Thoughts Monday!: Spread the Word
| October 8, 2012 | Filled under Pay It Forward |
Welcome to My Thoughts Monday (MTM)! On MTM, I’ll be posting about what I think about current events/activities or random thoughts I may have collected each week. Please note, that I do not claim to be any sort of expert on anything I write about, unless it is something I have experienced personally or have received formal education on. Also, please let me know if you have any suggestions for what I should write about! Lastly, I LOVE COMMENTS! Feel free to leave me a comment below with your thoughts about anything I post about
With the Presidential debate last week and an exciting football weekend for our family, I had a lot to write about today, but then I received news of a tragic event. This week’s MTM is dedicated to the family of my husband’s friend from grade school whose mom was found murdered in her home last Friday in Hercules, California. There is not much detail released as to how it happened, but the family car was also found missing, so the police and the family are asking for help to locate the car. Please see the picture above, and feel free to share it on your Facebook wall or Twitter feed. The more people that see this, the more chance of catching the horrible person(s) responsible for this tragedy! From what I hear, Susie Ko was an inspiring teacher and loving mother, wife, and friend. For more details and updates on this story and how you can help, see the website created for her: www.WeLoveSusieKo.com.
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Paid it Forward!: Operation Precious CARgo Baby Shower #ChevyCARgo
| March 27, 2012 | Filled under Chicago Joy, Pay It Forward |
I had the privilege of taking part in a very large baby shower for expecting military moms in Illinois last Thursday through Operation Precious CARgo, a campaign run by Chevrolet and Operation Homefront. I was selected as a team captain, and had 2 weeks to collect donations to include in the baby shower for the military moms.
The baby shower was a success and the donations collected by all of the team captains were quite impressive!
It was great meeting the military families and seeing how truly grateful they were for all of the donations. The majority of the baby shower was spent filling up boxes for the expecting military moms. The parents who were present were able to choose which items they wanted from each table.
My husband and I ended up filling up 5 or 6 large boxes with items for the military moms that were to be shipped to those who were not able to make it. It felt great doing such a good thing for those who serve our country everyday!
To learn more about how you can help military families in need, make sure to check out Operation Homefront’s website.
During my mission of collecting donations, Chevrolet provided me with a brand new Chevy Sonic to drive around for a little over a week. I picked up donations from the Milwaukee area and the West Suburbs of Chicago, and it was a fun car to drive! My biggest complaint is there was not much room in the car, so it was a little difficult picking up donations with my daughter and her carseat in the back and my husband in the front. I also had to do some maneuvering of certain items to fit all of the donations I collected in the car for the baby shower.
I did love that the car came with all of the bells and whistles though! We had fun flipping through the XM Radio stations, especially during March Madness! The leather seats were very nice and I loved being able to control the radio from the steering wheel.
I would like to thank Chevrolet and Operation Homefront for inviting me take part in this great campaign for military families! I encourage all of you to to find some ways to help those in need. Even just a little bit can change a person’s life for the better!
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Reminder!: Please Help Expecting Military Moms #ChevyCARgo
| March 15, 2012 | Filled under Chicago Joy, Pay It Forward |
I have my Chevy Sonic, and I’m ready to collect donations to go towards expecting military moms through Operation Precious CARgo! Chevy has loaned me a Sonic for a week to gather donations, but I need your help to fill it up!
If you’re interested in donating, here are some options for how you can get your donations to me:
- If you’re in the Chicago or Milwaukee areas, we can arrange for me to pick up your items. Please contact me by leaving me a comment or emailing me at mjmwdonations@gmail.com so we can make arrangements for me to pick up your donations.
- If you are not in the area or are unable to make arrangements for me to pick up donations, you may send me an Amazon gift card to mjmwdonations@gmail.com so I can order the items online to donate. I need gift cards in my inbox by Sunday, March 18th, at 12 noon CST to make sure I receive the items on time.
- You may also send me money through PayPal so I can pick up the items myself. If you’re interested in donating through PayPal, please leave me a comment or email me at mjmwdonations@gmail.com and I will provide you with my PayPal account information to send your donation to. I will need money through PayPal by Tuesday, March 20th, at 4:00 pm CST to make sure I am able to get the items on time.
I will be collecting donations until next Wednesday, March 21st. Please see the full list of items that Operation Precious CARgo is requesting and obtain more information about the campaign HERE.
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Pay It Forward!: Operation Precious CARgo for Expecting Military Moms #ChevyCARgo
| March 8, 2012 | Filled under Chicago Joy, Pay It Forward |
Chevrolet and Operation Homefront have teamed up to collect donations for expecting military women in Illinois through Operation Precious CARgo, and I am honored to have been selected as a team captain to fulfill a soon-to-be mother’s baby shower registry! But I NEED YOUR HELP! Over the next 2 weeks, I will be collecting the following items to donate to an expecting military mom:
- Diapers (sizes 4, 5 or 6)
- Baby wipes
- Bottles
- Pacifiers
- Blankets
- Baby soap and baby lotion
- Lanolin cream
- Burp cloths
- Onesies (gender-neutral)
- Socks
- Hats
- Newborn lounger pillow
- Hand sanitizer
- Medical kit – thermometer, mini-nail clippers, bulb syringe, etc.
- Hooded towel and washcloth
- Sensory toys and/or stuffed animals
If you’re interested in helping, please email me, Melanie, at myjoymyworld@gmail.com or leave me a comment below, so we can make arrangements. I will be accepting donations through Wednesday, March 21st, and can pick up items in the Chicago or Milwaukee areas. I am also working on getting a drop-off location for donations around the North Suburbs of Chicago. If you are outside of the Chicago or Milwaukee areas, but would still like to help, please contact me to see if we can try to work something out.
I would also love if you can help me spread the word by linking to this post, tweeting about #ChevyCARgo, and telling your friends and family about this great way to pay it forward to expecting military moms!
Stay tuned for further updates…
***UPDATE***
If you’re interested in donating, here are some options for how you can get your donations to me:
- If you’re in the Chicago or Milwaukee areas, we can arrange for me to pick up your items. Please contact me by leaving me a comment or emailing me at mjmwdonations@gmail.com so we can make arrangements for me to pick up your donations.
- If you are not in the area or are unable to make arrangements for me to pick up donations, you may send me an Amazon gift card to mjmwdonations@gmail.com so I can order the items online to donate. I need gift cards in my inbox by Sunday, March 18th, at 12 noon CST to make sure I receive the items on time.
- You may also send me money through PayPal so I can pick up the items myself. If you’re interested in donating through PayPal, please leave me a comment or email me at mjmwdonations@gmail.com and I will provide you with my PayPal account information to send your donation to. I will need money through PayPal by Tuesday, March 20th, at 4:00 pm CST to make sure I am able to get the items on time.
Again, I will be collecting donations through Wednesday, March 21st! Thanks in advance for your support!
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Pay It Forward!: Box Tops for Education
| December 4, 2011 | Filled under Pay It Forward |
General Mills has a great way to earn cash for your school by collecting Box Tops for Education! Click on the picture to the left to find out how!
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Save!: $25 Restaurant Gift Certificates for $2 Through 11/23 & Feed It Forward
| November 21, 2011 | Filled under Deals/Discounts, Food Joy, Pay It Forward, Restaurants, Savings Joy |
Restaurant.com is having another great sale this week! Now through Wednesday, November 23rd, use promo code SHOP at checkout to get 80% off at Restaurant.com! $25 gift certificates usually go for $10 on Restaurant.com, so that means you can get $25 gift certificates to over 18,000 restaurants nationwide for only $2!
Some popular restaurants in the Chicago area that are available on Restaurant.com are House of Blues, Giordano’s, Sarpino’s, and Suparossa.
Restaurant.com gift certificates make a perfect gift too! And you can also use promo code SHOP to get 80% off of Dinner of the Month Club certificates!
Save even more money by shopping at Restaurant.com through Mr. Rebates , where you’ll get 30% cash back on your purchase! Just enter “Restaurant.com” into the search box, and follow the links to the site. If you’re new to Mr. Rebates, you’ll also get $5 just for signing up! And don’t forget to enter promo code SHOP at checkout to get 80% off!
FEED IT FORWARD:
Restaurant.com has also started their Feed It Forward program this year, which allows you to give up to 40 FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift cards everyday through Christmas! Give them to whoever you wish (family, friends, co-workers, etc)!
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Pay It Forward!: Donations to Coats for Kids & Toys for Tots from White Wave Foods
| November 15, 2011 | Filled under Coupons, Pay It Forward, Savings Joy |
White Wave Foods (International Delight, Silk, Horizon Organic, and Land O Lakes) is paying it forward this holiday season with their Share Your Delight program. For every UPC code for participating products entered, $0.50 will be donated to Coats for Kids or Toys for Tots through January 15, 2012!
Participating products include:
- Any International Delight (32oz. Quart, 16oz. Pint, 24-count PC)
- Land O Lakes Half & Half (32oz. Quart, Traditional, and Fat-Free)
- Land O Lakes Mini Moo’s Half & Half (24-count)
- Horizon Organic Eggnog (32oz. Quart)
- Silk Pumpkin Spice, Nog, and Mint Chocolate (32oz. Quart)
Just look for the Share Your Delight red scarf on the products.
Make sure you use these coupons too:
International Delight:
- Save $0.55 on a quart or pint Upromise eCoupon
- Save $0.55 on a pint Printable Coupon
- Save $1/2 pints, quarts, & singles (11/13 SS insert)
- Save $0.50 on any size PC Printable Coupon
Land O Lakes:
- Save $0.75 on 32 oz+ or quart+ (11/13 SS insert) or Printable Coupon (sign up)
Horizon:
- Save $0.55 on any product Printable Coupon (sign up)
Silk
- Save $0.75 on a half gallon, quart, or singles 4-pk Printable Coupon (sign up)
- Save $0.55 on a half gallon, quart, or singles 4-pk (11/13 SS insert)
For some couponing tips, read my post about the Joy of Couponing.
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Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy for additional information.
Pay It Forward!: 100% of Chili’s Profits Going To St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital 9/26
| September 23, 2011 | Filled under Food Joy, Pay It Forward, Restaurants |
On Monday, September 26th, Chili’s is donating 100% of their profits to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help in an effort to find cures and save children with pediatric cancers and other deadly diseases! RSVP on their Facebook event page and visit the Create-A-Pepper website for more information.
While you’re on Facebook, make sure you “Like” My Joy My World too!
And make sure to sign up for Chili’s Email Club to get notified of more events like these, as well as some coupons and deals from Chili’s. Plus, you’ll get a coupon for FREE chips & queso just for signing up!
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