Category Archives: Brand Ambassador

Skype Ambassador Announcement

Brand Ambassador, Gadgets, Technology,

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The Mommy Insider is a Skype Ambassador!

Skype Ambassador program
Just as I am with any opportunity that comes my way, I am honored to be a Skype brand ambassador for the next few months.  As a Skype Ambassador through Mom Central Consulting, I will be sharing my experiences using Skype with you over the next few months.  I will be posting about how I use Skype at home, as well as tips, ideas, and stories about Skype.  Some funny, some touching.

My First Time and Now:

The first time I used Skype was when my daughter was about two-years-old, over three years ago.  She was sitting on my lap and I was experimenting with this Skype program I had just put on my laptop.  My daughter got a kick out of seeing herself on the screen and seeing my sister who lives states away.   Since then, she’s almost six-years-old, Skype has become more of a household word.  I use Skype to talk to relatives as well as for work. I no longer have a land-line because of services like Skype.  Great, huh?

When I feel like hiding from the camera/video, I communicate via Skype voice call or chat.  On the flip side, when I’m feeling particularly confident or actually have makeup and clothes on that match, I will go for a Skype Video Chat.

I talk to my Dad who lives in Florida pretty regularly on Skype.  He’ll buzz in asking for a video chat and I just click the button to accept.  We always have a great time video chatting.  On the business side, Skype video chats make a huge difference in the productivity of business calls.   I am able to accomplish a lot more with a video chat or Skype voice call than I am from a simple phone conversation or email alone.

What is Skype?

Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet.
Skype allows people to talk and video chat via their Internet connection, Wifi, Smartphone, and more.

  • Mac or PC computer
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Android device
  • You can even Skype via a Skype-ready Blu-ray™ player and TV webcam!
  • There is also a home phone adapter that will allow you to make Skype calls right from your home phone.  Use Skype’s FREETALK® phone adapter to make convenient, low-cost calls and Skype-to-Skype calls from your home phone.
  • More Skype features
As you can see, Skype has an option for everyone. If you have been waiting to get rid of your landline number but weren’t sure about making the change, Skype probably has a service for you.
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Connect with Skype:

Alicia Hagan, Editor

 

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Liven Up Your Holiday Menu With Ragu and Win a $200 AmEx Gift Card! #Giveaway

Brand Ambassador, Contests, Food and Drink, Giveaways, Holiday, ,

RaguThe holiday season is often the busiest time of the year, and when friends and family come to visit, the last thing I wants is to be stuck in the kitchen preparing time-consuming holiday meals. By having a couple of quick and easy recipes in my recipe book, I can have festive holiday meals on the table and join the party too.

RECIPE IDEA: An easy recipe that requires only a few minutes of preparation is a pasta bake. It’s also a sneaky way to get the kids to eat their vegetables, since Old World Style Traditional Ragu Sauce packs in 2 servings of vegetables in every 1/2 cup of pasta sauce.

HOW TO: Just cook a favorite pasta, such as rotini or fusilli, layer it in with sauce and generously top with Parmesan, and bake, it’s that simple!

RECIPE IDEA: Another fun holiday pasta recipe is Penne Pasta with Sausage.

HOW TO: Brown spicy Italian sausage in light oil with onion, add the sausage to the pasta sauce, and toss them together with the cooked penne. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan and enjoy. You can even please your picky child with a homemade pizza with Ragu Homemade Style Pizza Sauce, (my very picky 5 year old loves these!) allowing your child to top their own section with their favorite toppings.

Serving pizza and pasta dishes are quick and easy ways to feed a crowd, and satisfy even the pickiest or heartiest appetites. By adding these festive dishes to the holiday table, the host and hostess can save time and toil in the kitchen and enjoy the holidays with the family.

$200 AmEx Gift Card Giveaway!

We are giving a lucky reader a $200 AmEx gift card thanks to Ragu!

Mandatory entry:
To enter to win, tell us in the comments below how you would liven up your holiday menu with Ragu sauces or in general.

Get extra entries for doing each or all of the following:
Leave a comment for each thing you do so we can count all of your entries. 

Entries accepted through 11:59pm December 26th.  Open to U.S. residents, 18+.  No P.O. Boxes.

Connect with Ragu

Read my previous Ragu “Moms The Word on Dinner” posts here:

Disclosure: This is part of a campaign for which I am an Ambassador for the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

An Education Is Invaluable – Upromise Makes It Achievable

Brand Ambassador, Education, ,

upromise college savings ambassadorThe importance of receiving a quality education cannot be measured specifically in dollars and cents. While many people have price limits on products and services they purchase, the return on investment in obtaining a degree from a credited university far outweighs financial costs associated with reaching that goal.  It is estimated that over an adult’s working life those with bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees earn more in salary than adults with high school diplomas, approximately $1 million and $1.4 million in additional income respectively. Individuals with doctorate degrees and professional degrees command significantly higher earnings potential as well.

The dilemma many prospective students encounter, however, is obtaining the funds required to finance their college education. Over time, the annual cost of attending college has increased considerably as tuition has risen by nearly eight percent each year. Can you believe that.. 8%!  Although scholarships and financial aid are available, few applicants are accepted, leaving a majority of people unable to advance their academic development. Parents that desire to provide their children with a better future by sending them to a respected college often experience a greater financial struggle than the students. Either poor planning, job displacement or other unforeseen events have created the inability for parents to afford college tuition.

Upromise provides a program that assists individuals in realizing their goal of higher education. While many financial institutions promote savings and investment plans, Upromise offers parents the ability to build their children’s college fund through a unique and simple process. Upromise provides participants the option to accrue funds by accessing their purchasing power.

Shopping online or at grocery stores, dining at restaurants, or purchasing particular items through the use of available coupons enables participants to earn a percentage of money spent. Money is deposited into an account to be applied towards future educational costs. Additionally, family and friends can assist in the program simply by what they purchase. With over 800 online stores, 8,000 restaurants and thousands of grocery and drug stores, saving for college has never been easier. It’s never too early to start!

Useful upromise links:

Disclosure: I am a paid upromise college savings ambassador.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Save Money for College While Shopping for Holiday Gifts, with Upromise

Brand Ambassador, Money, New posts,

upromise college savings ambassadorI am a huge fan of shopping.. but I also love saving money!  I prefer to save more (way more) than I spend and I try to teach my kids the same.

I have told my 12 year old son many times that we will not be paying for his college education and that he must earn his college education by making good grades.  College is just about 7 years down the road for him and that’s not long.  I signed up for Upromise when my son was a baby and I am glad! I can’t believe how quickly these years have gone by.  Not only is he 12 years old but I’m a mother to a 12 year old! That’s almost more shocking to me.  He’s going to be driving in the next few years and then off to college he’ll go.

Upromise by Sallie Mae is a program that offers shoppers cash back towards collage savings, on certain purchases.    Everyday shopping that you do at the grocery store, toy store, book store, and even eating out can put money into your child’s college fund.

Upromise is offering some great deals this holiday season and for 10 weeks Upromise is featuring some pretty amazing cash back bonuses throughout the holiday season through their Holiday Savings HotSpot. They are offering 10%, up from 3%, off at Sephora this week (ends 11/17) so if you love Sephora as much as I do, you’ll want to jump on this deal!

You probably already shop at Toys R’ Us, Macy’s, Brookstone, Sears, Target, Apple Store, Best Buy, Land’s End, Home Depot, and The Disney Store so why not save for your child’s college fund at the same time by shopping through Upromise?

Crazy, cool upromise goodies!

  • If you aren’t a member of Upromise yet, you can sign up here. You’ll get $5.00 in your account when you sign up and there are no fees.
  • For those of us who shop online a lot (raise your hand), you can download the Upromise Internet browser tool bar, TurboSaver.  This toolbar will search participating retailers sites that you visit, for coupons and discounts.   How easy is that?!
  • Through December 13th, all shoppers at Upromise will be entered into a daily drawing for a $500 Apple gift card!

A brief overview of 529 college savings from my point of view:

Parents should start saving early for their children. But even if college days are soon approaching, getting even a little bit of a head start on tuition and additional college expenses will be beneficial. One of the most popular college savings resources available is a 529 college savings plan.   A 529 college savings plan allows families to save a significant sum of money in an account designed specifically for college funding.   Upromise makes it easy for parents to save for their child’s college education just by purchasing the same every day items they always do.   529 plans may be one of the most effective means of saving for college because of the tax benefits and because parents, grandparents and others can contribute on behalf of specific students.  You can learn more about 529 college savings plans on Upromise here.

Useful upromise links:

Disclosure: I am a paid upromise college savings ambassador.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Join Us for the Sears People’s Pick Twitter Party Monday Night from 8-9:30pm ET! #SearsChat

Brand Ambassador, Twitter Parties,

Wouldn’t you love to choose what’s on sale at your favorite stores?  You can with Sears’ People’s Pick at pick.sears.com!

Sears is letting shoppers pick the deals they want! Join me this Monday, November 14th, for the #SearsChat People’s Pick Twitter party and learn more about People’s Pick.  RSVP HERE to be eligible to win prizes!Sears People's Pick Twitter Party

Sear's People's Pick Twitter Party

To choose a deal, simply..

  • Go to pick.sears.com
  • Choose a deal category
  • Vote for the best deal
  • Come back Friday and Saturday to shop the deals

People’s Pick allows you to vote on the deals you are wishing for every week throughout November and Decemeber. Visit pick.sears.com today to cast your vote and check out the week’s most popular gift items. Deals are announced every Friday and are redeemable online and instore!

Join @Sears @SearsDeals, @StacieinAtlanta, @crissy, @jollymom, and @mommyinsider (me) for another #SearsChat Twitter party on Monday night, November 14th, from 8-9:30pm ET!

ABOUT THE PARTY

WHO TO FOLLOW:
Brand: @Sears @SearsDeals
Hosts:@StacieinAtlanta @crissy @jollymom @mommyinsider

WHERE:
Twitter with the hashtag #SearsChat

WIN:
(1) One $125 Sears gift card
(3) Three $25 Sears giftcards

I will be drawing the winners at the People’s Pick Twitter Party so be sure to follow me at @mommyinsider!
RSVP, and read the official party post and rules here.

RSVP:
Leave a comment on the Official Party post on the Sears website with a link to your Tweet to let us know you are coming and to be eligible to win prizes during the Twitter party.

Disclosure: I am participating in a compensated campaign with Sears Holding Company.

Alicia Hagan, Editor