What makes you feel beautiful? Is it a new pair of shoes or your favorite lipstick? Or maybe you feel the most beautiful when you do something kind for another person. There’s a million ways to feel radiant – some tangible, some intangible – but the common thread in all of them is taking the time out for yourself. Being able to rest and recharge allows you take care of your mind and body, which has the side effect of making you feel like your very best self. And that’s why we have a fun giveaway for you today where one lucky reader will win a $50 Visa gift card to pamper themselves with! You can use this to buy yourself some bath & body products, have an at-home spa day, or maybe even buy a frozen pizza and take the night off cooking – whatever YOU consider to be a luxury to help you take a break so you can take on the world! This awesome prize is being supplied by Dr. Buford, a Denver plastic surgeon who runs the practice BEAUTY by BUFORD.

1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post and tell me how you might pamper yourself if you won this gift card. This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
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Contest Corner has been partnering with Tropical Traditions for fun reviews and giveaways since 2009. Our very first giveaway was for their flagship product, Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. But if you’re a more recent reader and missed it, you’re in luck, because we are giving away another gallon of coconut oil today! Read on for your chance to enter!

I’ve had a lot of time to experiment with coconut oil since I posted my first review of it almost 3 years ago. I enjoy using it to cook with so I welcomed the chance to receive another complimentary jar. This time, I thought I’d try using the oil in my trusty crockpot. I’m still fairly new to the wonderful world of slowcookers, so I’ve been experimenting with all the things my crock can do. Last Friday, Jai had an early morning appointment where he would be gone most of the day with few opportunities to eat. As such, I wanted to make sure he had a filling breakfast before he left. Lately I’ve taken to preparing breakfasts the night before in the crockpot – it’s really cool to wake up to a nice-smelling kitchen and a crockpot full of breakfast that is ready to eat after cooking all night! This time around, I thought I’d try cooking cubed potatoes and onions in the slow cooker, and use coconut oil in lieu of butter. I’ve never tried using coconut oil in the crockpot before so I was eager to see how it would turn out!

I’ve read many times that foods like potatoes can burn badly if the crockpot is not well greased, so I thoroughly greased the crockpot with coconut oil. Once I added the potatoes and onion, I drizzled liquified coconut oil over them, added garlic salt and pepper, and mixed them up thoroughly. I then set the crockpot on low and went to bed at 11pm. I woke up randomly at 3 am, and when I got up for a glass of water, I noticed that the potatoes were still pretty far from done, so I turned the heat up to high and went back to bed. They were ready to eat at around 7:30.

The verdict was mixed on this one. Jai quite liked this dish; I found it to be way too greasy. In my effort to avoid having the food burn and stick to the inside of the slowcooker, I added way too much coconut oil. A little of this oil goes a long way, and that applies to crockpot cookery as well. Next time, I would just grease down the crock and omit the liquified oil. I’ll try this again during the day when I can keep an eye on it and ensure there is neither too much oil nor burning potatoes!

There’s a million ways to use coconut oil, so if you’d like further inspiration, click here!

If you’re interested in learning more about the company, you can check out this video interview with Tropical Traditions CEO Brian Shilhavy:

1. For your first entry, click here to subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post with the email address you used to subscribe! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment on this post for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this page to tweet with one click!
4. Click here to follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Twitter username!
5. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment with the the email you subscribed with!
6. Post Contest Corner’s button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

Farm Rich are a well-known name in frozen foods. I recently had an opportunity to sample some of their tasty appetizers thanks to some free product coupons that they sent my way – and one lucky Contest Corner reader will also win coupons good for two free Farm Rich products, so read on!

It’s always fun getting food samples in the mail. Not only do I enjoy trying new things, but anything that can save me time in the kitchen is always a plus! I recently got a couple of free Farm Rich coupons in the mail so that I could try out their line of frozen snacks, so I handed them to Jai on his way to the store. He decided to pick up two bags of cheese sticks:

We got two varieties – Mozzarella Cheese Sticks and Marinara Stuffed Mozzarella Sticks. They cook easily in the oven – just open the bag, dump them on a tray, and cook. Doesn’t get much easier than that, right? These are meant to be more of an appetizer/snack, but honestly, I ate these as my lunch! The regular variety is stuffed full of ooey, gooey, delicious cheese, while the marinara edition boasts a sauce filling in edition to the cheese. These are very tasty and simple to prepare, so I don’t think you can go wrong with these! The only thing I would advise is to be careful when you bite into them – the hot marinara squirts out like napalm when these are fresh out of the oven. That’s what I get for trying to eat hot food so quickly because I was ravenous.

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win 2 coupons good for a free Farm Rich product, up to a $5.99 value each! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to view the Farm Rich product line, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which product you might get with your coupons if you win! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

I won’t be online today, for a special reason: It’s Jai’s birthday! And while we’re off celebrating, one of you will be able to enter for a chance to win one of Jai’s birthday gifts: A Aurorae Synergy Yoga Mat! Read on to learn more and enter!

When it comes to shopping for gifts, I find that sometimes the inspiration strikes at unexpected moments. A few months ago, Jai wanted to do some stretches on the floor while we were watching TV. He ended up breaking down a large cardboard box and laying it on the floor to stretch out on! “I should probably get a mat or something,” he said offhand. Ding ding ding! The inspiration struck me and I knew exactly what to get him for his birthday at that point.

So when I had a chance to review a mat by Aurorae Yoga, I knew this would be a great way to surprise Jai. They recently mailed me a Aurorae “Synergy” Yoga Mat-Towel Combination, which is designed to both serve as both a mat and replace your towel. If you’ve ever been in a yoga class, you’ve probably seen the collections of towels that build up around students and their mats; so I thought this concept was intriguing. The bottom of the Synergy is your standard yoga mat surface meant to grip the floor, while the top half which you sit on is a microfiber towel designed to absorb sweat and provide comfort. It’s meant to grip better the more wet it becomes, so this would be good for heavy workouts and intense yoga sessions. They recommend lightly spraying the mat with water before using it so that the mat will not slip at the beginning of your workout and/or if you are not doing a routine that will cause much perspiration. If you’re just looking for a mat to use during occasional light yoga sessions, this may not be ideal; if, however, you’re a frequent, advanced yoga participant or want a mat that is versatile enough to use for exercises other than just yoga, I think this is a great option. After reading the specs on it, I was really glad that I was getting this for Jai and not just a standard mat, because he won’t just be using it for yoga-type stretching, but all kinds of workouts. It sounds to me like this will be a good option for a mat that should stay put better during a variety of activities.

When I pulled this mat out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how soft the microfiber texture is. The flip side that grips the floor is also very cushy and soft. I also noticed the length – at 72″, this extra-long yoga mat is meant to give you more room, which I really like. Again, this will come in handy since it will be used for a variety of exercises. The mat appears to be high quality and I am satisfied that it will make a lovely gift. Now, with my knee problems I can’t sit on this mat for myself, as I sadly think it will be a while before I can do yoga again; so I can’t personally attest as to what this is like during a stretching session. But I know Jai will be really happy and surprised to receive this; and this should be considerably better than stretching out on an old, broken down cardboard box.

All wrapped up and ready to gift! Like my wrapping paper??

Aurorae offers yoga mats in illuminating colors, a focal point icon and extra long in length. Aurorae offers the best reviewed yoga mats, accessories & props online. You can browse their yoga mats, yoga bags, yoga accessories and yoga props here.

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a Aurorae “Synergy” Yoga Mat-Towel Combination! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to view the full line of products from Aurorae Yoga, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me another item you’d like to own! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

One way to cut your food expenses is to pack a sack lunch to take with you to work or school. However, you may be feeling a case of the dulls when you compare your humble sandwich to your co-worker’s delicious take-away. Want to fight the temptation to eat out, and pack your lunch in something much more stylish than a brown bag? Then this is the giveaway for you! One lucky winner will win one week’s worth of SunChips 6 Grain Medley snack bags, plus an awesome tote bag to carry your lunch in, so read on!

I’ve always been a big SunChips fan – when I’m out and about and buy a sub sandwich, I often pick SunChips as the side. So naturally, when Frito-Lay offered me the chance to be one of the first to taste a new SunChips flavor, I said yes! This flavor is 6 Grain Medley Parmesan & Herb flavored multigrain SunChips, a new variety that boasts 21 grams of whole grains and 4 grams of fiber per serving. I received a shipment of samples in the mail right around lunchtime, so talk about perfect timing! My box of chips also came with a super cute insulated lunch bag, which includes a special pocket on the front to tuck your chips into. How clever is that?!

Needless to say, I was looking forward to sampling this new flavor. I love Parmesan so it sounded very promising! The 6 Grain Medley has a more pronounced whole grain flavor than SunChips’ regular varieties – the Parmesan & herb seasoning seemed more subtle to me and not as strongly “Cheesy” as some of the other kinds. This isn’t necessarily my very favorite flavor of SunChips, but I did enjoy it and would eat it again…and again…and again. I also appreciate the whole grain and fiber content, since it never hurts for me to boost my intake of those things. Jai, on the other hand, normally isn’t a big fan of SunChips (Gasp!) and he actually really loved these. Could the 6 Grain Medley have converted a new fan? I think so!

These chips are great by themselves, or paired with a dip – I ate them with some French onion dip which I just so happened to have in my fridge when they arrived. Mmmmmmmm!

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win one week’s worth of SunChips 6 Grain Medley Parmesan & Herb flavored multigrain snacks and one SunChips eco-friendly lunch bag made from biodegradable cotton and canvas! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post and tell me: What is your favorite flavor of SunChips? (You can click here to view their product list if you need to refresh your memory!) This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

Yesterday, I shared my Atchara Chili recipe with you. If you missed it, click here – it’s simple, tasty, vegan, and inexpensive. And you know what would make this dish even more frugal? Winning one of the ingredients!

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a 16 oz jar of atchara (Organic fermented papaya)! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post with the email address you used to subscribe! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment on this post for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Click here to visit Tropical Traditions’ Free Coconut Recipe website. Then come back here and leave a comment mentioning your favorite recipe!
4. Write about this on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this page to tweet with one click!
5. Click here to follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Twitter username!
6. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment with the the email you subscribed with!
7. Post Contest Corner’s button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

Scotty McCreery shot to fame last year as the winner of American Idol season ten. His debut album, Clear As Day, is currently at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. And now, two lucky Contest Corner readers will win an autographed copy of this album, so read on!

About Scotty McCreery

Clear As Day is the perfect title for Scotty McCreery’s debut country album because this impressive collection of songs clearly and vividly captures who Scotty is as an artist and a young man.

America fell in love with Scotty in 2011 when he appeared on American Idol and immediately made a name for himself with his deep and undeniably country voice, strong sense of self, small-town roots, and unwavering integrity and conviction. In May, he won Season Ten of American Idol when a record-breaking 122.4 million votes were cast for the finale and nearly 39 million people tuned in to see the winner’s name announced.

The album’s debut single, “I Love You This Big,” became a Top 15 hit and enjoyed the highest-charting debut for a new artist since at least 1984, while the video for the song hit No. 1 in just a week after its release. He recorded his debut album while starring in the American Idols Live! Tour, which Pollstar ranked as one of the nation’s Top 15 tours.

Scotty is pleased that he was able to accomplish the goals he had set for his debut album. “I wanted to make sure people could hear me through the songs they were listening to,” he says. “On American Idol, I always told them, ‘What you see is what you get. Scotty on the show is Scotty off the show. I’m the same guy onstage and offstage.’

Scotty McCreery is currently on tour with Brad Paisley – learn more and find concert dates by visiting ScottyMcCreery-Official.com/

TWO lucky Contest Corner readers will win an autographed copy of Clear As Day by Scotty McCreery! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post and tell me why you’d like to win! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

As a beauty product junkie, I’ve always sworn by moisturizer. I’m always trying new products to better moisturize and care for my skin. I recently had a chance to sample a daytime skin serum from Firmagen Labs, called AM Skin Repair. One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a bottle of this serum for themselves, so read on for my thoughts and your chance to win!

When Firmagen Labs invited me to try a complimentary bottle of their Skin Repair Daily Antioxidant Serum, I was really looking forward to testing it out and seeing how it would make my skin feel. I tried this moisturizer for the first time this morning, and I was impressed. Receiving this was perfect timing, as I had just ran out of my last moisturizer and needed something to use in the mornings.

This serum has a creamy consistency and glides on like silk without tugging at delicate skin. You can feel that it’s a very moisturizing formula, but it’s not at all heavy – it absorbs quickly into the skin, making it a perfect, non-greasy morning cream. You could easily follow this with an SPF moisturizer and/or makeup, so it’s a great compliment to your other products and a good item to start the day off with. This will be my new morning cream and I look forward to putting it on my skin after I get up each day! Although I do have very sensitive skin, I don’t have any reason to suspect that I’ll develop irritation with this – creamy moisturizers are usually gentle on my skin, where products like cleansers, makeup, or anti-blemish creams are what I run into problems with. If you tend to have dry skin (Like me!), or just want a good base cream to apply in the mornings, I would say that you might like this formula. Every skin type is different, but it worked great for me.

On a side note, the directions for this advise to apply it to dry skin, but I actually left my face a little damp after washing it and then applied the cream. I read recently that Dita Von Teese applies her moisturizer while the skin still somewhat damp to seal in moisture, and I’ve heard that method recommended before so I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve been doing this for about a week and I do like how it makes my skin feel. The AM Skin Repair serum went on great and I think leaving my face somewhat wet allowed it to seal in a little extra moisture.
AM Skin Repair is available on FirmagenSkincare.com for $29.95. To learn more and order, click here.

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a bottle of AM Skin Repair! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to view the full Firmagen Labs product line, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which product you’d most like to try. This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave a comment on this post with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

Garden Lites are a company that Contest Corner readers will be familiar with, as we’ve previously featured their vegetable soufflés. Garden Lites have posted a selection of funny videos on their new site, MyVeggieLover.com – such as the “Roasted Vegetable Goes Viral” clip above! To celebrate, Garden Lites would like to offer one lucky Contest Corner reader a 5 pack of soufflés plus a tote bag, so read on!

As you may recall, I reviewed several Garden Lites products back in December. Although I wasn’t crazy about all of the flavors, I enjoyed the products enough to gladly take them up on their offer when they invited me to host this giveaway and send me a box of treats as a thank-you. I’m planning on eating a Broccoli Soufflé for lunch! Garden Lites produce products which are packed with veggies, low in calories, and suitable for vegetarians and those who are gluten-free; some of their products are also vegan. I like to point this out because some of my readers are on restricted diets and have to be careful about what they eat, so it’s nice to have some convenient options that most everyone can enjoy!

Learn more about the Garden Lites product line and watch more fun videos at MyVeggieLover.com.

One lucky Contest Corner will win 5 Garden Lites Soufflés plus a Garden Lites tote bag! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to visit MyVeggieLover.com, then come back here and leave a comment telling me what your “Veggie Match” is! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave me the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

If you’re anything like me, then your day doesn’t officially start until you have a cup of coffee in your hands! Although I will drink any and all coffee that I can get – including old instant coffee made with lukewarm tap water during a long power outage! – buying a quality roast is one of those “Little luxuries” that makes my life that much better. And if you like good coffee, then you’ve likely heard of Gevalia Kaffe. Previously, Gevalia’s coffees were only available online, but this year they are rolling out ten of their most popular flavors to grocery stores. These coffees will receive an early launch on Safeway store shelves before hitting retailers across the country. To celebrate, one lucky Contest Corner reader will receive a Gevalia Kaffe prize pack containing 2 bags of coffee and a branded mug, so read on!

I’ve bought and enjoyed Gevalia coffee in several varieties, from standard ground coffee to Tassimo T-Discs. I think it’s great that they are now offering their coffees in retail locations for those who don’t want an ongoing membership on their website but still want to buy their coffees! Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I was able to receive a complimentary package containing two bags of Gevalia Kaffe as well as a nice mug. There’s nothing like receiving a box full of coffee to put a smile on my face! The first variety that we tried was the House Blend, which we’ve been drinking all week. The House Blend has a great flavor that is very smooth – just how I like my coffee! We also received a bag of French Roast Blend, which I tried for the first time this afternoon. The French Roast has a flavor that is dark but still smooth – I’m not always a big fan of dark roasts, but this is deep in a way that is not overpowering or bitter. I actually really like it!

And, you can’t go wrong with a nice mug:

To learn more about Gevalia Kaffe, visit the Gevalia Website and become a fan on Facebook. Looks for Gevalia Kaffe in Safeway stores now and at grocery stores nationwide later in the year.

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win prize pack containing 1 bag of Gevalia Kaffe House Blend coffee, 1 bag of Gevalia Kaffe French Roast Blend coffee, and a Gevalia Kaffe branded coffee mug! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, leave a comment on this post and tell me: Which of the Gevalia Kaffe varieties are you most looking forward to picking up at Safeway to try? You can see a full list of flavors by clicking here! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your post!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave me the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it: