Free Maven makeup at Julep.com! Just pay $5.00 shipping! December 2014

   Today I discovered a really neat deal for a free box of one beautiful nail polish or lipstick at Julep.com!
    What a fun deal for the holidays....you may even get it in time for Christmas, and definitely for the festive New Year's time!
Here's what to do, ladies!

1. Sign up for a free account at Julep.com

2. Sign up for a free account at Swagbucks.com

3 . NEXT (after you've signed up through my referral link above), go to the home page of Swagbucks and look at the featured deals they offer.  Click on the image with the holiday nails that says ''JULEP earn 800 Swagbucks''

4. Complete the short, fun survey thingy on Julep's web page (which you will have clicked onto from Swagbucks)

5. Complete your order by using the code SWAGBUCKSFREE to get your 1 box of makeup free! Shipping is technically free, but since the total does come out to $5.48, I consider that the shipping cost. :) (It's psychologically more pleasing).

6. Now, if you like, you can refer your friends to earn $15.00 credit for future use!

You can't go wrong with free! I'm considering reselling my free bottle of nail polish!

Earn money for free! My top favorite free money and survey sites! These are safe easy ways to earn giftcards or cash!

    Living frugally and on a budget can be hard!
With this looming large in my thrifty mind, I carefully researched and found several sites and programs which allow me to gain points which transfer into cash, cash, or rewards. Each of these sites gives me useful rewards for things I normally would be spending otherwise earned money!

  These  quick and easy points are so exciting and  handy for redeeming in the form of Amazon, Restaurant.com or Groupon, Ebay to name a few ! I have definitely earned enough this year to cover many of my personal expenses, so I'm pleased!
  Without further ado, let me share links to all these great sites with you so you can start earning points and cash to spend!

SWAGBUCKS: 
    As you may already know, this program is super fun to use! You earn points merely by searching through their toolbar. This is my favorite site for earning money because I love seeing the ''swagbucks'' when I randomly win them just by searching! Use their toolbar for every website you visit, including your regulars such as your email or the weather! You'll never know how much you can earn until you try it! My only regret is that I wasn't consistent with earning through Swagbucks during the first year I had it!

   I am just now exploring more options on earning with this great site. They include: watching movies (movie trailers, cooking shows, fashion tips and more!), visiting websites, answering surveys, and of course shopping through Swagbucks!
 Just think- all your online purchases could be giving you about 8% cashback through Swagbucks points!!! Don't wait to sign up for this site.

And keep in touch- if you win the 1,000 hourly Swagbucks I'd love to hear about it!

INBOX DOLLARS:
   My second favourite site, this allows you to turn actual cash just by clicking ''confirm paid email'' on sponsored emails which arrive in your inbox daily. This takes less than 2 seconds, and is very rewarding to me.
Once you reach $30.00, you can request a payment, which is mailed as a check to you! Very easy site to understand. I also gain quite a bit of cash from doing these surveys and you can also watch movies and play games for cash. And like with Swagbucks, you can shop through this program for discounts and cash back!
You really need to sign up for at least one of these programs!


MY POINTS: your daily rewards program
(This link will lead you to my facebook post with my referral link!)
   For shoppers, this is just as good as Swagbucks! They give over 8% cash back on purchases, and they have absolute ton of online stores to shop through...including unusual health food sites like Vitacost.com!
They also let you earn points through surveys and searches and a bunch more things! Also, just like with inbox dollars, you can gain points just by clicking on emails! You need a program like this! Why would you shop online without a program like this? Why would you spend money online (as we have done for years-how I wish we knew about this before!) without a rewards program?

TOLUNA
This doesn't give me a referral link, so if you want me to gain points for referring you, please comment below with your email address and I will send you a sign-up link! I will keep your email private; meaning I will definitely delete your comment ASAP!
This site offers rewards for surveys. I really love their surveys and have been able to participate in many of them!



VIP voice surveys:
   They don't give me a referral link; I have to send you a link through your email. If you care enough about me to want me to get extra points for referring you, just comment with your first name and email address and I will send you a link! I will also promptly delete your comment from the public's eyes!

   This is for those who are willing to do surveys only. You get points to spend on bidding or sweeps for a variety of products including Restaurant.com coupons.
I have gained 30,475 points since I signed up in April 2014. I haven't used my points yet. Example: In bids, A Home Theatre Speaker System is currently going for 82,615 points with 5 days left. I have decide to save up my points for something big!
My favourite part of VIP was that they send you survey links to your inbox and thus I have qualified over 6 times to take part in a week-long food and beverage survey which paid $25.00 each time! Thus, I have an online Visa card with $130.00 free money to spend!


SLICE THE PIE:
Music lovers, you are going to love this one!
Get paid cash simply for listening to tracks from budding musical artists which match up with your musical interests and quickly typing up a short review on the music you just heard! Each review pays between .11-.20! (11 cents- 20 cents). Once you reach the gold level, you get 20 cents per review! Of course, this works best for those of you who are speedy thinkers and typers! And it is great to multi-task while doing this.



For more similar deals, visit my blog post below:
PAPERBACK SWAP

Cranberry Morning Streusel Coffee Cake recipe

                  Cranberry Morning Streusel Coffee Cake:
                             
   What a delicious Christmas morning dessert, or accompaniment to tea-time this cake makes! Although fairly easy and quick to make, it turns out beautifully! Our Grandma used to bring it all the way from Canada every year for Christmas morning; and we still love making and savouring it any special day!

Ingredients:
-½ cup butter
-1 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp. Vanilla
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. Baking powder
-1 tsp. Baking soda
-½ tsp. Salt
-1 cup sour cream
-2 ½ cups cranberries fresh or frozen

For Streusel:
-¾ cup lightly packed brown sugar
-½ cup all-purpose flour
-1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
-¼ cup butter (more if needed)
Mix together and blend in butter until crumbly

For Cake:
Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
Spread half the batter in a greased and floured pan ( 10 inch springform or angel food) Sprinkle with first with half the streusel mixture, follow with half the cranberries, then the remaining batter, remaining cranberries, and the rest of the streusel mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F. about one hour, till skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.

Serve warm, with butter. (optional) Makes about 12 good-sized slices.
Note: Can be frozen. Let cool suspended on glass bottle, remove cake from pan, wrap well in foil paper, freeze. When the time comes for enjoying it, simply re-heat in 250 degrees F. oven for about 20 minutes.

Winter parties: A Viking feast

Inspired by the excellent book Hand of Vengeance by Douglas Bond, we created a Viking/ Saxon birthday for a party in October 2013!

This theme appeals to children and adults of all ages and genders! In fact, this particular birthday was for a teenage brother and sister and they both had a blast with it! Let's start with a concise look at the party: 

Menu: 

Sliced Ham

Pork and Chicken portions cooked in apples

''Harvest'' muffins (see below for recipe)

Hunks of bread

''Meade'' (apple cider- see recipe below)

Music: 

''How to Train Your Dragon'' by John Powell

or

music by artist Alexander Rybak

Props

(it is always a good idea to plan ahead so you can keep your eyes open while shopping thrift stores and antique shops!):

For children: 

-Viking longboat from Playmobil

-Viking warriors from Playmobil

-How to Train your Dragon items

For all: 

-Brown or green ''beakers'' (mugs from thrift stores (or here  and here on Etsy))

-Unique metal buttons with Celtic designs (antique/thrift stores)

-Unique stone or metal items

-Jewelry made of metal or stone

-Daggers

-Metal or stone drinking cups (antique/thrift stores)

-Maps (create these yourself)

-Poems and hidden messages written in Rune alphabet (see below)

-Woven items such as baskets

-Sea shells

-Wooden serving dishes and utensils

For more inspiration...see pictures below!

Viking gown created using old and new items...see below for more details.

We used a Playmobil character we already owned.

The picture behind is one we found online and printed out. The frame was found at ...a thrift store of course!

Of course candles always lend the perfect atmosphere to every table setting! Here we have a  soy tea light candle perched on some sea shells inside a tiny basket. 

A piece of jewelry entwines an ornate candle holder. To the right, a message I wrote in Runes- the ancient Scandinavian alphabet.

                                       

This was a quickly-created craft for the birthday using a Native American canoe we already owned. We added a mast with red and white striped sail, a figurehead and viking! The 'shields' along the side are all metal buttons. I am serious when I say that we find things months ahead at antique and thrift stores! You can probably find them on Etsy or elsewhere online. 

Found this beaker at another antique store! It works as a splendid thermos

In a hurry, Nikola assembled this viking ship prow from a large cardboard box and strips of brown paper. Add a cardboard shield and a plastic piece and you're all set!

Sorry we don't have real instructions.

                                                            As for the noon feast....

We had slices of ham...

...hunks of bread

''HARVEST'' muffin recipe: 

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups applesauce or pear sauce (cook pears just as you would apples and blend)

4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cloves

In a medium-sized bowl, sift dry ingredients. In a mixer, beat sugar and egg together. Add applesauce, alternating with dry ingredients and fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes. 

Optional: chopped walnuts for a great twist!

Heat samples of ''mead'' by placing a bowl above a candle, as shown above!

Bubbling-hot ''Mead'' recipe:
All you need is 
-1 gallon of apple cider, heated up with 
-3 sticks of cinnamon 
-and your favourite mulling spice blend- we used a plum spice variety
 (if unavailable, try adding 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. ginger and perhaps some dried plums and berries!) 
-about 1 cup red wine (for child-friendly cider either continue to simmer the cider until alcohol has worn off, or use grape juice!)

....and last, but not least: Pork cooked with apples, and sausages!

 As I am unsure as to what recipe we followed, allow me to suggest this one here! Enjoy.

For more inspiration, here are the pictures we took that day...
(if you are looking for a women's Viking-style costume, look no further than your local resale shop! We found this heavy gown at our thrifstore! With altering, it became a convincing Viking lass outfit! We split up the sides of the dress, and then laced it up using twine laced through leather tabs.  Add a metal belt and you're set!)

Of course she happened to have remarkably authentic hair that year!

''To arms! To arms!'' the watchman cries in fear. 

''A sail! A sail! The dragon ships are near!

The shields are set and now the sails are furled!

Now oars extend like claws that rend the world. 

And men, like wolves, they grind us with their keels, 

Our shores, our crops, our homes, beneath their heels...

Hold fast! The saintly warrior king appears, 

And with him valiant thegns who turn our tears

To steadfast courage stout and purpose strong, 

Who steel our will to stand against the wrong.

           To arms! To arms! Let none your valour quake!

We'll fight and die for our Defender's sake!''

-The falcon-eyed watchman by Douglas Bond-

MUSIC...

How to Train Your Dragon by John Powell

For the spirit of Norway, Alexander Rybak is amazing!

LITERATURE...

Hand of Vengeance

Excellent historical fiction

                                                       

The Black Fox of Lorne

A wonderful book for children!

The Vikings

I thought this an interesting introduction to Viking history for young readers 

Edwin: High King of Britain novel

I have not read many of this genre, as you can tell. 

See this list for more inspiration!

MOVIES...

Have you seen Pendragon:Sword of His Father by Burns Family Studios? It is an excellent story, perfect for children of all ages! Very well done especially for an amateur company!

                                     

Paperback swap....a great way to obtain like-new paperback and hardback books for minimal costs!

   Originally published in 2013 or so, this post still holds true! I hope to update it with even more success stories soon- because I have continued to get beautiful books from this club! Many hardcovers as well!

Two usually expensive ($17.95 each) history books published by Inheritance Publications which I received from PaperbackSwap- costing me under 4 dollars for BOTH! And yes: I now OWN them. This is not a lending system. Rather a way of gaining books for one's own self!

With Christmas coming up, and many of you eager to buy special gifts for family and friends, I would like to recommend that you join the book site PaperbackSwap! (which is actually for hardbacks as well!)

 I first heard of it a few years ago, from a fellow blogger but never imagined it would be beneficial for me. However, since I signed up this year, I've been able, through swapping books I no longer wanted or books I picked up free or purchased for a minimal fee, with other members to gain several special books for myself and my family to permanently own. Now I suggest every book lover out there sign up themselves!  Around Christmas is probably the best time to begin listing books since many other members are likewise shopping for Christmas! In the last couple weeks, I've sent out more books than I did all summer. 

PLEASE say, on the sign-up page that mazzou referred you. This is very important, because I would then get an extra credit to spend on a....book! :) Please and thank you!!!

I will explain how the system works on PaperbackSwap. It is unbelievably simple. No credit card information or anything required, because you don't pay for the books you request, rather for the shipping for books you ship out to other members who request them from you!

This means:

 If you only choose to list books that are very lightweight, your credits cost a greatly minimal amount and you save tons of money on books! Yay!

My success story: 

Two great books published by Inheritance Publications which I received from PaperbackSwap- costing me under $4.00 for BOTH!

In fact, these two like-new Christian historical fiction books which I received  this year for two of my paperback swap account credits I would have paid over $15.00 each if I had purchased them from the company we usually do (Inheritance Publications).
However, through PaperBackSwap I ended up paying only $3.17 for both together! (where do I get this $3.17? from the cost it sent me to mail out 2 books previously in order to obtain the 2 credits to spend on these two books I requested!) See what I mean....it's great! Read on....and see more examples of books I've received at the bottom of the post.
Yes, you keep the books you request! This is not a constant swapping system, unless you decide to re-swap the books you got....I hope this is clear!

The basics to PaperbackSwap are very simple. Of course there are more details involved, but nothing you can't conquer with a little help from the instructions on the site and from other members like myself. (I personally was given great tips by a friend)

When you sign up, through the below link, they will ask you on the page if anyone referred you. I would be SO happy if you would say I referred you!  (''Mazzou'')

 THANKS A BUNCH.

More about the site....

You simply join, just start listing books you have which are in pretty good condition, and when a book is requested from you, you quickly package the book (in two pieces of paper, taped well) and pay for its shipping. (usually under two dollars) 

When the book is received by the other member, you will get a credit (1 credit per book!) to use to request any book off the site for YOURSELF! :)

As a special incentive, when you list 10 books, the company automatically gives you 2 credits as a gift.  And the referral system gives you 1 credit every time a friend lists 10 books.

I must admit that not all your favorite books will be available immediately. However, each person gets to add as many as 200 books to their wishlist which will enable you to wait in line for your desired book to be posted by another member. 

(I am sure this sometimes takes years, as it will for several of the more unusual books I long for....but oh well! I am grateful for the wishlist system.) I actually have received a couple books already, from my wishlist!

Book quality:

 I have, so far, received over 4 great books in like-new condition! Very exciting. (if you do not want any books worse than ''new'' condition, you can specify that on your PaperbackSwap club account! Or you can request a book, then send the member a personal message, as I usually do, making sure the book IS in great condition) You can swap books which are in good condition, or newer. There is even a forum on the site for swapping damaged books. And I do list damaged books if they are popular, BUT to follow the rules of the site, I ALWAYS send the member who requests the book a message informing them on the condition, and making sure they still want it. 

Choosing books to swap:

Note: If you don't have books in your home which you want to get rid of on PaperBackSwap, you can always purchase books from your thrift shop, library, etc. I suggest you look out for lightweight books, so you can spend less for your credit. Also, you might want to contemplate which books are highly desired in the club... by searching the titles and seeing how many members wish for it, or reading the ''top wished'' list of titles. (which I don't recommend doing since I'm sure there are many nasty titles on it.)

What I did and do:

I officially began my PaperbackSwap account with listing 10 books I actually bought for 25 cents-75 cents a piece at our local thrift store. Thankfully, after the initial 10 books (which unfortunately, didn't go like hotcakes!) although I did buy a few more books here and there, and gave away several books from my own collection which I didn't need....my main sources, surprisingly and excitedly are ''free boxes'' at book stores and resale shops. I hope you find free books to list as well! But any way you do it, BEGIN!

Comment on this post if you have any questions, or if you already use PaperbackSwap!

Now for some examples of books I have been able to request and receive through PaperbackSwap!

Each of these came in great condition....AND, counting up the costs of the shipping spent on the book with which I earned credit to order these books, every single one comes to under $2.00

Since these books are out of print, I am trying to get as many copies as possible

A sweet book by an author I like- yes, it is a hardback book!

Just SOME of the books I've received so far.

2014 Update: I have since received many beautiful books, mostly hardback! More pictures coming soon!