Romantic $1,450 PayPal Cash Giveaway!

Who’s getting excited for Valentine’s Day? I know I sure am! I can’t believe it’s right around the corner. I feel so fortunate to be included as a co-host for this Romantic PayPal Cash Giveaway with some of the most truly amazing bloggers around the blog-o-sphere! No need for a fancy dinner, roses, jewelry, a night out on the town, or some decadent chocolate candies to make my Valentine’s day wonderful. Just provide me with an opportunity to give to others (okay, and maybe some chocolate), and I’m tickled pink!

So, what will you do with the winnings? I’d love to hear. Feel free to drop me a comment and share your plans! Oh, and good luck!

Santa $1,000 PayPal Cash Giveaway!

Get ready, ‘cause this is BIG!  About $1,000 in PayPal cash BIG!  Thanks to some amazing friends and supporters of A Peek Into My Paradise we were able to come together collectively with a CASH PRIZE of $1000, which will be split evenly between two VERY LUCKY winners ($500 each in PayPal Cash)! It’s time to start thinking about what you would do with an extra $500 this holiday season! Yep, that’s right, an extra $500! Are your gears turning yet, thinking about what to do with all this money? Are things like cameras, laptops, a PS4, Christmas shopping, paying bills etc. dancing through your head? Consider all the wonderful possibilities and enter for your chance to win the:

Santa $1,000* PayPal Cash Giveaway!

He Calls Me Grace $600 Cash Giveaway!

 

He Calls Me Grace // Kate the Almost Great // Raising Reagan // Notes from the Nelsons

Play Party Pin // Behind Blue Eyes // We Do Fun Here  // Sew Crafty Angel

The Chef Next Door // Lovely You // Craft Dictator  // Bohemian Bunny
Hope in Every Season // A Peek into My Paradise // Crafts a la Mode // When in Doubt, Just Add Glitter
Busy Sweet Life // Paw Prints and Paint Brushes  // Cropped Stories // A Dash of Sanity

Thinking Outside the Sandbox Family // Nap Time Creations // The Weary Chef // A Kitchen Hoor
{createinspire} // Tikkido // Mother of Imperfection // Cuddlebug Cuties // Undecided Mamas
A Pinch of Joy // The Interior Frugalista // My Full Time Fit Life

 

Enter the Rafflecopter form below, or click here.
 

Come back as many times as you would like to complete the entries. Remember, they don't all have to be done at once. The giveaway runs the whole month of January.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The PINcentive Blog Hop (Week 12) & $175 Giveaway!

Not here for the giveaway?  No problem.  Don’t feel bad in scrolling right past this to The PINcentive Blog Hop to get your party on!

For those interested in FREE prizes; it’s your lucky day!   Our giveaway is still up, running, and just waiting for you to enter for a chance to win $100 in PayPal cash, a $75 Amazon Gift Card, and free ad space on Cropped Stories!  Only it closes in less than 4 days, so  don’t delay!  And if you wanted to, feel free tell your friends!  I’m just sayin’! 

So have at it, and GOOD LUCK!

The Anatomy of a Great Post Comment (a list of do & don’t tips)

Have you ever considered the content of a comment you leave on a blog post?  Even if you’re a veteran in the blog-0-sphere, there’s no harm in mulling over the message you’d like to convey.  And if you are a newbie, even more so!  Not only should the message you’d like to convey be considered, but HOW-TO convey it as well.  Enticing the author to reply back is essential if your intention when leaving a comment is to establish a relationship. If it blossoms into something more, then, hey, that’s just a bonus!  Feel free to give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate your new friendship, follower, and/or reader!

The PINcentive Blog Hop (Week 9) & GIVEAWAY!

WELCOME to a special week of The PINcentive Blog Hop: Week 9!  Not only do I have a blog hop for you today, but also a giveaway with some serious prizes!  Prizes that will allow you to either shop ‘till you drop, pay some bills, host a HUGE party, purchase some Christmas gifts, all while promoting your website right here on Cropped Stories!  So, before we get to the blog hop, feel free to enter my November Sponsor Giveaway for a chance to win $100 in PayPal cash, a $75 Amazon Gift Card, and FREE Ad space on my website for 30 days!

Crafty Christmas Cash Giveaway!

It's giveaway time! I'm joining Katherines Corner and Art by Karena, BeBetsy, Deliciously Inspired, My Turn for Us, Mamas Little Treasures, Ruby For Women, Practically Functional and Sew Crafty Angel to bring you this wonderful Crafty Christmas Cash Giveaway. We all got together to make this giveaway extra special. ♥

Our $100 “just because” giveaway!

Do you know what I like to do? I like to give away things for no reason at all, just because I feel like it!  I don’t need a blogiversary, holiday, birthday, or even 1000 social media followers to celebrate!  My readers , yeah YOU, are reason enough to make me want to celebrate and give something special away!  Sort of a “thank you” for all the times you’ve read my posts, left comments, shared my content, provided me with blogger opportunities, supported my ideas, sponsored me, contributed to my website, but, most importantly, were there when I needed a friend!

With that said, a group of us decided to contribute some of our hard earned money to fund this monthly giveaway so we could present the eGIFT CARD by American Express to all of you today! 

Easy Banana Coconut Mini Muffins and Giveaway!

I don’t know what it is about me, but I could never pass up a banana muffin, bread, cake, etc.  Banana anything really!  With my mom always making banana bread growing up, I was sort of doomed from the start.  I guess the banana and I were meant to be!  And the apple, or should I say banana, didn’t fall far from the tree as it pertains to my little one, Aliva.  Like her mama, she loves bananas as well!  She must have gobbled up 2 banana coconut mini muffins in a matter of 10 minutes!  Just to give you an idea, it takes her a good 45 minutes, or so, to eat lunch.

Enter our Giveaway for a chance to win $500!

Yep, you read the post title right!  We sure are giving away $500 to one LUCKY winner!  And all because of the one year BLOGIVERSARY of A Peek into my Paradise!  It has been 1 year since Cathy’s first blog post went live!  How exciting is that?!  I’m just so excited to be a part of the celebration! 

So, I’ve got a pretty serious question for you.  Now I could think of a million things I would buy with $500, but what I really want to know is:

WHAT WOULD YOU BUY WITH $500?

The Versatile Blogger Award

So guess what?  I was nominated for another award!  How freakin’ excited am I?!  This time, Tarana from Sand in my Toes (don’t you just love her blog name) nominated me and I am beyond honored!  It’s such an amazing feeling to know that someone thought of you, and that little ol’ blog of yours, especially when you least expected it!  And to be nominated for being versatile, is especially wonderful!  Makes me happy, for once, not to have limited myself to blogging about one topic like maybe I made the right decision about branching out!  So thank you Tarana for recognizing me!

A Pasta Recipe for your Picky Eater(s)!

Do you have a picky eater in the house?  If so, I’m assuming they are somewhere between the ages of 3 and 8?  I have a 3 year old and she has been quite picky in the past to say the least.  Just when I thought I was understanding her taste, it would change drastically.  First she was interested in tasty foods with lots of spices, then it was bland foods like a piece of white wonder bread or plain chicken.  Today, I am happy to report she is more open minded and will eat a variety of foods with only a little coaxing!  If you can believe it, I’ve been feeding her foods like cereal, scrambled eggs, or French toast for breakfast, salami and bread or chicken nuggets for lunch, and pork tenderloin, lamb chops (her favorite), steak, chicken cutlets, sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn on the cob, or spaghetti for dinner. 

For those of you that are still dealing with a picky eater, more importantly one that would prefer more bland than tasty foods, I’d recommend my linguini dish.  Of course, it doesn’t have to be made with linguini.  Any pasta would do.  It’s a simple recipe with only few ingredients. 

Want to contribute to Cropped Stories? (oh, and enter a GIVEAWAY)?

It’s a new day.  It’s an EXCITING day!  Why you ask?  Well because today I’ve decided it would be fun to have interested parties contribute content to Cropped Stories!  Why contribute?  Well let’s see…

In addition to getting to work with me (by the way, I’ve been told I’m extremely fun to work with) and building a new friendship, how about free exposure for your website?  Interested to know how much exposure?  No worries, I would want to know too!  Check out my blog stats currently updated specifically for this post:

2 Giveaways; 1 Post!!!!

Now I’m sure crazier things have happened, but certainly not better than this:

 

2 GIVEAWAYS; 1 POST = 2 CHANCES TO WIN

That’s right!  That means not 1, but 2 chances to win something amazing including a $200 Amazon Gift Card and a box of 6 Woolzies (see below for more details)!  How amazing is that?

 

Speaking of giveaways: need an extra $100?  In case you missed it, don’t forget to check out my current giveaway for your chance to win a $100 Virtual VISA Gift Card!  You still have time but, I’d hurry, it ends on the 2oth (yeah, that’s tomorrow)!

Stay connected with these must have apps!

When a blogger goes on vacation, their smartphone gets some serious use! While Cropped Stories is away, I volunteered to guest post for her. I, too, was away on vacation. I blog over at Krystal’s Kitsch, and I am happy to share some iPhone apps for those well-connected bloggers.

We hit up a beautiful beach on the Atlantic coast of Florida, and enjoyed the very HOT weather! Bloggers love to share photos, document their trips, and stay connected to their readers. I have compiled a list of must have Blogger iPhone Apps for those writers on the go!

Our “just because” $100 Giveaway!

It’s a Tuesday and something about today is special but I can’t remember what!  I know it was supposed to be a Tuesday unlike any other, but I can’t remember why.  It’s weird.  You know that feeling I’m talking about?  Like you had something important to say, but you can’t remember what.  It’s really rather frustrating.  I just know I’m forgetting something….  Wait, I think it’s coming back to me.  It’s on the tip of my tongue I swear!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice!

Hey everyone! Hope your weekend was fantastic!  I’ve got some wonderful Guest Bloggers lined up for you this week and:

So don’t forget to come back for your chance to win $100!

Julia is a busy mom of twins, a wife, and an accountant. In her "spare" time, she scrapbooks, makes cards, designs jewelry, and sneaks naps. She blogs about life, scrapbooking, card making, blogging, crafts, recipes, reviews, giveaways, social good, and anything else that makes her laugh. A Global Team of 200 moms and a Shot@LIfe Champion, she has written for US Aid, Feed the Future, Sverve, and other websites. You can join her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest.    

The Grab a Friend Blog Hop!

Hey there!  So glad you stopped by and I hope you’ll link up to our Grab a Friend Blog Hop!  Before you do, though, let me fill you in on some things that have been going on over here! If you like jewelry you may want to check out, Tarnished Royalty: Jewelry to Cherish!  Ann hand crafts one of kind statement pieces that you really must check out! 

Additionally, if you haven’t entered my July Sponsor Giveaway for a chance to win some amazing prizes including FREE ad space, design services, and a gift card, there is still time to enter!  And if you haven’t linked up to The Happy Aloha Friday Blog Hop, feel free to check that out as well!  So much to do; so little time! 

And just in case that’s not enough for you, I thought I’d remind you of my fabulous 30% off promotion on any size ad spot on Cropped Stories when you use the code CELEBRATING (in all CAPS) at checkout!  Feel free to visit my ADVERTISE page for more information! 

The Happy Aloha Friday Blog Hop is Live!

First and foremost, HAPPY FRIDAY! 

Before I can let you go off and party, have you entered my July Sponsor Giveaway?  It just went live yesterday!  I’d hate for you to miss out on the chance to win some amazing prizes such as FREE ad space, gift cards, and more! 

And if you like to win free stuff (who doesn’t right), you can also head over to Aree with Umbrella where I’m offering a FREE medium size ad spot on my website!

Interested in advertising on Cropped Stories, feel free to check out my ADVERTISE page for details.  I hope you’ll take advantage and use the 30% of promo code CELEBRATING (in all CAPS)!  It’s good for any size ad space!

If you missed my previous posts from the past several days, here’s a little recap of what I’ve been blogging about over here:

- Vacationing in Cape Cod, MA (includes a FREE photography checklist printable)
- 7 Educational Mobile Applications for Kids
- Blog tools you should definitely consider

Do you miss them being babies & my July sponsor giveaway!

When Alivia was born, I asked my sister who has two children (one was 15 at the time and other was 13) if she missed them being babies.  She answered without hesitance “no”.  In disbelief I asked “really”?  I was both surprised and enlightened by her answer!  After briefly explaining the things she was enjoying about my niece and nephew’s current ages, she went on to say that she thought of childhood as a temporary place for the child to become their true selves, the adult person they always had been just hadn’t grown into yet.  I had to think about it for a few minutes to really grasp the concept, but I was intrigued by the idea.  Could it possibly be true?