LuckyDiem Combines Thrill of Slot Machines With Instant Rewards

One of the many things I inherited from my Grandma Rose is my love to play slot machines. When she visited my aunt and uncle in California, they always went to Reno. It partly was the place where they went shopping since they lived in the mountains in a town with a population of 37 and because Reno is fun.   My Grandma Rose liked to play the nickel slots and if you knew her it was funny because she didn’t seem like a gambling woman.  I found a brand new website called LuckyDiem and they have a really cool new game where you can win dELiA*s gift cards. Who doesn’t love cute clothes?  I know I love to save money so LuckyDiem is a win- win for me.  Here are some more details on the promotion:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LuckyDiem Combines Thrill of Slot Machines With Instant Rewards

Facebook Social Game partners with dELiA*s for launch 

New York, NY, October 17, 2012 -- Earlier this month, LuckyDiem launched its new Vegas-style game that combines the thrill of pulling the lever on a slot machine with the joy of saving money and getting a chance to win shopping sprees and other prizes. LuckyDiem’s launch partner is clothing retailer dELiA*s; other partners will follow in the coming weeks. Prizes include discounts, $1,500 worth of dELiA*s gift cards, and $200 worth of Amazon gift cards.

LuckyDiem.com serves up 10,000 points and 10 free spins to each new player, who can easily register by logging in through Facebook. With a click on the “Spin” button, players get to see what they’ve won. Basic prizes during the dELiA*s campaign include coupons that offer $5, $10, and $15 off purchases at delias.com.

 

Players can instantly increase their rewards by simply answering a single pop culture trivia question correctly.  Savings continue when players either signup or share their success on Facebook and Twitter, earning as much as 40% off their entire dELiA*s purchase.  However, when a player’s initial number of points for spins runs out, that’s when the rest of the game really starts to heat up. Players earn points through a variety of actions such as answering more trivia questions and sharing with friends. And players who share photos of their dELiA*s purchases on LuckyDiem’s Facebook page can collect 200,000 points.

Grand prizes during the dELiA*s campaign include $1,500 in gift certificates (one $1,000 gift certificate and ten $50 gift certificates), which are instantly won by users playing the game. In addition, $200 worth of Amazon gift cards will be given to the top players on the leader board at 7:00 PM Eastern time on Thursday, October 25.

Grand prizes planned for LuckyDiem campaigns with future partners include trips to the Super Bowl and backstage passes to concerts.

“LuckyDiem makes consumers feel like every day is their lucky day,” said LuckyDiem CEO Andrew Landis. “With 87% of 10 - 65 years-olds playing games online today, it’s imperative that advertisers integrate social gaming into their overall marketing strategy. Our turnkey platform is a launching-off point for brands to engage with consumers, but most importantly, LuckyDiem extends that initial engagement and sustains the emotional connection between the consumer and brand in a way that’s never been done before.”

“Instead of pushing the message out to the consumer, LuckyDiem’s users are happily engaging with brands through gameplay and rewards,”  Landis added. “We have several partners lined up to keep the excitement at a fever pitch year-round.”

About LuckyDiem:

LuckyDiem was founded with one goal in mind: to make earning rewards more fun. All consumers want to get discounts when they shop online, but most money-saving promotions involve filling out forms and waiting. Boring. LuckyDiem combines the visceral excitement of Vegas slot machines with the thrill of immediate savings and the enticement that big prizes could be just a click away. LuckyDiem launched in October 2012 with an initial campaign conducted with dELiA*s.

I hope you sign up for LuckyDiem and win big! Let me know if you are a lucky winner!

The Ultimate Comfort Food: 4 Meatloaf Recipes You'll Make Again and Again

Ah, comfort food. It's just so...comforting. No matter what's going on in the world you can count on a home-cooked meal to set things right. Maybe it's the memories of a simpler time that are conjured up when you serve a thick, steaming slice of meatloaf made from grandma's meatloaf recipe. Or maybe it's just nice to put aside the problems of the day and lose yourself in the moment while enjoying a relaxing dinner with your family. Whatever the reasons, you can't deny what a difference a meal of plain and simple American cuisine will make.

The Quintessential Loaf: A Meatloaf Recipe for Your Every Mood

Meatloaf has risen to the top of the go-to recipes list because it's easy to make and the inexpensive ingredients are staples that are usually on hand on your pantry shelves. Meatloaf has undergone a few evolutions since Grandma made it, but whether you're making a basic meatloaf recipe or dressing it up, you can always count on an uncomplicated yet satisfying meal.

  Easy and Delicious Meatloaf

 

Wherever you got your basic meatloaf recipe, they are all essentially the same. This easy recipe gets its roots from the basic meat, egg, breadcrumb formula, but with a few contemporary changes that give it a little extra that will make it your new favorite meatloaf recipe.

Ingredients

·         2 lb. lean ground beef

·         1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix for chicken

·         1 cup water

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided

Directions

·         Heat oven to 375 degrees.

·         Place meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce in bowl.

·         Mix just until blended

·         Shape into loaf in 13 X 9-inch baking dish.

·         Top with remaining barbecue sauce. Bake 1 hour or until done (160 degrees).

                                                  Ciao-Down Italian Meatloaf

 

Solve the dinner choice dilemma of whether to have Italian or American by serving up this appetizing meatloaf with an Italian twist. Pasta on the side with garlic bread will compliment the meal nicely.

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix for chicken

·         1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided

·         1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, divided

·         1-1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef

·         1 cups chopped zucchini

·         1 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

·         3/4 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

·         Heat oven to 375 degrees.

·         Mix stuffing mix with half each of the spaghetti sauce and oregano. Add meat; mix well. Pat into 13 X 9-inch baking dish.

·         Mix vegetables and remaining spaghetti sauce and oregano. Spoon over meat mixture; cover.

·         Bake 25 min. Top with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10 min. or until meatloaf is done (160 degrees).

                                             Cheesy Mini Meatloaves

Spice things up – and give your meatloaf a new look to boot – when you make these fun and flavorful meatloaf minis. Go all out with Mexican rice and refried beans to make a weeknight fiesta for the family.

Ingredients

·         1 lb. ground beef

·         1/2 cup finely chopped onions

·         1 egg

·         12 saltine crackers, finely crushed (about 1/2 cup)

·         1-1/2 cups Mexican style finely shredded four cheese blend, divided

·         1 cup thick 'n chunky salsa, divided

Directions

·         Heat oven to 400 degrees.

·         Mix first 4 ingredients with 1 cup cheese and 1/2 cup salsa.

·         Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Use back of spoon to make indentation in center of each. Place muffin pan on foil-covered baking sheet.

·         Bake 20 to 25 min. or until meatloaves are done (160 degrees). Top with remaining salsa and cheese; bake 3 min. or until cheese is melted.
                                                  

                                   Bacon 'n Cheese Meatloaf

Channeling another comfort favorite, this meatloaf recipe uses the makings of a bacon cheeseburger to create a delicious meal that is almost effortless. The hard part is saving leftovers for a bacon cheese meatloaf sandwich for lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients

·         1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

·         1 egg, beaten

·         1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·         1/4 cup milk

·         1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

·         1 Tbsp. finely chopped onions

·         1/2 tsp. each garlic powder and dried oregano leaves

·         1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper

·         4 slices cooked bacon

Directions

·         Heat oven to 400 degrees.

·         Mix all ingredients except bacon.

·         Shape into loaf in 9 X 5-inch loaf pan; top with bacon.

·         Bake 45 min. or until done (160 degrees). Let stand 5 min. before removing from pan and slicing to serve.

Quick Tips

·         Cook meatloaf until the middle is no longer pink or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center part of the loaf reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

·         Try using ground turkey, pork or veal as tasty substitutes for beef; it’ll give your meatloaf a unique flavor.

·         Make mixing mess-free by putting all the ingredients into a gallon-size reseal-able plastic bag. Press the air out of the bag before zipping it closed, then squeeze and mash until all the ingredients are mixed. You can even shape the meat into a loaf inside the bag before transferring it to the baking dish.

No Gift Birthday Parties

My son has a ton of toys. He receives them for presents from my family and me. Some of them are birthday gifts and Christmas gifts but sometimes they are for no reason. Honestly, I kind of feel like when his birthday comes along it just means more stuff. Now that he is older and will start having birthday parties with friends, it will only get worse. I am thankful for the gifts we receive of course. I really am.

I have an issue with the quality of some toys now days. I can tell you that I have quite a few toys from my childhood that are still in good condition or well working condition. I bought Noah a remote control helicopter for his birthday that was broken less than a month later. Another issue is a lot of toys are made in China and end up getting recalled for lead or whatever reason.

I would like to see my family and friends use their gift money to go towards his college education. That would be a gift that would really last a lifetime. I also think that quite a few parents are interested in a no gift birthday party. As my mom would say, your presence is present enough.

Did you know saving just $25/month when your child is a toddler can result in up to $10,000 when they're ready for college? That's just one coffee a week.


If you reach $1,000 in the 60 day window GradSave will give you $100 to use towards your college savings or to pay for your birthday party.  How cool is that?

You can learn more about the GradSave Birthday Challenge.

What do you think about no gift parties? I look forward to your thoughts.