Surveys, Contests, and Wins! Oh my!

So, I've got the contest, survey, reward, instant win bug again. XD

I started doing reward programs, contests, and surveys back in 2003. I found PCH Points and MyPoints while I was working at the hotel. I was hooked the moment I got my first gift card. <3 Even though PCH Points isn't around any more, there are plenty of other legit companies out there.

Over the years my mom and I have won, gift cards, tons of free food coupons, blankets, hats, gloves, iPods, dvds, music, books, a grill/smoker, and some small household items. Our biggest win was a $1,000 shopping spree.

This past month I have won:
3 books
2 music downloads
2 Burt's Bee's Lip Glosses
1 Burt's Bee's Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
2 Burt's Bee's body lotions
3 Dove candybars
60 free photo prints
a mechanical pencil
several hats
a pair of gloves
a t-shirt and a mini football
a t-shirt from Vista Print
1 free concert ticket to a live nation concert
2 $25 American Express gift cards
about $50 in Amazon gift cards
and a mystery prize

I always thought that I would never win anything, so I never bothered entering anything. But, that's not true. You can win, and lots of people do. ^^ You might have dry spells for a while, but then the wins start to trickle in. So, my advice to the people out there, give it a shot. You never know unless you try.

Tips on entering contest, giveaways, sweepstakes, and instant wins:

1. Read the rules! - Some contests you can enter more than once, daily, weekly, or monthly. Some are 1 per person or 1 per household.

2. Use a dedicated email address. - I recommend using an email just for contests and rewards programs. It's easier to find any important emails.

3. ENTER! - You can't win unless you do. =]

If you would like links to some good sites, just comment and I will post them.

That's it for now. Happy winning. <3

My new blog!

So I decided to create a new blog, since I did not like the features on my old one. This site seems to be better and a LOT easier to use. I can't wait to start meeting new friends and posting lots of awesome stuff. =]

A bit about me: My name is Katie, and I live in Michigan. Maybe one day I will move someplace else, but for now it's all right. I am really into Asian Cultures and one day want to open my own Asian media store. I just don't know where to put it. LOL. I have been listening to Asian music for about 15 years now. Before then I was really into anime and video games. I am always looking for new artists or songs to get addicted to, so if you think I might like something let me know. I love anything from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Even some stuff from Thailand. My favorite Asian artists are: the GazettE, Dir en Grey, LM.C, D'espairs Ray, Gackt, Shinhwa, Se7en, Uhm Jung Hwa, Koyote, Dong Bong Shin Ki, Coco Lee, 183 Club, and many, many, many more.

I am absolutely addicted to Asian dramas. Mostly Korean and Taiwanese ones. Anything with 183 Club, Kim Sun Ah, Jung Da Bin, Hyun Bin, Oh Ji Ho, or Lee Wan, and I will watch it. Probably more than 5 times. XD

As for movies, I will pretty much watch anything. Even if the movie is epic fail I must watch the end. It just drives me nuts to not know how something ends. My favorite genres are Action, Martial Arts, Comedy, Foreign, Classics, Teen, Animation, Disney, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Bollywood, and Horror. Even though I consider Horror movies Comedies, since they make me laugh. Some of the movies I enjoy are: Labyrinth, She's On Duty, Paul, The Green Hornet, Harry Potter, Fist of Legend, Red Sonja, Beauty Shop, Knocked Up, Shaun of the Dead, and Mulan.

Video Games are another passion of mine. I have been playing them since my 5 year old brother and my 8 year old self figured out how to connect our Nintendo to the TV. Ever since then, we have held many a tournament in our living room. Some even resulting in actual Mortal Kombat live action tournaments. LOL. I love these genres: RPG, MMORPG, Fighting, Adventure, Platform, Puzzle, Racing, Sport, and even Flash App stuff. The titles that I play over and over are: Final Fantasy, Mario, Sonic, Legend of Dragon, Thousand Arms, Discworld, Dynasty Warriors, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, and Tetris.

I am an avid reader. I have been known to read up to 2 novels a day. I read extremely fast. Lately I have been going through the entire Young Adult section at my local library. I am really into reading Faerie, Witch, Wizard, Magic, Sci-Fi, and any other related subject. Recommended series: The Faerie Path, Warrior Princess, Magic in Manhattan, Once A Witch, The Faery Rebels, Theatre Illuminata, Wings, The Tree Shepherd's Daughter, and of course the classics like Dragonlance, Magic the Gathering, Discworld, and The Dragonriders of Pern.

Another thing I am into is BzzAgent, Mypoints, Surveys, and Contests. I will be doing a lot of BzzAgent reviews on here. If you don't know what a BzzAgent is, I will tell you. It's a company that sends out products for users to try and you report back on the product. It's a Word of Mouth based system. You try the product and tell as many people about it as possible. So be on the lookout for product reviews and possible coupons to use. =]

Currently, I am into volunteering and working with people with mental illness. I would like to start several groups online and in real life for this kind of thing. I want all of those that have gone through, or are currently going through issues to know that things will eventually get better, so never give up. And that you are worth it. My favorite new affirmation is "You are a treasure waiting to be found!" Keep telling yourself that. <3

Well, that's it for this post. I hope you enjoyed reading what I had to say. Looking forward to posting more entries soon.