One woman's mission to win as many prizes as possible...

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Update on Funny Complaint Letter #4!!!



Well, it only took six months of back and forth, but we've finally prevailed in our fight with the Shangri-La Hotel...

To refresh your memory of the nightmare that was our honeymoon stay at the hotel, here's Funny Complaint Letter #4 to the Shangri-La Hotel Cairns.

The hotel ignored my first complaint letter, stalled for several months over my second one because a key manager was on holidays, then tried blaming us, then offered for us to return to their hotel. Not only do we have zero need to travel back to Cairns so soon, but as if we'd really want to after the last experience! The last straw was their "take it or leave it" attitude when I was offering a reasonable alternative to settle the dispute (ie to stay in their Sydney property instead).

Finally, I got back to our travel agency, Phil Hoffmann Travel, who were most helpful in sorting out the whole sordid affair. Full points to them!

The outcome? A $250 refund for our first night's stay and us vowing to never darken the door of the Shangri-Blah ever again!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I Won a Lush Christmas Pack!



I was ecstatic when Paula Joye, ex-editor of Madison magazine, launched her long-awaited web site, LifeStyled, a couple of months ago.  Even more excitement ensued when I found a competition on it...


My husband, Adam, is a huge fan of Lush bath bombs (I know, kinda foofy for a guy to like, but he's at peace with it). I'm somewhat partial to them myself, especially in gorgeous smells like cotton candy and Redskins. The competition on LifeStyled was to win one of ten gorgeous Christmas packs by answering in 25 words or less "why you deserve a Lush-cious Christmas".

Here's my entry:
I'd love to go ballistic,
It'd be such a rush,
To relax in soapy goodness,
Thanks to Life.Styled. and Lush!

And guess what? I won!



I received pack wrapped Japanese-style in the colourful scarf, with three ballistics and a soap. Beautiful!

If anyone's looking for me, I'm in the bath...

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Pay It Forward Giveaway!


Hopefully you've heard of that inspirational movie, Pay It Forward, starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment. If not, get thee to a DVD store right away. Well, I LOVE WINNING follower, Ashley from After Nine to Five, is currently running a really neat giveaway and not only have I entered, the rules are I must run one myself!


Here's how it works. I'll be giving away five handmade gifts, one to each of the first five people who comment on this post and in turn post their own Pay It Forward giveaway. The rules are that the prizes must be all handmade by you and be sent sometime in 2011.


The gifts I'll be sending out will be (in no particular order):
  1. A pair of earrings.
  2. A cartoon I've drawn about you and your blog.
  3. A greeting card I've created just for you.
  4. A bookmark I've made about your blog.
  5. A poem about you and your blog.
Don't forget to give me a way to contact you and include a link to your own giveaway in your comment. Now get cracking. Your time... starts... NOW!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Saturday, December 18, 2010

What I've Won Lately


There's been no wins in sight lately, probably because I haven't entered much! After this months-long drought, I've won two competitions this week. Both prizes were makeup, which of course I'm swimming in already. No matter -- it's Christmas time, so they'll make excellent presents!


The first prize was a Napoleon Perdis lip lacquer in Lolita Lilac won from a scratchie attached to Shop Til You Drop magazine. I sent in my card and, I must admit, never expected to receive my prize (I'm pretty skeptical about this sort of promotion, having been burnt in the past). But hooray, it arrived this week and in a very pretty colour too. Joy to the world! : )

I also received some luxurious Dior goodies (pictured below). There's a funny story behind this actually. I'm a huge Scrooge when it comes to makeup. Most of it I get for free from a competition or magazine or it cost me about $5. Several months ago a Diorshow mascara lobbed onto one of my magazines and I absolutely adored it. Once it ran out I decided to splash out and actually buy myself one (at $52 a pop. Ouch!). When I went to the store, the hip-pocket blow was softened slightly by (a) a 10% discount that day at Myer and (b) the mascara being in Christmas box set with a makeup remover and eyeliner at no extra cost. Feeling pretty chuffed about this, I was even more ecstatic to learn they were running a raffle. And the rest is history. I won the raffle and received...

  • A Dior Backstage Makeup kit, including Diorshow mascara, Skinflash radiance booster pen, makeup bag and mirror
  • Dior Vernis Pink Porcelain nail lacquer
  • 5-colour iridescent eyeshadow in Smoky Crystal
  • Little Luxuries perfume set, including mini versions of J'adore, Miss Dior Cherie, Hypnotic Poison and Dior Addict 2

Santa and the elves will be delivering some fabulousness this Christmas!


Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Westfield Insider Fashion Blogger Competition


Getting paid $100,000 to shop and blog for a year? Where do I sign up?

Westfield shopping centres recently ran this dream job contest and I jumped at the chance. With such a covetable, glamorous prize, it was obviously going to be a hard-fought competition. Eager entrants posted their favourite shopping tips on the Facebook page, an advertisement was posted on job-seeking web sites and fashionistas flocked to Westfields around the country to audition/interview for the role.

Here's the lowdown from the web site...


The Westfield Insider will...



  • Share shopping information on the Westfield Insider blog, Facebook page and through email, video and other channels.
  • Create engaging online content to help others get more from their shopping.
  • Research new products and trends both in centre and online.
  • Be a presenter and contributor for online video content.
  • Encourage online participation and respond to requests from shoppers through social media channels such as Facebook.
  • Travel interstate for key events, and report their experiences online.
  • Act as a shopping spokesperson for publicity purposes.

Personal Skills & Attributes:

The winning applicant will:
  • Have a genuine love of shopping - particularly in finding great value.
  • Be technology savvy and preferably active in social media, such as Facebook, Twitter or their own blog.
  • Possess excellent communication and presentation skills.
  • Have strong and engaging written skills.
  • Demonstrate a flair for style and the ability to advise others.
  • Be motivated, self-confident, positive and professional.
  • Possess a genuine passion for sharing their shopping knowledge with others.
  • Have full Australian work rights.


And here's my entry, clueing you in on my three best fashion recommendations this season...


Bonds trackies are the must-have buy this season. While your finger is hovering over speed dial for the Fashion Police, hear me out. Comfy? Obviously. Stylish? Yes! Snap up a slimline cuffed pair from Harris Scarfe for $49.95, push up to mid-calf and team with heels and a structured jacket. Then strut confidently as a crowd parts around you, marvelling at your sartorial genius. Ease into the trend in black, grey marle or denim versions, or permanently blind suckers in the street with fluoro pink. And yes, I am trapped in an 80s time warp and I’ll thank you to smile and nod indulgently. ; )

You may have guessed, but no one could accuse me of being a fashion wallflower. I like my colours bright, my heels skyscraper and my jewellery uber-pimped. I’m a sucker for an obnoxiously large cocktail ring, me -- the bigger the better, IMHO. However, if you prefer something a little more demure, fancy a purr-worthy bow-shaped ring from Diva for $4.99? Guaranteed to go with everything in your wardrobe and not cause a fight with your boyf/mum/bank manager when you reveal the price. If you don’t fear the ire of the shopgirl, give her a fiver and tell her to keep the change. Run, don’t walk, to snap up this bargain.

Just what type of boots are made for walkin’ this season? Well, I’ll be Amsterdamned if I’ll be wearing clogs, that’s for sure – they’re just not flattering on me at all. Instead, I’ll be hot-stepping it this summer in Sportsgirl’s Desiree camel-toned wedges for $69.95. An instant style update in the walkable alternative to stilettos, with all the flattering height of their excruciatingly tiny-heeled counterparts. Team with the sorbet-and-candy-coloured threads of the season and lick your lips for some retail refreshments!

Sadly, I wasn't the eventual winner, despite making it through to the interview round. Congratulations to Alyce, who promises to be a excellent bargain hunter and ambassador. Meet her here and discover her latest fashion finds. : )

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Versatile Blogger Award!!


Thanks so much to Nothing Too Fancy for this lovely blog award! Her delicious blog caters to your every foodie impulse, with photos, reviews, recipes and more. Yum!

Here's the lowdown on this award...

This is just a fun way to meet other bloggers and get to know one another, by passing these fun bloggy awards to other bloggers that we like! There are some FUN rules in accepting this bloggy award.

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
4. Contact the bloggers you choose and let them know they won the award.


Seven things about me...

  1. I am obsessed with Big Things (ie tourist attractions like the Big Banana and Big Pineapple) and "collect" them by taking photos. Gotta catch 'em all. ; )
  2. I love taking dancing classes. At the moment I'm learning pole dancing!
  3. My high school's claim to fame was that Malcolm Blight, ex-Adelaide Crows coach, was a student there. Academically, we were not so much.
  4. I really don't like jelly beans. Even more so when I recently tasted some disgusting Jelly Belly brand ones (booger, pencil shavings and barf, anyone?).
  5. I am a nail polish queen -- I own about 30 different bottles! My favourite brand is OPI.
  6. I've had roughly a bazillion jobs, including McDonald's burger flipper, charity collector, tutor, admin assistant, car counter, data entry dude, industrial officer and mediator.
  7. When I grow up, I wanna be a Lego model designer. ; )
I'd like to honour these blogs with the Versatile Blogger award...

9.   Coupon Mamacita
10. Adventures of a Couponista
11. Be One Fine Day
12. WV Stitcher
13. Fabulous Finds by Nimbler Grove
14. Kostiuk Crew
15. You Brew My Tea

So many wonderful giveaway blogs out there -- it was difficult to choose. Congratulations everyone! : )