Expo Markers House Party

Friday was House Party day! House Party is one of my favorite "finds" since I began my couponing/freebies journey. The idea is hundreds of household across the country, has a house party with the contents of the kits provided. The gives companies a chance to actually put the products in the hand of consumers to try and the best part, it is all for FREE! There is no selling, pitches, or obligation involved. Afterwords, you simply fill out a small survey, and by small I mean less than 5 minutes. It is a great program and who doesn't like an excuse to have a party. This time we did it a little different since it is finally starting to look like summer around here, I decided we were sick of the house and we went to my favorite park.

The goodies, Expo white boards, two sizes of markers and erasers for all the guests. The best part is these markers are washable. They have already been on my walls, table, and children and it simply wipes off with a little bit of water. I am so glad for that, because I hate marker messes.

It was a fun Friday afternoon in beautiful Oregon. If you would like to apply to host your own house party, head over here.

To read more about my previous experience with house party, please click here.

Houseparty updates and Sweeps

House Party has some exciting things happening for the new year. First lots of new parties are available to apply for:

• I Heart Tru Moo (available in select states only)
• Artisan Ovens Flatbread Inspiration (select states only)
• Fresch from the Silver Screen
• Pull-ups Potty Dance Day
• Zatarain's Brings Mardi Gras Home
• Philly Dinnertime Dilemma
• Plus others coming soon!

Go here to apply and for more info. What is houseparty? A site that gives you samples, freebies, and other swag from companies. Often this is in conjunction with the release of a new product or promotion. The party kits are complete free and no selling or promotion is required, just sharing freebies with your friends! If you want to read about my experiences with different house parties, please check here. Also, if you have one a recent house party, please let us know about your experience!

Also going on at houseparty, a fun sweepstakes with tons of prizes, including IPad, cameras, trips, money, and more. Go here to enter daily. I believe this sweeps runs through 2011, so lots of chances to get great prizes.

Potty Training Freebies and Diaper Mailing Lists

I have been trying to get my 2 year old out of diapers by the time the new baby gets here, but she is not interested. Sigh. After 3 go arounds on the whole potty training thing, each kid at a different degree of difficulty, I have decided until they decide they are ready...it is a feeble attempt on my part. However, there are some resources out there that just might be the "thing" that helps them turn the corner.

Pull Ups has a Potty Training DVD, I am not sure if this is a new one or not, but it should comes with coupons and possible a sample. Also keep your eye on houseparty.com for when they start taking applications for the March 5, 2011 Pulls Up House Party. I was selected for this last year, you can read about it here. If your baby is younger, you will still want to collect Enjoy the Ride Huggies Reward points (found in each package). You can use these points to play instant win games, enter sweeps, or redeem for prizes, including high value coupons. Huggies also have boxtops 4 education on every pack, so save those for the schools :)


Easy Ups also have a potty training kit. You can choose between Dora and Diego (girl or boy) and then get samples, coupons, stickers, rewards certificates, and more. Don't forget to save those Pampers Points that are located on every pack of diapers/Easy Ups and pack of wipes. (I have saved through nearly 3 kids now and am saving up for the stroller...only about 1000 away :) I have ordered Legos and DVDs in the past and the kids have loved them.

And for any age baby (even if you are pregnant)...sign up at huggies and pampers and luvs to get great coupons, period free samples, and special offers delivered right to your mail box. Just today I got a flier from Pampers with coupons for diapers, wipes, Dreft, batteries, and baby meds.

House Party: Perler Beads!

House Party is a fun and exciting program that sends you party kits and lets you share freebies, samples, prizes, and coupons with family and friends. (To read my posts about previous House Parties and more info click here). On Saturday, we held a house party for Perler Beads. I made it a mother/daughter party. Here are the "bead kits" each kid got. House Party provided everything but the bag.

Table set up with iron...you iron the beads to fuse them together.

A party must have snacks, veggies, fruit, and chocolate chip cookies.

A couple of the finished projects. The kids LOVED doing this! It was a fun afternoon, with friends. Looking forward to another one.

Want to have your own House Party? Currently you can apply for:

1. EA SPORTS Active 2 Fitness Through Fun House Party
2. Kraft Food First Taste: Athenos
3. American Ninja Warrior 2 Sneak Peak

*House party is a little slow around the holidays, but there are lots events coming, and previews are available for parties through March!

Good Luck! I have nothing but positive things to report about House Party, what a great program! My husband and kids even look forwards to helping me host them!

Houseparty

There are some new houseparties that have just been posted and some are ready to enter.

1. Capri Sun
2. Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese
3. My Thai Kitchen
4. Beyblade Let it Rip

Head on over to houseparty for your chance to hold one of these fabulous parties. What is houseparty? It is a way for companies to promote new products through word of mouth. As a host, you will get a party pack with coupons, samples, and other fun freebies to share with your guests. There is no selling, sales pitch, or gimmicks, just free stuff to share with friends. This is also a great way to try new products for cheap or even free. Here are some tips to get a party:

1. Make sure to "sell" yourself on your application. Especially any spaces that are short answer type questions. Think about something unique that you will do for your party.
2. Enter lots!! You can enter each party only once, but there is no limit on the number of parties you can enter. I recommend entering each one that interests you.
3. Once you get selected, participate online. Post comments, photos, and links to your blog. Encourage guests to do the same. If you are a guest at a party, participate online too.
4. Remember to honor the houseparty ideal and have a party and share the samples and coupons. Who doesn't love a party, especially one with coupons involved.
5. Keep trying, persistence pays off. I have entered 26 parties since last fall and won four (one through another site). Good luck.

PS, a few of these parties are sponsored by Kraft First Taste. This is another program that is great to sign up for. You will get high coupons (mail and printables), samples, recipes, meal ideas, and opportunities to try new products. Also be among the first to know about Kraft First Taste House Parties.

Healthy Baby House Party

This party wasn't through http://www.houseparty.com, but I did get a house party through seventh generation and YoBaby yogurt. Included in my party pack, coupons for yogurt, diapers, cleaners, wipe samples, detergent samples, and dish soap samples. I packaged them all together in a mini tote.

Then we handed them out at playgroup at our local park.
My daughter loved being in charge of handing out the "gift bags"

I also got 6 coupons for FREE yogurt from Stoneyfield Farms, (we shared the yogurt for the playgroup snack) Free disinfecting wipes, and Free seventh generation diapers. I had never tried eco diapers before and I must say I am more impressed than I thought I would be. Thanks again to the companies who make these house parties possible.

House Party!

Last weekend, I just hosted my 3rd house party! House party is a great site that offers "party packs" to selected hosts. The packs contain high value samples/freebies to share with friends and family. It is a great way to test new products and spread the word for companies. It is all FREE! My party was the Hasbro Game Night Party! It was the best party pack so far, with 3 full size board games (Catch Phrase, Taboo, and Trivial Pursuit), 6 boxes of Nabisco crackers, chocolate candy, and of course coupons. It was kind of a busy weekend, so there were only a few of us, but we had fun playing Catch Phrase together. My daughter was so excited that we get to keep the game because she can read the clues herself! We also had great cracker and dip samplers and a pizza bar.

Of course, there are always lots of parties to apply for. Right now you can apply for:

• FiOS Viewing party (must have Verizon)


• Kleenex Clean & Fresh Hands


• Splenda Summer


• Play on With Play Station


• Beat BBQ Boredom

They are always updating and adding new parties too. Head on over to house party to see what you would like!

Houseparty!

On Saturday May 8, I joined thousands of other households is hosting the Bicycle Card House Party! We had a pre-Mother's Day feast and bash with our family and friends. I wanted to share the highlights with you.
Some of the freebies, pens, notepads, cards, also included coupons, a reusable shopping bag, jerky snack size pouches, and CD poker games.

My Rummy hand, I did not win :(

Everyone enjoying to learn how to play Golf.

My homemade fruit and veggie trays...they were a hit!

The main dish was Cafe Rio Salads, yummy!

*Want to join the fun? Go to houseparty for your chance at hosting a party. It is a great way to try new products, share freebies, and host a terrific theme party!

Homemade Veggie and Fruit Trays

This Saturday is my second house party! I will post more on it later. I have been shopping/preparing/cleaning all week to get ready. Today I went to pick up a few more food items. Since we were going to have around 30 family members, I planned on purchasing fruit and veggies trays. I knew they were more, but I wanted convience. They were $14.98 each!!!




For similar to this...

So I decided to make my own... Fruit tray...

1. Clemetines 5 pounds $6.98
2. Strawberries 4 pounds $4.48
3. Grapes 2 1/2 pounds $6.35
4. Pineapple $3.48
5. Reusable Tray $1

Total: $22.49 (yes more than the tray, but for almost 12 pounds of fruit, plus the pineapple, there will be way more than can fit on one tray!)

Veggie Tray:

1. Celery $1.48
2. Broccoli $4.99 (2 pounds)
3. Tomatoes $2.50
4. Peas/Carrots $2
5. Reusable Tray $1

Total:$11.97 for way more food (I could have even went cheaper with a head of broccoli, but these are ready to go for my husband's lunch.)

*Now, I know that some of this produce is higher priced and not in season right now, so it is still expensive to do trays, but how ridiculous that they mark the pre made trays up that high! I won't be buying those again. How do you save on entertaining?

Holy House Party!

I just looked at house party and there are a lot of new parties to sign up for.

• Gerber Generations Celebration
• Hasbro Game Night
• Soliel Spread the Sunshine
• Kraft First Taste
• McDonalds McNuggets and Shrek Forever
• Bicycle Playing Card
• Breyers Summer to Remember
• Ball Fresh Taste of Summer
• Aquafina Flavor Your Day

House party is a great site! If chosen for a party, you will get a hostess pack that includes coupons, freebies, and fun for you and your guests. It is a great way to learn about new products, get coupons and freebies, and just spread the word on great products while hanging out with friends. Let me know if you get a house party!

UPDATE: I have been selected to host the Bicycle Playing Cards party! Click over and enter with all these parties, you are bound to get one too! Remember to sell your party on your application! Be creative and original!

HOUSE PARTY

I have been wanting to post about this awesome site for weeks, but I decided to wait and see how it actually played out...so answer these three questions.

1. Do you like parties?
   
2. Do you like getting free stuff?


3. Do you like being the first to get new products and share them with friends?
   

If you entered yes, then I have a site for you...houseparty.com.

House party is a marketing site that companies use to produce new product lines or ideas. If you want a chance at your own party, all you do is visit the site, choose which party (or parties) you might like to host and fill in the online application. It takes about ten minutes. (be sure to be creative and specific on your ideas!) Then you wait to see if you are chosen. If you are, you get sent a package of freebies to shares with your friends. How fun and easy! I just finished my Huggies Pull-Ups party. I had 7 adults and 20 kids at my house. We had a playdate, lunch, and shared the information. What a great way to learn about new products and get coupons. I am definitely going to try for another party. Here are the pics:

We made "garbage bag salad". The kids dump ingredients into a bag and then shake to coat it well.

Each kids and adult got to make their own pizza creation!

Oh Henry Bars for the take home treats!

Of course, the freebie packages, DVDs, and a couple door prize gifts!

Has anyone else done a house party? What did you think?

Tomorrow

I am having my first HOUSE PARTY...click back to see how it went.
Check out houseparty.com