August 30, 2010

Bedazzling....where???

Sparkle is getting ready to go where no sparkle has gone before.  Now where could that be?

Oh, just use your imagination for a minute. 

...

Yes, really.

And they call it "Vajazzling" to put the icing on the proverbial cake.  Step 1 is a Brazilian Wax.  Step 2 is a very meticulous arrangement of Swarovski crystals glued in any pattern your cute girly parts desire.  Don't believe me? Okay, you asked for proof, you're going to get it.

Photo Credit: theluxuryspot.com
 Hats off to Bryce Gruber for being daring and bare-ing enough to have this done with a photographer in the room.  You can read the full details complete with a photo-by-photo chronology at The Luxury Spot.

It's $50 for 5 guaranteed days of flashy va-jay-jay sparkle.  I dunno if this is one trend I'll hop on.  I'm usually up for anything but there would have to be a pretty strong drink involved to get me to spring for this.  How 'bout you?

August 28, 2010

Daffodil Boutique Jewelry at StyleMePretty

If you've been browsing the wedding blog of wedding blogs, StyleMePretty, then you might have spotted some of my jewelry.

In an array of color, playful whimsy, and sweltering mid-Summer heat in hot, hot Alabama, my sister married her true love last June. I was honored to create the bridesmaids' necklaces and the bride's something blue, a two-strand, Swavorski pearl necklace with a turquoise blue tie

The bride looked like a she'd walked out of a magazine - and the editors of StyleMePretty agreed. See the inspiration-worthy highlights of the big day here.

Here's a sampling of them for you.




For the inside scoop on how this wedding came together from the dress down to the wedding favors, check out The Blue Sky Bride.

All images are from photography talent, Lauren Kinsey.

August 27, 2010

It's Mega Swagbucks Friday!

 
I'm just a couple points away from another $5 gift certificate to Amazon!
 
And I bet I'll earn those today because Fridays are mega-Swagbucks days!  The normal searches you do on the internet can earn you even more dividends today.

Not using Swagbucks yet? Sign up because,
  • It's Free
  • It's Easy
  • It pays you for something you already do - perform internet searches
Image courtesy of swagbucks.com.

August 24, 2010

How I Got $51 Off Running Shoes

I've taken up running and I'm starting to appreciate everything about it.  Well everything except the price tags on decent running shoes.  I'm a saver and a deal hunter.  And yes it pains me to drop what feels like a college tuition on a new pair of running shoes, but it's critical for your joints to run in good shoes.  So every 3 to 4 months, I ante up for a new pair of running shoes. 

This model is my favorite.  It's pink.  It's gel filled.  It fits my foot like a glove and makes me feel like my shoes have wings.  

And how much does this much euphoria cost me at retail? $139.99 - before tax, before shipping.  Ugh.

However, today we celebrate everything about this new pastime of mine, including the cost because with this deal, I got them for $91 - taxed and shipped.  Here's how you can too on just about any style that makes your tootsies feel like they have wings too.
  1. Login to Shopathome and get 11% off right off the bat
  2. Search for Roadrunnersports.com at Shopathome
  3. Find your perfect pair of shoes (mine were on sale) and put them in your shopping cart.
  4. Add the VIP membership to your cart for $1.99 as an introductory price for the first year. (This takes 10% off your total and will ship this and all future orders for the next year for free).
  5. Put a note your calendar for 1 year from today or sooner to log back into Roadrunnersports.com and cancel your VIP memembership unless you want to renew at the full price next year - which is projected to be a $24.99 charge. (The VIP membership could save you money in the long run if you buy shoes often enough). And don't feel dishonest about this - Road Runner plainly states on the site that you can do this.
  6. Enjoy your shoe purchase when it arrives 5 to 7 days later and at much, much less than brutal retail.
Not using Shopathome yet?  Why the heck not?  Here's some reasons to get you off the fence.

Also, for a limited time, Roadrunnersports.com is offering a tiered discount plus free shipping when you shop through this link. (Cannot be combined with the Shopathome discount).
$10 off $115
$15 off $125 
or $25 off $150 order 

My purchase didn't qualify for this because it was already on sale below the lowest threshold, but this might work for you.  So figure out what gets you the best bang for your buck and then go running!

Image courtesy of asicsamerica.com.

August 23, 2010

Sued for Blogging?


Ok.  Whose idea was it to give the lawyers Internet access?

You know you can't shout "fire" in a theater or "bomb" on an airplane.  But did you think that candidly reviewing the poor customer service at your local dry cleaner would make you a target of a defamation lawsuit? How about just commenting about it on someone else's site?  It seems like voicing your opinion on a product, person or idea would be protected speech regardless of where you do it.  But recent court rulings are changing precedent on the speech that the First Amendment covers. And when that Internet speech damages a person's or an entity's reputation, your next blog follower could be a lawyer.


"Most people have no idea of the liability they face when they publish something online," said Eric Goldman, who teaches Internet law at Santa Clara University. "A whole new generation can publish now, but they don't understand the legal dangers they could face. People are shocked to learn they can be sued for posting something that says, 'My dentist stinks.' "
And it's not just bloggers that need to be mindful.  Commenters can influence public perception too and can face prosecution for publishing their opinions. Commenting anonymously won't save you either.
Under federal law, websites generally are not liable for comments posted by outsiders. They can, however, be forced to reveal the poster's identity if the post includes false information presented as fact.
"A lot of people don't know how easy it is to track them down" once a lawsuit is filed, said Sara J. Rose, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer in Pittsburgh. 
The article finishes with this sobering piece of advice,
"The first thing people need to realize, they can be held accountable for what they say online," Baron said. "Before you speak ill of anyone online, you should think hard before pressing the 'send' button."
My first reaction is to recoil at the intrusion of the courts on Internet speech.  And then I remember, this is America.  We'll sue for anything here. However I'm not completely beyond seeing the other side of the coin.  Internet bullying and smear campaigns are ramping up as mean kids and malicious competitors move their tactics into the digital arena.  Lies often do run faster than the truth can catch up to them. 

But even still, I value honest opinions.  And I especially want to know when a product fails.  So far word of mouth is the best messenger for reigning in the over-reaching claims that many most advertisers present.  If honest opinion is hemmed in from all directions, how will the truth catch up to the advertisers' lies? 

Bloggers, will you be changing your tone in light of this?

Image courtesy of examiner.com.

August 22, 2010

Beauty Minute: Goody Spin Pin

I'm always looking for ways to tame my hair and to do it faster.  And Goody's Spin Pin delivers on that promise.
It looks like a corkscrew that will would make a tangled mess of your do, but don't write it off too fast.  Two spin pins will take medium to long lengths of hair and spin them into a styled bun without even so much as a hair band to help support it.  And it's a strong hold too.  Just watch this quick clip.

The Goody's Spin Pin 2 pack set is being sold as a trio right now with 2 other Goody hair accessories for $14.99 + s/h.  But Amazon has them on their own starting at $5.49.



 






  

Image courtesy of goody.com.
Post contains referral link.

August 20, 2010

Mega Swagbucks Friday


Just a quick reminder that Fridays are mega-Swagbucks days!  The normal searches you do on the internet can earn you even more dividends today.

Not using Swagbucks yet? Sign up because,
  • It's Free
  • It's Easy
  • It pays you for something you already do - perform internet searches
I just earned 11 Swagbucks for searching for "Hotmail".  Once I reach 450 Swagbucks, I cash them in typically for $5 Amazon gift certificates.  And there are many, many other things to choose from too!

Image courtesy of swagbucks.com.

August 17, 2010

Genius Gadget - Ergonomic Cookie Cup

You've been in this quandary before, and you've had all these same thoughts: Do I break the cookie in half? Get a larger cup? Nibble the cookie circumference down to size?  

At last someone has solved the age-old problem of cookie-versus-cup.


Let's file this under "brilliant". It's an ergonomic cookie dunking up and it's wonderful. 

It's also a tease unfortunately.  Designed by Entresuelo1a, the cup is still in beta mode.  Right now you can look but not buy.  Their online shop will open soon though, and hopefully it won't be a small fortune to purchase.  Till then, we'll just have to dream about sweet, cookie-dunking harmony. Mmmmm.

Images courtesy of Entresuelo1a.com and Squidoo.com.

August 16, 2010

Earn $$$ with YouData


I think I've sorta fallen in love with YouData

The general concept is that you view ads and then get paid for it - and it's not "paid" in the convoluted way that some sites think of it, such as payment only when you've accrued some unattainably high amount, or only after jumping through a bazillion hoops that you made you give up half way into it.  It pays you in the real sense, like as in every Friday directly to your PayPal account regardless of amount accruedIt's real, easy cash.

I signed up about 8 minutes ago, filled in as much of my profile as I wanted to (no address or name required), validated my account, and then I was off earning cash.  In let's say, 1 minute 15 seconds, I earned $1.26.  Small potatoes now, but I haven't yet had a job that paid me its hourly equivalent of $70/hr.   I'm out of ads for the time being, but I'll log in later and see what's available then.  And then I'll give an update and tell you if I'm still head over heels with what seems to be a very easy money maker.

More to come!

Image courtesy of youdata.com.

August 15, 2010

Pavlova with Blueberries & Lemon Cream


I hate to begin a post on a negative note, especially since my tag line says that this is a cheery place.  But this is going to end very positively so stay with me.  I abhor meringue -  the starchy, crunchy, chalky cookie kind.  Yuck.  It's the bone dry texture. It's the super sweetness of it.  I don't touch it.  So for quite a while, I lumped pavlova, with its meringue base, into this category and wrote it off.  What a mistake.

Eating pavlova is like eating a cloud.  It's a delicate, mildly sweet, barely crisp meringue crust that gives way to a moist, marshmallow-y center.  Topped with cream and berries, it is divine.  I don't often rave about desserts, or anything, like this.  It's the perfect dessert after a heavy meal, and it's gluten free

Suffice to say I've become a bit of a pavlova connoisseur.  And I can tell you that the trick to assembling a great pavlova is choosing the right toppings.  An ideal pavlova has a pristine white meringue base, a dollop or two of sweet cream, and toppings that juxtapose tart with sweet.  Combinations with pastry cream, strawberries and raspberries are common.  Another well known favorite is whipped cream, kiwi, passion fruit and strawberries.  The recipe below is more unique but certainly not more risky.  The tart lemon cream becomes a punchy backdrop for the mildly sweet meringue and fresh blueberries. 

Pavlovas with Blueberries & Lemon Cream
makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Meringues:
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 cup cream 
  • 3 cups blueberries

Make meringues (Can be made 1 day ahead.):
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 250°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in small bowl to blend; set aside. 

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla. 

Gradually beat in remaining 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat until soft peaks form. Add cornstarch mixture over meringue and beat until sift peaks form. 
Nice stiff peaks in the whipped meringue
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spoon meringues into 6 mounds (about 1/4 cup each), spacing apart. Using back of spoon, make indentation in center of each mound, forming each meringue into 3-inch-diameter nest. 
Individual pavlovas avoid the need for cutting servings and make for a prettier final presentation.
Bake meringues until crisp and barely golden on outside but still soft on inside, about 55 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer meringues to rack and cool completely.  Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.

Make lemon curd while meringue bakes:
Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, then continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup lemon mixture, then whisk into remaining lemon mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). Transfer to a bowl and stir in zest. Chill, surface covered with wrap to prevent a skin from forming, until cool, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Assemble pavlovas:
Beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold 1/4 cup beaten cream into the lemon curd to lighten. Spoon lemon curd cream into meringue and mound blueberries on top. Serve remaining whipped cream on the side. 

 Adapted from Bon Appetit and Gourmet

August 13, 2010

The Long Sterling Silver Clover Necklace

This layering chain is a customer favorite at the Daffodil Boutique.  For too long, the photos of this piece have been mediocre.  Today I tried photographing on a new backdrop, sheet music.  Hopefully this technique will play into its elegance and a lovely symphony will result.  (Those are the last of the music puns, I promise).

These were photographed in natural indoor light, which in my opinion does the best justice to polished sterling silver. Here are a couple of teaser photos. See more on the Etsy listing.


All images are property of Daffodil Boutique.

August 10, 2010

Cash Back Rate Comparison Chart

I love a tool that helps me save money faster. There are many sites offering cash back percentages but visiting each one to see which has the best deal is time consuming.

Thankfully Cash Back Monitor has a solution.  One click lands you on a simply presented matrix of the cash back sites, their participating online stores, and the percentages of cash back that you can earn just for shopping online.

Ebates and Shopathome are generally going to be your best bets for highest cash back amounts and selection of participating online stores.  But a couple other sites will surprise you, and now you don't have to spend all that time googling to find the best deal.

Check out the comparison post of Ebates, Shopathome and Mr.Rebates if you'd like more info on how these online cash back sites work.

8 Tips For A Clutter-Free Kitchen

Image courtesy of planetgreen.discovery.com
This week I launched an assault on my household nemesis, kitchen clutter.  I drew a line in the sand and declared that I wanted my counter tops back.  And now that it's done, I can't believe how much better it looks! I had to reorganize once or twice and learned some good lessons.  Take advantage of these here. 

  1. Ruthlessly edit counter top appliances.  Counter tops are prime real estate in the kitchen so you shouldn't give up that space to precious appliances that duplicate each others' uses.  Strongly consider shelving any appliance that's used less than twice per week.
  2. Coordinate the color of any needed jars and canisters to match your counter tops or walls. The common color scheme will create a space that looks uniform instead of highlighting the items on your counter tops.
  3. Ditch the utensil canisters if you have decent drawer space for those utensils.
  4. Use the built-in soap dispenser if you have one.  One less bottle on your counter top.
  5. Consider carefully which side you'll put the dish rack on if it has to be on the counter.  Putting it on the side with the smaller amount of space is a nice trick that leaves you with a more unbroken counter top space on the other side to use for preparing food.  If it takes up the space that once attracted the junk mail and other clutter villains, all the better.
  6. Follow the "one item in, one item out" rule and apply it by category (pans to pans, knives to knives etc).  If you're looking at the newest beehive-shaped cake pan, think about which other cake pan would get the boot to make room.
  7. Switch to e-bill through your bank and elect to receive your bills online.  You might think of this as deferring the mail that piles up on your counters to your inbox, and you'd be right.  But it's one better in that it saves you the step of shredding the bill after it's been paid.  You'll be delighted at how easy paying bills online is too.
  8. Tray organizers aren't just for forks and knives.  After you've dumped the cluttersome utensil jars, get that drawer functioning beautifully with an organizer that keeps your spatulas, spoons, and whisks in nice, neat sections.  Remember to consider how long the the trays need to be to fit your cooking paraphernalia when selecting the right one(s) for you.  Great options start at $10.49.



      August 7, 2010

      One Dish Chicken Dinner

      Do I have great friends or what?
      The Daffodil kitchen was delighted to have guest cook, Tiffiny, put together a fantastic meal for us this weekend.

      Following Jamie Oliver's Tender and Crisp Chicken Legs with Sweet Tomatoes recipe, a satisfying main dish came together in about 15 minutes of prep time. Probably could've been done in 10 minutes, but the ladies of the kitchen were gabbing and you know how that goes. 

      Jamie's recipes are known for being folksy and down home, and his recipe style follows that with lots of wordy instructions. But at ECUD, we like to get down to the point, especially about food. So here's the simplified recipe.

      Tender & Crisp Chicken Legs With Sweet Tomatoes

      4 servings

      Ingredients
      • 4 chicken legs, preferably with thighs attached (alternate chicken pieces could be subbed)
      • 1/2 pint or more to taste of cherry tomatoes
      • 1 and 1/2 lbs of small yukon gold potatoes, quartered into 1-inch pieces
      • 14 ounce can of white beans, such as cannellini 
      • 3 shallots, quartered
      • 10 basil leaves
      • 3 cloves of garlic, whole
      • 1/4 Teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
      • Olive oil for drizzling
      • Salt and pepper
      Directions
      Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Season your chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Add basil leaves, beans, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, chili flakes. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix around a bit, letting the tomatoes and beans fall to the bottom to reduce their exposure to high heat. 
      Assembling the raw ingredients
       Place in the oven for 1½ hours, turning halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

      Squeeze the garlic out of the skins before serving. Serve over pasta if desired.

      The meal was rounded out with Lemony Dill Asparagus and Herbed Biscuits.

      Okay, I helped a little too. 
      Getting my hands dirty between sips of wine
      Some more shots of dinner.


      August 6, 2010

      Steals @ RueLaLa


      If you checked out Hautelook and found yourself craving more, I have more.

      RueLaLa is another deeply discounted online sale site similar to Hautelook.  Clothing, homegoods, kids' stuff, even vacation packages are in their forte. Viewing the sales requires a brief account setup process first and then you're in.

      Usually signing up doesn't offer any bonuses, but for the next 3 days only, simply signing up through this portal will credit you with a $10 bonus - no purchase necessary.  That's really rare for this site.  So sign up, get your free $10 credit and start browsing.  The Denim sale and the Fall Basics sale begin today at 8:00 am Pacific Time. And remember this offer is good only through August 8, 2010, so get going! 
      And in the interest of full disclosure, your friendly referrer receives a bonus too when you make your first purchase. Merci!

      Images courtesy of ruelala.com.

      August 5, 2010

      Savvy Shopping @ Hautelook


      Care to oogle a new purchase with me?  These are the new French Connection pants that I just purchased for 60% off retail at Hautelook.  And I get quite a few clothing, baby, decor, cooking and beauty items from this site at steep discounts.

      If you're a fan of sample sales and close outs on big, sometimes really big, brand name labels, then check out Hautelook.  Imagine a warehouse filled with luxury and well known brands and you have a private invitation plus a coupon for 50 - 80% off of everything.  Yes, it's that kind of shopping and you want to get in on this.

      Consider this your invitation. Viewing the sales requires logging in, but don't let that discourage you.  Once you've created your log in, you'll have full access to the sales running that day.  Each day 4 to 7 different brands are showcased starting at 8:00 am Pacific Time and running for 48 hours.  If there's a sale on a coveted label, log in as soon as you can because the word about Hautelook is starting to spread to other savvy shoppers too.

      And if you use this link to register, you'll credit yours truly with a $10 bonus which would be ever so nice. Then pass an invite your friends and start earning bonuses yourself.  Once you see how much you can save and the quality of items you can get, you'll definitely be back.

      Image courtesy of hautelook.com.

      August 4, 2010

      Banana Zucchini Bread Recipe

      A perfect sweet, but not too sweet, afternoon snack
      A family recipe from my home to yours. It's banana bread but with a serving of vegetables and you'd never know it.  This recipe uses both whole wheat and white flour, but subbing all white is fine if that's all you have on hand.

      Banana Zucchini Bread
      makes 2 loaves

      Ingredients
      • 3 eggs
      • 1/2 cup buttermilk
      • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
      • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
      • 2 medium zucchinis, shredded
      • 3/4 cup brown sugar
      • 1/2 cup white sugar
      • 1 cup all-purpose white flour
      • 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
      • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
      • 3/4 teaspoon salt
      • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
      Directions

      Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
      Freshly shredded zucchini ready for its transformation
      Blend the eggs, buttermilk, oil, bananas and zucchini. *Tip: Peel the zucchini before shredding if you need to disguise it from your hungry crew.

      Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. (I vary the sugar amounts by 1/4 cup in either direction depending on how sweet I want this.  Adjust it to your liking. ) Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans.

      Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  It won't be easy, but let the loaves cool to room temperature in their pans before trying to remove. 
      Enough delicious loaves to share
       The finished loaves are moist, dense and fragrant with banana.  Enjoy.

      August 3, 2010

      Snickerdoodle Biscotti Recipe


      Pep up your morning coffee or tea with a biscotti version of that classic childhood cookie, Snickerdoodles. 

      Snickerdoodle Biscotti
      makes 24 biscotti

      Ingredients:
      2 cups flour
      1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
      1 teaspoon baking powder
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      1 cup granulated sugar
      6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
      1 egg
      1 egg yolk
      1 teaspoon vanilla

      Topping:
      1/4 cup granulated sugar
      1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
      1 beaten egg (for brushing) 

      Directions:
      Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

      In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

      In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Scrape down and beat in the egg and egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla extract.

      Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter.  Mix until all ingredients come together into a moderately stiff dough. Divide the dough in two mounds on the baking sheet. Shape each half of dough into a 8-inch by 3-inch rectangle.  Note that I've angled the sides of my dough to maximize the number of tasty biscotti that result once they're cut on an angle.  The dough will spread considerably so give yourself ample room between the logs.
      The angled edges mean more full-sized biscotti per each log.
      Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping. Brush the shaped dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet for even baking and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
      Notice the spread after baking
      Remove from the oven and let the biscotti cool until able to handle. Using a sharp knife, cut logs into 3/4-inch wide diagonal slices.  Try to cut each biscotti in one smooth motion.  This will give your biscotti nice clean sides without the edges snagging on the knife the way a sawing motion does.

      Place biscotti cut side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar, if desired (I did not). Bake again until pale golden, about 10- 20 minutes.  Check every 5 minutes to ensure that they're not getting overly browned.  Some recipes instruct you to flip your biscotti half way through this process, but I find this unnecessary.  The biscotti will be browned successfully on both sides provided the slices are not overly wide (greater than 1 and 1/2-inches).


       


      Your tasty snickerdoodle biscotti will crisp up as they cool.  Enjoy with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or all by themselves.

      Like recipe riffs on traditional biscotti? Take a peek at these posts on Peanut Brittle Biscotti and Mint Biscotti Dipped in Chocolate.

      Adapted from EatMakeRead.

      August 2, 2010

      Ebates vs Shopathome vs Mr.Rebates

      Don't have an Ebates account?  Never heard of Mr. Rebates? Then you are missing out on easy money.

      Online rebate sites are an easy way for online shoppers to shave off some dollars just for doing what we already do: shop online.  The general concept is that instead of going directly from your search engine (Google, Yahoo! etc) to your site (Gap.com, for example), you'll go to an online rebate site and click a link to Gap.com there. Then you shop at Gap.com as you ordinarily would.  It's that simple.  You'll get back anywhere from 1% to 30% cash back on your purchase amount for making that short detour to their web site.

      But not all rebate sites are created equal. And you might find yourself scratching your head wondering where your cash back is if you're not familiar with how these sites work.  Here's a comparison of the three major online rebate sites, Shopathome, Ebates, and Mr.Rebates.

      • A huge number of retail sites to choose from.
      • Getting your cash back is easy. Your payment can be cut in a check and mailed to you, deposited directly to your PayPal account, sent to a friend, or even donated to a charity.
      • No minimum dollar amount required to be accrued before cash is paid out.
      • $5 referral bonuses are earned for each friend that signs up and makes a purchase using Ebates.
      • Lower percentage off at many sites than when using Shopathome
      • Cash is paid out every 3 months.
      Summary: Ebates is by far the best known online rebate site.  Their selection of web sites offering cash back is comprehensive, and the cash back process is seamless and easy.  Don't buy anything online without checking first if there is a link to that site through Ebates. 

      • On most sites, the percentage off at Shopathome will be 1 to 3% higher than at Ebates.
      • Coupon codes for the site you're planning to shop at are easy to view - though many sales and store policies are advertised as "coupons" when really no code is required for them. 
      • Cash is paid out every month.
      • Cash back is only paid out in checks.
      • You must have accrued $20 in rebates before you qualify for a check.  Amounts less than that threshold are rolled over to the next pay period.
      • You must confirm mailing address each month through email or at Shopathome before each check is cut. 
      • Your address must be on file at Shopathome so that they can mail your check to you.  Remember this because when you create your account at Shopathome, adding an address isn't required and those checks will never come if you don't add it to your profile.
      • $5 referral bonuses are offered for each friend that signs up and makes a qualified purchase in 60 days.
      Summary: Though less visually appealing and with a few more hoops to jump through before cash is paid out, the deeper discounts offered at Shopathome.com are worth a browse before checking out at your favorite online store. 

      • A great selection of over 2000 participating online sites to choose from.
      • Canada isn't left out! Mr.Rebates has a dedicated portal for Canadian shoppers.
      • Coupons for your shopping destination site are easy to find on the site.
      • The terms and conditions for those coupons are displayed too.
      • Mr.Rebates promises not to offer your email address to third parties.
      • Cash is paid out every month.
      • Can elect for your cash back payment through check (your address must be on file with Mr. Rebates) or PayPal.
      • Must earn $10 in cash back before you qualify for a cash back payment.
      • It takes 90 days for cash earned to change from "Pending" to "Available".
      • Gift card purchases are not eligible for cash back.
      • Earn 20% cash back on each of the Mr. Rebates purchases that your friends make when you refer them.   
      Summary:  Mr.Rebates is relatively new to the cash back scene, but the selection and low threshold amount for payments make them formidable competition for the bigger sites.  However, they seriously need to reconsider their 90 day policy for cash back to become available for payment. 

      The Bottom Line:  You don't have to choose between Ebates, Shopathome or Mr. Rebates.  Maximize your savings by registering with all three and then use a comparison site to easily search these sites and more for best savings.  And when you use any of the links in this post to register, you'll get a $5 bonus (2.50 CAD for Mr. Rebates Canada) after you make your first purchase - and you'll kick a buck or two to your friendly referrer too.