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I did use my AMEX card on ETSY!!! And I earned POINTS!!!

Check this new find I found on Etsy — to hold my credit cards!

This year, we’re using our American Express Card as a tool for helping me set and stick to a budget. And – whenever I use this card, (anything from gas, grociers, donations to charities.) Think about that! Charity donations too!

American Express has challenged me to stay on budget this year by using a combination of a gift card and Membership Rewards points to shop for five people on my holiday shopping list – and I can use my points to shop not only through the shopAmEx site, but also places like Amazon, and even gift cards through stores like Gap, Old Navy to Bath & Body Works.

In addition to redeeming Membership Rewards, American Express has challenged me to shop at least one small business. This is where I favor my friend Amy’s little Etsy Shop, Littlealoutte — full of handmade wooden toys… the quiet, lovely ones. There are plenty of Etsy businesses that have some of the most amazing collections – along with lots of small restaurants and boutiques around the neighborhood.

Right now, I’m giving away a $250 AMEX gift card. You can enter by leaving a comment, here.
I collect reward points. We earn one point for virtually every dollar we spend, there’s no limit to the points we can earn – and there are no expiration dates.

Finding inspiration for what to buy can be a challenge. I’ve found help in a surprising place: If you click on the American Express Facebook page, you’ll find a tab for Membership Rewards. Here, card members share stories on what they’ve purchased (steaks, TVs, Ipod Touch) with their Membership Rewards points. Not only that, the site showcases the best deals to be found on the  membershiprewards.com/specials, with great deals on select rewards like electronics, travel, entertainment, home accessories and more.

How to Enter: Leave a comment with a tip for staying on budget when holiday shopping.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing first mandatory entry. Leave a separate comment for each you do, please.

Write a post linking this post on your own blog.

Follow American Express AND Susiej on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post. You may do this every day, just leave a link in the comments when you do.

Like Susiej on Facebook.
Share this post on your Facebook or comment on our Facebook wall  and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.  You may do this every day, just leave a link in the comments when you do.

Subscribe to Susiej in email or RSS.

Giveaway ends December 24, midnight PST. Open to US residents only.

This giveaway is open to US Residents.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Shop! Make the most of your card and make sure you’reregistered to earn Membership Rewards with your American Express. Stay on budget by using points you’ve earned and don’t forget to shop and support small businesses this holiday season.

Tags: contest by SusieJ
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When I make the summer migration to the lake, I try to simplify life as much as possible. Nothing extra — no frills. I put a pair of stud diamond earrings in my ear, maybe one necklace for the summer and that’s it. Perfume? Not happening up here. But still, a girl needs something to keep her feeling like a girl, even when she is surrounded by turtles, snakes, raccoons and boys who need their fishing poles untangled.

But now, maybe I have a secret weapon. bodycology has just released a NEW line of Body Washes and Body Lotions, bodycology rich&creamy, that not only luxuriously moisturize, but also provide the long-lasting scent you would expect from perfume that comes in a bottle.

First, right out of the box, I jumped in the shower to find that that the designers of the bodycology bottles were also thinking about me.

The bottle is designed to stand upside down, with the flip-cap on the bottom, making it quick and easy to get the product out of the bottle — no fumbling around in the shower trying to shake the product down in the bottle. The Body Wash comes out of the bottle nice and thick, with a peak from the squirt… very nice and luxurious. This thick consistency built up a nice lather, even in the hard water up here at the lake. The wash was so thick, in fact, that I even used it as a shaving lotion… and my legs, after the shave, felt smooth. The scent? Nicely understated and fresh smelling.

After my shower, I applied the bodycology rich&creamy Lotion. Unlike the Body Wash, the fragrance in the Lotion is much more powerful, and long lasting. My skin absorbed the Lotion very quickly, no stickiness, and no track lines. When I crawled into bed that night, my legs were still smooth.

Next, I put the Lotion to the test. Could it heal the tough, callused skin on the bottoms of my feet? I was hoping that the combination of jojoba extract and petrolatum would protect my feet from the wear and tear that my feet endure up here in the summer. Right before bedtime, I washed my feet clean, and then I applied the bodycology Lotion to the rough calloused soles of my feet. Then, I tucked them into white cotton socks, and let the Lotion do its work all night long. In the morning, I pulled off my socks, and rubbed my fingers along my new baby-soft feet. bodycology, you passed the test. My feet weren’t just soft, but they actually felt “healed.”

Usually, when I arrive back home from the lake, I am in need of intense skin repair after the rigors of the hard water, sun, lake and outdoor work in the garden. This summer, however, thanks to bodycology’s NEW line of Body Washes and Body Lotions, I might just look, and feel, as if I’ve spent the summer at a lavish spa.

How about you? How do you treat your skin? Find more about hydrating your own skin by reading the hydration quiz on facebook.com/bodycology.

Visit www.bodycology.com and leave a comment here sharing which formula is right for you and you’ll be entered to win a bodycology gift basket. There are more chances to win, check out the BlogHer.com prizes and promotions page.

Here are the rules of the contest, which runs July 5^th – 31^st ,2011

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

Tags: beauty, contest by SusieJ
55 Comments »