Posts Tagged ‘giveaway’

Have you ever wished you could clone yourself? Or that you had an extra few hours in every day to get all of your daily “to do” list checked off before you go to sleep at night?

Well, here’s your chance to win your very own virtual personal assistant!

TaskUs, an hourly virtual personal assistance service, has teamed up with the fabulous Hyatt Place hotel brand to offer The Vacation Gals readers an incredible giveaway: 30 hours of virtual assistance to use by August 2010, and a two-night stay at any Hyatt Place property in the United States with no blackout dates or expiry date.

Pretty, cool, huh?

Just check out all the services TaskUs offers: Don’t want to research plane fares for your next trip? Have your assistant do it. He or she can also proofread your website, figure out the best place for you to hold your kid’s birthday party, help you job search, manage your eBay auction or make a Power Point presentation. It’s c-r-r-a-z-y the number of administrative, personal or sales tasks these folks can help you do — saving you time to do what you want to do, whether that’s hang out with your family, travel, exercise, write blog posts, volunteer at your kids’ school or watch reality TV. Whatever you want to do with that extra 30 hours of “free” time is up to you!

Couple your the virtual-assistance service with a relaxing stay at a Hyatt Place property … and you’ll likely be well on your way to feeling more balanced in your efforts to juggle all of those work-family balls we so often have hovering in mid-air ready to crash any moment.

Hyatt Place is geared mainly toward business travelers, with its urban, suburban and airport locations and crisp contemporary environments. But families appreciate the free continental breakfasts available each morning; the touch-screen menus — used to order hot breakfast, as well as snacks and entrees 24 hours a day — are high tech and cool.

All you have to do to win 30 hours of virtual-assistance service and a two-night stay at any Hyatt Place property in the United States is leave a comment below answering these two questions about what you’d do if you win this prize:

1. What’s the first thing you think you’ll have your TaskUs virtual assistant do? (Check out TaskUs.com for examples of services.)
2. Where do you think you’d use your credit for two nights at a Hyatt Place hotel? (Name a city; check out the Hyatt Place website for a full list of locations.)

You must answer both of these questions. If your comment number is chosen via Random.org and you did not answer both questions, we’ll move on to another number.

Enter as often as you like (repeat your answers if you want), but only one entry per email address per day. You must be 18 years or older and reside in the United States or Canada. No immediate relatives of The Vacation Gals are eligible.

Giveaway runs through 6 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, March 23. Two winners will be chosen (each will win the 30 hours of virtual assistance and two-night hotel credit) via Random.org, and winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 24.

Good luck!

My local grocery store swept away the Halloween paraphernalia in the “seasonal” aisle on November 1 and replaced it with Christmas wrapping paper, tree ornaments and holiday stemware. Last night while watching TV, I saw my first Christmas-themed commercial (for JC Penney, perhaps — trying to block it out). I went to a friend’s neighborhood last night, and the next-door house is decorated in full holiday regalia — from red and white twinkling lights on the roof (and around windows, down the exterior walls and on bushes) to a gargantuan wreath on the front door.

Whatever happened to waiting to celebrate the Christmas holiday season until the day after Thanksgiving?!

However, instead of being all “bah, humbug” about it, we figured here we’d celebrate the giving season early — just like the rest of the world seems to be doing.

To thank our readers for being so supportive of us since launching The Vacation Gals two months ago, we’re giving away a Flip MinoHD Camcorder that records up to 60 minutes of video. All the Gals own a Flip and use them regularly when we travel to record vacation memories and share fun destinations with our readers.

To win, simply leave a comment below detailing whether or not you’d keep the camera for yourself or if you’d give it as a gift. If you’re keeping it, tell us where and when you’d first use your Flip MinoHD — during what sort of family vacation, weekend getaway or holiday celebration.

We’ll take entries until Tuesday, December 1, at 11:59 p.m. (MST),  pull a name randomly (as determined my random-number generator random.org) and announce the winner Wednesday, December 2. One entry per person; U.S.  mailing addresses only.

We’ll be sure to get your video camera to you in plenty of time to give it as a present to that special person on your Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gift-giving list!

Holiday image by Marius Muresan on sxc.hu.

On an airplane, there is nothing I like better than listening to my iPod after we’re at cruising altitude and the flight attendant says it’s okay to use electronic devices. Soothing music absolutely helps me relax through turbulence — and makes it clear to my seatmate that I (typically) just want to chill, not talk. The more I can block out airplane noise with a good set of headphones, the better.

Snug-fitting, comfortable EarPollution Plugz earbuds promise to do just that. EarPollution products come with three different earfit pieces, so you can figure out which size best fit in your ears to block out ambient noise. The earbuds come in cool colors, too.

Now the Plugz style comes with a slim, built-in, high-definition microphone for hands-free use of iPods or Blackberries. Love the double-duty factor!

I’m gearing up to do a full review of the EarPollution Plugz with Mic on PracticalTravelGear.com in the coming week, but in the meantime, manufacturer iFrogz has offered to giveaway a pair (at a retail value of $19.99) to one lucky The Vacation Gals reader.

Just comment below, letting me know with what sort of gadget (your smart phone, mp3 player, laptop…) you’d most likely use the set of EarPollution Plugz with Mic. Comments accepted until Tuesday, November 10 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Winner annouced on Wendesday, November 11. One entry per person; U.S. mailing address only.

Hands-free phones are a safer way to make calls while driving – and in a lot of states, it’s the only legal option. The Vacation Gals understand how sometimes being on the phone is imperative while on a car trip – even though it’s still a form of distraction – so we’re happy to host this contest giveaway. The Parrot Minikit Chic, a stylish and very functional Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone, clips right onto a car’s sun visor so that the whole family can be in on the call. We recommend this useful travel gadget and appreciate the chance to give one away to a lucky winner. Thank you, Parrot.com.

To enter this contest giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment below describing a time you were distracted while driving. Hope it wasn’t too scary. This giveaway is open to US residents only (it’s a shipping costs thing), and the winner will be selected at random. Contest open until 6PM PST, Tuesday October 13, 2009. If you’re related to one of The Vacation Gals, please don’t enter. Sorry, Mom!

Summer’s over, and the days are getting cooler. It doesn’t get too cold in Southern California, of course, but I remember what it’s like to feel stuck inside in the winter (New Jersey, circa 1980’s). We like the Wii for when the weather is too cruddy to go outside, since it provides a social gaming experience, and we have to move our bodies to win. When we can’t travel, and when we’re stuck indoors, the Wii  is a great alternative to apathy. Case in point? The new Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun (in one box). The Vacation Gals are giving away one of these in a contest this week!

What’s great about the Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun? Well, my kids love it, for starters. It’s for players of all ages, but rated E10+ for its mild cartoon violence — my 8-year-old agrees that this is very mild, indeed. People familiar with the Wii gaming system will recognize the character-choosing capability, and the fun family-oriented game variety allows up to four players at once (we have only two remotes, though). It’s not just team sports, though, there are also some “brain games” for those who like puzzles and mazes..

Outdoor Fun Indoors

Anything that brings a family together in a positive, interactive way is great — but we can’t take vacations all the time. The Wii Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun’s friendly competition and body-moving games are a terrific way to play at being outdoors when weather dictates that we stay inside. To enter this Wii contest giveaway, please leave a comment below telling us your favorite rainy day activity.  The Wii contest giveaway will end Tuesday, September 29 at 11:59 p.m., we’ll announce the winner on Wednesday. The giveaway is open to anyone not related to us. Good luck!

The Vacation Gals love vacations, of course, and the joy of discovering new places in the world is only beat by sharing those discoveries with our kids (and readers). What we don’t love? Getting sick while on vacation. When a child gets sick on a trip, it’s no fun for anyone. But it’s hard to avoid all those nasty germs in new places (not to mention planes, trains, and cabs). I’ve been hesitant to use Purell too liberally with my children – some vague fear of those antibiotic-resistant superbugs is involved here, along with that stinky, stinging smell.  This Lush soap contest giveaway offers a nicer way to help keep us healthy on the road.

LUSH brand fresh, handmade soaps are fantastic. A new soap, 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt, takes the natural route to fighting off bacteria with the inclusion of oregano oil. Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, and it’s a strong antifungal, antiviral oil as well.  This is no myth:  In fact, nurses have started using oregano oil to help prevent catching the antibiotic-resistant superbug staphylococus aureus (MRSA). Further, the Journal of Applied Microbiology reported (2000) that oregano oil fights off 25 different bacteria in lab tests.  LUSH created 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt to provide a natural alternative to other antibiotic soaps – and it smells better, too. Along with the oregano oil, there’s honey and rose petals for a floral scent (rather than, er, a pizza scent).

We’re giving away 13 bars of 13 soap to one LUCKY winner. Yes, in this case, 13 will be someone’s lucky number! That’s enough soap to keep yourself clean for many, many travel adventures. Just leave a comment below describing the most disgustingly germy place you’ve been (no need to get gross in your description if you don’t wanna). In other words, let’s hear about a place where having a bar of 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt would have really been useful. Enter until 11:59 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, September 8, 2009. We’ll choose a comment number at random, and annouce a winner Wednesday, September 9. (One entry per person; US mailing addresses only.) Have fun with this, and remember to wash your hands afterwards.