Sunday, February 27, 2011

I Won!

I went on a retreat this weekend - it was a great experience for me. But that's not what I want to write about right now. On our way home, David told me a box of pots and pans had come for me while I was gone. Pots and pans? I did not order any, nor was I expecting them from someone else. Where could they have come from?

As soon as I got home I examined the contents of the big box and my suspicions were confirmed: I had won a sweepstakes I had entered online almost daily in December in January! The Fall Cooking Sweepstakes, which I had seen advertised on a page in a coupon circular in a Sunday newspaper, ran through 1/31/11 and was open to daily entries. I saved the url in my bookmarks and visited whenever I remembered to do so - I used the form auto-fill feature in my web browser so all it took was 20 seconds with a few clicks and keystrokes. I'm not big on gambling, but these were free chances at a decent prize!

What prize? Well, the full list of prizes is here, ranging from a "10 Piece Authentic Cookware Set, 5 Knorr® Sides™, plus a $350.00 American Express gift card" Grand Prize down to a "Sauté Pan Combo (8”/10”) plus 2 Knorr® Sides™" Fifth Prize. When I was entering the contest, I thought:

1) We don't eat Knorr Sides any more, due to their high content of "bad stuff" like MSG. But, if I win them, I can donate them to the food bank.

2) I don't like using nonstick pans any more, since the coating leeches chemicals into foods. We only have a few left, mostly because David still prefers them. But if I win them, I can donate them to the Catholic Social Services Refugee Resettlement Program. They set refugee families up in apartments and can use that kind of thing.

3) It sure would be nice to win a gift card!

Amazingly, I won the First Prize: WearEver Cookware Specialty Line – 10” Round Griddle, 11” Square Griddle, 12” Open Wok, 12” Covered Everyday Pan, 5 Knorr® Sides™, plus a $250.00 American Express gift card. Approximate Retail Value: $352.21.

I still plan on donating the food and cookware. But the $250 cash card is such a blessing! Deo gratias! David and I will discuss how best to use it.

I'm lobbying for a rain barrel for our garden. :D

6 comments:

Katherine T. Lauer said...

That is so very cool!

Jenny L said...

Congrats! And hope you had a nice retreat.

Jessica said...

Oooo, we've been wanting a rain barrel! How fun, congratulations! :)

Sarah H. Wood said...

How cool! Congrats!

Meghan said...

What a lovely surprise! And, I am so happy to hear you were able to go on the retreat.

Jenny said...

Hoe funny, I was thinking as I was reading, "Well we avoid KNorr b/c of MSG and we don't use non-stick anymore..." Congratulations! I'm a new follower from Catholic Mothers Online. Please stop by and return the favor.