CowBoom has teamed up with our friends at Ebates to offer an exciting new promotion. With Thanksgiving around the corner and the holidays quick to follow we couldn't help but think that one lucky CowBoomer deserves a head start on their holiday shopping. That's why we're giving away a $500 Visa Shopping Spree. From 11-16 through 11-28 you can enter by "Liking" CowBoom on Facebook or following CowBoom on Twitter and Re-Tweeting our ThanksGiveaway tweet. It's that simple! What would you do with a $500 Visa Gift Card?

I'm excited to announce that Ebates has generously sponsored a $100 prize on The Education of a Stay at Home Mom blog in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Today is the last day to enter! More than 100 bloggers are participating in this blog hop, each with a prize worth at least $50. Enter to win $100 from Ebates as well as a Pink Fizz SodaStream Soda Maker, made in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. After you enter, don't forget to check out the other great prizes being offered in the blog hop! Enter Here.

Fall is upon us and Brides across the country are scrambling to tie up loose ends and make sure that every last detail is perfect for their special day. If you're hosting your nuptials in the crisp fall air, here are some must-have items that you need to know about.  Tell us what your favorite favors are and you could win a $250 Gift Voucher, see details below.

Wouldn't it be great to save big on your textbooks this semester? We thought so, too! And that's why Chegg is partnering with Ebates to give one lucky student $250 towards their textbooks.

This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! A winner will be announced on Wednesday August 24th.

In celebration of Back to School fever, Ebates has teamed up with HP Home to host not one, not two, but three awesome giveaways. Each Tuesday in August starting on the 9th, Ebates will be giving away a 32GB Tablet from HP.

This contest is now closed. Please check back next Tuesday.

In celebration of Back to School fever, Ebates has teamed up with HP Home to host not one, not two, but three awesome giveaways. Each Tuesday in August starting on the 9th, Ebates will be giving away a 32GB Tablet from HP.



To win, tell us how you would use a brand new 32GB Tablet from HP. We'll choose one lucky winner from the comments below!

In celebration of Back to School fever, Ebates has teamed up with HP Home to host not one, not two, but three awesome giveaways. Each Tuesday in August starting on the 9th, Ebates will be giving away a 32GB Tablet from HP.
 

To win, tell us how you would use a brand new 32GB Tablet from HP. We'll choose one luck winner from the comments below!

Timetospa has officially marked this Summer, the Summer of healthy, radiant skin. And why shouldn't we? Beautiful, glowing skin is always in style. So, what does your skin really need in these dry Summer months to maintain its dewy look? Moisture...and lots of it.

To celebrate Summer beauty we're giving away our fabulous, limited edition collection of our most sought after Elemis products in a stylish (and might I add, stunning!) cosmetic case. Elemis Anti-Aging Face & Eyes Collection offers you the ultimate in anti-aging skincare that truly hydrates, brightens and smooths your skin for the summer, with proven results! Join the Summer Beauty Live Chat below and be automatically entered to win this Summer COOLection (A $270 Value!)

Check out these Sun-sational timetospa Summer Tips!
    * Detox: Find your perfect regime and stick with it (Your bikini with thank you!)
    * Protect Your Youth: Slather yourself from head to toe with a high-quality SPF.
    * Summer Sparkle: Apply a self tanner to give you a great glow and mask cellulite!
    * Skin Cocktail: Follow a daily facial skincare regime and don't forget your body needs some skincare lovin' too!

Be sure to join Ebates today for a Summer Beauty Live Chat featuring THIS giveaway from Time 2 Spa! The chat begins at 7pm EST, see you there!

It's Ebates 12th birthday, and by now I'm sure you're aware of the over 100 stores offering 12.0% Cash Back, or higher! Since this week is all about the cash back, I thought I'd highlight my favorite stores and their cash back increases. If you were waiting for those shoes to go on sale, no need! With the extra money, you can buy them and have money left over! Oh, and to celebrate we're giving away $1200! Find out more here.

This week enjoy

DSW   Was 4.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Elizabeth Arden  Was 5.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Gap  Was 2.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

JCPenney Was 3.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Netflix Was $10 Now $12 Cash Back.

Petco Was 6.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Sephora Was 4.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Shoes.com Was 8.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

Under Armour Was 6.0% Now 12.0% Cash Back.

The Savvy Living Community has officially launched, and to kick off the festivities we're holding our biggest live chat yet! Ok, so maybe we say that every time, but with $1500 in prizes, we can't think of a single reason to miss out!

Joining Ebates in the fun will be our new Community Leaders who we're thrilled to announce. These leaders will be adding a fresh spin by adding more discussions in a range of topics. With a brand spanking new group of bloggers, prizes, and a sponsored discussion, this is sure to be our biggest event yet!

 
What To Expect

--Giveaways/Contests
--Live Chats

Who is the most beautiful woman you know?

I bet most of you thought, "My mother." Not only is she radiant, but much of her beauty lies in the way she's raised us to conquer life's challenges and enjoy its rewards.

Mother's Day is when we show the mothers in our lives just how special they are. What better way to express that than with the luxurious gift of beauty? We've picked our most indulgent, yet practical beauty gifts that will make any mother feel as beautiful as we know she is. Plus, tell us about the most beautiful woman you know, and you could win a gift basket of Elizabeth Arden Beauty Products valued at over $350!



If you've watched your mom getting ready to go out, I'm sure you can still recall the scent of the perfume she wore. Pretty Elizabeth Arden captures that emotion and is perfect for day or night. It is a charming, floral, fragrance and the perfect last touch to her beauty routine.

For the busy mother on the go, the Ceramide Gold Capsules Deluxe Set is the best Mother's Day gift. It includes our Ceramide Gold Capsules, little "miracle workers" that are extremely portable and can be applied at any point during the day - even over makeup - for an extra boost of radiance. This comes packed in a quilted gold bag with three travel-size creams and is ready to gift!

Lipstick is a wonderful accessory and an affordable gift. New Ceramide Ultra Lipstick not only comes in 18 shades, from subtle to bold, but it is shown to last for hours, which is important for a busy mom! When she pulls this gorgeous, golden case from her pocket or purse, she'll be sure to feel absolutely beautiful.

Shop now on ElizabethArden.com and you'll also get 10.0% Cash Back and a free 16-Piece Beauty Bag with your $50 purchase when you use code EBATESMOM.

The Giveaway Alliance is very excited to be a Community Leader for the last two weeks of April at the Frugal Living Community!

We are also excited to be partnered with Ebates! Ebates is a group sponsor for the upcoming Mother's Day Giveaway Extravaganza that starts on April 25 and ends on April 30th!

We have a HUGE line up of AMAZING prizes to giveaway!  Join us for a Live Chat at the Blog Frog on Monday, April 25 from 8-9 pm EST where we will introduce the members of the Giveaway Alliance and their awesome giveaways!

We will also have an awesome giveaway exclusively for the Live Chat!  One lucky participant will win a $250 gift bag from PHILOSOPHY!

Hope you will join us for a fun live chat!
To enter the giveaways visit the members of the Giveaway Alliance

Stockpiling Moms 

MoJo Savings 

A Few Shortcuts 

A Thrifty Mom 

DEALicious Finds 

I Heart The Mart 

Smart Couponing 

Christian Clippers 

Frugal Living and Having Fun

Saving with Amy

Wicked Cool Deals 

Addicted to Saving 

We Use Coupons

Wow - 93 entries! And they were all great. Your selections include Disney murals in the kid's room, Italian fresco's on the ceiling (or in the classroom!), and classic Americana scenes for the living room. You love hit movies like Cars, Toy Story, and Snow White, as well as garden and nature themes. But there can only be one winner.....

When it comes to selection, no one offers more murals and unique mural art work than Murals Your Way. With thousands of wall mural images to choose from and custom sizes to fit every need, we make it easy to find the right mural for any decorating occasion, or for that any room!

And, right now, we are offering a $200 e-gift certificate to one Ebates member - just in time for Spring, aka: home improvement season!

To enter, visit MuralsYourWay.com and meander through the 1,000's of images, pick your favorite, and then comment on this thread. Let us know about your favorite mural and what room you plan to use it in. You can even create your own room using a mural, with furniture, etc.

It's that simple!

The lucky winner will receive a $200 e-gift certificate from Murals Your Way and Ebates. Entries must be submitted by April 19th and the winner will be chosen on April 20th. Whether you are looking for a mural for your family room, dinning room, kitchen, master bedroom, guest room or child's room, Murals Your Way has the mural for you, and Ebates has 7.0% Cash Back!

Good luck!

We received hundreds of entries to our Travel Contest, and to say it was tricky finding a winner is an understatement! There were tales of airline mishaps, lost luggage, honeymoon bloopers, surprise engagements, and so much more. Some of your favorite travel destinations include Cancun, Hawaii, and Disney. Despite so many varying stories, one major theme prevailed: you go on vacation to celebrate life's accomplishments. Whether it's a birthday, relationship, or family reunion, taking time to enjoy life is important to you. On this same note we say congratulations to our winner, Jenny. Below is her travel adventure filled with laughter, a few tears, and most importantly, celebration. Congrats to Jenny and a big thank you to everyone who entered!


My craziest vacation was in 2008 when me and 3 of my buddies went to Jacksonville, Fla for a young survivors of breast cancers conference. You see we were all recently diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and were all under 40 years old. So, we all packed up and headed to the conference together not knowing what we were in for, having never traveled together, for that matter never even spent more than one or two hours together at support groups.

I can tell you honestly that I never laughed so much or cried so much in my life. Half the time I would laugh so hard I would pee myself...TMI..sorry!  We ate well, we drank, we learned, we met other women that were just like us, and we finally felt normal. I rode a mechanical bull, and two of us got tattoos (we are not the tattoo type). I saw other womens' mastectomy scars and it made me feel like I could finally get through what I was dealing with.

All in all, the weather sucked, the hotel was ok, but the camaraderie with my girls made that one of my best vacations.

--Jenny-- 

What did you do this weekend? If you entered the Ebates Vacation contest then I'll tip my hat to you and say congratulations, you are in the running for a 7 Day All Inclusive Vacation from Club Med. If you haven't entered the contest then I assume you either 1. Did not know or 2.don't need a vacation. The second part which I can't really believe. So, for those who haven't entered I'll make it easy, here's what you have to do.

Submit your vacation story by clicking here (or on the image).

That's it!

Easy right? Enter your story now!

By now you know all about Travel Week at Ebates. You know about the increased (even double) cash back, the coupons to sweeten the pot, and the travel buzz happening over at the Frugal Living Community.

Countdown the days until Christmas with the Frugal Living Community!

What: Christmas Twitter Party.

When: 7-8pm EST (4-5pm PST)

Why: Join us for our most festive twitter party yet! We'll be talking about last minute free shipping deals, cash back increases at Ebates, and other tips on how to shop smart - even though the clock is ticking!

How: Join the fun by following the hashtag #frugalliving. See you there and be sure to R.S.V.P.!

For those who missed the last #frugalliving Twitter party, or simply got lost in the mix (it was crazy!) fret not - We're doing it again and with more pizazz as we celebrate National Coupon Month. Join Blogfrog and Ebates today from 4-5pm PST that's 7-8pm EST, for the #frugalliving Twitter party part deux. As the Frugal Living Community continues to evolve we're adding new Community Leaders with some serious shopping skills. For those who love to shop, swap coupons, and share their deal hunting secrets, this is the place to be. Of course like all Twitter parties we'll be giving away prizes, hosting trivia questions, and having a ball!

Join the party here, or if you haven't done so, be sure to check out Ebates on Twitter.

Join the Frugal Living Community and start shopping smarter!

As nights get cooler, days get shorter, and September rears it's academic head, the ultimate theme in every shopper's mind is Back to School. While this may be flat out depressing to school attendees, parents are more than thrilled to shop Back to School with double cash back from Ebates. In the spirit of this, we've gone the extra step and teamed up with mega-mom Bargain Briana to bring our loyal twitter followers a chance to win prizes, find deals, and most importantly have fun!

To attend this Twitter party simply log in and start following #ebatesschool. I suggest using TweetChat as an easy way to keep up the pace. These parties go fast! Aside from dishing out the latest clothing trends, school supplies, and other Back to School essentials we'll also be having trivia questions with a grand total of 5 prizes.


3 Gaiam Canvas Bags + $10 Gift Card to Staples

1 $25 Gift Card to Macys

Grand Prize of iPod Shuffle courtesy of Ebates!

Readers of Bargain Briana who RSVP to this event will also be entered to win a $50 Gift Card to Nordstrom.

Join the party today for your chance to win! Just follow #ebatesschool and we'll see you there!

By now you've no doubt heard about Ebates collaboration with BlogFrog - The Frugal Living Community. With over 1000 members it's the fastest growing online community for all things thrifty; whether it's a hot discussion on the best Back to School deals or must have fashion for less. As part of our launch festivities we're holding a Twitter party filled with shopping, savvy stips, and of course prizes galore.

 

The party starts today at 4pm PST (7pm EST) and can be found by using the Twitter hashtag #frugalliving. Budget fashionista's and busy moms alike will be tweeting their favorite deals, shopping secrets, and tips on budget living. Of course no party is complete without prizes so we'll ve giving away gift cards to Kohls and Barnes and Noble along with t-shirts and a grand prize of an iPod Shuffle.

Be sure to join us today for the Frugal Living Twitter Party and meet smart shoppers just like you!

With only a few days left to win a Vivienne Tam Netbook from HP Home, you may think you're chances of winning are small. I'm hear to say nonsense! Rubbish! Quit that negative thinking and upload your photo today! Just think, soon YOU could be clicking away like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City 2 on a stylish and sleek Vivienne Tam Netbook.

These fans have entered their photos, so what are you waiting for?

Enter today and upload a photo of yourself. We'll choose a winner June 7th and give away a free netbook! What have you got to loose?






You Could Win This --------->

Enter here and good luck savvy shoppers!

Get all the details here

*Sorry ladies, not Mr Big!

Sex and The City fans (like myself) are no doubt elated the premiere of movie number two is today. Once more fans can get lost in the world of cosmopolitans, fashion, and of course the men! Speaking of which I'm over the moon Aidan makes an appearance. Why Carrie ever left him in the first place is beyond me, but that's another blog.

In celebration of the premiere we're holding a contest perfect for all Ebates fashionistas. From now until June 4th we want you to show us your fashion knowledge by uploading a photo of yourself to the fan photo section of Facebook. On June 7th we'll decide who's fashion skills rival Carrie's, and present the winner with a super sleek Vivienne Tam Laptop by HP Home; the same one Carrie used in Sex and The City 2! Such a fabulous prize can only be meant for someone with a keen fashion sense, so be sure to look your best! Get started and upload your photo here, or for more details see here.


 


For all the details on this stylish laptop click here.


Photos courtesy of The Sartorialist.

If you're a fan of Ebates on Twitter you know we love a party, and if you joined us for our last Twitter party with super savvy BonggaMom you were sure to be caught up in the commotion that was prizes, coupons, and cash back. Because our last Twitter party was such a roaring success we thought we'd give it another go, although this time we're teaming up with uber cool jetsetters Traveling Mamas to bring you all the best ways to save this Summer travel season.

But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself by joining us today from 4-5pm PST. Not only will you find the hottest travel deals, but there's also prizes to be won like gift cards to Bloomingdales, travel gift certificates, and iPod Nano's and Shuffles. See you there!

What: an Ebates and Traveling Mamas Twitter Party

Why: To share ideas about travel, tips on finding great deals -- and win great prizes!
When: Tuesday, May 25th 7:00-8:00pm EST (4:00-5:00pm PST)
Where: on Twitter (You will need to have a Twitter account, it is extremely simple to sign up!)
How: Follow the #ebatestravel hashtag (You can use services like TweetChat or TweetGrid to follow the conversation) -- and don't forget to follow your hosts, @travelingmamas and @Ebates, on Twitter throughout the party for contest details, updates, and prize information.

Join us on Twitter!

Congratulations to all who entered the Ebates My Favorite Purchase Contest! We love hearing your shared stories of shopping success and wish you many more! Without further ado here are the winners!


Grand Prize Winner: Nancy Dent

Grand prize winner will receive an iPod Shuffle.

Nancy's savvy shopping saved her $200, but more importantly she was able to buy a brand new clarinet for her musically talented daughter. Congratulations Nancy and enjoy!

Runner's Up: Kathy Clark, Tracy Woznak, Jeremy Stewart.

Runner's up will receive a necklace courtesy of Dogeared Jewels and Gifts.

Kathy scored a gorgeous dress just in time for her niece's wedding. There's nothing better than feeling your best!

Tracy bought herself a Nikon D40 camera. One she used to take the beautiful photo she uploaded. Now she's able to practice her love of photography and get cash back!

Jeremy purchased a 40" Samsung LCD tv and celebrated by hosting movie night with friends. Invite us next time, we'll bring the popcorn!


So there you have it folks - four members with four ways to save money and earn cash back with Ebates. For more stories of shopping success check out our photo section on Facebook and see how our members are the savviest around. Thank you to all who entered and stay tuned as we'll keep rolling out the contests!

Here at Ebates we love to reward you for doing the things you'd normally do. We give you cash just for shopping online and we give you trips to Hawaii and iPads just for referring your friends. And now, we would like to reward you for following Ebates on Twitter. Starting today through May 9th, follow Ebates on Twitter to win a bevy of fun prizes. All you need to do to win is follow us and look out for a tweet everyday about the Ebates Daily double. Then, retweet the Daily Double tweet to all of your followers. Be the fifth person to retweet and you win! For the first four days we are giving out $10 Macy's gift cards and on the fifth day (May 9th) play to win an iPod Shuffle!


For contest details and rules click here.


To follow Ebates and win prizes, click here.

Tomorrow ( April 21st) from 4-5 P.M PST, Ebates and fashion-loving, deal-hunting blogger du jour Bongga Mom will be hosting a fabulous Twitter party full of prizes, fashion tips, coupons and of course cash back. Join us as we curate the party, answer your pressing fashion questions and speak about our favorite stores, coupons and deals while we dole out prizes and our deepest darkest fashion secrets! The evening's prizes include gift cards from Macy's and Bloomingdale's ($20 and $40 increments), necklaces from Dogeared and an ipod Nano! Find out how to RSVP and increase your chances to win prizes here. Here is the lowdown:

What: an Ebates Twitter Party
Why: To share ideas about style, tips on finding great deals -- and win great prizes!
When: Wednesday, April 21th 7:00-8:00pm EST (4:00-5:00pm PST)
Where: on Twitter (You will need to have a Twitter account, it is extremely simple to sign up!)
How: Follow the #ebatestyle hashtag (You can use services like TweetChat or TweetGrid to follow the conversation) -- and don't forget to follow your hosts, @bonggafinds and @Ebates, on Twitter throughout the party for contest details, updates, and prize information.

In the meantime, if you have a burning question that your Ebates Bloggers must answer, please put it in the comments below!

Hope to see you there!

Do you love finding great deals, then feel the need to tell the world? So do we! That's why Ebates has teamed up with fellow savvy blogger Bonggamom Finds to host a Twitter party like no other. Join us on April 21st from 4-5pm (7-8 EST) for an hour of fashion gossip, deal swapping, and of course prizes! Gifts up for grabs include an iPod nano, gift certificates to Macys and Bloomingdales, and necklaces courtesy of Dogeared Jewels and Gifts. Be sure to use hashtag #ebatesstyle to be entered to win!

Not familiar with Ebates on Twitter? Check us out here!

Hey all, since most of you have been asking about the blog naming contest, I just wanted to give a quick heads up to let everybody know where things are at currently.

In Round Two, Ebateable defended its title, receiving a vast majority of the votes. Thanks to all of you who submitted alternate names, but it looks like the public has spoken yet again.

Currently, we are working on a minor cosmetic re-design of the blog as a whole, which will incorporate the new name.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted names, and congratulations to Ebateable for proving yet again that it was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the public's favorite name.

Greetings dear readers, I apologize for the lack of a Free Shipping Friday this week, but we have a chance for you to make money, rather than saving money.

If you're like me, chances are you feel that we could do a little bit better than "The Ebates Blog" for the name for our blog. After a handful of attempts at brainstorming a name within the office, we decided that the best thing to do was to put the challenge to you, our creative and intelligent users, to come up with a name that really sticks in the ol' brain banana.

So here's your task: between now and September 3rd, come up with the very best possible name you can. When you have what you know is a guaranteed slam dunk solid gold winner, head over to the Blog Naming Competition on our site. Follow the on-screen instructions, and submit your idea. Then come back on September 4th to see if you have been chosen as a finalist, and to vote on what you think should be the new name for the Ebates Blog!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to announce this year's winner of the Halloween Photo Contest and the $300 Snapfish Gift Card.

Click on this link to view the top three photos as voted on by you, the Ebates community!

Is your pet cute? I mean really cute? Then send a photo of your cute pet to us and you could win a $300 gift card from Snapfish! It's a snap to enter. Just click here and follow the instructions on the page. Good luck!

Still haven't entered the Ebates Valentine's Day Giveaway? There's still time! Enter by February 5th and you could win a $250 card from ICE.com. You'll find a huge selection of stunning diamonds, wedding jewelry, bracelets, pendants and more! To be eligible, you simply need to be an Ebates member and enter the giveaway. Hey, while you're at it, why not Tell-A-Friend about Ebates? Because, really, who wouldn't want to win a little bling...and get Cash Back from over 900 stores?

You have been randomly selected as the winner of Ebates'  Worst Valentine's Day Ever Contest! I hope you have fun shopping with your $250 gift card to Armani Exchange! I sent you an email a few minutes ago, so please check your inbox.

Thank you to everyone who participated! Even if you didn't win, why not treat yourself to a little shopping spree? You know that 4% Cash Back is callin' your name!

Oh, the Wii. It's rarer than a Loch Ness Monster sighting. Rarer, even, than a sashimi dinner.

Lots of people want a Wii but simply can't find one. In desperate times like these, it's time to let go of your pride and try your luck at a Wii giveaway. Our friends at Newegg are giving away 2 Wiis! All you have to do is fill out a brief form, and you're entered. The contest starts today and ends on February 22nd.

Be forewarned- playing Wii can be hazardous! As a Kiwi news source said,

Just be careful not to get too carried away, because it's all too easy for the Wii-mote to slip out of a sweaty palm. It comes with a wrist strap but some people have got so carried away the straps have broken and the Wii-mote has gone flying, breaking lamps, dishes and 42-inch plasma TVs.

Nintendo recently issued a recall on Wiimote wrist straps. To order the new, reinforced version, simply fill out this form.

I recommend getting one! Wii Sports really unleashes your inner Rocky.

The $500 Armani Exchange contest is now closed! Come back soon to see the finalists and VOTE!

What's more fun than gossiping about celebrities?

Why, winning a $500 gift card while you do it...in the Ebates' Best Dressed Celeb Couple Contest: Hosted by Armani Exchange! 

We want you to pick the most stylish celebrity couple and write a smart, savvy review on their fashion sense. Tell us why they deserve to be named Ebates' Best Dressed Celeb Couple! Is it Britney and Kevin's penchant for shorts? Reese and Ryan's love of vintage couture?

Keep your words sharp and succinct: 200 words or less! Give us compelling content and we'll pick the finalists. After we narrow it down to the best and brightest, Ebates users will vote on whose fashion critique rings truest!

Simply leave a comment on this entry with your fashion critique, and you're in the contest! (Be sure to check out the Terms and Conditions first!). Click here to enter.

The deadline to submit your entry is October 19th, 2006!

Back to that $500 gift card from Armani Exchange...think about it! You can buy a hot new fall wardrobe and use your clothes money for more pressing matters: paying your cell phone bill, maybe preordering a Zune (if you feel so inclined)!

Seriously, though, Armani Exchange has some hot looks this season. Grab some skinny jeans, a leather clutch,  a gorgeous wool coat and you're good to go. If you do win the contest, and feel like being philanthropic with your winnings, just remember that your favorite blogger would fit that coat smashingly in a size six. Hey, it gets cold in San Francisco.

We had so many great submissions to our Summer Vacation Photo Contest! Thank you to everyone who voted.

Come check out the winners! They won $700, $500, $400 and $300 travel prizes for Expedia!

Enjoy your prizes and know that your families are cute, your photography is awesome...

and you have the envy of every Ebates staffer involved in this contest.

Last Tuesday, a few of us here at Ebates met in the board room to select the finalists for the Summer Vacation Photo Contest.

Um, excuse me? We had no idea we were giving Cash Back to such an adorable group of folks!  We should make it mandatory that, each time you sign in,  you have to send in a cute picture of your puppy. Or your baby. Or your baby holding puppies. In front of a sandcastle.

Oh, the agony of choice! We went around and around the table:

"But look at the defiance in the kitten's eyes!"
"I think this baby's butt reflects the nuances of the sunset more effectively."
"Hey, there's a watermark on this one that reads 'Zazzle.com'. That's weird."

Ok, so there were only a couple bogus entries of stock photography. Overall, we received nothing but amazing, cute or funny submissions. We could only pick six, though, and boy are they good.

If you haven't voted, do it now! You might win a $100 travel prize from Expedia!

Congratulations, Vicki! You are Ebates' biggest fan!

We loved Vicki's enthusiastic entry on why she loves Ebates- she may have been skeptical at first, but is now a loyal Ebates shopper! Enjoy your $500 gift card to Viator.com!

(Don't forget to vote in the Summer Vacation Photo contest- voters have a chance to win a travel prize from Expedia!)

Here is Vicki's winning entry:

I was just sitting at home buying my Christmas gifts and came across Ebates' website. I sat there and started reading all it offered to me...Yes, ME!  It was not for the stores or to win some so-called "FREE" gift card if you go to 60 websites and buy 20 items.  This was actually for MY benefit. It was sooo simple: Just buy what I was going to buy anyways...and get paid!!  I just couldn't believe it.  In the back of my head I was saying "Whats the catch for this website?". So here I go. I started to sign up. Wait, they haven't asked me to buy anything yet? Wait, they haven't asked for my credit card? Whats going on here? Could this be for real? Alright, I'll try and buy something from their website and see what happens...WOW! Nothing was asked of me except from the merchant I was buying from. OK, well let's see if that "Fat Check" really comes. It sure did...and has been coming faithfully ever since. This is the NUMBER ONE EASIEST way to make money on the web...all you do is buy as you normally would, just use EBATES' website....THANKS EBATES!

We had a lot of great entries from Ebates users. Here are some excerpts:

"...I really gush with enthusiasm when I tell someone about EBATES. I feel that if someone is empowered with the knowledge that they can receive money back with the ease and variety that is offered through Ebates, it would be foolish not to give Ebates a try." -Lynn

"Well, I'm getting ready to pass my $500 mark in Ebates cash back!  That's a pretty hefty chunk of change for 3 years of membership. My friends and family tease me because I JUMP to purchase online anything anyone wants just so I can get the Ebate!" -Kelci

"Anyone who doesn't even try Ebates or even take a minute to see if the merchants they shop online with is simply overpaying and cheating themselves.  This is truly a no brainer!" -Cindy

"Ebates centralizes the buying experience and then they (get ready for this!) give you money back on your purchases. And you get to watch the dollars add up and find their way back into your pocket for a change. It's free. It's easy. It's the smart thing to do." -Michelle

"I have to be Ebates.com's biggest fan!  I was skeptical at 1st when I saw the ad saying you'll get 5 or 6% back, but believe me, I have deposited checks into my bank account and this is the real deal!" -Jason

We've got the travel bug here at Ebates! Not only are we running a contest for a cool prize from Viator, but today we launched our  Summer Vacation Photo Contest!

These prizes are big, too- the four best photos win Expedia prizes worth $700, $500, $400, and $300 PLUS...one voter gets a $100 gift card!

Just think of the possiblities: A Vegas vacation, a relaxing cruise...it's the perfect excuse to take off for a couple days!

Now you're wishing you had been a little more careful about putting your finger in front of the lens back in June, huh? It's ok- Photoshop works miracles. You can just say that flesh-colored blob was an ancient ruin of unknown origin that somehow happened to get in the foreground of your picture.

Choose your photo carefully and good luck!

Update: This contest has ended. Check back in a few days to find out if you are the winner of the $500 prize.

Are you the Biggest Ebates Fan? Prove it!

We want you to put on your writing cap and tell us why you love Ebates! Maybe it's the Cash Back, the 800+ popular stores or the great coupons! We want something short and sweet: 300 words or less.

What's in it for you? A $500 gift card to Viator.com! Only the best entry will win.

Be sure to check out the terms and conditions before entering, but when you're all set to write your entry, go to this page, and get started!

If you haven't heard of Viator.com, you're missing out! Viator is an easy way to book all kinds of cool activities at worldwide destinations. They've got everything from the Napa Valley Wine Train to a cruise down the Rhine River to a show on Broadway!

If you're not planning on taking a vacation to a far-off locale, you could always book tickets to something fun close to home! You could splurge on a luxe Champagne Brunch at a nearby port, or take the family to the local aquarium!

$500 is a nice chunk of change, so choose your words wisely!