Sjolind’s Chocolate House is one of our favorite places — and at the risk of making it so popular we can’t find a table, we’d like to introduce you to it by giving away a $15 gift certificate to one of our Madison on the Cheap readers.
Located at 219 East Main Street in Mount Horeb, Sjolind’s is the place we go to for a terrific slice of layer cake, a mouth-watering fruit tart, a tasty scone, and the best Sunday-morning coffee cake in Dane County. If that’s not enough there are always cookies, decadent chocolate pastries, and, if you arrive early enough, savory quiches. Accompany one of these with some fresh-brewed tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and relax and enjoy the friendly atmosphere of this small-town specialty cafe.
Or spend some time examining what’s on the shelves and in the drawers that surround the open kitchen where you can watch the bakers at work. You may find homemade marshmallows; French macarons (not to be confused with macaroons); boxes of handmade caramels and chocolate truffles; and chocolate-covered dried fruit. There are also scores of high-quality chocolate bars, including Exotic Chocolate Bars from Vosges Chocolat,Cowgirl Chocolates, and a wide variety of Fair Trade brands.
If you live on Madison’s West Side, Mount Horeb may be a short trip. If you live on the Isthmus or Madison’s East Side, we still think it’s worth the trip to this charming town with its troll-lined streets and free parking. Sjolind’s is only yards away from some of Mount Horeb’s specialty stores, including Open House Imports (where you can buy postcards of the trolls), Olson’s Christmas House (with its enormous collection of ornaments), and The Prairie Book Store.
If we’ve whet your appetite for a visit to Sjolind’s, we hope you’ll visit them soon (and tell them we sent you). And if you enter our giveaway contest and win the $15 gift certificate to Sjolind’s Chocolate House, your trip may be just a little sweeter than usual.
Congratulations to Jan, chosen by random.org as the winner of our giveaway for the $25 gift certificate to Claddagh Irish Pub in Middleton. She’s been notified by e-mail and has 48 hours to claim her prize.
Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their ideas for free, cheap, and inexpensive places to visit within a 100-mile radius of Madison. Even if you didn’t enter the contest, you may want to visit the post and read what the entrants suggested.
Madison Opera is having a “Facebook Fan Drive” and they’re giving away a very nice prize. Here’s the deal: “The person who gets the most new people to “like” our page on Facebook between now and the start of single ticket sales on Sept. 11th will win two orchestra-level seats to ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ in November (a $156 value!). When encouraging your friends to “like” Madison Opera on Facebook, be sure to ask them to post your full name on our wall so we know who sent them!”
We’d like you to participate because (1) half of the Madison on the Cheap team loves opera and wants to win some free tickets; and (2) both of us would be pleased to demonstrate to the Madison Opera that our loyal fans are interested in the arts.
So if you want to send Nadine to Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Izzy the Intern into a paroxysm of joy (because he will be rewarded with Babcock Hall chocolate ice cream if MOTC wins), “like” Madison Opera on Facebook and post our name (Madison on the Cheap) on their wall.
Of course, there’s nothing to prevent you from using this opportunity to win the Madison Opera tickets for yourself…
This giveaway contest is over and the winner has been chosen.
“It’s always about food,” insists Izzie the Intern. That’s why food is going to be the focus of our next few giveaway contests.
This is a Restaurant.com gift certificate and it does not have an expiration date – although we suspect the winner probably won’t wait too long to use it. We chose Claddagh Irish Pub because we like the food and the atmosphere – and because we know that gift certificates for this establishment usually aren’t in stock too long at Restaurant.com and are rarely available near the end of the month when prices are very low.
This $25 gift certificate is good with a minimum purchase of $35 and is valid for food only. It may be used Sunday-Thursday (excluding holidays and special events).
Congratulations to the winners of our two most recent giveaway contest: Connie in Verona (winner of the “Live Green Together” prize pack from Cascadian Farm) and Sun in Waunakee (winner of “Madison,” a 128-page book of photographs by Williams, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press). Both winner were chosen using Random.org
We have some more giveaways coming up after the long holiday weekend. Stay tuned.
Update (5/24/2010): This giveaway contest is now finished. We’ll announce the winner soon.
Recently, Madison on the Cheap received an e-mail from MyBlogSpark asking if we would be interested in receiving a “Live Green Together” prize pack from Cascadian Farm that included cereals and granola bars. It was accompanied by the offer of an additional prize pack to give away to one of our readers. It was this latter offer that convinced us we wanted to participate in this offer.
When our prize pack arrived, it included the following products from Cascadian Farm: Fruitful O´s cereal, Cinnamon Crunch cereal, Chocolate Chip Chewy granola bars, Dark Chocolate Almond Granola, Dark Chocolate Almond granola bars, Oats & Honey granola, and an eco-friendly grocery bag. These were regular, full-sized packages, not little samples.
Izzy the Intern immediately staked a claim to the granola bars, pausing briefly to ask, “But do they contain bran?” We checked the nutritional information and the answer was, “No.” However, we learned that the Dark Chocolate Almond granola bars each contained 5 grams of fiber, which pleased Izzy, who tends to get bored eating bran cereal and prunes (and that’s just about all we’re going to say about fiber).
Scanning the nutritional information for all six products, we learned that Cascadian Farm products are organic – and very importantly – they do NOT contain high fructose corn syrup (something Izzy was surprised to learn was in the leading brand of bran cereal he’s been eating).
There are so many brands of cereals and granola bars in grocery stores these days, it’s easy to fall into a rut and keep buying what’s familiar, rather than making the bold decision to leave your comfort zone and try something new.
We enjoyed our Cascadian Farm products and were please to discover that the company is open and forthright when it comes to providing information about them.** Check out their website to learn more about the Cascadian Farm story, the nutritional information for each product, and why (if you don’t already know) buying organic is good for you and your family.
Now – at last! – the part of this post you’ve been waiting to read. If you’d like to win a prize pack that includes the following products from Cascadian Farms: Fruitful O´s cereal, Cinnamon Crunch cereal, Chocolate Chip Chewy granola bars, Dark Chocolate Almond Granola, Dark Chocolate Almond granola bars, Oats & Honey granola, and an eco-friendly grocery bag, here’s how to enter our giveaway contest:
Leave a comment on this post and tell us either what you normally eat for breakfast, or what you’d really prefer to be eating for breakfast.
You must leave your name (first name only, if you wish) and a valid e-mail address (which will not be visible to others). We need the e-mail address to contact the winner for addition information (mailing address).
The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, May 23rd, 2010. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted. Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address. MyBlogSpark will ship the prize directly to the winner via FedEx, so the winner will have to provide a street address in order to receive the prize.
Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
Note: We use comment moderation, so your comment may not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
Update (5/20/2010): This giveaway contest is now finished. We’ll announce the winner soon.
Even if you’re not familiar with his name, you’re probably familiar with his work: Zane Williams has been taking memorable photographs of Madison for several decades. Now Madison on the Cheap is offering its readers an opportunity to win a free copy of “Madison,” a 128-page book of photographs by Williams, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
“This spectacular collection of photographs takes the viewer on a stroll through the heart of Madison, around the Capitol Square and down renowned State Street, with some stops at some of the most recent additions to the city;s skyline, including the Monona Terrace Convention Center (original design by Frank Lloyd Wright) and the Overture Center for the Arts. Then it’s on toward the University of Wisconsin campus, with it historic buildings, walkways and the Memorial Union Terrace, on of the city’s best-known spot for students and locals to meet, eat and listen to live music. The tour continues through Madison’s diverse neighborhoods, visiting ethnic restaurants, music festivals and one of Madison’s most famous attractions, the Dane County Farmer’s Market. The visual journey finishes with visits to the breathtaking parks and gardens scattered throughout the city.”
This is a book to keep and give away: It makes a great gifts for friends, relatives, and business associates who love Madison or need to be introduced to Wisconsin’s capital city.
If you’d like to win a copy of “Madison” by Zane Williams, here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment on this post and tell us about your favorite place in Madison.
You must leave your name (first name only, if you wish) and a valid e-mail address (which will not be visible to others). We need the e-mail address to contact the winner for addition information (mailing address)
The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, May 19th, 2010. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address.
Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
Note:We use comment moderation, so your comment may not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
Note: If you’d like to see more images from “Madison,”use this link to visit Amazon and take advantage of its “look inside” option.
February 14th is not only Valentine’s Day, it’s Chinese New Year. Kikkoman, a Japanese company that manufactures many of its products for the U.S. market at its Walworth, Wisconsin plant, is celebrating the arrival of The Year of the Tiger, by giving away coupons, utensils, and cookbooks.
In order to win, you need to visit the Chinese New Year Celebration page on their website and enter a PIN number. Since you probably don’t have a pin number, you’ll need to request one by e-mail — and this involves surrendering your name, age, and mailing address, as well as your e-mail address.
We gave it a twirl and the PIN number arrived in our e-mail box within seconds after we submitted our request. We entered our PIN and learned that we’d won stainless steel kitchen tongs! They’re supposed to arrive in 6-8 weeks.
There is a limit of one PIN number (and therefore one entry) per household. Official rules and details are available on the website. Chances of winning are apparently 1 in 5.
Once you’ve entered the Chinese New Year giveaway you may as well enter Kikkoman’s $10,000 Dream Giveaway Sweepstakes, too. Entries do not require any information you haven’t already surrendered — and you might win one of 300 instant prizes.
Congratulations to Jami, chosen by random.org as the winner of our stocking stuffer giveaway #2. She’s been notified by e-mail and has 48 hours to claim her prize.
Thanks to everyone who entered and shared the titles of the books they’ve read recently and/or signed up for our e-mail subscription — and best wishes to everyone for a safe and festive holiday season, whether you’re staying at home or traveling a long distance.
Perhaps by next Christmas, Madison on the Cheap will have so many fans, followers, friends, and frequent visitors that corporate America will be clamoring to provide goodies for us to give away. In the meantime, we’ve decided to raid the coffee fund and limit Izzy the Intern’s daily intake of jelly donuts and chocolate Bismarks in order to purchase some stocking stuffers we hope you’ll enjoy.
Our second stocking stuffer giveaway prize is a trio of travel-sized products from Philosophy®, featuring two “gracefully scented, multitasking cleansers and a smoothing lip balm.”
If you’d like to participate in this giveaway contest, here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment on this post either telling us the title of the most recent book you’ve read, or that you’ve become a Facebook Fan or subscribed to our daily e-mail update. If you’re already a fan or a subscriber, that counts too; just let us know you’ve been with us for a while.
You must leave your name (first name only, if you wish) and a valid e-mail address (which will not be visible to others). We need the e-mail address to contact the winner for information about where to mail the prize
The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. CST on Monday, December 14th, 2009. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address.
Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
In the spirit of the season, please share the news about this giveaway with your friends and encourage them to visit Madison on the Cheap.
Note:We use comment moderation, so your comment will not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
Congratulations to Diana, chosen by random.org as the winner of our stocking stuffer giveaway #1. She’s been notified by e-mail and has 48 hours to claim her prize.
Thanks to everyone who entered for their kind words — and best wishes to everyone for a safe and festive holiday season, whether you’re staying at home or traveling a long distance.
There’s a major snowstorm heading toward southern Wisconsin, so we’re not going very far for the next couple of days. That should give us time to post at least one more giveaway; so be sure to visit Madison on the Cheap again in the next day or so.
Perhaps by next Christmas, Madison on the Cheap will have so many fans, followers, friends, and frequent visitors that corporate America will be clamoring to provide goodies for us to give away. In the meantime, we’ve decided to raid the coffee fund and limit Izzy the Intern’s daily intake of jelly donuts and chocolate Bismarks in order to purchase some stocking stuffers we hope you’ll enjoy.
Our first stocking stuffer giveaway prize is a beautiful jacquard cosmetic bag filled with travel-sized aromatherapy products from Bath & Body Works “Silent Night” collection. If you’d like to participate in this giveaway contest, here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment on this post either telling us where you plan to spend Christmas, or that you’ve become a Facebook Fan or subscribed to our daily e-mail update. If you’re already a fan or a subscriber, that counts too; just let us know you’ve been with us for a while.
You must leave your name (first name only, if you wish) and a valid e-mail address (which will not be visible to others). We need the e-mail address to contact the winner for information about where to mail the prize
The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. CST on Monday, December 7th, 2009. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address.
Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
In the spirit of the season, please share the news about this giveaway with your friends and encourage them to visit Madison on the Cheap.
Note:We use comment moderation, so your comment will not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
Contest is now closed. We’ll use random.org to pick a winner on Tuesday. Update: A winner has been selected: Congraulations Diana!
The apocalyptic attack on the 12 colonies may have taken the humans by surprise, but now you can follow the action through the eyes of the Cylons as they initiate all-out war against their makers.
Win a copy of “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” (Universal Studios Home Entertainment), and experience this futuristic fight for survival from the Cylons’ perspective. Directed by Edward James Olmos and featuring the familiar cast of Toasters — Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Dean Stockwell, Kate Vernon, Rekha Sharma, Michael Trucco, Michael Hogan, Aaron Douglas and more — this latest release from the hit science-fiction television series won’t leave you disappointed.
Will you let this opportunity pass you by? Frack no! Enter our latest Madison On the Cheap giveaway contest today to win your own copy of “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” on DVD.
To enter the giveaway contest, leave a comment on this post either (a) indicating your favorite television show or (b) where you plan to spend Thanksgiving. Then send us an email at madisononthecheap to tell us you have left a comment. Your email should include your name and your snail mail address (to mail the DVD if you win). This information will only be used in conjunction with this giveaway and will not be shared.
This giveaway is open only to residents of Dane County, Wisconsin. If you don’t live in Dane County, check for your City on the Cheap, which might also be doing a DVD giveaway.
Deadline for entries is midnight CST on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.
The winner will be chosen Thursday, November, 5, 2009 using a random number generator. One entry per household.
Remember: You must leave and comment and send us an e-mail. Entries without snail mail addresses will be discarded.
Thanks to Teresa at Miami On the Cheap for providing a copy of the “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” DVD to Madison On the Cheap, as well as writing some of the introductory copy for this post.
Note:We use comment moderation, so your comment will not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
While researching giveaways, in preparation for the first Madison On the Cheap giveaway (which is now over), we discovered that there are thousands of of similar contests offered every week. Many don’t seem worth the time and effort. Some seem a bit shady. Others, however, offer some prizes that may be worth your time and the effort it takes to leave a comment on someone’s blog.
Members of an online writers’ group offered some great advice about how to hold and promote a giveaway, so we’d like to return the favor by letting you know about some of the promotions they’re holding right now. If you have some time to wile away, visit their blogs and/or websites, read about the opportunities they’re offering, and perhaps enter and take a chance on winning some very nice prizes.
At The City Traveler, “An online magazine written and edited by experienced travel journalists for readers who love exploring the world’s great urban places,” Cathleen McCarthy is offering a free copy of David Byrne’s book, “Bicycle Diaries.” Read her review of the book and enter to win before October 16th.
Gretchen Roberts says, Vinobite “is a short daily note about wine, food, culture, travel, and free giveaways.” Her current “Freebie Friday” giveaway is for ME, a new line of all-natural caffeine- and sugar-free beverages. The contest closes on October 15th (see post for specific details).
At Behind the Knife, Lisa Rojack plans to “reveal the tools in a chef’s arsenal, sometimes common, sometimes not.” Her current giveaway is for the Torch™ a small yet powerful home-use butane torch. Enter this one by leaving a comment before 11:59pm EST on Sunday, October 11th.
Note: Madison readers who plan to attend The Bricks Theatre production of “An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein,” which opens October 14th at The Frequency, may want to read Lisa’s biography of Silverstein, “A Boy Named Shel.”
After posting more than 200 posts in the last two months and finally reaching that 100 Facebook Fan goal, it’s time to launch Madison on the Cheap’s very first giveaway contest.
She replied, “I am game! I love unique ideas! How about we also throw in a t-shirt like the one on the cover? Have you seen that? People love it! And I’ll wrap the whole thing up in a big pink bow!”
Overwhelmed by her generous response, it took a while for the significance of what she’d offered to dawn on us. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we’ll be seeing lots of pink ribbons (and bows) during the upcoming month.
Gail is a breast cancer survivor, as we learn on the second page of “Cancer Is a Bitch,” when she tells us about picturing herself as Carrie in “Sex and the City,” and then writes: “I’m Not Carrie. Not by a long shot. I’m married. I’m the mother of three. I live in Wisconsin. I don’t own boy-cut undies and instead of baring my relationship with men and shoes, I’m baring my relationship with breast cancer.”
If you’d like to win our very first giveaway package – a personally inscribed paperback copy of Gail’s book, “Cancer Is a Bitch and a “Cancer Is a Bitch” t-shirt, wrapped up in a big pink bow, here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment on this post either telling us how you plan to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month or what you like best about Madison on the Cheap.
You must leave your name (first name only, if you wish) and a valid e-mail address (which will not be visible to others). We need the e-mail address to contact the winner for addition information (mailing address, inscription request, t-shirt size).
The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. CST on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address.
Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
Note:We use comment moderation, so your comment will not appear immediately. We’ll check comments in the queue several times a day, so check back later if you want to see yourself in print.
Remember the candy you used to buy growing up? Buy them now from Candy.com
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DISCLAIMER
We post deals as we find them, but schedules sometimes change and everything has an expiration date. Prices and promotions are always subject to change without notice. It's always wise to call ahead and make certain a bargain is still available or an event has not been canceled.
use this link to visit Amazon and take advantage of its “look inside” option.
– recently came out in paperback and we asked her if she thought offering it in a MOTC giveaway might be a novel way to promote it.
