Closed: Zinio Digital Subscription Giveway!

Update: The Giveaway is over. Scroll down to see the winners.

As you may know (if you've been reading this blog), when I'm not blogging, I am a Graphic Designer. And during my years of experience working in various industries, I have witnessed less and less demand for printed magazines (not that to have a magazine subscription was actually a norm). But have readers moved on? Well, right now I am writing this blog and you are reading it on some sort of digital device, be it on iPad, iPhone, Android mobile phones, tablets, laptop or desktop.
With the advancement of technology, instant access to information is now a whole new dimension in itself. For myself, as a blogger, getting instant feedback and comments really adds to the interest of writing for an interested audience. So what has happened to the world of magazines? Well, they have gone virtual too. So, it's not a lesser demand for reading material that has caused this decline. I find quite the contrary.
Not only is digital more convenient - you can access your favourite titles anywhere you are - it is also cheaper and lighter (you don't have to carry so many of them around). And the best part is, they don't clutter your house! At the tip of your fingers you get access to any areas of interest to you.

Well, even if you've never had a printed magazine subscription in your life, here's your chance to get a digital one! Zinio is an online magazine subscription provider, home of the largest newsstand, that carries thousands (more than 5,000 magazine titles, in 33 languages) of top magazines from around the world. Since we each have our own likes and individual interests, there's definitely more than enough choice there to please everyone!

With Zinio, you can browse and purchase subscriptions or single issues instantly from your computer or mobile device to read wherever and whenever you like. The "Explore" section lets you read - even without a subscription - thousands of articles from your favorite magazines and share them with friends.

I infact got one free subscription from Zinio for myself. But guess what?

Zinio is offering 9 more free subscriptions for grabs to the readers of this blog! 

That's right, it's a giveaway for not 1 but 9 lucky winners!! Each winner gets to choose one subscription for ANY titles (not just related to health or recipes or crafts, but anything you like) on Zinio for free!  Subscription lengths vary, some are for 6 months, some for a year, some are just 1 issue... it depends on the title that you will choose.

Rules To Enter This Giveaway:

All you have to do is ONE or MORE of the following :

• Share this post on Facebook, and supply the link where you've shared it in the comments below (make sure your post settings on Facebook is set to Public, otherwise I won't be able to see it if I don't have you in my friends list)
• Tweet this post with the tags @veganlovlie @zinio #zinio
• Blog about this post and giveaway on your blog and link back to here.
• If you can't do any of the above 3, you can still get one chance of winning by just leaving a comment sharing your thoughts about the new virtual world of reading magazines online or share your favorite online magazines.
  

Then leave a comment below (not on Facebook) for each of the 4 above that you've done. 

If you do all 4 that's 4 chances of winning!

This giveaway ends on Thursday 14th February 2013 at 11:59pm EST (or GMT -5). This giveaway is open to anywhere in the world, since you will receive your subscription digitally.

Make sure you read this too:
Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Make sure you don't comment as anonymous. Also leave some contact details so I can identify you. Although I will not chase winners up, you will have to check back here as from Friday 15th February to see if you are a winner and claim your subscription. (So, the email or details you leave in the comment box should match the one you contact me with). If winners don't claim their prize within 3 days, I will generate winners again for unclaimed subscriptions. So make sure you check back this blog.

Best way not to miss out is to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to this blog by email or in a reader.

The Winners Are:

1. Ben Freeman
2. bohemiatura
3. Claire
4. Meghan Duce
5. Leyla
6. bitt
7. Fiona O Reilly
8. Jhanelle Golding
9. Charice Carrasco

The Giveaway Is Not All!

If you do miss your chance then there are still some Special Promotions on Zinio currently:
Best of 2012 - Editors’ Choices
Ends 21st Feb
Save 50% on these selected great issues

WatchWorld UK
Ends 15th Feb
50% off regular already-discounted Zinio price

Follow Zinio on...
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

And if you are a winner, here are a few recommendations if you're looking for inspiration on what to subscribe to (but don't limit yourself to these only, as I have said before, there are thousands of titles on Zinio!):





I hope you enjoy this giveaway and good luck to all!

Jewelry Joy: I Was Interviewed!

Some of Corrinne's creations.
 
The lovely Corrinne from Pin and Tack offered to interview me about my handmade jewellery making. She is actually hosting a grand Jewelry Joy week at her blog featuring different artists and their work. Corrinne is such a creative person herself and I am very fond of her handmade cards which remind me so much of the ones I used to make for the family and friends. She does a lot more than cards though!

If you would like to read more about me and how I got into making jewellery, head over to this post at Corrinne’s blog where she also featured my 'How To Make Paper Beads' tutorial. For this Jewelry Joy week, I am also offering a 20% discount on anything in my shop until the 30th May. 

Get the discount code from Corrinne’s post then use it at checkout in my shop.

There are also some other giveaways/discounts happening at her blog at the moment from other artists. So, have a look!

I hope you enjoy! 

Drum Beats for the Giveaway Winner, "I ♥ Trees" Pendant!

Drum beats as I announce the winner who was picked by the random number generator:



Number 6 is Jenn!

Congratulations Jenn! You'll be receiving an email shortly so I can get your details.

Thank you everyone for participating. Those who didn't win this time, stay tuned, I have plans for other giveaways soon.

Coming up soon are the photos I took from the Vegan Bake Sale. If you are following me on Facebook or Twitter, you'd know I've been busy baking. I made Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Coconut. It was a hit and the cake disappeared in no time! There were loads of other goodies too brought in by other fellow vegan bakers.

**Closed** A Giveaway: I ♥ Trees Pendant

It's been a while since I hosted a giveaway. Well, here it is! This one is a thank you for all the new Facebook fans I've been getting recently. It's really awesome and I have to say a special thank you to My Attitude - My Life - My Rules for sending them my way.

So what am I giving away?

This "I ♥ Trees Pendant" (a unique piece, handmade by me) to one lucky winner. The rules are simple. Just visit Bijouxlovlie on Etsy and tell me what's your favourite piece of jewellery in the shop. Leave your comment on this blog (not on Facebook). I can only count entries in just one place to keep it more organised.
Please only leave one comment.
Entries close Friday 27th April 2012, 11:59PM GMT

**Update: Entries are now closed. A winner will be announced soon.**



The winner will be chosen with a random number generator.

Important: Be sure to leave me an email or link on which I can contact you in case you are the winner.

To make sure you don't miss out on updates (and sometimes posts on Facebook only), please like Veganlovlie on Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter @Veganlovlie.

By the way, the pendant will come nicely gift wrapped, just if you wanted to give this away in turn to someone else.



I hope you like this one. Good luck everyone!

Groupon With A Green Twist

This week savegreennow.com a company like Groupon (but with eco-friendly products in mind) is offering a 50% discount on Kaia foods ($15 for $30 worth of organic & vegan snacks from Kaia foods & Alive and Radiant Foods).

There's just about 3 days left to benefit from this offer. So, don't miss out, here's their website for the discount!

Giveaway at Millie's Blog

Here's a great giveaway at Millie's blog.

PHILLPS SONICARE BATTERY OPERATED TOOTHBRUSH

So, make your way there for the rules to enter and your chance to win. Entries end Dec 30. Good luck!

Vegan Girl's Guide to Life - A Giveaway!

***We now have a winner!***

It’s been ages, I know. I feel terrible for not posting anything here for such a long time. Well, I come with some good news though!

As today is International Women’s Day (and I'm on holidays!), the best way to celebrate it is by a giveaway! What is it?!

Melisser’s book - Vegan Girl's Guide to Life



It has been out since November 2010. And guess what? I’m in it! Yay!



The Vegan Girl Guide to Life is a great book for women or girls interested in veganism or who are new vegans. This book is packed with useful information about the lifestyle, from diet and nutrition to crafts and even vegan tattoos! I particularly like the fun format which makes it so pleasurable to read and come back to time and time again. It is also a great collection of individual stories of vegan women around the world and did I mention recipes? They are some nice ones you’d want to try. Other topics covered are vegan cosmetics, small vegan businesses, vegan stores, how to travel as a vegan and how to stock your vegan pantry. So, there’s definitely at least a little something in it for everyone.

I bought one for my mum which I haven’t sent to her yet by the way (o_O). My signed copy from Melissa is on the way and I’m very impatient to receive it. But in the meantime, as a thank you to Melisser for featuring me in her book, I am giving away a copy. This is not sponsored by anyone but me.

Just leave a comment on the blog (not on facebook) saying what essential vegan foodstuff you always carry with you when travelling as an emergency snack! We have a winner.

Entries end Tuesday 22nd March 2011 at 23.59 pm. A winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Please only comment once. Leave some contact details or a link to your blog etc so that I can get back to you for your address if you’re the winner.
The giveaway is open worldwide. I will order from Amazon so I’ll ship to anywhere.


Good luck and happy International Women’s Day!

If you would like to buy the book from Melissa and get a signed copy, you can order it from here. Also, check out Melissa's blog here where she shares her culinary adventures from vegan dining around the world or right from her kitchen.

Update: We now have a winner!

Thank you all for participating in the giveaway for The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life by Melisser Elliott. I won't hold you in suspense any longer. We have a winner who is mnikpat !


The winner was generated using the number generator on www.random.org.

I counted 67 comments as the last one was left after the closing time.

And comment number 44 is the winner.

Because blogger (for some reason) does not do comment numbering, I manually counted (and re-counted) from top to bottom for comment number 44.

So, congratulations mnikpat. I'll be in touch to send you your book! Hope you enjoy reading it! :)

Check back soon for recipes and more.

Giveaway Winner!

Sorry for the late announcement but I had a busy weekend!

I am pleased to announce the winner for the CSN Stores giveaway who is Krissie! Congratulations Krissie! That's a great start for the week, isn't it?!

The number was generated by random.org.



Then I counted 15 from the list down. (I thought it was fair not to count the last comment in as it was left after the closing time).



I did the numbering manually in Photoshop. Since I changed blogger template, I never had the time to come back and tweak the template to display comment numbering (like I did for the previous one).

Congrats again Krissie! I hope you'll enjoy your GamaSonic Atmosphere Color Changing Bowl! I'll be in touch shortly to get your details and CSN stores will take care of the rest!

***Closed***A Giveaway...

***The Giveaway is now closed***
Note: Sorry, but I think it is fair that the last comment will not be counted in as it has been left after the closing time.

A while ago, I hosted a giveaway for a rice cooker from CSN Stores. And I did promise some more giveaways coming your way! Well, guess what? CSN Stores are back and this time, you get to choose your product with a US$40 gift card! You can browse or peruse their websites that sell anything from lights to furniture, baby essentials to fitness products, housewares to outdoor products. You are bound to find something you like; their stores are just massive!

To participate :
Just browse their stores and leave a comment here about what you would like to get with your gift card. Please leave your comment on the blog http://www.veganlovlie.com/ not on the Facebook page/feed!
Make sure you leave an email address or a link to your blog (with contact details of course!) so that I can contact you!

You will get 1 additional entry for each of these:

• Join my Facebook group (leave a separate comment here saying you did this, if you are already a member of the group then leave a comment as well)
• Like my Facebook Fan page (leave a separate comment here saying you did this)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave a separate comment here saying you did this)
• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog with a link to this post (then come back and leave another comment here saying you blogged about this)

This giveaway is opened for US and Canadian readers.
You have until Friday 30th July till 11.59pm to enter.

Winners will be chosen by a random number generator.

So, what are you waiting for?

Why don't you treat yourself to one of these suggestions:

Feel sexy in the kitchen with this Flirty Apron in Sweet Sunshine.

Or, something I've quite been looking forward to adding in my kitchen is a cookbook holder and this one seems like the perfect one!

Maybe a tart pan?

A waffle maker?

These are just a few suggestions from me to inspire you although the stores are in themselves a great inspiration! You can pick something completely different from kitchenware. The choice is massive!

Good luck to everyone!
Winners will be announced on Saturday 31st July.

I know this giveaway is only opened to US and Canadian readers but did you know CSN have opened a UK store recently? Check it out: http://www.csnstores.co.uk/
Have a look, there are some pretty good bargains on there!

Giveaways! Giveaways on Recipe Books!

This is a quick post to share some great recipe book giveaways with you. By now, many of you have heard about 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman. For your chance to win, head over to Ricki's blog - Diet, Desserts and Dogs.

And 2nd giveaway is Ricki Heller's (Diet, Desserts and Dogs) vegan dessert recipe book Sweet Freedom. Visit Sally's blog for this one.

Both giveaways end Friday 2nd April.

Giveaway winner!

The winner for the CSN Stores Rice Cooker Giveaway is Sandy. This was generated by random.org.





Congratulations Sandy! I'll be passing your details over to CSN Stores; they will be sending you the rice cooker directly. Enjoy!

Giveaway reminder! Only a few hours left...

The image above is that of the Warm Rice Salad. I just don't like posting without an image.

For your chance to win this fabulous rice cooker from CSN stores, go over to this post and leave a comment there.



Only a few hours left...

Good luck!

Sweet Yellow Rice à l'Ananas et Noix de Coco

I could have called this Sweet Yellow Rice with Pineapple and Coconut but I want something more exotic! So I've baptised this recipe Sweet Rice à l'Ananas et Noix de Coco. Now that's exotic! Sweet yellow rice is something my mum used to make when I was a kid as an after school snack (and even when I wasn’t a kid anymore!). It was a nice change from rice pudding. From time to time I get a little craving for this. But this time, I thought pineapple and coconut would work well in this. Traditionally, mum used to make this with raisins and almonds (unaware I was allergic to nuts at that time; in consequence I always had runny itchy nose, sore throat, colds and flu and sometimes more severe symptoms; we just assumed I was a sickly child).
I am using uncooked rice from scratch in the recipe, but I most of the time make this with left-over cooked rice. Just make sure you cook the rice until still firm and whole, not mushy.

Before we come to the recipe, speaking of sweet rice, don't miss out on the Rice Cooker Giveaway from CSN Stores, closes Saturday 20th March at midnight!

Sweet Yellow Rice à l'Ananas et Noix de Coco
1 cup (200g) basmati rice
1 cup (150g) demerara sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
1 cup (200g) diced pineapple (approximate)
1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut
10 cardamom pods
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon curcuma powder (or yellow food color)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup (100ml) coconut milk (or soy milk)

• Rinse rice to clean it. Drain.
• Place rice in a stock pot or deep pan, fill with enough water to cover the rice. Water level should be about 3 inches (approximately 8 cm) above rice. If using a rice cooker, add 1 3/4 cups water and set to cook.
• Rice should be cooked after 15 - 17 minutes (if using basmati rice). Test the grains, they should still be firm but well cooked inside.
• Remove from heat, drain and wash with cold water. Drain. Set aside.
• In a non-stick pan, add coconut oil.
• Place pineapple with 2 tablespoons sugar.
  
• Cook on medium heat for about 7 - 8 minutes or until pineapple is cooked. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
• Add in cardomom pods. Roast a little.
• Then add rice a little at a time, stirring to coat each grain with the oil.
• Add cinnamon and sprinkle with cucurma powder. Mix well.
• Add sugar. Stir and mix well.
• Add raisins.
• Then pour in the coconut milk. Reduce heat and mix well. It will be quickly absorbed.Lastly add desiccated coconut.
• Serve warm.

This recipe has been featured on Yummly

Fantastic Rice Cooker Giveaway! ***Closed***

***The Giveaway is now closed.*** Winner announced!

One thing that I would really love to have is a kitchen with a bar! And nice contemporary style bar stools. Why am I saying this now? I was contacted by CSN Stores a week ago about a fantastic giveaway they are hosting and while browsing a few of their 200+ websites I happened to fall on bar stools which took me into a daydream of my dream kitchen! I have never seen a store with so many departments quite as big as theirs!

But back to the present moment, CSN Stores are giving one lucky winner the chance to receive this Aroma Pot Style 7-Cup Dry Rice Cooker and Steamer.

To be eligible you need to be in the US or Canada as the item will be shipped directly by CSN stores once I randomly pick a winner. CSN Stores only ship to US and Canada.

Rules for entries
!Important!: Please include your email or have it visible in your profile, so I can contact you.

• Post a comment on this post = 1 entry

For extra entries and more chance to win:

• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog with a link to this post (then come back and leave another comment here) =
  1 entry

• Add me into your blogroll (my new blog address is http://www.veganlovlie.com) =
  1 entry

• Join the Veganlovlie Fan Group on Facebook (then leave a comment about it here) =
  1 entry

• Follow me on Twitter (and leave a comment here telling me you did so) =
  1 entry

For each entry , leave a comment telling me you did so. For example,
YourName: "Nice giveaway! Count me in!"
YourName: "Hi! I've just joined your Veganlovlie Fan Group on Facebook!"
YourName: "I'm following you on Twitter"

That is, you put in 3 comments in total if you've done 3 of the above.
I will count the comments. Remember 1 comment for each one of the above that you did. So, you could have a total of up to 5 entries - 5 chances to win.

Also leave your comments here on the blog, and NOT on Facebook (as this post is automatically fed on my facebook page). If you usually follow me on facebook, then come to the post and leave your comment here. Well you can always leave a comment on facebook as well but it won’t be counted for the giveaway.


This giveaway entries close on Saturday 20th March at midnight. Be quick!
I will randomly choose a winner by using the number generator on random.org
Good luck!

For those of you not in the US or Canada, they will certainly be more giveaways and other goodies in future. So stay tuned.