Let Plastic Jungle help make this Mother’s Day even better with an extra $50 to spend!

Be logged into Facebook, and enter to win Plastic Jungle’s Mother’s Day Gift Card Sweepstakes now  >>>

Plastic Jungle is giving away a $50 Gift Card each day, through May 8th, 2011, to deserving moms who simply follow the link and register for the Mother’s Day Sweepstakes.

There is one question moms will have to answer, though: What Kind of Mom Are You? Whether you are a DIY Mom, or a Sporty, Stylish, Foodie or Starlet mother, Plastic Jungle has a discounted gift card just for you!

Do-It-Yourself Mom — You enjoy making it happen. You’re talented at finding the lost item, fixing the broken toy, doing up the veggie garden, and keeping it real. Your favorite discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle are:

Lowe’s >>> |   Home Depot >>> |   J Jill >>> |   Omaha Steaks >>> |   Lands’ End >>>

Sporty Mom — Nothing wrong with a little challenge! You are talented in many areas, including leading kids in a pick-up game on the yard, knowing where the best hikes are, and fixing perfectly balanced meals. Your favorite discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle are:

Jamba Juice >>> |   Orvis >>> |   Columbia Sportswear >>> |   LL Bean >>> |   Bed, Bath & Beyond >>>

Stylish Mom – You have a natural brilliance and are usually a fashionable step ahead of everyone else. You’ve got an outfit in your style for every occasion, from PTA meetings to Board meetings and even Soccer on Saturday. Your favorite discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle are:

H&M >>> |   Nordstrom >>> |   Kohl’s >>> |   bebe >>> |   Ann Taylor >>>

Foodie Mom — Confidence in the kitchen, or anywhere, comes naturally for you. Nothing matters more than good nutrition, which you manage for your family and friends whether you eat in or dine out, and even in those pesky lunch boxes. Your favorite discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle are:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf >>> |   Baja Fresh >>> |   Legal Sea Foods >>> |   Crate and Barrel >>>

Starlet Mom — You might be emotional, but it’s all about the story for you: you can’t help but show pride at your daughter’s game-winning goal, jump for joy when you reserve at Disneyland, cry your heart out when your little guy gets his heart broken by a fellow kindergartner. Your favorite discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle are:

Chico’s >>> |   BabyGap, Gap Kids >>> |   AMC Theatres >>> |   Buca di Beppo >>> | Barnes & Noble >>>

Giveaway ends May 8, 2011 (that would be Mother’s Day!!); check the Plastic Jungle Mother’s Day Sweepstakes official rules for details. Winners will be announced daily at facebook.com/plasticjungle.

What gift card will YOU choose, if you are chosen to win?! Let us know and tell your friends!

Good Luck! Have a Happy Mother’s Day!

Step by step, a Plastic Jungle fan shows you how to save $100s by combining discounted gift cards, coupons, and rebates.

It is fair to say that most households have wish lists. From house to house, these lists can be as diverse as the inhabitants. You could be pining for fresh electronics (new TV or gaming system), or home improvements or furniture, or maybe a special accessory, such as a pricey designer purse or a pair of shoes. Often, wish lists develop when you move into a new space, as our Plastic Jungle fan, Marcy B., relates.

In her letter, Marcy B. outlines how she went about saving big on renovating her window treatments in her new home. She explains that it wasn’t a matter of combing the Internet, or paging through Val-Pak coupons, but a matter of patience and a small amount of planning.

Thanks to marketing and promotions, all shoppers get the idea that we could save big, but jumping the hurdle to map out the steps can be a stumbling block.

Her letter explains her simple process, step-by-step:

You are welcome, Marcy! : )

Marcy's Living Room Before the New Blinds

Marcy's home with her new blinds. Success at a discount!

As it turns out, Marcy is also a guest contributor for a parenting site: MamaModerne.com, and she wrote up her story as an article, “Saving Big on Big Purchases”. Check it out for more details on how to save when it comes time to pull out that wishlist.

What’s on your wishlist?

Consider the following categories. When you’re dealing with a wishlist, it’s OK to be greedy. Writing out what you want might help you prioritize your wants and needs. (Well, that sounds like another blog post!)

Consumer Electronics: get gift cards from Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, Sony Style, Apple Store, Office Depot, Staples, JCPenney

Home Improvement: get gift cards from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Bloomingdale’s

Furniture: get gift cards from Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma Home, JCPenney, Macy’s, Walmart, west elm, CB2

Designer Apparel & Accessories: Zappo’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Bergdorf-Goodman, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Coach

Pick up any of the above gift cards on Plastic Jungle’s Buy Gift Cards page.

Get thinking, and let us know if you’ve got any strategies for saving with discount gift cards.

Bye February! Goodbye blizzards. Goodbye hearts. Hello good green luck!

March is coming in like a lion alright, with the daily news blurting something unsettling just about every day, unfavorably affecting our consumer confidence. Still, products and services are more customer-oriented than ever, and I know many people, myself included, who are taking it in stride, looking forward to shopping trips, planning vacations, and enjoying life day by day, maybe with a bigger appreciation for each expenditure than before.

So in getting creative about saving up and making the most of what we’ve got, you have to take a look at selling or trading in those unused gift cards. Turning in your gift cards to Plastic Jungle is hassle-free, postage is paid, and you’ll have something to show for it in no time. You can sell more than one card at a time; you can even donate the proceeds to charity if you’d like. Check out the Seller Learning Center to get all your questions about trading in, or selling, your gift card with Plastic Jungle.

Plus, to get your attention, just about every brand, merchant, or product is sponsoring giveaways – and we like to list our favorites here. By and large, these are easy-to-enter sweepstakes and giveaways with killer prizes.

$10,000 Dream Wardrobe Giveaway — Luxe online fashion peddler Net-a-Porter, fashion gossip blog FabSugar, and retail aggregator ShopStyle are teaming up to give one lucky winner a $10,000 budget to spend on Net-a-Porter.com. Just register your information and decide what email updates you’d like to receive, if any. Sweepstakes ends April 5, 2011; get other details from the Dream Wardrobe giveaway contest rules.

$100,000 Ultimate Wedding Contest – Housewares and décor shop Crate and Barrel wants one lucky couple to walk away with the wedding of their dreams, maybe even beyond their dreams. If you’re getting married, just create a wedding registry at a Crate and Barrel store or CrateandBarrel.com. If you’ve already got a registry at Crate & Barrel, go ahead and enter the contest by logging into your registry, then, on your Crate & Barrel registry homepage, look for the Ultimate Wedding Display. Follow the links to enter the contest. Contest ends March 31, 2011; see the Ultimate Wedding Contest page for rules and additional instructions, which include telling your love story, uploading three photos, share details of your Ultimate Wedding, and describe your ultimate dream home.

Get a discounted Crate and Barrel Gift Card now >>

$2,000 Catherine Malandrino Shopping Spree – Chic department store Bloomingdale’s is sponsoring this hot giveaway of $2,000 worth of clothing from designer Catherine Malandrino. All entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on March 9, 2011; see contest rules for details.

Get a discounted Bloomingdale’s Gift Card now (supplies very limited)>>

Get a discounted Nordstrom Gift Card now >>>

Trip for Two to Vienna Giveaway – TV’s Travel Channel says “Start your next journey by winning it.” The winner and a guest will fly round-trip to Vienna, where they’ll stay for six nights with $750 in spending money, and much more. The more you know about Travel Channel, the better you’ll do. Take their daily multiple-choice quiz, and enter for your chance to win. Giveaway ends March 31, 2011. Check Official Rules for further terms and conditions.

Get discounted American Airlines Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted US Airways Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted Hyatt Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted Best Western Gift Cards now >>>

Hey, let us know: Where will the new spring season take you?

One of my favorite product catalogs is the Crate & Barrel “Best Buys” catalog and I was lucky enough to have one delivered just last week. Tons of great deals on simple, stylish housewares abound… hey, check it for yourself: here’s a link to the online Crate & Barrel Best Buys flipbook.

Housewares oh-so-chic: The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Lo Bosworth Shop at Crate & Barrel at The Grove, Hollywood.

While Crate & Barrel is in the same brand family as CB2 and The Land of Nod, none of the gift cards or egift cards are interchangeable or transferable to the other stores. Check the Crate and Barrel Gift Card FAQ page for the latest on gift card interchangeability or any questions regarding gift card terms & conditions.

Crate & Barrel Deals

Saving money at Crate and Barrel is easy: On the website, you can click through to the Crate and Barrel Outlet which offers deals daily. (SAVINGS IDEA: in the Outlet menu, see the first choice, which is 50% off or more. Yowza!) The Crate and Barrel Special Offers page features sales and offers direct from choice manufacturers (right now including All-Clad and KitchenAid), and don’t forget to check the Crate and Barrel Sale tab, too. Sign up for the Crate and Barrel email newsblasts on the Crate and Barrel homepage and you’ll get first crack at fab sales, special offers, and promotions. Purchase a discounted Crate & Barrel Gift Card or eGift Card right here on Plastic Jungle and compound your savings.

Check the Balance on Your Crate and Barrel Gift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Crate & Barrel Gift Card?

Here’s how to get that done:

Online: go to the Crate & Barrel Gift Card Balance Lookup page

Phone: call 800-606-6458

In Store: bring your card to the register of any Crate & Barrel retail or outlet location

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your Crate and Barrel Gift Card or Crate and Barrel eGift Card on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Crate and Barrel Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card and even fund your PayPal account.

To know how much your Crate & Barrel Gift Card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up “Crate & Barrel”, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.