In the world of contests and sweepstakes, there are simple ways to use skill to increase your luck in winning. Some have to do with the way you enter, others are matters of creating a positive attitude. This is the final article in our three part series. You can find part two HERE.

Enter Contests Whenever Possible

Most contests rely on some type of skill. Look at your strengths, and utilize them to help you win. If you are a trivia nut, enter trivia contests. If you love to cook, enter cooking contests. There are fishing contests for anglers, talent contests for musicians and writers, and just about anything else you can come up with, so don't doubt that there is a contest in the area where your strengths shine.

Release Expectations

This utilizes skills in building patience, which is a necessary part of the process. It also helps with enjoying what you are doing in the present, and not getting caught up in what the future results will be. Enjoying the fun and relaxation offered in what you are doing now is what will keep you going, and in keeping going you know that you will in turn increase good luck and win. Releasing expectations also releases stress. There is a difference between expecting it and knowing it. Expectations can stem from a belief that something will happen. This type of knowing comes from realizing that things are already set in place in order for it to happen. You may not know exactly when or how often it will happen, you just know that it will.

Picture Yourself With What You Wish to Receive

Stories abound about those who have won large amounts of cash and then went broke a short while later. A sudden influx of wealth into one's life will undoubtedly create some changes, and for one who isn't prepared for it, this may be followed by making some rough decisions. By preparing yourself mentally you will increase your skills in making the proper choices, and also create good luck by developing a knowing that the winning will come.

If you need a new vehicle, envision yourself as already driving it. If you want cash, picture yourself as already being debt-free. There's no need to spend an inordinate amount of time in doing it, a few short minutes when you have a chance throughout the day will suffice.

Keep in mind that these are just rules of thumb, so be creative. Sometimes you will have more time to devote than you will at others, so be easy on yourself and always remember to keep it fun. That's part of the gift of increasing luck!

By Jennifer L. Thompson

This year marks the 28th year for the Annual International Eelpout Festival on Leech Lake, located in Walker, Minnesota. This festival is one of THE biggest annual events in this area, drawing eelpouters from around the world. Thousands turn out for this weekend of thrills, spills, and chills, hoping to win the coveted awards and thousands of dollars in prizes.

What is an eelpout, you may ask? Some consider it to be the ugliest fish in Minnesota, others consider it to be a rich tasting delicacy sometimes referred to as "poor man's lobster". No matter which way you consider it, the eelpout festival is downright FUN!

Yes, fun and games are a major part of the of the weekend, with creative anglers setting up camp on the ice, disguising themselves as Hawaiian dancers, space aliens, cowboys, and just about anything else the inventive mind can conceive of. Events include a five mile run, a polar plunge, an on-ice auto race (the Eelpout 500), a rugby match, and a snowmobile radar run. Even those who do not succumb to fishing fever over the weekend can rest assured they will have a good time watching the antics and camaraderie that abound throughout the festival.

Local businesses thrive during the weekend, catering to eelpouters and non-eelpouters alike. Campgrounds, resorts, and motels fill up quickly, with a good section of anglers setting up weekend homes on the lake, in fish house "mansions" made especially for this event. Newspapers from around the country send reporters to catch the wildly comedic festivities. This is Northern fun at the peak of cabin fever.

Vendors abound for the "crafty" minded traveler. O'Fish'al Eelpout Festival Apparel is available on site, along with hundreds of other original and creative items that one will only find here. There is no limit to the imaginative expression of the loyal anglers who thrive on this type of competition.

Of course, all the latest technology and the newest fishing gear is displayed throughout the festivities, with professional sportsmen touting the best of their wares. This is a great place to get up on what's new and what's happening for the upcoming year, for anyone who loves the sport.

The 2007 festival runs February 16th through 18th, with a $10 entry fee. Award categories include largest 'Pout, smallest 'Pout, team tonnage, inspirational young angler, longest distance traveled, and more. Prizes are awarded in individual and team categories, with a Grand Prize of a custom made fish house valued at $5,000.

Find out more Here

By Jennifer L. Thompson

Cell Phone Accessories from Strapya.com!

"Sprint Nextel 'The Ultra-Thin Phone Weekly Giveaway' Sweepstakes"

Send a 3" x 5" postcard (A standard size postcard is recommended, or a 3x5 card in an envelope as the rules state a non-regulation size for postcards, according to the U.S. Postal Service) with your name, address (no PO boxes), birthday, and telephone number. Entries must be postmarked prior to April 4, 2007 and received no later than April 9, 2007. Mail entries to:

Ultra-Thin Phone Weekly Giveaway

P.O. Box 25456

Rochester, NY 14625-0456.

Sierra Club Beat the Blues - Get Outdoors! Sweepstakes

Grand Prize winner will receive $1,500 towards a Sierra Club Trip. (350 destinations to choose from!) Entries must be received by February 28, 2007. One entry per person.

To enter, print your name, address, telephone number, email address (optional), and the words "Sierra Club Beat the Blues - Get Outdoors! Sweepstakes" on a 3x5 card. Mail entries to:

Sierra Club Beat the Blues - Get Outdoors! Sweepstakes

85 Second St., 2nd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105-3459

Online entry available HERE

By Jennifer L. Thompson

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Silver Jewelry Club

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In entering contests and sweepstakes, there are simple, yet effective ways to increase your luck in winning. This is part two of a three part series. You can read part one HERE .

The following guidelines will help to increase your luck, bringing in more of those winning moments.

Enter Daily

This simply increases your odds. In allowing yourself to fit at least one entry a day into your routine, you will ensure yourself to keep on winnning. It also has the simple effect of releasing expectations, allowing your mind to rest at ease. Though you will be able to rest assured that you WILL win in doing your part, there is no stress involved because there are lots of ways for the winning to come.

Check All of Your Emails

Often times a winning email will come without an identifying subject line, so it may appear as just another newsletter or other generic email. In checking all of your emails you will be sure to receive any winning notifications. At the same time, it takes just a moment to unsubscribe from any unwanted emails while you're doing so, in order to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

Create a Ritual

This may entail something as simple as getting online and entering sweepstakes while your drink your morning coffee, or something more involved such as getting out the art supplies and taking a couple of hours to go through from beginning to end, decorating envelopes to sending them off. Whichever way you decide to do it, make it something to look forward to, and it will create a positive attitude. This positive attitude creates positive energy that in turn will bring you luck!

Read About Others Who Do Sweepstaking

This just helps to keep it real. Some have a tendency to be a bit skeptical, and to think that nobody ever wins. This simply is not true. In reading about the experience of others, we keep the reality that everybody who does sweepstaking wins. This brings us, in a sense, a form of "collective luck"!

Enter Contests Whenever Possible

Most contests rely on some type of skill. Look at your strengths, and utilize them to help you win. If you are a trivia nut, enter trivia contests. If you love to cook, enter cooking contests. There are fishing contests for anglers, talent contests for musicians, writers, and actors, and just about anything else you can come up with, so don't doubt that there is a contest in the area where your strengths shine.

Next week will be part three, the final part of this series.

Each year since 1997 Home and Garden Television has hosted the "Dream Home Sweepstakes". A location is carefully scouted and the home is meticulously put together down to the finest detail. It comes fully furnished with all the trimmings, including a new vehicle and even a "Doggie Dream Home"! For 2007 the total prize package is valued at $2.5 Million dollars.

This year's Dream Home is located in Winter Park, Colorado, with a breathtaking view of the Continental Divide.

Approaching the front of the home, you will find it's natural wood-siding look to be majestic. The covered porch and three decks all sport outstanding views of the pine-covered landscape and the mountains beyond. When lit up after dark, the glow is warm and inviting.

The Interior boasts sleeping quarters of a master-bedroom with master bath, bunkroom and bunkbath, guest bedroom and bath, and a "plaid" bedroom and bath. The upper level landing area also offers a cozy sitting area with a daybed, off of which french doors open to an observation deck. With 4,000 square feet of floor space throughout, there is plenty of room for family and friends.

On the main floor you will find the highly functional kitchen decorated with balsa wood cabinets and blue countertops to compliment the wood tones. The lodge room is nestled next to it with a large, open "snackbar" between the two rooms, so snacks can easily be passed through to those who are enjoying the wood fireplace after an afternoon ski run. The dining room sits off to the side of the kitchen with an impressive floor to ceiling window for enjoying the wildlife, flora, and fauna. A home office is tucked around the corner from the dining area for easy access.

The lower level finds room to relax in the media room with seating for 10 surrounding the fireplace and 72 inch television. An adjoining game area with kitchenette allows for those Sunday afternoons spent watching the race with room for the kids to play. The mudroom enters from the garage with a laundry area conveniently exiting to the side. Added to all this is a GMC Acadia and $250,000 cash.

Daily entries are allowed in the sweepstakes, with a weekly winner receiving a "Doggie Dream Home". The Grand Prize winner will be announced on home and Garden TV in a show airing March 18, 2007 at 9pm Eastern Time.

To view videos on the building of this years home, follow this Link

To enter to win the Dream Home, follow this Link

By Jennifer L. Thompson

Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess) from Dragonwater Tea

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Magic Tea Maker

For quick entry... text by cell phone!

Lifetime TV's Get Out of the Cold Sweepstakes

Enter to win a trip for four to the Radisson Aruba Resort with spa treatments and dinner at the Sunset Grille Restaurant. Enter daily, ends February 15, 2007.

To enter, text the word COLD to 58463 (LTIME).

Online entry also available here: Get Out of the Cold Sweepstakes

Miller Lite Championship Bonus Sweepstakes

One Grand Prize of a check for $80,000.

To enter, text the word TASTE to 64557 (MILLR). Once you send it you will be sent a return text to verify your age. Must be 21 or older. Enter daily, ends February 4, 2007.

Online entry here: Miller Lite Sweepstakes

Saturday Morning Forever Sweepstakes

Text entry for Sprint and Nextel customers only.

One Grand Prize winner will receive all of the following: 1 flat plasma screen HDTV, 1 DVD player, 52 boxes of Post Super Tasty Breakfast Cereal, 13 sets of Hanna-Barbera pajamas, 13 Hanna-Barbera t-shirts, 1 Hanna-Barbera DVD Collection, 1 FUSIC Sprint phone by LG, and 1 $50 Sprint gift card (total retail value approximately $4,400.00).

To enter, text the letters SMF to 2665 (COOL).

Must be 13 years old or older as of September 20, 2006 and have had internet service as of September 20, 2006. Ends March 21, 2007.

Online entry here: Saturday Morning Forever Sweepstakes

By Jennifer L. Thompson

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Fun accessories for your cell phone!

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Increase Your Luck in Winning, Part 1 of 3

Sweepstaking has evolved from ancient games of chance played by the upper classes of ancient Greek, Egyptian, and other cultures. Games combining luck with skill have been found in such places as King Tut's tomb, and in numerous other ancient ruins and civilizations. As with the ancients, the modern-day form combines luck with skill in order to win. In this way, it can be considered as somewhat of a science, or an artform, if you will. It just depends on what way you play it.

If you play for luck, then you rely on the chance that you will be receiving that winning sweepstakes letter some day. If you play to win, then you will do whatever you can to increase the odds, which is where the skill part comes in. In this sense it is still the same as it was in its ancient artform.

So, what skills are used to increase the odds? Aside from simple things such as brightly colored envelopes, alternate forms of entry, and entering often, there are still more and even simpler ways to bring on good luck.

Enter the Second Chance Drawings

This has to do with search-and-find skills... searching for and finding instant win drawings. Many instant win games will have a second chance drawing with new and improved versions of prizes offered in the original sweepstakes, and will even include prizes that were not offered in the original in order to use up the sweepstakes budget. The odds of winning will generally be increased because they may not include using the original game pieces, (some done by mail-in entries), they will just as often as not allow an increased amount of entries, and many times the second chance drawings are just overlooked.

Fill Out Entry Forms Neatly and Completely

This skill is based in form. When filling out a form that requests your name, address, and zip code, don't forget to fill out your complete address. This can include not only your post office box, if you have one, but also your official street address. Use full street names and not just abbreviated ones. If a day and evening phone number requested, be sure to use an entry for both, even if they are the same one. If an email address is an option, fill it in. These things not only help to avoid disqualification, they can give an added bonus of "good luck" by someone noticing that you put the extra time and effort into filling these things in neatly and completely.

Next week we will look at more ways to use skill to increase your luck in winning sweepstakes.

By Jennifer L. Thompson

Letter Opener with Dragon Base