Tango Card Review

I wanted to share a new gift idea I recently found out about - it's called Tango Card and you can check them out on their website http://www.tangocard.com/ and find them on twitter @TangoCard

Basically they are a way to buy someone a gift card, but allow the recipient to decide how to actually spend that gift card.  They can choose from quite a few popular retailers, give to charity or cash out for cash!

I recently won a $10 Tango Card from Tiny Prints - a great place to buy personalized greeting cards, stationary and more.  You can check them out at http://www.tinyprints.com and on twitter @TinyPrints .  My prize arrived in the form of a personalized Tiny Prints card, with the Tango Card information printed right on the card.  You can actually order cards the same way at Tiny Prints!

So after I received the card, I went online to check out Tango Card.  I had never heard of them before, and wasn't quite sure what exactly they were!  The process of registering, entering your card information and choosing how you want to use your Tango Card is very easy and user friendly!  I was intrigued to see that you can also use the Tango Card mobile app (available for both the iPhone/iPad and Android) to keep track of your gift cards, and works like a mobile wallet - you can actually have the retailer scan your phone to use your gift card! 

Now came the hard part - actually choosing how I wanted to spend my $10 in Tango Card Dollars.  Here is a list of available retailers as of the time of writting this review:

Recipients can choose a gift card from one of the retailers or below:

• Amazon.com
• Gap
• Home Depot
• Nike
• Pottery Barn
• REI
• Rixty
• SpaFinder
• Starbucks
• Target
• Zappos

Or donate to any of the following charities:

• America Scores
• Grameen Foundation
• Habitat for Humanity
• InSTEDD
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• National Park Foundation
• Summer Search
• USO

(list thanks to Tiny Prints!)

After selecting the retailer I wanted, Target, and which design card I wanted, the gift card arrived by mail quickly. 

I haven't purchased a Tango Card yet - but plan on doing so for the holidays. It will be great for those picky people on your list - or those who you just never know what to get.  You can also purchase gift cards from the above retailers as well, and you can choose to have cards sent to multiple addresses in one order also.  So Tango Card can be a one-stop-shop!  I'm really looking forward to using Tiny Prints though - I think it will be a great way to look like I spent a million bucks on my family, but they only cost the same as an average greeting card!


Disclaimer - I won the Tango Card from Tiny Prints - but was not compensated in any way for this review. This is simply my opinion on the Tango Card service and product.

Spring sure did Spring! Into Action

I'm not sure where spring went. It seemed like the last few months have went by in a flash. The poor blog has been gravely neglected, and I'm going to try and change that - starting now!

I've become much more active on Twitter. I had no idea the amazing resource it had become! I feel like it went from a place to occasionally go check out and tweet a blog update or blog contest entry to a place to get connected, educated, and really have a ton of fun! Companies are realizing the importance of social media - and not just having a Twitter or Facebook page - but actually USING social media to connect with potential, as well as loyal, customers. You can now chat with tons of companies - tell them your likes, dislikes, questions and suggestions.

Companies are also realizing the power of the Twitter Party. That is, a group of people all chatting about a product or company - or even just a topic, like keeping your child healthy, all using a common "hashtag". A hashtag is simply a word prefaced with the number sign "#", such as #spendingimpaired, that allows a Twitter user to quickly search for a particular topic and read what people are saying about it. You can also use web-based or even smartphone-based programs like TweetDeck or TweetChat or TweetGrid to follow the conversations easily. Sometimes the party moves quite fast - but all the more fun, and all the more chances to connect with more people!

You don't need a cell phone even to use Twitter! Just follow along on the web - which I find easier.  I only send some people's tweets to my phone - such as when a company may be having a contest or giveaway.