BlogBloghttp://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012-02-22T18:54:17ZSquarespaceMardi Gras History + Boston's Bourbon Street Pub Crawl!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/22/mardi-gras-history-bostons-bourbon-street-pub-crawl.htmlHomeRun2012-02-22T17:44:58Z2012-02-22T17:44:58ZIf you are in Boston, love having a blast, and are free this Saturday, February 25th, you need to grab our $20 deal for two tickets to the Bourbon Street Blowout Pub Crawl! The party includes food, drinks, live music, outrageous costumes, and lots of Big Easy-style debauchery. To get ready for the party, brush up on some Mardi Gras 101:

- The origins of Mardi Gras are a little fuzzy. Some believe that Mardi Gras in America was started in Mobile, Alabama in 1703, by French soldiers, and then in 1837, when Mobilians brought Mardi Gras to New Orleans. Some also believe that the French explorer, Sieur d'Iberville brought Mardi Gras to Louisiana when he arrived in 1699. Either way, Mardi Gras came to the states because of the French influence in the South, and the rest is history!

- "Fat Tuesday" is the literal French translation of Mardi Gras. The "fat" was because of all the feasting occurring before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

- The original Mardi Gras colors from Mobile, Alabama, were purple, which symbolized justice, and yellow, which symbolized power. New Orleans added the green, which symbolized faith, once Mardi Gras moved to their city.

- A King Cake is customarily eaten on Mardi Gras. The cake is s decorated in purple, green and gold, and honors the Three Kings, hence the name. A small plastic baby that symbolizes the Baby Jesus is baked into each cake, and the person who finds the trinket is believed to have good luck for the rest of the year.

How are you non-Bostonians celebrating Mardi Gras this year? Any historical tidbits you have for us that we left out? Let us know in the comments section below! Happy Mardi Gras, dears!

]]>Lions, Theaters, & Apples, Oh My! Guess Our Deal & Win $15!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/21/lions-theaters-apples-oh-my-guess-our-deal-win-15.htmlHomeRun2012-02-21T18:01:35Z2012-02-21T18:01:35Z
Since you guys are so crazy for our pictogram puzzles, we decided to throw another one atcha! Guess what our National deal is for next Tuesday, February 28th, by putting the picture clues together. Tweet us your guesses, post them on our Facebook page, or comment on this blog post in order to be entered. Woohoo, you have an entire week to get crazy with this contest, so put your puzzle-solving hats on!
]]>Presidential Deals In Honor Of Georgie & Honest Abe!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/17/presidential-deals-in-honor-of-georgie-honest-abe.htmlHomeRun2012-02-17T17:51:10Z2012-02-17T17:51:10Z

Act all presidential this weekend in honor of our own dear George and Abe's birthdays! While you are on your day off, pondering whether little George cut down that cherry tree or not, check out some HomeRun deals that will make you feel all warm and patriotic inside:

  1. Use horseback riding as your main mode of transportation, ala Washington and all the great generals, with our $30 deal in Phoenix for a 90-Minute Horseback Ride from Fort McDowell Adventures. Washington's horse, Nelson, is not included.
  2. Pursue some beachside happiness with our $79 deal for 4 days & 3 nights in Daytona Beach, Florida. George and Abe would be happy knowing that old-fashioned leisure activities such as boating and fishing are only steps away.
  3. Chow down on some good ol' American comfort food in Denver, with our offer for $17 for $35 worth of locally-sourced deliciosity at Fleur Bistro. The restaurant is located in a Victorian home, which adds to the historic appeal of this deal.
  4. Is there anything as American as chocolate chip cookies? Score a whole basket of them and other personalized cookies with our Chicago deal for $20 for $40 worth of cookie baskets from Cookies In Bloom. Request red and blue frosting and then dip the cookies in milk for a true patriotic experience.

And now, a presidential history refresher courtesy of Animaniacs! What are some of your favorite facts about the presidents that you learned in grade school? Inform us in the comments section! Happy President's Day, everyone!

]]>Rebus Time! Guess Monday's SF Deal For A Chance To Win $15!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/16/rebus-time-guess-mondays-sf-deal-for-a-chance-to-win-15.htmlHomeRun2012-02-16T19:26:56Z2012-02-16T19:26:56Z

Do you love rebus puzzles as much as we do? For the non-puzzle people out there, a rebus is when pictures whose names resemble part of a word's meaning are used to represent the word itself. Or in other words, it's just a fun pictogram puzzle! Solve our rebus puzzle above and let us know what you think Monday's deal is in San Francisco! Enter by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page. Contest ends on Monday, so get those brainstorming hats on!

]]>Deals Designed For Spreading The Lovehttp://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/15/deals-designed-for-spreading-the-love.htmlHomeRun2012-02-15T18:52:48Z2012-02-15T18:52:48ZValentine's Day may be over, but really, you never need an excuse for spreading some sweet, sweet love. Check out our deals that will show your significant other (or super-close buddy) that you love them all year-long!

1.) Our deal for $88 worth of makeup brushes & makeup from TheBrushCompany.com is quite beateous indeed. The Brush Company carries a wide range of brushes, including kabuki, fan, lip and travel, along with makeup sets that boast 50+ different colors so you can always find that perfect shade!

2.) Gorge on gourmet sweets and caramels with our gourmet Amella Caramels deal. They also carry a few uniquely delicious treats, such as carrot cake, black forest, and sea salt caramels!

3.) Give that person with a killer smile a gift that will make their smile pop even more. Magic Smile's Teeth Whitening Kit is known to do wonders with teeth!

4.) With our $19 deal for a matching lingerie set plus shipping from AdoreMe.com, you can find the perfect lingerie for someone's unique personality and style by taking the Adore Me quiz before purchasing!

Are these deals romantic enough for you? Let us know if you have purchased any of these deals and what you thought! And what did you do yesterday for Valentine's Day? Perform any seances against scorned exes, or did you spend a romantic evening with your mate? We wanna hear! 

]]>Guess Thursday's Deal For A Chance To Win $10!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/14/guess-thursdays-deal-for-a-chance-to-win-10.htmlHomeRun2012-02-14T23:54:42Z2012-02-14T23:54:42Z

Hint #1: This voucher is to be used at a place of higher education

Hint #2: Using this voucher will make you more employable and add to your social life

Hint #3: Moe Szyslak and Sam Malone went to a place like this

 

Get your guesses in before our deal goes live on Thursday! Good luck!

]]>HomeRun 101: How To Be King Of The Discussion Boards!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/13/homerun-101-how-to-be-king-of-the-discussion-boards.htmlHomeRun2012-02-13T18:44:26Z2012-02-13T18:44:26ZHave you heard about the so-called HomeRun discussion boards, but never had the chance to dive in?  Now is your chance! On every deal page, right below the “Buy Now” button, there is a link to the discussion board that is all about the deal you are looking at. You get to learn more about what each deal entails, engage with other HomeRun members, and walk away as a more knowledgeable consumer.  As an added bonus, you also get 5 points for every comment you make, along with major props from the HomeRun community.

The goal of our deal discussion boards is for members to be able to ask questions, share opinions, and connect with others before and after their HomeRun purchase experience. Our desire is for our members to be open, honest, and have as much fun as possible while interacting with fellow HomeRunners. Just keep in mind that we have members of all different ages and backgrounds so make sure to keep the discussions as respectful as possible. If anyone gets out of line, they will have to deal with Kira, and I’ve heard she’s pretty tough, so watch out ;)

Quick Tip: When chatting with other members, make sure to include the “@” sign before their screen name. When responding in this format, an email will be sent directly to that person notifying them of their response. That way, you won’t have to wait hoping someone checks the discussion board and sees your comment. The proper format looks like this: @HomeRun Kira

If have any questions about the discussion boards, protocol, or even why the sky is blue, please comment on this post, on Facebook, or on the boards.  It’s time to start chatting about our deals so we can all score together! You’re up!

]]>Building A Socially Responsible World... With Makeup?http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/9/building-a-socially-responsible-world-with-makeup.htmlHomeRun2012-02-09T18:16:00Z2012-02-09T18:16:00ZDid you know that by purchasing today's makeup deal you can actually make a difference in the lives of women around the globe? Peacekeeper Cause-Metics is a cosmetics company that promotes ethical consumerism by donating 100% of their profits to women’s health advocacy and human rights organizations. The company sells cruelty-free mineral makeup products such as lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm, along with nail polish that has been rated the safest paint-based polish by the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Safety Database! Peacekeeper is a company that puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to providing ethical products that are part of a bottom line based on people, planet, and profits.

The company strives to spread goodness in all realms of their business; from the actual ingredients put into the cosmetics to how they conduct their company. Jody Weiss, the founder of Peacekeeper Cause-Metics, states that she first decided to start the company when she was "reading Time magazine and saw a photo of a little girl who was a victim of female genital mutilation" and she "burst into tears." In an interview in Teen Vogue, Weiss states, "I knew it happened, but this photo really made an impression on me." This entrepreneur took the experience to heart and quit her job as a sports agent to start a career path that would provide neverending fulfillment in her desire to make the world a better place. To date, Jody Weiss's socially responsible business has donated over $55,000 in cash and $30,000 in goods to female-focused non-profits. Her eventual goal is to help millions of women all over the world retain the dignity lost through human rights violations.

Check out the video Peacekeeper Cause-Metics made while canvassing the streets of NYC asking people what they would say to the world if they were a woman living on less than $1 a day. Let us know your thoughts about Peace Cause-Metics and its impact on ethical consumerism in the comments section below.

]]>Poetry Contest + Alphabet Mayhem With Fotobet!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/7/poetry-contest-alphabet-mayhem-with-fotobet.htmlHomeRun2012-02-08T01:43:00Z2012-02-08T01:43:00ZIf you're a poet and you know it, enter our poetry contest inspired by our deal for $30 towards a Mini Inspiration Print from Fotobet! Fotobet is a series of alphabetic photo artwork that uses letters found in everyday images to spell out names and other phrases. In the spirit of this deal, we want our members to write poems with each line beginning with each letter in HomeRun! So the first letter would be "H," the second letter would be "O," and so on. Our favorite poem will win this deal for free so get those pencils crackin'! Here is an example of our HomeRun name poem:

Henry is always

Out of this world with his

Many

Energies that

Reverse time but his skill at the

Ukulele makes him second to 

None

Sharpen those pencils and post your poem in the comments section or on Facebook before Friday at noon PST. We'll give this deal away for free to our favorite bard! 

]]>Tea vs. Coffee Quiz + Boston’s Heirloom Coffee & Tea Seminars!http://blog.homerun.com/blog/2012/2/6/tea-vs-coffee-quiz-bostons-heirloom-coffee-tea-seminars.htmlHomeRun2012-02-06T19:50:00Z2012-02-06T19:50:00Z
Think you can whip up a non-fat, soy, unsweetened, no whip, latte faster than your neighborhood barista? Show them what's up with our Boston deal for a tea or coffee seminar from Heirloom Coffee! There are tons of reasons why the pastime of taking time for a hot beverage is so popular; it allows you to unwind, reflect, and connect with others. Take our tea vs. coffee quiz and let's see how much libation knowledge you possess! You better start brewing over this, because if  you get a perfect score on our quiz we will give you $10 in HomeRun credits! Post your answers in the comments section or on our Facebook page. Once the Heirloom Coffee deal is over, we will announce the winners on Facebook so make sure you’re liking us so you know if you've won!  

Tea or Coffee?

1.) The United States imports 72% of this from India

2.) Is the 2nd most commonly traded commodity in the world, right behind oil

3.) 500 billion cups are drunk each year around the world

4.) Iced what was first invented at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri?

5.) Only grown near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn

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