Vistaprint.com - Free Business Cards, T-Shirts and More.

Vistaprint has been big in the USA for a long time but now Aussies can get great deals as well from Vistaprint.com.au . Basically they offer stuff for free (free t-shirts, free business cards etc) but the free versions have limited designs so you are encouraged to "upgrade" which costs a few dollars.

You also have to pay postage and handling but even with that, there are lots of great deals. How about a Free T-Shirt?

Dad Rating

Mark
Actually good quality stuff!

Simon
I got my free tee shirt and it only cost a couple of dollars for P&H..

Regional Museums

If you're looking for something to entertain the kids these holidays, there are options that don't cost you big bucks. We recently took the kids to a couple of regional museums and for only a couple of dollars each we spent a great couple of ours learning a bit of Aussie history.

While this might bore the socks off more wordly teens, it's really amazing how much the under 12s enjoyed seeing old settler photos, WW1 nurses uniforms, Sea shell collections, turn of the century school rooms and all the rest.

We went to the Gympie Mining Museum and the Redlands and District Museum but there are heaps of other choices.


Dad Rating

Mike
Great fun for the under 10s


Stevo
History in easy slices

Wheelie Designs - Bin Stickers

A few of us have just got the great wheelie bin stickers from Wheelie Designs and we love 'em.  Simply slap these Australian designed high quality stickers on your wheelie bin and shout out your support for your footy team, hobby or just get one of the colourful designs to brighten up the bin area. There is even an Aussie Flag bin sticker ideal for Australia Day.

With a huge number of bins stolen each year, Wheelie Designs bin stickers also have practical applications. Swapping and theft is greatly discouraged when bins become recognisable and if you want you can get custom stickers including your steet number.

There is even an option to use these cool Aussie bin stickers as a fund raiser for your school or club which we really like.

For Australia Day we recommend the Aussie Flag bin sticker, and the cricket stump sticker. What better way to enjoy Australia day then with a bit of patriotism and backyard cricket!

Starting at 29.95 for 120L size and $34.95 for the 240L size, these Australian bin stickers make a great gift. Check out the full range and order online at http://www.wheeliedesigns.com.au/



Dad Rating

Mike
Spruce up the bins and have fun too!

Mark
Cricket stumps on the bin - an Aussie classic!

Subway Advertising

Subway promotes its subs (sandwiches) and other promotions as healthy and easy, and while we have no objection to Subways products, we do have a HUGE problem with their advertised specials. For the second time in not too many months we find that our local Subways don't honour the specials being advertised on TV.

At the moment Subway (owned by Doctors Associates Inc) are promoting on their TVC a 6 inch sub and a 600ml coke or water for $5.95. Go to your local subway though (Indooroopilly Shopping Town for example) and you might find that they don't honour that promotion.! Instead a 6 inch and a 600ml coke cost almost $9!

There is nothing in the store which suggests they will not be honouring the current advertised offer.

The poorly trained staff told us (rudely) that that they did not have to honour the advertised offer because they were a franchise, which of course is simply not true.  The store holds itself out as a Subway and therefore its reasonable to expect it will honour Subway offers (other franchised stores such as Maccas do).

The staff also claimed (after first denying that they were aware of the offer) that the Subway commercial says  the offer is not available in all stores. Again, this does not appear to be true.

(Subway - regardless of what you think about your TVCs, how about a bit of staff training in customer service?)

Subway does in some of thier TVCs a state in very small print  that says "prices and participation may vary".  (see this one for example  at 0:20 seconds). However even if the viewer read this, they have no idea really what it means, or if it means not all stores, he doesn't know which stores. Nor could we identify which stores are participating from the stores from the Subway website.  Does Subway management expect people to drive around from store to store looking for one that will honour the offer? And how many aren't honouring the offer - 10%, 30%, 50%?

While we do sometimes go to Subway, today we only went because we saw the promotion advertised. Management of Subway know that TV advertising drives visitors to stores (otherwise, why do it) and yet they make no attempt to ensure that stores honour the offer, or make it clear to the viewer which stores won't offer it. Very disappointing Subway!

Dad Rating

Stevo
Misleading if not dishonest

Simon
Not the way to win customers hearts and minds

Sportsyear Sports Diary

Keeping track of everything we have to do during the year AND making sure we get to see all the essential sporting events is no longer difficult with the Sportyear Sports Diary. Never again will I have to sit in a wedding service wondering whether it will be all over in time for the second half (the service that is, not the marriage, although that's another story).

Right now, you can even win a Sportsyear Diary for FREE from our friends at FishMax.com.au. Click here to find out how.

Dad Rating

Matt
I see its not to late to get to the NZ for the Rugby

Stevo
I got one for the missus.

Great Northern Brewing Co Super Crisp Lager

In recent years, Christmas has seen new or unfamiliar beer brands popping up in your local bottle shop. While we are huge supporters of smaller brewers and boutique beer brands as well as the quality product from larger brewers, unfortunately it appears that some of these brands are simply attempts to charge "almost premium" prices for ordinary beer - in some cases they don't even try that, but simply try and grab the beer drinkers' dollar by giving him what appears to be premium beer at cheap prices.

Unfortunately it appears that this offering - Super Crisp Lager from Great Northern Brewing Co (part of the Fosters brewing empire)  falls in to the later catagory. With a slightly soapy aftertaste and no body to speak of, all round its a very disappointing beer, even for the price.


Dad Rating

Stevo Very ordinary beer

Mark
Cheap but you get what you pay for

New Year's Taxi Ranks

When will the powers that be realise that people have to get home after a night out on New Year's Eve, and the way to do it safely is taxis and public transport.

Why should it take hours to get home - its not like the big crowds are unexpected. How about doing better with the rosters Transport People.


Dad Rating

Simon
Dreadful.
Mark
Can I send the bill for the extra baby sitting charges to the Transport Department?.