Contest: Win Tickets to the Greatest Show on Earth

“Come to the circus,everyone loves the circus,
And that includes the merry Mouseketeers…”

Okay, so I’m dating myself. But let’s face it – everyone does love the circus. I mean, what’s not to love? The elephant parade, the dancing bears, the smell of the popcorn and the sticky sweet cotton candy….everything that adds up to making some special memories.

It’s the truth: I can still remember my mom and grandmom dressing the four of us up and taking us on the train to New York City, where we were treated to the big Kahuna of circuses – the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey three ring show at Madison Square Garden. I remember the animals, the crazy clowns squeezed into a tiny car, the beautiful ladies swinging on trapeze overhead and, most impressively, the man who was shot out of a cannon. Ah, good times.

But you don’t have to go all the way to NYC to catch the latest and greatest in circus shows. Next month, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey will bring its latest offering, Zing Zang Zoom to our very own Wachovia Spectrum. And these circus giants have teamed up with the great folks at Mom Central to bring a very special deal to you (think CircusOnTheCheap!).

You can get a family four pack of tickets for just $44 by logging onto Comcast Tickets and using the coupon code MOM. That’s good for any performance (see schedule below).

And thanks to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey and their partnership with Mom Central, you may be able your brood to opening night for free! One lucky reader will win a Family Fourpack just by sharing a favorite circus memory in the comment section below. All comments including a memory will be entered into our handy dandy random number generator, which will select a winner. Contest opens now and will run through April 15. Winner will be announced on April 16.

But don’t forget – using the coupon code MOM, everyone is a winner. The circus opens on May 13 and runs through May 25. Shows are as follows: Wednesday, May 13 at 7; Thursday, May 14 at 7; Friday, May 15 at 10:30 am and 7 pm; Saturday, May 16 at 11 am, 3 and 7 pm; Sunday May 17 at 1 and 5; Wednesday, May 20 at 7;Thursday, May 21 at 10:30 am and 7 pm; Friday, May 22 at 10:30 am and 7 pm;Saturday, May 23 at 11 am and 3 and 7 pm; Sunday, May 24 at 1 and 5; and closing Monday, May 25 at 1.

Plenty of time to check out all the fun….so enter our giveaway now, or grab your trapeze and swing on over to Comcast Tickets. Don’t forget to use code MOM….and save me a seat under the big top!

(Oh, and just so you know, I only know that Mouseketeer song because of reruns. Honest.)

“We Got A Winner” – Black and Decker Giveaway

Remember the old TV game show – or was it a radio show – where they had a tape of their “We Got A Winner” jingle? It’s been driving me nuts all day, so if anyone has an inkling of what I’m talking about, please leave a comment.

But we do have a serious winner to announce today. Our handy dandy random itemizer pulled the name of Elizabeth Wittenberg of Shelton, WA, as the winner of the Black and Decker portable 100 watt power inverter. Use it in good health, Elizabeth, and maybe come cross country and visit us some time….

Thanks to everyone who celebrated our launch by participating in our contest and, if you didn’t win (meaning if you’re not the aforementioned Elizabeth) don’t worry. I’ll be announcing a new contest this weekend, so just stayed tuned.(And I’ll give an extra entry to whoever solves that “We Got A Winner!” thingie…it’s driving me crazy!)

Black and Decker Will Take You Day Trippin’

In honor of the launch of CitiesOnTheCheap – and in the spirit of my blog post yesterday – the good folks at Black and Decker are offering OnTheCheap readers a chance to win the latest in Day Trip gadgetry – the Black and Decker portable 100 watt Power Inverter. Just plug this handy dandy little gadget into your car’s cigarette lighter and instantly you have a portable household outlet – perfect for recharging iPods, cell phones and all those other electronic devices that make riding in the car for an hour so much more pleasant than it was when I was growing up. (Twenty seven rounds of “Kumbya,” anyone?)

So how do you win one for your own? Simple. In my post “Quoth the Raven,” I shared a recent day trip I took with two of my children. Now I want you to do the same. Share a great day trip destination in the Delaware Valley.  This way, I’ll have new ideas the next time my family hits the road…and you may just have your very own Power Inverter.  No more “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” for you.

ALSO – IMPORTANT – Leave your email address with the post. If you don’t wish to do that, please email your address to me at phillyonthecheap at gmail.com. I need some way to reach you if you win!

Post your idea in the comments section between now and March 20.  For you sticklers, the official rules are here, and the winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck, and happy launching, CitiesOnTheCheap!