Do you enjoy contests? I love them when I win . That’s only happened three or four times in my life and they were all smaller contests where my odds of winning were higher.

One fun thing I’ve discovered through blogging is that many sites offer easy-to-enter contests where the odds are definitely more inviting than, say, the state lotteries. Making these contests downright practical is that they often lead to new and useful resources. The warm mouse I wrote about last week, http://budurl.com/TwitLinks12009 , was discovered in just that manner. Granted, I lost that contest, but I still won by learning about a valuable tool to share with you. Today I found two more fun and resource-full contests you might enjoy entering.

Autism Learning Felt’s website – http://budurl.com/AutismLearningFelt – has a fun contest that runs through January 30, 2009. The three winners will each receive a copy of the DVD, Readeez. There are a variety of ways to enter, including writing a blog post about the site/product. This post is one of my “entries,” however I only do that type of entry when I feel the site/product is of value to you. Autism Learning Felt and Readeez both satisfy that requirement.

Autism Learning Felt’s goal is to share “ideas about products that may be beneficial for adults and children with Autism.” Tammy Lessick is a WAHM with two kids, one of whom has Autism. Her home-based business, www.learningfelt.com , provides great creative and fun activities with felt for children. These felt sets could easily be used by grandparents who want to help their grandkids, including those with Autism.

The DVD she is recommending (and giving away), Readeez – http://budurl.com/Readeez – combines fun, education, and learning. That’s my favorite combination! Kids can watch the words on the screen as they are clearly and entertainingly spoken or sung. This is an excellent option for home schoolers, grandkids with learning disabilities, autism, and more. The price is reasonable AND you can join me in signing up for the contest at Autism Learning Felt’s site and you might even get it for free

Another site that is also offering a fun contest is run by Penny Raine. You can find that site at http://budurl.com/PennyRaine where you’ll find a gorgeous, albeit cold-looking photo at the top of the page. A Christian mom’s blog, this site offers a wide variety of interesting items – frugal cooking tips, contests, ebooks, a modest clothing store, and even a tip for that absolutely gorgeous Diaper Cake you may have seen at a shower for your future grandchild. One of her many contests has a prize that would be excellent as a gift for your adult kids to encourage them in their marriages. The DVD, “Fireproof,” comes with excellent recommendations. From the people who brought you “Facing the Giants,” this is another great family movie. I highly recommend it and again, you could win it for free by heading over to visit Penny’s site. This contest also runs through January 30, 2009.

In case you are wondering, you do NOT have to have your own blog to enter either of these contests. There are many ways to enter, and the simplest for each is to leave a comment at their site. So come join me at both sites, and cheers to the grandparents who win