Well, I was surprised anyway!

I’d just like to say thank you so much to everyone who voted for the blog in this years awards.  I can’t tell you how surprised and excited I was when I learned that I’d won.  In the face of so many other talented nominees I never really considered that I might actually take the top spot this year.

I Was Gutted Not To Be There…

Although Chris Frost did transmit a little of the fun and games to me when he phoned Duncan and I at 7.30am this morning, rousing us from our bed and sending us on a mad dash around the house as we tried to find the place where we actually get a mobile signal. This led Chris to accuse me of being a “miserable bastard” because I wasn’t quite excited (read:awake) enough for his liking.

So just for Chris….

Wooooohooo!!!!!  Yeah!!  Yipee!! Get in!!  You Dancer!!  etc etc etc

On a more serious note, thanks for ringing Chris.  It made the whole thing seem a bit more real and it was great to hear from someone who was there.  Thanks also for sending me this “live action” pic of you and Jane - it really made me feel a little closer to the action - I could almost taste that very nice bottle of wine

Congratulations Also To…

Chris Clarkson, Hannah Swift, and all at Existem for very well deserved awards (apologies if I’ve missed anyone else I know who won something last night - I’m getting my information from that well known reliable source of info, Twitter!).

It’s Not Really Sunk In All The Same…

I think winning hasn’t really sunk in.  I’m not as excited as I would have been if I’d been there.  I think this is one of the only times I’ve come close to wishing I didn’t live in Australia so I could have been there to see all my friends and enjoy the party.  Note I said “close” not “I wish”

Duncan and I will have a quiet bottle of bubbly by the fire tonight. I’m considering asking him to give me a round of applause or something, maybe it’ll sink in then!

P.S. Thanks to everyone who has sent me lovely e-mails and twitters, it means a lot!

Awww… love is in the air!  Thanks very much to Jim from Gone Digging, a brand new personalised gifts site, for sending Duncan and I a beautiful romantic personalised calendar.

We particularly liked the month of March, as it bore a very striking similarity to the bed decorations we had in one of the honeymoon hotels we stayed in.

We thought the calendar was really great quality and it’ll be gracing the kitchen wall for the whole of 2009 and reminding us to think romantic thoughts about each other (don’t want the post-wedding rot setting in, hey?).

You can check out the “Love and Romance” calendars on the Gone Digging site.

Gone Digging launched quite recently and is to be found on the Webgains network.  More info on their affiliate programme here.

All Duncan and I need now is a few more merchants to send us some romantic gifts, and we’ll be set for the rest of next year.  Course, who knows what’ll happen after that… we might actually have to make the effort on our own or something.  *gasp*

Aahhh….. those chaps at Figleaves really do know the way to this affiliate’s heart. After some lovely sales figures recently from my new Lingerie site, Figleaves’ affiliate manager Simon felt it was time I got some nice gear for myself and sent me a giftcard!

As winter is fast upon us here in Queensland, I decided to get myself some nice affiliate Jim Jams. Seriously, they reported on the news here the other night that

“Temperatures will soon drop below 20 through they day. Remember, get rugged up and be prepared for the weather.”

I was struck by the thought that any temperature in the 20’s in my native Scotland brings out a rash of scantily clad people with pale, wobbly flesh. The next day, 60% of the country has third degree burns because our skin can’t take anything but clouds and drizzle!!

Anyhoo… mad Queenslanders aside, anyone who knows me in any way at all will know I have an unhealthy obsession with pyjamas and spend about 60% of my life wearing them. In fact I’m unashamed to announce that I’m sat here at 2pm writing this post - resplendent in a very fetching pink chemise and blue dressing gown *bliss*

Playing Customer Got Me More Than Some Free Gear…
As always for me, the opportunity to play customer has proved really useful. I don’t promote much sleepwear but today discovered Figleaves has some beautiful high end boudoir wear I should really think about promoting (particularly in light of honeymoon season coming up soon!!). I really should go shopping on my merchants sites more often…. every time I do this I come up with some little idea or angle to push some of their products in a hitherto overlooked niche.

I got myself…. this Pyjama set by Pour Moi plus a matching camisole. Unbelievably, I have actually been getting cold recently and this set looks lovely and warm, with the added advantage that it’s decent enough for me to answer the door in should I get caught out at 2pm still in my jim jams (happens all the time - horribly embarrassing!!)

Shameless Figleaves Plug (Which They Didn’t Ask Me To Do - I Just Like Them!)

The Figleaves.com affiliate programme is run by the gorgeous Simon Goldsmith and can be promoted via Tradedoubler or Linkshare. They pay 9% to 11% commission and in my opinion have the best range of lingerie, bras, and sleepwear in the UK. Their affiliate info page is here

I must thank the chaps at Affiliate Window for their excellent Christmas Coins competition. To win one of 455 prizes on 8 different levels, you had to login at 3pm on Christmas Day and scramble with all the other affiliates desperate for a prize in order to get something from the affiliate santa.

I wasn’t expecting much, “I’ll probably get a mousemat after sitting here like a nana on Christmas Day” I grumbled to Duncan as I sat furiously refreshing Awin’s Christmas tree page waiting for them to release the pressies. To My delight, I scored an ace Ipod Nano which had been donated by 24 Studio

Here’s what my winning screen looked like: -

(Click for bigger image…)

I’d like to thank Awin for putting on such a great Christmas promotion that really gave all affiliates a fair chance to win. There were a huge number of really great prizes. My mate Ray also got an Ipod Nano (we were sitting talking on MSN whilst furiously refreshing our screens and both got the same thing!). Other people won things like LCD screen TV’s (I REALLY didn’t want to win another one of those), mountain bikes, Tom Toms, Mobile Phones, Chocolate Hampers, Champagne, Board Games, A Free Website, and many more great prizes.

I think this has been really successful and hope they repeat it next year. It was absolutely the most exciting bit of Christmas for me this year. Well done, and thanks to Studio 24 for donating my prize!!

Well, after much moaning from me recently about a decided lack of festive love from merchants, Figleaves have decided to show me just how much they really do love me by sending me some free undies. Now don’t worry, I didn’t get any pervy e-mails from their affiliate manager, Simon Goldsmith asking me for my bra and underpant sizes… they sent me a £50 gift voucher in a beautiful wee gift box.

Mind you, Simon had popped in a bit of a note saying “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To My Subtlest Affiliate”. I’m not sure why he’s chosen these words, but there is a small chance it was the public forum posts I made directed specifically at getting some free swimwear from Figleaves. The many e-mails I sent in a similar spirit may also have led him to conclude that subtlety is not one of my many virtues (can’t think why )

So thanks to Figleaves, I’ve some excellent hours ahead of me to spend browsing for swimwear for the next leg of our Neverending World Trip.

I quite like the creation below from Caprice’s lingerie range, but I must say I’m only buying it if Simon guarantees that my boobs and stomach will look exactly like the ones below. I wouldn’t mind them thighs either!

Figleaves / Simon Blatant Promotional Bit
Figleaves is on Tradedoubler and Linkshare and offers up to 11% commission on hundreds of lingerie lines. They’re extremely good at offering affiliates bespoke discount codes and similar and I can thoroughly recommend the programme as it converts very nicely and has a good average order value. A must for anyone considering what to promote this Valentines Day! You can find out more about it by contacting Simon . Goldsmith @ figleaves . com and telling him Kirsty sent you.

On an entirely different promotional note Simon is also single I believe, and will be accepting applications from beautiful affiliate ladies who’d like to date a rather good looking dynamic chap with access to loads of free underwear. Having enjoyed a nice drinking session with Simon at the Expo I can confirm he was awarded a 10/10 on the affiliate batchelor scale!

I very nearly posted a picture on here from his Facebook profile, but decided against it in case he barred me from future Figleaves freebies. Always look after those who look after you, that’s my motto!

Thanks for all the help this year Simon

MMMMmmmmmmmmm……..

I got a lovely Cadbury’s Flake Passion gift set on Saturday morning from the postman.

This rather yummy gift (which is bad for the diet I’m on and no mistake about it) was sent via a Webgains incentive for October. All you had to do was make 5 Cadbury’s sales, and you could choose from 4 different gift packs.

Lets have more incentives like these please. Yummy!

Cadbury’s Offers 5% commission on a 60 day cookie via Webgains.

Ummm…. ok, this is actually starting to get a bit embarassing this week. Having not had a peep since my somewhat hilarious Lovehoney Freebie I’ve been on fire with this weeks Origins Gift Pack, and lets not forget my Wonderful Telly From POR.

So, imagine my delight yesterday afternoon just as I was coming down from the weekend of fab freebies, when a white van man turned up at the door bearing gifts from a Tradedoubler-like direction.

As you can see, they have bestowed upon me a bumper pack of Avon goodies which I completely adore! I’d like to thank Tradedoubler and Avon for sending me such a yummy gift. I’ll have to live in the bathroom for months on end to get through all my new gear… but that suits me right down to the ground!

OK, so I was thrilled and delighted about my prize from R.O. Eye. I was just sitting with Ray of Befuddled fame, Dan Robins, and some others, as we enjoyed our rapidly deminishing collection of little blue drink tokens amassed from early departees (and some blatant hussling from me - thanks Jasper).

The chat was rapidly turning towards the nonsensical when Clarke from Paid On Results wandered over.

“Are You Kirsty?” He says.

“Yeah, that’s me!” I chirped.

“You’ve won the 37″ LCD TV in Our prize draw” He says.

“No Way !! AARRGGGHHH!!!!!!” I remarked.

Paid On Results - I Think I Love You

Now, I didn’t even know what the prize draw was actually for in terms of prizes, I’d also forgotten I’d entered. I’d not even intended to enter, it was only because Stuart from Paid On Results suggested it just as I was walking away from the stand.

So, I would like to say a massive thanks to POR for giving me the biggest and most wonderful surprise I’ve had in many years. The TV was donated by Miller Brothers, along with several other prizes.

Miller Brothers Shameless Programme Plug

Miller Brothers is currently offering 4% on sales of Electrical Goods. You can join their programme at Paid On Results.

Their sister site QED UK is also on POR and offers the same commission rate.

I’m absolutely made up, so I am… I only entered two draws and won something in both of them. Naturally, this will raise my future expectations ridiculously high at future events. The rush of winning actually got me through being delayed at Heathrow for 3 hours the next day with a heinous hangover and only 4 hours sleep!

Despite not having my business cards delivered in time (yes, they were waiting for me when I got home!), I managed to enter a couple of contests at the Expo.

Imagine my delighted surprise when the lovely chaps from R.O. Eye told me I’d won a rather luxurious Origins “Ginger All Round” bathtime gift pack. Origins is by Estee Lauder I’ve discovered, and all the products are completely organic, natural, and free of chemical contents which are bad for the environment.

It smells absolutely divine… I’d the whole house totally reeked out last night after trying out all my new lotions and potions at once. Ginger is meant to be a bit of an aphrodisiac, so I live in hope of some fringe benefits in that department as well

The only down side to this for me is that my mother (who is allergic to most products containing any kind of chemicals) has been eyeing up my new bit of bathroom kit, so I suspect I’ll have to check her handbag every time she leaves the house!

Origins Programme Plug

So for those of you not aware of it, the Origins programme was launched quite recently on Awin. It’s currently offering 8% commission, and with a single tub of ginger body souffle retailing for £20 there might be a few wee nice commissions knocking around during the Christmas period.

Thanks again to the chaps at R.O. Eye. I’ll be thinking about them in the bath, lol.

Thanks to Richard at Lovehoney who has re-sent me a wee surprise package after he read my reply to a post by David Fiske a while back. He got the wrong address first time round after taking details from a domain of mine… so it wasn’t the surprise it would have been!

Well, I say it wasn’t a surprise. It just wasn’t me who actually got surprised. I got Lovehoney to send my wee surprise to my mother’s house in order that I could open it as soon as I got home. Knowing my mother can never resist opening a package not addressed to her I didn’t bother telling her to expect a present of a somewhat naughty nature. “What the hell.” I thought. “It’ll be a laugh to send my mother a shock in the post.”

So this is what Richard sent me….

True to form, my dear old mammy opened up a package the other day and was confronted with a beautifully presented “Jessica Rabbit” vibrator just to show that Lovehoney aren’t scared to send out saucy gifts unsolicited to their female affiliates.

After giving her a few days to stew I e-mailed her about it, and she admitted she’d opened it and then hastily tried to re-package good old Jessica Rabbit so I wouldn’t know she’d been nosey parkering in my packages again. She was so relieved when I sent her a mail about it. Poor old stick really didn’t know what I was planning to do with my spare time when I got back from this trip, lol.

For those of you who don’t know, the Jessica Rabbit Vibrator is a bit of an all time best seller for lovers of naughty toys (now don’t be saying you never get any niche tips from Kirsty’s blog, huh?). Beats David’s 100 condoms hands down in my opinion.

Available at Lovehoney for just £19.99, it’s a real bestseller.

If you want to make a bit of commission from Jessica Rabbit or any of the other extensive range of naughty toys available at Love Honey, you can join their programme via Affiliate Future, or join their In House Effort. Commissions begin at 16% and rise to 21% based on performance.

Richard’s very keen to attract in new affiliates and is a terribly friendly (and possibly cheeky) chappie to boot. Give it a go, you won’t regret it!

LoveHoney.co.uk