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eBay Starts Christmas Early with Samantha Bee…

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The Holidays brought to us by eBay

I arrived in San Jose exhausted.

I had just flown in from LA and so I had already been away from home for a few days. I was stressed and tired right into my bones.

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eBay - photo by Gabrielle Blair

But when I opened my hotel room door, I dropped my bags and just stood, taking in the perfect hotel room, (the Hotel Valencia on Santana Row is simply fabulous,) breathing gratitude prayers.

I just knew that the next three days would be the refreshment and inspiration I needed.

And I was right.

In fact, I had a holiday season — laughing till I cried, bonding with treasured friends, receiving gifts, and feeling so much gratitude — all those warm, end-the-year-in-joy moments eBay wants to bring to their dedicated shoppers this season!

eBay Invests their Holiday Ad Budget in Social Media

I think what made the whole experience so special for all of us mom bloggers was the common love and appreciation for social media. As Rachael from Today’s Mama said, we were in “Geek Heaven.”

Not only were we among our blogging kindred, and every one of us bloggers knows the relief it is to be with those who understand our bloggy lives. But we were at eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace who has decided to invest their holiday advertising campaign budget, (according to the NY Times it is between 15-18 million!) on SOCIAL MEDIA!

YES — this company knows and respects the power of social media. They understand that the committed eBay shopper is Internet savvy and is communicating with their friends via social networking!

I love companies that are brave enough to look forward and trust the power of social media. It makes me want to support them even more!

BUT of course — they need something worth talking about!!!

And BOY does eBay DELIVER this holiday season.

People — they have SAMANTHA BEE!!!

Samantha Bee for eBay
Samantha Bee for eBay - photo by Janice Croze

Samantha Bee is the hysterical mock journalist from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She is a riot — always my favorite part of the show.

Samantha Bee stars in eBay’s holiday campaign of webisodes inspired by the Christmas morning freakout videos on YouTube.

Samantha’s tongue-in-cheek humor is a perfect match for this campaign. The videos make you laugh out loud, even as they make you cry.

Make sure you head over to eBay’s Love to Give site to view all of Samantha Bee’s Unwrap Attack videos. The videos are all worth watching and passing on.

And you can also have some Facebook fun with a virtual Unwrap Attack App. I made Jenny Ingram bounce off the walls in red pyjamas after receiving a laptop from me. (Okay I didn’t really give her a laptop — I just wanted to see her bounce around as if I DID!)

Not only did we get to visit Samantha on set of an upcoming webisode, we each got to play along with Samantha for a shout out video for our own sites! (Yes, I will post that as soon as I get it!)

Here is a shot of Amy from Mom Spark sharing the blue screen with the fabulous Ms. Bee:

Samantha Bee on set for eBay with MomSpark
Samantha Bee on set w MomSpark - photo by Janice Croze

And “Love to Give” has More!

  • eBay’s Love to Give campaign also includes a fantastic option for “Social Shopping“. You know all those group gifts we have to buy in life — for teachers, coaches, friends, family members? Well, eBay has a super solution with their eBay Group Gifts, integrating eBay, Facebook, and PayPal.
  • As well, since we all can barely breathe without our mobile phones, eBay is making sure we can easily do our eBay Christmas shopping with their Love to Give – Mobile Shopping.
  • And if you can’t figure out WHAT will bring an Unwrap Attack for your loved ones, eBay has ideas waiting for you at eBay’s Gift Spot.
  • This season eBay also offers shoppers one-of-a-kind charitable auctions with their Giving Works program.
  • Finally, eBay is launching The eBay Box — a cool packing box made of 100 % recycled material and printed with an earth friendly water based ink. You can get the boxes from eBay and then register them at thebox.ebay.com. After registering the box you receive one eBay buck — and even more exciting you get to track the box as it is reused and reshipped around the country! There is even a place on the box to write notes to the next recipient! How social is that! Love it!

An Unwrap Attack for YOU!

This post couldn’t be complete without some “Love to Give” for YOU!!!

We have a $100 gift certificate from eBay for one of YOU to have your OWN Unwrap Attack!

Just leave a comment and let us know what is on either your Wish List or what you would love to give to someone on your list!

It is all about People!!!

It was an incredible three days at eBay. As you can tell, we had TONS to learn about and TONS of fun to have with Ms. Samantha Bee.

And of course it was made all the more special being with my dear blogging kindred, Gabrielle from Design Mom, Rachael from Today’s Mama, Louise from Mom Start, Naomi from superdumb supervillian, Amy from Mom Spark, Kat from Blissfully Domestic, Sheila from Clever Girls Collective, Eileen from SheFinds, and Jenny from Jenny on the Spot.

And a very big thanks to the incredible team at Mekanism. This crew ROCKED it! We were all blown away by the innovation and professionalism of Mekanism! I can’t wait to work with them again and again!

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Mom Bloggers on set w Samantha Bee - photo by Gabrielle Blair

Thanks to Gabrielle Blair from Design Mom for the eBay sign and the group photos — you can see all her shots at Flickr.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will close on Friday, December 3rd. We will announce our winner on Saturday, December 4th. This giveaway is void where prohibited. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for more information.

Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom. Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that my time, travel and accommodations have been compensated by eBay for my participation in the Love to Give campaign. Although I have a material connection to eBay, any publicly stated opinions of eBay remain my own.

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96 Comments

  3. This gc would go to my best friend who has had a horrible year…..it would be a perfect gift for her for Christmas. She really needs stuff for around the house, due to an unisured fire at her home!

    terrymac2a at hotmail dot com

    Reply

  6. I LOVE eBay! One thing that’s on my wishlist is a pair of dark red keen sneakers. they’re sold out on amazon, so i’d love to nab them on ebay!

    Reply

  7. I would love to give my son a new bed for Christmas. He’s 13…so I think it’s time to get him out of the twin bed.

    Especially because he’s taller than me now. Eeekkk!

    Thank you.

    Reply

  11. I just really want some peace and quiet and we cant really gift that! LOL! But, I’d love to gift my sister in law with something nice…she’s had a really rough year. shoes, a bottle of wine and some chocolate outta fix some of the heartache…

    Reply

  12. I would love to get something nice for my husband for Christmas from his wish list, like new speakers for his truck.

    Reply

  13. How fun to spend a few days with fellow bloggers! I see that you’re rockin’ your Old Navy skinnies! And Gabrielle looks perfectly pretty & professional in her pencil skirt.

    Reply

  14. It looks like you had such a fabulous time! I don’t really know what I want/need for Christmas yet, but my daughter has neither a play kitchen or a dollhouse, so I ordered her a dollhouse this weekend – she will have such fun!!

    Reply

  22. I have an iPad or Laptop on my wish list. I am always tethered to the wall. It would be nice to have a portable computer.

    Reply

  30. Oh, the ways I could think to use that! Video game for hubby…Barbie’s for daughter…Dora things for babe…shoes for me…

    Reply

  33. I have an eBay online store so I know how wonderful shopping on eBay can be. I would love to win this prize. I am looking at an American Girl Bitty Baby Doll for my daughter’s Christmas gift this year and legos and a remote control car for my son.

    Reply

  34. i would get some Tamagotchis, my girls like v5 (not available in stores any more) so I would get them that and proably the new tamagotch too

    Reply

  37. Gosh I was awake right after you wrote your post (I follow you on Twitter)
    I love EBay and am a long timer- been there since 1999 and was one of the first people to sign up with PayPal 🙂
    What is on my wish list is either a Wii or a Kinect . I want to try the movement games really badly!

    Reply

  41. I have a ton of things to wish for a few:
    Bean bag chair for my husband and son
    Laptop for my husband
    water table for my son
    edible treats for my dad
    and I could go on 🙂

    Reply

  43. I LOVE eBay!! I would love to buy Band Hero for my husband this Christmas and the gift card would really help with that! Thanks eBay!!

    Reply

  45. I just love Samantha Bee! I used to eBay all the time, but haven’t for several years since Craigslist came along. Definitely will be checking them out this holiday season with these new touches. Thanks!

    Reply

  48. Wii games are on my wish list.
    If I don’t receive any, will probably order some from Ebay.
    Thank you.
    barbara dot montyj at gmail dot com

    Reply

  51. I just discovered eBay. I know I’m behind the times, but I am in love! Too many things on my list to chose from, but maybe a new purse?

    Reply

  53. I would use it to buy my husband a heater for our garage where we have our home workout equiptment. It gets cold in there in the winter in Wyoming!
    Thanks! I love ebay! 🙂

    Reply

  54. On my wish list this year is a sewing machine. I bought my last one on Ebay, but it recently jammed and is unfixable. 🙁

    Reply

  56. On my wish list is a new handbag, preferably a really cute one from Handbag Heaven 🙂
    Hubby wants an iPad, I’d love to get him one!

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

    Reply

  57. I love ebay and one of my favorite things to get is shoes for my little darling! I find so many styles I have not seen in stores at great prices!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  59. Love this! I do alot of shopping on eBay. With ten grandkids, and six kids, I have to get the very best price on everything! My kids say I have never paid ‘full price’ for anything. They are probably right!

    Reply

  60. Loved your write-up, Janice. Very nicely done.

    I am looking for a winter coat for my soon-to-be-a-college-student-daughter-who-wants-to-go-to-school-in-NYC. Since we live in South Florida, a good winter coat is high on the list, along with gloves, scarf, boots,…

    Reply

  63. I had no idea you were shooting pics during my “performance”. Are you a stalker? 🙂

    In all seriousness, it was awesome seeing you and the other amazing ladies.

    Reply

  65. I never buy anything for myself because I always think my children, or grandchildren need something more than I do. This time if I won, I would be stingy and probably spend most of it on myself. But knowing me, I am sure others would get a little something!

    Reply

  66. I have no clue what I would purchase. Just to think of having money to order what I wanted is ike a dream. Wow, how nice would that be? Awesome gift, thanks Ebay!!

    Reply

  69. I’d love to buy our sons something fun for Christmas. My youngest loves to build and I would like to uy him Lego Mindstorm and our oldest is driving now and I’d like to buy him an emergency kit for his truck.

    Reply

  72. I would try to get my son a Fisherprice iXL this year. If that was not available then I would probably let my husband pick himself something out for Christmas.

    Reply

  73. That is the best picture of Samantha Bee! I was too starstruck to take one of her, isn’t that silly?!

    So great to spend some time with you. My world is much too quiet without you; hopefully we’ll get together again soon!

    Reply

  86. It was great to see you as always Janice! It was just the relaxation that I needed to! And Wow, eBay has it all for Christmas don’t they!

    Reply

  88. I love Ebay! I’ve gotten some nice things from there. My ds 16 wants books from there and I’m sure I could find a few things for myself…

    Reply

  89. I would probably buy myself a leather coat – I’ve been looking and drooling and bought my hubby one but haven’t been willing to spend the money on myself. 🙂

    Reply

  90. I would love to be able to give my husband a Nook or Kindle for Christmas. Ever since they’ve come out, they’re all he talks about. Thank you for the opportunity.

    Reply

  92. That is so awesome. We have lego’s and ds requests this year and this would be so helpful for Christmas this year.

    Reply

  94. I LOVE ebay and every year, find some gift for my family by shopping their site!

    I’d probably buy a DS game for my boys, since they’re finally getting one this year for Christmas!

    Reply

  95. I’m searching for the perfect gifts on ebay myself! Awesome giveaway. Right now, we have to buy some mario and luigi toys for my boys, as well as a leapfrog tag jr and leapfrog tag!

    Reply

  96. I just bought my son a leapster on eBAY. They have great deals on so much stuff – I would probably use it to buy more of the china that my husband’s aunt gave us from his great-grandmother.

    Reply