12 Days of Peekmas
Buy a Peek. Win another must have gadget.

Monday, December 22nd “On the 12th day of Peekmas…”

G’day Peeksters,

This is David Madden, usually from Peek’s NY office, but currently back in Australia for the holidays. Yes I know — lucky me!

Since I’m down under, JD suggested I share some Aussie love for our final day of Peekmas. I racked my brain for a little while about what would be appropriate and then, after looking at all these photos of the snowy northeast, I had an idea.

What would I want if I was stuck in the snow in New York? More specifically, what yummy Aussie snacks do I miss when I’m in the States?

So today, we are giving away 12 Australian comfort food packages! So what is in my Aussie comfort food package? I’m glad you asked….

Tim Tams - arguably the best biscuits (ie. cookies) ever made! A Tim Tam is two chocolate malted biscuits filled with a chocolate cream filling and covered in chocolate. Did I mention chocolate?  FYI. Rumor has it Tim Tams are soon going to be available at Target — but that makes sense — aren’t all good things sold at Target?

Caramello Koalas - More chocolate! Caramello Koalas are little koala shaped blocks of chocolate filled with carmel. Some may dispute this, but they are IMHO the superior cousins of Freddo Frogs.

Cherry Ripe — This is apparently Australia’s oldest chocolate bar. It is a bunch of crushed cherries and coconut covered in dark chocolate. Sounds weird right? Well it’s actually great. If you doubt me, order a cherry and chocolate milkshake next time you get a chance — you’ll get the idea.

Violet Crumble - So there is definitely a pattern emerging here. The Violet Crumble is yes, something covered in chocolate. In this case honeycomb. There’s a long running battle over whether Violet Crumbles are better than Crunchies. They’re both good but on balance I think I prefer Violet Crumbles.

Minties - these are super chewy mints, great for the movies or long car trips.

Vegemite - I couldn’t resist adding this! I don’t think I’ve ever met an American who likes this stuff, but I’m not leaving until I do. Here’s what you need to do with Vegemite: Have it on a nicely toasted piece of ciabatta (or a bagel) with loads of butter. I promise you it really is good stuff.

OK so I know this sounds like a lot of sweet stuff and it is! .. .but you’ll need it to get you through the winter

So how do you get a chance to win one of these 12 Aussie comfort food packs? Well give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy one and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Tues, 12/23 will be entered into the drawing.

Happy Peekmas and Happy Peeking!

Sunday, December 21st “On the 11th day of Peekmas…”

Jeremy Downs checking in from Peek’s Oakland office.

On the 11th day of Peekmas, we’re giving away 11 of my favorite CDs from 2008.

See, I’m a huge music fan — you do not want to see my iTunes bill … you’re welcome Steve — and with all these gadget and movie lists, I figured it was time to check in with a finely curated best rock, hip-hop, alternative, etc. albums of ‘08.  One ground rule I imposed - I strayed from selecting big name artists (all apologies to Death Cab, Beck, Killers, Kanye, et. al.).  Here goes (and in no particular order):

1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science. This Brooklyn band has been plugging away on the indie scene for years now; the mix of musical genres present on this album is what earns it a spot on this list.

2. Kings of Leon - Only By Night. This family affair (3 brothers and one cousin) from Nashville delivers again; listen to the lyrics and then remember that these guys are truly sons of a preacher man.

3. The Knux - Remind Me In 3 Days… My favorite hip-hop album of the year; “I need a fresh cappuccino with a mocha twist” … amen.

4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes. Music that’s just nice to listen to; gorgeous harmonies that were made for a Sunday morning.

5. Sigur Ros - Med sud i eyrum vid  spilum endalaust. If the title looks odd, it’s because these guys are from Iceland; don’t worry though, Jonesi sings in Hopelandic (mix of made-up words, Icelandic and English…).

6. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago.  Bon Iver gets my vote for album of the year; most of the album was recorded in a remote cabin in Wisconsin so all of today’s production technologies are unnecessary and thankfully nowhere to be found.

7. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges.  Another southern rock band makes an appearance; MMJ draws a little more on classic rock influences.

8. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend. These guys were quite the blogosphere darling leading up to their major label release and they nailed it; can’t remember such a young band that was so confident in their sound.

9. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular. One of the first releases of ‘08 and they weathered all comers; a very creative and ingenious sound.

10. Bloc Party - Intimacy. Originally released secretly, this “break-up” album does a phenomenal job sounding like and mirroring all that happened in the world in ‘08.

11. Ryan Adams - Cardinology. Ryan took it easy in 2008 - only one major release compared to 2 albums and change relesased in 2008 - and the concentration shows.  Could also have been the fact that he was supposedly sober as well…

Honorable mention: Passion Pit, Mates of State, Ra Ra Riot, Okkervil River and Girl Talk.

If you’d like to be entered, give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy one and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Sunday, 12/19 will be entered into the drawing.

Saturday, December 20th “On the 10th day of Peekmas…”

Gabe Fabius here from Peek HQ.  You can find me on the Peek boards
(boards.getpeek.com) and Peek blog (blog.getpeek.com) helping get the
word out about Peek and what we’re all about.

SQOEUAU - Do you see the seven letter word there with a 50 point
bonus! That’s right, my favorite game in whole world is Scrabble.
We’ll be giving away ten Scrabble games today for all you new
Peeksters.  For those of you up for a challenge and local to New York
I’m willing to have a round or two with you personally to try and beat
me.  I’ve whipped just about everybody here at Peek HQ so bring it on!

Oh and the word is “AQUEOUS”

If you’d like to be entered, give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy one and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Saturday, 12/19 will be entered into the drawing.

Friday, December 19th “On the 9th day of Peekmas…”

On the 9th day of Peekmas, we’re giving 9 lucky Peeksters one movie each from our very own Kim Bardakian’s personal movie collection.  Here’s Kim for more…

It’s the holiday time and there’s nothing better than grabbing some eggnog, cuddling up with warm blankets  and watching movies into the night.  I’ve compiled my 9 top holiday movies—there’s sure to be something in there for everyone.

Home Alone (1990) - Before the avalanche of terrible sequels, there was of course, the classic original Home Alone. The premise was simple….a little boy is left home alone in the big city by accident. A couple of bumbling would-be thieves try to rob the boy’s home…and of course he outwits them and makes them look like  buffoons. Great slapstick performances by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern…classic family fare.

This Christmas (2007) - What can I say, I’m a sucker for family Christmas dramas. This one is sort of a cross between “Waiting To Exhale” and “Soul Food.” There’s a great performance by young pop star Chris Brown, as well as an uplifting, inspirational ending.

The Holiday (2006)- Another unconventional kind of Christmas film. Kate Winslett and Cameron Diaz star as two love-torn ladies who can’t seem get the love game right in their own countries, so they swap homes for the holidays — Diaz to England and Winslett to Hollywood. Jude Law and Jack Black pop up as potential love interests to our heroines. VERY sweet movie.

Die Hard (1988) - This is when I fell in love with Bruce Willis! As the iconic character Det. John McClaine fighting terrorists before it was cool to fight terrorists, he was hot and still had a little bit of hair! And really, nothing says Merry Christmas better than “Yipee Ki-yay Mutha F#*$@*!

Elf (2003) - You may think you know what a Will Ferrell movie is like, but you’ve never seen one as sweet and heartwarming — and FUNNY– as this one. Ferrell as Buddy The Elf, sets out on an adventure from the North Pole to New York City to find his dad, played by Jimmy Caan. It is DELIGHTFUL and fun for the entire family.

The Santa Clause (1994) - I was never a big Tim Allen fan, but in this new holiday classic, he’s pitch perfect as a divorced father who’s forced to become the new Santa Claus. Tim’s character doesn’t WANT the job of Santa, but circumstances dictate that this is just something he’s gotta do…and thank goodness he does! Another wonderful film for the entire family.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) -A truly unique animated Christmas movie. Tim Burton creates a world where Halloween and Christmas collide in this amazingly original tale where Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King, decides that he’d like to take on Santa Claus’s duties…and from there the madness ensues! The musical numbers are also first rate. Don’t miss this one.

Love Actually (2003)- Not your typical Hugh Grant romantic comedy. This adult-themed Christmas time comedy follows various love-struck, love sick, love triangles in the UK. It’s an all-star cast led by Grant, supported by the likes of Emma Thomson, Liam Neesom, Kiera Knightly, Alan Rickman and Billy Bob Thorton.

Bad Santa (2003)- Speaking of Billy Bob Thorton. This cult Christmas classic is about as mean, nasty, raunchy and foul-mouthed as they come. Thorton plays a mall Santa plotting to rob..what else…a mall! With great supporting appearances by the late Bernie Mac and John Ritter. Warning, watch this one when the kids are asleep!

If you’d like to be entered, give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy one and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Friday, 12/19 will be entered into the drawing.

Thursday, December 18th “On the 8th day of Peekmas…”

Rob Gray here checking in from the Peek Marketing team.  On the eighth day of Peekmas, I’m giving away 8 bottles of BBQ sauce.

Everyone around Peek HQ knows that I’ll bend your ear about four things at any time - my garden, my chickens, UCLA football, and BBQ.  Not only will I partake in BBQ at any moment but I’m grilling and smoking in my backyard every weekend.  (Happy to provide the recipe for the smoked turkey that brought the house down this Thanksgiving…).  So I would like to give you, fellow Peeksters, 8 favorite sauces from my rich and deep experience of smoking and barbecuing.  There will be Mesquite and Kansas City and Carolina and Memphis all represented so you let me know your favorite and I’ve got the answer.

If you’d like to be entered, give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy one and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Thursday, 12/18 will be entered into the drawing.

Wednesday, December 17th “On the 7th day of Peekmas…”

Hey Peeksters, Santa here.  As I alluded to in yesterday’s post, we’re going to mix up Peekmas starting today.  We had a ton of fun giving away a bunch of gadgets but it didn’t feel … Peeky enough.  So for the next 6 days, someone at Peek HQ is sponsoring each day and is going to give away something near and dear to their heart.  Your chance to get to the know the team behind our amazing gadget a bit more.  I’ll turn it over to today’s emcee - David Hung, our very own Chief Peek Caretaker.

———–

Thanks Santa.  On the seventh day of Peekmas, I’m giving away 7 dozen H&H bagels.  Let me explain.

As many of you know, I spend a lot of time making sure the Peeks you order are shipped out on time, answering any questions you have or fixing the occasional problem you may run into.  When I’m not taking care of the Peek community, I spend a lot of time thinking about … food.  Yup, that’s me engaging in my favorite past time. 

One thing we’re know for here in New York City - our bagels.  Everyone says it’s the water and I believe ‘em.  Trust me when I say I’ve tasted countless NY bagels and H&H’s are the finest the city has to offer.   So my gift to 7 of you lucky ones - a dozen bagels shipped to your doorstep.

If you’d like to be entered, give us a call at (347) 284-1971 and leave us a testimonial about you and your Peek (or if you’re still looking for that last-minute gift, buy a Peek and enter “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout).  All voicemails received and purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Wednesday, 12/17 will be entered into the drawing.

Welcome to the 12 Days of Peekmas!

[CLICK HERE FOR DAY 6 OF PEEKMAS - FLIP MINO]

Hey there Peeksters - boy have we got something to spice up your holiday shopping!

Since everyone out there in gadgetland is doing their “best of” and “must have” lists we decided to come up with our own list of must have gadgets — and then give them away to lucky Peek buyers!

And instead of doing a standard giveaway we decided to make things interesting by hacking the “12 days of Christmas” concept. (You know the song: “Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping”…).

So here’s deal:

1. At the beginning of each day for the next 12 days we are going to announce a new must-have gadget
2. If you buy a Peek on that day you’ll be in the running to win that gadget*
3. As each day goes by they’ll be an extra winner. i.e On day 1 we’ll give away one gadget to a lucky winner, on day 2 we’ll give away two of that day’s gadget to two lucky winners until the 22nd when we give away 12 gadgets to 12 lucky Peeksters!

You don’t have to buy the Peek for yourself  - remember, Peek is on everyone’s holiday gift list, so give one to your sister Jill or your Uncle Bill or your dog walker Carrie. As long as it is a real purchase (i.e active in January) you’ll be in the running.

We’ll unveil the new gadget each day right here so go ahead and bookmark this site now—you’re going to want to check back regularly.

Happy Holidays and Happy Peeking!

Amol & the Peek Team

* And the fine print.  US residents only.  No purchase necessary - please call (347) 284-1971 and leave us a message stating why you think Peek is the perfect present this year.  Same day entry.  One phone entry per day per person.  That’s it - wasn’t so bad now, was it?

Tuesday, December 16th “On the 6th day of Peekmas…”

On the sixth day of Peekmas, we’ve giving away 6 Flip Minos.

Flip has been showing up next to Peek on a lot of the aforementioned gadget lists and we couldn’t be happier.  After all, we’re kindred spirits when it comes to gadget design - ignore the screams from the converged device crowd, throw out all the bells and whistles and create a device that does one thing and does it very well.  For the Flip, that’s shooting video - your family gathering for the holidays, your dog doing a back flip while singing Jingle Bells, Santa getting stuck in the chimney, whatever.   Maybe we’ll even see you on YouTube as the next internet sensation with film from your brand new Flip!

Buy a Peek and enter the code “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout (fine print).   All purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Tuesday, 12/16 will be entered into the drawing.

Psst … we’re going to mix things up a bit on the seventh day of Peekmas so be sure to check back tomorrow.  You won’t want to miss it!

Monday, December 15th “On the 5th day of Peekmas…”

Hey there faithful Peekmas readers.  Apologies for the delay in the unveiling of today’s gadget.  Too much egg nog last night…

On the fifth day of Peekmas, we’ve giving away 5 Jawbones.

Even though there’s a gadget out there that helps you do all your personal communication through email and texting, we understand you probably need to pick up the cell phone every once in awhile.  The only problem?  With the size of some of the phones out there today, you look like you have a JuicyJuicy box next to your ear as our pal David Pogue likes to say.  Here’s where the Jawbone steps in - this nifty device fits comfortably in you ear and delivers amazing sound quality, all  while making you look good at the same time.  Not too shabby.

Buy a Peek and enter the code “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout (fine print).   All purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Monday, 12/14 will be entered into the drawing.

Sunday, December 14th “On the 4th day of Peekmas…”

On the fourth day of Peekmas, we’re giving away 4 Sanctuaries.  Hmm… Sanctuary you may ask?  Read on loyal Peeksters.

Being the crazed gadgetheads we are, our cubes and nightstands at home are a mess of chargers, cables and wires.  You’ve got your mini and micro USBs, your iPod connectors, your Nokia / Samsung / LG / Sony connectors and on and on.  Well do I have the solution for you - the Sanctuary.  This serene little box will charge thousands of your gadgets, all in one place, all while hiding that unsightly sea of wires.  Beautiful and simple.  Wait - that sounds like a gadget near and dear to my heart…

Buy a Peek (or give us a call) and enter the code “12daysofpeekmas” during checkout.   Not only will you get the gift of personal mobile email but we’ll help you keep your Peek charged at the same time.  All purchases made before 12 midnight PST, Sunday, 12/14 will be entered into the drawing.

And get ready for a wild second week of Peekmas.  We’ve got a ton of great gadgets to give away so check back each day to get the scoop.