The Bag Holder: Don't Be Left Holding The Bag! {$25 Outback Gift Card Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Janice Crespo!}

My husband was treating our girls to Danish pancakes this weekend (similar to regular but they are in a round ball) with a yummy dusting of powered sugar on top. As I went to add a tiny bit more sugar to Little Sister B's plate, I spilled some on the counter and, jokingly, my husband commented, "Hey, this isn't like when you make pancakes and the entire counter is dirty and the sink is full of dishes!"

We laughed about it, yes, but there was definite truth behind that statement. Even though my whole family enjoys when I make anything from omelets to fried rice to cookies and brownies, the combination of the amount of time that cooking takes plus the massive mess of dishes and bits of food everywhere is a major deterrent.

Then there's the overflowing dishwasher, digging around in our messy storage container drawer to save leftovers (as well as cramming them into the refrigerator) and more. It just all ends up being an awful lot of work.

Which is why this April all of that will end with the introduction of a new and unique time saver and money saver: The Bag Holder.

Looks pretty simple, doesn't it? Well, this easy-to-use, microwave and dishwasher safe item can handle taking on the duties of a large number of your kitchen tools... as well as just being a great extra set of hands.

Designed to hold and keep open any size gallon storage bag, The Bag Holder can help you do everything from pour to mix to marinate to store to wash in no time at all. Like to buy in bulk or plan and prepare a week or month's worth of meals in advance for your family? (Will you come do that at my house, too?) Simply pull out The Bag Holder and you're able to break food down into smaller packages easily or, better yet, prepare all those meals without ever getting out a bowl.

Sounding pretty nice to you? You've really got to check out all of the videos for The Bag Holder on their Facebook page, as you'll be amazed at just what this contraption can help you do.

At first glance, I thought it was pretty intuitive as to how The Bag Holder would help in washing and reusing plastic bags as well as holding them open for filling. But then, after watching one video after another, it became clear that there was just so much more to it.

Want to bake cookies or brownies or a cake with your kids? Get your gallon bag in place in The Bag Holder, toss in the ingredients, seal the bag shut and then have your kids mix it all up by mushing things around! Big Sister E and Little Sister B would LOVE that! When it comes time to pour the batter into the pan, simply open it up and squeeze down the bag until every last drop is out and you're ready to bake.

If you reuse bags, then stick it back in The Bag Holder and clean it out for next time. If not, throw it away and you'll have no bowl, mixer, spatula and more waiting for you in the sink.

As well as being a hit with kids, how about for seniors? If you or someone you know has a hard time with the mixing and lifting that goes along with traditional cooking, The Bag Holder takes away a lot of the physical work that might be difficult - and makes the whole process quicker, too!

Around here when we're done cooking or have finished eating and it's time to store leftovers, I cringe having to pull open the drawer of storage containers. Even if I didn't have two kids that play in there, I still don't think I would be able to easily find a lid and bottom that match without a lot of digging.

Instead, The Bag Holder frees up your cupboards as well as your refrigerator or freezer because plastic bags can lie flat or be folded down or fit into any number of small spaces without any problem. Then, simply pull out your bag later on, open and place it back in The Bag Holder and then put the whole thing in the microwave to reheat it. Simple and still no dishes to wash!

With hundreds of recipes that can be made "in the bag" such as beef or chicken enchiladas, baked french toast or three cheese macaroni, you'll have every meal covered for quite a while to come... as well as the ability to create your own tasty masterpieces.

By saving you time, money and space and giving you the ability to enjoy the cooking without the work of cleaning up, The Bag Holder will turn multiple steps in the kitchen into just one. When it debuts in April, this thick and study item will retail for $19 plus shipping and will come with a 25-recipe cookbook that easily stores right inside.

Don't Be Left Holding The Bag! Thanks to the generosity of The Bag Holder, one person will not only want to heed that advice but will get to have a tasty meal to remember it by, because...

One lucky person will win a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card
from The Bag Holder!

To enter to win: Visit The Bag Holder (they are currently only on Facebook), watch at least one of their fun and informative videos and then return here and tell me how this product would be useful for you.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you Like The Bag Holder on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

I want to WIN a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card thanks to The Bag Holder! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/fWUytG #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and The Bag Holder. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 4th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

All images are © The Bag Holder. A big thank you to The Bag Holder for providing a $25 Outback gift card for one lucky giveaway winner. I was compensated for this post but the opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.