Not that long ago, I’d go clothes and shoe shopping with my friends. We’d show off our outfits before going out to get last minute advice and even helped put on each other’s makeup and do our hair. I miss out on that now. My beauty and fashion knowledge has dried up. As much as I want to look good and dress well, there are way too many other things going on. And spending money on me makes feel guilty when there are bills to be paid.

On the StyleUnited site I took a few moments to re-learn about what it takes for me to look good and feel better about myself. After I joined, I took some quizzes about my skin type, my own fashion style, the type of cosmetics that work for me and my hair care and style. It didn’t take a lot of time and it was like being reborn into the world of beauty and fashion.

The beauty tips are helpful, especially the free things that I can do at home on my own time to improve the look of my skin and hair. The personalized fashion profile presented my long standing hippy side. The products and clothing that were suggested for me helped me get over my mommy guilt.  Plus it was fun!

No matter what stage you are in on your fashion and beauty life, StyleUnited has something to offer. Read articles, watch how-to-do videos, take the quizzes and even get advice from your friends on your style choices through the Inner Circle. And if you join StyleUnited by May 30^th, you are eligible to win the StyleUnited: New View, New You Giveaway. Two lucky winners will be chosen at random to take home a $500 gift card for Macy’s or Nordstrom.

StyleUnited is still in Beta, but works perfectly. Join now and be one of the first to get your own beauty and fashion tips and feel fantastic about yourself.

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to use StyleUnited for this review. I will also receive a beauty gift from P&G, the owners of the website. All opinions are my own. This blog uses affiliate links.

Finding the perfect dress for prom is serious business. And let’s not forget the shoes, purse and jewelery. It can be a time to bond with your mother, or a time to stress out. Sears has it all in one place. And online for browsing or buying.

Celebrate Prom Season with Sears! Join in for a #PersonalShopper Twitter Party this Thursday, May 3rd at 1 PM EST. There’s $200 in prizes and we can reminisce about prom or chat about your teens upcoming prom.

Visit the Sears “Shop Your Way” page to RSVP for the #PersonalShopper Twitter Party. Follow @ConnieFoggles, @StaceyNerdin, @Sears and join in.

I posted this as a compensated #PersonalShopper twitter party panelist. All thoughts are my own. I shop at Sears and love their clothing and customer service.

• Photo Books – Create memories with a photo book filled with photographs of the class, class trips, and special events during the school year. Mixbook has Photo Books starting at just $6.99.
• A Donation – Make a donation in the teacher’s name to her favorite charity.
• Potted Plant – If your special teacher has a green thumb, you can’t go wrong with a plant. Choose one in a clay pot and have your child paint and decorate it.
• A Letter of Thanks – Help your child put into words why he likes his teacher. Leave room for a hand drawn picture and some space for your thoughts.

Gifts that Teachers Like

• Gift Cards – Teachers can get just what they need with a gift card. Unless you know their favorite store, get a card that can be used for a variety of items. Some examples are big box store gift cards, where groceries as well as other items are available and an Amazon gift card, which offers everything from books to home decor.
• School Supplies – You may think that teachers don’t want a gift for their job, but keep in mind that many teachers spend their own money on supplies for their classroom and for students in need. Consider markers, incentive pencils, sticky notes, stickers, books for the classroom library, and a subscription for Kid’s Magazine.
• Class Pet Supplies – If there’s a class bunny, guinea pig or other classroom pet, buy some food, bedding, toys or other needed supplies.

Gifts That Teachers Don’t Like or Need

• Coffee Mugs
• Best Teacher items
• Homemade foods -  soups, cookies, cakes, etc.
• Costly Gifts, unless given from the class
• Anything related to politics, religion, and weight loss – Some can cause controversy and angst. Some can cause low self-esteem.

Affiliate Links included in this post.

When my gift arrived, I couldn’t wait to scan the Secret Santa tag’s QR code on my smart phone. Once I did, I got to hear the lovely voice of Robin from Masshole Mommy wishing me a Merry Christmas. And the gift she choose for me was just perfect – a Liz Clairborne sweater in blue (my favorite color). I can’t wait to wear it!

I was able to thank Robin by replying to her message by text. I didn’t think of this extra part of easy gifting until I used it myself. Not only do you personalize your gift when you give it, the recipient can easily thank the gift giver. JC Penney thought of everything!

A few hours after I thanked Robin, I got a message on my cell phone. It was from Mary at Sweeping Me. She was thanking me for the JC Penney gift that I chose for her. What a special day made possible by Robin, Mary, JC Penney and Mom Central. Thank you so much!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

How to Use Digital Folio

It’s easy to get started on Digital Folio:

1. Register
2. Download the app
3. Start your list (or folio)
4. Search for items to fill up your list (Use these popular sites – Amazon, Best Buy, Sears, Target, or Walmart)
5. Drag and drop to add to your folio and/or to compare prices

How to Win Target Gift Cards

Each registered Digital Folio user is eligible to win one $5, $10, AND $25 gift card every day. That’s up to $40 in possible daily winnings! Add that up through the end of the promotion on December 22, and that’s a possible total win of hundreds of dollars in Target Gift Cards! Get the details about how YOU can win in the Digital Folio Holiday Hot List promotion HERE! The first Digital Folio users to claim the limited number of Target Gift Cards each day WIN! The more toys you save into your list, the better your chances.

You can get hints about winning toys by following Digital Folio on Facebook and Twitter. Entry period is 10 AM – 10 PM EST through December 22.

“Digital Folio IS Power Shopping Perfected™!” and is a powerhouse at giving away Target Gift Cards.

This is a sponsored post by Digital Folio through Global Influence. All opinions are my own. I am also a registered user of Digital Folio.

Current Trade Values:

Get GameStop store credit or cash for your old iPod, iPhone or iPad:

• iPod Nano – Up to $70
• iPod – Up to $150
• iPhone – Up to $180
• iPad – Up to $300

GameStop makes your trade in simple – no packing, shipping or hassle – a store associate will tell you the value of your trade items and give you cash or store credit on the spot. Find a store location near you.

My daughter has a lot of video games on her holiday list again this year, so my husband and I are big fans of GameStop. We’re on their email list and do pre-buys from them quite often. They’re always innovative with ways to save.

Grand Prize Mom Spark GameStop Giveaway

If you share a photo of yourself trading your iPods, iPhones and/or iPads at GameStop in the comments of Mom Spark’s post, you’ll be entered to win the grand prize of a $1,000 GameStop gift card.

Giveaway

Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway

This promotional sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I was compensated for my time investment and work on this campaign. Thanks to GameStop for providing me with a gift card to giveaway. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.

The Santa Tag is a an extra freebie given to anyone who makes a purchase at a JC Penney store (while supplies list, limit one tag per gift).  It’s a card that contains a peel off tab. Just peel away the front to see the QR code. Then use your smartphone to scan the QR code with a QR reader app. Now you’re ready to record your message:

1.  Enter a phone number (you’ll get the phone number from your tag) to receive a call from JC Penney.
2. You’ll then be prompted to leave a message in your own words.
3. Approve or re-do your message. You know you want it to sound festive!
4. Stick the tag on your wrapped gift.
5. Wait for fun to ensue.

When I was invited to take part in a Secret Santa exchange with other bloggers, I was excited. It’s always fun to get to know someone so you can get the perfect gift for them. I don’t really know the blogger I was given so I read through her posts and information about her. I checked out her Twitter and Facebook page to see if I could get any more gift clues. Then it was on to shopping at JC Penney.

I was able to find a lovely gift from JC Penney that will bring out the holiday spirit in my fellow blogger. I hope my stalking investigating worked out. I can’t wait to find out. I feel like a kid again. And I have to wait to find out who my Secret Santa is now too. When I get my gift, the first thing I’m going to do is listen to the message on the Santa Tag to hear the voice and see if I can guess who my Secret Santa is. Then I’ll tear open my gift.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Local Listings

Zaarly already has over $11 million dollars listed in over 200 cities, so they’re doing something right. Big cities have lots of listings, but I was able to find a few in my small podunk town. You can expand your search easily by changing the area, or keep it close to home by using cross streets.

The holiday season is bringing out people asking for Christmas trees, all types of gifts and even an ugly Christmas sweater! You’ll find some interesting and unique ideas on Zaarly, but be sure to follow the Marketplace Rules for safety and saving yourself from getting scammed. If there’s a listing you see that you want for yourself, for example, hiring someone to organize your closet,  it’s easy to add it once you sign up for Zaarly. There’s even an app for Zaarly to make it easier to list and answer your requests.

Donation for Signing up

Sign up on  Zaarly today, and when you do Zaarly will donate $1 to Feeding America. Just click this specific Zaarly link. Each donation represents a gift to Feeding America’s entire mission. $1= 8 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks.

Giveaway

Win a $50 Visa Card! Please use Rafflecopter for your entries.

I wasn’t compensated for this post, but wanted to share about a service that is helpful and a way to raise money for Feeding America.

Dollar General is showing their support of the military on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2011. All active military members and their families and veterans are eligible for a 10% discount at all Dollar General stores – no coupon needed.

Shop online and get the same Dollar General’s Veteran’s Day discount of 10% by using the code VETERANSDAY at checkout. This discount is available to everyone from November 11 – November 13.

We can help support our troops along with Dollar General by recording and uploading a video with a message of gratitude. Those videos will be featured on the Dollar General Facebook page. And care packages will be available for purchase in stores. They will sell for $20 or $30 and include free shipping to military addresses! The boxes will include items like toothbrushes, shampoo, candy and nuts, which are always welcomed.

Veteran’s Day is a special day set aside to honor our military and our veterans. Without them we wouldn’t have many of the rights we do now. Dollar General recognizes that and is offering them a discount, providing a way to share a video of thanks and an easy and inexpensive way to send a care package.

The Reasons I Collect Sunglasses:

• I live in Florida, the sunshine state. When you see me outdoors, I’m usually wearing sunglasses, well during daylight hours. How can I wear the same pair of sunglasses all the time? It would be like wearing the same pair of earrings every day. I definitely need a few pairs!

• Sunglasses protect my eyes from dangerous UV rays. And because of that I need to wear them all day. Yes, four pair seem like I’m on the road to having enough.

• I have to be fashionable in one area of my life. Wearing them sunglasses me feel stylish. I love a good pair of trendy sunglasses and the trends change often. I can fit it if I ever get to hobnob with celebrities who seem to wear them all the time.

• Since I wear prescription glasses, owning a pair of prescription sunglasses allows me to read, see what I’m eating and use my smart phone outdoors. So add on another pair that I have to own.

I love to shop to add to my collection. There’s the mall, department stores and specialty stores. But shopping online is easy too, especially when there’s a virtual try on. I just upload a photo of myself, choose a pair and click on them too see how they look on my face. Check out www.glasses.com and give it a try.

So what do you think? Is my new passion for collecting sunglasses OK?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions my own.