Insider Shopping, March 2009

I seem to be running late on things these days... but as we say in Italy, better late than never! So here are this month's offers:



Friends & Family event at Prescriptives: through March 21, get 30% off your order and free shipping, with coupon code FRIEND9.

For the entire month of March, you can enjoy lots of beauty products up to 75% off at the Sephora sale. And you can also get free shipping with any order of $35 or more with coupon code SHIP35. If, however, the contents of your shopping cart amount to $50 or more, you are already entitled to free shipping, so use coupon code GONATURAL to get 8 natural product samples, in addition to the 3 you already get with each order.

Jane Iredale makeup is without a doubt the best, as far as natural makeup goes. They have gorgeous colors and very good quality. It may not be cheap, but your skin will thank you (and if you are used to shopping at Sephora or Nordstrom, you probably don't spend much less). Through march 23, you have your chance of stocking up on some basics from Jane Iredale and get a fabulous gift with purchase: enter code JIDTBT at checkout and get a free Twice Blushed 2 (a $48 value) with your purchase of $125 or more!

Have you entered the Banana Republic + Benefit sweepstakes yet? they have fabulous prizes! And if you decide to shop while you are there, use coupon code HOTCORAL to get 20% off your order of $50 or more, through March 19.

Know someone who is getting married? For the entire month of March, they (or you, really) can use coupon code BIGDAY to get free shipping and a free eye mask sample on orders of $75 and above. Or forego the coupon code, and get a free blood orange and white pepper body butter with your order of $75 or more.

Shopbop is one of my favorite online boutiques: you can always find interesting and super-trendy items there. Enjoy an extra 20% off sale merchandise already discounted at 70%, with coupon code 20OFF70. Offer is only good until Thursday, March 19, so hurry!

Victoria's Secret always has some coupon codes for us to use. I love having an excuse to get myself something pretty! Here's the latest: use coupon code PNKPTY to get a free lace undie with any purchase from the VS Pink line. And if you are shopping a lot, add code XTRASAVE to get $20 off a $125 order, and $50 off a $200 order – maybe ask a friend to make an order together, so you can put this to good use.

Amazon is having a sale on new spring arrivals! Choose among lots of items of apparel, shoes and accessories, 30% off. And when you spend $25 or more on apparel or shoes, you get a free subscription to Lucky magazine or Details. Add to that the fact that many merchants ship for free with orders $25 and above, and you might find yourself saying "Why not?".

I don't know about you, but I'm of the viewpoint that we can always use a new bag. Check out the selection of affordable bags at Baghaus and get $15 off your order of $75 or more with coupon code GREEN15, through March 22.

Need a new pair of shoes for summer? Head to Shoes.com and get 22% off your order with coupon code LUCKY22. Offer valid until Friday, March 20. And if you get there too late, no worries: you can still use MSAVE to get 20% off your order, until the end of March.

Starting Thursday 19, Bare Necessities will be having a 4-day sale, where everything will be at least 20% off. Plus, you get an extra 30% off already discounted items.

Spring is a great time to shop for clotheing for next fall, too. Dillards is having a clearance sale on women's clothing, shoes and accessories, with items reduced up to 70%.

Luna Boston is my absolute favorite place to shop for handbags and other great accessories. They are really nice and friends, they package everything with care and you get free same-day shipping with all orders above $100, plus free returns! So imagine my excitement when I found this code on the April issue of Lucky magazine: through May 3, you can get 25% off your purchase from Luna Boston with code LUCKYBREAKS12! Now... what to pick?

Hmmm... brownies. Fairytale Brownies is having a 40% sale on their fabulous Brownie boxes! Free shipping too. There, you have your excuse: it's too good to pass up.

Remember the episode of Friends where Rachel gets a little carried away and buys an entire room from Pottery Barn and reproduces it in her apartament as it was in the catalog? Man, I LOVE when Pottery Barn has sales. There are a few cool offers now, like the Bedroom Sale, and for your tots, Pastel Critter Chairs for $99 (instead of $129), the gorgeous Palace Hotel (still expensive, but it would make a fantastic gift for a little girl!) and some of the furniture for its rooms, among other things. But my favorite? The Penelope Love Seat from PBTeens. man, I want one!


What about you? What temps you most of these offers?

Insider Shopping, February 2009

Ah yes – Insider Shopping is late this month. I apologize! I hope the shopping deals below make up for it a little bit ;-)


Receive FREE Standard Shipping on any $50 Clinique order, with code COMFORT09. Or use code FEBHM to receive a FREE trial-size High Impact Mascara and FREE Shipping with any $35 purchase.

Receive a free full-size Love Handler ($36 value) with any Bliss purchase, including the sets, where you already save 10%.

Need to get a gift that won't break the bank? Or maybe you just need a little pick-me-up for yourself? Check out the Tarte EcoEyes set. It comes in a nice purple cosmetic pouch and contains all of Tarte's eco-friendly essentials for great eye makeup. A $109 value, it's available at Sephora for a limited time for $39.

And if you want to get a nice present for a real girly-girl, snag something from the Limited Edition Juicy Couture for Sephora collection, now up to 75% off.



I told you about Tobi before – I really love this online store! Online help from a stylist, gorgeous designs from DVF, Botkier, Missoni and others, a section dedicated exclusively to eco-friendly fashion.... what's not to love? Especially with an additional 25 percent off sale items! Enter the code 25MORE at checkout.
And if you are ready to start indulging in some Spring shopping, today is the last day to get 20% off the new spring arrivals, with coupon code SPRING20.

Love the new sample sale websites? Check out Hautelook. This invite-only platform offers discounts on premium brands like Balenciaga and Christian Lacroix. Use promo code INSTYLE09 from February 13th until March 31st to receive 20% off purchases of $100 or more.

Do your New Year's resolutions include "get in shape"? Motivate yourself by getting one of the new bathing suits from the new Victoria's Secret lines and get a free tote with your purchase, with code SWIMVS. And if you shop by February 28, you can take $10 of your order with coupon code 10FORYOU (don't you love that VS lets you input up to 3 coupon codes?)

And speaking about getting in shape... Need new workout clothes? No? Want some anyway? Enjoy 20% off all purchases on fila.com and use promo code FILAINSTYLE from February 13th until March 31st to receive 20% off all purchases.

Valentine's Day has passed, but there's still time to share the love. Through Feb. 23, buy a pair of jeans for yourself at Joe's Jeans and get a pair for your sweetheart at 50 percent off when you enter JOELOVESME at checkout. Additional purchases will receive 25 percent off.

Yoox, the place to get designer apparel and accessories at a discount year-round, has marked down it's Fall-Winter catalog, so you can now indulge guilt-free by scoring items up to Extra 70% off.




If you are anything like me, Valentine's Day is definitely not the only time of year when you like to enjoy gourmet chocolate. Check out Lula's Chocolates and enjoy a discount for orders over $40: enter code CHATTER10 for 10% off. And for orders over $80, enter code CHATTER15 for 15% off.

A trip is a surefire way to fish the winter blues, but we are in a recession. No problem: take advantage of Travelocity's Silver Lining Sale and save up to 50% on hotels when you book a vacation package. Hawaii for $67 a night? I'll pack my bathing suit!

And with with JetBlue's March Into Spring Sale, you can book your flight as low as $39 each way. The deals end Friday, so book now for travel before April 1.

It may be still chilly out, but we are getting ready for Spring. Time to declutter and organize your closet to make space for the new Spring/Summer collections! The Container Store's sale coulnd't come at a better time: save 20% off sitewide, with code CLUTTERCREW through March 1.


That's it for now - happy shopping!

Cool finds of the month: January 2009

Here it is again! It's back. There may be no sales in the new edition, but there are some cool things from the web and the blogosphere. Enjoy!




We used to think that fashion and technology were two separate things. Now we know better. And here's the latest example: World-renowned designer Vivienne Tam and HP created the perfect fusion of fashion and technology for the HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook. This gorgeous "digital clutch" is now finally available on HP Direct, starting at $699.99 (U.S.).

Looking for affordable edgy, unique accessories? Check out Love Madds. Madeline Rhodes' pieces are pretty without being boring, girly but with a bit of an edge. And best of all, they are very affordable. I dare you to get just one!

Private sale websites have become increasingly popular, because of the possibility to buy designer and brand items at more affordable prices. The latest addition is RedTagCrazy, where you can score apparel and accessories from popular labels and get $5 off you first purchase, which will already be discounted at 50-80% retail prices. RedTagCrazy says it best on their website: "Quantities are limited, time is limited, and our attention span is limited - so stay awake."

Being single in New York was never as celebrated as it has been since Sex and The City started airing, and now there's a great post-SATC chance for celebration: New York City's Hotel Giraffe offers a Single & Fabulous package for you and friends to celebrate Valentine's Day with brunch, Bloomingdale's discounts, makeup sessions at MAC, and VIP passes to nightclub Marquee.

With more and more people using Wii Fit to get back into regular exercise, it was just a mater of time before someone came up with more gadgets to use in conjunction with it. Riiflex is a not-yet-produced-but-already-promoted dumbbell-like weight to click onto the Wii Remote to add weight to strength training exercises. It may work or not, but you have to admit it's an interesting idea.

Don't buy this for your Valentine, unless you are trying to send a message: the Kissometer is a device that works much like a breathalyzer, except it will rate your "kissability" based on your breath, and gives you one of five possible answers: Kiss me, Possible, Maybe, Risky, and Never.



- A Classic Housewife in a Modern World tells us about blog branding.

- Allison Worthington, beloved author of the popular blog Mrs. Fussypants and Editor in Chief of Blissfully Domestic, has another winner on her hands: Worthington Wire pulls all the latest news in many different fields and topic, including but not limited to: Politics, Pop culture, Healthy Living, Recipes and much more. Follow Allison's updates on Twitter @WorthyWire

- Marie Denee tells us about a vintage store catering to plus-size and full-figured women.

- WhoWhatWear tells us how to update old favorites.

- On Running in Heels, Alison Stewart tells us which jeans to pick for different looks, and how to accessorize them.

- Sue at Happy Meals and Happy Hour shares a helpful video for those of us who want to exercise at home.


That's it for this month! I hope you enjoyed this post. If you want to suggest something to be included in the next installment of Cool Finds of The Month, e-mail me or send me a Tweet!

Insider Shopping: January 2009

The first change of 2009: the "Insider Shopping" section of the Cool Finds of the Month post is going solo. The Cool Finds post was getting a bit crowded, so I decided to split it in two: the sales and offers will still be published on a monthly basis, mid-month; the Cool Finds post will still come out at the end of the month and contain cool finds, new things that come out, favorite blog posts from the blogosphere, and so on. So here's the first issue of Insider Shopping, I hope you like it!

Free shipping and a free Virtuose Mascara with any Lancome purchase, through January 18th.

Special offer at Clarins: choose two of your favorite products and receive two free products! Order by January 21 and get free shipping, too - just use coupon code NATURE.

Everybody loves the spa, but having to go back just to find that fabulous body lotion is annoying. No need: many hard-to-find luxury skincare products can now be found at Spalook, often at much better prices. And right now they have some great offers! Through February 25th, spend $75 and choose your free gift:
- FREE Avene Ystheal+ Cream and Ystheal+ Eye Contour Care with promo code AVENE2Y
or
- FREE full-size Janson Beckett Vitamin C&C Facial Serum with promo code JBCC

And for a limited time only, you can get free products with any online order - from Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker to a Juice Beauty travel set and many many more. Choose your free product among the many available here.

20% off all PureGloss on Jane Iredale. These glosses are fabulous. Great colors, not too sticky, and all natural! Check out www.janeiredale.com and use promo code INSTYLE09 through January 31st to receive your 20% discount.

25% off merchandise from popular celebrity makeup artists at Paula Dorf Cosmetics and Suresh Beauty. Use promo code INSTYLE09 through January 31st.

Receive a Stephanie Johnson make-up case filled with beauty samples and coupons with your beauty of fragrance purchase of $50 or more at Saks Fifth Avenue, using code SHAPEUP. Offer expires January 18th.

Receive a free Be Delicious DKNY fragrance with any purchase from Sephora.

Free Youthopia firming eye cream with any Origins order through January 20th with code YouthEyeLS.


20% off any purchase from Baghaus with coupon code 2009SALE, plus free shipping for any purchase $50 and above, and 50% off all wallets when you spend $75.

20% off all online shoe purchases at Chinese Laundry trough January 25th with coupon code CLFRIENDS2009.

Post-Holiday sale at Greenloop and NIMLI: enjoy up to 75% off the best in eco-luxury apparel.

25% off your purchase at CoutureCandy with coupon code 25DAY.

Through January 31, get free shipping and $15 off any order over $100 at Linea Pelle using code CJLP15, or get 10% off any order with code CJLP10. You'll find lots of great deals in the "Specials" section, including a Dylan Croco Double Zippy and Dylan Croco Shoulder Bag both at 40% off!

15% off all purchases on Rich & Skinny jeans with promo code INSTYLE09. Valid until January 31st.

Designer Modi Soondarotok launched her line Idom after working form Peter Som, Donna Karan and Armani in NYC. Get 20% off all purchases on Idom Designs with promo code INSTYLE09. Valid through January 31st.

Add Hayden-Harnett to your friends on Facebook and enjoy their special "Inauguration sale"! 50% off any online purchase, including sale items, using code PRESIDENT at checkout. Offer ends on January 21, so hurry up!

Accessory blowout sale on Editor's Note! All items that were not sold on previous private sales, at even lower prices. Hurry, quantities are limited!

An additional 20% off Net-a-Porter's fabulous designer sale items with coupon code WINTERUSA. Valid until January 18th.

Get up to 75% off in the French Connection Winter Sale.


20% off all purchases on Jules Smith Designs. Check out the intricate jewelery pieces loved by many celebs, including Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, and Eva Longoria. Use promo code JULES20 through January 31st to receive 20% off all purchases.

25% off all purchases on Laura Elizabeth Jewelry - her designs are worn by many celebrities, like Hayden Panettiere, Brooke Shields and Maria Menounos. Use promo code INSTYLE09 through January 31st.

20% off all purchases on Tejani. Find out why Stars like Teri Hatcher and Kim Kardashian love the timeless hand-crafted jewelry pieces designed by Urvi Prunier. Use promo code INSTYLE09 through January 31st.


Need help in keeping the kids' room organized? Save 20% on the Somerset Storage Collection at Pottery Barn Kids through January 20th. And while you are there, check out the Clearance section and save up to 75% on furniture, bedding and more.

Save up to 50% on baby gear, apparel and furniture on the Giggle Winter sale. Lots of great deals on strollers, diaper bags, crib bedding, and more lovely things for your favorite tot.

That's it for this month, I hope you found something you liked! See you next month with the February installment of Insider Shopping... and another surprise ;-)

Cool finds of the month: Holiday Edition, part 2

Hi everyone!

Here's the second part of the Cool Find of the Month, Holiday edition. Here you will find a few tips about things you'll need for the Holiday Parties you'll be attending: clothes, accessories, hostess gifts, and even party necessities like decorations and recipes, if YOU will be the one hosting.

I hope you find this helpful!



If you have trouble picking hostess gifts, consider this: those (crazies) who don't like chocolate are few and far between . And when we are talking about one of the scrumptious confections from Recchiuti, the number is even smaller. Order a bunch and be set for all the holiday parties you are going to attend – you'll get 15% off your order using coupon code ARTISAN.

If your hostess is a fashion maven, she will definitely love these cookies by Eleni's! The handbag cookies are fashioned after designer handbags, and will be delivered to your door already in a gift box, ready to give... or keep (they are so pretty!)

A gourmet gift basket is always a welcome present. It includes several things so you can be sure to cater to all tastes. GiftBaskets.com has many different kinds of gift baskets: choose a prepared one of customize it to fit your host's taste. Whatever you pick, you can get 10% off by using this code at checkout: ZK-8978.

If your hostess is a "green goddess", an eco-friendly gift is a must. Browse the Acacia online store for gorgeous eco-friendly gifts that will please anyone, whether they care about their carbon print or not ;-) They also have a clearance section with items priced at 50% off.


I just found the most delicious, affordable natural skincare line ever. Garden Girl is a fantastic line of natural skin care products that do not include parabens, mineral oil, petroleum derivatives or synthetic fragrances. They smell fantastic, have a great texture, and really work. After only 3 days using 3 Garden Girl products on my face, my skin feels incredible and I'm definitely hooked! Today (Saturday 20) is the last day to get $10 off your order, but after hearing my rave review Kristin, the owner of Garden Girl, created a special offer just for readers of this blog: use coupon code HIPMOM through December 31st to get 15% off your entire order!
(Though honestly, even without it, these products are fabulous and a real bargain for the quality!)
Unlikely Housewife pick: Pucker Up Coconut-Line Sugar Scrub, $22

Get pretty and save a pretty penny: use code SAVEGOOD to get 20% any order from Benefit Cosmetics today (Saturday 20) or get FREE next-day shipping (US) on Sunday and Monday with code LASTGIFT, so you can still get your gifts in time for Christmas!


Tobi is a special online store – and what makes it special isn't just the great selection, the multiple search possibilities on the site, the Beauty Bar section or even the section dedicated entirely to Eco-friendly fashion lines – though all those are definitely good reasons to love it :-) What makes it really special is that when you go on Tobi.com you get to chat one on one with a stylist, who will help you choose the best pieces for your party or occasion, suggest how to wear them (like how to accessorize a great dress) and all without charging you a dime more than the price of the merchandise. Yes, it's true. And on top of that, through December 31 you can get 25% off your Tobi purchase with this coupon code: INSTYLE08.

If you prefer a colorful, bohemian style for your party dress, InStyle helps us there too: December 31st to receive 20% off your purchases at the Oyouki online boutique using promo code INSTYLE08. You will find collections from international designers, and you will have lots of fun looking.

If you like the edgy vibe UK fashion has, you will LOVE the party dress/accessory selection at TopShop! Check out their Christmas offers, get recommendations with their party picks and get ideas on how to put your own party look together with their party looks.

The DVF Holiday Collection is on sale, 40% off! Go to DVF.com to see (and shop!).

You can score DVF and more at the Barney's Designer sale - designer clothes, shoes and accessories up to 60% off.

Other great online retailers where you can get fabulous party dresses:
- CoutureCandy: get 25% off already discounted merchandise with code 25DAY
- Fashion Chateau: get 20% off all orders, whether you shop for new designer dresses or choose to browse the sale rack (up to 85% off!!); just use code CHATEAU20. Also while there, enter to win a $1,000 shopping spree!

And if you need some lovely (but affordable) shoes to go with your new dress, check out Chinese Laundry, where you'll get 20% off any order (including new merchandise), through December 23. Discount is applied when item is added to shopping cart.

In other words, why brave the crowds, when you have a veritable goldmine of gorgeous fashion and accessories (and better sales!) at your fingertips?

Not to mention the private sales! If you are reading this on December 20, you are in luck: there is a Catherine Malandrino sale going on at GiltGroupe, and it closes tonight! No one is better than Catherine Malandrino at designing perfect party dresses, and with this sale you can score one at a fraction of the retail price!


If you still need a few decorations to get your home ready for the holidays, here are a few places you can get them at, at better prices:
- The Crate and Barrel Holiday Sale, where you can find ornaments, everything you need to set your holiday table, and even cookies for Santa :-)
- Wrapables.com, which already has lots of stuff on sale, including decorations and "Dining and entertaining" items.
- Pier 1 Imports, which has lots of items on sale at 50% off inclusing some really cute gift bags and decorations.

And if every year you scramble to find your favorite holiday recipes, you really need to get a custom-made cookbook at Tastebook. Find a cookbook, customize it or create your own with recipes from Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, MyRecipes and more, or import your own recipes and mix and match! You can even select the cover. I'm totally in love with Tastebook – it was about time someone came up with this!


So there you have it, the cool finds for this month. I hope they make your holidays more fun, less stressful... enjoy!

Cool finds of the month: Holiday Edition, part 1

With the holidays approaching, it is only fitting that I dedicate the cool finds of the month to stuff that can make this lovely season more bearable ;-) No, seriously, with the shopping, the cooking, the planning, the spending, by the time we get to the part where we are supposed to let go and have fun, we don't want to be too tired to enjoy it, do we?

So this first installment of the Holiday Edition will focus on gift-giving and other holiday-related activities – I hope you find it helpful.

Multitaskers tend to get lots done but we also have the highest stress levels, and the holiday season is stressful enough as it is! If you are trying to cramp a whole lot of stuff into your lunch break, and you find yourself trying to catch up on unreplied text messages while out shopping, here's something to make things easier: install Vlingo on your Blackberry and you'll have your very own text-messaging assistant. Just say what you want to send and Vlingo will convert it into a text message. It's easy to use and it's a free service!

If you, like me, are expecting house guests for the holidays, and are getting everything ready for them, here's my tip: give THEM your pillow and get yourself a customized pillow from Sleep Number! Their Create Your Perfect Pillow program allows you to personalize the exact outer comfort, inner support and pillow protector materials in their pillow. I recently upgraded to one of these pillows, and I was very surprised to see what a difference something so small makes in the quality of my sleep.
Pillow prices start at $90, and gift cards are also available for purchase – check it out at any of the Sleep Number stores nationwide or online.

How gorgeous are Nancy Gonzales handbags? But who can afford them? Well, maybe you don't have to. Enter the Sweepstakes (hosted by Neiman Marcus) for your chance to win a $3000 Nancy Gonzales shopping spree!

Going on a trip for the holidays? Taking your little one with you? If you are staying at a Hyatt hotel, you can travel a lot lighter by using the Hyatt Travel Lite service, which allows you to order anything you might need, from formula and baby food to strollers and carriers, and have it delivered it to your Hyatt destination.

Need to get your home ready for the holiday parties you'll be throwing? Check out Amazon's Home and Garden Holiday Markdowns, to score kitchen equipment, cookware, table linens and tableware at 30-50% discount.
Also save on decorations on Amazon's Get Ready for the Holidays section.



If you think your sister or best friend would love to find something cute from Bebe under the tree, make sure you use coupon codes to get it for them: through November 30th, get $20 off your purchase of $125 or more with coupon code BBSAVE20 – heck, get something for yourself too, and get $100 (!) off your purchase of $300 or more with coupon code BBGET100.

If your favorite jewelry is feminine but edgy, you'll love Meredith Kahn's Made Her Think line. And you'll love even more that she has a lot of fantastic pieces on sale, up to 60% off! Perfect time to get a present... especially if it's for you ;-)

Women are so easy to shop for! Another example: makeup. Clinique is, in my experience, the brand with the best "gift with purchase" offers. This year Clinique has teamed up with leading designer Trina Turk and has a great offer at one of my favorite stores, Nordstrom. You will receive Trina Turk’s first-ever cosmetics bag, filled with 6 beauty essentials, plus a mirrored lipstick case, FREE with any Clinique purchase of $25 or more — exclusively at Nordstrom, until supplies last.
Or – if you already have too many make-up bags – you can shop at Clinique online get a free tote with your purchase of $50 or more.

This year, Drugstore.com is giving Clinique a run for their money! Their Kooba Beauty Bag is filled with goodies from Stila, Boscia, Sue Devitt, Oscar Blandi, and many more - a $200 value for just $85. The products sound lovely, but the Kooba wristlet is the real catch!

Another great, "no-brainer" gift is pre-packaged gift sets with products already paired up, where you can pick the type of product and/or the scent and get several items already in a lovely gift box. Origins is definitely my favorite place to get gift sets, because they products look and smell lovely, and the gift packages are always so pretty (in fact, I think some of them also make great hostess gifts) – check out this year's Holiday Sets!
Bliss is another popular brand, especially here in the NYC area; and their gift sets are very affordable, like The Big Orange set, which includes two products and a tote.

If you prefer natural and organic makeup and beauty products, you'll be excited to know that Lavera, one of the top natural brands in the world, is now running a Clearance Sale on their website where you can save up to 90%! There is also an Anniversary Sale going on, with newly released products at 15% off. Personally, I think their lipgloss is one of the best I've ever used, and that includes both natural and not-so-much ones ;-)

Send a positive message by gifting your favorite tot with a lovely organic slogan tee by Eco Ike, and enjoy free shipping on any order of $50 or more, and free holiday packaging (including a card) on all orders. My favorite is the "bee green" tee!

And for the mom of the eco-tot, you can't do better than a gift from NIMLI, which is possibly the most fabulous eco-friendly fashion online store! Right now you can enjoy the extensive selection in the fall sale (check out the pashminas!) as well as 20% off your order with coupon code FALL08, and free shipping on all orders over $100.

I don't know about you, but I usually do most of my holiday shopping online. You get great deals, can find coupons to apply (like those at RetailMeNot and CouponNerds) and you can even get money back when you purchase through Ebates. And on top of that, you don't need to go out with the baby in the stroller and fight the madness of the holiday crowds. There is one problem though: some items you really want to see before you buy them. I found a solution, at least as far as toys are concerned: Amazon's Holiday Toy List lets you narrow your choices by age or by price, and then actually see the toys in action! Check it out here.

If you don't know what to get as a Christmas gift for someone on your list, consider a magazine subscription. Get $5 off a one-year subscription to Cooking Light, Elle, Martha Stewart Living, Men's Fitness and others by using code MYPOINTS5OFF during checkout.

Get your little ones gorgeous wooden toys and playroom furniture for Christmas and save by shopping the Pottery Barn Kids online sale, with items up to 65% off.

One for the men: girls like jewelery. But we don't necessarily like the classic stuff, maybe we like more interesting pieces, pieces that will still be lovely years from now, but never boring. You can't go wrong with pieces from Melissa Joy Manning – and you can get 15% off any purchase by using coupon code ARTISAN.

You know what else girls like: bags.
Luna Boston is having a great handbag sale on designer handbags! Foley + Corinna, Hayden Harnett, Botkier, Gryson and more - great chance to snag a designer bag at a discounted price. LunaBoston.com also ships offers free same day shipping on all orders over $100, and free returns – can't go wrong.
But if your budget doesn't allow you to splurge on a designer bag, check out the wide selection of designer-inspired handbags at Baghaus. Through December 1, take $10 off purchases of $50 or more with coupon code TENOFF.

If you'd like more tailored recommendations, you cannot go wrong with GiftGirl. Provide some details about the recipient, and Jean will recommend several fantastic gifts. Whether you choose the 24-hour access option for $5, year-round access ($20) or a personal consultation with Jean ($200), you will get tailored, honest, unbiased suggestions (no paid endorsements!). Here's a little freebie from Jean:



Happy Holidays - and happy shopping!

Cool finds of the month: October 2008

Here is my monthly contribution to keeping you up-to-date with the coolest things I found lately on the web! I compiled some great stuff for you this month - so without further ado...




Although I don't like what Juicy Couture started when they came up with velour pants with writing on the butt, I actually really like a lot of this brand's clothing and accessories. So I was excited to find that they came out with a brand new line of cosmetic pouches, train cases and various adorable pavé rings and pendant necklaces (with lip gloss inside!). The new, Limited Edition line is available exclusively at Sephora, and you can see it here.

If you are thinking of getting a new, more eco-friendly car, check out EcoStiletto's article where they share the top six eco-friendly cars on the market – and on the road.

If you live in NYC or visited and are a healthy eater or have food intolerances, you have probably visited BabyCakes. I don't know about you, but I was really excited to hear that they were finally working on a cookbook! I'm happy to report that it's now available for pre-order on Amazon.com, you can get it here. BTW, BabyCakes has been awarded the title of "Best Vegan Bakery" for 2008! Congratulations!

The Google Phone is here! T-Mobile's G1 cell phone launched yesterday. It can be yours with a a two-year contract and is priced at $399.99 ($349.99 when purchased online by existing customers), but considering how many of us are Google-addicts, I think not many will fear the commitment! I am really curious to see how it stacks up against the iPhone.

The return of grunge/rock-inspired fashion also brought back "dog tag"-style necklaces. I bet you won't find any prettier than these by Willa M.

NYC fashionistas and make up addicts, here's a great chance for pampering: Bergdorf Goodman is hosting a special event next week! All next week you can enjoy a special makeover with the top YSL make up artists! And Wednesday, October 29, you can meet Val Garland, Artistic Advisor to YSL Make Up, who will be holding a master class (8.30am-11am) and sharing hot tips and tricks in the store (11.30am-7.30pm). Call 212.872.8654 to schedule your appointment, and receive a gift from the YSL Beauté line for scheduling in advance.



Ebates is a website that allows you to not only use the best discounts and coupons when you shop, but also get cash back on all your purchases. For instance, if you are looking for designer handbags, shopping through Ebates you will be able to save 30% on this Foley + Corinna bag, as well as get 3% of the purchase price re-accredited on your account. You have to admit that's pretty cool.

Some "gift with purchase" beauty offers: buy $45 of Eau Thermale Avene and get a Face & Eye anti-aging Kit ($33 value) here; or buy $30 of philosophy and get a powdered sugar cookie body souffle ($15 value) here.

Need to spruce up your hairdo for a special night out? Get up to 50% off Tigi Hair care products 60% off salon hair appliances here.

One more beauty coupon code, courtesy of SELF magazine: shop for all the new fall colors at Smashbox.com and get $25 off any purchase of $100 or more by using the code SELF25.

And of course, when I talk about beauty, how could I leave out our beloved Sephora? Get a free 10-Day sample of Bare Minerals (in your shade of choice among 6) plus a baby buki brush by typing MYSHADE at checkout. OR enter BERARE and get a free bare Escentuals Rare Minerals sample plus an applicator brush.

I came home from Florida in wedge sandals and short sleeves, to find nearly-freezing temperatures in NY. The weather is getting chilly! Time to shop for some lovely new sweaters. Armani Exchange currently has many many sweaters on sale, and through October 26 you can get an additional $25 off already discounted prices. Hurry!

If you love Michael Kors as much as I do, you'll be excited about these MK items going on sale at the Nordstrom online store:
- Peninsula patent crock clutch at $149 (originally $228)
- Peninsula patent croc shoulder bag at $299 (originally $448)
- Austin large leather satchel at $265 (originally $398)
- Austin - large leather shoulder bag at $232 (originally $348) and the nylon version at $198!

Endless.com is running a special on boots: buy two pairs and get 20% off your entire order! There are so many cute pairs that would be great for fall, that it won't be hard to pick two :-)

More shoes: through October 26, get free shipping on your entire order at Steve Madden online store.

If you were excited when TopShop opened in the US, how much are you going to love me when I tell you about the TopShop online sale? The silk puffball dresses from the Kate Moss line are 50% off!

I like to start shopping for Christmas in October and November, to get a better selection and avoid late shipping, crowds and last-minute panic. If you like to do that too, one place to check out is Amazon's Toy Saving's Event, where you can get really good offers on Toys and Games of many different kinds, for different ages. Also check the Amazon Toy Outlet for Toys and Games up to 70% off.

An offer code from InStyle: 20% off your purchase from Sacred Charms using INSTYLE08 at checkout. My favorite picks: the Birthstone Necklace, the Mauve Shell Pendant and the Autumn Splendor necklace. Check out the InStyle November Deals and Steals for more discounts and giveaways!

A great scoop from Stylehive! To celebrate its new website, Allaboutcute.com is offering new customers an amazing deal! Save $100 off your purchase of any item by entering the code STYLEHIVE at checkout. In addition, until the end of November 2008 you can get 30% off any item(s) when you use the code BEE CUTE at checkout.


Happy shopping everyone!

Cool finds of the month: September 2008

Sometimes I wonder: how I am ever going to be able to stay up to date on all my favorite blogs, the latest fashion, health & fitness news, the latest book and movie releases, the best deals, the most interesting websites, and when will I finally be able to stay on top of my e-mail inbox??

Because even when I say "to heck with everything else" and spend most of the day on the pc, I somehow still don't manage to get it all done. Are you in the same position? I figured. So I decided to help out by putting together the best things I run across throughout the month, all here in one spot. It may not be all the best on the net, but it's a lot of cool stuff. And why would I do that, when I already don't have enough time for my stuff? Good karma, babe.


- First things first: the Sex and The City movie is finally out on DVD!! As one of the few who didn't actually make it to the theater to see the movie, I am particularly excited about this - so my copy is already on pre-order :-) Candace Bushnell, meanwhile, has moved on to One Fifth Avenue. Patricia Field moved on to HSN.

- Keeping in theme, here's your road to fabulous: GiftGirl 2.0 has finally launched! Need style advice, recommendations for a gift for your fabulous friend or even someone to help people get YOU presents for your birthday or other special occasion? Look no further, Gift Girl has got it all. You won't be disappointed. Jean is fabulous - just check out her style recommendations at The Style Observer!

- PoshMama: For a few months now, I have been a member of PoshMama, a lovely web community that is an online magazine and a social network rolled into one.
Posh Mama is a positive and upbeat community made up of women from around the world. You will feel immediately welcomed as it is the sweetest spot on the 'net. Come hang out, network and make some great friends! Click on the PoshMama banner on my sidebar of go to at www.poshmama.com. And when you get there, look me up and feel free to add me as your friend - because only a friend would give you such a great tip!

- Want to get a fun little gift for a forgetful friend? Look no further than this To-Do tattoo kit! You'll both have a laugh, and she might remember to buy the bread, send that e-mail... and maybe even the name of that really lovely OPI nailpolish *wink*

- Every year Sephora asks its customers to cote for the best beauty products products in 30 different categories. Find out what the 2008 winners are, as well as the top 10 beauty tricks, recommended from the same beauty addicts who elected the créme de la créme for this year!

- As part of the weird/awesome things they are releasing for their 30th Anniversary celebration, Lego unveiled some interesting celebrity Lego characters: ShinyShiny shows us Amy Winehouse, and you can see some of the others here.


- If you love original, artsy jewellery, I have one word for you: Fragments. They have a fantastic selection of fashionable, unusual, classy-but-not-boring jewelery.` And through October 6, shipping is free on all orders. Now the question is: what to order now, and what to add to our Christmas wishlist ;-)

- I already told you about Butter London, the fabulous line of nail polish free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP. The great minds behind Butter London have created a special package of shades designed specifically around the season’s latest fashion collections: the Fashionista’s Favourites Fall/Winter ‘08 Collection, which includes the following shades: Cream Tea, HRH, Chancer, Swinger, and Chimney Sweep.
The collection, a $60-value, is already available for purchase at the Butter London website; and through September 30 you can purchase it for $40 with the coupon code fashionista08.

- Ever heard of private sales? Here's your way in: Gilt Groupe just opened! A free membership grants you access to all private sales running on the website. Sales last 36 hours, include a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women and children as well as home decòr, and feature items from luxury brands, for a fraction of the price (up to 70% off!). If this isn't exciting, I don't know what is!

- Remember Alima? My favorite brand of mineral makeup? They are about to launch their line in Europe, during Paris fashion week. To celebrate, they are offering 15% off your entire order through October 1st. Use promotional code PARIS2008 at check out.

- This is a biggie. LifeBooker is an awesome site that allows you to find the best deals in NYC for any beauty- and wellness-related service you might need, from massage to microdermalabrasion, from acupuncture to extensions and anything in between. LifeBooker also regularly sends you offers and deals for said treatments and services, and one such offer landed in my mailbox a few days ago with the current fabulous deals:

$50 gift at Midtown's Spa & Salon Chinois (for any service priced at $100 or more);

50% off at Boom Boom Beauty Bar (West Village)

50% off at Confidence Beauty (Union Square Area)

50% off at Stuart Hirsch Salon (Soho/Village)

50% off at Salon Santa Cruz (Gramercy/Flatiron)

50% off at The Skin Spa (Midtown East)

- I love nothing more than a nice handbag. And if it's free... don't even ask, just sign me up! Handbag Planet is launching on October 15 and to celebrate, they will be giving away one handbag per hour the first 24 hours on the day of the launch. Pick yours here.

- Victoria's Secret started stocking some cool beauty products in the past year - and right now (through October 15) you can get a free purple tote with 9 beauty samples (trial-sized) when you order $50 worth of beauty products. Just use code FREEBTY.

- Endless.com is one of my absolute favorites when it comes to shoe shopping. With every purchase you get free overnight shipping and free return shipping as well. I love it! And if that still isn't enough to entice you, they are now running an amazing special: with your $25 purchase you get a free subscription to Vogue, Teen Vogue or Men's Vogue. If you hurry, you might just be able to take advantage of the limited Sephora special, too: a free sample of Sephora Lip Attitude–Chic in Talented Berry, as well as an exclusive Endless.com offer for a Bare Escentuals foundation and brush sample with any Sephora.com order.

- I saved the best for last: there are some lovely things on sale (up to 70%!) on the BCBG website, including some items from the new fall line! Don't believe me? Look here.


So there you have it. Think that counts as my good deed for the day?

Cool finds... and cooler ones

Did you like my post about Alima? Were you relieved to find a brand of makeup without any of the ugly stuff?
Then you will love these two brands of nail polish, both free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP and unlike most non-toxic brands of nail polish, they come in great colors!
Zoya is very affordable and boasts an impressive selection: 300 colors. I don't know about that, but I'm in love with their Pulse Fall collection! If you prefer matte to metallics, you'll be happy to see they have a second Fall collectiion, Vibe. I love that you can get sample packs with several miniature bottles, so you can try several shades!
Butter London is slightly more expensive but everyone who tries it seems to fall in love with it. It has been featured on InStyle, Allure, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, you name it. They have some very unusual but gorgeus colors (with some cool names!), as well as treatments, base/top coats and so on (check out the foot care). The coolest thing? They sell color packs based on skin tone, so you there's no guesswork in finding the best shades for you.

I already told you about RememberTheMilk.com, but check this out: if you want something simpler, if you like to get precise directions and wish you had someone like YOU to do just that... or if you have a long to-do list and you get overwhelmed looking at all of it at once... I have the answer: NowDoThis! Input your tasks in order of priority and save - it will show you your tasks one by one, and jump to the next one on the list when you mark one "done". And if you like you can add it to your Firefox sidebar.

As you know, I was very excited about Amazon's Universal Wishlist feature - because sometimes people need a little (or a lot) of guidance to get the right present. But what to do if something is too expensive to add to your wishlist? (We don't want to seem greedy, do we?) here's what you do: create an account with ShoppingNotes, save the item you want and put the highest price you are willing to pay for it - and ShoppingNotes will send you an alert when the item is discounted at or below your selected price. Score!

And if you need a bit of relaxation, the Here Comes the Sun yoga festival (which I told you about here) is coming up, and I still have a $5.00 coupon available for online ticket purchases - just shoot me an e-mail! And if you need some yoga gear, check out the Gaiam sale.

Ahhh... ready for the weekend?