Problem: Boring Bedroom; Solution: Cymax Bedroom Furniture!

I have to admit that I've always been more concerned with furnishing the more 'public' areas of my home rather than our bedroom.  But when you think of it, with all of the multi-tasking and care you give to your family, you deserve to have a relaxing bedroom, complete with functional bedroom furniture.  However, functional doesn't necessarily mean pricey.  In fact, when you shop at Cymax, you can get cheap bedroom furniture that is functional and attractive!

Cymax has everything you need to create a calming yet efficient oasis in your bedroom.  You can shop bedroom sets if you don't want to think through each piece, or mix and match beds, nightstands, dressers, chests, mattresses, headboards, bunk beds, and bedding.  I like the idea of making different pieces work together in a room.  Because Cymax's bedroom furniture is so affordable, you don't have to wait 20 years to re-style your bedroom!  I would love to outfit our space with a shabby look.  To that, Cymax offers this 5 drawer chest along with this fabric-covered blanket chest.  Add a great fabric-covered headboard and a fresh coat of seafoam paint and we've created a new bedroom complete with storage.  Cymax makes it all possible at a wonderful price! (pssst, Cymax is offering free shipping on almost everything through May16th--it's worth a look!)

This post was brought to you by Cymax.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Cymax, a great online furniture retailer!

Today I get to introduce you to a furniture e-tailer that is new to me: Cymax.  Cymax has more than 100 specialty online stores--one of the largest selections of products on the web.  Cymax Stores offer competitive pricing, helpful information, the best customer service and secure ordering. One of Cymax stores Computer Desks n More showcases a HUGE selection of computer desks!  Need a new office desk?  Cymax is the place to start (and end).

At the bottom of the Computer Desks n More homepage there is a great guide for choosing the kind of computer desk that will maximize your productivity and utilize the space in your office or home office.  Looking for a U-shaped desk, L-shaped desk or a workstation?  Cymax breaks down the parts of the desk, how to shop for them and which features make up a great office suite.  

My personal favorite is the roll-top desk.  I love the antique-y look of one, all of the nooks and crannies and how you can just roll the top down to cover your office.  If I'm going to live in reality with the rest of the world, however, we probably only have room for this kind of workstation in our 1200 sq foot home (in Hawai'i so who's complaining?).  Either way, I know I'll be able to shop for the best office desk at the best price at Cymax!



This post was brought to you by Cymax.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Coupon Chief Creates Savings!

I was recently introduced to Coupon Chief, the largest source of online coupons and store discounts for apparel, electronics, travel, entertainment and more.  I'm no stranger to sites with coupon codes; in fact I'm a stalwart fan of them when it comes to shopping online.  If it can't be bought with a coupon code, I probably won't buy it.

So I come to Coupon Chief with fairly experienced eyes.  At first glance, I love the clean look and the easy navigation of the site.  You can use popular tags to browse their coupon database or you can use the search field at the top to look for specific savings, stores or codes.  If you're new to coupon code sites, there's an excellent tutorial HERE about how to use the site to save $$.  I was able to snag a 30% off everything for Kohl's credit card holders right out of the gate with Coupon Chief (and get great deals on Easter dresses for my girls!).

Not only is Coupon Chief great for finding the latest and greatest coupon codes for you to shop with but many of the codes are actually user-generated.  This is how it works: Coupon Chief members can enroll in the Pays-2-Share program where they can submit a coupon code, someone else comes along and uses the coupon.  The member who submitted the code earns 2% of the purchase price.

Not only can you save some money at Coupon Chief, you can also make some!  Signing up to be a member at Coupon Chief is free and easy.  Go check it out! I'm a fan! 

prologue: I finished my Kohls Easter shopping after I published this post. Using two coupon codes I got from Coupon Chief, I saved over $32 on my purchase and got free shipping on top of that.  High five, Coupon Chief!

This post is brought to you by CouponChief.com.  Any and all opinions here are 100% mine.

Celebrating Mother's Day with Tiny Prints

I love personalized stationary. In my opinion sending a card is great but a photo beats all! Today I want to spotlight Tiny Prints, an online print retailer for all your personalized invitations, stationary, photo books and gifts, etc. Tiny Prints provides simple, modern and unique stationery from Fathers Day Cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations or photo birth announcements. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch! They offer perfect party invitations for every occasion and memorable personalized photo-gifts like notebooks, photo books and calendars to commemorate the event.

Mother's Day is the perfect time to send a personalized greeting card. I especially love the cards where you upload family photos like this lovely "grandma's garden" card. Mother's Day isn't just for one mother but mom friends, mother-in-laws, new moms with little babies or grandmas with bundles of grandbabies. 


Saying "thank you" for being a mom is so very important. Moms have such a hard job with constant spills and messes to clean up, laundry to do, meals to prepare, etc. Sometimes it seems like such a "hard knock life!" I was asked by Tiny Prints to present my kids with the question of "What makes mom awesome?". Well, my darling cuties were very thorough in their answer when they included meal prep, chauffeuring, and sewing. It just so happens that these dolls were all dressed up from a Tahitian dance recital earlier in the evening where we arrived and realized that somehow I missed the memo to bring leis for your child. Thankfully another mom had a needle and thread and there was a plumeria tree nearby that I could quickly pick, string and tie a lei for each daughter. Someday they'll hear the story and better appreciate the hectic hour I experienced as I realized my daughters would be the only ones on stage without leis. Oh the hoops we mommas jump through to make sure our children are taken care of. 


Here's the video of two of my cute girls telling why they think I'm awesome. 
(Aren't they cute?!?)

Tiny prints has some really cute Mother's Day cards. Visit their site and order one today!

I received store credit in exchange for my review but any and all opinions here are my own.

Become.com: The Relevant Shopping Site

Product Shopping and Research Together

Have you checked out Become.com yet?  It's the only fully integrated Web-wide product search and comparison shopping site on the Internet. Become uses AIR, Affinity Index Ranking, to make sure you're not spending your precious time clicking useless links.  Instead, you, the shopper, can find what you need quick and at the best price!
Looking for a new mini fridge?  Search for it at Become.com.  You can narrow your search by brand, price range, store, category or key word.  Same thing if you’re looking for a new wine glass rack, bread slicer or pantry cabinet plus so much more!  The extra-cool option I love about Become is that you can search for a product or research it to make sure you get the most value for your buck.  No more opening multiple screens and toggling back and forth between your research and your shopping. 
Don’t forget to visit Become’s coupon selection so you can shop the best price on products PLUS use a coupon to drop the price even lower.  Editor’s Picks, a Tip Center, Top Ten Lists and even a Become free iPad app make it oh so easy to get the best prices on the best values.  Shopping at Become.com is a win-win~!

This blog post is courtesy of Become.com and Blogvertise.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Check out Stodgy is Sexy

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Caid for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We Are The Revolution. We Are Boring.

The movement has begun.  Arrogance is out.  Conspicuous consumption is out.  Risk is definitely out.  In the ways we spend, dress, invest, and consume, we are returning to old values like thrift, simplicity, and basic common sense.  Stodgy?  Absolutely.  And stodgy is a good thing. Stodgy is Sexy.
What to do with a website that embraces its frugal identity like that?  Well you bookmark it or add it to your Google reader, of course!  Because of the recent financial upheaval felt 'round the world, cheap is in.  Skinflint is hip!  And Stodgy is Sexy.  This site proudly calls attention to the simplicity movement and declares frugality to be mainstream.
In the hub's family and mine, we come from solidly cheap genes so downsizing has not been hard for us.  In fact, our living fast and loose in the good times looked pretty stodgy to everyone else.  We aren't so interested in things and we never were.  We embrace experiences and our few indulgences have been about traveling with the kids.  While the world teetered financially, we were blessed enough to keep our jobs and upgrade our living situation which caused us to be more stodgy than ever with our money.  I'm not saying this to point out our sexy stodgy-ness but, rather, to say that being fiscally conservative has served us in good times and bad.  And that's why its so fun to follow a site like Stodgy is Sexy.
If you've had to downsize your lifestyle or you just embrace simplicity and frugality, go to Stodgy is Sexy and watch webisodes about like-minded folks who proudly declare that the new SEXY is Stodgy and show you exactly how.
Although my video below doesn't come near the quality and utility of the webisodes on Stodgy is Sexy, check out my three useful tools for embracing the Stodgy life (and saving some $$):

Making Sure Everyone Knows Their Options

This post brought to you by Fannie Mae. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you think the U.S. recession is winding down or not, we all know someone who has been affected by it.  Some have lost their jobs, some have fallen behind on their mortgage and have gone through foreclosure.  Its been a tough time for folks and some have chosen to "go it alone"--not getting the help and support they need to keep what they've worked for all their lives.  That's where Know Your Options by Fannie Mae can help.  The website is an online resource for overwhelmed and frustrated homeowners to learn more about the following: ways to avoid foreclosure, options for giving up a home if there are no alternatives, resources to make sure homeowners have exhausted all of their options, scams to avoid when looking for mortgage relief, and finally how to take action checklist when people are ready to put their lives back together again.

The past few years have been hard on the American people.  Make sure you and the people you care about get the help you need to negotiate with your mortgage company, avoid foreclosure, or protect the resources you have.  KnowYourOptions.com  is a comprehensive website dedicated to helping Americans keep their homes and/or weather this recession.  It provides help when you need it the most.

TABASCO® your food to get the most out of every bite!

This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Years ago, my college roommates used to accuse me of "marking" whatever I was eating with Tabasco sauce to keep them from helping themselves to my food.  I wasn't marking anything!  I was simply enjoying the layers of flavor that TABASCO® Original Red adds to all kinds of dishes.  Since those college days, TABASCO® Original Red has always been a part of my bag of tricks to liven up a main course, pasta dish or even a dip.

For example, TABASCO® enhances the flavor of pizza so that you taste more in the pizza!   Check out the Pizza Perfected page listing 10 yummy ways to doctor your pizza with TABASCO®.  The unique blend of salt, pepper and vinegar deepens a dish's own flavor rather than imposing a hot sauce flavor on the food.
Here's a great recipe for Spicy Garlic Panini Sauce from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 1/2 teaspoon TABASCO®

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder (I use the 1 t to let the TABASCO® shine through!)

Directions:

1.	Stir the mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Use immediately or keep refrigerated. (this sauce is great on plain old sandwiches as well!)

Since the Super Bowl is right around the corner, consider using TABASCO® Original Red to add some zest to the food you serve.  Check out the Game-Day Party Menu  at the TABASCO® site for some simple ideas and recipes.  Happy Eating!

My Pier 1 Christmas Wishlist

This post brought to you by Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.
Dear Santa,
Now that my style has evolved away from "yard sale shabby" and moved closer to funky contemporary, we just need to get the husband on board.  I'll work on getting him to throw stuff out so that we don't end up on an episode of  Hoarders while you help me with this wish list of holiday gifts.  Santa, I've been very good this year!  So good that I think I deserve to read by the light of this set of Iron Rings Lamps, don't you?  Only at Pier 1, Santa, only at Pier 1!  Or if we don't get much decluttering done, why we can store stuff behind this lovely Semar Floor Screen available at Pier 1. So many choices, so few Christmases!

Don't forget, Santa, that you and all of the other holiday shoppers, during the months of November and December, can support Toys for Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy and/or making a cash donation at the register while shopping at Pier 1.  Another way to spread holiday cheer is by liking Pier 1 Imports on Facebook. For every new fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.  Some win-win peace on Earth, goodwill to men, Santa! (and cool Pier 1 stuff for my house!) I know, I know: Cheer 1 Imports, Snow Time like the Present!

The Best Gift(s) I've Given

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.
For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.
Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

Well, after several hours of Christmas carols ringing through the house, I think I've caught the Christmas spirit.  Too bad I don't have my Christmas shopping done.  Actually my shopping pretty light this year and this has everything to do with the best gifts I can give to my children.  Growing up, my family didn't have a lot for our Christmases, so on some level, as a mom I've thought that the quantity of gifts I give my children is perhaps as important as the quality.  And then like most moms, I'm picking up or stepping on those precious Christmas gifts the rest of the year (while grumbling--lets not forget the grumbling!).  One of my kids doesn't even open some of her presents until six months later--that's how committed she is to her Christmas stuff.  (more grumbling)

So the hub and I are of the same mind that we have to dial things down and emphasize experience over material objects.  Have you ever sat around with your family and discussed times spent together?  My girls LOVE to do that.  Often those are the bed time stories the hub tells them.  They love to start dinner conversations with "Remember when  . . " and those discussions dissolve into laughter when we relive the special irony of that memory.

We are committed to giving those kinds of gifts to our children now.  So, in two days, sort of against my will, we're traveling to the mainland for our Christmas holidays.  The homebody is me just wants to sit at home and relax.  The mom who has declared war on stuff just for the sake of having stuff is ready to go and have adventures with my family.  What memories will we make?  Well, some will have to do with family snowboarding lessons (and me falling down a lot).  A few will have us jumping in and out of outdoor mineral hot pools in the middle of snow country.  Lots are surrounded by extended family.

There won't be a ton of gifts.  The ones there will be those reflecting the relationship between the giver and the receiver.  For example, Second Born talked for years about wanting a robe even though we live in Hawai'i where robes are optional night-time wear.  So last year when I gave her a robe, that gift outshined all of the rest and she has taken that robe to bed every night since--sometimes holding it like a stuffed animal because it was too hot to wear it.  The fleece of that robe is worn in spots and its looking pretty ghetto these days but that gift was very much worth giving because it showed her I was listening to her.  She has started hinting that a new robe is in order this year and will be something I get for her because the last one was so precious.  Those are the kinds of gifts I aspire to give my children--the best gifts I can give them.  What gifts will you give this year?

Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.

Heart of Haiti at Macys.com

Anyone who reads the news these days knows that many in the island nation of Haiti are still suffering the after-effects of the earthquake there.  This is where Macy's initiative is cool: the Heart of Haiti collection is helping to rebuild Haiti through "trade, not aid" and emphasizes lasting social change.  Instead of a one time or perpetual handout, Heart for Haiti allows artisans to earn an income and help them, their families and their communities get back on their feet.  The collection is truly helping the people of Haiti rebuild their lives and communities through commerce and culture.  It has already employed over 300 artisans and has assisted 4,000-5,000 Haitians financially. Products for sale in the Heart for Haiti collection include vases, candleholders, serving trays, picture frames, mirrors, coasters, necklaces, clutch purses and more, most falling into the $25-$60 range.  Check out Heart for Haiti at Macys.com--get some shopping and giving done at the same time! 

I am writing this post to spread the word about Heart of Haiti through a Mom Bloggers Club member program and I may received a Heart of Haiti pendant as a thank you.  Any and all opinions here are my own.