Valentine’s Day Gifts

Posted on January 31, 2012 by shari

Guys, this is for you! Tips and ideas on what to buy your Valentine.

Do you remember when you were a kid in grade school? You received wonderful handmade Valentine’s Day gifts and cards from your secret crushes with Sweetheart candies taped inside? It felt great!

I really think that we should try to rekindle those yummy butterfly, stomach flipping feelings this Valentine’s Day.

Maybe not roses?

How many times have you bought roses for your wife/partner/girlfriend? If you are going to go for flowers, how about something different? Something fresh, something young? How about tulips?

I personally love tulips and would much rather receive a beautiful vase filled with colorful tulips than red roses. In my house they seem to last longer, too!

Valentine’s Day Jewelry

I bet that if your significant other has Pinterest there will be a board that is named, “I dream for”, “I wish, or “my style”. There you will be able to find some wonderful ideas on what she really wants.

If you are thinking about jewelry there are two routes you can take

1. Heavy duty

2. Everyday meaningful.

For those who are intending to buy heavy duties, remember diamonds are a girl’s best friend. So if she doesn’t have a pair of classic diamond studs, now is the time to rectify that situation.

The “everyday meaningful” reminds me of the soda can tabs that boys in school would give to their first loves as a promise ring (I have a few in my memory chest). A simple ring with a meaningful message will do the trick. This one won’t cut her finger!

Valentine’s Day Gifts – Wrapping

Wrapping nicely does take a little imagination; however, how your gift is presented is almost as important as the gift. Women like nice, so go the extra mile and wrap your Valentine’s Day gifts using unique materials, recycled or upcycled is fabulous. Use her favorite colors, or spray some of your cologne on the card. Better yet, make your own card, just like you did in grade school.

There are more great Valentine’s Day gift ideas (for men and women) on our Pinterest Board. Do you have any unique Valentine’s Day gift ideas for the special woman in your life? Please share them with us on our Facebook page.

Shopping for a New Handbag – eBags

Posted on January 30, 2012 by shari

It’s time! Yes, after years of wearing and tearing my favorite irreplaceable black handbag (tote) I have given in, and I’m on the search for the perfect run-out-of-the-house-with-my-office-in-my-bag bag!

This is my (I won’t tell you how old it is) black leather DNKY handbag.

In it, I have a small laptop, iPad, leather-bound notebook, wallet (big), Kleenex, lipstick, keys, iPhone, ear buds, gloves, pens, more lipstick, glass case (sunglasses), pony tail holders, mini umbrella, and a few other small items.

Searching For the Perfect Purse

A couple of days ago, I saw this blog post called The Best Pink Laptop Bags I’m not really looking for a laptop bag, but I do need a bag that will fit my laptop. I followed the links until I magically reached eBags!

eBags

The site is clean, clear, and organized. Right on top, in my face, there is a customer service link. That’s great for me; I like to ask a lot of questions before I actually buy. I have to give them bonus points for the integrated service!

I start my search – click – handbags (the first category) what comes up on the next screen? SALE. My mother always taught me to go to the sales racks first; I am listening and doing just that.

My click flow looked something like this:

Sale
Totes
Leather
Black
37 bags to choose from

There were some great bags but some were over my budget and others were not my style.

I choose a shape that I liked and the suggestions from the site were perfect. Somehow I landed on this large slip pocket tote. Unfortunately, this bag has no compartments. I went back to the main navigation and started again.

This time I went to laptop bags, realizing that the contents of my bag are expensive and should be more organized.

The categories made it easy to navigate through the site and find the handbag that would suit my needs. I decided to hold back on leather because spring is almost here and I saw a few tan-colored handbags at great prices, and I’m thinking about making a return trip to eBags in the very near future.

I found this.

What do you think? (I will order it in black)

Ebag handbag shopping roundup

Pros:

Easy to navigate
Huge selection
You can share and earn on your eBag favs using PalTip links
Great division into categories
Easy customer service (online 24/7)
At checkout, I received an additional discount (I didn’t know that was going to happen)
Canadian and International shipping (through partner programs)

Cons:

Honestly, I didn’t find very many aspects of the site that I didn’t like. Maybe too much of a selection!
I couldn’t find a way to use more than one subcategory together. For example: leather and nylon – I had to go back and forth.

Which is your favorite laptop bag? Where do you love shopping for handbags online? Let me know in the comments below or on our Facebook Page .

Pinterest and PalTip – Hand in Hand

Posted on January 23, 2012 by shari

Have you started pinning?

How many boards do you have?

Who are you following? And who is following you?

If you don’t already know what it is then here is my definition of Pinterest:

Pinterest is a social space where you can curate your dreams, ideas, the beautiful things you find on the internet, tips, do-it-yourself projects, your favorite products and more.

Pinterest has been around for a while but it’s popularity has skyrocketed in the past few months.

Why do I need Pinterest?

Remember the days when you would rip out ads, pictures and interesting headlines from magazines and newspapers and pin them on a bulletin board? Well now you can do it online (and you don’t have to worry about the dust). Pin away! Dream, explore and bucket lists!

How to use Pinterest?

Sign up (there is a waiting list if you don’t have an invite, but if you have a friend who is on ask them to send you an invite or contact me on twitter (@paltip)

Make sure you use the browser extension (makes life much easier) it is similar to the PalTip Bookmarklet.
Name your different boards i.e. design, kitchen must haves, foodies, my gadgets, DIY, organization, my style, favorite reads, etc (be creative – it is so much fun)
Search for friends already using Pinterest and start following them (or just the boards that are of interest to you).
Search for keywords and see what is being posted
Start pinning!

For a great explanation and tutorial on Pinterest read this.

PalTip and Pinterest

Pinterest is another platform where you can post your PalTip links!

Just copy your PalTip unique link into the Pinterest Pin upload, choose an image, the right board and presto (that is a lot of P’s) your pin is now linked using PalTip.

Remember the more people who see your Paltip links the greater the possibility for you to earn your share!

What is SOPA and why do I care?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by shari

SOPA is the acronym for Stop Online Piracy Act

What does that mean? Well, let me tell you in layman’s terms – SOPA is the government’s proposed legislation that will stop copyright infringement by foreign websites. What I really think it is – is a way for the USA government to start on the path down censorship!

Yes, you heard me – censorship!

Blackouts

Today there are numerous websites that are demonstrating against SOPA by turning off the lights on their websites. The leaders are Wikipedia, Craigslist and The Oatmeal. In addition sites like Google, Yahoo, and Ted are working hard to defeat it.

Here is a great infographic explaining SOPA and how it will affect you.

Via: Business Insurance Blog

All someone has to do is accuse a person or a site of copyright infringement and their sites will be taken down,without proof of the actual infringement. WOW! Due to the fact that the bill is written so vaguely, any website can be defined as a threat.

Do you get it? They can take down Facebook, Photobook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and so many more. Look at YouTube, half of the videos could be taken off! The whole site could be shut down for non-compliance!

Censorship! Or as Anonymous says “SOPA will stop the free flow of information”.

What do you think of SOPA and what are you doing to fight against it?

Charity and The Give Back

Posted on January 18, 2012 by shari

char·i·ty/ˈCHaritē/

Noun:

The voluntary giving of help, typically money, to those in need.
Help or money given in this way.

We are proud to announce that PalTip has partnered with FirstGiving.com.

First Giving was chosen first and foremost for its security protocol and secondly because of their cooperation with so many worthy charities.

PalTip Gives Back

The PalTip team is also giving back, 10% of PalTip’s profits will be donated to charity.

When you have earned $50 or more from your PalTips’, you may proceed to your account and cash-out. We have added a new option to the cash-out process. You can now donate all, or part of your earnings to the charity of your choice using First Giving.

“We help ordinary people raise extraordinary amounts of money for causes they care about. We provide an easy to use, secure portal for donors to give online. You can choose from over 8000 charities”. Firstgiving.com

Why give back?

Giving back, charity, donating time or money is good for everyone including you. There is the saying “it is better to give than to receive” it is a proven fact that you do feel better when you help somebody else.

Why give back? Now, more than ever, communities, charities and non-profits need our assistance. It is a way of taking care of our future and our children’s future. Whether you donate to the Red Cross or, to a local SPCA, Doctors Without Borders, or a community water project, you are helping others, helping to make the world a better place.

Online giving is an easy way to help you give back to your community or the community at large.

Start tipping and start giving!

Golden Globes Fashion Fest

Posted on January 15, 2012 by shari

The award season officially kicks off tonight with The Golden Globe Awards. Are you going to be watching? Are you having a special screening party? I will be in front of the TV with my Twitter open and will tweet my way through the red carpet shows.

I think, and I am sure a lot of you will agree with me, that the Golden Globes and their red carpet events are the fashion events of the year.

Award Season Schedule

Tonight Sunday, January 15th - 2012 Golden Globe Awards Presentation

Sunday, January 22nd - Producers Guild Awards
Tuesday, January 24th - Oscar nominations announced at 5:30 a.m. PT
Saturday, January 28th - Directors Guild Awards
Wednesday Sunday, January 29th - 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Saturday, February 4th - Art Directors Guild Awards
Sunday, February 12th - 2012 BAFTA Awards
Sunday, February 26th - 2012 Academy Awards

We all gawk at the stunning fashions,and obsessively love the red carpet specials, even though we laugh sometimes at the ridiculous commentary. Are you making mental notes on what stunning dresses and accessories you would love to have in your closets? (Continue reading – tips below) I am!

I watch to see which of the nominees make their best fashion statement yet and which make the worst dressed list. There are usually some interesting surprises.

Fashion Bloggers

I love to dive in to some of my favorite fashion bloggers posts prior to the Golden Globes to get their predictions. I think that the woman on the street has a better idea what will work and what won’t.

Some of my favorite blogs are:

Celebrity Knock Offs

Did you know that there are designers , pattern makers and seamstresses, on call the night of the awards to freeze-frame on the stunning dresses and have them in production by the end of the after party!

It happens that fast!

The king of the celebrity knock offs is Allen B Schwartz – and his label is ABS, which BTW was the label on my wedding dress that I purchased at Saks 5^th for just $150.

Some of the original dresses can range in price from $10,000 -$25,000 but the ABS label produces the knock offs for anywhere between $200 and $350.

Tip: Golden Globe Dresses at Everyday Prices

Here are some other online stores where you can find some great “celebrity style” dresses.

Alloy
Light In the Box
eDressme
PromGirl
Tiza
Faviana

So tell me who will make a hit and who will miss?

Healthy Lifestyle

Posted on January 12, 2012 by shari

New Year’s Resolutions series – Healthy Lifestyle

Our world is changing fast. With new technologies our lives are supposedly made easier, better, but is it true?

We have eco-friendlier cars, but isn’t it better to take that walk instead of turning the key?

I have decided that I want to live longer. I want to live to walk my daughter down the aisle and babysit the grand kids. How am I going to do that? I’m going to change my habits and start living a healthy lifestyle.

Easy Healthy Lifestyle Tips

1. Exercise

I was discussing with my BFF how I loathe working out, gym memberships and working out in front of super models; she suggested that I check out SparkPeople . It’s free so I registered! The owners’ goal is to make the world a healthier place. I must admit that since my BFF got on the bandwagon, she looks amazing. The site includes articles on nutrition, motivation, wellness and more.

I am also going to seriously get this treadmill and hook up the extra TV on the wall opposite it!

Nutrition

We are what we eat! Honestly, we do not have very much junk food in the house. If we feel like having a cookie then I bake them (have I mentioned that I am an extreme baker?) and I use healthier ingredients than what you would find in store-bought cookie.

Photo: @hilzfuld

We also have to be eating more colors, more fruit, less red meat, more fish, less white flour, and drinking lots more water. This is actually much easier than it seems;, we just have to change our mindset and we have to shop accordingly – using the pre-planned meal setup and shopping list will make this easier.

I found this site that has a list 50 Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle that take 10 Minutes or Less ; It made me laugh to see how easy and simple it is to change your lifestyle into a healthy lifestyle.

Did you know?

If you do the following 4 things statistics say that you will live an average of 14 years longer than people who do not take the plunge into living healthy!

Don’t smoke
Exercise
Drink alcohol in moderation
Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day

This is the last post of the New Year’s Resolutions series; it is time to turn the resolutions into reality on a day-to-day basis.

Are you keeping up with your New Year’s Resolutions?

References: The Healthy Eating Guide MarketResearch.com

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn595w.htm

Save Money

Posted on January 10, 2012 by shari

Did I say that this was going to be one of my New Year’s Resolutions?

I have put together a spreadsheet using excel with all of my monthly expenses like I said I would. Everything! I can’t believe the list in the miscellaneous column. Now it is time to get down to the nitty gritty and see exactly where I can save money. Tip: I used this YouTube video to set up my budget.

But for those who are not going to go the spread sheet method (and you know you really should) here are some basic and very obvious simple ways to save money :

5 Easy Tips to Save Money

1. Food

Food is a daily expense that adds up – adds up big. Working in an office 8 hours a day you have to eat, but do you really have to eat at the mall every day? No! Make your lunch – record how many times you didn’t go to a restaurant and how much those meals would have cost you – by the end of the month that adds up to a lot of savings. Remember food savings goes much farther than that. Open your cupboards and pantry, pre plan your meals around what you have, if you are missing ingredients and staples make your list. Don’t buy what you don’t need. That saves lots of money!

2. Utilities

Electricity is our biggest utility expense. Change your lightbulbs to energy efficient ones, turn down the thermostat, turn off the air-conditioning (install ceiling fans), turn off lights, and unplug appliances. Did you know that you can save a huge percentage on your electricity when you decrease your phantom loads? Phantom load is electricity that is being used by an appliance or device even when it is turned off. For example your TV, mobile chargers, computers and screens, fax machines, cable boxes, printers, microwaves, coffee makers, DVD players and more. You can save between 6-10 percent of your electricity bill this way.

3. Gardening

Fire the gardener!

a. Do your own gardening. Ask my husband, cutting the grass is great therapy! He plugs his ear buds in and mows away.

Save Money with a vegetable garden

b. If you have a large enough garden, start planting your own vegetable and herb garden. It is easy to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, carrots, mint, oregano, thyme, lettuce and more. Growing your own produce is healthier, no harmful pesticides. In addition, it is a great way for the family to spend quality time together.

4. Coupons!

Use them. There are two types of people in this world coupon users and coupon haters. Now is the time to become a coupon lover. I am not talking about coupon sites that offer you a 50% discount on the vacation that you can’t afford; I am talking about coupons that you should use when doing your weekly shopping for food and basic home products.

Go through the weekend papers and flyers with your shopping list in hand, write down next to the item a big C if you find a coupon for it and then clip the coupon to your list! Don’t forget to look for online coupons too. I love thekrazycouponlady there you can find amazing coupons and she has an aggregated coupon list. I am going to order her book too!

5. Pay bills on line – on time!

I know it might sound trivial – but by paying your bills on line you save money in numerous ways.

Time
Gas (drive to the mailbox or post office)
Stamp money
Banking on line is cheaper than writing a check today in most cases.
Late payment fees (the check is in the mail)

We would love to hear about your money saving tips here or on our Facebook Page.

Let’s save enough in 2012 to go on a fabulous vacation in 2013!

Recycle – Upcycle

Posted on January 8, 2012 by shari

New Year’s Resolutions 4 Part Series – Recycle / Upcycle

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to do what I can to save the environment. No I probably don’t have time to go out and demonstrate on the streets, but I do have time to run my home in a more environmentally friendly way.

Recycle

We all recycle and if you don’t you’ll probably get fined from your local municipality! I have changed the way I look at packaging when I shop. What am I looking for?

Smaller packaging
Recycled packaging
Packaging that can be upcycled

*Pet peeve small products that come in huge boxes!

Upcycling

What is Upcycling?

“Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.”

Guess what? It is the biggest trend since Tickle Me Elmos!

Tip: What can be easily upcycled?

Old Clothing (including those old dresses that you never wear!)
Old Towels
Old Sheets
Glass bottles
Old CDs

Upcycling Ideas and Resources

I found this book on Amazon that I am going to order. ( I hope it is made from recycled paper!)

When I was looking for something to do with old dresses and clothing (because I already have “make a necklace out of an old t shirt pattern) I found this blog New Dress A Day. She is a talented seamstress – but she makes things look so easy to make I am going to start a project today, OK tomorrow.

Here I found 10 ways to upcycle my old towels and sheets

This is one of my favorite finds, I love wine and I love flowers in my house. Shabby Modern Chic.

This site has some great upcycling ideas – I just bookmarked it!

CDs. How many of those do you have around? I must have around 300! Really believe me.

I can think of 100s of rainy day craft projects using the old CDs. Clocks are great fun; let the kids decorate them add the numbers and buy the clock mechanisms in the local craft shop.

Mobiles
Door signs
Decorated coasters
Do you have any cd containers around? How about taking your bagel to work like this?

I love this! I am going to do it now! I have a paper towel holder under my sink that I never use or I should say we never put the roll back on the holder after something has spilled – and I have a million bracelets in a million places in my bedroom.

Do you have upcycling tips to share with us? Please do – here and on our Facebook Page.

Random Acts of Kindness

Posted on January 4, 2012 by shari

New Year’s Resolutions 4 Part Series – Random Acts of Kindness

When was the last time that you meet someone randomly and you hugged them?

When was the last time that you bought coffee for someone in line after you at your local coffee shop – just for the “nice” of it?

Random acts of kindness make you feel good but more so they make the receiver feel awesome!

Meaningful Random Acts of Kindness Tips:

Leave a note of appreciation to your mail carrier
Make a CD of your favorite music for a good friend, just because
Compliment a stranger
Bring some flowers to work and leave one on each of your co-workers’ desks
Write a thank-you note to a soldier serving overseas
Just hug somebody! (My favorite: Free Hugs)

There are so many blogs that are being written about RAKs I found a few that, well, are inspiring. This is my favorite quote from the blog The Daily Love :

I love the way it feels to give someone a happy unexpected surprise. So many people subconsciously wait for the iron foot to drop and take away joy in their day. How awesome would it be if we could start a frenzy of surprising people with good deeds – so instead of waiting for the rug to get pulled out from underneath them — people would begin waiting for support, love, and grace to happen in any given moment of any given day?

There is even an official Random Acts of Kindess Week – it takes place from February 13^th-19^th. Maybe get your office involved in something.

Apps

I am a geek and lover of apps – I found an app for reporting RAK! BoomBoom “The place to witness, document & celebrate the good in our everyday” Sounds good to me, so I downloaded here.

For all the best information on RAK check out http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ .

I would love you to share your RAKs tips with me here in the comments.