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Why Wal-Mart is the New "It" Store
The failure of the auto industry bailout, high end stores virtually liquidating their stock, and "Depressionista" replacing the term "Recessionista" as the new "ista" term, Wal-Mart and other discount mass market stores are in the prime position to be the "hot new thing". Why is Wal-Mart so hot? First, it's the economy stupid. Wal-Mart, through its mass bargaining power and its revolutionary distribution system, is able to sell items at a low price, at a time when our incomes are dropping at an alarming rate. In a challenging economy, brand loyalty tends to go out the window and cheaper prices equal more costumers. For example, a pair of black leggings, which retail for $19.99 at H&M and $9.99 at Target, can be found at Wal -Mart for $6. Don't even get me started on the Sam's Club brand of groceries-- the brand's powered lemonade mix is a full $3.00 cheaper than the Crystal Light version. As consumers struggle to meet their basic necessities, having the brand named version of items in which you can't really distinguish between the branded version and the "generic" version, like in the case of black leggings, will frankly not be a priority. Third, one stop shopping is back. Like a lot of men, my husband doesn't like to shop. In fact he breaks out into hives at the mere thought of having to spend time in a retail establishment.....except for one....Wal-Mart. Why does he, and apparently a large number of the male population, like to shop at Wal-Mart? In the words of my hubby: "I can get in and out of the store in less than 20 minutes and I don't need to comparison shop because I know it's the cheapest price". The Wal-Mart brand embodies traits that men (and women) admire - realism, practicality, efficiency. These are the very same traits we're seeing praised and encouraged in our society today. Case in point: the realistic appeal of Michelle Obama and the way she wears very practical outfits from mall-based stores like Gap, a store where she can efficiently purchase items for herself, the President-elect, and then walk next door and purchase items for her children. Fourth, Wal-Mart itself has become more fashionable. The store upped its style game, remodeling its women's apparel section, getting rid of product lines by corny c-list celebrities, launching organic lines while Target was still pushing Proenza Schouler to folks who frankly didn't care, and launching the brilliant Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart line. Wal -Mart, unlike it's competitor Target, also didn't forget their core consumer. While Target focused on expanding it's junior lines, totally ignoring the working moms who usually shop at the store,Wal-Mart developed a partnership with Kamali, to create stylish versions of the sweats Wal-Mart costumers love in, OMG, misses sizes. I predict that many top designers, (my dream is Marc Jacobs), will beg Wal-Mart to allow them to produce budget, mass market lines for the store. Fifth, the cool kids want to play. Apple iPhone and Nintendo Wiis, arguably the two hottest holiday gift items are now being sold at select Wal-Marts. As any former high school student can tell you, once the cool kids accept you, it's only a matter of time before you become a cool kid yourself.Depressionista? Why Wal-Mart is the New "It" Store By Kathryn Finney
www.thebudgetfashionista.com Second, reckless consumerism is dying. Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, one of the most popular female fictional characters of the past decade, treated consumerism as if it was a personality trait. In fact, one of the most popular episodes from the series focused on the fact that Carrie had $30,000 worth of shoes in her closet, but no money in the bank. If the show was still on air, we would find Carrie laid off from her columnist gigs and forced to sell her shoes on eBay to cover her mortgage. Instead of taking a Lincoln Town car to Barneys, she would be taking a Zipcar to the Secaucus Wal-Mart. The Carrie Bradshaw's of the world are not the only ones changing. We're also seeing several, very interesting trends, such as the reemergence of layaway and stylistas choosing the more time consuming process of sell their clothing on eBay and to consignment stores, rather than throwing them in a bag and dropping them at the local charity thrift shop.
New Year's Eve Tips
A-list celebrity party planner Marcy Blum divulged to us her ideas of how to create a great New Years Eve party at home that will blow everyone away!!
Marcy’s suggestions include:
¨ Use candy or food as decorations: Put Hershey’s kisses in a clear bowl as decorations or M&Ms for a colorful treat
¨ Use traditional things in a non-traditional way: For place cards, buy plastic champagne glasses and write everyone’s name on them
¨ Things don't have to match, even if you think they do: Mix up plates or dining ware that you have in your house in a color theme
¨ Do a balloon drop at home: You can buy a pre-set balloon drop at party stores
¨ Use multiple table cloths draped on your table: Different fabrics like a velvet topper over a silk underlay let you use various sizes without it looking awry
¨ Use star shaped cookie cutters: Be festive everywhere they look.
¨ Make a little goody bag of candy for your guests: Filled with sour candy or chocolate; your guests will be happy to have something later on at night if they’re hungry.
Have a happy, healthy and safe New Year!
Speakaboos
Speakaboos (www.Speakaboos.com), a publisher of exceptional digital content for children, today released its holiday classics library, featuring storybook videos of well-known holiday stories read by celebrities, as well as holiday songs and e-cards. All storybook titles are available for immediate viewing on Speakaboos.com for free, and may be downloaded for offline viewing. Additionally, the complete Speakaboos digital library is now available via iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com, making it easier than ever for parents to download educational and entertaining content for their children to their computer, mobile device or DVD.
Currently in beta, Speakaboos already offers over 35 titles such as Arthur, Goldilocks, The Ugly Duckling, Old McDonald and Aesop's Fables with audio provided by talented actors and musicians such as Kevin Bacon, Nick Cannon, Kelly Ripa, Marcia Gay Harden, Harry Shearer and Chazz Palminteri. At least fifteen percent of Speakaboos' revenue is contributed directly to the National Education Association (NEA) to support children's literacy and The Creative Coalition (TCC).
The titles released just in time for the holidays, include stories such as A Christmas Carol read by James Eckhouse, The Fir Tree read by Phil Brock; holiday songs such as "12 Days of Christmas," "Deck The Halls," "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah," "In The Bleak Midwinter," "Jingle Bells," "Rock of Ages," "The Dreidel Song," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas;" and e-cards for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.
Speakaboos provides a safe, fun and educational online destination for children and parents alike. For children, each story is accompanied by educational activities, games and contests that they can play alongside their parents. Parents and teachers enjoy story guides, lesson plans based on national education standards, community content and resources that reinforce the educational lessons at home and in the classroom.
"The holiday season is the best time of the year and we are thrilled to be able to offer our first ever library of holiday classics for children," said Noelle Millholt, Associate Publisher of Speakaboos. "With these offerings, children and parents will be able to celebrate traditional holiday classics in a fun, unique and modern way."
The entire Speakaboos library is available for viewing online for free on Speakaboos.com and available for download on the website at $0.99. Select titles that are combined into albums are available for the price of $8.99 per album. All Speakaboos audio tracks are also now available on iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com.
Not Your Normal e-card - For Christmas
Now you can be the star of your own online holiday greeting – launched today, Animoto Holiday Greetings (http://holidays.animoto.com/preview) are an easy, quick and inexpensive way to create and share unique holiday greetings with family and friends, using your own photos and music. Animoto videos are the perfect way to visually capture and show off your 2008 memories and express the sentiments of the holidays through personal photos, set to the beat of your favorite song.
Combining professional-quality effects, a whimsical snowscape background and a new text feature, Animoto Holiday Greetings stand out as the most personalized, vivid, and festive way to send online holiday sentiments to loved ones via email, blogs, personal websites, social networks, YouTube or mobile phones.
And, Animoto is on the nice list for your wallet - 30-second videos are FREE, full length videos are $3, and an annual subscription is $30 for unlimited full length videos. Animoto videos can be downloaded in DVD-quality too for just $5.
Moms Go Green
Here are two fantastic products and websites that feature GREEN merchandise.
Organic Lounge Jumper thedapperbaby.com
Johnson's Buddies - soap for kids
The Johnson's Buddies are an easy-grip sudzing bar of of soap. It is perfectly shaped for little fingers and the soap is actually contained within a with the super-soft pouch so it won't slip out of her hands. It is similar to a soap on a rope, minus the rope! My kids love these and since it's made by Johnson's baby-line it's mild on their eyes in case of accidents. These often are priced well with coupons at places like Walgreens or CVS. Clean someone you love, today!
verymeri
I'm right smack in the middle of back to school shopping. In my case it's really starting school shopping, since my daughter Lauren will start preschool in September. I'm always on the lookout for anything that is cute and original for my little one to wear. I found the perfect mix of trendy, cute and original with kid-designed clothing label verymeri. It's a line of T-shirts designed by kids and for kids which feature positive messages to help your child start the school year off in style.
My daughter Lauren loves her Preschool Rocks shirt and so do I. I love that the verymeri shirts are designed by children and that they feature such positive messages. They definitely stand out amongst a sea of negative messages and expressions in children's clothing. The best part is that they are also super cute and stylish. The tees are designed by kids through t-shirt design contests in schools, camps and non profit organizations. The great thing about verymeri is that they donate a proceed of each and every sale to charity. Do yourself a favor and check out their website. You will have a hard time choosing just one shirt. I promise!!
For additional info click here or visit www.verymeri.com.
LeapFrog Letter Factory
My stepmother in law, Jill, a kindergarten teacher, couldn't stop raving about the Leapfrog Letter Factory. She said that a couple of kids in her class were struggling with learning the alphabet and phonics . All it took was two weeks of watching this DVD everyday and presto problem solved. I ordered this through Amazon and have fallen in love with this DVD. The Letter Factory teaches children the alphabet and phonics with a fun storyline and a catchy song. My three year old Lauren and even my 18 month old son Michael have been running around singing the ABC's and sounding out the alphabet. It's hard to capture my son's attention but the Letter Factory does the trick. You have to give this DVD a try. Your kids will absolutely love it!!!
Retro/Vintage Stuff
I came across a website warmbiscuit.com that features a large amount of vintage bedding, fabric, toys, furniture and gifts.
They actually sell new versions of this Fischer-Price musical TV for only $28. How many of you remember having on of these?
They also feature things like a traditional red wagon.
Melissa and Doug Toys
I'm always on the lookout for fun and original toys. I was looking for something fun for my son when I stumbled upon Melissa and Doug toys. They are a smaller toy manufacturer who focus on quality and design. I fell in love with their Monster Bowling set for my son and plan on placing an order today. To learn more about Melissa and Doug click here.
Pink Tea Set
My little girl is obsessed with tea parties. I think her whole craze was started by watching Max and Ruby but that's another story for another day. I've been looking for the ultimate girly girl tea set for a little girl and I think I've found it. Pottery Barn Kids Pink Tea Set has to be the perfect tea set for your little girl. The tea set is made of galvanized metal and comes with a teapot, creamer and sugar dish, four saucers, four cups, and four little spoons. All are tucked inside a picnic-basket box. Personalization is available the picnic basket box. I can't wait to get this and be able to have our own little tea party. I can't wait.
For additional information and pricing click here
Mary's Softdough
My kids love playing with playdough. I love it to except that it crumbles oh so easily and usually winds up making a huge mess. I've been looking for a great alternative and I think I have it with Mary's Softdough. It's a soft, non-crumbly modeling dough that's fun to play with! It holds up well to lots of creative play and when stored in it's container will last up to a year. Mary's softdough is available classic solid colors and Rainbow tub versions. The best part is that all of the softdough is made from all-natural materials, just like you'd find in your own kitchen and of course nontoxic. I've placed my first order and can't wait to play with my kiddos without having to worry about a horrible mess.
For additional information click here
Nappy Sak
I have an almost 18 month old and a soon to be 3 year old and I think I've come to the point where I no longer need to carry a full fledged diaper bag. I've been doing some research and stumbled upon the Nappy Sak. It's a diaper bag perect for when you are ready to "downsize" your diaper bag.
The beautiful bags come in stylish fabrics and bamboo handles. They are very chic but also very practical. The Nappy Sak comes with a changing pad, moisture-tight container for diapers and wipes, and convenient fabric pockets for holding essentials like cell phones, keys, and credit cards. The best part is that not only are these bags super stylish they are also very affordable.
For additional information click here
Etsy
I love handmade stuff. Especially babystuff and kidstuff handmade things. I sometimes have wished over the years that I didn't have to wait until a local craft fair was in town to find handmade treasures. Well if you're like me, you don't need to look any further. Etsy is here to save the day- Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade. Etsy's mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect the makers with buyers. I love that you can find just about anything you would need for your kiddos in one great place. I've found everything from hair barrettes to great baby blankets. All in one place. If you're looking for that one of a kind item- then click here.
Just Add Cake
My daughter's 3rd birthday is just around the corner and I've been looking for party supplies just about everywhere. I've looked at a couple of places online and Just Add Cake really took the "Cake"for me. I love their Fairy Princess Line and so does my daughter. Just Add Cake basically avoids you the hassle of looking all around town or the net to find the perfect party supplies. It's a party in a box. For additional info click here
The Muppet Show Season 3
Coming May 20th on DVD- Wocka! Wocka! Wocka! Grab a seat and spend some time with characters that have kept the world laughing for over 50 years. Join the hardest working muppets in showbiz -- Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal and Fozzie Bear in THE MUPPET SHOW's fall-down funny third season. It's jam-packed with some of television prime-time's most memorable moments. AaaaAAAaaaah! Experience all 24 episodes from Season Three -- digitally remastered and restored -- in this special 4-disc DVD set. With hours of bonus features, THE MUPPET SHOW: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON is unbeatable entertainment for the whole family.
Medibuddy First Aid Kit
I think this has to be a must in every mom's bag or glove compartment. The Medibuddy by me4kidz contains 40 quality kid friendly first aid items for kids. The Medibuddy is perfect for on the go and travel as it is small enough to throw in your purse yet has everything you need for minor scrapes and cuts. Includes:
(15) 3/4 “ X 3” Red, Blue & Yellow Crayon Bandages
(1) 3” Knee & Elbow Bandage
(1) Sting Relief Pad
(4) 2” X 2” Gauze Pads (2 Two Packs)
(3) 5” X 8” Antiseptic Wipes (sting free)
(1) Burn Relief Cream
(2) Antibiotic Ointments
(12) Kid Friendly Fun Stickers
(1) Carry Anywhere Case
Assorted Colors ALL PRODUCTS ARE LATEX FREE!!
You can find Meddibuddy at Target or Babies-R-Us.. For additional info click here
Trumpette Socks
I am totally madly in love with Trumpette's socks.. They really are the cutest socks around. They're perfect for babies and I'm so sad that I didn't learn about this fantastic brand until a couple of months ago. Since then it's become my favorite baby shower gift. It's perfect for the teeny tiny babies. A sock that doubles as a shoe!! Gotta love it.
For additional styles and info click here.
Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper
The one thing I could not live without if I were to have another baby is without My Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. I have used this co-sleeper attachment with both of my kids and plan on using it with my next child. The Arm's Reach® Co-Sleeper® Bassinet is the only patented co-sleeping product on the market that offers an exclusive method for attaching the babies sleep space securely to the side of the parent's bed. You and your baby sleep safely and comfortably next to each other from the moment the two of you come home. It has all the benefits of co-sleeping but none of the dangers of bed-sharing. I loved that I could have my babies close by but I didn't need to worry about their safety. You can easily feed during the night and I think it helps the baby sleep better because they can feel you close by and vice versa. If I could recommend only one product to an expecting parent this would be it. It converts from a cosleeper bassinet(it's the only bassinet I know that can hold up to 30 pounds) to a free standing bassinet to a playard.
For additonal information click here
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