For the past few years, I’ve been stuck in what I call a bra rut. (It sounds like more fun than it is - trust me!) You see, several years ago, I found one particular style and brand of bra that fit me very, very well, so I began buying only that style and brand. Recently, the brand I put my faith in decided to change the style I loved so much. I bought one of their “new models”, and I was not impressed. It came with little gel “implants” inside the cup padding, as to point out that my A cup is simply not large enough. Gee, thanks! That leaves me with a few bras from the past few years that aren’t ready to be tossed yet, but not enough bras to get through a week. Which means shopping once again for designer bras without a designer price tag. Despite trying on what seems like hundreds of bras at local department stores, I haven’t found anything that works for me. I’ve decided to search online, and found ShopBarbara.com, a fashion website that offers a large selection of brand names I’ve never heard of. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since I live in a rural area that seems to get the new styles about 5 years after they are new, if you know what I mean.

Regardless, I’ve found all sorts of cute things, like the Belabumbum bras and Hanky Panky bras (pictured here) which are not only cheaper than what I’ve been buying all of these years, but in a style that looks to be a little more fun than the basic bra I’ve grown accustomed to! Bonus points to the store for offering a discount to shoppers who spend at least $100!

This is a sponsored review.

I went to the grocery store today and decided to grab a few pints of blueberries for one last blueberry cobbler. It was only after I decided that blueberry cobbler would be perfect for tonight, that I had to have it, and reminded myself of how good it was going to taste that I noticed each pint of blueberries was $3. THREE DOLLARS! I had to buy five pints at that price, since frozen blueberries just don’t do…

$15 is an expensive dessert, but it sure was worth it!

Have you ever heard of a Turducken? The first time I heard the word, I wasn’t sure what it was - a new style of shoe? A new SUV model? Some exotic vacation destination?

How about none of the above? A Turducken is a chicken, inside a duck, inside a turkey. I don’t know about you, but I like chicken, I like duck, and I like turkey. Combining the three sounds good to me! The dish is straight out of N’awlins, and it’s gaining popularity after being mentioned on FootTV and VH1. The semi-boneless turkey has a deboned duck inside, which has a deboned chicken inside of it. Stuffing is placed in between each “meat” layer to make a tasty and moist treat that serves up to 20 people! Bake it, grill it, or even smoke it….mmmmm! When you order your Turducken online at CajunGrocer.com, you get the option of choosing the kind of stuffing you’d like, from a list that includes Turducken with Creole Sausage & Cornbread or Turducken with Seafood Jambalaya. I’ve got to tell Jim about this so I can find out if we can try it for Thanksgiving!

I picked up a framing order from Michael’s Arts & Crafts store tonight, and I am SO pleased with it! The kids each created a really neat watercolor at art camp this summer, and I thought it would look nice to get them in matching frames with nice mattes and display them in the house. I took the 3 pictures to Michael’s, and even WITH my 50% a custom framing order coupon, each frame job was going to cost me $100.

Uh-uh!

I took some time out to think about it (all of 5 minutes - I think on my feet!) and noticed that the pictures would fit in a 16 by 20 off the rack frame…which happened to be on sale for 50% off. I had Michael’s create a custom matte for each picture (only $20 for each!) and they mounted them in the frames I purchased off the rack. Total? $100 for three - and they look fantastic.

Keep it in mind the next time you want a custom framed look, but you’re a cheapie like me!

You probably know that you can buy Hoodia online, but where? There are literally THOUSANDS of sites selling Hoodia, which is an all natural weight loss product. The plant comes from Africa, and contains an organic chemical that fools your brain into thinking you’re full. You want to be sure that the Hoodia you’re buying is the real deal - certified and independently tested. The Hoodia sold by TVTopTen.com is Optimum Hoodia, and is available in 1000mg extended release capsules. Be sure you’re buying the best!

I’ve never been a purse person, but after seeing the Coach bag my coworker had this week, I’ve decided I must have one. In fact, 3 of my coworkers had Coach bags (which makes me wonder how much they’re getting paid, LOL!). I should mention that 2 of the 3 were small clutch type bags that are a fraction of the cost of the big purse. I’ve looked at Coach purses before, but I’ve never seen one that grabbed me until this week. I may just put it on my Christmas lift, but I’m going to have to educate Jim on the cost of a Coach bag and why they’re so pricey in order for him to buy me one.

Actually, it’s probably easier to just shop online for it and find a deal using AutionShark.com, buy it myself, and tell him thank you at Christmas. HA! I just visited AuctionSHARK and popped in “Coach bag” as my search term, selected the “clothing & accessories” category, and came up with a list of stores selling the bags, and auctions for the bags as well. The cool thing is that you can compare buying retail versus bidding on your item via an auction side by side. I found Coach bags from stores like Amazon, and hot auctions ending in the next 10 minutes! It made it easy to see what was available buying retail versus going the auction route, and while I’m not ready to buy just yet, I’ll keep the site in mind for other pricey items…like the iPod my 8 year old asked for!

We recently cleaned out the junk drawer in our kitchen, and I found over $150 in gift cards inside it. Some are a year old, given to me on my birthday last July. Oops! I’ve got gift cards to Kohl’s, several to Linens N’ Things, and one for Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble spending the Kohl’s gift card on new clothes, but I’m really at a loss as to what to get in the other two stores. We certainly don’t need any bedding, towels, or linens - maybe a new kitchen accessory? I’ll just have to spend a little bit of time looking around.

Note to self: Do not take spouse or children!

If you’re here reading this blog, it’s probably in part because you want to know about the latest products and trends, the new styles and fashions, and in general, how to get a fab life! Sadly, I am not the best person to lead you on this journey, because I tend to fall into a rut from time to time myself, wearing my pajamas til noon and doing my hair and makeup the same way I’ve done myself up for the past 2 years.

If you want to be hip and trendy, you’re much better of taking your advice from the HerFabLife.com crew, by following their thoughts on trends, clubs, restaurants, fashion, and footwear. Your personal lifestyle guide and your fav lifestyle guide allow you to connect with other women to share your thought on the latest lifestyle trends. You’ll be able to share your great finds and deals with other users, find out about new business and stores opening in your area, and promote your blog or retail store to the community. Find out if that hip new club is really as cool as it sounds, or if the trendy new cafe down the street is worth a visit, or be the first one to dish on the places you’ve been to!

This is a sponsored review.

One of my kids LOVES to eat fruit, especially honeydew and cantaloupe, but I always make a mess of it when I slice it up for her. I’ve always wondered why there are special tools for slicing applies and peeling oranges, but nothing made for larger melons. Tonight, I found there is such a tool that allows you to cut a melon without making a mess. It’s the same idea as one of those slicers for apples, just on a larger scale. It’s only 8 inches across, so it’s not made for huge watermelons, but it can definitely handle smaller melons.

Every year, my husband asks me what I want for Christmas, and I usually have trouble coming up with a list. (Isn’t that a blessing? To want for nothing?) I’m already thinking about what I can put on my list this year, because the kids will want to make / buy me SOMETHING, but regardless of where Jim does his shopping, I’m telling him about how he can use online coupon codes to save cash online. He’s not much of an internet shopper, so I don’t think he even knows that online coupons exist!

I already know of a few books I’d like to get for Christmas, so I’ll definitely be directing Jim to this listing of Amazon coupon codes. (I *almost* bought A Thousand Splendid Suns last night at the airport, but couldn’t bring myself to pay $25 for it! It’ll be better as a Christmas gift anyway, if I can hold off that long on reading it.)

I have no problem shopping for Jim - he doesn’t even need to make a list for me. Since he’s continued with his hockey games, I’ll definitely be looking for some new hockey gear for him, and I found these Hockey Giant coupons to help me find a deal on pads and jerseys! I’ll also be looking at the clearance sales - I usually pick him up new polo shirts on sale when I see them, since he inevitably spills something when he wears his new shirts - this dooming them to being worn only once or twice before they’re stained!

While driving through the suburbs of Boston tonight (in a limo, no less - that’s how I roll!) we passed a Bentley dealership. I’ve never seen one! I was tempted to tell our driver to pull over so that I could take one for a test drive. Most car dealers request a copy of your license when you go for atest drive…do you think the Bentley dealer requests a copy of your tax return as well?

I was at a BBQ tonight, hosted by someone I work with up here in Boston, and he and his wife had a lovely home. I used the guest bathroom and paid close attention to their bathroom fixtures - noticing little things in a house like this is just something I do. They had this really neat sink that was a pedestal sink with a wooden base that allowed for extra storage underneath…I’d never seen anything quite like it! What I really love though, were the old fashioned faucet handles they installed - definitely not builder grade. It’s the kind of thing you need to buy online…perhaps at Faucet.com? (That’s a heck of a domain name they snagged, eh?)

I’m off for a short trip this week, and my schedule leaves me no time for shopping. I always promise to bring my kids back something, but it’s looking like “something” this time will be whatever I can buy in the airport. (Pack of gum? Starbucks coffee?)

Thankfully, I can usually find one kid friendly store in the airport, and when I was short on time in the Pittsburgh airport last month, I was still able to get the kids something fun. Catherine got a book on drawing different styles of letters and other designs, Gracie got a little craft kit, and Matthew received a volcano set that came with the tools to make your volcano explode.

Maybe it’ll be t-shirts all around this time!

There’s a certain website I use for e-greetings that allows you to schedule cards in advance. I’ve used it several times to send out cards to people and that scheduling feature was really handy! Given the choice, I’d rather be on time with a card, than belated, wouldn’t you?

The GreetQ Card Company is taking that concept one step further. Instead of scheduling an e-card in advance, you can select a paper greeting card, have it personalized, and mailed for you in advance. Like the site I use for e-cards, they allow you to schedule cards in a queue months in advance, and they take care of mailing the card when the birthday or anniversary date rolls around. Talk about a time saver for a busy person!

So here’s the question - would you be offended if someone sent you a card from this service? Some people may not like it, saying that it’s not as personal when someone else is responsible for signing and mailing the card. I disagree - if I took the time to select a card specifically for you, and to craft my own message - why does it matter who licks the envelope?

This site would be an amazing time saver for anyone, from the busy executive to the stay at home mom. How about an employer who has 20 people at his company? All he needs to do is spend an hour selecting cards and providing names and addresses, and his employees will be impressed that he took the time to remember them for months to come. Or even me! I often WANT to send cards, but sheesh, I’m lucky to remember to get milk and bread at the grocery store, let alone picking up a card!

The cards are all unique - some even handmade, and you can personalize them with a handwriting font or they’ll be handwritten by a member of the GreetQ staff - much like a card when you send flowers.

Never forget a special event again!

This is a sponsored review.

Eventually, even people like me who LOVE to shop, feel the need to purge things. I spent an hour going through shoes and clothes in my closet this weekend, and ended up with 2 large garbage bags of things to donate to the local thrift store. Outfits that are out of style, shirts that shrunk in the dryer, things other people gave to me that I never wore - it all went. It made a big dent in my closet, and freed up space for new stuff!