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A few month ago, we wrote a post about “Secrets That Airlines Don’t Want You to Know About”. We gave you some tips to get a better seat, a free meal, and free upgrade from airlines. But that is not enough. With the secrets we are telling you today, I hope you can save a few hundreds off your vacation expenses. Don’t you love the old days that you only need a few hundreds for a 4-night beach vacation?

Secrets About Travel Agents
Still booking your flights and hotels through your travel agent? You can stop doing that now. I can assure you that no travel agent can compete with the online travel sites. They need to pay extra cost on rent and utilities.

Secrets About AA

If you are using American Airline credit card, or you have many miles in your AA Advatage account, I strongly recommend you to book all your travel via their official website: AA.com, or AAVacations.com.

Be sure to use your miles: If you are booking the vacation bundles, you have the option to redeem your miles later. But if you only want to book the flight, you must select “Redeem AAdvantage Miles” on the homepage before you start searching the flight.

Book Flight/Hotel/Car Together: Book your travel in bundle will definitely save you a lot of money. But remember to click on “Vacations” tab on their website.

Don’t book hotels seperately from their websites! Remember: if you book the flight first and then book the hotels, it is still considered as two seperate reservation and you don’t get the savings from travel bundles. Besides, booking hotels separately from AA is much more expensive than other sites can offer.

Secrets About UA

Again, if you are using United Airline credit card or you have many miles in your MileagePlus account, I strongly recommend you to book all your flight via their official website: United.com. But they don’t want you to use the award miles easily. When you are on United.com, move your mouse to “MileagePlus”, and click “Book With Award Miles”. It isn’t easy to find, is it? Watch out your milages by logging into your account. They expire if you don’t use them! To be accruate, they expire on the last day of the 18 months after the last account activity in the member’s account!

Secrets About South West
You don’t find South West airline tickets from any travel site. You can only book them from their own website SouthWest.com. If you can find one for your need, it is usually cheaper than all other airlines can offer.

Secrets About Expedia.com
I have been using Expedia for many years. But not any more. Their flight fairs are more expensive than the airline companies can offer. But this website still offers the best rate on hotels. And besides, it is good to read their hotel reviews when you are researching the hotels.

Secrets About Hotels.com
They also offer the best rate on hotels, – maybe a few cents more expensive than Expedia. But they offer price gurantee, which means if you find a better deal, you can call them and get the best rate.

Secrets About Online Agents
There are many other online travel sites out there, such as Orbitz, Cheapoair, cheapflights.com, hotwire, travelocity, etc. Now with Bookingbuddy.com, you can compare all the rates all at once. Here is the secret: if you don’t have time to compare one by one, try Hotwire. They are usualy the cheapest!

The roots of Olympic Games lie in the ancient history of Greece. As per the historical records, the first Olympic Games also known as ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. The Ancient Olympics Games were considered as the ritual to honor Zeus. The ancient Olympic Games are always held in the Ancient Greece, and me who spoke Greek were only allowed to participate. The ancient Olympic Games lasted for more than thousand years.

Today, the Olympic Games are considered a major international multi-sport event that features various types of sports. Participants from over 200 nations participate in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are held every four years in a different city, which is determined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC also determines the list of sports that should be included in the Olympic Games. Some of the major sports included in the Olympics are boxing, badminton, football, shooting, swimming tennis and weightlifting.

Due to the world-wide popularity and recognition of the Olympic Games, many people have shown much interest in sports events that are held in the Olympics. In addition, sports talent also helps in getting admission in the dream college as most of the colleges have sports quota admission for the talented players. However, due to the tough competition and many participants, there are only few lucky people who rise to the glory of being an Olympic medal winner. But, there are few less popular sports that have lesser competition than the other sports included in the Olympic Games. Thus, pursuing a career in less popular sport gives an edge to become a winner in that sport. Following are the less popular sports your kids may love to pursue and build a future.

Archery

Archery made its debut at the Paris Olympics in 1900. At the Olympic Archery event, the participant has to shoot the twelve arrows at the target. In the modern Olympic Games, four archery events are held that includes men and women competing in the team and individually. In each Olympic archery event, the target of diameter 1.22 meters consists of 10 concentric rings is placed 70 meters away. Due to the growing interest of many students in archery, many schools and universities are offering archery programs. Some of the renowned universities that offer archery programs are Yale University, University of Texas Austin, UCLA Los Angeles and Stanford University Stanford.

Bowling

Bowling is one of the most popular sports in the world. Unfortunately, the bowling has never been granted as an Olympic sport. In addition, as per the general discussion, it has been concluded that bowling does not require the actual physical fitness like other sports such as swimming and ice skating. However, some bowling enthusiasts believe that bowling is an anaerobic exercise that involves stretching and flexing of the joints, ligaments and muscles like archery. Recently, there has been a debate of whether ten-pin bowling (a type of bowling variation) should be included in the Olympics. The future of seeing bowling as an Olympic sport is yet unclear, but the Golf has already got the approval from IOC for the 2016 Olympic Games. So, there is a chance that bowling may get a place in the Olympics in the future.

Equestrian

Equestrian made its debut in the Olympic Games in 1900. Equestrian is often referred as horse riding event as it includes Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing. The dressage involves the performance of various predetermined movements to show the impulsion and obedience of the horse. The show jumping involves measuring the jumping ability of horse and rider over the series of barriers in the predetermined time. The Eventing or combined training is a mixture of dressage and show jumping. But, eventing includes performing dressage and show jumping in lesser time than the other competitors.

Fencing

Fencing has always been the part of the Olympic Games from the very first day of revival of modern Olympic movements. Since, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was a fencer himself. He himself wrote the rules for Olympic fencing. Fencing includes sword fighting in a traditional sword fighting style. In the modern Olympic Games, there are three forms of fencing- Foil, Epee, and Sabre. Foil involves hitting the valid target area above the torso with a light thrusting weapon. In Epee, the epee fencer must hit the valid targeted area that covers the entire body with the tip of a heavy thrusting weapon. Sabre involves a light cutting and thrusting weapon. The target area of the Sabre is entire body, including the arms and back of the head.

Racquetball

Racquetball is one of the IOC recognized sports, but never included in the Olympic Games. It closely resembled squash and tennis. However, the rules and equipments to play the racquetball are completely different. Racquetball is a sport played with a racquet of 22 inch long and a hollow rubber ball. It is usually played indoors on a 20 ft wide by 40 ft long by 20 ft high court with the wooden flooring. In racquetball, a player serves by striking the ball towards the front court wall in a way that it should land on the competitors serving area. Points in racquetball are earned by winning a rally or a service ace.

Roller Sports
Roller sports are one of the eight sports in consideration for the 2020 Olympics. Roller sports include Inline Skating, Roller Skating, Roller Hockey, Road Skating, Roller Skiing and Skateboarding. Inline skating is globally practiced by many people. It includes skating on the two to five polyurethane wheels. Roller skating basically includes skating on the smooth surface, but it has various forms such as figures, dance, freestyle, precision team, singles and pairs. Roller hockey is a type of hockey, which is played on a smooth surface by using skates. Road skating is similar to road cycling and inline speed skating. Since, it involves skating in tight packs in speed. Roller skiing has evolved from alternative summer training to a competitive sport. It is much like cross-country skiing, but with skates. Skateboarding is very well-known to the teenagers and adults as it involves various stunts and events.

According to the economists, the recession ended three years ago, and the economy is recovering although it is the weakest recovery since World War II. I lost my job five years ago, and I had never been able to find a full time job since then. You can blame me for not trying hard enough. But being a mother of three children is already more than a full time job. I am lucky that my husband still has his job, with a smaller bonus check for the Christmas though. But we still cut our monthly expense about 20% to 30% compared to 5 years ago. With the inflatation, it feels like I have cut half of my shopping expenses. I have learned a tough but a valuable lesson in the past few years: I learned how to cut the water bill and electricity bill by half, I learned how to get Gap clothing with 30% off discount, I learned how to do the lawn by myself (or my husband, LOL!). Most importantly I started to teach my kids how to save money for their own future.

But when I was reading the article “Recession Generation Opts To Rent Not Buy Houses To Cars” from Bloomberg this morning, I felt shocked by the young man these days. They were called “Recession Generation”, because they will rent a car houly instead of renting by days, they will rent an apartment instead of buying a house, they rent high fashion instead of buying one, they rent furniture instead of buying them. They felt insecure about the future and they hesitated when they are about to make large purchases.

It won’t surprise me if these recession generatoin become failure generation after 20 years. Why? There is one thing missing from their mind: one should save or inveset money for the future! It is the ability to build wealth for the future.

Renting Is Not The Way To Save Money
Buying a car may seem too much for many students. But is renting a good idea? Absolutely not. Just think how the rental companies will make money from you. That is exactly how you lose money in long run. If you can’t afford the down payment, considering buy and share the car with your roomate or friend. What about renting furniture? Buy used ones from garage sales, and sell them when you move out, if lucky, you could make some money a few years later. Rent a dress or a bag? If you can’t afford buying it, don’t rent one either. It only wastes your money.

Invest For The Future
Most young people hesitated to buy a new house because they worried losing their job any time and the housing market isn’t stable enough. But are you going to rent an apartment forever? Are you going to live in fear forever? Buying a house will give more pressure for paying the mortgage. But that is the investment for the future. It is saving the money into a house, instead of paying the apartment and not getting anything back in future. You should start to invest for your future, weather it is a saving account, stock market, 401K, or 529 plan. And most importantly, start it today!

Only two weeks left before the fall semester starts. If you have not started shopping for school supplies, you should start it now. There are many stores are running the back to school sales, as they did every year. But don’t get rushed because you saw a sale sign. Before you start, read the following money saving tips.

Think Twice
First of all, you should make a list of the supplies you need. Stick to your list, and your budget of course. But before you shop, think twice. Make sure those are what you really needed. Talk to your kid, if there is something that can be cut off the list. Remember to give your kid some incentives to do so.

Reuse
Used gadgets or refurbished eletronics are usually tagged half of the original prices. But don’t get them from eBay, you will never know what you eventually receive from eBay sellers. Get them from trusted electronc stores, such as BH Photo Video, Buy Dig, and Newegg. They all offer open box items and refurbished items. Second hand books are another way to save some extra bucks. Half.com is the largest used book market place, and you can also sell your used books to Half.com to make some money.

Start Early
Don’t wait the last minute to shop for school supplies. You won’t have time to compare prices. Back to school usually start from end of July or early of August. Shop during the last week of July is not a bad idea, because at that time many stores are running Christmas in July sale.

Shop Later
If your kids don’t mind to have school supplies a few days later, you can wait for the Labor Day sale. School supplies will be at their lowest prices during that weekend!

Buy Online
I would suggest you buy supply bundles at your local Wal-Mart, you won’t find anywhere cheaper than that. But other than that, you shop everything online. Not only because you can compare prices and find the lowest price, but also you can find many coupons exclusively for online stores.

Exchange with Your Friends
Talk to your friends and other parents, you will probably find many items in your shopping list you can get for free! But don’t forget to offer them some free items in exchange.

A new study has revealed that women on an average purchase 34 pairs of underwear in a year. In this era of women libration more and more of them are queuing up outside lingerie outlets to look fashionable and sexy on special occasions. However, some still need to learn that.

No one has dared to unveil the secret behind closed drawers. But, a typical one contains separate collections for special occasions and for everyday comfort. Underwear, the foundation of every woman’s dress routine, makes her feel confident and improves sex life. Women would not like to get bored of wearing the same white thing as colors do make a difference. They flaunt their outlook by purchasing dresses that gel with new light and dark-colored ones with trendy outlook. No one wants to preserve the same set of underwear until infinity. Go ahead, buy as much as you desire. It won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Isn’t it embarrassing for a woman to enter a party wearing a nice skirt with friends waiting for a photo shoot and getting caught off guard with her skirt flowing in whirling wind? Suddenly, they lift the skirt for hungry lens. Thus, here are the few more embarrassing reasons that you need new underwear.

I’ve grown out of my underwear

You get up one fine morning only to find the body’s shape change. It is pretty embarrassing to see skirt or blouse getting ripped off. No woman would ever admit that she has gained weight. But when it happens, be courageous enough to accept the reality. Wearing too small clothes, which put a strain on buttons and zippers, means you have added extra pounds. It could land you in embarrassing situation. Try clothes before purchasing them or keep the receipts so as to exchange these with larger size later on. A snug fit is okay as long as seams get strained, or you feel uncomfortable. Bend and squat before wearing them to verify that the clothes are sturdy to wear in public. Likewise, it is embarrassing for a sportswoman invading the opponent’s camp, wearing reliable underwear, to see its elastic snapped.

I got stains on my underwear

You end up staining your underwear due to acidic soap, de-colorization and vaginal discharge, exercising or getting turned on. Yellow discharge indicates that you are suffering from yeast infection as most of you are in habit of wearing tight clothes and sugar intake. Heavy brown or green stains, which are noticeable in underwear, are also signs of an infection. Everything depends upon your menstruation cycle. Thus, wear a panty liner, pad and a tampon. Try to keep yourself clean or wear dark-colored underwear. If you thought, no one would notice that nagging stains hanging on to it, you are mistaken. Besides, wearing stained underwear can cause skin infections, which could lead to more problems. So, if stains of underwear do not go after multiple washing, then say goodbye to that underwear and get a good one.

My husband loves this new underwear

Women, beware! Underwear can seriously affect men’s health if worn in front of them. It can increase their pulse rate, stammering and stiffen his body. Don’t forget to put it while wearing skirt if it is windy with your hubby on the prowl. They turn into chivalrous knights on seeing their partners in panty, lacy lingerie, silk short and corset or spaghetti strap. But, it doesn’t mean that you should keep the same underwear for the eternity. In the store, you will definitely find the various types of underwear that will easily make your husband fall in love with. You can also ask your husband to accompany you for getting new underwear, for the sake of his and yours happiness.

I need a sexier look on bed

Turn imaginative to drive your hubby nuts on the bed. Wondering what to wear to seduce or impress him? You can turn your guy on by wearing his T-shirt, sexy underwear or even remaining naked. Darken your room with heavy drapes and curtains to block the sunlight. Have a shower before tucking in and use perfume. If you are still confused, it seems the relationship between both of you have become stale. Surprise him by planning a romantic evening. Look for favorite things to your hubby like music, your sexiest outfit and the food he likes. Communication between both of you is of utter importance. Ask what fantasies him; he loves to do or receive.

I got a new dress

You have heard of wardrobe malfunctions on the road, in parties and fashion shows. You find that nothing matches. Your bra is black and panty pink. You can’t wear a white shirt and black bra? Thus, your shopaholic nature prompts you to buy a new dress. Shopping for new dress and matching underwear is an unpleasant task for women with curvaceous bodies. You have been wearing your favorite underwear for two years. It is not so cool. But, a hole makes it breezy. You want that when you wear your jeans, the underwear shouldn’t roll down the hip, doesn’t get bunched and peep out of you jeans when you bend. Go ahead, and grab the new dress, but don’t forget to get the matching underwear. Else, be ready to feel embarrassed in front of people, in case of peek-a-boo.

I am happy today

Finally, the very thought of buying your favorite dress and a matching sexy underwear makes you happy. Shopaholic nature of yours made you search for these in every nook and cranny of your locality. Hurrah! Your search ends in a store, and you buy pink underwear and a matching dress to make your hubby happy. You fell in love, the moment you wore it. You like things that are personal, so is your dress. In addition, good clothes always give additional confidence to cheer up the mood.

I am unhappy today

Nothing remains forever. So is the case with your favorite underwear and dress, which you have been wearing for the past two years. These can’t be preserved for eternity like your personal property. Thus, the moment you see a hole in your underwear, and dress shove it off in a bin. Besides this, the fear of losing or gaining weight in low waist hips and thighs always looms over women. Reason: You won’t have anything to wear outside the house other than slacks and track pants. Forced to buy large-size ones, but unhappy whether these would make you feel comfortable.

Finally Team USA is number one in 2012 London Olympics! I told my kids and posted it on my facebook about this the first thing after I read the news. My older kid suggested me to get a Team USA shirt for everyone us, which I think is a great idea! My second child wanted to enroll into a swim class after he saw Michael Phelps got his 2nd gold medal today.

TeamUSA.org

This is the official website for U.S. Olympic Team. Not only you can find all the team information here, but also you can shop for jackets, T-Shirts, hats, belts, even jewely with USA and Olympic logo. I bought a navy blue T-shirt at $27.95 for my husband, and a red one for myself at $24.95. I also bought two for the boys, at $12.95 each. What is supprising me is that the prices weren’t that high as I thought. My favorite function of this website is that you can find the local information and associations of the select sports and give it a try if you are interested.

Fanatics.com

You will find the same Team USA products as TeamUSA.org, but here you get free shipping if you have joined their Fanatics Rewards Club. It is free to join. And to qualify free shipping, you need to spend $75 or more.

CBS Sports Shop

After you enter CBSSports.com, click on Shop at the top right corner, then click Olympics at the top right corner again. Not only you will find Team USA gear, but also you will find gear for all countried attending the Olympics!

SKLZ.com
Want to go professional? SKLZ will help you to find the proper training equipment. Don’t forget to use the 10% off coupon to save you some money.

I couldn’t tell you if now is a good time to buy a house, actually nobody can, – if someone can really predict the housing market, he/she wouldn’t tell anyone about it. But before buying ahouse, you should make sure if you are ready or not. Most people will use a mortgage calculator to esmiate the monthly payment, and find their credit score for free in order to get the best loan. But if you are a first time home owner, there are many hidden costs you may not be aware of.

Home Insurance
Home insurance isn’t cheap, no insurance is cheap. It would cost $1000 to $2000 a year, depening on your coverage and value of your house. And the cost is increasing every year!

Real Estate Tax
Depending on the state and city you are living in, the tax is usually 1% to 2% of your house value every year. Yes, your Uncle Sam is making a lot of money out of you!

Water Bills
I had never worried about water bills when I lived in an apartment, which was only $10 to $20 a month. Now with watering your lawn every day in spring and summer, the water bill can come up to $100 to $200 a month.

Eletricity
I live in Texas, the electricity will cost me $300 to $400 every month, mostly for air conditioner.

Gas
Texas is also cold in winter, and snows sometimes. The heater is on all day and all night. My gas bill was less than $50 in summer, but in winter it could be more than $100 a month.

Mowing Lawn
You don’t want to expose yourself in the sun in summer of Texas. $30 a week, that is the lowest I could find.

Fertilizing Lawn
If you decided to do it yourself, that is minimum twice a year, and each time cost $30 to $50 depending on how big is your lawn. If you hire companies like Tru Greens or Scott to do the job for you, that is about $50 each time, and usually 8 to 12 times a year!

Gardening
Do you like to plant some flowers in your garden? Well, it is costly too.

Trimming Shrub and Trees
You should at least trim your shrub once a quater, and your trees once a year. The costs vary depending on how many of them you have in your yard.

Repairing A/C
Air conditioner is as reliable as you expect. Every year I spent a few hundreds on them. It could be coolant refill, water leak, themostats, etc..

Plumbing
Faucet, showhead, toilet flush flapper, light bulbs, smoke detector, clogs remover… You will never know what is the next you’re going to need. And they all cost money!

Clean Carpet
I had it done once a year at cost of $30 per room.

TVs in Multiple Rooms
When you live in an apartment, you probably only need one TV in the living room. Now you want an extra one in your master bedroom, and maybe another one upstairs. Each additional TV set box could cost $10 to $15 every month.

Am I scaring you? Don’t be. But be prepared.

Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!

– Anthony Robbins

One of the easiest definitions of multitasking is performing of multiple tasks at one time. Basically, multitasking helps in saving time for more valuable tasks. Unfortunately, with the many benefits of multitasking, it also has few drawbacks. For instance, multitasking divides the focus on any one work, which affects the quality of the work. Multitasking is a controversial subject as some people believe that doing tasks at one time means doing nothing at all.

In addition, sometimes multitasking all the time turns the person into a workaholic. But, there is no doubt that performing multiple tasks at one time will help you to increase the productivity in business, office and home. To reap the benefits of multitasking without any drawbacks, you must split the tasks into smaller jobs. It is also important to understand how to prioritize the tasks as per the importance and time required to complete. Here are the few profitable multitasking Dos and Don’ts that help in improving the productivity of life.

Dos:

Clips Coupons from Sunday Newspaper While Watching TV

Many people clip coupons from the Sunday newspaper to save money on grocery, electronic items and home décor. But, clipping coupons often take much of the time. But, if you clip coupons while watching the TV, then you can certainly save time. Since, clipping coupons and watching TV doesn’t require much attention, which eliminates the chances of any drawbacks. You can spend the saved time with your family to improve and strengthen the relationship with family members or do the household work.

Make Phone Calls While Running Outdoors

Making phone calls while running outdoors is a best way to save the time as you will be multitasking by talking on the phone and running at the same time. In addition, making phone calls while running outdoors also help in saving money. Since, when most people are running outdoors, they usually talk about the important things only. Thus, next time, when you are running outdoors, make use of your time by calling your clients or friends while running.

Plan Next Day’s Meal When Cooking

Planning a day ahead is certainly the best way to save time to do the productive things in the spared time. One of the best ways to save time by multitasking is to plan your next day’s meal when cooking. By planning the next day’s meal, you will easily save time on last minute thinking about the groceries or items you need for the next day’s meal. In addition, after determining the things you need for your next day’s meal, you can get them while you are returning from office or outdoors.

Make Plans While Taking A Bubble Bath

Taking a bubble bath is often considered as the best method to relax the body and mind. In the peaceful state of mind, you can certainly think positive and productive things. In the calm state of mind and body, you can easily set the priorities of work you have to do in the coming week or the next day as per their importance. So, making plans for tomorrow or the next week while taking a bubble bath will save time and improve the productivity of time.

Organize Your Room While Reading A Book

Another efficient multitasking is organizing your room while reading a book. Organizing a room and reading a book involves mind and hand. To organize your room you don’t need to think much as you already know where your things should be placed. Similarly, while reading a book, you can focus on the reading as organizing your room doesn’t include mind exercise, which could cause any hindrance in your reading. Thus, this type of multitasking has maximum benefits and no drawbacks.

Don’ts:

Watch TV While Running On A Treadmill

Multitasking is a recommended method to be productive in life. However, performing the multiple tasks such as watching TV while running on the treadmill has drawbacks. Since, watching TV and running on the treadmill requires concentration of your mind. So, watching TV while running on Treadmill will cause distraction, which will lead to falling off a treadmill. Therefore, for multitasking, you must precisely choose the tasks that do not involve concentration of your mind at the same time.

Reading On Toilet

Reading on the toilet is preferred by many people as they feel that it saves time. However, from the medical standpoint, reading on the toilet can cause hemorrhoids. Since, toilets are designed specifically to improve the bowel movement. But, when you sit on the toilet for the longer time, then it causes pressure on the rectal veins, which causes hemorrhoids. In addition, if you share the restroom, then keeping it occupied for the longer time is a bad manner.

Watching TV When Having Dinner

It is certainly a bad idea to watch TV when having dinner as it has many drawbacks. The foremost drawback of watching TV when having dinner is that you eventually end up eating more. Since, you will be focusing on the television and not on your food, which will lead to overeating. While some people eat very slow while watching TV, which will definitely waste your time. Thus, you must avoid eating dinner while watching TV.

Thinking Of Something Else When Having Sex

To enjoy the lovemaking session with your partner, it is important that you must appreciate every moment and feeling. Some of the people think that thinking of something else when having sex helps them to last longer. But, when you are thinking of something else when having sex, you may lose the sexual sensation that will lead to dissatisfaction for you and your partner. Thus, you must not think of something else when having sex with your partner.

Thinking Of Something Else When Listening To Your Kids

Do you feel you have to yell to your kid to get their attention? But there is worse: thinking of something else when listening to your kids is a ridiculous idea to be productive in life. A good parent always listens carefully to their kids. Communication is a key element of a strong and healthy relationship. Active listening with your kid shows that you are interested in whatever your kid has to say. It also denotes that you genuinely care about your kid’s thoughts and feelings. Thus, you must always concentrate on what your kid is saying rather than thinking about something else.

Kate Middleton wore a $60 dress from a department store to attend pre-Olympics launch of a school program yesterday. Jounalists reported the story, but all focused attention on the $60 dress. It proves that you don’t need to spend hundreds or even thousands on a dress to get a designer look. But, in fact, you really don’t need $60 to get a dress like that. See the dresses we have found for you:

Shopbop
Shopbop is used to be my number choice to shop all my clothing online. But since July 1 this year, it started to collect state tax in Texas, because it is part of Amazon. Other than that, it is still a good place to shop, because it offers free shipping and free return on any order. At shopbop you can hundreds of dresses under $60! This Good Girl Gone Bad Dress by Free People (Style #:FREEP40317) is final sale for only $32.40. You don’t any Free People dress at such a low price anywhre else.

Yoox
Yoox did not offer free shipping nor free return. But so far it has the largest designer’s collection. This FORNARINA short dress is only $30! It is a lightweight sheer dress, which can give you a more feminine look.

Gap
Gap is famous for its kids clothing. But they also have many women’s dress for under $60. This embroidered babydoll dress is made of 100% cotton, now $59.95. It is not cheap at all, and besides, the cotton fabic may shrink a lot after the first wash.

Urban Outfitters
Coincidence & Chance Gaucho Jumper is only $49.00. It is a see though jumper, makes you sexier and taller than you are. Wear nude color pantyhose or shapewear under it.

Bloomingdales
The New Wave: Volcom Dress – Eazy Tripper Maxi Dress is only $16.68! Yes, that’s right, it is $16.68! But only size XL available now.

bebe
Classic bebe designs, with bold stripes. This stripe bodycon tank dress is only $47. Also available in blue/black color.

BlueFly
BlueFly only offers high end designer’s apparel, but that doesn’t the prices are very high. This lollipop stretch chevron knit tank dress by BCBGeneration is only $37.40. Also available in black color. It is a formal dress with mid-weight ribbed chevron knit.

GoJane
Are you bold enough? Get this lace tube maxi dress! And it is only $36.30! It is 100% Nylon, and very easy to take care of.

Guess
This MINDY HIGH-LOW DRESS is on sale at $59.99, perfect for a night dress.

Nordstrom
Need I say anything about Nordstrom? You get the quality guaranteed by Nordstrom. This Calvin Klein One Shoulder Jersey Sheath Dress is on sale at $43, was $98.

If you have read the recent article on Marie Claire, you must have asked yourself: did I pay more on the same products than man did? The article stated that the female usually pay more for mortgages, health insurance, cars, car repairs, which is not surprising at all. But for everyday items like deodorant, disposable razors, shampoos, women’s products are also priced higher than men’s, even if they have the same composition but with different scents.

Did you ever expenrience paying more than you should only because you are a woman? Probably you did not realize it. Here are some tips to avoid paying more.

Auto Insurance
It is a fact that women tend to have more car accidents than men do, especially true for young women. This may be debatable, but it is true that women have on average 5.7 accidents per million miles driven while men have 5.2 accidents per million miles driven. That is why all insurance policies are gender rating. Here is the solution: if you are married, have your husband as your main driver, and yourself as second driver. If you are single, ask your father or your boyfriend to be the main driver.

New Cars and Used Cars
Think you knew cars very well? The car deals don’t think so. If you are buing a new car, it is very simple. MSRP is fixed, if not sure, check the Internet for new car prices. The total new car cost will be MSRP, plus the destination fee, plus cost for extra features. If you are not 100% sure the extra features, don’t buy any. But here comes the tricky part: when you are ready to pay, you will asked if you the extra warranty, extra protection, extra accessories. Remember, don’t buy any of them. They don’t worth the money. If you think you need them, ask other auto garages for a second opinion, you will get a much lower price than the auto dealer can offer.

If you are buying a used car, prepare yourself by researching online. But that is not enough. You’d better ask your husband or boyfriend to come with you, and let them do the talk, if even you knew better he does.

Auto Repairs
If you are worried that you may be paying more, ask your man to take the car to the garage. And most importantly, refuse everything the service man asked you to do!

Health Insurance
For women under 50, they often pay 30% to 50% more than men on home insurance premiums. Feeling unfair? But there is nothing you can do about it. To get a better health insurance, you should compare the policies online, and find the the one that best that fits your need.

Mortgages
Banks do not apply higher interest rates on you just because you a woman. Woman paying more on mortgages is because that they did not do enough homework and find the best deal on mortages. Don’t just go for the bank your real estate agent or title company recommeded to you. Find one online, I am sure you will get a better deal online than any local agent.

Buying Everyday Items
Do you realize that you are paying more on women’s deodorants, disposable razors, shampoos? Probably not. Compare them with those for men. If you don’t mind the scents, choose the one for men. If possible, buy them online and save! If you have an iPhone, download Quick Sacn for free. Scan the barcode, and the free app will compare the prices online (including Amazon), and find the best prices for you.

Mom, have you started shopping for back to school supplies yet? You probably didn’t realize it is time already, or did you? You don’t want to wait until the last week, and rush to stores and pick up the items without looking at the price tags. Make a plan now, – start with your budget and list the items you need, cut off some items if not absolutely necessory. You still have plenty of time to shop around, but now is the best time watching for back to school coupons and deals.

Kids Clothing
OldNavy is the best place for low price kids clothing. You can save 35% with promo code SURPRISE35 – limitations unknown, or save 25% with code SURPRISE25 on any purchase – just verified.
Gap is more expensive than Old Navy, but offers more fashionable kids clothing. I like their uniform polos for boys, with prices from $16.95 to $19.95. Now with promo code GAPSHOP you can save 25%!
ChildrensPlace.com is running 30% off back-to-school sale – no coupon code needed! Tees started from $5 – you don’t get that price anywhere else. If price is sensitive to you, this is the place for you.

School Uniforms
FrenchToast.com: 20% off Polos & 25% off Accessories with code QELGW4. If your school has a dress code, enter it here. You will find what you need immediately. The best part is that you can add your school’s logo to the uniform!
CookiesKids.com: has the lowest prices on school uniforms: polos start from $4.99, shirts start from $5.99! It has no dollar off or percentage off coupon as of today, – you could expect a 10% off coupon pretty soon. But now there is valid free shipping coupon code: FSINF.

Backpacks
eBags.com: You will see a 20% off coupon on their website, but they have 25% secret coupons all the time. Try code EMB2C during check out to receive 25% off instead of 20% off. If you an extra budget on backpacks, I highly recommend the SwissGear ScanSmart Backpack, the black one is only $55.99! It will last for years and save you money in long run.
Altrec: Click through this link to see the 148 school backpacks! Many of them are 25% to 50% off their original prices. You save extra 10% with coupon code TER12SAY!

School Supplies
Walmart.com: Click through this link to see all the back to school needs, including school supplies, uniforms, backpacks, and electronics. Specially I want to recommend the school supplies value bundles here, prices started from $15.

What are products that most kids want? Believe it or not, today’s kids are more knowledgeable and tech-savvy than they used to be. Nowadays, kids are following the latest trends and technologies at the younger ages. As per a recent study, it has been concluded that most of the kids start independent purchases by the age of eight. Also, most of the kids can easily operate latest programs and software in compared to their parents. Moreover, today’s kids have more spending power than their previous generations. Thus, the kids market has grown bigger and bigger with the innovative products due to the demands.

In addition, kids often prefer and demand the latest electronic products that offer multiple benefits. So, if you are considering buying any product to give as a gift to your kid, then you might want to look at the list of top ten products that most of the kids want.

1. iPad

Gone are the days when traditional Nintendo game consoles were the favorites of kids. Today, most of the kids of age six to twelve prefer to buy an iPad or receive it as a gift for the entertainment and fun. Moreover, an iPad is not merely used for the entertainment and fun, but it provides the facility to stay connected with the friends on social-networking websites. It also provides the facility to watch videos and listen to the music online at any time. It can also be used for the educational purposes to read the e-books or search on the internet for study materials.

2. iPod

The iPod is another most wanted product among the kids. The latest iPod touch offers all the facilities of an iPhone except the abilities of a mobile phone communication. It provides the facility to store thousands of songs, videos and pictures as it is available in 8, 16 and 32 GB flash memory. It also has Wi-Fi features, which enables the wireless internet connectivity to check emails, watch online videos or connect to the social-networking website. You can also download various applications online for various purposes. You can also use the iPod as a pen drive for the data storage.

3. PS3

The Sony’s PlayStation 3, which is also commonly known as PS3 is one of the most popular products among the kids and adults. The PS3 can easily provide high-definition audio quality with the high-definition graphics output for the superior gaming experience. It also features various networking options for playing multi-player games. In addition, the PlayStation 3 is the only game console that can easily play CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs to watch movies. It also provides the facility to store, share or watch the music, videos, photos and games.

4. Trampoline

The trampoline is one of the all-time favorite products for all the kids. Since, the joy of jumping higher is almost similar to flying, which certainly is entertaining and interesting. Also, it is believed that jumping on the trampoline for ten minutes is similar to walking for thirty minutes. Thus, it can easily ensure the proper body growth and health of your kid. In addition, exhilarating experience of jumping on a trampoline will surely keep your kids out of the couches. The trampoline is available in various sizes and shapes. Therefore, it can be used outdoor or indoor as per the preferences.

5. Teeter Totter

Every person has experienced the joy of riding on the teeter totter. It certainly is one of the most wanted products of the kids as playing on the unbalanced platform of the teeter totter can be lots of fun. The teeter totter is available in various styles and shapes to provide thrilling fun. There are many companies that manufacture teeter totter for the backyard or garden that also spins with seesaw movement for the superior fun for kids. The teeter totter is also an ideal gift for the twins and siblings. Since, the teeter totter can encourage the cooperation with lots of fun between the twins or siblings.

6. Water Toys

In summer, there is nothing better than playing water games in the cool water of the pool. There are many water games such as sprinkler “freeze” game, diving for pennies and ice cube hunt. Moreover, for the maximum entertainment of your child, you can get some water toys. Some of the most popular water toys are squirt gun, which is used to spray cold water on other kids or family members. Another popular water toy is water trampolines, which is ideal for the bigger pools. Kids swim floats are also the best water toy as it helps younger kids to enjoy the cool water on their own.

7. Lego

Since 1949, Lego games have been one of the most favorite entertainment products for kids. Moreover, Lego toys are loved by kids of all ages as the quest of creating objects, buildings or vehicles from the plastic bricks is certainly an interesting and entertaining experience. For many kids who love building with Lego will love the Lego game kits. With the Lego bricks, the kids can use their imagination to design new objects. In addition, the Lego kits such as preschool and creative games are helpful in teaching kids in the most entertaining way.

8. Bicycle

The bicycle is undoubtedly one of the most wanted products among kids of all ages. No matter how old your kid is, he or she will definitely love to ride his or her first or new bicycle as it gives them the sense of freedom and speed. Moreover, bicycle will help your kid to stay active, which will definitely aid in the healthy body growth of your kid. Since, bicycling helps in burning calories and strengthening the bones. For the toddlers, the toddler bicycle is a fine way to teach coordination and balance.

9. Scooter

Most of the kids of around six to eight prefer to cruise around the block with the neighborhood kids on a scooter. Riding a scooter is certainly fun for the kids as it gives them freedom to roam around the home and gain health benefits. Riding scooter also helps in improving the motor skills and balance coordination in the kids. Nowadays, various types of scooters are available such as stand-up scooter, electric scooter and sit-down electric scooter for the kids of all ages.

10. Dollhouse

Kids of all ages love to play with the dollhouses. It gives them pleasure and freedom to utilize their creative mind to decorate the dollhouse. However, dollhouses are often considered as the favorite product of girls only. But, most of the boys love dollhouses as much as girls. Due to the popularity of dollhouses among the boys, many manufacturers have introduced fire station play set and airport play set, which are also called dollhouses for some reason.

With weather being so hot this year, your energy bill will reach the highest among the year. You must have been reading articles on how to conserve energy here or there. Do you know the truth behind these energy conservation myths? They may be costing you instead of saving you money.

1. Set The Thermostat at Same Temperature Will Save Energy
–Not true. Many people thought the air conditioner will consume a lot more energy when it cools down or warms up the room. The truth is that it uses more energy to maintain the same temperature. The best way to save energy is to program your thermostat so that it is set to higher temperature in summer or set to lower temperature in winter at night or when you leave for work.

2. Leave Lights On Will Consume Less Engergy
–Not True. It may be true before, bit not any more. You should have the habbit to turn off the lights anytime when not in use.

3. Switch Computer To Sleep Mode Is Enough To Save Energy
–Not True. It uses less power when in sleep mode, but it is still a significant amount of energy. You should turn it off completely whenever you can.

4. Eletronics and Appliances Do Not Use Power When They Are Off
–Not True. They are not 100% off when you pressed the off button. They are are still sucking powers slowly and with time the cost will add up fast. The best way is to unplug the power.

If you are an iPhone user, there are many free apps that can help you find the cheapest prices, local restaurant coupons, cheapest gas price, etc, which can save you lots of money in your daily life!

RedLaser Barcode Scanner
When you shop in a store, you must be wondering if you can find a better price online. Now with RedLaser, you can easily take a photo of the product’s barcode and then compare the prices online automatically. Now it is your call to buy it in store or buy it online.

Key Ring Reward Cards
Loyalty cards can help you save some money and get points for later use. But when you have too many of them, you don’t want to carry all of them in your wallet or in your key ring. This free app is here to help. It will take a photo of the reward card and store them in one place. When you check out in stores, all you need is to present your iPhone to the clerk.

Cheap Gas!
The app will get your current location and find all the gas prices nearby. It also tells you the distances from the gas stations. You decide if it worth to drive there and save a few cents.

Coupon Clipper
They collect all the in-store coupons for your location, including retaurants, spas, auto shops, retail stores, or even dentists. But I mainly use it to find restaurant coupons in my location. It works pretty well for me.

GrocerySaver
When you shop groceries, you must be trying to find the cheapest prices. But with differnt units, such as pound, kg, oz, it is very hard to compare prices. GrocerySaver will help you convert them into one unit price.

We need to work, as well as take a break. So is our breast. It need exercise, and also need to get freed some times. A good bra is needed when you work and do exercise. But it will only last 10 months at most even if you take good care of it. Here are the signs that you should get a new bra before its life span:

1.The bra straps slide off your shoulder very often
The straps will be loose after wearing many times. When this happens, your bra will no long give enough support to your breast.

2.The cups move up very often
Cups can change their shapes with time. It is very common that they move up often, especially when you are walking.

3.There are red marks on your back
The straps will become tighter and tighter after each washes, which is the cause of read marks on your back.

4.There are red marks below your breast
The shape of the underwire can change too, even if it is made of metal. Use bra washing ball every time you wash your bras to protect the underwire.

Weather you shop in stores or online you will find many similar products with different prices. You must have wondered if they worth the money or not. For electronics or computers you can probably find many product reviews online and find the one right for you. But what about shampoos and conditioners, bananas and pizzas? Should you buy the more expensive or go for the cheaptest one?

Shampoos and Conditioners
Go for the more expensive ones in Sam’s Club or Costco. The cheap ones at Walmart are usually diluted with more water.

Bananas
Get the cheapest one! The organic bananas will taste same as the conventional one. And the peel is thick enough to prevent the contamination of synthetic fertilizers and insecticides.

Bottle Waters
Get the cheapest one! Don’t expect the more expensive ones will taste better or better for your health. They are basically the same H2O in different bottles.

Pizzas
Get the expensive one! The frozon pizzas in grocery stores may be as cheap as $2.99 each, or as much as $8.99 each. The more expensive ones are thinker and have a lot more meat in it.

Inkjet Cartridges
Get the cheapest compatible inks if you do not use them to print photoes. The prices of compatible ones are usually a fraction of the OEM ones. To print both text and images from a document or website, the compatible inks are good enough. To even lower the price, buy ink refills online!

Toys
Get the cheapest one online! More than 80% of toys are made in China. For the same or similar toys, don’t expect the more expensive ones are less harmful to kids. They are just tagged with different prices from stores to stores. Take a picture of the toy you have seen in Toys R Us and purchase it later online from stores such as Wayfair, you will usually save 30 to 50%!

Books
Get the cheapest one with paperback online! If you find a hardcover copy, search the paperback version, it is at least 50% cheaper. And sometimes at Amazon Marketplace you will find the book a little bit cheaper. But make sure the merchant is located within United States. Or ignore it if you don’t mind receiving the book a few weeks later. Buy.com is actually my favorite place to shop for books, because their prices are marked lower than those at Amazon. It offers price match on all books (excluding free shipping books), but it is too hard to use the feature – you have to contact their customer service in order to get a few cents off! Half.com has the largest inventory of used books, – for people really wanted to save some bucks and protect our earth as well, this is the best choice.

Car Parts
Get the expensive one! There are many brands that are unfamiliar for most people. And their prices vary greatly. For you own safety, you should go for the more expensive one, which will also last much longer than the cheap parts and save you money in long run.

Who doesn’t like shopping? But, if shopping has become your hobby, then you are probably heading towards a big trouble, which is commonly known as Shopping Addiction.

Lately, shopping addiction or compulsive shopping has been shaping up as a world-wide pandemic. In medical terms, shopping addiction is a type of impulse control disorder, which causes senseless and irresistible desire to shop. The compulsive shopping is also linked with the drug addiction and gambling addiction by some researchers because it includes similar traits.

A study suggests that compulsive shopping is a method for many people to escape from negative feelings such as boredom, depression, anger and anxiety. But, compulsive shopping to escaping the negative feelings is short-lived as it leads to the debts, which further leads to the depression and regrets due to the overwhelming debts. In simple words, a Shopaholic often traps himself or herself in a vicious cycle of debt, which results in financial, family and psychological problems. Often, a Shopaholic has been unaware of the addiction until financial problems arise. Thus, before compulsive shopping becomes uncontrollable, know the signs.

1. You Go To Store Without A Goal
The most common difference between a normal shopper and a Shopaholic is the purpose of shopping. A normal shopper usually decides what he or she has to buy before visiting any store. In addition, a normal shopper also thinks whether he or she can afford buying any particular item. But, for a Shopaholic, it’s always about the love at a first sight to buy goods or products. Since, a Shopaholic never thinks of the productivity or profitability of any product before buying.

2. You Stay Online Watching For Sales And Deals
Nowadays, the internet has become a main medium for gathering information, data and communication. But, if sales and deals have become your main motive to be online, then you are definitely addicted to shopping. Since, good deals and sales are some of the good excuses used by the Shopaholics to spend more money on unnecessary goods. Moreover, a Shopaholic often keeps tab on sales and deals by maintaining a calendar or a note on their to-do-list.

3. You Regret It The Next Day
If you are shopping fanatically without any motive or purpose, then you will definitely regret it the next day. Since, you will find a pile of unnecessary items or goods that have cost you hefty bill. Most of the people who are addicted to shopping use their Credit Cards or Bill Me Later services to pay for the products or goods they have purchased. But, when it comes to paying for the credits given by the bank or bill me later service providers, Shopaholics always regret because they have spent much more money than they actually have.

4. You Borrow Money From The Credit Card Company
The people who are addicted to shopping always consider credit card as their best friend as they can shop as much as they want without worrying about the instant payment. Using a credit card to shop is similar to spending the money that you don’t have. Therefore, access to the credit card for a Shopaholic could be disastrous. Moreover, most of the Shopaholics carry multiple credit cards just for shopping purposes. So, if you are dependent on the credits offered by credit card to shop because you actually can’t afford to pay the bill at once, then you are addicted to shopping.

5. You Use Bill Me Later
Bill Me Later is a credit service provided to the customers to pay for the products or goods in easy installments. Bill Me Later services often seems lucrative offer to a Shopaholic. Most of the Shopaholic, who have do not have access to much money or credit card, quenches their thirst of shopping by using the credit services such as Bill Me Later. But, when the time arrives to pay the Bill Me Later dues, a Shopaholic always faces financial trouble because they have overspent on shopping.

6. You Don’t Have A Saving Account
Most of the people choose to open a saving account to save the money for emergencies or to buy essential things such as home, vehicle or furniture. But, a Shopaholic can never save money because he or she can’t resist the urge to shop. Thus, a person who is addicted to shopping will never consider opening or maintaining a saving account. Moreover, a Shopaholic will prefer to use the saved money to spend on shopping unnecessary items or goods.

7. You Buy Because Of Price Drop
Buying useful and required products or goods on sale or at a discounted price is certainly a good method to save money. But, for a Shopaholic, knowing the price drop on products or goods is like experiencing an adrenaline rush to shop. Moreover, a person having a shopping addiction will always end up buying a bunch of similar items because they are available at discounted price.

8. You Don’t Tell Your Spouse What You Have Bought
Most of the people addicted to shopping often hate to confront that they are overspending money on shopping. Thus, a Shopaholic will start hiding bills and goods from the spouse to avoid the confronting situation. In addition, the person addicted to shopping will often lie about shopping because he or she will feel embraced when other people will be shocked to find out that he or she own 100 pairs of sandals or shoes. Lying or hiding things from your husband or spouse often leads to suspicion, which could cause divorce or break-up.

9. You Go To Black Friday Sale Every Year
Holiday buying season such as black Friday is a good excuse for the American consumers to buy the products and goods because they are available at the discounted rate. For Shopaholics, the holiday buying season is an open invitation to spend as much as you can on shopping by giving the discount excuse. On Black Friday, most of the people addicted to shopping will max out their credit cards to buy things that they fell in love at the first sight.

10. You Shop When You Are Traveling
The people addicted to shopping often shop wherever they go. Thus, it doesn’t matter whether they are on a business trip or a holiday trip, they will always end up shopping. In addition, for most of the Shopaholic, the duty-free store at the airport is also the best excuse to buy goods or products. Moreover, the Shopaholics always consider shopping as a medium to relax after an exhausting trip. Some of the Shopaholics often plan their trip just to satisfy their shopping addiction.

Nowasays internet shopping has been adopted by most of people. People are realizing that it is more convenient and could save your money and energy. But there are also more scams than shopping in local stores. Here are some tips avoid the online shopping scams.

1.Don’t buy any accessories recommended by the website
If you are not sure if you need the assessory or not, don’t buy it. You will find out later when you receive your item. Compare prices again and accesories from other web stores could be much cheaper.

2.Don’t listen to the customer service
After you have checked out online, some merchants will call you to confirm the order, while some will call you to sell you more stuff or warranties you don’t need. Don’t listen to them and and don’t buy anything from them. When you shop at brand name stores such as Amazon and Buy.com, you are assured this won’t happen to you. But there are many small electronic stores that are living on the profits from the extra accessories they sell.

3.Don’t shop at Groupon
Don’t believe any deal-of-the-day website, inclucing the big names such as Groupon or LivingSocial. The prices are definitely attractive, but most people are not satisfied with what they have purchased from these sites, unless all you care is the price.

4.Don’t shop at eBay
I am saying you won’t get a good deal from eBay. But you are more likely to get something different from you expected. Most of the online scam came from eBay. To be 100% safe, my advice is to stay away from eBay.

5.Don’t shop at Amazon Marketplace
You can trust Amazon, but you shouldn’t trust Amazon’s Marketplace. They are thousands of small retailers who uses Amazon’s interface to sell their own products and they have nothing to do with Amazon.

6.Don’t buy any final sales
Final sales are usually much cheaper than regular prices, but it also means you can’t return the product. If you are not 100% sure, don’t buy any final sale product.

7.Don’t buy anything shipped from foreign countries
This is tricky, because it is very hard to tell that the items are shipped from abroad. When the prices are extremely, you should be alerted. Try to find their contact and read their “About” information.

8.Don’t believe you are the lucky one
If you received an email or short message, or read it from a popup window that you are the lucky one – either you get a huge discount or tell you today is the final sale, don’t be so naive to believe that.

9.Don’t buy any luxuries from the stores you don’t know
Most luxuries only sell their products from their own websites, or at most a few other stores such as Saks 5th Avenue or Neiman Marcus. If not, they are fakes ones. Some websites may tell you they are selling replicas at very low prices, while some will sell replicas at original prices!

10.Don’t buy from any new website
If you start your shopping from price compare engine, be aware of those low prices. They are usually new websites that have no ratings or very few ratings (possiblly fakes ones). Don’t buy from them, it is very possible that you will receive refurbished or open-box item without knowing it.

When little girls grow up into teen girls, they want to be different from their parents. I don’t want to call it the rebelious phase in puberty, because I think they are now realizing that they are not part of their parents, but themselves. And thet want to be different from their friends and classmates too. But there is at least one thing in common for all teen girls. They always want new clothes. If possible, they would rather wear new clothes everyday!

Ask Them Before You Buy
Buying clothes for kids used to be easy, isn’t it? I used to get a few for my kids when I shop for my own clothes or even goceries. But when they grew up, one day you will find out that they don’t like your picks any more. They will probably thank you any way, but never wear them. Even if you knew it for sure that this is what she wanted, you have to ask them first! Be polite and respectful, and treat them like adults.

Be A Trendy Girl Yourself
Find out what styles are popular among girls. Listen to her when your daughter are talking about her favorite movie stars, movies, and magazines. Talk about them and discuss them with your daughter if you can. If not, at least listen to her and try to memorize them and do some research afterwards. InStyle magazine will cover all the hot topics that teen girls are talking about. Read it in a bookstore if you have not subscribed it.

Brands That Are Popular Among Girls
Following are the brands that all girls know about and are talk about. They can all be found in the shopping mall or online at their official websites.
Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Buckle, dELiAs，Gap, Justice, Pac Sun – are the ones for you if you have a tighter budget. The prices for tees and tanks are usually priced from $10 to $30 each, while jeans are from $30 to $50.
Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture, Roxy, Urban Outfitters, Baby Phat, Guess, Lucky Brand Jeans, All Man Kind – are tagged with higher prices, and are usually made of more expensive fabrics.

Shop Online for Discounts
Shopping online saves you costs of feul, saves your time, and more importantly, saves your money. If you ever found a store is on sale, you should expect a same sale is going online too. Besides, you will find many coupons available for online shopping only.
Official Web Stores That Offer Coupons – Aeropostale.com, dELiAs.com，Gap.com, Justice.com, PacSun.com, UrbanOutfitters.com, BabyPhat.com are the ones that offer online coupons very often. You can find many of their coupons in one page.
Online Only Clothing Stores That Offer Coupons – Endless.com and Bluefly.com are my favorite places to shop teen clothing online. And they offer 10% to 20% off coupons from time to time. Some of their clearance items are already at their lowest prices. Ask the young lady to browse with you and teach them how to use online coupons to save!

Yesterday was National No Bra Day. I didn’t know about it and had never heard about it before, until I got many retweets from my friends and co-works – femaile of course. Most of the tweets started with “Dare you” or “Dare you not” and ended with “LOL”. I wondered how many of these people are really serious about freeing their breasts for one day.

It is not a science
No-Bra supporters claims that your breast need to breath and related breast cancer to wearing bras. But after hours of research online, I haven’t found any solid evidence provided by professionals that they are true. If I am wrong, tell me about it. My Ob-gyn told me nobody can tell if breast cancer is related to bras or not, but it is true that wearing bras are better to your health than not-wearing.

It is my own choice!
Other supporters think bra-less is sexy. I agree with it in some extend, – it depends on what clothing you are wearing and what size and shapes your boobs are. If your size is full C or D cup or above, don’t ever try. Wear adheresives if you are wearing silk or sheer dresses. But, this is completely your own choice: some think it is sexy to show the beauty of their breasts, while some think it is embrassing. There is no right or wrong, nor dare or dare not. Do what ever you feel comfortable with.

How to wear a right bra to work?
If you are a work lady, especially if you are young and single, not wearing a bra gives a bad signal to some males. Like all workwear, you should pick a work-bra, if there is such a term. It should cover at least 2/3 of your breasts, and should not be made of silk or lightweight fabrics.

Bra or bra-Less at home?
For full time moms, wearing bras in the day time and taking them off at night is my suggestion, – actually suggested by many doctors.

How to be bra-less in public?
Not wearing bras in a beach resort is OK with everybody, unless you are not feeling comfortable. And in summer 2012, sheer dresses are celebrities’ top picks. You can find many of them not wearing bras in all occassions. If you are such a trendy girl, try bra-less or start with adheresives.

Where to get bras online?
If you are used to visit Victoria’s Secret to buy bras, there is no need to change your habbit. I wouldn’t buy any bras lower than $30 at Victoria’s Secret, because those are made of cheap fabrics and do not give you enough support. If you are OK with shopping bras online, HerRoom.com and BareNecessities.com are my recommendations. 20% to 30% off coupons are very common at Bare Necessities

Being the fact that Black Friday after Thanksgiving is the biggest day for most retailers, they started to create another sale event in July. Early July is all Independence Day sale, but in the mid of July there will be many merchants offering another round of sale. They are either called Black Friday in July sale, or Christmas in July sale, – they are basically the same thing.

Warning
Don’t be fooled by the slogan! There is no comparison with the real Black Friday sale or Christmas sale. If you saw a weekend sale, or a Friday sale, you wouldn’t get excited, would you? You don’t get too excited about this one either. This is more like a weekend sale or a Friday sale that are running every week.

Who is Running Such a Sale
Target – 2012/7/20 to 2012/7/21
Be a Black Friday insider to get a sneak peak at the deals here. Some digital cameras and personal care products are on sale.

KMart – 2012/7/14 to 2012/7/15
Online Only Family & Friends sale: EXTRA 5-10% off Almost Everything plus FREE Shipping on orders $59 or more with coupon code: FRIENDS.

HomeDepot.com
Had a “Black Friday Is Back” Sale In April. Many appliances are priced $50 to $100 off.

Sears.com – 2012/7/13 to 2012/7/14
You will get EXTRA 10% off Thousands of Items, but may not be valid on appliances. Use coupon code SUMMER10 to redeem the discount.

FamousFootwear.com – 2012/7/15 to N/A
Backpacks on Sale starting at $24.99

SportsmansGuide.com – 2012/7/19 only
Flash Sale One Day Only.

Macys.com – 2012/7/13 and 2012/7/14 only
One Day Sale – shouldn’t it be two day sale? Discounts not disclosed yet.

Shoes.com – 2012/7/12 to 2012/7/16
25% off any sale item with coupon code 25SALE.

It has been a month since two of my older kids started their summer breaks. I felt like it has been forever. I have to plan activities for them everyday, otherwise they will either watch TV or play video games for the whole day. Here are some free adventures I will do to kill some time. You don’t have to spend a dime, and you don’t have to travel. All you need is your time to take part into the activities along with the kids.

Libraries
My kids and I will spend at least one hour at the library every day. I am happy it is only 5 minutes from where I live. They read novels and magazines. And once in a while I allow them to use Internet for a few minutes.

Book Stores
Book store is even better than a library. There are new books and new magazines to read. And my oldest son will try different music CDs for hours.

Shopping Mall
There is no other better places than a shopping mall in summer. Enjoy the cool air while you can save some money on your own AC by turning it off before you go out. The boys love Lego store and try some new gadgets at Brookstone. Every week I will take them to watch a movie. But with popcorns and drinks, it is actually quite costly.

Community Pool
I am glad there is a swiming pool in my community, free of charge. All the kids from the neighborhood gather there in the late afternoon. It is like a pool party everyday!

Cook with Kids
I will pick one day in a week and let the kids take full control the kitchen. I take them to grocery store in the morning and pick up the stuff they wanted to cook. They will know it is not easy being a full time mom and will appreciate your work, – at least I hope so…

Volunteering
Seach your city’s website. And you will find many volunteering job for kids, such as visiting the old, walking dogs in the shelter.

Are you planing a BBQ part for this Independence Day? To be honest with you, I hate BBQ myself. It is not just because BBQ is not healthy for your body, but mostly because it is hard to clean. My man and kids love them very much. The parties in the summer have to be BBQ + Swim parties no matter what I say. Summer time is also a good time to shop for BBQ grills, especially this July 4th. If you have time shop around, you will find many grills are on sale, either at Sears or Target.

I highly recommend you to buy grills online. You can find the model that fit your need at the lowest price, and you can learn the pros and cons from other buyer’s reviews – which is the best part about online shopping. The first question one may have is: should I buy a charcoal grill or a gas grill? Most people will choose gas grill because it is easy to clean and maintain. And overall cost on gas is lower than that of charcoal. But charcoal grill is usually a lot cheaper, and some people prefer the taste from a charcoal grill. If you are still not sure, read the complete guide from this article.

Today our staff picked three most popular grills for different needs. They are reviewed by hundreds of happy buyers, – you can buy any of them with no worries.

Portable BBQ Grill

Foldable and light weighted (47 lb), this Coleman 2000005493 Road Trip Grill is the best companion for your camping. The best place to buy is Amazon at only $159.99, with no sales tax and free shipping. With one propane cylinder, the grill operates for 2.1 hours – should be enough for dinner for a family with up to 4 people. You can also use it as a camp stove in case you need to cook a chicken noodle soup.

Home Use Gas Grill

The best place to buy this Weber Genesis E-330 is at Sears priced at $799. With coupon code SAVETEN at Sears.com you can save 10% before July 15, which drops the price to $719.1! It has a 637 square inch total cooking area, which is big enough for medium size party. Stainless, electronic ignition system, it has the basic features you need. Why watse money on extra storage spaces when you only use it in your back yard?

Home Use Charcoal Grill

Some people like the smoker flavor. If so you have to get this Char-Griller 2137 Outlaw Charcoal Grill Smoker. It has a 1038 square inch cooking area,
while the price is only $184.99 at Bass Pro Shop, compared with the price of $196.77 at Sam’s Club. target also carries the same model, which costs $229.19!

Toys aren’t cheap, especially toys for little ones. They may cry for a new toy, but throw it away the next day. I used to get many second hand toys from my friends and neighbors. But after I moved to a new town, I have found a way to create new toys everyday, and best part is thet they are absolutely free! Let’s do the math: I used to buy at least one toy every month, which is usually from $10 to $30. That is about $20×12=$240 every year!

Flour

If you don’t mind getting into a mess, this is the best game for every kid. Mix it water and play as playdough – Make a ball or noodles as making a doll is too hard for them. You probably don’t need to make anything. The mixing part is already fun enough – toddlers can play it for hours.

Scotch Tape

Build a race track with scotch tape. My older son told me this is best game he played with his dad! They had played it for few years and every time is a new track or even new cars. I have video that they were playing two tomatoes tracing each other – one of my best family video ever.

Ice
The fun game in summer. Hold one and feel the cold. Count 1, 2, 3. Watch them melting. I bet you can be more creative than me.

Rocks
Line up the rocks as soldiers. Draw a circle and throw rocks into it.

Paper
Tearing, folding, cutting and pasting all could be fun. Cut a magazine cover into pieces and make it a puzzle. Cut it into shapes and teach kid to learn shapes. There could be thousands of activities with papers.

Water Bottles
Roll the water bottles. Drum the water bottles. Fill them with water. Match the lids. Stack them into a tower…

Used Baby Clothes
If you have some used baby clothes left, they are fun to dress your dolls. Or use them to make your own doll!

Everybody loves jeans and everybody has at least a few pairs of jeans in their closet. Jeans are simple and classic, – you need accessories to highlight your overall look. Let’s learn from celebrities that how they are pairing accessories with jeans.

Jeans with scarf

Wearing a scarf in winter will keep you warm, but wearing a scarf in summer will definitely you stand out from the crowd. Wearing floral print sacrf with jeans are common, while wearing leopard or zebra print scarf are avant-courier.

You can find more than 100 styles of sacrves at Buckle.com, each comes with a few different colors for you to choose from. The above leopard print sacrf (Item #49510SWB081) is only $16.95! If you didn’t find what you need at Buckles, try NIMLI with more classic looking scarves.

Jeans with boots

Skinny jeans plus under-the-knee boots. You can’t go wrong with that! At 6pm.com you can find more than 5000 pairs of boots with prices from $20 to a few hundreds dollars. See following boots, they are only $20 to $40 each pair!

Jeans with high heels

Pair cropped jeans with high heels – one of the summer looks worn by many celebrities! In my experiences, it is nomt easy to find perfect cropped jeans online. You’d better try them on in stores such as Nordstrom. See some of the cropped jeans from Nordstrom – prices from $150 to $200 each:

If you have the extra money, try to get a pair of high heels from designer shoe stores such as Bluefly.com. Once you have tried those from luxury brands, such as Prada or Gucci, you will know how comfortable they are. Maybe they don’t worth the money, but they are definitely much better than those cheaper ones. See some of the high heels from BlueFly.com:

Jeans with hat

Black jeans, black hat, black top, black necklace, black boots, and black bag! If you the look, you can get all from Shopbop.com.

Jeans with handbag

Pair your jeans with a bright color handbag! You can find cheap handbags as well as designer handbags all at discounted prices at eBags.com – you can easily find 20% off coupons or even 40% off coupons online!

Too bad this July 4th falls on Wednesday, and most people will only have one day off. It is really not a good idea to take a vacation this weekend as you would in the past years. But if you decided to buy some big items, such as furniture or jewelry, you shouldn’t miss this Independence Day sale. Most stores will start the sale from Saturday, while some of them started already. Belows are some hot ones we picked for you!

Mattress Sale
Sam’s Club

Serta Mattress 4th of July Event: 15 Serta Roma memory foam mattresses are on sale with prices from $429 to $848. Online only, you don’t find the same deal in stores. Valid through July 8, but some best sellers will be gone fast. All sizes available, incluing king, calfornia king, queen, full and twin.

Fitness Product Sale
Mercantila.com

10% off storewide (exclusions may apply) with coupon code 4THJULY10. You only see this kind of sitewide coupons twice a year: one for Christmas and one for July 4th. The above Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike was $500, now at $325. After 10% off, the price drops to $292.50. But that’s not it: you get another $25 rebate coupon with purchase. The bike comes with hand grip pulse rate monitor and performance monitor – all you need for your fitness need at home. Shipping is free, no tax – you can’t get any better deals than that at any other stores.

Baby Furniture Sale
PoshTots.com

You can find luxury baby cribs, children’s furniture, bedding, – everything for kids rooms at PoshTots.com. Now get 15% off your entire order with coupon code FESTIVE4TH, valid through 7/4, minimum $750 order required. The above Sparrow Crib in White is exactly $750, now with 15% off coupon, it is $637.50!

Jewelry Sale
Emitations.com

Before June 30, you can save extra 40% on all clearance items with coupon code: CLR40. The above Luca’s Canary And Clear CZ Necklace is at final sale – $83 only! After the 40% off coupon it is only $49.80! For non-clearance items you can use save up to 20% off with these coupons.

Travel Accessories
Magellans.com
Products at Magellans.com will make your travel easy and comfort. Its Fourth of July Sale – Save an Additional 20% Off Current Sale Items, will start from 7/1 till 7/4.

Samsonite.com

This is most reliable luggage brand for years. All luggages come with 10 year warranty – keep receipts please. Now shop online at its official website at Samsonite.com you can save 20% off with coupon code JULYSALE. Valid through July 4th. The above Samsonite Overdrive 22″ Carry-on Upright Luggage is on sale with price dropped from $339 to $109. You don’t get that price even at outlet stores.

Sometimes I don’t know what clothes I should buy for my boys in the summer. Tommy’s classic blue, Timberland’s shirts, Nautica polo? Well, they are good enough for school days. But for summer break I want them to go outside and get sweaty more often. They are not any fans of any NFL/NBA/NHL teams, otherwise I would have bought the team jerseys from the official fan’s shop. I am not stick to any specific brand – I would buy if it is cheaper. Beside, I believe all the major brands offer similar products and qualities – tell me if I am wrong. Today I collected the stores, both online and offline, that I shopped most often in the past few years.

Target
There is no reason to shop online at Target.com, since there is no coupons ever for online use. And you have to pay shipping if your order total is below $50. At local Target stores, Champion is the most common brand you can find. If you like Champion, this is the best place to buy, because their prices are usually the lowest, even lower than Champion’s official website.

SportsAuthority.com
I shop at Sports Authority both in stores and online. The local stores offer a membership for you to join free. Every time you shop you can get 5% cash back, – good for your next purchase. The online stores offer 10% off coupon for new customers, – all you need to do is to enter your email and sign up their newsletters, and a 10% off coupon will be sent to your mailbox. For this July 4th, everything is on sale! And on top of it, you can find many online coupons here.

This NIKE Boys’ Legend Sleeveless Tee is only $18! More colors available. It is made with moisture-wicking Dri-FIT fabric, best for the hot summer. Item Number: 10816202.

This UNDER ARMOUR Boys’ UA Tech Big Logo Sleeveless T-Shirt is only $19.99! Item Number: 11786132.

Adidas.com
Adidas’ shorts are the best, especially for soccer players. But you don’t find them in Sports Authority nor Target stores. Don’t know why. There is no July 4th sale so far at their online store, – to get a better deal go to Adidas Outlet during the July 4th weekend.

This YOUTH 8-20 LOOSE SHORTS was $22, now only $18. Shipping is free when your order is over $49.

ChampionUSA.com

Independence Day sale started already – buy any 2 shorts, tanks or tees get the 3rd free!

Puma.com

This Cat T-Shirt is only $12.60, was $18! Don’t forget to use online coupons for Puma.com. We have 20% off to 40% off coupons from time to time.

UnderArmour.com

This Boys’ HeatGear Touch Shortsleeve T-Shirt was $24.99, now $18.99. Tight, but sweat-wicking, will sure make your boy look slick. You can get free shipping on any order with coupon codes listed here. Shipping is free if your order is over $85, otherwise $7.00 for standard shipping.

July 4th weekend is the big day to shop for large appliances and furniture. If you like to shop in stores, it is a good time to go out to outlet stores or shopping malls nearby. But for people hated the hot weather, shopping online is the best choice. You will get free home delivery as well as lower prices than those in stores.

Keep two things in mind when you shop appliances online:
(1)Don’t buy any accessories recommended by the seller, unless you absolutely sure that you need them. Why? Because you most likely don’t need them. Second reason is that they are probably more expensive than they should be. Do a price comparison online if you need them.
(2)Don’t buy any extra warranty. 99% of chance are you are wasting your money.

Sears.com

Before the Interent era, I used to go to Sears stores for all my kitchen appliances. The saleman will recommend the best products for me. But nowadays it is better to do the product research online than listening the saleman. Now Sears online is offering 15% off on all Kenmore appliances, and 10% off all other brands. Plus, you will receive extra 5% off when financing with Sears card. I wouldn’t expect any further discount for the Independence Day. So you can start shopping now or take your time to do your research. Besides, if you shop before June 28, you can save an extra $35 off with $350+ order (Coupon Code: JUNE35) on top of the 15% or 10% off price drop. Shipping is free when you order is over $499 (Coupon Code: HADELIVERY).

AppliancesConnection.com
Appliances Connection offers buy more save more coupons on our website. For this Independence Day, you can save big on major brands appliances:
Save 15% Off Bosch

(1)Purchase at least (3) 300, 500 or 800 Series Bosch Appliances and receive a 10% Rebate of the purchase price.
(2)Purchase at least (3) 800 Series Bosch Appliances and receive a 15% Rebate of the purchase price for all eligible Bosch models purchased.

Save $100 to $700 Off KitchenAid Appliances

(1)$100 Rebate on 2 select appliances
(2)$200 Rebate on 3 select appliances
(3)$400 Rebate on 4 select appliances
(4)$500 Rebate on 5 select appliances
(5)$700 Rebate on 6 select appliances

Capital Ranges $200-$400 Rebates

(1)Capital 30 inch range – $200 Rebate
(2)Capital 30 inch wall oven with a cooktop/rangetop – $200 Rebate
(3)Capital 36 inch range or 48 inch range – $300 Rebate
(4)Capital 60 inch range – $400 Rebate

When the first time I had knee pains, I said to myself maybe I worked too hard these days and all I need is some rest. A year later, I realized that I am getting old and there is no way I can be as agile as I used to be. All I can do to prevent my knees to get worse. And sometimes I need pain relief to reduce the pain. I have seen different doctors, taken X-rays, done CT scans a few times. But all doctors told me the same things:
(1)There is no cure.
(2)You had nothing wrong.
(3)You need calcium and Vitamin D.
(4)You need to take joint support pills everyday.
(5)There are some exercises you should do, some you shouldn’t do.

Excercises I should/should not do
Exercise I should do everyday:

(1)Sit on a mat with one leg bent, and hold it with both hands on it.
(2)Keep the other leg straight, raise it a few inches off floor, hold for one count, then lower to start.
(3)Do 10 reps, then switch the leg. Do 100 on each leg everyday.

There are many excercises that I can not do any more, including running, weight lift, etc. You’d better to consult with your doctors before you start any new types of exercise.

Pills Recommended
I have tried various joint support supplements such as Triple Flex from CVS and Walgreens. But did not work well on me and besides, those pills are way too big for my throat. I have to cut each pill into 2 to 2 pieces before I can swallow. Following are some pills recommended by one of my doctors. I only use one of them at a time

Joint Advantage Gold

Invented by Dr David Williams, the main ingredient is Natural Eggshell Membrane, plus 14 others such as Glucosamine sulfate, Australian herbs, etc. It helps build good space within the joints and let you feel less pain when moving. You can get it from HealthyDirections.com with Buy 3 Get 1 deal or Buy 5 Get 2 Free deal. If you order from DrDavidWilliams.com, we have a $10 off coupon when your order is over $60. I like this product the most, because it is the cheapest: a 30 day supply is only $22.49!

USPlabs SuperCissus

Not sure about the ingedients, but it works on me after a month. My doctors suggested me to use it for two to three months in a row, then stop for a few months and try something new. It is $49.99 for a 150 capsules bottle at GNC. You need to take at least 3 pills a day. There is no GNC coupons for online use. But sometimes we have printable coupons for select products.

Ultimate H.A. Formula

I use this product when my knees feels OK. It is not only for knee support, but also a beauty product to slow down the aging. You can the pictures before and after taking them. A 30 day supply is $39.95 at PurityProducts.com. But with its automatic delivery plan, you can save 25%.

Researchers indicated that most middle class families are short by $1000 to $1500 each month, no matter what month it is, and no matter how many kids they have. Even if you or your husband just got a raise of $1000 every month, you will still want another $1000 more every month after first few months. Here are the tips to avoid that.

Minus Your Salary By $1000
When you are doing your finance plan for the month, pretend your salary is $1000 less. You should transfer $1000 to your saving account when you deposit your check. And when you are making the plan, don’t count that $1000.

Money Saving Tips For The Summer
Read here to save the money from your electricity meter (http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/tips-keeping-cool-without-cranking-ac-38-best-173500508.html). The article bassically tells you one thing: turn off appliances, big or small, whenever you can. If you can’t turn off the air conditioner, set the temperature by one degree high. But more important thing is: are you overpay your power company? Ask your friend how much they are paying for every killo watts. Or do some online research to find the lowest rate. Starting from this April, I saved over $100 every month from my electricity bill by switching to another power company!

Save $100 from Grocery Shopping
Stop buying bulk from Sam’s Club or Costco. You may have save a little on each item, but I bet your waste is way over what you have saved. You should consider by what you really needed once a week. Take the coupons with you. If you don’t have Sunday newspapers, find grocery coupons online from coupons.com.

Save $100 by Shopping Online
Why buy toys from Toys R Us? If you search online, the toys from online stores are usually half of the prices of your local toy stores. Why buy books from Barnes & Noble? The books from online bookstores are usually two thrid of that at Barnes & Noble or Borders. Why buy shoes from DSW? The online shoe stores are always offering 20% off discount coupons.

Save $100 on Insurance
You should switch your auto insurance and health insurance company every year, if not every six month! Every time you switch, you should get a discount and a lowest rate.

No More Buying New Gift Card
A gift card for a new born baby? A gift card for a wedding couple? Every month I need spend at least $100 on different GC, while at the same time all kinds of GC from friends or relatives. Now I can trade in all my cards with as little as 5% fees, and receive new cards that I need.

You taught your kids how to walk, how to talk and how to read when they were very young. And when kids are growing up, you teach them math, literature, history and art. And you teach them to have a good manner, be responsible, and be confident. And eventually you want them to be a good person and financially responsible. They don’t have to be millionaire, but I would encourage them to have a dream of being a millionaire. These are the tips you should teach kids to be financially responsible when they are 10 to 18 years old.

Spend Money Later
If you want to teach your kids one thing, that should be: Wait to spend money. This is not only the advice to kids, but also the advice to everyone who want to save money. Researchers from Stanford Univerisity have done a famous marshmallow test: kids of 4-5 years old can have the choice to eat one marshmallow now, or wait until the adult returned and eat two. Researchers discovered that those who had waited for the second marshmallow were more successful in just about every way!

Think Again Before Open The Wallet
When your kids have the self control to spend money later, ask them to think again before they make the purchase. Is it what I needed? Is there any alternatives that are cheaper? Can I use second-hand items? Can I find coupons for it? Is there a sale promotion in the near future?

Practice The Money-Saving Tips In Your Daily Life
Money is part of your daily life, and you should also teach the money saving tips in your daily life. You could ask your kids to wait for next week to buy something, by offering an incentive. You could give them a few bucks every week or every month, and let them take the control of money. You could ask them to compare prices online and find the lowest prices.

Start Teaching Finance In A Easy Language
When kids are still young, you can explain to them how to make money from a job. Or it could started with games such as Monopoly. When they are getting older, you should explain banking, interest rate, stock market, insurance etc. to your kids. Let them know this is world about money.

You Are The Best Teacher
Kids will learn every thing from you. If you spend money in rush, how could you expect your kids to wait to spend money? If you don’t use coupons ever, no kids will. So before teaching them how to save money and be financially responsible, teach yourself first!

It is two weeks from July 4th. July 4th is not just for fireworks, but also a good time for shopping. Christmas is the biggest sale season as everybody knows, and now is the second biggest sale event in the year – some stores called it Christmas in July! If you have a plan for the long weekend, you can start shopping now. Many stores have started their July 4th sale!

YOOX.com
Need designer apparel? This is your one stop destination. You will find all trendy clothing from tanks to dresses, and from hats to shoes. Now it has 20% off everything coupon with code HAPPYBIRTHDAY, valid through June 22. This is the first time we have seen such a big discount in the past few years. Don’t miss it!

LastCall.com
30% Off all regular priced items! No coupon code needed. All the prices are already marked with discounted prices. Prices valid through June 25. If you don’t mind to buy some off-season clothes, you will get better deals!

LaneBryant.com
Plus size trendy clothing are now 30% off with coupon code: SHOPNSAVELB. Valid through June 24.

Cache.com
30% Off All Regular Price Items. No code needed.

IsabellaOliver.com
Moms to be can get 40% off the summer must-have maternity clothing, use coupon code SHOP40 to receive the discount. Valid through June 24, 2012.

ChineseLaundry.com
Fashion shoes and sandals now 25% off with coupon code: JULY4YOU! Valid through June 21.

LittleMissMatched.com
Socks you have never seen before. They are for little girls, teen girls, and ladies that need unique looking socks. Now there is a buy 3 get 1 free offer, and a 10% off coupon!

StyleBell.com
Everything you need for your hair care, including flat iron, dryers, hair straightener, etc. Now there is a 25% off $100 coupon, code: BELL25. Three days only!

My two older kids started their summer from June 3rd, which was officially the start of my nightmare. I asked them to get up by 9 o’clock – actually I wish they can sleep through the whole morning. They shall done one hour of homework – I asked them to do two hours but got refused. They can use computer for one hour, video games for one hour, TV for one hour. But there are still too much time left! I am glad I have swimming pool in the back yard, – they can play with the water for hours! I also got many other fun water toys for all the kids, both boys and girls:

1. Sprinkler Water Toy

This is Dora Explorer water mat is less than $10 at your local Walmart store, while it is $25 at Amazon. I bought it 3 years ago for my little girls, but all the boys loved it all these years.

2. WaterWheel Activity Play Table

Again this Step2 WaterWheel Activity Play Table is the toy for my little girl. But all three kids are having fun with it, – isn’t it for two year old toddler? It is $36.99 at Amazon, but there are many similar items at local stores for less price.

3. Beach Ball/Water Splash Balls

You need lots of them: big ones, small ones, inflatable ones, foam ones. Boys love to fight with them. Buy them from local stores – a 12-pack balls will usually cost $5 to $8, while the online store will charge at least $12.

4. Water Ballon

These ballons are very cheap, you can buy 300 hundred of them at less than $10. Buy remember to take them home when you are not playing. They will easily get burned under the sun.

5. Water Gun

This water gun by Nerf is the best water I ever used. It has lasted for years. The one for my oldest boy was bought at least 5 years ago. And he is still using it. Don’t buy those cheap ones from one dollar store – they will break after a few use.

6. Water Blaster/Splash Sword

I wished I had this one when I was a kid. Each of my kids will take one when they go to the water park in the town.

7. Pool Float with Water Gun

At first I spent a few hundred dollars on a motorized floating tube, which equiped with a squirt gun. I returned it and replaced is with this $20 inflatable surfboard that comes with a water gun.

8. Dive Balls/Rings

How can I forget dive rings? You need to watch out the kids when they are playing dive rings, and I don’t let my kids play in deep water.

9. Floating Hoops for Basketball

My boys love basketball, even in the water. There are also toys to play volleyball in the water.

10. Waterslide

Before I moved into the house with a swimming pool, waterslide is kids’ favorite. Now my yard is too small to fit a big waterslide.

While I was reading the news The Five Worst Healthy Fast Food Meals for Kids from Yahoo this morning, I felt I have to defense for those fast food restaurants. First of all, I have to declare that I do not work for any of the fast food restaurants, and I have no intention to mislead you to any so-called “Healthy” food.

This article listed following 5 worst fast food meals for kids. The conclusion was drawn because of the high fat, calories, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. But it was so biased that I have to stand out and say something.

1. Chick-Fil-A: The Grilled Nuggets Kids’ Meal

2. McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal

3. Sonic’s Kids’ Jr. Burger Meal

4. Burger King’s Hamburger Kids Meal

5. Denny’s Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam

 

No food is bad
All food are created equal. If one food is good for part of your body, it must be bad for some other part of your body, and vice versa. Your body need fat, calories, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. You can’t say they are bad or good – you need all kinds of food for a healthier body.

No food is good if you are obssessed with it
Any food could be bad when you had too much it, even if they are claimed “Healthy” food by nutritional professionals. Is fat bad? No – you body need it, and yes if you ate too much of it. Is vegetable good? Yes – if you eat it with meat, no – if all you eat is vegetable.

There is no good or bad food, but good or bad parents
All food are good for your health, and all food are bad if you had too much, so is the fast food. And fast food is not created for the good of your body, but for the need of filling your stomach fast. But what the kids are eating is what their parents are choosing. If you choose fast food once in a while, if has no harm to your health, as long as you also eat enough of other food. So it is the parents to blame for, not the fast food!

Eat According Food Pyramid
To eat healthy, you should follow the food pyramid, see picture below. You can find lots of information online about the pyramid. You can also buy a food pyramid poster and hang it in your kitchen.

More exercise
Follow the food pyramid is step one to your health. Step two is to have enough excercise. Kids having more fast food should have done more exercise to burn the excess fat.

Summer is here. Some people will plan for a family vacation, while some will stay home to upgrade their homes – build a deck, a swimming pool, a sauna room, or finish the basement. Before you started, make sure you knew what flooring material you wanted. Read the article here, it will help you to choose from engineered wood, bamboo, laminate flooring, linoleum, cork, ceramic tile, or stone.

If you are used to buy all the materials from Lowes or Home Depot, you should consider to buy them online. Buying flooring materials is as easy as shop in stores, or even easier. You can compare them side by side. If you can’t decide which materials to use, request for free samples to help you make the decision. The prices at following flooring stores are a lot cheaper than those in stores. Becides, they offer 10% to 20% off coupon for select holidays (you should expect one for the coming July 4th).

Learn DIY Tips
Read DIY tips online. Search DIY flooring tips, you should be able to find plenty of how-tos. The following video teaches you how to install hardwood floorings.

Buy Materials Online
Following 3 stores are the top flooring retailers online, in which BuildDirect.com is the one I highly recommend. You can save up to 80% of retail prices at BuildDirect.com.

BuildDirect.com
Lamton 8mm Laminate Flooring, Chocolate Maple, is only $0.99 per square foot. The price at Lowes is $2.49! At BuildDirect.com, you can request up to 5 samples free, no credit card asked.

iFloor.com
iFloor is more expensive than BuildDirect – this 3/8″ Engineered Sicilian Teak 4″ Wide is $2.79/sf. It has a 10% off coupon this week. Use code “OL10” to redeem the discount.

LumberLiquidators.com
Although there are some hardwood priced at only $0.89/sq, you don’t those cheap materials. Casa de Colour 3/4″ x 2-1/4″ Lono Oak Hardwood Flooring, $2.99/sq, is the cheapest I will go for.

If you shopped at Sephora.com before, you knew they offer many free samples when you checkout. You can usually pick three of them at your choice. Do you know there are many other beauty stores also offer free smaples? All you need to do is to enter the right code when you check out.

BenefitCosmetics.com
Get a mini BADgal lash mascara deluxe with any $45 order and coupon code EYEWANNA.

Kiehls.com
If you had never used Kiehl’s products, try it at Neiman Marcus. My favorite items are Kiehl’s facial creams and body lotion. I am sure you will love it. If you prefer to shop online, be sure to visit their official website Kiehls.com. You will receive many free smaples when using coupon code. Now with coupond code HANDS, you will receive a travel-size hand salve for free.

SkinStore.com

Now they are running a 20% off deal on All NIA24 Products and All Obagi Products. Plus, you can save an extra 15% (valid on any purchase) with coupon code 4MEN. It will be valid through the Father’s Day. If you missed it, you should expect an at least 20% off coupon for July 4th. Highly recommend NIA24 Eye Repair Complex – Instyle Best Beauty Buys for 2010.

Puritan’s Pride

Puritan’s Pride, or Puritan.com, is not just a vitamin retailer. It has a complete line for Health & Beauty, including products for facial care, hand & body care, hair care, dental & oral care, and cosmetics. Their prices are much lower than those in stores. For example, Alba Green Tea Natural Sunblock SPF 45 by Alba Botanica is only $6.59, while the regular price at Whole Food is $12. Plus, there is $10 off $50 coupon listed on our site. If you missed it, don’t worry. It will come probably a week later.

SallyBeauty.com
Are you still shopping at the Sally Beauty store? Go online to find coupons and deals! Currently there is a 20% off coupon (min $50 order) with code: 555129. Plus, buy 2 Age Beautiful Hair Color you will get 1 free, or buy 3 L’Oreal Technique Excellence Creme, Creme Extremes or Resistant Grays and get 1 free!

ULTA.com
You would normally see a $3 off coupon valid any time. Now they have a $10 off coupon running through June 23!

If you have some spare money and decided to treat your husband with a special gift this year, get one of the following special gifts. The gift will cost you as much as $1000, but I am sure your husband will love it when he received it.

Fishing Gears

You probably don’t know anything about fishing and you don’t want to know. But you want to get some fishing gear for your husband because he loves it very much. Don’t worry, go visit Basspro.com and click “Freshwater Fishing” or “Fly Fishing” on the top. It won’t wrong if you get him a rod & reel combo. There is no coupon for this website. And price isn’t cheap either. But you get the quality that worth the money. If you want to save some money, don’t forget to check out their rebate center here, or visit their Free Offers.

Greenhouse

We have mentioned in the previous post that a gardening tool is probably one of the worst gifts for Father’s Day. But a greenhouse will be appreciated by any garden lovers. For dads that love plants and flowers, a greenhouse will help them to grow plants and flowers in any season. You can find portable one pretty cheap, from $20 to $100 at Home Depot. But to get a semi-pro one, you can find one at Farmtek.com.

ATV

ATV is many men’s dream when they were a kid, and it still is for many grown ups. Now you don’t have to spend thousands to get an ATV. At SaferWholesale.com you can get one for under $1000! Now they are running a Super Sale for this Father’s Day. Many ATVs are $250 off!

Bike

If you husband loves biking, please don’t try to get a cheap from department store or sports stores like Dick’s. If many people have recommended Eastern Mountains Sports (EMS.com) to me. If you can afford at least $2000, it is probably the best place to shop. But my budget is $1000. The place I will suggest is Jensonusa.com – you will find many sale items below $1000!

Most parents will buy school parents a week or two weeks before school starts. But do you know that is when the prices are the highest in the entire year? The time to get cheapest school uniforms are usually in the middle of the semester. But the most popular items are already sold out, or it is hard to find the sizes you need. Now I think is best time to shop for school uniforms – you will see many new arrivals, all sizes, and many discount coupons.

Cookies Kids

CookiesKids.com is the most popular online store to shop for school uniforms. In March you will see bigger discount, such as 15% to 25% off entire order. But in June, there is a 10% off coupon. Their prices are very competitive – most skirts are from $12.99 to $19..99, some sale skirts are only $8.99 to $9.99. You will also find plus size uniform here. To get 10% off, enter coupon code SUMMERTIME to redeem the discount with minimum order is $65.

French Toast

French Toast now has a coupon for 15% off all clearance items (Coupon Code: QELFKB). Click on the “Clearance” banner on the top you will hundreds of sale items that are at least 50% off department store prices. The above V-Neck Crossover Pleated Jumper is only $7.00!

Land’s End

Prices aren’t cheap here. A skirt usually costs more than $40, but you get better designs here. Not too many selections as you can find at French Toast. We have Land’s End coupons all the time, for example use promo code JUBILEE for 25% off entire order, or get $25 off on $75+ order with promo code PAPA.

Sears
If you like to shop in stores, go visit Sears. But the prices are usually more expensive than those at Cookies Kids or French Toast on the similar products.

TheChildrensWearOutlet.com

This is the cheapest place to buy school uniforms. All items, including shirts, pants, blousers, skirts, jumpers, are usually $5 to $8 each. You don’t get fancy designs as you saw at Land’s End. But you can’t beat the prices here. No coupons for this store, because prices are already the lowest!

Summer is here. How could you not wear sunglasses? Sunglasses of cat eye, vintage style, gradient lens, cute little lens, or a variety of strange shapes are celebrities’ favorites in the summer of 2012.

Round Frame Sunglasses

Round frame sunglasses make you look younger. If you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars, get this RALPH LAUREN RL8071W at Sunglasshut.com for $375. But this one at 39dollarglasses.com is not bad at all for only $68.95. Plus you can use the $10 off coupon code (deal10) to lower the price to $58.95!

 
Cat Eye Sunglasses

Cat eye sunglasses give you a sexier look. It has been ladies favorite since 70s. Now with more colors on frames or lens, you will be singled out no matter you are relaxing on a beach or walking on the street. The Dolce & Gabbana DG2096 is only $201.99 at BestBuyEyeGlasses.com. It is usually $378 at stores like Saks or Nordstrom. To get a cheap one, the VOGUE EYEWEAR VO2677S from Sunglasshut is only $69.95!

 
Wide Frame Sunglasses

These are sunglasses from 70s – Pair them with your vintage style dress!
Elizabeth and James Limited Edition (Style #:ELIJA40449) is $185 at Shopbop.com, while a similar one at Pacsun.com is only $15.95 – Get twopairs for only $22!

 

Father’s Day is this weekend. Have you done all the shopping for your husband? I bet you have. Besides Father’s Day sale running at many stores, there are many stores are on sale for women’s products.

LastCall.com

Extra 30% off on all women’s apparel & shoes, and on all clearance during the Fun in the Sun Event, valid through June 11.

Macys.com

$25 off women’s clothing or accessory purchase of $100 or more, Coupon Code: TROPIC. Or use code “SUMMER” for 20% off. They are also running a Home Sale. But not too many selections. If you like Nordstrom’s clothing, you will find many exact same items at Macy’s. But with the $25 off or 20% off coupon, you will get the clothing at lower prices.

PacSun.com

20% off with $50 order or more, coupon code: DEALS2050, valid through June 12. Don’t forget to check out their Buy One Get One 50% markdowns. You will find all summer essentials here from tanks to shorts.

Zales.com

Zales online is running a Semi Annual Bridal Sale, you will get 25% Off select bridal jewelry through June 13.

VeraBradley.com

Vera Bradley is running a summer sale. Many items are 50% off the original prices. Plus extra 20% off SALE Items with coupon code: JUNE20 through June 10.

ChampionUSA.com

20% off All Sports Bras, no coupon code needed.

Father’s Day is near, now is the best time to shop for big and tall clothing! Starting today until June 10, you can save at least $30 on your order! Such coupons are usually offered twice a year, one for Father’s Day, one for Christmas. If you don’t want to wait for six more months, you got to take an action now.

Big and Tall Clothing

The most popular brands for big and tall man are Destination XL, Casual Male XL, Big and Tall Direct. Now they are running an offer of $30 off with $60 order or more. To shop in stores, print this coupon and take with you. This coupon can be redeemed mutiple times. So you better print more than one copy if you are planinng to buy more items. To shop online at DestinationXL.com, use promo code PLES during check out to save $30.

To get a better deal, visit BCOutlet.com. The prices here are usually lower than brands such as Casual Male XL and Big and Tall Direct. For Father’s Day, they are running a Buy One Get 50% Off deal with coupon code BCDADSNGRADS!

Big and Tall Shoes

Shoes XL is also a brand from Destination XL. So you can use the same printable coupon or online coupon code PLES for $30 off. You can find sandals, casual shoes, dress shoes, boots, athletic shoes here, sizes from 10 to 17.

Big and Tall Home Accessories

For this Father’s Day, LivingXL.com has reduced their prices on chairs, furnitures, and many other items by $20 to $150. It is also part of Destination XL brands. So you can use the same coupon to save an extra $30 when your order total is over $60. You can also find many big and tall for your health need or personal care at LivingXL.com.

Before you buy a house with a swiming pool, you should be aware that you need spend a few thousand dollars every year to maintain the pool. Please don’t get shocked afterwards. If you are hiring professionals to do the job, average weekly cost is $30, plus $99 filter cleaning once a year, plus a few hundred here and there, the total will be around $2000 every year. If you are maintaining the pool yourself, you could cut the cost as much as $1000 every year by spending no more than 10 minutes every week. For a first time pool owner, here are the step 1, 2, 3 which covers everything you need to know while keeping the cost lowest!

Step 1. Maintain Pool Water
Every week you need to test your pool water and apply pool chemicals. These are the requirements:
Maintain your chlorine levels at 1 – 3 ppm
Maintian pH level between 7.6 and 7.8
Maintain alkalinity levels between 80 and 120 ppm
For details on how to maintain pool water, read the article here. To low the cost on pool chemicals, visit PoolSupplyWorld.com. The 3″ Chlorine Tablets 50 lb Bucket is only $99, while the similar one in stores will at least cost you $129, even at Walmart.

Step 2. Clean Your Pool
Polaris Pool Cleaner is the one I have been using for more than 10 years. I don’t know about other brands. But this one at about $600 had never given me any trouble. You can find the lowest price at Doheny.com. Besides, there are many $10 off coupon for Doheny.com. Throw the cleaner into the pool and set the timer to run 1 to 2 hours everyday, your pool will be as clean as new. You need to empty the trash bag once every week though.

Step 3. Troubleshoot Pool Pump
If you have a home warranty, make sure you have your pool covered. Normally it is not covered in a standard policy. A $100 to $200 extra is needed to get your pool covered. It will save you a lot in the case your pool pump failed. If you don’t have a home warranty, you should at least learn how pool pump works. You don’t have to be an expert, and you don’t have to fix it all by yourself. It is better to hire an expert to do the job for you. But you should buy the parts yourself which can lower the total cost by as much as 50%. For a small part, just go to a local store such as Leslie’s. For an expensive part, try to buy one online such as PoolProducts4Less.com if you are not in hurry.

I am a mother of three kids – 10, 7, and 3 years old. Being a mother is the happiest time of my life. But shopping for my kids makes me happier, even happier than shopping for myself. The result is that I usually bought more than my kids needed.

1.Buy Candies
All my kids love candies – I bet all kids love candies. Every time we do grocery shopping with me, they will ask for a pack of candy when we check out. If we shop at Whole Food, they will ask the clerk for a treat. Everyone knows candies are bad for kids, but I just can’t refuse when they asked.

2.Buy Soda
Experiments have been done by dentists: leave a tooth in different sodas for 24 hours compared to that in a cup of water. The tooth placed in the coke will decay fastest due to the acidic contents of coke, while the tooth in water had no change at all. I have told the experiment to my kids many times. But whenever we go to a restaurant, they will ask for a soda. Now I have limited them for one soda every week.

3.Buy Junk Food
Both my husband and I can not resist the junk food either. So I guess I can’t blame the kids too much. They eat junk food in the school everyday. All I can do is not buying any junk food at home, which costs me a lot more than before.

4.Buy Anything They Ask
Most of the time if they told me they want something, I will buy them as long as I can afford. I always give myself the excuse that’s because I love them so much. I should ask myself if they really need them next time.

5.Buy Because Their Friends Have One
My kids won’t tell me they want to buy something because their friends have one. Sometimes I overheard from them talking to each other. At first I was mad about it. Now I would tell my kids to be themselves. Everyone is and should be unique.

6.Buy When They Cry
My little kid uses her tears as a weapon. Whenever I refused to buy, she will cry. My friends suggested me to leave her alone for 10 minutes, she will completely forget about it. It actually works!

7.Buy In Exchange of Something
My two older kids didn’t like to go to afterschools, while I insisted they have to go. They eventually agreed, but under one condition. One want a new 3D NDS, while the other want a new bike. Should I agree? I surrendered at last.

8.Treat Kids Differently
I always buy new toys for my oldest boy. But when the younger boy wants a similar toy, I will tell him we already had one. Just get it from your brother. I didn’t realized it is no fair to the younger one until recently.

9.Buy Too Many
At the begining of each season I will buy a few new clothes for all my kids, which should be sufficient for the season. But the problem is that I shop at Gap very often. I can’t resist to buy whenever I saw something good on them.

10.Buy Without Asking
This is actually related to my Problem #9. If I had asked my kids if they needed new clothes, I wouldn’t end up buying so many!

 
I have listed so many bad habbits here. Most of them I can’t change at all. Tell me what I should do please.

Whether you are planning to build a deck or redesign your landscaping, you should be aware that these kinds of projects will usually cost you big money. Before you start the project, write down the detail plans on a peice of paper: what is the goal, what is the budget, the time span, the materials and costs, the tools and costs. Here are a few tips that will help you to save some money.

1.Do It Yourself
For most small projects, such as replacing the faucets or painting the fense, labor costs would be the biggest the portion. You should consider to do it yourself. There is no need to spend a dime on buying how-to books, because you should be able to find plenty of information online. Try to seach the Youtube for how-to videos, such as “how to replace a outdoor faucet”. The video will guide you through the process step by step.

2.Hire Professionals
DIY is not always cheaper, especially on some bigger projects, such as buiding a deck, for a few reasons: professionals or companies can get wholesale prices on material while you can’t, they have tools and accessories in hand while you probably don’t. Before you start a new project, always consult with a few companies and get free quotes from them. Compare their prices with the costs if you want to do it yourself.

3.Rent Tools
For tools you don’t use very often, you can rent them from companies like Home Depot or Lowes. Power tools can sometimes cost you a few thousands dollars! Renting them can definitely save you a lot of money.

4.Referals from Your Friends
When you ask your friends for a referal, you will usually get a cash discount. It could be $50, $100, or even $500, depending on the size of your project. Just mention your friend’s name and ask for discount directly. Even if you don’t have a referal, just tell them you heard the name from your friend’s friend, and ask for discount any way.

5.Always Bargain
When you get a price quote, always bargain to get a lower price. There are many reasons for a discount, eg: you are a senior, you are single, you have three kids, you just lost your job, you had a lower quote from other company. Just ask for it, you should able to get some discount.

6.Buy Parts Online
No matter you decided to do it yourself or hire professionals, always buy parts online. If you are not sure what to buy, go to a Home Depot or Lowes store, find the parts and buy them online. Download a iPhone App RedLaser for free. Use it to take a picture of the barcode and it will compare the prices online! For example, if need plumbing supplies, always checkout PlumberSurplus.com – their prices are usually lowest!

7.Get A Warranty
After the project finished, don’t forget to ask for a warranty. For small project you should at least get a 60-days warranty, while a bigger project should come with at least a one year warranty.

When it comes to eucational toys, I didn’t mean toys that teach math or spelling, but toys for mind training as well as for fun. Most of toys I listed here are very classic, and have been around for years or even generations, and have been proved by many parents and grandparents. Many of these games are for multi players, which are the best to have some quality family time with your kids.

1. Monopoly

My son started to play it since he was 4 years old. And so far it is still his most favorite game. It only teaches kids the basic financial skills, but also encourage kids to interact (talk, negociate, bargain) with the playmates, which I believe is the most important skill when they grow up. Besides the classic Monopoly, there are many other different editions, such as Monopoly with Electronic Bank, Monopoly New York Edition, Nintendo Monopoly, U-Build Monopoly, etc.

2. Lego

Lego are loved by most boys, while girls are not much into it. For kids that had hard time to concentrate in the class, Lego are recommended by doctors to help them.

3. Qwirkle

It is the most awarded game created by Mindware. The rule is very simple, but you need strategic thinking and planing ahead to win the game.

4. Perplexus

It is basically a 3D maze. You have to twist and turn the sphere to roll the marble from start to end to finish the game. It is actually very hard game, and it ca help kids to focus.

5. Thinkfun Rush Hour

There are many mind games by Thinkfun. Rush hour is my kids’ favorite. Chocolate Fix and Hoppers are too hard for younger kids, while Zingo is too easy for some kids.

6. Uno

Uno can have 2 to 10 players, the only one game which can be played by the entire family. When you are planing a family vacation, don’t forget to pack a set of Uno into your bag.

7. Angry Bird

Inspried by the popular video ame Angry Bird, it has become one of the top sellers at Amazon.

8. Sorry!

Sorry! is fun, but the best edition is The U-Build Sorry! game. With 113 peieces of bricks, you can build your own the Sorry! board. The strategy you used this time may not be good next time.

9. Connect 4

Everybody knows how to play Coonect 4. Its rules are as simple as Tic Tac Toe, but it is not easy to be a master of it. There is actually a scientific paper about it. If are serious about it, read it here.

10. Blokus

This game is the last one in my list. But most Blokus fans won’t agree with me. The only drawback of Blokus is that your kids may be addicted to it!

A few weeks ago, we wrote a post of 10 Worst Gifts for Mother’s Day. Now it is time for Father’s Day. What is the best Father’s Day gift? There is no best one for everybody. Ask your husband what he wanted. If you want to give him a surprise, pay attention to what advertisements he is reading or watching recently. If he is interested in a new watch, he will talk about watches with you more often. If he wanted a new iPad, he may have walked into the Apple stores a few times in the past one month. Just pay attention, you will find out what he really wanted.

1. Flowers

General speaking, men are not as romantic as women. Giving him a rose is no different from giving him a cauliflower. Imagine what his face will look like when you hand him a cauliflower as a Father’s Day gift. Well, he will probably say thank you nicely and give you a kiss as a gentleman.

2. Cakes/Candies/Chocolates

Most men do not like cakes, candies or chocolates. If he does like them, it is very likely he shoud be on diet and giving him such gifts is not a good idea.

3. Gardening Tool

Most men like gardening tools, as well as many other power tools. That doesn’t mean they like to work on the garden. Most men are lazy. It is Ok to give them a gardening tool as a toy, but please do expect them to spend more time on your back yard.

4. Books & DVDs

Fiction books and DVDs are perfect for gifts. But books and DVDs about self imprvement, how to succeed, how to become rich, how to find a job, how to loose weight, how to become a manager, are worst gifts for every husband.

5. Socks

If you are the wife who buys socks for everyody in the family, don’t buy socks again as gift for Father’s Day! Man will ignore those socks completely.

6. Dress Shirts

They will think: “Again? Didn’t you just bought them last month?”. Dress shirts are men’s daily life, just like a cup of coffee every morning. There is no special about it. They will ignore them as they ignore the socks.

7. Ties

Ties are actually among the top gifts wives buy as Father’s Day gifts. But according to my personal experiences, men don’t like to receive a tie as gift, simply because most of them don’t need one.

8. Cologne/Deodorant

Do I smell? This would be the first question pop into his mind when he received such gift.

9. Tooth Brush

There is no gift that can be worse than this one! Probably it is not a bad idea for April Fools’ Day, or as a gift for someone you hate.

10. Sex Toys

If you and your husband are having great sex life and use sex toys regularly, it is OK to buy him a new sex toy. But otherwise, please don’t do that. The implication of buying such toys is that he can’t satisfy you.

Mother’s Day was just two weeks ago. Now Father’s Day is around the corner. For women who like to shop for gifts, it is a good chance to buy some gifts for their beloved ones, and maybe something for themselves too. I am not an expert on buying gifts, but every time my husband was happy no matter what gift he received. Here are my secrets I want to share with you:

1.Ask Him What He Wanted
Simple enough? Men will appreciate if you ask. It means you care what he likes and you want him to be happy. Make suggestion for him, but please make decisions for him.

2.Don’t Try to Surprise Him
Men are not as sensitive as women, and most men do not like surprises. They need everything in order and in control. If you really want to play the trick, at least tell him what kind of gift you are buying, and what price range it will be.

3.Don’t Spend Too Much Money
Men worried about their financial status more than women do. If you spend too much money on a gift for him, he will feel guilty about it. If your budget is tight, he will understand and appreciate a cheap gift. Acutally some gifts can be free too: a kiss, a love note, or a sex.

4.Ask Your Kids To Be Part of It
Ask your kids to say something nice to their dad on the day. Or ask them for write a thank you note. Take your kids to celebrate the day with their grandfather is a good idea. If you can’t gather together, ask your kids to write a letter for their grandfather.

5.It Is OK to Forget About The Gift
It doesn’t mean you can forget about the day, although statistics shows that more than half of the dads don’t remember the day, – if you don’t remind him. You don’t have to prepare gifts for Father’s Day, but you have to treat him special on the day.

Unlike big chain stores such as Nordstrom or Gap, a boutique is a small retail store that focuses on selling clothing, jewelry or fashion accessories in a niche market. Today we compile this list of best boutiques for you to shop online. If you are used to walk into a boutique to look for something unique, now you can do that online. Besides, you will find more selections and designs from all over the the world.

Fashionable Clothing

80sPurple.com: Fashions for young chicks. Featuring 80s collections.
AndrewMarc.com: Collections from Andrew Marc and Marc New York.
DrJays.com: Urban jeans and sneakers.
PeruvianConnection.com: Luxury alpaca sweaters for older ladies.
SuperDry.com: Asian styles for teens and young girls.
TopMan.com: UK fashions.

Sports Clothing

KillerDana.com: Many water sportswear available.
Lucy.com: Activewear yoga, running, or any exercise.

Shoes

GravityDefyer.com: For people suffering heel pain or knee pain, try get a pair of shoes from Gravity Defyer. You will feel like walking on a spring.

Jewelry

HotTopic.com: Urban style fashion jewelry.
diViene.com: Cheap jewelry for daily wear.

Momorial Day is the day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s services. It also one of the hottest shopping day for all Americans. The in stores sales will start from Friday till Monday. But you don’t have to go out in this hot weather days and waste your money on gas. All the sales you will see in stores can be expected online. Besides, on top the sale items, you can also use online coupons to save more! Here is a short list of merchants that are running Memorial Day Sale. They usually started today. Don’t wait before the hot items are gone.

Clothes
Appleseeds.com
In case you don’t know about it, Appleseeds is the place for classic clothing for women of 40 years or older. You will see a large selection of classic designs of sweaters, blouses & shirts, knit tops, jackets and pants here. Its Memorial Day savings is a 25% Off everything online! No coupon code needed.

Bebe.com
Extra 25% off Already Reduced Select Styles. No code needed.

Dockers.com
Dockers pants are my favorites. They also sell polos, shirts and sweaters. For this weekend you get 30% off your entoire order with $100 order or more. Coupon Code: MEMDAY.

Express.com
Get $15 off back for every $75 you spend. Use code 1409 to receive the discount.

Gap.com
Up to 40% off this weekend on everything. This year’s Gap designs for littler girls are terrible, their colors are always greyish. Not bad for boys though.

HotTopic.com
Loved by many teens. For this weekend, shorts and tanks buy one get one 50% off, and sunglasses buy one pair get one 50% off.

Levi.com
You got to have a few Levi’s classic jeans, suitable for any occassion. Save 30% off when you purchase 2 or more items this weekend, plus free Shipping on orders $75 or more. Coupon Code: MEMDAY2012.

Maidenform.com
Extra 25% off during Memorial Day Sale. No coupon code needed. Valid on all purchases.

PacSun.com
Are you summer ready? Visit Pac Sun to get you geared up. For this weekend you will get BOGO 50% Off sitewide.

Shoes
6pm.com
Memorial Day Super Sale will start on May 25, 6AM PST. Prices of over 25,000 items are dropped below $25! 6pm.com is not only a shoe store, but also sells clothing, bags and accessories. They sell branded items only. You won’t those cheap clothing and shoes as you saw at Walmart.

OnlineShoes.com
20% off entire order with coupon code 20MEMORIAL. They offer 20% off coupon for all national holidays. If you missed it this time, come back on July 4th.

Department Stores
Hayneedle.com
Use coupon code MEMDAY to save $25 w/ $250 order, or save $50 w/ $500 order, or save $100 w/ $999 order. Many brands excluded from this offer though.

Overstock.com
If you can find the item you need at Overstock.com, you are most likely find the lowest price. For this weekend, you get 15% off All Area Rugs, 10% off select bedding, 10% off select mattresses, and 10% off select beds! Discounts not big enough? That’s because their prices are already very low!

Appliances
Home Depot
10% Off Appliances $397 or more if you shop online. Plus, Free Delivery & Haul Away. Valid 5/24 – 5/30.

Home Decor
Serena & Lily
Want to get beddings and decors made of higher standards? Visit Serena & Lily! You get 20% off everything this weekend. Use code ENJOY20 to save.

Beauty Products
BHCosmetics.com
For this weekend most products are marked 35% to 45% off their original prices, including most popular eyeshadow palettes by BH. Save extra 5% with coupon code SHPHM.

When you get older, you need to spend more on medicines. Some pharmacies offer discounts to senior citizens, some offer discounts for those signed up as a member. Here is the list of pharmacies that offer member discounts. Not all membership are free. With a paid membership you get deeper discounts on drugs. So it is worthy to consider to pay for $10 to $20 every year to qualify for member discounts.

A&P Supermarket
A&P Supermarket has stores throughout New York and New Jersey. When you signup their Live Better Wellness Club, which is free to everyone, seniors of 60 and older will get 10% off on your presciptions. Non-seniors also get discounted prices. See details here.
 
CVS
CVS used to offer 10% senior discount, but not any more. Now they offer Health Savings Pass discounts to everybody who signed up at a cost of $15 per year. Visit www.cvshealthpass.com for details. You pay only $11.99 for a 90-day supply of over 400 generic prescriptions, and many other benefits.
 
Duane Reade
Powered by Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. See below for more details.
 
Kmart
Like CVS, Kmart used to have a GoldK program for seniors to save on presriptions. But now they have a Pharmacy Prescription Savings Club. When you signup with a $10 annual fee, you get over 500 Kmart preferred generic medications at prices starting as low as $5 for 30 day supply ($10 for 90 day supply), and 5% to 35% savings on all other medications. Click here for details.
 
Kroger
Get 30 day supply of generic drugs for only $4, or 90 day supply for $10. See details here.
 
Rite Aid
Their Rx Savings Program is Free. You can save up to 20% on thousands of prescriptions. Pay only $8.99 for a 30-day supply of select generics, or $15.99 for a 90-day supply.
 
Target
Like Kmart, you pay $4 for a 30-day supply, or $10 for 90 days supply of hundreds of generic drugs. See details here.
 
Walgreens
Walgreens Prescription Savings Club will cost you $20 every year, for $35/year for entire family. The club benefits include discounts on thousands of brand-name and all generic medications. See this PDF file for details. For example, FLUTICASONE Nasal Spray is $42 without member card, but only $15 with member card.
 
Walmart
Save on hundreds of prescription medications priced as low as $4. See details here.