You can not have too many options when it comes to shopping for the holidays in my opinion. I enjoy giving gifts that fit a person’s personality and is unique. This is the main reason I don’t do all of my shopping at one store. Red Envelope has their site ready to make shopping for Christmas gifts easier. I have shopped there before and don’t mind browsing the site, looking through all the nice products (adding to my own wishlist). It is nice seeing some gifts featured for the holidays. There are gifts for all categories including new parents,  jewelry, clothes and food.

Personalized gifts are always special and there are a lot of items to choose from:

Personalized Cutting Board

Family Tree Wall Art

Hi Hat and Mitten Set

After looking around Red Envelope for a while I found a personalized business card holder that would be perfect for my Father in law. He likes gifts that are practical and I wasn’t sure what to get him this year for Christmas.

 This leather business card holder is nice and simple. There are three colors to choose from : red, black and grey. The price starts at $29.95. I decided to go with getting my father-in- law’s initials added for $6.95. This business card holder has a push button feature I really like. I tried it out and it pops open easily.

My shopping experience with Red Envelope went through smoothly. My purchase arrived on the date it was supposed to. This is very important because I want gifts to arrive in a timely manner. Red Envelope has a nice sale section too. I found this legend of three keys accessory gift set that I just had to get. I could not pass it up. The regular price was $59.95 and it was marked down to $19.99!

The products for this review were provided for free from the company or its PR agency. Opinions are 100% my own as always.

Walmart’s Black Friday events will be held at the following times*

•  10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) – Top Toys, Home and Apparel
•  Midnight on Black Friday (Nov. 25) – Electronics! Electronics! Electronics
•  8 a.m. Nov. 25 through the weekend – Gifts for the entire family; electronics and more

Thanksgiving Day at Walmart.com: All-day long on Thanksgiving, shoppers can get great online-only specials and save with free “Fast, Faster, Fastest” shipping options. Examples of a few of the incredible online savings include:

• 46” HDTVs for under $400
• Electric Ride-Ons for children, priced under $40
• Choice of four select Blu-ray™ discs for only $20

10 p.m. Savings on Toys, Home and Apparel: For the first time, Walmart will be kicking off its in-store specials at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Savings available in store, while supplies last, include:

•  Xbox360 4GB with Kinect Console – $199.96 plus a $50 Walmart gift card
•  Select DVDs – starting at $1.96
•  6V or 12V Ride-Ons (e.g., Jeep Wrangler, X Games ATV or Barbie Jeep) – $99 each
•  Barbie, Disney Princess or Bratz branded Fashion Dolls – $5 each
•  8ft Inflatable Santa or Snowman – $20
•  Paula Deen^®  20-Piece Cookware Set – $86.44
•  Black & Decker Blender, Coffeemaker or Electric Griddle – $9.44 each
•  Men’s Wrangler, Ladies Rider or Junior LEI Jeans – $9.97 each
•  Kids Character Sleepwear Sets – $4.47
•  Rival Mini Chopper or 2-Slice Waffle Maker – $2.84 each

Midnight Electronics Event: Starting at midnight, shoppers will have access to great savings on a wide assortment of top brand name flat-screen TVs, digital cameras, Blu-Ray players and printers. Examples include:

•  Emerson^®  32″ LCD TV (31.5″ diagonal screen size) – $188
• LG Blu-ray™ Player – $49
•  Sansui 19″ TV (18.5″ diagonal screen size) – $98
• HP^® DJ-1051 All-in-One Printer – $19
•  8GB iPod Touch – $195

Incredible Specials throughout the Weekend**: Shoppers can continue to check off their holiday shopping list with great specials starting at 8 a.m. on Black Friday. Examples include:

• Vizio^®  42″ 3D LED Wi-Fi HDTV (42.0″ diagonal screen size 1080p) – $598
• Goodyear Tires starting at $59
• Buy any smartphone*** with a contract and get a $100 Walmart gift card

Having a map makes a difference. Walmart is also helping shoppers plan their in-store shopping strategy by making available store-specific maps on Facebook. To access the map, shoppers simply need to find their favorite store by clicking on the “My Local Walmart” application on Walmart’s Facebook page.

Along with its full plate of Thanksgiving weekend specials Walmart promises to match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product, including matching competitor’s deals for the day after Thanksgiving.

I always carry the ads from other stores with me. The fewer stores I have to try to make it to the better. My plan is to break up the shopping between my husband, Jazz and myself. We should be able to to get a lot of shopping done that way.My eye is on the Xbox 360, with the $50 gift card I could buy a game to go with it. We have all wanted to try the Kinect.

The girls were sent a few Braced-Lets to try out. When Kayla saw all the color combinations she was full of smiles. She is all about accessories when it comes to her personal style. Kayla had starting putting ideas immediately.  The set that really caught her eye were the Halloween Braced-Lets.

The alternating colors looked great together. It is the perfect way to get in the Halloween spirit without putting on a costume. Kayla and Nannah have been taking turns wearing the set. They both like the fact you can wear one alone or wear them all together.  The Halloween Tri Pack is a limited edition, so they will not be available long.

Braced-Lets are so unique. They are made of elastic rubber bands accented with metal brackets. At first glance the girls thought that the Braced-Lets would not stretch. It turns out they are very strong!

Connect with Braced-Lets on Facebook and Twitter

I was provided with the above item from the company or its PR agency for review purposes.  Opinions are 100% my own as always.

The Simply Right Baby care  line includes:

•  Simply Right™ – Premium Diapers in size 3, 4 and 5
•  Simply Right – Premium wipes (810 count)
•  Simply Right – Infant Formula (Complete, Gentle or Sensitivity)

I was provided with the above items from the company or its PR agency for review purposes. Opinions are 100% my own as always.

Right after fishing, one of my husband’s favorite things to do is work on cars. He loves to track down the problem and fix it himself. That is one of the things I love about him, he is very handy and can fix anything! Not only does he likes to fix cars, but he likes to put cars together.  Lucky for us he always finds a good deal on cars people want to get rid of, he sees the potential. Right now he has a 1970 Camero he is rebuilding. Don’t laugh, but for some reason I keep calling it a Camry. My husband hates that!

Between working on the Camero and fixing my truck, he is always buying car parts. One of his favorite places to go is Advance Auto Parts, there are so many locations where we live it makes sense.  For the last year or so my husband has been ordering his parts from them online. But he doesn’t get them shipped. You can place an order online, use a promo code to save money, and go to the store and pick them up. Easy as that! It saves a lot of time too, no need to drive to different stores to see if they have it in stock and then spend more time trying to locate the part.

My husband was really surprised how many of his friends, family and co-workers did not know that could be saving money by going online. Of course he gave me the suggestion that I should post about it because a lot of people are missing out!

So make sure you check them out next time you are buying car parts! It is definitely 1StopMom approved!

Last month Bobble lunch boxes hit the shelves in Target. The two lunchboxes are both designed byKarim Rashid: one is a soft-cooler packmade with insulated lining that will keep food chilled and has interior pocketsto hold a mini-bobble (13 oz) and food in place. The other is inspired by a bento box, so it is partitioned out to hold the lunch items and a mini-bobble.

I like the idea of the of the Bobble lunch box that keeps everything seperated. It would be easier for kids to make their own lunches without having to worry about baggies and containers. An added plus is the money parents will save not buying baggies or snack sized packs of food. Oh and I can’t forget how much you will save using a Bobble instead of box juices.

We were sent a blue and pink Bobble lunch bag to review.

Kayla and Nannah liked the Bobble Lunch Bag. It comes with a Bobble water bottle that has a filter inside. My kids already like this type of water bottles. They carry them in school and refill them right in school. Nannah says the water tastes much better this way. Kayla actually drinks a lot more water using her water bottle. The Bobble lunch bag has an easy to wipe off exterior and folds flat when empty. It fits in backpack with no problem. Of course TJ wants a black one, but every time I go to Target they are out of stock. I might just have to order one online.

I think the Bobble Lunch Bag can be used for more than just to take lunch to school. Kayla carries hers when we go to Six Flags. She adds pieces of fruit or veggies and whatever else she feels like eating. It can also be used for road trips, trips to the Zoo and when kids visit their relatives. There is a variety of colors so everyone can have their own.

Connect with Bobble on Facebook and Twitter. You can buy your own Bobble Lunch Box at Target for $12.99

Product was provided for review. Opinions are 100% mine as always.

A few years ago my husband and TJ had the chance to review a Dodge Challenger Concept from RIDEMAKERZ.  Since then a lot of new rides have been added to the inventory. One of these new additions is the Pink RZ Rascal.

Customize for a cause and visit RIDEMAKERZ to build a punk pink RZ Rascal RIDE that showcases your personality, attitude and commitment to support those touched by the second leading cause of cancer death in women.When purchasing the pink RZ Rascal, car enthusiasts of any age can have fun tricking-out the RIDE with a wide array of tires, wheels, spoilers, side pipes and other accessories and feel good about supporting such a worthy cause.

In support of the fight against breast cancer, RIDEMAKERZ will donate$5 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® for each customizable pink RZ Rascal RIDE purchased either in-store or online, in October.  Driven by real-world car culture and a passion for having fun, RIDEMAKERZ inspires self-expression through the creation of one-of-a-kind toy cars or RIDEZ. The attitude-infused “punk pink” RZ Rascal is an obvious choice for this special partnership due to its head-turning style and color.

“The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has significantly improved the quality of care and survivorship for tens of thousands of breast cancer patients in the past decade and a half,” says RIDEMAKERZ ZEO (CEO) Larry Andreini. “RIDEMAKERZ is proud to support the Foundation by FUELING GOOD this October.”

Sam’s Club is offering its popular “$15 for 15 weeks” seasonal membership so that families and businesses may take advantage of early shopping and incredible deals leading up to the holiday season. The 15-week seasonal membership for $15 is available for purchase between October 4 and 10 and allows new members to shop in-club and online.

And for those seeking greater holiday inspiration, Sam’s Club simplifies planning with step-by-step decorating guides and videos now available at SamsClub.com/holidaydecorating. Learn how to:

•Assemble a tree
•Trim a tree
•Be inspired with six designer looks for home or business
•Decorate tablescapes and settings
•Wrap presents

* The 15 for $15 membership offer is limited to current non-Members who purchase a new Membership on the days of the offer only. You must be over the age 18 to purchase a Membership, and Membership is subject to qualifications. See full terms and conditions at the Member Services Desk. This offer may not be combined with any other offer or promotion, and you must join between October 4 – October 10 only. Walmart and Sam’s Club Associates are not eligible for this offer.

 This information was provided to me from a PR company and a Press Release

• Start early. I started shopping for gifts back in June, this is late for me because I usually start around April.
• Look through those clearance racks! In all of my favorite stores ,JCPenney, Target, Walmart and TJ Maxx, I know exactly where the various clearance areas are located. Whenever I visit one, I always stop by the clearance section. Sometimes I just scan to see what is there. If I have time, I really look through everything. You never know what you will find.
• Get your holiday cards out in the mail early. You don’t want your friends and family receiving their cards after Christmas. Figure out if you want humorous, traditional or stylish holiday gift cards. After look through the designs , pick one and get them in the mail. If you don’t know where to look, check out Storkies Christmas Cards, they have a lot to choose from.

Double Double Photo Holiday Card

• Black Friday.Every year the day after Thanksgiving you can find the best deals of the year. Stores usually open around 4 or 5am. Hardcore shoppers line up way before that time. When the deals are really great there are only a few available. Maybe 4 or 5 per store!
• Don’t shop alone. I like to shop with someone else. It helps because you get a second opinion on gift choices. Plus you have someone to help carry your bags, lol
• Cyber Monday. This is the online retailers version of Black Friday. There are usually lots of free shipping deals, hourly deals or buy 1 get 1 free specials.
• Pay attention to receipts. If you are unable to watch the price when the cashier rings up your purchases, double check your receipt before you leave the store. It can be a real pain to have to return to the store because you were overcharged. You don’t want to pay too much for your purchases  and overcharging happens more than you think. This is also a good idea because sometimes the cashier may confidently ring up one item too many times.
• Don’t get what you like. Everyone’s taste is different. One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying gifts for others because they like the product. You don’t want to waste your money on a gift that will end never being used or gets re-gifted. If the person you are buying for doesn’t like to read, don’t buy them books! If the person you are shopping for loves to cook, cookbooks or kitchen tools are great ideas. I usually try to get my loved ones something they would enjoy but would not buy themselves.
• Gift Cards. If all else fails, you can never go wrong with a gift card. Some people are against gift card because they think that are not thoughtful. I have given gift cards out as gifts and it went over great. The person was able to get something they really wanted.
• Be creative. Creative gifts are always fun to give. Visit a craft store and get ideas on painting wood or glass for a personalized gift.  Make up a gift basket of things your loved one like. For movie lovers, get a basket from Dollar Tree, fill it with movies or a gift card to rent movies, candy, popcorn, and something to drink.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.”

My kids like to shop at both T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s. We have stopped by our local store to grab back to school clothes and the perfect shirt for an orchestra performance in the past. All of the kids understand that you never know what you will find at T.J. Maxx. There will be days when no matter how long you walk around you will not find anything you want. It’s ok though because those days are don’t happen too often. We all love the days when we find what we were looking for and more.

Each week each T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s store receive 10,000 new items to restock the shelves and racks with the best on-trend merchandise. This is exactly why I like to shop there. Jazz too, now that she is working, she keeps an eye on what she spends. She looks through everything to find something that fits her style.

I recently took Kayla and TJ to T.J. Maxx to look for a few shirts. Unfortunately this particular time, the pickings were slim. We saw lots of great brands like Polo and Justice. The problem was there wasn’t much available in their sizes. My kids are persistent though, they just knew there was something there.  And they were right.

TJ found a jacket that he loves.

Regular price $49.99, we paid $26.99

Kayla found her a shirt and little black jacket. Her style reminds me of Jazz.

Paris shirt for $7.99 , Jacket $12.99

The jacket TJ found was the last one in his size. He knows you have to get it when you see it so once he found this he was done looking. Kayla really likes the black Scooter Brown jacket. She has paired with a few different shirts. She definitely has style!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of T.J.Maxx and Marshalls and received a gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate.