Gift giving can be as easy as a single click!

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on December 3, 2011

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  It’s also the most anxiety-inducing time of the year, as the inevitable holiday gift-buying frenzy approaches.  Everyone wants to give wonderful gifts, but with a lack of time and with friends and family living distances away, buying gifts can prove a stressful task, made even worse with harried trips to the mall, and outrageous shipping costs.

One simple solution is the gift of digital gift cards.  This holiday season, buy gifts up until the last minute, from the comfort of your own home, at clickit!togiftit! The website offers busy people the opportunity to send digital gift cards redeemable at almost 50 vendors, including restaurants, retail stores, entertainment and online stores.  There is no cost to ship and no fee to purchase.  You can even personalize your gift by selecting the egift card design of your choice or uploading your own photos or images, to be delivered directly to the recipient’s inbox.

The best part?  Clickit!togiftit! offers a special gift with purchase promotion starting now.  For example, gift a $25 TGI Friday’s eGift card and get $5 to use yourself.  Or, receive a $10 eGift card at The Children’s Place for every $40 you send.  The promos change each week and you can see the newest promos by visiting Clickit!togiftit!. You can even buy gift cards for your own use and reap the reward, like a “daily deal.”

I was compensated by Clickit!togiftit! in exchange for sharing this information with you.

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Save Money With Nextag

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on November 29, 2011

Ray and I have taught our kiddos important money lessons ever since they were old enough to understand the concept of smart spending and saving. With the help of Nextag I decided to take advantage of the holiday shopping season to reinforce these financial lessons and make them more memorable by reminding our kids about the value of shopping smart.

My twins have been asking for a remote controlled helicopter, so we explored Nextag and did some comparison shopping. We were able to see the different models available at a wide variety of online stores.

We even set up an alert, so we would be notified by email of upcoming deals.

Whether you’re shopping for electronics, clothing and accessories, home furnishings or health and beauty essentials, Nextag should be your first stop for shopping online. We were able to use the comparison shopping tools available on Nextag to find several items on our holiday gift lists!

Enlist your kids this holiday season to lend a hand with the gift shopping with these holiday gift-giving tip from Nextag::

Tip #1: Make a budget. Already have a holiday shopping list? Next step is to make a budget and make it a positive experience. By knowing how much money is available to spend, kids can help make decisions on the best thing to buy.

Tip #2: Make a list, check it twice, and then tell your child to do something nice — and find the best price. Let them research compare prices and gifts through online comparison shopping to understand how they can save money on an item or two and then use that saved money to spend on another item.

Tip #3: If you prefer to shop in person, consider an app for your or your child’s phone that can help you shop right. For instance, Nextag Mobile is a free shopping app for the iPhone and Android that offers consumers product pricecomparison, research and shopping toolswith barcode scanning and image recognition technology.

Nextag Radar is now available as a free iPhone app that lets shoppers search and compare products, organize their searches, and set shopping alerts to receive notifications when prices drop or new products become available. Nextag Dealforce is a free, social shopping app for the iPhone that provides up-to-the-minute deals posted by local shoppers. Both apps are available through the iTunes store and Android Market.

Tip #4: Make money conversations fun – which will better engage your kids and avoid the eye rolls that tend to accompany these types of discussions.

I was compensated by Nextag to share these tips and my thoughts about their comparison shopping site. All opisnions and thoughts expressed are my own, as always.

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Cyber Monday Gift Shopping Tips for Moms

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on November 26, 2011

Everyone knows that the best way to save time and money on Holiday Gifts for kids is to take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. If you are not a fan of Black Friday and getting out of the house to the crowds, no worries, Cyber Monday is your best friend this Holiday season. It will also save time and gas money!

While planning your Cyber Monday shopping, read these tips from Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali, entertaining experts, authors of Plan To Party, and founders of The Party Bluprints Blog.

These two busy moms know everything there is to know about hosting parties at home and giving gifts, they are also judges in this year’s Holiday Giftee Awards by Gifts.com, and they have appeared as featured experts on TV, radio, and in national publications like the Today Show, Martha Stewart Radio, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazines.

Dawn and Elizabeth are known experts, but above all they are busy moms just like you and me, and they know the tricks how to make the household budget to stretch to make Holidays happen!

Cyber Monday Gift Shopping Made Easy for Moms

1. Get the Cyber Monday Deals from One Site
Forget about doing hours of online surfing to find the best Cyber Monday deals. Instead visit CheapSally.com’s Cyber Monday pages, they have made it easy for you to save time and money by aggregating all the best deals across the internet and directly from retailers for you.

2. Pay it Forward with Gifts That Give Back
Purchase double-duty presents that give a portion of the proceeds to charity. Dawn and Elizabeth recommend gifts with a purpose, like AnnieWear pet related children’s clothes donating proceeds to animal shelters or Heart of Haiti products sold at Macy’s that give livelihood for artisans in Haiti. Get all Macy’s Cyber Monday deals here .

3. Buy One Large Gift for the Family
Buy one large gift for the family and you will get a bigger bang for your buck. Even better when you choose something like the XBOX Kinect, that the entire family can enjoy together. The most popular tech gifts are usually always on sale on Cyber Monday, so take advantage of this shopping day.

4. Plan Your Shopping
Make a list of people you are gifting and what you would ideally buy them. See gift ideas at Party Bluprints Best Holiday Gift Ideas 2011 shopping guide and plan your Cyber Monday shopping round well before clicking. Remember to keep a list close to your computer of what you have already purchased as you go about your shopping through out the day. Make sure to do your planning well and try to get as many gifts as possible from the same retailer to avoid additional shipping costs.

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Back to School with Crocs

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on August 8, 2011

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Back to school shopping around here looks a bit different than in most households, I think. The main reason being that we go clothes shopping throughout the entire year, instead of just before school begins in the Fall. We don’t really emphasize the back-to-school trip over any others throughout the year.

Shopping for clothes and shoes, however, is always a big deal, no matter when we go. With seven kids it’s really hard to swallow a large bill upon checkout, so I am on the constant lookout for the best deals.

Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for items for your kiddos, no matter what time of the year you decide to update their wardrobe:

  • Take inventory of your kiddos’ closets and determine what it is they really need. I’ve found that when I do this, more often than not, we don’t have to purchase as much as I had originally thought.
  • Make a list of everything needed and create a budget. It’s difficult to stick to the list or budget and it’s incredibly easy to get carried away, but you’ll save tons of money if you go out with a plan and are determined to stick to the plan.
  • Set limitations and boundaries. Making it clear to the kids that only certain items will be purchased, in addition to what styles may be off limits, makes the shopping trip so much better. Do this for yourself AND your kiddos.
  • Sometimes it’s better to shop off season. One of these days I will be able to spend a few season’s budget in one shopping trip, so that I can shop the sales more effectively. We all know that shopping for last seasons’ items is always more affordable. That is when the sales are really great.
  • Shop the sales. I always look at the sales racks first. Most of the time I can find almost all of what I need on sale. Besides, it forces me to shop for the kids so they have a layered wardrobe. Remember, kids play hard and often desire to shed those long sleeves for something cooler.
  • Make it fun! While it isn’t always possible, I like to take each of my kiddos who love to shop out by themselves. At the very least, I let them choose some of the styles and colors of the items they need.

What does back-to-school shopping look like for your family?

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Rightcliq Makes Shopping Easy

December 9, 2010

Tweet I don’t know about you, but I love to shop. (Well, if I can leave the kiddos at home or shop while they’re in bed, that is!) But the holidays can be a little daunting. From hitting Black Friday sales to catching sales online, I suppose you can chalk it up to too much [...]

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Trim the Table, Trim the Budget

November 24, 2010

Tweet For Thanksgiving, turkey may be the star but the trimmings make the meal. I love sides and how they can become family traditions. What is your favorite? Are you a green bean casserole fan, like me, or are the sweet potatoes your favorite? Classic Green Bean Casserole 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed [...]

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Walmart “Open House” and Black Friday Deals

November 16, 2010

Tweet Walmart is inviting customers to their Open House to begin shopping at midnight this Black Friday for great savings on items like toys, pajamas, denim and small kitchen appliances. During these early morning hours, select stores will be handing out a few treats to to keep you going… goodies like 5 Hour Energy, candy [...]

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Looking for Affordable Back-to-School Clothing?

September 3, 2010

Tweet . Just before our vacation we took a trip to our nearest T.J.Maxx and boy, did we find a bunch of great deals! Parents can definitely find everything on their shopping lists, without breaking the bank. We purchased educational puzzles, games and school supply sets, but I happened to notice that many clothing items, [...]

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Back-to-School Supplies For Less

August 20, 2010

Tweet School officially begins for us just after Labor Day, but you may have noticed that I’ve been doing some back-to-school shopping this week. My main goal has been purchasing supplies, so Walmart sent me on a little assignment… The Assignment My mission was to make a list of school supplies, purchase the same list [...]

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Back-to-School Shopping at Walmart

August 19, 2010

Tweet I chatted with KTXL FOX 40, this morning, as I did some back-to-school shopping at Walmart. Here are some of the ideas I shared :: 1. Shop with a list to eliminate stress while shopping and also to cut down on those forgotten items. 2. The store brand items, which most often can be [...]

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Christmas Scramble

December 20, 2009

Tweet Have you been scrambling around this weekend, like I have? With the last minute gift decisions, fantastic Christmas parties, and being sick (again), I seriously feel like if I had anything more added to my mental list of things I must do before Christmas Eve I would literally break under the weight. Although, I [...]

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Treat Yourself to Something Special {giveaway}

December 3, 2009

Tweet Gift cards are expected to top wish lists this Christmas season, and for good reason – the recipient can purchase whatever they desire. No more gifts that will sit in the closet, or end up re-gifted. American Express Gift Cards – one of the only universal gift card available with no fees after purchase [...]

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Shop and Save at Borders {Giveaway}

November 24, 2009

Tweet Why wait until Black Friday? It’s time to start shopping those Holiday sales now! Borders makes finding the perfect toy or game easier for those of you who are looking for high-quality educational gifts. In fact, this week when you shop at Borders, in their new Toys and Games section, you’ll receive $10 off [...]

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Black Friday

November 23, 2009

Tweet As I was sitting here tonight, working on my Holiday Gift Guide, I began thinking about Black Friday. Every year, for the past 10 years or so, I have headed out to brave the crowds with my sisters and mom (and sometimes even my mother-in-law or Grandma), coupons and circulars in hand, to see [...]

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Old Navy Gobblepalooza {Win one of FIVE $50 off coupons!!}

November 20, 2009

Tweet I visited Old Navy yesterday. Okay, I didn’t just visit… The deals were unbelievable and I couldn’t help myself!! Do you think you could resist 50% off already marked down items? Yeah, I didn’t think so! Anyway, while I was there I heard all about their Thanksgiving Day only sale. Yes, Old Navy is [...]

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Children’s Orchard

November 13, 2009

Tweet I recently had the opportunity to visit Children’s Orchard – America’s Finest Upscale Resale retail boutiques, featuring brand-name, top quality, gently used and new kid’s clothing, toys, furniture, equipment, books and accessories. I was so impressed by Roseville’s selection of items and how much I was able to purchase with my $50 gift card [...]

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One last thing…

December 23, 2008

Tweet Have you completed your shopping yet? Are you still looking for the perfect gift for your parents, grandparents, or maybe a friend who has everything, and need a gift now?How about an Amazon gift card, so they can pick any one of these highly recommended (by me, of course) items… Amazon.com Widgets Or what [...]

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Countdown to Christmas

December 19, 2008

Tweet I have been pretty good about not saving everything ’til the last minute… I have just about all of my shopping done, and my house is just about ready for my in-laws visit. I do still have to wrap gifts and bake some pies, but that’s the fun part of Christmas prep, right? If [...]

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Gift It For Free (A Digital Camera Giveaway!)

December 17, 2008

Tweet Staples wants to make this Holiday shopping season EASY by giving 10,000 customers a chance to win their holiday gifts for free through their Gift It For Free Sweepstakes. They are even offering FAST and FREE delivery, through Christmas, making your shopping experience even easier and more affordable. So, head to Staples through December [...]

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Shopping can be easy… Really

December 11, 2008

Tweet Just this week I was introduced to a site that makes shopping for the perfect gift very easy and budget friendly. PersonalShopper.com, a leading online personalized shopping service, is a free service that includes a My Gift Planner. It is quite the convenient, time-saving tool! Check this out – The My Gift Planner allows [...]

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Macy’s loves to share!

December 11, 2008

Tweet Macy’s is sharing their Friends and Family discount with us!Download the Macy’s Friends and Family Coupon to receive an extra 10% – 20% off most of the items left on your shopping list.(Be sure you read the exclusions so you’re not disappointed when you check out!)

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Still looking for that perfect gift?

December 9, 2008

Tweet Are you looking for more gift ideas to spread some holiday cheer? Be sure you check out Mom Central’s Gift Guide, and while you are there sign up to be a part of the Mom Central Testing Panel. You can win daily prizes, by logging in and leaving comments on the giveaway posts. In [...]

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