Shopping Tips Online

Finding the perfect gift for someone on your list can be a challenge. You have to get to know them pretty well, learn their interests and activities, and watch for subtle hints. Now we know exactly what to get Danny Devito for Christmas – Limoncello.

There are several brands of this lemon liqueur available, including Limoncello di Capri. Here’s the company’s official site. You can drink Limoncello straight or with ice, but it can also be used in mixed drinks like a “Quisi Night” which is made with equal parts Limoncello di Capri, espresso and cream and served with a grated lemon garnish. It is also used in baking and cooking, and can even be used as a topping for ice cream.

A bottle of liqueur makes a great hostess gift. I would pop a bottle in a cute gift bag along with a couple of fresh lemons and perhaps a zester. If Danny’s on your list, don’t bother with all that – just bring the shot glasses.

Danny Devito, Limoncello, Drunk on the View, Gift Ideas, Liqueur

When I am skiing, I am concerned about a few things – getting off the lift without causing a pileup and not killing myself on the moguls. At those moments, fashion is the furthest thing from my mind. However, it’s not far from my mind before we leave for the ski trip. Like most people, I spend a little time putting together my ski “outfit.” That usually consists of trying to look like I know what I am doing, while looking fetching in the ski lodge, where I am when The Bob decides to goes to ski the blacks.

Designers know we care about our look on the slopes (and in the lodge), so three high-profile companies are outfitting the pros, and us amateurs, with some new ski wear that blends function and fashion.

Prada has outfitted the pros at St. Moritz, Switzerland in what appears to be a pretty conservative look – basic blue with a red chest stripe. Leather and faux fur detailing give it a lift. They will roll out the consumer version of this in 07-08. The word on the slopes is that their moon boots with an all-sheepskin lining are the hot accessory to jump for.

In Aspen/Snowmass, the ski pros wear
RLX Ralph Lauren. (more…)

“Retailers learned this weekend that men are willing to get out of bed for a good deal,� said Phil Rist, Vice President of Strategy for BIGresearch. “While women seemed to take a more casual approach to Black Friday shopping, men went out on the hunt and then went back home to bed.�

I have been thinking about the new statistics released by the National Retail Federation that said that men got in line earlier and spent more than women on Black Friday. Just this morning I heard this being discussed on a popular news network. So, I started thinking about just where these differences come from.

According to the Relationship Institute there are several key differences (besides the obvious) between the sexes. I will look at those and, just for fun, make my own assumptions about how that might affect shopping behavior. (more…)

If you’ve been dreaming about that big, extravagent item, but just don’t have the bank, check this out. American Express® is making wishes come true at theholidaywishlist.com. Cardmembers click on the “I Want It” button and stand a chance to get unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime prices on big ticket items like this – a Porsche Cayman Coupe for $5,000! Regular retail on this sweet baby is nearly $50,000!

Other items in this WishList include a cruise package to Tahiti for $2,500, Callaway FT-3 Fusion drivers for $175, and Sharp Aquosâ„¢ tvs for $900.

Here’s the official news release. American Express says they are able to offer these crazy-low prices on items because of their strong relationships with top merchants.

So, make a wish and click!

UPDATE 11/29 Here is the link to a page that describes how this whole thing works . On the mywishlist.com homepage you can find out what items are coming up by day, and the quantity that are on sale at that price. If you click “I want it” and there is inventory remaining, you have 6 minutes to complete your transaction.

The Porsche is coming up on Monday, December 4th, and there are 3 of them. This looks to be the most deeply discounted item, but there are LOTS of other cool things for a great deal. Let me know how this works if you try it and actually purchase something.

Good luck!

, 000 Porsche, American Express, WishList

Do you have an avid chef on your Christmas list? Or are you thinking of creating a themed Christmas tree? Here are two ornament sets at very reasonable prices that would be perfect.

Take a look at these adorable vintage-inspired utensil ornaments from
Home Traditions. They are $15 for a set of nine ornaments.

Add to that some cute holiday baking ornaments from Current®, which retail for $9.99 for the set.

Delish!

Ornaments, Kitchen Ornaments, Themed Christmas Trees

Madonna appeared on Home Shopping Network (HSN) to promote her children’s book, sales of which have apparently tanked.

In any case, a whopping 5% of the proceeds of sales of her kids’ books on HSN will go to Madonna’s favorite charity: the Raising Malawi Foundation. If you are interested in Madonna’s inspiration, thoughts on motherhood, or her home life, check out the video clips on HSN.

The 48 year old mega star says she never would have thought about writing a children’s book until she had children. Makes you wonder what inspired her more famous title: Sex. Don’t answer that.

Madonna, Children’s Book, HSN, Raising Malawi Foundation, Madonna Sex Book

Today the National Retail Federation released the results of their Black Friday Survey, and I wasn’t surprised about many of the results. Except one.

“Men were more likely to wait in line than women, as 17.3 percent of men said they got to their first store by 4 a.m., compared to just 8.0 percent of women who arrived by that time.”

The official release went on. “Retailers learned this weekend that men are willing to get out of bed for a good deal,� said Phil Rist, Vice President of Strategy for BIGresearch. “While women seemed to take a more casual approach to Black Friday shopping, men went out on the hunt and then went back home to bed.�

In my family, NO men shopped on Black Friday, unless you count the gas station. How about yours?

Black Friday, Shopping, National Retail Federation

The WOW Factor Finder, a totally new interactive online shopping tool from Best Buy will launch on Wednesday, November 30th at AskABlueShirt.com. The easy-to-use tool will allow you to submit the hobbies and activities of your friend or family member, along with their consumer electronics collection and preferencees. You will then receive a list of gifts that match your recipient’s interests. The list also comes with the professional advice of Best Buy’s team of Blue Shirt Advisors.

Shopping for electronics can be confusing. This new tool should reduce your risks, and help you get those WOWs on Christmas morning!

Best Buy, Blue Shirt Advisors, Wow Factor Finder, Gift Giving Tool

Thanksgiving day is full of family traditions, old and new. Bob and his cousins hit the woods early to deer hunt, then he deep fries two turkeys. I make cornbread salad (recipe here) while drinking an entire pot of coffee so that I arrive at the host’s house with a severe case of the jitters. We eat in between naps, and the family literally spends the entire day together, for both lunch and dinner.

But, I realized that I do have one Thanksgiving shopping tradition: forgetting something that I need and frantically running around to find a store that is open. Today I will have to scrounge for some disposable dessert plates.

Thankfully for me, KMart announced this week that 2100 of their stores will be open from 7am to 9pm today. Then they will reopen at 5am on Black Friday. Check the hours at your closest KMart on their site.

So, the tradition continues in 2007. Whether you shop or not today, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving, Shopping, KMart, Open on Thansgiving Day

Plasma or LCD? Three megapixels or ten? iPod or Zune? Shopping for electronics can be a tricky proposition, particularly if it’s a gift for a friend or family member. To help you get the “wow,” Best Buy gives you several ways find answers to your electronics shopping questions – in the store, over the phone or even online.

Best Buy Blue Shirt Advisors will host a live chat online at askablueshirt.com on Cyber Monday starting at 1pm EST. Just log on and fire away. They will have a second chat on December 15th at 1 pm EST.

Finally. A company that understands that we’re busy, and gives us a lot of ways to find what we need. Wow.

Best Buy, Electronics, Gifts, Blue Shirt Advisors, Live Chat

Go to Wal-Mart’s web site today, enter your zip code and view their online circular to see what special deals you will get in stores on Friday.

The National Retail Federation says that 137 MILLION people will go shopping this Friday. But, with all the hype about the supposed busiest shopping day of the year, MasterCard released a report on Monday that said most shoppers will put off their Christmas shopping until the last minute. Last year, Black Friday was only the sixth busiest shopping day.

Regardless, I have no plans to deal with Black Friday craziness. Instead, I will be sleeping off the effects of a big turkey dinner. You?

Wal-Mart, Black Friday

World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.) has released their list of the ten worst toys on the market. The organization exists to educate the public about the risks inherent in certain toys, and has worked to encourage positive changes in the design of products to improve safety.

Here’s their list, including the product shown, a bow and arrow set which, “includes rubber-tipped “arrows” made of solid wood. The tips, however, are removable, and the rigid, wooden shafts can be propelled with sufficient velocity to potentially cause severe injuries. Weaponry should not be sold as toys for children.”

Parents, please take the time to check out their list!

Worst Toys of 2006, W.A.T.C.H., World Against Toys Causing Harm

The biggest shoe retailer, Payless ShoeSource announced today that they have contracted with Disney to roll out a line of kids shoes next Spring that will feature popular Disney and Disney Pixar® characters. Disney Princess, Power Rangers, Winnie the Pooh and characters from The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. They plan to expand the line in time for back-to-school. Payless has sold Disney shoes for a while now, but the business segment of Walt Disney Company plans to be more closely involved in the entire process, from design to marketing.

Disney, Pixar, Payless ShoeSource, Kids Shoes

The Miami Herald has summarized the in-store and online return policies for Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, J.C. Penney, Best Buy, Circuit City, Toys “R” Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, The Sports Authority, and Barnes & Noble.

As for MY return policies, here’s how I deal with gifts I give: (more…)

A framed art print can make a great gift, especially when it reflects the person’s interests, or coordinates with his or her decor. Or maybe you need to create your own gallery at home. There are a lot of art sites out there, but the prices can be a little scary. Here’s an idea.

iStockphoto.com is a great web site for royalty-free images and artwork, submitted by professional and amateur photographers and designers. This is an excellent resource for advertising agencies, commercial designers and artists. But it’s not limited to the pros. There are thousands and thousands of very nice artistic photos to choose from that would be great framed art prints. iStockphoto.com offers a variety of search options, and member-created “lightboxes” where you can save your favorite images to sort, select and download.

The best part is the price. You become a member (free), then purchase “credits” (minimum $10). Then you can download digital files directly to your computer for as little as $1, depending on the final size of your intended output.

They also offer a FREE download every week, like the one shown here – which would look excellent with a white or cream museum style matt and a black wooden frame. (more…)