I’m on a mission to find some perfectly sweet personalized baby items. One of my really good friends will be giving birth to her baby girl soon, so I was hoping that I could find a little something to celebrate the occasion. That might not sound like much of a task, but when you take into consideration the time it takes to weed through all of the websites and stores that cater to that kind of thing, it definitely can be. In fact, it’s a bit overwhelming. Of course that could be that I’m not that great at picking out newborn baby gifts along with my nervousness of wanting to pick out a perfect gift for my friend’s first child too!

Thankfully I’ve found a huge time saver - PersonalizedBabyShoes.com - and I’m no longer twiddling my thumbs trying to figure out where I should begin my search. This website, which features a lot of useful information and resources sponsored by other websites, is nice way to do just that. Whether I choose from the provided related searches, or type in my own keywords, I’m taken to a list of sponsored links, that when clicked will provide me with exactly what I need - prices, similar items or the exact item I’m searching for.

As for the gift I’m hoping to find, I’m not 100% but I was thinking of something along the lines of custom baby shoes. In the past I’ve always gone with things like; baby toys, clothes, bottles, binkies, diapers and wipes (can’t have enough diapers and wipes huh?). Of course all of those would be great ideas because they’re obviously useful, however, I’m hoping to get something with that “Aww” factor. I don’t know about you, but when I see those tiny, adorable baby shoes.. I always feel all squishy inside and go “Aww!”

I think this will save me a little time too!

My father in law recently went back to work after a seasonal layoff, which lasted from December through the middle of April. He has a birthday coming up in a few days, so I’m thinking of investing in something he could really use right now since I have no real idea about what he’s into (beyond doing his own DIY-type projects). I’m sure that because of the type of work he does, he goes through work boots fairly quickly, so that’s something I’m going to think about when I start my gift shopping.

I like steel toe lace-up, Justin work boots. My father in law works with concrete in an environment that requires him to move and lift heavy materials. Having steel toed boots is a definite must, as I’m sure you could imagine. I love the price on those too, $89.99. Not bad at all, especially considering I usually see similar styles for well over $140. I’m all about the prices because of that whole budgeting thing, but these boots have affordable prices. Their collection of boots appear to be of excellent quality and style.

If you’re looking for work boots, I suggest you have a look at Justin work boots over at Boot City. Justin Boots may have grown a lot over the years, but even so the continue to apply and hold to the same principals that it was founded on. How many companies can say that?

When you’re done with that, or if you’re not in the market for work boots, they have a large variety of other kinds of boots too. The site is user friendly, so you shouldn’t have any trouble browsing through their selections - you can browse by category or even brand. There’s something for the whole family, whether you’re looking for men’s boots, ladies boots, juniors boots and even other apparel like; hats jeans and belts. And it’s affordable, what more could you ask for?

This reminds me too, Jo is also in serious need of new work boots too!

This was a paid review.

Jo has pretty much “grown out” of his wedding band. He blames my mom’s cooking - good excuse! Anyway, I decided I would look into having it stretched but the Jeweler said that might not be the best thing because it’s so thin. We don’t have children (unless you consider our cats children, but the IRS won’t let us claim them.. so you know), I still figured I’d do something for him for Father’s Day. It’s really just an excuse to get him that wedding band he’s been wanting for over a year now.

Just Mens Rings has a nice collection of rings like Men’s Wedding Bands, some that are “Jo’s style.” I really like the Tungsten band with thin gold inlay. This is sort of the style we picked out before (not his previous band, I mean in our search for a new one). Jo was just browsing the site with me and his first pick, different from mine of course, is the Titanium band with the black resin insert. It looks really stylish, and like Jo said - “Who can resist that price for such a cool looking band.” I agree.

Just Mens Rings sells more than just wedding bands, like Spinner rings which are also known as Tibetan worry rings, or prayer rings. My oldest nephew is into those kinds of rings, so that would make for a nice birthday gift in the future. Again, they’re also affordable and stylish. I love that they use other materials and metals, other than the normal gold and silver. Some of the metals Just Men’s Rings are stainless steel, titanium and tungsten-carbide.

If you’re looking for stylish and rather unique Men’s Wedding Bands, well rings in general, Just Mens Rings is a good place to start.

This was a paid review.

I love being able to shop, in the comfort of my own home. I don’t have to worry about getting all dressed up when I’m shopping online. I’ve been doing quite a bit of my shopping online lately because I have so many friends and relatives with birthdays coming up, plus Mother’s Day - which is just around the corner. I find this a lot more convenient than running around town, store to store, in search of something that I rarely ever find. I’m usually pretty clueless when it comes to Mother’s Day gifts. I usually do something handmade or go with flowers. I think I’d like to try something different this year; jewelry. My mom loves jewelry, especially turquoise - it’s her favorite.

I hopped over to ShangBy, which was founded in Texas and provides US consumers with access to jewelry markets in Shanghai, China. What I find really interesting about ShangBy is that they provide a unique way for you to get that international shopping experience through their live webcasts (10pm EST) - shopping live with the retailers - and you can get it right in the comfort of your own home, while in your sweats or pajamas. You’ll feel like you’re right there along with the retailers in Shanghai. When it comes to any kind of shopping, the price is always the most important thing - I’m always on a budget. ShangBy’s pieces are definitely affordable, with prices from 40-80% lower than other US retailer prices. Just look for yourself. If you shop between now and July 1st, you can also get 25% off of your purchase when you use the coupon code “pearls”. I think it’s pretty neat that they’ve also been featured on the Rachel Ray show in December.

This will make my search for the right Mother’s Day gifts for my mom and mother in law so much easier. I think my mom would really love the “Turquoise and Freshwater Pearl bracelet”. I’m not so sure about my mother in law though, I’ll have to get my husband’s input on that. I’m sure she’d like anything we’d pick out for her though.

If you’d like to learn more about the ShangBy shopping experience or would like to do some shopping of your own, hop on over to ShangBy and browse around a bit. You can shop by product, material, merchant or even by price (like me). You may even be interested in watching some of their videos or catch up on all the latest ShangBy news at their blog.

I guess I’m not going to have to look any further for jewelry.

I’ve been trying to come up with some ideas about birthday gifts for my nephews. All of them have birthdays during the Summer and I figured now was as good a time as any to get started my hunt for the perfect gift. It finally dawned on me the other day; I should get them new bedding. Kids Bedding is actually the perfect idea, I think. My sister and brother in law recently got a new place and the boys haven’t had new bedding in over a year. I think it’ll be nice to give them something like, especially to cater to each of their own personalities instead of getting them all matching bedding, like they have now. They have their own tastes, one being into gaming and sports, another being into puzzles and trains and the youngest is into all sorts of things.

I’ve just been browsing the lovely selection of bedding, comforter sets, quilts and duvet covers at Beyond Bedding (they’re an exclusive manufacturer of Jo Jo Designs bedding products) and right away, I’ve already found two sets that I think I may have to buy. There are themes, for boys, like; sports, firetrucks and camouflage, to name a few.

If you’re looking for luxury children’s bedding at affordable prices (if I can afford it on my budget, you should be able to too), you need to have a look see at Beyond Bedding. Whether you’re looking for bedding for a baby crib, toddler bedding, children’s bedding or even bedding for your teen, coordinating accessories for a boy or a girl, you’re bound to find something you like.

I’m nearly positive that my nephews will enjoy this kind of personal touch in their own bedrooms. I know I did as a child, though I must say; I can’t recall ever finding such adorable bedding when I was younger.

This was a paid review.

A couple of weeks ago one of my friends asked if I wanted to work on a side project with her. Part of the project involves printing Custom T Shirts and other apparel, but neither of us were really sure of where we’d even begin with that. My dad has a screen printer but depending on the amount of orders we could possibly see, that could be very time consuming. We think turning to internet for this would be the best possible thing for the printed portion of this project, so that’s where we turned.

In my quest to find the right place to do this apparel, I found myself at Sonic Shack, where you can create your own shop, and of course, create and design your own custom t-shirts and apparel. This happens to be our ultimate goal, problem solved? I think so! I love personalized t-shirts. I know I’m not alone - you just can’t have enough t-shirts, you know? I’ve always toyed with the idea of designing a few of my own and with this project, it’s going to allow me to be creative and do just that.

Other than t-shirts, you can also create other apparel with your designs. For example: sweat shirts, jerseys, posters, and vinyl banners. I think this is a really neat idea for anyone who has a website, especially those of us with blogs or involved in art and design. Add your blog’s logo to apparel and sell it to your readers right on your website. Customers can choose to buy one item or they may want to buy more, to save more. Between now and the end of May you can enjoy a 20% discount by using the coupon code sonic20.

If you’d like to learn more about creating and designing your own custom apparel, or would like to create your own store or shop other stores, visit Sonic Shack.

This was a paid review.

With money being fairly tight around here, my husband and I have had to resort to different ways of saving money. Before, when we both brought in nice incomes, we could just stash some into our savings account. That, surprisingly, worked for many months. After moving here to Newfoundland we realized that we’d have to figure out how to save our money in other places in order to keep our savings account plump. I find it hard to believe that there was a time in my life when I turned my nose up at the idea of using a coupon. That time, of course, was a time when someone else paid my way. At this point in my life, there’s rarely an occasion where I won’t or don’t use a discount coupon for a purchase. I guess I’ve become the bargain shopper I never thought I’d be. I would rather find a good sale or discount than just toss extra cash someone else’s way.

I’ve just learned about a new website that caters to my (and anyone else who likes to save money when making a purchase) discount shopping needs: WebbyPlanet.com. Here, when a consumer makes a purchase online at their favorite stores, they can save with instant discount coupons. Consumers can also occasionally find printable coupons for purchases made in-store. Browsing for deals, coupons and discounts is easy. You can choose to select by category (categories like; electronics, pet supplies, web services, health and home and living), which after choosing will take you to a list of stores that fit that category or by scrolling down further and selection “All Stores” and searching directly for your them. Some of the stores you’ll find include; Dell, Sephora and Eddie Bauer, to name a few. WebbyPlanet.com keeps you up to date with all the latest information and updates regarding sales and discounts, daily.

I won’t pay full price for something if I don’t have to. I don’t know why anyone would pay full price for anything if there’s a discount, sale or coupon available.

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy customizing and personalizing things. Since first dipping my toes into photography years ago, there have been many doors opening to further inspire me and well, get my creative juices flowing. For instance; framed photos make great gifts as well as great wall decor for your home. I love the idea of personalizing a room, or a home like that.

Photography has also provided another way for me to personalize other things too, like cards. Photo Greeting Cards are a great idea and you can’t get anymore personal than adding your own photos to a greeting card on those special occasions like; holidays, birthdays or even the birth of a baby. I’ve been browsing a lovely selection of them at Cards Direct just now, trying to get some ideas for some future holidays and events. One card sticks out the most to me because it makes me think about my 3 young nephews and the fact Easter is creeping up on us, it’s the Blue Leaf Easter Photo Card from their Easter collection (pictured to your left). I think for the first time ever, my husband and I will be doing photos cards for Christmas and I cannot wait.

OK, so now you’re probably wondering how you’d go about getting your photo on the card, right? Easy. Once you’ve selected the card you’d like to purchase (could be difficult, they’re all really nice) click continue on that cards description page. This will take you to the styling area, where you can further customize your greeting and where you’ll find the option to upload your photo or art (perhaps even your company logo for corporate greetings). It really is that simple and their step by step setup is easy enough for anyone to use. And did I mention they have prices that should fit your budget nicely?

If you are looking for a way to personalize your own greeting cards, I think you’ll enjoy what Cards Direct has to offer you.

Jo’s been talking about wanting to get into photography for a few months now. In fact, at Christmas he suggested that if I couldn’t find the cell phone he’d been wanting, I should look into digital cameras. I actually love this idea because for a long time, he didn’t understand my passion for photography. It’s only been in the last year or so that he’s been able to see why it is I enjoy doing it. I guess another part of me is rather excited about the possibility of a “husband and wife” photography team. Ha, ha. Silly, I know.

So, I think I’ll start looking into those cameras for him and maybe surprise him. I think it’s going to be best to go ahead and invest in a digital slr verses a point and shoot though, that way he can learn the digital slr first. I wish I’d been able to do the same but the money just wasn’t available at the time. I think I’ll go with Olympus again, that way we’ll be able to share the lenses. LOL

The last couple of days have not been fun at all. I started feeling really, well, “bleh” a couple of days ago. That eventually led to flu like symptoms and a nasty stomach bug. When it comes to being sick, there’s not much worse than vomiting. I think I’d rather have a horrible sore throat than to be vomiting.

There hasn’t been very much going on otherwise. I’ve just been taking it easy, catching up on sleep and trying to feel better. Speaking of being sick. I woke up around 5:45am yesterday morning feeling that “urge” (refer to previous paragraph) and jumped up and asked Jo where the “bucket” was. After asking 3 times, he finally replied “It’s up on the ceiling”. LOL Of course he’d been in a deep sleep. Once he finally came to he told me where to find the bucket. I couldn’t resist teasing him later in the day.

Jo and his mom have just headed into town for a few things. They’re supposed to be doing some banking for his grandfather, picking up a few things at the store and they mentioned something about stopping in at one of the furniture stores. Jo’s looking for a nice office chair because this one just isn’t cutting it. We’ve had difficulties sitting here for very long. I hope he finds something for a decent price.