Internet Shop Girl

I’ve spent about an hour every day this week trying to pick up a few last-minute Christmas gifts.  While I love online shopping knowing a particular store’s shipping guidelines can be a bit aggravating to say the least. 

Just today, I visited five different stores.   One store will ensure Christmas delivery via standard shipping.  Another requires two-day air and another offers free "site-to-store" standard shipping rates but won’t guarantee on-time in-home delivery.

If you can relate (and if you are in a bit of a  gambling mood),  continue reading this article from Consumer Affairs.com that indicates that you’ll have a 39% chance of getting your Holiday gifts on-time if you order them by December 19th.

Shoppers who would rather buy online than fight crowds at the mall need to keep a close eye on the calendar — they have about a week left to shop online before retailers start scaling back shipping guarantees.

That’s according to the 2006 eHoliday Mood Study, conducted by BizRate Research for Shopzilla and Shop.org. The study 76 online retailers and found that the number of retailers who guarantee that standard shipping orders placed by December 18 or 19 will be delivered by Christmas Day (39%) nearly doubled from last year (19%), despite there being one less business day to ship merchandise this year due to Christmas falling on a Monday rather than a Sunday.

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I found these fantastically cute gifts for my four year old daughter who (like Price) refers to herself as "the artist" and thought I’d share it with you.  You can grab the Doodlebag and Pink Multi Stripe Crayon Apron at Amazon.com

The Doodlebag: Perfect for the car or at home, this backpack comes complete with what any toddler will need to keep them busy! The backpack opens to reveal a pad of paper and 10 washable crayons with additional pockets to hold your child’s favorite colors. There is also a larger sized pocket perfect to hold stickers. Turn the page and start a whole new adventure with chalk and a mini chalkboard. Comes complete with an eraser and 5 colorful pieces of chalk. Numerous pockets can hold additional chalk if desired. Each side has a Velcro closure to keep the Doodlebag closed when not in use. And, the front pocket can be personalized to make this a truly special gift!
Includes 10 washable crayons, Pad of Paper, 10 pieces of Chalk, Mini Chalk Board and Front pocket perfect for stickers. Personalization is available for an additional $8.

It’s not too late to get a great deal on your last minute holiday gifts.  Have you tried Google Checkout yet?  If not, you should.  I tried Google Checkout this summer when they were offering a $10 off $30 order promotion.  Not only did I get a great deal on some computer software I was purchasing, but I also was so impressed by the service that I continue to use it. 

What I love most about Google Checkout is that you can simply log into your Google account and check your purchases in one spot. 

Google Checkout really comes in handy when you are making multiple online purchases at various stores. 

In fact, just a few days ago I bought a toy for my son and couldn’t figure out what store I bought it from.  Thankfully, I remembered that I checked out using Google and was able to quickly access my purchase and track the shipping time. 

Google Checkout also offers exclusive deals like free shipping and discounts at some of the most popular online retailers. 

The service makes makes checkout a snap too  You won’t need to fill in all of your credit card and contact information at every site you visit. You simply log into your account and use "Google Checkout" as your payment option.

Here are a just a few of the great deals you can get if you use Google Checkout this Holiday season…

• Buy.com - $10.00 off $10.00 - New Customers Only
• Coffee Bean Direct $10 off orders over $60
• Mrs. Fields $10 off orders over $30
• Aéropostale $10 off orders over $60

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Alright, in all honesty…I would love one too.  Really, could he BE any cuter?  You can nuzzle him, talk with him and even buy him a friend to play  and communicate with (if you have an extra $350 lying around).

I’ve been meaning to share Pleo with you all week, but my son has been in the room and I am afraid to let him see it.  He is one of the most sought after…and stinkin cute Holiday toys this year but also one of the most expensive. 

So…let’s just keep this little Pleo dinosaur thing to ourselves this year, okay?

Pleo Dinosaur - A Ugobe Life Form

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I found these fantastically cute gifts for my four year old daughter who (like Price) refers to herself as "the artist" and thought I’d share it with you.  You can grab the Doodlebag and Pink Multi Stripe Crayon Apron at Amazon.com

The Doodlebag: Perfect for the car or at home, this backpack comes complete with what any toddler will need to keep them busy! The backpack opens to reveal a pad of paper and 10 washable crayons with additional pockets to hold your child’s favorite colors. There is also a larger sized pocket perfect to hold stickers. Turn the page and start a whole new adventure with chalk and a mini chalkboard. Comes complete with an eraser and 5 colorful pieces of chalk. Numerous pockets can hold additional chalk if desired. Each side has a Velcro closure to keep the Doodlebag closed when not in use. And, the front pocket can be personalized to make this a truly special gift!
Includes 10 washable crayons, Pad of Paper, 10 pieces of Chalk, Mini Chalk Board and Front pocket perfect for stickers. Personalization is available for an additional $8.

I have a new favorite place on the web.  It’s part shopping portal, part boredom buster and part dressing room.    Here’s how it works.  You create an avatar (of sorts) that looks just like you…(okay, *almost* like you).  You choose the clothing, the hairstyle the accessories and the shoes.

Imagine trying on and endless number of shoes.  Needless to say, it is a bit addictive. 

I just created a "gal" that looks like me - complete with red sneaks and a messy ponytail…only 10+ pounds thinner.  =)

You can use your "mini-you" in a variety of ways.  You can send a greeting card, create a t-shirt, promote your business, send an e-card, or even join a virtual walk to support breast cancer victims. 

You can also create your own personalized holiday greeting cards. 

You can grab your own "mini-me" by visiting the site - designhergals.com. Check it out and let us know what you created in the comments section

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Technorati Tags: free ecards,custom business cards,playdate cards,unique stationary,custom stationary,personalized stationary

My daughter created her very first "Build a Bear" with her "nana" on her fourth birthday.  She is hooked.  Her favorite stuffed toy is the hot pink bear with glittery tu-tu and flip-flops she created that day. She carries it everywhere. 

I was thinking that her bear "Key-Key" could use a few more outfits.  Perhaps something that is better suited for church and daycare.  I think a cute windbreaker, sweats and sneakers would be a nice touch. 

Needless to say, I was pretty excited to find this coupon code for Build a Bear.  Simply enter the code: 91221 when you are checking out and you’ll receive $10 off of a $25.00 order.

Drop me a line in the comments section if you decide to use this coupon.  (There was not an expiration date listed so let us know when you used it and if it worked for you).

Thanks!

Click here for more Build A Bear Workshop coupon codes.

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I swear I do my best work in "crunch time". 

Somehow I am inspired by urgency.  I used to find it quite thrilling to turn in a twenty page term paper with a few hours left to spare until the deadline. 

The Holidays are no different.  I’ve caught myself checking the shipping calendars of many of my favorite online stores.  How long can I wait?  Chances are, I’ll be sitting at my computer ordering last minute gifts on the very last day that the post office guarantees *suggests* that they’ll be on time.

Alright fellow procrastinators…here are a few dates you’ll want to know about…

Mail Within the US:

December 20th:

Letters and Cards, Priority Mail, Express Mail,

December 15th:

Parcel Post

Military Mail: This is a detailed calendar. Please click here for more information.

Keep in mind that online retailers will have thier own shipping deadlines. 

Here are the deadlines from a few of the most popular online stores…

Amazon:

December 15th for standard (and super saver) shipping.

December 29th for 2 Day Shipping

December 20st (by 3pm) for Express Shipping

December 21st for Overnight Shipping

Best Buy:

BestBuy.com

December 19th for Standard Shipping

December 20th for 2 Day Shipping

December 21 for Overnight Shipping

Overstock.com

December 4th for Standard Shipping

December 14th for Express/2-Day Shipping

December 18th for Overnight Shipping

Click here for a more comprehensive list of Holiday shipping deadlines.

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If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet (or if you like to procrastinate like me) I have another hot toy you’ll want to add to Santa’s wishlist.  My three year old son received the Fisher Price Smart Cycle on his third birthday from his grandparents.

I love this toy as much as he does for many reasons.

First, I am finally getting my household chores done.  Whenever I have a pile of laundry to tackle or a bathroom to clean I remind him that he needs to work on his racing skills.   “Jakey…did you beat 48 seconds yet?”  He gets his competitive streak from his mother. =)

I live in Montana where the winters can be brutal.  My kids usually only play outside once or twice per week when winter sets in.   Prior to the Smart Cycle my kids’ winter fitness plan involved jumping on beds and tackling one another.  While I’ve never encouraged my kids to sit in front of the tv while playing video games…I am absolutely thrilled when they “cycle” in front of the tv and play video games.

Finally, the games are simple, inexpensive and educational.   I hate purchasing a product only to realize that I constantly  have to buy additional books, software, etc.. to upgrade it.   My son has had the Smart Cycle for two months now and he has yet to grow tired of the basic cartridge that the product comes with.  Initially I was concerned that the Smart Cycle was more of a racing program than an educational program.   Thankfully, it is both.  I love watching him pedal as fast as he can while he screams out letters of the alphabet.   “I need a C”….”I need a D”…etc.  His letter-recognition skills have improved dramatically since he started playing with this toy.

My only problem with this product is that they didn’t make one for grownups.   Imagine how much easier a workout would be if you could race your kid.  (There’s that darn competitive streak again..).

If you want to learn more about the Smart Cycle features, check out this clip from You Tube.  If you have any specific questions about the product feel free to post it in the comments section and I will do my best to answer it.

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