Showing newest 20 of 27 posts from December 2008. Show older posts
Showing newest 20 of 27 posts from December 2008. Show older posts
Shop Local: Charmed by Claire, Cranbury, NJ
Why shop at a locally owned business first? Because far more of the money spent at local businesses is reinvested in your community. This helps other local businesses, which creates greater diversity and helps the community maintain its unique appeal. Shopping local is environmentally friendly, too: it creates less traffic and pollution.
-American Booksellers Association
My favorite boutique is Charmed by Claire in Cranbury, NJ. I've blogged about Claire's store many times and posted the sales. I could not let this holiday season pass without doing a formal walk through of her fabulous store. I will try and keep this light with the words and heavy with the pictures and links!
Her storefront is hard to miss. With one of the only girly decorated windows in town, Charmed by Claire welcomes shoppers with colorful displays of whimsical lettering, Vera Bradley products and artisan jewelry pieces. The whimsy only builds when you enter the quaint and decorated shop.
The front area is Brighton, Brighton, Brighton! Jewelry, handbags, watches, keychains, you name it! Brighton galore! The back room holds more of the handcrafted artisan jewelry, some produced by area artists. From necklaces and earrings to handbags and clothing, the collections are dazzling and leave your mouth agape at all of the possible ways that one can dress up a wardrobe!Recently, Claire opened up Charmed by Claire, Too just around the corner to house all of her Vera Bradley products. With Bradley's growing product line, it was about time for Claire to expand.
Here are some of my favorite thing to look at (in addition to the Vera Bradley collection) and add to my wish list over at Claire's. Take a browse!
Sherry Tinsman Handcrafted jewelry(sterling silver, 14K gold, occasional brass and copper highlights): Ring~$165, Bracelets~$185
Potpourri Paris Silver Jewelry
Deriva Jewels: Bracelet~$115, Necklace~$175
Brighton Jewelery & Accessories: Coin Purse~$92, Assorted Bangles~$45-$55, Haute Spots Shopper & Duffle~$70 and $225, Souvenir Key Fob~$22
Ecosource Home & Garden:Amaryllis~$25
Maximal Art Jewelry(As seen in Oprah's Gift Guide):Snowflake Lariat Necklace~$159
Murval: Red patent hobo bag~$34.99
Baekgaard: Tartan handbag~$69.00
Custom photography contest from NJ Photographer
EMA Photography is running an amazing contest for NY, NJ, PA and DE residents. It's an opportunity to win $3800 worth of custom photography. Read the details below:
You know someone. You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love, and beauty.The winner will receive a complimentary studio photo session, the high resolution digital negatives for every image in their gallery PLUS a set of 5×7 finished prints. A total value of $3800!!To nominate someone, click here. Act fast because the winner will be announced on Christmas Day. Good Luck!Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $200 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?
Win an Omaha Steaks $20 Gift Card
This is a one-day contest to win an Omaha Steaks Gift Card. It's valued at $20 off a purchase of $80 or more. It was sent to me as a "valued customer" but I'm not shopping there this year and it will go to waste. I want to share my gift with one of you!
Simply leave a comment with your name and email. Or Twitter the following for 2 entries "Win an Omaha Steaks Gift Card from Mrs Mo's New Jersey: http://tinyurl.com/42x7qo "
Act now! This contest ends tonight at 10pm!
Macy's One-Day Sale Coupon
UPDATE: ONE DAY SALE TODAY OCT 24.
CLICK THE IMAGE FOR SPECIAL ONLINE COUPON CODES
Maddy's first Christmas stocking
A few Christmases ago, I made stockings for both Rob and Me. For him, I made red with green plaid (very traditional). Mine is purple quilted with purple snowflake fabric. Inspired by a purple sequin number from the 2004 or 2005 West Elm catalog(very hip-chic/nontraditional). For Maddy, I went classic and elegant. Like her crib bedding, I chose a Christmas toile pattern and a gold ribbon. To stitch it together, I actually used no-sew fabric glue. The only part of the stocking that actually was sewn on was the gold ribbon, and even that was a 
challenge. I have never made ruffles before and I need to learn how to do it right without mishap next time. But I think think it turned out great! When she gets older, I might replicate it better once I have refined my skills, but for now I love it. Toile is so classy and timeless. And my family knows that it is sooooo me!
This holiday, give a gift to Morey's Piers!
When I think of Christmas gifts, what comes to mind are sweaters, jewelry, movies and toys. Why not give something different this year and surprise your family with Jersey Shore beach vacation. Get them tickets to Morey's Piers in Wildwood, NJ!
From now until January 9th, Morey's Piers is offering some of their best prices on season passes and other park tickets. We're talking big savings! A season pass which includes food discounts, Bring-A-Friend days, 50% OFF Extreme Rides and a Radio Disney t-shirt is on sale for $240 down from $380. Children rates are down $100 from $275 to $175.
Morey's Peirs is one of the premier attractions in New Jersey for amusement park rides, water slides and boardwalk fun. Radio Disney holds a summer concert which is great for kids of all ages. The 2008 series included artists like Raven-Symone, Jordan Pruitt and Mitchel Musso. For the scouts (Girl & Boy) in your family, there is Beach Jam, a safe and exciting camping experience with beach bonfires, amusement park trips and more! If sports are more your thing, check out the Cape Express Beach Blast soccer tournament for children and adults. Families get discounts to the park as well.
The opportunities for fun are endless at Morey's Piers. There is something for all ages to enjoy and it's a safe place to bring your family for Jersey Shore beach vacation.
The sale at Morey's Piers is going on now until January 9th. Order now to get your tickets in by Christmas. Or hey, give a New Year's gift as well!
Win a FLIP video camera
Popsugar has teamed up with FLIP video to offer readers an opportunity to win a custom FLIP video camera. The process is simple and can be found by visiting the PopSugar site. I just entered my design with my adorable little girl. But you can do whatever you like. It's that easy! No need to create an account with FLIP. You're just a click away from winning!
Enjoy and good luck!
Bloggers Unite to Fight Hunger in New Jersey
More than 35 million Americans, including 12 million children, either live with or are on the verge of hunger. In New Jersey alone, an estimated 250,000 new clients will be seeking sustenance this year from the state's food banks. But recently, as requests for food assistance have risen, food donations are on the decline, leaving food bank shelves almost empty and hungry families waiting for something to eat.
WE CAN'T LET THIS BANK FAIL!
Deboarh Smith, founder of Jersey Bites, has spearheaded a campaign to get 100 bloggers on board to help spread awareness of the need to help keep the NJ Food Bank alive and able to serve. Across the blogosphere, bloggers have united and given their support and instruction as to how we can support the Food Bank. Small acts can help to save lives.
There is an ever increasing demand for food as more families are in need: people who have lost their jobs, families on fixed incomes, the elderly, and the list continues. Times are tough for all of us, but we cannot let the Food Bank fail.
The Community Food Bank started when Executive Director Kathleen DiChiara delivered groceries out of her car in 1976. By 1982, the Food Bank warehouse was incorporated in Newark. As need for charitable donations grew, the Bank moved to a larger location in 1987 and by 1993, there was so much demand that the Bank moved to its permanent location, a 280,000 sq. ft warehouse in Hillside, NJ.
Today, the FoodBank distributes over 21 million pounds of food and groceries a year, ultimately serving 1,656 non-profit programs including 436 programs served by its Partner Distribution Organizations (PDOs). Through their combined efforts, they assist three-quarters of a million low-income people in 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties.
If everyone could just do a little, it would help those in need a lot. To help, people can:
- Make a monetary contribution: Visit www.njfoodbank.org.
- Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at your local food pantry.
- Organize a food drive: We can help explain the logistics of starting a food drive. Just call 908-355-FOOD.
- Help "Check Out Hunger:" Look for the "Check Out Hunger" coupons at your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small!
Remember, a little goes a long way. Take this week to clean out your pantry. Organize a collection in your neighborhood or among friends. Get your kids involved. If you're a teacher, get your class or school involved in a holiday donation. College alumni organizations can round up fellow alumni. Girl & Boy Scouts can earn a badge by contributing. Plan a collection at your church or child's day care. The ideas are endless. We Can't Let This Bank Fail!
I hope she tours again!!!
I being really random right now.
My long overdue wish: to see Shania Twain in concert. For those who love her as much as my sister and I do, here is some freakin' awesome Shania for you!
Mrs Mo's Review: Olivis Joules and the Overactive Imagination
Move over James Bond. A sexy new crime fighter is in town and she responds to Olivia. Oliva Joules.
Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones Diary, brings us an even more remarkable heroine for the 21rst century. With a mix of Bridget and Bond, Fielding brings to life a journalist turned super sleuth in a fun and action packed adventure.
Olivia Joules has just been demoted from International news coverage at the Sunday Times to the style pages due to her wandering imagination and ability to miss relevant stories. She has been assigned to the launch of a new skin care line in Miami and is thrust into the Hollywood/Starving Actor/Life in Excess world. She suddenly catches the eye of uber producer Pierre Ferramo whom she thinks looks like Osama Bin Laden in disguise. She immediately lets her imagination take over and becomes convinced that Ferramo is a terrorist secretly plotting an Al-Qaeda attack in Miami and tries to follow her instinct and meet her deadlines.
When an explosion rips apart the grand OceansApart floating luxury apartment cruiseliner, Olivia suspects Ferramo is behind it and decides to make it her mission to unravel his plot. Her world becomes engrossed in amateur espionage with freelance journalism as her ruse. Olivia soon discovers that she is not the only one snooping for information. Her hotel is bugged, drugs are planted in her luggage and soon the MI6 (UK's Secret Intelligence Service) is questioning her connection to Ferramo.
As fate would have it, Olivia gets recruited to the MI6 and lets Ferramo's obsessive courtship continue as she aids in his capture.
While the plot is fun and enticing, it sometimes reads like a Bridget Jones fantasy world with butt kicking and sexy sick pack abs in scuba gear. And I kinda felt like the Obsama Bin Laden/Al-Qaeda storyline was a little too current to have fun with. The story was addicting and I looked forward to Olivia's next adventure, trying to get a mental image of what this would look like on screen. I enjoy Fielding's humor and writing style and really don't care that the plot is a little over-the-top. That's what makes the book exciting!
Soap Stars coming to Point Pleasant
GH fans, the new power couple "Spinelli & Maxie" LIVE at Ferrara's and Uncle Vinnie's on February 22, 2009. VIP tickets are $ 100 plus tax
for the 1pm VIP show. Early VIP show is sold out already.
GH FANS!!! You wanted him back and you wanted her, making his third 
appearance to Uncle Vinnie's on April 5, 2009, TYLER CHRISTOPHER aka NIKOLAS CASSEDINE and he is bringing for the first time to Uncle Vinnie's, SARAH BROWN aka CLAUDIA ZACCARRA!!! VIP tickets are $ 100 a person plus tax from 10 am till 12 noon limited to 70 people only!! Tickets are available for purchasing on the website.
ONE LIFE TO LIVE FANS, MICHAEL EASTON aka JOHN MC BAIN will be coming back March 15, 2009 from 11-2pm. Tickets are priced at $ 50 per person plus tax. Tickets are available on the website for purchase.
For tickets call 732-899-3900 or go to the website www.ferrarascafe.com to purchase them online.
How to calm a teething baby? Sing!
For the past few days now, Maddy has been sniffly, upset and teething. They go hand-in-hand, right? Well she's been fairing pretty well during the day, but come evening she is not a happy little girl. When bedtime rolls around, usually she goes to her crib without a problem and we give her a binkie and asleep she goes. The binkie has suddenly turned into the enemy and the last thing she wants to do is to lay down for sleep. And my dear husband is the one who gets to deal with this. But he found a solution, albeit a temporary one. He sings to her. Specifically: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. And it seems to do the trick. Normally I'm not one to encourage this sleep assistance, but if it gets her to fall asleep and forget about her painful gums, then fine by me.
If you're having trouble either settling down or calming your child, try singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Maybe it's the soothing melody and repetitive tone. Something about it works.
You can either print the lyrics here or let YouTube sing it for you.
Mrs Mo's Holiday Giveaway, Part 2
During the winter, our skin tends to dry up, get itchy and sometimes break out. It's not pretty but it's true, right? Well I have a solution that you cannot pass up!
Part 2 of my Holiday Giveaway is a treat for your body from April Lawicki, my Arbonne International rep. Here is what she is offering the lucky winner:
I am giving an Awaken Sea Salt Scrub. The exfoliating action of this sea salt scrub — enhanced with the Awaken Essential Oil Blend — sloughs away dead surface cells revealing brighter, healthier-looking skin Key Ingredients: Avocado and sweet almond extract. I will also include a $10 gift certificate.
Sounds divine doesn't it? And let me tell you, Arbonne products are great and work well. They are priced right and made without dyes, animal products and mineral oil. I currently use the Intelligence line facial cleanser and NutriMinC Body Serum & Lotion for my feet and legs.
To win this, all entries must be received by Friday December 12th. There are 3 ways to win:
- Leave a comment with your name and email. It's that simple.
- To get your name entered TWICE, retweet the following into Twitter: "Arbonne body scrub holiday giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/6lw95e" and leave a comment that you Twittered and include your Twitter ID.
- To get your name entered TWICE or THREE TIMES(if you also have Twitter), either post this link in your Facebook Profile, or copy the following in your status: "Arbonne body scrub holiday giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/6lw95e"
Cuddly and Cozy gift idea for anyone in your family
I am wearing these very soft and warm socks and my feet are very happy. They are the Sweetest, Softest Ever™ Socks from Bath and Body Works and would make any woman happy to wear this winter! When I bought them in the store, they were $5 each, but you can get them online for $7.50 or 2 of $12. I'm telling you, get these socks: either for yourself or as a gift. Not only are they cuddly and cozy, but they have a no-skid bottom to keep you from sliding all over the place.
You know, come to think of it, the socks come in colors that men would appreciate too. Why should their feet be left out in the cold?
So get on it!
Craiglist scam gets personal
You are a recent college grad, starting your new job and strapped for cash. You're trying to find a reasonably priced apartment and decide to search Craigslist (because who doesn't?) and find a too good to be true 1 bedroom apartment for $800! Well, it is too good to be true and here is why...
Just recently I became aware of a Craigslist scam that involves people using actual listed properties as their way to scam people out of money. The main theme of the scam is to request first month's rent + 1/2 as a security deposit BEFORE you receive the key.
I was contacted by a Princeton student saying that she was in contact with a woman about renting an apartment and was given my address in her inquiry. She found my email because when she did a Google search of the address, my Bucknell Club website came up with my contact information (and she just happened to be a Bucknell grad). Then on Sunday, another girl came by to see our place saying that it was listed as 1 bedroom with our address. I asked the Princeton girl to email me with the Craigslist listing so I could "inquire about the apartment" myself. And in fact, it is a scam. The woman's response to my inquiry below with the address included (but I deleted my address for privacy).
--- On Sun, 12/7/08, Melissa Gorka <melissa_gorka@yahoo.com> wrote:
> How are you doing today? Thank you very much for taking your
> time to write me. it is my sincere pleasure to write you
> back, and to let you know that the one bedroom apartment you
> are making enquiry of is still available.
>
> Utilities Inlcluded: Heat, Gas, Electricity, Water, Dryer,
> Washer, Internet/Cable and a secured parking space.
> Available from now, First month rent of $800 and security
> deposit of $400 is required before move in. Well trained
> pets are also allowed. Let me quickly introduce myself to
> you. My name is Melissa and my husband's name is
> Gorka.My husband is the owner of the apartment you are
> making enquiry, but right now he's in West Africa on a
> missionary work, l was suppose to travel with him, but
> some months before he traveled, l had a very serious car
> accident, that affected my back bone and brain, that lead to
> my disability, now l am using wheel chair and l find it
> very difficult to talk, but l can still communicate
> through any means of writing, that is the reason why l was
> unable to travel with traveled with my husband. Right
> now, l am staying with my mother in Ohio. She is also
> suffering from lungs cancer.
>
> Actually I and my husband both resided in our apartment
> before he traveled to West Africa on a missionary work, so
> we both agreed to rent/lease our apartment, to somebody that
> can take absolute care of it, in order to enable me pay
> for my mother's hospital bill and take care of myself,
> We will not like to experience what we experienced from our
> last tenant, he destroyed most of our valuable home
> appliances ,and l know how much my husband spent to
> replace the things our last tenant destroyed in our
> apartment before he moved out.
>
> To be honest with you, a whole lot of people are contacting
> me regarding our apartment, but l am not sure of who to
> accept due to our past experience, so we're taking our
> time to look for a responsible person, that can take proper
> care of our apartment, as if it is his/her own. My husband
> is a very busy man, due to the nature of his job, but he
> said if l find a responsible person, that promise to
> take care of our apartment, l should let him know. We
> don't ever want to take the risk of putting our
> apartment in care of an agent again, because our last
> agent just leased our apartment, to somebody that
> destroyed most of our valuable home appliances, since my
> husband is a very busy person, he said l should be very
> careful with the kind of person l rent out our apartment
> to.lf you can assure me that, you will take absolute care of
> our apartment, as if it is your own, we will be more than
> happy to have you as our new tenant to be.
>
> Here is the address of our apartment (139 #########, Princeton NJ, 08540) As soon as l hear from you, l
> will send you more information regarding our apartment.
> Expect to read from you soon, once again, thank you very
> much for the time you took in writing me me. l must tell you
> that l really appreciate it.
>
> Yours Sincerely
> Melissa Gorka
>
Please read and pass this around to let people know that this is going on and very serious. If you know someone who is apartment hunting(and who might be in school or just graduated with little money), let them know to be wary of responses like the one below.
Rob and I called the local police to ask what to do, so I'm considering having them write up a report about it. I have filed a report at the Internet Crime Complaint Center with the hopes that something can be done to help prevent this in the future. It's very scary that our real address is being used like this.
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