Along with wedding gowns, we see beautiful bridesmaid dresses in bridal catalogues and online stores. A lot of the designs for bridesmaid dresses are simple yet elegant but they are not supposed to be prettier than wedding gowns. Furthermore, some brides with a limited budget might cut their wedding's cost by sacrificing the gowns of the bridesmaids. Having said that, the online store Dress First has many high quality and affordable bridesmaid dresses to choose from. Some of them are:

Empire Strapless Knee-Length Chiffon Bridesmaid Dress With Sash, 92.99 USD - Everyone would probably suit this simple empire dress. It does not offer much when it comes to design but it still looks more than its real price. Brides with a limited budget and those who do not like plenty of frills will love this.

Sheath Strapless Knee-Length Satin Bridesmaid Dress, 70.99 USD - If I see this dress at the mall I would not have guessed that it is less than a hundred bucks. It is simple yet classy, something that you can wear even in other occasions. The hemline and neckline are just about perfect. The chocolate color is beautiful as well

A-Line/Princess Strapless Knee-Length Taffeta Bridesmaid Dress, 90.99 USD - One of the most affordable bridesmaid dresses in Dress First, this A-Line dress with a sash is really pretty. It is soft because it is made of taffeta. The knee-length hemline and neckline are just about right. This bridesmaid dress is sexy without going overboard.

Male relatives: Check

Female relatives: Check

Bela’s Classmates and teachers: Check

Officemates: Check

Godchildren: Check

So I guess I am almost done with my Christmas shopping list. The only ones that I need to buy gifts for are my husband, Bela and Cobi and my parents.

Among these individuals, it is hubby that I am having a hard time deciding what to get. My friend showed me some nice michael kors perfume and watch for men but hubby is not the type of person who cares for these kinds of things. He would rather get a toy than an expensive watch.

As for the kids, I will order everything online so it would be cheaper than buying it from Toys R’ Us. Bela is definite on what she wants and Cobi said he likes robots. LOL.

I can’t wait to finally tick everything off my shopping list.

Are you running out of ideas for gifts to your families and friends this Christmas? Except from my dad who I am not worried of what to give for Christmas because I know how much he loves swishers cigars, I am in the same boat as the majority as I can’t think of anything unique to give as Christmas presents.

But thanks to my wonderful and creative friends, I can now start my shopping list with their handmade and 100% made with love products:

• Embellished Designed Studios is a graphic design company that specializes in printable needs. Some of the nice items that are perfect for gift include note cards, note pad and ball pen set, and more.

• The Clay Craft Studio makes 100% heart-made tokens and gift ideas using polymer clay. Some of their cute products include cell phone pluggies, key chains, bookmarks, and more.

• Dainty Ashley is all about handmade dainty hair trinkets and accessories just like some of the pictures below:

November 1 is an official Philippine holiday but we decided to go to Divisoria anyways to shop for prizes for Bela’s party. We feel that it will not be that crowded since most of the people are either out of town or in the cemetery to pay their respects for their departed loved ones.

We left home early around 7:30 AM and we went straight to 168. Unfortunately, 168 will not be open until 12 noon but good thing Divisoria market is open and this is where I shop for toys anyways.

It was a bit crowded already as there are a lot of people shopping for things that they can sell to the cemetery. So I just checked out 2-3 stores and got all my loots from there. We were done by 10 AM and these are our loots:

I hope this is enough for the prizes for the party as I am expecting more than 100 kids.

Are you planning on buying toys for your kids or as gifts to your friend or relatives’ children? Then here are some of the tips that you can consider before purchasing a toy:

1. Age of the child. Each kid in different age level has different developmental needs that is why it is really important that you know the age of the kid who will receive the toy. This will make sure that you will be able to buy a toy that is appropriate for his or her mental and psychomotor skills.

2. Hobbies and interest of the child. The interest of the kid will give you a clue on what toy the kid will love and appreciate. If the kid loves to play pretend, then you can buy a doctor set where he or she can pretend to be a doctor.

3. Safety of the toy. When purchasing toys for your kids, it is also important to check if it passes the safety standards. You can also check the toy association website for any toy recall. It is also good to inspect the toy, especially if it is to be given to babies or toddlers, to make sure that there are no parts that might fall off and may cause choking.

4. Budget and value for money. The price of the toy should also be checked and assess if the price offers a great value for your money. There are a lot of hot items that might be popular for a particular time but not all popular toys can be considered as best buys.

There are a lot of online stores where you can shop for utah toys and with the above tips in mind, you will surely never go wrong when choosing the perfect toy for that special kid in your life.

When my husband and I were preparing for our wedding, we had a hard time searching for groomsmen gifts as I left the decision to my husband and he has no clue as to what to give his groomsmen and where to buy it.

If only we have discovered the site of Groomstop.com during our wedding preparation days, then things would have been easier for us. This site offers a wide selection of groomsmen gifts and they are of high quality that any member of the wedding entourage would be thankful to receive it. They even offer free shipping for orders $75 and above for more discounts and shopping convenience.

Just look at some of the items in their store:

They are not only limited to gifts for the groomsmen as they also have choices for gifts for other male members of the wedding entourage like the bearers, the ushers, the father of the bride and the groom and even for the groom himself. Majority of the items can be customized adding a more unique feel to the present.

If you are looking for the perfect token for the male members of the wedding party, then Groomstop.com is your perfect choice.

How I wish we have boxing week sales in my part of the world. I saw my friends posting pictures of their Boxing Day sale loots and I can’t help but feel envious, as it is a total steal. I am sure we won’t be able to buy those products like Bath and Body works lotions, 50-inch LG Plasma TV, iDock speaker, BalckBerry playbook and more at a price that my friends paid for their loots.

Our last buy from Boxing Day sale was our TCL TV in our living room, which we asked our friend to buy for us. It was a very good buy as we got the 32” TV for only $200 where it is double the price if we will buy it here.

We want a bigger TV to for our living room, as our 32” TV looks small now that we have a bigger living room space. We can ask our friend again to buy 40” TV for us but the problem is on how to ship it here.

Oh well, I guess we just have to wait for the small time sales that most stores are offering here (and besides we still don’t have the budget yet for a new TV. LOL. It is just still in our wish list.)

Are you ready to do your Christmas shopping? If you are like me who have a very long Christmas shopping list, then you must prepare as early as now and start looking for the best credit card deals that you can apply.

We all know that December is the busiest time of the year as people start to cram to complete their shopping list. So it would be better to shop way in advance to avoid the crowds who are in a mad rush for their Christmas shopping. The only problem is, you don’t have a budget until the Christmas bonus has been released which happens on the 1st week of November, the earliest.

So the solution would then be to start with your credit card application so you will be armed with a good credit card like citibank credit cards so you have the means to shop even if your bonus hasn’t been released yet.

If you know how to manage your credit card right, then you don’t have to worry if you will use it for all your purchases as long as you will be able to pay for everything in full upon receipt of your much awaited Christmas bonus.

So what are you waiting for? Start your application for a credit card so you can begin shopping and so by December, you can just relax instead of joining the crowds who are stressing over their Christmas shopping.

That is how I am every time I go out. I don’t want to bring cash with me as I feel safer if I only have my credit cards in my bag.

And so I realized, since I am so dependent on credit cards and I use it for all my purchases, then I would get great benefit if I will get visa reward cards.

This is how Good Sam’s Credit Card Rewards work:
• I can get 5 points for every $1 of purchase on Good Sam products and services
• I can get 1 point for every $1 spent wherever Visa is accepted
• I can get free camping, Good Sam membership, free fuel and even cash back rewards

At least every time I use my card, I can get something like a freebie or rewards. How cool is that?

Too bad I only realized this now. If not, I have accumulated enough points already to redeem something big. But at least I can use this for my upcoming Christmas shopping which I am sure will max out my credit limit but at least I will get reward points in return.

My friend’s son will be celebrating his 13th birthday soon and my friend is a little bit in panic, as he doesn’t know what gift he will give his son. They call this stage as the “Tween” stage where the kid goes to a stage where he is somewhere between adolescence and middle childhood and so my friend is a little confuse as to what perfect gift he can give his son as she doesn’t really have an idea what a Tween can appreciate.

So we searched the net together and found these Gift Ideas for Son from the site of mensgiftideas.com. They have team jerseys, personalized baseball, cross necklace, charging station, gorillatorch flexible tripod flashlights, personalized poker set and more. They have gifts of every kind that is why my friend will surely find something, which interest his son.

My friend is really happy to have discovered this site. Now all she has to do is decide which gift to give his son and his orders will be shipped right at their doorstep just in time for his son’s birthday. I am sure his son will be really happy to receive any of the items from mensgiftideas.com.

My one-year-old son loves to grab on things that is within his reach and his latest causality was the Prescription Eyeglasses of my mother. He grabbed on the frame of the eyeglasses and now it is in two pieces.

My mother was just laughing after she saw what happened. But anyways, it has been a while since my mom bought new Prescription glasses and her old one has served its purpose already and it is time to get a new one.

To make up for the damage done by Cobi, I even offered to pay for it. I am confident that I can afford it even if my mom requires Progressive glasses because I know an online site where I can order affordable designer eyeglasses and that is popularglasses.com. Their progressive glasses are created using sophisticated lab equipment so I am sure that I will get the best product for my mom.

All their products are 100% guaranteed to be authentic and it even comes with free shipping. Now all I have to do is ask my mom to choose the frame that she wants from the designer brands and then I will just add the progressive lens that she needs so we can replace the eyeglasses that Cobi broke.

Los Angeles – Camarillo Outlet Store
Las Vegas – Las Vegas Premium Outlet Store
Toronto – Outlet Stores in Rodeo Drive
Washington DC – Ross and Marshalls
New York – Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet Store

Now I realized that we went shopping to every city that we visited that is why it is no wonder we end up with 6 luggages going home. We shop everything from bags, to watches, to ed hardy jewelry, t-shirts, shoes, toys and many more. The items are really cheap compared to prices here in Manila so it is really hard to resist. Like the Ralph Lauren tees that I got for Cobi which is only $10. It is even cheaper compared to t-shirts and polos from Gingersnaps.

Next time I go to the US, I will make sure that I have a lot of money to do more shopping. LOL.

I should start taking adapexin-p if I want to loose those excess pounds so I can find the guts to wear the swim suits that I bought from the Wacoal sale last Saturday.

Two of my friends shared to me about the on going Wacoal sale at the Standard Chartered Building in Ayala. This sale is actually a fund raising activity for the victims of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. They are selling Wacoal bras and bathing suit for a price that you can’t imagine – P100.

Yes, you heard it right. I got 3 swimsuits which were originally priced at P2000++ and I got it for a whopping price of P100 only. I did not even try it on as I just grabbed and grabbed every nice thing that I see.

My sister and I were lucky as they just brought down one box of swimsuits when we arrived. I thought that there will be a stampede (this is a little exaggerated. LOL) when the staff put down the box as all the girls went swarming towards the box so my sister and I just took whatever we can reach from the box and luckily we were able to grab nice ones that we ended up paying for 4 swimsuits (1 for my sister and 3 for me). Unfortunately, only 2 out of the 3 that I got is the right size for me so I gave the other one to my sister.

I did not really intent to do a panic buying of swimsuit but for P100 Wacoal swimsuit, who can say no?

The Rolex GMT-Master watch is among the Rolex timepieces which is extremely good-looking and highly functional. It has a modest appearance despite its sophisticated design. The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf actually intended the GMT-Master for the use of the Pan Am pilots during the 1950's. At that time, The Pan Am pilots desired a watch that will give simultaneously the local time where they are currently located and the GMT time. The GMT-Master was the answer to their desire. However, the later models of GMT-Master were designed to include the date.

GMT-Master's unique features include among others the automatic movement. It has a twin-lock crown with date display glass window that magnify the date. Similar to other Rolex watches, it is also water-resistant. Rolex GMT-Master also has a solid stainless bracelet and luminescent hand and hour markers for better time viewing. The lock for this watch is the flip-lock system. Most people prefer this model more than the other Rolex watches because of its movement. The GMT movement is easier to use and very flexible. People wearing this watch can track both the local time and GMT simultaneously. They can also make their own adjustments by moving the hour hand and date according to their need with out losing the actual time. GMT-Master is the only watch that can deliver this function.

GMT-Master Cosmograph Gold counterpart watches are also the clone timepieces
that people frequently buy. Among the Rolex replica watches, Cosmograph Gold doublet watch is also the most reliable when it comes to giving GMT and local time simultaneously. People buy this model because they know that they can get their money's worth. All they need and desire in a watch, they can get from the Rolex GMT-Master watch. Whether it is about design, durability, reliability, or economy, Rolex GMT-Master has it.

I spent the whole morning computing for my total credit card bill which I incurred when I went shopping for Christmas gifts for my family and friends and I was really surprised at how much I incurred.

Christmas is the season of giving and sharing but I think there is a way to spread the Christmas cheer without hurting our pocket. And one way to do that is by doing arts and crafts that we can give out as gifts just like making bracelets, earrings, necklaces and other jewelries made from glass beads.

All I need to do is find a bead store where I can buy the supplies that I need for my project and with a little creativity, I can turn these semi precious stones into a work of art. It is just a simple step and aside from the fact that I can save by doing this, it is also one good way for me to relax. This can also be a nice project that I can do with my daughter so it is a great bonding session for us also.

I am so excited to start on my project and I am sure my friends and my relatives will truly appreciate my labor of love for them.

Finding great deals online is so much easier today than having to lug yourself from store to store. Even if you prefer to shop in stores rather than online, you can at least do your searching on the Internet to find the best deals. This helps cut down on your shopping time, which is great when you have to carry the kids along with you or are on a time limit of some sort. There are some things that traditionally would never be purchased online that are starting to gain popularity.

For example, many people have been concerned with purchasing jewelry online. Because you can't actually look at it and see the quality before you buy it, it can be difficult to make a decision. When you are looking for great silver jewelry online, you may come across Scott Kay jewelry. This amazing jewelry is great for both men and women. The quality is fantastic, and the workmanship is great. There are a lot of brands out there that you can now purchase online that have guarantees on their quality so you will never have to worry.

Another thing that is difficult for many people to purchase online is clothing. Along the same lines as jewelry, it can be difficult to purchase clothing without being able to verify the quality. On top of that, you may find that there are differences in sizing depending on where you purchase from. Colors may look different on the computer than they are online. Dealing with returns for something that you purchased on the Internet can be stressful and frustrating. There are many places today, though, that you can purchase clothing on the internet and be assured of the quality. In fact, many large chain stores that you would normally shop at now have options for purchasing online.

My good friend Kelly is selling this:

I am actually not interested with it when I heard my friends talking about it in Twitter. But now, I am so tempted to get payday advances just so I can get the Mulberry Alexa bag that Kelly is selling.

She brought it with her when we saw each other at Sam and Migo’s party last week and it was love at first sight. I love how supple and soft the leather is and the plus factor is that it comes in my favorite shade of purple.

Thank goodness one of our friends already bought it so there is nothing to think about and no chance for me to have sleepless nights over this bag. LOL. And besides I imposed a no shopping ban for myself and I better keep it so I can save enough money for the trip that we are planning next year.

Kelly is selling another one of this bag in Oak so just let me know if you re interested and I will hook you up with her.

I was looking for a nice outfit to wear for my cousin’s party yesterday and I got really frustrated as I can’t find anything in my cabinet nice enough to wear for a party. But I guess it is really time to shop and update my cabinet as I just realized that I haven’t done some shopping for myself lately as I got really busy shopping both for Cobi and Bela.

Good thing there are a lot of sales on the Internet now like the discounts that I saw for apple bottom shoes, bags, dresses and even those fashionable leggings and pants from Jimmy Jazz online store.

November and December is a busy month for us as we have a lot of parties and family events to attend to during those months so this is really the perfect time for me to shop for myself. Good thing it is a holiday today so I can just stay in front of the computer the whole day and start with my online shopping.

Oh my gosh, we got really busy these past few weeks that I totally forgot that it is almost end of October already and I should really get started with my Christmas shopping if I want to avoid the Christmas shopping rush.

Here are some on my list:

• For the boys in our family, I saw a site to get custom gifts for men this holiday. I love shopping but when it comes to shopping for men, I always run out of ideas so these personalized items is a real saviour for me.
• For Bela, she is actually requesting for a violin and a pet Chua-Chua as he really loves my brother’s Chua chua, Kurt. I love the idea of the violin as we really want her to be musically inclined but I am not so sure with her getting a pet.
• For Cobi, I think I can just get him any toys for babies from Amazon as he is just six months old by Christmas so I am sure he is still not aware on what’s going on around him.
• For my parents, I am thinking of getting them an overnight stay at Sofitel.
• For my sister, I am sure she will love to get another bag from me but since my sideline is not doing well, I have to ask her first if she is willing to split the bill with me so she can get another Long Champ bag.
• For my brother and my sister in law, maybe an overnight accommodation too at Sofitel.

Hubby and I both have a long shopping list so I am really hoping that we can get started with it soon.

Remaking your master bathroom into a retreat isn’t as hard as it might seem. You need to make sure you have in mind exactly what you want to do. Look through design magazines, architectural books, and relevant websites. Next, you have to imagine how to take the concepts you’ve seen on paper and on screen and translate them into the space and dimensions you have in your bathroom.

It’s possible that after researching the possibilities, you want to change the feel of your master bath. Tearing down walls and re-doing the plumbing may be completely unnecessary. You can bring a new feel to your bathroom with a few noticeable and budget-friendly updates.

For starters, look at your fixtures. Upgrading towel bars, the toilet paper holder, and toothbrush container can be a good and inexpensive place to start your bathroom improvements. Changing the knobs on drawers in your bathroom can also improve the look of the bathroom without requiring you to purchase and install new cabinets. Next, consider getting an improved faucet and sink. Among the most attractive sink and faucet sets are sinks with designs painted on them and sink bowls that sit on top of the counter. Bowl-style sinks come in different shapes and sizes.

Finally, evaluate whether a new shade of paint would putting the final touch on your upgraded master bath. Look at the bathrooms you found appealing online and in magazines and see if you can re-create the look, at least in part, with a nice do-it-yourself paint job. Also, look at replacing your floor mats and shower curtain to create the style you’d like to achieve.

Before you fill up your shopping cart, be sure to trawl for online deals. www.offers.com, free shipping offers, and even buying some like-new items from an online auction can make your bathroom improvement project more affordable.