Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008

Tune in on Wednesday night on CBS, 10:00pm (9:00pm Central time). Usher is certainly going to enjoy himself at this evergrowing popular fashion show...the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show! He would not turn this opportunity down for any reason. Coming to you from Fontainebleau Miami Beach, you'll have one hour of eye candy with these gorgeous Victoria's Secret Angels! Don't miss out! Here is a sneak peek at the first fitting...Heidi Klum, you are hot!


For more video clips of the making of, glamour themes, final preparations, go to the CBS website, Victoria's Secret Video. Knock yourself out!

Heidi Klum, Heidi Klum, Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum is amazing! She is beautiful, has a great personality, is outgoing, and fun. I've seen her on The Ellen Show, on the Today Show, on Regis and Kelly. She is hot! Does Seal know how fortunate he is? Don't get me wrong! I love Seal and his music. What a great couple! He appeared with her on last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.



Get this...she has no problem balancing her career with raising her family. It makes me think of Kelly Ripa. I started watching Kelly when I was pregnant with my first child 8 years ago. Kelly was just auditioning for the show. Now look at her. Anyway, Kelly and Keidi almost look alike.



Here is a preview of the Victoria's Secret 2008 Fashion Show. Heidi Klum models with a giant pink bow on her back. Supposedly that thing weighed about 15 pounds or something! More than some of our Thanksgiving turkeys! But you have to admit that she looks GOOD!

Barack Obama VS. Britney Spears and Internet Wars

Obama may have made history this year with the 2008 election, but Britney Spears lands at the top for the most searched celebrity figure on the internet. This article discusses it in detail. The truth is that it is no surprise. Paparazzi and the public want to know the best and especially the worst about what goes on in the lives of celebrities. Maybe it's fun and relieving to see our celebrities go up in smoke with the rumors and the negative coverage. Rehab? Who's dating who? Who's doing who or not doing who? What did this person do to her kid? What is the latest scoop on the person? Latest project? The public wants to know. You and I want to know.

I admit that I will once in a while get sucked into the Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition shows. For the most part, the shows repeat the same information about all the latest super star gossip. BUT I get sucked in anyway. Is it because I'm glad to know that my life is more balanced than some of these megastars and that makes me feel better? Knowing that having fame and riches doesn't mean that these celebrities have a better life than me? It's all psychology, folks. We either sit and watch and envy these super stars OR we say, "I like my life. I wouldn't want that even if it came with fame and riches." Does that make sense?

So, who or what did you Google today?

Holiday Shopping Tips AND My Personal Gift Giving Tips

Wow! The Federal Trade Commission is climbing on board to help Americans make good choices this year when it comes to shopping. They have an online article with tips for the consumer. Quite interesting! Interesting when it's the government who (some people feel) are the one's at fault for their personal financial problems and debt. How so? Well, look at the commercialism and temptations put forth on a daily basis through every medium possible...television, radio, oversized billboards, magazines, etc. They are all FTC approved. (Actually, I don't know how it really works and everyone needs to blame someone to feel better about themselves!) Now, it seems some of the companies are targeting child audiences for their credit cards and so forth. Is that ludicrous? My kids don't even know how to count change back from $1.00 and they are already watching commercials of Shopping Barbie with her own credit cards. My take on that...teach your kids the cash only lifestyle! If you don't have the money, you can't afford it. If you don't have the money, don't buy it. Don't put the purchase on plastic when you know (or maybe you don't) that it'll take you longer to pay it off than you intended. Am I making sense?

So really, take the FTC's advice but go cash only. Here are the bullet points...

• Shop around
• Read sale ads carefully
• Consider time and travel costs
• Look for price-matching policies
• Go online
• Consider bargain offers
• Clip coupons
• Ask about sale adjustments
• Keep track of spending
• Save receipts
• Ask for gift receipts
• Ask about refund and return policies
• Keep good records
• Ship early
• Keep an eye on your wallet

My personal addition to this list of tips...

• Create a budget of how much you will spend for each person...do you have 15 neices and nephews? If you spend $25 per child, that's already $375! Do the kids really need that toy or gadget? How about making a coupon that says "This coupon is good for one hour of game time with Auntie So & So." That coupon costs you one hour for time spent, and  10 minutes to create the coupon on Word.
• Make your presents...pick up on your long lost hobby of sewing or painting. Create a photo album for your loved ones of all the favorite pics over the 2008 year. Printing pictures can cost as little as 9 cents a print on Snapfish.com. (Well, that was the latest deal I saw. It's always changing.) So, pick up a photo album for $5, print 25 pictures for under $3...and voila! You've got a personal and inexpensive gift for under $10 that will more than likely never be thrown away. Actually, it's a great gift for the kids, too. Write little captions to put in with each picture.
• BAKE! Everyone knows this time of year is the baking time of year. Pick 5 different cookie or bread recipes and divvy them up into some decorative plates. Easy to find at your local Dollar store or 99cent store. You'll have a gift to share with 5-6 friends and their taste buds will love it.

Anyway, my theme this year is to keep it simple. I avoided Black Friday today at all costs. I have plenty of materials in my own house to create gifts. I have more time than money these days, so bring on the creativity! Good luck this season and don't go overboard! 

Black Friday & Thanksgiving Weekend Sales...How To Save

Some of the best things to do this year for the holidays during our challenging economic times...spend time looking for the sales. Go to the stores and malls with a predetermined list of things to buy for EACH person you are buying for. Go online and take advantage of free shipping deals. Stay away from the crowds and craziness because time is money. Shop for everything in one place. Create a budget and stick to it. Less is more. Keep it simple. OR you can also think of ZIGGY! (You'll understand what I mean as you read on.)

This is the weekend when most retailers collect on a large percentage of their revenue for their annual sales and profits, but this year we will most likely see a drop in sales. Many large retailers are facing hard times so much that they are closing down! This year is a little different. More people are calling in their local food banks, social services, and financial assistance programs due to these economic hard times. These are your average American families who are now seeking assistance because of employment lay-offs and salary decreases (option rather than losing one's job altogether). It is a challenging time for many people in our country right now.

However, the absolute BEST thing you can do is...STAY HOME! Take a look at your life. Take a look at what you already have. Be grateful for it all. Think about the important people in your life. How much time do you spend with these individuals? Time is a great gift. Stay home and don't shop if you know you have a credit card bill with a $6000 balance and a minimum payment of $150 a month. Believe me! I am learning the hard way (for the 3rd time in my short life now)! Proud to say that this year my spouse and I have switched to a 'cash-only' lifestyle and have stuck to that for 90% of 2008. That's a record to be proud of. Next year is going to be awesome! 'Cash-only, baby!' and 'Financial Freedom!' are the two mantras we live by now. Yes, the $6000 credit card balance is there but it's dwindling down. Even for true emergencies, we do our best to not pull out the credit card and we use cash or debit. Why spend money that is not there? We understand that better now.

I read something somewhere once. It was actually a little Ziggy cartoon ad. Ziggy was walking by a retail store that had a big sign that read "SAVE 50% OFF EVERYTHING!" He hesitated. Hmm...all the great deals I can find! BUT then reality kicked in. Ziggy had a life that was satisfying already. He didn't need anything else in his life. The bubble above his head displayed his thoughts..."But I can save 100% if I just walk away..." Well, the bubble said something like that. But you get the idea, eh? Save 100%! Don't shop! What about writing a poem. Write a letter to someone. Letter writing is a lost art form. What about pulling out those watercolors or acrylics and creating a nice little painting for someone. Labors of love! Those are the best gifts to give and to receive. 

So again, my message for this holiday shopping season...and the best weekend of all for this is usually Thanksgiving Day Weekend...SAVE 100% and STAY HOME! Save your money and create gifts from home. It's therapeutic. It's calming (for me anyway.) And your checkbook, wallet, and savings account will love it. 

Move Over Lance and Lacey...It's Brooke and Warren Time

This is only my opinion, but I think Lance and Lacey made some wrong moves last night. They did great...but in comparison to their competitors, they just lost their chance at the trophy. Lance and Lacey looked great. The hip hop style and moves were awesome. Lacey has some great choreography and enthusiasm. BUT Brooke and Derek were smokin' hot! Warren and Kim were entertaining! I suppose it comes down to the voters! That's all of you...I think. I didn't vote. I had to put the kids to bed. They stayed up past their bedtime watching Dancing With The Stars.

Brooke and Derek did an awesome freestyle! The moves were advanced and amazing. Brooke was steaming and it was just...awesome! My whole family was oo-ing and ah-ing! Check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aojEs4grRU