Gadget Mommy » Websites http://gadgetmommy.com ...navigating technology for families Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:02:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Ideas, ideas, ideas…. http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/ideas-ideas-ideas/ http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/ideas-ideas-ideas/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:22:50 +0000 Trish http://gadgetmommy.com/?p=51 Sometimes I feel like I am just out of ideas for presents for my kids. In a way I think it was easier when they were babies when they were entertained by an empty box.  I remember our first Christmas together. I was so excited to see them open their presents. They were more entertained [...]]]> Sometimes I feel like I am just out of ideas for presents for my kids. In a way I think it was easier when they were babies when they were entertained by an empty box.  I remember our first Christmas together. I was so excited to see them open their presents. They were more entertained by the wrapping paper than by what was inside. Oh how I long for those days. Now I am bombarded by “Mom, I want this” every time they see a toy they don’t have. So the pressure is on. With a little over 2 months until Christmas, I have no clue. No inspiration. I aimlessly browse toy websites and stroll up and down the aisles at Target hoping for some glimmer of inspiration. So far…nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.  So now, I’m feeling panic set in. I need the perfect gift. I MUST find the perfect gift. There has to be someone out there that can help me. I call on my trusted friend, Google, to come through for me. And here is what I found:

Gifts.com: Not only can you find gift ideas for your kids, but also for any other person and for a variety of occasions. Their holiday recommendation are sorted by age group so that you can easily find recommendations.

Amazon.com: Offers a variety of ways to sort by available toys, as well as lists featuring the best selling toys. Also browse other parent’s lists for their children to get ideas.

Wishlist.com: Not only can you search for toys, but you can add them directly to your child’s wish list. You can then share that list with friends and family (See my previous post on Wishlist.com)

]]> http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/ideas-ideas-ideas/feed/ 0 My Favorite Money Saving Sites http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/my-favorite-money-saving-sites/ http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/my-favorite-money-saving-sites/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:59:14 +0000 Trish http://gadgetmommy.com/?p=34 In this uncertain economy we can all stand to save a little cash. There are tons of resources available on the web that enable you to do just that. I tend to do a majority of my shopping online. It saves me time, money and patience.  I never ever, ever , ever, place an order [...]]]> In this uncertain economy we can all stand to save a little cash. There are tons of resources available on the web that enable you to do just that. I tend to do a majority of my shopping online. It saves me time, money and patience.  I never ever, ever , ever, place an order for anything without searching for a coupon code. The easiest way to do that is to just enter the name of the website and the word ‘coupon’  into your favorite search engine (I use Google).  Usually this will give you results for various website that may have coupon codes that you can use. The trick is finding a code that is still valid. A majority of the time I can at least find a coupon for free shipping and often time for a percentage off the total order. There are lots of sites that offer coupons, codes and savings. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. RetailMeNot- Enter the name of the website into their search box and view the results. They also give you a success rating of others who have used the codes. They also offer local vendor coupons and  grocery coupons.

2. Coupons.com- Enter your zip code and chose which coupons you want to print, some you can print multiple times. Redeem them at your favorite grocery store.  You no longer need to get your Sunday paper to have access to coupons for your favorite national brands.

3. Shop It to Me- A friend of mine turned me on to this cool site. You sign up and tell them your sizes and favorite brands. Every day they will send you an e-mail filled with sale items that fit into your profile selections. You can also refer friends and earn gift cards for every 10 friends that sign up.

3. UPromise- Upromise lets you save money on your purchases and add to your kids’ college funds at the same time. Participating vendors give you back a percentage of your total purchase. That amount goes into your account and you can transfer it to your children’s 529 college saving account. If you don’t have a 529, you can sign up with one through UPromise. They often have exclusive deals and coupons from the participating vendors.

4. eBates- eBates works in the same way as UPromise. The big difference is the money back from vendors is sent to you via check quarterly. So if you don’t have a 529 or would rather have the cash in hand, this is a great alternative. You do have to have at least $5 in your account before they send you your cash

]]> http://gadgetmommy.com/2009/general/my-favorite-money-saving-sites/feed/ 0