The Savvy Shopper
Member Since: March 8, 2011Reviews
Good Moo'd Fat Free Lactose Free Ultra-Filtered Milk
Good Mood milk figured out how to make Lactose free milk without it tasting sweeter than regular milk, so if you love regular milk, you'll love it and will notice no difference in taste. I drink it ice cold and it's delicious! It has all the protein... +
Good Mood milk figured out how to make Lactose free milk without it tasting sweeter than regular milk, so if you love regular milk, you'll love it and will notice no difference in taste. I drink it ice cold and it's delicious! It has all the protein of regular milk without the fat. I will try the 2% Good Mood milk next. There are many people who will prefer milk with a tad more fat. Of course this is skim milk and so it tastes like skim milk. For the record, I drink skim, 1% fat and 2% fat milk. Skim for drinking straight, and a higher fat to make puddings and some deserts. -
Boots No7 Refine & Rewind Intense Perfecting Serum
One of the aims of THE SAVVY SHOPPER is to find a few steals. Boots UK offers stellar beauty products at very affordable prices. The company began as a family herbal medicine shop in 1849 in Nottingham, England. Today everybody from Nottingham... +
One of the aims of THE SAVVY SHOPPER is to find a few steals. Boots UK offers stellar beauty products at very affordable prices. The company began as a family herbal medicine shop in 1849 in Nottingham, England. Today everybody from Nottingham to Madison Avenue raves about Boots' No 7 line of anti-aging face serums, moisturizers and makeup – much of it priced under $20. In the USA, Boots' No 7 is now sold at Target and will soon be distributed by Walgreens drugstore. [At times you can order online cheaper from sellers at Amazon.]
While the Examiner, an English newpaper, reports that there are higher concentrations of key peptides in more expensive brands, Boots' No 7 consistently scores higher than skin care products costing $100 or more by leading beauty editors, as well as, everyday women who use it. English roses and Southern belles alike love the results … plus the savings! Sometimes, you don't need more of the ingredients, you simply need enough of them to work, and that level is often open to debate. Boots' No 7 moisturers and makeup is definitely top-notch and worth trying!
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Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream
BB Cream is a big makeup craze in Asia (with men too!), and it's quickly spreading to the West. Created by German dermatologist, Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 50s, to protect and heal skin after laser surgeries, it eventually gained popularity in... +
BB Cream is a big makeup craze in Asia (with men too!), and it's quickly spreading to the West. Created by German dermatologist, Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 50s, to protect and heal skin after laser surgeries, it eventually gained popularity in Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia and is now hitting markets in Europe and the US.
"BB," short for Blemish Balm, is sold as an all-in-one beauty cream. Depending on the formula you buy, it works as a moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock with anti-aging effects. Reportedly, the cream feels lightweight and looks completely natural. It covers skin imperfections and gives you a radiant and dewy appearance. Plus, BB cream absorbs into the skin for a matte finish. Overtime, the product is supposed to improve your skin, making it smoother and minimizing some of the signs of aging with it's anti-inflammatory properties.
Asian brands include Missha, The Face Shop, Skin79 and Etude House.
Dior, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Garnier, L'Oreal and Dr. Jart are amoung the first Western companies to launch BB creams. With Smashbox, Maybelline, Marcelle and others following.
Sounds promising, doesn't it? I'm always looking for multi-taskers. Sunblock with a matte finish ... of course!!! I don't even wear foundation, but hey, if you can't feel it, and cosmetic companies want to throw that in too ... fine.
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Mobile Computer Cart
This mobile computer cart is the right fit in a small apartment. I use it while sitting on my couch, and when I pull up a chair, it's more like a desk. I use the middle ledge to store a wireless phone, a calculator, a TV remote control, a small... +
This mobile computer cart is the right fit in a small apartment. I use it while sitting on my couch, and when I pull up a chair, it's more like a desk. I use the middle ledge to store a wireless phone, a calculator, a TV remote control, a small notebook, an ink pen, hand cream and lip balm. I love getting all this clutter off my couch and organized in one place. I may use the bottom shelve for my printer.
I'm not experienced at assembling furniture, but had no trouble putting this together. It was easy.
The cart is compact and looks good against a wall, or pulled infront of a couch. The frame is a solid steel, and the shelves are a composite wood. Inexpensive, but sturdy enough at an unbeatable price. You wouldn't want to put anything super heavy on it. I was looking for something portable, with some storage, and this fit the bill, perfectly.
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Joe Fresh Style
If you haven't heard of Canada's Joe Fresh brand of clothing, you are missing out on cute, contemporary, inexpensive style. Truly, I can't rave enough! Designer Joseph Minran, best known for the understated, minimal look he created... +
If you haven't heard of Canada's Joe Fresh brand of clothing, you are missing out on cute, contemporary, inexpensive style. Truly, I can't rave enough!
Designer Joseph Minran, best known for the understated, minimal look he created for Club Monaco, before launching his own Joe Fresh label in 2006, just crossed the Canadian boarder to open stores in the US, including a flagship store on Fifth Avenue (at 43rd Street) and another shop on Madison Avenue (at 80th Street). Yanks should be thrilled! He has an entire line of fashion forward basics for men, women and children. Apparel and accessories range mostly from $16 {for a soft, extra long, thin cotton, t-shirt with a pocket} to $99 {for a chic, neoprene coat in assorted colors, including orange, blue, teal, brown and black}. Wool-blended jumpers are $49, and cotton chino, or wool pants are $39. His coats and skirts have classic good looks, with pizzazz and retro influences.
His tops, trousers and dresses are the perfect blend of relaxed, practical and casual smart. He combines eye-popping, bright colors like yellow, orange and berry with understated neutrals like tan, brown and black. His collection is calm and balanced without being boring. You look sophisticated and modern while spending less than $100 for an outfit. And his clothing is suitable for everybody -- consisting of jeans, weekend wear, workout clothes and business attire. Joe Fresh is launching even more stores, and he's calling all frugal fashionistas.
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Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rash Ointment
Once you pay for a product and walk out the store, it's nobody business how you use it. Recently I discovered that diaper rash rub makes an awesome hand, cuticle and eye cream. The active ingredient is zinc oxide, making it highly effective in... +
Once you pay for a product and walk out the store, it's nobody business how you use it. Recently I discovered that diaper rash rub makes an awesome hand, cuticle and eye cream. The active ingredient is zinc oxide, making it highly effective in treating dry skin. So far, I love it. It's richness should protect my hands all winter long. A good one, available at drugstores, is called Boudreaux's Butt Paste, so you know the inventor has a sense of humor.
The idea of consolidating toiletries by finding new uses for old products is appealing. So is saving time and money by finding drugstore counterparts that work as well as their designer cousins. Why buy three different products if one gets all the jobs done? Or, overpay to achieve identical results? On occasion I may want an expensive cosmetic. But if I choose to spend twenty times more for a designer brand, I have to like it twenty times more than the cheaper version. I like products with more than one use to reduce clutter. And whenever possible I want to keep life simple with one-step shopping at the corner drugstore.
You don't have to change your personal care items all at once, but as a savvy shopper, ask yourself why you use them and what you expect them to do for you. Consider: (1) Does a product work; (2) what are its active ingredients; (3) and, can you get a similar result cheaper?
If a product makes a fantastic eye and hand cream, well then, what's in a name?
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Apple iPad 4
A Siren-like creature has been calling me for quite awhile now. Just like in a Greek myth, it is alluring, fascinating, and somewhat dangerous. I knew a day would come when it tried to lure me in. It looks innocent enough, but don't be... +
A Siren-like creature has been calling me for quite awhile now. Just like in a Greek myth, it is alluring, fascinating, and somewhat dangerous. I knew a day would come when it tried to lure me in.
It looks innocent enough, but don't be fooled. If you stop by an Apple store to play with it, a strong compulsion to bring it home takes hold!
The iPad 2's features include several enhancements over its predecessor:
1. There are two cameras, back and front (for point shooting and video chatting).
2. It's 15% lighter, weighing just 1.33 pounds.
3. It's 1/3 thinner – The dimensions are, height: 9.5 inches, width: 7.3 inches, and depth: a teeny 0.34 inches.
4. A HDMI port is now built-in, so you can connect it to a TV.
5. It's 2 times faster, running on a 1GHz dual-core processor with iOS 3.4, which lets you do all kinds of sophisticated computing and graphics.
6. The battery lasts 10 hours, the same as before.
7. The price stays the same too, from $499-$829.
So now the conversation in my head goes something like this:
It seems like only yesterday I bought a nice laptop. Really, everything I need to do, I can conveniently do on a laptop.
But ... newer, lighter, and thinner is very nice!
My laptop is fairly lightweight ... or IS it? Oh, the iPad 2 is four times lighter!
But … my laptop is easily transportable … or, IS it?
Rather than need I simply want an ipad. Right?!?
This iPad 2 is sooo cool!
I have also tried to convince myself that my laptop is the new desktop, and the iPad 2 is the new laptop, which in fact, changes my want into a need! And having an iPad 2 would, for surrre, make me even more productive ... but that's a lie. My MacBook Pro does that very well.
Right now, I want an iPad 2 real bad! But what I need is a new battery for my Macbook Pro. Unfortunately ... in order to stay strong and not give into temptation, I will have to avoid going into an Apple store altogether. Want. Need. Want. And on it goes!
The iPad 2 is available in stores and online beginning today.
A letter to Steve Jobs from me:
Dear Steve,
We have never met, but you are an "evil" man. Thanks a lot!
Love,
Debbie
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Vermont Country Store
Need a specialty item – a shampoo long gone from drugstore shelves, or a no gizmo wind-up watch not carried by department stores, or perhaps you have a taste for original cream hazelnuts no longer stocked in candy stores? You can get these long... +
Need a specialty item – a shampoo long gone from drugstore shelves, or a no gizmo wind-up watch not carried by department stores, or perhaps you have a taste for original cream hazelnuts no longer stocked in candy stores? You can get these long lost products and so much more at The Vermont Country Store. It first opened its doors sixty-three years ago in 1946. Now owned by Lyman Orton and his three sons, this family run general store sells practical and hard-to-find goods. The Ortons are 3rd and 4th generation shopkeepers, whose business motto is to find items that make a difference in people’s lives. If you’re dying to locate a treat from your childhood – spicy Lebkuchen cookies from Germany, plum pudding made in England from an authentic recipe, or homemade chocolate almond butter crunch candy, still prepared the old fashion way – all you need to do is visit their stores, check their catalog, or shop online at vermontcountrystore. Are you looking for an old turntable record player, or a simple-to-use Smith Corona electric typewriter? They have them. And during the holidays, why not bite into a mince pie from an 1897 Scottish recipe, or sample Victorian Peppermint Pig Candies from Saratoga Springs, New York? The peppermint pigs come with a little steel hammer, and in the tradition of the times, smashing and eating the pieces bring good luck and happiness to you and your guests.
Many items offered are customers' requests. During Christmas look for German Chocolate Brandy Santas and traditional Swedish Filled Chocolate Dala Horses – sweets brought to America by immigrants. So if you remember something from the past that you'd love to buy again, like Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific Shampoo, or a classic paint-by-the numbers craft set, you can drop customer service a line, and chances are they will track it down for you – at modest prices. Also, a portion of the profits generated by the Vermont Country Store is set aside to help rural communities.
{Please note: This shop is in Rockingham, Vermount, not North CA.
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Royers Round Top Cafe
When I plan a big holiday dinner and do a lot of cooking, I sometimes make my life slightly easier by ordering an appetizing dessert. It's more expensive than if I make it myself, true, but everything is paid for in either time or money. And the... +
When I plan a big holiday dinner and do a lot of cooking, I sometimes make my life slightly easier by ordering an appetizing dessert. It's more expensive than if I make it myself, true, but everything is paid for in either time or money. And the bustling holidays are the perfect time to spend a little more on culinary treats that are extra special, extra rich and extra delicious.
Some of the best pies known to man can be ordered from Royers Round Top Cafe located an hour's drive from Austin, Texas. It's been around for over 60 years, but in 1987 Bud Royer and his wife, Dr. Karen, bought the 38-seat eatery and turned it into a warm and friendly, casual and kooky Texas bistro. In addition to gourmet comfort food, Royers Round Top Cafe has evolved into a pie lovers haven. I cannot make a pie better than Bud, so it's worth the $26.50, plus shipping, for a holiday indulgence. Now ... I just order one or two pies; but for serious pie eaters, Royers has a pie-for-life membership plan. Here's a schedule of pies you could get monthly for the rest of your life:
January: Ann's Pecan
February: Bud's Butterscotch Chip
March: Café's Buttermilk Delight
April: Café's Buttermilk
May: Bud's Chocolate Chip
June: Ann's Pecan
July: Bud's Butterscotch Chip
August: Bud's Chocolate Chip
September: Café's Buttermilk
October: Sam's Coconut Chess
November: Dr. Karen's Pumpkin
December: Café's Sin-Nammon Ring
Fruit pies are only available at the restaurant. And if you order a slice while dinning in, without the recommended vanilla ice cream, you are charged an extra 50 cents. Talk about pie in the sky! Thanks to Royers, you don't have to wait for your heavenly rewards.
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Faviana's Oscar Looks
Seconds after Sandra Bullock, Penelope Cruz or Angelina Jolie walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards, dressmakers like Allen B. Schwartz and designers at Faviana take out their sketch books. Within days, knock offs of the originals are available... +
Seconds after Sandra Bullock, Penelope Cruz or Angelina Jolie walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards, dressmakers like Allen B. Schwartz and designers at Faviana take out their sketch books. Within days, knock offs of the originals are available for average women to wear. The production is intense. On talk shows Allen Schwartz of the A.B.S label said he can draw and finish a dress within three hours.
A sharp -- not to mention incredibly fast, designer like Schwartz has an eye for which dresses will sell. Generally, four to six Oscar gowns are selected to copy. Prices are kept down by using polyester instead of silk. The dresses are mass produced, as opposed to, being one of a kind. Each replica comes in several colors and is more forgiving than the size zero couture version. While the originals cost $10,000 - $35,000, the look-a-likes go for $250 - $400. So if you see a gown at the Oscars or Golden Globes you want to wear to a celebration of your own, chances are, there exists a knock off to fit both your size and budget.
Allen Schwartz's A.B.S. label is sold at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Lord and Taylor. Can you guess which Oscar dresses he's recreating this year? We will know soon.
Meanwhile, visit these fun sites for Oscar style:
A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz - the go-to designer for gowns and stilettos
Edressme.com - sells affordable red carpet inspired clothes
Emitations.com - for celebrity inspired bling to complete the look
FantasyJewelryBox.com - interpretations of celebrity jewelry and other fun glitter
Faviana - more Oscaresque dresses
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