holiday considerations

The holiday season is right around the corner. If you've been in any major department store or discount retailer lately, you'll notice their holiday shops are already set up with ornaments, tree decorations and everything you need to wrap a present.

Gift shopping can create a lot of unnecessary, totally understandable, stress. Who's getting gifts this year? What am I going to buy them? How much money is this going to cost me? Where am I going to find the time to shop?

Diva to the rescue. Here are some guidelines I use so I can enjoy the holiday time spent with my friends and family.

Decide who gets presents. You won’t forget anyone important.

Decide what you’re going to spend on each person. I know you can’t put a price tag on Aunt Sally, cousin Joey or best friend Emily. Do it anyways. If it’s $20 or $2,000, decide how much you want to spend on each person on you list. This will help you see the overall picture. You’re less inclined to overspend on presents when you know that you’ve budgeted $1,000. The key to this rule is actually sticking to your budget and not feeling guilty about what you are or aren't buying. It's a gift, they'll appreciate it. (If they don't, don't buy them one next year.)

IF YOU FOLLOW ONLY ONE RULE, FOLLOW THIS: SHOP EARLY. Especially for the most important person/people on your list. You don't want to wait to buy that something special for your best friend/child/significant other/sibling/parent/grandparent/favorite uncle only to find every store sold out 2 days ago.
I can't emphasize this rule enough. During my 17 years (yikes) in Retail, those who shopped late always ended up spending too much or couldn't find the items they wanted. They also seemed frustrated and unsure of their decisions.

Avoid the crowds, shop online. This should also make shopping early easier.

Create a “wish list” at Amazon.com. Then have all your friends and family do the same. Seriously. Amazon.com offers free shipping (on most items) if you spend over $25; they also gift wrap for a fee. Amazon.com is especially helpful if you live in a small town and don't have great shopping options in your area. And you avoid duplicate gifts because once someone purchases something from your wish list that item is removed from your list.

If you are travelling, ship presents. You don't want to risk getting your luggage, that had all your presents in it, lost on Christmas Eve. You can also ship gifts directly to your final holiday destination with online shopping.

Happy Shopping!!

diva on a budget

Discovering your Diva does not have to break your bank. Here are some hints on ways you can save money for the things you really need.

There are some great makeup lines sold at drugstores. If you're looking for good brushes but don't want to spend more than $15 a brush, check out Sonia Kashuk at Target. Her brushes rival any you'll find at a department store. My favorites are the 03, 04 and 09 eyeshadow brushes. Kashuk also offers a set of 4 smaller brushes in a compact case with a snap clasp for your purse at a mere $12.99. Another line I like is Rimmel (available at Wal-Mart, select Target stores). Rimmel's Vinyl Gloss and nail polish formulas have amazing staying power and a great variety of colors.

For those who wax, save money by doing this yourself. Yes, I know this sounds scary. There are lots of great easy to use products on the market. My favorite is Sally Hansen's No Heat Gel Hair Remover. I have used it on my arms, legs and bikini area and it worked great on all surfaces. Divas devoted to their Brazilian waxing have permission to continue to see a professional for that particular service. I know that once you start having Brazilian's done it's hard to stop and you'll never get the same results doing it yourself.

A couple of tips for virgin waxers. Your hair has to be long enough. I know you think 5 to 7 days of hair might be long enough, it's not. You should wait at least 3 weeks after your last shave before you wax. The wax needs enough hair to "grab" on to. If you can resist your shaver for 7 days you'll notice that your hair is softer when you pass the stubble stage.

If you have a friend who waxes, ask for her help the first time (that's how I learned). Make sure you read and follow the instructions with whatever wax you buy. Some waxes are meant ONLY for face or body.

Interesting Articles

I was reading my October issue of Real Simple Magazine last night and ran across a couple articles worth checking out.

The "anatomy of a handbag" article inspired this posting. They present some great options at 3 different price points and tell you what you're getting for your money. You will definitely want to read their guide to spotting quality in specific construction details.

In the beauty section they discuss hairbrushes. What's great about this article is that they just don't show a few and tell you what's right for you; they actually deconstruct a hairbrush and describe the different parts and what to look for. Then they pick the best brushes in six different categories.

You have to begin somewhere

I've been talking about doing this for quite a long time; and finally decided just to jump right in.

I welcome all comments. Especially CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

My goal of this blog is to discuss shopping. Does that sound shallow?

I actually want to offer advice and tips that will help you out when you're shopping. I want to arm you with the knowledge you need to make the best purchasing decision for YOU. Whether you buy your makeup at CVS or Saks Fifth Avenue; I'll offer you tips of what to look for.