David’s Cookies are meant to be shared

When I was a child, my innate nature was to share all of my cookies and snacks with my family and friends. Whatever I had I would gladly share with others. In contrast, my sister would hide her cookies for herself and would get mad at me when I would find her cookies and eat them.

Interestingly, my daughter seems to have the same innate nature to share all of her cookies with everyone. She is not greedy and does not horde all of the cookies for herself. Instead, when we carefully cut a cookie into quarters and ask her who gets which piece, she is always willing to share. After carefully examining the size of each quarter cookie and the amount of chocolate visible on the top and sides, she inevitably picks the biggest piece for herself and then distributes the other pieces to the other family members. Although she is willing to share, she also wants the best part of the cookie for herself.

Top Shelf Brownies

I received an elegant wine box filled with melt-in-your-mouth gourmet brownies from DavidsCookies.com. The wine box is perfect for hiding these brownies on the “top shelf” of my refrigerator which is my only goodie hiding place that my child has not yet discovered. If she sees the 12 individually wrapped brownies, she will want them all and will want to open them all at the same time because that is what she does (even though she does not eat them all).

So when she slept, I opened a Chocolate Chip brownie and a Cheesecake brownie and carefully cut each into 8 mouthful size pieces. My plan was to keep these pre-cut brownies in a Tupperware box for ease of access so that I could secretly pop one in my mouth during the day without her catching me in this indulgence and demanding an equal share for herself. But the brownies were so incredibly delicious that I ate ¾ of the two brownies before I knew what happened.

So long as I can keep this little secret (and until my child can someday read my blog), she’ll never know that she is missing out on the best brownies in the world from DavidsCookies.com.

NBAstore.com – Little Lakers Fan

I love NBA basketball and was excited to watch the Los Angeles Lakers and MVP Kobe “Black Mamba” take on the Boston Celtics’ big three of “the Big Ticket” Kevin Garnett, “The Truth” Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. While I watched part of game 1 of the NBA Finals, I wanted to purchase matching KB24 jerseys for my daughter and myself from NBAstore.com so that I could start her on the path to Laker fandom.

However, when my daughter saw Kevin Garnett, his angry demeanor scared her and she exclaimed “why he so mad? He’s so mad, I’m scared.” I explained that KG was not mad at her, but rather that he just looked mad most of the time because he was such an intense player. She was still scared because he was sweaty and seemed very angry about something. And from that point onward, she disliked Celtics green and cheered for the purple and gold. So now is the perfect time to celebrate victory at NBAstore.com.

Jos. A. Bank Style

I appreciate the extra effort a man takes when he cares enough to dress up at work in professional looking business casual attire or a power business suit. Whether at work or play, the man who takes the extra effort to dress up in “Jos. A. Bank Style” will make a positive impression on others as he enters a conference room and he will feel more confident and optimistic because he knows he looks good coming or going.

Just look around the office to see what I’m talking about. Some guys have the reputation of making “business casual” too casual. I don’t think business casual was intended to encourage crocks, old jeans and worn-out short sleeve oxford shirts in the workplace. Look around some more and then you will notice the sharp dressing, dapper (but not too flashy) guy who always wears a nicely pressed shirt, slacks and coordinating shoes and belt. He has a sports coat and spare tie hanging on the back of his door for those spontaneous occasions he needs to dress up a little such as for an unscheduled visit from a client or an end of the day happy hour.

Think about what your clothing reputation is around the office. You should always try to dress your best and to be prepared to impress.

And if you need some “Jos. A. Bank Style” in your life, find a CouponB promotion or coupon code to shop at JosABank.com.

10" Deep Dish Cookie Pie

I love Chicago style deep dish pizza and only wish I could find more authentic deep dish pizza outside the Midwest. Fortunately, DavidsCookies.com ships everywhere and captures the best of the “deep dish” style with its mouth watering, decadent, “bring me to a party if you want to impress the guests” giant 4 pound deep dish cookie pie filled with chocolate chips, Hershey’s mini kisses and chocolate ganache that will satisfy the “inner cookie monster” in each of us.

My mouth is watering by just writing this blog and thinking about the first bite that melts in your mouth as you gently close your eyes to savor the moment.

If you’ve ever tried to make a “big cookie” at home in your oven, you know it is not easy to evenly bake the cookie and your fun intentions often end in burnt edges, undercooked cookie centers and broken pieces as you try to remove from the pan. And a deep dish cookie is even more difficult to bake, but is easy to order with my coupon codes and shipping offers from DavidsCookies.com.

The Big Cookie

Whenever you get something that you like “supersized,” it is sure to put a smile on your face. For example, I love cookies from DavidsCookies.com and I love pepperoni pizza. And my favorite pizza restaurant is Enzo’s pizzeria which boasts that it has the largest pizza in town. I don’t know if it really is the largest pizza, but there is something about a huge extra, extra large pizza that I cannot resist.

And the same goes for the “Big Cookie” from DavidsCookies.com. Somehow, bigger tastes just a little bit better because my eyes enlarge and my mouth waters at the sight of this huge cookie that I would eat all by myself (if I could). And if you have to share with friends and family, the assorted mini-cheesecakes and the 5 lb. tin cookie and brownie party pack will surely bring a cheer from all of the dessert lovers.

The Nose Knows

FTD.com can help you personalize your gifts of flowers, fruit, cookies, silk flowers and more. Think about the recipient – if she is carries designer purses and spends extra for brand named products, she will notice that you selected flowers from the Vera Wang or Todd Oldham collection. If the recipient is allergic to flowers, silk flowers or a basket of fruit, candy or cookies will be appreciated and will show you know the person well enough not to agitate their nose.

If your friend or family member drives a Toyota Prius or other hybrid vehicle, he or she will appreciate Eco-Friendly Go-Green choices which features natural, fresh, sustainable or organic products to communicate “I care about being green because I know it is important to you.” So whatever the person’s cup of tea is, their preferences can be filled to the brim with help from FTD.com.

Let’s Be Healthy Together

SportsAuthority.com can help you bring up sometimes touchy subjects such as health, fitness and weight. Most of us can admit to ourselves that we could be a little healthier, could exercise a bit more and could lose a pound or two. However, if someone were to give you a gift like a membership to a weight loss or diet food website, the recipient might be offended.

So the trick is to give a gift that is for “us” rather than for “you.” For example, if both you and significant other are too busy to actually use your gym membership, consider buying a treadmill, an elliptical or a home gym so that you can work out together in the comfort of your own home. Or maybe a new set of his and her golf, tennis or other sports equipment and apparel is just the right message to say, “hey, I know X is your favorite sport and I think we can have more fun playing it together with our new equipment” from SportsAuthority.com.

Top 5 Gifts for Him

If you find it harder and harder every year to buy gifts for the men in your life, think of some “gifts for him” that both of you will enjoy and benefit from.

1. GPS System - for example, for some reason, men don’t like to stop and ask for directions. Somehow they must be a trailblazer and find the destination on their own even if they are lost. If this describes your “guy,” then get him a GPS system like Hammacher Schlemmer Global Positioning Systems and promotional coupons from CouponB.org. He will love to cool gadget and can use the GPS to “do it himself” when he is lost but won’t admit it. The GPS receiver that provides real-time traffic and weather information using Traffic Message Channel technology. And you won’t have fuddle around with a map as the designated navigator.

2. iRobot Roomba or Scooba – men generally don’t like to clean, but if you give them a cleaning iRobot Roomba or Scooba, you may be surprised when your guy helps out cleaning the floors because it is “manly” to use any robotics with discount offers from CouponB.org. And with his new cleaning toy, he might not even realize that he is helping with the housework.

3. Home Theater Watch – all men like gadgets and the 007 in him will enjoy the Home Theater Watch which is designed to give him the cool experience of a home theater on his wrist combined with the functionality of a watch. Very Bond. So grab a GadgetUniverse.com coupon code from CouponB.org and check out the best sellers like the Home Theater Watch.

4. Lingerie – and if your man has all the gadgets he wants or is not into gadgets at all, guys of all ages will always enjoy lingerie for you to spice up your relationship. In our busy world, sometimes we all need a little reminder and stimulus to remember the important things in life that we all deeply enjoy but are too busy or too tired to appreciate more often. So find a coupon code or discount offer from your favorite intimate apparel store at CouponB.org, pick out something that will highlight and accentuate your best features, and truly enjoy this holiday gift together.

5. A Viator Vacation Package – if your man is a work-a-holic, you need to make him take regular vacations for his own good and the mental health of your relationship. If you know what his dream vacation is, you can take care of all the details and reservations for him with coupon codes and travel books from CouponB.org. And if he won’t give you any hints as to where he wants to vacation (or if he just wants to lounge around in the backyard), that is the perfect opportunity for your to plan a vacation to your favorite destination for the whole family.

Celebrate Holidays with Hallmark

Whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus (for the rest of us!) is your holiday of celebration, celebrate with your friends and family with gifts, cards and surprises from Hallmark.com. This season should be a time of happiness for all, accepting the different beliefs and holidays traditions that anyone wants to celebrate. All too often I hear complaints about why is there only a Christmas tree – what about the rest of us who celebrate something else? Rather than being offended, embrace the spirit of holiday season (goodwill toward all people) and allow everyone to celebrate in their own way.

A friend of mine once worked in an office building which displayed a non-denominational winter themed penguin display. Sure enough, someone complained that the penguins were not politically correct because the display did not represent their faith and the entire display was immediately removed. Bah humbug.

For those of you wondering what “Festivus” is, check out the Seinfeld episode that featured this Costanza family tradition. And with some tolerance and goodwill from everyone, and a holiday gifts from Hallmark.com, hopefully there will be a Festivus Miracle and the penguins won’t be banned from the building this year.

Vistaprint Calendar - Early Bird Catches the Worm

I know you are probably busy shopping and thinking about the holidays, but you should also plan for getting your business off to a good start in 2008 by ordering marketing materials from Vistaprint.com in December so that you can distribute in December and January.

Remember that the early bird catches the worm. Every year I receive a few calendars in the mail and I always keep a few calendars in convenient places around the house next to the phone, on the refrigerator, on a desk, etc. I appreciate the free calendars and remember the businesses that send them to me. However, once all of my “calendar spots” are taken by free calendars and calendar magnets, I throw away any new calendars I receive. So it is important to be a little early rather than a little late with your business marketing materials and calendars.

It makes the difference between spending a year in a potential customer’s home versus being tossed directly into the waste basket and wasting your marketing efforts. So check out Vistaprint.com today and pick out that perfect calendar to promote your business for all of 2008.

Emerging Designers - eBags.com

While your first designer purse may be an established traditional brand like Kate Spade or Etienne, when you start collecting a closet full of purses (like all women should), start venturing out to the non-traditional brands of emerging designers to differentiate yourself from all of the trendy all black purses out there. I always take it as a great compliment when someone comments: “that’s a great purse, who is the designer?” However, that rarely happens when I carry around the traditional brands because everyone recognizes them.

But if you choose purses and bags from emerging designers such as Talulah New York Bella, BAM bags or Janet Gray Designs, you can be part of the trend setters rather than the trend followers.

Variety is the spice of life and your bags should be no different. So take a walk on the wild side and you’ll find that bags from emerging designers are really cool and a little bit wild. Whether a gift for a good friend or relative, or a gift to yourself (so that you know you will receive something you like), emerge into the future with a new designer bag for the holidays from ebags.com.

eBags.com offers many discount coupons for your favorite bags, luggages and more at CouponB.

Top 5 Cyber Monday Deals

Are you back to work today? Here are the ways to kill some time. Let's do some shopping.

Here are the best Cyber Monday deals I have found so far.

(1) ShopNBC - 20% off (this discount % is the best one I have seen this year)
(2) Shoes.com - 20% off (this is also the best one I have seen this year)
(3) Overstock.com - 10% off and free shipping (good enough since it only comes up once a while this year)
(4) CircuitCity.com - 10% off
(5) Zales.com - $50 off.

You can find the rest of the Cyber Monday deals here.

Cyber Monday Coupons

Even though the media refers to “Cyber Monday” as though its been around for ages, it was created in November 2005 by Shop.org as a marketing engine to ignite holiday shopping. I think it was a great idea to get shoppers whipped up into a frenzy and to spur competition amongst retailer. The “key” to successful shopping on Cyber Monday is to pre-shop so that you know what you want to buy and the “regular price” so that you can determine if a Cyber Monday discount, coupon or promotional offer really is a good deal or if it is just a over-hyped “regular discount price”.

So to help you wade through all of the offers, I spend my Thanksigiving Day screening the best coupon offers http://www.couponb.org/Cyber-Monday-Coupons.htm including great offers from Zales.com, DiscoveryStore.com, Shoes.com and ShopNBC.com.

TGI (Black) Friday

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is the favorite day for shoppers waiting for the best deals and discounts, for retailers to kick off the holiday shopping season and for the media to whip shoppers into a frenzy with stories of anxious shoppers camping out overnight and shopping like crazy when the doors open as early as 4 am!

While I love to shop as much as the next person, I prefer shopping with my BFF (Black Friday Friend or Best Friend Forever) the internet where I can start Black Friday shopping at 12:01 am and beat the wild crowds from the comfort of my own bed.

The key is to “pre-shop” and know what you want, then find the best coupon code or promotional offer like the ebags 20% off coupon, designer linen outlet 50% off coupon, or the web buster savings from the major retailers like Macys.com, Walmart.com, CircuitCity.com and Sears.com.

Enjoy the spirit of the holidays without the crowds with great Black Friday Thanksgiving coupons.

FTD.com Giving Thanks Bouquet

This bouquet is a perfect gift or center piece to anyone you want to express your thanks to this holiday season. When I was a child, I would look at the beautify bouquets and flower arrangements in magazines and try to copy them by recycling my Halloween pumpkin as a vase and picking flowers and plants from neighborhood gardens when the homeowners were not looking.

Although my recycled floral arrangements really did not look very good in retrospect, my mother would cherish the gifts as though they were award winning flowers. Those fond memories are treasured times between us, but I’m glad that now I can afford to send her beautiful professional Bouquets from FTD.com.

Holiday Gift Ideas

I created a Holiday Gift Ideas and Coupons webpage collecting some of my favorite coupons to help others think about just the right gift for each of the special family and friends in your life.

• Pictures and digital frames are perfect for parents and grandparents.
  
• Jewelry from ShopNBC.com, Diamond.com or Ice.com is always in style for the wife, girl friend or significant other.
  
• Dads, husbands and brothers will love sports and technology gifts.
  
• And all teens and kids always want more stylish PhatFarm.com clothing and urban wear.
  

And if nothing catches your fancy or you waited until the last minute, GiftCertificates.com and FTD.com’s same day flower delivery might be just what you are looking for to check that person off of your shopping list.

Photo Cards from iPrint

With the holiday season just around the corner, now is the time to plan and order that perfect holiday photo so that you can mail cards out to family and friends in early December.

And iPrint.com makes it easy and fun with a wide selection of photo cards so that you can upload or insert your favorite pictures. And with a little planning, you can make a fun photo for everyone to enjoy. I always keep personalized photo cards every year and throw away generic regular cards. And the cuter the photo, the better, and the more likely I am to remember the sender.

A few years ago I received a snowman holiday card from my nephew at the beach where he stood next to a sand snowman with a scarf, hat, carrot nose and button eyes and mouth with the greeting “Christmas in Los Angeles.” It was an adorable, memorable, but yet simple idea that my sister executed with a little forethought and planning. And with iPrint’s help, you can make that perfect memory to share with others.

Thanksgiving Treats from FTD

If you can’t make it home for the holidays because of your busy life or demanding job, let your loved ones know that you were thinking of them with flowers and Thanksgiving themed gifts from FTD.com. You can send a Thanksgiving floral arrangement plus a gift that says “gobble-gobble (gobble me up) and thanks for being a great mom and dad.”

A small gift to show you care is a small price to pay for the wonderful feeling of receiving the gift. Just think how proud the recipient will be when they show of the thoughtful gift from FTD.com that you sent them.

And don’t forget to use the webcam so that you can see all of your family and friends at the Thanksgiving dinner you were unable to attend. However, the problem I have with webcams is that when I see my parents and realize that I’ve been too busy to see them in person for a while, it makes me sad and cry. So even if you send a gift, surprise your loved ones with a surprise visit.

Shop, Shop Shopping at ShopNBC.com

My daughter’s phrase of the week has been “Shop, Shop Shopping” because that is how her dad convinces her to get into the car to go to the market, to the doctor, to the zoo, to drive around the block to fall asleep, and to sometimes actually go shopping. But whenever my husband says this aloud and our daughter repeats it in her cute toddler voice, tone and cadence, it makes me think of my favorite time of the year and ShopNBC.com as one of my favorite shopping destinations.

I can’t resist perusing the on air now and the just aired products. Next I usually go to the top sellers and then to Our Top Values and then onto The Spotlight. Half of the fun is checking out everything and then deciding what you would like to buy for yourself. So before you start shop, shop shopping, find a coupon code or discount offer from ShopNBC.com.

ShopNBC.com offers up to $80 off coupons at CouponB.org.