Pick Up Today at Walmart (Shopping Tips)

Like everyone, I have a morning routine.  Most of it involves getting Audrey Grace fed, cleaned, and clothed (then occasionally re-clothed but I digress) but the part that involves me includes a cup of coffee and an English muffin.  Thanks to the man in my life, I’ve learned to eat them one way – toasty and warm, with melted peanut butter spread all over the top.  The only problem is that I don’t have a toaster – so to get the “toasty and warm” part I have taken to popping my English muffin under the broiler for a few minutes.

Sadly, I was not blessed with the world’s strongest memory, so I often wander off for a bit before I return to the kitchen only to find my English muffin after it’s rather…overly toasted.  As a matter of fact, last Saturday I wandered off for so long that my English muffin actually caught fire in the oven and set off all of the smoke alarms in my house.

Heh. Oops.

Of course, I know that I should just go and get a toaster, and that they aren’t terribly expensive, it’s just one of those things that I never quite remember to do.  Audrey Grace and I have lived in our new place since March, and yet here we are 6 months later – still no toaster.

All of this brings us to last week when I received an email from my friends at Walmart, asking if I would be willing to test out the newly rolled-out Pick Up Today Feature that was available here at my local store in Covington, Louisiana.  I learned that Pick Up Today allowed me to place an order online for electronics, video games, and appliances between 6 am and 6 pm and then choose “Pick Up Today” as my shipping option.  My purchase would then be available to pick up in the store on the same day.  Alternately, if I placed my order after 6 pm, I would be able to pick it up by 10 am the next morning.

Wanna guess what I ordered?

Being a night owl, I placed my order at some ungodly hour, like 1 am, so that I could pick it up the next day.  During the checkout process, I was offered the option to sign up for text alerts so that I could be notified of when it was ready.  Even better, I didn’t have to print my receipt with my number to bring into the store – I could show them the text on my phone along with my ID and would be given the package.  Props to Walmart for embracing technology (and allowing us to conserve some paper, too!).  The other cool thing was that I could designate an additional pickup person  – so I could have had someone run in for me and pick it up if I had put their name down at this point in the process.  Smart move, Walmart.

When I arrived in store today to pick up my package, I was directed to the Site To Store section of my store.  Pick Up Today and Site To Store are both being housed in the same area here locally – and the bonus is that there is now someone in the Site To Store/Pick Up Today area during the hours that I listed above whereas before if you used Site to Store, you had to call and wait for someone to come and help you.  When I walked back into the area, the associate promptly found my order, asked to see my photo ID, asked me to sign for it, and then put it in a bag and handed it right over to me.  Easy peasy, especially since I had to pay for it when I placed the order online.

The idea behind Pick Up Today is that you can pick your order up on the same day, but in my case, it took me about 36 hours to actually get into the store.  This morning I received an email to remind me that my order was ready, and telling me that if I didn’t pick it up within 48 hours that it would be put back on the shelf and my money would be refunded.  Pretty cool.  So, even though I didn’t pick up my order on the same day, I was still able to utilize the service which made our in and out extrememly quick even though we were in the store on a Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict? Pick Up Today is pretty stinkin’ awesome in my opinion.  I would absolutely use it all of the time if it was expanded to toys and grocery especially, since I don’t purchase electronics, video games, or appliances quite as frequently.  However, I can see that it will definitely be a time saver during the Holiday season – order the flat screen TV or new iPad for your hubby and swing by to pick it up after work.  You can do all of your shopping online without paying for or waiting for delivery (and chancing ruining the surprise).  Check it out!

Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms program.  Though I am not compensated to be a part of the program, opportunities to create content like this one are compensated.  However, everything I said above is 100% my opinion and true.  For more information please read my disclosure policy.

Kid-Friendly Pumpkin Decorating

I’m not sure that I’ve ever shared this fact with my readers, but I was raised in a family of artists.  Both of my grandmothers are incredibly talented artists (most kids watched cartoons at their grandparent’s houses – I watched painting shows) as is my father.  My mom somehow missed the artistic gene, but she always encouraged and nurtured my artistic tendencies, so she gets an A for effort.  I attribute my love of singing, dancing, painting, drawing, and writing, as well as my love for fashion and style aesthetic to my clear right-brain tendencies.

I don’t have time for many of those loves anymore, I’m too busy being a mother, girlfriend, and businesswoman to really invest the time that those interests deserve.  However, every year at Halloween I have the opportunity to pull out some of my artistic talent when it comes to Pumpkin Carving!  I heart Jack-O-Lanterns!  Here are a few of mine from the past few years:

Now that Audrey Grace is 3 years old, she is a lot more interested in “helping” mommy with the Jack O Lantern than she is just watching me and squishing her hands through the seeds.  This year we took a bit of a different approach by using stickers and punch-in faces (sort of like Mr. Potato Head for Pumpkins!) so that Audrey could have all of the artistic license that she wanted without having to wait, and wait, and wait on mommy to be done.  We made a quick 1 minute video so that you could see our experience!

With the help of a few kits from Pumpkin Masters (usually hanging out by the Pumpkins!) and 3 great pumpkins from Walmart that we scored for a grand total of 9 bucks, we are kicking it up a notch this Halloween and really getting into the spirit of things, without putting a strain on my wallet!

We would love to hear about some of your Halloween Traditions, or to see pictures of your favorite Jack O Lantern creations throughout the years – please share them in the comments below!  As for me, tonight I will do the official “carved” pumpkin, as per usual, but I’m glad I was able to share this very treasured tradition with my daughter at such a young age!

Happy Halloween!

Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms program.  Though I am not compensated to be a part of the program, opportunities to create content like this one are compensated.  However, everything I said above is 100% my opinion and true.  For more information please read my disclosure policy.

Fashionable Flats For Fall

The holiday party season is creeping up on us and that means lots of parties, lots of dresses, lots of heels. In preparation for those long nights and way-more-than-an-hour cocktail hours, I plan to give my tootsies a little rest. Cute, comfy flats are just what I’m looking for. I’m over the plain old ballet flat that I’ve been wearing the past few Fall seasons and am looking for fun, funky and full of attitude. These are what I found….

These wingtip flats are the perfect way to take the “frou frou” out of a fun dress. It keeps it hip and edgy. Kimchi Blue $34

A pair of quiet, blends in Toms are a must for me this Fall (last year I went with a fun camo pair from Neiman Marcus and for being camo, they sure don’t blend). They are uber-comfy and a great transtitional shoe as the weather cools. Toms $44

The suede ballet flat with the ankle strap works well with cropped skinny black pants (cropped allows you to show off the cute little straps!) or with a striaght jean rolled at the ankle. Gabrielle Rocha $59.50

Snakeskin Lanvin flats are  totally out of my budget more like a dream shoe….they would go with everything, though! Jeans, black skinny pants, skirts and dresses all work with this simple shape and always in style skin. Lanvin $460

Oxfords are all the rage right now, and these laceless ones are effortlessly cool. They’re comfortable and work appropriate, yet they can hold their own on the casual front. Steve Madden $69.95

Clogs are super cute right now, but the height can get to be too much-this lower version will allow you to wear them all day long, with jeans, trousers or a great A-line skirt. Tory Burch $275

Z Spoke by Zac Posen (Current Obsession)

Currently gushing over? Z Spoke, Zac Posen’s secondary line. It has an all-around feminine feel to it, is fun and playful-basically a less schizophrenic version of the Marc by Marc Jacobs line. The current assortment is marked by vivid colors and simple details. Simply put by a salesperson at Saks this weekend, “it’s lunch clothes”, as in ladies who lunch. And it really is.

The collection is conservative as far as coverage goes but many of the styles are nice and body-con, so you can maintain a little bit of a sassy edge. Classy yet sassy! I love it. There are standout items as well as easy basics that make a nice foundation for a great look. Some of my favorite items are below.

Like what you see? Check out the Z Spoke collection – exclusive to Saks.

Tory Burch Private Sale

A Tory Burch Private Sale?  Heck, just a Tory Burch sale in general?  You know I’m in!

Tory Burch is having a private sale.  Don’t worry, I’m inviting you.  You have to hurry though, because this sale ends tonight (10/25/10) at 11:59 pm EST – so that means you don’t even have a full 24 hours to fill your cart with items like:

You know you want to.  Go, shop!   You can thank me later!

xoxo,

E

Boo To You!

I am a big kid.

My parents always did a great job of making Halloween a super-fun holiday in our house – I made arts and craft projects, and decorated every empty surface in the house.  Our home had a grand brick entrance (well it seems grand in my memory) and it was always covered in those creepy spiderwebs that just stay wherever you stick them.  Most years my parents threw a Halloween party where we covered every inch of our empty garage in black visqueen and then filled it with spooky creatures, black lights, and creepy music. My dad became a master pumpkin carver – whipping out several pumpkins each year, each one more impressive than the last.  I’ve gotta say, it was a great way to grow up.

When I became a mom I was determined to pass the fun spirit of Halloween on to my daughter.  At 8 months old I dressed her up as a snail to take her out Trick Or Treating- she was seriously the cutest thing I had ever seen – and not just because I’m biased!

Now my daughter is 3 and a half, and she has been telling everyone that will listen that it is Halloween at our house.  Of course, I’m doing the single mom thing on a budget, so I am sort of restricted in what I can and can’t do.  My secret is that each year I buy a few more decorations – I start small but then each year my collection grows a bit.  By the time she’s 5 or 6 I’ll have enough decorations to be the neighborhood haunted house!

This year in my role as a Walmart Mom, Walmart offered me a gift card to check out some of the things that Halloween has to offer.  I was ecstatic, because I can honestly say that I’ve always shopped at Walmart for my holiday decorations – they have a great selection and prices that I can afford.  I know that I sound slightly like a commercial right there, but I promise that it’s absolutely true.  All I was asked to do was write about my family’s version of Halloween, but it’s true that our Halloween shopping is almost always done exclusively at Walmart.

I made a video of some of my favorite Halloween finds at Walmart this year set to some spooky tunes and I’ve embedded it below so that you can check out the offerings for yourself.

So, what items did we come away with?

1. A few Halloween books. We read a lot around here, so it was great to change it up with some themed books for Halloween. Our favorite is Ten Timid Ghosts – Audrey can practically recite it to me!

2. A bunch of Halloween Candy. I had to refill fill the candy bowls around the house and have some for the Trick or Treaters! Don’t worry, we only give out the good stuff – the high-quality chocolate.

3.  Some Halloween lights (my favorite type of decoration) for our porch/balcony to help increase the spooky quotient.

4. A Halloween Blanket/Pillow set that I can’t find a link to online.  It’s super soft – Audrey hasn’t put it down.

What are your Halloween traditions?  Do you dress up with your kids?  Do you celebrate Halloween?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms program.  Though I am not compensated to be a part of the program, opportunities to create content like this one are compensated.  However, everything I said above is 100% my opinion and true.  For more information please read my disclosure policy.

Wardrobe Staple: Trendy Tights

Looking for a great way to increase your Fall wardrobe without spending a ton of money? Get some tights! They can buy you a few more weeks (or months, depending on where you live) in your favorite shorts and skirts and give a new feeling to many of your old Fall wardrobe standbys. Tights are quite prevalent this Fall and you can find them at every single price point, from Target to Urban Outfitters to Macy’s to Bergdorf’s. With such a wide selection, you are sure to find something to fit your style.

Pattern is a nice way to jazz up a tired outfit. Look for neutral colors like black or gray to keep it from being distracting. (1. Urban Oufitters 5. Anthropologie)

Texture is another way to create some interest. A simple texture works best if you’re wearing something shorter like a mini or a pair of shorts. Color isn’t always a “no”, but make sure to keep it age-appropriate.
(6. Hue)

Feeling a little racy? Try something with a little edge to it like faux garter belt detailing or the classic old school seam up the back. Instant femininity and va-va-voom.
(2. House of Holland 3. ASOS)

Sweater details are a great way to embrace the season. The cute fair-isle pattern works for a casual look, but you can always try a solid cable-knit if you’re trying to work the trend in a more sophisticated way.|
(4. ModCloth)

Give em a try!

Things We Love: Fat Foam Hair Color

Last month I had the opportunity to film a digital commercial for Samy’s “Fat Foam” hair color – an innovative new approach to hair color straight out of Japan.  Walmart has the exclusive rights to Fat Foam, and because of my role as one of the Walmart Moms, I was offered a chance (along with my friends and fellow Walmart Moms – Tara from Deal Seeking Mom and Jenn from Frugal Upstate) to color my hair with this cool new product.  I am already an at-home hair color girl, so I jumped at the opportunity to try something a bit different.  Of course, the catch was that they wanted to film me as I went through the process.

Oh. Emm. Gee.

I mean, sure, I’m already coloring my hair at home, and I’m already a ham, but I’m also a bit vain.  When I color my hair I am just a MESS.  There is hair dye staining my shoulders and dripping down my forehead, and let’s not forget about the not-so-pretty 30 minute wait when I “loosely pile my hair on top of my head” and basically end up looking like a drowned rat.  Suffice it to say that I was more than nervous to go through THAT process on camera.  You know, once on Google, always on Google.

My nerves were quickly quelled when they told me that the reason Fat Foam would rock my world was not only because the color is awesome, but because it is a revolutionary new approach to hair color – easy to apply in “foam” form – and it won’t drip.

Yes, I said that there is now a hair color on the market that won’t drip.  It’s called Fat Foam.

My experience with Fat Foam was truly a great one.  Here are the reasons to consider trying it if you already color your hair at home, or if you are even toying around with the idea:

1.  Fat Foam is practically foolproof.  It was easy to mix and a cinch to apply.  If you have ever used at-home hair color before you are well aware that this is not always the case.  Great for beginners or the not-so-coordinated (don’t worry, I’m looking in the mirror on that last part, too).

2.  The color is gorgeous.  For an all-over hair color, I thought the dimension that my color had to it was phenomenal.  It was shiny, soft, and in the light you can really see the depth of the color.  Awesome.  For the record, I followed the directions to a “t” in the studio – there was no extra conditioning, color boost, etc.  The color you see is authentic and looks just like it would if I were to re-do it in my own bathroom. I was so impressed!

3.  Fat Foam is affordable.  The Holiday season is quickly approaching and my wallet is already starting to panic.  Skip the salon color and try this out – Fat Foam is only $8.97 at Walmart (but don’t forget that you can only find it at Walmart) and even if you don’t have a Walmart near you, shipping is only 97 cents.  A new “do” for under $10.  You can’t beat it!

You can watch the final video below of my experience – be sure and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Disclosure:  I was compensated for my role in the commercial as well as for this post, but the payment does not in any way affect my opinions.  I was not required to say good things about the product, simply to give my opinions.  It just so happens that they are good opinions! For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

Seagate Makes Hard Drives Chic {Giveaway CLOSED}

Darling readers — You are about to embark on a sponsored post. However, the opinions and thoughts expressed here are completely my own. The great writing writing and remarkable wit bad jokes are also mine. You can find more information by reading my disclosure policy.

* * *

I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but my daughter is perfect.

And no, bias means nothing to me.  She is simply perfect.

My sweet baby girl is growing up so fast – she’s well past three and a half years old and I can hardly believe it.  She is my only daughter, my only child and that very well could be a final count.  When she was born, the poor thing probably though she was being attacked by the paparazzi.  I took over 1,000 photos of her first week alone.  Sometimes I would just lay her on a blanket, or prop her up on the sofa for impromptu photo shoots – I wanted to remember every single moment of her life and I was so afraid it would all slip away so quickly.  Of course, now when I look at the photos of the first few months of her life, I can barely remember those days so I feel like all of the time spent behind a camera was probably worth it.

Then my iBook crashed, and it crashed hard.  It started throwing out kernel panics like they were candy and before I could do anything to recover – it was all over.  When my Mac crashed,  it took all of my photos and documents with it.  I lost so many precious photos of my sweet baby girl – moments that I worked so hard to capture that still managed to slip away in mere seconds.  Honestly, I was heartbroken in a way that I thought was reserved for lovesick 16 year olds.  I had backed up my computer 2 months before, but I had lost the 2 months of photos that I had taken in between backups – two months out of the 18 that my daughter had been on this earth – and to me, that was significant.  The external drive that I was using for backups was big and bulky and I was sharing it with multiple computers; backing up my computer seemed tedious and pointless – my computer would never crash like that, right?

Wrong. Lesson learned.

Collective Bias recently offered me the opportunity to review the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro – a 750 GB external hard drive for both PC and Mac.  After my photo snafu, and because my iTunes/Gossip Girl addiction has totally filled up my computer’s hard drive, I JUMPED at the opportunity to take one of these sleek looking drives for a ride.  Let me just say – I LOVE it.  Here’s why:

1. At 750 GB, it has more space than the hard drive on my computer, meaning I can hopefully extend the life of my Mac (save for any Kernel Panics like above) by freeing up space on my hard drive.
2. It’s super portable (unlike the giant bulky one I had used in the past) – it fits nicely in the neoprene organizer that I carry all of my power cords and accessories in when I travel, so I never have to travel without the data and photos on my external drive – so it really works like an extension of my computer, which is wonderful.
3. It comes with a USB 2.0 dock plus a USB 2.0 cable to sync and backup my data, but I can also upgrade it to use a Firewire cable, a USB 3.0, or eSATA just by pairing it with the proper cable.  For my fellow tech geeks, you know I’m now speaking your language.
4. It’s sexy!  Yes, external hard drives can be sexy and the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro is proof.  After all, the name of my site is Chic Shopper Chick – you didn’t think I’d get away without pointing out how sleek this looks sitting on my desk, did you?
5. It’s easy.  Encryption software comes pre-loaded on the drive, as well as a driver for the Mac.  It’s also compatible with a PC, if that’s what you’re into. 

Plus, it allows me to store all of the documents for my business, as well as 3.5 years worth of photos from Audrey Grace’s life – like these:

Those are definitely memories worth preserving, right?

Thanks to Collective Bias and Seagate, I have a Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro to give away to one of my lucky readers.  To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment saying why you’d like to win (“I wanna win” and “pick me” don’t count!) in the comments below.  For an extra entry, feel free to subscribe to my email list (box at the top right hand section of my site), subscribe to my YouTube Channel, or tweet out this contest to your Twitter followers by clicking the button in this post!

This contest will run from October 19, 2010 to October 31st, 2010 and will end at 11:59 pm CST. No purchase necessary to win, and a winner will be chosen at random.  If the winner does not respond to emails within 72 hours of notification, then another winner will be chosen.

How To Dress Like Lady Gaga: From Absurd to Awesome

So we’re all admittedly gaga for Gaga. Sure, her outfits are outlandish and sometimes always crazy but the girl knows how to make a statement. Being one who is inspired by looks from catalogs,  fashion sites and the occasional trash mag, it’s kind of fun to take her wild outfits and make them a little more wearable. Check out the looks done the Lady way and then the layman’s way…

you could wear this leathery look for a night out with the girls. throwing on a cardigan softens the look and makes it a little more translatable for every day life.

skirt, etsy; bustier, charlotte russe; cardi, gap.

perhaps this look is best for a holiday party. the key elements here are the soft shade of pink and metallic accents. the feel of the huge metal rings around her body is achieved by piling. on. the. bracelets. don’t be shy! if you would rather pick up the detail of the rhinestoned-out body suit,  go with the all over sequin blazer instead.

dress, bluefly; bangles, wet seal; blazer, spiegel.

the simplest look is a sassy leather dress with a huge black watch. the (literal) hair bow is optional, but will definitely tie your look together. need some styling tips? see the video below.

dress, blue & cream; watch, toy watch.

Have fun with it! Go nuts! Go Gaga!

Fall Color Trend: Camel

Alpaca, khaki, caramel, cognac…whatever you want to call it, camel is definitely the “it” color for Fall.  A great neutral, it can be the basis of any outfit or an added accessory that lends instant sophistication. Pair it back to other neutrals like cream, white, or champagne for a nice monochromatic look. Use it as an anchor for a louder piece in a bright color or a print. The options really are endless….

1. A sweater coat will work back to just about anything in your closet; use it as outerwear until it gets really chilly. Elie Tahari, $402

2. It doesn’t get any more classic than a pair of camel-colored trousers and a crisp white shirt. LOFT, $69.50

3. For your next special event, forget that LBD-try an LCD (little camel dress!) for an eye-catching ensemble. Alexander McQueen, $1535

4. A slouchy, oversized sweater is the perfect match for the old standby-leggings! Alexander Wang, $528

5. Feeling a little more shabby than chic? Throw on some cozy cords and a chunky knit sweater for a casual look. Current/Elliot, $189

6. Cozy camel can be a trend too-try an oversized scarf or wrap. The Limited, $148

7. If your take on a camel skirt is more sexy than preppy, try a fitted mini-it works back to poplins for day and to silky blouses for play! Express, $49.90

8. However, “literal” may be my favorite camel look. Virginia Johnson, $215

Currently Coveting: “Midnight Shimmer” Necklace

I’m head over heels in love with this gorgeous necklace – a mix of pearls, crystals, and chiffon.  My daughter has been busy making a list for Santa Claus lately, so I’ll definitely be telling her to add this to her list on mommy’s behalf.  You can purchase this beautiful Midnight Shimmer 4 strand necklace by Spring Street for a mere $65, definitely worth the price to add this stunning piece to your collection.

Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony

It’s officially Fall! October is here! And you know what that means — it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Wearing pink in support of this worthy cause can be as simple as pinning an awareness ribbon on each morning or painting your nails a fun shade of pink one last time before you break out those dark hues. But if I can give you an excuse to do a little shopping, you know I will: go to Ralph Lauren and purchase some Pink Pony gear! Not only can you save 25% (enter code RLGIVE2010) on your online purchase, but RL will donate 10% of proceeds to their Pink Pony Fund for Cancer Care and Prevention. Do good, look good-sounds like a plan to me!

This tried and true Pink Pony style is my personal favorite because it’s versatile-can be worn with jeans, leggings, shorts and even under a suit.

For a newer style, try the “Polo Match” polo or the poplin shirt. I am smitten with the poplin-envisioning it oversized with shorts and sandals (almost) year round or with leggings and skinnies for a more season-appropriate look.

This year is the 10 year anniversary of the Pink Pony Fund and there is a charity auction through the 21^st of October with over 300 items (think trips, experiences, shopping sprees….) to bid on. 100% of the net proceeds from the auction go to the Pink Pony Fund. How can you not check it out? So head on over to Charity Buzz to see the entire listing.

Now if you really don’t need anything else in that fashionably full closet of yours, you can always text in a donation. Simply text PINKPONY to 501501 to donate $10 to the cause.

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