2009 Holiday Guide: Keurig Platinum Brewing System {Giveaway CLOSED}

Yesterday I published a guide that included some of my favorite Holiday picks for mom – and it included the amazing, awesome, fabulously incredible (see how many of those I need to express my love?) Keurig Platinum Single Serve Brewing System.

The Single Serve Brewing System really makes my life so much easier because I can make one cup and not waste a whole pot of coffee, and I can also decide if I want coffee, tea, flavored coffee, etc. on a whim.

If you haven’t already read my gushing review you should definitely check it out in the 2009 Holiday Guide – but let’s get down to the nitty gritty of why you’re here — you’re dying to win one of these babies, and I don’t blame you ONE. BIT.

To enter, go check out the Keurig Platinum Single Serve Brewing System and come back here to let me know what your favorite feature is.   For bonus entries you may follow me on Twitter, Tweet about this giveaway (use the little button at the top of the page), subscribe to this site by email (box at the top right hand side of the page),  or you can come to my house and help me with my Christmas baking.  Ok, not the last one.  Just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Fine Print:  Giveaway ends December 26th, 2009 at 11:59pm CST.  Winner to be chosen at random.  Please leave a vaild email address in the appropriate box so that we may contact you should you win.

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Don’t forget to check our the Technology section of the guide for some suggestions for the tech-loving people in your life as well as some of our newest giveaways, like the LogMeIn iPhone App Giveaway, our Mophie Juice Pack Air Giveaway, and our iH15 Color Changing iPod/iPhone dock Giveaway as well!

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Disclosure:  These products have been submitted to me for review.  I don’t love every product on the market, by FAR, but I write about the ones that I do love here on my site.  The deal is that I will only recommend things to you that I like, believe in, and would buy myself or tell my friends and family to buy.  My opinions are 100% my own.  It’s how I roll.  For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.

2009 Holiday Guide: Gifts For Mom

I sat next to a gentleman when I was on a plane on my way to Womma last month who was fascinated by my arsenal of beauty and fashion magazines.  He was the smart engineering-type, so lest he think I was the most vapid human being he had ever met (clearly I’m in the top 5, but certainly not number one), I offered him a little information about what I do for a living.  Then he asked for a suggestion on what he could get his wife for Christmas.  His exact words were “she likes little gift set thingies.”  Wow.  So I’m like, um, gift sets of what?  Socks?

Then he starts thumbing through a copy of Lucky (MY copy of Lucky, that is) and pointing out things she would like.  Finally I offered for him to take it home with him, and reminded him to use it wisely – he basically had a perfect list and guide of items right at his fingertips.  He also took my card, so on the off chance that his wife is reading this post, all I can say is I TRIED.

In case you haven’t picked up a copy of Lucky lately or you just have a wife or mother that is exceedingly difficult to shop for – here is a short list of a few ideas that will hopefully make your shopping experience a bit less painful.

momAgenda — I received my first momAgenda back in January and since then have discovered that I am unable to live without it.  It’s a one-stop source for everything I need to keep me organized – it has sections for my personal schedule, then I take advantage of some of the “Kids” column’s to keep my professional life organized as well (I only have one, so why waste all of that space?!).  Conference calls, doctor’s appointments, travel arrangements, playdates, and birthdays all have their place in my momAgenda.  The two ribbon book markers help me keep track of my current week, and my month at-a-glance, but you can use them however you want.  Even my favorite wines have a place in my momAgenda!  There is currently a sale going on site-wide at momAgenda with 15-40% off of everything in stock PLUS free shipping!

Soft Hugwear – Soft Hugwear is the stuff my soft, fluffy cloud dreams are made of.  They make blankets, eyemasks, travel pillows, and spa wraps, like the one above (which I own and LOVE).  This new, uber-posh line is available at WalMart, and I have got my sights set on the travel set!

Keurig Platinum Single Serve Brewing System – Let me just start my opinion of this with a WOW.  This has become the #1 item in my house that I just simply CANNOT live without.  I’ve recently become a coffee addict — which is tough in a house where no one else likes it.  I would find myself brewing a whole pot of coffee and only drinking a cup, so I started cutting it down, but it really is a good bit of effort to go through for just one cup of coffee!  The Keurig has totally changed that for me.  I keep the reservoir filled, grab the flavor of coffee or tea that I want, pick my size, and in one minute I have the perfect cup of coffee, and no more than that.  The difference is in the K cup – this little cup pre-filled with different options of coffee or tea – that you pop in the top of the brewer, then close the lid.  When you’re done, you just throw the whole cup away.  No mess at all.  Already have a type of coffee that you love?  You can create your own K Cups as well, so don’t worry!  I can also choose the size cup I’d like – which is perfect for early mornings when I’m grabbing my coffee on the go.

Philosophy Skincare – I debated adding this under my beauty guide, but I’ve got to say – a little pampering goes a long way for moms.  Any mom would be ecstatic to find this gift set under the tree – it includes everything she could possibly want to care for her skin – including Philosophy’s signature face wash, an exfoliating scrub, their signature moisturizer “Hope in a Jar” as well as the version for the sensitive eye area “Hope in a Tube”, as well as a micro delivery peel.  This kit is skincare heaven, and probably a splurge that mom would never get for herself.  The Miracle Worker Kit that you see here includes $156 worth of products for $86 bucks – plus FREE shipping from Sephora right now!

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So there you have it, a few awesome last-minute picks for mom — stay tuned for some amazing giveaways, and check our the Technology section of the guide for some suggestions for the tech-loving people in your life as well as some of our newest giveaways!

2009 Holiday Guide: iH15 Color Changing iPod Dock {A Giveaway}

If you haven’t already checked out my 2009 gift suggestions for the tech-savvy crowd, then you’re totally missing out.  Not only are there a lot of great gift suggestions over there, but you can read all about how I have this really cool iPod dock that plays really awesome sounding music, but all I get to listen to are the Imagination Movers.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very much an Imagination Movers fan, but there is a limit to the amount of times that I can hear “Where are you Puppy Dog” before I go a little nutso.  Oh, fine.  I already am a little nutso.

My friends, meet the iH15.  The sweetest, color-changing, bee-bopping iPod/iPhone dock that there ever was.  This would make a great gift for a teenager, especially, though mine looks kinda adorable in my kitchen.  The best part is while I’m rockin’ out to the Movers, my iPhone is working up a charge.  Sweet.

Wanna win one?  The folks at iHome have given me one to give away!

To enter, pop on over to the iHome website and peruse the rest of the awesome products they have there.  Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which product BESIDES this one you love.  For bonus entries you may follow me on Twitter, Tweet about this giveaway (use the little button at the top of the page), subscribe to this site by email (box at the top right hand side of the page),  or write a 500 word essay on the French Revolution.  Ok, not the last one.  Just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!  Oh, don’t forget to check out our LogMeIn iPhone App Giveaway, and our Mophie Juice Pack Air Giveaway as well!

Fine Print:  Giveaway ends December 20th, 2009 at 11:59pm CST.  Winner to be chosen at random.  Please leave a vaild email address in the appropriate box so that we may contact you should you win.

2009 Holiday Guide: Mophie Juice Pack Air {A Giveaway}

If you’ve checked out my 2009 gift suggestions for the tech-savvy crowd, then you’ve already read my long winded story about how, when there are a bunch of geeks in one place, my iPhone battery dies on me.  The Mophie Juice Pack Air makes my long days at conferences like Blog World Expo and TribeCon SO much easier because I never have to worry about my battery taking a leave of absence.

So, yes, the MJPA (because it just gets WAY too tiring typing all of that out each time) pretty much rocks my world.  So does the company, because they loved that I loved my Mophie SO much that they offered to give one away to one of my awesome CSC readers.  Dude, this would make the coolest gift for the iPhone freak in your life.  Or, you know, just keep it for yourself.  You deserve it.

To enter, pop on over to Mophie’s website and peruse the rest of the awesome products they have there.  Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which product BESIDES this one you love.  For bonus entries you may follow me on Twitter, Tweet about this giveaway (use the little button at the top of the page), subscribe to this site by email (box at the top right hand side of the page),  or post a video to YouTube of yourself doing 5 back flips in a row.  Ok, not the last one.  Just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!  Oh, don’t forget to check out our LogMeIn iPhone App Giveaway and our iH15 Color Changing iPod/iPhone Dock/Music Player Giveaway as well!

Fine Print:  Giveaway ends December 20th, 2009 at 11:59pm CST.  Winner to be chosen at random.  Please leave a vaild email address in the appropriate box so that we may contact you should you win.

2009 Holiday Guide: LogMeIn {A Giveaway}

In conjunction with the 2009 Holiday Guide, I have a few things to give away to you, my readers!  My new favorite iPhone App is LogMeIn, an app that lets you access any internet-connected computer from your iPhone or iPod touch.  Sa-weet! Here are a few screen shots of the app in action:

I included LogMeIn Ignition in the Tech-Savvy section of my 2009 Holiday Guide, and I’m so excited to give a copy of this app away to one of my awesome readers!  To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me why you’d like to win.  For bonus entries you may follow me on Twitter, Tweet about this giveaway (use the little button at the top of the page), subscribe to this site by email (box at the top right hand side of the page),  or post gratuitous amounts of compliments about how wonderful I am.  Ok, not the last one.  Just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Fine Print:  Giveaway ends December 20th, 2009 at 11:59pm CST.  Winner to be chosen at random.  Please leave a vaild email address in the appropriate box so that we may contact you should you win.

2009 Holiday Guide: Gifts for the Tech-Savvy

I wanted to kick off the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide with a few of my favorite gifts for the Geek Girl in all of us!  Of course, most of these gifts would work for either gender, so I’m probably not being entirely fair, since most the the men that I know would kill to have any of these gifts!  So, without further ado, here are my top picks for the Tech-Savvy folks on your list.

Livespeakr – A set of small, portable speakers for your iPhone and iPod touch, great for listening to your music anywhere you can imagine.  I use mine most frequently out in the backyard and in the kitchen.  Occasionally it plays some of my favorite tracks, but I find it mostly serves my daughter’s purposes and is usually playing a song by the Imagination Movers.  It has a USB rechargable battery that lasts anywhere from 14-16 hours and works in both portrait and landscape mode.  Sa-weet!

Digital Foci: Pocket Album – A new twist on digital photo frames, this is a digital photo album that boasts a 2.8′ screen and can hold up to FOUR THOUSAND PHOTOS.  That’s right, you can tell your entire life story with this baby, especially if you make use of the folders function to organize your photos.  It’s small enough to slip in your purse and carry around with you, too – it even comes with it’s very own carrying case and viewing stand.

WikiReader — The WikiReader is a nerd’s dream gift (or nerdette, as the case may be).  I mean that in a totally endearing way, because I LOVE it.  Basically it puts 3 million topics at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.  You pay a flat fee for the device, which includes all of the Wikipedia entries you could ever want – and the best part is that it does not need an internet connection to work.  It has three simple buttons for navigation, and the rest is controlled through a touch-screen interface.  You can even update the device yourself on a regular basis. (PS – it even has parental controls!  Yes, Veronica, you can give this to your High School student after all!)

SmartSwipe — This site is called Chic Shopper Chick for a reason!  For all of you frequent online shoppers like myself, you’ll be eagerly embracing the SmartSwipe – which is a pesonal credit card reader, just like you use in a retail store.  Apart from feeling very high tech (because you will feel very James Bondesque when you use this thing) the SmartSwipe provides you with additional protection and privacy from online phishing.  Basically, it’s a smarter, more secure way to shop online.  This would also make a great gift for anyone in your family who REFUSES to shop online because they are scared the Russians are stealing their information (I’m looking at you Gram!).

LogMeIn Ignition – Just yesterday a friend sent me a DM that said “can you email me the document I sent you yesterday?  I’m not home and I wante to show it to someone.”  Luckily that won’t happen to me anymore because I’ve started using LogMeIn – an application for the iPhone and iPod touch that makes the iPhone the ultimate productivity tool for the busy, on-the-go parent, business traveler or student. No matter where you are, you can have instant access to virtually any internet-connected computer via your iPhone or iPod Touch.  A great gift for anyone attached at the hip to their laptop!  (Love it?  Win a copy of LogMeIn!)

Mophie Juice Pack Air - When I was at Blog World Expo, I had this teeny, tiny, minor little issue of my iPhone continuing to die.  All the time.  Like, no battery at all.  That’s what happens when you have a bunch of geeks in one place, right?  One night my friend slipped one of these little contraptions on my phone and pressed a little button on the back, and voilà!  Insta-battery.  Of course, I had to have one.  A purple one, at that.  This light little contraption functions as a cover for your phone, but also includes it’s own battery.  I plug it into my laptop at night, plug in my phone elsewhere, and the next morning I have the equavalient of two full batteries.  The best part about the Mophie is that you can flip a switch to tell your phone to use the Mophie battery first, so that you can then remove the cover and have a fully charged iPhone to last you the rest of the night.  (Like it?  Win a Mophie!)

iSkin Protouch – Germophobes, neatfreaks, and eye-squinters rejoice!  The iSkin Protouch keyboard covers are made of silicone and have embedded Microban® antimicrobial product protection, which provides continuous cleaning action, inhibiting the growth of damaging microbes, such as bacteria, that can cause stains, odors and product deterioration.  Oh, and did I mention that the letters are printed, nice and big, on the keyboard? Oh yeah, so big that even my mom could read them!  (I’m picking on all SORTS of people in this guide, aren’t I?)  Even better?  The iSkin Protouch softens the sounds of typing, so it would make my French friends very happy, because, as they once told me in college while we were studying in the library — “Americans do everything loudly.  You even type loudly.”  The iSkin Protouch comes in all kinds of patterns and options, even one that allows the keys of the MacBook Pro to light up at night and still be seen.  Squee!

iHome iH15 Color Changing iPod Dock – This dock not only charges your iPod or iPhone, but it plays your music AND changes colors.  You can pick one color or you can let it rotate to all of the different ones.  An awesome gift for a teen, or the perfect item to keep on your desk.  My 2 year old thinks that it’s basically a dance party in a box – between the changing colors and the Disney songs!  It even has a subwoofer built in (I just LOVE that word, I’m such a dork) so the sound is actually really, really awesome for such a small little box.  (Love it?  Win a iH15 from iHome!)

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So there ya have it.  The first part of the Holiday Gift Guide!  I have a ton of giveaways and more categories coming up ASAP, so be sure and subscribe to my site by email or via RSS!

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Disclosure:  These products have been submitted to me for review.  I don’t love every product on the market, by FAR, but I write about the ones that I do love here on my site.  The deal is that I will only recommend things to you that I like, believe in, and would buy myself or tell my friends and family to buy.  My opinions are 100% my own.  It’s how I roll.  For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.