World According to Shia

Donate! Last night, I went shopping for a little baby girl at the Ronald McDonald House here in Jacksonville Florida.  The Ronald McDonald House does have a special place in my heart because my younger cousin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and the Ronald McDonald House was there for him and my family.   If you aren't familar with the Ronald McDonald House here's what they do: Our Ronald McDonald House program provides a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost.  Our Houses are built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on healing their child – not where they can afford to stay, where they will get their next meal or where they will lay their head at night to rest. We believe that when a child is hospitalized the love and support of family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed. Allow Families to Face the Weight of Illness Toge...

Be kind! We've all heard the heartwarming story of the NYC police officer who bought a homeless man some socks and shoes - no matter what is done with those shoes nothing can destroy the kindness.  We live in a world where kindness is rare but 'tis the season! Today I was going through Starbucks' drive thru and I got to the window and the cashier pointed at the car in front of me and said ... do you see the woman in that car she said Merry Christmas and paid for your order.  I've heard of this happening before but never experienced it.  So I said, tell the car behind me Happy Holidays (I mean come on not everyone celebrates Christmas) and I paid for them.  I looked in my mirror waved to the guy behind me (no joke he kinda looked at me like I was a weirdo but hey).  As I was driving out he beeped and waved back once he got to the window.  I felt so good about it.  Did I do anything as kind as the NYC police officer?  No, I mean...

Hang lights!! Okay our lights weren't quite this awesome but I forgot my camera cord ... I'll post pics of the house later. So this is a true story.  Saturday, I went with my sister to look at Christmas lights with my niece Kaelyn.  Which then lead to my sister convincing me that I should help her hang Christmas lights on her house.  She told me that the hooks were already there from the previous year - sounded easy enough.   So we got back and I helped put Kaelyn to bed, read her a bedtime story and then go out to the garage to get started.  I walk in and my sister has some of the lights untangled.  However there is one strand that doesn't work and is no joke in a ball like this ...  okay so it wasn't that big - but it was still a mess.  So she tells me that we don't have to use that strand and that I can just use the tangle free strands.  So I start on the side of the house get around the corner and have to start ov...

Here are some Cyber Monday deals I just saw on Glamour.com : CYBER MONDAY Beauty Bar  - Enter code "BBCYBERMONDAY" at checkout to get $20 off purchases of $100 at beautybar.com. Bobbi Brown  - Get 5 samples of your choice and free shipping with any order at bobbibrown.com. Colorescience  - Get a free 6g mineral sunscreen with your purchase of $150 or more at colorescience.com. Dr. Brandt  - Get 50% off full-size eye creams at drbrandtskincare.com. Hydroxatone  - Get 30% off any purchase of $150 or more at hyroxatone.com with the code "cyber monday". Mally Beauty  - Get 25% off all face products at mallybeauty.com; use code "25FACE". Philosophy  - Get a deluxe tote bag gift set with your purchase of $75 or more at philosophy.com. Enter code "delight". Stila  - Shop the online version of Stila’s LA Warehouse Sale, with deals of up to 80% off at stilacosmetics.com. Have you gotten any fab Cyber Monday Deals?

Black Friday is almost here! Here are some tips from All*You for Black Friday: Gather information. Follow your favorite retailers on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to their e-newsletters—loyal customers often get first dibs on sales and special promotions. Also comb through newspaper ads on Wednesdays, and check websites that leak in-store or online sale information, such as  bfads.net , theblackfriday.com , blackfriday.info and  blackfriday.com .   Make a list. Figure out which of your must-have products are most heavily discounted and in highest demand, then give those higher priority. Then map out your route, noting what time each store will open that day. Scope it out. Either visit the stores on Wednesday night or call and ask each store manager when the sale starts, how early you can get in line and where the products you’re looking for are likely to be located. (Black Friday sale items often are stocked in unusual places.) Time it right. Plan your ...

Holiday Looks for Less Emma Stone wearing jewel-tone Burberry Design. Peplum and sequins = holiday fun! So I don't know about you but sequins always make me think of holiday wear.  I love this outfit for the holidays because who says you have to go red and green.  Here are a few finds on creating this look for less this holiday season ...  A) Forever 21 - $29.80 B) H&M - Two Color Combinations - $29.95 C) Sears - Rhapsody Collection- $28.99  D) Forever 21 - Pink or Peach - $29.80 E) JCPenneys - Removable Peplum - $25 F) H&M Skirt - $24.95 I think I'll be rocking some sequins this holiday season ... What about you?

We all want to get holiday deals and save money - but how?  Well head over to dealigg.com - Stores & Coupons Tab  - there are 100s of stores listed with in-store coupons and online coupon codes.   For example here is a deal from Ann Taylor Loft: $20 off $75 on Full-priced Orders Use Ann Taylor LOFT Coupon  skinny4 20% off $100 or 25% off $100 with Love Loft or Ann Taylor Card + Free Shipping on $125  [Exp. 11/15] Use Ann Taylor LOFT Coupon Code  LOFTCARES What money saving sites do you recommend?

Making a list checking it twice ... get organized with LISTS!  You can reduce your holiday stress by making lists to ensure you don't forget anything or anyone.   Types of Lists: Gifts - to buy/budget - click HERE and HERE for some templates to try. Things to Bake Recipes to Make Decorating Ideas Holiday Cards to Send Shelters to Help/Care packages to send Guests to Invite/What they will bring Parties to Attend/what to bring Blog Posts to Post this list could go on and on.... The trick is to keep your lists organized.  I suggest either getting a cute holiday notebook or download an app.  There are tons available in the app store.   Just figure out which way is easier for you to have constant access to the list.   If you want to make a notebook - I suggest buying one that has pockets or creating your own with a pronged folder.  You could also go super chic and use a binder but don't forget the bigger it is - t...

Tis the season for DELUXE SIZES that offer yearly savings.  For example, this time of year Bareminerals rolls out it's deluxe size foundation on original foundation.  Basically it is twice the size of the normal foundation yet NOT double the price - $38.  It's $10 more for double the amount.  Last year I bought two and currently I am at about half way through the second one.  Before purchasing the deluxe sizes I would buy 3 to 4 regular foundations a year. $28 x 4 = $112.  $38 x 2 = $76!!!   That is a $36 savings!!   You have to act fast to get them.  Currently they are available at Bareminerals online and stores and Ulta online (sorry haven't checked the stores).  Sephora will have them available online for now you can give them your email address and they will email you when they are available.  Last year, I purchased my two from Sephora online and received free shipping since my order was over $50 and they were deli...

Since we started off with a financial budget ~ now seems the perfect transition to food tracking. It has been said that the average American gains 5 to 8 pounds over the holidays and the most popular New Year's Resolution is to lose weight.  The best defense is a good offense ... right?  So let's break that cycle this year and start tracking what we eat.  No one is saying that you can't have holiday dishes and you have to eat plain lettuce through out these next couple of months.  Just keep track to not get out of control. In this day and age, there are so many free apps to keep track.  I found Calorie Counter by Everyday Health, Inc. in the Apple Apps Store for free and googled it and found that it's also available for Android phones.      Click here for downloads available! To get started you enter your weight, birthday and gender.  Then you choose your weight goal.  If you are just wanting to maintain over ...

Budget is not a bad word.  Budgets are realistic for everyone.  I used to be HORRIBLE with money.  I thought as long as I have it - I have to spend it.  Well that was all fine and good but one day I thought where does all my money go?  So I printed out those dreaded bank statements and prepared myself for the shocking truth.  Truth was - I wasted a lot of money.  I spent $100 at Target - what did I buy?  Hmmm can't remember so obviously it wasn't anything I needed.  The realization of how much money I was spending eating out and at Starbucks was like hello toilet - flush hard earned paycheck.  So I decided I needed a {gulp} budget.  I didn't start off thinking I was going to spend ZERO, I just came up with feasible amounts to spend with room to shrink.   Monthly Income - Bills - Gas - Groceries = Leftover $$ So with that Leftover $$ - I decided that I would spend X on Starbucks, X on eating out and X on...

Every year I let many things pile up or go unnoticed until after the holidays then I spend all of January feeling guilty and promising to fix all of the messes by the end of the month. So this year I thought I would make a conscious effort to a stop to all this madness in my life and start the new year off guilt free and why not share with you. 2013 will roll in with ease! I'll be sharing with you tips on staying healthy, shopping ideas, budget advice (yep yep), time-savers and much much more. Starting weekdays November 12 - December 21 tune in for 30 days of "Holiday Helper Headquarters". Have any issues/things you want me to address?