With Mother’s Day quickly approaching it isn’t too late to buy mom shoes! Yes, PlanetShoes.com has shipping that will get her gift to her in time for Mother’s Day. What mom doesn’t want shoes?  I would recommend the  Clarks Artisan Thimble Clover sandals.  I recently got a pair from PlanetShoes.com and I couldn’t be happier.  Not only are they quality shoes, but they are fashionable and comfortable.  I’ve gotten tons of compliments on them already.  One of the best features is their versatility; they look great with jeans, shorts, capris, and with a cute summer dress.  These will be a go-to shoe for your wardrobe this summer and the cost?  Only $100 and you get FREE SHIPPING (orders over $49).

Perfect for any weekend getaway, you’ll love the Clarks Artisan Thimble Clover. This versatile women’s t-strap sandal by Clarks® Artisan features an Active Air® footbed that absorbs shock and adds extra cushioning atop a stacked wedge heel. Summertime fun, style and comfort combine in the Clarks Artisan Thimble Clover.

If you need some reassurance about buying from a company online PlanetShoes.com has a fabulous return policy.  They also have tons of sales, rewards programs (get $10 for every friends purchase  you refer), and contests on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

They also support our planet with initiatives such as:

Advertising and marketing is a very dynamic field. What is big today is out tomorrow. Each Monday I have decided to feature a advertising “has been” and would love for you to join in on the discussion. If you come across one you think needs to be featured, email me.

Photo Credit: Unknown

Brand ambassadors…is it much different today?  When choosing a brand to stand behind are you sure that in 50 years your picture won’t be on someone’s blog as the “Ad of the Week“?

What do you think?

Everyone is afraid of something.  In celebration of Sony’s Showtime television show, The Big C starring Laura Linney we are going to be chatting on Twitter discussing our Fearless Travel.  Laura plays as a mom who has been diagnosed with cancer but doesn’t let it keep her down and lives her life to the fullest…so why shouldn’t we travel to the fullest?

When I think of fearless travel I think of all the scarey Hostel movies.  One of my dreams is for my son to take off and do a cross country tour of Europe, but I am terrified that he will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m afraid he’ll break some law that he didn’t know existed and be thrown in jail with the key tossed in the trash and he won’t be able to call me for help.  I’m afraid he will get taken advantage of because quite frankly, he isn’t very worldly.

Join us on May 7th to discuss your fearless travel stories.  Perhaps you overcame a fear or maybe you have some tips to give me so that I can relax and overcome my fears.  Regardless, it’s going to be a blast and we want you there!

Fearless Travel Twitter Party

WHEN: May 7, 9-10 pm EDT (8-9 pm CT; 7-8 pm MT; 6-7 pm PT)

WHO: Panelists @TravelingMoms @KimOrlando @DebMomOf3 @CindyRichards @MaryHeston @LisaSamples @ConnieFoggles

WHAT: Twitter party – Fearless Travel

HOW TO JOIN: Follow the hashtags #TMOM and #BigC2

PRIZES: We’ll be giving away a Sony Pictures prize pack with copies of The Big C – Season 1 and 2, The Vow, Smurfs, and Zookeeper. We will also give away DVDs of The Big C Season 2 throughout the party.

RSVP: Fearless Travel Twitter Party

The Big C

Laura Linney returns in her Golden Globe®-winning role as Cathy Jamison in The Big C. Following the medical diagnosis that rocked her safe world, Cathy finally shares the news with her family and decides to pursue experimental treatment. She quickly bonds with her fellow patient, Lee (Hugh Dancy) – and his wine collection – but isn’t so sure about her new doctor (Alan Alda). Co-starring Oliver Platt, Gabourey Sidibe, Cynthia Nixon and Parker Posey, this inspirational and bravely funny second season celebrates a life worth fighting for.

Disclosure: I am a paid panelist for this party.

You may remember I was telling you how my 19 year old son’s identity was stolen, well I thought I would give you an update. After months of trying to find who stole my now 19 year old son’s identity I finally solved the case.  I tried every resource known to man but it was finally my sob story to a customer service rep from an online company that I ran his social security number through that finally told me the culprits name and last known address.  There are tons of resources for identity theft victims out there but it isn’t always easy getting the right answers.  I’m fortunate that with my youngest son I found kID Sure, optional add-on to my Identity Guard that now monitors my youngest son’s identity.

I’m not sure how she got it or what she used it for by “Gabriela” is a 43 year old Hispanic woman who lives in a trailer park in Sarasota.  She uses my son’s social security number for her utilities.  I have everything we need to report her to the police and we plan on filing our report next week.  The more common identity theft facts reveal that most thieves are using the socials for things like obtaining credit cards, wireless phone service, bank accounts, loans, and other things such as this…hopefully this will not be the case when we look into this further next week.

Now, with my youngest son I am getting immediate notification of suspicious activity surrounding his identity and social security number.  I get a monthly email that tell me if there is activity on his account as well.  As of right now I think we are okay.  This is the email I just got and if you sign up you will hopefully get regular emails just like this:

(Click image to enlarge.)

So do your identity a favor. Get Identity Guard, and all the details you need to know about identity theft and how to help yourself stay safe from it. You can start by downloading our three FREE e-books right now (LINK TO: http://identityguard-subscribe.com/ebook)

Disclosure: This service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.

Gearing up for Summer Vacation: Tips to Save on Family Fun

With the summer virtually right around the corner, some of you are probably getting ready to plan the perfect summer family trip.  If you’re like most of us, saving a little  money while having a great time is always a big plus, and something that you’re definitely striving for.  By keeping some simple ideas and tips in mind, saving money and  having a great time with the family is absolutely something we can all achieve.  Here are just five easy tips to help guide you to a great time, without breaking the bank.

- Drive

Driving to your vacation destination can save money, offer more comfort than other modes of travel, and you can avoid the hassle and expense of air travel.  No matter where you live, there are probably plenty of places within reasonable driving distance that offer fun for the whole family.  A nice family road trip can certainly create some  quality bonding time and give your children an appreciation for great scenery nearby.

- Good Credit

When on vacation, or when booking a trip, using solid low fee credit cards is a hugely important tip to steer clear of debt incurred with high markup credit percentage  ratings.  Many people genuinely underestimate the importance of doing research before choosing and using a credit card, when in reality finding the best card is as easy as checking around the web and comparing rates and offerings.  This tip can save you a ton of money and potential debt and should not be overlooked.

- Camping

Being in the great outdoors is fun for the family, and also usually very cheap.  Most states offer a number of parks and campgrounds that are extremely affordable and easy to search for and find via the web.  Camping is great for giving your kids an appreciation for nature and the great outdoors, as well as giving them a nice dose of healthy  recreation void of video games, television, and other mind-numbing technology so prevalent today.

- Family Camps

Family camps are a nice way for the whole family to experience the fun of summer camp all over again, and at affordable rates with meals already included.  These are also  helpful with taking the guesswork out of coming up with activities suitable for the whole family, and offer another great bonding experience for the whole gang.

- DIY Meals

No matter what type of family vacation or activities you may choose, making your own meals is a great way to save some money and teach the kids a thing or two about the culinary arts.  While dining out occasionally on vacation is certainly great, it can be one of the biggest expenses we incur without really thinking about how much we’re  spending.  Making a solid plan and budget for spending on food is a good way to keep yourself honest without going over budget.

So this summer, give the whole family a good time without getting yourself in a financial jam with these easy vacationing tips.  Summer should be a relaxing time in which  you enjoy yourself with the family.  In that same light, it shouldn’t be a season of unnecessary spending in order to have that good time.  Be smart, do some research before  making moves, and enjoy yourself and your family!

Guest contribution made by Becky W.

It doesn’t matter if you work in Corporate America, blog from the dining room table, or own a small business, having business cards on hand is as important as having your drivers license.  You never know who you might run into when you are out and if you don’t have your information readily available for them it is an opportunity lost.  UPrinting.com offers a wide selection of print material, but they are most known for their business cards.

Free Templates

You do not have to be an artist to have professional looking business cards.  UPrinting.com offers FREE templates to design your own business cards.  They also have numerous styles to choose from as well as card stock.  Another great thing about their cards is that they are affordable for small businesses and individuals.  In fact they are offering to give one of my readers FREE business cards…enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: “You should assume that I will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions. Interested to hold a giveaway like this? Please sign up here.”

Advertising and marketing is a very dynamic field.  What is big today is out tomorrow.  Each Monday I have decided to feature a advertising “has been” and would love for you to join in on the discussion.  If you come across one you think needs to be featured, email me.

Photo Credit: Unknown

I might agree that having a beer or two might make dealing with a fussy baby a tad easier, but this definitely would spark some controversy in today’s society.  I would love to hear the pitch when the advertisers put this campaign together.

What do you think?

As many of you know I am a Play Ambassador for Let’s Play. Well today they are celebrating their 1st birthday with the folks at KaBOOM!and volunteers from the Global Leadership Academy to build a playground in Philadelphia to celebrate.  As part of that celebration they have issued a call to action to spread their mission to keep play alive and are asking YOU to pledge to make your city more playful!

The playground build is taking place in West Philadelphia where more than 200 volunteers from the West Philadelphia community, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and organizers from KaBOOM! will build a new playground at Global Leadership Academy (GLA) Charter School, a school destroyed by a fire in January 2011. In March, kids from the school participated in a Design Day event and made drawings that the new playground design is based on!

This is such a great organization and they have over $3 million in available grants this year, to help your neighborhood so please visit LetsPlay.com and apply!

Here are some of the 2012 builds they will be doing this year.  Find a location near you and join in the fun:

• Cleveland, OH – May
• Bakersfield, CA – June
• Atlanta, GA – June
• Tulsa, OK – June
• Albany, NY – August
• San Antonio, TX – September
• Fort Lee, VA – October 6
• Las Vegas, NV – October
• Tlajomulco, Mexico – November

About Let’s Play

Let’s Play is a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) to get kids and families active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!, the national non-profit that’s saving play. Together, through Let’s Play, DPS and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America. For more information, visit Let’s Play on Facebook at www.facebook.com/letsplay or online at www.LetsPlay.com.