New Year's Resolutions 2011

Here we go again, let's make some resolutions, but let's try to keep them (making them is easy!), yes???

My main resolution is to take better care of myself, from starting a vitamin regime that I will stick to, to finding a little time to pamper myself again, and (as per doctor's orders) to finding some time to exercise! I have to say that between having a baby and passing the 35 years old mark, everything changes for the worse.  :(

Oh, and one more thing, very much fashion related... I need to figure out my look! Me, the NY Spender, the one that always knows what everyone else should and shouldn't wear! I have no idea where I stand anymore...

See, I am about past my mid-thirties and I am a mother, yet I don't want to wear mid-thirties mom's clothes. But I don't see myself in hippie twenties' clothes anymore, either. It's a fine line the one I'm walking, because before I know it I could be wearing mom's jeans and not even know it. I've already cut my hair SHORT and it wasn't even my choice (hair was just falling off left and right).

Maybe none of it it's our choice. Maybe we just grow old and with that our brain grows old, and our sense of style starts to rust and... no way! Not happening here! We can't have that...

So one last resolution is to try and figure out the best look for my age, that will never embarrass my daughter and that will still make me feel cool and stylish.

And to keep this resolution, I will make a promise of a once a week post about this new look of mine, even if it's just inspiring pictures.

What about you? What are your resolutions?
.

Happy Holidays from NY Spender

I want to wish all my readers a wonderful holiday season full of joy, peace and happiness. Thank you for reading NY Spender, and I look forward to another great year together.  :)


And since I have a baby now, I must bake sugar cookies!  ;)  

This year I am starting our holiday tradition of baking together on Christmas Eve. This is the recipe I will be using, but I am sure it will change with the years as it will become more "ours". Please, feel free to share yours.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups softened butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cover and chill dough for two hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out dough on powdered sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven or
until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges.
Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven
and then move to complete cooling on wire rack.

Happy Holidays!
.

Adios Brad, Hello Josh!

Brad Pitt has been my number one hottest actor since forever. 

But he has now been replaced:

 by Josh Holloway

Even though I still have a major crush on this other one:

Christian Bale

... so many actors... so little time...

.

Fiverr.com: This Will Only Cost You $5!

Still shopping for presents? Really??? (Me too).  :(

Then here is another idea to help you out, and it won't cost you more than $5, really!

Fiverr.com

At Fiverr.com you can purchase, sell, or trade services for a quick, non-negotiable $5.

For this flat fee, people are offering many varied, useful, and impressive Christmas gifts & Ideas for the upcoming holiday. This special holiday section just launched within the past week:

http://www.fiverr.com/specials/christmas/

These are some of the services you can find on Fiverr.com right now:

- I will call your Mom for you on Christmas morning for $5
- I will write a personalized fairy tail for your child for $5
- I will make an attractive Christmas or New Year Logo for $5
- I will crochet you a pair of socks for $5
- I will write the message of your choice in alphabetti spaghetti on toast, photograph it and email you... for $5
- I will send you a handmade decorated glass ball ornament for $5
- I will call anybody of your choosing and pretend I'm Santa Claus for $5
- I will send you a Disneyland postcard with a personalized message from a character of your choosing for $5

And I can go on forever!

Check it out: Fiverr.com
.

Don't Forget: Free Shipping Day is December 17th!

Free Shipping Day was created to extend the online holiday shopping season for merchants and give procrastinating consumers one final chance to surf the Internet for holiday deals.

Merchants like the event because it extends the online holiday shopping season to almost a week before Christmas.

Consumers relish the day because it allows them to procrastinate and still get the ideal gift to its intended destination on time.

Click here for a list of merchants participating: freeshippingday.com
.

Gift Pick: Rarities by Carol Brodie

If you are still looking for holiday gifts, there is still time to place your order online (but don't wait much longer or you'll risk not getting the present on time!).

A suggestion for you, if you are thinking about jewelry, is Rarities by Carol Brodie.

Already featured on NY Spender's Gift Guide 2009, Rarities is once again a must-see collection if you're in the market for that special piece that won't cost you an arm and a leg!  ;)

Sold exclusively on HSN.com, Rarities is created with genuine precious and semi precious gemstones.

These are my favorite pieces this year:

As you can see, there is something for everyone, and even affordable payment options. Stop by and take a look: Rarities by Carol Brodie.
.

And The Winners of the JCP Giveaway Are...

Megan and LMcLendon

Congratulations Girls!!! Please get in touch with me at nyspender to receive your prize. 

Thanks everyone for participating.  :)

Charitybuzz: Gifts That Give Twice

Just in time for that last minute gift, here is a great website for people loaded with money: www.charitybuzz.com!

Charitybuzz is the leading destination for online charity auctions, and its second annual Gifts That Give Twice Holiday Auction features hundreds of once-in-a-lifetime celebrity and luxury experiences to benefit more than 50 nonprofit organizations.

100 percent of net proceeds from the Gifts That Give Twice Holiday Auction will benefit causes like Treepeople, REVERB, The Art of Elysium, Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and many others.

While I appreciate the mission, I feel that it is unfortunate having to pay around $10,000 to "Practice Swim Session and Lunch with Michael Phelps" (I mean I wish I could afford it!).

Or expect the auction to Meet Prince William at The Chakravarty Cup Polo Match to end at $100,000!

And if you are a U2 fan, and you have about $50/60K to spend on a gift, this is for you: U2 and You - World Tour 360° with a Behind-the-Scenes Tour Conducted by The Edge with First-Class Airfare Included!

So, if you are still undecided about a present for that special someone (and if you have the dough), don't forget to check out Charitybuzz!
.

American Living Giveaway - Two Gift Certificates to JCPenney!

This coming Friday it's our Annual Holiday Party at my job. Back in the days (before baby) I would have started a party dress search weeks ago, instead today, with only three days to go, I still have nothing. I have to be honest and also say that I am not too worried about it: there was a time when I would stress over a thing like this, but fortunately, having a baby puts a lot of things in perspective!  :)

But I still need a dress, or at least I will need to put some effort looking for it tomorrow. I don't want to spend too much money, and I will start and finish my search in only one mall.

But enough about me, this is the season of giving and right before the Holidays I want to share another great giveaway with you: two $100 gift certificates for JCPenney!

To be entered in the contest visit http://americanliving.com, available exclusively at JCPenney, and share in the comments which winter look embodies your holiday spirit. Ends 12/12/2010. I will pick two random winners on Monday December 13th.

I will start:

A red dress. It doesn't get anymore holiday party than that! I will actually look for this dress tomorrow and try it on, and if it can hide my little belly we could already have a winner... if not...

This is my second favorite. Black, simple yet with a little sequin statement. Very pretty. Also, while not a dress, there is another winter look that I love and that embraces most of my nights:

The pajama look! For as much as I love a good party, I think, lately, I love sleeping even more. And also lounging around weekend mornings in a cozy and comfortable pajama. ;)

So what's your favorite look?
.

Holiday Gift Guide 2010

It's that time of the year again, and of the NY Spender's Holiday Gift Guide!

This year I've decided not to pick specific products, instead I've picked a few companies I like and you can decide what you like best from each one of them. Happy Holidays!

MacKenzie-Childs

Isabelle Grace Jewelry

Sephora

Victoria's Secret

Linx & More

BookSwim

Eye-Fi

Pandora

World Vision

 .

Fashion Disaster: Rainbow Is Not Something You Wear

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Rainbow Brite's little known brother: "Purple Pants".

Nickname: "Filthy Shoes"

Favorite Singer: "Cindy Lauper Circa 1984"

Favorite Fashion Accessory: "Gloves, duh!"

...

Dude! It's like 2010 and you're not 5 anymore!

Cougar Boots for Your Cold and Wet Days

One of the things I love about blogging is that I get the chance to review products and share my opinion with my readers.

Not all the products are equally interesting, of course, and some times I have even decided not to post a review because I had nothing good to say about the product. But once in a while I get to review something that blows me away, and as you are beginning to guess, this is one of those times!

I love these boots!

Oh wait, let me back up a little...

Remember back in 2007 when I blogged about fashionable rain boots? Basically I was saying that finding a fashionable (not to mention comfortable) rain boot was a pipe dream. Well, it has taken about 3 years, but I have finally found the cutest and most comfortable rain boots ever! The Cougar Tibet boots. Take a look:

How cute are they? And do you know how pretty they looked with my grey tights and my grey skirt? I could never pull that off with bright yellow rubber boots! So check one off for fashion.

But what I love the most about these boots is how comfortable they are. I mean extremely comfortable! These boots are lined with polar fleece which makes all the difference in the world. I've had other rain boots which where rubber on the outside and rubber on the inside, which made slipping them on and off difficult. These boots slip on so easily and as soon as you foot is inside you feel like going "ahhh!" because the polar fleece literally hugs your foot and makes you feel warm all-over!

I own these boots in black, but they also come in red:

They retail for about $75.

The other pair I got to review is another winner, which makes me believe that any boot by Cougar must be a great boot to own:

The Ringo Star boot is a snow/rain boot capable of sustaining low temperatures up to -22°F! I haven't had a chance to test them in rigorous weather yet, but I've been sporting them on and off outside and even around the house, and I can tell you that they feel extremely warm and, again, sooo comfortable. It looks like a big boot, but fortunately your ankle is free to move thanks to the nylon material (and not anything heavy or hard like some other snow boots) which makes these boots light and easy to walk with. I am surely looking forward to some snow, so that I can really test them out (but I'm pretty sure they'll do just fine). The Ringo Star retail for $180.

If you're in the market for new boots, don't forget to check out Cougar Boots.
.
Disclaimer: The featured product was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing and review. NY Spender is not being compensated monetarily for this review. Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by compensation, monetary or otherwise.
.