What if You Could Use eBay Without Spending ANY Money?

That's right; you heard me correctly. There is now a website that is basically a free version of eBay. It is Listia.com and it can best be described as an online venue for trading stuff. Here's how this fabulous innovation works:
You know all that stuff that has been accumulating in your house that you never use, wear, or need. Well what if I told you that you could auction it off for credits. Then you can use said credits towards items listed on the site that you do, in fact, want. Many of the items even ship for free or are available for pick up of the seller is close to home which leaves you spending a grand total of ZERO dollars!

Everything imaginable is available on Listia, from homemade jewelry to iPads and gaming systems (who knows why anyone would be giving away their iPad, but why question it, right?). It is a fantastic resource for parents who are constantly in need of new stuff for their children, always wanting to give away the things their kids have outgrown, and may not necessarily have the funds to keep up with their rapidly growing child. All you have to do is trade your baby's unneeded items for the new things they need.


And really, who can resist the idea of auctioning off all the stuff in their closet that they don't wear anymore and accumulating enough credits to get an iPad for free? Too good to be true, right? Wrong! This emerged at just the right time for people who have been affected by the economy and find themselves without the disposable income of days before. 


So, go forth and shop online without making your credit card bill burst into flames. Feel the freedom of actually getting something for nothing with the added bonus of purging your house of all the things you have been meaning to get rid of.


Bravo, Listia! I only wish I had thought of it first.

Wear a Fabulous Designer Dress This Valentine's Day... On a Budget!

Have you ever drooled over the dresses strutting down the runways or draped so perfectly across the mannequins in the windows of Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, or Saks Fifth Avenue? Who are you kidding? We all have been there! You may even go into the store to get a closer look, see if it fits, or see how you look in it. Then you cringe as you look down at the price tag.


I can never afford that, you think to yourself.


Now you don't have to! Allow me to present the greatest invention in fashion since the outlet mall: RentTheRunway.com

Here's how it works:
You can choose which occasion you would like a fabulous dress for; a wedding, date, vacation, etc. The site will then present you MANY choices. You can narrow your search by designer, silhouette, color, length, and more.
Then you pick your dress. It will tell you the designer who made it, how much it retails for and how much you can rent it for. Rental prices range from $40-$200 depending on the retail price of the dress.

After you have chosen the perfect dress, choose which day you would like it delivered. I recommend the day before your event. That way you have enough time to make sure it fits and run out and grab any accessories you may need to finish off your outfit.

Bonus: The site will send you a back-up size for free! So if you're sometimes an 8, sometimes a 6, you can get both sizes and see which one fits better... did I mention it is at no additional cost?!

Once you have picked your dress, date, and size(s) you pay the rental cost, $10 for shipping (to you, they send you a pre-paid container to return the dress), and $5 for insurance on the dress.

Bonus #2: You get a $50 rental credit when you sign up for free. So, say you pick a dress that costs $50 to rent (that's about average), you only pay the shipping and the insurance. That's a designer dress for 15 bucks!

The site also rents out designer jewelry and you are able to purchase accessories like adhesive bras and tights.

Once the dress is delivered you have it for four days. Then you simply drop it in the mail and it's on it's way back to the geniuses behind this amazing site.

I recommend that you all try this out for Valentine's Day this year. His jaw will drop to his knees when he sees the amazing dress you thought you could never afford.
Another recommendation I have is to visit ShoeDazzle.com and/or JustFab.com and pick out a fierce pair of heels to go with your dress. Every pair is $39.95 and both sites offer free shipping.


These are some of my favorite dresses from RentTheRunway.com:

Badgley Mischka (Rent for $75)

Lilly Pulitzer (Rent for $50) 

Badgley Mischka (Rent for $50)

Zac Posen (Rent for $60) 

Nicole Miller (Rent for $75)

Nicole Miller (Rent for $60)

There are so many more to choose from. I personally guarantee you will find something you love for your Valentine's Day with that special someone.

Styling Tip: Add black tights to any short dress to instantly give the dress a more casual look.

Feel free to contact me if you have any styling questions about how to make your dress look its best.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

New Year, New Glamorous You!

Happy 2012! It's time to leave the old mistakes, bad habits, and laziness behind you and make those resolutions that you "will absolutely stick to this year". 


You can create a new you, even if you lack the funds for a posh gym membership that includes a sauna, massage therapist, and wheat grass infused smoothies. Even if it's not in the cards for you to join a gym at all, there are many options to transform yourself this year. 


#1 Dieting
Don't believe in it. Let me get that out of the way right of the bat. The second you say the "D" word, you're setting yourself up for failure. Diet = Doomed. You're only going to end up cranky and eventually park yourself in front of your DVR whilst inhaling an entire box of Oreos. This helps no one. So I will share the eating secret that will save you both stress and money at the same time. Wait for it... Eat Less!


Seriously, all you have to do is take what you normally eat and just eat half. Suddenly one meal becomes two and you can still have cake! Just less cake. Limit the heavy sugar intake to once or twice a week and keep the portion small if you expect to see results. I promise you, it is that easy.


Also, very important, always eat breakfast! I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. Eating within the first hour of waking up kick-starts your metabolism and will give you more energy and calorie burning power throughout the day. Yogurt and granola is a fantastic low calorie choice.


#2 Exercise
This is the key to a great body. You can diet until you are literally blue in the face but if you are not burning calories and building muscle you will only become what is called "skinny fat". You may weigh less if you eat less but if you have no muscle definition you will still look fat.


Many of us have gone through the cycle of exercising for a month or two at a time and then quitting; myself included. The secret to not only keeping yourself motivated but also seeing faster results is to do things that don't feel like exercise.


Recommendations That Don't Cost Much:

• Invest in an Xbox Kinect, Playstation Move, or Nintendo Wii. These gaming systems have made exercising at home literally like playing a game. They will teach you how to dance like the Black Eyed Peas, box, play tennis, train like a UFC fighter, or fight like a Gladiator. It is a one time expense (plus the modest cost of games) and will provide a new workout each day at the touch of a button. Get your friends involved and you will completely forget that you're torching calories while having fun with your friends.
• Take a community yoga class. Search online for a yoga studio near you that offers community classes. Many offer them at all different levels, so beginners need not feel intimidated. Yoga is not a practice you master. Everyone is at a different experience level. My yoga studio offers many community classes for beginners and more the more advanced for only $6 a class.
• P90X- This is for those who are committed to a total body transformation. With this workout you will feel like you are working out. It takes commitment and dedication, but it is completely worth it. The cost is high but manageable. You make a few low payments and you then own a three month nutrition and exercise plan that will turn you into a lean, ripped superstar. If you are wary of exercise plans you see on infomercials, let me put your mind at ease. I speak from experience when I say, this one works. If you have the courage and commitment to take it on, I promise you will see phenomenal results. However, be prepared, for the first week you will want to to quit- don't. Your body will hurt more than you thought it could but keep going. Once you get past the first week you only feel yourself getting stronger.

#3 A Positive Attitude

If you get down on yourself that you are not losing enough weight fast enough, you're going to end up in the DVR/Oreo situation I mentioned earlier. Keep at it. We all know exercise releases endorphins that make us feel good, so at the very least exercise to keep yourself happy. And schedule a date with a cupcake on Saturday nights.