Reviews Nina's online shopping sites; gives family tips and advice. Find parenting help, recipes, where to shop at home for clothing, gifts and household goods.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Design Your Own T-shirts For Christmas Gift Giving

Sometimes in life you meet someone that has "genius" stamped all over them. I got lucky a few months ago and met just such a person on the internet. His creativity has no bounds! Lucky for shoppers, he applies a lot of that genius to designing great tools that let the home shopper create the perfect gift.
Here's an example:
Have you ever wanted just the right I Heart shirt for a friend of your special honey? Well then you just have to check out I Love Heart Shirts.
On this website, you can make any I Heart design you can think of, and it doesn't have just the traditional red heart, either. Choose from American Flag hearts, Tattoo hearts, world hearts, pink ribbon hearts and more. Add a name and you've got a unique gift that is sure to please.
So jump on over to I Love Heart Shirts today.

The creator of this cool design your own heart shirt website is also a member of Union Eight, the best new brand around for home internet shopping. I'll be featuring more of his innovative shopping sites in weeks to come, so come back often!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Raise Awareness About Breast Cancer


T-Shirt - Think Pink Breast Cancer shirt
T-Shirt - Think Pink Breast Cancer by breastcancertshirts
This past month I had a bit of a scare. My annual mammogram came back showing something the doctor thought needed a second look. I was sent for a diagnostic mammogram which happily determined that all was well, no breast cancer for this gal right now. The radiologist showed me the area of concern, a place that looked like a mass on the underside of my breast on the first mammo. It was such a relief to know it was a false alarm.
T-Shirt - Breast Cancer Mammogram shirt
Still, I sat in a waiting room full of women, many of whom had already been diagnosed with breast cancer and were back for screening follow-ups. I felt so bad hearing their stories of having lost a mother or sister to breast cancer and how breast cancer runs in their families. There but for the grace of God...
So please, have your annual screenings! Do breast self-exams regularly. I know I will be from now on.
To raise awareness about this important issue in women's health, here are some great breast cancer t-shirts from SagArt Gallery.

T-Shirt - Breast Cancer Walk shirt
T-Shirt - Breast Cancer Walk
by

breastcancertshirts

T-Shirt - Breast Cancer Fight shirt

T-Shirt - Breast Cancer Fight
by

breastcancertshirts

According to the American Cancer Society, all women over the age of 40 should have yearly mammograms.

4 Important Things to Know About Mammograms

1. They can save your life. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25 - 30% or more. Women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if they're at high risk.
2. Don't be afraid. It's a fast procedure (about 5 - 10 minutes), and discomfort is minimal. The procedure is safe: there's only a very tiny amount of radiation exposure from a mammogram. To relieve the anxiety of waiting for results, go to a center that will give you results before you leave.
3. Get the best quality you can. If you have dense breasts or are under age 50, try to get a digital mammogram.
* Bring your old mammogram films with you for comparison.
* Have more than one radiologist read your study.
* Ask if your center has CAD—computer aided detection—which calls the radiologist's attention to any possible areas of concern.
* Make sure the doctor who referred you for the mammogram includes an explicit note when ordering the study (providing clinical correlations—e.g. "palpable mass in the upper outer quadrant, rule out abnormality").
* Correlate your results with other tests you've had done, like ultrasound or MRI.
* Discuss your family history of breast and other cancers—from both your mother's AND father's side—with your doctor.
4. It is our most powerful breast cancer detection tool. However, mammograms can still miss 15—20% of breast cancers that are simply not visible using this technique. Other important tools—such as breast self-exam, clinical breast examination, ultrasound, and MRI—can and should be used as complementary tools, but there are no substitutes or replacements for a mammogram.
- From Breast Cancer.org - please visit their site for more excellent information on mammograms.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Shop Political Debate Gear Online

Tonight is the first of the scheduled television debates between Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain and at this writing, no decision has been made about whether it will go forth or not. This election 2008 season has been one for the history books, with more drama than most in recent memory. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, there have been plenty of memorable moments to hold on to, such as John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate or Barack Obama's stirring speech from Philadelphia defining his views on faith and service.
My aunt called me yesterday afternoon to chat about the election. She said she wanted some yard signs and other campaign gear but the local campaign office was out. Boy was she surprised when I told her "Aunt June, you can get really cool election t-shirts and buttons online." Really? Well, take a look at some of these, from TeeShirtsTShirts. I think you'll agree with me that they are much better than the standard political apparel you see. So buy something to support your candidate, whomever it is.

Barack Obama Vote for Change shirt

Barack Obama Vote for Change
by

TeeShirtsTShirts


I Love Heart John McCain shirt

I Love Heart John McCain
by

TeeShirtsTShirts

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Start Your Christmas Shopping Now

When I woke up this morning and went outside it was actually cold! It reminded me that fall started this week and it's time to start looking for Christmas gifts online. If you have any friends with pets, you can't go wrong with one of Jean Fitzgerald's lovely dog art gifts. She masterfully combines art with images of pet breeds for unique gifts that really pack a "wow" punch. Look for more examples of Jean's work here in coming weeks. Her Heartsong Gallery is a dog lover's delight. Here is an example:

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Cute Halloween Pumpkin T-shirt

Fall is definitely in the air and now is the time to order Halloween t-shirts for the family. Kids love to dress for the season and so do Moms! Here's an adorable October pumpkin patch design from Stick Figure T-shirts:

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Everyone Loves A Journal

With September being back to school month, many parents spend time at their local Wal-mart stocking up on class supplies for their kids. I know I did. One item on my son's list was a journal for his English class. We bought a generic notebook. Not too exciting but servicable.
Today I was online and ran across these sites that sell really cool journals with fun covers. Next year, I'm getting my son a journal from one of them. Less running around for me and a fun item for him to take to school.
DMR Designs Journals
  • The Turtle Box
  • Friday, September 19, 2008

    Favorite New Gift Shop

    Here's my favorite new gift shop for online shoppers. You can find environment and holiday designs on t-shirts and gifts, all made with HEARTS. I love the breast cancer awareness ribbon design.
    So for something fresh and new, stop by Lovely Creations and browse.

    Friday, September 12, 2008

    Emergency Supplies For Natural Disasters

    It's September 12 2008 and Hurricane Ike is bearing down rapidly on Texas where it is expected to do catastrophic damage. Hurricanes aren't the only natural disasters that affect us - earthquakes, tornadoes, snow and ice storms and flooding all affect our families. Plan now to protect your family! Here are some things our family has done:
    1. Keep a 2 weeks supply of drinking water in your home, and more for household needs
    2. Pack a 3-day emergency backpack for each family member in case of evacuation
    3. Have an emergency contact plan for family members and make sure everyone knows what it is.
    4. Keep a small amount of cash on hand for emergencies
    5. Store a 3 month supply of food that is easy to cook and that is familiar to your family.
    6. Keep candles, batteries, flashlights and medicines and first aid supplies handy.

    Our family has shopped online at Emergency Essentials to purchase 100 hr candles, freeze dried emergency food and water treatment drops for long term water storage.
    Stay Safe, Houston!

    Thursday, September 11, 2008

    Where To Find Election Yard Signs and T-shirts

    It's time for a tip. The 2008 presidential election is in full swing and many homeowners like to put a campaign yard sign out front. Did you know you can buy great looking political yard signs online? For really cute country Americana McCain Palin yard signs check out the ones from Mainstreet Shirt.

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    Welcome to my blog.

    Welcome to my blog! I am the Homewise Shopper, here to offer tips about all things related to your home and family. I'll also be reviewing many online shopping sites and products because I feel there are many advantages to being a wise consumer who shops from home whenever possible.
    Check back often for some of my great recipes, gardening tips, and especially advice on where to find online bargains on school clothes, books, t-shirts and gifts. As a mom of seven, I've done a lot of shopping myself through the years and believe me, it's easier to order online than to haul tired children through the mall.

    Shop at ThingsVerySpecial

    ThingsVerySpecial.com