Cyber Monday Online Coupons Here!

Hello busy moms, this is Cyber Monday, the day busy moms conveniently shop online and get great online deals plus free shipping. Our recommended place to get your online coupons across the cyber board is at CouponAlbum.com. In the image above you got some coupons right off the bat, but for additional coupons, click here.

- The Moms Buzz

image source: http://www.couponalbum.com/

2 Key Questions to Ask About Retun Policies Before Your Buy

Shopping is easy, but returning sometime may becomes a headache if the return policy is not what we expected to be or took for granted that you would get your money back.  When you buy something, especially during the holiday season that we shop and shop for days and can get tired after serious shopping, make sure you ask the salesperson (or read if buying online) these 2 questions about their return policy:

Retailers with the Best Return Policy

Holiday season shopping can be stressful and because we have to add many more items to our busy schedule and to-do list "buying gifts" for x number of people we may not think about "what if I have to return this gift?"  According to the Consumer Reports, below are the 15 retailers in-store and online with the best return policy in alphabetical order:

The First State Dinner (Photos)

It was a big night last night at the White House in our Nation's Capital:  the First State Dinner hosted by the Obamas.  Here are some pictures to enjoy. 

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at their First State Dinner:

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host their first State Dinner with Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and his wife, Mrs. Gursharan Kaur:

For additional pictures, click here.

- The Moms Buzz

image source: http://www.michellepictures.com

Dos and Don'ts of Online Holiday Shopping

The holiday shopping season has started already - although not officially - and what we dread the most is usually getting a parking spot at the malls and waiting in line to pay.  For busy moms, online shopping is the helping hand we need during this season. It is convenient, fits our busy schedule, no need to fight the traffic, and we can tackle almost all our holidays gift shopping in one seating! (provided the kids are asleep, right? ;))  But, as convenient as it is, we still need to take some precautions when shopping online.  Here are some dos and don'ts of online holiday shopping safety:

Black Friday Deals - Key Sites

So Black Friday deals are no longer on Friday!  It already started in major retailers offering Black Friday deals to kick off the holiday shopping season early this year.  The Huffington Post reports that this early kick-off is partially due to the desperation of the struggling retailers. 

Table Setting Guides

Thanksgiving is just two days away and I am sure so many of you have guests coming over and we want those beautifully harvesty decorated tables to have the correct place settings, right?  Do not stress about this because setting up a table correctly is not as difficult as it seems.  They are two basic rules you want to follow:

Recall Alert: Unprecedented Massive Recall of Cribs due to Infant Entrapment and Suffocation

As you may have on the news, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada, today announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.  Details are as follows:

Food in Season: Pecans!

Yes, pecans is what you want to buy this time of the year.  Although you can buy pecans all year round, it is at harvest season when American pecans are at their sweetest and buttery best!

So, it is now a good time to buy them all!  Store them for down-the-road healthy snacking and holiday cooking coming up starting next week. 

When buying pecans, you should keep in mind the following tips:

• pecans stay fresher longer in their shells.
• the lighter the shell color, the fresher the pecan will be.
• when cracking the shells to get the meaty nut out, do so at the end of the shell, not across the center.  the halves should slide out whole. 
• make sure you store them right if you plan to buy bulk.  To keep them fresh, store them in airtight container in the fridge up to 9 months or in the freezer up to 2 years!

Enjoy pecans!

- The Moms Buzz

source: www.shopsmartmag.org November/December 2009 edition.

Office Gift Giving Tips and Etiquette

I found this article about office gift giving which I thought would be nice to share with The Moms Buzz readers.  These are useful and basic guidelines about office gift giving in case you have some doubt when shopping for your co-workers. It is targeted mostly to the working woman in an office, but the tips provided below can be certainly applied to other situations as well (i.e., neighbors, mailmen, etc.):

Holiday Gift Pick #1: Christmas Books for Children

We were sent some books to pick and choose as favorites to recommend for our holiday gift guide and as  gift ideas for this holiday season.  By far, these are the ones that I really liked and highly recommend.  They are perfect for bedtime or anytime stories for Christmas:

Deal of the Week: Neutrogena Holiday Offer - 25% Off & Free Shipping

Neutrogena^® Holiday offering is about great discounts including 25% off orders of 3 items or more, free samples, and free shipping on orders $25 or more to celebrate the holiday season. Here is the deal itemized with no expiration date until the holiday season is over:

Holiday Tip: The Best AAs for Toys, Cameras and More

These are three words parents do not like to read the day before Christmas, "Batteries not included!" The best way to tackle this inconvenience at the last minute is to buy your own batteries ahead of time, and also because some are better than others.  Consumer Reports tested 17 different AAs, which is the size mostly used in the gizmos found in stockings, toys, remote controls, etc., and these are the best in their categories:

Maclaren Statement to Customers In Light of Recent Recall Events

I was sent this press release to share with The Moms Buzz audience in light of recent events regarding the recalls of certain Maclaren strollers.  Please read:

Neck and Pain Shoulder Relief Ideas by N2Shape

Every now and then, we like to post fitness tips from Ellen Yates, the founder of N2Shape. Ellen always has excellent fitness tips plus secrets about her fitness programs she uses with her own clients.  Here is what she has to tell you about neck and pain shoulder relief tips:

Tips on How to Relieve Athletic Pain

It hurts here and there, what's wrong?" That's what we asks ourselves when we have pain due to an exercise or a movement we did incorrectly.  Here are some tips on how to relieve athletic pain that TheWeek.com has for us:

Sleep Deprivation Facts

Aside from not feeling or looking your best, when you are tired, prolonged sleep deprivation can have health consequences.  As busy moms, our days seem never long enough to cover all the things we need to accomplish during the day and we many time tend to take away from our dreamland hours! 

When we sleep, our body recharges our vital systems, repairs hormones, and renews cells allowing us function at full speed the very next morning. So, when this renewal of our vital systems is disrupted by cutting off sleep hours, the consequences can be dire:

Deal of the Week: Lord & Taylor - 25%-40% off almost everything for baby!

For those moms with babies you may want to check out Lord & Taylor's Baby Sale.  Everything baby is 25- 40% off plus 15% additional with your savings pass, and free shipping if you buy online $150 or more.  The sale is both in-store and online.  Online prices reflect discounts already.  But, use code NOV at checkout for the additional 15% off on sale and regular priced items.  Free shipping is valid until November 16, 2009.

- The Moms Buzz

Healthy Snacking Tips

There has been a rise in overweight children, which means that parents need to be proactive and take an active role in providing healthy snacks for their children.  Below are some healthy snacking tips that I have found to be useful, easy to implement and effective:

Recall Alert: Nacho Cheese and Chili Sauce Dispensers Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

Here is another recall you may want to be aware of in case you own one of these Nacho Cheese and Chili Sauce dispensers.  Details of the recall are as follows: