Topic Talk—Holiday Hodgepodge!

Today's Topic Talk post is a hodgepodge of shopping tips, best buys, holiday pic tales, and Black Friday stories. We are thankful for the great GNO Gals for their submissions!

• Abby at Steals and Deals
  
• Elizabeth at Parenting Pink
  
• Holly at June Cleaver Nirvana
  
• Jamie at The Heiner Clan
  
• Julie at The Cool Mom Guide
  

Steals and Deals offers several tips for buying gifts on a budget. Here's a great one:

Don't pay full price for anything. This might sound like an impossible task, but with the internet at your disposal, you have a grand tool to accomplish this, even if you are not making the final purchase online. Every time I "checkout" online I open up a new tab and search Google for online coupons. 99% of the time I find a 10-30% discount code, or a free shipping code, or a dollar amount off when you buy a certain amount like $10 off a purchase of $30. I always check "Steals and Deals" for their most recent posts to see if there is a tip I can use for this particular purchase.

Parenting Pink highlights fab finds for girls. Yep! They are all pink just like this Roadster!











June Cleaver Nirvana talks about a topic many of us can relate to—snapping the perfect holiday pic, or not! If you haven't read Holly's blog before, don't delay another minute. She's got humor coming out her ears!








The Heiner Clan poses the question: Do You Black Friday? Then, she shares her thoughts. Can you relate?

I think part of why I love shopping on this day is because I have money to spend. I am almost expected to spend. I am not just spending frivolously. It's for Christmas, so it's ok. I think of everyone on my list and what great things I will find at a great deal. I started going out years ago and think of it as a tradition now. Sometimes I go by myself, sometimes I talk my sisters into going with me.

The Cool Mom Guide, provides a great "must haves" list for kids from 9 to 92 like this great Nintendo Dogs for boys!

Thanks to these amazing GNO Gals for their Topic Talk posts.

Wanna be featured? Please comment here or e-mail us at mommygossipgnoATgmailDOTcom and provide your BLOG URL,
linking to the holiday shopping post you'd like to contribute.

Wanna follow your favorite GNO Gal Pals? Visit Mommy Gossip—GNO's Who's Who page to follow or to be followed on Twitter.

Topic Talk—Holiday Shopping

Enjoyed GNO Monday night? Had fun getting to know other GNO Gals? Here's a way to get to know them even better... through their blogs.

Give it up for these GNO blogesses for giving us a great start to our holiday shopping season!

• Barb at The Coupon Cupboard
• Cindy at Mom Maven
• Cori at Notes of Complicated Simplicity
• Debbie Delicious Baby
• Mamanista
  

The Coupon Cupboard offers great advice for eBay shopping. New to eBay? eBay veteran? You'll love this post.

The holiday crunch is right around the corner. Don't let this become another year of scrambling for gifts and paying much more than you have to. If you've never tried eBay before, now is the time!

Some shy away from eBay just because they've never tried it before, some have heard horror stories about items paid for and not received, while still others have preconceived notions that eBay is too confusing and not worth the effort. Not so! Buying on eBay is easy, you'll save money, and best of all, it's fun!

Mom Maven promotes gift-card presents, but also includes some fantastic watch outs
for using them.

...Complicated Simplicity talks about one of her favorite traditions—Black Friday:


















Black Friday. You either LOVE it... or HATE it.

For me? Deal hunting is a year round sport and in my family,"Black Friday" is not just a day to shop ...its a day of tradition! We look forward to it all year long!... I'm serious! It's right up there with Christmas...and why shouldn't it be? Next to getting shoes, handbags or diamonds ... getting an amazing deal is one of the few things in life that puts that twinkle in a gal's eye.... and actually getting a deal ON shoes, handbags or diamonds? OBVIOUSLY, the ultimate Utopia.

Delicious Baby provides terrific tips for traveling with children this holiday season. This was one of my favorites:

Blue Painter's Tape or Duct Tape
My articles on 10 Reasons to pack Duck Tape when you travel and Babyproofing using blue painter's tape were so unconventional that they got a lot of attention when they were first published. If those don't convince you to pack a small roll of tape, consider the fact that BlueTape is endlessly fascinating for toddlers, and a great way to make a (removable) race car track on your hotel room floor.

Mamanista, in the hottest toys for 2008 section, reviews many great products that promote "creative pretend toys," such as this one.

Play tents create special spaces for their little occupants. My mom used to toss a sheet over two chairs and this simple cave miraculously transformed into whatever I could imagine. If you are looking for something more substantial, your little one will love the Gigatent Fantasy Palace Play Tent (Amazon - $48). Another favorite is Le Cafe ( KB Toys- $40).

Thanks to these amazing GNO Gals for their Topic Talk posts.

Wanna be featured? Please comment here or e-mail us at mommygossipgnoATgmailDOTcom and provide your BLOG URL,
linking to the holiday shopping post you'd like to contribute.

Wanna follow your favorite GNO Gal Pals? Visit Mommy Gossip—GNO's Who's Who page to follow or to be followed on Twitter.