Recessionista Shopping Tips

Still want to shop but can’t afford it?

According to fashion stylist Colin Megaro, shop your own closet to reinvent old pieces and stay fresh for each season!! Instead of spending money on new clothes, invest in a personal closet consultation with a professional stylist. Colin Megaro’s “Wardrobe Renovation and Closet Inventory” service (NY and LA, price upon request) gives you hands-on support and advice to make old items new and make what you’ve got work for any season and trend.

Here are a few of Colin’s tips to make the most out of what you’ve got in your closet and spend as little as possible:

1. Clean out the closet. Take the time to remove every item out and go through each one. Make piles of clothing that you never wear, clothing that no longer fits and clothing that is still worn. Take the pieces that you don’t wear to your favorite charity and donate them. The closet will be less cluttered and you’re helping those less fortunate. If all else fails, remember it’s a great tax deduction.

2. Items that no longer fit properly: If they are too small, donate them along with the items you are no longer wearing. If they are overly big, slightly short or even out of style, take them to the tailor. Pant hems can be let down; shirts can be shorted and even made short-sleeved; skirts can be reworked into the newest styles. Tailoring items can give you the current styles at a fraction of the store cost.

3. Finally, let’s face it, most of us love the thrill of shopping. If there are items that you need to purchase, be smart and strategic about it. Everything is on sale now so look for the best deals you can get. Pick a few must-have items and let yourself have them. You’ll feel great after scoring a deal. If you are heading out to do a bit of shopping take yourself to H&M, Zara, Macys, Century 21, and even TJ Maxx. At the end of the day style is not about a label. It is about feeling great about what you are wearing!

See Kai Run

Superbowl Parties on a Budget

We are all struggling right now due to the bad economy, everyone we know has been affected in one way or another. We decided to put together some great tips, recipes and ideas to host a great Superbowl Party on a Budget, so even in these tough times we can all still get together with friends and family for a great American tradition.



Superbowl Potluck Templates

An evite or email is a cost effective way to send out an invitation, just look for one with a football theme

Decorate with flags and other signs of your favorite football team

Use plastic footballs as bowls for chips and dips

Put out a large tray with chicken wings and pigs in a blanket

Order a few pizzas and a salad

If you have kids at the party, give away sports bottles as favors for them.

Fill with different sport items, don't bother going crazy but some sportfruit snacks or something along those lines.

Get some black face paint and tell the kids there will be a face painting. Of course all you will be doing is adding the black football lines under theeyes but the kids think it is a huge hit.

Use your Jersery's as chair covers, and it doesn't matterif they are a winning team or not.

If you want balloons, pick your favorite teams colors and just make a fewgroupings of them in the room..groups of 5 tied to a football or a helmet inthe corner is always a nice touch.

Make little ham and cheese sandwiches shaped like footballs and a punch bowl and name it Touchdown.

Check out Entertaining Escapades for great Superbowl Tips and Recipes Ideas.

For an Adults only party group together with other families and hire 1 sitter rather than having each family hire a separate sitter - http://babysitters4hire.com/

MyPunchbowl.com is a critically acclaimed event planning website that has helped hosts throw amazing Super Bowl parties since we launched in January 2007. Anyone can sign up for free.

Check out Celebrations' Super Bowl parties page, on which you'll find an article titled "Cheap Super Bowl Party"



We had so many great recipes that we wanted to share with you they need their own page! Click here to see some great Superbowl Recipe Ideas.

Stretching Your Meat Dollar from the American Meat Institute offers practical tips that people can use to stretch their meat dollar in a time of rising food prices - check it out here.