Never Gift A Pair of Socks

Things no one has ever said about me:

"Man, Sarah sure is hard to shop for." 

"I wish Sarah would send us her Christmas List."

"Do you think Sarah would be ok with cash for Christmas?"

I'm notoriously easy to shop for. Place a sweaty wad of cold hard cash in a card and I'll be pleased as punch. But not everyone is as easy as I am. You can't hand your mother a wad of cash for Christmas, that would just be weird. My mom has been known to ask for weird stuff for Christmas, like socks. I'm not getting you socks, that is just absurd. Get your own socks. 

That's like opening a present on Christmas morning and out pops a can of shaving cream. Um, I realize I'll eventually need shaving cream, but I could've just purchased this myself. 

Things Never to give a woman for Christmas,  even if they mention needing it...

A Vacuum

Socks

Febreeze

Weight Watchers Cookbook

Aluminum Foil

Gum

A Gift You Gave Her Last Year

Play Station 3

Nothing

Gifts women really love are those that were thoughtful. I wish more men would ask themselves this question, "Is it possible to acquire this gift on December 24th, and have it wrapped and under the tree by December 24th?"

If the answer is yes, give that gift to a dude. If the answer was no, then meet Datevitation.

Datevitation.com is the web's first online platform to create a custom love coupon book. You pick the dates, add an actual picture of your face and can customize the text to your liking. Their date idea library contains over 500 ideas from skydiving to stargazing.  Once you are done customizing the text in your book, Datevitation will print it out and ship it to you. Included with the book is a "surprise" envelope! You don't even need wrapping paper. But just because you don't need wrapping paper, doesn't mean you shouldn't spruce up a gift for the woman who birthed you. Mom's like glitter too.

Although you may have seen Datevitation used on other blogs to make romantic date ideas, I wanted to use it to make a gift for my mom, because I'm not giving this woman socks. She will be visiting me for my birthday in December, so I picked date ideas she can redeem when she visits, like a mani/pedi session! Plus she's always begging me to make her mix tapes (yes, still going to call it that) so I used that as a coupon too!

Oh, and then General and Venus asked if they could make a page in the book for their grand mom. I said yes, and this is what they came up with. Jerks.

Books normally start at just $25 so it makes for a thoughtful yet economical gift. But as a special treat for my followers, you can use the code ‘VENUSMARS10’ for $10 off your purchase plus free shipping (total value of $13.50) That means you can get your loved one a one-of-a-kind gift for Christmas starting at just $15! The order cut-off date for guaranteed delivery by Christmas is December 13 so make sure to get your order in before then!

Or, you could of course just WIN ONE!

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Why I'm Not Celebrating Thanksgiving

What did you think when you saw this title sitting in your blogger dashboard / bloglovin dashboard / *insert however you read blogs here* dashboard? 

That I'm anti-American? 

That I'm really the Wednesday Addams Indian and I hate those cardigan wearing, high ball drinking, golf playing Pilgrims (i.e Sarah Miller)? 

Or even worse........

 That I'm not celebrating Thanksgiving because I've recently starting a weight loss mission? 

.......GASP......

Oh God NO. Nothing like that. I'm a firm believer in Thanksgiving. 

This year though, this girl has tickets to see the Cowboys, I mean Selena Gomez the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving! I of course used StubHub, which is my go to for all tickets. So while you're lounging in your recliner in a turkey coma, search for me in the crowd. I'll be the girl in the cowboys shirt.

And besides the cowboys, here are some other things that are exciting me right now...

:::1::: My Vols are bowl eligible. Oh wait, no that's incorrect, after further video evidence, that bowl eligibility has been overturned. We ARE NOT BOWL ELIGIBLE for the 3rd consecutive season. In the movie Sex and the City, when Carrie asked Miranda, "Will I ever laugh again?" She wasn't talking about Big. It's now clear to me that Carrie Bradshaw is a Vol fan.

And TBD on the laughing again. Fingers crossed, any day now....

:::2::: Oh, you know, no big deal, just mastering my camera over here. Don't mind me. As you may know, I really have struggled with learning my how to use my DSLR. It takes me 30 minutes to take a dang picture because I am constantly adjusting f-go and whatever that other thing is called. As you can tell, I'm very refined and only use proper names for my camera settings. (p.s. I know it is Fstop, you boobs). 

I wish I could say, "Oh hey, this is my desk, it always looks like this, look how effortlessly I throw all these items together and check out my casual sprinkle of sparkle!" But alas, I was practicing my photography and just threw all the crap I owned on the desk. I now keep finding sequins lodged in my keyboard. 

Headphones: Frends // Mouse: ZGallerie // Eat Blog Love Notebook: Crystal Faye // Pop Fizz Clink Cards: Kate Spade // Polka Dot Notebook: Kate Spade (Similar) // iPhone Case Paper Source // Pencils Crystal Faye 

Some of these are too blurry, some of them are blurry in the wrong places, some were too light, some were too dark. I'm getting there though! But I think the more I throw all my crap on the desk and practice, the better (and I sure as heck hope faster) it'll get! 

:::3::: I'll be back tomorrow with my last post before the holiday, but just an update, no Fan Friday linkup this week. Get out there are shop instead! 

:::4::: Yesterday was my first weigh in at Weight Watchers. I was down 6.4 pounds in one week.

$150 To Target + Meet and Greet!

What a very happy Monday it is! Only 3 days this week, we got this! Today I've got my sidebar pals taking over with a meet and greet plus this month's giveaway! Click it or ticket. 

The Florkens

:::Nailed it::: 

Why Pinterest Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations for Wedding Photos // Why I Didn't Take Adam's Last Name

:::Get Social:::

Bloglovin // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Kate and Adam:::

Starletta

:::Nailed it:::

Honesty: The Baby Debate // A Moment When My Life Took a Turn

:::Get Social:::

Bloglovin // Twitter // Pinterest // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Tara:::

Chits and Giggles

:::Nailed it::: 

I Am Plus Sized: Revisited // Why Weight Watchers Works for Me

:::Get Social:::

Bloglovin // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook

 Life of a Lost Muse

:::Nailed it:::

7 Things // Completely Beautiful

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Tiffany:::

Tossing the Script

:::Nailed it:::

My Body: A Manifesto // A Moment of Gratitude

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Rachel:::

With Love and Heartness

:::Nailed it:::

Font: Or Why Interstate Signs Are Annoying // The Song I Didn't Forget

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Kaylee:::

With Love, Rachel

:::Nailed it:::

Weekend Safari // Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse With Things in Your Purse and Kitchen

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Rachel:::

Be Blessed Y'all 

:::Nailed it:::

Identity  // Africa Recap

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin // Facebook

Life According to Kenz 

:::Nailed it:::

10 Things That Suck About Being a Woman // A Time To Let Go

:::Get Social:::

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin // Facebook

:::To GIF You A Better Idea Of Kenzie:::

Oh, so you want to win some stuff? Fine, you got it. How about $150 to Target?

Magen ::: Kippy ::: Sarah
Tara ::: Rachel ::: Emily
Sevi ::: Kate



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Tunics and Leggings

How long can one girl get away with Tunics and Leggings? Tunics, high-low shirts and long billowy tops are really cute. So many pretty, feminine styles to choose from. Oh who am I kidding, I love them because they COVER MY HUGE ASSet.

So tunic length shirts came back in style a few years ago, and now leggings are of course popular and look so chic. So, you are telling me that I can get away with stretch pants and a glorified night gown every day at work? Dear Fashion Gods, please don't let this trend go out of style because, until I lose this 26 year old baby weight, I will not have anything in my closet I am comfortable wearing to work.

I've always been so self conscious when it comes to my body, particularly my butt. I like to think that the long tunic covers up what I want no one to see, so when someone makes a comment about how I've got a Kardashian booty, I am oddly surprised.

But, how did you notice that? I am wearing a shirt that is three sizes too big and could double as a tent for the next time I try my hand at camping.

You'll never see me in tight clothing. I'm always dressing for around my body.

I think when you start a weight loss journey, it is important to set goals for yourself that aren't just about the number staring back at you when you step on the scale. So here are my non-scale victories I want to achieve:

1. I want to take a picture and not have to spend a minute and a half moving my head around so that my face is at a flattering angle for the camera. An angle I don't feel fat in.  

2. I don't want to make the photographer take my picture 47 different times

3. I don't want to have to crop my images so that my fat arm isn't in the picture when I post it

4. I want to feel confident wearing shorts

5. I want my boots to fit like this.... instead of the "zipper won't zip up all the way" fit I currently have.

6. I want to buy a pair of pants from Forever 21. Not because I particularly love their pants, but because they don't make pants big enough to fit my big booty, never have. 

7. I don't want to dread Summer.

8. I don't want to dread the beach.

9. I don't want to feel sad anymore when I look in my closet. I want to feel like there is a world of possibilities in that closet, rather than racks of clothes that look like crap on me.

So those are my non-scale victories I want to achieve. And I'm going to. We are going to!  

What are your non-scale goals? 

Saturday Sessions: It's All About The Button

Saturday Sessions is very late to the party today because she was having a little facelift. Looks better right? I've been wanting to put today's Saturday Session post together for a couple of months now, I just haven't gotten around to it. 

So you've got a blog and you want to grow, you now are ready to use your hard earned money to purchase advertising space on other blogs...

Don't Stretch it Out

This is your hard earned money. If you use the same size button for every blog you advertise on you might as well just take the cash out of your wallet and throw it in the garbage can.  You're wasting your money. For example, say you buy ad space and the pixel size is 300px wide by 100px tall. But the button you upload is 200px by 250px. This is what your ad will look like:

Would you click that? I wouldn't. Think about your blog as a business. What if Miller Light bought a billboard on the highway, and just said F it and used an ad image they had previously made for, let's say, a magazine ad. Would you consider this a waste of money if you saw this billboard on the highway?

Do Design a New Button for Each Ad You Purchase 

It takes a couple of minutes to make a button for your blog. You're going to be on someone's sidebar for 30 days, I think you can manage two minutes to make a new button that is the proper dimension. Or you can purchase a new button design from a designer if you want something more professional! 

Do Use a Picture

I'm sure I'll get many people that disagree with me, but I'm so much more likely to click a button that has a picture on it. And keep in mind, if you are a little bit more reserved and would prefer not to have your face plastered across your button, think outside the box. I just said a picture, I didn't say it had to be a picture of your face!

Here are a couple of buttons I've made that don't have my face on them, but still use an image.

Do Design A Button For The Blog You're Advertising On

This is my favorite tip to share with you. I've been testing this theory for a couple of months and it is really working. I design a new button for each blog I advertise on. I pick the image based on the blogger, the type of blog they write and what I think will attract their readers to click my button. 

For example:

1. If I've met the blogger, I will use a picture of the two of us. 

I realize this is not even remotely possible 97% of the time, but can you think of a better advertisement? Say you read Helene In Between regularly, and there on her sidebar sits an ad for a blog you've not heard of before, and the image is Helene and another girl. You're going to click to see who this girl is, right? If Helene is friend's with her, then this chick is probably someone you'll like too! I've met Helene and Sami, so when I advertise on their blogs, I use pics of the two of us! 

So if you're lucky enough to have met other bloggers, always use pictures you've taken with them as your button on their site! 

2. If you're advertising on a blog with a specific niche, use an image that relates to that niche. 

I advertised on Eat Yourself Skinny, and I used an image of me in the kitchen opening Champagne. This was a far better choice than an image of me eating ice cream (which is another button I have). 

When I advertised on I Wore Yoga Pants to Work, I knew Whitney and her readers like to party and have fun, like I do of course, so I used that button I posted above of me holding the Jack Daniels. When I advertise on fashion blogs, I try and use a picture of me that is a bit dressier, and of course, a bit glittered up! 

Advertising on travel blogs? Pick an image of you traveling. Advertising on weight loss blog, use a sportier image. If I bought space on my own blog I'd probably use a picture of me tailgating. You get the picture? pun intended.

The main thing to take away from this post is to put a few extra minutes and some added effort into designing your buttons. Once you design one button, the rest is easy. Just reuse that design concept and adjust your image / size according to the blog. 

As always, feel free to leave a comment asking any questions!