"I Love Princesses"..."I Know"...

I'M TOO OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may have heard about Disney's limited-time merchandising...I'm going with "experience", here...where you could purchase a figurine of your likeness frozen in Carbonite? It was launched during Star Wars Weekend, and much to Thomas' weeping and gnashing of teeth, we missed it. Well, now the personalized action figure opportunity is back, only slightly different.

Photo Credit (This and All): Disney Parks Blog

Yes, you can now be a Disney Princess! At least, you can be one if you're between 3 and 12 years-old and have a parent or legal guardian's permission. I'M TOO OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "D-Tech" process takes about ten minutes, and the princess of choice will be personalized to match the child's hair and skin color, as well as bear the child's likeness. In 5-7 weeks, the 7-inch figure will arrive at your door. Pricing runs $99.95 plus $15.95 shipping, with additional 7-inch figures running $74.95, and 3-inch figures priced at $39.95. A silver charm bracelet is included with each purchase.

Admittedly, the finished product can be a little...I don't want to say "creepy", but that's the only word I can come up with. I don't know what it is, but I find them just a bit off-putting. I still want one--don't get me wrong--but I think it's just seeing a child's face on an adult's body that's throwing me. I also don't understand the age restriction. There wasn't a max age for the Carbonite figure. Why one for princesses? I know some 13 and 14 year-olds who would go bonkers for these! Plus, an adult face on an adult body makes more sense. I think Disney is missing out on a very important demographic here. Plus, think of all the Mother/Daughter sales they could be making! The mind boggles.

What do you think? Creepy or Cute? What about the age limit? Leave your comments below!

Talk About a Makeover! Sephora's Gorgeous New Site

Photo Credit: Sephora

If you've had any trouble accessing the Sephora website, you're not alone. The online home of the popular dealer to most of us beauty junkies underwent a massive facelift, and this morning's reveal left traffic a little, well, clogged.

I didn't have to wait too long, though, to access the new and improved site, and I have to say, the wait was worth it. The changes are subtle, and all of your favorite pages and links are still intact and easy to find. The overall layout has simply been streamlined, with a few welcome additions.

It Lists is one of my favorite new sections. Here, you can find the top products in several different categories, such as mascara and luminizers. This one area will probably save me the most time, as it'll cut down on the number of products I have to research to find the one I'll buy.

Another thing that's changed for the better is the My Account section. No longer do I have to click link after link to find my Shopping List or Recent Orders, nor do I have to guess what the 100-Point Perks might be. All of that is listed right there on your account page, along with exactly how many points you have, including points earned that day. Even the 500-Point Perks and items bought at Sephora Inside JCPenney are represented.

I have truly enjoyed surfing the site today. Leave it to Sephora to have a beauty of a website.

Frugal Friday: Santa Baby!

Photo Credit: Apple

No doubt about it, the holidays are beyond stressful! First of all, they're expensive. Secondly, you have to come up with the "perfect" gift for everyone on your (if you're like me, evergrowing) list. Thirdly, to get these gifts you either have to go to the over-crowded mall and be stepped on and crushed and coughed on, or do your shopping online and hope to God the mailman actually delivers your gift, and that it's not stolen before you can get home. Alternately, you may have to go to the post office to pick up your package, and my post office just so happens to be in the mall...which renders online shopping to avoid the mall pointless. *headdesk*

I miss being a kid. I miss Santa. Lord knows, I have no desire to wait in the horrendous line (at the mall) with a bunch of germy kiddos to sit in his lap and tell him that all I want for Christmas is my dignity back. No, thank you. I did, a few years back, travel through the 34th Street Macy's Santaland, but mostly because of David Sedaris (Please check out his Santaland Diaries!!), and I opted to go on the grownup route and skip talking to the fat man. Santa represents magic, wonder, and the innocence of childhood. Plus, he does all the work. I really need a little Santa in my life, but on a level that doesn't leave people questioning my sanity (more than usual).

In my quest for a little Christmas magic, I ran across a few freebies and cheapies that, believe it or not, did make me just a twinge jollier. It's not snowflakes and cocoa and Rudolph's nose, but it's a start.

Talking Santa smartphone app: I'm not recommending this. I'm not putting it on my own phone, so why should I tell you to put it on yours. It takes up a ton of memory that I'm not willing to give up. However, should you have tons of memory to spare, you can:

Talk to Santa and he will repeat your words.
Poke, swipe or tickle Santa to see his various reactions.
Run Santa over with a huge snowball.
Give Santa milk & cookies.
Touch the bag to see your gifts.
Send customized Christmas cards (email, MMS or Facebook)
Record videos and upload them to YouTube & Facebook or send them by email or MMS.

For Android, click here. For iPhone, click here (99cents for iPhone).

@santa on Twitter: Read status updates and ask the jolly one questions with this real-time feed!

Free Letters From Santa Claus: Choose what message you'd like to send, pick a color scheme, fill in a few details (name of child, wished-for toy, etc.--nothing personal), download and print! For $2.99, upgrade the graphics and add a personalized, decorative envelope.

NORAD Santa: Countdown to Christmas Eve and track Santa's route with this perennial favorite! Free apps available for Android and iPhone, too, so you can check in on old Kris Kringle from anywhere!

Northpole.com: Play games, chat with elves, and even send Santa a letter--and get one back--while you explore Santa's workshop and village! Ever seen a disco dancing Santa? I have. A super fun hoot for the holidays. Bif, the mailroom elf, says my letter from Santa should be ready in three days! (Letters are free. Upgrades are available for a fee.)

*UPDATE! I just got my letter from Santa, and it's absolutely precious! It looks like it's on official North Pole letterhead, and reads:

Dear Erin,
I really enjoyed hearing from you this year! As you know, Christmas is right around the corner, and we have been very busy this year at the North Pole. The elves have been finishing up all the toys to deliver to the good girls and boys around the world, and we've been preparing my sleigh for the long trip Christmas Eve. It has a new coat of shiny red paint and new blades so the reindeer can fly faster!

Once my sleigh is packed and ready to go, I'll be off on my journey around the world. I'm reading your letter right now, and it looks like you've been a very nice girl this year. That makes me so happy. Keep up the good work!

While you are asleep on Christmas Eve, the reindeer will quietly land my sleigh so I can tiptoe into your home.

I see that you like stuffed animals. I love stuffed animals too. I sleep with my teddy bear every night. He is warm and cuddly, and he is my best friend. The elves have been very busy this year making many new and different stuffed animals for Christmas!

Mrs. Claus is calling for me so I must go now. I think I smell hot chocolate, too. It must be time for my break! I just love hot chocolate during the Christmas season!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Have a Merry Christmas!
 

Your Special Friend,




If you have a few minutes, and would like to have Santa send a special child in your life a personalized message, head over to NorthPole.com and fill out the free form. It only takes a moment, and the letter will be ready in three days--just in time for Christmas!

Happy Haunts and Helping Hands

*I wrote this on Friday, if that means anything...

 

Today's Frugal Friday comes courtesy of Couponing to Disney, a fantastic site for deals and freebies, run by a fellow Disney-file. I swear, before my last trip, I was on that site daily. According to the site, Disney has released free Haunted Mansion wallpapers for electronic devices. There are also wallpapers for Dumbo, Pirates of the Carribbean, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if the ghosties aren't your thing. Click here to download.

 

 

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

 

See, this is what Halloween is about: safe scares. Celluloid slashers, haunted hayrides, and the aforementioned grim, grinning ghosts provide plenty of screams, but with the knowledge that nothing is really going to happen to you. The slashers stay on the screen. The hayride ends with laughter and hot apple cider. There will never be more than 999 residents of the Haunted Mansion. It's all just pretend, and all in good fun. Unfortunately, not all scares are safe ones. In fact, about 1 in 8 women will, at some point in their lives, have their wits scared out of them when they find out they have breast cancer.

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have two super easy and not completely unselfish ways you can help (sometimes doing good has its perks). First up, from now until Halloween, Smashbox is donating the entire purchase price of their O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss ($22, Smashbox) to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. While you're there, if you spend $75 or more, you can pick up a special gift: a black mini-clutch with pink lining and a full-size Fusion Soft Lights in Brighten. Just use code BCA2011 at checkout.

 

If that's a little too rich for your blood, the nice folks at E.L.F. are donating 100% of profits from sales of Twinkle Pink Glitter Gloss and Wild Watermelon Glossy Gloss to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. At only $3 each, you can snap up a few to put aside for stocking stuffers. Again, the donations are for sales made now through Halloween. Thank you!!

 

When iPads Break, Puppies Cry

I'm what you might call "behind the times". Yes, I have an iPod. The last time I updated it was...um...I want to say Ought-Six. I'm currently carting around the tome that is the seventh Harry Potter novel instead of a cute little Nook or Kindle, and I'm fairly certain my smartphone would trump me on an IQ test. All this is to say (please don't hurt me), I don't have an iPad.

I promise, I'm not going all hipster on you. I don't ever intend to go back to the manual typewriter I learned on, even for some ironic reason, like "I'm above technology, so I'll bang on these old keys while listening to vinyl, next to my television set that I've turned into a planter". No, thank you. I like my laptop, my Droid, and my interwebs. I'm just not good with technology (it hates me), so I've been slow to jump on the whole iPad bandwagon. Maybe if I traveled more...or were better at touch screens...and didn't drop everything I touch...

In any case, a lot of you out there have iPads, and frankly, I'm a little jealous of your technical prowess, and wish to live vicariously through you for a bit, so I compiled a few of my favorite iPad cases for your viewing pleasure and shopping convenience. You're welcome.

I adore this little Super Mario Bros.-inspired case. It's a 1-Up shroom, and completely precious. The HoobyGroovy Etsy shop has other gamer designs, as well, including a red shroom, a goomba, and a ridiculously cute Yoshi. $49.95, Etsy.

Photo Credit: HoobyGroovy

This next one gets props for cleverness. Made in the same factory as the toy, this Etch-A-Sketch case not only protects your device from breakage, but also acts as a very low-tech theft deterrent* by asking, "who would steal an Etch-A-Sketch?" It's spot-on, and when paired with the Etch-A-Sketch app, a fun little trip down memory lane. $39.99, ThinkGeek.

Photo Credit: ThinkGeek

I don't care how old I get, I'm always going to be a sucker for two things: sparkle and Sanrio. I love me some Hello Kitty. This is temporarily out of stock on Amazon, but normally it retails for around $25.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Now, here's one I can afford! It's a DIY case made from a kitchen drawer liner, colorful duct tape, and velcro. It's super-cute, and shouldn't take more than a few minutes to make. Plus, it's completely custom, so it's completely your personality! I seriously may make one for my laptop.

Photo Credit: The FashionStake Blog

Okay, now back to trying to figure out how to get the pictures off my phone and onto my computer. This could take a while...

*Seriously, people. Don't leave your iPad unattended. That's just begging for trouble, cute case or no.

Driving, Tunes, and Why I'll Never Be On a Game Show

Okay, I officially suck. I did get the pictures from my Disney trip, and they're really cute. They're just not on this computer, and I have no way of getting to them until later this evening. *headdesk* Soooo...I'll just leave you with an embarrassing story to tide you over until I can anti-climatically post the now over-hyped photos. Enjoy.

Thomas and I drove to Orlando. It's about an eight hour drive down some of the least scenic, most boring stretches of highway you could ever hope to never have to encounter. To pass the time, Thomas brought along his iPod, and we listened to some of the podcasts he'd been able to stockpile. When those ran out, he switched over to albums, and started to play some of the Doctor Who soundtrack. Out of utter boredom, I started trying to play "Name That Episode" with the score.

Me: Oh! That's the pirate episode!!
Thomas: No, it's the Titanic. I don't have any Matt Smith stuff on here, yet.
Me: Got ya. Okay. (Next song) Oh! Oh! Daleks in Mahattan!
Thomas: Empty Child.
Me: Shoot! Well, similar styles, I guess. (Next song) Is that something to do with cybermen?
Thomas: Erin, that's TRON...
Me:...oh...thought it sounded familiar...

So, not only do I suck at photos and Doctor Who trivia, but I apparently can't even tell the difference between Who and TRON. Turns out, though, that I'm not the only person mashing the two together. For your listening and viewing pleasure, I give you abstractvmilk's well-edited DW/TRON mash-up video. I'm especially impressed with the lip-sync. If you're not into either Who or TRON, don't worry! I'll have different stuff to play with tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe there'll even be some un-asked for, overly sold vacation photos.