I really wanted a three-stone diamond ring for my birthday, but money is tight right now and we can't afford a few thousand bucks for a ring.

So I wanted one with three big princess cut stones. And I wanted them to look real. And I wanted a quality ring that wouldn't tarnish or turn my finger green.

So I looked and looked and searched all over the internet. I finally found a website called Inspired Silver. They had a gorgeous ring that was just what I wanted (to see it, click here)!  It is made from silver (matches my white gold wedding band) and coated in a material that prevents it from tarnishing like sterling silver does.

I was so psyched!  The ring is under $30 and they had it in my size! Anyhow, if you've read my other blogs, you know that I am a member of My Power Mall and love that every purchase I make through my own personal mall earns me money back and earns me free hotel stays. So I decided to go to My Power Mall and see if Inspired Silver was on the mall. It was!  I was soo happy!

But, if you knew me, you know I wouldn't stop there. I had to see if I could sweeten the deal even more!  So, I went to one of my favorite sites for coupon codes, Coupon Mountain. And I found a code for 15% off!

So I got a great birthday gift, a great deal, and earned myself some money back plus that purchase put my monthly My Power Mall spending over $150, so I got a great hotel stay package, too!

And...since I was SO HAPPY, I wrote to My Power Mall's staff about this great deal and they've put it in today's newsletter. Check it out by clicking here and scrolling down to Testimonial.

Whether you are celebrating your upcoming marriage or the birth of a baby, chances are that you want to make the best start possible in this new and exciting stage of your life.

You'll register at your favorite stores and your loved ones will shower you with gifts and well-wishes. 

I'll bet you didn't know that you can make your registry do double duty!  All you need to do is get yourself a free My Power Mall and then ask your guests to shop your registry from there.  This will work if you're registered at Macy's, Target, Kohl's, Linen'n'Things, or any of the other over 1,000 stores on My Power Mall.  It's 100% free and you'll get all of the following benefits:

• You can register for your gifts online or in-store as long as your guest buy the gifts online through the mall
• Your guests will earn rebates on every purchase, plus vouchers for free hotel stays to a destination of their choice if they spend $50 or more
• Every purchase your guests make through your mall or their own mall under you will earn you cash you can save toward a new home...or anything you need

To learn more about My Power Mall and get your own mall, click here (be sure to turn your computer's speakers on!).

If you haven't finished or haven't even started your holiday shopping, you're in good company.  Many of us are in the same boat...but no fear, you CAN get your holiday shopping without running around all over town, trying to find a parking space at the mall, fighting crowds, waiting in line or any of those other things that sometimes makes this time of year more stressful than merry! 

If you haven't already, try doing most of your shopping online. You can do it from the comfort of your home and save the time you'd spend driving and the money you'd spend on gas. Plus, now is a great time to shop online many retailers offering online savings codes for savings off purchases, free gifts with purchase, and free shipping.  Sign up on the websites of your favorite e-tailers and many of them will send you these codes via email. You can also check out sites like couponmountain.com and bargainist.com for savings codes and sales alerts.

Armed with these savings codes, then head to My Power Mall and get your own mall full of stores you know and love and other great stores you may not have discovered yet. Shopping on your own My Power Mall site will get you loads of benefits including the following:

• Rebates on every purchase
• Percentage of every purchase donated to One-Child-At-A-Time
• Free vacation vouchers earned at various spending levels 

This holiday season, while you're buying gifts for loved ones, save yourself some money and some stress, donate to charity without any additional out-of-pocket expense, and earn a free hotel stay at the destination of your choice...all at the same time.  That's what I do!

For more information on how you can get your own free mall and start getting great gifts easier, click here.

I love to get my holiday shopping done long before the holidays. I start shopping in September and October.  Why start so early? 

Top Five Reasons to Start Holiday Shopping Early

1.  Get the best prices and the best selection

     Shopping early means you have the greatest amount of time to watch for the best sales, bid on items, and shop around.  It also means you'll have longer to browse and more selection to choose from before the hordes of shoppers come and snap everything up. 

2.  Have time to return things

     Let's face it, sometimes you change your mind about a gift purchase.  You'll find something more perfect at another store or you'll find the same item on sale somewhere else.  Shopping early means having plenty of time to change your mind or get your price adjusted.

3.  Avoid the crowds

     Shopping early means not only arriving at the stores long before the crowds have begun to descend upon them, depleting merchandise selection and causing long waits at the check-out.  It also means having the time to shop on-line, if you choose, and having plenty of time to get things delivered to your door (or to the door of a loved one) without having to pay for priority shipping.

4.  Avoid the stress of having to buy everything of once

     Some people (such as my husband), love the rush of shopping at the last minute.  They find it exciting to frantically search for the perfect gift amongst throngs of last-minute shoppers on Christmas Eve.  The rest of us probably prefer to to get the shopping done enough ahead of time to avoid the last-minute rush and the anxiety of not being able to find the right gift in time.

5.  More time to enjoy the holidays

     Along with avoiding the stress of last-minute shopping comes the freedom to enjoy the holidays without all of that last-minute running around. Getting the shopping done early means more time to spend with family and friends (assuming they've planned ahead as well), more time for sledding, skating, baking, decorating, caroling, charity work, and any other activities you enjoy.

Happy Shopping!

For some great places to start your holiday shopping at many of the stores you'll find at the mall plus many more (1,000+ stores), click here.  As a bonus, a percentage of your purchases is donated to a needy child.  Visit My Power Mall for details.