Yoplait Thick & Creamy lowfat yogurt

Shea Terra Organics Pink Guava Pomegranate Indigenous Shea Butter Dead Sea Salt Scrub: I got this as a gift where I reviewed it for another blog. This is a high quality scrub where the entire mixture is really combined well instead of parting when let alone (oil rising, etc). It lasts a long time and the smell of the pomegranate one is a smell that I love and haven’t smelled anywhere else. Body Scrubs
Smart Shopping Tips: When you buy from a quality company that’s doing good things for the world, you get a selfish burst of feeling good about yourself. This company is by far one of the best companies I’ve ever read about in terms of how they give back to the earth and people. In addition, the jar this comes in is really durable. When I was done with the product I rinsed it out and it looked totally new, and now I’m using it for my own mix of brown sugar and vegetable oil which I also use as my own handmade sugar scrub when I don’t have any other kind but really need some on my ankles or elbows (the winter months are cruel to my skin!) So, reuse!
Coupon Tips!: Sign up for the Shea Terra Organics newsletter and you’ll often get access and alerts about special deals.

John Mayer Battle Studies CD: John Mayer’s newest album. It’s amazing. He’s amazing. I may be drooling – and I don’t care. Pretty sure he’s seen drool before. Battle Studies
Smart Shopping Tips: Invest in good music.

Maybelline Express Finish Nail Polish in Brisk Berry: It’s a dark, dark berry color that can almost pass for red in the right light. I get sick of red nails if I want to paint them to be festive, and this berry-hue is exactly what I needed as a pick-me-up.
Smart Shopping Tips: I don’t see it for sale online so get thee to a drugstore!

Well, it’s really hard to shop for guys. Seriously. What do you buy a guy for Christmas? Usually I have no clue. Which is why I’m on the hunt, early! Of course, these are gifts for guys in their teens/20′s/early 30′s – considering the store. They’re silly gifts, but guys often do like silly things. Usually I’m baffled because the only things guys like are super expensive things and it’s like – okay, but I can’t buy you a new Wii! Anyway! If you have to buy a present for a teenage boy? This is your go-to store for cheap Christmas gifts.

Ghostbusters Key Caps ($6.00)  are funny and I think they’d be appreciated. Although they are not really a substantial gift on their own.

Album Frames (2 for $20.00) are very cool – let the dude think he’s musically hip even if he isn’t!

Bottle Opener Ring ($8.00) because it’s actually useful!

Bone Foot Socks ($8.00) because he really liked Donnie Darko.

Urban Outfitters has a ‘cheap gifts’ section and I’ve looked around to see what is worth a purchase. Stuff I don’t like? While the Cupcake on a Rope is cute, who really wants to bother with soap on a rope? I’d skip the Lace Pedestal Jewelry stand because whoever you buy that for you’re really dooming to a lifetime of dusting that thing all the time.

Thoughtful gifts! I like the Love and Toast hand cream ($10.00) as a gift because everyone uses lotion (or SHOULD) and it’s not too personal of a gift. Plus, it’s cute! Candles are amazing! And they’re always a great gift. You can never have too many candles. Urban Outfitters has great candles on sale. There’s the Apothecary Candle for modernists & Illume Cylinder Candle for artistic folks ($12.00). Plus Aunt Sadie’s Holiday Candles ($18.00) are great for the traditionalists.

Useful gifts! The Mini Branch Wall Hook ($12.00) is a useful and cute little item. The site has a ton of little knick knacks – most of which you don’t love enough to buy for yourself so why would you give it to a friend? Back to useful things – the Robot Toothbrush Holder ($8.00) is really cute.

Important EDIT: Christian Siriano just announced on Oprah that everything he has done for Payless is 50% off. Go to Oprah.com to find the Payless store nearest you and to get the coupon. There ARE a few things that might be nice but a smart shopper knows that even though something is suddenly only $15.00 doesn’t make it a good purchase if you still don’t love it. I suspect this coupon rouse might be because his items aren’t selling.

Christian Siriano is doing shoes for Payless, which is instantly a mood-lifter. (He was the winner of Project Runway, remember?) Except…well, until you SEE the shoes. I’m torn. First off, the shoes and boots Siriano has done look very much like the ones designer Rodarte did a while ago. But my biggest problem is that I’m not sure if many of these shoe designs are wearable for the every day woman. One might argue that the reason they’re so affordable (all of these shoes are under $50) but still funky is that you’ll buy them just for special occasions. And if you’re a younger gal in her 20′s then it makes sense to buy them. But otherwise, I’m just not so sure.

Siriano has also done handbags but I’m less impressed by them – I think they should be MORE out there, more SPECIAL! The purses for payless look like almost anyone could have designed them. And we want to buy them for Siriano’s MARK on them!

You can view all of the Christian Siriano handbags and shoes on Payless.com. There is definitely a tonal difference between what Siriano had previewed on the runways and what has made its way into the store.

(First shoe shown: Christian Siriano for Payless Carolina Pump $34.99. This is the one shoe I really do like by him here, I do think this one is wearable.)

Christian Siriano for Payless Patent Zipper Boot $49.99: Payless.com says, “Designer Christiano Siriano fuses some of fall’s hottest trends into one totally wearable boot.” The boot is CUTE but uh, NOT wearable in the snow and slush. Even in the fall it’ll make your toes cold. One of our She’s Smart Style Tips: Pass on something cute that isn’t really wearable. You’ll thank me later.

Payless Zippered Flat $29.99 – From the side these look ugly until I realize that flat gold thing is a ZIPPER. Well, I can dig that. And these ones are also wearable.

Strappy Sandals $29.99 – The way the top band is cut (and the thickness) is going to actually make your ankles look fatter than they are and give you cankles, rather than slimming them. BAD! Such a  rookie design move. If you’re a model who is size 0, it’d look okay. But uh, who is really a size 0?

Bottom line: These are mostly unrealistic shoes for women in the real world.