New blog for shopping tips/favorite things

Most of the search engine traffic I get on this blog is a result of searches like "initial jewelry for moms" and "favorite gifts." Therefore, I've decided to create a separate blog, The Shopping Guru, for sharing my favorite things/shopping tips. I just started this one, and will be adding to it very soon. If you'd like to follow that blog, please visit the site and select a method for following (e-mail, reader, Google Friend Connect). Thanks so much for reading!

More Food Favorites

Being at the tail end of my pregnancy (at least I hope the end is somewhere near!), I am trying to enjoy eating before I have to start working on shedding the weight. I thought perhaps I should add a couple more favorite things to my list:

If you saw my previous post touting the virtues of etsy (a wonderful website where individual artists sell jewelry, art, clothing, etc.) and also fell in love with that little site, than you might like foodzie, which is a site for people to sell their homemade goodies. Both sites are great places to find unique gifts.

My other favorite for today is chocolate infused with hot peppers. I know, I know, it doesn't sound particularly appetizing, but you must give it a try before you judge. My favorite so far is the Hachez chili mango bar

Lindt also has a chili cherry bar, though I haven't tried this one yet.

Anyone else a fan?

Initial Jewelry for Moms That Isn't Cheesy - Gifts for Moms

Note: I recently migrated shopping finds to a new blog, and you can find other initial jewelry recommendations there in a recent post.

We had a successful weekend selling about $300 worth of stuff on craigslist.  If we can close the sale on one more item, our grand total will be $1000!  So....I'm itching to spend money, and of course I want to spend it on something fun and impractical instead of using it for a household budget item.  That just doesn't sound fun.

As  mom, it seems I've been unable to resist a few of the cheesy mom things, like jewelry with my children's initials or birthstones.  I haven't bought anything yet because most things are, well, cheesy.  Or they are just plain ugly.  I ran across a couple of items that are really cute, stylish, and cheap!

Here is a necklace with one initial, but I would buy several of them (with different initials) and layer them.


Or you could go with this necklace, which has several initials on the same chain. 

This one has room for a little more information about the children.

This one would make a pretty cute gift for a new mom.

Speaking of gifts, I've been racking my brain trying to think of a good gift to send one of husband's friends.  She has sent us boxes and boxes of hand-me-down clothes for our daughter.  I know it is a hassle to box those up and get to the post office to send them, especially since she has two kids and a full-time job herself.  I have only met her once, and my husband isn't much help knowing what she would like.  Any ideas?