Eyeona Shopping App Works

Remember that Eyeona Shopping App I mentioned? Well it works. This morning I received this alert.

Thanks to eyeona.com, I already saved $8.05. And before Black Friday!

Fall in Silicon Valley

Who says we don't experience a change of seasons in California?

Sure, most of us don't get to trounce in snow in the winter and our weather can be a bit wacky at times. Nevertheless, leaves do change, rain falls, and the air chills.  And if you look around you, you will be rewarded with the vibrant foilage of fall in November.

eyeona aims to help smart shoppers save money

I don't know about you, but nothing ticks me off more than buying something only to find out that it gets marked down the next day.

And if you are a diligent and smart shopper and hold onto receipts and monitor sale prices so you can get price adjustments, you are probably in the minority.


Here are some sobering stats:

• 1 in 3 items go on sale within 30 days of purchase AND
• most consumers missed out on over 20 billion worth of price adjustments last year alone.

Today, some very savvy people launched a shopping app that they claim will help you.

Savvy shoppers, meet Eyeona--eye-on-a--get t?  Eyeona has partnered with 40 retailers (more will be added weekly) such as Anthropologie, Best Buy, J Crew, and Toys R Us.  Their goal is to help put some of that money back into your pocket.

Here's how it works. You shop at Toys R US; after you purchase, you scan your receipt with your iphone. If your item/s happen to go on sale within 2 weeks, you will receive an alert.

Some more cool things about the shopping saving app: you can make some deals.  Let's say I want a certain top from Anthropologie, I either scan the barcode or look up the item. And then I just enter the amount I would like to pay for it. Then, if the price drops to that price, I get an alert.

Ohhhh the possibilities. I'm having fun with this new app. I've already been racking up items in my "Deal Maker" queue.  I also plan on loading up on toys at Toys R US in anticipation of Black Friday.

Their "Deals of the Day" displayed on the home screen, is also a cool touch.

I already found a smoking deal, this Evie dress from J. Crew, marked down from $198.00 to $59.99. Of course, have no idea where/when I'd wear it...

Of course, if you are a savvy shopper like myself, you will only end up paying $41.99. Why? Well see that big promo code in red up there on the left?  MUSTHAVE will save you an extra 30% on sale items at J. Crew.  (One can only wonder what monetizing/advertising opportunties abound with such an app.)

The app is in beta, so naturally there are glitches to be worked out. However, I'm already loving this app.

I can tell this is the start of a beautiful shopping relationship.

Eyeona can be downloaded in the app store and you can also access their website, eyeona.com  (an Android app is in the works).

Disclaimer: I received a free brunch, an iphone Savvy.com cover and money to spend on a Savvy shopping spree. Viewpoints and opinions expressed are my own.

5 Myths associated with Domestic Violence

Since October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, I thought I 'd mention 5 common myths associated with domestic violence.

Myth #1: You weren't hit or physically battered; therefore you weren't abused!

You don't need to hit someone to be abusive. Verbal and emotional abuse can be just as much damaging, if not more so. Verbal abuse, according to author and internationally renowned verbal abuse expert Patricia Evans, is defined as:  

• withholding, bullying, defaming, defining, trivializing, harassing, interrogating, accusing, blaming, blocking, countering, diverting, lying, berating, taunting, putting down, edifying, discounting, threatening, name-calling, yelling and raging.

Emotional and Verbal abuse is REAL abuse. Further, Evans claims that in many ways verbal and emotional abuse is worse than physical abuse, as it wears the victim down and breaks her spirit.

Myth #2: Victims suffer from very low self-esteem and/or are mentally ill

Not all victims suffer from low esteem; in fact, their self esteem may have been intact in the beginning but the abuser's tactic is to slowly chip away at a person's self esteem.

Myth #3: Abusers suffer from some type of mental illness, personality disorder, has anger management issues or other problems.

Domestic abuse is usually a "learned behavior". Sometimes a batterer may also suffer from another disorder, which certainly can make things more complex. However, domestic abuse is a separate issue and must be dealt with accordingly.

Myth #4:  Abusers abuse because they"lose control" and are helpless to curtail their violence. They just have no self-control.

Abusers are masters of control and manipulation. Abusers in fact, use "control" very well. For instance, a husband may be calm and collected at work, yet feel entitled to come and batter his spouse and/or children.

Myth #5: It can’t/will never happen to me!

Unfortunately, no woman is immune. Domestic violence affects 1 out of 4 women. Domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate. It happens within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and financial levels.

Domestic Abuse is all about Power and Control

Resources, If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please contact any of the following:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
website http://www.thehotline.org/
phone#   1−800−799−SAFE(7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

YWCA Support Network For Battered Women 
phone# 1-800-572-2782 
website http://supportnetwork.org/

Some tips on escaping an abusive relationship http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/09/28/5-ways-to-escape-an-abusive-relationship/

This post was inspired by Jamie Patterson's book Lost Edens. I received a complimentary copy as a member From Left To Write book club. Opinions expressed are my own.

American girl dolls Halloween

My 11 year old (yes, she still plays with her dolls, thank God!) quickly put these costumes together for her American Girl dolls , and she then took this picture on my iPhone.

Thankfully, she did not inherit her mother's deficiencies when it comes to crafts or sewing.

Happy Halloween!

Petting Zoo

Recently I've been helping out my friend who owns a petting zoo. I've grown quite attached to the animals, especially the goats.

Charlie, the lovable & mischievous clown

Goats possess the most lovable and mischievous personalities.

Annabelle, the mellow & affectionate one.

It is such a joy to witness the gleeful expressions on the children's faces.

Moonie, all prettied up. Kids love putting braids & hairclips in her mane.

And big kids too. I got a kick out of seeing one father break out in a giant grin when the goats trotted up to him, begging to be petted.

Getting Unstuck

If you are the artistic type, what do you do when you find yourself in a rut? I’m talking a really big rut.

Recently, I found myself stuck. Life threw some pretty heavy stuff at me and where I once possessed boundless energy and stamina writing in notebooks and banging away on my laptop for days on end, suddenly I couldn’t even bring myself to look at my laptop. It sat on my desk untouched for months, buried beneath junk mail.

Sure, some people can solider on. Just force yourself. Will yourself to write through your pain.

How I wish I were one of those people.

In my virtual book club, From Left to Write, I was drawn to this month’s novel, Carry Yourself Back to Me because the protagonist, Annie, finds her creative energy zapped. A successful singer-songwriter, she finds herself abruptly unable to sing or create music after her longtime boyfriend leaves her for another woman. Compounding to her heartbreak, one day her brother is thrown in jail for murder.

I won't give away if or how Annie gets her groove back (or any other details of the plot). But I will share something that helped give my artistic side a nudge.

Animals, especially horses.

My friend has a bunch of them. Horses bring a smile to my face and riding again (I grew up around horses) has energized and inspired me.

(Not to mention, horseback riding is excellent for your core.)

I love the whinny that reverberates throughout the air when Diesel, one of my friend’s horses, greets us. Or the way he bangs his head up alongside me, (apparently he always does this after a ride).  I could sit on a horse for hours doing nothing other than gazing out into the amber hills of New Almaden, drinking in the musky smell from the mixture of leather and alfalfa.

Oh,  I just love the smell of horses.

Riding clears my mind, enlivens my senses.  I feel more alive. Free.

And suddenly I want to write.

What helps you break out of a rut?

Deborah Reed's debut novel Carry Yourself Back to Me follows heartbroken singer-songwriter Annie Walsh as she digs into the past to exonerate her brother from murder. As a member of From Left to Write book club, I received a copy of this book for review. You can read other members posts inspired by Carry YourselfBack to Me on book club day, October 4 at From Left to Write.