Saving with Style

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Good Morning Everyone!

With my time quickly coming to a close here at Upromise.com, I thought it appropriate to take a look back at the last year and the best of Saving with Style.

I will resist the urge to be completely obnoxious and suggest that my very first day on the job was indeed a shining moment - I mean, I thought it was fun, but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't qualify as a "best."  However, tackling men's fashion was a high point - and I suggest that you print out this article and hand it inside your husband/boyfriend/brother/dad's closet for future reference. While he might not ever go all Marc Jacobs and don a Man Skirt, he may be totally open to carrying a nice bag, perhaps a murse - after all, every fashionable man deserves a nice bag.

And if you love high fashion but hate the price tag, print and keep this article about which mass retailers have major designers creating their very own lower-priced lines. Target is well-known for hosting big name designers, but do you know who else has them? Oh, and while looking for these designers, don't forget to stop by JCPenney and check out the new looks in their women's department. Or, hit up eBay - you'd be surprised how many designer labels you'll find listed at this virtual auction site for the world.

Speaking of the land of fashionable clothes, organic clothing has become as hot commodity too. From underwear to bedding, organic clothes and organic personal care products are everywhere. In fact, my daughter has a t-shirt from Old Navy that says, "Green is the New Black," echoing the sentiments of eco-conscious minds everywhere.  But is it really all it's cracked up to be? Read up and find out.

With all the clothes in my house, I have to do my own laundry. I don't necessarily like it, but I do it. To make it easier, I follow a few certain rules, especially when it comes to taking care of my beloved favorite tshirts - a staple in my summer wardrobe. However, I have a friend that drops all her laundry off and has someone else wash it and dry it. Ha! She's clearly single because if she wasn't, she could never afford to do this. However, even in her laundry-free life, she still avoids clothes that need to be dry cleaned - my article "Forget Dry Clean Only," was written with her in mind.

The three best places to find deals on shoes when shopping on Upromise.com will never go bad. What women doesn't love shoes? Some, like me, have an unhealthy obsession, but I've got to be honest, I don't just love shoes for myself. I love them for my daughter, babies and kids I don't even know, and busy executives that have never met me. I love organic shoes and shoes that I can design myself. In short, I just love to look at shoes, period. What I don't love are shoes that pinch my feet - no matter how cute or sexy they are, if they don't fit, I'm not wearing them. That's why I learned early on how to find my perfect sole mate.

With all this fashionable reading, you know you'll be doing some online shopping,  just be sure to clean out the closet first so you have plenty of room for your new duds. And if you're hesitant to buy online, read my quick and dirty tips to shopping online; honestly, the first time is the hardest, after that, it's easy as pie. Don't believe me? Think about these top 10 reasons to do your (holiday) shopping online - I'll bet you think twice the next time you get ready to drive to the mall.

And with summer right around the corner, it's once again time to talk about why UPF is important in kid's swimsuits and how to choose a bathing suit for yourself. Face it, standing in a barren dressing room with flourescent lights is not your favorite thing to do; make it a little easier with these shopping tips.

Want to make sure you ALWAYS save for college when you shop online? Be sure to install the Upromise Turbo Saver tool bar - I can't tell you how much more I've saved since I did. It's easy and painless - in fact, you'll forget it's even there until you need it.

With that, I'll close. And after Friday, I'm going to finally follow up on that New Year's resolution to treat myself once in a while.