Enter the Barnes & Noble Inspiration Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 gift card from the store.

There's a winner every day through Dec. 16. Enter the sweepstakes here. What books are you reading? And what's next on your list?

I just finished reading Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. Wonderful story about the demise of the world as we know it and the evolution of humans into far simpler creatures...1,000,000 years from now. Thumbs up!

Happy reading.. and shopping!

--Erika "Frugal Fashionista" Pesantes

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So, there's French shoe designer Christian Louboutin who criticized Barbie this week for her cankles (the term used for fat ankles). Louboutin, who is designing shoes for the famed doll, said his comment may have been lost in translation.

Then there's Filippa Hamilton, who at 5'10" and 120-lb., said she was fired from Ralph Lauren because she was overweight. Touched-up photos of the 23-year-old's emaciated looking body showing distorted proportions surfaced and were used in a department store in Japan. Her head and hips appeared the same width.

She told the New York Daily News this week: "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," she said. "I think they owe American women an apology, a big apology. I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy."

Here are pictures of a healthy-looking Hamilton, and the one used in Japan.

In light of the unfortunate message women are sent to slim down to unhealthy pint sizes, it's time to celebrate curves!

Catherine stores are currently holding a contest in search of a new face for its upcoming campaign. Wanted: plus-sized girls!

It's conducting a real women model search with a prize that includes a two-year modeling contract. Deadline's Nov. 30. To enter the contest click here. Good luck!

--Erika "Frugal Fashionista" Pesantes

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Oh, what a dream for a woman to go on an all-expense paid trip to New York City for a $5,000 shopping spree!

It can be your reality... if you desperately need some fashion intervention. To celebrate its 250th episode, the hit TLC show, What Not To Wear, is holding a casting call for ladies only.

One lucky lady will be crowned The Worst Dressed American and get a hair and makeup overhaul from experts and tips from fabulous fashion duo Stacy London and Clinton Kelly.

Nominate yourself or a friend here.

The deadline is Sept. 25.

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Who doesn't love pasta?

Now, snap a photo of your cute little one enjoying Barilla Piccolini brand pasta for a chance to win the grand prize of $25,000 for his or her college tuition.

There's also a chance for 10 first place prizes of $1,000 each and 100 second place winnings of a digital picture frame. If you're not one of the lucky pasta lovers to get any of these rad prizes, there's always a money-saving coupon for your next Piccolini pasta purchase after submitting your entry.

You may enter the contest through Sunday (June 28) here. There's even a photo gallery of all the cute kids posing with the bite-size pasta, so scope out the competition.

Buona Fortuna!

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Stop by Albertsons this weekend if you have time, there are some great deals, as usual. Prices good through Tuesday May 26th. Some of the Florida stores closed, but the one at Commercial Blvd and Dixie Hwy in Ft Lauderdale is still in business. See other locations in the comments below or search the store locator here
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BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free) on Blue Bell Ice Cream ($6.59 for 2.)

Bush's Baked Beans are 4 for $5. This would be nice with a coupon but I can't find one anywhere

Oscar Mayer bacon is BOGO @ $5.59

Kraft BBQ sauce is .69. Combine that with the 5/3 Smart Source coupon. Or click here for $1 coupon.

Kraft salad dressing is BOGO @ $3.49. Use (2) $1.50 coupons from the 5/10 Smart Source.

Zephyrhills 28-ct water is $3.99

Strawberries are $1.98

Oreo fun Stix are 2/$5 (I picked up some $1 off coupons on a display in Publix)

Cool Whip is 10 / $10. Click here for $1/2 coupon.

Tombstone pizza is BOGO. Click here for $1/2 coupon.

Albertsons had some Kraft coupons on their website. You have to register, click here to get coupons.

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Allure magazine is offering the entire Olay Regenerist line in a sweepstakes this April.

The women's magazine says Olay's Microsculpting cream was named its Reader's Choice winner in two categories.

Enter the contest at Allure magazine to win the entire line including the Eye Lifting Serum, the Detoxifying Pore Scrub, and the 14-Day Skin Intervention—plus several of Olay's Definity products, all worth more than $300.

No ProX here, but a pretty darn good deal. -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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Your dream of an eco-friendly abode may come true if you win HGTV’s Green Home Giveaway.

The 2,430-square-foot furnished home, located Port St. Lucie’s Tradition, comes with a GMC Sierra Hybrid for a total value of $750,000.

The home’s hydroponic garden is irrigated by rainwater collected in barrels. It has a solar water pump. And the wall paint is low in volatile organic compounds, solvents that off-gas and harm the ozone layer.

To enter, Click here and fill out the form. You can enter once a day. Or send your entry to HGTV Green Home Giveaway, P.O. Box 52903, Knoxville, Tenn., 37950. Deadline is June 5.

The home is open for tours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through June 6. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased at the Tradition Welcome Center, located just west of Interstate 95 Exit 118 off Tradition Parkway.

-- Shopper Girl

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Contest information here

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Love American Idol? Is Adam (at right) your fave? How about Lil? Danny?

You can turn your idol obsession into a trip to see the show, a gift certificate or furniture. Just sign up to attend Baer's Night Out American Viewing Party 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. March 25 at Baer's Pembroke Pines store. To register, Click here.

The grand prize is a pair of tickets to the American Idol show, airfare for two and two nights hotel stay. The Karaoke winner will get a $500 gift certificate from the International Jewelers Exchange. You can also enter to win a home theater wall unit. Everyone who attends will get a free in-home consultation with a Baer's designer.

Remember, Idol fans, you have to stay at the store from 8 to 10 p.m. to win.

Sounds like fun.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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Has your best friend been going through hell because of divorce or was dumped by Jason? If you're Melissa from The Bachelor http://abc.go.com/primetime/bachelor/index? or your hubby is a jerk, you need a chocolate spa getaway from Hershey's!

(Part II, the Final Rose The Final Rose, continues tonight. Could it get any worse? Run, Molly, run!)

The contest is a promotion for National Association of Divorce for Women and Children in honor of "Victorious Women Month" in May.

Women are invited to submit a 300 word essay on why their friend deserves a chocolate getaway. There are no entry fees. Contest details are available at Girlfriend Getaway Contest .

The winner and her girlfriend will receive a chocolate spa getaway on in Hershey Park in Pennsylvania from May 15-17. It includes:
* 2- $300 airfare vouchers (one for each person)
* Limo service to and from the hotel
* Poolside room for three days, two nights at Hotel Hershey
* Spa treatments including a Swedish massage, chocolate wrap, a facial and lunch in the Oasis
* Admission to Hershey Gardens

Deadline for entries is April 6, 2009. The winner will be notified on April 20, 2009.

When times get tough, girlfriends go on getaways -- especially if they're free - Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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Marcia and I are both coincidentally blogging about new closets....that was not planned, but as they say, great minds think alike, right? After some research, we have both discovered that a really good component system for an attractive and organized closet is expensive.

I know, if I win the myhomeideas.com $10,000 room makeover, I can do a number on the closet, and get a few new shoes to put in it as well. Don't make fun, I can dream, no?

A $10,000 prize would sure help finish a project or two!

Enter myhomeideas.com room makeover contest

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Shoe fav DSW apparently has teamed with Chevrolet in a promotion, offering a $10 coupon toward a purchase of $50 or more for anyone who test drives a Chevy Traverse Crossover. More importantly, enter the contest to win a DSW shopping spree worth $5,000.

Has American's automobile industry finally realized women are the ones making buying decisions?

Check out the promotion at Happy Shoe Year Sweepstakes.

Just don't drive in your high heels. Not that it's dangerous; it ruins your heels. -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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Mizner Park kicks off a month of holiday shopping events with a fashion show on Thurs., Dec. 4.

The "Holiday Nights on the Town" also features live jazz, wine and food tastings, and the chance at a $2,000 shopping spree at Mizner Park.

A special shopping pass with discounts and specials is available at shops. Go to Mizner Park.com for details and other incentives. I found, for example, 15 percent off at Ann Taylor Loft on Friday, Nov. 28, aka Black Friday. -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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Secrets usually backfire and get us into trouble. Like the fact you hooked up with the ex of your BFF. Like the test you cheated on in Trig class. Like the weight you put on your driver's license.

But this time a Secret can be a really good thing. If you find a faus diamond inside Secret Flawless Deodorant, you can win a flawless $15,000 one-carat diamond. (They are giving away 10 of them.) If you don't see the fake bling, enter the code form the package at secretdiamondgiveaway.com to see if you won one of the other prizes -- shopping sprees, cards, movie tickets, and upscale dinners,

Cool, huh? Who says you have to wait for a man to buy you an expensive diamond?

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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Do you want a new sofa as much as I do? I'm afraid to have anyone over 40 sit it in because they'll need a crane to get up. Down pillows are great until they get old....

Or maybe your sofa is it ripped or torn. Or did the upholstery cleaners declare it unsalvagable?

If you don’t have the excess cash right now to buy another, check out the sofa sweepstakes at BassettFurniture.com. Starting today, in celebration of its 106th anniversary, Bassett will give away one custom sofa every day through Dec. 18. That's one for each anniversary year!

You can build your own sofa on line, like this one, if you win. The price limit is $3,000 for fabric only. Leather, sectionals or motion furniture are excluded.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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As your shopping blogger, I must point out two deals, and one deal or steal -- I'll let you decide.

My fav coffee place, Starbucks, is getting in gear with the weak economy this summer. Every morning when I pick up my Americano, my receipt is stamped for a $2 discount on my afternoon iced grande Mocha. Applies to cold drinks after 2 p.m. -- sweet deal for us coffee addicts.

Panera's also is getting with the program by offering a drawing in each store for a $75 gas card. Haven't won yet, but I keep trying. They pick one each Saturday morning.

Newcomer Kohl's is trying to attract the younger set with its "Rock Like a Star" video contest. Submit a video about your love of denim and you have a chance to win $10,000, concert tickets and other goodies. Only problem is you have to submit it through Facebook, so Kohl's takes all your information as well, which may include your date of birth.

Parents or teens: You shouldn't have anything on your public Facebook profile you wouldn't want your grandma to see. Beware of contests that require more than your e-mail. -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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I know I've been out of touch, but I'm on vacation and doing all of those fun things we never get to do while we are working.

But, my blog friends, I can't resist telling you about a cool contest I read about in my Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

All you have to do is sign on to www.bhg.com and sign up to win a $10,000 Home Makeover, like the kitchen in this photo. That translates into $5,000 worth of furniture and $5,000 cash. You have to create a free account to enter. There's a chance to sign up for free newsletters and a free 1 year subscription to Better Homes & Gardens. There are some other contests as well.

You can enter once a day. Deadline is Aug. 14.

Good luck.

XOXO-- Shopper Girl

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Wouldn't you like to win a $100,000 outdoor design makeover? I sure would. Now that we are being squeezed with high gas prices and spiraling food costs, some of the things we want, like a fabulous outdoor room, have to be put on hold. So why not try to win?

The Frontgate catalog and Coastal Living magazine will select one winner who will get: $50,000 in Frontgate outdoor furniture and accents; $50,000 toward a luxury pool, landscaping, or water feature installation from Master Pools Guild; a design consultation with Elizabeth Raines Beeler, certified designer and decorating editor for Coastal Living ; and a design consultation with an award winning designer from Master Pools Guild.

Just go to www.frontgate.com/coastalliving enter. Online entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. May 31.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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Want to redecorate, but running out of money to do it?

Ballard Designs, the home decor catalog that offers designer looks at reasonable prices, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a contest that could earn you a $25,000 shopping spree and a free design consultation with Ballard’s vice president of merchandising and a senior editor for Southern Accents magazine.

Enter the sweepstakes by visiting Ballard’s Web site at ballarddesigns.com and entering your contact information. You also have the option to participate in a quiz to determine your decorating style — Traditional, Sophisticated or Bohemian.

There will be one grand-prize winner and 250 instant winners, who will get Ballard Designs tote bags. Cool, isn't it?
XOXO-- Shopper Girl

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