Since 1940, women have been able to purchase beautiful, trendy clothing for modest prices at a place known as "Charming Shoppes". Flash forward to the 1960's and this clothing retailer changed its identity to "Fashion Bug" and the rest is budget retail history.

Fashion Bug is now celebrating 70 years in the retail business and wants to share it with you! The entire month of September, they will be offering special promotions, offers, and a big sweepstakes including the chance to win a 2010 Volkswagen Beetle!

Customers can enter for a chance to win other prizes like a week long trip to Walt Disney World theme parks or be one of 100 lucky third place winners to receive a $100 gift card to Fashion Bug! To register to win, click here.

Fashion Bug card holders can also score 70 bonus fashion rebate points with every purchase made between September 1, 2010 through September 31, 2010.

Are you looking for stylish clothes that don't break the bank? We have a huge selection of retailers offering amazing deals on clothing and accessories!

Our sister site, The New Parents Guide, is in full giveaway mode this month! Are you a parent, pregnant, know someone who is pregnant or a parent, trying to conceive, or are thinking about trying to conceive? This is for YOU. (And it should cover pretty much everyone, right?)

The New Parents Guide offers a huge directory of products for babies, toddlers, and children in addition to resources for moms and dads navigating through the journey of parenthood. There are tons of articles from choosing the right car seat to potty training. A diaper service directory, coupons from top baby retailers, childproofing services, and more are available. In addition, there is a travel guide complete with family friendly resorts, baby equipment rental directory, top travel destinations, tips on traveling with kids, and much more!

This week from August 30th through September 6th, 2010, you can enter to win a My Brest Friend giveaway prize basket! Simply check out The New Parents Guide blog to learn how to enter.

More weekly contests are coming up, so make the blog at The New Parents Guide one of your daily stops! If you are on Facebook, we recommend you "like" these pages to stay up to date on the best deals, merchandise, and parenting information:

The New Parents Guide

My Brest Friend

Tjoos (Hey, you know we had to sneak it in...)

I had a lovely evening the other night with my husband. We went to the vineyard we were married at for our anniversary. After dinner, we strolled out into the vineyard with a bottle of wine, sat by the pond, and enjoyed the beautiful evening. It was a great time, but I discovered the next day, we were not alone.

Mosquito bites. I have mosquito bites on my legs, arms, ankles, back. What on earth? I was apparently the special on the menu!

It has frustrated me to no end that I can spend 2 minutes outside in the evening and come inside to find 20 places that need scratching. My husband never gets mosquito bites. Ever. Why can't I be a human citronella candle? WHY?

This got to me to wondering why some people are more likely to be bitten. There have been several theories including the possibility that women are more likely to be bitten than men, but to date these have been unfounded. The current theory is that some people are more attractive than others because of certain soaps, perfume, and chemicals in food that may be excreted through pores. Either mosquitoes like it or not. It is important to note that not all mosquitoes are pests - only females draw blood from their victim in order to be able to lay eggs. This "bloodmeal" is replaced with saliva at the place of impalement. The body's immune system begins the process of breaking down the protein in the mosquito saliva and this reaction can cause itching.

Well, I feel "schooled". But I still itch. It is all I can think about. So, I looked up possible remedies. There are a million - toothpaste, calamine, hydrocortisone, nail polish, bar soap, you name it.

So, excuse me while I slather up a little Colgate-calamine-Ivory soap-nail polish concoction - I need some sleep...

Last year, Zhu Zhu Pets were all the rage before Christmas. People scoured through stores to find one of these furry little hamsters and shelves were left bare where they were once stocked. People were paying upwards of $50 or more for one of these little creatures in an effort to not disappoint the kids in their lives that had one on their Christmas list.

At the time, I really didn't get it. Sure, back in my kid days we had a similar frenzy happen. I remember happily opening up my very first Cabbage Patch Kid at my birthday party. A family member had scored one of the very last dolls at a nearby store. Back then these dolls could incite a riot if word got out they were present in the toy aisle. Having one of these dolls in the early days meant you were a lucky little girl.

But the Zhu Zhu Pet isn't a doll, I thought. It doesn't come with adoption papers and possess a very unique name for that particular toy. What in the world does a Zhu Zhu Pet do? I was soon to find out.

My daughter, Peanut, has been insisting to have a hamster. A real live hamster. She is much too young and I am much too leery of having any rodent like creature purposely living in our home. In an attempt to make peace, I allowed them to go pick out their very own Zhu Zhu Pet. I thought that it was just a stuffed toy, but it is a hamster, so it is better than nothing.

I was so suprised to discover the Zhu Zhu Pet comes in a huge variety of designs, come with names, chatter, chirp, and zoom around the floor. What's more, if they bump into something, they can actually turn themselves around. They spin, they hop on carpet, they are well...kind of cute.

The girls are elated. There is no talk of a real, pooping hamster. It's been a win-win around here.

Oh, and my skepticism is withdrawn. They may not be a Cabbage Patch Kid, but Sweetie and Tex are here to stay.

Yeah, you will never hear me say those words. Who really likes to brag about themselves? Who likes to think so highly of themselves that they are willing to walk around and tell people just how wonderful they are?

My daughter, Jelly Bean, is one of those people.

Now, before you think that I have a little ego-crazy hellion on my hands, let me explain. She is only three. That might make the explanation better or worse, but she seriously doesn't have a conceited streak in her body. She just likes to entertain and to please others. Some think she will be in the theatre when she is older. Only time will tell.

She is really into putting on beautiful dresses and in the beginning, everyone would say, "You look so pretty." So naturally, she puts on a dress and says, "I so pretty, mommy."

When her sunglasses are on, those around her would laugh and tell her, "Wow, you look so cool!" Of course, she now tells everyone, "I'm so cool" when the shades are on.

Grandma recently gave her a new Tinkerbell hat and she loves to show it off. She will stare at herself in the mirror and pose and smile. One time as I was trying to get her out of the bathroom, I teased her, "Honey, you are adorable...now get over it and let's go!"

In reality, though, there is something refreshing about someone who truly likes herself. Love of self is not an attractive trait by any means, but having a certain amount of self confidence helps a person to be well adjusted and able to tackle whatever life throws at him or her. Her self esteem might serve her well for those moments when someone may try to squash it away. If she remembers there are people that love her exactly the way she is, those moments of contention will leave less of an impact.

In the meantime, my job is to help her nurture her confidence in a productive way that does not detract from others or gives her a false sense of empowerment. Wish me luck. 

Weekly Coupon Roundup is a spotlight featuring exclusive coupons from some of the best Tjoos retailers.

Looking to get a jump on the holidays before the first snowflake falls? Are you planning the perfect Christmas tree, gorgeous fireplace mantle, one killer outdoor display, or a kicking holiday extravaganza? Boy, are you in luck! Now you can prepare ahead of time for the best holiday ever without putting a cramp in your cookie jar! So, start writing your list, check it twice, test your twinkling lights, and get the blueprints ready for a sweet gingerbread house. We have the deals to sweeten your candy cane!

Looking for the perfect Christmas tree? Christmas Tree Mania has a huge selection of artificial trees including fiber optic, garland, wreaths, candle holders, and more! Plus, you can have a holly jolly time with $20 off your order of $100 or more right now!

Now that you have your tree, it is probably looking a little naked. Dress it up with some beautiful glass ornaments from The Christmas Duck! Right now, when you spend $50 or more you can get $10 off your order! With that savings, you can stock up on your favorite ornament themes like The Nutcracker, equestrian, snowman, seashore, and many more!

Do those strands of lights have you all tied up? Well, this year you can make it much easier for yourself with easy to install Christmas tree lights! You can score big with $20 off purchases of $100 or more going on through the end of December at Cool Christmas Lights!

Get ready for a fun, festive time this season. You will be ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays with plenty of money still left in your pocket!

Whether you are a family of 1 or 10, a little organization can make a happy home. One way to stay organized is using a pantry list. A pantry list is like taking inventory in your home like a restaurant or store takes inventory of their products. For families with little time on their hands, it can be frustrating to spend an hour at the grocery store only to come home and realize that several important items were not purchased.

A pantry list is broken down into categories. For example, one category could be "Dairy" and this consists of milk, butter, yogurt, cheese (all known dairy items), but also eggs, rolls of biscuits, etc. These items may not be dairy, but they are close by in the refrigerated section. So, they are put into the same category for ease of shopping and working through the list.

The list should be everything you would buy regularly. Anything that makes it into your home on a weekly basis as part of your dinner menu, essentials, etc. It is important to leave spaces to write in additional items for when you need to have something special. Before a shopping trip, take your pantry list and walk through the cupboards in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. Check in with family members to see what personal items are needed. Write in quantities next to each item on the list. When creating the list, have the exact amount to always have on hand listed next to each item so you can simply add in your missing quantities based on your current supply.

Depending on your shopping habits, you could organize your list differently:

• If you shop at only one grocery store, organize your list by grocery aisle.

• If you have a co-pilot with you, you could split the list into 2 and set out on your separate missions to cut the time of your shopping trip in half.

• If you shop at several grocery stores, you could have separate lists for when you prefer to purchase something at one store versus the other.

A simple pantry list can be created in EXCEL so that it can be modified over the years based on needs - kids, changes in diet, changes in taste, moves, etc. There is a lot more that you could add to it - a pricebook, menu plan, etc.

For even more technologically savvy people, there are many iPhone apps available that can get the job done. Check out In My Pantry or Pantry By PantryList - either of these apps are sure to deliver a walking pantry list right in the palm of your hand.

Stay organized, keep your shelves stocked, and never be without toilet paper. That is truly the key to a happy home.

Have you ever had one (or a thousand) of those days where there are so many things on your plate that you just go into Auto Pilot? Do you ever get to the end of your day, exhausted, knowing you never sat down once, but you can't remember a single thing that you did?

Yeah, I am having one of those days.

Today I have been been rushing around trying to check things off the 'ole "To Do" list. There is much to be done and only 24 hours to do it! If only there were more hours in the day. Or more days in the week. It probably wouldn't help though. There would just be even more to do.

How can I possible get everything done that needs to be done every single day? Forget the weekly and monthly chores. I can't even keep up with the laundry and dishes much less think about mowing the lawn or washing the windows.

So what is a woman to do? How can I find a way to de-stress from all of the responsibility that is on my shoulders?

Pour a glass of wine, of course! A glass of wine is guaranteed to take the dust off the shelves and make those clothes look considerably less wrinkled.

Now, while this may not be quite true, it is not going to stress me out. The chores will be there tomorrow, but this bottle of wine? Well, it probably won't.

Today is my wedding anniversary. My husband and I have been married for 8 years. It was this time 8 years ago, that we anxiously said our "I do's" at a beautiful vineyard in front of family and friends and partied the night away with several bottles glasses of wine. It was a special day and one that people still say was a very good time.

The past 8 years have been filled with good times and challenging times. There have been days when the world is everything as it should be - things go our way, we are at peace with what we are doing and what we have, and life just seems so easy. Then there have been days when dark clouds roll in and life turns into a big rollercoaster filled with unexpected twists and turns, difficult decisions, and stressful moments.

I remember the great moments - making an important move out of state, buying our first home, landing great jobs, and the best, having healthy twin girls. These are the celebrations in our life that we can look back fondly and say, "We did that. That was our doing."

It's the not-so-great moments that we want to forget. Those times when life is just so difficult that we don't know how we could come through it. It is in those moments however that I believe our relationship is strengthened.

Like a fine wine, our lives are a blend of many varietals. It is not when those varietals are left alone, do they turn into something wonderful. Instead it is during fermentation (a state of agitation or turbulent change) when it will change into something sweet enough to savor.

Honey, I savor you. Thank you for a very good time. I look forward to whatever life brings and I still say, "I do."

My 3 year old twins are heading off to preschool in a few weeks. They are excited. I am excited. We are just a big ball of excitement around here. We toured the school last month and the girls were easily impressed by the classroom full of toys, activities, painting, circle time - the whole kit and kaboodle! We checked out the gym where there is a climbing area and mats for running around. Oh yeah, they think this place is sweeeeeet!

I am excited for a whole other reason. Well, actually for several reasons. First, I think they will have a blast. They need to make friends, be around other adults, and experience new things that we may not be able to do here at home. Secondly, I am looking for a little time away. I love my daughters deeply, but for the past 3 1/2 years, we have essentially been glued to the hip. It has been a rare occasion when they have not been with me. It's time for mama to have a few hours to herself again.

My job lately has been to create happy anticipation about school. I don't have to work really hard at this - they are so eager to go that I am asked regularly if they can go to school today. I truly hope that once they experience school, this feeling will last. And I hope that it continues on throughtout their school years though time will tell.

I think that if my husband and I set an example that learning is fun and an ongoing process that hopefully they will have that same attitude toward school. Even as adults, though many of us do not attend school, we are constantly learning whether it is in our jobs, hobbies, or those even harder "life lessons".

So, the girlies are off to school this year. It's time for them to get on the road to learnin' - after all, they are in it for the long haul!