With Mother’s Day fast approaching on Sunday May 13, Magshop’s magazine subscriptions are the perfect last minute gift idea. Because after all, what mum doesn’t love sitting down with a cuppa and a magazine?

And wouldn’t the ultimate thank you for a lifetime of love, be taking her on a luxury mother and daughter overseas holiday? Swanning through the tropics of Tahiti together, before shopping up a storm in Los Angeles? Sound like the stuff dreams are made of?

Well, Magshop is making this possible for one lucky subscriber. Simply by giving your mum a magazine subscription for Mother’s Day, you go in the draw to win a trip for 2 to Tahiti and Los Angeles including $5000 spending money.

You’ll fly business class with Air Tahiti Nui, luxuriate for 7 nights in deluxe accommodation in Tahiti, spend 6 nights in an overwater bungalow at the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, enjoy 1 night at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort, before jetting over to L.A. for 7 nights at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City.

With Magshop offering the a diversified range of magazines from Australia’s leading publishers, there’s no shortage of titles to choose from that cater for every mum’s cup of tea.

If your mum is style conscious and takes pride in her home, there’s a comprehensive range of home improvement magazines including Real Living, which is devoted to women who enjoy creating a beautiful ambience in their home, whipping up gourmet meals for their family and shopping for gifts for their loved ones.

For the mum who enjoys the finer things in life and likes staying up to date with the latest interior design trends, think Belle. For the green thumb, ABC Gardening, Australian House & Garden or Burke’s Backyard dispense expert advice that will help her create a stunning and thriving garden.

Or, if she’s crafty then there’s Australian Quilters Companion, Australian Homespun and Australian Knitting. And of course, every mum can always use more recipe ideas to feed the troops with Recipes Plus.

{This post is sponsored by Magshop Mother’s Day gift promotion.}

By Gaynor Alder

Have you bought your mum a present for Mother’s Day yet? I don’t know about you, but I’m going online. Especially since simply by giving your mum a Recipes Plus or a cooking magazine subscription {amongst other magazines} you go in the draw to win the following:

1. Return Business Class Airfares for two people from Sydney-Tahiti-Los Angeles flying Air Tahiti Nui.

•         7 nights luxury accommodation in Tahiti:

•         6 nights stay in an overwater bungalow at the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort.

•         1 night stay in a twin-share room at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort.

2. 7 nights stay in a twin-share room at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City.
3. $5,000 spending money.

But a trip to LA & Bora Bora isn’t required to lure me to shop online. Not only because I’m time poor, but also because, well, if truth be told, I’m a shopping procrastinator. Which means you’ll often find me breathing into a brown paper bag to abate panic attacks whilst running around Chadstone Shopping Centre on Christmas Eve. I vow to reform my shopping faux pas and be a good little girl this Mother’s Day.

But go shopping on a Saturday after working all week? Too hard. Schlep around the shops for hours whilst trying to find something, and agonising over whether she will like it? Way too hard. Queue up in Myers for hours the day before Mother’s Day? I think I may need a Valium at the mere thought.

Shopping online means I can find the latest sales at the click of my manicured nails, without having to visit every store in the southern hemisphere to compare prices. Easy. Shopping online means that I can send my sisters links to things I think my mum might like and get their knowing approval. Super easy. But best of all? Shopping online means I can peruse stores from the comfort of my chaise lounge, whilst draped in my silk dressing gown. S.O.L.D.

{This post is sponsored by Magshop Mother’s Day gift promotion.}

Image Credit {1}

 1. Clinique Turnaround Concentrate {Spend $60 and receive free shipping, plus Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, 4ml black High Impact Mascara}

2. MOR eboutique {Receive 15% discount online. Use promo code MOR015 – excludes gift sets and sale items. Plus they offer free samples.}

3. Redken {20% off RRP}

4. GHD {$50 off}

1. Narciso Rodriguez For Her {Reduced from $170 to 147.40}

2. Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker {Reduced from $120 to $69.95}

3. Flora by Gucci {Reduced from $139 to $109.89}

4. Burberry Brit for Women {Reduced from $100 to $84.25}

1. Personalised cards from Moonpig

2. Saba Gift Voucher {20% off Women’s Knits}

3. Myer Gift Voucher

4. Westfield Gift Voucher

Click here for other ideas from our shopping directory of online stores.

Stuck for a Valentines’ gift idea for your man? No time to go shopping? Well, The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide has got your cupid’s ass covered. Here are some fabulous ideas that are all available online. Just get your manicured nails at the ready and clickety click on the purple links. Easy. We like that.

1. iPad 2 from Vodafone

2. Steve Jobs autobiography $17.49 on Amazon.

3. iTunes voucher from the Apple store

4. iPhone 4 with Siri from Vodafone

5. Books from Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)

6. Discounted books from Amazon.

7. Personalised Valentine’s Day cards from Moonpig. Only $5.95, printed and posted the same day.

8. Buy a Wine Selectors subscription and have wine sent straight to his door.

9. Magazine subscription from iSubscribe.

10. Choose from over 2500 unique experiences from RedBalloon.

11. A giftcard from Westfield. or shop their 100 online stores with free delivery.

12. Get him a DVD subscription from Quickflix (with the first month free).

13. Clinique For Men

14. Ben Sherman shorts

15. Calvin Klein Underwear

16. Wallet from Saba

17. Tie from Saba

18. Redken for Men haircare at discounted prices

19. View the complete Saba for Men collection

For those of us who have visited or lived in the UK, we all know a number of things:

1. Standing on the right side of the elevator in the underground is a crime punishable by death.

2. Sharing an apartment with 13 other people in London will cost you more per month than the Italian national debt.

3. Marks and Spencer’s fabulous food hall is the only place to shop for gourmet take home meals.

But, there are so many more reasons why Marks and Spencer (or ‘Marks and Sparks’ as it is affectionately known) is an institution in the United Kingdom. Think exclusive designers like Conran tailoring homewares for the high street, style experts keeping you abreast of key fashion trends and new season must haves, tips from wine connoisseurs on M&S TV and sublime recipe ideas to bring out the Nigella in you.

For those of you in the UK, well I have to say is – you lucky doers. Because you can not only swan in and out of their stores, but you can also shop online with free UK delivery for orders over 30 pounds.

Do not fret, for those of you have returned to the motherland after years of living in the UK and are still pining for Marks and Spencer, you can still order from them online and keep abreast of the latest in UK fashions, homewares, gifts and sale items. Because we may not miss jostling for a spot on the train as though the carriage contained a sandwich and none of the passengers had eaten for a month, but we sure do miss the cutting edge designs and clothing.

Or, you can send your friends gifts overseas without having to pay exorbitant amounts in postage and the hassle of worrying whether your parcel will get through customs in one piece. M&S deliver to 80 international destinations, making it quick and easy to send a gift abroad to loved ones from Marks & Spencer.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching on February 14th, why not I say I love you by sending flowers, chocolates or gifts from Marks and Spencer?

Click here to visit the range of Valentine’s gifts and flowers on offer from Marks & Spencer.

Click here for delivery information within the UK.

Click here for delivery information for international deliveries.

Click here to purchase tickets for Hairspray from Living Social Daily Deals, and you can also click on the city you are in to view other fabulous you can partake in. But hurry, as you only have 12 hours left for this daily deal.

Get your ticket free! Buy, share, and if three friends buy, yours is free.

Have you heard about Living Social? Well, I suggest you get on board quick sticks. They offer fabulous one day deals from all around the world – delivered straight to your inbox every day.

Today’s daily deal in Melbourne is two accupuncture sessions for $35, which comes at an 85% discount:

Recent past deals include 69% off at the Papillon Day Spa, 58% off at Santorini Food and Wine, $150 to spend on food and drink at the Mill Restaurant, 82% off at Collins St Medi Spa and much more.

So how does it all work?

In the second instalment of online shopping solutions for Christmas, The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide has found some discounter designer purchases from The Outnet. Online and discounted – we like that!

Please click here if you would like to read The Modern Woman’s Survival Gudie’s code of ethics for review and promotion.

By Roxanne Allan

You have 24 hours remaining… To shop. Or miss out on the latest Daily Label scoop, which would be a tragedy because all the cool kids are channeling DL. Did you know?

Daily Label is an online shopping website with a passion for fashion and their concept is devastatingly simple: “every day one new item of clothing becomes available for purchase, and is ‘on air’ for twenty four hours, or unless sold out prior. The next day, a new item goes live and the process is repeated.”

Genius. Pure bloody genius. In fact, here at The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide we are whispering quiet profanities for not thinking of it ourselves…

It’s edgy, raw and a hell of a lotta fun.

What’s more, DL will satisfy the most patriotic thong wearing, singlet bashing, lamb loving, vegemite devotee Aussie, because they only sell clothes from down under. Carefully hand picking Australia’s top fashion designers, they promise to bring you quality fashion styles at “hard to match prices.”

With many items designed exclusively for DL, they boast a unique and totally on trend (perhaps even trend setting) collection – there is honestly something for every savvy fashionista.

So, make sure you check out what’s on DL today – it will be a winner for the online shopaholics and may ignite the passion in those who are growing tired on the digital shopping trolley.

Go on daaarlings for the clock is tickin’.

Click here to visit Daily Labels – First In, Best Dressed – Exclusive Australian Fashion

The countdown to Christmas is on! If you’re anything like me, you vow every year to not leave your shopping to the last minute, but inevitably find yourself racing around the shops the night before Christmas, breathing into a brown paper bag to abate anxiety attacks.

So, if Christmas crowds, long queues at the register and madly wrapping presents at midnight makes you want to break out into a cold sweat, well, we here at The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide have compiled some gift ideas that you can order from the comfort of your French chaise lounge and have them delivered to your doorstep (or the recipients) – because the only thing I want to be doing on Christmas Eve is drinking a bottle of Moet.

Click here to visit Mecca Cosmetica

Click here to view discounted Dermalogica and other cosmetics online at Recreate Yourself

Get FREE international standard shipping with any purchase of $115 or more. Enter promo code WORLD115 at checkout.

Click here to view the Select Air’s international magazine subscriptions – free delivery within Australia

View gifts from RedBalloon

Shop discounted designer cosmetics and fragrances. Free worldwide shipping and gift wrapping available

Click here to visit Anne Taintor for fabulous vintage cards

Click here if you would like to view The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide Code of Ethics for promotion & beauty reviews.

First Published in Onya Magazine on August 26th 2010

“I have just quit my job. My steady, stable, well paid, close to home, flexible, source of main income, job. And I don’t have a job to go to.

I’ll pause here while you decide what to say. Do you cringe inside, smile and say, ‘Wow, that’s really brave!’ Or maybe I sense that hint of ‘Oh my god, what have you done?!’ Perhaps you know me well and your first reaction is to say ‘Congratulations!’

So, now that you have decided how you feel about my life changing decision, I have one question to ask you before I tell my story. Would you do it? Would you quit your job, with no job to go to, when you still have a mortgage, and rent, and bills and unexpected expenses? Think about that now, then assess it again after you finish reading. I wonder if you will feel the same way.”

Click here to read the full article in Onya Magazine

I plain resent having to leave home to buy anything – if it can’t be home delivered then I’m not interested. You name it, if they can deliver it to my door and save me schlepping to the shops (I abhor commuting at the best of times), then I’ll happily pay whatever delivery charge they are asking -  no matter how exorbitant or outrageous.

Oh the sweet joy of having Coles home deliver my groceries. No more trudging backwards and forwards to the shop with my arms laden with bags of shopping, and returning with bruises from where the plastic bags had dug into my arms (surely karma for not using the environmentally friendly green bags – tut tut).

I have started compiling an online store directory for readers of The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide – I will continue to add to it as I come across more fabulous online stores.

You can visit the online shopping directory here:

http://gaynoralder.com/shop-online/

I am your classic paycheck to paycheck kind of gal who adds things up in her head as she goes. The problem is the little things (otherwise known as crap I could live without) add up to be much more than I expect. My other serious financial faux paus is that I have NEVER saved. Not ever. I approach putting away money for holidays or large upcoming expenses, like I did with my studies in high school – I cram at the last minute.

It might have something to do with my adverse reaction to words such as frugal, stingy, shares and b-b-b-b-udget. The mere mention of them make me feel ill … excuse me, just a moment, I may just have to take an asprin and have a little lay down.

However, unless I overhaul my finances, I will never summer in a chateau in Provence or live in the swanky apartment of my dreams. I’m not talking about following the dow jones or all ordinaries on a daily basis, I’m talking good old fashioned money management, so that I can pay my bills with ease and actually have more money to spend on things I really want. This is in stark contrast to spending all week being inventive with a bag of brown rice whilst avoiding the phone for fear of being stalked by an Indian call centre wanting to know when I’ll be making my next payment on my overdue bill.

1. Keep a list of everything you spend this week, and when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING (trust me a magazine here and a latte there adds up to much more than you realise). At the end of the week, divide up your spending on a spreadsheet into necessities and non necessities. Calculate how much money you spend on non necessities and times it by 52 to come face to face with the full extent of your financial frivolity. Once you see how much you are REALLY spending on an annual basis on things like buying lunch and a bottle of wine with dinner, you will have more motivation to change your ways (especially when it could mean laying on a beach in Bora Bora sipping cocktails in the sun every summer).

2. Now that you know how much money you really need, write up a budget – a real budget. Decide how much money you want to spend squander on yourself and factor it into your weekly expenses. This way you can still spend money on having fun or being a product whore, but you are now in control of just how much.

3. If you don’t already have a savings account, set up one immediately. If you have one, then start using it – even if you can only afford to save $5 a week initially, it will get you into the good habit of saving. Ideally you need to have at least 3 months wages behind you, so that you can take care of yourself if you lose your job (or you want to quit because your new boss is a wanker), leave your boyfriend and move into a place of your own, or have a life and death emergency requiring you to invest in a new pair of Manolos.

   

4. Now it’s time to get smart, really smart. Set up separate accounts for your bills, savings and spending, so that you don’t accidentally use the money for your bills on an impulse buy. If you keep your money in separate accounts, it is much easier to keep track of how much money you’re spending on what. If you want to get really clever, you can keep your bills money in a high interest online savings account, so that it earns additional interest and also can’t be accessed with a card when you’re pounding the pavement on Chapel St (a good strategy for those who struggle to maintain restraint in moments of weakness).

5. Now that you have those separate accounts set up, you can direct debit your bills, savings and spending money directly into them when you receive your pay. This means that the bank automatically transfers the money for you, so that you don’t overspend on pay day because you’ve been broke for so long, that you need to hit the shops to numb the pain that was the previous week of poverty.

6. Why wait for the bill to come in before you pay it? Why not pre-pay some of your utilities with one of those trusty and marvelous direct debit thingies? By the time your bill arrives, it will either be paid, in credit for the following month or have a smaller amount owing (much nicer than getting a nasty quarterly electricity bill). It also means that you avoid those equally mean and nasty late fees – at $35 a pop, it’s a real incentive to pay your bills on time, instead of putting them off as long as you can before they send it to a debt collector (yes, I see that pile of envelopes containing bills you don’t even open).

   

7. Often we’ll go into 3 different stores to get the best price on a pair of shoes, but when it comes to our utilities we just accept the plan or contract we are on. Look at your phone plan, mobile, internet, credit card interest rates, bank accounts and shop around for a better deal. Comparing contracts can be more painful than going to the dentist (oh, sure, whatever, stick that six inch needle into my gum, I just spent an hour on the phone with my mobile phone service provider the other week), but it will be worth it. Promise.

8. Do you really need a post paid phone contract? What about going pre-paid, so you’re no longer in danger of running up a phone bill bigger larger than the Greece’ national debt.

9. STOP tarting yourself around with other banks’ ATMs (guilty as charged). I often withdraw money from another bank’s ATM because I can’t be bothered walking another block to find my own bank – but let me tell you, I pay through the nose for being such a floozy. In Australia we are now charged by the bank we are withdrawing from and our own bank when we withdraw from another bank’s ATM – this means we pay around an extra $5 per transaction, which can have you gasp in horror and shame when you receive your bank statement.

   

10. Cut up your credit cards – yes, now! If you can’t afford it, go without it. Seriously.

Image credits: 1, 2, 3

So, yes, my relationship with money. If I was to sum it up, I would say “never enough”. It’s not that I have a wardrobe full of irresponsible purchases (okay, well my bathroom cabinets may tell a different story), but largely it’s a case of not having enough income.

I struggled through my 20s with poor health and a very limited capacity to provide an income for myself. It’s not something I ever complained about, but it was an intense struggle at times to pay medical expenses and keep a roof over my head. I often found myself staring down the barrel of choosing between food or medication. Now that I have recovered, my capacity to earn money is much greater, but I am on a path that doesn’t always bring financial serenity.

So, I’ve learnt to be savvy with my money (well, I do try my best). I’ve learnt to be patient. I’ve learnt to make my money stretch. None of this is a natural state for me, because underneath all this restraint is an extravagant and frivolous woman who likes nice things. But, I choose to have less things of better quality, and find ways to have little luxuries in my life such as buying flowers every week. Admittedly, v. occasionally I have to say “fuck it”, and buy something I need or want, when I don’t have the money – The MCFC (Melbourne Cup Financial Crisis) took a particularly long time to recover from, and it then hitched a ride on the coat tails of Christmas.

There are the times when, no matter what I do, the roof collapses in on me and I find myself drowning under bills, that I can never seem to get on top of. That would be now. I am managing it like I always have in the past (when the bailiffs come knocking at my door threatening to throw me in prison unless I pay a $440 internet bill – which by the way, I am currently disputing with Optus, because there is no way I used 100GB in December) with calmness, knowing that everything always sorts itself out in the end.

However, the real question I am contemplating, is whether I am hard wired for lack, no matter how much money I have? Once I do have money in my life (because 2010 is my year), there will be a whole lot more extravagance, because, well, that’s who I am. However, I don’t think this would be my undoing, because there is a growing desire within me to save and build myself financially (which I am sure is a replacement for the nesting phase due to the absence of my maternal gene). For someone whose eyes glaze over at the mere mention of “dow jones” and “all ordinaries”, this is quite a big step. However, will I be thwarted in my attempts, because my financial auto pilot is set to self destruct?

Now, I could head to the self help section and read a myriad of books on the topic. But I won’t. Because my current capacity for in-depth self analysis is low (quite frankly, I can’t be bothered). Instead of taking a shovel and digging into the depths of my past, I find myself wanting to gently mull over the thought of self worthiness. Something I will let sift through my sub conscious of its own accord and reveal its answer to me when it’s ready. Then there’s the hypnosis route, which for the lazy girl, is the perfect way to circumvent your unhealthy patterns running your life. I think I may have a new addiction – lets see how long this phase of mine lasts.

If you need some therapy, head to my Facebook fan page, and list your most irresponsible purchase that you couldn’t afford.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Modern-Womans-Survival-Guide/58785309998

Image source

I walked into David Jones, thinking I’d kill a number of designers with one stone. Alas, as I circled the store, nothing was jumping out at me. Then, there in the corner, I spotted it. A fabulous vintage inspired, tea cup style dress, that enveloped the cleavage, cinched in the waist and ever so forgiving for the pear shapes amongst us. This was too easy I thought, I’d only been in the store for 10 minutes, and there it was. Alas – they only had a size 8 or 14. I haven’t been a size 8 since I was a packet a day smoker a few years ago, and even though my post winter fat crisis is still lingering into spring, I am not a size 14 either. Not to be defeated, I took the size 8 into the change room, thinking I might be able to squeeze myself into it. My thighs agreed, yet my DD cleavage had other ideas.

After hours of searching the racks, my heels starting begging me for mercy, and I decided it was time to abandon my visions of a feminine ethereal muted pink look with Sophia Lauren come hither smoky eyes, and just find anything, anything that looked good on me. After expanding my colour palette, I came across an aubergine $1500 dress that had been reduced to half price, and then was another 75% off. Yes, this was it. This was the dress I had been waiting for. This time, my thighs had other ideas. After witnessing the sight in the change room mirror, I immediately panged for a cigarette. Since I no longer partake in the habit, I instead felt the need for wine to be intravenously injected into me, whilst I continued my quest for a dress that flattered my va va voom figure.

It was time for a new destination. I rolled up my sleeves with determination, ready for round 2 and hit Melbourne Central. Shop after shop, I was met with mediocrity and sales assistants that quite frankly gave me the shits. When you’re on a mission and entering store after store in succession, you soon tire of their repetitious meaningless chit chat. “Are you looking for anything in particular?” “How’s the weather out there today?” Here’s what I have to say, “fuck off and leave me alone whilst I’m shopping”. If I want help, I’ll ask for it.

After coming up with nothing, it was definitely time to regroup and hit my beloved city laneways for a vino before my pedicure. After a delightful glass of sauv blanc restored serenity to thy soul, I went to the day spa and had my nails laquered in french pink. After a lovely chat with my therapist (who understood the perfect balance of conversation and letting me read some trashy magazines without interrupting me), I exited the spa with renewed vigour for round 3. Flinders Lane and GPO, surely had to have something for me. I was now prepared to blow out my budget, in the name of being able to return home, crack a bottle of wine and put my feet up.

I wish I could report tales of happily ever after, as I pour my 3rd glass of wine. However, I now face the arduous task of finding a glamour worthy dress and shoes, and squeezing in a hair cut, colour, eye brow wax and manicure tomorrow. Yes, it’s a race to the finish line, and the odds may be against me, but I’m positioning myself to be 3 lengths in front this time tomorrow.

Giddyup!