Doing a lot of shopping is fun, but it can be dangerous if you’re  not leery of all the scams out there!  In order to keep up with everything, I read Consumerist every day.  Consumerist “…empowers consumers by informing and entertaining them about the top consumer issues of the day.”  In short, Consumerist reports on scams, companies that offer ‘deals’ that aren’t really ‘deals’,  shady corporate practices, and bad customer service.  The articles are humorous and light, but very revealing at the same time.   Have you heard of an electronics ‘buy back’ program?  Well all is not as it seems according to the Consumerist reporters. Read about it here.   Are you constantly having issues with your cable provider? Read one consumers harrowing story here.

I really value all the information I get from Consumerist. They are doing all of us a service by sniffing out these scams.

Check it out and let me know what you think!!! Go to Consumerist, the site for Consumers Who Bite Back!!

Readers, do you have anything in your closet that is orange? I know you might be skeptical, but hear me out!  Orange is one of the colors this spring and summer.  I know it seems daunting and a little bit scary, but really, orange is more than just for Halloween!  If you use one piece of orange and match it with a neutral like white or beige, you will look stunning!  See and be seen in this happy hue and and there is no doubt you will impress.

Have fun with orange! Let us know how you choose to wear this spring and summer’s hot color!

I had never heard of Quirky until this week when I met the CEO and founder, Ben Kaufman, at a Consumer Reports media and marketing summit. Let me tell you, I now know all about Quirky, and I feel like it is my duty to share this awesome company with our readers!

Quirky is a company that creates new products based on people’s ideas and inventions.  That is right, you and I can submit our ideas to them, and the panel of board members votes weekly on which ideas could actually become a viable product to be sold in real life!  I think this concept is amazing. The collaboration between Quirky board members, employees and the online community is incredibly innovative, and it works!  Read about the Quirky Process here.

While at the meeting, Ben showed us the latest product to hit the shelves. Its called Pivot Power, and it is a power strip that is movable and bendable so you can actually plug everything in to just one power strip!  Check out the video here .

Quirky sells everything from pet products to wine racks. Everything has a new and unique spin to it, as evidenced by this Bobble Brush, a toothbrush holder that bobbles and always keeps your brush upright and clean! How cool is this?

If you are like me, there is someone in your life that has everything and seems to need nothing!  Check out Quirky’s array of unique and quirky gifts and you are sure to be the one who gives them the best gift.  This is one of my new go to sites and I cant wait for the holidays to roll around again. Happy Shopping everyone!

I met a rep from Parrot at BlogHer a few months ago who gave me a sample of the Parrot Minikit Slim Bluetooth hands-free kit. It took me a while to test it out, but once I did I was amazed at its ease-of-use and amazing sound quality.

I took the Parrot out of the box, charged it, then attached it to my visor. The quick set-up guide had me connected to all my cell phone contacts and having a phone conversation in minutes. The hands-free unit uses text-to-speech functionality to allow you to easily select your contacts by name – allowing you to press one button, say your contacts name and immediately begin a call.

Hands-free calling is a necessity for driving safety. This slim, easy-to-use unit provides superior quality and voice regonition features without the hassle of the complicated set-up.

I think this is an excellent choice for just about anyone on your Christmas list – especially for those who hand just about everything they need and inspire shopping madness.

Skip the lines and get a Parrot SLIM Bluetooth (or two) at Amazon.com.

Disclosure: A Girl Must Shop received a FREE Parrot Minikit Slim Bluetooth, however the opinions expressed in this review are those of the author.

If you’re anything like me, you spend more hours on your computer than off. And even though I love my laptop, there are some things that drive me batty.

For starters I hate how I can’t sit my laptop on my lap. It gets way too hot, way too fast. I mean why call it a LAPtop if it wasn’t designed for your lap? I guess that’s why the geniuses at Belkin came out with a Laptop Cooling Strip.

This gummy cooling pad (which is dishwasher safe!) sits under the back of your computer, lifting it up so that it can breathe. Now every time I want to check my email I don’t have to change into pants.

The other thing that I would fix about my laptop is the built-in track pad. I agree not having to lug around a mouse is nice. However, after a couple hours online my thumb starts to cramp up from double-clicking so much.

If only there was a compact mouse that you could take anywhere and not have to worry about the cord getting knotted up in your bag. I suppose you could use Belkin’s Retractable Mouse, but what’s the fun in having everything you want?

This compact and colorful mouse connects easily to your computer’s USB, has a retractable cord, and even has my favorite, a scroll wheel. If Belkin keeps this up, there’s not going to be anything left to complain about.

[Editor's note: I'm a big fan of this Little Red Wireless Laptop Mouse. I haven't used a laptop mouse in years.]

Of course it was love at first sight. Tell me that you didn’t want this deliciously pretty Cherry Blossom laptop skin the first time you saw it. 

I just tried out this new Oral-B Pulsonic toothbrush and I may never again go back to a regular toothbrush.

Why? Unlike other electric toothbrushes, this baby is light, easy to use, and its whopping 27,000 vibrations per minute help make sure that I get the best teeth cleaning possible.

Brushing from quadrant to quadrant of my mouth (upper right, bottom left, etc.) this super-smart toothbrush reminds me when it’s time to move to the next quadrant. It even comes with a special brush head that makes cleaning between teeth a snap!

I’ll definitely be taking this sleek brushie on my next business trip. Why take a regular brush when I can get a better clean with this ultra-slim design?

Take note – while this Oral-B Pulsonic toothbrush is brush isn’t available until September 10, 2008, you can pre-order yours on Amazon and get it before anyone else!

The coolest accessory this fall isn’t jewelry or a scarf, or even a bag. Nope. Fall’s coolest accessory is the Jawbone Bluetooth headset.

Available in three different colors, Goldy Lips (see here), Blah Blah Black and Silver Tongue, the Jawbone has style, grace and amazing performance.

Jawbone is the only headset device with NoiseAssassin™ audio quality, Jawbone’s unique patented technology
that separates speech from ambient noise with
remarkable precision.

So feel free to grab this baby and have a phone conversation while in a loud public area (or your car), without having to scream at the top of your lungs. And look super stylish while you’re at it.

We all know the plain vanilla earbuds, right? Those lonely white earphones that everyone has, making us all look the same. I say stand out from the crowd. Be different, catch the light and make people look twice when you sport these ultra-blingy new chicBuds.

This cool, new ear candy is made with genuine Swarovski Crystals and is available in five delicious “flavors”: Blueberry, Grape, Watermelon,
Sour Apple, Marshmallow and Diamond!

My favorite thing about these fancy-schmancy chicBuds is the retractable cord. Never again will I be forced to wrap a cord around my beautiful iPod or untangle errant cords. Nope, these babies zip right up for easy-peasy storage.

Go on girl. Rock on with yo’ bad self