Nextag is playing cupid this Valentine’s Day! Browse these personal ads and find the perfect gift to show your love!

Product Personal Ads

“I Love You” Heart Teddy Bear

“I just want someone to hold me at night”

Body type: Fuzzy

Demeanor: Loveable

Hobbies: Hugging. Cuddling. Snuggling.

Interested in: Companionship, napping, imaginary adventures, being given as a gift to express your love.

Valentine’s Heart Chocolate Box

“If you find your way into my heart, there’s chocolate in it for you”

Body type: Heart-shaped and full of tasty chocolate.

Hobbies: Decadence. Deliciousness. Being assorted.

Looking for: Someone as sweet as I am who knows how to make me melt.

Life is like…: a box of me!

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I am truly very excited about this month-long celebration.

I realize that may be construed as sad, but a good portion of my world really does revolve around breakfast foods.

When I was a kid, not many things made me happier than having “breakfast for dinner” as we called it in our house. It meant downing pancakes or French toast and scrambled eggs during non-conventional times of the day. Come to think of it, now 15 years later, there still aren’t many things that make me happier than “breakfast for dinner”.

According to some reports, this month was created by the people over at Jimmy Dean Foods. Apparently they conducted a little research and determined that around about 60% of Americans eat a cold breakfast every day, typically cereal. And as a company who makes heat-and-serve breakfast dishes, it was a wise move on their part to delegate an entire month to hot breakfasts.

Thankfully, we all benefit from this marvelous marketing plan. And in appreciation (great, great appreciation) of National Hot Breakfast Month, here is a list of 5 hot products to help you jump on the hot breakfast bandwagon. Continue Reading »

Looking for a shiny new HDTV to watch the Super Bowl on this year? You’re not alone!

According to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, of the 171 million Super Bowl viewers in 2011, 4.5 million of them bought new HDTVs for the big game. That number is expected to be much higher this year, as the entry price for a big screen TV has decreased sharply. According to an ABC News survey, one out of twelve claims they are buying a new TV for the Superbowl… for the SECOND year in a row!

Don’t Wait… Buy Now!

Those who have the luxury of buying a new TV each year seem to be an anomaly in today’s economy. For most, buying a TV is a less-frequent expenditure. If you’re looking to upgrade your old set, it’s a good time to take advantage of the Super Bowl sales…even if you’re just in it for the commercials!

This isn’t just sales talk here; analysts claim this is the best time of year to find great deals on HDTVs. According to historical data, TVs hit their lowest prices leading up to the Super Bowl, and prices went up sharply in March.

Check out these affordable big screen televisions, brought to you by comparison shopping website, Nextag.com:

Insignia™ 55-Inch LED HDTV (Model NS-55E560A11)

For a store brand, the Insignia NS-55E560A11 performs surprisingly well. The television isn’t the prettiest – or the thinnest – but offers a bright, clear screen. The speakers are also impressive for a LCD TV, as the Insignia sports SRS TruSurround, which gives your audio 3D-like dimension. The TV is relatively barebones feature-wise, but it does have four HDMI inputs and a VGA port for connecting your computer. Continue Reading »

Wow, it’s been half a year already? Great job, parents. Your little person is getting big enough to enjoy new stuff, and that means you’ve got some shopping to do. Here are some fantastic choices!

Exersaucer

An exersaucer, or “extra sauce” as my 4-year-old niece calls it, puts your child in a little swivel seat with a playground of lights and sounds a short reach away. Not only will your kid love it, it also makes opportunities for hands-free parenting, meaning you can actually get something done while your child is entertained. Nothing’s better than setting your kid somewhere and knowing they’ll be kept busy.

You have to make the right choice though.

While on a trip, my baby tried the Graco Baby Einstein Caterpillar Discover Play Activity Center, which inexplicably gets good ratings. It is dull. The attached toys are “educational” in nature, meaning you get a stationary sun and a globe that spins a little, and a picture of a cat. After a minute of trying to play, my baby put his head down, thinking, “There’s nothing to do here so I guess I’ll just sleep. If only my parents were better shoppers.”

My baby and I recommend the Evenflo SmartSteps ABC Exersaucer. It’s covered in toys and buttons, and everything lights up and makes music. Even your child’s most careless banging can’t help but cause something spectacular to happen. It’s actually fun!

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Question: Who’s the little penguin’s favorite aunt?

Answer: Aunt Arctica

Ha! Who doesn’t love a good penguin joke? Okay, well, probably a lotta folks. But who doesn’t love a penguin? Unless you’re a fish or squid swimmin’ around the Southern Hemisphere, I can’t think of one good reason why you wouldn’t love penguins.

They waddle when they walk. Some have mohawks. They’re permanently adorned with the two most flattering and never tiresome colors found in one’s wardrobe: black and white. And the tiniest of the penguin species stands, on average, just 13 inches tall and weighs but 2.2 pounds. And the name of this little nugget: the Fairy Penguin.

Come on now, how cute is that?!

Last Friday was National Penguin Awareness Day and it got me to thinkin’. The penguins of the world definitely deserve some much needed love and attention. Look above for just a handful of reasons why. And no, you don’t have to be a Pittsburgh Penguins fan in order to take part in celebrating these non-flying, yet fantastically fast, little swimmers. (They can swim at speeds averaging 25 miles per hour! Did you know that?!)

Thanks to Friday’s “awareness” holiday, I took some time to research these little waddlers, as well as learn about their tragic plight if drastic changes aren’t soon implemented. I learned, currently, 13 of the 18 species of penguins are considered threatened or endangered, with some of these gentle animals on the verge of extinction. And that just breaks my heart.

So, in the spirit of celebrating — albeit a couple of days late — National Penguin Awareness Day, why not take some time to educate yourself about these lovable animals and learn how you can help them?

And here’s a list of 5 penguin-inspired products to help get you in that Chilly Willy mindset. Enjoy! Continue Reading »

Your football team is alive in the playoffs, and you’re shopping for gear that proves what a mega-fan you are? We’ve got everything you need!

The Green Bay Packers

[Disclosure: this is my team.]

If you’re a Green Bay fan watching Aaron Rodgers pursue the second Super Bowl Championship out of his destined ten, you’re ready to do some MVP (Most Valuable Purchase) shopping. A good Aaron Rodgers jersey will show your fan pride throughout this decade’s victories and be a classic forever after. A Clay Matthews jersey is a good choice too, if you have the hair to pull it off. Of course whatever jersey you choose, you’ll need a Cheesehead to wear with it. And for fans ready to make the jump up to NFL owner, there’s the limited time offer of Packers Stock. Nothing amplifies a Packers victory like literally owning a part of it.

The New York Giants

Fun Fact: Packers scouts have determined that, despite the name, the NY Giants players are normal-sized people. Punt returner/wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan is only 5’ 8”! This is great news for fans – it means that Giants jerseys come in your size, and Giants Fathead Wall Decals  will fit on the walls of all standard-sized homes.

Funner Fact: Nextag scouts have determined that, despite the name, NY Giants clothing and collectibles can be had at very tiny prices. You just have to know where to shop!

The New Orleans Saints

Saints fans, want to see your team win it all this year? There’s no better way than to buy yourself the “New Orleans Saints Road to Super Bowl XLIV” DVD. Who dat gettin’ such a good deal? It’s you when you shop for the DVD of your two-year-old Super Bowl victory.

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Are you one of the millions of folks who received a new gadget this holiday season? Before you take your new phone or tablet on your next road trip, protect your investment by giving your device a cozy, comfy, and indestructible house to live in.

First, let’s clarify the definition of a “case.”  The cases I’ll be exploring in this blog post are not fashion accessories; I’m referring to the cases that are specifically designed to protect your device from scratches, scruffs, drops, and minor spills.

But not everyone is willing to sport a case that’s a bit ugly and bulky, just to save their electronics.

To please all types of tech-toting customers, there are typically three categories of cases available:

Fashion Accessories: These cases, while attractive and thin, are designed with fashionistas in mind. They typically offer limited protection, but are indeed, “pretty.” But remember, just because your case is gorgeous, that doesn’t mean it will magically protect your phone or tablet. Continue Reading »

As the temperatures drop this winter, your sense of style doesn’t have to follow suit!

Sure, it’s easy to grab your ski jacket from 1993 (it’s so warm, man!). And yes, it’s quicker to steal your boyfriend’s oversized North Face when you’re feeling frigid. But here’s the problem with those two solutions: you’ll be missing out on the joy of a beautiful, stylish, and warm winter coat that totally makes your outfit.

I’ll make it even easier for you to stay fashionable – and warm – this winter. Here are 4 stylish winter coats for women that work the runway….and the winter weather!

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If last week’s Festival of Sleep Day wasn’t enough to help you fully rebound from all your holiday festivities, then maybe this day is your ticket to Zenville. Today, January 8^th, has been delegated Bubble Bath Day. I don’t know by whom exactly, but it was probably just someone in desperate need of a bath, whether for cleanliness or relaxation purposes.

Regardless of the precipitating factors leading to this holiday, it’s certainly a day to celebrate. Unless your name is Pig-Pen and your claim to fame is being perpetually followed by a big ole dust ball, chances are you’ve indulged in a bubble bath or two in your lifetime. And you loved it.

So if you’re onboard and fully prepared to jump into this bath holiday head first (I most definitely DO NOT mean that literally), then this list is for you. Here are 4 products to get you in that bubble bath state of mind.  Continue Reading »

For better or for worse, the holidays are finally over and done. Christmas trees make their way to the curbs and we’re all back on our chicken-and-salad diets.

But it wouldn’t be the start of a new year without the latest tech predictions for what’s in store for 2012. Everyone from Gizmodo, to ZDNet, to the New York Times is making bold assertions regarding the future of tech in the year to come.

So, after reading dozens of commentaries from VentureBeat to InformationWeek, here’s my take on tech in 2012.

Here are a few of the “no brainers” we can expect this year:

1) Tablets stole the spotlight in 2011, and will likely continue to in 2012.

2) Research in Motion sells out, but not to Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung, Nokia, or HTC.

3) There will be a continued shift to Cloud Services for both enterprise and end-users.

4) Apple will continue to dominate the tablet market, albeit with a lower market share.

5) E-Commerce will continue to squeeze traditional retail, and mobile ecommerce will skyrocket.

Now, let’s explore a few less certain predictions, which could go either way:

1) Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime VOD will profit from the eventual demise of Netflix.

2) Microsoft and/or Apple will profit as users abandon the Android platform due to fragmentation. Continue Reading »