Black Friday and Cyber Monday

If you slept in this morning, never fear. There’s still time to take advantage of  “Black Friday,” the post-Thanksgiving free-for-all where everyone celebrates yesterday’s gluttony by going on a huge holiday season shopping spree.

With consumer spending down, merchants are putting even greater emphasis than usual on the importance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. (Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday season.)

So, in order to do our part to stimulate the economy, here are some deals you can take advantage of:

Black Friday and CyberMonday Deals:

Sports Authority: Shop the circular during the 10 Hr Door Buster Special on Black Friday at SportsAuthority.com! 5am to 3pm on 11.27

Sports Authority: 15% off your Order on Cyber Monday at SportsAuthority.com! Exclusions Apply. Valid only on 11.30

Champion: Get free shipping with a $50+ order at ChampionUSA.com! This offer is valid now through December 1st!

ESportsonline: Save 20-50% + Free Shipping on Gifts for Women in the eSportsonline FOR HER Holiday Gift Shop.

Amazon: Visit Amazon.com to find great Black Friday deals and get FREE Super Saver Shipping on millions of items.

Game on, fashionistas

According to Variety, IMG is gearing a new series of videogames to fashionistas.  The company is  looking to make Fashion Week more interactive, pairing up with 505 Games to produce a franchise based around the events that take place around the world each season, including New York City, Miami, Moscow and Mumbai.

Fashion Week is a high-powered industry event which allows designers to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers to take a look at the latest trends.

The video titles will enable gamers to participate in all aspects of the event, from creating their own collections to organizing photo shoots and runway shows with models, designers, stylists, hair and makeup artists.

“Fashion, Jr.” (tentative title) will bow on June 23, and will be aimed at younger girls. It will be released exclusively on Nintendo’s DS handheld system, with a follow-up for older audiences released in September.

Fashion Week is a fave for celebs and athletes alike, especially fashionistas like Nastia Liukin, Maria Sharapova, and the Williams sisters who love to sport the latest trends.

Not sure of the quality of this new game, or how realistic it is, but if you’ve got a passion for fashion and gaming, it might be a title worth checking out.

Contest/Giveaway: Win chicBuds with real Swarovski bling!

Didn’t get everything you wanted for the holidays? Well, start the year off right by winning some lux looking earbuds decked out with Swarovski crystals.

We’re giving away a total of 12 pairs of chicBuds so you and your friends can each have some.  Each winner will get, not one, but 6 pairs of chicBuds compatible with the iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, CD player and airplane connectors.

chicBuds are a great replacement for those old earbuds that end up a tangled mess in your gym bag. They are also super-practical, because they have a built-in cord retractor that allows the cord to expand and retract to various lengths  – PLUS they’re covered in bling for that Pretty Tough touch.

They’re available in several “flavors” ah, colors…such as grape, blueberry, watermelon, marshmallow, sour apple and retail each for $45 at Dillards and Fred Meyer.

Want to win them for yourself? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Comment in this entry with your favorite workout songs from 2008!
2. One entry per email address.
3. Bonus double entry for those who also post the contest link in their blog or elsewhere(shoot us an email to let us know).
4. The giveaway is open till SUNDAY, January 16, 2009, 12PM PST and will be picked randomly.

Regulations: chicBuds & PrettyTough.com are not responsible for any lost packages or incorrect shipping addresses. The prize is not redeemable in cash and by claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use of her name and municipality of residence for promotion. Good Luck!

Fitness bikes go high tech

December 18, 2008 – The S2 fitness bike explores an unusual route to get you fit – “virtual reality.” There is a display mounted at the top of the fitness bike which lets you experience different types of riding environments, as well as play some games. The pedal resistance even changes with the terrain on the screen.

If that doesn’t make things more challenging, you can also connect online with the S2 to compete with friends in a “side by side” competition. Of course the bike will also give you the usual real-time feedback that you would expect with a fitness bike – it will show you the distance, time, heart rate, calories burned. The S2 is available as a recumbent or a regular upright bike for around $8569 (steep anytime but especially in this economy).

Still pricey but less expensive at $1699, the X-Bike 1000 is an excercise bike that works your entire body. Its handlebars move from side to side, makeing you feel as if you’re actually riding a non-stationary bike. The bike also has seven levels of resistance that will help strenthen your arms. Though the price tag is steep, Lance Armstrong uses one of these, so it might be worth a look.

(thanks to ChipChick for the recommendations)

PT tips, trends & tid-bits

November 10, 2008 – LG Phone: Most electronics-makers slap a pink paint job and some floral prints onto their products and then try to pass them off as a gadget for the fairer sex.

LG has just come up with a girl-centric compact phone, the LX600 Lotus, and according to Wired, it doesn’t completely suck (if you ignore the fact that the crammed keys make it difficult to dial, text or navigate  — even if you’re blessed with dainty digits). Available from Sprint.

Sparks: On the fashion front, sparks will fly at Wet Seal as American Idol season six winner Jordin Sparks has designed a line of clothing exclusively for the retailer.

The collection, appropriately named ‘Sparks’, will begin with an assortment of holiday dresses – in sizes XS to XL – delivering to stores just in time for Thanksgiving. The collection will later include casual apparel and accessories. Each piece will reflect Sparks’ youthful sense of style.

Better known for her big voice than her sense of style, it will be interesting to see what Sparks’ collection looks like. As of this post, we couldn’t find any photos of the pieces. Thoughts?