Shopping made easy!

March 1, 2010

The new Best Price & Cash Back feature  has been getting a lot of  “thumbs up” from shoppers alike, including myself!  Tibesti shoppers are rewarded with centralized information displayed in a clean, and well designed format!

When you find the product you are looking for, click on it and you will get this screen:

Best Price & Cash Back chart

Simply click on the green button labeled “Best Price and Cash Back” and voila! – up pops a screen with comparative online stores, prices, and any cash back opportunities available when you purchase thru your FREE Tibesti account.

You get more information on the product page: Expert Reviews, any other reviews on the web  (i.e. Epinions, Amazon, etc. ) and all the Buzz from the Tibesti community.

The new Tibesti features have kept in mind the needs of those who use the web to make  informative and comparative shopping decisions!  Let us know if you like it too!

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content  Editor

Tibesti’s new look!

February 18, 2010

Tibesti’s New Look and Features!  I’m so excited about the it that I’d love to share them with you!  Please excuse my artwork, it’s a little basic but I think you’ll get the picture!  Overall, I love the cleaner look and easier design!

  • Our most popular Expert Reviews are featured in the center.
  • SEARCH – You can access all Expert Reviews or product information anytime from our main search box.  The Expert Review for that product will come appear under ARTICLES and any information on that product on the web will appear under PRODUCTS below.
Tibesti's new look!

Faster - get right to finding the product you want! Enjoy Featured Expert Reviews!

  • Or you could always click on FIND to read  our great Expert Reviews by category.
  • Be sure to sign in to your free Tibesti account before making any purchases to qualify for your cash back opportunities.

Great new features!

Be sure to sign in to your FREE Tibesti account for cash back opportunities! Find awesome Expert Reviews by category!

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

Steer Clear

January 11, 2010

With all the hustle and bustle of my life, my car, at times, starts to look a bit like I’m living in it!  I’m on a mission to organize and simplify- no more “looking” for things that fell in between the seats.  It’s easy to let things get out of control in the car especially if you have kids.  But the mess isn’t just uncomfortable; it can also be dangerous.  Loose objects can become projectiles if a crash were to occur.  Feeling around for a cell phone or tissues can be dangerously distracting.

Reading Vicki Norris’ review on car organizers made me realize I could really benefit from one.  There are a variety of car organizers.  I choose the Case Logic Front Seat Organizer.  It has really helped with the organization of my car.  This handy organizer has side mesh pockets and center compartments of varying sizes. Good for holding things like sunglasses, pens, water bottle, cell phone, MP3 player, lip balm, hand lotion, receipts, maps, and whatever other odds and ends would normally be scattered on the passenger seat, floor and tossed in the glove compartment.  Some of the compartments are adjustable for different-sized items.  It is collapsible, not rigid, designed to stay in your car, not be carried around, so if you want something to tote with you, consider Case Logic’s Front Seat Mobile Office – the model with handles.  A friend of mine has this, and I think it’s time for me to upgrade to this one too,  it’s more rigid and will fit my laptop and file folders – plus I can get a little cash back by going thru my Tibesti.com membership and finding the best price along with cash back benefits!

As an alternative for less than half the price, Case Logic has mastered the ‘Car Organizers’.  The  Center Console Organizer is available for the not so messy.  It stays put instead of sliding, and the only drawback, I noticed was when I need to transport a passenger, it’s a slight pain to move it out-of-the-way because it’s flimsy and has no handles.  However, “flimsy” doesn’t mean poor quality. It has a 25 YEAR warranty.  For the money it’s a great deal.
Cheers to organizing and to Case Logic for creating products that fit every person’s needs.

Car Organizers

Case Logic Front Seat Organizer, Front Seat Mobile Office, & Center Console Organizer

my friend's Front Seat Mobile Office in action!

Amanda Ward,  Tibesti  Legal Assistant

Science? Cool?

December 21, 2009

President Obama launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign, a nationwide effort to help reach the administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade. The reference to the “middle of the pack” refers to test scores of 5,600 american 15 year olds against students from 29 other countries in which Americans placed 16th in science and 23rd in math.

But with teachers like Tibesti.com’s Science Education expert, Michael Lampert, science may be making a comeback!  He was awarded the 2009 AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers, with his program called Project PIPE (Partners in Physics Education), where Lampert takes his high school students to Elementary schools to teach science!  It’s a brilliant idea, wisely formulated, and doing well.

Lampert feels that one-to-one interactions are vital to learning.  “I hope parents recognize the importance of playing with your children. Toys can be a lot more if you spend the time and explain the science behind them.” His reviews, Best Science Toys and Best Science Books for both Elementary level and High School level are written with warm, enthusiastic commentary from someone who has found a way to fascinate kids with science lessons and encourage learning thru fun! I confess that those elementary science books would be educational for me – so I can’t wait to buy them for my nieces and nephews while getting cash back thru my Tibesti.com free membership!  On my list: Erector set, Deluxe Spirograph, and books: “Boy, were we wrong about Dinosaurs!” & “The New Way Things Work”. Oops, did I say “my” list?  I meant my list for the kids…wink wink.

Great Science Toys

Great Science Toys to PLAY and LEARN basic science

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

LED for the Holidays

December 14, 2009

The Rockefeller Christmas tree this year “went LED”! Mayor Bloomberg proudly announced that the tree’s 30,000 LED lights on 5 miles of wire will reduce the energy consumption it normally took to light the tree from 3,510 kilowatt-hours to 1,297 kilowatt-hours per day.  The gorgeous 9 ½ foot tall Swarovski crystal star is also all LED!

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree 2009

This year the Rockefeller Christmas tree - all lit up in L-E-D!

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode – it’s much more energy-efficient.  It saves money, emits less heat and therefore is safer than incandescent Xmas tree lights and it is now available in many stores and online.  Diane MacEachern, a long time dynamo in environmental awareness, successful author and CEO of the Green purse, and Tibesti Eco Expert, is just as excited about LED Xmas lights as I am.  You can read her great blog on “Energy Efficient Lights and Eco-friendly Candles for the holidays”

A few online stores where Tibesti.com members can get LED Christmas lights:  christmaslightsetc.com (2.5% cashback) and Walmart.com (.5%).

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

Bathroom Values

November 3, 2009

Isn’t it funny how the smallest things can provide such convenience, ergo happiness?  Take for example our renovated bathroom.  Sure the whole thing is great, but there are a few details that just changed our lives in the smallest of ways.  It brings a tiny bit of happiness on a daily basis which, when compounded does add up to a tiny bit of APR joy at the end of the year.

bathroom

The Old and the Renovated

For us, one of the “small things” for the new bathroom was a wall mounted magnifying mirror.  Our overall bathroom style is “vintage”.  There are quite a few different vintage wall magnifying mirrors – this one is made by Jerdon available from Walmart.com which is part of the Tibesti.com group of cash back vendors.

I loved the charm of the three-piece metal arm folding out to me.  My husband took one look at it and deemed it unnecessary and ridiculous. “Why would we need such a thing?”  “Isn’t one mirror enough?” “Well, now we’re just getting silly” …  At the time, he didn’t realize how nice it would be to get a magnified helping hand -  now it’s one of his favorite things of the new bathroom!

Pull Out Wall Magnifying Mirror

small, inexpensive happiness contributor

Makeup Organizer

the little things count

Although I love the mirror, another little thing that I got as part of the final details of the renovation was a cosmetic organizer.    It’s available at organize.com, but Tibesti.com members get 3% cash back!  It’s lovely to be able to see all my available “tools” I have to work with – if you know what I mean.  It just gleams potential each day, and what girl doesn’t need a little shot of potential to start her day?

Little insignificant bits of happiness… just adding it all up.

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

Light Therapy

October 19, 2009

God said, “Let there be light” and I couldn’t be happier!  Ever since I added lighting to my garden, it’s, well, like the Garden of Eden!

Lawn work or therapy?

Lawn work or Therapy?

I’ve always loved digging in the dirt, but ever since my marriage exploded, (it’s a pandemic people!), my garden has become my sanctuary.  Who knew how therapeutic gardening could be? Every time I feel frustrated or down, I wander out to my garden and putter. So, although this is one of those hard journeys, at the end of it all, I have something to show for it! The growth of my garden is really a reflection of my personal growth. And I am happy to report it is beginning to blossom and bloom.

But even nature’s perfect plants and flowers benefit from great lighting! I recommend lots of twinkle lights. They’re inexpensive and super effective. Add a few strategically placed spotlights from LightingCatalog.com for some dramatic results.  And trust me, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation!

my little eden

my little Eden

Two other lighting pieces you see here that I LOVE LOVE LOVE, is the Havana Outdoor Floor Lamp recommended by our expert Designer Jane Carroll on Tibesti.com – it was a splurge, but still cheaper than therapy, hello!  The Hanging Votive Holders Set adds a romantic finishing touch.  The 5% cash back thru Tibesti.com for it all helped cast a warmer glow.

Outdoor lamp

Outdoor lamp

Votive

Votive

Susie Singer Carter, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

Broken Vases, Mended Love

October 7, 2009

My kitty’s name is Surri.  Surri is a very sophisticated Calico indoor house cat with a great purr-sonality and lots of crazy kitty energy bursts which has led to things getting damaged and broken!  One time, I came home after a long day of work to find my favorite vase broken into a million, gazillion pieces…not a good day.  It took a lot of purring, and sweet morning kisses from Surri before I got over that one and then it hit me like a Friskie can on the toe; Surri is bored!!!!!!!  But what to do?

Sandy Robins, the Pet Expert on Tibesti.com has a great review on Best Cat Enrichment Toys, which was, fiddle-dee-dee, exactly what I was looking for!  I decided to go with the Undercover Mouse, available at www.entirelypets.com with a 3% cash back thru a Tibesti.com account (free).  The Under Cover Mouse toy met Suri’s emotional, instinctual, and physical needs purrfectly! See for yourself!

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This lesson cost me my favorite vase but I have learned that having plenty of interactive toys for my active kitty will result in less destruction around the house. Surri absolutely loves it and I enjoy watching her as much as she enjoys playing with it. Introducing her to new heights of excitement has really built a strong bond between us.

Amanda Ward, Tibesti Legal Assistant

My Dirty Little Secret

September 27, 2009

My name is Susie Singer Carter and I’m a junky – a junk junky. I just love stuff.   I’ve used every justification in the book; “They were on sale!”- “They’ll make great last minute gifts!”- “These?  I bought them two years ago!” -“I got free shipping when I purchased 5 dozen!” – “Lava Lamps are in again!”   You get the picture, and amazing as this might sound, I’ve been able to keep this little issue on the DL…

Until now.  I’m coming clean.  Thanks to my self-proclaimed sponsor, Tibesti, I’ve faced my demons and stepped out of the overstuffed closet. Why now?  Well, I’ve run out of room.

Lucky for me, Tibesti features great organization experts, like Jill Pollack and Vicki Norris who have listed the best of the best items for sorting your stuff, and now I’ve become obsessed with order! A place for everything and everything in its place.   I’m cleaning up my act, simplifying, organizing, and I like it!

I just received my latest purchase, The CableBox from Bluelounge.  It looks great and works just as they described.

Before the Blue Lounge

Before the Blue Lounge CableBox

and After with the Blue Lounge Cablebox

and After with the Blue Lounge CableBox

How great is that? And I purchased it through my Tibesti account making cash back on my order, which totally justifies my ordering more, right…???

Susie Singer Carter, Tibesti Senior Content Editor

The World's Most Expensive Toilet

The World's Most Expensive Toilet

Some people wonder why Tibesti.com has a section on the website called The World’s Most Expensive with a large list of the world’s most expensive items.  Well, the team at Tibesti, including myself just loved it!  It’s a menagerie of products made fascinating primarily due to it’s extreme value.  Of course, people may have already heard of the world’s most expensive yacht, car, jet, etc. but what of the most expensive fly swatter, bra, bread, or hearing aid?  It was and is an ongoing question, and great fodder for conversation for us.   It was so entertaining that we hoped it would be entertaining for the Tibesti members as well.  Reading about  The World’s Most Expensive items isn’t all desire; sometimes its head scratching, and sometimes, its life affirming“The world’s most expensive toilet would never match my French country decor, so it’s okay that I can’t afford it!”

Beware, reading The World’s Most Expensive  is like eating a potato chip – you can’t read just one!

Kat Kekona, Tibesti Senior Content Editor