The Daytime TV Shop Blog

I’ve been seeing a lot of infomercial spots lately for people who want to sell their unused or unwanted gift cards. I checked out the Card Woo website and found out that they only pay 50% of the card’s value. That didn’t seem like much to me so I started looking around for some other websites that are good for selling unwanted gift cards. Here are some better alternatives to what you’re seeing on the daytime TV infomercial circuit:

Gift Card Granny
This site stood out to me because not only do they allow you to sell gift cards for up to 100% of the value (usually around 65% – 85%), but they also show you what coupon codes and free shipping deals go along with the stores when you buy a gift card from them.

I had no idea this was going on, but apparently you can buy gift cards that other people have sold to save on pretty much anything. For instance, you could buy a $100 Target gift card for $80 and save an instant $20 on your purchase at the Target store. I’m going to say this in my best infomercial voice (and I watch LOTS of infomercials): But Wait, There’s More!

Take that $100 Target gift card that you bought for $80 and then combine it with a free shipping offer and maybe even a stackable Target coupon for an additional %10 off and you’re getting whatever you buy for a HUGE discount. The tricky part is finding discount coupons that work with free shipping codes. Sometimes you have to choose one or the other. But if you wait and buy your stuff on Cyber Monday you can usually find some pretty serious discounts that stack with your card and free shipping.

OK, so that’s the game and Gift Card Granny seems to be the best place to play it. But they’re not the only two sites out there doing this. You can also sell unwanted gift cards, or buy discounted gift cards at several other websites, including Plastic Jungle (probably the best known site), GiftCard Rescue, and SwapaGift. Just be sure that they tell you up-front how much you’re going to get for your gift card. Some places will require you to send your gift card in before they tell you what they’ll pay for it.

So there you have it. Whether you’re selling those unwanted gift cards or buying one at a discount to save on purchases, there’s a whole Internet out there at your disposal. How is it that I’m just now finding out about this loophole in the shopping system? It’s time I crawled out from under my rock a little more often. I’ve started by reading a few blogs about saving money. Here is a list of the ones I like so far:

• Cheapism
• Free Stuff Blog
• Frugal for Life
• Tightwad Blog
• The Consumerist
• Frugal Healthy Simple
• Getting There
• Simply Forties

I remember when I first heard the word Pilates. It was back when Mari Winsor was introducing America to what would become, along with yoga, one of the leading fitness genres for women around the world.

I was watching TV earlier and saw an infomercial for Winsor Slim, Mari’s new product and DVD series. It looks like a lot of fun, and I’m very interested in the fact that those expensive Pilates machines that used to cost thousands have now been boiled down to a basic piece of equipment, called The Accelerator, which comes with DVDs, diet plans, exercise charts… all for under $100. I guess exercise equipment is going the way of computers – faster, smaller, cheaper. I like that direction!

I was watching PBS the other day (Yes, I’ve donated too!) and became very interested in a book on there called The UltraMind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman.

Basically it’s all about proper nutrition as a form of “Functional Medicine” to help people improve their physical and mental health. Apparently, eating well is good for you. What’s that I hear? “Duh…”

But it’s not quite that simple.

Dr. Hyman (Not Dr. Hymen – get your mind out of the gutter. How old are you?) maintains that there are seven basic keys to all disease. What are these seven “keys” that Mark Hyman claims can help us combat everything from depression and anxiety to autism?

First Key: Optimize Your Brain Nutrition
Food isn’t just for the body. Food also feeds the brain, and if you see the effects of a poor diet on your body (high cholesterol, increased fat, less energy) then you can imagine what it’s doing to your brain, causing such problems as depression, insomnia, memory loss and lack of concentration.

Second Key: Balance Your Hormones
Your hormones control things like mood, behavior, and body composition. Keeping hormones properly balanced (and you’ll learn how in the book – see below) not only makes you look better, but literally makes you feel better. Not only that, but it will help protect you from diseases like diabetes.

Third Key: Cool off Inflammation
What do sore throats, swollen joints and skin rashes have in common? They are all forms of inflammation. The difference between these types of inflammation and inflammation of the brain, however, is that you FEEL a sore throat or a swollen joint – but not in the brain. Instead, it manifests itself in many ways, like depression or dementia. Learn how to calm down and cool off inflammation with proper diet.

Fourth Key: Fix Your Digestion
Did you know that your gut has more neurotransmitters and serotonin (happy-mood chemicals) than your brain does? High fat and high sugar foods make you “feel good” briefly before crashing you down mentally and physically in the same way that a mood-enhancing drug might effect the brain. Dr. Hyman says he can help you feel better longer without these body-damaging “food drugs”.

Want to know what the rest of the keys to your UltraMind? Go buy the book…

The Big Q wants you to put down that remote control and start getting fit …right after you pull out your credit card and call the number on the screen, of course.

I was watching QVC this morning and apparently they have a crush on Gaiam products this week. Is it just me, or has QVC been on a fitness kick lately? I’ve seen P90X Workout DVDs, Hip Hop Abs, Tony Horton’s 10-Minute WOrkout, and a series of weird and wacky fitness gadgets like the Leg Magic and the Bean Supreme. But not all of the products they’re trying to sell you are wacky gadgets. Like Px90, some of their Gaiam products are actually worth checking out.

In case you missed it…

Among those being featured on the program are:

• Restorative Exercise for Relaxation with Rodney Yee
• Mari Winsor: CorePlus Reformer
• Chi Vibe
• Mini Stepper
• Real EASE Relaxation Tool
• Natural Spine Cushion
• Massaging Body Mat

See some of the other great fitness products QVC sells: Click here for more “As Seen on QVC  TV” products.