The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Win Cool Stuff: $50 T.J. Maxx Gift Card

And the winner is…#247 Ellen K! Congratulations to our winner and thanks to everyone who entered!


Win Cool Stuff: $50 TJ Maxx Gift Card

Please note: This giveaway has ended and is now closed to further entries.

We've teamed up with T.J. Maxx to offer one lucky Budget Babe reader the chance to win a $50 T.J. Maxx gift card!

But first, some background on how T.J. Maxx is able to bring consumers the season's designer looks for less: Buyers for the stores travel all around the world 40 weeks a year to meet with 12,000 different vendors, allowing them to snag the hottest in-season trends as they happen and negotiate prices up to 60% less than department stores. 10,000 new items arrive in every store each week, creating a "new store" feel every time shoppers visit. The bottom line: You get high-quality, in-season designer merchandise for less.

Ok, back to our giveaway!

To enter, tell us what you would buy with your T.J. Maxx giftcard if you won in the comments section below.

That's it. Good luck!

Please note: Entries must be posted by 12 noon October 25th, 2010 to be eligible to win. Open to US residents only, sorry. I received one $50 gift card in conjunction with this giveaway.

October Highlights from FreeBeautyEvents.com

If you're a beauty addict on a budget, visit FreeBeautyEvents.com and enter your zip code to find out what makeover, gift-with-purchase, spa open houses and sampling events are happening near your home. Sign up to follow the site on Facebook and Twitter, too. In addition to listing in-store makeovers, Freebeautyevents.com also features a blog on product reviews (http://www.freebeautyevents.com/beauty-blog) and a monthly contest http://www.freebeautyevents.com/contest.

This month, for example, Prestige Cosmetics will be at college bookstores in Pennsylvania and Virginia with a free basket raffle for Prestige products, as well as free makeovers. In addition, in December Coty will be promoting their holiday fragrance gift sets at Rite Aid in New York and Pennsylvania.

For the month of October ten winners will receive a University Medical AcneFree Sport Clear 2-Go Skin System. Consumers have until 10/31 to enter and winners will be chosen on 11/5/2010. It's a great resource that puts all free beauty events in one convenient location!

Please note: In exchange for blogging about freebeautyevents.com, I will be receiving a P&G Gift Bag. I'd blog about them regardless, and the goodie bag will allow me to review more beauty products.

Be the Next Gilt Bride Contest




To celebrate the opening of Gilt's Wedding Shop on October 20, Gilt Groupe is launching the hunt for the next Gilt Bride. Become Gilt's style ambassador for its next wedding event and win a dream honeymoon worth $5,000!

To make this vision a stylish reality, get your free Gilt membership, check out the selection in Gilt's Wedding Shop from Wednesday, October 20 though Sunday, October 24, then log on to www.facebook.com/GiltGroupe - there, you can upload a photo of you and your betrothed along with tips on how you would use Gilt to create an unforgettable wedding.

Hmm. Think they'd let the engaged-to-be-engaged crowd participate?!

What I'm Wearing: Peter Over-the-Knee Boots from LOFT




Back in April I attended the LOFT Fall 2010 Collection preview where I lusted after these gorgeous brown leather over-the-knee boots, certain that I would never be able to afford them. Now, LOFT has totally spoiled me by sending me a free pair, shown here. If you only buy one new pair of shoes this season, splurge on these beauties. They truly can take a simple outfit from boring to beautiful.

Regarding sizing, I measured the widest part of my calve at 15" and there's maybe an extra 1/4" of space remaining. For your reference purposes, I'm 5'8" so that gives you some sense of how tall these boots are. I realized after taking these photos that you can adjust the boot if you have narrower calves with the buckles to kinda tighten the boot shaft, but I haven't tried doing this yet. The shoe part fits true to size, I'm a 9.5 and I probably could fit in a 9 or 9.5 boot (which is what I was gifted.)

This style is called the "Peter Over-the-Knee Riding Boot" and it's available in black or brown for $198 at LOFTonline.com and you can click the image below for more info. I'll keep an eye out for budget-friendlier takes on this hot fall trend. In the meantime, drop hints to your sig-o that you want a pair as an early holiday present!



Outfit details: Forever 21 tweed vest with faux-fur collar (got this a couple years ago); Old Navy plaid shirt; Work Custom "Hemingway" Cargo Pants in Olive (via Ideeli.com); LOFT boots