Bargain Basement Apologetics

While on Amazon I noticed that Amy Welborn's  apologetics book geared to teens, Prove It! Church, is just $2.96 right now.  Madeline has a friend who asks her lots of questions about Catholicism so I ordered her a copy.  I've been thinking for a month or so now that it would be a good idea to give her some information so she can do a little bit of apologetics when her friend starts questioning her.

Because I'm Not the Only One

Yesterday I logged into my blogger account to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and post a picture of my family to go with the post.  I freaked out when I got this message telling me that I had maxed out my free photo storage space on the blog.  I then freaked out even more when I saw that they wanted me to spend a minimum of $2.49 a month to buy extra storage space for my photos.  I was more than a little peeved to see that if I had started to buy space before April 24th of this year that I would be paying a mere $5 a year for this space.  The cheap-skate in me really bristled at the thought of spending money for a ability to upload pictures.  While I don't have to, I already spend money for a KareninMommyland.com domain which redirects to this page on blogger.

Bryan insisted on buying the storage so I could still add pictures while I decided what to do.  I contemplated possibly switching over to my domain and just having everything redirect from blogger.  That may still happen sometime down the line, but I'm sure moving over 1,000 posts will take time.

Shortly after Bryan forked over $2.49 for my photo storage and I STILL couldn't upload pictures through blogger, I started thinking about ways I could add pictures.  I knew there was an add picture using a url feature so I did some experimenting.  I found that you can't add a photo to Facebook and use the link on there to add your photo to blogger.  Then I recalled that I had a PhotoBucket account which I used to use when I spent way too much of my time on a Gymboree message board ages ago.  Turns out that PhotoBucket works like a charm, offers twice as much free space as Blogger and makes photo editing nice and easy.

I'm pretty sure that I'll be canceling the photo storage that I just purchased.  So if any of you find that you maxed out on photo storage you might want to consider using an alternative source for hosting your pictures if you don't want to pay $30 a year to upload pictures.

Just be aware that you may find that you're out of photo storage when you least expect it.  I know I was surprised when I got the message yesterday and I think B-Mama over at G-Ville was, too.

Shopping the Aisle of Misfit Toys

This is the time of year when I like to browse Target's toy clearance aisles.  Since these are mostly left overs from the Christmas shopping season, I like to refer to this area of Target as the Aisle of Misfit Toys.  It a bit like the Isle of Misfit Toys, from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, only different.

I'm trying my best to be realistic about toy purchases.  A couple months ago I totally snapped when I discovered our basement was a step away from being declared a disaster area did a bit of a toy purge.  The kids had/have way too much stuff.  In going down the Aisle of Misfit Toys I was hoping to find things we could actually use or need for the baby.  In the week after Christmas I scored a Duplo block set
 that will be under our tree this December 25th.  I figure since the older girls are really into playing with Legos, Katie will likely want to build with block, too, and more Duplo blocks means her big sisters will be able to make some fun things for her.

My misfit toy shopping has been pretty lack luster this year outside of my 50% off Duplo find.  But I wasn't too worried.  The less I find, the less I have to store for the next 11 months.  And to be perfectly honest, the kids really don't "need" anything.

Since Madeline and Ellie have off from school today I decided I would take them to Target and let them use their gift cards.  Madeline hoards her gift cards and has a sizable collection.  She's been eyeing up some ugly boots that she wants, and has mentioned wanting to buy something, anything, lately.  Since this kid typically won't spend her gift cards I figured it was worth taking her to the store to see if she'd actually buy something.   She wound up buying a pair of furry brown boots and a pink Wii remote.  Ellie wanted a remote, too, but they didn't have the blue one she wanted in stock.

After we wandered the store a bit I passed by the Aisle of Misfit Toys.  I was fully prepared to walk by it since the clearance signs said 30% and 50% off.  It's mid-January.  I want 70-90% off!  I think the economy is delaying Target from price cutting as quickly as they have in the past.  Then I noticed that they still had the pink cozy coupes
 that have been sitting there since a few days after Christmas.  We don't need one, since we have a red one in like new condition that we got at a yard sale nine years ago for $1, but Katie had a gift card from a toy we returned (I couldn't bring myself to suffer the obnoxious battery operated toy she was given).  So I decided to take a peek at the price on the cozy coupe.  It had been around $35 for the past few weeks, and I was not about to pay that much for something we technically already have.  I was surprised when I looked at the tag and saw it was $14.98.  Her gift card was for $13 and change so after calling Bryan, I ended up buying it.

Katie got a Step 2 push buggy
 for Christmas from my parents and when we went to put it together Bryan and I were terribly disappointed in how badly Step 2 had cheapened their product.  Ten years ago we had bought the same car for Madeline and it had a fun clicking yellow key (now it's a boring sticker), wheels that had two sides instead of one hollowed out side, and a nice handle that could be easily removed and stowed under the car for easy transportation.  We used the car for both Madeline and Ellie and we all loved it.  After Ellie outgrew it we gave it to someone (I wish I could remember who I gave it to.).  We were so unhappy with the cost cutting version of the car that we decided to take it back to Kohls and look for a used one.  So far I haven't had any luck finding one, although I'm still on the look out.  I don't know if the new cozy coupe will replace my need for the push buggy (I don't think it will.) but I was happy to see that it has a floor board so you can push a child who isn't quite old enough to Flintstone it around the back yard.  I'm sure Madeline and Ellie will like pushing Katie around in her little car.

I think I'm done with the Aisle of Misfit Toys for this year.  Other than the blocks and the car, I really didn't see anything worth buying, but I'm not going to complain.  I'm pretty happy with the two items we picked up.

Shockingly Easy

I mentioned on Sunday that I was giving selling on Craigslist a try.  I honestly expected to either get no responses on anything I was selling, or to get people like me trying to get what I was selling for next to nothing.  Instead I had a totally different experience.

Last night I checked my email on my phone while Bryan dropped Madeline off at soccer camp.  I was really surprised when I had an email from someone asking if the aquarium bouncer seat I had listed was still available.  She was also interested in the matching activity gym I had listed (proof that mentioning other items you are selling in the ad is a good way to make another sale).  I responded to her that I had both items.  She wanted them both and was willing to pay my asking price.  As if that didn't shock me enough, she also asked what else I had for sale that she could use for when her grandbaby visits.  I sent her a list and later that evening she sent me an email saying she'd like to buy it all to and give her a total and a meeting place for today.  I'm still shocked at my apparent beginner's luck.

Probably the best part of this is the fact that I managed to sell just about everything I listed in one transaction.  Even better is the fact that I made a profit on the items.  I'm still very excited that I got $20 for a mint condition Chicco hook on booster seat that I trash picked from someone in our development a few months ago.  Bryan made fun of me when I rescued it from the curb, but I now have $20 that says trash picking pays.

I met with the buyer's husband this morning and he was very pleased with their new baby gear.  I'm glad my trash picking and yard sale bargain hunting paid off.

Giving Craigslist a Try

Over the past year or so I've made a few purchases through Craigslist.  It's sort of like the internet version of yard sales, only I don't have to follow bad signs and I can actually search for specifically what I want.  I've found that just like regular yard sales you can haggle on the price and I like that.  I love to point out a slight flaw on something that is for sale and make it seem like it's horrible enough to knock 50% off of the asking price.  Usually it catches the seller off guard and they agree.  Other times, I use the walk away tactic after my low ball offer is rejected.  That typically results in the seller chasing me down before I reach my car to tell me they'll take it.  Craigslist is pretty much the same.  Since I go through email when making offers I usually will tell people who reject my offer that they can contact me in a month when it still hasn't sold for their asking price or counter offer.  That usually gets a response a few days later telling me they'll sell it for what I was offering.

Now I'm giving Craigslist a try from the selling side.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine program and generous friends who have passed baby items on to us, some of my yard sale finds are now on Craigslist.  I had picked up some baby gear for my mom's house which wasn't as nice as things I was given so I tossed them up with reasonable prices which leave room for haggling with people like me.  If this venture into the world of selling stuff doesn't work I'll either take it to a consignment shop or I'll do what I normally do and just donate it so I don't have to be bothered.

Things that make me giddy

In many ways I am my grandfather's granddaughter.  Grandpop always loved a good bargain.  If he found a bargain, he didn't just buy one, he'd buy a dozen.  If Sears had a good deal on hammers, Grandpop would buy 12 of them.  It didn't even matter if he had one at home already.  After he'd get his great bargain he'd happily tell everyone and anyone about it.  He'd tell the story, pause to run and get the item and then come back proudly holding his latest bargain.  I always found this rather amusing.  It wasn't enough that KMart had Fruit of the Loom underwear on sale, Grandpop had to buy a lifetime supply [and NEVER use it].

The cool thing about my grandpop was he liked hearing about other people's great bargains as much as he liked telling people about his.  When Madeline was very little money was quite tight and I turned to yard sales to find the pricy outdoor toys I wanted for our yard.  Spending $45 on a little car or $200 on a play house or Power Wheels vehicle was just not in the budget for us.  By going to yard sales I was able to get the items I wanted for Madeline for literally a small fraction of the price.  One particular day, I managed to find a Power Wheels Jeep for $10, a Barbie Power Wheels Jeep for $10 [Which we sold to Bryan's co-worker for $20, thereby making the one we kept FREE], a Little Tikes house in desperate need of a good cleaning for $5 and a cozy coupe and yellow little Tike's chair for $1.  In the end, I got the items on my most wanted list for a whopping $6.  My grandfather was so proud when he heard this story, that he insisted on paying for my yard sale finds.  He wanted to tell others about the $6 he spent, and he had a picture of Madeline playing with her new to her toys that he could show to others.

So I think it's safe to say that between my Grandpop (Mom's side) and my dad, I learned to be one frugal bargain hunting gal.  Sure I like to buy the occasional high end overpriced item here and there, but for the most part, I want everything I buy to be the best deal I can get.  Example: I won't buy Cheerios at Acme.  Instead, I'd rather drive in pouring rain to Target, get soaked going in and out of the store and save a dollar and get a bigger box of cereal, rather than give Acme my money and reduce my time in the rain.  Faced with the same scenario Bryan would take the hit and buy the cereal at Acme.  Not me.  I play the game.

Yesterday we took the girls out to lunch and stopped in at a not so local Target to check out their baby clearance.  I had already scored a Graco Pack N Play for $35 and a Fisher Price Bouncer for $15 a couple weeks ago.  I've been stressing about the small size of the nursery and how limited I am in where I can place the furniture.  We decided that perhaps a changing table would be a good solution to our problem.  We could put it on the small wall, place the dresser in the closet and pull in a chair so I have a place to sit with the baby.   Two Targets in one day yielded the same result.  Changing table for $58 that would require me to spray paint it a color to go with the nursery.  I'm not a fan of spray painting things that cost more than a few dollars when I'm not sure how the end result will look.  We decided to pass on it.  Then I spied the bargain that I simply have to tell everyone about.

I managed to find a Britax Roundabout 50 Classic, in a girly pattern with a harness that goes with my van interior, for $77!  I'm so thrilled at this.  I had seen the seat for $105 a few weeks ago at another Target, but I didn't buy it thinking that it would be cheaper to buy a new cover for a seat I reviewed last year.  It wasn't until I found out that the company wanted $70 plus shipping for a new cover that I started to think that I'd be better off buying a new Britax Marathon classic so I could use the spare covers I have from Ellie's old seat.  Anyway, I got the carseat I'll be using for the baby once she's no longer in the infant car seat.  The bonus in all of this is the Marathon covers I have from Ellie's old seat which will expire in 12 months, actually fit this seat perfectly.  In the event of a major mess, I at least have a cover which I can use in a pinch.

Oh, and I think I have the nursery furniture problem solved.  Ellie's white armchair fits nicely on the tiny wall.  It's not the best furniture arrangement, but I think we can live with it.  I'll probably be posting a few pictures of the room in the coming days.

Ok, Children's Place, I'll play!

Yesterday I took my girls shopping at Children's Place for $10 jeans and $5 graphic tees.  Because Ellie's birthday was this month I went shopping with a 15% off coupon (because the 15% off coupon that anyone could use expired the day before).  My total before coupon was $100.  I was happy with my loot of 8 pairs of jeans and four tees for $84.99.  That happiness faded quickly when I opened an email from the Children's Place this morning and found a coupon for 30% off when you spend $60 or more.  With that lovely coupon, the kids could have each had an extra pair of jeans and I would have had an extra dollar left over (Everybody wins when Mom thinks and shops like a total tight wad!).

While I'm happy that there is a better deal out there, I'm not happy that I need to go back to Children's Place to play their game (But I will!).  If you'd like to partake of their nice little offer click here.  It's only in stores and it's only good until July 31st.  I love their jeans and find them to be a steal at $7.00 a pair (That's cheaper than Target.).  The graphic tees aren't bad for $3.50 either. (Prices of jeans and tees assume that you take advantage of the 30% off deal.)

The Cost of Being a Cheapskate

I think I've advertised my frugalness here on more than a few occasions.  My family and friends have the burden of hearing me complain about outrageous prices or my disdain of the price games stores like to play with certain products.  Yesterday both my mother and Bryan got to hear about my displeasure with how Target is running their back to school sales this year.  For the past five years I've been used to getting my crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, Elmer's school glue, and pencil cases at sale prices that remained the same for at least a month to six weeks.  This year Target is not playing nice and I'm not happy.

Two weeks ago I got Roseart glue sticks (2 pack) for 20 cents.  Then out of nowhere they jacked the price up to 79 cents a pack.  They did, however start selling the Elmer's glue sticks for 25 cents per two pack.  That's two less glue sticks per dollar.  When you buy glue sticks as teacher bribes to help out your child's classroom teacher, you want to get as many glue sticks as you can per dollar.

Then there's the issue of the pencil boxes.  Two weeks ago I picked up my nice little made in the USA Sterlite pencil case for Ellie at Target for 50 cents.  This price is typical of back to school sales of the past. On Sunday, my local Target still had the boxes for the same price, but they didn't have the color assortment I wanted.  Yesterday when I was at another Target I found the colors I wanted but not the price.  They had jacked the pencil boxes up to 79 cents (High way robbery if you ask me!).  Target, knowing that I needed these little boxes for various household storage needs knew I had no choice.  Capitulate to the absurd price or go home empty handed.  I begrudgingly paid an extra 29 cents per pencil box (I brought three in case you were wondering.).

I may have been beaten by Target's game, but I wasn't above griping about it to my mom and husband (and now you by extension of this blog post).  Bryan just sighs and hopes I'll stop sweating the small stuff (It's what I do.  I typically go with the flow over the big stuff.).  My mom on the other hand will happily rise to the occasion with me, or humor me at the very least.  I called her on my way home from Target to gripe about the prices of pencil boxes (I need a hobby or something, don't I?).  Given my total abhorrence of Wal-Mart, I asked my mom, who doesn't mind Wal-Mart, if she could scout out their pencil box prices.  She decided at 7:30AM to call me and tell me she was sitting in their parking lot.  Yes, so the cost of my cheapness is the loss of sleep, but I'm getting pencil boxes for 60 cents each.  Take that Target!  Oh and my mom was also able to find me a plastic index card box.  I wanted one of them for the cards I made for Madeline with the Baltimore Catechism questions that she's memorizing.

If you're not a cheapskate and you're considering becoming one, be forewarned that it can be a lot of work sometimes.  

Awesome Customer Service

I'm a bargain hunter, and I have to admit it upsets me when I buy something and a few days later my purchases drop in price. In many cases I'll do what I call a rebuy/return where I'll go and buy the item again and return the same higher priced item. Bryan calls this "The Game." He thinks I'm crazy to go back and get price adjustments (if the store offers them, not all do) or to repurchase the items at the lower price. I look at it as a great way to save money. And knowing myself very well, I know that I will sit up at night stewing over the amount of money that I over spent.

Some stores like Kohls have great price adjustment policies, but they are constantly running different sales. I can buy a shirt on Monday and the price of the shirt (depending on the week) could fluctuate three times in the span of 7 days. That type of practice drives me insane.

A few days ago I ordered new swimsuits for my girls from Lands End. I was going to hold off a little while, but then the Kids' catalog came out. When the kids' catalog comes out that means one thing to me: Buy the cute stuff you want now or risk not getting it at all. I've had many occasions where I assumed I could hold off another week or two on ordering something only to have it sell out (presumably because all the other moms thought it was adorable, too). So I ordered the swim suits [with my free shipping code that saved me $10.95] two days ago and consoled myself about paying full price by remembering that Lands End swimsuits are much better quality than the Target swimsuits that are half the price. It's also comforting to know that despite daily use, Madeline's swimsuit will still be in great shape when Ellie receives it as a hand me down.

This morning my bargain hunting heart sank when I opened my email. At the top of my new mail was an email from Lands End. "Sale: 20% off everything online and in-store + FREE SHIPPING," read the taunting little email. I looked at it and stared in disbelief. Didn't I just tell Bryan two days ago that Lands End would probably do this and I'd have to rebuy and return? I dislike having to go to the mall, and I really despise having to make Lands End returns at Sears. Every time I go I get stuck behind a little old lady who has no clue what she wants to do. I got out my calculator. I crunched the numbers. 20% off was a $13 savings. That was practically another swimsuit for Madeline. Two months ago I ordered a bag from them and it went on sale the next day. I called and managed to get a price adjustment, which spared me from having to brave a trip to the mall before Christmas and saved me $1.27. (Don't laugh, I'm cheap.) I decided to give Lands End a call and see if they'd be nice and give me the 20% discount. I had to be transferred to another representative who politely informed me that they would make an exception for me and I could have either the free shipping or the 20% off which confused me. Sorry, I want both. I managed to produce the code from my email and instantly the bargain hunting skies opened and I was given both. I'm delighted right now, and the $13 I rescued will put a little spring in my step today. I also explained to the customer service rep that this "one time exception" should probably not just be a one time thing because if they had refused to do the adjustment I would have reordered the swimsuits again at the lower price and they would have paid shipping twice only to have me return the higher priced items. She agreed that it worked out better for them considering I would have gone that route.

Lesson of the day: Don't be afraid to ask for price adjustments.

I'm still here

To look at my blog, I get the feeling that I must have fallen off the face of the earth or I've hit a major time warp. Actually the time warp thing is partly right given the recent time change for daylight savings time. Let me just say that I think that particular practice should be abolished. I'm taking a beating with the time change. Who would have thought that "gaining" an extra hour of sleep could screw a person up so much?

My past week has been a whirl wind of activity. Friday was jam packed with fun and not so fun moments. I saw the classroom Halloween party that I planned for Madeline's class come to fruition. For the most part, I'd say it was a success. The kids, the teacher and the wonderful parents who took a few hours out of their day to help run the party all seemed pleased with my efforts. Bryan took Ellie on her field trip to the pumpkin patch before he dropped her off at Madeline's school for the class party.

When I finally returned home on Friday afternoon I spent a couple hours engulfed in Madeline's social studies project. Sadly, the project was a bust and I found myself redoing it this afternoon. At long last, it is finished.

Since Bryan took Friday off to take Ellie on her field trip and to go to the doctor we decided to head out to the Olive Garden for a much anticipated dinner. Once we arrived at the restaurant, disaster struck. As soon as I got out of the car I heard this loud hissing sound and immediately suspected the tire I was standing next to. Sure enough, I had a tire that was going flat. Figures, when I'm starving and haven't eaten since 7:30 AM we would encounter a flat. Ugh! I wanted to scream and cry. I think my blood sugar had totally plummeted by the time we arrived at Olive Garden based on the massive headache I developed and we weren't able to go eat because of the tire. We rushed over to Target so Bryan could get fix a flat so we could make it home. The Olive Garden is about 30 minutes from our house and once the flat was discovered our new focus was to stop the leak and get home ASAP. The drive home was interesting. We only made it home thanks to the little air pump in my car, and the lovely air pump at the WaWa. Of course, when we got to the WaWa with a gas station we had to wait for the air hose. While waiting for 10 minutes, the tire went completely flat and all of the fix a flat oozed out of the tire. I had to yell and scream at someone who decided to butt in line and take the hose. Extreme hunger, less than desirable situations and cranky kids and husband can make me lose my composure very quickly. After letting the poor inconsiderate man from Delaware have it, he backed off and got in line for the hose. Bryan was annoyed and willing to let the guy go ahead of him, but I wasn't having it and neither was the man who was next in line. The moral of the day for the young man from Delaware was don't mess with a tired and hungry Karen and wait your turn like everyone else. We managed to make it home. Within seconds of pulling into our garage the tire was totally flat. Turns out we had quite a large gauge in the tire and how we managed to make it home is a mystery.

Saturday saw a day with a no-show soccer team (Madeline's opposing team decided not to play and didn't think to let the soccer club know.) and trick or treating. Sadly, trick or treating wasn't all that fun. It started off rather nicely with just Bryan, the girls, Oscar and me. By the time we almost made it around our block our neighbors asked us to join them. I didn't want to simply because one of Madeline's soccer teammates was going with them and I wasn't fond of the mother. Before we were done trick or treating I found myself wishing we had taken a different route when we set out. The mother of the soccer teammate criticized my dog's appearance, his rectum and the fact that we actually paid money for him when he's "so ugly". My decision to stay at home was also attacked and the mother asked me if I at least had a college education. She seemed rather stunned when I told her that I did. (I don't stay at home because I can't find a job or because I'm uneducated. I stay at home because I don't want someone else raising my children.) This woman then began to go on about how "superior" her children are because they are or will be going to private school. Her son goes to the local parish school and her daughter is in Madeline's school. They don't use the public middle school because of the "riff raff" and because their children are "superior" to the "inferior children who go to public schools". She went on and on telling me how her children are better than every other child who gets a public education. I held my tongue and decided not to say anything to her. I just said oh and I see as she and her children went on about how "superior" they are. I found it really sad that this woman has warped her children into sounding a lot like Hitler youth. And I learned that if I want my children to be "superior" all I need to do is give them a Catholic education. Since I know that our local Catholic school has a curriculum that lags behind the public schools, I'll let them find out for themselves how "superior" that education they're paying for really is. My "inferior" children will have to go to the public school and learn that not everyone is as blessed in life to have all the nice things that they do. I try to teach my children to have humility and not flaunt anything that they have and quite frankly, I'm shocked that there are parents who teach their kids that they are better than others. It's something that I found totally sickening.

Sunday was Bryan's birthday. I took the girls to Mass early in the morning and they both behaved for me (What a shock!). My CCD class was half empty due to illness for the second week in a row. I'm beginning to wonder when I'll have a full class again. The girls both had soccer games in the rain at the same time on Sunday. I'll be so happy when we can have a weekend without rain.

I don't know that I remember Monday. I'm sure I spent most of the day reading books that I have waiting for me to review. I know that we had to take Madeline to my parent's house to spend the night so they could take her to the dentist since my car went into the shop Monday night.

Since I had the tire issue on Friday, we sent the van to the Toyota dealership for repairs. I wound up with new breaks, four new tires and a bunch of routine stuff. So my flat tire led to a $1,200 bill. Just what we needed.

While Tuesday wasn't the most delightful day thanks to the car repair bill, I did have a good day. My parents took Madeline to her dentist appointment and I did some of my Christmas shopping from home. When they brought her back home, I got to go vote and I'm happy to report that New Jersey will have a Republican Governor. So I certainly feel like my vote counted. I also stumbled upon Halloween costumes for 75% off at Target. Madeline found a costume she liked for next year. She's going to be Super Girl and for $7.50 with all accessories included I'm one happy mom. I LOVE a good bargain.

Madeline is off from school all week (except Monday) so after we dropped Ellie off at school today we did a little more Christmas shopping. Then later in the day I immersed myself in Madeline's social studies project. I'm happy to report that it's finally finished and it looks pretty good if I do say so myself. I hope it gets an A. I even got some Christmas gifts wrapped today. Now I just need to go relax and read a book.

I now feel like I'm caught up.

Want Snow White for $9.99?

I have a Snow White fiend living in my house right now. I don't know if I should blame all the heavy advertising that has been on TV for the past several weeks, or Disney for promoting their princesses so heavily. I guess if I'm going to be fair, I should just blame the Snow White book Ellie has been making me read her frequently for the past 6 or 7 months. I'm not a Snow White fan. I can't stand her voice and I just don't like the story. I'm an Ariel girl.

If you are like me, and living with a Snow White fanatic or maybe you just need a copy of this DVD, you can go to Amazon.com and get the Blue Ray + DVD combo pack for $9.99 if you use the promo code SNOWHITE at check out. I stumbled on this lovely little deal while perusing a message board this morning. I don't have any idea how long this promotion is valid.

If you are a cheapskate like me, you'll also like to know that you can add something that cost $5.01 or more to your order and get free super saver shipping (the added item has to be eligible for free shipping). Apparently, Amazon doesn't care if your check out total is below $25, the pre-promo total just has to be $25 or more to get the free shipping.

My mom needed to pick up something small for Ellie to round out her Christmas shopping for the girls so this was the perfect solution. She placed her order this morning and told me she also got a $5 off coupon for a future DVD purchase after she placed the order. Not sure if everyone is getting that deal as well, but it's not a bad deal if you have other DVD's to buy.

Need some candles?

I was frittering away a little time on Facebook this afternoon and I noticed that a friend of mine from high school has posted about a pretty good deal at Yankee Candle. Curiosity got the better of me when someone made a comment about Christmas shopping, and I decided to take a peek at the Yankee Candle website.

I wound up buying 10 large jar candles. The candles are usually $24.99 and at buy one get one free, I couldn't resist the chance to get some decent gifts for the many people on my Christmas shopping list. Since I usually buy my candles from White Barn Candle Company, I had to trek over to the Yankee Candle shop that is a short drive from my house when there isn't any traffic. Somehow I didn't think I'd sit in traffic at 6pm on a Friday night. Apparently the years of being a stay at home mom who doesn't sit in any kind of going home traffic has warped my outlook on traffic patterns.

Ellie and I went to the Yankee Candle store so we could sniff the candles. I went there simply to figure out which scents smelled good so I could go home and place an order on line. Thanks to my handy iPhone, I was able to snap a picture of each scent that I found particularly nice smelling.

Once I got home I got to work figuring out which scents to buy for which people and myself, of course. At the moment I have 3, possibly 4 candles earmarked for me. I think Bryan and the girls will each be giving me a candle for Christmas.

If you are interested in grabbing some yummy smelling candles for yourself or to give as gifts, click here to get the coupon. It can be used in store or online and it's valid until this Sunday 10/04/09. I wasn't sure if they'd give me unlimited free candles at the store, plus I knew I couldn't carry 10 candles out to my car and wrangle Ellie at the same time, so I just ordered online. I look forward to having my shipment of Christmas gifts delivered sometime soon. Best of all, I was able to slash the amount I'm spending on some people in half thanks to this sale. I love being a bargain hunter.

Want 30% off at Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic?

Gap is having their Give and Get promotion again.  If you click here, you can use this coupon in store to get 30% off at Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic now through Sunday.  5% of your purchases will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Go shopping and fight cancer at the same time!

$1.99

That's how much I just paid for an outfit for Madeline and a cute pair of sunglasses for Ellie at The Children's Place.  I'm one of their select shoppers who has been invited to reap the benefits of having their credit card without having to have an account (they're trying to get me to open an account, but after two years it still hasn't worked).   So I received a $10 coupon from them the other day (I honestly don't recall buying enough to earn the reward, but Bryan says the economy is making them desperate and they're just throwing incentives out to see if anyone will bite.) I'm sure I've probably mentioned in the past that I'm a bit of a bargain hunter, so the idea of getting reward dollars for buying children's clothing certainly gets my attention.  So right now I'm quite pleased with my $1.99 shopping trip.  Madeline has a new outfit that she really likes, and Ellie is quite pleased with her snazzy new pink sunglasses.

Small Successes

Celebrating the little things that add up.

1. After nearly two and a half weeks of trying to decide what I should plant in my retainer wall garden, I stumbled upon the strawberry plant clearance rack at my local Lowes.  What strawberry lover can resist .30 strawberry plants that have flowers and in some cases strawberries already growing on them?  I planted 18 lovely looking strawberry plants in the retainer wall two days ago.  I also picked up some blueberry bushes and rosemary plants for the garden, but they still have to be planted.  There's nothing like having plants that produce yummy food!

2. I made two home cooked meals for my family this week....and they're still alive!  Best of all, Ellie actually agreed to eat her vegetables both nights and she even ate baked potato. Success! The second night she went so far as to request the baked potato!  That's pretty huge since she has refused to eat potatoes (unless they're in french fry form) since she was a baby.

3. Today, I remembered to dress Ellie for Topsy Turvy day at school.  Given my frequent Mommy Brain moments as of late, I'm pretty pleased with myself for remembering this.  I am happy to say that I sent my child to school with two hair styles and hair clips, two different shoes and socks, inside out and backwards pants and jacket, and a backwards shirt.  If this were a normal day I'd start twitching at the thought of letting her leave the house like this.