Sewing for Haiti–tenatively

Randi at i have to say is thinking about organizing a Sewing Seeds project to sew skirts for girls in Haiti. In her words:

***Sewing Seeds is a project that I occasionally organize here on my blog to collect and distribute handmade skirts to little girls in areas where there is need…***

She’s looking for interested people to respond; with 90 comments and counting, I’m thinking this will be a “go!”  I wanted to get the word out here as well, so if you’re interested in joining in, read her whole post and go on and let her know!

I know I’ll be excited if this happens!

Read Full Post »

Links of the Day

So, I know I browse (and read in my handy, dandy RSS feed) a gagillion deal blogs a day, but only a few of the links are of interest to me…mainly, the cool ones. 😉 Combine that with the gagillion e-blasts from the companies I’ve signed up with, and that’s a lot of links for the day! Here are some of my favorites that I’ve come across in one easy-access post. What do you think? Helpful? Completely superfluous because you see them anyways? Let me know!

• Grab a free Playtex Gentle Glide sample (with the often-accompanying coupons, hopefully!)

• Play the “Craft your Life” game for your chance to win a Qdoba coupon–just pick random things until you get to the end, when it spits out some odd life-story-thing for you, and then you enter in your email. If you win, you’ll get a coupon right there–if not, it’ll give you a “bummer!”, complete with sad face. I didn’t get one last night, but I did this morning…50% off my next “Craft 2 menu” purchase!

• Friday 1/29 and Saturday 1/30, everything at Old Navy is 30% off! If you happen to have an OldNavy/Gap/Banana card, you can get an extra 25% off with this coupon too.

• Print out some valuable Kraft coupons here before they go away…with the Superbowl coming up, these will DEFINITELY come in handy! HT: Deal Seeking Mom

• Get a $10 credit AND $100 free prints with any purchase from Snapfish!

To get the $10.00 credit, sign up, and click on “My Account”. It expires in FIVE DAYS, but you can redeem it on anything except for shipping.

To get the 100 Free prints, add 101 prints to your cart, use Snapfish coupon code PRINTSNEWand you’ll just have to pay for the 1 print + shipping. HT: Money Saving Mom

• Get 29 Custom Photo cards (again!) from SeeHere with SeeHere Coupon Code newbaby. HT: MoneySavingMom

And these are my favorite marketing emails…

• Seventh Generation has a bunch of new coupons out, including three $1.00/1 and one $2.00/2 coupons.

• Have you signed up for Staples newsletter yet? Get a 15% off any purchase coupon except for computers!

• Love LUSH Cosmetics? Don’t buy until you’re at one of their fabulous parties! Find the nearest location to you and RSVP; Spend a certain amount and get a free treat (or goody bag!). While you’re there, enjoy the themed party with treats, free samples, services and other fun delights that are different from location-to-location.

Read Full Post »

Free Youth Eye Complex Sample

Ooh, this is nice! Get a complimentary sample of Youth Eye Complex free. (HT: DealSeekingMom)

And if you’re going to be placing an order with Sephora.com any time soon, enter in promo code FULL at checkout to receive a free deluxe sample of Living Proof’s new Full Thickening Cream before it launches exclusively at Sephora.

Read Full Post »

Hautelook: $10/$25 Promo Code!

Good for one-week (until Saturday, Jauary 16th) you can get $10 off your purchase of $25.00 or more at Hautelook! Simply add the promo code HL2010 at checkout.

On Sale This Week:

Monday 1/11:
GO SMile
Jami Rodrigues
LeSportsac
Riller & Fount
Terraillion

Tuesday 1/12
ABC Carpet & Home
Blinde Men + Women
decadestwo
Designer Jewelry & Accessories Blowout
H20 Plus
Poleci

Wednesday 1/13:
Urban Decay
b amici
Siwy Denim Blowout
Sorrelli
Tibi & Butter SHoes
Watch Blowout
Zoa

Thursday 1/14
DDF
Christian Audigier Handbags
Hellmuth Men & Women
Julie Haus
Nux
Rian

Friday 1/15
Romeo & Juliet Couture Blowout
Escali
Functionalab
George Gina & Lucy
Jonano
MRE
Run Ruby Run

Saturday 1/16:
So Smart!
Bionova
K.Kauff-men

Read Full Post »

Super Savings Saturday

New York & Co.

Yesterday was probably one of the best sale-days ever. And, it could have been even better, but I did what I could between work and our Good Friday service! New York & Co. had a $15.00 off any purchase coupon good for only yesterday; my friend/co-worker and I grabbed our coupons after work and headed straight to the mall! Their workout pants were all on sale, so I got the pair of yoga pants on the left for $0.00, and I paid $3.50 for the pair on the right. They normally retail for $24.95 and $36.95…and best of all, I needed workout pants–I can scratch them off my short list of things to buy. SO glad I waited!

Total Savings: $58.40
OOP: $3.50

Then, we swung by Victoria’s Secret, using this coupon for a free 1 oz. Acai Berry & Magnolia Body Lotion and this coupon for a PINK free panty (sign-up/sign-in necessary for the latter).

Victoria’s Secret Savings: $7.52
OOP: $0.00

Finally, we went to Bath & Body Works, using this coupon for a free 3 oz. body lotion (shower gel worked for us!) with any purchase. Just a hint: with “any purchase” at Bath & Body Works, I ALWAYS go for the tiny hand sanitizer…I scrounged up $1.50 in my purse to get that, and then got the $3.50 gel free!

Bath & Body Works Savings: $3.50
OOP: $1.50

AND, Victoria’s Secret just sent out a $20.00/any purchase coupon (I haven’t seen it posted online yet), so combine that with the “rewards card” from the last sale, and that’s at least $30.00 off anything in the store! I also got a 4-coupon set in the mail for: $10/any purchase April 7-May 11, $10/any bra June, Free VS Cotton Panty July, and Free bare Ultimate Panty in August. Looks like some good deals coming up!

Read Full Post »

WFMW: Wearing Things Out

I did–for a brief moment–think of taking pictures of a lot of very worn out things, but then thought better of it. Maybe it’s my father’s thriftiness, maybe it’s DIY stubbornness, maybe it’s sentimentality (I wore that belt on 5+ years of archaeology digs!), but I have a hard time just letting things go. So, here are some of my favorite ways to wear things down, reuse, and recycle!

1.) It becomes part of the comfy-AT-HOME-ONLY rotation. Since things rarely really break down at once, I have a pretty good collection of clothes that I won’t wear outside the house, but have become perfectly acceptable for working out in, lounging about, and throwing on to do the dishes so I don’t get anything on my good clothes. Double longevity!

2.) Cleaning Cloths! The ultimate re-use cliche, but whatever, it works! Some for buffing, shining, dusting–old shirts are perfect!

3.) They get re-sized, and re-sewn. I’ve never yet turned clothes-into-some-other-form-of-clothes, but I have been able to cut and use scraps for patches, home decor items, and other crafty projects. Fabric is fabric, and especially if it’s a large swath or funky pattern, cutting it up can be a great way to save memories and add some homemade charm to your home!

Some quick-and-easy retools:
A Bandanna
A work-out towel
A pillow
Bibs
Doll clothes
Headband cover
Uber-Cool Gift Wrap!
Small bag (The T-Shirt Tote!)
Jewelry Roll
Potholders (Check the fabric!)
Draft Stoppers
Padded Hanger Covers
Art projects
Cover frames or books
Make a hacky-sack!

In the same vein, Martha Stewart has an awesome list of earth-friendly ways to use extra buttons, glass bottles, belt buckles, and all sorts of odds and ends in a manner that seems actually pretty do-able.

And that’s what Works For Me!

Read Full Post »

New England Saving, Hannafords, Apr. 5-11, 2009

12-Pack Pepsi or Coke Fridge Pack 4/$10.00
Buy pepsi and use with 4 $2.00/1 Pepsi Rebate Coupons for
4/$2.00

English Muffins 2/$3.00

Hannaford Butter $1.39

Edy’s Ice Cream 2/$4.00

Tide 2X Ultra or Bounty 6-Roll Paper Towels $5.99

Cook’s Shank Portion Smoked Ham $0.79/lb.

Top Round Roast $1.79/lb.

Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs $0.79/lb.

Gold Sweet Potatoes $0.49

Applewood Smoked Ham or Taste of Inspirations Black Forest Ham $5.99/lb.

Haddock Fillet $3.99/lb ($3.00 off)

Swordfish or Tuna Steak $6.99/lb.

Crabcakes $0.99 each

Asparagus $1.99/bn.

Green Beans $1.29/lb.

Blackberries 2/$4.00

Strawberries 2/$5.00

Spinach $0.99

Fruity Pebbles 2/$4.00

Berry Berry Kix 2/$5.00

Hannaford Split Top Wheat Bread $1.59

Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta $0.84

Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice $1.98
Use with $1.00/3 Uncle Ben’s coupon (2.22.09 RP)
for 3/$4.94

Kraft Philadelphia $0.99

Hannaford Sour Cream $0.99

Hannaford Granulated Sugar 4/$3.00

Glaceau Vitamin Water 5/$5.00

Aim Toothpaste $0.99

Hannaford Frozen Vegetables $0.99

Gorton’s Crunchy Fillets $3.49
Buy 2 and use with $1.00/2 Gortons coupon (3.01.09 SS)
for 2/$5.98

Brie Log $4.99

Cape Cod Popcorn 2/$5.00

Fresh pork Picnic $0.89/lb.

Spiral Sliced Honey Ham $1.59/lb.
Spiral half ham $1.99/lb.
Boneless Lamb Leg $4.49/lb.
Premium Turkey $0.99/lb.
Carando Spiral Ham $1.99/lb.

Plastic Eggs $0.99
Easter Grass $0.99
Bubbles $0.79
Russell Stover Chocolate Eggs 2/$1.00
Mayfair Jelly Eggs $0.99
Solid Milk Chocolate Bunnies $0.99
Palmer Solid Bunny $0.99
Peeps $1.19
Cadbury Mini Cadbury Eggs $3.49
Reese’s Peanut butter Cups 2/$6.00
Easter M&Ms $3.49; Use with $1.00/2 M&Ms coupon (3.01.09 RP)

Read Full Post »

Super Savings Saturday: Victoria’s Secret

No pictures for this post! 😉

It all started a few days ago, when I went in to redeem that little “Free Panty” card that always comes in the mail. While in the store, the saleswoman mentioned that if you try on The Perfect One bra, they’ll give you a free $5.00 coupon good for anything in the store!

So I got the free panty, and I did end up buying The Perfect One since it did fit, if not perfectly, then pretty darn well. The “free” card also had a $10.00 off barcode, so I ended up with $52.50 worth of merchandise for only $30.00 once the freebie, $10.00 off, and $5.00 off in-store coupon were applied.

Now, while I’m not so picky on brands, I do LOVE their PINK brand! And VS is having a 7 PINK (or VS) panties for $25.00 sale…normally they’re 5/$25.00 and off-sale completely they’re $7.50 each.

So, I went home, redeemed the $10.00/$50.00 survey code that always prints on the bottom of your reciept, went back today, tried on the bra again, got another $5.00 off coupon, and walked out with pre-sale $111.00 worth of PINK underwear for only $35.00 post-sale and coupons. That’s 14 pairs of underwear for only $35.00–$2.50/pair! That’s cheaper than Target!!! THEN, to top it all off, I got a “Secret Reward” card that’s good for at least $10.00 and up to $500.00 off my next order (you find out at checkout, of course).

So really, that’s only $25.00 after everything…this recession is doing wonders for store sales–while I hate that we’re in it, I’m very appreciative of these prices that I’m not sure we’ll ever see come again!

See more Super Savings Saturday here.

Read Full Post »

Frugal Shopping Regrets

I wish I had a picture to post. Alas, I don’t even know the brand–it may have been Alex & Chloe. *sigh*

For most of us trying to live a frugal life, I would assume we do the mental checklist before buying something.

• “Do I need it?”
• “Can I get this for less elsewhere?”
• “Do we have the money right now to pay for this?”
• “Could I better serve the family by buying something else?”

When I’m buying something non-essential, like, oh, jewelry, I’m even more inclined to carefully weigh my answers. And so it was a few weeks ago; I was on one of my favorite sample-sale sites, Hautelook.com, when I saw a necklace.

It had a fine black-anchor like chain, and three charms: a grey pearl, an anchor, and a ship’s wheel. It may not sound that cool, but it was SO. Awesome. I wanted it, and I wanted it badly. But, it was $40.00. Who spends $40.00 on a necklace that’s not exactly an everyday sort of necklace OR a fancy event necklace? So I hemmed and hawed, and since these “sales” only last a limited time, I let it expire without purchasing it. We didn’t need it, I don’t need it, we didn’t have a ton of spare cash.

And…I regret it. I look at other discount stores like Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and TJ Maxx hoping to see it–I Google descriptions, hoping it’ll pop up on eBay. No luck. So I think I’ve learned that yes, I can regret not buying something…which I really didn’t think was possible, telling myself “You can regret buying something, but you don’t regret not buying something!”

And now, if I see something that I have that feeling about…I just might buy it. Suppose you can’t beat intuition!

Read Full Post »

Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic 30% Off!

Get out there and do your duty to stimulate the economy!!

From today, March 12, to March 15, you can get 30% off your total purchase at Old Navy, Gap & Banana…and at the end of the transaction, they hand it back to you to use in another store! A specific-multiple-use coupon…yeah, they must be hurting, but how awesome for us!

Old Navy Coupon here.

And while we’re talking about Old Navy, I’m sure everyone’s heard, but go to www.oldnavyweekly.com each Thursday to hunt for hidden coupon codes that include:

5% (unlimited)
10% (unlimited)
15% (25,000 unique codes)
20% (10,000 unique codes)
$10 off $100 (5000 unique codes)
$50 off $100 (3500 unique codes)
$75 off $100 (1000 unique codes)

and print it off right then and there! Not sure if you can use both coupons (probably not, I assume…), but either way, it’s a steal, especially if you can grab one of the bigger codes.

My husband and I just got back, and we got:

That’s 2 square-neck tops, 1 3/4 button-down, 1 cover-up sweater, and 2 pairs of flip-flops for me, and 6 shirts for my husband. Total pre-sale was $126-something, and after sale was $86.10…which is what mine at original cost would have uh, cost. Now, if I grab a $75/$100 coupon, I won’t be as happy, but as it is, I’m pretty pleased that we ended up saving $39.00.

Read Full Post »