Pretty bad at this blogging thing..

Actually, not sure if I'm bad at the blogging thing or really, the shopping thing. My best friend has agreed with me that I have just not been in the shopping mood lately. Well, with Christmas, of course I was but truly...just not looking for the deals but more the perfect gift for my friends and family. I definitely believe that I over analyze what to give someone as a gift. To me, it has to be perfect. I thoroughly enjoy the look of surprise and joy on their faces as they open their gifts.

Recently, however, I have started to get the urge to shop. Maybe it's out with the old and new with the in. I have a trash bag of clothes to donate that sits on the floor of my "closet room." Yes, I have an entire room that is basically mine. The closet is full of my clothes and my shoes and the wall has hangers of all my purses..and I even have a piece of furniture that holds all my jewelry...both costume and gems. I'm pretty sure there's a bed in that room, too. Maybe I should check for the next time we have a guest stay with us. I would prefer they NOT sleep on my clothes. lol!

Today was a shopping day. As usual, I hit some of my favorite stores that have deals on name brand clothing. It was the Dressbarn first, to buy a jacket that I fell in love with when I first saw it before the holidays. I didn't dare buy it knowing that the month of December is not a time to be buying myself anything. (Well, the days before the 25th, how's that?) So, I went back to buy the jacket and well, not so much of a deal. CUTE but not a deal. Next, Danah (that best friend I mentioned) and I went to Marshall's. Not much there either but I did manage to buy a cute casual shirt for $16.99. So, next on our list was Burlington Coat Factory and well, sure enough...I found some SUPER cute jeans for tonight. Ya know...New Year's Eve and all I was in need of some bling. Heck, I don't even know the brand but they have shiny pockets!!

Not a very good picture..sorry about that. These were only $12.98!! Seriously, who buys jeans for $12.98? I DO! Especially when they are a great fit. Actually, I wouldn't buy them if they weren't a great fit.

So, this just goes to show ya that Marshall's and Burlington Coat Factory can come through for ya every now and then. Some of my other favorites are TJ Maxx and Ross. I'm cheap, what can I say?

Happy New Year, ya'll!!

Dear Retail Therapy, It's Been Too Long

I know, I'm sorry. My lack of time and actually, a tad bit of desire, to find deals lately just hasn't been my norm, therefore, my blog has gone unwritten for awhile. Well, low and behold, I found a deal and I'm excited to share it with you!

Recently, my husband and I vacationed in Las Vegas. Knowing that the hotels always have hairdryers nowadays I decided to not pack my own and go ahead and use whatever was provided. Now, I must say, this is a tad risky for me because I have tons of hair and usually the dryers that are provided are never 1875 watts and it can take forever to dry my hair. Yes, I'm exaggerating but, you get what I mean.

Surprisingly, the Golden Nugget doesn't even have the wall mounted ones! They actually provide you with a full fledged 1875 watt hairdryer. Well, I fell in love with it. Yes, an odd love but I was actually blown away (figuratively speaking) by how much power it had. I didn't understand why my 1875 watt dryer at home was so different knowing that the filter had recently been cleaned. So, me being me, I wrote down the name of it and planned on searching for it when we got home.

Sure enough, I found it. Sadly, I would have to purchase them by the case. I know I have a lot of hair but if I ever say that I need a case of hairdryers someone please, drive me straight to county mental health.


So, yesterday, as I set out to get some toiletries, I stopped at Big Lots and, well, there she was. The cutest pink and black, 1875 watt, hairdryer. As I stood there, admiring her color, I thought, "Do I need this? No. Do I want this just because she is cute? Yes. Is it cheap? Yes. Should you get it? Why, yes, you should for only $10!" So, she came home with me.

I immediately did the comparison test and sure enough my little pink beauty has more power than my old one. She's more compact and well, heck, she only cost 10 bucks!

Here she is! Cute as all get out! The Remington Adventure, Limited Edition! She has 3 heat settings, 2 speed settings, ionic conditioning (I have no idea what that means but I'm sure it's good for my hair) and a 2 year warranty.

Disclaimer: I do not really give my home appliances genders. Cars, yes. Hairdryers, no. :)

A Little Menage a Trois with Belvedere!

Ok, so, no menage a trois but it's a catchy title! Don't you agree?

The other day my girlfriend and I were talking and she tells me that my favorite red table wine is on sale at Total Wine & More. So, naturally we planned our outing like two wine loving women would do. Little did I know, I would get an added bonus while there.

A few months back this same friend of mine and I went to a concert in Hollywood. Knowing that we would probably have a few cocktails we decided to get a hotel room for the night and just drive home in the morning. It's a good thing we did.

As you can probably guess, I was going to get us a good deal on a hotel room. I did a few searches and came across a website that had reduced prices on nice hotels and sure enough, I found the place! The Redbury at Hollywood and Vine. I highly suggest you visit their webpage and if you are ever looking for a place to stay, stay here! Anyway, when we walked in to the suite we were automatically upgraded to upon check in, we noticed the fully stocked bar.

Now, my friend and I like our wine but we love us a good bloody Mary! When we saw the mix and then the vodka, we made a couple of drinks. Then we looked a little closer at the bottle of vodka. It read "tomato infused." This heightened our taste bud's senses and sure enough...heaven. That's when my search began.

The brand was Crop Organic Vodka. I searched high and low and could only find it online for a price I really didn't want to pay. I even went to Total Wine and had the clerk look it up for me. Tears welled up in my eyes when he told me that the company had discontinued it. (not really, but I was bummed.)

I thought my search was over until I saw an ad in my Marie Claire magazine for Belvedere Tomato Infused Vodka. I was thrilled and even so much that I took a picture of the ad and text it to my friend. The following day I went to the store to see if they carried it. Sure enough, they do but for $36 a bottle. I cringed at the price when it was surrounded by other flavors at a much lower amount. I left. No Belvedere in my bag. Until last night.

Sure enough, while getting my bottle(s) of Menage a Trois red table wine for just $6.47 each...which I normally pay $7.49 at Costco and $8.99 at the grocery store, I walked over to the vodka aisle, which I must say, there are tons of flavors! The entire aisle was vodka. They even had chocolate espresso flavor. Ewwww!

And there it was. Belvedere Bloody Mary. Then my eyes wandered down to the price and my jaw dropped. $25!! I know, only $11 cheaper but how could I pass it up, right?

So, here I sit, after a busy day at work, drinking a very tasty bloody Mary which is just perfect on a 90 degree weather evening, and I paid what I wanted to pay! Why, you ask? Because that's how I roll!

Yeah, I Had to Use a Coupon

I know..I know..the title of my blog is No Coupons Necessary but this is just something I couldn't keep to myself. Maybe it's because I'm watching Extreme Couponing or maybe it's just because I like to share the good deals I come across. On a side note, those couponers are crazy! Who needs a thousand tubes of toothpaste, really?

For those of you who know me, you know that I love my toaster oven. If you read my friend's blog, Journey Through Food and Wine, you also know that I love to cook a mean ribeye steak in it. So, the other evening, as I'm broiling this lovely sized ribeye, I start to hear sparks and then look over to see my beloved toaster oven smoking! As I run over I'm envisioning me opening the door only to have the oxygen hit the heat and flames come roaring out at my face. Obviously, that didn't happen. I was able to salvage the steak but not the toaster oven. I then realized that this would be my last cooking adventure in this trusty little contraption however, this trusty little contraption can easily be replaced. 

Lucky for me, my Kohls catalog arrived in the mail! Ya know, the one where you have to peel off the sticker to reveal your savings? Much to my anticipation, I grabbed the catalog and slowly revealed my savings. Yahoo, 20%! I'll take it! Then, like an extreme couponer, I got excited remembering that I have $10 Kohls cash in my wallet. SWEET! Looks like a trip to Kohls is in order to replace my favorite kitchen appliance.

A couple days later, it was time for the Kohls adventure. But, check this out...I completely forgot about needing a toaster oven. So, as we perused the athletic section for some clothes for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, the casual women's clothes section and the candle aisle my friend looks to me and says, "Let's go check out the cheese graters." Once in housewares, that's where it hit me! TOASTER OVEN!

We walked to the toaster ovens and there it was. A Black & Decker Convection Countertop Oven. The large capacity fits a 12" pizza or 6 slices of bread. The convection cooking circulates air for fast, even results and it has a 60 minute timer. Here's the savings part. This usually sells for $79.99. It was on sale for $59.99. 

My new toaster oven! Well, the box it came in.

I grabbed that box and went straight to the register. After I handed her my 20% off coupon and my Kohls cash I ended up having a bill of just $42.89 with tax. Ahhh, the satisfaction was so gratifying and then, it got better! The clerk handed me a $10 gift card coupon to use on my next purchase. REALLY? You mean I'll have to come back to buy more things? Ok, twist my arm! Sometimes I think Kohls pays their customers to shop there. LOVE that store!

There is one thing I need to mention. If you, too, would like to get the coupons in the mail and extras such as Kohls cash and surprise coupon gift cards, you do have to have a Kohls account. I must say, by NOT having a Kohls credit card, you're missing out if you shop there frequently. The rewards by having one has far exceeded any other credit card I've ever had. Just pay your bill on time so you're not having to pay any extra because then there would be no purpose to using those coupons.

Who'd a Thunk It?

I must say, that A-HA moment when I realize exactly what I plan to share with my blog fans (yes, all 9 of you), is so rewarding!! And who would have thunk it? (Wow, no underline under the word thunk telling me that I have a misspelled word...okay, I'll roll with it.) My moment came to me while cleaning tonight!

It was a long day at work, conducting selection interviews for the dispatcher position(s), and the last thing I want to do when I get home is housework but, I figure, someone's gotta do it and mama's got a new toy!! I can't just let it sit there in the box until the weekend! So, I change out of my uniform, feed the dogs, set the sprinkler on in the front yard and grab the scissors. As this giant box sits on the table with the AMAZON label quietly staring me in the face saying, "you got a deal on this lady...now get to work", I start cutting into the box. 

My Bissell Little Green Machine Portable Spot Cleaner has arrived! We had another spot cleaner, in fact, I can't even remember the name of it, that's how impressed we were with it. Anyway, the motor on it died and we just knew we were going to have to replace it. Now I can imagine you're thinking, who would possibly have enough spots on their floor where the motor would die on a carpet spot remover? Well, let me tell ya. We have four dogs. Yes, four.  And, while I love them with all my heart and I often come home with rawhides for them or dog biscuits, they, too, like to leave me gifts. Whether it's Charlie who brings in a random dead animal from outside or Beau who is telling me, "Hey, Mom, I ate too fast, I now feel like crap, so, here...have this back." 

While I know they are the most loving little creatures in the world, they are also dirty and well, I don't want to live with it. So, we went out on a limb and ordered the Little Green Machine through Amazon not knowing a whole lot about it.

I put hardly any effort into the assembly...even though I did freak out a bit when I read that I needed a phillips head screwdriver. I freaked for nothing as it was just attaching one little piece to the side of the machine. TA-DAAAA! Fully assembled. Ready for action.  As I started going after some stains on the carpet, yes, I found a red wine spill and a coffee spill and a few unidentifiable spills, I started realizing how AMAZING this product is! Stains lifted with little effort on my part. The brush is the perfect size to get into awkward corners and under furniture. Here's the best part!! It cost just $74 on Amazon. While I did do some price comparison, it didn't take me long to realize that Amazon was definitely going to save me some money. FREE shipping and I had it within 3 days of placing my order online. Amazon is my new best friend. Don't worry, Danah, just my website best friend...oh wait, besides facebook and eBay..okay, how about it's my new friend. :)

So, if you're in the market for a carpet spot cleaner. I highly recommend the Bissell Little Green Machine. Here are some features of the product:

• earth-friendly cleaning method
• can remove small and large stains
• with 1-step clean and extract feature 
•  made of post-consumer recycled plastic
• tanks and hose are PVC-free
• comes with a stain-brush attachment
• measures 8.2 x 17.2 x 12.5 inches

My second recommendation is to buy it on Amazon. The machine costs $99 at retail stores and if you buy it online from one of those retailers you'll, most likely, have to pay shipping, too. 

So, tonight I'll leave you with photos of my four-legged, furry, dirty, messy, gift-bearing pups! Happy cleaning my friends...happy cleaning!

Beau and Charlie

Sawyer Brown

Rancher

 

This One's for the Dogs

Sunday mornings...ahhh...my favorite!  The house all to myself, reserved for light cleaning, facebooking, coffee drinking, paper reading and music listening.  The only sounds, besides my music and my fingernails hitting the keyboard, are those of the roosters; not only of my own rooster, Marvin, but the neighbors on each side of me as well.

As I skim the front page of the paper, pull out the coupons to review another time, and read the obituaries I can feel my heart start to pound a little harder knowing that the sale ads await.  Ahhh, sale ads.  This "ahhh" is not similar to the Sunday "ahhh" but more of an excited, can't contain myself, ahhh. 

While I rarely find myself planning my shopping around them, because my list has grown all week whether the item is on sale or not, I still find joy in looking at every item and its sale price in the abundance of circulars that have been not so carefully stuffed into my Sunday paper.  I find them all quite entertaining however, I do have a favorite. TARGET.  Yay for Target! 

Recently, our Target started selling grocery items so now I'm finding it my one stop shop unless I'm in need of "BIG" grocery shopping. That's a code that John and I have for, "I'll be getting a cart, going down every aisle, and you probably don't want to go with me."  Along with this addition of grocery items they have had to completely rearrange the store which I gotta say, is quite frustrating!  I usually write my lists out by aisle because I, at one time, had that store memorized. Not so much anymore.  So, with my little trip to Target today there were a few things on my list that are worthy of sharing. 

Target's Up & Up Make-A-Size Paper Towels

I'm a paper towel freak.  I also wash my hands a ton and find that using a dish towel to dry them seems counter productive, hence, the paper towel!  Target's "UP" brand is the best paper towel around. They have them in full sheet size and also "make-a-size" which comes with half sheets pre-perforated. (not sure if that's a word but pretty sure you know what I mean)  I have friends that only use Bounty and I have found that Bounty paper towels, while they may be the "quicker picker upper", leave my hands smelling after I dry them.  Again, seems counter productive to me.  I buy the 8 pack of the "make-a-size" because they are perfect for those smaller jobs.  Now, here's the silly part.  I have no idea how much they cost.  I KNOW they are cheaper than Bounty but I can't find my receipt for the life of me and sure enough, they don't sell them online.  Then again, who would buy paper towels online, anyway, right? So, you'll just have to take my word for it. They're great, they cost less and they don't make your hands stinky after you dry them. 

My second deal of the day is Target's Boots & Barkley Mini Franks, a treat for dogs. I have 4 dogs and one of them is on medication. Whenever I give Charlie his medication I always reward him with a treat because I figure the taste of that pill is probably nasty even though I do try and shove it down his throat. Well, how do I give just 1 of my 4 dogs a treat? I can't. So, whenever I yell, "Come here Charlie, it's time for your medicine," they all come running because they have learned that as soon as Charlie opens up the hatch and lets mom shove a pill down his throat they are getting a mini frank! Hail to the mini frank, a.k.a. Snausages! These are exactly like the treat known as Snausages but at half the cost! I pay just $2.14 for a 9.75 oz bag so whenever I go to Target I stock up on these things. Pretty sure that as soon as I walk in the door the dogs recognize the Target bags and are secretly thanking me from the bottom of their little puppy hearts.

4-pk Rawhides

Sorry, but my last deal is also for a dog but this is way too good of a deal to pass up if you buy these for your furry friends. Last weekend, John and I went to Petco to see about getting Charlie some medicated shampoo. The summer months really give him some bad allergies and he was itching furiously. Whoa..I'm getting off topic here. ANYWAY, we strolled by the rawhides and figured we needed to get some for our pooches but.... wait a minute. $9.99 for 2 rawhides? Are you kidding me? I have 4 dogs! That price just wasn't going to cut it. So, today during our Target adventure we looked at their rawhides and dang is Petco ripping people off!!! We found the same size rawhides for just $2.99 for 2! (The picture shows the 4-pk.) Needless to say, we bought our boys (yes, all 4 of my dogs are boys), new rawhides. Wait a minute,... now I'm starting to think that their little thank yous were for the rawhides and NOT the mini franks. Oh well, it's ok. They don't need to thank me for anything. I should be thanking them every day for the joy they bring to my life.


So, while this evening's blog is pretty much all about the dogs, I dedicate it to the homeless pups, living in shelters or on the streets who need a family to open their homes and hearts. I also write this in memory of "Joli" who had to be put to rest today and is now living over the rainbow with our Miko Boy.

Joli

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
- Gilda Radner

This One's for the Girls!

I can't help myself. I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to make-up. Cheap stuff, expensive stuff, sometimes kind of crazy sparkly stuff and well, I'm okay with it! And, I have to give credit where credit is due. My friend, Kim, the gal who told me about the bronzed eyeliner by Wet N Wild last week, is the same gal that told me about this find.

Have you ever noticed, in the afternoon, that you are completely unrecognizable in the bathroom mirror? Granted, the lighting is probably not the best, you're a little tired from staring at a computer for a majority of the day but seriously, I have found myself saying, aloud, "Who are you and what hole did you crawl out of?" I'm not quite sure WHAT happens to the face that had been staring me in the mirror just a few short hours ago. That's when I just shake my head, attempt to look presentable by brushing my hair and sometimes changing the style a bit, add some spray and then it hits me. My face looks exactly the same. Similar to the road kill I passed on my way into work that morning. Damn! 

Alas, I think I've found the solution to that unrecognizable road kill that had once crawled out of a hole only to see his demise of two headlights roaring at him at a speed of somewhere between holy hell and aww shit! It's Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Liquid Foundation.

 
Unlike other foundations, it's quite inexpensive. I paid just $6.49 for it at the drugstore. And, what I'm loving about Rite-Aid, Wal-greens and CVS is that if you purchase the wrong shade, they will take it back, no questions asked! Just keep your receipt. 

Don't get me wrong, I will still ALWAYS visit my favorite make-up store, Sephora.  They have Hello Kitty make-up and well, I can't NOT have some Hello Kitty make-up. They also have the BEST lipstick. Sephora's own brand of lipstick Lip Attitude. Just 12 bucks. I know, most lipstick from the drugstore is cheaper but when you find something you really like and you can afford it, I say go for it. My favorite shade of Lip Attitude is Dolce Nude especially when paired up with a dark smokey eye. 

Isn't she just TOO CUTE?!

 

 

 

So, while I promise this won't be a blog about make-up and will be a blog about good deals well, today, you're getting a little of both. I also promised that I'd give you a tip or two at the end of each entry so here's my tip of the day and it's NOT deal related..sorry. If you have a blemish and you've made it red because you just HAD to pick at it, take a Q-tip and squeeze a bit of eye drops on the tip. Dab your blemish(s) and watch the redness disappear. SERIOUSLY, IT WORKS!!! Not that I ever get acne...I've just heard that this works. LOL!

And here's the BONUS!! Sales Circular! This website will automatically compare prices of all the sales in your area and tell you which store has the lowest price of what you're looking for. Check it out! It does everything for you so you don't have to go to each individual website. Saving time..well, that's just like putting money in your pocket! (Ok, maybe not but you get my drift!)

Two Great Finds at a Great Price!

So, I decided to join the blogging community.  My best friend blogs about food and wine and I see how much joy it gives her so, I figured, why not give it a try.  While I, too, enjoy good food and wine my BFF (Best Friend Forever) is so good at trying new recipes and new bottles of wine that she was meant to blog about it!  Me, not so much.  I tend to stick to what I know and love when it comes to dishes and drinks however, when it comes to bargains, I’m willing to try anything!  So, here is my gift to you.  I will share with you my favorite finds.  The deals and steals that I truly love.  I’ll also throw in little money saving tips that you may just not know about but may come to appreciate. By the way, her blog is listed to the right. Check it out! You won't be disappointed.

Have you ever noticed that when someone compliments you on something you’re wearing the first thing you say is where you bought it, how much it cost and how much you love it?  If not, you’re not me. I realized that I do it a little too often and sometimes, I kind of just need to keep these little secrets to myself.   Well, no secret keeping for me!  For example, last Sunday my BFF and I were doing our Avon Breast Cancer training walk in Santa Barbara.  As we walked by Old Navy, on State Street, I overheard the group of three walking behind us mention the store and how much they like shopping there.  Out of nowhere, I flipped around and said, “I bought these pants there!  I love them and they were only 20 bucks!”  As they smiled to “humor” me I embarrassingly turned around and imagined them rolling their eyes at one another thinking, “Uh, don’t think we asked her about her pants.”  Well, c’est la vie I say! Now they know about my pants, how much they cost me and that I LOVE THEM! 

First of all, let me tell you why I love them so much. They are made of cotton and just enough spandex to hold it all in. They are NOT low rise so, when I bend over no one is seeing something they shouldn’t. I’m not a plumber. Never have been, never will be. Also, they come in a long length. I’m only 5’7” but have realized that if I don’t buy long pants they shrink and end up looking ridiculous on me. And, the best thing about these pants is that they were only $19.50! So, with that, here is the link to the pants. Take a look. You may just gotta have ‘em! Old Navy Yoga Pants

The second deal also begins with a story.  Last Thursday I attended a meeting in Sacramento. As I met up with a friend,  I found myself staring at her eyes.  Yes, I know.  When you talk to someone you’re supposed to stare into their eyes but as she was talking I found myself wondering, “Where did she get that eye liner??”  Her eyes looked amazing!  As she talked I kept thinking, “Okay, Kim, take a breath so I can ask you where you got that eye liner!”  Sure enough, she decided to breathe and I quickly threw out my question for her.  Her reply, “Wet N Wild.  Pretty sure the color is Bronzed and I buy it at Wal-greens. I think I only paid like 99 cents for it.”  Oh, the sound of the angels singing in my head were so crisp and clear!  “99 cents!,”  I thought.  “What a deal!”  So, I visited Wal-greens this weekend. Wore the eye liner today and well, I’m truly amazed out how much happiness 99 cents can give me! Wet N Wild Bronzed Eye Liner

 

And, here’s my little money saving tip.  Don’t ever be too good to shop at a store such as oh, say, Big Lots and make sure that’s one of the first stores you think of when you’re on a mission to find something.  I have found some of the best deals there.  I have walked out with things as small as Revlon make-up and as large as a piece of furniture.  Just remember, between Big Lots, Wal-Mart and Target, we can live happily and save money at the same time.  Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely go to Macy’s every now and then, too!  Splurging never hurt a woman if she did it wisely!