advice please!

Um, so a friend gave me the coolest gift ever - GIFT CARDS!!  She's such a sweetie, she gave me TWO!  Now I need some advice on what to buy because I want to get the most out of 'em.  She got me one to Aeropostale because I was bragging about these SWEET jeans I picked up there for $17 since the ENTIRE STORE is 50-70% off.  I may jsut go pick up a few more pairs while they're on sale - they are seriously HAWT on me, and $17?!?!  That's exactly what I like to pay for jeans :)

And she also gave me a giftcard to Gap - WOW!  I don't shop there often because it can be pricey, but I love the classic style there.  Any suggestions on what I should definately get from Gap?  What is your favorite thing that they sell?  I really want to get the most bang for my giftcard buck.  The gift of shopping?!  Best.  Present. Ever.

Magazine deal!

Here's a great last-minute gift for a woman in your life - today only, an entire year subscription to Woman's Day magazine - that's 15 issues, - for only  $4.39!  Heck... I'm tempted myself.  I've been a good girl this year, and I can never have too much reading material for the powder room :)

Last Day for Wet Seal splurges!

Today is the last day for FREE SHIPPING at Wet Seal with a minimum $15 purchase, soooo doable!

cheap teenybopper clothes!

Aeropostale is having one heckuva holiday sale, everything is 50-70% off!!  I know most of the store fits a pre-pubescent girl much better than child-bearing-years me, but if I dig enough I can find something I love for uber cheap, plus I can get something for the dude in my life.  Not the girl stuff, they have dude stuff too.  I actually leave near one (SHOCK!) so I think I need to head there and check out their skinny jeans for the winter for a cool $19.75.  If you are in the mood to ship, it's free shipping for a minimun of $100... yeah, I'd rather drive too.

FREE SHIPPING DAY!!!!!

Free Shipping Day is Thursday, December 17, 2009

664 participating merchants will be offering free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.  The Free Shipping Day promotions for participating merchants will be revealed on Thursday, December 17 at 12:00AM EST. Some merchants may have minimum order restrictions. More than half will have free shipping on all orders.

ARE YOU READY?!?!?!?!  GET PUMPED!!!!!

Joann.com sale

I was just saying to myself how much I wished I could get to a craft store to pick up a few things, and blammo, FREE SHIPPING codes for Joann Fabrics!  Woohoo!  Use code ecd348. There's a list of a bunch of things on sale here for your perusal as well.  Use it fast, don't know how long it'll be valid.  Yay Slickdeals! 

My Favorite Things - Ria Fashions

One of my best friends is Indian, and I've always been taken with how flattering her clothing is.  It's not clingy, but doesn't look dumpy, and it always looks classic.  Plus, as a tall gal, the tops are long enough that you aren't constantly pulling your shirt down trying to cover your crack.  I decided to try and find some Indian style tops for my shows with my band - which, although a celtic group, the tops are festive so I thought it could work.  Ug, but the prices I found online!  So expensive!  I almost gave up, until I found the fabulous gem of Ria Fashions.  The prices are so reasonable, most shirts from $10-19, with some fancier dress ones in there for nicer occasions for more, and still cheaper than anywhere else online.  FREE US SHIPPING, too!  I can't tell you how many compliments I get when I wear them!  I wear them with jeans or skirts, they are a fabulous accent piece that make an outfit pop with minimal effort, and are sooooo flattering, yet hide everything I want hidden.  In fact, I wore them as maternity tops too.  No one could tell I was pregnant in them because they were so flowy, and when I went to church the week after I gave birth, I wore one of the tops and everyone was shocked with how flat my stomach looked!  It wasn't, but the shirt covered it up perfectly!  The only warning I'll give is that the material most of the shirts use - a French Crepe - does no stretch at all.  Not an issue, exept my bustline expanded significantly after this last baby and the tops I had in my pre-babysize won't fit over my chest.  No worries, just means I had to get some more:)

6pm.com awesomeness

Holy SNAP, 6pm.com has some fantabulous deals going on!  Some expire today, some not for another 5 days or so, but check it out!  Deets here, but my favs:  KangaROOS sneakers $16.95, DVS sneaks for $19.95, Michaels Kors 60% off, a TON of Type Z shoes for $9.95?! - it's seriously awesome.  Methinks my feet need a comfy treat for Christmas.

ebay?!

There are going to quite a few posts on this topic coming up... I think - THINK I just found a treasure trove in none other than eBay.  I was trying to find some used leather boots to muck around in this winter, but no dice.  Instead a found more than one retailer selling insanely cool designs from Asia for super cheap, some even free shipping.  I mean, check this one out:

Click here to see more in purple, grey and white - and there's a gorgeous little rosette on it.  So Dang cute!  And it is... $2.99 with $1.99 shipping.  $4.98.  Seriously.    Or this one:

That's here and is $16.99 with free shipping (as is everything at that particular store).

The catch is I'm not sure about sizing, most things I've found are only one size, but it details the measurements so you can check for yourself if it'll fit you.  Some things on my amazonian frame will, like those 2 numbers, some won't, so that's the catch, you gotta be careful.  I'll post some more finds later.. there are some SERIOUS doozies!

ON jammies!

This week at Old Navy, jammies starting at $7 and save 20% on online orders!

Some people complain that Old Navy is low quality, but if you out (or under) grow/stain/get tired of your clothes quickly (guilty!), I think it's perfect.

Besides, you can never have too many pajamas.
-¢ath

I totally agree - I don't mind the cheapness because usually it's a style I'm not planning for years to come.  And I've found some a-MAZing deals in the clearance racks.  Also, it's one of the only retail stores withing 60 miles of me.  *groan*  Thanks for the link, Cath!!

I think the $7 flannel jammie pants are MINE.  Are you aware it's gonna be 7 degrees tonight?!?!

Meritline.com - does it have merit?

Um, so I'm cautiously writing this post because I am still waiting to see what the end result is.  A few weeks ago my bro mentioned he didn't have a card reader for his computer, and so I mentioned to husband it'd sure be nice to get him one, and could he please find a deal somewheres on the web for me?  Enter Meritline.com - where he found a dandy little one for $1.99, with FREE SHIPPING.  Um, so where's the catch?  It shipped pretty slow - the website says they ship from 2-5 days after purchase from Hong Kong and it'll take about 10 working days there, so for free you have to also be patient... which I am... and I will report back after he gets it.

The site is worth checking out - the variety is mind boggling. Tech stuff, jewelry, home & decor, beauty, and I'm severely tempted to order these usb powered heated gloves for $5.99, just for curiosity's sake.  I mean, for FREE SHIPPING, I'd do almost anything.  Seriously.  AND they deliver to Europe too, *coughs in general direction of Switzerland*.  The nice thing is they have user reviews on each product.  I LOVE checking out feedback before I buy.  Check them out, tell me what you think.  I'm just so dang curious about this thing... 

Well dressed deals!

Love love LOVE the intrepid Cathie! She sent in this gem to me from Ann Taylor LOFT:

And for the bibliophile in your life, check out this deal by Deseret Book for today only:

The selection is chock full of those sweet Christmas-y things, heck, the website smelled like pine to me.  I'm not kidding.

So MERCI Cathie, and do let me know when you find a faboo deal!  Spam aside, it really does pay to be on e.mailing lists for stores you dig.  There are gems to be had in them thar e.mails!

Yay for underpants!

WOOHOO!!  Today only, 12-10-09 FREE SHIPPING on any order from Victoria's Secret with the code FREESHIP.   Can we say awesome??  Seeing as the temperature here has dropped to below %$#! zero, I think I need to get a few of their super soft sweaters on clearance.  And perhaps gift for the girls?  My uber favorite yoga pants came from VS - with free shipping as well, natch.  Go have fun!!

New topic: Worth The Splurge

So, we all like to get whatever we can on sale, clearance, whatever, but what have you purchased for full price that was worth every penny?  I'll go first - Husband gave in a got me this amazing dress from Shabby Apple for my birthday, just 2 months after giving birth.  First off, I have a MAD crush on Shabby Apple dresses.  Their dresses are classic, well-made and this particular one hides my (too slowly)shrinking baby belly and doesn't even wrinkle when I travel.  I'm pretty sure it's magic, like those travelling pants.  And I can wear any accessory I want with it - even my purple tights!  It was just around $100, but every time I put it on it makes me feel thin again and fantastic with almost zero effort and I know it'll be in my closet for years to come without going out of style.  WORTH IT!  I seriously would recommend it to any woman out there.  It's MAGIC, afterall!

What was Worth YOUR Splurge?

Books and movies, oh my!

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/borders.com

Borders 40% Off Any Single Item Regular Price + Free Shipping Coupons (and select DVDs for $7)- DUDE!  That's some deal - I have a bibliophile on my list, so booya!  Deets found at Slickdeals. 

EDIT: The 40% expired today, but use code BSL7021A and you'll get 30% of any single item (it works, trust me).  Free shipping still in effect.  You can find a printable coupon for the 30% at retailmenot.com

OO, and wow, 6% back on Borders purchases with ebates.com!

Express coupon

Express is offering a $15 off $30 / $30 off $75 coupon online or in store, expires 12/13/09.  Shipping is $8.  Not a shabby discount, methinks.  Deets here on Spoofee.

(and 2.5% back with ebates.com!)

Don't forget about Etsy

I ADORE checking out etsy.com, and seeing what people with actual skillz can come up with.  I get my best gifts for people from there - things with personal touches, like guitar pick earings, cool laptop covers, you name it.  They have everything.  EVERYTHING.  When I was pregnant with baby number 2, I was looking all over online to see about buying a Bella Band and I couldn't find one for under $25, some even more.  It's an tube of fabric, people!  As I scoped out etsy one day from maternity shirts, I ran into quite a few shops selling homeade ones from $8 and up.  Much more reasonable, and it supports reg'lar folks like you and me!  (well, not me, I have no skillz there).  I bought a nice black one for $10 and it fit well and was fabulous.  So for those little things - go check etsy out.  They may just have what you need at a fraction of the price.

The seller I bought from doesn't exist now, but here's one shop of many with great ones in varieties of designs:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RunSystem63

CR Day 9

Charlotte Russe has a few jewelry items for $2 today -all regularly $4 but hey, it's still 50%.  And don't forget to do ebates.com to get 3% back!

Have yourself a merry little eRep

So yesterday I get yet another FREE SHIPPING on ANY order e.mail through my eRep from Avon and I thought "dagnabit, I need to share the joy!"  So I e.mailed Becky and she gave me the URL for her eRep site - http://www.youravon.com/rwright5285 and if you sign up for the e.mail list, you'll get all the specials and free shipping notifications - heck, she sends out a free shipping one at LEAST once a month.  It would be ridiculous to shop Avon without one and all the savings they send!  In my frozen white tomb, that's enough to warm my heart :)  And I really think my next purchase needs to be this:

Yeah, a Hot Chocolate Maker. How awesome is that?!

Gee, jeans!

Tis the season!  FREE SHIPPING on ALL Levi.com orders through 12/21/09.

Smash frees!

Sorry to be prolific with the make up stuffs today, but Smashbox has a smokin' deal (for them).
You can get a full-sized Cream Liner Palette for Free with any purchase when you enter code PALETTE at checkout. Free Shipping + Free jumbo sample + Free bonus sample with any order.  That's a lot of frees!  But even though it's on any order, all their stuff is pretty expensive, so the cheapest thing you'd get starts at $15 and goes up.  But, if you were thinking of splurging and getting something fancy, I'd do it now.
Expires 12-27-09 (via)

6DollarShirts.com - geeky awesomeness.

Have an oddball in your life you are trying to get a present for?  The husband found this site looking for a shirt with the old Russian CCCP on it - 6DollarShirts.com.  And as the name suggests, all the shirts are 6 bucks!  From geeky to political to retro, to indie to eww (there's some gross ones on there, so keep away from the "Crude and Offensive" category), there's a shirt  for every one on your list.

How can you beat that price??  Plus, if you want to buy blank tees, they have them in men's and women's sizing in a ton of colors, $3 of mens, $3.50 for womens.  Dang, if you need blank shirts in bulk for an event, I can't think of a better price.  There's also the $2.95 Random Mystery Shirt if you're feeling adventurous.  And if you want to be creative and submit a design of your own, you could win $500 and $100 store credit.  Cheap and hilarious, a fabulous gift for that weido - yourself or a friend!

Avon

As a girl, I'd love leafing through my mom's Avon catalogs.  Not just inexpensive make-up, there's fun jewlery, fashion and gifts!  A few months ago someone put me on a e.mail list for an Avon representative, and I was shocked how many times I'd get a message about free shipping!  So, I gave the site a shot and I love it!  I'm not big into fancy names and expensive makeup, I like inexpensive options as I'm always changing my mind and style.  Best part about the site?  Honest user reviews on every product - I love that I can get so many opinions and info before I splurge on that $2 tube of lip gloss :)

So right NOW - it's FREE SHIPPING on a $10 order+ with an eRepresentative through 12-19-09 and besides the fun make up, the stocking stuffers for the kids are inexpensive and fabulous (so go find one!)  My favorite?  The Bath Body paint for only $1.89.  Also, they are doing a 12 Days of Christmas thing and thought I couldn't find info on it anywhere but my personal e.mail, here's deal one for today:

And I think I'll strike on the stocking stuffers on Day 3, (12-10-09) and the fun colors sale on Day 5 (12-12-09):

Oh, and don't forget to check out ebates.com on any purchase you make from Avon - you get 5% back!

B&BW printable dealage

If you're lucky enough to live anywhere near a B&BW, snap this one up - print out a coupon to get a free item up to $13 on a $10 purchase.  Wowza!  Might I suggest the Midnight Pommegranate?  Expires 12-24-09   Store Locator here. 

(via)

Crocs deal

So, even though I find Crocs freakish looking, I've on occasion been tempted by their ballet flats.. look so comfy, so durable... but durable as they are, it's hard to justify spending $40 on rubber shoes.  Or whatever space material they make those things out of.

But oh, even the siren song of FREE SHIPPING on all orders through the month of December is enough to draw even me to their clearance pages to see if there's anything worth getting...  not really, but I'm so weirded out by these shoes (heels by Crocs? can't fathom!) that I almost want them in some twisted way.  I'll resist though.  I'm a fighter, dang it.

If you have kids though, I would suggest hitting up the Outlet.  The clearance stuff is buy one get one 50% off, and durable squishy shoes that they can put on themselves are actually pretty dang practical on the wee ones.

*EDIT again* Thank Becky for checking out ebates.com  - there's a 4% cash back on Crocs purchases! 

Free shipping at Shade!!

Woohoo!!  Shade has FREE SHIPPING and an extra 25% off sale items through the 20th!!  They're the original long shirt shop that has in recent years branched out into dresses, sweaters, and fashion tops.  My closet has more than a few Shade items - I don't think I go a week without wearing something from them!

*Standard ground shipping only. No minimum purchase required. Valid through 11:59 pm MST on December 20, 2009.

Deal-a-day

The deals this time of year just make me giddy!  Charlotte Russe, one of my fav fashion-for-less retailers is having a deal a day up through December 12th and I love them all!  Today there are a whole bunch of adorable shirts just $6.  Flat-rate shipping of $5.99 and free returns, too.

*EDIT*  Becky is so right!  I forgot to check ebates.com!  If you do any ordering from CR, don't forget to hop over to ebates and get 3% back!!  Thanks!!!

$5 Mag Deal

Amazon is having a magazine subscription sale from December 6th-12th: an entire year for just $5!

• - Cosmopolitan
• - Country Living
• - Esquire
• - Good Housekeeping
• - Harper's Bazaar
• - House Beautiful
• - Marie Clarie
• - Popular Mechanics
• - Redbook
• - Seventeen
• - SmartMoney
• - Town & Country

 Last week I grabbed myself an entire year of Real Simple in their deal *swoons*  If any of these seem like they'd appeal to a loved one, what a fabulous (and thrifty) Christmas gift!

Back in the saddle

My need for deal-blogging came from living in rural-ish Brasil far from my favorite clearance racks and Tar-jays, so when we moved back to the states, this blog became moot.  And after 2 years of living in my beloved 'burbs, we're back in isolation, this time in Middle Of Nowhere, Wisconsin.  I don't even want to tell you how far the closest Target is, let alone an Ikea.  So I'm back to blogging!  I can't keep a good deal to myself and you win.  You'll notice the layout is revamped and I put some links up on the side there of my favorite haunts.  Feel free to suggest more sites to add, I'd loooove to have 'em!

So, missed you, and let's get on to the hunt!