March 31, 2008 | Hot Hot Hot!, Product Talk

A label maker is one of those things which I never knew I needed until I got one. Because, really, how hard is it to just, you know, write out a label? But the thing is, it’s not about writing being hard; in my case, it’s about my writing being completely illegible.

Now that I have one, I use it for everything. So do my kids. And my husband’s workshop is a marvel of modern organization, with everything meticulously labeled so that I can feel extra-special stupid when I can’t find the measuring tape.

Anyway! If you’re wanting one of those handy little label printers, check out this Brother PT-1010 handheld label printers from Buy.com. It’s currently just $19.09 with free shipping. (For reference, the same model is currently $41.49 at Amazon.) I promise you’ll find yourself using it for all sorts of things.

Also? One of these would make a rockin’ end-of-year teacher gift for a teacher you really love. (Maybe go in on one together with a friend or three, if you really want to save—your recipient will find it an extravagant gift no matter how many names are on the card.)

Also, I am completely amused that the item states “Limit (10) per customer.” Because I really, really wanted 11.

Hot Hot Hot!

I’m not a computer games person (well, I did rather enjoy Zork back in the day, and if you have no idea what I’m talking about you are too young to play here, and also, get out of my yard) so I cannot vouch for this personally, but apparently there’s a popular PC game out there called Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa…?

I don’t know. Anyway, right now at Amazon you can get the regular version for $9.99 or the Collector’s Edition for $19.99.

I can’t tell you if the game is any good (the reviews are good, at least), but I can tell you that that appears to be pretty cheap. So. Now you can go ask a gamer if it’s worth it.

Hot Hot Hot!, What to Wear

Today (March 31st, 2008) only, take an additional 25% off already marked down merchandise at Liz Claiborne.

Today only! Until the next time they do it!

(No, I’m not jaded. Nope. I’m sure that the fact that every time I have my eye on something in the clearance it’s sold out in my size by the time they have a sale is purely coincidental. Hmph.)

Contests

For the most part, I’m glad that my children are growing older and more self-sufficient. But I still occasionally yearn for the days when they were small and adorable. And didn’t have B.O. Whenever I see an awesome product for the ankle-biter set, I especially find myself thinking, “Hey, no fair! How come they didn’t have that when my kids were little?”

One of my recent favorites are the Zoobie Pets. I like them so much, I sent them an email to ask if they’d be willing to donate some products for giveaway, and they said yes! Hooray, Zoobies are pretty!

Go browse around their site to check ‘em all out, but the upshot is that each Zoobie is a big, cuddly stuffed animal containing a blanket. So you can cuddle up with your pal like a regular stuffy, unlatch the velcro to flatten it out into a pillow, or undo the entire thing to use the blanket. Do you know a child who wouldn’t absolutely love one of these? I don’t. In fact, my nearly-10-year-old is sort of hoping I’ll get her one.

Zoobies retail for $34 apiece, but three lucky Want Not readers will receive their choice of Zoobie Pet at the end of this contest.

To enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 6th, 2008. One comment per person, please! Winners to be determined by random number generation and pleasing auras. Go!

Retail gone wrong, Pets

Tired of taking your dog for regular walks? Unable to look up every now and then to see if Fido is standing by the door, whining and crossing his legs?

Well, my friend, clearly you’re in need of a Tell Bell, so that your darling doggie can simply ring a bell whenever he needs to go outside.

(I don’t know why I find this so hilarious and unnecessary. Perhaps because it comes in four different colors, and dogs are colorblind.)

Should you now decide that your life is incomplete without a Tell Bell, you can use coupon code Promo670 to take 20% off the price.

But I reserve the right to mock you if you buy one.

Hot Hot Hot!, What to Wear

I am a huge fan of the Dockers brand, even though I think it’s a strange name to use to promote clothing (unless, of course, we’re all supposed to wear it while singing “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” or actually sitting on a dock). Back when I was young (in the Paleolithic era) they only made pants for guys, but nowadays they make all sorts of stuff, and clothing for women, too. Those wild and crazy Dockers people!

Anyway, for a limited time Dockers is offering free shipping on any size order. It’s automatic—click through that link there and you’ve got it (it’ll show up at checkout). So if you see something that tickles your fancy, have ‘em ship it to you for free.

As always, check out the sale section for the best deals. And I apologize if you now spend the rest of the day humming “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.”

March 30, 2008 | Hot Hot Hot!

I get a few questions about universal remotes every month, and my answer is usually, “What, now?” I don’t see the allure of a universal remote, myself. Trying to figure out which of the four remotes on the coffee table is the one you need to just start the movie already is part of the experience, people. Where is your sense of adventure?

Stop looking at me like that.

Okay; fine. If you really want a universal remote, Amazon has the Logitech Harmony 550 on sale right now for $49.99 with free Super Saver Shipping.

(I bet you make your popcorn in the microwave, too. Wuss.)

Hot Hot Hot!

There’s a couple of good GPS deals at Amazon right now…. (And because I’m posting them, they’ll surely raise the price, because that’s the sort of luck I’ve been having ’round here lately, so don’t delay if you see something you want.)

First, there’s the Magellan Maestro 3140 for $149.99, directly from Amazon. Next, there’s the highly-rated Garmin nüvi 360 for $229 through Beach Camera at Amazon.

Either one would be an improvement over my beloved GPS, which still sometimes insists that I am driving through the forest. (The maps are a few years behind on mine. Oh well.)

March 29, 2008 | Hot Hot Hot!

Good morning! We are still not talking about my hair! Go snag yourself a deal, instead.

Take $15 off your $200+ purchase at Overstock this weekend through that there link.

Or take $20 off your $125+ purchase at Home Decorators Collection, instead. (That one doesn’t expire until June.)

Today’s the last day to save 10% at Circuit City on all sorts of things, and I would’ve gotten you that coupon sooner, but, um, I just became an affiliate with them this week so I only just got it. (Sorry! Hopefully if you need something you can get it today!)

The Spring Sale is on at The Children’s Place, with some pants for the kids at $7.99 or $6.99. Use coupon code NEXTJ8 for 10% off your order, too.

It’s been, what, like maybe three days since I pointed out any deals at Kohls. Ha! Tons of new stuff available in the clearance, and Kohls charge card holders can stack coupon codes SAVE15MAR to take an additional 15% off and MVC5869 for free shipping. Don’t have a Kohls card? You can still use KOHLS1680 for an additional 10% savings.

There’s a new free shipping code for Lands’ End, and you know you should be checking On The Counter every Saturday, too. Anyway, you have until April 4th, 2008, to use source code GOLF with PIN 530353035 to ship any size order free of charge.

Enjoy the day, my friends. I’m off to (where else?) soccer….

March 28, 2008 | Hot Hot Hot!

Yes, please, let’s just focus on the Amazon Friday Sale, which I can guarantee you (despite the time I spent wasting away at the salon yesterday) is cheaper and prettier than what befell my locks. (In my best Marge Simpson voice: “Now, let us never speak of it again.”)

I have no idea if this is a good price for a remote-control digital license plate frame, but I know that someone has one of those impossible-to-buy-for, owns-everything kinds of folks around who would get a chuckle out of it, so there you go. (”If you can read this, get off my bumper.”)

I still love this clock.

Rooooooowr. Pricematch to Endless for the best deal, of course. (You’ll get 110% of the price difference, so another almost-$5 off.)

I know you’re going to laugh at me, but yes, I really am considering buying a couple of these Coleman explorer belts for next years’ Easter baskets.

I am also considering the Sonic Boom vibrating alarm clock for my daughter. Who is currently dragging her way down the stairs at glacial speed.

Not exactly cheap, but a nice deal on a Sonicare toothbrush if you’ve been considering one. (Check the page for the current Norelco/Sonicare deal through the end of the month, too. Buy extra brush heads or another item and get your total up to $149, and you can save $30.)

Oh, I’m sorry… did I salivate on that 6-quart KitchenAid mixer? How embarrassing. Let me just wipe that off.

This is a beautiful carving knife set—it’d make a nice wedding gift for a hard-to-buy-for couple. (Along with a card wishing them years of happiness and joking that you hope they never feel the urge to stab each other with it. Um. Maybe that’s just my sense of humor.)

Happy Friday, all! Have a wonderful day!