Avert your eyes from the cuteness
It’s that time of year again: Hanna Andersson is having their twice-yearly sale event. There was a time when I really believed my daughter needed to have a dress and leggings set from there, and I’d scoop one up on sale whenever there was a bit of Christmas cash from the grandparents. Now I’m older and wiser, of course.
(Translation: Now I know their women’s clothing is pretty awesome, too.) (I am most certainly not looking at this, nope, not at all.)
Just say no
Things that should come in spray cans: Paint, hairspray, WD-40, and roach killer.
Things that should never come in spray cans: Cheese, tans, miracle hair (dude, you’re bald… accept it and move on) and this stuff.
Save at The Children’s Place
In all likelihood, there will be a “Monster Sale” blowout after Christmas, but here’s a way to get a jump on some clothes shopping for the little ones. (I find that when the prices go rock-bottom at TCP, stuff sells out so quickly I almost always wish I’d shopped earlier.)
Check out the outlet and the “holiday specials” (not part of the outlet) at The Children’s Place for plenty of clothes at 50% off. Shipping is always a flat $5 fee, and you can sweeten the deal with coupon code CLUBEC6 to take another 20% off your order. Coupon expires December 31st, 2006.
TCP is one of the few places I’ll buy new clothes for my kids. The quality is sufficient and between the sales and the coupons, the price is certainly right.
Keep saving money after you’re done shopping
So, you did all the right things: You watched the sales, you surfed the deals and used online coupons. You saved a ton of money and now you’re done. Right?
Wrong. Most online stores have price matching policies; that is, if the item you bought drops in price within 30 days after you purchase it, they’ll refund you the difference. I don’t know about you, but I do not have time to go back to every site and check my prior purchases to see if the price has changed. (Hey, if you have that kind of time on your hands, good for you. Pass me a bonbon?)
Amazon in particular is known for messing around with prices and leaving you with that nagging feeling that perhaps you didn’t get the very lowest price. So what can you do?
Enter an automated solution for tracking the prices of things you’ve already bought. (Right now it looks like they only work on Amazon, though I’m hoping they’ll expand to other retailers as it looks like they’re planning to do.) Just put in your purchases and let them do the rest. If the price changes in the next 30 days, they’ll send you an email. Then you request your refund and you can rest easy knowing that you did, indeed, win at shopping.
Family Fun for under $4
Family Fun is today’s deal of the day at Best Deal Magazines. It’s listed for just $4.79, and coupon code SANTASALE18 will give you an additional 18% off.
The coupon expires today, and the deal tomorrow might be something crappy, anyway, so hurry up if you want it.
This is my favorite magazine for crafts and recipes that are kid-friendly and not so insipid or impossible that I want to gnaw off my own arm to escape. How’s that for an endorsement?
Cool freebie — world music
Many thanks to the ever-lovely Stephanie for sending this one in; when my internet connection was actually working I downloaded a bunch of these and have been rocking out ever since.
Go to this page and use code bbce78 to access 10 groovy tunes from around the world. Listen to them online (for a week) or download them to your machine. Very cool.
Apparently I missed Christmas
That’s so weird, because I thought I had until the weekend to finish getting ready…. But, see, I guess I just must’ve missed it altogether, because the Disney Store is already having their after-Christmas sale. Save up to 70%, plus get free shipping on orders of $75+.
You won’t get it in time for Christmas, obviously, but there’s always the gift closet. Or—for the truly ill, like myself—next Christmas.
I’m here! Really! Here, go read something else.
I hope you’re not all hitting refresh, wondering where I am. Where I am is in cable company hell, actually. I don’t have internet! Then I do have internet! Now I don’t! And did I mention the guys ripping apart my bathroom? While this is happening? I didn’t? Oh, nevermind then.
Yeah, don’t look directly at my left eye. I seem to have developed a nervous tic.
Anyway! Like The Hobbit? How would you like a very cool Hobbit Gift Collection for just $11 shipped? (They have lots of other Christmas clearance going on already, too.)
Use coupon code 248611WD to upgrade to 2-day shipping for the same price as UPS Ground, if you need it before Christmas.
Half off, today only
Today—December 19th, 2006—take 50% off everything at Jos. A Bank. (If you are unfamiliar with them, they make fine men’s clothing.) There’s still time to ship in time for Christmas, too. Go! Buy your man a tie or something!
Win free undies
Hey, who can’t use a few extra fresh pairs? You know what your mother always said.
Enter to win a lifetime supply of free Jockey underwear. Also you can look at half-naked people on that page. So, really, it’s a twofer.
There are 640 prizes in all, so why not enter? Oh, wait, please don’t tell me….
(Thanks, Daisy!)











