Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Bring in the New Year - On a Budget


As the new year approaches, we all like to celebrate in style. But with style, often comes a high price tag. New Year's Eve prix fixe dinners, brunches and all those sorts of things are marked up for the occasion.

Instead, consider a quiet and romantic evening enjoying some appetizers and bubbly with you loved ones.

On the menu:
-Cristalino Cava
-Stuffed dates wrapped in bacon
-Smoked salmon on crispy potato chips, garnished with sour cream and dill

Cost Plus Imports has two varieties of Cristalino (Brut and Extra Dry) at a mere $5.99 per bottle. A longtime favorite of Wine Spectator as far as value, this is a bargain bottle with lots of personality. Check out this amusing review of both the Brut and Extra Dry.:
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Cava, Spain

Cristalino Cava Brut is a sparkling wine from Spain, made from the grape varietals Macabeo 50%, Parellada 35% and Xarello 15%. Produced by Jaume Serra, this lovely sparkler offers a fine alternative to Champagne at less than half the price.

Cristalino Cava Brut has a bright green-gold color and shows fine bubbles. It has a pleasant nose of green apples, peaches, toast, flowers, cinnamon and herbs. Crisp and bright, dry with medium-full body, this sparkler offers rich flavors of apples, figs, lemon, roasted almonds and pie crust. It is fruit-forward and balanced, with a clean, lemony finish.

Enjoy Cristalino Cava Brut as an apéritif and with chicken salad, shellfish, paella, filet of sole and fruit desserts.
--------------------------
For appetizers, here is your shopping list:
-Dates (buy the bulk ones at Whole Foods, they're fresher and larger)
-Blue cheese crumbles OR you can stuff them with a whole almond instead
-Bacon
-Smoked Salmon (Trader Joe's has an excellent one in the small black package)
-Lightly salted potato chips
-Sour Cream
-Fresh Dill

Preparation
-Slice dates in half lengthwise, stuff dates with a bit of blue cheese. If you don't like blue cheese, substitute parmesan or mozarella. You can also just stuff it with an almond for a bit of crunch. Cut bacon in half crosswise. Wrap the date tightly, place seam side down on a broiler pan. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes and (remember to turn after 20 minutes), watching closely.
-Place pre-sliced smoked salmon on a potato chip top with a bit of sour cream and garnish with fresh dill

VOILA! Happy New Year!

Monday, November 30, 2009

$3 in free Amazon Music


So Black Friday has come and gone, as have the big deals and bargains. Rather than compete with the excellent deal forums like Slickdeals.net or Fatwallet.com, I waited until the dust cleared.

Get $3 in Amazon MP3 music by clickign this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000455181&ref_=pe_67050_13524000

500 Days of Summer Soundtrack, the entire album is $5, with this your final price is only $2!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Magic in a Bottle


I've never been a big fan of make-up and typically I go for a natural, naked look (at least on my face). The closest thing to lipstick that I will wear is a dab of lip gloss. At any rate, I may have converted to a make-up junkie, all because of a wonderful San Francisco-based cosmetic line, Benefit.

I've tried their touted Benetint, but I hated it. Stains are just not for me. Stains are for wood.
Last year, I found "Brow-zing," their eyebrow kit that includes a handy mini-tweezer, brow grooming wax and a nice brow powder and brush. It is the dandiest thing, all in a small mirrored compact. Next, I discovered their blush and bronzer all-in-one, "Dallas" (which replaced my stash of Hoola bronzer). Their packaging is youthful and fresh, a bit retro, pin-up girl like. Their products are generally light and not at all goopy or unnatural looking. Instead you look young, fresh and radiant.

Just recently, I fell in love with an array of must have beauty products:
  • Ooh La Lift: a pinkish, shimmery, undereye cream. It de-puffs and gives a nice subtle radiance that makes your eyes look younger. I know it sounds weird. How can pinkish shimmer help my eyes? But trust me, you won't look like a clown and will be happy. And if you do look like a clown, you'll be a happy clown.

  • High Beam: great to accentuate the brow bones and cheeks. They call this supermodel in a bottle because it gives you an ethereal glow. I wasn't exactly Giselle Bundchen, but at least my brow bones and my cheeks looked awesome. I'm a convert.

  • Lemon-aid: wakes up the upper eye lid with a subtle yellow tint that blends in to reduce any redness and give you a fresh glow. I was dubious, but I liked the effect.

  • Erase Paste: a rosey colored pot of concealer that magically covers up blemishes, but most importantly dark circles under the eyes and brightens them.

I've tried the run-of-the-mill concealers and eye gels and I can confidentally say these are tops. You may be thinking of your usual skin colored concealers that look chalky over dark circles. Oddly Benefit's undereye products have strange tones to them, but they blend and just work somehow.

Available at Sephora, but also on the Benefit website with free shipping for over $50 and google "Benefit coupon" for coupon codes for 10% or 15% off your first order.

My order arrived in just 2 days to Los Angeles. It was beautifully wrapped, they threw in 3 free samples and a catalog. I LOVE these products! The closest thing to magic in a bottle. Turn back father time without seeing a plastic surgeon.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Updates on My Online Orders

A few updates:
  • Make Me Chic's shipping is fast and their clothes are super cute. I ordered the navy blue romper and a few other sundresses and they are all ADORABLE. They arrived neatly folded up and packaged in a clear plastic pouch.
  • My Halloween Costume arrived today, super fast shipping (almost overnight in California). I ordered the Autumn Fairy costume in my post below and it looks better than pictured. I'm going to skip the wings and make it more like a Circus performer outfit, since this year, Jackaroo is going to be a clown for Halloween. 25% off and shipping, the outfit was about $30.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Halloween Costumes - Men and Women



The old joke goes that Halloween is a holiday for women to dress in provacative outfits. Take any occupation, any character, any personality and add "sexy" before it and voila - the perfect ladies Halloween costume.

Rather than weather the crowds at specialty Halloween shops and trailblazing your way through disheveled aisles, make life a lot simpler and Halloween shopping a lot more affordable by checking out this website:


Typical Leg Avenue Halloween costumes are about 50% less at this site than Halloween Specialty shops like Spirit. They also offer FREE SHIPPING. Tip: If you find an outfit you like on another site, hit this site and do a search to find it for less. SEXY25 code gets you 25% off and free shipping until October. See website for details.


Monday, August 10, 2009

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken



Trader Joe's is my Go-To store when it comes to easy, quick fixings at a small price. There are a number of favorite items I get there. Not all of their items are equally tasty and easy to make, but it is fun to try out the items in their frozen food section. From time to time, I'll feature a few of their items on my blog with actual photos of the item and how it turns out when I prepare it.

Item: Mandarin Orange Chicken
Cost: $4.99 for 20 ounces
Aisle: Frozen Foods
Preparation: Easy
Best Prepared: Oven Baked
Served with: Jasmine or Brown Rice
Servings: Enough for two people

I take a sheet pan, line it with foil, preheat my oven and pop the chicken in there for 20 minutes. The sauce comes in two packets and you can throw them in a bowl of warm water to thaw out. Let the chicken cool slightly, then toss it in a bowl with the packets of sauce. Their chicken tends to be a bit more bready than meaty and at times their sauce is a bit too vinegar tasting, so I usually add about 1-1/2 packets of sauce.

Microwave the rice for 3-4 minutes and voila - a nice Chinese style meal for two for about $6.00. That's a bargain beatnik meal!


Saturday, August 8, 2009

Garmin 265WT GPS Deal $169 new after rebate and coupons


I've done a little research about GPS systems and Garmin seems to be the leading brand. The 265WT has an added perk of lifetime traffic information, rather than the typical 3 month trial and then subscription service that other Garmins offer. While there are deals currently on the 700 series Garmin, the added features are often those that are not used very frequently and traffic alerts are by subscription. As someone said, the higher the model number doesn't always mean better. The Garmin 265WT appears to be the most practical with higher end features at a fraction of the price.

The deal starts tomorrow at Staples, as mentioned in this Slickdeals post. Hop onto E-junkie to buy a Staples In-Store coupon for $6.49 to save $30 off $150. Read the post carefully.


SlickDeals

C-Net Reviews

Amazon

Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators

  • New -- HotFix (Long Term Ephemeris Prediction) finds satellites faster (Learn more)
  • New -- Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Basemap shows 3D shaded terrain features (Learn more)
  • New -- Faster 333 Mhz processor offers faster, smoother map drawing and vehicle icon motion through turns
  • New -- Redesigned user interface offers more information (Learn more)
  • New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
  • New -- Add Enhanced MSN Traffic and Content with the optional GDB 55 antenna and charger (Learn more)
  • New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (Learn more)
  • New -- Automatic Time Zone Transition
  • Text-to-Speech gives directions with real street names
  • 4.3-inch Widescreen shows you more of what's around you as you drive (Learn more)
  • Memory Card Slots so you can add maps and travel guides, or store photos (MicroSD card slot on 3.5-inch units; SD card slot on 4.3-inch units)
  • Preloaded Maps with Navteq data of North America + Hawaii + Puerto Rico, including 6.5 million searchable points of interest (Learn more)
  • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for easy portability (up to 4 hours per charge)
  • Custom Vehicle Icons let you personalize your navigator (Learn more)
  • Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
  • Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)

Friday, August 7, 2009

20% off at Make Me Chic

Back To School Sale! Instantly save 20% off your entire purchase by entering promo code: SCHOOL20 during checkout. *valid 08/06/09 – 08/10/09 11:59pm PST www.MakeMeChic.com only. Cannot be combined with any other offers or used with Google Checkout.

It's time to get back to late night study groups, research papers, and pop quizzes! Back-To-School is just around the corner so we're here to help you get a fabulous new look this year. Be at the top of your class with the Hottest trends from Belted Boots and Strappy Mary Janes to Cute Mini Skirts and Ripped Skinny Jeans. Start school with a fresh new attitude and style! Don't forget to take advantage of the 20% discount off our entire store!



Get FREE Ground shipping* with domestic orders over $50 placed at MakeMeChic.com! (Coupon Code - "SHIP50") *excludes sale items and Google checkout.

*Shipping and taxes do not count towards the qualifying amount, cannot be combined with any other special & offer or used with Google Checkout*

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Cheap Dog Treats

Owning a dog can get expensive, between food, treats, toys and vet bills, - be prepared to spend money! So saving every little bit counts. Since I've owned Jack, I've discovered some wonderful dog treats at Trader Joe's grocery stores. This treats can be found in their dog care aisle, typically near the soaps and lotions section. I rarely ever buy dog treats at pet stores anymore because Trader Joe's small, yet tasty and affordable selection does the trick.

Check out these recommendations, personally tried and approved by our very own Jackaroo - two paws up!


  • Chicken Recipe Jerky Treats: rave reviews from many dog owners everywhere, these soft treat sticks are terrific. Store them in an airtight container to keep them moist. They easily break up into little pieces as training treats or stuff a puzzle ball/Kong with them. Jack loves these! At $1.99 a pack, they are a bargain. They also come in beef flavor, as flat strips, but Jack did not seem to like these quite as much.

  • Charlee Bear Dog Treats with Liver: all natural bite-sized crackers that smell irresistible, so much so that Tom almost accidentally ate one while he was watching TV. A large bag is only $3.99. I saw the same bag at Petco for $5.99 (that's a savings of 30%). These are great everyday treats and are only 3 calories each. A typical medium size biscuit is 35 calories. These are great and super easy to stuff puzzle balls.
  • Beefy Rolls: these are wonderful, for special treats. They don't break very easily and kind of crumble away, so you have to break them into larger chunks. They are large sticks that have a glossy, slightly chewy casing and a powdery middle.
  • Chicken Jerky: For about $3.99, you get a small pack of American produced natural chicken jerky. They're natural, so they look pretty dry and colorless, but Jack goes crazy for these pieces. They are super messy as far as how much they crumble.
  • Chicken Wrapped Rawhide Bones: These are miniature rawhide bones, about 3 inches wide, wrapped in the same chicken jerky strips that are sold separately. There are 3 or 4 to a pack for about $4.99. They are just the perfect size and keep Jack occupied while not giving him too much rawhide to make him sick.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Beverly Hills Bargain?


Sometimes bargains turn up unexpectedly in unlikely places. Case in point with "Touch Massage" in Beverly Hills, CA. Thanks to Yelp, I found this gem. On Tuesdays, they offer a $49 one hour massage, quite a bargain for a clean, spa environment. It may not be the Four Seasons, but their facilities are pleasant and soothing. Their masseuses seem to be quite good. I've only been to one so far, Martin and he was wonderful.

For details, check out my review and others on Yelp or the Touch Massage website.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Affordable Doggie Daycare


Recently, because of some neighbor complaints, I was tasked to find affordable doggie daycare options. Several months ago, I figured out that a dog walker was the cheapest route to go, at $15 per 30 min. walk the lowest rate via Craigslist walkers. Unfortunately, the neighbors complained about Jack's barking, so I had to find a solution that wouldn't break the bank.

Most commercial facilities charge about $35 per day. They are indoors, concrete pens with a few couches and plastic playground equipment. Urban Dog was the most convenient choice, very close to my home, at $37 a day with a doggie camera that you can use to spy on your furry friend.

After exhaustive searches online, I came across Paws Penthouse. It's a private home, no cages or kennels, a nice back and front yard with staff who watch the dogs all day long. At $25 a day, this was the most affordable place. If you go 5 days a week, it's only $20 a day. This place looks better than the pictures. It's a lovely home with a nice front and back yard, all very secure, very homey. They charge $50 a night for boarding. So far, Jack seems happy at Paws Penthouse!

Paws Penthouse

I am sure there are other homeowners out there who run doggie daycares, but they must be more word-of-mouth vs. advertising or online. Vets, dog owners at dogparks are all good sources for information. Ask around!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow? Conair Hair Accessory Grab Bag $2.99!


I was at my local Westwood CVS Pharmacy earlier today, picking up travel sized shampoos for my trip to San Antonio. On the way out, I noticed an end cap of Conair Hair Accessories. It's a grab bag of goodies that every woman should have in her hair emergency kit. Each one was a little different. The entire goodie bag was only $2.99, much less than I would pay for the elastic ponytail ties alone (which by the way are totally fab!).

  • 30 Elastic Ponytail ties in assorted colors
  • 2 Brown with rhinestone ponytail ties
  • 1 fabulous claw clip (which I am wearing now) stays in your hair and looks great!
  • 1 black and silver headband (which actually looks super cute!)
  • 1 jeweled barrette (not really my style, but I'll hang on to it)
  • All for only $2.99 at your local CVS!
Drop by and banish bad hair for under $3!

Make Me Chic Sale 7/17 - 7/20, Starting at $5




Make Me Chic just announced a special sale on shoes and clothing starting at only $5. There are some adorable sandals on sale for about $7, including gladiator style flats and ballet shoes. These chic gladiator sandals are only $8 and they have a ton of others and an assortment of to choose from - ranging from thong sandals, to cute ones with ankle straps.

Stock up on hot summer sandals here for a fraction of the price.
These cute gaucho pants come in white, black and green and are only $9.

Shoe Sale At Sierra Trading Post Today Only


Sierra Trading Post is featuring 60-90% off footwear on select items, with free shipping! Check out the site and filter through the shoes by style and size. Additional savings are shown as a sale price with a line through it. This sale was sent to me via the dealflyer. Also note, with some items, when I checked out, even more savings applied than what was listed. I'm not sure why, but try it out. I grabbed a pair of these comfy Dansko sandals in a neutral butterscotch, for my vacation. Sensible shoes that aren't too terribly ugly. Dansko Daria Sandals listed as $120, on sale for $62.36, only $48 when I checked out.

Email me if you want the dealflyer forwarded to you to ensure you can take advantage of the savings.

A few of the bargains include:
Vanelli Loic Sandals: originally $90 and on sale for only $27.96
Unisa Paolo Dress Shoes: Originally $74 and on sale for $34.06
IOS Athena Sandals: originally $59 and on sale for only $11.21
Double H Kendra Sandals: originally $150 and on sale for only $17.56
Rogue Mariposa Sandals originally $90 and on sale for only $38.96

Too many great deals to really post on both men and women's shoes! Check it out and grab a bargain.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Taking Your Time to Find the Best Deal

I usually don't buy big ticket items unless I get a killer deal. How do I do it? You have to put in some time to research it and be patient. Here's my tried and true deal ritual!

1. Take a baseline of lowest prices without any rebates or sales. A good way to do this is to go to Google Shopping, enter in key words, the more specific the better and sort by lowest price. Be sure to click on the links to check it out and make sure it's legitimately offered at the price in the preview and not a part or accessory.

2. Visit Slickdeals and Fatwallet. Go to their hot deals forum and search for keywords. This is a mecca for deal sharing. People will tell you where to buy things, how to price match, what rebate are offered, link to reviews of products, etc. It takes some getting used to, as far as finding your way around, but it's an invaluable site. Fatwallet also allows you to set up deal alerts when posts are made with your keywords.

3. If you are OK with buying used, check Ebay and Craigslist. You can save shipping charges and taxes if you buy from these sites.

4. Make sure you know of all rebates offered and any instant savings. Do a google search of the product name and the word "rebate" to ensure you aren't missing any manufacturer or seller rebates, also do one with the merchant name and "coupon code" if you purchase from an online vendor. I also sometimes click through on Google Shopping because some vendors offer instant savings or "hidden" savings that don't show until you add the item to your cart.

5. Buy from a reputable vendor, save your order #s and confirmations. Don't forget to follow through with rebates. Scan all submitted documents for reference and add a reminder on your calendar to follow up with rebate submissions at a future date per the guidelines included on your rebate.

6. Look for cashback websites. These are websites where if you have an account, then click on a retailer through their Cash Back retailer directory, you earn a percentage of your purchase back to you. After a window of time, you can transfer the funds to your Paypal account, bank account, etc. Fatwallet offers cash back, as well as BigCrumbs and Mr. Rebates.

Online Shopping - Made Simple

With years of experience buying birthday gifts, clothes for work, clothes for leisure and all sorts of specialty items, I wanted to share my comprehensive list for bargain online shopping sites. Suggestions are welcome and look for updates.

Overstock.com
www.overstock.com
From household items, shoes and apparel, this is a great site and a breeze to navigate. There used to be plentiful online coupon codes, but nowadays they are scarce. Shipping is a flat $2.95, so bulky and heavy items are no longer out of reach. Imagine buying a TV stand or couch and it shipping to your house for only $2.95! The UPS man will hate you, but talk about convenience! I bought my lovely Philips LCD TV from Overstock and the price still holds up after all these years. Users are pretty good at submitting reviews, which is very helpful in making decisions. You can learn a lot about fit, comfort and quality by scanning the reviews.

I purchase a lot of my bedding and shoes from Overstock. Great quality and prices. Returns and exchanges are relatively hassle free.

Sierra Trading Post
www.sierratradingpost.com
This is more of a sporting good and sportswear site. Think Bass Pro Shops or REI. They have incredible bargains on athletic shoes, hiking sandals and some comfort-based fashion shoes. With brands like Ecco, Columbia, Merrell and Teva, you can't miss. Also another site where avid reviewers share their two cents so you can make an informed decision. I also have found great outdoor dog supplies (portable bowls, backpacks, leashes, etc.) Their products are high quality and their prices can't be beat. Returns and exchanges are relatively hassle free. Online coupon codes are pretty easy to find. Once you purchase, they include a card in your shipment for 35% off your next purchase.

Metrostyle
www.metrostyle.com
This is a great website for women's fashions. A small, but good selection of clothes for work, shoes and evening gowns at reasonable prices. The quality is pretty good for what it is. A girlfriend of mine bought some super cute sweaters from this site.

Make Me Chic
www.makemechic.com
They offer a very trendy selection of shoes, accessories, dresses and lingerie. You can find cute dresses for around $20 each. Some of the items are kind of "hoochie-mama", but amidst all the glitz are some great timeless finds. A lot of people buy their shoes, although their selection may strike you as "stripper-esque," keep digging, there are some cute bargains. When I made my purchase, they advertised free shipping on $50 or more. Now we'll see how the quality measures up. Update on my purchase soon!


Karma Loop
www.karmaloop.com
They offer a youthful collection of edgy street wear for boys and girls, veering towards the "juniors" age. Their prices range from the reasonable to the higher end, but their site is easy to navigate and they have a great selection.

Etsy
www.etsy.com
This is THE site for vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, purses and art. It's a veritable hipsters paradise. Great photos, easy to navigate, with one of a kind finds ranging from rockabilly frocks to flapper duds. If you're looking for some unique mod outfits or something wearable for a costume ball or Halloween, this is the place to shop. It's an online marketplace that allows you to buy and sell instantly, without the auction hassle.

The Popular and Somewhat Obvious... Auction Sites and Classifieds
Everyone knows Ebay and Craigslist. One great site if you're looking beyond your local Craigsliste area is www.searchtempest.com. You can set the mile radius that you are willing to look and negotiate with sellers to ship items. I found my nifty Yamaha Vino 125 scooter all they way in New Jersey this way.

Christina Tran gave me a great tip on another classified sites called Bonanzle, check it out!

Retailers
Target, Kohls, Old Navy and JC Penney all have awesome deals online for clothes and home decor. Always google for the name of the retailer and "online coupon" to take advantage of instant coupon codes! If you're a AAA member, your card entitles you to a number of online shopping discounts.

Labels for Less
A lot of people rave about Bluefly, but I haven't been all that impressed. True, they have big brand names, but their prices are not fantastic. You could probably do better looking through clearance racks of high end department stores or cruising Loehman's and Nordstrom Rack. What I've bought from Bluefly hasn't been all that impressive, so I personally am not a big fan.