Black Friday Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips on how to make Black Friday a sucess!

- Research the weekly ads on GottaDeal.com or BFads.net and start looking for the things you want to buy and make a list of brand names, model names, prices and stores they are being offered at (including opening times and when doorbusters end).

- When the ads come out in the paper (usually the day before Thanksgiving), go through each ad and circle the items you would like to buy with a bold marker. Make your shopping list!

- If the store has a price adjustment policy, it would be smart to buy the items on the day before Thanksgiving and just get the price adjustments done on Black Friday or just make sure to get the price adjustments on the days the prices are good for. I shopped at Target from 8 pm until 11 pm on Wednesday and purchased all the items that were listed in the Black Friday ad. As long as the items are not doorbusters, you can get the prices adjusted. I went up to the Customer Service desk on Black Friday morning and received $60 back just in price adjustments!!!

- If the store has a price match policy, then you can do one-stop shopping at that particular store. All you need is to have the original ad from the competitive stores with you and point out each item to the cashier as you check out. They will match the price right then and there! Some stores require you to go to the Customer Service desk, Target does not. I also shop from other stores' ads while shopping at Target and hope that they have the same exact item! As long as it's not a limited time sale (ex: early bird specials, doorbusters, available between 4 am and noon, etc) then you can price-match other stores! It's an awesome way to get the deals other stores are offering without having to drive all over the place.

- Don't forget to use coupons if you have any!!! I go into each store (that takes coupons) armed with my coupon binder, tote bags and all the weekly ads from all the stores. Search for coupons online prior to shopping and print them all out then take that along with your shopping list!

- Make sure you go shopping with people that have the same agenda as you. There's nothing worse than shopping with someone on Black Friday that is ready to move on to the next store when you're not. Make sure to work out a map of all the stores you would like to go to days before just to make sure you're on the same page.

- Use a credit card that is a rewards card. Christmas shopping is a great way to accumulate points to exchange for rewards! It's even better if it has a great interest rate. I use my Citi Mastercard that has a 0% interest rate until April 2011 and I also rack up points each time I use it.

- Make sure to browse for sales online as soon as Black Friday ads get leaked. If you find a better price than what's available on the ads, buy them right away! It's a lot better to shop from home than having to stand in line at the store. Always look for free shipping, promotional offers, coupon codes, etc. There are plenty of sites you can use to find these. I just google what I want (actually I use swagbucks.com) and I usually find what I'm looking for.

- If you are going to purchase items online, make sure to use cash back sites like Ebates.com, Fatwallet.com or Shopathome.com! Cash back sites usually offer double cash back or better on Black Friday!

- Be sure to get plenty of sleep, bring snacks and water for your shopping trip and get everything packed in the car the night before so you can make sure not to forget something in the wee hours of the morning. Drink coffee!

- HAVE FUN!!!

Black Friday 2010

Has it really been exactly a year since I last wrote in here? What a coincidence that I would post about Black Friday again. Actually, I have been thinking of posting in here for quite some time now. Originally, I started my blog to be able to just keep in touch with friends and family. Then I realized what a great concept it really is, a diary online, to keep track of all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) memories. It has been too long since I've updated this thing. So much for keeping friends/family up to date huh? Thank goodness for Facebook! Lol.

So here we are again, exactly one year later, talking about Black Friday. You know, when I started shopping on Black Friday a few years ago, I considered it a "special" shopping event. Now with stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, most having opening times of 3 or 4 or 5 am, and with deals being offered online basically all week long leading up to Black Friday...what's the point of going out on Black Friday anymore? I found that some of the best deals were offered days prior to Black Friday and I was sure glad that I took advantage of those deals while they were available. I just couldn't imagine camping on Thanksgiving night to fall in line for something that the store only has a limited quantity of (like 6 total!).

This year, I went out with Corinne again and her sister Tiff. We didn't even head out until 8 am and luckily, the stores weren't jam-packed crazy like we were expecting. The employees said that most of the craziness happened right when the stores opened so I guess that's one good thing about them opening so damn early. We ended up going to Target first and I was really surprised to see so many of the doorbusters still available. I don't know if it's due to economic hardships or what, but there simply weren't as many shoppers as prior years. Let's put it this way, we were able to park right in front of the store! We usually have to park way back in BFE at Target. Thank the Lord for 4 am opening time, I guess.

We only went to a few stores and I would have loved to keep shopping but there was just no way I could keep going. I was just too tired...and well I didn't really want to spend any more money. The best part about Black Friday honestly is just Corinne and I continuing our tradition. :)

Thankfully, my shopping list is always cut short due to Black Friday. I am able to find some awesome deals and leave the rest to shopping online. I only have 2 more people to shop for and I am done! Woo hoo! I even wrapped 90% of the gifts already. Yeah I know, I rock. Hopefully Cyber Monday will offer some great deals and the websites all don't crash like they usually do. As much as I love to shop, I just hate it when you fill your shopping cart online with all of what I think are super steals, only to have the website crash at the end and lose some of the items in the cart! Crossing my fingers!!

Black Friday is so fun! (NOT)

Every year, thousands upon thousands line up outside the retail big box giants like Best Buy, Costco, Old Navy, etc hours before the store even opens. But with more & more deals being offered online a few days or hours before "doorbusters" are even offered at the store, then what's the big hype about lining up before the 5 am opening time??? Is it the adrenaline rush you get from getting one of the best "limited quantity" deals or do you just like getting trampled by masses of strangers?

I admit, I am one of the Black Friday crazies that gets up super early to try to snag one of those deals. For the past two years, my best friend and I would leave our house before the crack of dawn and attempt to find everything on our list before the dreaded end of the doorbuster specials. This is one of the many traditions we have created for ourselves but unfortunately this year, she had to go to a wedding so I was left to confront the masses on my own.

However, I purchased many of the doorbuster specials online early on and didn't have to show up with the other crazies bright and early at those big box stores. I was really tempted to go to the 3 am opening at Old Navy, considering I'm still up most nights (or mornings) at that time. But I decided to sleep in (YAY!) and head out instead at a decent hour (9:30 am). To my dismay, ofcourse, a lot of the best deals were already out of stock and after standing in line at the 2nd store I went to (Kohl's) for almost an hour...I was DONE.

The best part was that I made it home just in time to purchase some of the specials online! With Bing cashback or Ebates, coupon codes, free shipping and the convenience of not having to deal with the crowds...I think overall that my experience shopping online was far better than having to go to the stores. But even with all my frustrations waiting in line (I just don't have the patience for it), my best friend and I will continue our tradition next year. :)

Any other Black Friday crazies out there?

Back to my "roots"...

Maybe I'm crazy for signing up to do the blog for SLOCountyMommies (SLOCM) but I am actually pretty excited about it. I know I have a hard enough time to keep up with this one, but I just needed something else to keep my mind stimulated. I love to write but just never have a chance to do so. I am hoping that the SLOCM blog will keep me motivated. :)

Check out my debut:
http://slocountymommies.blogspot.com/

Seriously???

Read this 1st:
http://www.mybottlesup.com/tsa-agents-took-my-son/

Then this:
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

My good friend's Jenn's blog post in response to this:
http://jennnster.blogspot.com/

It's insane that this woman would make such a story up. I mean, it's quite clear that her baby was NOT taken away. Was this woman hoping she could lie about it, get people to validate her emotions, rally up support...in hopes to sue TSA and get $$$? I mean, obviously, she did not realize that TSA was going to respond with real-time videos. I can understand being frustrated from having to wait, being humiliated while being searched, worrying about missing your flight, etc. But why lie about having your baby taken away from you?! It's obvious her baby was there the whole time. Mental issues maybe? I don't know...

My friend is right. It makes you think twice about reading blogs & such. I mean, I have a blog and I couldn't even fathom writing false stories about my life on my blog. Really, how could that even cross anyone's mind? It's like saying "Dear Diary, be prepared to 'hear' my story, real or not, it's not like you know the difference". Maybe when this Nic woman reads her blog today, it just makes it even more real now because she's read it somewhere. LOL. Ok, sorry, that was being insensitive. But seriously??

Then again, I know people personally who make stuff up in their head and think that it's all real. Yes, it's real in THEIR minds, but everyone else knows the truth (hello, it's called REALITY). Who knows, maybe I'm the one leading a fictitious life?

Anyway, I am curious though to see this woman's response. It'll sure be interesting!

On a side note...such horrible "customer service" TSA!!!

Joshua Bell At Home With Friends

This would have been a great CD to listen to during my college days. I used to listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, etc while I studied and just to relax after a full day. Joshua Bell's "At Home With Friends" is a great compilation of music with some great artists. "Come Again" with Sting is such a beautiful song. I can already imagine it in a soundtrack of a movie. Joshua Bell is such an amazing violinist. He incorporates such emotion into his music and it just moves you. #8 is such a beautiful song, it touches your soul. This would make a great CD to play while drinking wine and relaxing with friends. Overall, it's all beautiful music!
(Review posted on Amazon.com, Borders.com and BN.com as Megaland)

*Thank you so much again One2OneNetwork for giving me the opportunity to listen to this CD for FREE!!!

Harry Connick, Jr. “Your Songs” review

"Your Songs" is such a classic Harry Connick, Jr. style selection of music. He usually chooses songs that have a jazzy feel to it and is of the oldies but goodies world. Though I am a fan of his, I just didn't feel that this was original in any way. It just sounds like all of his other CDs. I loved walking down memory lane with some of the songs he chose. I especially liked "Besame Mucho" from one of my favorite movies of all time (Great Expectations) and "The Way You Look Tonight" from another favorite movie of mine (My Best Friend's Wedding). Although I appreciate listening to some classic songs of some of the greatest artists of all time, I just wish he could branch out more and make his OWN music. But then again, I wouldn't mind him singing "Oh Danny Boy" like he did on another favorite movie of mine (Memphis Belle). Can't you tell I love movies?

Important Links to more Harry Connick, Jr.

Behind the Scene look at ‘Making of’ the album: http://bit.ly/HCJrVideo

Harry’s website: http://www.harryconnickjr.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harryconnickjr

For more info about Harry and Your Songs listed in our Harry Connick Jr. Newsletter: http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410033033

Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):
All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

*Thank you One2OneNetwork for this great opportunity to listen to this CD for FREE!

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Michael Buble's new CD comes out today!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little girl!

I just can't believe it. Our little girl is now 3 years old. Today is a big day! She turns 3 AND it's also her 1st day of preschool. Happy Birthday Isabella dear!!! We love you so very much!!!

California...UGH

So I was reading Sam Blakelee's (33rd District Assemblyman) newsletter email and was reading one of the articles in this newsletter. It sparked some concerns regarding the California budget and it bugs me to no end how bad our government really is. So I sent him an email and we'll see if we get one of those automatic responses. haha

In response to "Early Release of Prisoners not a Safe Solution" - California's problems could be easily solved if criminals were treated as that...CRIMINALS. They shouldn't have the same rights as regular citizens. Committing a crime and being found guilty for them ensures that those rights be taken away. But are they? No they are not. Instead they are rewarded with fully accessible libraries and education, cable television, exercise equipment, and other benefits that should not be given to those who CHOSE not to follow the laws of the state (and the country). When our founders stated that all men be created equal and be given the freedoms (of speech, the right to bear arms, etc), I highly doubt they meant that people were free to do whatever they want whenever they want without any regards to the laws. If California and other governing states just followed what Sheriff Joe Arpaio did in Arizona, the budget crisis could easily be solved. Millions upon millions of dollars are being thrown into the wrong direction, taking care of those who are hurting the economy and society, rather than towards those who are helping (education, health depts, social depts, etc). I am all for treating people with respect but I think it's a little overboard when those who chose to break the laws get treated better than those who actually pay their taxes and obey the laws. The state is in HUGE trouble. The country is in HUGE trouble. You need to start thinking about the future. Where would our kids be when there is no more money to fund the schools? They will end up on the streets, doing the things that will probably have them end up in jail. Thus, the vicious cycle continues. It's time to start thinking about what's right vs what's wrong. Put money where it matters. The US was a dominating leader in the world and is slowly losing power because of the democratic stance it has taken in the past 30 years. Remember what happened to Rome???

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/miracopjail.htm

http://www.mcso.org/

Time flies!

Wow, I didn't realize it has been since Mother's Day that I last wrote in here. Has it really been that long??? Summer flew by fast and I can't believe it's almost September already!!! So much has happened this summer that I'll have to gradually add a little bit of history about what's been going on. Time flies when you're having fun!!!

Here's a little summary of our summer fun:

- Kids took swim lessons for one month straight and truly enjoyed them. They were really afraid in the beginning but now you can't take them out of the water! I will probably do the same thing again next year. A whole months is a long time but well worth it!

- Two of my Sarah's had babies this summer. Sarah (SIL) had her baby boy in June and my friend Sarah had her baby girl in July. It's been a summer filled with the new joys of parenthood for both and we are extremely lucky to be in their lives. Can't wait to watch those kids grow up over their lifetime!!!

- We took our annual family vacation to San Diego this month. We went to Sea World, Balboa Park, Belmont Park, Mission Beach, Del Mar, etc. Jeramy had to leave mid-week to go back to work but the kids and I stayed for an extra 5 days with Auntie Charmie. So all in all, it was 8 days of great fun!

- The biggest most recent news is that our dear boy Connor just started KINDERGARTEN!!! He started this past Monday and he is loving every minute of it. So far, he has come home and said "It is the best day ever!" He truly enjoys school and we hope that excitement continues. I mean, shucks, he's only got 11 more years of school left. Little does he know. HAHA

- The next biggest news is that our little girl will be starting preschool in a few weeks!!! I can't believe both kids are now in school! Isabella will be going to the same preschool Connor attended for 2 years and I am very much looking forward to a few hours to myself a week. I don't think I know what to do with myself! I am hoping Isabella will enjoy school. She will be going with her boyfriend Jax and her girl Avery. So it should be super fun for all of them!!

So much has happened this summer. I will definitely have to write a separate post for each event to give the details and show some photos.

Jeramy and I are leaving for Hawaii this coming Monday. We'll be spending the night at a hotel close to LAX since we have to be at the airport by 8:30 am on Monday. We'll be in marital bliss for one week and we cannot wait for some much-needed (and deserved) relaxation. I'm all about doing everything we can while we're there but he'd rather lay out at the beach and drink all day long. We *might* just end up doing that. LOL. The kids will be with Grandpa and Grandma all week...so good luck Grandpa and Grandma! ;)

Anyway, hope everyone is having an awesome summer so far!!! :)

Happy 5th Birthday to our little guy!

Well, he's not so little anymore! That's for sure. It's amazing how fast time really flies. It's unbelievable that we have a 5-year old boy whose going to be in Kindergarten! I never thought this day would come. Happy Birthday to you dear Connor!!! We love you sooooooooooooo much!

I got "Mom of the Year"!

I can't believe it. I did it. I didn't think I would win. But yay! (Total joke, but funny)

CLICK FOR VIDEO

Heartbreaking...

Today, Connor came home from preschool and was very excited to show me something. I was outside tending to my roses so he kept asking me to go inside. I finally went in and he reached under the pillows on the couch.

C: Mommy, I'm so excited. I have a gift for you!
M: a gift?
C: For Mother's Day!

Out he pulls a beautiful card he made for me with a gift bag attached to it. In the bag was a lovely key chain that said "MOM" that he decorated w/ puffy paint and a lovely ribbon. I was so surprised. It's such a lovely gift! (Ofcourse, I attached it to my keys right away.)

Later on that day, we were supposed to go to Bible Study but we were all too exhausted and the kids were just DONE. I didn't want to cook dinner so I took Connor with me to get some food. But before we got our food, I went to get gas and as I'm pumping the gas, I looked at the back of the key chain and noticed that his name was spelled wrong.

My mistake...I mentioned it to him, knowing that he personally didn't write it.

M: Oh no Connor, I think someone spelled your name wrong on the keychain ("Conner")

(C breaks down crying....covers his eyes with his hands and everything!)

C: I knew you weren't going to like your gift!
M: Oh Connor, I LOVE it. I know you didn't spell your name wrong. Someone else did.

(He continues to cry and is sobbing at this point...just BREAKS MY HEART...so I end up breaking down too)

M: I'm so sorry Connor. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I know YOU didn't spell your name wrong. I LOVE IT. I love everything you make for me. Really...

(At this point, I'm pleading with him telling him just how much I appreciate everything he does for me and I just love the gift...etc)

C: They were supposed to copy my name and they didn't do it right. Hmph.
M: That's OK, we can fix it if you want.
C: Ooooh, I have a good idea! We can just make a new one.

Anyway, I was sooooooooooooo sad to see that I hurt my son's feelings. Granted, he was tired as hell and he becomes really sensitive & emotional when he's overtired. But still, that just broke my heart. I really need to pay more attention to the things I say. I'm just so afraid I'm not raising my kids right. :( I forget that kids take everything literally and they take things to heart so easily (well as a matter of a fact, adults do too sometimes).

I just wanted to say I'm sorry Connor for "criticizing" your lovely gift. It's perfect the way it is. I love you!

I want to win!

I spent some time today reading some blogs and there's a lot of giveaways this week. I get extra entries for blogging about them so here goes!

1) I recently just found this blog SavingWithSteph and I've found some awesome deals here. She has a $20 Walgreens GC giveaway this week and I wanna win! Walgreens has some awesome deals when you pair up coupons with Easy Saver Rebates. Just last week, I got 3 rebates for $13 total and so I used the rebates for Midol and StrapPerfect.

2) On DealSeekingMom, there's currently a giveaway for a set of Wonder Bumpers. I wanna win this for my sister-in-law!

3) On PennyPinchingParent, they're having a RC John Deere XUV Gator giveaway and I'd love to win one for the kiddos.

Spring Cleaning Party

So I've been trying so hard to clean my house, one room at a time. The areas I clean stays clean for about an hour before it becomes a wreck again (I love my kids, but man oh man!). I went through a deep-clean stage of my spring cleaning 2 weeks ago and then we went away for a few days on a mini vaca and it was sooooooooooo nice to come to a nice, clean & organized home. Now I'm back to where I started and it's just so exhausting.

I've managed to clean 1-2 rooms a day and mind you, we only have less than 1200 sq ft of space. But with 2 kids running amuck, it feels like it's 3000 sq ft filled with crap! So, I'm joining SimpleMom's "Spring Cleaning Party" (SCP) next week and I'm hoping this will help me declutter my home. I've actually gotten pretty good about getting rid of a TON of stuff (I can be such a pack rat sometimes).

But since we're having a yard sale in a couple weeks, I want to get rid of as much stuff as possible. I'm already in the process of selling stuff on Craigslist so I'm feeling good about getting my spring cleaning started (ok, I must admit, I started in late Feb!). Plus I actually got the kids room AND the office organized (moved a huge oak bunk bed, bookcases, and a tall dresser all by myself and everything!) a couple weeks ago so that was a great jump start to all this.

The only downside about this SCP is that I had to buy a book. But it's only $7 and I consider it an investment. SimpleMom has been pretty right on with everything she's blogged about so I trust her methods will work (or else I'm gonna be slightly disappointed with having to spend that $7!).

So here's the schedule...
Here’s the Spring Cleaning Party schedule:

* Monday, May 4 - a clean sweep
* Tuesday, May 5 - the living room, part one
* Wednesday, May 6 - the living room, part two
* Thursday, May 7 - the kitchen, part one
* Friday, May 8 - the kitchen, part two
* Monday, May 11 - the bathrooms
* Tuesday, May 12 - the kids’ rooms, part one
* Wednesday, May 13 - the kids’ rooms, part two
* Thursday, May 14 - the master bedroom
* Friday, May 15 - the front entry

I am looking forward to getting started on Monday. I love lists and this just adds to my OCD need of list-making so I'm happy. I know, I'm weird like that...

Mini Vacations...

are awesome but exhausting. A vacation is rarely ever a "vacation" since you spend so much of your time eating out, doing activities and checking out everything that's available. It's all fun until you come home and realize you actually have to cook meals again, do laundry, pay bills, etc. But yes, it's all worth it in the end.

We are lucky enough that my hubby works only 3-4 days a week. Therefore, he gets 3-4 days off a week as well. Though he works 12 long hours per day on the days he works, it enables us to spend more time together and go on mini vacations whenever we can.

In the last 6 months alone, we've taken at least one 4-5 day mini vacation each month. Here are the photos from each one:

TO BE POSTED SOON

Fun-filled Easter weekend!

We definitely had one fun-filled weekend this Easter. Lots of egg-hunting activities, moments of chocolate bliss and fun with family & friends. It was a lot of fun but mommy is TIRED! :)

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS!

Happy Easter!

We celebrated Easter at Aunt Carol's this weekend. During our Easter dinner, Maren & Adam (cousins) wouldn't eat their food and started telling Knock-Knock jokes like the night prior...

Aunt Carol: No Knock-Knock jokes until after dinner. Eat your food first.

Maren: But I don't want to eat.

Aunt Carol: Well you should. Easter is about eating.

Connor: And...Easter is about eggs!

Everyone: Yes Connor, you're right.

Connor: But really, Easter is about Jesus!

I was very proud of my little son...for bringing up a very important fact. Easter (like Christmas) gets lost in today's society, being marketed as a holiday about eggs and bunnies. When in fact, it truly is about Jesus. The fact that He died on the cross to save us from our sins and He is risen! That is the true meaning of Easter. Amen.

Note: Here is a great link to teach bible verses about Easter: http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-verses-about-easter/