Tidbits

Printable Michaels coupon for 40% off one regular-price item - find it here.

I added two printable Barnes & Noble coupons to the blog last night, but here are all the printables I know of - again: 25% off one item, 15% off one item and 10% off one item. You can so find more printables here (and their online counterparts are here).

Technique Tuesday sale

Apparently, Technique Tuesday been having a progressive sale and now things are 60% off with the promo code: LongShot. This is your chance to get items that are retiring!

Speaking of stamps, I still haven't bought my stamps at Unity Stamp, but I guess I better hurry - their free shipping offer is only for January 2011.

And don't forget to keep an eye on Yourscrapbookstash.com blog - they are having all sorts of contests to celebrate their 4th birthday! Don't forget to sign up for their birthday club, too - you'll receive a promo code good for 25% off all of your purchases there - for your entire birthday month!

Finally - there's a new printable Barnes and Noble coupon here for 10% off and another for 15% off one item (both expire 1/17/11).

Need clothes for kids?

Children's Place is offering FREE SHIPPING for all orders today. Promo code: FSSNOW (it's on their home page, too). I also received an ad from them with the promo code (for free shipping): FSSNOW2011.

*update* Just got word that you can stack a free shipping code with a 15% off code: UPROMISE1C.

I just placed an order for the girls' hair accessories (although a lot sold right under me!) and got some jewelry things for next Christmas. Yes, I do start early! =) I hope I remember where everything is in 11 months! =)

You're never too old to learn - at least, some stuff!

While the boys (and kids) were busy with a driving game Saturday night, my friend Holly gave me an imprompt lesson on how to crochet. You can see some of my beginner handiwork above. =) Ever since she gave me some of her beautiful crocheted flowers, I have wanted to learn. This is how I used some of her flowers...


See? Aren't those little flowers beautiful? One of these days, I'll be good enough. Thanks for the lesson, Holly! =)

Tidbit: printable Barnes & Noble coupon for 25% off one item here.

Sure wish I had bigger feet...

Usually it's not a bad thing to be petite, but sometimes I wish I had bigger feet. Last month I finally got up the gumption to buy some top-of-the-line soccer cleats (I'd never spent more than $20 on a pair before - it's hard to convince myself that I'm worth it) and wouldn't you know it? When we went, the store owner said they only make them from size 4 youth and up! What size am I? I'm a size 3 youth (women's size 5 - though I'm probably a 4.5). When I asked him to show me the best thing he had in my size, he pointed at some $30 cleats - for kids. Well, what can you do?

But today, I saw these B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L boots in an online ad. Yes, I do like wearing heeled boots because they make me taller. There, I said it - I admit it! Unfortunately - they don't make 'em in my size! ARGH! I guess I'll live... 3.75" heels are a little hard to handle, especially when you're as clumsy as myself. =) But, wow! I'd be over 5'3" tall!!!

Tidbits:
1. Michaels printable coupon for 40% off any regular-price item (1/9-1/15/11).
2. Check out your local Big Lots for Basic Grey merchandise! My local BL had Euphoria collection packs for $5 (retail = $19-$20 at least). They also had some clear stamps for $3, some bling-it-on for $0.50, and rub-ons for $1. My friend scrapper al's BL had Indian Summer, which made me jealous, so I may have to go check out another BL... =) If you need more convincing, you can also find some youtube videos from people showing off their BL hauls...

Attention, rubber stampers!

I was visiting my friend scrapper al's blog this morning and saw that I'd missed her post a couple days ago about a blog hop. Well, to make a long story short, I discovered that Unity Stamps is offering free shipping for awhile and with every $10 of stamps you order, you get a free stamp! I've been dying to try those stamps - Unity has been one of those hot new companies bursting upon the scene a little while ago - and who can resist free shipping? I'm always on the lookout for bug stamps (I know, I know... one of my many weaknesses!) and they have a few. If you want to get a better idea of what Unity Stamps can do, you can check out their blog here.

And speaking of stamps, Scrap-Mart is offering 40% off their stamps today. They have Unity stamps on sale as well - plus free shipping. So, in case you have any extra holiday money sitting around, here's a few temptations to burn some of it... =)

Other tidbits:
1. Printable Michaels coupon for $5 off $25+, $10 off $50+ etc. (expires 1/1/11).
2. It's kind of late for this offer now to really score on clearance items, but you may get lucky and find something. Kohl's is offering $0.99 shipping per item and here's a promo code for 20% off your order: TWENTY4U. I went shopping late last night and scored a few pairs of fleece pants for the girls - $0.86 for one type and $1.73 for the other (plus $0.99 shipping per item). I made the mistake of pointing out the sale to Daddy Dude so instead of spending $9 or so, we spent ended up more, because HE found a couple of tops he wanted. Still - we ended up getting some excellent deals. If you go through Ebates, you can score 4% back, too.

Like historical fiction?

Awhile back, I mentioned the books of Conn Iggulden - he's written a series on Julius Caesar and another on Genghis Khan. I love historical fiction and I really enjoyed his books. I mention all of this because the fourth book in his Genghis Khan series is available today (Khan: Empire of Silver) and while I was at BN.com to buy it, noticed that they had dropped the price of his first Genghis book (Genghis: Birth of an Empire) - in BN ebook form - to $0.76! Seventy-six cents! What a bargain! If you don't have a Nook (we don't), you can simply download their free E-reader software and read B&N ebooks on your handy dandy computer (like me) or on your fancy schmancy phone (like DaddyDude).

Unfortunately, you can't use coupons on ebooks. However, that 5% off coupon I posted awhile ago is really good - turns out you can take 5% off your entire order. B&N has a holiday sale going on right now (last year, it lasted about a month, I think) and you can snap up books for $1.99 and up. While I cannot buy books at full retail unless they're new releases, I'm totally a sucker for discounted books. =P

Happy shopping and happy reading! =)

P.S. I finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a few days ago (borrowed it from the local library) and it was wonderful! If you like non-fiction and the personal spin on a science story, then this book is for you. There's a lot about the tissue collection debate (who does it belong to, once it leaves your body?) and the personal story behind Henrietta Lacks and what happened to her family afterwards.

Tidbits -
1. Scrapmart is having a sale on Quickutz dies - today only! They don't have a huge (or up-to-date) selection, but what they have is 50% off (and I believe it's free shipping on QK dies).
2. Printable Michaels coupons - 50% off one regular price item (expires 1/1/11), 25% off entire regular price purchase (1/1/11 only) and 15% off entire regular-price purchase (expires 12/31/10). Here are some other printable coupons here.
3. Downloadable idea sheet from Pink Paislee here. And in case you didn't get this earlier, here's a link to download their retro Santa tag.
4. If you are looking for crafting books, check out MyCraftivityStore. You can use the promo code NICE10 for 15% off your purchase (expires 1/6/11) - they offer free shipping over $25.

Free Christmas printables...

I follow the blog, "A Matter of Memories" - she's got a great variety of reading material... hot new products, layouts, free downloadables and quite a few giveaways. Today, she posted links to some Christmas printables. Check out her blog and the links here!

While clicking through links (you can bounce from blog to blog, as you know), I found this link... someone has kindly assembled a list of places to get free printable gift tags!

Here's another link to some really cute tags!

Still need a gift?

There are a ton of Barnes and Noble coupons floating around out there!

1. Use these coupons for 25% off one item in-store or 10% off one kids or teen book at Barnes and Noble (expires 12/27/10). Here's another one for 25% off one item (expires 12/24/10).
2. Here is another coupon for 10% off in-store (and supposedly offers 15% off online as well -a promo code (W3T8W7V) appears below the scan code)
3. Get 10% off one kids/teen book online (use promo code K3M4V8A)
4. Get 30% off the list-price of one children's book (or toys/games/puzzles/workbooks) - there is a printable version for in-stores and a code for online (H4W9V7M) - expires 1/10/11. I do believe you have to be signed up for their Kids' Club (which is free, so why wouldn't you?). Be sure to read the fine print before you use it.
5. 5% off all customers online (W9D3B7F) - expires 5/29/11.
6. 15% off for all B&N members (D4M4X9Y) - expires 12/23/10.
7. $5 off your purchase, $5 off one DVD, $5 off one music CD, etc. There are minimum purchase amounts on these coupons, so please read the fine print. You can find them here to print - expires 1/1/11.
8. There are also printable coupons for $10 off a cheesecake (makes me wonder how much they sell for!), $10 off Godiva chocolates (if over $25), and a coffee special "buy 2, get the 3rd lb free" - all expire 12/24/10.

And in case you're interested, I get these codes from this website - it's always a good idea to check for promo codes and coupons before you shop here! Incidently, this store (along with Borders) have been in the news lately, as the book publishing industry struggles to cope with changing trends.

Too tired to cook for dinner? Like eating at Chili's? Today only, you can get free chips and queso (our favorite!) with any adult entree. Print a coupon out here!

New Fresh & Easy coupon for $10 off $50+ purchase! Expires 12/26/10.

Is there an age cut-off?

I wonder when they'll want to quit riding this thing - when they can't fit their legs on it?! We thought by making THEM pay (with their own money) to ride the merry-go-round, it would stop. Apparently... not!

A couple of Thursdays ago, Daddy Dude took us to a department Christmas party. It was SO nice not to cook! The girls were very excited about going and getting dressed up.

Of course, it really made them happy that Santa Claus made a surprise appearance and gave them a present - just crayons, but they were over the moon about it. Hey, when do kids stop using crayons? And when do they stop believing in Santa Claus...? And the tooth fairy...?

And we have another picture to add to the growing collection of friends stopping by to snap a photo with Daddy Dude. =) We're wondering what they're going to do with his photo (and everybody else's) once construction is done - will they offer to give it to him? I'd take it! Wouldn't that be a cool wall hanging in the house??? =)

Tidbits...

1. Got kids? Print out this adorable little house and have them construct it!

2. B&N code for 25% off one item - today only! Two codes: J3F7W7V and V9T8A8C.

3. Free printable Christmas tag word art (although you do have to create an account). They often have free printables linked to their newsletters.

4. Scenic Route (who is now selling kits and misc close-out items) is offering 25% off for the rest of the year in any order (with flat-rate shipping = $6.99): promo code ENDOFYEAR.

5. Free downloadable Maya Road holiday tags.

As the year begins to wind down...

One of my biggest regrets of my four years spent back east, was failing to take pictures of the stunning fall foliage. My friends and I used to hike up the hills and just take in the view. Of course, those were the days before digital cameras and we poor graduate students couldn't really afford to get a lot of pictures developed. *sigh* Oh, well. This is the best we can do here (yes, that's Marika in pink at the base of the tree) - a gingko tree with golden leaves.

Marika had her soccer party - they're not supposed to get trophies (just medals) but her coach knows how much little girls like big trophies! This was Marika's first trophy ever and boy, is it a monster! It's at least 6 inches taller than the biggest one Mika has! Seriously, it must be at least 2-feet tall!

Probably the biggest news - as of late - was that Marika learned how to ride a 2-wheeler. You can see her trainer right beside her. I think within 15-30 minutes, Mika taught Marika how to do it. I was little worried that Marika might get banged up, but Mika was an excellent teacher and taught her lovingly and patiently. Why did I let Mika do it? Mika cried A LOT when we tried to teach her and since Marika seemed to be enjoying the lesson, I figured, "eh, why not?" Good call, if I must say so, myself! Hopefully Santa will bring some new bikes this year...

And for you scrappers out there... I found a new discount place that offers free shipping over $20. It's called Scrapbuck.com and they have some really good deals! One of my favorite collections - of all time - is the Sweetest Bug line by Heidi Grace (ooh, big surprise, right?). Scrapbuck offers at least a couple of those clear stamps for amazing prices. My first purchase was smooth... except that one incorrect item was shipped - they responded over the weekend that they would be mailing the correct item the next business day. Free shipping over $20 is definitely an excellent deal!

Speaking of free shipping... Joann.com is offering free shipping for 3 hours on December 9th - orders placed between noon-3 pm (eastern time) will get free shipping with no minimum purchase. Promo code: FSNM343. Don't forget ebates!

Gift-giving ideas for teachers

For those of you out there with kids, it's time to think about Christmas gifts for the teachers. I found this informative link today, with plenty of comments and input from teachers on what they like to receive for Christmas. Marika's teacher requested that the class get her an i-pod docking station for classroom (her tapes are going bad!), so we'll probably all chip in with Target gift cards. I, too, used to think that gift cards were too impersonal, but after reading the comments, I've decided that this is the way to go from now on...

Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving - and, of course, enjoyed the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales... =)

Looking for Basic Grey stamps?

Kindred Creations still has a couple Basic Grey stamps sets in stock (Tweet Bitsy Stamp and Pocket Garden Stamp). Yes, you can combine items from different days (if it's out of stock, you'll find out during checkout) and their shipping rates are actually very reasonable. Items take about 1 week to show up in your mailbox.

Joann's and Barnes & Noble Tidbits...

Joann.com is offering free shipping tomorrow (11/18/10) for 3 hours (12-3 pm EST) with no minimum purchase. Use promo code: EYD322 (and don't forget Ebates!).

Also, here is a link to Joann's Black Friday ad... (unfortunately, things are a little bit fuzzy)...

And don't forget this 20% off printable coupon...

Think your house is small? Think again!

The Unclutterer blog posted about this ultra-small home in Tokyo. If you have a few minutes, you might want to check out the video tour here on CNN World.

And just in case you're interested, Scrap-Mart announced that they've begun their own Deal-of-the-Day site called ScrapAce. Me personally... you know that I'm very partial to CropChocolate.com. There are rumors on the site that Cropchocolate T-shirts will be part of their Cyber Monday special, so you can be sure you'll see me sporting one of those around in the future... =)

See, I'm all for having those Black Friday ads leaked early - at least we can choose where we're going to shop and when. What's the point of putting your ad out late (or on time, now) if people will have already spent their available dollars by then?

And for those of you with men who love Best Buy, here are some printable coupons.

Black Friday

It seems so odd, that Black Friday ads are being leaked. Did you know that you can see them here? Or here? Here's a link to see Michaels' ad. There's a valuable 30% off coupon that will be in that ad - which you can use at Joann's. Here's a printable coupon for Joann's, for 20% off your purchase (regular-price and sale-priced items) - print out a few and keep them in your wallet, they don't expire until 12/15/10. Here's a 40% off coupon for Michaels (expires 11/24/10).

Other tidbits...
1. Free online class by Jessica Sprague (digital scrapbooking). Details are here.
2. Quickutz is having a warehouse sale (bummer for those of us not living in Utah!)... but they're also having one online as well - November 19th (Friday at 9 am) to November 22nd (Monday at 9 am).
3. November Basic Grey newsletter can be found here. Remember, each issue comes with a sketch and some basic inspiration!
4. Barnes and Noble has a 10% off printable coupon for one kids' or teen book. Expires 11/21/10. 5. Stampin' Treasures has now discounted their store to 40% off for their store closing.
6. Another Fresh & Easy printable coupon for $6 off your purchase of $30 or more.
7. Free shipping at Nike.com (and don't forget ebates!) with promo code: JUSTDOIT (expires 12/22/10).

Two degrees of separation from an Olympian

Yup, that's right. Here's the story... I finally went to see a sports medicine doctor yesterday after my left foot pain was escalating. It was a very interesting visit, since Dr. V. "teaching" a med student as well - she told me that I must have had a left ankle sprain in the past (missing ligament), that my left leg was really weak compared to my right, and she was surprised by how much stability I still had (soccer will do that to you!). I was relieved to hear her tell the student that I had a good running gait and was a natural runner - so at least my gait didn't have to be corrected. I was complimented on my calf muscles (running 30 miles/wk should do that for anybody) and I will say that I LOVED her scale. It's so nice to be rewarded by a good number after the many months of hard work I've put into exercising.

So who is this famous Olympian? Well, it turns out that I don't have plantar fasciitis after all, although I was told that my feet "aren't happy!" So she prescribed custom orthotics from a place down the street - and that particular person made the orthotics for Michelle Kwan. I couldn't help but be impressed! The orthotics are really expensive but they'll eventually pay for themselves and gosh, I would LOVE to wake up in the morning and and jump out of bed, instead of struggling not to fall over in agony.

Now I'm hoping that once I get the orthotics, perhaps all of my other ligament, leg muscle and back pains will disappear as well. =) Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Eleven days ago, my next-door neighbor gave me some starter mix for Amish Friendship bread and some instructions. It's like a chain letter, but of an edible kind. =) I couldn't decide who I should give the starter mixes to or how many I should keep for myself, but once I discovered there were recipes for the AFB starter mix online, I stopped worrying. In fact, I decided that since my brother and his family are coming next week for a week, that I would be better off if I baked two batches of bread, freezing half of it.

Of course, I realized (almost belatedly) that I wasn't sure if I could get away with baking two batches of bread with the available batter. Turns out, though, that the bread batter (what remains after scooping out 3 cups of starter mix) is about equivalent to 3 cups of starter. So... I got my two bread batches (see above! lots and lots of bread!) but I have no starter mix for the next time. But, that is okay... I've baked enough bread for quite awhile.

I wouldn't have worried at all, except that I had to take the girls to meet a bunch of their school friends at the local skating rink. Admission was only $1 (we all have skates) and the girls had a really good time.

Look who we met at our last excursion to Barnes & Noble!

And this little fellow (about 1" long) goobered onto the paper pieces I was cutting for Marika's teacher. What a cutie!

And last but not least, I got a couple of pieces done for Crop Chocolate's crop. I'm not terribly happy with this layout, but I was restricted to having ORANGE as my main color theme, using at least one circle, having some bling and finally, using a rub-on as part of my title. All patterned paper is from Echo Park's Happy Halloween collection pack.

This card was based on a weaving challenge - it was a neat technique. Everything but the bling (Colorbok) is from Echo Park's Sweet Summertime collection.

Tidbits:

1. Free Thanksgiving printables here.

2. Printable Barnes & Noble coupons here and here. These expire 11/14/10.

Sizzix Warehouse Sale - November 19-20, 2010

Somebody on Cropchocolate.com just mentioned it! I don't think I can make it, though... I only have a little bit of time on Friday and traffic coming back will be terrible. If anybody goes, please let me know how it was! But... please don't make it sound TOO good... =P

More information here...

Perfect Attendance No More...

A couple of weeks ago, during her awards assembly, the principal picked out a name of a kindergartener with perfect attendance to join him for "lunch with the principal". Marika's name was picked and this past Monday, she went with a few other kids to a local restaurant for an hour of pizza and fun. I was her chaffeur, since I didn't want the poor principal to worry about her huge car seat (she's still under 40 lbs). She had a great time but I was glad I went - she looks incredibly tiny compared to the bigger kids!

However, Marika came down with a fever last night and had to miss her first day of school today. She cried and cried, she wanted to go. Her condition got worse this afternoon - she totally felt like a hot potato so I had to keep putting a wet/cold washcloth on her. Poor thing... she decided she didn't want any dinner and just went to bed. She'll be missing school again tomorrow... (thankfully, Mika appears to be doing fine - hopefully she won't get sick, too).

Tidbits:
1. On a sad note, Stampin' Treasures is closing their doors after 14 years. She has begun a 25% off sale, but there will be a shipping charge for all orders.
2. Here's a new printable Fresh & Easy coupon for $10 off $50 (expires 11/22/10).
3. Yourscrapbookstash is offering a 20% off promo code for all of November purchases: November2010.

If you have no dinner plans for Halloween...

You might want to print out this coupon and plan to go to Chili's on Sunday (after 3 pm). Kids can get a free meal with any regular entree.

And oh, I forgot to mention - cropchocolate.com is having their first online crop during the weekend of November 6th and 7th. All you need to participate is a cropcholate.com account and valid email address. Come join the fun!