Plaza Azteca

We trekked out this evening to Plaza Azteca. It was well worth the trip! They have opened 2 locations in Richmond and pride themselves on authentic Mexican cuisine. The food was very fresh and there seemed to be an abundance of waitstaff ready to serve. Be sure to try their homemade guacamole ($6.99)! It's made fresh at your table and there's plenty to share.(Fun Fact- If you have a Henrico Advantage Card, you can save $5 when you purchase 2 meals and 2 drinks- Sunday through Thursday.)

Let Your Luggage Multitask

I saw this advertised in Shape and must admit that it's a very resourceful idea.

Eagle Creek has a new rolling bag that might make your life a little easier when traveling. Their "Traverse Pro 22" is technically 3 bags in one. The overall bag has a sturdy handle and durable wheels. It should meet regulations for carry-ons. What sets this bag apart is the fact that the front unzips to reveal a separate back pack. The back pack can easily be used at your destination. An additional bonus is that there is a padded laptop case in the back pack, so no need for additional baggage. Visit www.eaglecreek.com to order or for more information.

The downside is that the bag will set you back $300, however, Eagle Creek has a "No Matter What Warranty" in the event your bag should have a mishap. The bag comes in 3 different colors as well.

Shine On

If you love the look of a fresh, natural, shiny manicure, Revlon's got you covered. Their "Crazy Shine" nail buffer boasts shinier nails in just seconds. The two-sided tool is compact and clean, so you can touch up your nails quickly and easily. The green side gently buffs nails, while the white side gives a brilliant shine. Thumbs up to an effortless manicure!

The World's Your Oyster

Picture this... you are so exciting about booking a trip you've dreamed out only to arrive and discover that the accommodations are less than desirable. Sadly, sometimes the photos used on hotel and resort websites have been edited to the point that they are no longer accurate. Check out http://www.oyster.com/ to see actual photos that have not been photo shopped to get a better idea of where you're headed.

You can search the site by destination and narrow your search to find hotels with the best guestrooms or nicest bathrooms. Keep in mind that the site is continuing to grow and don't have information for many popular destinations yet. You can book your stay through the site and they promise to price match should you find a lower price somewhere else.

Take this photo for example. It is published as an advertisement for a resort in the Bahamas. How luxurious to be on a secluded white sand beach! It looks as though the location is very private. You can grab a lounge chair right by the ocean and relax.




Look again... This is an actual photo taken of the same location where you can clearly see that the beach draws a few more folks and you'll have to do some careful maneuvering to get to the ocean due to the abundance of lounge chairs.

Seeing is believing...

More Savings...

On our last 2 visits to Kroger, we've saved over $50 each trip. Here are a couple of ways to make your total savings really add up this week...

- Crayola crayons (24 pack) are on sale for 25 cents. They normally retail for $2.25! Look for them nestled on the office supply aisle (you know... the part of the aisle that you always skip over because who would buy office supplies at Kroger??).

-There was a coupon in the paper recently for 75 cents off 2 bags of M&Ms (the small bags that you'll see by the registers). They're on sale (2 for $1), so you're really only paying a quarter for both.

- There are several other money savers compliments of their Mega Savings Event. Your best bet is to focus on these items that you have coupons for.

Freebies at Target

I came across these deals thanks to the Krazy Coupon Lady...

Print off the following coupons from Target.com:

- $1 off Sharpie permanent marker item

- $1 off any Papermate writing utensil item

- $.50 off any Scotch magic tape item

(and maybe the $1 off any 2 Ziploc products while you're at it).

Head yourself over to the slowly growing school supply section and grab the following:

- a 2 pack of fine point Sharpies

- a 10 pack of red, blue, or black Papermate pens

- a single Scotch tape dispenser

You'll end up paying:

- NOTHING for the Sharpies! Don't panic if the price on the bin says $1.54. They should be on sale for $1 and with your $1 off coupon, that makes them free.

- The Papermate pens are $1.02 and with your $1 off coupon you'll fork over a whole 2 cents.

- The tape is $1 and your coupon cuts the price in half.

- If you're looking to grab some Ziplocs while you're there, they're on sale for $2.50 each. With the $1 off coupon, that means you'll get 2 boxes for $4. The deal would be more enticing if you could pair it with a manufacturers coupon.

That Time of Year...

I'm not quite ready to accept that school supply shopping is already upon us. Target is slowly converting their seasonal department to make room for the immanent bins of crayons and markers. Staples seems to have jumped the gun a little bit with some early sales, but some things might be worth the trip.

If you spend $5, you can take advantage of their "extreme deals"- including pink cap erasers, Bic pens, and glue for only a penny each. There is a limit of 2 items each per person. The 8 pack of pens is probably the best steal of those deals, followed by the cap erasers. The penny deals are only available until Wednesday.

Some items are on sale for 25 cents and do not require a $5 minimum purchase. Items like "stickie" tabs and Bic mechanical pencils will only set you back a quarter. (Again, there is a limit of 2 of each item per person.)

Then there are some items that are on sale for $1. My personal fav is the 5 pack of black Sharpie markers. They regularly retail there for $4.79.