Nice Nails

Buy a bottle of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure from Walmart and you can get a $10 Walmart gift card. Mail your receipt, name, address, phone number, and e-mail address to:

SHAPE- Sally Hansen GWS

PO Box 1919, Murray Hill Station

New York, NY 10156

(*while supplies last... allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery)

Not So Scary Treats

Shape Magazine shared a few 150- calorie treats that won't be too frightening this Halloween. Snacking on 6 mini 3 Musketeers will only cost you 146 calories and 2 fun-size packs of M&M's only has 147 calories. The same is pretty much true with 5 snack-size Twizzlers (150 calories).

Cupcake Holder

Here's the perfect invention to transport individual cupcakes without them getting smashed. Cup-a-cake Cupcake Holders do just that. You can find them in places such as The Container Store, and right now, http://www.fredflare.com/ has some still left in stock for $.99 each. (The color selection is limited, though.)

The Great Pumpkin

Nothing says Halloween like Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. Join Bass Pro Shop as they celebrate Halloween with Charlie Brown and friends. Both weekdays and weekends October 21-31, enjoy free desserts, crafts, coloring sheets, and a 4x6 photo. You can even trick-or-treat there! Check out http://www.basspro.com/ for more information.

Silly 'Stache

There's something about a fake moustache that makes me chuckle. Jot oh-so-serious notes on this chalkboard moustache. It's magnetic so you can find a perfect home for it on your fridge. Check out www.reformschoolrules.com to order. ($18)

Valuable Rebate

Proctor and Gamble is offering a rebate that keeps on giving. When you spend $50 on any Venus, Olay, Secret, Cover Girl, Clairol, Pantene, Safeguard, or Ivory items, submit your receipts to receive a $10 rebate. In addition to you earning the $10, they will donate $10 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Receipts must be dated 9/1/11 to 10/31/11 and accompany the form available at: www.pgpinkrebate.com. You can also find the mailing information through this link.

T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's has a promotional menu for a limited time that offers an entree and your choice or either an appetizer or dessert for only $10. Celebrate the weekend for $10!

Sad News...

Local radio personality Bill Bevins announced yesterday that Friendly's restaurants will be closing. The company is moving forward with bankruptcy proceedings. The irony is that there has been more advertisement than normal for their new "High 5" promotional menu (with 5 classics for just $5 each). It will be a sad day if/when this comes to fruition. For more than 70 years Friendly's has taught us that: Reese's Pieces + vanilla ice cream + chocolate + peanut butter = HEAVEN. Personally, I will greatly miss the iconic Cone Head Sundae.

Chic Teethers

Chewbeads makes non-toxic (BPA free) necklaces and bracelets for adults with teething babies in mind. The jewelry comes in a rainbow of colors and are made of 100% silicone, which can easily be cleaned with a mild soap and water wash. Moms can accessorize with chic jewelry and it's safe for baby should they decide to gnaw on it. Check out www.chewbeads.com for countless fashionable options.

Reusable Labels

These reusable labels could not be any cuter! The 12 cards are laminated and ready to use as labels, gift tags, or for quick notes. The colorful patterned cards come with a dry erase marker and envelope to keep everything together. A set of 12 is $20 and can be purchased from www.anyrandomjane.com.

Chesterfield Berry Farm

Next weekend, October 1st & 2nd, grandparents can get FREE admission to the Chesterfield Berry Farm... just bring the grandkids. Regular admission normally costs $11.95 and includes the following:

Hayride to and from Pumpkin Fields
8 acre Corn Maze
Corn Cannon
Pig Races
Wagon Train Ride
Barrel Train Ride
Scary Fun Barn
Animal Corral
Picnic Area
Pirate’s Cove
Straw Play Area
Dino Dig
Hay Tunnel Jump
Shelled Corn Play Area
2 Fun Slides
Moon Bounce

I'm not sure that some of these general admission activities would pertain to grandparents (i.e.- the Moon Bounce), but knock yourself out!

Drawstring Saver

Don't you hate it when the drawstring on clothing mysteriously comes out in the wash? There's not much sadder than a sweatshirt with the entire drawstring on one side of the hood. Enter the Ezstringer. A handy pack of 3 promises to effortlessly re-thread the string in seconds. The pack should cost somewhere around $10 and there's a small, medium, and large threader (depending on the job). Check out www.theezstringer.com for more information.

Home Fragrance Event

Today Bath & Body Works is hosting a one-day Home Fragrance Event. Stop by any store to sniff some of their new scents and get a special FREE gift with any home fragrance purchase!

You'll get a cute little tote and 3 mini candles (one of each- Candied Sugar Plum, Marshmallow Peppermint, & Gingerbread).

The offer is also good on-line (while supplies last) and you can get shipping for $1 with any $25 purchase.

Breakfast's on Chick-fil-a

Make your reservation now to get a FREE breakfast compliments of Chick-fil-a next week (September 6th- 10th). Go to www.chick-fil-a.com/Home/Breakfast to place your reservation. You will need to choose which location, the time frame, and the meal you'd like. It's pretty specific, but it is a scrumptious breakfast, after all! Saturday is included in the participating dates (just in case a weekday morning isn't conducive!).

Reward Cards

I created these nifty little cards to use as a behavior incentive for my babies this year. Vistaprint.com is a fabulous resource for cheap (or FREE) goodies! Once you create an account, (it's free) be prepared for your inbox to be inundated with almost daily messages enticing you to create a masterpiece. I waited until I got an offer for free business cards that included "loyalty cards". I picked from one of their designs and tweaked it to personalize the message.I just paid for the shipping/handling. I picked up a small hand print hole punch at Michael's for $1 that I'll use to punch a box when I catch my kids "being good". When they fill up the card, they can trade it in for a trip to a special treat box and start working on filling up another card.

Bookcases

Jason and I both got these bookcases from Target to use in our classrooms. They were on sale for $13 at the time, so we figured if they didn't hold up all that well, it would be worth the price. They come in several different colors (including black, white, and espresso) and are very simple to put together. I even assisted with a power tool!

So far, they are surprisingly sturdy and a decent size (almost 3 1/2 feet high). The shelves can be installed at varying heights. They're $19.99 now and available in store and on-line. The only downside is that the board that goes on the back of the frame is little more than cardboard, but as long as you have the shelves in and/or the back is against a wall, you won't notice it.

We also got some of these adorable baskets from Ikea. A set of 3 is $7.99.

Shortcuts

Perdue Shortcuts are ideal for quick salads, sandwiches, and even pasta. The fully cooked chicken saves time and money. You can get a package on sale at Kroger for $4.49, and pair it with a $1 off coupon.

Target CLeArAncE

While stocking up on some last minute hurricane supplies, I made sure to browse the clearance section at Target. I'm glad that I did!! My favorite find was L'Oreal Lipstick that normally retails anywhere from $9 to $12. I got mine for 12 cents!! I found the package on one of the clearance shelves and scanned it to find out that it was on sale for $2.12. I had a $2 off coupon, which made this deal too good to pass up.

Crest toothpaste was marked down to $1.68. Each box came with a regular sized tube, a travel tube, and a trial size Glide floss. I had two $.75 off coupons, as well as two $.50 off coupons, so we stocked up. AND... there were $10 worth of coupons inside the box!! There was a limit of using "4 like" coupons, so we kept it to the 4 boxes.

It might take a little extra time to look through the clearance items, but it can really pay off.

Also worth noting is Wishbone salad dressing being on sale for $1.66. Using a $1 off manufacturer's coupon made the bottle just $.66. The Wishbone "spritz" bottle was on sale for a little less (I think $1.48), but this bottle was about 1/2 the size of the other.

$1 Toothbrushes

I shamelessly love these toothbrushes! They might be aimed at a slightly younger demographic, but I can appreciate their small size and the fact that they have a suction cup on the bottom so they stand upright. They are perfect for travel. A pack of 2 is normally $3.19 at Kroger, but right now they are on sale for $1 each. It's like getting 3 packs for the price of one! Brush happy!

String Cheese Deal at Kroger

Frigo String Cheese is on a nice sale at Kroger. A 16 pack usually is a whopping $7.19. It's on sale for $3.99 and a $.50 off coupon (that doubles to $1) makes it only $2.99!