Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"
Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
We are going on vacation!
Soooo, for the last few years, my sweet momma's family has been begging her to come down to Florida (we live in NY, if you didn't know) during February for a family reunion. For whatever reason, it hasn't worked out until now. We finally decided that this was the year - we are going to Florida in February! Not only that, but due to the fact that Brian and I will be celebrating our 10th (Wow! 10th!!:)) Anniversary in 2012, and we spent part of our honeymoon at Disney World, we decided that it was time to return to the House of the Mouse with our boy! (Mom is spending the time with her family in Orlando!)
Now, don't go getting all impressed...if you've read our blog, you know that we (((big pink puffy heart))) LOVE a bargain and we are certainly on a budget! So, we are starting a new series here at the blog - Disney On a **Real** Budget! I will be the first to admit that I read a mega ton of blogs - and I don't think I have seen a recent, real life Disney trip blogged about....but we would certainly love to read one if you know of any. So here's the scoop - we are going over February Break in 2012 (read - Peak Season at Disney) and we are driving (With the airfares that week at a consistent $3500 - $4000 round trip for four of us to fly...there is no other way.). Luckily we just got a new vehicle that is great on gas (for another post...um, Brian, that's all you!) and we are good with the driving, especially when we are looking to save that much cash. We literally are pulling this trip together in about three and a half months - no year long planning here, and we are paying cash for it all. We will be back with the details of our planning and booking as they occur...but know that we are looking to maximize our dollars and pack a ton of fun into the short time we have there (the downside of driving - less days to play!).
So, do you have any tips on saving money at the Happiest Place on Earth? Post them below!
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| Photo from Yorkblogs.com |
Now, don't go getting all impressed...if you've read our blog, you know that we (((big pink puffy heart))) LOVE a bargain and we are certainly on a budget! So, we are starting a new series here at the blog - Disney On a **Real** Budget! I will be the first to admit that I read a mega ton of blogs - and I don't think I have seen a recent, real life Disney trip blogged about....but we would certainly love to read one if you know of any. So here's the scoop - we are going over February Break in 2012 (read - Peak Season at Disney) and we are driving (With the airfares that week at a consistent $3500 - $4000 round trip for four of us to fly...there is no other way.). Luckily we just got a new vehicle that is great on gas (for another post...um, Brian, that's all you!) and we are good with the driving, especially when we are looking to save that much cash. We literally are pulling this trip together in about three and a half months - no year long planning here, and we are paying cash for it all. We will be back with the details of our planning and booking as they occur...but know that we are looking to maximize our dollars and pack a ton of fun into the short time we have there (the downside of driving - less days to play!).
So, do you have any tips on saving money at the Happiest Place on Earth? Post them below!
Friday, November 11, 2011
My Ping Zing Story...
Back in August Cheryl and I were doing a normal thrift store run and I found these little gems hiding in a beat up old Wilson golf bag. Originally I though they were just another junk set, but then I was something familiar... the Pingman logo on one of the grips...
JACKPOT... $1.49 per club... yup, they belong to me...
A complete set of Ping Zing 2's were now mine. 3 iron thru 9 iron and 2 wedges is excellent condition. There was a small ding on the 6 iron, and 15 years worth of grime, but overall the clubs are great. The leading edges are crisp and the groves on the wedges are still in good shape... A little cleaning and we are in business.
The grips on the other hand were in need of some help. Luckily Lamkin was having a promotion on their Facebook page for free grips. Between myself, Cheryl, and a few 'friends' I was able to procure 6 free grips. A quick trip to Golf Galaxy for 3 grips, which happened to be on sale, and my problems were solved. I chose the N-DUR 3, and they look great.
Cost:
Clubs - $18
Grips - $6
TOTAL - $24
Great deal if you ask me, especially considering that they sell for over $100 on eBay, now I just need to find a buyer... or maybe keep them as a spare, either way, I win...
JACKPOT... $1.49 per club... yup, they belong to me...
A complete set of Ping Zing 2's were now mine. 3 iron thru 9 iron and 2 wedges is excellent condition. There was a small ding on the 6 iron, and 15 years worth of grime, but overall the clubs are great. The leading edges are crisp and the groves on the wedges are still in good shape... A little cleaning and we are in business.
The grips on the other hand were in need of some help. Luckily Lamkin was having a promotion on their Facebook page for free grips. Between myself, Cheryl, and a few 'friends' I was able to procure 6 free grips. A quick trip to Golf Galaxy for 3 grips, which happened to be on sale, and my problems were solved. I chose the N-DUR 3, and they look great.
Cost:
Clubs - $18
Grips - $6
TOTAL - $24
Great deal if you ask me, especially considering that they sell for over $100 on eBay, now I just need to find a buyer... or maybe keep them as a spare, either way, I win...
UPDATE: The clubs have been sold for $130... That means more money for Disney...
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Crowdtap and Old Navy - Awesome! :)
As you know, Brian and I love a good deal. Even better, we love free stuff! :) Recently, I was given the opportunity to sample a winter coat from Old Navy through a Sample and Share program on Crowdtap.
For those of you not familiar with Crowdtap, it is a network for Brand Influencer Communities, which basically means it's a bunch of companies that are working with Crowdtap to do marketing research in a new format - via surveys, polls, and word of mouth marketing via social media. I generally log in daily, answer a few "quick hits"(short polls on various topics) and earn points. Occasionally I get invited to participate and offer my feedback in discussions, and every so often, there are what are called "Sample and Share" opportunities, which are a nice way of trying new items and giving lots of feedback, via reports on Crowdtap, Facebook and Twitter. I've only been using Crowdtap for a month or so, and was selected to sample a coat from Old Navy as part of the Old Navy Style Council on Crowdtap. I jumped at the chance - hello, have you even spent a winter in Central New York?! It's chilly!! (and the snow....ohhhh, the snow.....we measure it in feet, not inches here!) Not only was I given a coat to sample (and keep!), I was sent a coupon for me to SHARE with a friend. Wanting to share my coat selecting fun, I chose to give the coupon to my sweet momma, who is perpetually cold, and who goes above and beyond for our little family on a daily basis. I thought she deserved a warm fuzzy...coat!
We chose to visit our local Old Navy Store on a recent Saturday afternoon...while the temps were definitely calling for a coat! We were in a coat shopping mood, and had perused the Old Navy website
that morning to see what we had to choose from. I was actually indecisive - torn between looking for a dressier car coat for work, or a puffy winter jacket. I really liked the looks of the Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets (in white)
But I also LOVED the look of the Wool Blend Car Coat in Big Leopard ( OMG, leopard print on a coat...think of the accesorization options!)
Meanwhile, my mom was checking out the same style, but in a nice basic black! (I guess mom wasn't quite ready to take the leap to leopard just yet!)
So off we went on our merry way to the local store...only to find - wop, wop - no Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets in store for me. Actually, it was a whole lot of trouble to even find the winter coats as they were all spread out around the store...one rack here, one rack there...front of the store, back of the store....it was kind of a nightmare trying to find them in general, but we got through it. So, anywho, off to the dressing room we went with an armful of coats, in a plethora of styles...and the trying on began.
First up, the leopard print car coat I had been eyeing. Soft, fuzzy, eyecatching print...but on my petite 5'3(on a tall day) self, it was just too much leopard....it swallowed me up! I wasn't happy with the buttons and where they fell on me, plus the actual buttons themselves seemed too much trouble to do - through the edge of the coat, as they were hidden. I'm sorry, but I just don't have that kind of time in the morning on my way to work - toss on and go is all I have time for. That combined with the overwhelming look as a whole made it a no go for me....
Next up, the Wool Blend Coat in Black Tweed -
Again - Darling on the hanger...the tweed is stunning and a really good weight. I loved the larger collar and even the belt and buttons...but on me, it just felt....frumpy. Back to the rack it went!
I also tried on the same coat in Plaid...
but yet again, it was too much pattern for my frame and personal preference.
Meanwhile, my mom had happily tried on and decided on the Wool Car Coat in Black, as she had seen originally on the website....so she fetched a few more coats for me from the racks...since the car coat length did not seem to be working out for me. Knowing that I have several peacoats already in various colors, she brought me the Wool Blend Toggle Coat in a few colors.
I took one look at them and immediately realized that Momma does know best! It was fabulous! Just right on the length, the zipper made it a quick and easy closure for me, and the toggles are real wood and a cutey cute detail. My favorite part was the pockets - more of a patch style than a traditional inset pocket, they hold my phone and my gloves without any puffiness! The sleeves stay down when I raise my arms, which will be great for scraping off the car in the winter snowstorms, it has a hood and it was lightweight, yet warm and cozy, and i didn't feel like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man! Whoo hoo! I just needed to decide on a color...since it came in the grey, a beautiful fuschia (my signature color!) a dark plaid and a lighter plaid....and the winner was:
The Grey Plaid!!
Sadly, in my jacket selection elation, I didn't take a photo of myself actually IN it! Trust me, it's PERFECT! :) I've worn it out a few times already and got lots of compliments - I actually had to show people the tag because they did not believe it was from Old Navy!
Overall, a pretty great experience with Old Navy's coats and the shopping experience! Thanks Crowdtap and Old Navy - my momma and I are going to be pretty cozy this winter in our new coats!
(Disclosure: I am disclosing that there is a material connection between myself and the brand(Crowd Tap and Old Navy) discussed in my post. I have received a gift or sample which I have kept, used in full or consumed. This gift came from the company, or one of its agents, whose products or services are discussed in my post.)
For those of you not familiar with Crowdtap, it is a network for Brand Influencer Communities, which basically means it's a bunch of companies that are working with Crowdtap to do marketing research in a new format - via surveys, polls, and word of mouth marketing via social media. I generally log in daily, answer a few "quick hits"(short polls on various topics) and earn points. Occasionally I get invited to participate and offer my feedback in discussions, and every so often, there are what are called "Sample and Share" opportunities, which are a nice way of trying new items and giving lots of feedback, via reports on Crowdtap, Facebook and Twitter. I've only been using Crowdtap for a month or so, and was selected to sample a coat from Old Navy as part of the Old Navy Style Council on Crowdtap. I jumped at the chance - hello, have you even spent a winter in Central New York?! It's chilly!! (and the snow....ohhhh, the snow.....we measure it in feet, not inches here!) Not only was I given a coat to sample (and keep!), I was sent a coupon for me to SHARE with a friend. Wanting to share my coat selecting fun, I chose to give the coupon to my sweet momma, who is perpetually cold, and who goes above and beyond for our little family on a daily basis. I thought she deserved a warm fuzzy...coat!
We chose to visit our local Old Navy Store on a recent Saturday afternoon...while the temps were definitely calling for a coat! We were in a coat shopping mood, and had perused the Old Navy website
that morning to see what we had to choose from. I was actually indecisive - torn between looking for a dressier car coat for work, or a puffy winter jacket. I really liked the looks of the Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets (in white)
So off we went on our merry way to the local store...only to find - wop, wop - no Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets in store for me. Actually, it was a whole lot of trouble to even find the winter coats as they were all spread out around the store...one rack here, one rack there...front of the store, back of the store....it was kind of a nightmare trying to find them in general, but we got through it. So, anywho, off to the dressing room we went with an armful of coats, in a plethora of styles...and the trying on began.
First up, the leopard print car coat I had been eyeing. Soft, fuzzy, eyecatching print...but on my petite 5'3(on a tall day) self, it was just too much leopard....it swallowed me up! I wasn't happy with the buttons and where they fell on me, plus the actual buttons themselves seemed too much trouble to do - through the edge of the coat, as they were hidden. I'm sorry, but I just don't have that kind of time in the morning on my way to work - toss on and go is all I have time for. That combined with the overwhelming look as a whole made it a no go for me....
Meanwhile, my mom had happily tried on and decided on the Wool Car Coat in Black, as she had seen originally on the website....so she fetched a few more coats for me from the racks...since the car coat length did not seem to be working out for me. Knowing that I have several peacoats already in various colors, she brought me the Wool Blend Toggle Coat in a few colors.
I took one look at them and immediately realized that Momma does know best! It was fabulous! Just right on the length, the zipper made it a quick and easy closure for me, and the toggles are real wood and a cutey cute detail. My favorite part was the pockets - more of a patch style than a traditional inset pocket, they hold my phone and my gloves without any puffiness! The sleeves stay down when I raise my arms, which will be great for scraping off the car in the winter snowstorms, it has a hood and it was lightweight, yet warm and cozy, and i didn't feel like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man! Whoo hoo! I just needed to decide on a color...since it came in the grey, a beautiful fuschia (my signature color!) a dark plaid and a lighter plaid....and the winner was:
Sadly, in my jacket selection elation, I didn't take a photo of myself actually IN it! Trust me, it's PERFECT! :) I've worn it out a few times already and got lots of compliments - I actually had to show people the tag because they did not believe it was from Old Navy!
Overall, a pretty great experience with Old Navy's coats and the shopping experience! Thanks Crowdtap and Old Navy - my momma and I are going to be pretty cozy this winter in our new coats!
(Disclosure: I am disclosing that there is a material connection between myself and the brand(Crowd Tap and Old Navy) discussed in my post. I have received a gift or sample which I have kept, used in full or consumed. This gift came from the company, or one of its agents, whose products or services are discussed in my post.)
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