Canada Day Savings

July 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Happy Canada Day!

What better way to celebrate than with sales and deals? There are plenty to be found!

So check out some of these:

Amazon.ca Canada Day Deals

Roots

Save up to 50% with Roots' Summer Sale! Shop now for incredible savings! - 250x250

Chinese Laundry

15% Off on Regular Priced Shoe, Use Promo Code CL15REG323.
And… Additional 25% off All Clearance with code AFALIST712 at ChineseLaundry.com! Hurry, Ends 7/6

Some other great places that are having Canada Day deals include:

  • Pottery Barn – Save up to 40% on over 300 items in store
  • Gap is having a Red & Bright sale – up to 40% off
  • American Eagle Outfitters is having a clearance sale until July 8th

Okay, not a “Canada Day” sale… but still….

Bare Necessities:
BareNecessities.com

Filed Under: Saving Money, Shopping Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The View co-hosts give their best Beach Reading recommendations

May 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

Now is the time that people are starting to collect their books to read at the beach, so on the May 1 episode of The View, the ladies gave their recommendations of the books they are into right now.

Whoopi suggested “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Whoopi calls it great fun.

Joy suggested the “The Shoemaker’s Wife” by Adriana Trigiani.  Joy calls it an epic love story about the Italian to America experience. A great story with great details.

Eden Sher, from TV show “The Middle”, was a guest host.  Her recommendation is “Full Frontal Feminism” by Jessica Valenti,  a young women’s guide to why feminism matters.  She says the writing is very accessible to young women.

Sherri suggested a Dean Koontz book called “Lightning“.  Sounds scary!  (I Tried to read a Dean Koontz novel, I think it was “Intensity” I couldn’t even finish it!

Elizabeth suggested “Unbroken” by the author of Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand.  A book about survival and fortitude. Takes place in World War II.

 

Filed Under: Books, The View Tagged With: , , , , ,

Eco Friendly Earth Day Finds on Bobbi’s Buzz

April 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Show:  The Today Show
Segment:  Bobbie’s Buzz
Date:  April 20, 2012
Theme:  Earth Day Eco Finds

For the Earth Day edition of Bobbie’s Buzz, Bobbie tried to find eco-friendly things that were both stylish and eco-friendly.

Her first find is from an Etsy seller that reclaims old stiletto shoes, and turns them into planters for succulent plants.  You can find them at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/giddyspinster

The next item she showed were pens that last up to seven (yup, 7!) years.  Bobbie states that 100 million pens are discarded every day. I don’t know about ‘discarding’ them,  but I sure lose a lot!  Anyways these are from Seltzer Goods.

The last item she showed was: My Blue Eco Drinking Can.  For people that like the feeling of drinking out of a can that they can open up.  They are resealable containers that look like cans that you can fillup with your drink, but seem like you are drinking out of a can.  They come in different colours too, like black, red green, and the blue shown.

To see the video, check it out here:

And Bobbie’s website is www.bobbie.com

 

 

Filed Under: Bobbie's Buzz, For the Home, Green & Environmentally Friendly, The Today Show Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Bright Colours for Spring Decorating

April 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

“Flip! for Decorating” author Elizabeth Mayhew was on the Today show on April, Friday the 13th, to discuss runway trends making their way into the home with bright colours.  Elizabeth suggested the trends are:

Neon

Elizabeth says the key is a pop of colour.  ”A shot of colour is a great way to move your eye around a room”.  She had gorgeous hot pink chairs.  She suggested using them as a way to update a dark wood table.

Lace

A modernized version has been blown up to see the large pattern.  Instead of an old fashioned look from lace curtains,  Elizabeth suggested using a bright colour behind the curtains so the lace pops.

Bold Patterns (Ikat)

So mixing and matching colours and patterns is in. Lots of Big, Bold Patterns, including a lot of Ikat patterns(Ikat is a pattern that looks kind of like tie dye)  I loved the grey and white Pouf (I just love pouf ottomans!).  Elizabeth suggests sticking to accessories for patterns and leaving the big pieces neutral.

Colour Blocking

To mix colour blocking right,  keep within a single colour palette,  and then add a shot of contrasting colour.  She used teal and blue sheets on a bed with a bright orange pillow.

 

Some of the sources she used were: West Elm, Target, wayfair.com, Anthropologie, Garnet Hill, Container Store, Ikea, ABC Carpet, Home Goods, Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Dwell Studios, Z Gallerie, Urban Outfitters.

 

You can also get the book if you  want:

Flip! for Decorating Book on Amazon

Filed Under: For the Home, The Today Show Tagged With: , , , , , ,

As Seen on TV Products for Summer from The View

April 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Okay, I think we all kind of get sucked in when watching informercials.  I know I am always like,  ”Oh,  I never knew I needed that!”.  On the Friday the 13th of April episode of “The View”, Chairman of the Board of AsSeenOnTV.com, Kevin Harrington, brought some of those products that you see on TV.

1) The first product up was the Grill Daddy Heat Shield.  Made so you can grill and flip with ease without burning your hands. It was kind of cool, it had a big fish flipper that you could turn over fish, a handle that telescopes out to protect you from the heat, a thermometer on the end so you can cook to proper temps and the coolest part was interchangeable blades.  Unfortunately, it didn’t really say that the pieces were sold separately.  I think they should have mentioned that  :)  It would probably make a cool Father’s Day Gift if your Dad is a Grill Master, or at least wants to be!  Get it from Amazon

2) Then they showed the Total Pillow.  I have seen this at lots of places, it just doesn’t look that comfortable!  You can get the  Total Pillow on Amazon, but it seems to have terrible reviews.

3)  Next up was the Magic Mesh door.  Whenever this commercial comes on I always make fun of it.  The guy’s voice just cracks me up.  But this is a product I actually am planning on getting.  I just moved into a condo (from a house that had built in A/C) and it gets soooooo dang hot in here!  My A/C bill is gonna be so high, so I want to put this on my patio door.  ”It’s not magic, It’s Magnets!”
You can also get Magic Mesh Door Cover on Amazon

4) Wuggle Pets are supposed to be a make it at home version of a “Build-a-Bear”.  They call it “An adorable baby pet that you bring to life yourself.”. It is just an empty plush toy that you fill with stuffing. They are pretty small.  This might be okay for VERY young kids. I do kind of think the Unicorn is kind of cute tho….. You can get the  Wuggle Pets Starter Kit on Amazon.

5)  Then there was the Shove It.  The claim is:  ”The Shoveit roller removes unsightly messes quicky, easily, and efficiently. Its unique design means no more expensive tape refills so it’s ready to use whenver you need it. Simply rinse in warm water and tuck it away until next time.”   You have probably seen the commercials featuring Vince Offer (ShamWow, The Slap Chop) for a similar product, The Schticky.  I have the original one, Mr. Sticky.  It works okay,  I especially like the small one, I keep that in my bathroom as a lint remover.  The problem is, for stuff like fur or hair,  you need to really rub it with your fingers to get the stuff off.  It does NOT come off easily under running water as shown in commercials/demonstrations.  Here is where you can get a Mr. Sticky (but it is red, not blue)

6)  Finally,  the CString.  This kind of creeped me out.  I loved the look on all the girls faces after they thought it was some type of headband, AND THEN they found out what it is.    It is an underwear-ish thing.  you just kind of, slip it between your legs and you can umm….  have no panty lines?   You should probably just see The C String on Amazon.  I just think – ICK!  And it doesn’t even look comfortable!

 

Filed Under: As Seen on TV, The View Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

New Kawaii Not Book

March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I really love the comic Strip, Kawaii Not!  (Kawaii is the japanese word for cute). I love cute things and the fact that they are not quite so cute makes it funny  :)    I discovered Kawaii Not because I was browsing at a book store and found the original book Kawaii Not: Cute Gone Bad, which was the perfect gift for a friend.   So I am so happy artist Meghan Murphy has a second book out, Kawaii Not, Too: Cute Gets Badder.  It is even available in a Kindle edition as well!  (Unfortunately,  you can’t rip a strip off and give one to a friend.)

Check out the website for some cute comics!

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: , ,

JC Penney – Big Department Store wants to change

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you watch TV,  you have seen those annoying commercials for JC Penney.  People screaming “Noooooo!” as they are inundated with sale flyers and sale signs everywhere.  I do think the first scene is funny though,  a women looking at a large SALE sign that says “Yesterday only!”  - I can definitely relate!  So today, February 1, they are rolling out a new, simplified pricing system.  Calling it ”Fair and Square Pricing”  No more sales!  Instead they are going to offer a simplified 3 price strategy.

pricing

Screenshot from the JC Penney website - Fair & Square Pricing

 

So what’s the deal?
JC Penney is getting rid of clearance sales, and instead offering Best Price deals on every first and third Friday of the month. (Not coincidentally, this is to coincide with many people’s paycheques).  They claim to offer lower prices daily, as well as special prices on certain items for the entire month.

Some other points include:

  • The new “Month Long Value” will feature certain items.  For example, in February it will feature jewellery and Valentine’s Day gifts; while Christmas decorations will be featured in November.  Apparently each month will even have its own colour, which will be reflected outside with their lighting fixtures.
  • Simplified costs.  No more 9.99 price tags.  Instead,  just a 9 or 10 dollar one. And while they used to pile stickers on price tags to show each time the item was marked down, every time there is a new price, it gets a new tag too. A red tag indicates an “Every Day” price, a white tag a “Month-Long Value” white tag and a “Best Price” blue tag.
  • Over the next 4 years, putting in Main Street, a series of up to 100 brand shops (similar to the Sephora ones) replace the dozens of racks common in department stores.  Some new partners are rumoured to be Martha Stewart and L’Amour by Nanette Lepore
  • New spokeswoman Ellen DeGeneres
  • A New, streamlined logo
Logo

The New JC Penney Logo

 

So I guess we will have to see how this works.   And if you haven’t seen those annoying commercials….  Here ya go!

Filed Under: Department Stores, Shopping, Television Tagged With: , , , , ,

Extreme Black Friday

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

TLC’s strangely addicting show “Extreme Couponing” recently aired a new special,  Midnight Madness (January 29).  It features more extreme couponers getting the best deals that they can on Black Friday.

The cast consisted of pregnant Angelique, mother of 8 April (aka the Coupon General), stay at home mom Jessica and Callie (aka the Cajun Couponer).  These women were prepared to do battle.  Jessica stated “I’m a very competitive person.  I don’t like to lose and so I am gonna shove myself up there and make sure I get the deal”; while Callie said that “It is every man for himself… when it comes to Black Friday, the gloves are off”.   One comment that disturbed me was from Jessica who said to her son: “Don’t be afraid to throw an elbow, or you know, kick them in the shin, trip them, I don’t care”.  It was hard to tell if this was said tongue-in-cheek,  but with the recent news of trampling, pepper spraying and other Black Friday craziness,  this seems really seemed inappropriate.

The episode contained a few Black Friday facts, like:
- In the past 5 years, Black Friday shopping has doubled.
- 58% of Black Friday shoppers are looking for consumer electronics.

And while most Black Friday (BF) shoppers already do these things,  there were some helpful hints to help strategize your next BF shopping trip.

  • * Look for preleaked sales and start writing a list.
  • * Set a spending limit  (you need to decide what works best for you.  Angelique brought only cash so she wouldn’t be tempted to add more to a debit or credit card).
  • * Recruit friends and family members to line up at different locations.  Some of the stores had deals (like Old Navy had arm bracelets to give out a free digital camera to customers purchasing $40 or more).  If you are going to a store like this,  you can have additional members get a bracelet and divide your transaction into smaller ones.
  • * Map your route out.  Jessica input her stores’ addresses into her GPS.  It didn’t work well for her on the show,  so you might want to make sure the store is where you think it is.  If you are unfamiliar with the mall you are going to,  you can map out your mall route beforehand as well.
  • * Schedule in potty breaks!
  • * Also bring some food and maybe a bottle of water with you (along with the chairs and blankets) if you are planning on shopping the whole day.
  • * Instead of the big box stores,  try checking out your local shops as well.  They might have great deals going on as well.
  • * Some stores hold back their deals until Thanksgiving Day.  Check the inserts that day to review the ads for changing.  Don’t forget some stores might have unadvertised deals, as well.
  • * It might be a good idea to bring along your ad inserts, in case an advertised item doesn’t scan correctly.  Not only do you want to be able to get in and out of every store quickly, you want to be considerate to other shoppers.  Having the inserts handy could mean it takes less time to check if it is the right item at the right price.

 

I don’t know how I feel about the changing scape of BF sales.  First stores started opening crazy early (like 5 and 6 AM).  Then it was 3 or 4 AM.  and now some are starting to open the night before around 10 or 11 PM and are open all night.  Do you think this takes away from the Thanksgiving holiday?  And let’s not forget the yearly horror stories.  Trampling, shootings and stabbings.

In this show, a few of the shoppers hiding items they wanted, before the sales (in boots, in handbags, in drawers and even hidden in the center of clothing rack).   One of the issues with this is,  what if someone purchased the boots or the handbag during that time?  What if she was arrested for trying to shoplift?  Not really great shopping etiquette.

As well,  Angelique cleared the shelves and bought more than her fair share of electric razors (she had a coupon that made them less than free).  I think she bought 19.  It is doubtful she will be using all 19 of them as Christmas presents.  More than likely, they ended up being sold on Craigslist or eBay.  I think that a large majority of this winds up for resale.  Its sad that 18 or so other people weren’t able to give those as gifts.

 

Did you watch the episode?  So what do you think?

Filed Under: Black Friday, Saving Money, Television Tagged With: ,

Jason Wu for Target hits stores February 5

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

On February 5, 2012 – The newest Target Designer Collaboration, with JASON WU hits the stores!   Jason Wu sort of rose to fame due to his popularity with US First Lady Michelle Obama.  I have never actually been able to get a “for Target” item.  I usually plan to pick a few pieces up, but never get around to it.  I was most excited when the Rodarte collaboration in 2009 (I love Rodarte’s girly style!).

It made big news headlines last fall (september 13, 2011) when the Missoni for Target collection debuted, and the  collaboration between the mass retailer and the popular Italian fashion house, with their iconic zigzag patterns, was so popular it ended up crashing the Target website and many items were oversold.  Subsequently,  lots of customers had their orders cancelled, with many items ended up immediately on Ebay for up to five times their original cost!

So, are you planning on picking up any Jason Wu for target pieces this winter?   Here’s the commercial for the collection.

 

This collaboration is one in a long line of collections Target has done since the inception of the GO International program in 2006, aimed to make high-end designers available to the masses. All have been extremely popular.  Currently, the Josie Natori (of luxury lingerie fame) collection is available until February 23.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Big Belt Theory

January 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The January 25, 2012 Rachael Ray episode was “Culinary Scene Investigation” .  Marg Helgenberger was on to spill about her last episode on CSI (the audience wasn’t too sad though, she gave away CSI: Season 11 DVD Sets).  Did you see her last episode?  Catherine was never one of my favourite characters, but it did make me kind of sad!

One of the segments had Marie Claire’s Senior Fashion Editor,  Zanna Roberts Rassi.  She talked about the “Big Belt Theory“; the theory that a belt can create an illusion of a perfectly proportioned body by using belts.  So she showed solutions for short-waisted, hourglass or long-waisted people.
To figure this out you need to use a tape measure,  Measure from your hip to your bust, then measure from your bust to the top of your head.

Determine your type if:

The hip to bust measurement is shorter than the bust to hip
You have a Short Waist (aka short torso).  Try wearing a lower slung waist, putting the belt around the lower hips.

The hip to bust measurement is longer than the bust to hip
You are lucky and long waisted, with a longer torso. So to fakea waist, use a belt that contrasts with your top or dress.  And put it higher on the waist.  I love that cute top from  Zara!

Zara Top

If neither apply – you might have an hourglass figure.  Apparently the “perfect” hourglass figure  is a 9-inch smaller waist than your bust.  So to draw attention to your smaller waist, maybe try a bright coloured belt.

Zara said advises to never use a belt wider than an inch and a half.

Finally there was a musical performance by:
Matt Nathanson – Modern Love

Filed Under: Rachael Ray, Television Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,