Surviving Monday Rain

It's cold. It's rainy. It's Monday. Talk about your triple threat. That's why I'm interluding with a brief announcement about today's deals.

Been to The Butterfly Show lately at Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park? Take the kids, a date, your grandparents or a neighbor to have a darn right near magical experience of fluttering whimsy. It's cheap, but now Groupon.com is making it cheaper. (Regular adult admission is $6, seniors are $5, kids under 17 will set you back $4, and itty bits under four are FREE.) Today only buy tickets for 50 percent off on Groupon's site at http://bit.ly/cxX2Fa.

Don't know what Groupon is? Oh join the club and drink the Kool-Aid. It's wonderful. From their site...

1. Each day we feature something cool to do at an unbeatable price.
   
2. You only get it if enough people join that day… so invite your friends!
   
3. Check back the next day for another awesome Groupon!

Warm98's deal of the week is half off for the Dayton Air Show. Tickets are normally (gulp!) $74. Visit their site for the deal at http://wrrm.incentrev.com/

The Butterfly Show will be at Krohn Conservatory until June 20. Miss out on the Groupon deal? They have a $1-off coupon on their site. The Dayton Air Show is the weekend of July 18. Enjoy!

Deals and Steals For Realz

Hey there my lovely deal hoppers. Have you found anything good since my last posting in - um - January. Ugh... how embarrassing. I've let you down, I've failed, I've... I've (fade into unintelligible sobbing).

Well, if you occasionally follow my Twitter feed, you'll see I haven't completely faded. That I utilize the Twittersphere. If you don't follow my Twitter feed... FOR SHAME! That being said, I have found some deals as of late - like a $100 diamond (if you squint you'll see it) necklace from Macy's for $10, Dansk dishware for $5 and yard sale deals galore.

That reminds me, as we near the end of a season (that's spring for cave dwellers), this is the time to watch for sales. Be it in-store awesome sales (like Macy's recent Friends&Family sale that was basically offered to anyone with a pulse), moving sales, yard sales, garage sales and kitten sales.

Kitten sales? Um yeah... it's spring. Love is in the air.

Moving/yard/garage (even estate) sales: it's moving season. Contracts are signed, deals are closing. People are packing up and moving on. Cash in for some great awesomeness (specific nouns are escaping me).

Retail sales: stores are clearing out for the next season's inventory. Drop in. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the economy is still in the stinker. They need your money to pull through a slow second quarter.

Don't forget that special events/attractions are offering you deals to get you through their doors (ex. @CincyParks has been giving away Butterfly Show tickets). Watch Travel Zoo and the like for special promos. Follow your favorite brands, attractions, events, stores, even cities etc. on Twitter. Sign up for their e-mails too, which often include incentives and sale announcements. Score big or go home.

You don't have to be an avid shopper to spot good deals. Just be observant when you're out and about. Know generally how much something costs so you can spot a steal when you see it. Paying attention never killed anyone (at least not me)...

Monroe Outlet Outting - Outstanding.

You're looking at the blog of the newest addition to the Dental Care Plus Group team. (So much for being concise.) I felt compelled to celebrate by taking a trip to the Chelsea Premium Outlet mall in Monroe.

Although the mall is still probably about 20 percent vacant, I love it. Yes, I'm declaring my love, and I don't just throw around that four-letter word.

Store highlights include:

North Face: most of the store was 40 percent off... including some snow parkas, tents, shoes and plenty of other outdoor clothing. I scored capri hiking pants and a sweater for around $40.

Columbia: some great deals around the store. My favorite? A day pack for $20. Has a laptop compartment that actually fits my netbook perfectly. I also snagged some sorely needed snow pants just in time for the White Death.

J. Crew: a beautifully versatile wool blazer... insanely on sale. $42. Down from $158.

GAP: $5 ribbed tank tops. My base layer piece in nearly everything I wear.

Other items that stole my heart: a sweater vest from Brooks Bros., a Kenneth Cole bracelet and Kate Spade sunglasses from Solstice.

There were plenty of other great deals at Banana Republic, BCBG and SAKS - but the items on here were my items of pride and joy.

I'll also say that the strategic design of the mall prevented a horrifically cold experience. It blocks the elements fairly well. Topping off the day with the Southwestern salad from Chicken Now was surprisingly satisfying.

Two thumbs up.