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.

Tweetin Fool

Christmas shopping complete yet??? Better hop to! Lots of great sales are out there during this time of unfortunate economics.

This is just a lil announcement that I have now added my Twitter feed to my blog. I know - it probably should've been there all along, but I just didn't think about it. If you glance to the right of the articles you'll see it.

Watch this feed for my latest steals, finds and retweets about great bargains. If you don't have a Twitter account, um hello? Get with it!

Happy holiday shopping!!

Nordstrom Rack: to shop or not to shop

Nordstrom Rack is open at Rookwood Commons - hooray for Cincinnati raising the bar in shopping. I made sure to stop by the Friday of its opening. The holidays have delayed my posting a bit so if you've visited the Rack and want to share your reaction - please do!

The scoop. The store is moderately sized, clean and efficient... I feel like I'm describing a doctor's office which isn't too far from the truth. Everything is pretty straightforward and sterile, but the staff was plentiful and helpful. I'm used to a much larger Nordstrom Rack so it's hard for me to be objective. However, there is some good deals to be had, and I'm sure as time goes on the inventory will increase and prices will improve even more. Be sure to hit the shoe section - quite a good selection there.

Moving customers through the purchase line was really impressive. The line was pretty intense, but employees were prepared. Extra registers were in place, and they moved us through like a well-oiled machine. Job well done.

In Summary...

Will I shop there in the future? Of course. Recommend it to friends? Definitely. Was I wowed? Not really. It's functional but just slightly missed the mark on deals and variety.

Some photos from my experience :) I really need to work on a steady hand... sorry about the blur!

She's here!

Ladies and gentlemen (are there gentlemen reading this blog?), I introduce to you my lady mannequin. A special thanks to my grandpa for helping combine the power of a coat rack to help her stand.

Also, in the spirit of the owl trend, a vintage Sarah Coventry owl necklace graces her neck. It belonged to my great grandmother who recently passed at the age of 94. A lovely lady who will be most missed. I actually decided to name my new Etsy store after her - Grace's Attic. There's no inventory listed yet. I'll let you know when there is. Expect to find a great load of cool old stuff listed there.

Be prepared

Hey there, lovelies. It's been awhile since I've had an update for you, but there should be a bit of a landfall of entries in the next few days.

Why haven't I updated this recently? Well, you see what happened is that there were these aliens. And they brainwashed me. It was awful. I could only speak Finnish, and they made me think I hate shopping. AND because no one speaks Finnish anymore because the Vikings kind of failed, no one knew what happened. Everyone thought I lost it, and they tried to put me in a psych ward. I found out though, and now I'm in hiding. I'm in negotiations with the aliens about letting me shop again. I can work with the whole Finnish thing :)

That being said, I do plan on attending the grand opening of the Rookwood Nordstrom Rack tomorrow. My grandpa also offered his services to help me erect a proper dressmakers dummy/sewing mannequin-whatever thing. I'm going to pick her up today!

All that being said.... stay tuned for future updates.

Two Juicy Finds

Hey there, weight watchers (not the company), let me drop you a tip about The Daily Plate at livestrong.com. It's free and easy. To sign up, put in all your info you lie about on your driver's license along with how much weight you'd like to lose in a given amount of time. They give your daily caloric intake to achieve that.

Next step... enter what you eat all day. It's been around for awhile so the food list with nutritional facts is pretty deep. You can create a meal if there's something you eat frequently. If you exercise or even just move, they have a calorie burn count... from showering to vacuuming to biking. Anything!

It was great the week I did it.

It made me realize I drink way too much juice because the calories do really add up fast, which leads me to my second juicy find. I can't give up juice because I love flavored beverages. I searched for an alternative to high calorie/sugar juice and found Old Orchard's Healthy Balance juice line. The calories and sugar are a 1/3 of that in the same size serving of any other kind of juice. Kroger carries a few of the flavors but it's pricey. My juice weakness kept me coming back for it until I found it at Big Lots. Hello, two-dollar bottle of goodness.

-Interjection... don't expect regular juice. It's really watery but is a step up from flavored water...

Anyway, that being said, hello $2 goodness. I will buy you and all of your assorted flavors. Because Big Lots, typically land of limited supply, has most of the varieties.

Cheers!

Ms. Manners on Shopping Etiquette: Digest One

Why hello there, fellow shoppers. Welcome to the first installment of Ms. Manners on Shopping Etiquette. The inspiration for this post comes from a shopping trip that my friend, Mackenzie, and I took to the Hebron GAP outlet on Saturday morning. We intentionally arrived there soon after the store opened because - holy crap - does it get crazy on Saturdays.

For those of you who have been to the Hebron store, feel free to skip the next paragraph.

Everyone else, listen up. This place is chaos on the best days. It's located in an industrial park and resembles a warehouse space, but has the typical white GAP walls. They carry the GAP Inc. brands' (Banana Republic, Old Navy etc.) reject clothes, which equals damaged or last season clothing. The aisles are packed so that shoppers can barely get through them. Searching through the miles of racks is a must because there's no order, and no telling when an item is defective. To add to the issue, they have carts for customers' "convenience" leaving little hip room in the aisles. That being said, shoppers can score amazing deals - amazing enough that the bargains makeup for the hassle.

The space issue and shopping nightmare (in many people's opinion) are the inspiration for this entry. Practice the following guidelines for common courtesy while shopping where ya have to dig, where there's only sucking-in-the-tummy aisle space and mass crowds. (This goes for Black Friday too!!!)

1. Aisles: follow the flow. If someone is going one direction while browsing through an aisle. Don't go down the same rack of clothes the opposite way. It's rude, it's pushy and a little obnoxious. Also, pull carts to the side.
2. Leave the kids at home. I know. I'm not a mom, and it may sound jerky. But I'm not a mom! I don't want to deal with your kids. Shoppings trips with children are stressful for parents. Stressful for kids. AND stressful for other shoppers. Shopping excursions aren't appropriate for them.
3. Fitting rooms: clean up after yourself. Properly put clothes back on hangers. Button them, zip them and tie them. Don't leave gum wrappers, receipts or anything else behind on the floor and benches. Everyone knows outlet stores can be chaotic. Why add to the sales associates' stress or other shoppers' stress for that matter?

Kindly follow these principles when on your next shopping trip to outlet malls - these principles can also be applied to any store but explicitly at outlet malls. Most people treat these trips as an all-day affair. The stores can be tight fits and people involved can be really overwhelmed with the situation. Being courteous is beneficial to all and can keep everyone's day a good one.

A Shopping Wingman... eh Winggal?

You may have noticed the frequency of my blog updates have slowed (read... nonexistent) the last couple of weeks. Sadly, on September 18, I became a statistic of the economy. My company laid off eight people - including me. The flurry of a job search has taken priority over my fun lil blog.

Not that I have a job yet, but I do have a lot of things in order now so that I can deviate some of my attention back to the topic of bargain shopping. I know! Yay! Right?!?

Now on to the title of this post. A shopping wingman (gal just doesn't cut it - suggestions?). A fellow laid off coworker and I headed to the new Premium Outlet Mall on I-75 yesterday for interview outfits. This was my virgin voyage, and while there, I learned the importance and value of a good shopping partner.

It all started in BCBG - a store that I adore - and a certain sales associate named Sylvana. At first our relationship was great. She offered her help. I declined. Just how I like it.

Then she returned to offer her assistance again and asked... "Are you looking for anything in particular..."

That's when I did it. I made a fatal mistake. Like a shopping rookie, I told her my goal of finding an interview outfit. Dollar signs appeared in her eyeballs and cash registers dinged in her earballs. She was alight with the glow of a predator ready to pounce its vulnerable prey.

WHY OH WHY DID I TELL HER?! It's been a well known fact all of my life that you do not share the details of a shopping mission unless you want the misguided help of an over eager sales associate. I'm among the pickiest of the picky when it comes to shopping. My own mother can't even help me. Why on Earth would Sylvana think she is any different!?!

And then it started. The never ending flow of suggestions, jealous stares when other sales associates would approach me, and her streaming questions. Instead of shouting "let me shop in peace, lady!" I just took it. I took it all.

But then something magic happened.

Kristy - dear sweet innocent Kristy, my shopping buddy - filled the role of something I had never ever considered before. Wingman. She distracted and obstructed Sylvana's advances with skill and stealth. She fielded the questions, she looked at the well-intentioned suggestions, and did all of the talking. She even located a calmer, less abrasive sales associate when we actually did need help. With Kristy by my side, I could shop in peace and with ease.

So many lessons learned yesterday - but above all the magic of having a shopping wingman. On your next shopping trip, I suggest you try this strategy. Find your shopping wingman and enjoy your shopping mission so much more.

And avoid the Sylvana prototype. It may take ninja skills.

Nordstrom Preview. Black Eyed Peas Make Me Watch Oprah.

Ok Cincinnati. So we're not Chicago, but we now have a Nordstrom! Woo hoo! Well, almost. It opens a week from now, and press tours are today. Watch for frequent tweeting from Laura Baverman (@laurabaverman) while she is touring the new store.

The grand opening is 9/18 at 10 a.m. Keep in mind this also means, we're getting closer and closer to Nordstrom Rack. Be still my twittering heart.

In completely unrelated news, oh the genius of the Black Eyed Peas. Only they could make me watch clips from Oprah's season premier. If you haven't seen they're flash mob audience as they perform "Today's Gonna Be a Good Day" (is that the title? I don't even know), you have to check it out. Like stop what you're doing now and watch the video.

A better blogger would give insightful opinion and a full witty repertoire, but I can only say.... watch it, watch it now!

A Dressmakers Mannequin!

I came across a couple of local gals doing similar blogs who model some of their favorite outfits. I thought to myself - why am I not photographing my finds?? Um that answer would be because I don't want to model them.

Soooooooooooooo why not buy a dressmaker dummy mannequin thing? I couldn't find any on Craigslist and there were no affordable options on eBay so I decided to post a Craigslist want ad for one. I had an offer within minutes.

Picked it up yesterday, and it will definitely need some work... hopefully it will work though. Updates will come as I go along.

TheFairest.com Launched | Opens with Stila and COOLA Skin Care

Ok I'm so excited right now that I'm embarrassingly giddy, and my hands aren't sure what to type so they're just going with a stream of consciousness.

It's September 1 which means thefairest.com went live this morning. The site's first two sales are Stila and COOLA. I really like Stila but have only actually purchased Stila lip glaze in the past - price being my hindrance. On The Fairest, lip glaze (available in select colors only) is half off for only $11! It sells for $22 at Sephora.

I'm going to try out the site for you all to let you know how it goes, and maybe also because I selfishly want an excuse to buy some fun new makeup.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ok. I ordered Stila All Over Glow - Peachy Keen and Step Out And Shine! Color Collection (pics are with this post). For a total of $33 plus $5.95 for shipping... not too shabby of a deal. It apparently takes 10-14 days for the stuff to get shipped out so it'll be awhile for my update. I'm kind of excited though!

I also checked out the COOLA sale which is organic sun protection. Seems like good product too, but since we're going into fall -and I sit in an office all day- I'm going to spend my money on some fresh, new colors!

Seriously, though, seriously, visit the site as well as the blog (also Twitter @the_fairest). Upcoming sales include: Jurlique, Butter LONDON, MOR, Cosmedicine and Tarte.

BTR Burberry Sale to Start Very Soon (Like So Soon I Can't Stand It)

Beyond the Rack has a few decent designer clothes/accessories sales going on right now, but starting today at 11 a.m. (eastern time... I think), a Burberry sale starts! It will include sunglasses and scarves.

There's nothing like shopping Burberry in London, but I imagine an online sale such as this won't be too unfortunate either. Everyone needs a little plaid in her life or just some cute accessories. I'll update this post if I find anything appealing.

That's like the... inside of a raincoat.

UPDATE: Wow, brand whores. I visited Beyond the Rack at 11:18 this morning, and all items in the Burberry sale are spoken for. That is, except for a lovely little purple watch. The sold out stuff is cloaked in Burberry's trademark "look at me, I bought Burberry" pattern. This little guy is going for $119.

Consignment Shops. Necessary Evil? (And cheese with my wine please!)

Earlier this year, I purchased an account with Snooty Fox so that I could get some cash for my unwanted clothes. It was $20... I feel like it's a little ridiculous, but I still did it.
Yesterday I dropped off clothes at Snooty Fox - it took about 20 minutes for them to get through them all. Now I have to wait two months to see if the clothes actually sell which will equal how much I make off of them. Ick - then I take what they reject to Plato's Closet and get $20.10 on the spot for a couple skirts, few shirts and a pair of shoes. Immediate payment is always appreciated, but I waited about the same amount of time - however, the two months isn't tacked on to the end.

You can probably tell by my tone how I feel about the matter. I live in an apartment so it's not like I can yard sale it with my stuff, but I do - in some instances - feel that it's a bit of a rip. Is there anyone out there who's had better luck on Craigslist or eBay in getting rid of clothes? I just feel like there should be a better way.

Ok I'm finished with whining :) I at least have more closet space now!!

One Kings Lane Presents The Fairest.com

While One Kings Lane invites consumers to take part in their designer home sales of up to 70% off of retail prices, Fairest will offer members premier brand beauty sales of up to 75% off of retail.

The address is www.thefairest.com and launches September 1. I can't wait to check it out for myself. Once I do, you can expect a full review!

UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that I failed to include the url for One Kings Lane. Silly girl... onekingslane.com.

Bringing the Farm to Mt. Washington

Awhile back my dear boyfriend (@didymos) suggested that I do an entry on farmers' markets. I may or may not have snapped at him for this suggestion. I don't really frequent them so it didn't make sense to offer tips on the matter.

Since his preposterous suggestion, I have taken it into consideration and stopped by the Stanbery Park Farmers' Market in Mt. Washington TWO whole times!

First thought... well, it's not big. At all. There are around 10 booths, but the variety is great - fresh baked goods, jams, butter, honey, jewelry, soap, veggies and fruit and even Belgian waffles.

Today's trip yielded:

• six tomatoes for four bucks
• zucchini and squash for a dollar
• freshly baked banana nut bread (no preservatives!), $4.50
• Belgian waffles for the weekend ($6.50 for two)

I ate most of it tonight. And YUM! I concocted a dinner with spinach/chive linguini from Trader Joe's, Italian dressing, sauteed zucchini/squash/tomatoes and roasted chicken. Dessert of course was banana nut bread with my homemade cream cheese icing.

It was all delicious. Clearly, humble pie was not served.

What was I writing about? Oh yeah - farmers' markets... while this one isn't necessarily cheaper, the quality way outweighs any price difference. You get to support local farmers and see the pride they take in their product firsthand. I will be a repeat visitor.

I should update this link to Cincinnati Farmers' Markets for you to check out one near you if you haven't already. http://www.cincinnatifarmersmarkets.org/

I like Old Navy jeans and other reasons I miss my waist

My most recent shopping mission mantra has been "I need pants... must find new pants." Then I buy five new tops and no new pants because I can't find any that fit well.

So last night I went to the Gap Factory Outlet in Hebron, Ky. with that same mission. New pants. And though I still managed to find myself with -um- four new sweaters (in August), I still scored two new pairs of pants.

Pause for momentary celebratory dance.

Then insert hypocracy. My rant about wasting time at discount Old Navy stores... yeah, sorry 'bout that. Last night I purchased pants of the Old Navy persuasion for $4.99 each. They fit beautifully and for that I'm pretty thrilled.

Which brings me to the title of this post, "I like Old Navy jeans and other reasons I miss my waist." Old Navy pants used to never fit me because while I had a small waist, I had/have "muscular" legs (friends' way of saying "nooooo, you're not fat"). Point is, they didn't fit me because if the legs fit then the waist was too big.

Now they fit everywhere. Bright side? My desk job has made me more proportional. Yay, right?

Another Fairytale Sale [or two]

So remember how I said Kate Spade gets me? She's not the only designer. In fact, she and Marc Jacobs are very nearly tied. Which brings me to tipping you about my latest favorite sales event...

New York Times enewsletter subscribers received an invitation in early July to join Beyond the Rack. An invitation-only sale site. And sigh...

Marc Jacobs sunglasses are on there for around 40% off. I'm starting to think it's time for a second job. Sigh again.

In completely unrelated but related news, an Emile Henry sales event has just been added to One Kings Lane. Not quite as good as the 90% off Emile Henry salad dishes that I purchased from the Pottery Barn outlet this past spring, but not too shabby friends. Not too shabby.

J.Crew. Extra 20% off Final Sale. Ends TODAY.

Ah J. Crew. You and your final sales. So alluring. So enticing. Alas, I am broke, but some of you might not be. With that in mind, I thought I'd pass along the news that J. Crew is at its last day for shoppers to receive an extra 20% off of Final Sale items online.

Remember to enter the 20% off code (extra20) when you check out. The discount is additional to the listed prices.

P.S. My half birthday is next month and I don't mind accepting presents early. You know something like in this picture... just sayin'...