Uggs on Sale

Yes, yet another post on shoes, but I can't help it! This is the time to buy!

Uggs Mini Bailey Button boots are 50%off at Stance Shoes...$112.50...best price in the mall! In fact, just next door at Journeys, they are on "sale" for $198! Black and Chestnut avail.

I'm not the biggest fan of Uggs. They are not the most flattering footwear, and they are a bit Uggly, but you cannot deny the cozy level of comfort they provide. They are a must for me at the ice rink...and I am there 3 times a week! Great for cold, dry outdoor walks too...I particularly like the Mini Bailey Buttons because they don't cut my legs off like the taller boot styles.

TOMS for women on Sale

Ladies turn! Seasonal TOMS are on sale this week at Stance Shoes and Boathouse stores. I was lured in by the 50%off sticker :)

Picked up a pair of women's Black Cord Pop edition for $32.50, reg. $65. I had a bit of trouble deciding between the red cord or black, but black won out in the end. I love the contrasting sole (cobalt blue for back and purple for the red ones). They also had them in Navy Cord as well.

Also on sale are various select flannel and woven versions, also $32.50 and $35 respectively for both men and women.

At Stance they have a great selection of youth toms for 50%off. I particularly love the blue/grey Cordones and Polka Dot Flannel Classics. Toddler sizes are now $20 and older youth are $22.50.

ITunes 12 Days of Giveaways

For Apple iTunes users, iTunes 12 Days of Giveaways has begun. From Dec.26 to Jan.6, iTunes is giving away various songs/albums, videos and apps...you'll need the free app to get each days giveaways. Day one is a Maroon5 EP and Day two is a Soccer game.

Don't miss out! Follow this thread for more details and links:

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/merged-itunes-12-days-christmas-dec-26-jan-6-a-1269131/

Clipless Curling Irons

We noticed our friend's hair the other day. "Hot Mama's" hair went from poker straight to awesome, perfect spirally curls in minutes. She owned a Enzo Milano curling wand...which then sent me on a hunt for my own!

Enzo clipless curling wands are highly reviewed, but the $125+ price tag was a little too hefty for me. I wondered if it was possible to find a similar, salon quality product for less, and the answer is yes!

I found a great curling wand from, of all places, Winners. It's an EvaNYC pink handled, tapered clipless curling wand. It's ceramic Tourmaline and heats up to 410•F in seconds and curls each section in about 5 seconds. The longer you leave it in, the curlier the curls...and it holds all day without any styling product!! In fact, it holds through a second day with pretty curls/waves. And the best thing is, it was priced at only $34.99. I love Winners!!

TOMS at Little Burgundy Shoes - free shipping no minimum

My twin let me know that Little Burgundy Shoes (an affiliate of ALDO) is offering free shipping with no minimum for a limited time. When you are browsing,  check out the great deals in their clearance and sale sections. We both ordered these TOMS for our husband's because they were on clearance for $27.90,  shipped free.

Sign up for their newsletter and you will be emailed a one time use code for an additional 10 percent off!

Returns and exchanges are EASY and can be done on regular and sale purchases. Having shopped here before,  I know that you get 30 days to return to any Little Burgundy location (lower mainland locations include Metrotown and Robson St.)  or via mail.

Torre & Tagus 2012 Warehouse Sale

We popped into the Torre & Tagus sale this morning and thought it was worth the trip. Torre & Tagus (www.torretagus.com) is a wholesaler that sources the very best in clean modern home decor items.

Normally not opened to the general public, the Warehouse sale is located at 150-11188 Featherstone Way,  Richmond BC. Check out the flyer that is currently being advertised on their Facebook page:

It was very well organized and there was lots to look at. Each aisle is wide and contains eye level shelves full of home decor items. We found items as cheap as .25 cents (replacement lids for ceramic reusable mugs)!

Check it out especially if you like to browse for accessories for your home. Lamps, end tables, photo frames, bowls and wall decor are bountiful. They even had fun sparkly coloured Christmas trees for sale for $35 and $62.50!  Prices are currently 50% of the warehouse cost. Starting on Monday, Dec. 10th, prices will be reduced to 75%off the warehouse cost.  The lamps below were reduced to $100.00 and then an additional 50%off.

Lamps

End Tables and Bar Stools

Clocks

(This was in the $60 range...retails in stores for over $200!)

Screens and Room Separators

My finds today include these glass bird salt and pepper shakers for $1/pair and the white ceramic teapot for $6.25:

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Teapot

Hours are Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm - bring a non-perishable food donation as entry into the sale. The sale is scheduled to run until Dec. 21st or until inventory runs out. The sooner you go the better. New merchandise is being added daily.

A Family Trip to Disneyland on a Budget

Can Disneyland and "budget" be used in the same sentence? Yes, it sure can. There is no pretense here in this week's blog entry. We love vacationing with our family but we are acutely aware of how much things can add up to and we love the idea of coming home with money in our wallets and at the same time, creating a meaningful and memorable holiday.

Flights to Disneyland

We chose to fly out of the USA because generally speaking, flights are exponentially cheaper. We booked flights out of Seattle through a discount airline company called Jet Blue and we chose our destination airport as Long Beach, CA (LGB). LGB is about 25 mins to Disneyland and is a smaller airport than LAX. This means no crowds, nor any confusion as to where to go. We also did not have to deal with LA traffic. A huge plus.

Our flights were booked 6 months in advance. We had looked at the flight costs weekly leading up to our decision to book at a cost of $160.00 CAD dollars per person, return, with transfer fees and taxes all included. Thinking that was a fantastic deal, you can imagine how we felt when we realized that this exact flight dropped in price 3 months later to $110.00 CAD per person, return. JetBlue (and SouthWest) Airlines have a 'price' guarantee policy - if you find that your flight drops in price, (before your travel date), they will easily credit your Flight Account the difference (for you to use on your next booking); you just need to call them. We ended up using our $200 credit with JetBlue to book our friends a flight to Disneyland at the same time as us. For that price, they couldn't not come!

JetBlue was fantastic: Staff were kind and friendly, we were offered free in-flight snacks and drinks once settled in the air and our seats were roomy (seats reclined) and we also had free in-flight satellite television sets for each passenger. I would recommend flying with them again (just bring your own headphones!)

JetBlue Flight

Disneyland

If you can gather a large group of friends and family and organize a 'group' buy for Disneyland passes, you can get a substantial discount. We appealed to our circle of friends and family nearly a year in advance if any of them would consider a Disneyland trip in the Fall. If we could gather 10 or more kids (under the age of 22) with adults as chaperones, we would qualify for the following discount (taxes included):

1 Day Parkhopper - $83 per person  instead of 119 kids /125 adults
2 Days Parkhopper - $124 per person instead of  188 kids /200 adults
3 Days Parkhopper - $139 per person instead of 235 kids/250 adults
4 Days Parkhopper - $149 per person instead of 255 kids /275 adults

Disneyland

My hubby applied (you have to register your group first) for the group purchase and then paid for all the tickets and they were couriered to us days later. When each family re-imbursed us, we gave them their tickets. Sounds hard, but it was actually quite simple. See here for more information.


Hotels and Car Rentals

If you want to do Disney on a budget, staying at the Disney Resorts is not an option. Prices are high at these venues for the experience. In our family's case, our 'experience' was going to be the theme park itself. We chose to use the hotel for rest, breakfast, showers and sleep. Don't get me wrong. We like nice hotels with as many 'pluses' that we can get for the price we are willing to pay.

Priceline and Hotwire have changed the way we book hotels and car rentals for nearly a decade. We wouldn't do it any other way. The concept behind these sites is quite simple. Figure out what kind of car you want (we had a full sized sedan - Mazda 6 for $16/day) and what sort of amenities you would like to have at your hotel, how many stars you'd like your hotel to be rated (minimum is 3 1/2, typically 4 in the USA) and then work on how much you would like to spend.  If you have no idea what dollar amount to start at, take a peek at this forum to see what people are paying for their cars and hotels at the same city that you intend on traveling to. It will give you a near guarantee that you will get the same, if not better deal.

We ended up staying at the Radissson Suites in Buena Park, a lovely hotel, 12 minutes drive away from Disneyland. For only $62 USD a night, our stay included: pool view suite, free hot breakfast buffet (with made to order omlettes for free!), free parking, free wi-fi, gym, heated pool and hot tub. Other guests that we had met in the hotel spent $119 USD a night....so we were happy.Check them out!

Hotel Lobby

California Adventures (things to do)

If you decide to stay in the Los Angeles/Anaheim area of California on your next Disneyland trip, you will be surprised to know how many wonderful attractions there are for families and groups to check out....for free!

The California ScienCENTRE  is an amazing place to spend an afternoon. FREE admission is a huge plus for this large Science and Technology museum. There are many hands-on exhibits and our kids are huge science buffs, so walking around and spending the day here was super fun AND to be able to see the newly NASA-gifted Endeavor Space Shuttle in person was a treat. This exhibit however, did cost us an extra $2 per person to see (still cheap!) and there is a parking fee ($10 per vehicle for the day, reasonable).

Endeavor

The Griffiths Observatory was another fantastic FREE venue to explore. Boasting some of the most magnificent views of the Los Angeles city-scape and the famous Hollywood sign, this place allowed us to explore LA in ways we could not have imagined. 

Griffiths Observatory

Inside the Observatory, guests are encouraged to explore the many hands-on exhibits, step into their Leonard Nimoy theatre for a movie experience, view the Sun in live time from outer space and use their many telescopes to see the night skies. I would highly recommend a visit.

Inside the Obsevatory

Don't forget to visit any of the California Beaches on your days off from Disneyland. It will be a great way to rest up for the next visit to the theme park and is also just a great time to relax from the hustle and bustle of sight seeing. 

Newport Beach, CA

Thanks for reading!

Old Navy...Add'tl 50% off Clearance

It's that time again...transitioning between fall and holiday season means a clearout sale at Old Navy...50%off last ticketed Clearance Items (red tag).

I was able to grab some fun Star Wars PJs for my little guy for $6.49! And a couple of cute jersey skirts for me at $4.49 each!! I was on limited time this morning, but I just may have to go back to see what else I can find!

Hurry though...the sale ends tomorrow (Saturday Oct 27).

Sports Mart - Closing Out Sale - Part deux

After my twin called me to tell me about her finds (see here) at the local Sports Mart, I decided to head there myself to see if they had any kids' boarder winter jackets. To my surprise, yes they did! If you are needing some high-end, great quality winter jackets for your kids, now is a great time to make a visit to your local Sports Mart for their best selection. I saw many brands on clearance including Columbia, SIMS, FireFly, Powder Room, and Etirel.

The store I chose to visit happened to be hosting an additional 40%off the last ticketed price (Central City, Surrey BC) so it seems as if the close-out sale discounts will vary from store to store.

Check out my finds below:

This is for my 8 year old daughter. It's a SIMS boarder style coat with tons of features including pit zips, fully taped seams, thumbed sweater cuffs, adjustable and removable hood and magnetized zipper garage (no velcro, yay!).

This SIMS boarder style coat is for my 6 year old son. Same features, with the exception of the magnetized main zipper garage. This zipper is fully exposed, but has fully taped seams.

The regular price of each of these jackets was $149.99, marked down to $69.88 and then an additional 40%off each one. Each one ended up being less than $42 pre-tax. A terrific price for a high-quality winter jacket.

Go soon for best selection. The stores will be closing for good at the end of this year.

Sport Mart Closing...Deals to be Found!

A friend of mine told me the other day that she walked into Sport Mart Langley to find the entire store was an additional 30%off the last ticketed price. So off I went!

Here's what I found out. Canadian Tire acquired Sport Mart earlier this year. Since its acquisition, they've resigned to shut down more than 100 stores Canadawide. This includes all of the Sport Mart locations...thus the 30%off all merchandise. The Sport Mart in Langley is due to be closed by Jan 1, 2013. I anticipate that discounts will get larger in the coming weeks. If you're looking for something specific though, maybe it's worth checking out while the selection is still great. There is a ton of inventory!

Are there good deals? On some things, yes. There are some sporting goods that rarely go on sale, such as UA (Under Armour) and NHL jerseys. Men's Canucks jerseys are $94 with the current discount. Kids UA pants are $28 with the current discount. There are some good deals on runners, such as New Balance and Nike for under $50.

What did I buy? I ended up buying some accessories for hockey (blade guards, neck guard) for around $9. I also bought myself a fabulous snowboard jacket for $45 (retail was $130, marked down to $64.88)...but the BEST deal was on a youth Reebok 2 piece track suit...reg.$60....it was marked down to $9.99, which means I paid $4.15 for the suit. That's less than a mocha at Starbucks.

I am sure I'll be in again to see what else I can snatch :)

Can you see me now? Clearly Contacts Free Pair

The folks at Clearly Contacts sure make it easy to change your glasses with your changing moods.  Or in our case, with our changing outfits ;-)

Take advantage of their current FREE offer by entering code: FBDEALCA at checkout.  This offer ends Oct. 30th, 2012.  Don't procrastinate! Get your prescription and head on over to www.clearlycontacts.ca to order some new specs. There are some exceptions (most higher end labels), but the house brands (Love, Joseph Marc, Derek Cardigan, etc.) have some fantastic styles to choose from. The complete pair of glasses are free, but coatings are extra and you still have to pay the shipping fee (about $15 on average). A great deal!!

Miss the deal?  Never fear!  They also offer a "First Pair Free" to new customers.  Use code: FIRSTPAIRFREECA.  It's an on-again-off-again promo, so as long as it's running, this code will work.  There's also a FALLFIFTY code for those who want designer frames for $50 off.  

Miss that deal!?  This site is fantastic year round for various sales/promos.  We've seen complete pairs as low as $19 and $38.  Even at $99, they are the best way to order complete pairs!

Woolly Mammoth Knit Goods

Time to get your Scarf On. And we know just where you need to go...the girls at Woolly Mammoth will knit you up a cozy, chic, chunky circle scarf of your choosing. Tons of great colours and yarns to choose from.

Our friends, Dana and Stephanie, are fun, a little quirky, and super talented at the whole knitting gig... Check out their page at www.woollymammoth.ca

Moccasins Anyone?

Time to grab them tomorrow!

It's Friends and Family Day at SoftMoc.com
Super comfy - love these!  Just keep in mind that you will need to size down a full size from your normal size as they do stretch out after a few wears.  Trust us on this one, you'll love them!

Restoration Hardware vs. Home Sense - Light it up!

I have had my eye on a particular drop pendant light fixture at Restoration Hardware for over a year now (see it here) but savvy shoppers that we are, I refused to spend the regular retail $400 price tag. The fixture is simple, clean and modern...such a marked improvement from what we had before and it echoes the look we are going for in our home. I visited my local Home Sense yesterday and what should I stumble upon? Serendipity! A near identical light fixture for less than 1/4 of the price. Check it out.

Restoration Hardware's Version:

My find at Home Sense installed: 

The price? $79.99! I was thrilled and immediately tucked this find into my shopping cart. As an aside, Home Sense right now has a huge selection of wonderful ceiling light fixtures for excellent prices. It is worth checking out.

The lesson here? Sometimes, it is worth the wait. 

Backpack, Backpack....

Back to school this week, and what did I learn???  Apparently, it's hip to be square.  Remember the old school Jansport backpacks from yesteryear?   Their packs are trending these days with the school set.  Jansport backpacks, I learned, also carry a lifetime warranty!  In fact, when in line to purchase this bright orange pack,  the fellow in front of me was returning his 3-year old, ripped up backpack.  Smart fellow had the receipt with him.  And he traded in the (in-my-opinion not very cool) torn jean backpack for a super cool faded black canvas issue backpack...he only had to pay $5 for the difference in upgraded cost.  Pretty good value for 3 year's use.

Jansport started in Seattle back in 1967 and has been manufacturing packs ever since.  You can find a retailer near you by clicking here.

This vintage throwback isn't limited to just Jansport though.

A few months back, my J.Crew catalogues started featuring Herschel Supply Co. backpacks and messengers.  They are gaining a big following for their cool, laid-back, almost military inspired, vintage look.  One of my favorite finds about Herschel?  They are a Vancouver, BC based company!!  A fairly new company, Herschel was founded in 2009, by  a couple of brothers (naming the company after a small town where three generations of their family lived).  Check them out!  You'll spot their packs in a lot of board shops around town.

Save on H&M Kid's Jeans +more!

Time to think about back to school shopping (sigh).  The upshot is that H&M is currently offering 20% off your entire kid's purchase until August 23, 2012.  Just print the coupon (found here) and bring it in to your local H&M.  AND to sweeten the pot, H&M is offering a concurrent promotion of $5 off kid's jeans, which means that you can score some super cool jeans for under $7 since they'll also give you 20% off.   We scored some sweet skinnies in blue (reg. $17.95, came to under $10) and some black skinnies (reg. $12.95, came to under $7). Hurry in, not quite sure how long the jeans promo is running!!

Cute Rain Boots on SALE!

These high-top "Converse" look-a-likes are actually rain boots!  How cute will these be with skinny jeans in the rain?  Think about having to walk the kids to school or the bus stop in these kicks?  And you'll stay dry!  Regular price at www.aldoshoes.com was $50CAD...now on sale for $14.99 (that is not a typo!!).  AND if you sign up here for their newsletter, you'll recieve a code for 10% off your purchase.  

Browns Shoe SALE!

Yes, our favourite 4 letters...S A L E... preceded by another favourite 4 letters...

Browns Shoes is having a great sale on a great selection of shoes... You'll lots find of designer shoes, sandals and boots for both men and women at discounts up to 70% off (or in some cases 86% off).  A big selection from the likes of Kors by Michael Kors, Cole Haan, Stewart Weitzman, Cesare Paciotti, Marc by Marc Jacobs, etc.

Go HERE to see the entire selection, but here are some finds that we think are extra good deals ... 

Converse Chuck Taylor
Black & White, Dbl Tongue
Perfect running around town casual sneak.
Reg. $65, on sale for $26.98

Bravo Browns
Avail. in Black or Nude suede
Perfect short and flat boot for fall.  Paired with skirts, dresses or skinnies!
(These ones are on order and arriving shortly at our doors!!)
Reg. $118, on sale for $26.98

Minnetonka Mocassin
Avail. in Tan or Black suede
Mocs come back every fall/winter and have for many seasons.  These are a solid basic and for this price, it's a steal.
Reg. $70, on sale for $35.98

Aigle Rubber Rainboot
Avail in black
French made Aigle boots are chic rain boots!  This is an awesome price at less than half price.  A fashionable rain boot if there was such a thing.
Reg. $150, on sale for $61.18






So much more to look at at http://www.brownsshoes.com.  Oh, and to sweeten the deal, here's a free shipping code...just type in at check out: SIGNUP.

Shoe SALE

Two words that we love together: SHOE SALE.

Shoe Warehouse is closing many of their retail locations across Canada this month, which means an impending sale near you ;-)  And while I don't necessarily like to revel in the failings of businesses, I do delight in the ensuing discounts.  Not all of the locations are closing, but from what I can surmise, many of the free standing BM stores are closing (vs. Mall Locations).

Par Example: South Surrey, Grandview Corners location.  Only open for another 5 days!  Means 70%off EVERYTHING.  They still had quite a few shoes in store - albeit many were SKY high (4" heel+), and lots in teeny sizes like 6,7 still a good selection of 8, and a swack of larger 10+ size shoes.  Might be worth perusing if you happen to be in the area.  Not a lot of kids' shoes left.  But again, it is the last 5 days of operation.

Converse Slim Low Oxfords - Chambray
Similar to Chuck Taylor Oxfords but decidedly more feminine, slimmer in profile.
Reg. $74.95, 70%off . . . $21







Roberto Viani Black Leather Hazel Sandals
Black Leather platform cross-strap sandals, zips in back.  Also saw some in nude leather as well!
Lowest marked price $59.95, 70% off . . . $18

Girl's/Youth Sperrys, Boat Shoe, Pink Plaid
Reg. $39.99, 70% pff .. . .$12

Supergas 2750

Supergas . . . "People's Shoes of Italy"

Supergas shoes have been manufactured in Italy for almost 100 years! A well-designed modern classic, they never seem to go out of style. These are a great addition to any shoe wardrobe! If they've been making them for that long, it MUST be a classic.  You can find out more about them here.


I love that they can be dressed up, or down, depending on your outfit. Wear with jeans or shorts, coloured denim, or with a cute dress.  

Every time I wear them, I am reminded of a girl who I befriended in high school.  She was from Italy and was always sporting Supergas.  We had fun together in our classes - so these are fond memories!  Sadly, she moved back to Italy after graduation, but I still remember her all these years later (Ciao!)