DisneyOutlet.com is having an end of summer clearance! By using the coupon code “OUTLET15” you can take an additional 15% off the clearance prices. That means bathing suits for $11, kids beach chairs for $5.94, swim totes for $5.09, and beach towels for $4.24! It was about this time last year that I stocked up on beach towels for my own kids, and then I held onto them til Christmas and gave them to the kids as a gift. The Disney beach towels are EXTREMELY high quality - super thick, and the design side is soft and won’t look worn out after a few washes. In fact, I’ve tossed most of our old towels and we’re using the Disney ones a majority of the time.

For only $4.24 per towel, I’ll probably buy a few to stick in my gift closet. Pair them with a pool toy and you’ve got a great birthday present for a kid for less than $10. It’s the perfect gift to take in hand when your kids get invited to those school birthday parties and you really don’t know what to get!

Ooh, I just noticed the PJ Pals are on sale too - $3.39 for a pair of character pajamas! Can’t beat that with a stick! I love the short pants style too, because it’s too hot in Florida for my son to wear long jammies to bed most nights. If you buy these, I’d recommend getting them at least one size bigger than you’ll think you’ll need, as they are very form fitting.

A few months ago, I switched from using a comforter in our master bedroom to a duvet and duvet cover. Now, because I am stupid, I went to a local store to buy a duvet cover and I paid big money for what I wanted. If you didn’t already know, a duvet cover is nothing more than a big sleeve that fits over your duvet. Mine actually looks like 2 big king sized flat sheets that someone has sewn together on 3 sides, and left an opening one the 4th side with buttons to close it up after you put the duvet in. It’s not rocket science to make one of these things, however, I have no sewing machine to even attempt it. There wasn’t a big selection at the store either, so I was dumb. You can buy much nicer embroidered duvet covers online, and you’ll pay a fraction of what I paid in the store.

Trust me when I say that I will never use a comforter again.

Why buy a new flat-panel LCD HDTV when you can win one?

5 Minutes for Moms is GIVING one of these little beauties away. For free! And all you need to do to be considered to win the big prize is to leave a comment on their blog, which I have conveniently linked up there for you. (How nice am I, letting YOU enter the contest that I plan to win??) I’d also like to thank Best Buy for sponsoring the contest for the TV I plan to win.

(Confident, much?)

Would you like to buy a new house and get a rebate from your real estate agent on the commission?

Would you like to earn free gas because you purchased your car from a certain car dealership?

Heck yeah, I would! And that’s the concept behind ePERKS.com - they give you rewards for using the the businesses you’ll find in their service marketplace. The business owners get exposure, and a happy customer, and you get some perks for being willing to try what they have to offer. Some of the current perks available are savings on a new car, saving on real estate commissions, or even saving 50% when you hire a contractor to take care of your next home improvement project!

You can search their site using your zip code to find the perks and business owners willing to offer perks in your area, or just ask questions about things like the current real estate trends, and be answered by a pro who knows.

I tried on my new outfit from Ann Taylor for Jim last night and he loved it! He also didn’t ask how much it cost, so that’s a win-win situation I’m going to run to the dry cleaner in a bit and drop off the dress and Jim’s suit so that both can be cleaned and pressed and ready for Saturday night. I’m normally not the type who would dry clean a brand new outfit, or heck, wash it before wearing it, but the dress needs it. It’s a bit wrinkled from being tried on and carried around in a bag.

When you buy new clothes, do you wash them first? I normally don’t, and my husband has to wash everything first. Am I the freak, or is he?

I love my bed.

Every night, when I crawl into it, I feel utter relief. It wasn’t always that way - just a few years ago Jim and I were sleeping on our first mattress, that we bought back in 1993. We didn’t realize how bad it was until we bought a new mattress! As the GalleryFurniture.com website points out, different types of mattresses fit different needs. I resisted getting a pillow top bed because I thought it would be too cushy, and I am definitely a firm mattress kind of girl. I learned while shopping that a pillow top doesn’t negate the firmness of a mattress, and we have the perfect combination of comfy and soft and firm. Add to that my favorite sheets and duvet, and it makes for a comfy place to spend 12 hours a night!

When we purchased our bedding, we tested out a Tempur-Pedic bed and that thing was amazing. It’s like sleeping on…well, a cloud. The material flows around you and cushions your entire body but it’s supportive too. Everyone I know that has one absolutely loves it!

While we were at the mall yesterday, my son decided that he wanted a Simspons t-shirt. Since the movie was released last week, I thought that we’d see all sorts of merchandising from Fox for the movie, but I didn’t see anything except for a few shirts in the men’s department of Sears. Did Fox only select a single store to carry any clothing items tied into the movie? Or did they miss the merchandising boat completely? (I’m sure they didn’t, considering they know what a gold mine it would be!)

I get all sorts of junk mail from credit card companies offering me special promotional rates and deals on balance transfers. When you read the find print, you see that most of the deals offered really aren’t that great, so I prefer to find my credit cards online, at sites that will easily allow me to compare two or three cards and their offers side by side to see who really has the best terms. Creditnet is one of those sites, and once you find a card you like, you can submit a credit card application online.

And in addition to seeing cards ranked according to fees, limits, and terms, I’d like to make another suggestion. We had a card once that looked GREAT on paper, but when we got it, and wanted to make our first payment online, we couldn’t pay more than $1000. We also then had to wait 2 weeks to make another payment, so there was absolutely no way we could pay off the balance in full online. So I’m suggesting a category for “great online interface” or “horrid online payment system”, or something like that. Whadya think?

My husband and I are attending his high school reunion next week (20 years!) and that occasion was enough for me to shop at Ann Taylor. Now, I’ve said in the past that I think Ann Taylor and her clothes are too spendy for me, but this is a special occasion. I still think $150 for a casual outfit is too much money, but $100 for a dress for a special event isn’t bad, right?

This is the dress I picked out:

Then I went to Macy’s and got these shoes to wear with it:

I *almost* didn’t buy those shoes when I saw they were from Jessica Simpson’s new line. I can’t stand her. But they were cute, and they were perfect for the dress, so I had to give in, even thought they cost almost as much as the dress did. Yeah, that about killed this bargain shopper.

The dress is for Saturday night - there’s going to be a dinner and dance. No clue what I’m going to wear for Friday night, which is just a get together at a huge bar on Clearwater Beach. I had my 8 year old with me while I was shopping and by the time I got the dress and the shoes he was done, so I didn’t get to worry about clothing for Friday night.

On a recent trip to Busch Gardens, I stopped at a small store in the park to check out what appeared to be some wind chimes and wood cuttings in an African style. I was this close to buying what appeared to be a really unique wind chime for my lanai when I noticed the tag - Made In China. Argh! Why is it so rare that we see products from true artists made in Africa or South America? Happily, I’ve found that there is a place where you can buy goods made in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, by 3rd world artisans, and it’s called 7 Loaves. When you shop at 7 Loaves, you’ll find things that were created by hand, instead of mass produced in a factory or sweat shop. Over 80% of the artists that 7 Loaves works with are women supporting their families with that income. These products are making a difference in their lives by giving them health care options, and giving their children educations at schools that these families couldn’t otherwise afford.

Currently, the site offers items for the home, ceramics, accessories, and baskets. Take a look at these handbags and purses from 7 Loaves:

Hard to believe that someone made them from hand, isn’t it? It’s the kind of thing people pay big bucks in a department store, but the quality is much, much higher than some mass produced product. How about this jewelry from 7 Loaves? I guarantee you’ll have a one of a kind look when you show up to a party with items from this site!

This is a sponsored review.

Each year, we mail out approximately 50 Christmas cards. My list will sometimes fluctuate a bit if I take part in a special card exchange, but the number of cards sent to family and friends in our address book is always right around 50. And I always do the photo cards, and it gets a little pricy. Add in birthday cards being mailed, at $3 or $4 a pop, and I probably spend $200 a year, just on cards! And sure, I love sending cards and getting cards, but there are times when e-cards are just as good as snail mail. Quicker, cheaper (uh, try free!) and they still let someone know that you’re thinking about them.

So I’ve been scoping out eBay the past few days, in hopes of replacing my old flat iron. No luck, so far. I really wish more people would include the model numbers in their auctions. It would make it SO much easier when looking for a specific item that isn’t manufactured anymore. And I have to say - I hate it when people don’t use the gallery picture option. I can’t be bothered to look at those 100 other auctions that only have the picture on the inside of the listing. Spend the 25 cents and put a gallery picture up!

My mother has never owned a new car, and she has notoriously bad lack with the used cars she’s bought. (That alone would make me buy a new car, HA!) She bought a Mustang a few years back, and then found out later it had been in a major wreck and the frame had been straightened. When she bought her Ford Freestyle, water started leaking into the car at the door frame a few weeks later. She’s just not lucky with her vehicles.

There’s “not lucky”, and there’s “lemon”. There are lemon laws to protect consumers who buy a new or used car and find out that it’s got major issues, and should you not be able to get the car dealer or manufacturer to help you out with your lemon, there are lawyers who will say all the right things to get the car dealers to bend over backwards for you. I’m quite sure that there are lemon law lawyers in every state in the nation, but should you have a problem in Ohio, contact the Burdge Law Office about how the car and truck lemon laws can help you. It also applies to RV and motorcycles as well, and they can provide you with a referral to a lawyer in your area if you’re NOT in Ohio.

I received an email from Netflix this week saying that they’re lowing my monthly plan price!

Currently, we pay $9.99 per month for our 1 DVD out at a time plan. Effective next month, the price will be dropping to $8.99 per month. Along with the savings is an offer to watch 9 hours of movies and TV episodes each month on my PC, for no extra charge. I’m not exactly sure how that works, but I’m intrigued! When I went out of town last week, I packed my Netflix DVD to come along with me, but instant access to movies and TV from wherever I am sure would be handy. Has anyone used this feature yet?

When my husband and I were first married, and actually, until a few years ago, every single piece of furniture we had was a hand me down. It feels SO nice to have new stuff, lemee tell you! And while we’ve got nice furniture now, it’s not all brand new. We’ve still got hand me down furniture in 2 of the kid’s rooms, and I sure am looking forward to replacing it next year. The trouble is that we bought my oldest daughter’s set from a local kids chain, and there’s not another set there I like. Same thing with the other stores we’ve found in the area. Most of the kids furniture seems either too juvenile, cheaply made, or a combination of both of those.

So yes, I would seriously consider purchasing from an internet furniture store, especially if it meant getting exactly what I wanted and not settling. The Jessica McClintock children’s furniture shown here is exactly what I’d like - something that will take my kids into their teen years, but something that doesn’t look too grown up for them right now. Here’s another reason why GreatPriceFurniture.com beats the local competition - delivery within 1 to 4 weeks! All of the local stores promise that in their ads, but they VERY rarely deliver, as we’ve found. In fact, we just waited 4 MONTHS for the chair for my daughter’s room that we ordered from a big local chain. When you buy furniture, don’t you want it now? Not in a few months. The site also offers a no interest and no payments deal, just like your local stores, so there’s no reason NOT to check them out.

How long is too long to wait for a response to a complaint?

I’m not the most patient person in the world, but am I being unreasonable by expecting a response of some sort (even an auto responder!) when you submit a complaint about a company via their corporate website?

I had a horrible experience at Panera Bread on Tuesday, and submitted a complaint using their online form that evening. And yes, I was surprised when I didn’t hear back from someone, anyone, even a corporate lackey within 24 hours. If I don’t hear back in a week, then they get a letter. The experience we had was bad enough, and if they ignore it…

well, Panera might have to go on my naughty list then.

I’m a wimp.

While I think some tattoos look cool, I would never, ever get one, for two reasons. As I said above, I’m a wimp. Reason #2, I’m fickle, and I’d probably end up changing my mind about 100 times before getting the tattoo, and then I’d have doubts afterwards about if I really got the perfect design.

So if you’re a wimp, or fickle, or a combination of both - never fear! A temporary airbrush tattoo is just what you need. Looks real enough to fool Hell’s Angels, or real enough to have your momma lecture you, but it won’t stick around forever. TAT International has the designs, stencils, ink, and kits you need to give yourself some temporary ink! And it’s MUCH safer than those nasty henna tattoos. Airbrushed ink is the way to go!

There’s just something about a a dog wearing clothing that makes me smile. I have a very tolerant Dachshund named Lola, and we got 2 snazzy new outfits for her this week from DoggieTshirts.com. When I saw this t-shirt featuring William Skakespeare, I couldn’t resist:

How freaking cute is that? It’s funny too, because dachshunds are notoriously stubborn dogs and prone to having pee pee accidents just to spite owners. The shirt is made by Yellow Hydrant and it’s all cotton, and made in the USA. We got Lola a medium and it fits just perfect!

The store is full of funny t-shirts for doggs with witty sayings, from Desperate Housedog to What Would Scooby Do? If sayings aren’t your dogs style, check out their selection of patterns and prints. We got the most adorable little hoodie for Lola, as shown in the video below. If you need a t-shirt for your dog, be sure to check out the nice people at DoggieTshirts.com! (And check out their buy 3 get 1 free special!)

Did you ever spend money like crazy to make yourself feel better, and then regret it later on?

I think that’s what Britney Spears is doing right about now. The crazy marriage to a loser and popping out 2 kids in two years and the meltdown and being barefoot in bathrooms and shaving her head - well, it just wasn’t enough for Britney. She just bought the former home of Ray Liotta (love him!) for $8 million dollars. Apparently, Britney isn’t too worried about being sued for alimony by KFed.

When I arrived at my hotel in Pittsburgh last week, and unpacked, I noticed that I had sustained a casualty on the trip. My faithful Revlon flat iron had cracked and broken in 2, making it inoperable. We had shared so many good times and good hair days together.

I went to Target when I returned home and bought this new flat iron, by Conair. It’s called the Conair Dry N’ Straight Wet-to-Dry.

I thought it would be good for those mornings when my hair isn’t as dry as I’d like, since you can use it with wet hair. It also has a swivel cord and heats up fast. So far, I wish I still had my old Revlon flat iron! The Conair model is much lighter, which for some may be a plus, but I liked the heft of my old flat iron, and it seemed to weight my hair down better when I pulled it through. I also liked the little comb attached to the side of my old flat iron. My hair is VERY thick and it helped to pull my hair straight. The Conair version has small ridges on one of the plates to do the same thing, but it doesn’t work anywhere as well as the comb did.

I’m going to keep an eye out on eBay for my old flat iron - yes, I’m that desperate!