Tuesday Sales

Restaurant.com - Use the coupon code HUNGRY to get 70% off. This is good through tomorrow.
Pier 1 - Is having a creature's comfort sale. Up to 25% off selected items that I'm guessing are comfortable in someway?
Bath and Body Works - Free tote with any $25 purchase, use the code: LOVETOTE, while supplies last (online only). There's also free shipping on orders of $50 or more and 3 wick candles are 2 for $20. Pocket hand sanitizers are 5 for $5.
Banana Republic - Today is the last day to save 30% with the code SAVEBIG at Banana Republic, Gap, or Old Navy. And you get free shipping with $100 or more. The cool thing about their site is that you can shop at all three at once, and pay one shipping price. So I'm guessing you can shop at all three stores to get to $100 and get free shipping faster that way. You also get 10% off every Tuesday if you have one of their store cards with the code TUESDAYS.
J Crew - Free shipping on orders of $100 or more with the code AUTUMN.
Macy's - Has too many sales right now to even list. Just click here.
Sak's 5th Avenue - Use the code COLOR2 to get a free gift tote with any beauty purchase of $100. For free shipping at $200 use the code SFASHIP.
H&M - is celebrating 10 years of being in the US. There's a huge sale in store where many items are $10 off.
The Children's Place - Save 20% with the coupon code OCTOBER10A
Express - Is having their Fall sale right now plus BOGO Jeans and you get an extra 50 points on your card if you buy a sweater.
Nordstrom's - Use the coupon code SHOES to get free shipping with any shoe purchase.

Sales for Monday & the best place for sales and coupons

I'm thinking that maybe every Monday I'll post about the sales going on, unless something is extraordinarily amazing and needs to be posted about another time.

First up, though, I wanted to share with you my favorite places for coupons, coupon codes, and sales:

Mommy Saves Big - Now, I'm not a mommy, but I think we all save big with this one. These are printable coupons sectioned off by category. All stores are listed alphabetically and you can see all the coupons that are currently valid, and some that are expired too.

Retail Me Not - This website generally has coupon codes with a helpful status bar that tells you whether the code is reliable or not. Sometimes they have printable coupons as well.

Sale.com - This website compiles all the sales online (and in store) and tells you what's going on. My sales I posted are generally ones that I get newsletters about and will be pretty repetitive after awhile, but this website has EVERYTHING.

JCrew- 20% off all women's pants with free shipping for orders over $100 with the coupon code SHIP100. 3 days only
Bloomingdales - is having an online only sale of 20-40% off select items.
Macy's - Is still having their home sale but with an extra 20% off of Calphalon cookware. Free shipping after $99 if you buy Calphalon with the code CHEFFAVS. And If you buy $150 of bedding or bath stuff you get free shipping with the code DESIGN.
Bath and Body Works - As usual is having sales. Same signature collection sale, plus 2 for $10 4oz candles and $6 Shea hand cream. Same shipping deal as well.
Banana Republic - Not only did Banana's fall sale just start, but this week they're celebrating their online anniversary. So they're having a special online sale 30% off men's suits and $98 women's dresses until 10/3. Free shipping when you spend $100 with the code BRFREE100. They also say to come back tomorrow for another birthday treat.
Crate and Barrel - In addition to their Fall upholstery sale, CB also has Mario Batali's enamel cast iron cookware set on sale for up to 15% off. There is also a cutlery sale, up to 30% off.
Sears - is having a sale (an extra 5-15% off) of Craftsman tools plus free shipping with the code ShipVantage. The great thing about Craftsman is the lifetime warranty on everything you buy (my dad really takes advantage of this and gets replacements and repairs for nothing). There's also a sale on clothes and Halloween costumes and decorations. I've also heard that in some areas, in store, there are huge sales going on for home appliances that have been discontinued.

Some sales!

*Crate and Barrel is having a Fall Upholstery sale through October 11th where you can get either 15% or 25% off.
*Express is having a BoGo 50% off sale for women's bottoms and shirts, men's shirts, and jewelry. I think even their coats are on sake too.
*Restoration Hardware is having a Pre Season Sale.
*Pottery Barn is having a home office sale, everything is 20% off through September 15th.
*There are so many sales at Bath and Body Works I may miss some, $6 Wallflowers, 2 for $10 candles, Buy 3 get 2 free or buy 2 get 1 free Signature collection, $3 shipping on all orders over $50, and select items are 50% off.
*J Crew has $10 off of some of their pants. Plus with the code SHIP100 you get free shipping on orders over $100. And in store you always get 10% off with your student ID.
*Macy's has free shipping when you buy home products and spend $75 with the code TAKEHOME. This offer is good through September 16th.
*Sak's 5th Avenue has free shipping on orders of $150 or more with the code SEPSHIP10.
*Overstock.com is having a 48 hour sale on all kinds of good things (you may have to click that link since it's an Omail exclusive. And you may get free shipping as well).

Huge Sales for the Home all Over!

I've gotten a few emails lately about some really huge sales going on right now. Figured I'd let you know about them!

*Crate and Barrel just put tons of things that were already on sale on even further clearance.
*Today is the last day Macy's is having a home goods sale. The more you spend the more you save.
*Bath and Body Works is having their sale on Soap and Anti-bacterial products as well as a sale on Wallflowers. Plus if you shop online orders of $40 or more will ship for $1.
*Pottery Barn is having a sale on bedding right now,
*Layla Grace is having a Wedding Boutique sale right now. Enter the code WEDDING2010 and you'll get 15% off the items. Secret though, a lot of these products aren't necessarily that "wedding" themed. There's furniture, kitchen stuff, and more.

Macy's & JCrew Sale

At Macy's use this code to get 25% off and Free shipping through May 3rd: MACYSFRIEND

At JCrew use this code to get 20% on all sale items, plus free shipping on orders $150 or more through April 30th: EXTRA20

Here's a few cute things I saw on their website:

For her:


For him:


For little girls:


(I really wish they made this for adults, I want one.)

Top 5s of Partying and Entertaining - Entry #1

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book High Fidelity? The main character Rob, your typical 30something man child, constantly makes up Top 5 lists. Top 5 favorite movies, Top 5 Favorite albums, and so on. Now if Rob were a 30something woman, his top 5 lists would be probably consist of something else which got me thinking about some Top 5 lists I could make up for an entry. I've been asking people for ideas on entry topics and an overwhelming majority of my friends have talked about entertaining for cheap. So in the spirit of High Fidelity, I decided that I'd start a series of Top 5 entries about Entertaining.

We'll start with the basics and work our way up as we go along...

5 Food Related Things You need to own:

1. Tri bowl - I registered for this serving dish when we were getting married and have since bought it for 2 other couples who gush over its versatility. Guacamole, sour cream, mini pretzel sticks. Strawberries, grapes, cherries. Honey roasted nuts, M&Ms, Swedish Fish. Baby carrots, tomatoes, celery. Spinach dip, onion dish, salsa. Ok, I could keep going, but you get the idea. This dish comes out for every party and holiday in my home. And the best part, 3 dishes in one means less clutter and less cleaning up.

From Crate and Barrel

2. Chip dip bowl - This is a staple dating back to our parent's generation. Much like the commercial floating around TV right now, I think my mother has 3-5 of them. But as much of a joke as they have become, this is another versatile dish that leads to less clutter and less clean up. Especially if you have boys or children coming, this is a must. And if you look hard enough, you can always find something cute and different so you don't get stuck with your mother's extras.

From Bed Bath and Beyond - $19.99

3. Appetizer Plates - Every time I have a party my mother buys me paper plates, plastic cups, and fancy napkins telling me that it'll lessen my cleanup. Fancy napkins are thick and double as appetizer plates! No they don't. And paper and plastic anything is reserved for a picnic. That being said, appetizer plates are a must. If you're worried about having one more set of dishes to do, think of it this way. They're small (so they can go in the top shelf of your dish washer) and if you don't have a dishwasher, they probably won't get that dirty so cleaning them won't give your arm that much of a workout. PS. Mom, I'll take fancy napkins any day. I have a collection growing that I pull out when I need extra decor for my design theme.

From Crate and Barrel - Set of 12 - $22.95

4. Cocktail Shaker - No longer for James Bond or your grandmother's cocktail party, a shaker is another must! Sure, most people will probably just want beer. But if you invent a signature drink for each party you'll score creativity points.

From Macy's - $14.99

5. Place mats - I know this is a given, but I use them all over my apartment, not just on the dining room table. When you have people over (especially if people plan to get drunk or there are children or elderly or clumsy or anyone in my family around) things get spilled. And usually it's red wine. I put them down wherever I have food. If they all match then it adds continuity to your party decor. If they don't, as long as they match the room they're placed in and they are not plastic or paper you're good to go. Added bonus: on certain key furniture I leave them out all the time to prevent my rambunctious cats from destroying everything I own with their claws.

From Bed Bath and Beyond - $2.99 each

5 Things to Never forget:

1. Ice - You don't always have to buy ice, depending on the size of your party, but at least make sure your ice cube trays are filled and ready to go. We never use ice on a regular basis, and I can't tell you how many times someone has brought something and wanted ice at a party only to discover that we have none. Worst party hosts ever? Yes, only until I shove my delicious food down their throats and they forgive me.

2. Alcohol - A party without alcohol? This is sacrileges! However, even at a BYOB party, you need to at least buy something. Just because people will usually bring their favorite thing to drink, does not mean you should not have supplements. You should at least start out with a case of beer, one bottle of red wine, one of white, and your crowds favorite liquor. In college we drank Goldschläger and Jägermeister. Now, I always make sure there is a bottle of Captain Morgan, Butterscotch liquor, vodka, and Bailey's around.

3. Toothpicks - If you're serving appetizers or people are eating, why would you not have these around?

4. Club Soda - See #5 of previous list. When things spill, you must be prepared. Plus people can actually drink it too.

5. Introducing people - This is perhaps the trickiest part of being a hostess, but if you have a party where people do not know each other it's rude not to do so. Sometimes it's as simple as "Joe, meet Bob." And sometimes people like to take it one step up, "Joe, meet Bob, he's a musician. Bob, Joe is an artist. You both enjoy Quentin Tarantino films." I generally go around and say names, and then if someone looks lonely I'll drag them into my conversation or pull people into a group if I think they'll have input on the topic or get along. There's really no wrong way to introduce people, as long as you do it and don't walk away leaving anyone stranded.

5 Things that are essential to a successful party

1. A theme - This helps to keep you organized. It doesn't need to be an obvious theme like "Hawaiian Luau" or "Tea time in the Queens Court," anything will do. Let's say the theme is green (the color, not the lifestyle). Now you know what napkins to pull out, candles to light, table cloth to use. White matches, so you can use your white plates. Blue also matches, so you can use those two blue serving dishes you own. Build from there. If you want to be more specific, you could build it around an appetizer party. Have people dress up in cocktail attire, make 10 different finger food appetizers, play some upbeat jazz music, and drink martini's. When you have a starter idea (no matter how big or how small), you give yourself direction and it gives your party a more cohesive and organized feel.

2. Ipod - What is a party without the right music? My father is a musician, so is my husband, my brother, my grandmother, myself, and about 10 of our closest friends. There's a lot of music snobs and I make a mix for each occasion, put it on my Ipod, and let it do it's thing. 6 hours of uninterupted music just means one less thing to worry about. And honestly, there's nothing worse than being mid-conversation and having to run to the CD player to change to the next CD.

3. Food that creates flow - Really this is more about food placement. When you have a small apartment, or not a lot of furniture for people to sit in, you need to create movement so you don't have everyone crowding around one table fighting for the food. I like to place food around my living room, kitchen, and dining room to encourage people to walk around the apartment and check out the different scenery and guests. (This is where those place mats come in handy!)

4. A guest list - No, I don't mean a NYC club complete with scary big bouncer guest list. I mean actually think about who you are inviting to this party. Not only do you not want to forget anyone, but sometimes you probably shouldn't invite people. Think the drama the comes around when two ex's are in the same room; or some parties are totally appropriate to invite every single person you know (BBQ, surprise birthday party, etc.) but other parties you may not want to invite your mom to (Anything but clothes, Sex Toys). Be aware of the kind of people there who will be mixing together, and what each group would like. It makes for more friendly interactions and less awkwardness later on.

5. Clean up before, during, and after - I know this negates a lot of the "entertain simply" rules, but people forget how easy it is to clean.
*Step 1. "Husband, I cooked for 6 hours, can you please sweep/vacuum/pick up the clutter and throw it in our laundry basket. Thanks!" Maybe I'm idealistic because Nick is such a huge help around the house, but I honestly believe that men should be helping with things and not sitting in front of a TV all day. Equal work for equal pay. They want to eat and drink and have a good time, they can do the bare minimum clean up before we start.
*Step 2. As you circulate, if you see something like an empty cup or play or dirty napkin, just pick it up! Leisurely (ie. talk, socialize, etc.) make your way to the kitchen and dispose properly. Rejoin the party. No one said you need to clean the whole time, but doing little things like that when it comes to mind will make your clean up later easier and sometimes if people see you cleaning they may suggest they help. When that happens, I send that guest home with extra leftovers.


By the way, almost all of these points are going to have their own more detailed blog entry. So if you felt jipped, there will be more!