On Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January 29, San Antonio’s beautiful Riverwalk will be the backdrop for the first ever San Antonio Cocktail Conference!

Over the course of four days, local residents and visitors will have the opportunity to:

• Partake in 27 classes
• Meet with 31 different presenters
• Attend 5 fabulous soirees (visit different cocktail tasting stations, enjoy Riverwalk boat shuttles from one venue to the next)
• Enter in one Original Cocktail Competition
• And say salutations during one Yoga for bartenders class

Stemming from Chef Mark Bohanan, the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed downtown steakhouse Bohanan’s, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference will feature educational seminars, classes, tastings, and more with experts travelling in from across the US and Australia!

Website: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com

Become a Fan: https://www.facebook.com/SACocktailConference

Twitter: @SACocktailConf

BUY TICKETS! Schedule: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com/schedule

Tasting Schedule: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com/schedule/tastings (view the list, tastings are from 10:30am – 4:30pm on Friday and Saturday)

Don’t feel like heading downtown for a cocktail party? Would you do it for a good cause? The San Antonio Cocktail Conference is benefiting
HeartGift, a group of medical professionals and volunteers who give their resources (surgical skills, home, hours) so that children can have access to lifesaving surgery to repair their congenital heart defects:

• 93% of world’s population doesn’t have access to pediatric cardiac surgery
• Surgeons and physicians donate their services, for treatments normally costing $165,000
• Average total expense for each HeartGift patient (includes travel and medical care) is $24,000
• $8.5 million worth of medical care donated to date
• 130 children from 22 countries have benefitted from HeartGift services

Website: http://www.heartgift.org

Become a Fan: https://www.facebook.com/HeartGift

Twitter: @HeartGiftNews

From an interview with Chef Mark Bohanan:

The Cocktail Conference is a four-day event that is modeled after the wildly successful Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail Event, both of which draw more than 20,000 people…

…Classes will include topics such as ice making, crafting perfect cocktails for home entertaining, an introduction to gin cocktails and many more…

…There will also be a contest with celebrity judges, tastings, seminars and other special events designed to combine cocktail culture education with good old-fashioned fun…

…I want people to come downtown and see why it is the pulse of San Antonio. I want to remind locals of what is available to them right in their own backyards, as well as show tourists why San Antonio is a major destination for both the leisure and business traveler.

Related posts:

1. Le Midi | San Antonio, TX
2. Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar | San Antonio, TX
3. Max’s Wine Dive | San Antonio, TX

On a day off, a friend and I went to the Santikos Palladium to watch the second Sherlock Holmes movie. While were debating which show to see, we noticed that “D-box” seats were available for purchase.

Right now Santikos Theatres have D-box seats in three San Antonio locations and 1 Houston location:

San Antonio Silverado - $17.50
11505 W Loop 1604 N, San Antonio, TX 78250
Map & Directions

Houston Silverado 19 IMAX - $17.75
24720 State Hwy 249, Tomball, TX 77375
Map & Directions

San Antonio Palladium IMAX - $18.00
17703 W IH-10, San Antonio, TX 78257
Map & Directions

San Antonio Mayan 14 - $16.00
1918 SW Military Dr., San Antonio, TX 78221
Map & Directions

You’ll know which movie has DBOX seating option in the showtimes section.

By clicking on the movie time (NOT movie name) you’ll be taken to another site to purchase the tickets online with a credit card.

During the online ticket checkout, we were able to select our own seats or best available.

Selecting your own seats shows how many seats are still free and which ones are not.

FAVORITE SEATS: WE got F5 and F4 which had a bar in front of us to rest our feet on but did not obstruct the view in any way.

*NOTE: If you do not purchase a ticket don’t think you can catch a free ride in an unoccupied seat. The seats that were not purchased before the movie sat as still as the old fashioned kind. No ticket, no ride!

Once we got to the Palladium we were able to swipe our card at the self-service kiosk (HINT!! There’s one inside the building by customer service that NEVER has a line…compared to the three outside the box office that are always 3 deep…each.)

Then we made it to our seats after stopping for some light, yet incredibly expensive, concession stand snacks.

Actual Review and Thoughts

Once we got into the movie theater, we noticed right away how room and what a great view we had from our seats. In the first two rows of the elevated section, we found our seats and waited to have our worlds rocked. Reviews that I found said that even the previews came to life but none of the trailers we watched were synced with our chairs. A little bored and very curious we played with the buttons underneath the right side arm rest. I believe there were 4 or 5 levels of intensity that were customizable per chair. You even had the option to turn it completely off. Once the movie got going I didn’t remember to play with these.

Types of scenes that were animated:

• Bumping along a road in a car
• Scenic pans of train traveling scenes, as the camera rounded the bend, so did our chair, very subtly, probably the most welcome animation to me, my friend thought it was cheesy.
• Explosion scenes – no surprises here, whenever something exploded on screen our chairs reiterated each crash and fire
• Peering over something – there was a scene in Sherlock Holmes where we were leaned forward a bit in the chair

The chair completely movies, not just the back vibrating, physically moving. We were concerned about our drinks spilling around but it was never that drastic, especially after we had taken some quick gulps during the previews.

Would I do it again? Not for $18! BUT I have had other movie going friends who insist that it is the only way to experience a movie. I found it a little distracting, that instead of just getting caught up in the movie, I was paying attention to the movement of my chair. I think some movements were more subtle than others and I noticed it less…I would’ve preferred movie watching the old fashion way. That said…a scary movie would probably be 100 times more intense (to levels I’m not willing to experience.) I think anyone who considers them self a movie enthusiast should definitely give it a try.

During one review, a whopping 92% (or close to that number) of a test group surveyed responded favorably to the D-Box…so you don’t have to take my word for it.

Additional review from the SA Current here.

Become a fan on Facebook and tweet your opinions to @dboxTech!

Pictures taken from the Santikos Palladium theatre in San Antonio, TX.

So, a couple days before we saw this movie we saw this demo as we were leaving the movie theatre and I hurried us along, saying we didn’t need to sit in the seats. Had we, we would have experienced DBOX first hand without having to risk not liking the experience for an entire movie.

No related posts.

Is your New Year’s resolution to see the world? Are you obsessed with daily deal sites? In no particular order are 15 daily deal travel websites! Many are invitation only…fear not, I have an invite for you! Click on the image or link in the “About” section. About half are dedicated to just traveling deals (including packages, hotels, airfare, etc.) while others are subsets of larger daily deal sites. Definitely keep an eye out on your favorites!

Sign up and become a member of the sites today! I bookmark them all and open all the sites in the same browser window at the same time. I can quickly scan each site’s page for the latest and great deals. Many sites offer significant savings and packages. Always look at the company’s website to make sure you’re getting the best deals possible!!

P.S. And once you know where you’re headed, sign up for all the local daily deals for that city so you can be armed with Groupons once you arrive at your final destination!

P.P.S I have included the Twitter and Facebook pages…you’ll want to start following them to get additional deals and offers made only to those loyal fans!

Travel Deal Site	About	Twitter	Facebook
	Subscribe for email alerts for the cities you’re travelling to!	@amazonlocal	Become a Fan
	From the people that brought you Groupon local deals, tons of great travel deals, some lasting 24 hours, some for a couple of days!	@GrouponGetaways	None
	Living Social Escapes	@LivingSocialESC	Become a Fan
	Division of the Eversave deal site offering travel and getaway deals! Click on the “Travel Saves” link.	@TravelSaves	Become a Fan
	Click on the “Destinations” tab for additional travel deals!	@kgbdeals_usa	Become a Fan
	In addition to local daily deals, Urban Dealight also offers “Departures” for travel deals!	@urbandealight	Become a Fan
	Check out Jet Setter and check out their flash sales for your dream destination!	@jetsetterdotcom	Become a Fan
	In addition to all the sales at Haute Look, click on the Getaways tab for fabulous vacations!	@hautelook	Become a Fan
	Rue La La also offers “Travel” offers, destination packages, and hotel deals!	@RueLaLa	Become a Fan
	Another private sale site dedicated to travel deals, Snique Away rocks (and looks great too!)	@sniqueAway	Become a Fan
	Another private sale site, use this link to sign up for fabulous travel experiences.	@tabletHotels	Become a Fan
	Trip Alertz offers beautiful destination packages! Sign up and find your dream vacay!	@tripAlertz	Become a Fan
	Vacationist is a partnership if Luxury Link and Travel & Leisure to offer deeply discount trips people actually want to take!	@goVacationist	Become a Fan
	Voyage Prive is another private membership site that you can sign up for with the link!	@VoyagePriveUS	Become a Fan
	Ideeli has their own Travel section where you can check out some more great deals!	@ideeli	Become a Fan

Related posts:

1. San Antonio Daily Deals
2. Eversave San Antonio

For an entire week, I had the luxury of driving around a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, courtesy of Chevrolet’s Driving in the Heartland team, dedicated to the heartland of America! You can check out their website or follow their tweets, @ChevyTexan, for their latest adventures, offers, fantastic finds, and more.

As a savvy deal finder, I definitely wanted Chevrolet to get their money’s worth, I tweeted #chevyhaul like crazy and during Black Friday I managed to make it to 20 different stores, starting at midnight with my friend and fellow blogger Gita of the uber-fashion blog, Mimi and Chichi.

Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips

In preparation of Black Friday 2012, here are 10 things that every savvy Chevy Haul shopper should know:

1 – Do the math! It is very easy to think you’re getting a good deal on Black Friday. You wait the entire year for sales like these. The only day of the year Apple deems worthy of offering a discount…but to feel good at the end of the day, make sure you’re getting a good deal on quality items!

Walmart was offering an Emerson 32? 720p LCD TV for $188 but who could beat the quality and discounts offered by Best Buy’s Sharp 42” 1080p LCD HDTV for ONLY $199.99. Plus, with the Walmart horror stories on the news and talking with other shoppers in line, I doubt I’ll ever  visit Wallyworld on Black Friday.

2 – Map it out! With many stores opening at midnight (and some even opening on Thanksgiving day — too early if you ask me…) you’ll not only want to make sure you understand where you’re headed but WHEN you need to head there. Before I hit the road in my Chevy Equinox, I made a list of all the stores that opened early, in the order they opened here. There tends to be a gap between the stores that opened at midnight, and the next round that opens at 4-5am…this will keep you busy.

*Another thing to consider, visit stores more out of the way. Although the drive might be longer, the wait will be shorter and more variety will be left untangled. Especially for high demand items, go the extra 20 miles to a remote location that you know won’t be as hectic!

**Many stores open earlier but end the incredible sales before 11am or noon. Get there early if you want to get the best deals!

Click on the Foursquare image below to see the stores that I stopped at and the deals at the time.

3 – Bring a snack! If you’re always snacking like my friend Gita and I you’ll want to bring some holiday leftovers (brusselsprouts and cookies) as well as some water and energy drinks. At every store we visited, people were complaining of hunger pains, impatiently waiting for the food courts and other restaurants to open. Crabby people make impatient shoppers who are more willing to just buy things they don’t want. Give your wallet a fair chance.

4 – Leave the kids at home! We were waiting in line at Old Navy, for 30 minutes outside (so many people showed up for the free digital camera, fire hazards limited the number of shoppers allowed in at one time…) and it was fairly cold for us Texans. In front and behind us were were sobbing toddlers, begging to go home. Finally, seconds before being let into the store, the mothers staggered off with their children. MAKE CHILDCARE ARRANGEMENTS! There are a lot of children friendly daycares, gyms, and play places that offer moms and dads Black Friday shopping drop offs, starting early in the morning until the afternoon.

*With the new midnight shopping time, I also noticed a LOT of tweens running loose at the mall. Apparently their parents dropped them off with friends, while waiting for their stores to open, you could see some inappropriate makeout sessions going on. PARENTS – shopping is not the only thing that goes on at the maul…I mean mall.

5 – Go big or go home! Some of the best deals that I saw being offered were in department stores! For all your houseware needs, Macy’s and Sear’s were the way to go!

• KitchenAid Pro 500 Series Mixer for $199.99 at Sears
• Macy’s offered 20% off additional Black Friday sale prices! Gita got amazing sheets, retailed at $600 for less than $250!

6 – Fight the Crowds! With the explosion of online Black Friday sales, who in their right mind would consider fighting the crowds when all of your shopping can be done from the comfort of your own home? I’ll give you one reason why. Every year, without fail, there are significant online outages or slowdowns because of the crazy amounts of traffic generated from the 20 million other people who want to shop from the comfort of their own homes.

I remember one year I spent 3 hours painfully fighting Kohls website, adding things to the shopping cart, trying to checkout with them, being told they were sold out or having my cart emptied prematurely. In 2.5 hours I probably could have fought the masses, tried on clothes, AND checked out! Never again!

7 – Keep it social! Above was a list of all my foursqaure check ins. Make sure you take advantage of all the social and in-store promotions being offered! Many Foursquare venues offered additional discounts to shoppers. At Old Navy, Gita won an additional coupon for being the first to bring up a nail file during a contest. Many retailers on Twitter offered their followers Twitter only coupons AND additional #hashtag contests. With everyone else busy shopping, the chances of your winning is increased greatly!

8 – Chevy-sized vehicle for haul! This year I was blessed to have a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox to haul around all our deals! Buy a new car, borrow a friends, clean out your trunk before hitting the road!

Our Equinox offered:

• great gas mileage so we could go the distance
• plenty of storage space for our shopping haul
• comfy seats when we needed to give our feet a rest
• hiding places so we didn’t get mugged (always be wary of your surroundings, don’t be sitting ducks…)

9 – Additional tips and tricks! Here are some more helpful tips and tricks for making the most out of Black Friday:

• Sign up for email alerts from your favorite stores ahead of time
• Buy the newspaper on Thanksgiving for printed coupons and tons of store ads (nice consolidated view for the last minute shopper)
• Download a Black Friday mobile app like BF Ads that gets updated with new ads all the time, is easy to use, and works without an internet connection (mall 3g can be shady)
• Shop the off hours! Old Navy was CRAZY and had a long line at midnight, but everywhere else we visited between 2am to 7am had virtually no lines! Traffic starts to pick back up around 7am…
• Make sure you get a place in line. If you’re battling it out for the best Best Buy offer, get there early and get the ticket. Ask for one. You need proof you were there at 24 hours before midnight and not some random person who waltzed up when the clock struck 12.

Driving in the Heartland invited me to:

So, what better way to ease some of that holiday shopping stress than by taking a brand new Chevy for a spin to get all of your shopping done in comfort and style? This year, Chevrolet will be giving five fabulous bloggers a Chevy vehicle to drive while they take on their holiday shopping throughout the Heartland. Three bloggers from Texas and two bloggers from St. Louis, Missouri, will be riding comfortably in Chevy cars and crossovers in the next few weeks, and you can follow along as they navigate the madness on Twitter using the hashtag #ChevyHaul.

Check out all the details here.

Related posts:

1. 2011 Black Friday Store Hours
2. Black Friday 2011 Deals
3. Eversave San Antonio

When Beth, of Tip Toe Photography, offered me a complementary mini-session (also look at her “belly to baby” and “baby’s first year” packages as well as different sessions) I knew that I would get some amazing pictures of my daughter. Little did I know though HOW absolutely fantastic they would be. With an artistic eye and quick trigger finger, she snapped up 15 of the best pictures of Jaden (and with some convincing a couple of Jaden with me). To be honest I had a couple tears in my eyes when she posted the pictures that night. They all looked very natural (even though Jaden doesn’t normally feel at ease in front of the camera.)

Website:
http://www.tiptoephotography.net

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TipToePhotography

In a remote field, just outside of Boerne, with a SUV parked nearby that she transported her beautiful suede couch in, Beth captured the moments I knew existed but I never had been able to catch before. (Another plus, she delivered them without any prompting from me! She just knew!)

When I received the cd with all the pictures, it came in an adorable cd sleeve with detailed printing recommendations (see her interview below for more details!) If I haven’t convinced you to give Beth a call to book your session immediately, her interview responses will! She talks about what led her start the business she passionately loves, suggestions for keeping photo sessions natural, best outfits to wear for sessions, and much more.

Beth is very laid back, your entire family will feel at ease as she patiently the moments you’ll want to remember and cherish for forever. As someone who had never hired a professional photography, I never realized how much of a good investment you are making.

Check out her beautiful portfolios of children, families, maternity, and newborns to see the different techniques and styles she leverages during her sessions. LOVE them all!

*Click on any of the images for more detailed, related information.

Beth pictured below with her two precious babies:

From her blog, she immediately posted sessions the day of with a couple more pictures to follow the next day of our mini session.

Did you grow up wanting to be a photographer? What did you originally want to do?

When I was younger, I don’t think I ever really knew what I wanted to be. I’ve always loved photography, to be honest, but never thought about making it into a career. I went to college and got my degree in business and then went to culinary school where I became a pastry chef. But then I realized I only really enjoyed baking for my family and friends, so I never made a career out of it. It was only after my daughter was born that I realized how much I truly loved photography and set out to learn as much as possible.

What is some “standard” advice you give people before to prepare for their first session?

Advice I give before their first session is mostly related to clothing! Nothing matchy-matchy because not many people look back on pictures where they’re all wearing the same thing and are thrilled with them. My photography is all about a family being themselves, so I don’t want anything too manicured, too perfect. I want to take the pictures that you look back on and remember just being yourself with the ones you love, so don’t worry if your baby has her hand in her mouth all the time because she’s teething or your toddler is running around crazy while I’m trying to take pictures – those are the memories you’ll want in ten years.

What do you think about as your photographing your clients?

As I’m photographing, I’m mostly just thinking about technical aspects of pictures. I keep reassuring people to just be themselves and don’t worry about the rest, that’s my job!

It must help to have a supportive husband! Does he enjoy being a model?

My husband is definitely not a model for me, lol. He much prefers being behind the camera with me to grab the attention of our less-than-cooperative children while I take their pictures. He’s a wonderful support system and I would never have come so far without him. He is my best friend and my biggest fan.

What outfits photograph the best?

Outfits that photograph the best definitely depend on the person wearing them. It’s completely case-by-case. If you’re a mom to a one week old and we’re doing the newborn session, I always recommend you don’t dress up in a fancy dress and put on all of your make up – there’s nothing less realistic than a well-rested new mom, lol. For newborn parents, I always strive to have them wear something very simple and comfortable – plain black or white shirts that will leave the focus on baby. For families, something coordinated but not matching. In this time of year, navy, maroon, browns and creams all go together well. Or you could change it up and go all bright, retro colors like oranges and teals. Yellow and gray is an awesome combo right now (and what we did when we had our family pictures taken in the spring!). Some people like to get dressed up for pictures, others like to wear something similar to their every day garb – it’s all about how YOU feel comfortable and how you want to remember yourself in pictures. Of course, letting your 3 year old pick out his or her own outfit is always fun and exciting too )

Thanks to the information you provided with our photo cd, I now understand that not all print developers were created equally. What are some of your favorites?

For clients, I usually recommend mpix for printing. The quality is not going to be quite the same as prints that I do for clients, but they are still good and reasonably priced. Never, ever use your drugstore or grocery store. All printers are NOT created equal.

With the holidays coming up, do you offer any personalized gifts for purchase with the sessions. Do you have any suggestions or favorites?

With the holidays, lots of people love giving mini accordion albums. They’re 3×3 albums that fold accordion style and have between 7 and 10 images in them. They’re adorable and make awesome little gifts for grandparents, aunts and uncles. Of course my absolutely favorite idea for gifts is the Organic Bloom frames that I sell. These frames are completely awesome and make a real statement. Then there’s always the classic gallery wrapped canvas, one of my other favorites )

Some Tip Toe Photography products:

Gallery Wrap Canvas
are
dramatic, with the image printed onto a piece of canvas and then stretched over a 1.5? thick wooden frame:

Check out 28 variations/examples of the Mini Accordion Albums:

Example of the Organic Bloom frames and the incredible customizations included:

Related posts:

1. 2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio

Although the “12 Days of Christmas” normally occurs the day after Christmas, December 26 leading to the Feast of Epiphany, on the twelfth day, on January 6, the following retailers and talk show hosts are offering 12 days of giveaways, discounts, and prizes to get you in the holiday spirit!

Check back daily from now until the 12 of December (depending on the website…) and take advantage of their that day only sale or surprise. Enter to win giveaways or use special coupon codes! Online only.

FOODIES

Godiva

Starbucks 12 festive holiday gifts

RETAILERS

Dell

Netted

CELEBRITY GIVEAWAYS

Ellen Show Tune in to see these fantastic prizes and watch all show long to see the names of the 25 lucky winners.

Oprah Twelve lucky readers will win the Favorite Things chosen by Oprah

TRAVEL

Norwegian Cruise Line

Thai Airways 12 days special fares

Related posts:

1. 2011 President’s Day Sales and Coupons

For people living in Sam Antonio or just visiting, the winter holidays are one of the best times of years. One family tradition we have enjoyed for the past two years is provided by the Westin La Cantera. This luxurious resort paints a beautifully festive backdrop to kick off the yuletide season with plenty for families, couples, and friends to do.

During a complimentary “mommy bloggers” preview, my daughter and I, her best friend’s family, and a couple other families were able to see firsthand all the excitement and Christmas spirit the Westin is returning to the Hill Country.

When: Nov. 18th through Jan. 8

Where: Westin La Cantera | 16641 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256

Phone: (210) 558-6500

Website: http://www.westinlacantera.com/holidays.html

The fun kicks off with Frost – imagine be able to skate outside on a 1,200-square-foot synthetic outdoor iceless skating rink, whether it’s in the 20s or 80s!

This activity is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost is $10 for 45 minutes of skating and skate rental.

*A portion of the proceeds will go to the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc.

**Guests who skate will instantly be included in a prize drawing. The grand prize includes: a 2-night stay, daily breakfast for two at Brannon’s Café and a personalized memento from Spurs legend George “Iceman” Gervin

Santa’s Workshop

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

Drop by Santa’s Workshop where guests or locals can take a photo with Santa, make a holiday toy or decorate cookies with the elves.   A portion of the proceeds will go to a local charity.

Legendary Holidays

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

The resort’s 13th annual Legendary Holidays program is sure to dazzle kids of every age. This one-hour resort tradition takes place daily at 5 p.m. Guests are guided around the property by the popular storyteller, Bandera Cowboy ‘Makin’ Dust’, who sings and tells holiday stories.

The program concludes with ‘snow’ magically falling from the sky as the choir begins to sing a holiday song at the top of Plaza San Saba.

Holiday Menu and Cocktails

Celebrate the season with culinary delights, including a special Thanksgiving Day Brunch as well as delectable Christmas and New Year’s Eve menu selections.

The Magik Theatre

San Antonio’s local children theater presents a holiday comedy “The Pirate’s Holiday”!

Cost is $5.00 for adults; children under 3 are free.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. The kids (ages from 3-8) and the adults (slightly older) in our group all laughed throughout the show, everyone having a TON of fun!

• December: 12/3, 12/10, 12/16, 12/17, 12/19 through 12/23
• December: Special show times on 12/17 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• Arrive 30 minutes early, seating is limited.
• The show is 45 minutes long.

Below are some more pictures from our visit!

Related posts:

1. Francesca’s at Sunset | Westin La Cantera
2. 2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio

BlackFriday is in an hour and a half if you are on CST, sorry for the crudeness of the post but I had to get the information to the people!

I couldn’t find these stores’s ads on Wednesday so I went to each one and asked the clerks.

NY and co: additional 10% off between midnight and 8am

gap – same deals as now with additional door busters

Black and White market: 25% off entire store open at 7am, tote with $8 purchase or more

Express: opens midnight. 40% off until noon then 30% off

Guess: 4am opens

8am opens aveda. Gift sets already discounted

8am-noon loft something additionally special

Victoria secret: midnight sales

Forever 21: 6am everything in yellow still on sale. Everything else more down.

Anthropology: 6am-11am 50% sale items. 25% off weekend sale items.

Bebe: 8am 25% off entire store until noon. 40% off select items now.

William Sonoma: 6am Door busters.

Ann Taylor: opens midnight. 50% off

Brooks Brothers: 20% off everything with MasterCard, 15% off with other cards. Til noon. Open at 8am

Coach: 8am nothing special.

BCBG: opens at 7am. Pick 2 items for 50% off. 50% off jackets leather and boots out wear.

Sony opens at 8am

Banana: midnight 40% off entire store

Zara opens at 8, check website for black Friday sales for women, kids, and men’s (just posted)

Limited: opens at 7am

Off Saks 5th: 6am 30% store wide. 40% clearance

Related posts:

1. 2011 Black Friday Store Hours
2. 2011 President’s Day Sales and Coupons
3. 2011 Back to School Coupons

Does anyone here like to win free stuff?! (I know I do!!)

Thanks to Eversave San Antonio, one of my fabulous readers is going to walk away with a gift certificate to Dallia’s Hair and Nail Studio ($55 value!!)

Multiple Ways to Enter and Win:

• Simply leave a comment at the end of this blog post on which local San Antonio restaurant or retailer you’d like to see featured on Eversave next!
• Tweet:  I want to win an @EversaveSAT deal on @geekettebits.com! Pls RT! http://bit.ly/tsnVtW #gbcontest
• Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/geekettebits
• Become a Fan on Facebook: http://facebook.com/geekettebitsfan
• Tag “Geekette Bits” in a wall post on Facebook with a link to this blog post!

** All winners must have already signed up for Eversave San Antonio! **

Did you know?? Eversave San Antonio:

• Local deals offered DAILY! National deals offered as well!
• Get $2 off coupon just for signing up today!
• Convince you’re friends to sign up too, you’ll get $10 for EACH friend as soon as they make their first Eversave purchase!

Become a fan on Facebook:

Follow their tweets, @EversaveSAT:

The winner will be selected randomly on Tuesday, November 22! Check back to see if you won!

Related posts:

1. 2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio
2. San Antonio Daily Deals

Don’t forget to check out my 2009 Black Friday post and my 2010 Black Friday posts for my past Black Friday shopping plans and favorite websites. I read through them and both still absolutely apply!

Based on the stores listed by Black Friday 2011, I sorted the stores by open hours (a LOT of stores are opening their doors at midnight this year!!) so that you can strategically forgo sleep and pace yourself like I plan to from midnight to 10am (at which point the major deals are mostly over…)

After spending one year fighting Kohl’s website outages (let’s performance test people!!) I have been paranoid about doing all my shopping online. Where do you plan on shopping?  The list of over 40 stores below link to their Black Friday newspaper ad.

*I’ll update this list the week of Black Friday with more stores and store hours!

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BlackFridayFans

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/BlackFridayFans

iPhone App:
http://www.blackfriday2011.com/app

Related posts:

1. 2011 President’s Day Sales and Coupons
2. 2011 Back to School Coupons