Valentine’s Day Printables

Posted on February 5, 2012 by *Geekette*

If you’re like me and LOVE printables, you enjoy these Valentine’s Day themed ones! I have found over 40 printable valentines for kids and adults, whether you’re handing them out at school or your special someone. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Download pdfs by clicking on printable’s images
Blog images go directly to the “printable”-related blog posts if you want to check out other printables the blogger shared
If it’s not a direct PDF it’s because there were multiple images to download

Don’t forget to check out my blog post on Kid’s Valentine’s Day Websites, Printables, and Crafts!

Printable Valentine’s Day Jokes!

FREE valentine's day printables

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tattered-and-Inked/174217669273613

http://twitter.com/30daysblog

http://facebook.com/30daysblog

Pencil Toppers!

Bag Topper

Cute Gift Labels “Open Me At”

page 1 & page 2

https://www.facebook.com/iheartfaces

http://twitter.com/iheartfaces

Download a zip file full of templates displayed below.

https://twitter.com/#!/amyistheparty

http://www.facebook.com/amylouisecluck

Skip to My Lou

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skip-to-my-Lou/45710348090

http://twitter.com/cindyhopper

http://www.facebook.com/LivingLocurto?sk=app_265208426850693

http://twitter.com/livinglocurto

And cute bag labels here.

http://www.facebook.com/lovevsdesign

http://twitter.com/lovevsdesign

Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips | Chevy Haul

Posted on December 26, 2011 by *Geekette*

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.

10 – Shop with a buddy! Bring a willing and able friend (one who won’t make you feel rushed) to:

Stand in line while your searching for clothes
Run to the car to get coupons or snacks while you’re waiting to check out
Give you a second opinion on impulsive purchases
Let you borrow your phone if yours starts to die
Think of stores you might not have gone to
Keep you safe in numbers!

+1 more – BEST tip of all! I almost didn’t want to share this secret. I’m afraid that once it gets out EVERYONE will take advantage of it. But because I love my readers so much, I will share the best Black Friday shopping tip in the entire world:

This year, on the Wednesday BEFORE Black Friday, at my leisure, I went to several retailers and tried on the clothes that I wanted to buy on Black Friday. Waiting to try on clothes during Black Friday, especially at busy stores like Old Navy, Kohl’s, etc. is adding an additional hour to each store, at least. I tried on all the close that I liked, at my leisure, without them being picked over…and then I *gasp* placed them on layaway. On Black Friday, I waltzed into the store, headed straight to the counter, asked for my clothes, and walked out in about 15 minutes (the time it took to wait in the long line.) I received glares from other shoppers and looks of envy from others.

*There are some risks. Only one store that I went to had better deals the Wednesday before than the Friday of, but it did happen. Also, the people can always accidentally put the clothes back on the shelves (happened once on a non-Black Friday shopping trip…)

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.

Eversave San Antonio

Posted on November 18, 2011 by *Geekette*

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!

2011 Kids Summer Reading Programs

Posted on June 5, 2011 by *Geekette*

Free stuff for reading? Yes please! Check out this list of retailers and local libraries offering incentives for kids to read with their families or on their own this summer! Beat the heat and reap the rewards, literally! In no particular order here are a bunch of great programs!

Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading program encourages kids to read by asking them to download a journal, read 8 books, and then pick a FREE book at the nearest store near you. Now through 9/6/2011!

Downloads:

Borders book store is offering you a free book after the 10^th book read! Now through 9/5/2011! Download the reading form here. You get to pick which 10 and Borders is offering a great selection of freebies to choose from (see complete list of freebies here!)

Even Chuck E Cheese is getting in the spirit by offering this reading calendar in exchange for tokens!! Print our calendar here.

From now until 10/1/2011, you can join the HEB Summer Reading Club and after reading 10 books you’ll get a cool prize!

After printing out the form (download here), mail it in to this address:

H•E•Buddy® 2011 Summer Reading Program,

10530 Sentinel, San Antonio, Texas 78217

Download your summer reading log from Half Price Books here and spend your summer keeping track of all the great books you read! Start turning in completed logs between July 25^th through August 7^th and receive $5 Back to School Bucks reading rewards cards!

Scholastic if also offering freebies in their summer reading program here. Log your minutes to win rewards! This is by far the most modern and technologically filled summer reading program. Your child will sign up for an account where they log the hours they read each day. Meet the reading challenge each week and win FREE downloads and other prizes.

2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio

Posted on April 4, 2011 by *Geekette*

Last year was the first time San Antonio, TX participated in Lemonade Day. While their goal was 1,500 kids participating, San Antonio had 3,300 participants, the most every for an inaugural city! In 2011, their goal is 7,500! On May 1, 2011, any kid (or young at heart) is encouraged to not only open a lemonade stand but pick up the FREE backpack ahead of time. It includes information for kids and parents about planning and becoming a young entrepreneur.

The City of San Antonio passed a health ordinance on March 3rd waiving the temporary food establishment permit requirement for children and youth participating on May 1^st!

Website:
http://sanantonio.lemonadeday.org/

2010 Lemonade Day in San Antonio

Last year the average stand was open for 4 hours and 51 minutes. In that time the average profit was $73.00
In 2010 over 70% of profits were donated to charity
Last year’s most successful stand in San Antonio made over $600!

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ldaysa

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/LemonadeDaySA

Online Resources:

Facebook app and more games here
Teacher Guides here
Compete for prizes this year!

2010 Lemonade Stand Map | San Antonio, TX

Backpack Pickup Locations

Register online or pick up your FREE 2011 Lemonade Day backpack full of educational information and coupons for kids and parents! Different bags for different age groups, pick up at any of the following events:

San Antonio Library at any time starting April 4^th, Library locations click here.

What

Where

When

Fiesta de los Niños

Parade at noon

Featuring middle school bands, elementary school students, Port San Antonio employees, SAFD fire truck, & lots more.

Rides, games, food, entertainment and lots of fun!!!!

200 Donald Goodrich Rd

San Antonio, TX | Map

Saturday, April 9,

10:00am-7:00pm

KidsDay in the Park

Free event for parents and children age 10 and under

San Pedro Springs Park | Map

Saturday, April 9, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Kids’ Kingdom @ King William’s Fair

Kids’ Kingdom is the child centered park area in the King William Fair, features “kid” friendly attractions with games and carnival attractions. Activities include free arts and crafts by Mission Trail and other community groups

1032 S. Alamo Street San Antonio, TX 78210 | Map

Saturday, April 16,

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

3^rd Annual San Antonio Youth Summit

Small group sessions on important social issues in San Antonio with panel discussions with community leaders on how to build for a better future.

Motivational speakers and workshops on preparing for the future

200 E Market St

San Antonio, Texas 78205 | Map

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 8am-4pm

Valero Go! Challenge

Alamo Dome

100 Montana St.

San Antonio, TX 78203 | Map

Sunday, April 10, 2011

12 noon – 3 p.m.

San Antonio Zoo

San Antonio Zoo

3903 North St. Mary’s St,

San Antonio, TX 78212 | Map

Sunday, April 10, 2011

9am—12pm

2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio, san antonio locations whataburger pick up

San Antonio Whataburgers

Saturday, April 23, 2011

2—5pm

Charlotte’s Web

Showing at the Magik Theatre from April 6 through May 7^th.

420 South Alamo

San Antonio, TX 78205 | Map

Friday, April 22, 2011

6-8:30pm

Saturday, April 23, 2011

1?3:30pm

Best FREE Preschool iPhone apps

Posted on February 21, 2011 by *Geekette*

I don’t even need to own an iPhone to know how helpful a few strategically downloaded games can be when it comes to entertaining your child (or someone else’s!) Here are one’s that I have downloaded on other people’s phones or that were recommended to me!

All the apps are free to download and have been kid tested and mommy approved!

*Make sure thought that before letting your child play the games, all default settings are as you expect. Lately there have been a lot of articles about kid’s downloading full versions and automatically charging to their parent’s itunes account. Don’t be caught with any surprise purchases!

Click Image for iTunes Link	iPhone App Description
	Tap Fish, you are only taps away from owning multiple aquariums where you can decide what fish to grow, to sell, and to breed!
	Toy Story takes you on the adventure of a lifetime: A fully interactive reading experience packed with Games, Movie Clips, Coloring Pages, Sing-along Tunes, and Surprises on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace.
	Approved by teachers, parents and toddlers alike Toddler Teasers Shapes teaches while it entertains. With a focus on simplicity and full voice overs, toddlers play and learn without the need for extra help. The app displays colorful quizzes and offers positive reinforcement and fun rewards. The child-safe menu allows parents to customize game play and difficulty.
	I Hear Ewe – Animal Sounds for Toddlers -Entertain and educate your toddler with this simple game full of 24 different authentic animal sounds and 12 different vehicle sounds. When your baby taps on an animal or vehicle icon, the game will verbally announce what type of animal or vehicle it is and play a recording of its real sound.
	Balloonimals (MY FAVORITE!!) Beautifully rendered Balloonimals spring to life when you blow into the microphone on your iPhone or press the screen with your iPod Touch. Watch the balloon inflate and then give your phone a shake to start constructing your Balloonimal. With each shake, your animal takes greater shape until… Voila! Your Balloonimal appears and is ready to play. Pet your Balloonimal to see what tricks it can do.
	Peekaboo Barn Lite Inside a little bouncing barn, friendly farm animals are waiting to pop out and surprise your little one. Try and guess who they are; tap the doors to find out!
	Chinese for Munchkins takes children on a journey, teaching them how to say animals and numbers in Mandarin and Cantonese – the two most common Chinese dialects in the world (there is an English option too). Whether they want to roar with the “lau fu” (tiger), munch on bamboo with a “hung mao” (panda) or count “yak, yee, saam” (1-2-3), kids will be drawn to the flashcard pictures, sounds and animations.
	The experts at Parents® magazine help moms and dads keep young children entertained and stimulate learning with Parents Flash Cards. The included card packs are Colors and Shapes.
	Shape Builder LITE – The Preschool Learning Puzzle Game – Each puzzle has 5 to 10 pieces and after positioning all of the pieces, the real image is revealed along with a professional voice recording of the word spoken by Jill Dews, a licensed speech therapist. Encourages cognitive thinking and fine motor skills plus exposes young minds to new music instruments, animals, produce, objects and the alphabet in a fun and engaging format with LOTS of fun sound effects!
	Tangram Puzzle Pro FREE – Get 12 puzzles for free and see what Tangram Puzzle Pro is all about. Intuitive one-finger controls let you slide and spin shapes, and a convenient shape tray keeps things organized.
	FingerPiano Lite – allows you to play the piano with your forefinger.
	Read Me Stories – Children’s books A fun new educational and entertaining book EVERY day helps your child develop good reading habits. Each book teaches your child new concepts, new words and how to say them.

2011 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

Posted on February 1, 2011 by *Geekette*

The 2011 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo starts this Thursday, February 3, 2011!

Website: http://www.sarodeo.com

Twitter: @SanAntonioRodeo

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarodeo

Download Schedule of Events.

Calendar of Deals and Special Offers:

Legend	Date	Special Offer
	Feb. 3	1^st day of the rodeo!
	Feb. 4, 11, 18	Dollar Days! Every Friday, $1 admission from 8am-5pm. Rides, hot dogs, and soda only $1 all day!
	Feb. 8, 15	Senior Day – FREE admission for seniors! 55+
	Feb. 7, 14	Free nachos w/ purchase of 2 tickets for Monday performances. Must pick up at ATT Center Southwest Ticket Office.
	Feb. 3, 10, 17	College days! Free grounds admission w/ college ID.
	Feb. 4, 11, 18	Military Days! Free grounds admission w/ valid military ID.
	Feb. 20	Family Day! $1 ground admissions, $5 discount parking, $25 carnival wristbands, discounted food!
	Feb. 20	Last day of the rodeo.

*Additional details here.

Special Offers on Food:

Driving Directions here:

Dust & Bubbles

Valentine’s Day, Monday, February 14

Treat someone special to a VIP rodeo:

Dust and Bubbles includes a ticket to the Party Suite on the Terrence Club level
Rodeo and concert
Reserve parking pass
Brunch served in party suite catered by Levy Services
Premium champagnes and Sparkling wines will be served

Texas de Brazil San Antonio

Posted on January 6, 2011 by *Geekette*

I’ve never been one to say no to a GREAT deal so when I heard about Texas de Brazil’s special, I had to check out San Antonio’s newest Brazilian steakhouse. The San Antonio location just opened for dinner the first time in December 28, 2010. There are over 15 locations around the US and internationally!

January 2011 Special

Through the month of January 2011, Texas de Brazil is offering dinners the following INCREDIBLE couple’s special at $74 per couple:

Dinner for Two, normally $40 each
Dessert for Two, (choices included pies below, Papaya ice cream, and decadent creme brulee)
Bottle of Wine or Champagne (including delicious Chilean wine)
Non-alcoholic beverages (regular ice tea, soda or coffee)

6 of us went and took advantage of this incredible offer.

Other Discounts

According to their website, Texas de Brazil also offers:

Senior Citizens Discount – 10% off regular dinner price for up to 8 guests. 65 years or older.
Military Discount – 15% discount off regular dinner price for military members or veterans, valid up to 8 guests.
E-club - sign up here and also get a coupon for 25% off your entire meal!

The Food

We loved the lobster bisque, cheesy bread rolls, incredible meats! The traditional Brazilian seasoning style that includes covering the meat w/ rock salts while it cooked was used leaving tasty meats. Some of the meats easily picked up the salt, if the meat is too salty, consider ordering their cooked to order steaks, done to internal preference and with or without salt.

Salad area included mixed greens, seasonal veggies, homemade soups, imported cheeses and bread
Meats included my favorite (lamb chops), everyone else’s favorite (Picanha – garlic marinated house steak), Brazilian sausage, pork ribs, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, and much more!
Desserts included papaya creme, bananas foster pie, chocolate mousse cake (AMAZING!), creme brulee, key lime pie, and many more options.

Parking

Had no trouble parking downtown, one couple used the valet, right next to the restaurant, the other two couples parked in the Travis parking garage next to the Majestic theater and walked less than 2 blocks to dinner.

The Wine

Below also is a picture of the wine aerialist who deftly soared through the winery, flipping around while she retrieved wines, hand picked by the staff and guests. There was also beautiful rooms for private events as well.

Website: http://www.texasdebrazil.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/texasdebrazil

San Antonio Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-de-Brazil-San-Antonio/176878792325203

2011 Day After Christmas Sales

Posted on December 25, 2010 by *Geekette*

Last year I wrote a Day After Christmas Sales post on my blog and got over 1500 visitors that day after Christmas. Here are the deals, sales, and coupons I found for 2011 to start the post-Christmas, ready to save money season off right. As I find more deals I’ll add them to this post, check back frequently!

*Post-Christmas is one of the BEST times to buy large electronics and appliances…just saying…

Crabtree & Evelyn Ticket now after christmas coupon Hancock Fabric Christmas After Christmas Sale Restaurant.com coupon Red Box blu-ray coupon Cafe Press christmas coupon half price books sale dillards after christmas sale JCPenney After Christmas Sale Saks Fifth Avenue after christmas sale nordstrom after christmas sale big lots after christmas sale

Retailer	Promo Code	Description
Dillard’s		Sale and Clearance items in-store and online
Macy’s	HOLIDAY	Extra 15% off, FREE shipping w/ purchases > $99
Kohl’s	HOHOHO15	Extra 15% off, FREE shipping w/ purchases > $75
Party City	PCTCYM	FREE next day air, > $65; 50% off New Year supplies
Big Lots		Clearance, holiday sales, 20% off w/ initial email sign up!
Saks Fifth Avenue		instore and online, prices increase online 12/27 and instore 12/26 at noon.
Nordstrom		instore and online, double reward points and savings start 12/26 at 8am
JCPenney	SHOP4FUN	$10 off $25 purchase, 12/26-12/27; 75% off clearance and seasonal items
Café Press	MYNEW	$10 off iphone & iPad cases
Half Price Books		20% off ENTIRE purchases 12/26-12/29
Red Box	BETTERINBLU	1st Blu-Ray is only $1!
Restaurant.com	HOLIDAY	$25 gift certificate for $2
Hancock Fabrics		Online exclusives on 12/25
Tickets Now	HOLIDAY10	10% off ALL tickets
Avelle	50GIFT	50% off all in-stock rentals, expires 12/26
Crabtree & Evelyn		25% off storewide plus $10 hand therapy
GAP	LBKVWFXN8R4X	20% off ENTIRE purchases 12/25
Urban Outfitters		50% off in-store purchase, 12/26-27!
Anthropologie		25% off sale items
The Limited		Up to 70% off!
New York and Company	6322	Up to 70% off w/ an extra 20% off, today!
Borders	BRW9132V	25% off entire purchase, today ONLY!

Ann Taylor Loft	HOLIDAY	40% off entire purchase today and tomorrow
	GIVEMP3S	$2 in MP3 Downloads
Express	9877; 9882	$75 off $250 purchase! 12/25-12/27

Added 12/26/2011:

Brooks Brothers – save up to 40% off

Golf Galaxy – additional 25% off (WINTERSALE)

Crate & Barrel – up to 60 % off

Bed Bath & Beyond – 50% off

Newegg – tons of electronics on sale

Sephora – extra 20% off (EXTRA)

Puma – semi-annual sale, 40% off

Give Best Gift Ever | UNICEF Charity

Posted on December 21, 2010 by *Geekette*

Did you wait until the last minute to purchase a Christmas present this year? No fear! UNICEF is here.

The best gift is a gift that keeps giving…and what could be better than a gift that literally saves lives, natural resources, and makes the world a better place!

A couple of Sundays ago, at my church Oak Hills in San Antonio, Max Lucado quickly showed a video of missionaries from our church sent to different parts of Africa to build fresh water wells w/ money raised from the Bibleland Children’s Sunday School classes. Not only were the children there laughing and thanking us, they are now able to enjoy clean, fresh water without worrying about contamination, disease, and travelling many miles to fetch a tiny amount.

Check out all the ways to give back to children around the world:

About UNICEF:

Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, protection, emergency relief, and more.

22,000 children die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases. Imagine being able to buy a gift that saves the life of one or many children in poverty stricken parts of the world! Several, charitable organizations like UNICEF let you do just that! Dedicate the purchase in the name of a loved one or friend and send/print notification.

Right now the featured gift is a “Winter Child Survival Pack” that includes:

supplies to sustain child for 6 months!!
vitamins and minerals to grow healthy
measles and polio immunizations
enough water purification tablets for 50,000 liters of water!!

ALL of that is possible w/ a small donation of $81.35! And if that’s too much they take general donations of $5 and more.

Education & Play - school supplies, soccer balls, and more give these children a chance for quality educations!
Immunizations – vaccinations for diseases that don’t even exist in modern countries ($20 buys 412 tetanus shots)
Water – water pumps, purification, and family water kits
Nutrition – baby scales, ready to eat food, vitamin powder ($18 buys 604 individual doses of vitamins and minerals!)
Emergency – high energy food, water kits, tents and more to help during emergencies
Health - first aid kits for field workers, mother/baby packs, for $80 save 1000k from deadly diseases

Did you know that as you’re shopping for people on other sites you could still be helping children fight preventable diseases?!

Click on the links for more details! American Airlines is fighting diseases w/ incentives to donate to UNICEF by offering 2 AAdvantage miles in return for EACH dollar donated. Donate right now!

The special edition “Gucci for UNICEF” Sukey bag, designed by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in grey “La Pelle Guccissima” leather, is being sold in Gucci stores in over 20 countries and from April 15, 2010 through February 28, 2011, Gucci will donate 25% of the retail price!

UNICEF Social Media

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UNICEF-USA
Twitter: http://twitter.com/unicefusa

TeachUNICEF is a portfolio of UNICEF-focused resources designed and collected by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Education Department for educators, afterschool instructors, and parents. The units, lesson plans, stories, and multimedia cover topics ranging from the Millennium Development Goals to water and sanitation.

*Teaser for my next blog “Teach UNICEF”

Christmas Gift Card Rewards

Posted on December 12, 2010 by *Geekette*

Back by popular demand (from this article last year), here’s all the gift card purchases you can buy for loved ones (or yourself!!) that are accompanied with extra incentives to buy. Gift cards can still be an incredibly thoughtful gift without taking up too much space or time. Since you’re going to be getting the gift cards anyways (or if you want to save additional money when you make purchases for yourself…) check out these great seasonal offers that will not only bring a smile a friend to the person receiving the gift, but also the one giving (FREE stuff for you!!):

*For those gift cards that I missed, here’s a link to 54 more gift cards w/ a comparative checklist.

Maggianos gift card reward

Retailer/Restaurant	Gift Card Reward
California Pizza Kitchen	Purchase $100 in CPK Gift Cards and receive a $20 Rewards Card.
Kids Foot Locker	Through 12/24, get $10 rewards card w/ gift card purchases >$50
DSW	Through 12/24, get $10 rewards card w/ gift card purchases >$50
The Palm	For every $250 you spend on gift cards, you’ll receive a $50 thank you card that can be used at The Palm from January 1 to April 30, 2011.
Godiva	FREE $10 gift card w/ every $50 purchase
IHOP	$5 rewards with every $25 gift card purchase
L.L.Bean	FREE $10 gift card w/ every $50 purchase
Morton’s Steakhouse	Buy $300 gift card and get $50 or buy $500 to get $100
Outback Steakhouse	FREE $20 gift card w/ every $100 purchase
Hancock Fabric	For every $100 or more single transaction between 12/11/2010-12/24/2010 you will receive a $20 BONUS BUCK card towards your next purchase between 12/26/2010-1/12/2011
Maggianos	FREE $20 gift card w/ every $100 gift purchase
The Children’s Place	Receive a $10 coupon when you purchase $40
Amazon Gift Card	Spend $50, get $5
Roaring Fork, Wildfish, (Eddie V Restaurants)	FREE $20 gift card w/ every $100 gift purchase
Brunswick Bowling Alley	Free $5 Brunswick bonus certificate with every $25 gift card purchase
Dave & Busters	Spend $25, get $5; spend $50, get $10
Chucke Cheese’s	Get 20 free tokens for every $25 gift card purchased
Benihana	Spend $50, get $10
Fox and Hound	Spend $25, get $5
Sky Mall	Spend $100, get $50

2010 Unknown Black Friday Deals

Posted on November 24, 2010 by *Geekette*

Although there are a lot of popular Black Friday websites (check out my post from 2009 to see my favorites), I wanted to post some ads that I have found that I don’t think have gotten enough attention.

Black Friday Tips

Never Assume – Although I’m a HUGE online shopper, last year there were several websites not prepared to handle the traffic generated by Black Friday. Don’t assume the website will work, if there is something you really want, go in-person.
Store Hours – Check out that link for common stores and their shopping start times. Know if the store if offering Thanksgiving hours, Thanksgiving online hours, Black Friday hours, and Black Friday online hours. No two stores were created equally.
Research – Check out that inclusive link to the left! Includes tons of stores and their Black Friday offers. Know how much something is worth before you look at the discounted price. It might not be a great deal after all.
Confident Purchases ONLY! – If there is something that you have second thoughts about buying, DON’T buy it. If you don’t know if it’s really that good of a deal, don’t buy it! You’ll be able to get great discounts again as soon as Christmas is over. This is not your only chance…don’t sweat it.
Location, Location, Location – When planning my in-store purchases, I consider the demographic of the different store locations. Is there going to be a bigger demand for the XBOX Kinetic at the Walmart off I-10 and 1604 or Fredericksburg, TX? If there’s a huge deal you know is worth it, save purchase time by going to the less busy store, even if the drive’s a little longer.

Good luck and remember that there’s always post-Christmas sales!

Hot Destination Deals:

Southwest Vacations – offers “great prices for limited time” (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) and includes Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles, Ski resorts, and more!

Southwest Air Fare – With prices starting at $59, one-way, purchase starting 11/23/10 through 11/29/10 for travel 01/04/11 through 03/09/11! Check out the extensive list, here.

Starwood Resorts – Check out this massive hotel line’s Cyber Monday deals!

BroadwayAcrossAmericaBlackFridayDeals

Broadway Across America – Ticket deals available too! Check out a list of shows offered at discounted prices at a theater near you!

Educational Deals:

The Scholastic Store – Take an extra 20% off w/ FREE shipping when you use “ssbf20” at checkout, now until 11/29/2010. Enjoy up to 75% off!

the Houston Museum of Natural Science – Save $10 off $50, $25 off $100, and $50 off $200 purchases with this printable coupon. Offer valid 11/26–11/28.

Retailers:

Vera Bradley – Spend over $100 at this retailer and get a FREE holiday tote! ($48 value!)

The Limited – 40% off EVERYTHING, in-store and online! Don’t forget you’ll also get a FREE mini-bag w/ $75 purchase (also both online AND in-store!)

Haverty’s – The first 50 get $50–$250 off certificates, sale starts at 8am so you’ll have time to hit a couple other stores first.

Crabtree & Evelyn – FREE shipping of orders over $25 with incredible lotions 50% off, buy one get 50% off site wide, 50% off select gifts and fragrances!

Smart Home – Ever want to completely automate your home? Preheat your over w/ your cell phone? Lights controlled by remote? Take a look at their exclusive savings, NOW through the end of 11/26!

Golf Galaxy – Starts online Thursday, 11/25 at 12AM ET. Save big on clubs, gear, and more! $1.99 flat shipping rate!

Bed, Bath, & Beyond – Shop early and save 20% off your ENTIRE order, including clearance items!

Overstock.com – not only will you enjoy severely discounted items, you’ll save 10% off your entire purchase and enjoy $1 shipping!

Dining Deals:

Denny’s – Enjoy 20% off your entire ticket, the entire day at Denny’s!

Tags: shopping, seasonal, holidays, coupons, black friday

September Printable Coupons and Online Deals

Posted on September 16, 2010 by *Geekette*

As everyone is getting settled back in school, I found almost 40 printable coupons and online codes for your favorite stores and restaurants! Some of the deals don’t even expire until the end of the month, some well into the end of the year, one even until the middle of next year!

I’m going to try and post these at least once a month – let me know if there’s anything you liked to see make the list.

Retailer	Deal	Expires
	15% Off Your Order Coupon code: 34198641	10/05/10
	Aveda Men Pure-Formance Dual Action After Shave FREE Sample	12/31/10
	Arby’s – Free Jr Shake w/ Any Sandwich Purchase	9/21/10
	Ann Taylor- 25% Off “Already Reduced” Prices Coupon code: ENJOY25
	Advance Auto: Spend $100, Get $50 Back + free shipping	9/22/10
	Build-A-Bear: $10 off orders $50 or more Coupon code: 95309	10/31/10
	Burt’s Bees Natural Toothpaste $1 Off Coupon
	Borders: 20% off List Price Any One Item Coupon code: BEG93010X	9/30/10
	Ben & Jerry’s : Buy One Cup or Cone, Get One Free
	Barnes & Noble – 15% Off One Item (All Customers) Coupon code: K8F7F4C	9/26/10
	Bass Pro Shops – $20 off order of $100 or more Coupon code: savepc4	9/30/10
	Bath & Body Works: 20% off entire purchase Coupon code: F102455	10/10/10
	Crayola Store: $5 Off Any $25 Order + Free Shipping Coupon code: CRAFALL10	9/30/10
	Coinstar: FREE $10 iTunes Card when You Cash In $40 or more on an iTunes Certificate	9/30/10
	Express – $25 Off $50 Or $50 Off $150 Or More	9/30/10
	Gymboree – 20% Off Entire Order (Printable Coupon)	9/26/10
	Gap: 20% Off Entire Order w/ VISA card (Gap.com) Coupon code: VISAWEB20	9/30/10
	GameStop.com : $20 off $100 purchase Coupon code: 20DOWN	9/30/10
	Hallmark: 25% Off Paper Cards and Party Products Coupon code: PARTY25	9/30/10
	Hobby Lobby: 40% off one regular priced item (online and in store) Coupon code: 5082	9/18/10
	Jessica Simpson: 20% off on Any 2 Items, 30% Off Any 3 Coupon code: 2OR3	9/26/10
	Get $5.00 off a Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change
	Joann: 40% Off the Regular Price of 1 Item (online) (Joann) Coupon code: AE288	10/15/10
	Leap Frog – 15% off $50 Coupon code: COUPON15	10/31/10
	Lord & Taylor Signature Sale – Save an Extra 20% Off Coupon code: SALE	9/27/10
	Lowe’s: Various Printable Coupons for Household Cleaning Products
	Oriental Trading Co- $5 Off $20 +, $10 Off $40 +, $20 Off $75 + Purchase Coupon code: ACSEP10	9/30/10
	Office Depot : $20 off $100 purchase Coupon code: 73039011	9/30/10
	Planet Hollywood – $10 Off $20 (Printable Coupon)	12/31/10
	Quiznos: $1 off a regular or $2 off a large sub + 1 catering printable coupons	10/1/10
	RedBox: Free DVD Rental w/ Kiosk Code Coupon code: DVDONME
	Ralph Lauren: Extra 10% Off Coupon Coupon code: BZR29369
	Restaurant.com : 80% off Gift Certificates (Restaurant.com) Coupon code: REDPLUM
	Children’s Place: 10% off any purchase online (The Children’s Place) Coupon code: WA78	5/31/11
	The Container Store- 25% Off Annual Shelving Sale	10/17/10
	Urban Outfitters: 10% off your entire purchase Coupon code: CLASSACT	9/30/10
	White House Black Market – Take $20 Off Any Purchase of $100 or More (White House Black Market) Coupon code: 9175	10/2/10
	Yankee Candle: $10 off $25 Purchase (Online & In-Store) (Yankee Candle) Coupon code: PHKKYR5	10/2/10

Back to School Sales for Teachers | Educators Discounts

Posted on August 16, 2010 by *Geekette*

I hope that even if you’re not a teacher, you share the information in this post with one you know! I can’t think of a more intense profession – please take the time to thank the teachers in your life!

This post is chock full of deals, reward programs, and other incentives that teachers and educators might not have the time to find. Check out these deals for back to school, a lot of which last all year long! Most require sign up with proof of teaching license or school code but all programs are free with rewards offered to your school!

B&N Educator Program

Educator Discount, Resources & More
Save 20% off the publisher’s list price on all purchases for classroom use
Get up to 25% off the publisher’s list price during Educator Appreciation Days
Receive valuable email offers and information on special Educator events
Listen to popular stories being read online
Join by filling out this application and bringing it to any location! More FAQ
Coupon code: B8X7U8U, Exp: 08/17/10 (save 30% off the Back to School Category)

Classroom Discount Card – savings for teachers

Individual teachers, from preschool through high school, as well as school librarians and homeschool educators.
Save 25% off the list price of books and music CDs
Save 10% off the list price of DVDs for professional use.
Applications are available at all Borders stores, and signing up is completely free.
Follow on Facebook for more deals and events!

Half price Books – Educator Discount

Half Price Books supports educators, school teachers and librarians in the community.
Educator’s Discount Card saves 10% all year round!
Just bring in valid ID and proof of current employment such as a pay stub or employee ID card.

Crayola Gold Star Teacher Program

Crayola – Gold Star Teacher Program

Sign up
for the program to get great deals, printables, and other online resources!
Check out these resources, templates, and other freebies!
FREE science lesson plan for teachers

Office Depot – Star Teacher Program

Get 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner, and paper, plus 1% back on almost everything else.
Get discounts with these “My Star Teacher” reward partners
Find out more information about smart reward programs and going green!
$10 off $50 (Coupon Code: 75009959)
$15 off $75 (Coupon Code: 63427096)
$20 off $100 (Coupon Code: 40124581)
Expires 8/21

Adobe Software – Student/Teacher Discounts

Get up to 80% off Adobe software products!
FREE shipping!

ATT Wireless

Teacher discounts, apply through email

Join PBS Teachers!

Exclusive Content from PBS!
Ability to Save, Rate and Comment on Classroom Resources (like their Activity Packs)
Online Discussions on Media and Technology
Just by signing up, you will receive a 10% discount on your next purchase at ShopPBS for Teachers.
Follow on Twitter – @pbsteachers

You must have a valid e-mail address at an educational institution ending with the domain suffix .EDU (i.e., leina@contoso.edu) OR have a valid email address at one of the educational institutions listed here.

20% Off All School and Office Supplies (In-Store Only)
Valid 8/15/10–8/21/10

Michael’s has this program called “The Knack Faculty” which offers teachers and other educators tons of printable templates, ideas, and savings!

Make sure you take advantage of their teacher appreciation event:

What: The Knack Faculty Free Teacher Appreciation Crop Event

When: 8/27/2010 3:00 PM – 8:45 PM

“Create some fun for the classroom. Teachers and friends, join us for Teacher Appreciation Crop Event. Learn to create fun bulletin boards, bookmarks, signs and more. We provide the space and assortment of tools. Plus, we take care of the cleanup.”

Michael's 40% off regular price item

HP – Teacher Experience Exchange

Upload/browse through lesson plans on different subjects
Checkout professional development resources

Best Website to Upload Large Files

Posted on July 10, 2010 by *Geekette*

After coming back from an incredible vacation in San Diego and Las Angeles, California, I had a million pictures to share. Sure I immediately posted them on Facebook and Picasa but there’s not really easy to send a zip file of all the images. The file, too large for gmail, also exceeded the uploading limits of a favorite uploading site of mine, drop.io. (I like drop.io because of the easy, clean interface with advanced, customizing options.)

Here are some other sites that worked for me:

Another clean interface, no sign up required!
FREE members are able to upload at slightly faster times, only 25 seconds before start compared to 45 seconds for non-members
200 GB online storage

Easy sign up here.

Max 2000MB limit
No sign up required
Simple, fast

Easy sign up here.

FREE Summer Events for Kids | 2010

Posted on June 5, 2010 by *Geekette*

Find out how to keep your children entertained for FREE this summer! This blog post contains tons of places that are offering FREE events for your kids to participate in this summer. Don’t forget to check out my post on how you can get free stuff, just for reading to your kid here!

National Park Service

Don’t forget to check for “Free Entrance Days” where you and your family can enjoy nature, for FREE! Also check out offers by local parks who offer visitors other incentives! Check out all their events here for details, by state/date about fun, free activities!

Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter – @NatlParkService. Kids can also sign up to become “Web Rangers” and become part of a community with their own Ranger Station!

AMF Bowling

Join the AMF eClub will get your 10 FREE games, exclusive monthly offers, birthday offers, and news of upcoming events and promotions!

Kids Bowl Free

Find a local bowling alley that’s participating in the “Kids Bowl Free” summer program that offers 2 FREE games of bowling, all summer long! Specific details of the program are listed here. Simply register at your local bowling alley to take advantage of this incredible offer!

“This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.”

Brunswick Bowling

Kids can bowl FREE every day this summer! Use the Student Ball pass for FREE bowling, all summer long! (We did this last summer and brought a lot of different friends each time!) Sign up for great coupons for yourself too!

Regal Cinemas

Now playing – FREE family movies! Starting at 10am every Tuesday AND Wednesday, enjoy FREE tickets for the entire family. Showing movies like “Doogal”, “Wallace and Gromit” (one of my favorites!!), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”, and many more, shows vary by movie theater!

Cinemark Movies

Although not free, it’s pretty close! Each movie ticket is $1 OR you can purchase all 10 movie tickets in advanced for $5!! Check out for your local theater’s listings.

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