The Basement of the Bargains

There’s at least one on every gift list. You know the one. It’s the guy who wouldn’t know a wrench from a hacksaw who doesn’t wear a tie and the gal who needs a map to find her kitchen and is allergic to perfumes. These are the people you can’t just give a random gift at the holidays,  because they don’t fit any recognized box. Don’t panic. There are still plenty of superfantastic things you can give them without breaking the bank or leaving them wondering where precisely one returns a crockpot or a set of phillips head screwdrivers.

You can always give them the gift of a great monument without flying them to another country to see it.

Whether you’re buying for someone into alternate spiritual concepts or simply a fan of Spinal Tap, this miniature Stonehenge is sure to please.

Originally priced at $75.00 for a set of three, it’s been reduced at VivaTerra to a thrifty $29.00. At that price, it’s practically a stocking stuffer.

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I love books.

I’ve been an avid reader since I was a small child, and remain one to this day. Therefore it stands to reason that I love book-related items. Of course I love them even more when they’re on a good sale!

These handsome bookends shaped like London’s iconic Big Ben are cast of brass with an aged iron finish would add a charming touch to any home. Whether you put them on a bookshelf or a mantelpiece, they’ll be both practical and attractive.

Oh, and about the price? Yes, that’s every bit as attractive as the bookends themselves. The regular price was an already quite good $65.00, but right now Restoration Hardware has them on sale for a mere $39.99!

By the way, if you can find $500.00 worth of goodies to buy at Restoration Hardware by November 30, they’ll knock $100.00 off the price with sale code RTGH119. See site for details.

Normally I stick to things under fifty dollars on friday, but in honor of the official opening of the holiday shopping season, I’ve decided to ignore the limit this week. You’ll find goodies under fifteen dollars and others over two hundred. After all, you’ve got everyone from your Secret Santa at work to your lifelong best friend, to your immediate family on your list. You need inspiration from all price points.

One of the handiest gadgets of all time is the classic Swiss army knife. Now Victorinox has reinvented it in a miniature size with stainless steel blades. At just 2 1/4″ long, it attaches to your key ring for your convenience. It comes with: one small knife blade, scissors, and a nail file. The practical soul on your holiday gift list will love this.

Normally, it runs $140.00, but Saks Fifth Ave is having a huge sale now through the 28th. Right now, even the sale items are on sale. The sale price on this item was $104.00, but now to Saturday it just $62.94!

Oh, and be sure to check out the bonus offers combined with the sale!  For instance, you can get free shipping by using code HOLIDAY9. If you spend at least $400.00 in Contemporary, you can get a $100.00 off card with code CONTEM9. And if you spend at least $100.00 in beauty and you can earn a $25.00 gift card with code BEAUTY9.

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It happens every season. You go to your wardrobe, look through your seasonal tops, and discover that you have nothing to wear. This doesn’t fit properly anymore, that has a stain or a rip you haven’t been able to fix, and as for what’s behind door number three…the less said the better. After an hour of sifting through shirts, you find that you have precisely two that are fit to be seen in public. So what’s a girl to do?

Well, if that’s what you’ve been wondering, I’ve got one suggestion: head over to Victoria’s Secret. They’re not just for underwear, and they have dozens of cute, easy wear tops on sale right now. Whether you’re looking for lace and ruffles or polo collars and tanks, there’s something to fit your style on sale right now. For instance, I was rather taken with this drape-neck sleeveless top.

It’s easy enough to wear for a picnic, but will still hold its own at a nice restaurant or the theater. Comes in your choice of Plumberry (shown) or black.

It wasn’t too bad at the original price of $58.50, but it’s a whole lot better at the current price of $39.50. Add in sale code  TOPS20 and get an additional 20% off the sale price! What’s more, that code works with all tops and tees on the site for a limited time.

Oh, and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the selections of bras and panties on sale at 25% - 40% off. After all, those need sprucing up now and again, too.

I always say it’s never too early to start being superfantastic. Choosing quality for your little tykes will help them along the path from day one. Of course, it’s also never too early to teach your small ones about careful shopping, either. That’s why this week’s Friday Finds is all about big deals for little people.

The Tea for Three play tea set is a great example of this concept. Made of sturdy, cheerful enamelware, it comes complete with a teapot (which looks more like a coffee pot, but would work for either beverage or hot chocolate), three tea cups, three saucers, and three plates. The whole set is decorated in a delightful flower design with grasshoppers, bumblebees, and ladybugs. It’s recommended for ages three and up…and my guess is that a kid who enjoys this would continue to do so for years to come, as well as appreciate the charm of a proper afternoon tea.

Best of all, if you order it now from The Land of Nod, you can save enough to fund the scones and clotted cream! The original price was $54.00, but it’s been marked down to a thrifty $39.00.

Want to see more great deals? Just follow the bouncing blog cut.

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With the cool fall weather just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of how to keep ourselves warm in the months to come. Of course, while we’ll want to keep warm, we’ll also want to keep stylish.

That’s where the Labor Day sale at Vivre comes in.

Among other fabulous deals, there’s this superfantastic cotton pincord shirt by David Chu in your choice of lime, sky blue, brown, orange or navy. Whether your personal taste leans toward the classic or the avant-garde, you can find a color to make you happy. It’s perfect for layering, too.

Originally priced at $225.00, it’s been marked down to just $112.50. That’s half off, which is nothing at all to sneeze at. Even at that, it gets better. Today and tomorrow, if you enter the sale code: LABORDAY08, you’ll get another 25% off selected items. Choose from footwear, jewelry, coats, belts, hats, purses, oh, yes, and the pincord shirt featured here today, and knock a quarter of the sale price off the bill.

One thing that I find eternally frustrating as a plus-sized woman is the dearth of attractive, reasonably-priced swimwear in my size. When I find something pretty, chances are it doesn’t come in my size. If I find it in my size, chances are it’s designed to make me disappear in a plain, neutral corner. If I find one that’s the right size to fit me, yet fun and sassy enough to please me…chances are it costs an arm, a leg, and three internal organs. I can’t justify spending that much on something I wear a few times a year. Thus it is that I spend entirely too little time being fed pre-peeled grapes by cabana boys with oiled chests and exquisite talents for making cold drinks appear at will.

All that may change now that I’ve discovered Swimsuits For All. They carry a great variety of swimwear for men, women, children, and yes, plus-sized women. Take a look at this one:

The cut is pretty, the fabulous, swirly flower print in shades of blue and white with touches of black is sure to be noticed in a good way, and it even sparkles with a few subtle touches of silver!

All in all, this is perfect for lounging at the side of the pool in a really great sunhat and shades being fed grapes, but if you choose to get all wet, it looks practical, too.

Oh, and I did say something about a good price, didn’t I? Well, this gorgeous swimsuit is normally available for just $88.00. That’s not too bad, as swim suit prices go these days. But with sale code: longitude50, you can take 50% off that price and spend just $44.00! And if this suit doesn’t float your boat, it works on other selected swimsuits by Longitude, too.

Go take a look. I’ll be over here with Raul, being fed fruit.

The drama queen, that is.

If you can’t even sleep without a bowl of drama flakes, these pajamas by David and Goliath might well be for you. Made of 100% cotton, they won’t make you raise a fuss over the heat even in the middle of summer.

Even the price won’t be worth complaining about since they’re marked down from $58.00 to just $38.00. In fact, if you type in the code ‘warehousesale’ in the coupon box at checkout, you’ll get an additional 15% off! Now that’s a price that won’t disturb your sweet dreams.

Check out all the sale items at Sleepyheads.com for more great ways to sleep soundly in the knowledge that you didn’t pay a penny more than necessary to be superfantastic all night long.

Newport News is having a sale on their clearance sales. That means you can get 25% off on styles that were already marked down to terrific prices, if you just use their handy dandy discount code. What’s not to love about that?

Take, for instance, this bright and breezy poly/spandex jersey knit surplice-style halter top.

It comes in four mouth-watering colors (Magenta, Chartreuse, Ocean Blue, or - as shown - in Orange), and sizes from XS to XL. Oh, and yes, all sizes are available in all colors…or at least they were when I started writing this!

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Tax rebate checks are winging their ways across the country. On average, single Americans will be receiving $600.00 in order to stimulate the economy. President Bush has said that saving that money won’t help, nor will paying down debts. Therefore, I’m here to help us all do our patriotic duty to find a good way to spend this windfall. Of course, I believe firmly that just because we’re stimulating the economy doesn’t mean we can’t do so through finding good deals.

So how do you spend $600.00 and still save? I thought you’d never ask.

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