JoeShopping.com- Shop, Share, Socialize!

Have you heard of JoeShopping.com?  It's a site to find you tons of incredible hot deals and bargains as well as a place to connect with other community members.  Think of it like a social networking site for couponing and deal hunting.

JoeShopping offers a ton of ways to save all in one place right at your fingertips.  You can comparison shop hundreds of items, read product reviews before you buy, and discuss the latest and greatest deals with other users.

You can also find the newest discounts for a variety of stores, including amazing Chadwicks coupon codes- a clothing outlet store.  They also even have popular Target coupon codes- one of my favorite places to shop!  And you can print your grocery store coupons right from the site to save you even more money.

While you're there, you can also click on the Hot Deals tab and find super savings from all over the web.  You can see the percentage of other members who thought it was a hot deal (ie. a great bargain!) and not to be missed out on.  And if you have your own hot deal you'd like to share, you can add it to the list for everyone else to see.

And one of the coolest things... the $100 Sweepstakes!  Every month JoeShopping is giving away $100 to one of their members.  You earn JoePoints for doing different things on the site- just for registering, free daily points, reviewing a product, referring a friend and more.  Then you can exchange your hard-earned points for entries into the monthly sweepstakes.

You only have to enter once during the month and then all the points earned during the rest of the month automatically get you more entries into the sweepstakes.  So you're saving money and getting a chance to win $100 at the same time... it doesn't get any easier than that!

Affordable Style for Kids at Old Navy

Thank you Old Navy for sponsoring my post today about baby and toddler styles. Old Navy is giving you 30% off everything in their baby and toddler summer collection, plus get an additional 15% off in-store.

"2011" Flag Tee $5

Before I had kids, I never really paid attention to a budget while shopping, but I still liked getting a good deal.  I have always been a fan of Old Navy for their cute clothes, and the fact that I could get a lot for my money.  While pregnant, I even shopped there for maternity clothes- they weren't overpriced and they had sizes small enough to fit me.

After I had kids, I became more conscious of staying on a budget and wanting to save for my family.  I love dressing my girls in stylish clothes, but I don't like spending a lot of money when they just grow out of them so fast.  And with three daughters, if I'm not careful where I shop, I could very easily break the bank.

Old Navy quickly became one of my favorite places to shop for my kids' clothes.  They have the cutest styles and amazingly cheap prices!  Almost everytime I would head out to the mall, I would wind up at Old Navy.  I could always depend on them to have great clothes that fit my girls how I wanted them to and to have great prices to match.

"Rain Rain Go Away" Tee $5              Print Summer Tie Shorts $12

So I was super bummed when the Old Navy store in my area closed.  Thankfully though, when I went online I was relieved to see that OldNavy.com has the same great selection and prices, and shipping is always free on orders over $50.  So I can buy for all three of my girls, have it sent right to the house, and still stay within our budget!

There is of course a store in a nearby city where we can go shopping on occasion when we want also.  Whether I shop online or in the store, I always love checking out the sales and clearance items.  They have tshirts starting at just $5 and adorable sundresses from about $10.  That's amazing considering we looked in another big name department store and similar dresses were priced at $20.

Bead-Trim Smocked Sundress $11.86               Printed Jersey Dress $10.94

I love being able to dress my girls in the latest fashion, and I can feel good knowing I didn't spend a lot of cash to do it.  They get to look super cute and I get to feel super smart... it's a win-win!!

Do you shop at Old Navy for your kids?

Do you think their clothes are stylish and affordable?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Lost... but not found!

So it seems when I go to the store lately, that I end up coming home with more and less stuff at the same time.  More because I'm generally buying groceries or other necessary items, but less because we've lost an item the last two times we've been to the store!

First it was Curls taking off her headband and somehow losing it.  The second time was my littlest taking off her sock and dropping it somewhere along the way. Yes, she's still in the phase where she likes to take everything off her feet.

And each time I've noticed the items were missing only minutes later, but when I go to look for it... it's nowhere to be found!  And I've even asked up at customer service after I'm done checking out, but no luck there either.

So if you ever shop in the Meijer by me and see a blue headband or pink & white striped sock, could you return it to me please?  ;)

I Love a Clearance Rack!

I consider myself a frugal shopper, a 'finder of the deals', a coupon savvy mom... my husband on the other hand just calls that being cheap.

Ok, well he used to call it cheap, until I converted him, er, he realized that I was right in always shopping around.  ;)

So when I'm in a store and see a rack or tag with the word CLEARANCE on it, I just cannot resist running walking quickly over and taking a look-see.  It's sometimes orange, or red, or yellow... that little tag that calls out to me... begging me to put it in my cart and give it a good home.

And I've been having some pretty good luck clearance shopping since after the holidays- $3.75 pj sets from Target, $5 slippers, clothes for the girls- pants, shirts, tights.  A $10 winter coat for my daughter for next winter from Meijer.  In fact, you could probably say I've been a little clearance obsessed lately.

If you aren't careful, it is quite possible to go overboard when it comes to buying 'sale' or 'clearance' items.  You need to learn to be smart about your purchases.  It has to be worth buying- both in price and in quality, but also in function.

If it's a good quality item at a good price, but something that you'll never use, then it's not really a good buy.  Or if it's a really good price but when you take it home it falls apart, then well... you just wasted your money, however little of it you may have spent.

Because we all know dollars add up, so that $1.99 you spent on a pair of fuzzy socks that now have a hole in the toe... well that was $1.99 down the toilet.  Ok so maybe not a complete waste, but a hassle nonetheless now that you have to sew them!

Awesome Cyber Monday Deals!

Well Black Friday was the biggest shopping day of the year, but today (Cyber Monday) is the biggest online shopping day of the year!  Check out some of these spectacular deals:




BabyLegs is offering 2 awesome online deals- using code CYBER8 you can get certain 3 pairs of Leg Warmers for only $10 (hurry, these won't last long)!!  And using the same code, you'll also get 25% Off your entire order (won't apply to the 3 for $10 deal, but to everything else in your cart).  The code cyber8 also works at the following online stores for 25% off:

www.BabyFrenzy.com
www.ChicoBag.com
www.EarthMamaAngelBaby.com
www.GoGagaLife.com
www.HappyHeinyStore.com
www.KateQuinnOrganics.com
www.MobyWrap.com

Check out these other cyber deals:
Bath & Body Works is offering 25% off your order with code CYBER25!
Famous Footwear has an extra 20% discount with code CYBER20, on top of their Buy one, Get one 1/2 off + FREE standard shipping!!

Will you be shopping online today?

Getting ready for Back-to-School!

I can't believe school is starting in just a couple weeks now... yikes!  We finally took our 5 yr. old shopping today for a new pair of shoes for Kindergarten.  We went to Famous Footwear since I had received a $10 off coupon in the mail.  Our usual shoe of choice for her is Skechers but for some reason we couldn't get a pair to fit her.  She's actually about a 9 1/2 now and the store mainly had whole sizes in kids shoes.  So we went with a pair of Size 10 Nikes since their shoes tend to run smaller.  They're still a tad big, but they can be tightened down with the velcro on it.  At least we know they're going to last through the whole school year.  And thankfully, she still has a pair of boots that fit for the winter.

Next up after shoe shopping was a haircut... she was so excited for this!  We went to a hair salon that has a special kid's section where your kid can choose between a car or a horse seat- she chose the horse.  They also have a tv and dvd player with several Disney movie selections.  I had the stylist cut her hair to just above her shoulders so it curves under slightly.  She still has bangs but we're in the process of growing them out (her request) so they are pretty long- to the point of almost being in her eyes.  I'll have to start clipping them back with a barrette or using a headband. 

Next week we'll be tackling the school supply list, which the school hasn't sent out yet.  So I called and was told I need to go to their website and it should be posted on there.  Total spent so far was $19.99 for the shoes (after my coupon discount) & $12 + tip for the haircut.  My daughter couldn't be happier with both her haircut and new shoes... and she can't wait to start Kindergarten!  My first baby girl is getting so big!!  :'(

Do you have your back-to-school shopping all done?  How much do you usually spend for a new pair of shoes for your child?  And what does a kid's haircut cost where you live?

Compare, Shop, Save... Right at your Fingertips!

Just recently I discovered that my camera isn't taking pictures like it used to.  I'm not sure what happened to it, but it appears we may need to start shopping around for a new one.  I'm not necessarily looking for a particular brand but do like these Nikon cameras.  And I've started thinking ahead to other items I need to go shopping for soon too.

My daughter still needs a new pair of kid's shoes for when she goes back to school in the Fall.  Toddlers and pre-schoolers are rough on just about everything, and shoes are no exception.  Not only is my daughter growing out of her shoes, but they are also trashed from playing outside.  And I would actually like a new Fossil watch, that's the brand I had before I lost mine.  Or maybe it stopped working, I can't remember anymore- it's been so long since I've had a watch.  But trying to comparison shop for these items in the store can be daunting.

I'm a true bargain hunter and love finding the best deal.  But I hate having to go from store to store to find the lowest price- it's not only a waste of time and money, but can also really try your patience.  With the age of the Internet though, all you need to do is hop online.  Except then, you may find yourself going from website to website just trying to find the actual best price.  That's what I love about sites like Become- you can comparison shop right from the comfort of your living room!


Disclosure:  This was a sponsored post written by me for www.become.com.  All opinions are 100% mine.

My New Favorite Pair of Jeans

   Ok, I don't know about anybody else but I have a love/hate relationship with shopping... I love to buy new things, but I hate going thru the grueling process of trying everything on only to have most of it not fit!  Or worse yet, actually buying it then getting it home and not being totally happy with it!!


   So about a month ago I went on a marathon shopping trip to try and find some new jeans (since I only had 1 pair that fit after giving birth to my daughter 6 months ago).  Unfortunately, for me and for everyone else, we went out as a family the first day.  So me, my hubby, and our 3 girls (4 yr. old, 2 yr. old, & 6 mos. old) all packed up in the mini-van and hit the stores.


   We checked Kohl's first (no luck) then headed over to the mall.  In the mall we started with Macy's (I think we were in this store the longest) and then quickly went thru Sears & JcPenney.  Throughout this time the kids moods were steadily declining.... they started complaining of being hot, hungry, bored, tired!  So actually making it through 4 stores with 3 kids was an accomplishment in itself, the fact that I didn't find anything that fit right was a disaster.


   I guess I should back up slightly to explain my problem with jeans.  I'm a small person- average height & thin.  My waist is tiny- small enough to fit junior sizes but my thighs need more room than most junior fit jeans allow for.  So if the jeans fit in the waist they are usually too tight in the thigh, and if they fit in the thigh then the waist is too big.  By the end of the day of shopping, I was exhausted and almost beginning to think I was going to have to make a compromise and settle for either too tight in the thigh or wear a belt!


   Well the next day, my sister had come into town, and I decided to try my luck again.  But this time just her and I went out shopping while my crazy wonderful husband stayed home with the girls.  We decided to head back up to the mall and go through all the rest of the stores that I hadn't made it to on the first day.


   We started with Younkers where I found a good prospect, but wasn't completely happy with how they fit... and they cost about $75 (ouch)!  So I left without buying them and we continued on with the search.  We came to a store called Maurices and we almost didn't go in.  I said, 'I probably won't find anything in there', but we decided we should give it a shot anyway.  Well, lo and behold, right off the bat I found a pair of awesome fitting jeans!  They were perfect... and only $29!!  I couldn't believe it... it seemed too good to be true!  I thought for sure after getting them home they would somehow not fit anymore or that they'd shrink themselves in the wash.  But here we are, a month later, and I still LOVE them.  They make me feel great when I put them on- you know those fave pair of jeans you have that make your butt look good... well these are mine!!

       Taylor Dark Wash, Bootcut

                        

Shopping with 3 kids (under the age of 5)...

   Well it isn't easy I'll tell ya that!  We went out as a family Friday afternoon and it seemed the rest of the city was out shopping as well.  Of course, shopping on any holiday weekend isn't recommended, but there we were out in the crowds anyway!

We still had to find 1) Easter outfits, 2) basket stuffers, & 3) dessert for dinner on Sunday.  Yeah, we pretty much still needed everything!  And it seems whenever we go shopping, as soon as we get to the store, a certain someone (ahem, 4 yr. old) says "I'm hungry".

So we wind up using precious time having to fill belly's before we can even do any actual shopping.  And by the end of the shopping trip, we never seem to have accomplished everything we set out to do. 

So what do you suppose I'm doing on Saturday?  Why shopping (again!) of course, and by golly I will remember everything I have to get... I hope!