My friends at RetailMeNot sent me a couple of links for your shopping needs. The weather is so pleasant isn’t it? Usually, by this time of year I am homebound with snow or ice…waiting for a chance for the snow to get plowed and an opportunity to go shopping. Of course, with the weather so mild for January, you might want to shop online so you can enjoy the days with family and friends. So without further ado I give you the latest RetailMeNot links.

Use code TGTHTT5Z to take 10% off your Target.com purchase! Hurry – for a limited time only!

Save $5 off your College Book Renter purchase with code CBR1161000 or 5% off your rental with code CBR542012.
 

Extra 10% off for E-mail subscribers at Hotels.com with code USJMC10.  Book by 1/22/12.

All affiliate links are to my RetailMeNot account. The views expressed in this post are my own.

Christmas break was short this year. Very short. School ended for the kids at 3 p.m. on Friday, December 23rd. The next day was Christmas Eve. The next Christmas Day. The best day for Christmas Day to fall on is a Wednesday. Schools won’t Here are instructions and editorial guidelines for your post: The school system will never schedule school on Christmas Eve. Plus, the system won’t open schools for a one-day week. But, the hand we were dealt was a short Christmas break.

Since Christmas break was so short, we spent lots of time at home. Opening presents. Playing with presents. Watching movies. And eating. Lots of eating. We’re n0t a “cook a 5-course dinner”-type of family. We’re more a “let’s heat up a bunch of hors d’oeuvres”-type of family. With snacking, meals, and of course, candy and dessert eating, making sure that the kids brushed regularly was essential. You know how teens want to skip the daily shower? Well, younger kids want to skip the whole toothbrushing routine. Ick, I know!

I always ask myself the question: “Just how much energy does a child need to expend to brush their teeth twice daily?” Really, how hard is it to pick up a toothbrush? Apparently, the twice daily act of oral care takes too much energy! Thankfully, we had started the kids on the Listerine Oral Care Challenge before the holidays.

Each day the younger one will place a sticker on the Listerine Oral Care Challenge calendar whenever he brushes his teeth, rinses with Listerine, or flosses. I don’t require the older two to use the stickers. As one is just out of braces and one is in braces, both know the value of regular brushing, and of course maintaining a regimen of good oral care and hygiene.

As the kids start back to school, we’ll continue our Listerine Oral Care Challenge. I an pleased to say that since starting my youngest has not once missed brushing his teeth. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, kids love using a sticker or reward chart. The fun Listerine products don’t hurt either. My kids liked using the Listerine Smart Rinse in the Phineas and Ferb or Barbie versions.

• Save $1 on Listerine or Reach kids’ products.
• For oral care advice by age, check out the Listerine Kids site.
• To learn more about the Listerine family of products, go here.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received a sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

You know how it is. You find a notepad. Select a working pen. Gather your thoughts. Put pen to paper. Take a breath. Get totally overwhelmed. Take another deeper breath. Decide what needs to go first. Make the first notation on your to do list. Make a second entry. Third entry. Fourth. Fifth. Tenth entry. Eleventh. Seventeenth. Twentieth entry. Start hyperventilating for realz.

If you are like me, just writing the to do list is overwhelming and satisfying at the same time. By penning the lengthy to dos, you get a sense of the enormity of the work ahead of you. You can be upset by the sheer magnitude of the list and invigorated by having a written record of what you need to do.

A week and a half ago I penned my to do list AKA “the novel.” I sat on the list for a moment or two or three or maybe even four before attacking the list full force. With only a few weeks to go til Christmas, I was leaving nothing to chance.

Item #1: Buy gifts for local family…delegated to my husband since each day he drives past the store I planned to shop at. Item #1 = Done.

Item #2 through #8: Work tasks that only I could attend to. Items #2-#8 = some done, some partially done, some to be done. Same old, same old. But, I have it under control.

Item #9: Blog header. Hmmm. A graphic designer I am not. A good, very good blogging friend created a header for me and transferred my blog from Blogger to WP. This friend? She’s a keeper. I splurged on a new domain name a few weeks ago. I probably need a new blog header like a hole in the head, but what can I say? I caught the “I need a new blog to express all the thoughts that are floating in my head” bug.

So, Item #9 had me wondering. Who would I hire to do the blog header? I don’t know many graphic designers. Recently I reviewed Zaarly. Zaarly is a cool, new site where you can post what you need. Post your to do list one item at a time. You can also post items you have for sale. I gave Zaarly a whirl.

My first Zaarly item was a call for someone to haul away a broken bedframe, old paint cans a plenty, and a coule of old monitors. No takers at $25. Raised the price on Zaarly to $50. Still not takers.  The problem could be that I live off the beaten path…probably too far away for someone who hauls stuff for a living.

My next idea was to post about the blog header. I guessed correctly that I would get a number of hits from graphic designer-types willing to help me. Over the course of a few days, the hits have come thick and fast. Started conversations with 3 of the graphic designers. Got a sense that one of the designers was a little too green about the gills. I have minimal graphic experience. I need a serious amount of hand holding. 

After talking back and forth with three of the designers, I drafted a detailed list of what I am looking for with my blog header. I’m ready to see what the designer creates for me. Thanks to Zaarly I was able to find someone who could do a to-do item for me. And with the schedule that I have going right now both at work and at home, any help I can find is golden.

Signing up for Zaarly is easy.

• Use my link to sign up.
• For everyone who signs up for a Zaarly account, Zaarly will donate $1 to Feeding America.
• Follow @Zaarly on Twitter.
• Like Zaarly on Facebook.

I was compensated with a gift card for using Zaarly to get tasks done. The opinions expressed in the post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Is there a speed faster than fast? I’m thinking about the Spinal Tap amp that goes to 11. Right now, my speedometer is at about 250. Fast. Speedy. Vroom. Whoosh.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of school, work for two parents, dental and doctor appointments (with 3 kids…someone is ALWAYS at the doctor!), holiday activities, band and strings concerts, and more. Life is obviously too fast paced for little old me, because guess what I remembered that I never put out for the holidays? Guesses? Hint: I should have put it out on December 1. If you guessed the Advent calendar, you would be right! It’s December 8…how in the world did I forget to hang the Advent calendar?!

While I go and find the Advent calendar, here are some pics from last week’s Just Dance 3 party. We had the most fun family/friends game night. Some played. Some watched. Those that played didn’t want to stop. Those that watched loved seeing the happy expressions on those that were playing Just Dance 3.

Just Dance 3 is a game rated E for Everyone 10+. My son is 8. He had no problem keeping up with the game. Just Dance 3 is available for PS3, Wii, and XBox Kinect. Great for family game nights. Perfect icebreaker or activity for a tween or teen party/gathering. And don’t forget that the holidays are just around the corner. Still time to buy a game for that special someone! Another Holiday Gift Guide post: If you’re out and about shopping til you drop, you might need one of these or buy one for someone to stay connected.

• Just Dance 3 Wii
• Just Dance 3 XBox Kinect
• Just Dance 3 PlayStation 3

I’m always on the lookout for something to do, somewhere to go, something to watch, something to read. Family time is a huge deal for me. I crave it. I know my kids and husband need the time at home to regroup. After a busy fall of two on the swim team and one on the Varsity Volleyball team, we’re a tad tired. Swimming is a year-round thing for our two kids. Our volleyball player who played in the fall, resumes playing in December after a brief hiatus.

Knowing that we had a short break before our insane schedule gets back in to gear, I have been in overdrive trying to schedule stuff for us to do. We caught a screening of the #Muppets movie. We wrote postcards to the troops. We considered going Black Friday shopping, but didn’t. Of course we celebrated Thanksgiving with family. We shopped — not exactly until we dropped, but at least we ventured to Target and the Mall — as a family for Christmas gifts and ideas for Christmas lists for Santa. And we had a fun game night!

I brought out a fun game for us to play…a game that really takes up no space at all. We played UNO Roboto. Are you an UNO player? I know that my kids play UNO at recess. Usually the card game, but sometimes they play UNO Attack. My son has UNO Attack on his Christmas list to Santa. Though I never played UNO growing up in England, I appreciate a game with staying power.

After a recent binge and purge of stuff in our family room, we used the extra space on the coffee table for cold drinks and ice cream! The kids love ice cream as much if not more than cake. I’m a chocaholic to the nth degree, so if I am buying ice cream there are no guesses as to what I am buying! In order to get a little variety going, I let my oldest choose a couple of yummy sounding Coldstone Creamery flavors — Cake Batter Batter Batter and Shock-a-Cone. And yummy there were. We slurped those ice creams down lickety split.

The game — UNO Roboto — is a blend of the traditional UNO card game and an interactive game. Before you play, each player records his/her name on the UNO Roboto device — a cute, compact, little guy with a space on top of his head to store cards.

After the names are recorded, one player records a Special House Rule. Examples of Special House Rules are listed on the a few of the UNO cards. The object of UNO as always is to get rid of your cards as quick as possible. As you play the UNO Roboto will instruct players by name to do tasks. A nice twist to a traditional game. Adding to the “fun” for mom, dad, or the grandparents is that UNO Roboto comes with 3 batteries. You can literally buy the game at the store and play the game in the car coming home!

Before you click to another post, don’t forget to Like Uno on Facebook.

Considering purchasing a game this holiday? You might want to know that you can get a FREE 7″ x 9″ Shutterfly Photo Book (a $15.99 value) when you buy one of the following games at Toys R Us:

• Disney Apples to Apples
• Apples to Apples Junior
• Apples to Apples Kids
• Apples to Apples
• Blokus
• Angry Birds Knock on Wood
• Cars2 Finish Line Frenzy
• Imaginiff
• Loopz
• Loopz Chrome
• Mad gab
• MindFlex Duel
• Othello
• PictionaryMan
• Pictonary Junior
• Red Rover Game
• Rock’em Sock’em Robots
• Toss Across
• Whac-a-Mole
• Molehill Mania

And don’t forget if you buy any of these UNO games, you can get a FREE 7″ x 9″ Shutterfly Photo Book (a $15.99 value), too!

• UNO Attack
• UNO Choo Choo!
• UNO Moo!
• UNO Roboto

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of UNO Roboto and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Shopping is a necessity not a desire. For me I shop when I need things. My days of browsing the racks and window shopping are long gone.

I have a more precise, laser-like method of shopping than in my teen/college/premarriage years. If I need it, I buy it. If I see it on a rack, I buy it. If I browse the internet and see something I want, I buy it. And the item must be on sale…or I have a coupon…or it is a deal on a deal site. If I can’t save money, I’m not buying it.

Even before I was serious about shopping with a stack of high-value coupons in one hand and a bunch of coupons loaded on to my store discount card in my other hand, I liked to save. And way before I had a coupon pouch, I was a bargain shopper. Especially on Black Friday.

The bargains to be had can be plentiful. No matter what time of day, day of the week, or season you shop. You just have to look for the deals. And the bonanza bargain time is Black Friday, particularly Black Friday 2011.

My daughters and I will scan the ads. Even my son and husband will get busy. Peruse the books. Ogle at the savings. Analyze the bargains. And plan our assault on Black Friday. Armed with the Black Friday ads I’ll establish a game plan. Set the alarm and Go!

One Black Friday, in particular, I spotted a sale on Power Wheels cars at Walmart. I was beside myself with glee and joy and excitement and every other emotion as I cradled the Black Friday ads book in my hot little hands. I knew my kids would love seeing the two surprises under the tree.

I rose at 4 a.m. to get over to Walmart. Raced back to the toy area. Spotted the two cars I wanted.

• I knew my 5-year-old would love the Fisher Price Power Wheels Kawasaki Quad. I could see her four-wheeling through our yard. This was a little girl who could rock a pair of camo cargo pants one day and wear a Disney Princess dress the next.
• The Power Wheels Jeep Wrangler Rubicon would be perfect for my 3-year-old. I knew that though she wasn’t quite ready to “drive” on her own. she would love to be driven around in style by her big sis.

I manhandled one Power Wheels vehicle in to a shopping cart while keeping an eye on the other vehicle. The first vehicle was boxed up, which made it slightly easier to get in the shopping cart. How I managed to lift it in to the cart…I don’t have a clue. Brute force and determination I guess! I rolled the cart containing one of the Power Wheels vehicles while pushing the other boxed Power Wheels vehicle. Took me a while to get to the register as I slid and pushed and shuffled and rolled and dragged both of the huge boxes. I was relieved that the check out line was short.

Once at the register, I was surprised when the prices rang up differently than what I thought I saw. I looked at the Walmart Black Friday ads. Looked at the cash register. Looked at the two Power Wheels boxes I had just manhandled. To my horror I realized that the “too good to be true” sale prices were actually not Black Friday deals at all. No! The deals were just sale prices. I had misread the ad circular. I felt a little kooky. I told myself I’d come back the next day. I abandoned both Power Wheels boxes with a sales clerk and shuffled back home to bed. I knew I needed backup (AKA my husband) to help me manhandle the boxes in to the van.

So, if you’re headed to Walmart Black Friday 2011, don’t forget to check out the amazing deals here.

This post is sponsored by the coupon and deals experts at www.BlackFriday2011.com. Visit their site to browse the latest Black Friday Ads and find the best holiday savings at top stores, including Walmart, Lowes, and Walmart Black Friday 2011 deals.

I’m not a deal blogger, but I would by lying if I said I could resist a good deal. Chances are good…if I see a deal I like…I buy it. Lately I have purchased a number of deals that fit with what we do as a family. I bought a kiddie cooking class lesson from Plum District. Just in time for some holiday baking! I’m treating my kids to a session at a local place for trampolining…Rebounderz…thanks to Certifikid. Should be a good way to let off holiday steam!

New deals from Juice in the City that my pique your interest as you buy for your holiday gift list and plan for activities with your family for 2012…

Atlanta: Atlanta: Buckhead/Midtown
$16 for a Set of Eco-Friendly Semilla Snack Bags

Austin: North Austin
$37 One Hour Deluxe Custom Massage at The Wellness & Relaxation Lounge

Austin: South Austin
$6 for $12 Worth of Gourmet Popcorn at Reel Popcorn

Charlotte: South Charlotte
$27 Ticket to Charlotte Symphony’s “The Magic of Christmas”

Charlotte: North Charlotte
$27 Ticket to Charlotte Symphony’s “The Magic of Christmas”

Dallas – Fort Worth: Collin County
$39 Laser Hair Removal Treatment at The Spa at Willow Bend

Dallas – Fort Worth: Denton County
$10 for $20 at Blue Hangar Café

Dallas – Fort Worth: North Dallas
$37 for a 1 Hour Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage at Massage by Stacey

Dallas – Fort Worth: North Mid Cities
$5 for 2 Tickets to “The Reindeer That Saved Christmas” at Artisan Center Theater

Denver: Central Denver
$10 for $20 Worth of Home Delivery Dry Cleaning Services

Denver: South Denver
$9 for $20 Worth of Food & Drinks at Off the Vine

Houston: Greater Katy & Sugar Land
$12 Ticket to “Little Women: The Musical” Presented by Queen Theatre

Houston: Northwest Houston
$72 Kid’s Holiday Art Camp at The Artist Within

Houston: The Woodlands
$10 for $20 Worth of Italian Food at Russo’s New York Pizzeria

Los Angeles: Pasadena
$24 for 2 Full Service Oil Changes at Our King Auto Repair

Los Angeles: San Fernando Valley
$11 for Baby’s First Haircut at The Yellow Balloon

Los Angeles: South Bay
50% Off 1 Month of Voice Lessons at Amber Q Voice Lessons

Los Angeles: Ventura County
50% Off 8 Weeks of Gymnastics Classes at California Cartwheel Center

Los Angeles: Westside
$15 for $30 Worth of Authentic Italian Fare at San Gennaro Cafe

And don’t forget the Juice in the City National deal…

National: Everywhere
$16 for a Set of Eco-Friendly Semilla Snack Bags

New York: Brooklyn
$37 for 2 Chinese Language & Folk Dance Classes for Kids

New York: Downtown
$20 for 8 Weeks of Kids Dance Classes at Piel Canela Dancers Company

New York: Uptown
$10 for $20 Worth of Tea and More at Alice’s Tea Cup

New York: Westchester County
$6 for $12 Worth of Gourmet Frozen Yogurt & Candy from SoYo So Yummy

Phoenix: Phoenix: Scottsdale
$6 for $12 at Yogurtopia

San Antonio: San Antonio
$10 for $20 Worth of Food at Espana Bar de Tapas

San Diego: North County Inland
50% Off a 3-Hour Holiday Lights Tour from Adventure Limos

San Francisco: East Bay
$36 for Four 30-Minute Swim Lessons at American Swim Academy

San Francisco: Mid Peninsula
$59 for $150 Worth of Skin Care & Body Treatments at Z-Beauty Lounge

San Francisco: East Bay
$36 for Four 30-Minute Swim Lessons at American Swim Academy

San Francisco: North Peninsula
51% Off a 1 Hour Facial at Advanced Skin Solutions

Local friends might like this Juice in the City deal for D.C./The District…

Washington DC: The District
60% Off a Private 2 Hour “How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy” Class

or Bethesda/Chevy Chase…

Washington DC: Bethesda/Chevy Chase
60% Off a Private 2 Hour “How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy” Class

All links are to my Juice in the City or other affiliate links. Score the deal or use my Juice in the City link to join the JITC affiliate program.

A few years ago, I scored the coup of a deal for my family. Medieval Times had long held one of the top spots on my “Musings from Me List of Must-Do Stuff.” After many years of having kids who were too young to appreciate all that is fabulous about Medieval Times, we were able to go.

The tickets are pricey. I knew going to Medieval Times with my family of 5 would be an expensive endeavor. Too expensive even with 3 children. I thought about and thought about it. Finally a light bulb went off. I asked my parents if they would consider counting going to Medieval Times as my birthday dinner and birthday present all rolled in to one. While I wasn’t sure how my parents would deal with the noise level of MT, my parents love eating out as a family. They readily agreed. Our group of 5 became 7 then 11 once another relative’s family joined us. Add in two visiting friends from England and we had a real Baker’s Dozen.

Now, taking 13 people to MT is very pricey as I said before. Next stop…deals!

I’m no #extremecouponer. I once saved $40 grocery shopping, but I don’t go to the extremes of buying…uh…stockpiling 60 jars of mustard. No, I go for coupons for a free item that I get from blogging conferences and events or I find the high value coupons and stock up on food and drinks and cleaning products that we need.

A passion of mine is discounts on events, plays, and sporting events. I don’t know about you but taking the family to a museum can get really pricey. I always try to find a coupon or a deal. Here’s a deal–actually a couple of deals–for events in D.C. and Baltimore.

For our family experience at Medieval Times I was able to avail myself of a special offer where anyone with a birthday the month you were going to MT got in free. We had 3 free birthdays! Love a good saving!

And before I forget, here’s a deal from GoldStar for discounted tickets to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Baltimore, MD. Full price tickets range from $38.44-$60.44, with the GoldStar price $21.64-$33.92. Find the deal here!

I am a GoldStar affiliate. Sign up to be an affiliate with my link. Earn $$ for deals sold.

Austin: North Austin
$20 for a Manicure & Pedicure at Shawn Michael Salon
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Austin: South Austin
$42 Classic Luxe Facial with Eye Treatment at Luxe Salon
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Dallas – Fort Worth: Collin County
$24 One Hour Facial at Skin Care Logic
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Thursday 11/10/2011

Dallas – Fort Worth: North Mid Cities
$25 for a Club Cut and 7-Step Facial Shave at Roosters Men’s Grooming Center
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Thursday 11/10/2011

Houston: Greater Katy & Sugar Land
$54 for 1 Month of Swim Lessons at Sea Sports Swim Katy
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Houston: Northwest Houston
50% Off Admission for 2 to Fall Fest Presented By MOMS Club Cypress – NW Fairfield
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Friday 11/11/2011

Los Angeles: San Fernando Valley
59% Off 2 Months of Kids’ Gymnastics Classes at Fun & Fit Gymnastics
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Thursday 11/10/2011

Los Angeles: South Bay
57% Off 3 Facial Treatments at Skin Care by Iliana
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Los Angeles: Ventura County
60% Off 90 Minute Islands Surf Camp Surfing or Paddle Board Lesson
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

National: Everywhere
$30 Premium 12-Month Subscription to Fooz Kids
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Thursday 11/10/2011

New York: Brooklyn
$10 for 2 Kids’ Dance Classes at Tropical Image Dancers
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Thursday 11/10/2011

San Francisco: Mid Peninsula
$5 for $10 Worth of Frozen Yogurt at Yoppi Yogurt
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

San Francisco: North Peninsula
$39 for 1 Month of Swim Lessons at King’s Swim Academy
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Seattle: Seattle Eastside
$10 for $20 Worth of Candy & More at Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory and Cafe
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

Washington DC: The District
$24 Kid’s Mani/Pedi Spa Package at Cafe Kids Spa
Start Date: Thursday 11/10/2011
End Date: Sunday 11/13/2011

I am an affiliate of Juice in the City. If you want to join the Juice in the City affiliate program, you can use my referral link.

Zach Myers of Shinedown will perform at the Baltimore Soundstage tomorrow night (November 9) at 6 p.m. I found this event on Goldstar. They have half-price tickets and member reviews of concerts, sports, theater and more.
I’m already a member! Want to buy this GoldStar deal?

Goldstar’s featured event of the week is Monty Python’s Spamalot coming to D.C.’s Warner Theater, March 13 to 18, 2012. Want to see Spamalot? Use my GoldStar deal.

I don’t know about you, but I have always found Cirque du Soleil a little odd. A tad weird even. Never seen a show, so I am just gleaning my insight from clips. Have you see a Cirque du Soleil Show? Do you want to see it? coming to D.C.’s Verizon Center in November.

And finally, last but not least, and I am truly saving the best for last… the Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos is coming to 1st Mariner Arena in January 2012. I’m excited! I need to mark Friday, January 13, 7:30 p.m. in my calendar!