I love a good bargain! (and you can too!!!)

Thank you Cyber Monday!!!

I planned on buying someone a canvas print as a Christmas present this year. Oh, who am I kidding??? It was for my sister and she knows all about it. I wanted to make sure I got her a print she actually wanted. So sue me for taking away a bit of her Christmas surprise. I don't think she'll mind that I'm sharing my bargain shopping habits.

Normal price of a 20 x 30 inch canvas print at Shutterfly- $129.99
Shipping and handling- $19.99
= $149.98 (plus tax!)

Current sale price of a 20 x 30 inch canvas print at Shutterfly- $85.79
Promo code for an extra $10 off any order over $30- JOLLY10
Promo code for free shipping for any order over $25- SHIP25
= $81.95 (including tax!)

Then, throw in an Cyber Monday deal at Ebates and I'll receive 20% cash back for my purchase at Shutterfly.

Point. Set. Match.

Needless to say, now I saved a few bones and can buy my sister something and actually surprise her!!!

If you planned on buying any photo items I suggest you mozy over to Shutterfly before December 2nd. Those promo codes are only good until then. Happy Shopping!!!

(I didn't receive any freebies from Shutterfly for writing this post. I haven't reached that level of blogging power yet and I doubt I ever will.)

I got a new phone!!!

I went from having one of the cheapest phones on the market to the new and very cool Motorola Droid phone! I didn't even send text messages on my old phone because it was such a pain in the bum to type out each letter of the word. Add that in with my anti-text slang stance and I basically never even purchased a text messaging plan because I hated texting with such a vengeance.

Anyway, the Droid is awesome. Well, in the 15 hours that I've had the phone I've come to love it. It's crazy cool how far phones have come in the past few years. Hopefully, with such a nifty device I can update my blog a bit more often. Or, just spend all of my "free time" on Facebook. Whatever.

I am worried that my current reading rate of finishing a book a week on the train is going to suffer due to playing on my phone. Oh well, I'm sure I'll strike a balance at some point.

Any cool apps I should download to my phone????

Attention Weekend shoppers!

Click over here if you want a 30% off coupon at GAP, Banana Republic, or Old Navy to use this weekend. You'll also be doing some good while you're shopping because 5% of what you spend will be given to Teach for America. It's a win/win situation.

Click Here.

Coming home to this...

... makes even the most hellish day fade into the background.



Thank goodness for woman's best friend.

Way to be a team player Jewels

I think once you become an adult and you start paying your own utility bills you begin to take on a whole different appreciation for certain things. When I was a kid I used to leave my radio on the entire day, forget to close my window in the morning, run the dryer an extra time to de-wrinkle my clothes, and take ridiculously hot showers. Now, I'm all about making things as efficient and cost-effective as possible. The hubs as come around to my perspective as well.

Especially now that the weather is taking a dips towards colder temperatures. Sweatshirts, heavy socks, fleece pants and the occasion knit cap are all cheap ways to keep the heat turned down a notch.

Even Jewels is getting into the spirit.

Making Adjustments

I started a new job this past week and the adjustments to my daily schedule aren't as easy I hoped they would be. Basically, I now have a two-plus hour commute each and every day. That part isn't fun. Couple my new extended commute with the ever shortening days and I hardly get to see sunlight anymore. Well, that's not true, I do get to see the sunlight dancing by as I'm in that awkward phase of, "if I fall asleep now I may miss my stop on the train and that would be really bad, so I must stay awake."

It's really not that bad. I was just being overly dramatic. Actually, I love, love, love my new job. The only negative thing I can say about the job is the commute and even that is a short-term issue. The hubs and I are planning to move this winter and that will make things much easier.

In the meantime my blogging habits have taken a big hit. I barely have time to make it through my Google Reader once a day. Don't worry, I'm not just neglecting Blogger as I'm almost completely off of Facebook as well. It's terrible!

Hopefully, I'll adjust to my new schedule and I can learn to make more time for blogging. Having a super cool hubs who cooks and vacuums is definitely an asset. I'm also going to upgrade to a more advanced phone so I can be more productive on the train. Any suggestions?

Fall weather= baking time

I love fall, depending on the day of the week fall is either my favorite season or my second favorite. It's a toss-up with winter, but it's a really close race.

Anyway, the fall weather for the next few days in my area isn't the fun kind of fall weather. It's cold (temps are in the low 40s), rainy, mushy, gray, and just all around gloomy. Plus, the hubs and I had plans to head out to a haunted hayride with friends this weekend and those plans are now canceled due to the weather forecast. BOO!!!

There is one aspect of fall that I do love that the weather can't take away from me... baking. It's so nice to warm up a slightly chilly house by baking. I made these brownies today and they're tasty.

Peanut Butter-Swirl Brownies (from Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/3 cup chunky-style peanut butter
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces or chopped peanuts

1. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat butter until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar and eggs. Using a wooden spoon, lightly beat the mixture just until combined. Stir in the flour. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter; set aside.

2. Stir the melted unsweetened chocolate into the remaining batter in the saucepan. Spread chocolate batter in the prepared pan. Set aside.

3. Stir peanut butter into the reserved 3/4 cup batter. Dot peanut butter batter atop the chocolate batter. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces or peanuts. Using a knife, swirl the batter.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the brownies appear set on the surface. Do not overbake. Cool the brownies in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

5. Quickly eat a few brownies before you have any witnesses. Down the evidence with a glass of milk. Repeat until appetite is satisfied. :)