Deals: Love me some Kashi

I don’t know about you, but I love me a good bowl o’ cereal – morning, night – whenever! Sometimes it’s hard to balance affordable and good-for-you. I think Kashi does a great job of this. In the cereal arena, my two favorites are Heart to Heart and Autumn Wheat.

My kids have never had “kid” cereals, but they sure do love these – healthy and all. The cheapest place to buy Kashi cereals in my hood is Trader Joe’s at $3.49. Target is a close second with $3.69. If it’s over $4, you’re paying too much. In fact I consistently see it for $4.99 a box in the “health food aisle” of other stores – WAY too much. I often see Kashi coupons online or in the weekly circulars. And, if you’re up for hearing from another company in your life, sign up online for their news. You’ll get coupons, tips for living a healthier life, and sometimes, you’ll receive food samples in the mail. I never complain about free food.

Discount: Ann Taylor & Loft 30% Off

Ann Taylor & Loft Friends & Family Discount
30% off through April 25, 2010
Online code FRIENDS or In-stores - Print coupon

Discount: BR 40% off Jewelry Sale TODAY

ONE DAY ONLY! ONLINE ONLY!

TUESDAY, APRIL 20th, 2010.

Enter promo code: BRBLING at checkout.

This little Flutter Wings bracelet is $21 instead of $35.

Deals: Gaming 1.0

And I don’t mean the video kind. Two kids later, our family has really gotten into games. On the flip side, even my monthly girl’s nights are game-related. We like to play Mexican Train Dominoes (those evenings also include a $5 wager and a nice selection of wine). Makes for a very fun and cost-effective evening.

Once you make the investment, games will last for years and provide low-budget fun. Here are some recommendations. What are your favorite games?

Pre-School
Picture Link
Zingo
Don't Spill the Beans
Memory (many versions here with your kid’s favorite animated hero)
Whac-a-Mole
Don’t Wake Daddy
Trouble
Candyland
Chutes & Ladders (Also available in a variety of themes)

Kids
Pairs in Pears
Great States
Smath
Wordplay for Kids
Rush Hour

Tweens
Bananagrams
Like Minds
Monopoly (many varieties)
Apples to Apples Junior

Teens (and up)
Taboo
Cranium
Empire Builder
Loaded Questions
Imaginiff
Apples to Apples
Scattergories
Bananagrams

SAT Game for Dummies

Seattle'ites - don't forget about Blue Highway Games on Queen Anne. A great place to buy gifts, but they also have an entire game wall and tables. Grab a game and play for an hour or longer - FREE.

Discount & Sale: 25% off Gap

Take 25% off sale prices at Gap.com with code GAPSALE25 - ends tomorrow 4/14/10.

Nectar Blush & Blush Lipliner

There's one piece of makeup that I have a hard time picking out on my own: blush. To me, it necessitates a qualified associate at the makeup counter. Ok - maybe a gorgeous college student, but still, who knows what's trendy more than someone in their 20's at the makeup counter? I was definitely due for a new color. Seriously, how many years does it take me to go through blush?

The friendly gal at the Bobbi Brown counter picked out a new color for me - "Nectar". And Lord knows I can't live without my Bobbi Brown lip-liner, ironically the color is called "Blush". So those were my two purchases yesterday - Blush in Nectar and Lipliner in Blush.

And how is this cheap you might ask? My advice - do not walk away without your free samples! Be honest, ask if they are sampling any products right now and explain you prefer to try before you buy. They even have these tiny little sample jars now for taking home foundation samples. And in my case, I scored a little jar of eye cream, and two more trial size pouches of eye cream and face lotion. See for yourself!

Discount: Nine West FFF 30% Off Event

Nine West is having their Friends, Family & Fashion Event. Quick notice - it ends today 4/12/10 - but it's 30% off your entire order with code NWFRND4.

Aristotle sandals

Coupon: Suave Professionals

4/12/10 Update - coupon is gone!

Target dropped the price on Suave Professionals in my area from $2.04 to $1.67 per bottle! And RIGHT NOW, they have a coupon for $1 off two bottles. That makes two bottles of Suave Professionals $2.34 total. See my previous review of Suave Professionals Sleek.

Freebies: Kid Workshops

What's better than letting your kids use a hammer? Away from your house? Join the fun at Home Depot and Lowe's on specific Saturdays. Kids enjoy seeing the finished product and get to do the work themselves. And it's FREE!

Home Depot Kids Workshops

• First Saturday of each month
• Designed for kids 5-12
• 5/1: picket fence planter

Lowes Build & Grow Clinics

• 4/10: baseball game
• 4/17: planter
• Sign up ahead of time

Deal: No, seriously, I took the Suave Challenge

I’ve always been plagued by fly-aways. I’m not talking Sarah Jessica Parker at the Oscars fly-aways, but still. Lately my hair has been getting even drier. Add a few pregnancies with the hair loss and re-growth and honestly, I just looked silly.

After consistently seeing those “we-tricked-salon-professionals” commercials, I started to wonder. Could Suave Professionals work for me? Really?

Regular Suave is in the $1 range, right? So I embarked on a Target run and decided to take a peak. Suave has really stepped up their game. The Professionals series is $2.04 each. Seriously?

Ok, so for a total of $4.08 I gave it a try. I almost bought the version for Volumizing because I have really fine hair. I considered Color Care because let’s face it, I haven’t been a blond since the early 90’s. I opted at the last minute for “Sleek” because that’s what was plaguing me the most.

Results: I’ve almost used up both the shampoo & conditioner and I will definitely re-buy. My hair is styling better, has much fewer fly-aways and almost feels thicker. Honestly, I’m shocked.