PPB Outlet Sale & Review

Hey mamas…if you haven’t checked it out yet, Petunia Pickle Bottom is having their semi annual online outlet sale right now. A percentage of proceeds are being donated to the Red Cross in order to assist Japan.

I’ve been in the market for a backpack diaper bag, since I will soon be welcoming #2 and free hands is a must! I’ve been debating between the PPB Boxy Backpack & the Ju Ju Be BFF. The Ju Ju Be, in my opinion, appeared at first to be slightly more practical due to the large opening for the main bag compartment, however their bag prints make me cringe. Not subtle at all, which is not really my style. The PPB prints are gorgeous, but I was a little turned off by the narrow opening of the main zippered area, however it is deeper and can hold more stuff than the Ju Ju Be. Price wise, they are pretty much the same. It was a toss up, but it was still tough to think about coughing up the $169 for the PPB Boxy Backpack. So, I’ve been waiting for their outlet sale. The outlet sells all products with discontinued prints and/or certified second products at a huge discount.

On Tuesday, I bought a ‘certified second’ boxy backpack for $67! That’s 61% off!! They say the ‘certified second’ bags could not be sold in the stores due to some minor flaw…which could be anything from a fabric mark to  just damaged packaging when shipped. Well, FedEx just delivered my bag and it’s PERFECT! Not a mark, scuff, or thread out of place!! To make me even happier, the bag arrived two days after I purchased it. WOOHOO!!!

This is the bag I bought:

        

 

 

I was a little concerned about the colors. The online picture made it look really bright, and I don’t like bright. But I read an online review that said the colors were much softer in person, so I took a chance. And I’m glad I did. The colors are perfect…actually very muted! Not bright at all. The darker blue actually has a grayish tint to it, and the light blue is very soft, not that obnoxious baby blue. I love all things shabby chic, and this completely reminds me of that style.

The sale ends 03/28…you can click here, to see what they have in stock.

Clip, clip, clip

 

Ok, so I kinda sorta jumped on this couponing band wagon. I’ve always clipped coupons from my Sunday paper, but this time around I’m going more “extreme” with it and using websites to coordinate using my coupons with store deals.

I have a girlfriend who kept showing me receipts from grocery & drug stores where she literally paid pennies for bags and bags of groceries. So she hooked me…

It took a little bit of time to sort through the good & bad websites to use, but I’ve found a few favorites that I’m going to share it with you!

 

I’m in no way shape or form as good as those women on that crazy TLC coupon show, but I have been saving quite a bit of money which always is a good thing!

The following are all of the websites that I visit throughout the week, follow on facebook, and rely on to form my shopping lists…

The Krazy Coupon Lady – her website is fantastic! It’s pretty much a catch all for every sale, new coupon, and deal available. Following her on Facebook is a must…

Coupons.com – I print numerous coupons from this website throughout the week. It’s easy to print from and easy to navigate…

The Coupon Network – Also a great one to print coupons from

Save at Home Mommy – I use this site to access the sale lists for VONS & Stater Bros.

Hip2Save – I have always been a fan of this site, but now I use it to track down all Rite Aid & Wal-Greens, and Target sales.

There are honestly a million and one websites that provide all of the same information, it’s just about finding the one’s that work for you. *FYI: Never, ever PAY a website to provide you sale lists from grocery stores…you can find all of the information for FREE from the above links that I provided.

The first weekend of the month I did a big shopping trip for all of our food & necessities that we would need for the next 2-3 weeks. I usually can spend an easy $180-200 just in food.

I went to Vons & Stater Bros. It took me an hour and a half to do all of my shopping. I was armed with a stack of coupons and coordinated shopping lists for each store. I spent a total of $95.18. I saved $54.77 in just clipped & printed coupons, not including the savings from my Vons card, etc.

Then I went to Rite Aid, spent $9.03, and walked away with Huggies diapers, 4 free Nivea chapsticks, free tube of Colgate toothpaste, free Colgate toothbrush, Garnier makeup removing wipes, and some other misc things. *It’s important to know that you need to sign up for a Rite Aid Rewards card {it’s free} from their website, prior to doing any shopping there. This is how you can earn free rite aid dollars from purchases you make.

Not too bad in my opinion.

Like I said, I’m not as “professional” as some people I know, but I’m couponing to the extent that I have time for, and saving some money while doing it…can’t go wrong, right?!

Anybody out there a pro already?! Can you share some tips for us newbies to this game? I’m always looking for new & improved ways to save a buck ;)

Winner!

Congrats, Stacy B!

You have won the CSN giveaway!!

Please email me within 48 hours to claim your gift card!

 

Thank you to everyone who entered, tweeted, facebooked, and blogged about my giveaway! Many more to come in the near future…

how about a giveaway?!

It’s been awhile since I’ve had any giveaways on my blog…so let’s have one!

Spring is right around the corner, and that means getting ready for some fun outdoor activities. I’m already thinking about the plethora of bbq’s & playdates I can’t wait to plan when the weather warms up. Last year, we bought my son an awesome Step2 swingsets from CSN Stores…and it’s a kid magnet! CSN had the best price & free shipping. Just can’t beat it!

Well, CSN is offering a $35 gift card to one lucky reader of my blog! Maybe you’re in need of a swing set, or outdoor accessory for your patio or yard? The options are endless with CSN.

Here’s how to enter {leave a separate comment for each}:

1.) What’s one spring/summer activity you can’t wait to do this year?

2.) Become a follower of my blog! {if you already do, just let me know}

3.) Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in a comment!

 

Good luck! I will randomly choose a winner on Monday, March 7th. 

Two tickets for $9!!!

Head over to Living Social today, to score TWO Fandango movie tickets for just $9!!! That’s an awesome deal, considering the sky high theatre tickets these days! It’s about 70% off…can’t beat it!!!

Note: This is a nationwide deal, you do not have to live in D.C. to get in on the action!

Click here to see today’s deal