Gift Cards...What Gift Cards?

I am an expert at spending gift cards, and spending them quickly. I got a number of them this Christmas and have already managed to use up two of them and half of another. Here's what I bought in record time...

Dunkin Donuts ($30 value - $10 left)

• 4 bags of ground coffee...they were having a sale! 4 bags for $20! Can't beat that. AND when you think about it, it's more responsible of me to spend some of my gift card on ground coffee b/c I can make it at home, which is way cheaper than using all the $$ up on cups at Dunks.

Amazon ($50 value - gonzo)
Barnes and Noble ($75 value - gonzo)

Yes, that's right I spent $125 on nothing but books. I'm a dork...now let's move on. So needless to say, I have a lot of reading to do! Good thing I have a very long flight in my very near future (ahhh, India is getting close!)

So anyways, I managed to snag up some fabulous deals on some good old fashion paperbacks and on some new ebooks. My ipad is like one giant ereader all wrapped up into one, so I can read Kinkle and Nook books on it. Love it! So here are some of them...

The next book club selection.

and I also got....

• Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
• Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolutoin - and How It Can Renew America
• Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of your Life
• Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
• By Their Father's Hand
• The Hands of the Buddha
• The Hangman's Daughter
• Easily Amused

So like I said, I have just a few books to read.

Monday - Wednesday Damages (12/27 - 12/29)

Monday

• $0

Today I cashed in one of the scratch tickets I got from one of Aaron's little brothers. It was worth...$400!!! Woo hoo! 

Tuesday

• $0
  

Wednesday

• $6.51 - Russo's (salad bar for lunch)
• $10 - Nick's Pizza (dinner)

It was a day of eating out...which means it's time to go grocery shopping.

Christmas 2010

Aaron and I had a busy holiday, we went to western Mass to see his family on Christmas Even and then headed down to RI to see my family on Christmas Day.
Here's some of the items I purchased/split with Aaron for his family and mine...

• Amazon gift card - my brother (which he conveniently also got for me, hah)
• Blue Sky Spa gift card - my mom and my Auntie Ree
• Dachshund Krinkle ornament - my mom
• Framed picture of Aaron and I - Auntie Ree
• Pandora bead & bracelet from Greece - My Nan
• Dunks gift card & some sort of lawn mower attachment - Dad
• Pandora bracelet & Flying Pig Krinkle ornament & framed picture of Aaron and I from Greece- Aaron's mom
• Computer games - Aaron's stepdad (Aaron bought them a new computer)
• Heated motorcycle jacket - Aaron's brother
• Video game & Celtics hoodie - Aaron's other brother
• Framed painting from Greece & Body Shop Body Butter - Aaron's Aunt
• Opa-Opa gift card (Restaurant/Brewery) & framed picture of us - Aaron's grandparents
• Framed pictures of Greece & Dunks gift card- Aaron's Uncle

I'm positive I'm leaving some stuff out, but it's just too hard to remember it all...I said it all got a little out of hand, I wasn't kidding.

So every year my family (myself included) say we're going to cut back...in all regards, presents, food, the whole shpeal...we never do. This year was no exception. Here's what I hauled home (in no particular order), the poor car felt every mile.

• $$$ for my trip to India
• Scratch tickets (which I'm not sure...but I think one is worth $400!!! I have to take it in to see, I don't understand the world of scratch tickets and just assume I am reading it wrong)
• Robe and bath set (YAY, now I don't have to take Maggie out in the morning wrapped in a blanket...it's a pretty safe bet that my neighbors think I'm insane)
• Lots of body creams, soaps shampoos, conditioners, and general smell good accuturments
• Candles
• Gift Cards (Dunks, Shell, Amazon, Barnes and Noble)
• Cold Hard Cash
• Random baking and cooking supplies (such as non-stick reusable cupcake liners! and a new powdered sugar shaker, to replace the one that was stolen from me at work...still annoyed about that whole situation. Bunch of theives)
• Underwear and sleeping clothes...the weirdest of these was a "nightgown" from my Aunt that she purchased with my mom...it's essentially lingerie...No, it is lingerie, which is super fun to open in front of your dad and older brother...who them immediately glare at Aaron, which my mom and Aunt thought was hysterical. Super. 
• Renewal of National Geographic
• Mad Gab (board game) 
• Reusable shopping bag that folds up into a nice little package so it fits nicely in a purse
• Food stuffs (sunflower seeds, cookies, candy, etc.)
• Wine, and quite a bit of it
• A "shopaholic" and "diva" coffee mug
• Countless little stocking stuffers
• Some of my Nana Juice's (who passed away) ornaments and Christmas decorations :)
• A microderm abrasion machine thing (my Aunt is concerned about the future of my face, I need to be wary of wrinkling apparently, particularly b/c I work outside so much...very harsh on the skin people)
• A weekend getaway in Stratton, VT for skiing and snowshoeing
• A KITCHEN AID MIXER! (I did NOT see this one coming, my mom and dad gave me money for my volunteer trip, so I wasn't expecting any presents...so much for scaling back!)  

Just think of all the sweet treats I can whip up with this thing! I mean I love my little handheld mixer, but this thing kicks it's little white a**.

So appropriate

LOVE this!

Let's see how my knees do this ski season. That will NOT be me on the moguls, that much is certain.

Strangely enough, I really didn't get any clothes aside from my socks and underwear, oh yes and don't forget the lingerie...who could forget that.  I think people have given up on that front. Hah. No worries, I do just fine filling my closets on my own.

Weekend Damages (12/25 - 12/26)

Saturday

• $0

Sunday

• $0

No need to be spending any money really when you just got a boat load of stuff and have a tank full of gas. Update on the loot to come...

Monday - Friday Damages (12/20 - 12/24)

Monday

• $120 - Salty Dog Obedience (Dog Walking for Miss Mae)
• $6.33 - iTunes

After beating the free version of Angry Birds on the new ipad with no problems, it became clear that I was going to need to buy the full version. It's been a life changing experience...much like I imagine crack would be. I'm 100% addicted.

Tuesday

•  $0

Wednesday

• $35.01 - Hess

Thursday

• $40 - Local Ski Shop in VT (can't remember the name)

So I picked up my free rental skis for the season from one of Aaron's friends who works at Mount Snow. The only thing I needed to add to the freebies was a set of poles, so Aaron and I dropped in on a local joint on our way down to Western Mass. He was kind enough to buy my poles (which were 50% off!) and I got myself a pair of fleece fingerless mitten-gloves for field work and Maggie walking. They have already proven to be the best purchase in the history of purchases.

Friday

• $0

A Christmas update will be coming at you shortly! Stay tuned!!

Thursday - Sunday Damages (12/16 - 12/19)

Thursday

• $0

Friday

• $2 something - Dunkin Donuts (medium black)
• $11.57 - Stop and Shop (lunch while at work...I was working behind a Stop and Shop)

Saturday

• $0

Sunday

• $10 - Station 5 Grill (local breakfast joint in Natick)

Aaron and I celebrated Christmas on Sunday evening...yes I realize we're a week early. The thought of dragging gifts all over Mass and then down to RI to open however, just isn't something we're about to do. So we do our own little mini Christmas a week early. We made homemade mac-and-cheese and some roasted asparagus for our Christmas feast and then did our stocking, Maggie's stocking, and presents. 

Here's the rundown of what I got Aaron and Maggie...and of what Aaron got me:

Aaron:

• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad (to go under said bag)
• Lululemon sweats (sooo soft)
• A Golf GPS thing (FREE! Court got it as a promo and her Aaron didn't want it so she gave it to me for my Aaron)
• Framed his Bentley and UMass Diplomas
• 2 Krinkles (Mr. & Mrs. Squirrel)
• Smartwool socks
• Michael Jordan T-shirt
• Travel toiletries kit
• Various stocking stuffers

Maggie's Stocking:

• Toy - Green dog with Santa hat
• Toy - Braided fleece reindeer
• Chewies...for chewing obviously

Me:

• ipad (it's GLORIOUS!)

• ipad case
• ipad camera adapter
• Pandora charm (cute little purse)
• Patience Brewster "Long Leaf" necklace (YAY!!! As you know...she's my favorite)

• Ice coffee cup (no more plastic throw aways for me!)
• Lime green Lululemon legwarmers
• Lululemon yoga top
• Butane refills (for the plethora of lighters that are out of fuel around here)
• Leather conditioner for my horribly dirty wallet and couches

aaannndddd probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting right now, not because I didn't love it, but because Aaron went a tad overboard this year and there was a lot of stuff! He has more of a shopping problem than I do when it comes to Christmas!

That's all for now. I'll have some more to report after Christmas...as far as what I got for everyone. I can't post it yet b/c then they'll know what they're getting!

Monday - Wednesday Damages (12/13 - 12/15)

Monday

• $0

Tuesday

• $46.82 - CVS (Stocking Stuffers)
• $300 - Blue Sky Spa (presents for family)
• $57.25 - Barnes and Noble (various games for various gifts)

Wednesday

• $0

AND I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH ALL CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!! I so totally deserve one of these....

Weekend Damages

Saturday

• $38.05 - Petsmart (Maggie Food)
• $37.97 - Roche Brothers

Sunday

• $50 - Opa Opa (gift card for Aaron's grandparents)
• $80 - Dunkin Donuts (gift cards for my dad and Aaron's uncle)

So I know you're probably wondering why I didn't just get the food while we were at Petsmart last night, but we ended up running back b/c Maggie was showing signs of another UTI :( I figured the Banfield Clinic in the store would be quickly and easier than our vet, which is a bit of a drive. Plus it's not like we haven't been through this before. Huge mistake, I will never go back to that clinic. They did the urine test to see if she did in fact have a UTI, which she does, and prescribed a 3-week course of antibiotics. One would think this would be a relatively inexpensive trip...WRONG. The total was somewhere in the order of $370 (Aaron picked up the tab...I'll probably roll half of this into my  next rent check)! Our vet did the exact same tests AND biopsied the lump on her leg for around $100 less. Not to mention I just trust Sudbury Animal Hospital much more.  When she has to go back for a follow up in a month, we're going to our vet...no way we're taking her back to Banfield.

Thursday & Friday Damages (12/9 - 12/10)

Thursday

• $29.96 - Hess

Friday

• $19.95 - Petsmart (Maggie nail grinding and chewies for her stocking)

Nauseating November

Eek so this month was a bit of a disaster as far as controlling my spending goes. Forget about falling off the bandwagon...I drove the thing off a bridge. It was ugly. However, let's keep in mind that two very large purchases were made...my flight for my trip to India (for charity, so honestly that shouldn't even count) and four new tires (also kinda doesn't count b/c I definitely needed them, as the flat I got on the Pike illustrated perfectly). PLUS I did the majority of my holiday shopping...oh yeah and then there were all the self-gifts, like the Biere Allary poster and the laser hair removal vouchers. Guh, I'm bad at this.

So here's the breakdown...
TOTAL: $2,554 (Gulp)


Randomness: $1,087 (remember that amazing poster...well that had something to do with this)
Travel: $512
Gifts: $345
Health and Beauty: $198 
Groceries: $95
Gas: $94
Bars/Restaurants: $81
Clothing: $57
Maggie: $48
Entertainment: $32
Coffee: $5 (This may just be a personal best for me!!!)

Love

Most fabulous Sony Boutique on Beyond the Rack...don't worry I didn't buy any. They were $899 a pop (AND I'm running out of wall space over here).

 

 My Johnny :)

Hmmm Dylan.

Monday - Wednesday Damages (12/6 - 12/8)

Monday

• $0.85 - Pop Tarts from Vending Machine at Work (super nutritious breakfast)

Tuesday

• $0

Wednesday

• $46.83 - Roche Brothers

New Found Shopping Sites for the Dealsmiths Out There

A new friend from book club (yes, that's right...I said book club. Don't judge me, I like to read) invited me to two new shopping sites that I was somehow unaware of.

HauteLook and Beyond the Rack.

Both excellent sites. I have to say, the more of these sites I am introduced to, the worse the old shopping addiction gets. I have to say though, I think a lot of is has to do with passing time while I'm at work. I mean, I don't smoke so it's not like I get up a gazillion times a day for a smoking break...instead I peruse a plethora of shopping sites and when time permits read a bit of the news. I mean it's better than smoking, no?

Weekend Damages (12/4 - 12/5)

Saturday

• $61.86 - Nordstrom Rack (bought $111.86 worth of stuff, but had a $50 Groupon)
• $9.98 - T.J.Maxx (my very first pair of leggings, most comfortable things ever...and just in time for the holidays)
• $16.50 - Old Navy
• $37.84 - Michael's (presents for my little for Hanukkah and the goods for chocolate making) 

So clearing I did a little shopping this weekend, and yes...most of it was for me. It started out with me going to Nordstrom Rack to use the Groupon I got a ways back. I thought that I would pick up a pair of leggings and a sweater for the Holiday Party that I was going to that evening. Weeeeell it quickly spirelled out of control from there. Granted I got some GREAT deals! At the Rack alone I got a pair of Sevens (jeans), a shirt (which I'll be wearing to the Holiday Parties next weekend), little squishy pads for the back of shoes, and two tanks. Quite the haul!

So why didn't I stop there you ask? Well I was really looking for a pair of leggings but sadly they didn't have any that were enjoyable (clarification: they were essentially see-through...no thank you). So then I had to go on a hunt, and I found some other items along the way, obviously.

I am the worst at controlling my shopping...the worst. 

Sunday

• $28.00 - Parking Garage in Boston
• $6.00 - The Charles Playhouse (Shear Madness Show with the Little)

 Free tickets through the Boys and Girls Club.

The Weeks Damages (11/29 - 12/3)

Monday

• $12 - Groupon

I got tickets for two to the Kendall Square ice rink for my little and I from groupon today. Finding fun things to do that won't completely bleed me dry to keep the two of us busy through winter is going to be a bit of a challenge. So ice skating should be interesting, especially considering I am terrible at ice skating.

Tuesday

• $512.20 - American Airlines

AND I'm GOING TO INDIA!!!! Flight purchased! Woah, I'm really going.
I had a credit on my AA account, which is why the flight only cost me $512, clearly a ticket to India is a tad more than that...about $600 more.

Wednesday

• $18 - Groupon (for car washes at Scrub-a-Dub...where we go anyways...I should also note that my car is filthy right now)

Thursday

• $42.36 - CVS (lots of randomness)
• $2.00 - Dunkin Donuts

Friday

• $34ish - Shell (gasing up Veruca)

Thursday - Sunday Damages (11/25 - 11/28)

Thursday

• $0

Friday

• $30.60 - Shell
• $6.93 - CVS (glue to fix the ornament my dad knocked off the tree and broke...mom was not impressed)

Saturday

• $27.60 - Natick Liquor (Wine)

Sunday

• $20.23 - Trader Joe's
• $20 - Rue La La (present for Aaron)

Exciting news, the Trader Joes in Framingham now carries wine. YES! Three buck chuck is just a much more economical choice for my undiscerning taste buds. Too bad I just stocked up on wine and that we were there before noon on Sunday...so no wine to be sold :(

So I can tell you what I bought for Aaron, because I talked him into buying me this...

And then decided that maybe he wanted one too, his patriots shirts are looking a little tired these days so I thought it might be time for an update. So here's the one he got...

A little old school flare for the both of us, we'll have to be careful not to wear them at the same time...that would be a little much.

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/22 - 11/24)

Monday

• $0

Tuesday

• $3.00 - Dunkin Donuts (Iced Coffee)
• $198 - BuyWithMe (Laser Hair Removal...continuing my pursuit of never shaving again)

Wednesday

• $0

Also I made an omission in my Christmas expenditures from the weekend. I also purchased a slue of Krinkles ornaments. It a tradition in my family to give ornaments as gifts and since I'm obsessed with Patience Brewster I usually give her Krinkles as gifts. I spent about $187 on ornaments (some I purchased for Aaron to give as gifts to my family, which all evens out in the wash when he gets some of the joint gifts for his family), here are some of the ones I got.

 The adorable dachshund.

Joyful pig.

Vixen of Santa's reindeer.

Terrifically Awesome Idea

So the concept I'm about to present to you is one that came up pretty consistently during my time at Antioch. RENTING GOODS! That's right...not buying but renting the things that you "need." I mean really you don't need a lot of the things you use for all that long, because they're either temporary in nature or you want an upgrade/different style/etc. In this case we're talking dresses.

Today on BuywithMe there was a coupon for $60 worth of dress rentals for $20 from The Borrowed Dress in the North End. SUCH A GOOD IDEA! I wish I had something I needed a new dress for, but I have enough to get me through the next year...most likely longer.

I wonder if they have these services for other things, like baby stuff. I am at that age where a lot of my friends and many of my cousins are starting up families and I have to say one of the things that strikes me most is that kids require an enormous amount of stuff. I mean a ton of it. Do they have a rental service for baby stuff? I mean how long do you really need a stroller, car seat, etc. etc.? Why not rent it?

Weekend Damages

Saturday

• $9.18 - Stop and Shop (couple of two liters for lunch with Court, Aaron and Aaron)
• $38.58 - the Body Shop (countless Christmas presents)
• $85 - Pandora (beads for various Christmas presents)

I made out like a bandit at The Body Shop during my outing to the mall with Court. Not only did I have my two $40 vouchers from Groupon but I also won $20 off my purchase with a ticket thing they gave me when I walked in the door. PLUS I have a Body Shop member card thing, which got me another 10% off my purchase. Bonus!

Sunday

• $24.41- Bed Bath and Beyond (wire cooling rack, pastry brush, candy thermometer) 
• $27.59 - Best Buy (Christmas gifts)
• $30- Aaron (my portion of some joint Christmas presents)
• $25 - Groupon Chicago

I know what you're wondering...why did I spend money on a Groupon for Chicago? I live in Boston! Well friends, this particular coupon was good for $50 worth of merchandise (for $25) at any location of Nordstrom Rack, and you see there's a Rack right down the street. I have a hard time turning down deals like this. 

So needless to say it was a weekend filled with many purchases, but the majority were for others, so that should count for something.

Thursday & Friday Damages (11/18 - 11/19)

Thursday

• $545 - Town Fair Tire (4 new tires, ugh)
• $2.19 - Dunks (much needed coffee)
• $390.76 - RueLaLa (most awesome poster ever)
• $71.03 - Pet World (Christmas toys for the pups)

Got those new tires I needed today and while I waited for Veruca to get her new kicks, I wandered around the surrounding stores and did a bit of Christmas shopping. Oh yeah and I managed to buy an expensive vintage poster, which I've already posted about.

Kind of an expensive day...and it was supposed to consist of me sitting around waiting for a hot water tank to be installed, alas the maintenance men in the complex haven't mastered the fine art of using a tape measure and didn't realize that the tank wasn't coming out of its home in the closet b/c it was too wide until they got here (mind you this was their third visit, ugh). 

Friday

• $0

SHUT UP!!!

So THIS was on Rue La La's Ross Art Boutique today...

So this is a breaking news post....I just spent $390 on this vintage poster for Allary Beer. Yes...Beer. For those of you that don't know, my real name is Allary, not Jack Skellington (so sorry to disappoint).

So here's the break down....that jolly little fellow is King Gambrinus, the partron saint of beer. Yes that's right there's a patron saint of beer, as there should be. He's holding a giant old school Stella goblet (I love me some Stella). So yeah, it's pretty awesome, AND I NOW OWN IT. Sweet. Happy 30th and Christmas to me.

Eek, holy impulse buy. Please tell me I'm not insane.

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/15 - 11/17)

Monday

• $0

Tuesday

• $0

Wednesday

• $33ish - Hess

So today I met my new little sister from the Boy and Girls Club.

As her big sister I will be responsible for finding fun and fabulous things for she and I to do together. No doubt, this will cost me some cash. BUT I can't think of a more consciousness spending decision. Any and all suggestions for activities for an 8 year old are welcome. Our first outing will be to play tennis. I'm not really the greatest tennis player that ever lived...so this should be interesting it's going to be embarrassing if I get crushed by a 10 year old. Some of my other outing ideas include, sports (any and all of them, perhaps I'll teach her to play field hockey!), hiking, biking, snowshoeing, movies, dinners, etc. She's a sporty kid (does not like dolls, thank you jebus) so I'm thinking that will help me out a bit, but I'm going to need some help here. Please send a little guidance my way.

In other news from today, I got a flat tire on the Mass Pike, which was SUPER fun! I called AAA who then called the Mass State Police who then called the Mass DOT Highway Assistance people. Super efficient. I have known for some time that I need new tires, but ugh it's such a pain. Well this little incident really drove that fact home. So I will be purchasing 4 new tires either tomorrow or this weekend. Good times, good times.

Weekend Damages (11/13-11/14)

Saturday

• $10 - Parking at the Hotel Langham Hotel for Cafe Fleuri
• $49.54 - CVS (various meds I'll be needing for my India trip)

What you ask was going on at the Cafe Fleuri? Well every weekend they have a chocolate bar, which is essentially a room designed to completely push you over the edge of sugar overload. Loved it. There were something like 80ish desserts to sample, a chocolate bar (the alcoholic kind), and a DJ (who could have stood to turn the music down a notch, although that just may be me acting old).

My hands down favorites were the raspberry beignets and the macaroons. I'm not a huge chocolate person so it only makes sense that my favorites weren't chocolate related.

 

Sunday

• $0

Thursday & Friday Damages (11/11-11/12)

Thursday

• $52.86 - Roche Brothers

Friday

• $20 - Dillon's Bar 

 Drinks, food and catching up with a friend.

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/8-11/10)

Monday

• $9.48 - eReader Library

So I'm kinda on a roll with the book buying these days. Today I got a couple of random freebies and two sale items, one of which I'll be reading for a book club that a friend of mine is getting started. The book club book is The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford...

...and the add on purchase was just such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up. Plus, I've been wanting to read it and it's always checked out of the library.

Tuesday

• $0

Wednesday

• $48 - Sudbury Animal Hospital (Maggie's follow up test to make sure her UTI is gone...and it IS!!! YAY!)
• $12.99 - CVS (peppermint patties...for a delicious treat I plan on baking, and an Arizona 1/2 and 1/2)

 Deliciousness.

Weekend Damages (11/6 - 11/7)

Friday

• $0
  

Saturday

• $33.79 - Nick's Pizza

Sunday

• $0

So I should probably mention that although I didn't really spend a lot of money this weekend...Aaron did. We went to Scampo in Boston on Friday night to celebrate the birthday of the other Aaron's birthday (sometimes referred to as "Court's Aaron" or "Frank"), and Aaron ("my Aaron") picked up our portion of the tab. So thanks to Aaron. :)

But the spending didn't stop there. We also managed to spend Aaron's employee of the year $. I know what you're thinking...you should have saved it, why would you spend it all...not a very conscious decision. BUT remember, this wasn't my money, and keeping the cash wasn't an option...he had to walk away with something tangible. I guess so he can look at the newly purchased goods and think about how wonderful his company for all of eternity. Who knows? I don't try to pretend to understand corporate logic.

So anyways, back to the point. It was fun, and it was guilt free because really it wasn't me spending it...it was Aaron. Here's what we walked away with...

• Bose Surround Sound
• New Computer for his rents for Christmas (nice huh?)
• XBox game for his little bros for Christmas (also nice)
• Big Buck Hunter for Wii (all him...I'm a veg after all)
• Wii Resort Sports (both of us...and wicked fun)
• Universal Remote (fun touch screen! AND now we don't have 4 remotes...heaven)

AND now for the most exciting of all!!!!

• iPad!!!! (for me for Christmas and my soon to follow birthday!!! Nicest of all!!)
• Camera adapter for the iPad
• Case for the iPad

I'm not gonna lie, I'm uber excited for my iPad. SUPER EXCITED! Sadly Aaron won't just let me start using it now. So lame, I know. He's not giving in to all of my pleading and whining either. Ugh.  

Ominous October

And the survey says....
$1,300

Here's the breakdown:
Maggie: $415
Clothing: $210
Gifts: $176
Bars/Restaurants: $151
Randomness: $100
Groceries: $72
Gas: $59
Entertainment: $45
Coffee: $36
Health & Beauty: $32
Snacks: $4

Well it's happened folks, Maggie has taken over the spending charts. This month marks the first month she's topped out the spending tally. I should add that this is her first month living with us. Let's see if this becomes a trend.

Also, I think it might be time to get my coffee addiction in check. $36! Woah. If I were a Starbucks girl I could understand this b/c it's damn near $36 for one coffee there, but Dunks....not so much. Not to mention I drink my first coffee of the day at home, which cuts down on the cost of my consumption significantly.

Monday - Thursday Damages (11/1 - 11/4)

Monday

• $70ish - Dentist (stupid cavity)

Tuesday

• $0

Wednesday

• $30.09 - Hess

Thursday

• $71.85 - Barnes and Noble
• $31.90 - Rue La La (Sir Alistair Rai Boutique)

I bought a couple of books for the bubs of friends and family today and threw in a couple of books for my own enjoyment. For the bubs I purchased two of my favorite childhood books...

I got two copies of Rotten Ralph and three copies of The Paperbag Princess. There's a lot of little bubs out there these days.

And for my own enjoyment....

These first two clearly are to start to prepare me for my three weeks in India.Lamb, not so much going to prepare me for the culture shock that's sure to be India...it's just one of my favorite rereads. Every time I read this book I still laugh...a lot. I highly recommend it, at least I recommend it so long as you're not some religious zealot. Chances are you won't find it quite as funny. 

So I'm sure you're wonder about the Rue La La purchase as well...I finally caved to my love for Sir Alistair Rai scarves. Particularly when they're suck a steal...it was $19.90 from $180! Insane bargain! I couldn't resist, granted I didn't try very hard. Anyways, I love it and hope that I'm as obsessed with it in person. This needs to be the last purchase for myself until after Christmas. I have this problem where I end up doing quite a bit of shopping for myself while I'm shopping for others. It's terrible, I know...but I don't think I'm alone here. 

Discovery of the Week

So I was perusing The Clymb today, just checking in for a deal, per usual. AND I made a fascinating discovery...LooptWorks. I had never heard of this company before, but they're doing some pretty cool things. All of their clothing is made of 100% post-consumer materials. Awesome, right! They're motto is "Recycle your Life," which I of course absolutely love. AND they're products are cute to boot! Sadly I have reached my shopping quota for the day and could not allow myself to buy anything else. I will however keep them in mind for future purchases.

Here's some of the stuff featured on The Clymb.

Jacket made of recycled organic cotton and organic cotton canvas. 

$44.98 from $95.00

Adorb sundress made of modal and spandex.

$29.98 from $60.00

So anyways, here's at least one company headed in the right direction. Really when you think of it...it's almost like guilt-free shopping b/c it's not wasteful. Kinda.