Disney Shopping Deals

Well, since I am recently home from a Disney vacation and I love to shop online at the Disney Shop to remind me of my trip, I thought I'd share some great deals that I found there. They have some adorable kids t-shirts on sale, 3 for $20. They also have a $5 shipping deal on a shipment of $89 or more if you find other things you want to buy with code SHIPTODAY.

They have a lot of styles to choose from, here are a few examples:

This adorable Winnie the Pooh one is so sweet.

This cute Belle tee is one of MANY Princess t-shirts they have.

And for the boys, there are Cars, Power Rangers, Toy Story and Mickey t-shirts.

Go check it out, you can stock up on some cute shirts for summer or for an upcoming trip. They also are having a half-off sale on all of their beautiful snowglobes, so if you are a collector or a Disney fan, they are definitely worth checking out as well. Hope you have a great Disney Day! :)

Beaches Family Resorts Special Offer

The holidays are over, spring is a few months away and it's bitterly cold (at least where I live it is). It is the time of year when many families are looking for a winter getaway to a warm, family friendly vacation hot spot.

Beaches all-inclusive family resorts make a perfect choice for such a getaway and they are running an awesome special right now-you can save up to 60% and get 2 nights free. You need to act fast, though, you can only get this special for 2 more days.

What's so great about Beaches? Here is a description from their website:

Beaches all-inclusive resorts includes all the fun, adventure, and luxury that families want most, elevating the family vacation to world-class standards on the Caribbean's best beaches. Beaches provides the best family beach vacations at resorts in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos. And now kids can share their vacation with Elmo and friends with Beaches' exclusive Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street.

You can check out their promotions here and even if you don't book a trip, it's fun just to look at the gorgeous pictures of the resorts. What are your favorite family-friendly winter getaways?

Baby Center Store Closing-Save Up To 80%

Babe Center online store is closing on January 6th and they are having a huge blowout sale to clear out their merchandise. Besides getting the discounted prices, you can also use the code FREESHIP49 for free shipping on orders of $49 or more. They have toys, clothes, gift ideas and lots of stuff for expecting moms-maternity clothes, strollers, nursery furniture, pregnancy and parenting books and many other items as well.

Some examples of deals you will find:

This convertible diaper bag from Fanci-Free was originally $89 and is marked down to $18.

This adorable Kate Spade rocker from Maclaren was originally $119 and is marked down to $48.

They have a lot of book deals, such as this one for Growing Up Green, a guide to raising healthy families that was originally $15.99 and is now marked down to $4.80.

They also are having a huge sale on Carter's clothing-you can save up to 75%.

Check it out now, they will be closing Jan.6 but will still be honoring their 30-day return policy for your purchases. Please feel free to link to this post to spread the word about this great closeout sale.

Happy Day for Procrastinators!

It looks like those who put off their shopping til the last minute are getting rewarded! If you still have shopping to do and don't want to fight the crowded malls or if you're snowed in this weekend, there are some unbelievable deals online for free 2-day shipping so you get your gifts in time for Christmas. There are many online stores that are doing this, my email box is flooded with free shipping and last-minute specials. Keep in mind some of them have a minimum purchase in order to get free shipping, so check out the site for details.

Here are some of them:

Land's End

Target

Overstock

Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts

Endless.com

Amazon (you can do a trial of Amazon Prime to get free 2 day shipping-I did this last year)

There are many more out there, if you have a specific store in mind, it doesn't hurt to check it out. But stop that procrastinating and do it now, most of these offers are for today only!

Laura Mercier Flawless Face

I am a SUPER HAPPY mom today because of this incredible deal that I just ordered from Sephora (please tell me I'm not the only one who buys herself stocking stuffers).

Laura Mercier cosmetics are best known for their fabulous foundations, they are a celebrity favorite. This kit is perfect for someone new to the line.

It comes with:

Foundation Primer (Step 1)

Tinted Moisturizer (Step 2)

Translucent Loose Setting Powder (Step 3 and 4)

Undercover Pot Shade #3

Secret Camouflage Brush

Camouflage Powder Brush

Velour Puff

Egg-shaped Sponge

This all comes in a travel cosmetic bag and is a $159 value for.....$65! The brushes purchased individually would be worth more than that. I'm most excited to get the concealer pot-I LOVE their concealer, it's the best, but it's so expensive, I rarely buy it. It is GREAT for covering dark circles if you've been up all night reading blogs ;).

It's shipped free and you also get to pick out 3 samples with your order, I picked 2 perfume sprays and a facial peel. Check out all the holiday gift sets at Sephora, whether buying for yourself (guilty) or someone else, they have a lot to choose from.

eToys Deals

eToys is offering some promotions this week that might interest you if you have some toy shopping to do. I love finding free shipping deals for online stores, since shipping costs can add up quickly. They also have a 2008 Holiday Toy Guide to help you find great toys for thes kids on your list. Hope you can use some of these!

eToys: Great Gifts Up to 60% Off on Select Items. Shop Now! (ends 12.8)

eToys: Free Shipping On Select LeapFrog Items! (ends 12.8)

eToys: NFL Lockers 20% Off All NFL Lockers (ends 12.8)

eToys: Select Dress-Up Outfits Buy One, Get One Free! (ends 12.8)

eToys: Special Holiday Offer, Get $5 off $100. Shop Now!

Cyber Monday Strategy

I'm back from my Thanksgiving weekend just in time for some Cyber Monday shopping! Last year my family was in Disneyworld for Thanksgiving so I missed all the great Black Friday deals, but I found that on the Monday after, I actually found much BETTER deals online. Plus, you don't have stand in the freezing cold, waiting for a store to open at 4 am just to find they're all sold out of what you came for!

There are many deals to be had, but where to start? My advice is to make a list of what specific things you're looking for and then use a Cyber Monday deal site that contains categories of all the deals available throughout the day. My two favorites are:

1) CyberMonday.com This is the one I turn to when I want to find deals for everything on my shopping list. It's considered the "official" site of Cyber Monday.

2) Dealio.com is another great one. They have deals and coupon codes for tons of retailers and also great shopping tips.

Another piece of advice I have is that if you don't have a specific item in mind for a person on your list-write down how much you spend and shop by that. There are so many great deals that it is easy to spend over your budget and also buy things that weren't even on your list because it's a "good deal". Shop with caution! :)

Are you a Black Friday girl or a Cyber Monday girl? And if you're shopping today, what deals have you found?

Personal Shopper Deal

As some of you have probably figured out by now, I love to shop. I love scouring the malls and online shopping sites for new products and the best deals . However, I know that not everyone is the shopaholic that I am and that it would be a luxury to have someone do the shopping for you. Using a personalized shopping service can do exactly that.

PersonalShopper.com is an online personalized shopping service that can do your shopping for you. They are offering a special deal for the readers of The Happy Mom Blog. For today only, you can take 20% off your purchase of PS Direct items when you become a member by simply signing up for PersonalShopper.com and entering code PSFF20 at checkout. Also, starting today PersonalShopper.com is offering free shipping for PS Direct products. Free ground shipping runs all the way through December 15th. They also offer a free service, the new My Gift Budget Planner. It allows you to set your master gift budget as well as spending limits for each person. It then sifts through hundreds of thousands of products, so you don’t have to, and helps you find gifts they'll love in record time, without breaking the bank. A great service for busy moms who don't want to waste time at the mall or pour through online websites finding the perfect gift. But remember, this offer is for today only, so maybe you can get a little shopping done before Turkey Day!

Designer Linens Outlet Deal

I know many of you are planning out your shopping strategies for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it's an exciting time of year for us shopaholics! Here is a great deal from Designer Linens Outlet- they have a Black Friday discount code that you can use now through Dec.8. The code is FF08 and you can click the link above to check out the deals there.



They have a great Designer Kids section, with adorable sets like this Eric Carle one. As a former teacher, The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of my favorite books and I think a room with this theme would be super cute.

Great Disney Vacation Deal

Disney is offering a special promotion if you're planning on visiting Walt Disney World in 2009. I am so excited about it!

When you buy a non-discounted 4-day, 4-night package (package includes a stay at a Disney resort and a 4 day Magic Your Way base ticket), you get 3 nights free! That includes your hotel and park tickets. It is valid for stays January 4 through June 27, 2009 (April 5-18 is blacked out-that's during their busy spring break season). Plus, as a bonus, if you are traveling before March 29, you also get a $200 Disney gift card that you can use for food or souvenirs on your trip. You have to book your vacation by Dec. 20. You can call and book directly with Disney or through a travel agency specializing in Disney travel, such as Small World Vacations. We usually take a Disney vacation every other year and we were just there last Thanksgiving, but with a deal this great, we are going to take advantage of it and plan a spring Disney trip. For me, planning the trip is half the fun!

Everybody Has A Twin

There is an age-old belief that every one of us has a twin somewhere in the world-someone not related to us who looks just like us. If you have a little girl who loves dolls, you don't have to search the world for her doppelganger, you can BUY her one. MyTwinn makes dolls that are customized to match a picture of your daughter so she can have her very own twin. If you have ever seen their catalog or been to their website you know how amazing these dolls look, down to their matching freckles or birthmarks. You may even mistake the doll for your daughter! (ok, maybe that wouldn't happen :), but they are remarkably close).

If you've started your holiday shopping, these would make a wonderful gift for any little girl. They are expensive but just like American Girl dolls, they can become an heirloom for her to pass on to her own little girl. They have some specials right now that you can get this week. You can get 50% off girl and doll matching outfits as well as holiday outfits.

My Twinn: Up to 50% Off Select Girl & Doll Matching Outfits. (ends 11/17)

My Twinn: Up to 50% Off Select Holiday Outfits! (ends 11/17)

So, have you found twin in life? Or have you been told that you have a celebrity double (think Sarah Palin and Tina Fey)?

*Edited to add cool site you must try*

I totally forgot about this but I wanted to add it here because it goes perfect with this post. MyHeritage is a genealogy site and they have the coolest Celebrity Face Recognition program-it is so much fun! You upload a photo and then it scans it and tells you what celebrities you look like. The results come in a little montage that you can even post on your blog for fun! Go try it and tell me who you look like!

Parent Reviewers

Fall Yankee Candle Sale

I love Yankee candles. If I am somewhere that sells them, I will spend an hour standing there smelling each and every one. Now that I think about it, it sounds a little ocd, but honestly, their candles smell SOOO good, how can I resist? I like using their seasonal candles-I love smelling the Spiced Pumpkin one this time of year. They have some great fall scents that are on sale right now-you can get all of their fall gift sets for 50% off. My favorite is this set with 3 small jar candles. It includes Spiced Pumpkin, Fall Festival & Autumn Leaves. It's regularly $25 but is now marked down to $12.50. They make your whole house smell like how fall should smell. :)

It's Never Too Early

I swear that as we were closing the door on our last trick-or-treater, I heard a Christmas commercial. They don't waste any time do they? I think it was a car dealership-is anyone out there actually getting a new car for Christmas? I want to be on that list. Anyways, one thing that is good to do early to save you stress later when you are doing last-minute shopping is to get your Christmas cards printed. Tiny Prints is offering free shipping on orders over $99 with the code HOLIDAYSHIP and I love their designs. I used them last year for Christmas cards and I had so many friends ask me where I found them. You can choose your design, upload your photo, personalize it and order all from your home. Then you can sit back and worry about planning your Thanksgiving dinner. Or Easter. Because it's never too early.

Whitehall Jewelers Closing

If you have a Whitehall or Lundstrom Jewelers store in a mall near you, you might want to check it out. The company is closing 373 stores and liquidating inventory- $500 million dollars of it. It's an unfortunate situation that another company in our economy has to close it's doors, but you may be able to find some great deals there before they close. Prices are marked down up to 70% and that kind of discount on diamonds is hard to find. If you go to their website you can find out where there stores are and hopefully find a deal.

Happy Halloween Sale

Aren't these adorable? I love these fabric Build-A-Pumpkin sets from Pottery Barn Kids. I admit it, cleaning out pumpkin guts does not make me happy and this is a cute alternative to pumpkin carving (and just buy your pumpkin seeds at the store, all nice and cleaned for you). I know it's 2 days before Halloween and you won't get them in time for this year, but you can be a smart shopper and get them now to use next year. They were originally $24 and are now marked down to $5.99! You can get some for your whole neighborhood and be the friendly pumpkin street (except for the skull pumpkin, he doesn't look like the friendly type).

There are many bargains to be had at pbk right now. Look at this cute dragon costume, it's adorable and snuggly warm and the best part is it's marked down from $89 to $21.99!