$50 gap groupon

So as you guys saw earlier on our blog, Groupon had $50 worth of Gap merchandise for just $25! I bought one for myself and then snagged my boyfriends credit card to order one for him as well. We went shopping last night to get a head start on our fall shopping and ended up finding some pretty cute stuff, and the fact that we knew we were getting something for basically nothing, made it that much more fun to spend!

Vest $39.50

I bought this vest after trying on several jackets and sweaters because I just wasnt feeling the fit of any of them. I liked this becuase it was a little big, but looks like its supposed to be that way. I figure I can wear it over t-shirts, long sleeve tees, under jackets, basically whatever I want!

Scarf: $19.50

I saw this scarf on a model and had to have it. Its basically this HUGE square piece of soft, thin fabric and I just love how it drapes and doesnt hang that low. I have been also playing with it being some sort of shawl-ish type of thing, but haven't quite mastered it yet. We'll see.
 
So the money breakdown: I spent $25 to get the $50 Groupon. I ended up paying just $9.88 in the store. So I spent a total of $34.88 on $59.40 worth of merchandise! Love love loveeeee!

And this is my handsome boyf!

Hooded Cardigan $59.50

 He instantly fell in love with this hooded cardigan which is totally his style.

Sweater: $26.97 on sale

After some presuading he also decided he loved this grampa-ish cardigan which is more my style for him, but I think hes rocking it. And I swear he likes it more than this picture portrays!

Did anyone else take advantage of this Groupon? Care to share what you bought? Or tell us any fall items you've purchased recently, from any store!

EXTRA 60% off Tracy Porter Sale!

Not sure if anyone already shops at Tracy Porter, but this store has some super cute items! And you can get an EXTRA 60% off sale items with code flying60 at checkout.

This Dreaminess Embroidered Frock drops from $225 to $88 to $35.20 after the code!
Plus, shipping is a flat $10 so you can buy as much as you want and pay just $10 for shipping!

Anyone plan on taking advantage of this deal? Tell us if you buy anything!

i love you michigan!

This weekend was kind of a last-hurrah-of-summer for my boyfriend and I. We spent it boating, mini-golfing, eating and four-wheeling at his parents' cabin in Michigan. This cabin is actually where I first met Ben's parents (over 4 years ago!) and we try to make it up there at least for all the summer holidays every year. 

On Saturdays they have a flea market in town. We barely caught the tail end of it this weekend, but I was very happy we did because I found a great deal on some sunglasses. I was trying my hardest to pick a pair out because, for $4 a pair, I was not walking away empty handed. Of course, I ended up not only finding one pair, but four more. After I narrowed it down I saw a sign that said 2 for $6! So exciting! So I ended up buying both of my favorites for $3 each. Booyah!

please excuse my hair. it is humid as crap today.

Ben's sassy grandma took us to her church for an all you can eat spaghetti fundraiser on Saturday night and they were also having a silent auction. Thanks to the inability of my idiotic neighbors to keep their hands off of things that don't belong to them, a bunch of my Christmas decorations were ruined in a basement flood a few weeks ago, so I was really excited to see they had some Christmas items available.  I won both of them and ended up going home with 2 new decorations for $11!

This was listed at $4 and I bid $5

This was listed at $5 and I bid $6

Also, just because I love you guys and want you to have a great week:
The Limited is taking 40% off select tops and you can get another 25% off with code 311 at checkout.

This vest, originally $44.50 is $20.02 after the code.

And DSW takes $10 off $49, $25 off $99 and $45 off $149 with code FALLSHOP
I took advantage of this deal and bought my fall boots! I can't wait to show you the pictures when they arrive!!


What did you all do this weekend? Any fun end-of-summer activities? Any awesome flea market finds you want to brag about?

Binder Park Zoo

Two of my very favorite things in life are family and adventures. So today, I wanted to share with you guys my trip to Binder Park Zoo with my sisters and nephews a couple of weekends ago. 


Binder Park is a zoo that I've always wanted to visit because of the amazing exhibit that allows visitors to hand-feed the giraffes. It's a couple of hours south of me in Battle Creek, MI, so I had never actually made the trek before. And it's not exactly a bargain; I've been to other zoos that cost much less and have many more attractions (like Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, which Courtney took us to last summer). The only bargain point was when my two-year-old nephew, Gage, pointed to himself, declaring "I baby" when the admissions lady inquired as to how old he was. He was so cute that she let him in for free with the "under two" admission price! Despite the cost, the allure of feeding and petting an actual giraffe had me convinced that it was worth it, and I have to say that I was not disappointed!


I had a hard time picking out which pictures to post because my nephews are so darn cute!

Gage wasn't feeling good for most of the day. Poor guy :/

They had baby giraffes when we were there -- so cute! And I actually go to pet a couple of the adult ones. Feeding them is interesting because they have super long, scratchy tongues. Gage wasn't quite prepared...

Since Court and I have been out sick all week, how is everyone's week going? I hope everyone was able to get in on the 50% off Gap gift card! Maybe I'll spend mine this weekend and show you all what I come up with!

Groupon

I promise an actual post later today (Court and I have both been under the weather this week), but Theresa suggested that I spread the word about Groupon, and I couldn't really think of a better way to start this gloomy Thursday!

Groupon is a site that promotes daily local discounts (and some of them are really unbeatable). I recently joined Groupon for Grand Rapids, and today they are offering a $50 Gap gift card for $25! I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on which items I scoop up.

deals to make monday almost bearable

So, it is Monday. BARF. Hopefully you all had a great weekend and these deals make the start of your week a little easier!

Through 8/19: Up to 75% off final sale at J. Crew + code SHOPNOW gets you an extra 30% off

Today only: 30% off select jeans at Levi's + code FB040110 gets you an extra 15% off 

Black Low Skinny 531 Jeans are only $11.84 after all the discounts!

Let us know if you take advantage of any of these deals! Dying to know what kind of steals you girls can dig up!

Browmance

My relationship with my eyebrows has been a tumultuous one at best. I can't remember exactly when it began, but even as a child, I hated my huge eyebrows. I would watch my mom pluck hers and ask that she do mine as well, despite the fact that she never responded favorably to my makeover requests (past curling my hair occasionally).


Then, as a teenager, I remember letting one of my brother's girlfriends do my eyebrows for me. She didn't pluck them; she had some sort of hair removal solution that she pasted on my face until my eyebrows magically dissolved. What was left was a tiny, pencil thin line of hair that rested high above each of my eyes, and I suddenly felt like a new woman. This absolute disregard for shape lasted with me for a long time. Just check out this picture taken while I was in college. I still cringe.

It may have been Anne Hathaway that made me fall in love with thick, shapely brows and strategically placed arches.

Or it could have been my fascination with Frida Kahlo's unibrow. I'm not really sure. But at some point, I made the decision to find out what it is that makes great eyebrows. I did research on how to shape them (not kidding) and tried out some of the techniques. The problem was that my eyebrows are dark and thick in the center and thin and super light-colored as they move outward. I realized for the first time that my eyebrows may be too thin in some places to make the look that I was going for. I was discouraged, but I didn't give up hope.


On a trip to Sally Beauty Supply, I stumbled upon a package of eyebrow stencils. I had never heard of anyone using stencils to shape their eyebrows, and I was, quite frankly, skeptical that my naturally grotesque eyebrows would even fit within the shape of the stencils. However, for $3.99 ($3.88 with a Sally Beauty Club card), it was at least worth a shot.


So here's how it works:


I fill in the shape of the stencil with a white eyeliner pencil, like this one, available at Walgreens. 

with one traced. it's a nice look for me.

Once I've done both eyebrows and made sure that they are mostly aligned, I pluck everything outside of the white shape with my Tweezerman tweezers, which I found on clearance for $3.00 at (you guessed it) Sally's. 

Once I'm confident that I've gotten all of the rogue hairs, I wash off the white pencil with warm water. Voila! 

But we still aren't quite finished. I trim any excessively long hairs with scissors. You have to be incredibly careful here, and the best way that I've found to avoid cutting too much is to hold a comb over the top of your eyebrows before trimming. If you have thin eyebrows, it's best to leave them longer so that you can position the hairs to create the illusion of thickness. For this, I find that clear mascara does the trick. 

Then, because my eyebrows are so light at the outer edges, I fill in the arch with eyeshadow and a brush. 

And, finally, I add a bit of brow highlighter for a lovely finish. For this, you can really use any eyeshadow that's light and has a hint of shimmer. Right now, I'm loving Victoria's Secret's Beauty Rush Luminous Shadow in shades like "too too pink" or "glow nude." They are a bit pricey, but you can get 5 for $20 for a better bargain.

Since my introduction to eyebrow stencils, my brows remain far from perfect. However, I can say that I no longer loathe them the way that I used to. And I vow to never, EVER bring back the skinny eyebrows!


Which celebrity do you think has the best eyebrows? Do you go to the salon to get your eyebrows professionally shaped? What are your favorite tweezers?

fall fashion goals

With fall quickly approaching, we've already started thinking about our not-so-ready closets. It seems as though every year we don't realize how quickly the weather changes (we live in West Michigan and Chicago, you would think we'd learn..) and how unprepared we are wardrobe-wise. If you're like us, sometimes that means buying long sleeved shirts and boots on impulse, rather than taking time to look for the best deals. So this year we decided to give ourselves a few fall fashion goals. We came up with some items we really want for the upcoming season and gave ourselves budgets for each one. Hopefully this even starts to mentally prepare us for winter and allows us to spend time looking for deals, rather than buying a hideous jacket for $50 just because we refuse to embrace the chilly weather until November.

Amber's Fall Fashion Goals:
1. pencil skirt-- $15
2. white button down shirt that actually fits me in the bust region-- $15
3. ankle boots-- $30
4. lightweight fall dress jacket-- $30
5. black dress pants for work-- $15

Courtney's Fall Fashion Goals:
1. 2 pairs of pants that are NOT jeans-- $30 each
2. black knee-high leather/faux boots-- $60
3. military style fall jacket-- $30
4. cute hat (that is not a beret!)-- $10
5. structured handbag-- $30

Do you guys have any fall must-haves already in mind? Tell us your goals for this fall, it will really help you to save money by planning ahead and giving yourself a budget!

online shopping 101

I've always liked shopping online, but I don't think I actually became good at it until I started working at my current job. Now I know all the little tricks to finding the best deals and all the websites that usually have them. So, I wanted to share some of my tips, as well as some of my favorite sites, with you.

Tip 1: Always look for coupons!
Everyone should know about retailmenot.com, and if you don't, you really need get on this website and check it out. A lot of sites have random 10%-20% off coupons that people have found. What is nice about this site is that users actually post their coupons, so there is usually quite a big list of options for you to choose from. Also, some of the users post sales to the site, usually called 'shopping tips', where they share how they saved money. Before buying anything from a website, I definitely suggest looking up the site on retailmenot.com first; just to make sure you're saving as much as possible.

Tip 2: Google
Always type your product into Google and then hit the shopping button at the top of the page. You can then sort the results by price and know whether or not you're getting the best deal. Other great resources for price comparisons include: shopping.com, pricegrabber.com or amazon.com. Always be sure to be as specific as possible when looking for prices of a certain thing, include the item or model number when possible. This is also a great resource if you aren't looking for a specific model or brand, because if you type in 'Madden Girl Boot', you will get a list of all boots and you can sort them by price and begin your shopping that way.

Tip 3: Check shipping charges
Going along with checking for price comparisons, also always check for shipping price comparisons. What is nice about Google Shopping is that you can sort your list by 'base price' or 'total price', which includes the tax and shipping. While one store may have an excellent base price, their tax and shipping fees could make it more expensive that somewhere else. Another great trick is to look for places that offer flat rate shipping, like Overstock.com that boasts $2.95 shipping on every order (and TRUST ME, they mean it. It's $2.95 for a pair of gloves or for a sofa!).

Tip 4: Read the return policy
When buying online, you should always have an escape plan. A lot of people are hesitant to purchase something they haven't tried on, which is smart. Whenever you buy anything online, make sure you check the return policy. If you aren't sure about an item and the website charges for returns, you might want to rethink whether or not you want to purchase that item from that particular site, or if it would be worth it to spend a few extra bucks at another site and have the option of returning it without being penalized with a fee.

Tip 5: Read product ratings
Most sites include their product ratings if people have reviewed them, however don't be scared to do a little more research. Again, type the name into Google Shopping and read some of the reviews that show up on other sites. Amazon.com is always great for this too. Not only do a lot of stores give star ratings, but some clothing stores have even started rating apparel on fit (for example, this dress at Macy's has ratings on fit along with customer ratings).

Some of my favorite online shopping sites:
6pm.com: Their daily deals our OUTRAGEOUS. I'm talking top-brand/designer items up to 75% off! Check out this kensie tank I just found on sale from $78 to $35.10.

Even better, they have flat rate shipping at $6.95 for ever order.
 
Smart Bargains: I shop here more for housewares (think sheets, towels, curtains, etc.), but they also have some great prices on designer apparel as well. Plus, they do a lot of free shipping on select items, and take an extra 25%-40% off certain items, frequently.
 
asos.com: This is actually a UK retailer, but I stumbled across them at work recently and love some of their stuff. Check out this headband on sale from $10.11 to $3.97. 

Plus, I know from now until I think 8/20, they are offering free shipping on any order with no minimum. Just beware that their sizes are UK and not US, so you might have to do a little research to find your size.
 
Ulta.com: I think its pretty obvious how much I love Ulta. I mention them in almost every post. Right now they have $3.50 off any $10 purchase (there are some brand exclusions) with code 40063 and are also giving away a free 15-piece Ulta cosmetic set with any $17.50 purchase. I highly recommend you take advantage of this, it will allow you to try the Ulta store brand if you haven't yet, which can save you a lot of money because a lot of items are less than department store brands.

Other notable mentions:
ShoeMall.com (through 8/17, use code BK2SCHOOL to get 20% off your order)
Piperlime.com
shopGoldyn.com (new customers can get an extra 30% off with code GOLDYN30)
buy.com (great for electronics or kitchen items)

Anyone else have a favorite online store? Any tips you would like to add to getting great deals? Has anyone bought anything online recently that they are super proud of? Share!

cute, cheap hat!

On a recent shopping trip with my boyf, I stumbled into a store called Papaya. I hadn't even heard of it before, but some of the stuff looked cute, so I decided to browse. I would say this store is similar to Forever 21, but much smaller (and therefore much more organized, which is a plus for me).

I found some cute tops to try on, all under $20, and a pair of shoes. Sadly, I didn't fall in love with any of them except for the shoes, which didn't fit. So I started to leave empty handed, until I walked by the accessory wall and found this yellow beret! I am a sucker for berets because it's really the only hat I feel like I can pull off and it is a nice addition to plain outfits (which we all know I adore).

 Hat: $6.99

workin it SO hard

Top -- Target: $7

Vest --  Gap Outlet: $19.99

Shorts --  Lucky Brand: $0

I consider them free because 

I bought theem in 9th grade (I think they were $40) and 

just cut them into shorts for this summer,

so I think I've they've more than paid themselves off.

 Check out some more items from Papaya:

 Top -- $18.99

Shoes: $14.99

These are the shoes I tried on and loved

but they didn't have my size

 Hat: $6.99

This is the same hat I am wearing, but I am digging the blue too

Even better, they are offering a printable 10% off coupon for any in-store purchase you make, now through 8/31! I say overall this store is kind of hit or miss. I think they offer a better selection of accessories and shoes than clothing, but any store where there is a possibility of finding a cute top for under $20 is okay in my book.

Have any of you heard of or shopped at this store before? Does anyone plan on buying anything from the site? If so, what?

Olay Deal Alert!

My dear friend Theresa, from My Favorite Deals, posted this great deal today, and I just had to share! I think the deal is only good for today, so you'll have to hurry if you want to take advantage of the savings! I bought a few so that I can use them if I need any last-minute gifts.

Get the Olay Collection Gift Set from Target for just $6.30 shipped when you use the promo code TOEY738U. The set includes:

• Body Puff
• Olay Body Bar
• 12 oz Olay Body Wash
• 8.4 oz Quench Body Lotion
• 2 oz Total Effects Body Wash
• Venus Embrace Razor w/ Cartridge

Also, check out Theresa's blog for the best way to maximize your savings using Ebates.

Happy Saturday!

Courtney Goes Bare

So, yesterday Amber told you about her experience with Bare Minerals and mentioned the 5-Piece Try. Believe. Love. Starter Kit that I purchased about a month and a half ago for $20 from Ulta (it is the same price at Sephora).

First off, I need to tell you that I was extremely hesitant to try any of the Bare Minerals products. I've always been a huge fan of liquid foundation and I am quite used to the feeling of makeup on my face, actually I don't even mind it.

I also feel you should know that my skin goes through periods of being a huge pain in my ass and when I purchased this kit, I had several dry patches and also some oily breakout areas (UGH). I was so used to the coverage of liquid that I felt like there was no way this powder was doing the trick. However, the more I used it, the more I saw the bad spots disappearing and my skin starting to even itself out. Within the first week or so of using it, my skin started behaving again. Although as you can see from the below picture, it still isn't perfect, I do give this produt a plus for overall skin health.

Before: no makup

As far as coverage goes, this is amazing because you really get to choose the coverage you want. A light dusting vs. an overall coating. I love that! Today my face is kiiind of breakout-y and so I went with more of a coating. 

Matte Foundation 

This kit also came with the Warmth powder that can change the hue of your foundation making it a perfect match to whatever tone your skin may be that day. My previous weapon of choice was Almay's Smart Shade makeup due to the fact can have some sun-color one day and then be pasty 3 days later and what I need is something that won't require me switching shades all the time. The versatility that comes with this makeup is a huge reason I like it.

With Warmth powder

I usually use it like a blush, but also put a little on my forehead, nose and chin

Overall, I think this product is worth a shot. I think if I was having nightmare skin on an important day, a la friend's wedding or important dinner, I would opt for liquid, even if it is just because subconsciously I feel like it covers better. 

As far as being worth the money, I give this a definite YES. Since its a powder, I feel like you get more for your money. A little definitely goes a long way, and all of it ends up on your face; none is wasted in your application sponge or makeup brush, which is all too common with liquids.

Do any of you plan on trying Bare Minerals? Or does anyone already have them? Give us your reviews and feedback on this makeup brand!

Dare to Bare?

Like so many, I am a slave to the infomercial. Even as a child, I remember trying to sell my mom on the idea of “just five easy payments of $19.95!” And even today, I have to avoid late night television, lest I risk being drawn in by the allure and sheen of demo videos and before and after clips.

My only true primal defense against the infomercial is frugality. I depend on it when I happen to flip to the wrong channel at just the right moment and fail to avert my eyes in time to save myself. This is what happened when I first saw Bare Minerals. Of course, combining the infomercial with one of my other loves, makeovers, made this one particularly difficult. But the price was enough to keep me away, though only for a few years.

So when I walked into Ulta with a friend of mine a month ago, I had no intention of walking out with a $60.00 Bare Minerals Get Started kit (not to be confused with the $20 Starter Kit). It’s all a blur, really, until it was time to pay. As soon as the lovely cashier swiped my plastic, I was overcome with buyer’s remorse. Houston, we have a problem. Fatal frugality failure.

Now that I was stuck with the stuff, the only way I could redeem myself was if it somehow turned my dry, breakout-proned, mutli-toned skin into a flawless glamour palette. Chances? Not good. But I tried it, taking only a few moments to glance over the instructions and completely skipping the instructional dvd, which probably contained another sleek sales pitch. It felt nice and light and provided decent coverage with a soft finish, but so did my Cover Girl Fresh Complexion Concealer and Loose Powder which would cost me a whopping $10.00 at any local drug store.

The difference came after a few weeks of using Bare Minerals. I started to notice that my skin was clearing up. Less breakouts, and less dry patches of skin. The Mineral Veil really did give a flawless finish, and I fell in love with the fact that the foundation (I choose Medium after a color match session in the store) could be mixed with the Warm powder to create a glowy, bronzer effect. I liked the lightweight powder much more than any liquid foundation, which I always tried to avoid in the past, and I also loved that  I didn’t have to use much to get the results that I wanted.


For further convincing, check out my before and after pics (eek).

Before:

After:

I still use Maybelline’s Coverstick Correcter Concealer in yellow to offset the blueish dark circles under my eyes, but other than that, my face is now a testament to the wonder of Bare Minerals.

Would I recommend the product? Yes. Is it worth the cost? I think the $20 Starter Kit is a good place to start if you just want to test the waters, but I would definitely recommend finding a store that carries the product and getting a color match first. I would have thought the "light" shade would be perfect for me, but it turns out that it was far too yellow for my skin tone. I have also found that you can buy many of their products on Ebay for pretty great prices, so I might try that in the future. 


What are your favorite skin products? Is there any makeup that you don't mind splurging on? What's the one item that you couldn't live without when it comes to beauty?

the color purple

Before my current job, I worked at a coffee shop for over 5 years and we were strictly forbidden to wear nail polish of any sort. So when I started at my new job it hit me that I can wear nail polish again! Shortly after this realization, my good friend Melia and I went downtown to get manicures. Now, it wasn't nearly as expensive as I was expecting, but I still don't think I could justify getting more than like 2 a year.

My freshman year in college, I bought a Jil Jordan manicure kit at the mall. I remember it costing $20 dollars and I'm sure those people at the kiosks that love to invade your personal space are still selling similar kits. Now, while I definitely think that if you are looking for a fun get-together with a girlfriend you should go ahead and splurge at the salon, I prefer to do my own nails at home a majority of the time.


You can get kits like this Manicure and Pedicure Deluxe Set at Ulta for $17 or a kit called From Tip to Toe Manicure and Pedicure Kit at Target for $10 or Amazon for $8.45 plus shipping. My kit includes a nail file, buffer, cuticle sticks, cuticle oil and hand cream.

I usually like to cut and file my nails first. Then, if I'm not in a rush I like to exfoliate my hands with something like Apricot Scrub (I use the generic Target brand) and then a lotion (I am obsessed with Gold Bond) and let the lotion absorb completely.

Then I'll rub in the cuticle oil and use the orange sticks to push my cuticles back. A lot of manicure kits also include the cuticle cutting tools, which I actually like, but find more time consuming. Then I buff them starting with the roughest side of the buffer to get rid of any ridges and working my way to the smoothest side.

Nails before any work

 Nails after buffer

Next I paint! I actually skip base coats and top coats because I like to change my color so often that I don't need the lasting effects of these extra steps. I know I'm not the best manicurist (just look at Amber's DIY pedicure!), but I figured I just saved myself $15-$20 including a tip.

This color is called TuTu Cute from Ulta. They almost always have in-store BOGO deals and I bought this during a buy 2 get 2 free, so they were $2.50 each! 


Anyone else have a DIY manicure kit? Where did you get yours and for how much? For those of you staying loyal to your professional manicures, do you have any tips for saving money at the salon?