School Shopping???

Yes, Dear Readers,
I went school shopping! Not for my children, but for myself.  I like well made dresses, so I shop at Talbots & Banana Republic, but don’t want to pay full price. Believe me when I say, when they have sales, they have sales!

I didn’t have to have new clothes, I just wanted them. I’d bought various dresses throughout the school year, but hadn’t done any bulk shopping for myself at the beginning of the school year year since my first year of teaching.

I will post various pics throughout the year. For now, here’s a list of what I bought:

The Jacket!

Dear Readers,
I purchased this lovely Trina Turk cropped blazer. I got it at a beyond wonderful price. Why am I upset then? Well, it seems I put on a bit of weight and I can’t fit it. Who can fit it? My baby girl, who @ 12 years old is 5’6 and towers over me. Since she is shaped like her dad’s side of the family she’s nice and slender.
She is very supportive of me and challenged me to lose the weight to get into the jacket by October. If I don’t slim down by then enough to button it, then she gets to keep it. Guess I need to get on the ball!
In order to keep myself honest, I will post some before pics. I will also post pics in October. Here’s to getting into that Trina Turk jacket! Bye for now.

First Books Book Giveaway!

Dear Readers,

***Here is the information for free books. The shipping fee is only $0.45 /book to ship anywhere in the U.S.***

Give the gift of books – Apply for our last book distribution of the year!

A book is the gift that keeps on giving, and First Book is doing everything we can to make sure our programs can give the gift of reading to their kids this holiday season.  So, the First Book National Book Bank is having one last book distribution this calendar year, so you can get brand new books for free that your kids will love, just in time for winter break. With activity books, Christmas stories, and tons of awesome YA titles, we’ve got something for everyone!

Distribution names:

Season’s Readings: Books for Ages 0-9

Season’s Readings: Books for Ages 10-18

Cost of books:  Free!
Shipping & handling fee: $0.45 / book to be shipped anywhere in the US.
When will I get my books?: Books will arrive by mid December

As always, we encourage you to apply for as many distributions as you want, and spread the word to any programs that serve children in need – we have plenty of books to go around!

Happy reading!

First Book

Pizza Hut Reading Certificates Are Here!!!

Dear Parents,

The Pizza Hut Reading Certificates are here. Your child will be receiving them on a bi-weekly basis.

Thank you

I didn’t want to take this post down, but I mistakenly posted this on my personal blog thinking it was my classroom blog. What I will do is post the information is you’re a public or private school teacher or homeschooler and would like to sign up to receive them. Here is the link to sign up:

http://www.bookitprogram.com/

Once you’re there, click on Enroll Now, then click on your school type, search for your school by city and state or zip code, and follow the directions from there.

Enjoy!

Michael’s MAKE YOUR OWN SALE Coupon!

Here’s the latest Michael’s coupon. It’s good for Sunday, February 6, 2011. Enjoy!

Michaels.com | Store Locator
©2011 Michaels Stores, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lakeshore Coupon

Here’s the newest Lakeshore coupon.

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 3782
Offer valid 2/1/11–2/28/11. $25, $50 or $75 minimum purchase required. Teacher’s Club members only. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward the purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, sale items or Great Buys. No cash value. Must present coupon and Teacher’s Club card at time of purchase.

Lakeshore Coupon (Buy 1, Get 1 50% off)

Okay Dear Readers,

Here is the newest Lakeshore coupon. I will be there on Wednesday. Print it & use it.

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 1242
Offer valid 12/27/10 – 12/31/10. Purchase one item at regular price and receive the 2nd item of equal or lesser value at 50% off its regular price. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward the purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, Super Deals or sale items. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Free Teacher’s Plan Book (2010) Coupon from Lakeshore!

Click here for the Coupon

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 51402
Valid on pictured plan book only, while supplies last. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer valid 7/5/10–9/5/10. In-store purchases only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not valid on prior purchases. No cash value.

Book Sale @ The Paul Roberson Community Center!

Just got this from the LABBX blog:
Books, Books, and More Books for You
Book Fair / Book Sale
Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm
Paul Robeson Community Center:

6569 S. Vermont Ave.,

LA, CA 90044

Info: (310) 569-0657
Admission: FREE

The Robeson Center is having its first ever sale of some of the vast numbers of books that do not fit into the collection. These books have been accumulated over the last 20 years from the lifetime collections of other book lovers, but they must go to make room for classroom and meeting space. If you love books, you won’t want to miss this opportunity.:
biography *philosophy * fiction * classics *kids books * history * cook books and more- they are all here looking for a new home.

Now, while we certainly don’t mind the idea of making money off of them, we’re most interested in freeing up the space they’re taking, as well as having our community reading them. Therefore, you can expect to go home with all the books you want without worrying about any kind of dent in your budget think five cents, twenty five cents, fifty cents or a dollar per book.

Info: (310) 569-0657

—
Jan Goodman
(310) 458-7213 or (310) 729-2394

Valuable Lakeshore Coupons for Teacher’s Club Members

The next time you’re in Lakeshore Learning Store, make sure you sign up for their Teacher’s club. It’s free to join. I just received my latest mini-catalog with 3 valuable coupons on back. One is for Buy 1 @ Regular Price, Get 1 50% off, for July 5-31, 2010. (COUPON CODE=40000). There’s another for Save 15% for August 1-September 5, 2010. (COUPON CODE= 40005). Finally, the last one is for a free teacher’s plan book with any $20 purchase, valid July 5, 2010- September 5, 2010. (COUPON CODE= 44796)

L.A. Times Festival Of Books ’10!

Yep, it’s that time of year again for the L.A. Times Festival of Books ’10.
Event: L.A. Times Festival of Books ’10
When: The fifteenth annual edition of the Festival of Books will be held on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2010
Where: U.C.L.A.

Wow, I cannot believe it’s been a whole year already. It seems like just a couple months ago that I went with Phillip & Phillise. I’m not sure if I’ll make it this year. I already made plans to go to the zoo with my mother & sisters. We’ll see how things go. I’ll play it by ear. If I have enough time, I’ll go.

Here’s a little information on the Festival:
The Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: Bring together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. The Festival was an immediate success and has become Southern California’s major literary event. Last year over 130,000 people attended the Festival, which featured almost one hundred ticketed author events, childrens’ storytelling, poetry readings, book signings and nearly 500 exhibitor booths.
According to Examiner.com, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is the largest and most prestigious literary event in the U.S. Held annually, the festival promises entertaining and educational activities for children and adults who love books.
There will be 400 authors in attendance. Here’s the list.
One of my favorite new authors, Pseudonymous Bosch, will be there.

One Of L.A.’s Best (& Cheapest) Bookstores

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that I am a bargain hunter. This combined with my love of books makes me one happy camper if I find the two together. Well, imagine how happy I was when I found this store a couple years ago. I don’t know why I haven’t shared information about this wonderful bookstore before, but I’m sharing it now. It has the greatest prices. I have to warn you that it’s not the prettiest place. It’s a warehouse. There are absolutely no frills. The books are definitely the stars of the show. But do you really care if you can purchase a recently published book for less than half price? I don’t.

This is what I bought last night:

Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera ($8.00) retail price= $16.99

Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco ($5.00) retail price= $16.99

Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare by Patricia Polacco ($8.50) retail price= $16.00

Boy, even with the 9.75% sales tax, I still only paid a grand total of $23.60 for all three hardcover books. That’s less than 1/2 price. I love it, love it, love it!

Here’s the address:

D.W. Pages (Formerly Crown Books Liquidation Center)

8655 Sepulveda Blvd.

Los  Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 568-9553

Lakeshore After Thanksgiving (Black Friday) Sale!

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 39259
Offer valid November 27-28, 2009. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon and one bag per customer. 20% discount taken off lowest ticketed price. Excludes tax & shipping charges. Not valid on Super Deals or gift cards. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, or sale items. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Books, Books, Books!

I love books. What I love even more than buying and reading books is buying them for cheap. What am I talking about? Well, the ROADIUM open air flea market, sells books for very cheap. How cheap? Today I purchased some books for as cheap as $1 for hardcover books. My latest acquisition:

The Roald Dahl Treasury, all 443 pages for $2 (list price=$35) 

Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s New Car by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist) for $1 (list price= $16.95)

David Goes to School by David Shannon (list price= $16.95)

There’s No Place Like Space, a Cat in the Hat Learning Library book, for $1 (list price= $8.99)

These are all in like new condition. So, for a grand total of $7, I got over $100 worth of books. Love it, love it, love it!

Mission Impossible Assignment # 3: School Shopping On A Budget

Okay, all you shoppers out there. Boy, do I have an assignment for you: School Shopping on a budget. Should you choose to accept this assignment, you may encounter a store full of shoppers, some rude, some not. You may also stop and park @ several locations looking for the perfect deal. Well, lucky for you I know where to shop for uniforms, so look no further. I’ve found the perfect place; at least it’s the perfect place to get school uniforms at unheard of prices.

Listen up. Here’s how the mission began and ended in one place. During the summer I received a notice from Phillise’s school stating that uniforms are now mandatory. The only requirement, a navy blue or white shirt with any color bottom. Yeah! That means waaaaay less money I have to spend.

Since I knew I had a nearly impossible mission (less than $200 for 2 children) and funds are low, I decided to run to FALLAS PAREDES’ warehouse. I knew I’d find great deals there. I always do.

Was I right fellow shoppers? Yep, I sure was. I got the same deal as last year: a grey jumper & a burgundy jumper for $1 each. Yep, you read right- $1 for the jumpers. So, I got her 2 grey ones, 1 burgundy one, a navy blue skort (@ $6.99), and 3 white uniform shirts @ $1.99 each, for a grand total (after taxes) of $17.52.

@ Target, I bought 20 pairs of underwear, 6 camis & 20 pairs of socks for a grand total of $26.32. @ Old Navy, 2 weeks ago, I bought some white sneakers with black polka dots for $10.97.

So, for Phillise’s sneakers, uniforms, underwear & socks, I paid a grand total of:

$17.52 + $10.97 + $26.32= $54.81

Having only 2 children to buy school clothes is so much easier since they both wear uniforms. David even has some from last school year. I will recycle @ least 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants. So, fellow shoppers, did I accomplish my impossible assignment of school shopping for 2 children for $200 or less? Well, that remains to be seen since I still have to buy David’s shoes, uniform pants, and shirts. However, last year, I simply went to Big 5 for the shoes. Looks like I’ll be going there again this year. I will keep you posted.

If you’d like to visit the warehouse, here’s the information.

FALLAS PAREDES Warehouse

15001 S. Figueroa St.

Gardena, CA 92048

(310)965-0379

http://www.fallasparedes.com

Don’t believe it, check it out for yourself.

P.S.- I am seriously going to take pics of Phillise in her uniforms and I will scan my receipt from Fallas Paredes.

Lakeshore, Buy One Get One 50% off!

Here’s a coupon for buy 1 get 1 half off @ Lakeshore. It’s valid from May 1- 31. You can also visit the website @ www.lakeshorelearning.com

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

© Lakeshore	coupon code: 1806
Offer valid 5/1/09 – 5/31/09. Limit one coupon per customer. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. Purchase one item at regular price and receive a second item of equal or lesser value at 50% off its regular price. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases or sale items. Sorry, no rain checks. No cash value.

Lakeshore (Buy 1, Get 1 50% off)

Here’s the coupon, buy 1, get 1 50% off. The coupon is good 3/20/09-3/22/09 .

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

© Lakeshore	coupon code: 1659
Offer valid 3/20/09 – 3/22/09 only. In-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. Purchase one item at regular price and receive a second item of equal or lesser value at 50% off its regular price. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, or sale items. Sorry, no rain checks. No cash value.

Upcoming Scholastic Book Fairs

Attention people: There is an upcoming warehouse book fair. I have only included the location closest to me, but Scholastic has stores all over the country.

(Directly from the Scholastic website) Finding a Warehouse Sale near you is easy! Locate dates and times of sales in your area and register for the event by selecting “Sign Up”. The brief registration process will establish your Scholastic user name and password. When you complete your registration, you will receive a Fast-Cart Pass along with a $10 off coupon, which will allow you to bypass the sign-in line at the event. You will also receive an email reminder one day before the sale begins.
Warehouse Sales are exclusively for Book Fair Chairpeople and Volunteers, Registered Homeschoolers, and School Personnel: Principals, Administrators, Faculty, Teachers, Librarians, and Media Specialists.

You can even sign up for bookfair workshops to find out how to make the best of your bookfairs to benefit your school and community.

California
Anaheim
Anaheim Warehouse 1210 N. Red Gum St. Anaheim, CA 92806 (800) 543-4720	Wed., 1/30/2008 – Sat., 2/2/2008 HURRY IN FOR BEST SELECTION! Wednesday & Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Friday & Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PLEASE INVITE YOUR FELLOW EDUCATORS!

Here’s the link: http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/events/warehouse/states/ca.asp

A Huge Warehouse Sale !

F.Y.I.- I received a flyer in my box @ work regarding a sale on Martin Luther King, jr. Day at Teacher Created Resources. Just in case you’re interested, here is the information:

What: Huge Warehouse Sale

When: Monday, January 21, 2008

Where: 6421 Industry Way

Westminster, CA 92683

Time: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Phone number: (714) 891-7895

(888) 343-4335

website: http://www.teachercreated.com

God Really Looks Out For Me, part II!

Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot believe this. If this were someone else telling me, I probably wouldn’t believe it. Okay, time to stop rambling. I am talking about finding uniforms for Phillise.

My money, like most peoples’, is funny right around school time because of back-to-school shopping. Well, my mother-in-law took care of most of that when she took my sons shopping. The only one that I had to take care of was Phillise. That was easier said than done because of the uniforms that she’s required to wear.

I figured that I’d go to Fallas Paredes, the uniform store, to get her uniforms. The only problem is that they stopped carrying the color that she needed.

What? Are you kidding me?

I was so upset. Of all the colors to discontinue, mine is the one that’s chosen when my money is so funny it’s making fun of me!

Well, I went to this other local store that’s owned by Fallas Paredes, Factory 2 U! The cashier told me that the chain no longer carried those colors anymore, but the manager did give me a flyer with the phone number and locations of all their stores in the L.A. area. I decided, like I always do, that I would not take the word of one person, ’cause one monkey don’t stop no show!

I called all of the Fallas Paredes that were within 10 miles of me until I found one that carried the color that she needs. Did I find them?

Boy did I? And can you guess how much they cost? You are not going to believe me, so I am including the receipt.

Sale @ Michael’s!

Michael’s, the Arts & Crafts store, is having a really good sale. Now is the time to stock up on cardstock, foam, and other classroom necessities. Go to your local Michael’s and see for yourself.

Check it out@: www.Michaels.com

Mission Impossible: Assignment #1 (School shopping on a budget)

**Just a warning, this post is kinda’ long **

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to raise good, well mannered, ambitious children in this world. Of course I accept it. What am I talking about, I have no choice but to accept it. The moment that I had my first child, almost 18 years ago, I knew what my mission was. Having children is only the beginning of the mission. There have been many missions since then and there will be many more. As always, failure is not an option. I must continue.

Mission Impossible #1: Go school shopping for three children (an 11th grader, a 5th grader & a kindergartener) for less than $500. Oh boy! How, oh how, am I going to accomplish that?

Okay Leila, put your thinking cap on. Let’s see, Big 5 has so many shoes @ such great prices. Fallas Paredes, the uniform store, has great prices on uniforms and accessories. But can it be done? Yes, it can and has been done.

Let’s see: The first person to buy for is Dakota. Since he’s in his junior year of high school, his clothes are important, so he gets first priority. He already has 4 pairs of jeans that I will put in the cleaners, so that’s less that I have to buy. I have to do a little bit more for him. JC Penney has a really good back to school sale every year. I mean really good.

Last year I got him five pairs of South Pole jeans for $100 + tax. I also got him South Pole t-shirts which were on sale for $9.99 ea. So I can get him five pairs of jeans w/10 shirts @ JCPenney’s for a grand total of about $200 + tax. For his shoes, Big 5 has And 1 ($29.99 + tax) and U.S. Polo ($16.99 + tax) tennis shoes. Getting two pairs of shoes for a teenage boy who just happens to wear a size 13 shoe for under $50 is almost unheard of.

The next person is Phillise. She’s only five, but she’s a girl. I have to tread very carefully with her because she already likes to shop. I am going to have to explain to her that she needs to wear uniforms and not regular clothes, so that she won’t cry. Little girls!

Her uniform calls for a burgundy & gray plaid jumper with a burgundy or white shirt. While I’m @ Fallas Paredes I will get her one jumper for $9.99, one pair of burgundy shorts for $5.99 and five white shirts @ $3.99 each. I can get David a pair of skate shoes ($19.99 + tax). He wears blue pants & a white shirt for his uniform @ school. I will go to Fallas Paredes and get two pairs of navy pants @ $9.99 + five shirts @ $3.99 ea. That will last him well into next month. I will just have to do a lot of washing.

Just in case you haven’t been keeping count, let me sum it up:

For Dakota, the total will be about $300.00 for 5 pairs of jeans, 10 t-shirts, 2 pairs of shoes + $20 for socks and underwear.

For David, the total will be about $80.00 for 2 pairs of pants, 5 uniform shirts, 1 pair of skate shoes @ Big 5 + $20 for socks and underwear.

For Phillise, the total will be about $80 for 1 jumper, 1 pair of shorts, 5 uniform shorts, 1 pair of shoes + $20 for socks and underwear.

That brings the grand total to about $500, once taxes are added, for 3 children. Shopping on a budget may take a bit of creativity, but it can be done.

** If your shopping budget is limited, do your wallet a favor and check out Big 5 for shoes and Fallas Paredes for uniforms & stuff.**

Lakeshore Sale!

Hey people! There’s an up to 75% OFF online only sale @ Lakeshore.

If you want to see what they have, the website address is: www.lakeshorelearning.com. There are sales for under $5- under $20. While you’re there, you can order a catalog, check out the teacher’s workshop and sign up the free kids workshops on Saturdays.

I am unsure about when that big sale on rugs is going to be. But if I find out, I will let you know.

Check it out!

***P.S.*** Hurry up. Things are selling out fast. There’s already a lot of stuff sold out!

Scholastic Book Fair

♥ If you love books and you’re in L.A. and the surrounding area, this should make you happy. Scholastic is having a book fair. It starts today. It’s being touted as the BIGGEST book sale ever with up to 80% off. Visit the website and register for the Fast-cart pass≡ to receive a $10 off $50 savings coupon.The website address is:

http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/events/

The dates are:

Wednesday, May 16, 2007- Thursday, May 31, 2007

The store hours are:

Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

@ the Culver City location (on Washington just a little past Sepulveda)

Culver City Warehouse

10846 Washington Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

(310) 841-6667

I have only included locations near me, but there are locations all over. Check the website for a location near you. ♥