Teacher Appreciation Week: Day Three

We had a day off from Teacher Appreciation gifting because our teacher was at a conference, but when she comes back to her classroom today, she'll find this:

A basket of apples, how cliche.  But when each apple is individually tied to an Apple Store gift card?

Much more fun!  Our school has smart boards in every classroom and issues an ipad to every student; our teachers are thus expected to be up-to-date on all things technology.  We're hoping she can use these Apple gift cards to buy apps, music, books, or even hardware of her choice.  Our teacher is APP-solutely wonderful, and as one of the homeroom moms, I'm having fun organizing class gifts for her this week!

Our Teacher Appreciation Week Plan: Something pretty (sunflowers in a pencil vase); something sweet (the bundt cake tower); something healthy (the apples); and something practical (tomorrow's bouquet of gift cards).   Each child is also presenting her with a handwritten card or letter on Friday.  We're saving the tear-jerker, personalized gifts from the kids for the end-of-year gift presentation in just two weeks.  :)

How are you honoring your teachers this week?

(Sharing with Five Days...5 Ways and Sun Scholars)

Christmas Shopping for the Kids: Tegu Blocks

Call me a Grinch, but I don't buy many toys for my kids, at Christmas, or otherwise.  We much prefer to spend our money on experiences than material goods.  Our toy strategy has been to invest in a few quality pieces with longevity and open-ended creative play potential (like a play kitchen, musical instruments, blocks, dolls, magnatiles), and avoid the temptation to buy the latest trendy plastic-electronic contraptions from Target.

This (relative) toy minimalism is helped by the fact that my kids have never once set foot in Toys R Us or seen any television commercials advertising toys.  If they don't know that it exists, they don't miss it.  And truly, they have very happy, fun, playful lives.  We value the purity of a childhood that isn't overly tainted by commercialization (hypocrisy disclaimer: unless that commercialization comes from Apple, in which case we embrace i-Everything).

Santa does bring one or two special gifts each year, however, which are complemented by a few smaller gifts (clothes, books, art supplies) from Mom & Dad.  In the past, Santa has brought an art easel, a play tent, a fabulous red play kitchen, and magnatiles.  This year, after consultation with me, Santa bought the girls Tegu blocks (Santa's an advance planner and does his shopping early!).  In my work life, I teach business ethics, and Tegu's story is compelling:


The Tegu Story from Tegu on Vimeo.

They are expensive, but the purchase price not only buys quality magnetic blocks made from sustainable wood, but also allows you to contribute to re-forestation and education causes in Honduras.  Beyond the social responsibility element, Tegu blocks are appealing because they encourage imaginative play.

via Tegu

The customer reviews thus far are very positive, and Santa's hardest decision was which set to buy.  I'm excited to see what the girls create.  Santa made a good choice, I think.

Have you started holiday shopping?  What are your favorite finds this year?

My Habit

I know Amazon's new high-end flash sale site, MyHabit, has its detractors, but some of the Home offerings this week are pretty tempting:

Cobalt blue Essenze chargers from Richard Ginori:

Luxurious Frette linens:

And gorgeous Trina Turk pillows:

All for 60-70% off.  And through August 20, you can save an extra $25 on orders of $75 or more with code 25OVER75.

Have any of you tried MyHabit shopping?  What was your experience?

Textbook Tips from a College Professor

via

I won't blog much about my work as a college prof here, but the recent deluge of my inbox with textbook-related questions reminds me that school is about to start, and students (and their parents) are looking to save money any way they can.  So, for those of you who are students, or parents of students, here are my thoughts on college textbook acquisition:

(1)  Yes, you have to buy the current edition of the textbook.  The assigned reading is not optional. You will be expected to know the material in the text.  You will often be expected to refer to or use the text in class. You will be tested on the material. And yes, the content is updated between editions, especially in dynamic fields like mine, law.  The law changes; the text changes; you need the current edition.

(2) Start shopping early.  The best deals go quickly, and you don't want to have to pay rush shipping to meet an assignment deadline.


(3)  Do not pay full retail price for a new text.  I love our college bookstore and appreciate its convenience, but you can do better, price-wise.  If you can't snag a used copy at your campus store (which requires shopping well before the semester starts!), use the ISBN number and check out these sources to find your texts at a discount:

• Amazon.com: Reliable, with generally good return/refund policies.

• Half.com: Now part of eBay, this site lets you buy or rent texts at very good prices.

• Craigslist.org: Be careful here, in that you want to make sure you are getting a full copy of the current edition, and that you aren't making yourself vulnerable to scary strangers.  Arrange to meet in a busy part of campus for the transaction.  Double-check that the edition is current and in good shape.  

• Bulletin boards on campus.  Same caveats as above.

• Textbook Publisher's Website --- often a few dollars cheaper than your bookstore.

(4) Consider an e-book.  Most texts are now offered in cheaper e-book form.  The best e-books will allow you to highlight, tab, and look up unfamiliar terms while reading.  Most professors are comfortable with e-books now, although you may encounter the rare prof who expects you to print out a copy of your e-book, which sort of undermines the purpose, but whatever.  Lighten your backpack, not your wallet: go digital.  The disadvantage: they usually can't be re-sold, or re-used.  Publishers are smart and typically only allow you access for the semester.  This also means that if you have to retake a class later, you may have to buy the book again.  In addition to Kindle, Apple's iBooks, and Barnes & Noble, check out iChapters and CourseSmart for e-book options.

(5) Consider renting your book via Chegg.com.  Just beware late fees.

(6)  Ask if your professor has a copy of the text on reserve in the library. If you are disciplined with your time, you can read/study during the reserve period each day, The disadvantage is that you won't be able to check out the book or bring it to class with you, or of course, highlight or make notations in the book.  Because some of my students don't receive their financial aid money until the third week of the semester, by which time they would be behind in their reading, I always place an extra copy of the text on reserve.  Most professors are nice like that.  Just ask.

(7) Consider sharing your text with a roommate or friend.  The obvious disadvantage is that only one of you can study at a time.  But if you're disciplined, this can work.

(8) Download literature for free.  Many of the classics required in your English classes are now beyond copyright and available as free e-book downloads via Kindle, iBooks, Google, or Project Gutenberg.  And of course, these books are always available at the library as well.

(9) Maintain your books in good condition so you can maximize re-sale value.  You'll get more money re-selling directly to other students or on Amazon than you would selling back to the bookstore.

(10) Stop complaining about the cost of textbooks.  Yes, they are unfortunately expensive. But reading the text is a critical part of your learning process; a good professor has taken care in the choice of the text, will not regurgitate the text material or "lecture from the book," and will assume you've done the reading in advance of the lecture. Tuition pays for the professor's time and expertise, but that's only part of the cost of higher education; textbooks are just as important.  Also, professors are well aware of studies that say the average college student spends more  money each semester on beer than on books.  So we're not so sympathetic! :-)

Happy studying!

(Sharing with Oh Amanda)

Halloween Costumes...Already?

It may only be August, but retailers are already flooding my mailbox with Halloween costume catalogs. The early marketing appeals to advance planners like me.  Back in the day when my mom stayed at home on the cul-de-sac, she sewed most of our Halloween costumes herself.  My mom's costumes were fantastic creations --- plush bunny rabbits and detailed lions' manes, cute crayolas and even cuter leprechauns.  But for her daughter, who is not so artsy crafty (surely you didn't mistake this for a DIY-themed blog, did ya?), the commercial availability of well-made, cute costumes is a huge help.  As of last year, my oldest daughter now tells me what she'll wear, but for a few years, I had fun choosing for her:

Bunny (a clearance find from Gymboree):

Peacock (my all-time favorite, from Babystyle):

Little Bo Peep (from Chasing Fireflies):

"A Scarecrow Princess" (aka I wanted her to be a scarecrow; she wanted to be a princess; we compromised; from Yaya Papaya):

Mermaid (her choice, from Amazon):

I'm seeing lots of fun costumes this year, too.

From Chasing Fireflies, which always has beautifully detailed costumes:

From Pottery Barn Kids, where we've found the costumes to be comfortable and easy to wear:

(my youngest already has this one in the closet, thanks to last year's post-Halloween sale) 

From Uniquery on Etsy, these sweet garden gnomes:

From Not The Kitchen Sink on Etsy, baby sushi:

From The Miniature Knit Shop on Etsy, these gorgeous infant outfits:

(notice the knitted guns!)

And hey, if spending $410 on your child's Halloween costume is doable for you, check out this gorgeous mermaid from Posh Tots:

Have you started thinking about Halloween?  For those of you who buy costumes, what are your favorite sources?

An Adventure in Moderate Couponing

I don’t have time to watch much tv. When I do watch, I try to make it count with a quality show like Modern Family or The Good Wife.  But a couple weeks ago, I accidentally found myself immersed in an episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC.  Have you seen this show?  People with apparent OCD spend dozens of hours a week cutting coupons and scouring sales to get as many groceries as possible free, or close to it.  Part of me wanted to argue with these folks and question whether their savings on cat food and shaving gel are worth the value of the time they spent couponing, time they could have spent with their families, or searching for/doing paid work.  This same part of me noted that for all their carts full of stuff, they seemed to buy very little “real food.”  Most of their coupon-discounted loot consisted of toiletry items and processed foods, no produce or fresh meat.  And as a general rule, shopping at several different grocery stores to save a few pennies doesn’t make much sense when considering the cost of gas.

But the competitive part of me wanted to try this couponing thing for myself.

As a lawyer, the notion of the billable hour is deeply ingrained in my psyche.  I value my time and try, most days, to use that time efficiently.  Time spent with my family is priceless, but beyond that, anything --- house-cleaning, cooking, yard work, home repairs, running errands --- has economic value, at least in terms of opportunity cost.  So to the extent that a particular chore or activity is worth my implicit hourly rate, I do it; when it’s not, I either don’t do it at all, or I outsource it to a pro who can complete the job more efficiently while I focus on something else.

In short, spending 30-40 hours/week researching coupons and sales in an effort to get $200 of “free” groceries is not worth my time.

One woman’s comment on the show resonated with me, however.  She said that not using easily accessible coupons is like throwing away money.  I don’t like to throw away money. 

So I decided to dip my toe in the couponing pool.  While at the store, I noted a huge promotion on Lean Cuisine entrees.  They were 10 cents off the regular price of $1.88, plus, if you bought 10, you got to use an in-store $6 coupon.  Then, at checkout, the register printed off another coupon for $2.25 off every four Lean Cuisines purchased. I like Lean Cuisines, and on days when I’m working at home, they make a quick and portion-controlled lunch.  And these coupons and promotions were clearly a sign.  So I went home and found additional Lean Cuisine coupons online at sites like Coupon Mom.  On my next regular shopping trip, I went back to the store with my manufacturers’ coupons, stacked those on top of the register coupons, in-store coupons, and sale price, and ultimately, I scored thirty Lean Cuisines for a total of less than $3!  That’s less than 10 cents a piece, or about 95% off the normal retail price.  I was quite proud of myself.  And my extra freezer was happy to have some guests:

Part of my Lean Cuisine "stockpile"

Of course, I then spent way more than my saved $53 online at the Mini Boden Fall Preview Sale (the purple, owl-embroidered skirt was a must-have for my purple-and-owl loving pre-schooler!), although I did use a 20%-off coupon there, too.

I doubt I’ll master the art of extreme couponing.  But I am promising myself to be more vigilant about planning meals around the weekly circulars, making my shopping list in advance, spending a few minutes online collecting and organizing coupons for those items, and most importantly, remembering to give the cashier my coupons at checkout.  I figure an extra 10 minutes of planning a week could translate into significant savings.  That is time well spent.

How do you use coupons efficiently?  And do you have any tips for a novice couponer? 

Go-To Gifts for Kids' Birthday Parties

With three kids, we spend most weekends chauffeuring them between their friends’ birthday parties.  They love a good party, whether at someone’s home, a commercial venue, or a park, and we enjoy socializing with the other parents.  However, these frequent appearances on the birthday party circuit mean that I have to always be prepared with a present.

As a working mom, I have little time or inclination for last-minute shopping trips to brick and mortar toy and book stores (my apologies to such merchants, but schlepping three kids around in a gas guzzling SUV in our town’s heavy traffic and hot weather is not conducive to maintaining my sanity).  I also strongly prefer to give personalized gifts, as most kids narcissistically love to receive things with their names on them, and presenting something personalized conveys a subtle sense of thoughtfulness, which a hastily purchased toy usually doesn’t.  I also don’t want to buy junk that will get thrown away or garage-saled immediately.  So, I employ some organizational strategies to plan and buy gifts ahead:

• I keep an updated list of the kids’ closest friends and classmates on my iPhone, along with their birth months.  Since my iPhone and I are inseparable (unlike a paper list, which I would lose), I always have a gift recipient list handy.

• I spend no more than 5 minutes, once a month, here, looking for can’t-miss deals on personalized kids’ stuff.

• When I find a deal, I hop on it and order enough for all of the children on our gift list, for the coming year.   

• I also take advantage of Amazon’s 4-for-3 deals and purchase budget-friendly and kid-pleasing items like Melissa & Doug sticker books and puzzles, to give as presents for acquaintances and unexpected party invitations.

• I then store all of these gifts, personalized and stock, in a spare bedroom closet along with wrap.  It’s not well organized, but at least it’s all in one place.

And voila, I’m done with birthday present shopping for the year, usually in one or two quick and inexpensive online shopping sprees.  No frantic, last-minute, pre-party trips to the toy store on Saturday mornings!

Examples of my purchased-in-advance personalized presents:

• Three years ago, I used the “secret sale codes” at Pottery Barn Kids and scored over two dozen kids’ beach towels for $6.99 each, including shipping and personalization.  They normally cost $31.  They were a hit each time, and my oldest daughter loves it when she often sees the recipients with their towels at swim lessons or a pool party.

• I took advantage of a similar short-term sale at Williams-Sonoma and bought ten personalized pink kids’ aprons for $1.99 each, again, including personalization and shipping.  These normally retail for $26 each.  At the time, my oldest daughter and her friends were all taking weekly cooking classes at their school, so they made for timely and appreciated gifts, especially when paired with pink spatulas and signed cookbooks from our favorite local kids’ culinary expert.

• This year, taking a cue from my oldest who loves to write her friends letters on her personalized stationery, I bought all the older kids on my list personalized notecards from Shutterfly during one of their awesome sales coupled with a free shipping promotion.  Because I ordered so many sets, the total cost was around $5 per gift recipient for a dozen personalized cards with envelopes.  I wrap each set in pretty ribbon and include a sheet of stickers.  Simple and easy. 

• For younger kids, I buy personalized piggy banks in bulk during Nordstrom’s anniversary sale (which is obviously an annual event) for $10-11.  Nordstrom clerks personalize them on the spot, in the store, and do a lovely job.  I’ve bought so many dozens over the years that I am now referred to by name as “the piggy bank lady” when I walk into my local store.  There are worse nicknames, I suppose!

• For parties where there is an express no-gifts request, or where charitable donations are preferred, we either donate online to our favorite local kids’ charity or arrange for a symbolic adoption of a dolphin or other popular animal through an environmental organization.

• Finally, we often give close friends and family personalized storybooks (like these or these) or photo books.  Again, I wait for special promotions, and then buy as many as possible in advance of when I need them.  Next year, I’m considering giving personalized placemats or plates. I've also seen great ideas on Etsy, like personalized super-hero capes and library bags.

You may be wondering: Do I ever buy personalized gifts for children who end up not inviting my kids to their parties?  Yep, but because I’m judicious with my advance purchase birthday gift list, it’s only happened twice.  And both times, we just gave the birthday child the gift anyway -- after all, presents shouldn't be tied to parties, and vice versa.

Because I love to save time and money, I’d love to hear your gift-giving strategies, too!