So, do you want to know what I have been up to? Ok I will tell…. I learned to sew! I know….who would have ever thought a girl who loves to shop as much as I do would want to make something instead of shopping for it. Well, I have been planning another trip to Disney World (stay tuned for some wonderful details about our trip and a pre-trip report), and I came across all of these beautiful custom made Disney outfits on Ebay and Etsy. Naturally I wanted to buy my daughter about 20 of them for our trip, but here’s the catch they were nearly $300 a piece. I don’t think my husband would have been happy if I spent $6000 on my daughter’s Disney World apparel. So I decided if I wanted her wearing cute Disney Boutique clothes, I would have to learn how to make them myself.

Now I figured it was a long shot, but when I put my mind to something, I am pretty determined. Now for those of you who don’t know, I am an accountant (not a very creative field). I had never touched a sewing machine before in my life. The things I have been making aren’t perfect, but I am pretty happy with them, and my daughter loves them!

Here are a few of the outfits I have made in the past 4 weeks since I bought a sewing machine and embroidery machine.

Now does this mean I am shopping less? NO WAY….. in fact I have to admit I am shopping MORE! Between buying the machines I wanted and needed to complete these outfits (STAY TUNED: My deal of the week will be my embroidery machine and a great discount I found on it), and shopping for fabric and patterns, I am shopping more then ever. I have only been sewing for a month and I have a full sized dresser full of fabric already and a few bags waiting to be unpacked. I never knew how addictive fabric buying could be. There are just so many prints I adore, and don’t even get me started on applique designs for my embroidery machine.

So stay tuned…. I will be bringing back my shopping deals of the week and sharing all the shopping I am doing for my new hobby!

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There were a lot of long lines, but the express checkout didn’t look too bad. I quickly counted the items in my cart. I had 11 items and the little piece of paper I needed to purchase a package of razors for my husband (I hate that they don’t keep them out in the store anymore, it really is a pain to have to get them upfront). With the razors I would have 12 items, so I jumped in the express checkout lane, that was clearly marked 12 items or less.

As the person in front of me is paying, I start adding my items to the counter. I can hear someone behind me mumbling about not being able to read. At this point I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Then I hear her start talking loudly about how it is an express lane, I thought she might be talking about the cashier being slow. When I heard her implying I had too many items I started counting my items out loud. Soda-1, apples-2, milk-3, ect.

Either the woman didn’t hear me, or she thinks 12 items is breaking the rules. She turned to my 3 year old daughter and said, “Your mommy is teaching you horrible manners, and she can’t read a sign that says express”. Even if I had 13 items (which I did not), she should not have spoken to my daughter that way. I calmly turned around, pointed at the sign that said 12 and reminded her I only had 12 items. She still insisted I was rude, apparently if I have 12 items and someone behind me has 3, I should let them have my place in line. Honestly I have done that before, but I had my daughter with me and was just concerned with getting her home. It really bothered me that someone would speak to another person like that, and that not even the cashier would speak up about it.

So that quick shopping trip was ruined for me, I guess I will have to shop some more to get the bad taste out of my mouth. Now I just need to decide what I can shop for tonight.

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TJ would put Teddy to shame. TJ reminds me a lot of Teddy, but much more modern. Instead of tapes he uses cartridges and his stories are a lot better. When TJ tells a story his face is very animated, his ears twitch and his head moves based on the charcter who is talking. He is a great story teller and one of my daughter’s favorite toys. I’m sure in twenty some years, when my daughter has a child of her own, there will be another bear that puts TJ to shame, but for now he is an unbelivabe toy. Check out my video review to see Teddy in action ! Teddy would make a GREAT Christmas gift for your little one!

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The weather has begun getting cooler here in North Carolina this week so my main shopping goal this week was to find some warmer clothing for my 3 year old daughter. I found some great bargains at The Children’s Place. You can use the discount code HAA8 at the Children’s Place through 11/8/08 to recieve 15% off.

I found some great deals like this baby doll top. This top was on sale for $4.89 and after the 15% discount it was only $4.16


At Children’s Place I also found this cute long sleeve floral dress for $5.33 after the discount.

I also grabbed a few pairs of these pants in various colors for $5.30

I placed my order on Saturday and the package arrive by Wednesday. Shipping was a flat $5.00. I would have paid at least $5.00 in gas to drive to the store to shop in person. I ordered 12 complete outfits from Children’s Place for less then $90.00. The quality was great on the clothes and they looked exactly as they were pictured online. If you have a little one at home Start Shopping Now!

Next up I found some great deals at The Disney Shopping Outlet. My daughter loves Enchanted and I know she will love this Giselle Robe for little girls. The robe was originally $39.99, but you can get it now for only $14.99. This robe is sure to keep her warm when worn over top of the little night gowns she insists on wearing even when the weather is cold.

It is also a great time to stock up on Disney T-Shirts. They have a huge selection in the outlet for $2.99 like this one.

Disney has also begun marking down Halloween Costumes up to 40%, so now is a great time to buy your costume. I love this Minnie Mouse Costume for toddlers, and at $14.99 it is a bargain.

Check back next week for more great bargains that I spot online. Happy Shopping Everyone!

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For starters, when I shop I shop through Sunshine Rewards! Sunshine Rewards pays me cash back for the shopping I have always done, at the stores I already shopped at. I only wish I had discovered Sunshine Rewards sooner. I think back to all the shopping I had done at Best Buy, Children’s Place, Target and more before I learned about Sunshine Rewards and it just seems like a waste. Not only has Sunshine Rewards given me cash back for my shopping, but they have found me some great discount codes and introduced me to some great new merchants. I have also been able to earn a little extra money by taking surveys on the Sunshine Rewards site. In just a few short months I earned $500 in Disney giftcards. You can get “cash” back, but I prefer giftcards that allow me to save for my vacation without being tempted to spend the money on more shopping.

Secondly, when I shop or even pay bills I always use a rewards credit card. I never spend more on the card then I can pay off in the month, or the rewards would be eliminated because of interest. My prefered card for shopping and paying bills is my Disney Visa Rewards card. I have gotten 1-5% back for my purchases and payments. I earned $575 in Disney rewards dollars over the past year to spend on my vacation. Both Sunshine Rewards and my Disney Visa allow me to save for my vacation without actually saving. To get your own Disney Visa visit Disney Rewards Visa Enter card member ID # 17269183 to get a $25 Disney Gift card.

Finally, I get paid to review the purchases I make for Expo TV. Anyone can make reviews for Expo, all you need is a video camera and a product you have purchased. Your review can be positive or negative, you just need to give your honest opinion and demonstrate the product when possible. I have reviewed everything from Toys to Shampoo and Laptops to Shoes and always get paid at least $10 per review I upload. To get paid for your own video reviews visit Expo TV.

When I pay for something like shampoo through Sunshine Rewards using my Disney Visa and then reviewing it for Expo I actually make more money off my purchase then I spent. Talk about letting your shopping work for you. I do shop a lot, but at least I am smart about letting my shopping earn money for me. This allows me to still enjoy a great vacation every year without building debt. In today’s poor economy, why not let your shopping earn you some extra cash!

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