Spring Cleaning Tip from HomeDecorators.com

How to Clean Wood Furniture

General Wood Cleaning

While dusting should always be done to enhance wood furniture, general wood cleaning will help maintain your wood's beauty. Once a year, wash your wood furniture with a sudsy solution of mild soap and water. Dip a clean, soft cloth into the soapy water and wring out. Work the cloth over a small area at a time, overlapping areas as you work. Next, rinse with a soap-free dampened cloth. Dry immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Remember to always test areas in an inconspicuous spot first. Following manufacturers' instructions is key to preserving your treasured wood furniture.
Removing Water Marks
White marks left by water or steam make a bad impression on your furniture. Catching them quickly gives you the chance to erase them for good. Just follow these simple steps to wipe out those white marks:

1. Grab a paper towel and spread a spoonful of mayonnaise on it.
2. Press the mayonnaise lightly over the white mark; leave for 15 minutes.
3. Lift the paper towel to see if stain is removed; reapply as necessary.
4. For older stains, leave on overnight.

Please note:
You should always follow manufacturers' instructions for the particular finish of your furniture.

* Always test in an inconspicuous spot first.
* Oil can be substituted for mayonnaise.
* Contact a refinishing specialist for older or stubborn stains.
* For valuable furnishings, get professional advice from an antiques expert.

Shop wood Furniture at Home Decorators Collection.

Spring Break

Well it's that time of year again for college students to swarm the beaches for their spring break. With tuition and housing expenses, college is already expensive enough. But, going away for spring break is an experience that students remember all their lives. It's such carefree fun and in a lot of cases the last hurrah before the responsibilities of having a full time job and a family. Spring break doesn't have to break the bank though. There's many deals to be found if you spend the time and look for them. In no particular order, here's some of the places to start looking:

Orbitz lists the top 5 travel destinations as Fort Lauderdale, Acapulco, Nassau (as low as $304 for 3 nights!), Miami and Las Vegas.

Hotel and airfare packages to the Caribbean and Mexico can be found at Hotwire for $339.

Check out the "Cheap of the Week" at Cheap Tickets, coupon codes can be found on that page for extra special deals.

At Travelocity click on the site map at the bottom of the page and access the free Travel Video Gallery, Weather Center, Currency Converter, Passports & Visas, Destination Guides and more. Don't forget to check the top deals under Vacation Packages. While you're looking around, keep an eye out for the special Roaming Gnome to enter the sweepstakes sponsored by The Amazing Race and Travelocity. The grand prize includes round trip airfare to a mystery location, seven night deluxe hotel accommodations, $2,000 cash spending money and $1,000 hotel credit for spa and excursions. All entries are automatically entered to win a weekly gift pack prize that includes a CBS Amazing Race backpack filled with Amazing Race merchandise such as DVDs, hats, and other official gear.

If it's a cruise you're looking for, get a free Funship DVD from Carnival Cruise Lines. Click on "Specials" to see the great deals on cruise packages starting at $249.

If you already have a plane ticket or are driving to your destination and just need a place to stay, Hotels.com has a ton of Spring Break Specials right now.

Not to put a damper on the great fun but I have to end this entry with a strong warning for students to be very careful during your break. We all know about missing teen Natalee Holloway who was last seen in Aruba in May 2005. Please be careful. Only trust your friends and always be aware of what's going on around you. If you HAVE to drink, don't get so intoxicated that your judgement is impaired. Don't go anywhere by yourself if you can help it. Set up a system of some sort with your family where you check in with them at a certain time every day by phone, text message or email so they know you're safe.

Site Down

Wow! After 2 days of no deals, Brand Central is back! I'm sorry for the down time but I had no control over the situation. The server I'm on was fried. Took 2 days for it to be fixed. Stupid server!

Here's a little tip from one of the stores here that I thought was interesting. Gas-Saving tip of the month for March from AutoAnything:

Stop idling!
It's all too easy to waste gas with the car in park going nowhere. If you're going to be idle for a while, just turn the engine off. Contrary to popular belief, having to restart your car isn't worse for your fuel economy if you're going to idle for longer than 1 minute. A good deal of gas can also be saved by skipping the drive-thru and ordering food to go from inside your favorite burger joint!

At Least 50% off!

Check out the section At Least 50% off! Great bargains that I update as much as possible. Feel free to email me any deals you find that you think should be added. Also, if you run across any that are sold out, please let me know. Don't forget to check for a coupon that goes along with the deal. Just click on "View all deals for this merchant" and if I have a coupon, it'll be there. Happy Bargain Hunting!

Soft Surroundings Spring 2007 Beauty Advice

from Hair and Make-up Artist to the stars David Shannon

1. Add spring to your lashes by using a heated eyelash curler. Flipping lashes up creates a fresher and brighter look.

2. Tame fly-aways by misting hairspray on hands. Run your hands through your hair to keep it under control without being stiff.

3. Shape and refine eyebrows with light feathering strokes from the outside in with brow powder.

4. Work from the inside out by taking your multi-vitamins with antioxidants. They will help fight the signs of aging.

5. A great way to keep oily skin at bay is to pull apart a two-ply tissue, apply to skin and gently press one layer on your oily spots. You will see oil disappear without the need to re-apply powder.

6. Rescue over-plucked eyebrows by filing in the bare spots with a brow pencil or powder that is one shade lighter than your hair.

Visit SoftSurroundings.com for more advice from David and to shop for this spring's essential beauty products!

Auto Parts Warehouse Article - Shopping Online

The
Internet is a great way to shop. From the comfort of your chair, you can go from
one online shop to the next, comparing product prices and features so you always
get the best deals. You can also read product reviews of shoppers who have previously
bought an item and learn from their experiences. You save yourself the hassle
of actually going out to these stores, lining up to pay, and carrying back the
goods to your house. With just a few clicks of the mouse you can shop and buy,
and wait for your purchase to arrive at your doorstep within 5 days or less. This
is shopping convenience at its best and what's more, online shops are open 24
hours a day!

So the next time you need a replacement
for your car, say a
new headlight or a
better exhaust muffler, buy online. You would be surprised to know that
there are hundreds of websites offering
a wide range of auto parts and accessories. Many of these online shops carry
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) replacements and aftermarket performance
parts for your vehicle. Their massive online catalogues can be sorted according
to auto part, type of car, and year of make so you can zero in to what you need
in no time. Unlike your brick and mortar auto parts retailer, online
auto parts merchants will inform you through email or by phone when an accessory
that is not in stock becomes available.

There is no question about the convenience
offered by online auto parts shopping to busy car owners but you may want to
take certain precautions to ensure a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience.

1.
Know your online retailer. You want only the best replacements for
your car so make sure you are shopping in reputable
online stores. Check out their inventory of car accessories. Does the store
offer a wide selection for a particular replacement? Does it provide relevant
information about the product features and pricing? Click on the site's About
link and see if the store has clearly disclosed who they are and how to reach
them. A good way to determine an online store's reputation is through the quality
of its customer service.

2. Protect your privacy.
Shop only at secure websites. When
you're at the checkout page, the address on your browser should begin with 'https'
instead of just 'http'. 'https' means the the online transaction is being secured
from malicious interception. It is very important to read the store's Privacy
Policy so you know exactly what the store will do with the personal and financial
information you are giving to them. Look for eTrust, VeriSign, HackerSafe, BBBOnline
Reliability Program, and other privacy enforcement seals to guarantee your security
and privacy.

3. Keep a record of your
transactions. Take
note of the shipping and handling fees and total charges before you click on
that Buy button. The total price you pay for a new car part is often higher
than the published one. Make sure to printout receipts, confirmation emails,
and other information related to your order so you have something to back you
up in case you have questions or problems with the shipment.

4. Read the fine print.
There are cases when what is delivered to you is different from what you ordered
and you have to return it. While rare, errors such as this do happen so read
the online merchant's cancellation, return, and complaint-handling policies.
Does the store offer warranties for its auto parts and accessories, and who
honors that warranty? Do you get a refund to your credit card or get a store
credit? If these are not posted, it is wise to call or send an email to customer
service first before going ahead with your purchase.

So there you have it. These tips
seem too much a bother at first but as you get to know the best auto
parts retailers online and become comfortable with their system, you eventually
save yourself some headaches and disappointments. Happy online shopping!

Mary Baker Article

Here's an article written especially for me from my friend Mary Baker.

Whether your passion is garden gnomes or golf balls, there's a way to save money on them if you buy them over the Internet. In this article, we'll clue you in on how to save money with coupons, free shipping, clearance shopping…and the much-coveted "triple play."

Saving Money Online:

Triple Plays and

Other Ways

You have to admit, we live in a pretty fortunate age. Not only can you hop on a jet in LA and be in New York City within a few hours, you can order just about anything off the Internet, and within days it'll arrive through the mail. The best part is, you can shop from the convenience of your own home -- now that's bargain-and-a-half! And of course nobody minds saving a dollar here and there, which is why we've prepared this primer on safe and thrifty online shopping.

Here's an example. Let's say that you've become infatuated with that debonair Travelocity gnome in the TV commercials. Wouldn't it be great to have a nice gnome like him living in your garden? Of course it would. But how do you go about acquiring such a gnome? And better yet, how do you get one inexpensively?

Fire up the computer

We've all heard horror stories about identity theft, and this might cause you to think twice before handing your credit card number over to a digital stranger. But fear not: modern encryption techniques are so advanced that it's unlikely that a bad guy could ever intercept your information. To make doubly certain you're protected, you can always deal with retailers in the USA, where you have legal recourse if you feel you've been cheated. Of course, that completely defeats the biggest benefit of the World Wide Web -- the fact that it is worldwide, and sometimes the best deals for what you're looking are located overseas.

Let's look at our garden gnomes example again. Your first step is to go online and find a good source for the kind you like. Once you've found the right retailer -- maybe in Germany, maybe in Florida -- spend a little time getting to know the stock, the site's shipping options, and whether or not they're offering any deals. For example, many retailers offer a "loss leader" they know that they'll lose money on, because they expect to make money selling other items to customers who were brought in by the advertised deal.

Triple Play and Away

Even if a site doesn't offer any loss leaders or clearance items, you'll often be able to get a coupon deal, where they'll give you either a flat dollar amount or a certain percentage off your purchase price. Not a bad idea, since it assures that they make a certain amount of money, and you get an excellent deal. Otherwise, they may offer free shipping -- again, not a deal to be sneezed at, since shipping can vary from five bucks on up, depending on what you order and how fast you want it.

The real thrill, of course, comes when you can score a triple play, the bargain hunter's equivalent of a "hat trick" in hockey. You scour the clearance section to find something you want; you slap on the online coupon they're offering; and then you pick up free shipping on your way out the door. It's true that you may not be able to find exactly the item you're looking for, but usually you can get something close. As far as gnomes go, you may not end up with, say, classic Rien Poortvliet gnomes. Maybe the best you can do is a couple of naughty gnomes flashing the world or flipping you the bird. Who cares? They're cute, and they're better than those silly cutouts of old ladies bending over in the garden!

Published with permission (FCDMInc)

Update

Many apologies for not posting in the blog sooner than this. I've been so overwhelmed with many things these days. What's the chances of my mother AND my mother-in-law both going in for similar surgeries within a week? One has kidney stones and the other has gall stones! My mom was very sick and in intensive care for quite a while. Can you imagine? Just from kidney stones? Not to mention another surgery ahead for her on Valentine's Day! My sister Sherry had her knee operated on and 2 days later had a massive stroke when a blood clot broke loose and went to her brain. She's doing much better today but it was touch and go for a while. All, at the ripe old age of just 49. On to much better news, my little girl had a little girl on January 7th! Little Zoey Lynn weighed in at 6 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 and 3/4" tall. My 2nd grandchild so I have one of each, Kyle Shea and now Zoey Lynn! I'm a proud grandma, no doubt about it!

I hope you've all been finding good deals lately. I've been trying to post all the goodies as soon as I receive them from the merchants or find them myself. I'm still a little behind but I'll have the site ship shape really soon. Especially the freebies, sweeps and printed coupons. Expect lots of new entries over the next few days. As always, feel free to email me if you ever have any questions or need help finding a good deal on something you're looking for.

My next blog entry is an article written by Mary Baker especially for me. Take a look at it if you have time.

Introduction

A little bit about me. My name is Laura, webmaster of this site. I'm from Syracuse, NY and have 4 children, Elizabeth, Charlie, Jenny and Ben. One grandson, Kyle and a granddaughter on the way! Can't forget about my husband Chuck who has been putting up with me since 1980. =) I've been bargain hunting since I was born I think. My earliest memories are going with my grandmother to Blue Light Specials at Kmart, going through the bins at Shopper's Fair and Easy Bargain, the last 2 long out of business. As far as online shopping, I've been finding deals, sales and coupons since I bought my first "real" computer, a Macintosh Performa 6100 back in 1994. (I won't tell you about my very first computer - hint: it had a 64k hard drive) The Performa had a 500MB Hard Drive with a S-L-O-W dial up connection. Of course back then, waiting for pages to load was normal so it didn't really bother me. I shopped and shopped until the UPS guy was sick of seeing me. I was finding so many good deals that I astonished myself. I've always wanted to start a web page of my own to share all the deals I was finding with everyone and I've FINALLY done it!

Site News: There are a few features on the site that aren't working yet such as the forum. But, they'll be up and running soon. I just added a new section under Featured Links called "At Least 50% off". I hope you like it. Anytime you find a good deal or sale, be sure to check the coupon section for that store and see if you can save even more. I try to add them to deals but sometimes a coupon will come out after I list the deal. Since the holidays are coming soon, I've been concentrating on adding as many coupons, deals and sales as I can. The freebies, print coupons and sweeps section will be updated as soon as I have the time. Not enough hours in the day for sure. Finally, I'll be adding some very unique and exciting things to the site in the near future. I'll keep you updated about them here, at the blog.