Feeling Lucky?

Can you believe that March is here already? A favorite holiday of mine is right around the corner...St. Patrick's Day! Before you head over to Kenneally's or downtown to Birraporetti's, why not try your luck at Houston Invitation Service. Now through St. Patrick's Day, they are running a contest: You get the opportunity to guess the number of coins in their Pot of Gold and win a fun prize! The contest is open to any customer, regardless of purchase amount.

I ran in and got some cute enclosure cards from Karen Adams Designs and walked out with this awesome Nouvelle "Verde" Candle---continuing their St. Patty's theme, the candle is packaged in a green container that is made from recycled materials AND the candle itself is a "green" candle complete with a cotton wick and soy wick.

And, no, I won't tell you what the right number is in the pot---that would be cheating! ;)

Thank You!

Another way to save some money? Take advantage of vendor promotions. It seems like it is "Stationery Season" with several vendors offering free return address imprinting!

With savings like these, it's definitely time to update the stationery wardrobe. At Houston Invitation Service, they have deals from lots of brands---at every price point.


Look for deals from William Arthur, Page Stationery, Smock, and more!


Get out there and get to writing!

Back to Basics

With the economy what it is, everyone is looking for ways to cut back and save money. Simplifying your life can not only lessen the load on your wallet, but it can pay unexpected dividends! Like peace of mind and less stress.

Instead of worrying yourself silly about how to out-do the last kid's birthday party, why not have a simple, old-fashioned birthday party---you know, the ones we all had? Come up with a theme, get some great invitations, treats, snacks and you are done!

Here are a couple of super-cute, budget-friendly invitations from Kris-10's Creations!

This past weekend was perfect for a birthday at the park. Hopefully the weather will keep up and cooperate...

Truly Stylish...Truly Organized

Can you believe that 2008 is almost over? Keeping track of the dizzying number of tasks, duties and events vying for our time can be overwhelming. Luckily, you can stay organized (and sane) while looking stylish with a planner from Truly Mom. The ingenious (and did I say stylish?) tri-fold planner is perfect for keeping track of you---and the kids! While many of the planners on the market have all sorts of random accessories (Think: Conversion chart in your 1980's Trapper Keeper), the inventors of this beauty culled it down to just what you need! Inside the planner, you'll find weekly and month-to-month calendars, a phone number and address book, several useful pads, including one to completely organize your day. There's also a “note from mom” pad, and a handy post-it note pad.

The planner folds flat to become a mini portable desk. When folded, the magnetic closure serves a dual purpose as a place to secure your list for easy viewing! These would make great gifts---go ahead treat yourself or consider gifting it to a new mom or mom-to-be! Get a head start on your New Year's Resolution to get (and stay) organized.

Holiday Scents

With the Holidays upon us, I thought I'd post about Candles---there are so many great seasonal scents out there (and they make great gifts)! Aside from standard fire safety measures, be sure to properly maintain your candles. I recently learned about candle maintenance myself! Don't worry, there are only a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Keep wick(s) trimmed to 1/4” at all times
• Burn only in 3-4 hour increments

Following these simple candle maintenance rules will help your candles burn longer and are essential for a clean, smoke-free burn. (If your candle does smoke, extinguish, trim wick & re-light).

My favorite candles are from Nouvelle Candle Company in Louisiana. I love them year 'round but their special Holiday Scents are the best! They come pre-wrapped and ready to give. Try Mandarine Spice or Savannah Holly...

And...Keeping up with the blogging is quite a task. I've been so busy (who isn't?) but I'm going to make an effort to try and blog weekly---an early New Year's Resolution!

Too Little Time...

Since my last post, I've been running around town hitting all of my favorite shops--Holiday Shopping Card in hand. You'd think stores were giving away their best goods for free with all the excitement.

I had a great day full of shopping and each purchase was made with my Holiday Shopping Card. I love the savings! First, I started off at Andre's for breakfast. Then I made my way down the shopping center to Carlton House where I bought my niece and nephews some fun Halloween treats. Today was the day I ordered my Christmas Cards at Houston Invitation Service. I did end up with a Page Stationery design, but not the ones I originally thought about---I fell in love with another great one! I'll see if I can find a pic of it online and post it. I got great Christmas Gifts down at River Oaks Bookstore for some of the bookworms on my list and ended up completely losing time in there chatting! Next, I hit West Gray and Luke's Locker where I checked a few more items off my Christmas Gift List! My favorite toy store is also participating so I popped in Fundamentally Toys too!

Wheh. Where to next?

Shopping for a Cause

It's that time of year again! The Holiday Shopping Card Event starts tomorrow! A chance to get discounts at my favorite local merchants AND support the American Cancer Society? Count me in. For a minimum donation of $70, you can save 20% on purchases at participating stores--and some restaurants too!

Every year, The Holiday Shopping Card Event serves as my official Holiday Season Kick-off. This year, with the economic gloom, saving money on Holiday Purchases is even more appealing. I'm making my list and mapping out which stores I need to hit over the next 10 days---the Holiday Shopping Card is valid through November 2nd.

Stay tuned for Great Gift Finds from participating merchants--I'll post them as I see (read: buy) them.

For more information about Victory, our special local branch of The American Cancer Society, click here.