Chris: this is for realsies!

4 days only, July 30th to August 2nd, you can save 30% off (almost) everything at the GAP Family of stores, including Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. If that wasn’t motivation enough: this sale isn’t just any old Friends & Family event – it’s a Give & Get:

We’d like to offer you 30% off during our Friends & Family event. We’re calling it Give & Get because for every purchase you make from July 30 – August 2, we’ll give 5% of the amount you spend to our non-profit partners: Boys and Girls Club of Canada, CARE Canada and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Wonderful incentive, wouldn’t you say?

Click here to print your official Gap Give & Get invitation.

Oooohhhh YUM!!!

Attention Parents: The Polly Klaas Foundation, a US-based non-profit organization, is helping both US and Canadian families promote and stay on top of children’s Internet safety.

The Polly Klaas Foundation is a national non-profit that helps find missing children, prevents children from going missing, and promotes laws like Amber Alert that help keep children safe.

The Internet Safety Kit contains guidance for parents on ways to:

- Keep your children safer online
- Help open communications about the Internet with your children

The Kit also includes a free download of Wired With Wisdom, an Internet safety training program for parents from Web Wise Kids. When you order a Kit, you will receive an e-mail with the link to download the Kit. You will be able to download the complete and unabridged Kit, and print as many copies as you need.

To order your Internet Safety Kit, please click here.

It looks like all my lamenting about the lack of perfume samples is a moot point; the basic fragrance counter freebie has been superseded by a new force – the rise of the online request. After all, why simply hand out a sample, when companies can now save and dissect all your personal information too?

Anyhoo, if you’re like me and could care less what marketers do with your info (I’ve signed up for so many promotions, at this point, I’m sure I feel like family to many companies), then here’s a sweet (smelling) deal for you.

For a limited time, you can sign up to receive a FREE sample of one of three Lacoste Fragrances: Lacoste Challenge (For Men – I’d order this for myself if it would bring me closer to Hayden Christensen), Lacoste Love of Pink, or Lacoste Touch of Pink.

The rundown…

Challenge opens with notes of pure energy created of tangerine and lemon with a hint of bergamot. A heart of this fragrant challenge hides ginger combined with aromatic lavender and violet leaves, creating a perfect, pleasant and sensual harmony. Base notes leave a trail of ebony and teak wood.

Love of Pink by Lacoste is a chypre fruity perfume for women, with a composition which encompasses aromas of red orange, passionfruit, lemon, pink magnolia, quince blossom, stephanotis, white cedar, musk and vanilla.

Touch of Pink triggers a delicious feeling of freedom and independence for the vivacious woman. Feminine heart notes of jasmine and violet are blended with fresh, fizzy notes of coriander leaves and blood orange, and soothed with soft sandalwood, musk, and vanilla.

To request your sample, please click here.

Now is the perfect time to see the beauty of the Canadian prairies (as you whiz by on your way to much more interesting shopping and nightlife in Vancouver)… Until Wednesday, July 29th, save 60% on travel to all Canadian destinations!

This exceptional offer is applicable for travel completed before December 14, 2009 in Economy, Business (VIA 1) or Touring (Totem) class. With savings like that, it’s hard to say no!

Purchase your ticket now!

Giant Tiger Online is having a HOT 72-hour sale!

It’s not often that you’ll find modern, gorgeous, one-of-a-kind jewelry at reasonable prices. Anything unique usually comes with quite the price tag, and unless you’re prepared to pay for the artist’s vision, materials, and mortgage on their downtown loft – it’s best to keep looking.

You can stop looking.

GroovyGlassGirl, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who has been working in stained glass and jewelry design for over 13 years, offers up splendidly affordable pendants, necklaces and earrings all fused with flirty and fun accents.

The designer, Poppy, spent years working from home selling wholesale glass giftware, relentlessly making the same pieces over and over again. After realizing just how starved she was for inspiration, Poppy created an Etsy shop, where she showcased and sold her personal designs – all vibrant, stylish, unique baubles that unleashed her imagination and channeled her love of glasswork. Within weeks, her wholesale life ended.

A background in many different techniques from silversmithing, wire-work, glass fusing and stained glass comes together to create GroovyGlassGirl pieces. Each item is cut, fused… fused again (sometimes fused a third time), foiled, soldered, and polished. The piece is then turned into a wearable jewel by adding a cord, chain or earring hooks – and sometimes is embellished further with beads and other accents. The end result – simply divine.

Here are some of my favourite pieces – all retailing for less than $25 (click to enlarge)…

The pendants are even more beautiful and delicate in person… a conversation piece, for sure.

Shipping is FAST and, once again, very reasonable – only $1.50 through Canada Post. With over 700 completely satisfied customers (100% positive rating in her Etsy shop), GroovyGlassGirl has the perfect design waiting for you!

To begin shopping at GroovyGlassGirl, please click here. To learn more about Poppy’s glasswork techniques, check out her blog.

Contest Time!

GroovyGlassGirl has generously offered these gorgeous earrings to one lucky reader!

White fused glass lotus earrings with surgical steel hooks. Made with small 1/2″ glass cabochons featuring a permanently fused decal of lotus flower. Finished earrings hang approximately 1″ long.

To enter the contest, simply jump onto GroovyGlassGirl’s shop, and leave a comment here on Listen to Lena! telling us why you love her designs! I’ll draw for a winner next Thursday. Good luck everybody!

Contest Rules:

1. You do not have to be a Blogger or have a Google ID to enter this contest; simply select Name/URL, enter your name and leave your comment.

2. All winners on Listen to Lena!, unless otherwise stated, are chosen by random draw from my very stylish little Coach purse. Entrants will earn a ballot based on the meeting the qualifications for entry outlined in the blog post.

3. Winners must contact me within two (2) weeks of their name being announced on Listen to Lena! to claim their prize – after that time, an alternate name will be drawn and awarded the outstanding loot.

4. Unless otherwise stated, contests are open to all citizens of Canada and the U.S.

Thanks to Vanda for reminding us that this weekend is all about fun, fashion and frugality!

Says Walmart to Staples: “Anything you Canon do, I Canon do Better.” (Too tacky? I think I’m pretty clever!)

I feel like it was just yesterday that I blogged about Staples’ Canon Camera Sale (oh right – it WAS yesterday!) so it’s no surprise that Walmart has decided to throw their hat into the ring as well. I don’t have many details about the promotion, but what I do know is that all Canon Cameras have now been discounted at Walmarts across Canada.

Competitive Buggers!

Hot on the heels of their Update Your Mascara Event, The Bay is now extending the offer to another beauty staple with their “Update Your Lipstick Event”. Visit The Bay on Saturday, July 25th and bring in your current lipstick (time to dish out that old Revlon tube that is permanently wedged at the bottom of your makeup bag). You’ll then receive a $10 voucher towards a new lipstick of your choice!

Choose from brands such as Dior, MAC, Chanel, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Clarins and more. The voucher will only be handed out to the first 100 customers at each Bay location – personally, I think it is marketing hogwash. At the last event, I strolled in at around 5:30pm, at the Yorkdale location no less, and they still handed me a coupon. So either nobody took advantage of the promo, or they had a lot more than 100 vouchers to hand out.

Nevertheless, I’ve been eyeing Lancome’s COLOR FEVER SHINE lipstick for a while now: “For a smile that resonates… Shine, transparency and radiance. The new reflecting pearls multiply light reflection, offering a transparent, ultra-shiny and radiant colour.” Yes please!

The Clothing Show is host to over 300 booths of new local designers, retailers, jewellery, accessories, vintage, and eco-friendly clothing all under one roof. Art gallery and runway fashion shows add to the mix. A shopping extravaganza!

This show is a MUST for unique, stylin’ duds. New this year are menswear, eco sections (earth-friendly and cruelty-free products) and a gallery of work by local artists (!) guaranteed to sway you from mass-marketed threads… or, you can get the best discounts on big name labels in the Sample Sales Section. Admission is very reasonable ($8 online, $10 at the door) and as usual, all visitors to The Clothing Show get a goody bag of FREE product samples.

The show takes place at the Better Living Centre; Friday, September 25, from 3:00pm to 9:00pm; Saturday, September 26, from 11:00am to 9:00pm; and Sunday, September 27, from 11:00am to 7:00pm.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Piggy-tails Stationary Contest! Among the Mini Love Notes, I really don’t think there is a best design – they’re all so cute! But if we’re talking favourites, then I would have to say that I’m partial to the Owl “Whoot Loves You” :)

(Don’t forget to check out Sara’s Etsy Shop regularly for new, adorable designs.)

The winner of this week’s contest was (as always) chosen randomly out of a very stylish little bag. Just a reminder, up for grabs is a $20 Gift Certificate valid for purchases made at Piggy-tails!

Drum roll please… The winner is cmarchessault! Congratulations!

Please send me an e-mail with your full name and contact details, so that I can have the prize sent to you right away. Thanks again to everyone who participated, and to Piggy-tails!

Rain, rain, go away….

Last October, I fell in love again after acquiring Canon’s SD1100 IS Digital Camera. It is quite simply one of the best gadgets I have ever purchased; it comes along with me absolutely everywhere for a quick, quality shot. Easy to use, intuitive menus, and super compact and stylish. Frankly, I can’t believe I ever lived without it.

Since then, they’ve slightly upgraded the model specs (now 10MP) and colours (I’m loving the new electric blue and pink options – très cool) and have introduced the SD1200. I just call it the most kick ass camera ever.

In the market for a new one? Check out Staples’ Canon Sale – ALL Canon cameras are discounted, some up to $120 off! The sale is available in-store and online (Staples offers FREE shipping on orders over $50, so for this deal, you can shop in the comfort of your own home).

I’ve scanned through the discounts, and although they’re not door-crasher worthy, you’re saving a hefty chunk depending on the model you’re after. The SD1200 is $50 off – $51 cheaper than Best Buy and Future Shop’s current selling price. (Don’t forget you can price match and receive 10% of the difference back to you.)

To see all cameras on promotion at Staples’ Canon Sale, please click here.

I normally don’t pause during shopping; I always have at least 4 more stores that I want to cram into the last 10 minutes before my son realizes he’s tired, hungry, bored or just plain mad at me (he’s not really a fan of shopping – gasp).

So the other day, while tapping my foot impatiently at a Bay counter (is there ever less than a 15 minute wait at The Bay? Even if you’re second in line? I don’t think so), hubby reached over and gave me a quick mini massage with what seemed to be a contraption sent straight from heaven.