Hey fellow Bookworms! Here’s the easiest $5 you’ll ever save at Chapters!
Until September 14th, when you sign up for Chapters mailing list, you’ll receive a $5 off coupon for “your next in-store purchase of $35 or more.” Done and done!
Why is it that as soon as September hits, the mercury drops about 5 degrees and it suddenly feels COLD? This morning, I woke up with knotted muscles, cold feet and a runny nose. Then I noticed the date. Bingo! Only 24 hours left before the coming misery of fall weather. Bah!
You’ve probably noticed that I’m posting my September 1st Minestrone Soup a day early – it’s so you can buy the ingredients today, and be all set to make it for dinner tomorrow! Trust me, with the nights dipping down into the low teens, you’ll want some :)
A hearty soup overflowing with rich vegetables; simply serve with crusty bread and a romaine salad, of course. This recipe pretty much makes a vat of soup, so feel free to half the recipe. (I like making the whole amount and then freezing individual portions – makes for a quick, healthy meal, and so much better for you than reaching for the canned stuff.) Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
4 carrots, sliced
4 cups chicken broth (may substitute vegetable broth)
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
2 cups baby spinach
3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired, add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes (the longer the better).
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.
Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Holy Hannah! Attention Lancome fans… here’s a gift of epic proportions!
Until September 18th, with any Lancome purchase of $34 or more at Sears, you’ll receive a gift worth approximately $140. Now THAT’s a gift.
Your gift includes:
• HIGH RÉSOLUTION REFILL-3X Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF 15
• BI-FACIL Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover
• Assorted manicure set
Plus, choose your look (Mascara, Colour Design Quad & 2 lipsticks):
NATURAL LOOK
• DÉFINICILS High Definition Mascara in Black
• COLOR DESIGN Eye Shadow in Honeymoon, Sun Touched, Amber & Lézard
• COLOR FEVER Lasting Radiance Sensual Lip Color in Wicked Brown
• LE ROUGE ABSOLU Reshaping & Replenishing Lip Color in Sun Touched Terra
DRAMATIC LOOK
• VIRTUÔSE BLACK CARAT Divine Lasting Curves, Length & Volume Mascara in Black
• COLOR DESIGN Eye Shadow in Daylight, Vue, Volcano & Statuesque
• COLOR FEVER SHINE Sensual Sheer Color Vibrant Lipshine in Hot Nights
• COLOR DESIGN Sensational Effects Lip Color in Vintage Rose
CHIC LOOK
• VIRTUÔSE BLACK CARAT Divine Lasting Curves, Length & Volume Mascara in Black
• COLOR DESIGN Eye Shadow in Drape, Camisole, Opal Mystère & The New Black
• COLOR DESIGN Sensational Effects Lip Color in Edgy
• COLOR FEVER SHINE Lasting Radiance Sensual Lip Color in Rose Defile
The gift also includes a Lancôme signature cosmetic bag & companion. One gift per customer, while supplies last.
Here’s a fantabulous promo designed to reward the little scholars in your family!
With each passing report card you present at Siblings, the special girl(s) in your life can save $5 off their total purchase with the coupon on the left (click to print). Plus, with no minimum to spend, if they’ve had their eye on a small item for $5 or under, you can grab it for FREE!
The coupon is valid within 30 days of report card issuing date. Tell your young’uns to hit the books!
If you don’t subscribe to LOULOU magazine, or haven’t picked up your FREE copy from Town Shoes, you may not know about LOULOU’s Member-Exclusive 5th Anniversary website.
An account is free, takes less than 2 minutes to create, and once confirming your account via e-mail, you’ll receive information on:
VIP Deals
Get exclusive discounts all month long. Take advantage of our amazing daily offers by checking out the VIP Deals page. Plus exclusive perks for Visa cardholders.
Block Party
Take advantage of fab deals at this VIP shopping night. It’s all going down on September 23 in Toronto and on September 24 in Montreal.
Contests
There’s $10,000 in prepaid Visa cards to be won. Plus get an extra chance to win by simply picking up a copy of the latest issue of LOULOU, on stands now. Just enter the code and double your odds of winning.
Newsletter
Stay in the LOULOU loop with our daily VIP deals newsletter. You’ll receive regular updates on the latest offers.
Sponsor Boutiques
We’ve teamed up with some amazing retailers. Check out our sponsor boutique section to browse their latest collections.
Today’s VIP Deal is 20% off any purchase of $100 or more at GUESS – here’s a sneak peek at all the deals this month (click to enlarge):
When you sign up for your account, there’s an option to be notified by e-mail about the daily deal. Sounds like a plan to me – you’ll never miss out on great savings!
That’s it for me! On tap for this weekend – level II childproofing (that is, locking away the knives and pizza cutter – our little dude can almost reach the top drawer!), shopping around for some new wheels (maybe), and thanks to the heads up from Halifax, stopping by Walmart to check out the new Wet n Wild Craze – touted the hottest new nail colour to hit drugstores in a long time.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone – and be sure to check back on Monday for more fabulous deals, steals and contests :)
Need some reading material for the weekend? Run into your nearest Town Shoes and present this coupon for a FREE September 5th Anniversary Issue of LOULOU Magazine. The coupon is valid until September 3rd, 2009 or while supplies last. (Ahem, supplies don’t last at Town. Hurry in.)
Click here to print your coupon for a FREE issue of LOULOU, or simply click the picture on the left.
Here’s a couple of fantabulous deals for parents of wee ones, and mommies-to-be!
This week at Sobey’s in Ontario, Pampers Baby Dry or Cruisers Mega diapers are just $10.97! That’s a savings of about $10 per pack. There is a limit of 4; after the limit, the price is $14.99 (bah! Just go twice).
If you don’t have a Sobey’s near you, see if you can get your hands on a flyer so that you can price match at Walmart or Zellers. Walmart has the same diapers on sale for $13.99; no doubt they’ll do some price adjusting if they catch wind of Sobey’s colossal deal.
If you’ve got a newborn, run to Zellers where they’ve got Pampers Newborn Swaddlers on sale for just $9.99 (reg. $13.99).
And for mommies-to-be and postpartum lovelies, Walmart has Materna (100 caplets) on sale for only $9.97 (reg. $15.97). Depending on the expiry date, I may grab a pack or two for when we start thinking about baby #2 :)
More savings for back to school!
The YM family of stores is having a Friends & Family event: On Sunday, August 30th from 10am to 2pm, you can save 35% off all regularly priced merchandise, and 20% off all sale merchandise. Participating in this event is:
Stitches – Urban Planet – Sirens – Suzy Shier – Siblings – Bluenotes – Mariposa – Marisa
Click here to print your YM Inc Friends & Family invitation.
Yes, I returned the absolutely brilliant wall clock from Urban Barn. I know you’re thinking, “What gives? It was supposed to be sooo you! And what the heck does your clock have to do with Bed Bath & Beyond?” Well since it’s Friday, and the almost the last Friday of summer, just sit back, relax, and read on.
Upon removing the clock from it’s packaging, I noticed a slight water stain on the right side. Now since the clock was a splurge (I can’t tell you the price because my mom reads my blog, and even though I own my own home and have my own income, I’m still scared of her), I reasoned that I should accept nothing less than perfection and took it back to the store to exchange for a new one.
Once at Urban Barn, I was disappointed to find out that there were no clocks left in stock. “I can order one in for you,” the sales associate offered. But I said no, I’d just make the return for now, and think about it when more stock arrived. I figured it would be a good time to re-evaluate the purchase, because as much as I loved the clock, I – gasp – didn’t need it.
We left the store, and I then noticed the Bed Bath & Beyond across the street. I had often wanted to pop in to have a look see, but was always either in a hurry to get home, on a shopping ban, or simply not in the mood for domestics.
So off we went. As we approached, my eyes focused on a large sign in the window: “We accept all valid coupons from competitors”. Huh, I thought. Interesting.
Instantly I thought about the 25% off coupons from KSP which were scattered on my scrapbooking table. I knew that they didn’t expire until September 13th, but wondered vaguely if I could use them, since the overlap in merchandise was really quite slight. But regardless, I decided to take a round in the store to see if there was anything that tickled my fancy.
It must have been fate.
I rounded the corner, and was confronted by the same absolutely brilliant wall clock, retailing for exactly the same price as Urban Barn. I knew that Kitchen Stuff Plus did not carry this clock, so I began to sweat; would they check before honouring the coupon? Should I take a chance? I mean, I could save 25%!!!
I decided to throw caution to the wind and just go home and grab the coupon. But on the way out, I also saw the “Dressed the Thrill” bath ensemble that I had only seen in a small boutique in Toronto. They would go perfectly with my newly pink and feminine bathroom – and I began wondering, could I receive 25% off the bath accessories too?
“Excuse me again,” I interrupted. “I do have Kitchen Stuff Plus coupons at home, but the coupon states that it is valid on only one item per purchase…”
I nearly hit an old lady as I raced home.
Well, I didn’t return as quickly as I had hoped, because I had tedious responsibilities such as making dinner and feeding a hungry child. But after dinner, I printed 6 coupons, loaded up the family, and returned to the store, brimming with anticipation.
I placed the clock and five of the ensemble pieces in my cart, and made my way to the cash register. And then I handed over my coupons, and held my breath.
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Jean Machine Warehouse Sale taking place in Toronto. Since ya’ll know that I thrive on feedback, I was über happy to see sm:)e leave a comment on the post, giving us the inside scoop on the sale!
Here’s what you should know:
I just came back from the Jean Machine warehouse sale and it is NOT worth it. The prices for the jeans were great but all the styles were old and out of date. There was only a limited selection of Bench items and the accessories were very messy and out of date as well. The selection of tops were limited but the prices were pretty good for the tops ($5-$10).
The prices for everything:
- Silver jeans: $15 (old styles) and $30 (newer styles)
- Mavi: $15 (old styles) and $30 (new styles)
- Big Sevens: $20 each or 3/$40
- Guess: $40 each or 2/$70
- Parasuco: $25 each or 2/$40
- Bench: T-shirts $20 and Sweaters $50 each or $80/2
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to circle back to tell us about your experience! Hmm, the question now is, where can we find Bench at fabulous prices? I guess we’ll have to wait for a Friends & Family or Boxing Week!
Thanks to Dexdon and Lotus for the heads up on this HOT coupon!
Valid August 28th to September 3rd, mosey on in to Gap and receive 40% off one regular priced item! Simply print the coupon via the link below. Of course, if you’re a mall rat like me, you’ll probably be inclined to print several coupons, make several trips over the next 5 days, and grab several items for 40% off! Thank goodness the mall is 3 minutes and 36 seconds away (with two green lights; otherwise, 4 minutes and 48 seconds).
Didn’t win an Ultra Body Heat Wrap in the “Lena Loves… Warm Buddy” contest? Not to worry! Until August 31st, you can grab one (or any of the Warm Buddy products) for 10% off at Wildflowers Aromatherapy. Simply enter promo code L2L1 at checkout, and you too will be nice and toasty this winter! And don’t forget to grab a warming plush toy for your little one – they’re quite possibly the perfect stuffed animal :)
After a long day of running errands, I’ve got my Body Wrap warming in the microwave as we speak. Ah, pure bliss.
My boyfriend and I just recently moved in with my parents to save mullah for a house next summer. My dad LOVES the cold and has the temp at minus 0 in the summer. Snuggling up to my b/f is great and all but he always falls asleep first and ends up snoring in my ear. The Warm Buddy will keep me cozy in these Antarctic type conditions.We call the basement “the Tundra”, coined by my brother and sister-in-law as they lived there before they bought a house.
Congratulations Kailin! You’ve won a Warm Buddy Ultra Body Heat Wrap!And… congratulations as well to the following winners of the random draw, listed below:
Margheret
trola
NancyGill
Rags2Riches
JenB
NIrwin
babblingbrooke30
Shauna
Fasmi1
Woot! Woot! Okay, here’s the scoop: I think all the winners need to show their love by becoming a Warm Buddy Fan on Facebook, or by following them on Twitter! Deal?
Now here’s the fun part: please send me an e-mail with your full name and contact details (address and phone number), including your fabric preference:
All of the “swirl” fabrics are an oh-so-soft chenille, the “leopard” is simply HAWT, and the “linen chenille” and “natural organic” are for those who like to play it safe (which is soo not endorsed by Lena, but the fabrics are pretty great just the same).
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the best company ever, the Warm Buddy Company!
Thanks to everyone who entered the Sleepy Moon contest. It was definitely a treat to profile this up and coming artist, who, combined with her talent and panache, will no doubt be making headlines soon!
It seems like the universal faves in her monthly designs are March, April, July and September. Although they’re all beautiful in their own way, I definitely agree we’ve picked out the cream of the crop. And at under $30 a pair, they’re waiting for you!
As a reminder, up for grabs is a gorgeous Argentium sterling silver pendant necklace.
Drum roll please… the winner is Lotus! 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 Sleepy Moon!
