To all the friends I’ve met over the past year, readers who faithfully stop by, and even those who will land on this post via Google Search – I wish you a blessed, fulfilling and fabulous 2010 with lots of love, luck and laughter!

Every year, since I was 14 years old, I indulge in a tradition on New Year’s Eve – I make a list of “Firsts.” That is – things I experienced in the past year for the first time. Looking back on my list from 1992, these were a few of my firsts:

1. Kissed by a (good looking) guy for the first time.
2. Bought boots from Aldo for the first time.
3. Tried Thai food for the first time.

And from 1995:

1. Mixed rum and beer and threw up in the back of a car for the first time. (and last)
2. Showed up in uniform on Civies Day for the first time.
3. Fell in love for the first time.

And from 2006:

1. Was proposed to for the first time. (hopefully last!)
2. Enjoyed a live jazz performance for the first time.
3. Learned about Kazakhstan courtesy of Borat for the first time.

Of course, these are just abbreviated lists – there are more like 30-40 firsts each year, everything from the foods I ate to silly little first experiences. This year, my list would include:

1. Called “Mama” for the first time.
2. Tried Afghan cuisine for the first time. (delish)

It’s Wildflowers Aromatherapy’s “Potluck” sale, where you can save up to 30% off all your favourite Warm Buddy products!

The term “potluck” refers to the fact that you won’t have your choice of fabric or print (but trust me, ALL Warm Buddy fabrics are to die for), but you will save money on fabulous products!

Looks like I’m going to be beauty-broke this morning.

Now, online at TheBodyShop.ca, you’ll find tons of bath, beauty and home fragrance products for under $10! Make sure you love the stuff, because all sales are final!

I’m loving the $10 Coconut and Almond Body Butter (50% off) and the Mango Body Scrub for just $2 (80% off). And, for the beauty junkies, do check out the Ultimate Makeup Collection, on sale for $91 (30% off).

Shipping is a flat $5 on every order. Click here to begin shopping at The Body Shop.

H2O Plus goodies are perhaps the only beauty products that I’m obsessed with. And it’s not just me – even Mike steals my Oasis Hydrating Gel and whines like a toddler when we’re running low (I only purchase it on sale, so I make him dole it out until the next member event comes along). I’ve been “using” it for about 10 years now and love it.

(Okay, I had to place “using” in quotes because I know that if I didn’t, my girlfriends would have something to say about it. The truth is, I don’t use anything on my face – never have – and am simply relying on good genes and fresh air to keep me wrinkle free. BUT, once a week, when I do remember to take care of my skin, I slap on a little H2O product and feel very virtuous.)

So I’m simultaneously blogging and gleefully placing things in my virtual cart at H2OPlus.com, where tons of popular beauty items are up to 60% off! (Their Raspberry Guava Shower Gel is my favourite product by far.)

You’ll find neat-o savings on a variety of sets and samplers (load up for those birthday and thank you gifts!) and the entire Refreshing/Aquatic line of bath products is on sale.

The prices are displayed in US dollars, but as of this morning, the exchange is only $1.05 CDN for every $1.00 US! Woot! Woot! And, shipping over $100 is FREE – but – if you place a telephone order (1-877-242-2284 Monday-Friday from 10 AM-9 PM) I find that they’ll often let the purchase limit slide, and offer free shipping on every order!

Click here to check out the H2O Plus beauty sale.

I was cruising the Smart Canucks message boards this morning, and happened to come across a post entitled “Roots – Online Price Error.”

Since I normally like to look into unusual bargains, I discovered that Roots is currently advertising 30% off selected leather products online. However, when you place the Village Bag in Classic Prince Leather in your cart (regularly $128.00), you’ll receive an additional 30% off at checkout, making the bag only $62.69!

These double-dip savings aren’t working with any other merchandise on sale, leading some conspiracy enthusiasts to believe there’s a pricing error. Regardless, if you like the purse, it’s at a great price!

The post mentions that the sale ends December 28th at midnight, but as of 7:55am today, you can still grab the bag at that price.

Here are the Cole’s notes:

Our Village Bag in Prince leather is the ideal day-to-day wear bag, with a main easy-access compartment and a zipper closure. With three exterior pockets, two with zippers and one with a turn lock, you will have lots of space to carry your small valuables, like keys and lip-gloss. Made in Canada from Italian leather. Dimensions: 10″(L) x 9″(H) x 1″(D). Adjustable leather shoulder strap: 50″.

Click here to begin shopping at Roots Canada.

***EDIT*** It looks like the “error” has been fixed – the purse is back to retailing for $128.00.

Hello Lovelies!!!

I hope ya’ll had a wonderful Christmas, and that Santa was very good to you this year!

As mentioned, this was the first year that we combined both families for Christmas dinner chez moi. I was a little nervous (who wouldn’t be!), but thanks to the wonderful efforts of all the women in our family, the whole day went off without a hitch. Ryder was royally spoiled (we’ve got a stack of toys that are towering in his closet) and he even had four helpings of turkey (of course, we called it “chicken” and piled on the gravy – no wonder he kept asking for more).

For dessert, I baked my world famous Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake, and Mike brewed super-strong coffee to combat the sedative effects of the turkey’s tryptophan. And a wonderful time was had by all.

The next day, Mike was a trooper and ventured to Square One for some Boxing Day shopping, but I decided to stay home and be a playmate to Ryder instead. (Though after a hour of hearing the syrupy-sweet Lil’ People songs, I wanted nothing more than a crowded mall.) AND, I didn’t even bother going online, reasoning that I had everything I needed. Can you believe it? I bypassed Boxing Day altogether. A first!

However, keeping me away from the stores is like keeping Charlie Sheen out of divorce court. It just doesn’t happen. So yesterday, I eventually ventured out and found some great deals on the things I was looking for.

(Warning: the following finds aren’t very exciting or sexy, but if you’re looking for a few staples, read on.)

First Stop: Loblaws, where all of their PC Christmas decorations were 40-60% off. A great time to stack up on lovely bows, wrapping paper and ribbon for next year. I got an insanely gorgeous gift paper set, regularly $19.99, for just $8! It came with 4 rolls of coordinating wrapping paper, 2 gift bags, 8 bows, 8 premium gift tags and tons of curling ribbon. A steal!

Next Stop: Costco, which was really just to grab some Bounty paper towels and Swiffer dusters (both on sale) for my annual end-of-year clean & toss. BUT, while inside, I happened to notice the Jawbone 2 Headset for just $76.99. Mike had asked for one for Christmas, but they were retailing everywhere for between $140-$160, and I just couldn’t part with that much money for a headset. But here Costco is, retailing them for half price! I couldn’t resist, and definitely made Mike’s day. Although, he did ask me to call his mobile about 46 times last night so that he could adjust the settings to perfection. Sheesh.

(What’s so great about Jawbone Headsets? Well, according to Mike, they’re the best on the market, and have been used for years in tanks and other military vehicles. FYI – Mike drives a Nissan. It may have tinted windows, but it ain’t no tank. Still, I can deal with $76.99.)

Final Stop: Please Mum online, where the entire store is 50% off! I had noticed the sale last week, but held off purchasing items so I could sort through the clothes Ryder already had. Well, last night, I went nuts! And grabbed some super cute items one size up for my tall little man. LOVE that it’s a Canadian retailer – and the quality is SUPERB!

So that’s my little foray into Boxing Week shopping. Like I said – not overly exciting – but I spent money only on the things I wanted (and needed!) so I feel like I accomplished much!

Happy Shopping to ya’ll this week!

BONUS: They’ll throw in a crumb of chocolate on the 26th. Click to enlarge for details.

(Okay, why the heck would a store who sells $200 shoes waste ad space promoting a stick of free chocolate? As if, after the salesperson tells us, “That’ll be $304″ we’ll whoop for joy because we get a free piece of candy. Like that will make it all worth it. I despise tacky advertising. There’s no room for it in fashion.)

*EDIT*

Okay, I’m back. I had time to think about it, and realize that maybe there are people out there who will be enticed into Town Shoes based on this promise. Who am I to judge? Maybe there’s a chocoholic who will wait at the store at 9:00am, gearing up to purchase anything in order to score a free stick of Aero. I’m sure such consumers exist, or why else would Town Shoes offer it?

In the new year, maybe I’ll do a free Aero Singles giveaway (one piece!) to test my theory.

Save the Date Brides-to-be!

I normally don’t post wedding-related deals, but I have fond memories of finding my crinoline here for about 75% less than the bridal store’s price (I also have fond memories of snubbing the bridal store and marching in with my own crinoline to the fitting).

Fab deals on veils, tiaras and accessories. Dress hunters: enter at your own risk, and wear elbow pads. Click picture to enlarge for more details.

If you missed it the last time around, it’s ba-ack!

Today only – Wednesday, December 23rd – you can grab ANY three items over $10 for only $30! For example, you can purchase a $20 Body Butter, a $15 Face Mask and a $13 lip gloss – all for $30! It doesn’t matter which combination of products you choose, but note that gift baskets and gift cards are not included in this promo.

And, if you’ve got a Love Your Body card, you can still grab an extra 10% off! That’s 3 items for $27! RUN, don’t walk, to your nearest Body Shop! The products will fly off the shelves!

Visit your local GAP for up to 50% off selected merchandise. Practically the entire store is on sale, except for a few Spring 2010 items (didn’t winter officially begin just yesterday?)

If you can hold off, on December 26th and 27th, you’ll also receive an additional 25% off all sale items, making it one sweet deal!

(Last year, they had a similar sale, BUT I noticed that while many items were discounted before Christmas, they were suspiciously regular price – and therefore, no further 25% off – after Christmas. I guess that would be too much of a good thing. Still, GAP has had horrendous Q2 and Q3 profit, so look for them to try to pull something out of their hat.)

This week at MEXX, take 50% off everything in-store! Discount is taken off regular price. I’ve made Mike patiently wait for this sale, as he’s been bugging me for new pants and accessories. Knock yourself out hun!

Be sure to get there early, as the best threads go quickly!

How great is it when Nine West reduces their Haute Boots? They just happen to be the hottest styles in the store, and now, they just happen to be on sale.

For a limited time, save 30% on select styles, as well as an additional 30% on already reduced handbags. If you don’t want to venture in-store, you’ll also find the sale online, with FREE shipping on orders over $50.

Click here to begin shopping at Nine West.

Here we go – quality children’s clothing from a Canadian retailer – with amazing prices! Until December 24th, Please Mum’s entire online store is 50% off, PLUS you’ll receive FREE shipping within Canada! It can’t get any better than that.

Ryder is constantly decked out in PM clothing – I love the sturdiness, adorable designs, and best of all – reasonable prices. The colours never seem to fade (even after multiple washes) and the clothes always keep their shape. LOVE their merchandise.

Click here to begin shopping at Please Mum.