You only have to open up a Sunday newspaper to know that school supply sales are in full swing. I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately regarding the best time to buy the supplies. Starting back to school is expensive – new clothes, lunch money, childcare, etc. People want to make their money go far. I completely understand.

Depending upon where you live, the date that kids go back to school can vary. When I was growing up, we started around mid-August. In college, it was sbout the same time. Once I was out of college and began teaching summer camps, Kentucky and Tennessee began trending in year-round school. With this concept, school begins in late July or very early August. Here in Texas, we don’t start until the end of August.

With all of these trends, the national vendors get their goods out early. And, with that being said, the sales start early. Mid-August is still the “national” average for a school start. The time to buy those supplies is NOW.

I love blogging about a good deal, but there are a lot of people that have it down to a science. One of those is “Deal Seeking Mom“. She has a post that is a MUST READ for anyone shopping for school supplies this week. If you are in the market, check it out.

Remember … “there’s no cents in paying full price!”

* This post is part of a weekly segment on KSBJ Christian Radio. For more on segments featuring Stephanie Click, the Texas Money Mom, click here.

I have a new found love for Gymboree. The quality of their children’s clothes is fantastic. I worried as my kids grew out of Carter’s and the other brands that I’ve loved that I would “want” for quality clothing. Gymboree fills that need for me. Add to that the fact that they have amazing boys clothes … and I have a winner. (Anyone with a daughter knows that finding clothes for a girl is a piece of cake!)

If you missed my Summer Gymboree Fashion Haul video, you can visit it now and see the cute things we came away with then.

(Best explanation of Gymbucks I’ve come across.)

Sorry for the lapse on Disney posts. Summer is supposed to be a down time for me and this year, it’s been anything but that!

Many of us go to Disney on a budget. For young families (like us), we save for this vacation and want to make the most of it while we’re there. Picking your hotel is one of the first decisions that has to be made – on property or off property. There are advantages to both.

For us, on property makes the most sense and we have chosen to always stay at the value level. (Disney offers three resort levels: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe.) Value resorts are the most economical and our theory has always been “We aren’t going to stay in the room, so we just need a place to sleep.” Luckily, the values have worked well for us and we continue to use them.

We’ve stayed in All-Star Movies and Pop Century during our trips. We love Pop Century.

The rooms at Pop Century are divided into two categories, standard and preferred. The standard rooms are closer to the main building where the food court is located. The preferred rooms are  closer to the transportation hub.

The resort is themed in true Disney fashion, but is indicative of an era in Pop culture. You’ll stay in one of the Classic Years – 1950-1990s. (When you are there, look across the pond and you’ll see the Legendary Years [1900-1940s]. It’s rumored to re-begin construction soon!)

Huge, larger-than-life icons such as Big Wheel bikes,

bowling pins,

Rubik’s Cubes, cell phones and more add a whimsical touch to the decor.

Lining the rooflines are such memorable slogans as “Boogie Down” and “Have A Nice Day.”

Disney’s Pop Century Resort includes two 5,000-square-foot arcades; a huge food court and shopping area, courtyards, three heated pools in fun shapes, one kiddie pool, and a playground.

You’ll never wonder what era of room you are staying in … You’ll know as soon as you walk in the door!  Each room has 2 double beds (or one king sized bed which must be requested when making your reservation), nightstand, telephone, small table with 2 chairs, armoire, television, wall mirror, clock radio and an open closet area with shelves on top for extra storage. A vanity area with a single sink and mirror is separate from the tub and commode. A small key-operated wall safe to hold your valuables is located in the closet area. All rooms are equipped with central air conditioning. Guests who need to connect to home or work via the Internet while vacationing, will find a computer data port. But it’s a per day charge to use it!

The rooms are small (think Motel 6), but if you only planning on being in the room to sleep – it’s perfectly fine. Since this is our big trip of the year, we don’t build in naps and rest times. We leave the room in the morning and hit it again well after the sun goes down. Small works for us.

One thing that we love about Pop Century is that they have their own buses. Most “economical” buses share with other resorts. That can really add to the time that you have to wait getting to, and more importantly, from the places you want to go! We wait an average of 10 minutes at most.

If you have questions about Pop Century, comment on this post or on the Facebook page. I’d be happy to answer them!

Let me start by saying “Thank you” once again to Kirkland‘s. What a fun company to work with and what an amazing jewelry organizer. Like I said earlier in the week, this product isn’t available on line (as of this moment), but look for it in your local Kirkland‘s store. You might also want to register with Kirkland‘s. They send out awesome coupons from time to time, and they don’t spam you to death!

So … without further ado …. (note to self: why do you always chose to do vlogs on days that you don’t have to wear make-up to work?)

Congratulations winner. I’ll be contacting you for your addy

Thanks to everyone that entered … I really appreciate you helping me out. There will be more giveaways so keep your ears tuned

I think we all know that fuel prices tend to go up in the summer. I’m not sure why, but that’s the way it’s always been … and I guess it always will be. But, can you win at the fuelpump? I think you can. Here are three things to remember:

1. Wednesday is the cheapest day to fill up. Gas prices rise on the weekends, but tend to level off at the beginning of the week. Wait until Wednesday, it’s the day that prices bottom out (if they are going too!).

2. Fill up in the morning. Gas is most dense when it’s cool. Since pumps charge you for volume and not density, it makes the most sense to fill up when your tank and the fuel pump are the coolest.

3. Make sure you are filling up with the proper fuel grade. If you don’t need premium gas, is it worth the extra cost to use it? Speak with your mechanic to see what grade they recommend for your vehicle.

4. Watch for retailers that give you a reward for filling up at their stations. If the gas is good and you can earn cash back or a discount with a retailer that you would frequent anyway, don’t feel bad “double-dipping”. It’s all part of saving money.

Remember … “there’s no cents in paying full price!”

* This post is part of a weekly segment on KSBJ Christian Radio. For more on segments featuring Stephanie Click, the Texas Money Mom, click here.

I love to shop, but I’m also extremely thrifty. It’s not a match made in heaven! The bottom line for my quirky combination means that when I do shop, I want quality and price.

As much as most women love to shop for clothes, I’d much rather shop for things in my home. I can’t wear an awesome new blouse everyday, but I can admire a beautiful picture on the wall of my family room each day. I can enjoy the relaxing candle set that sits on the ledge of my bathtub … ahhhh, it’s bliss just thinking about it.

There is one store that has provided both quality and price (in my book) for over a decade. It’s Kirkland‘s. They have stayed on top of and ahead of the trends which is helpful for my home. It allows me to replace dated pieces without having to redesign an entire room (see thrifty in the opening paragraph!).

I was so happy to be connected with Kirkland‘s by my sweet SIL. It’s a match made in heaven since we have a GORGEOUS Kirkland‘s store in my suburb. It’s in a great open-air mall that I love to visit as often as I can.

If your Kirkland‘s has recently moved out of your local mall, use the store locator on kirklands.com. There are 280 stores in 28 states! Chances are good that there’s another one nearby. They are moving from mall locations to stand-alone storefronts. The stores are much bigger and so much easier to visit since you don’t have to mess with mall traffic.

Now … for the main event. Kirkland‘s has provided me with this awesome jewelry organizer.

It is so cute! I love how it sparkles and gives off all the different shades of purple. And, it holds A LOT of jewelry. You can load up the posts, but see the little v-shapes on each post – you can clasp things on there as well.

First, I put some of my pieces on to see how they looked …

Love it … Love it! But, unfortunately, it may come down to an arm-wrestling event between me and my daughter. Look how cute it is with childrens jewelry.

Oh yes! She’s gonna fight me for this one!

The awesome thing about winning this giveaway is that you will be the ENVY of your friends. This product is not available online yet! (It’s always fun to have something unique.)

Here’s how you can enter:

(1) Leave a comment on this post for one entry.

(2) Leave a comment on my Facebook Fan Page for an additional entry. Comment under any status that I have regarding Kirkland‘s.

I’ll assign each person a number (in the order that you comment). Entries will be taken until noon (CST) on Friday. At that time, I’ll use random.org to pick and number and that person wins! Super easy and really fun!

Good luck!

PS – If you haven’t already, check out mykirklands.com. You can see how designers and people just like ourselves are using Kirkland‘s products in their homes! It can really help you find that perfect piece to finish your space or inspire you to do something different.

* Kirkland’s has provided me with a jewelry organizer to review and will provide an additional one to giveaway. I am not receiving monetary compensation and my opinions of this product and the store are my own. Here are the official rules from Kirkland’s.

When we first moved to our suburb, there was a clear lack of restaurants – especially compared to what we were used too. One of the first sit-down places that opened was Chili‘s. If we could have, we would have helped hammer in the nails as they were under construction. We were so excited!

Luckily, after they opened, we were not disappointed. The dining room is large and clean. The bar is similar and offers a huge amount of seating which is nice if you don’t feel like waiting … it’s open seating.

Aside from the food, my favorite thing about our neighborhood Chili‘s is call ahead seating. We use it ALL.THE.TIME. In fact, we eat there more often, because of this feature. With 2 kids in tow, waiting an hour to be seated is not on our lifeplan.

Needless to say …. we love Chili‘s. So, when I was approached by Chili‘s for a marketing campaign, I was a sure thing.

Don and I were excited to take part and although we have our “go-to” favorites that we get every time ….

(… like yummy Southwestern Egg Rolls. Oh my goodness … they are so good.) We were committed to trying something that we otherwise might not.

We started with Skillet Queso Dip …

… served with chips, it is more like a chili and chesse dip. We absolutely loved it.

Don ordered a Jalapeño Smokehouse Burger. It looked incredible.

With applewood smoked bacon, smoked cheddar, tortilla strips, the bacon alone would be worth ordering the burger. It was so thick and juicy … it looked like heaven on a plate.

I ordered the Bacon Burger and asked for it to be sprinkled with bleu cheese.

I couldn’t believe how large this burger was. I actually had a hard time finishing it, but it was one of those times when I couldn’t put it down. The juices that were flowing out of the burger were so good. The bun was thick enough that it didn’t fall apart, but just soaked up all the juice. I was so impressed.

Each of these burgers came with fries. Don ate all of his while I didn’t take a bite of mine. That says a lot since I love the seasoning on Chili’s fries.

I hate to admit this, but we loved what we had so much that we went back again 4 days later. We, again, order the Skillet Queso and decided to split a burger since it was for lunch.

We opted for the Ultimate Stacked Burger. It has 2 patties, cheese, bacon, and onion strings.

We cut it in half and neither of us could fit it in our mouth … Now THAT my friends is saying something! We loved it … and couldn’t eat it fast enough. The quality of meat that they are using in these patties has enough fat that it makes a really flavorful juice, but is meaty enough that it stays thick even as you hold on to it in the bun. It’s a great combination. Much better than what we use at home!

Although our kids didn’t join us this time, I feel like I should add that they LOVE going to Chili‘s. As a mom who doesn’t allow them to eat junk 24 hours a day, I really appreciate the healthy options on their menu. The kids alternate between pizza, quesdilla, and macaroni and cheese. For sides, they love the steamed broccoli, corn on the cob, and mandarin oranges.

Is there a Chili‘s in your area? If you don’t eat there often or haven’t tried it in a while, I’d encourage you to go back. The new additions to the menu, as well as the old favorites are better than ever! They might have converted me to a burger girl again … I’ve fallen in love with each one I’ve tried.

* I was contacted by a marketing company working in conjunction with Chili’s. I was provided a gift certificate to cover the costs of our food, but had no other requirements in writing this review. This is my honest opinion of my experience at the restaurant.

It’s always been really important to me that I’m involved with everything. Being as social as I am, I like to be in the center of the action. I’m a planner … I’m a list maker … and although I don’t have to be the “HBIC” (that’s KY speak for “in control”), I do like being part of the process.

If you’ve read this blog for more than one hot second, you know that I’ve struggled {tremendously} with not being able to be a part of the PTA at my children’s school. Work schedules on my end and meeting schedules on their end are not a match made in heaven.

Last fall as I was browzing my school district’s website, I saw that they were looking for community members to take part in a night called “Conversations That Count”. I didn’t really know what it was about, but it was very clear that it would only be for one night and it would be at 7:00 PM. I registered and was chosen.

All interested parties were divided into groups. My group of 8 met in someone’s home. The hosts provided a full meal and we spent the evening discussing topics that were chosen for us by the district. (One of our members was the moderator and was also charged with reporting back to the main office regarding our conversation.) Our only rules were to be completely honest and be respectful of other people’s opinions. My group had a city councilman, a teacher, a district professional, a community member and 4 parents. It was an awesome experience.

From that point on, I have kept a close eye on the district website. It holds a wealth of information and a plethra of opportunities for parents. Many parents miss these postings because they are only looking at information for their campus and not the district as a whole!

In April, I served on an 8 week committee to put together organizational strategy (district-wide) for the next 5 years.  Talk about really learning the inner workings of our schools. And, in getting to set priorities for the future, I feel like I’ve done a great thing for my community.

Last week, Don and I attended a meeting that gave an in-depth discussion of the buildings and maintenance that will be funded in a November bond election. To be honest, I didn’t know much about a bond election. I only knew that one means (usually) that our taxes are about to go up. The only thing I was absolutely sure of going in was that new schools would need to be built and that we would, more than likely, be rezoned.

The presentation that they gave was incredible. A team of 30 community members have served since December working alongside board employees to make sure that our suburb continues to have not only great schools, but also high functioning facilities with as little waste as possible.

I was so angry when a man seated across from us bashed the process the entire time. He huffed and he puffed and he complained until I nearly had to smack his hand. (Don did great in keeping his mouth shut to this bully, by the way.) The man came in with an agenda that was self-serving and with a bad attitude. Although they answered his concerns several times in the presentations with facts, background information, and projections that went out for the next 12 years … he couldn’t seem to break free of the fact that he was outnumbered.

I really wanted to say to him “Everyone had an opportunity to be on the committee. If you felt THIS strongly about what was going on, why did you not take part?”

I’ve learned through this process that if you REALLY want to be a part of something and if you REALLY feel strongly about your position, there is always a place for you to serve. For me, I thought the PTA was the only place that I could have a voice in the schools. Little did I know that there was a place – a perfect fit for me – where I can have an even greater impact. I just needed to look outside of what I already knew.

And now that I’ve been able to be part of the process, for not only my child, but for every child in my community, I’m even more convinced that I live in the greatest school district in the US.

You can get FREE dining when you book a full price Walt Disney World vacation package for check-ins most nights August 15 – October 7, October 22-October 28, November 12-18, November 27 – December 2, and December 10-21, 2010.

To qualify, you must purchase a vacation package that includes at least 3 consecutive hotel nights at an official Walt Disney World resort, plus at least a 2-day theme park ticket.

With this offer:

• Stay in a Disney Value Resort and and get the Magic Your Way Plus Quick Service Dining package for the price of a regular Magic Your Way package. This deal saves a family of four (2 adults, two kids ages 3-9) about $84/per day.
• Stay in a Disney Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villas Resort and get the Magic Your Way Plus Dining package for the price of a regular Magic Your Way package. This deal saves a family of four (2 adults, two kids ages 3-9)  about $108/per day — the cost of adding the regular Dining Plan to a basic vacation package.

If you are staying in a Value Resort, you can upgrade to the regular Dining Plan for just $10 per adult per night and $2 per child age 3-9 per night. (This represents the usual price difference between the Quick Service Dining Plan and the regular Dining Plan.) 

We upgraded from the Quick Service Dining Plan to the table service plan. Although I didn’t ask the price, I do know that we still saved just over $400 from what we were paying prior to the special being announced. After doing the math, for us, it’s like getting the Regular Dining Plan at 50% off. I looked at our dining reservations to see if we would be better off doing Quick Dining (free) and paying out of pocket for our reservations. No way. We’re going to break even on Day 4 and eat free on days 5 & 6.

Some important advice if you book a “FREE Dining” package:

• Be sure to set up Advance Dining Reservations as soon as possible. In past years all of the table service restaurants have been completely full during the “FREE Dining” promotion period. It was almost impossible to get a table for a full-service meal on a walk-up basis. To ensure that you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of the Dining Plan, you really need to pre-reserve every single table service meal during your stay.

You must book this offer by 8/14/10. The number of packages available is limited. Excludes gratuities and alcoholic beverages. Some table service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

Act quickly … some of these expire today!

Walgreens - Photos are 10-cents each! Use code “Celebrate10″.

Snapfish - 50 prints for 50-cents. Use code “july4penny”.

DisneyShopping - Remember me talking about buying shirts and gifts early for my Disney trip. I ship them ahead of time so we aren’t stuck buying expensive clothing in the parks. DisneyShopping is having a huge sale and offering free shipping. Use code “freeship”. (Today is the last day!!!)

Oshgosh and Carters are offering free shipping! No code needed.