Last year I asked for a planner for Christmas.  My mom and I both share a love for organization and office supply type things.  She and I decided on the Mom Agenda Desktop planner for me.  Although there were pockets of time I did not keep up with it out of laziness, I still LOVED it.

My husband has tried to convince me to use Google Calendar more times than I can count.  I really don’t think it would work for me.  I really like having one thing in my life that still exists on paper.  I love being able to physically flip through our schedule and have something to scribble notes onto.

Last year my planner was pink. This year I chose zebra.  I would have chosen the killer giraffe one, but it was out of stock.  The fact that I chose this one two years in a row says a lot.

Pros

It comes in cute colors.

The layout is spacious and has room for all my lists.

It is “week at a glance” for the main part of the planner and also has a month by month view.

It has room for all my lists I make.

Cons

It is a bit bulky

There is no pen holder

What planner or program do you use? Are you a paper planner girl too?

I believe I can email you a 10% off code if you are interested.  Just leave me a comment or email me and I will forward it along.  Sales come and go often.  I believe my mom got mine for 50% off…but that might have been a Christmas special.

*momAgenda has no idea who I am.  I was not compensated for this post in any way. These opinions are my own.

Here are some pictures of some of my favorite finds. Yes, I know it is back to school time…but I could not resist checking out stuff for the mamas too!

Some of my favorite deals right now

Jeans for kids are $12

Out of the in store options for toddler boy I loved the "painter" jean.

I also love the "Regular fit". They get great reviews!

These are my favorite jeans for toddler girls "Double-Button Boot-Cut Jeans." Little Miss has had this exact pair in her last 3 sizes. They have a hint if pink stitching, cute buttons, and a great wash.

Solid toddler boys polos for $5.50. I also found cute striped polos for $5.00.

They also had girls leggings for $6

Some of my favorite finds.

Nothing cuter than a little Madeline shirt!

Cute toddler boys camo hoodie in great stylish colors.

Great boys sweater. Because boys need great looking sweaters too!

Toddler girls ruffle sweater. Little Miss has a similar one in navy and has worn it endlessly.

Love this top.

Great selection of clearance items

Reasons why I love the Clackamas location

It was the Old Navy I used to beg my parents to drive me to before we had a local Old Navy and the place I took my friends to on my sixteenth birthday.  Good memories.

It was also the location of my first date with Hubs during the summer between our sophomore and junior year of high school.  I was trying to revamp his wardrobe which basically consisted of 2 well loved Tommy Hilfiger t-shirts, a pair of jean shorts, and some Dr. Martin sandals.  Holding hands on the way home from a successful Old Navy trip is so romantic.

All moms can appreciate parking in one spot and hitting up multiple stores.  If you happened to need a caramel macchiato, some toilet paper, a loaf of good bread, party supplies, soccer cleats, a discount designer bag, and some never ending soup and salad and bread sticks you are in luck.

Lastly, because there are other Old Navy locations in the greater Portland area they seem to have a better selection of clearance items!

How does Old Navy compare to other value brands?

I would say it is at the upper end in terms of style and quality.  When shopping at stores whose regular prices are already fairly low I am looking for certain things.

• How well does it look like it will wash up? (Skip black if it looks like it might fade.)

• How well does it look like it will hold its shape? (Make sure it is just a bit longer than you will want it in case of shrinkage.)

• What is the weight of the material?

• How tight is the weave?

• What IS the material?

Old Navy has denim, woven (think dress shirts/sheet type material), and thicker knit material that will hold up great.

For every thin t-shirt or tank I find, I can usually find a thicker one I am happy with.  Sometimes shirts that are a cotton blend will hold up better than ones that are 100% cotton.

For comparisons sake their boys solid polos also felt like better quality than brands like Target and Children’s Place.

Ways to save at Old Navy:

Sign up for their Email list to learn about new promotions and sales and get great coupons.

Check your receipt and see if it has an opportunity to do a survey for a discount on your next purchase.

Watch your paper for occasional coupons.

Look for clearance items throughout the entire store.  Some of the best items I found were items which were marked down, but not even in clearance area.

Ask an employee what their current promotions are.  Sometimes it is easy to miss some of them.

Currently they are running a promotion called Super C-A-S-H where you earn $10 for every $20 you spend through 8-18.  Looks like each super cash voucher is good for $10 a $20 purchase.  (Works much like Gymbucks)

What did I get?

• A new pair of double-button boot-cut jeans for Little Miss $12

• Grey toddler boys polo for $5.oo

• Pair of strip leggings on clearance for $2.99

• Pair of toddler boys plaid shorts $3.97

• Toddler boys t-shirt $3.99

• Dressy tank for myself $5.99

Total- $33.94

Not to shabby!

When I was showing everything to Hubs and the twins after they came back Little Man said, “Those look like fall shorts!”  “Oh, like colors for Fall?? (thinking I had a very fashionable son), I said.  “No like fall….like they fall…fall off”, he says.  At least my skinny little boy can recognize a pair of wide legged shorts. He was absolutely right.

Now on to the fun part! Needing to do any shopping??  I scoured my coupon stash and have a coupon for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more for the first 7 people who comment below AND email me their mailing address.  I would randomly draw for them, but they expire next on the week on Thursday the 18th and I want to get them out to you ASAP!  If you would also take the time to subscribe via email, RSS feed,  or follow me via Google Friends I would be forever grateful!

This coupon would be a great way to earn some Super C-A-S-H and save even more money!

Email-  TwinMamaLoves (at) gmail.com

Disclosure: Old Navy compensated me for my drive and time with a small gift certificate.  I was not paid to write this post and these thought are my own.

I am pretty sure I was always a grown up at heart.  I remember spending much of my babysitting money at the Clinique counter.  I knew all the new shadow colors, which had been discontinued, and what foundation I thought I might like to try next.   I have always been pretty frugal, but at that time the only person I had to care for was myself.  I did not buy many snacks, drinks, or movie tickets, but I did buy hand bags, clothes, shoes, and makeup. Always on sale of course!

During my many years of cosmetics use and some changes in the way I choose to spend money, I now shop for them differently.  Overtime I have learned which products I like to get at the counter and which I can buy from a drug store, or big box store (like Target).  I am currently using a combination of Clinique, MAC, and cheaper brands.

Here is a break down of what I get from who, and why.

Items I SPLURGE on

Moisturizer-Clinique- Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion

Why? Because It has the perfect moisture content for my skin.

I like to use good moisturizer because so much of it gets absorbed into my skin (that’s the point right?).

It also lasts me a long time.

Foundation-Clinique-Superbalanced Makeup

Why? After trying many different versions of foundation from Clinique, I have stuck with this one.  Not to greasy and not too think or thin.

Blush-Clinique Soft Pressed Powder Blusher in Mocha Pink

Why? Because I think I is very important to find a good color for blush and it lasts me a LONG time.  Worth the money.

Eye Shadow- MAC or Clinique

Why? Because they last for a long time.

It is great to have help picking out colors that work well for you.

Sometimes better quality shadows are less prone to getting that greasy impermeable layer on the top.

Items I SAVE on

Creamy Eye Shadow Base.  I am currently using Neutrogena Shimmer Sheers in “Spellbound.”

Why? I tried a couple more expensive brands and never found one I loved.

I wear just a touch under my shadow to KEEP my shaddow on and be able to use less of it during application.  I prefer the kind in the tube rather than the kind in the little pot or pan because it lasts longer, does not dry out, and stays cleaner.   Make sure you pick a nice neutral color just a touch darker than your skin tone.

Powder-Cover Girl (green compact)

Why? Although I don’t use much of it, it seems to run out of it the fastest.  I cant stomach spending $16+ every couple months on powder.

Mascara-I am not too specific on what kind I use.  I love it when I have nice mascara samples from my bonus buys, but if not, my fall back is Maybelline Great Lash. You know? The pink and green one.

Why? Because it is also one of the things I go through faster and should be replaced fairly often.

Eyeliner-Currently using Revlon Color Stay (when I wear liner).  It twists up and seems fairly soft.  After I run out of that one I have a similar Covergirl one to try.

Why? It is a fairly basic product that I don’t want to spend much on.  (Unless Clinique wants to bring back their Water Resistant Eyeliner in the pan with the little brush……don’t even get me started on that;)

Counter Tips- Always try to make your purchase when they are offering a “gift with purchase”  if available with your brand.  Make sure they test the colors on you before you buy one.  If they aren’t busy get a make-over.  Purchase the products you love, and remember what types of colors they used on the things you think you might want to “save” on.

Drug Store Tips- Try to ALWAYS use coupons on makeup you purchase.   When you pair your coupons with a sale you can get stellar deals.  Purchase from a place that has a great return policy so that you can take it back if it is not working for you.

What products to you LOVE? What do you splurge or save on?

* I would like to eventually try and switch to products that don’t contain harmful ingredients and are all natural, but I have not settled on any type yet.