The Addiction of Clearance Hunting

While tidying up the apartment yesterday, I decided that I would put all the clearance baby and kid clothes inside one of our suitcases because the bags of merchandise were starting to pile up. I don't need any of it until months from now for a baby shower and first birthday, so there's no need to keep it out. I have definitely accumulated a bunch of adorable clothing from the Disney Store, Old Navy, and Target!

I've talked to a few moms or soon-to-be moms who said that stocking up on other items like diapers is more worthwhile because everyone gets clothing. I completely understand that, but some things are necessary, I think. I purchased some onesies, sleep 'n plays, burp cloths, and really nice bibs because the babies DO need those things, and I don't feel bad buying them because I got them 50%-70% off. I've found fleece tops for $0.97 and Disney items for $1.99. Other gift givers may still buy clothing items, but as an aunt, I find that it is my duty to bring any of my nieces and nephews into the Disney sphere, haha. That's why you can see some adorably cute Disney gear!

It seems weird spending the money on things now even when items might be too big in size, but I will continue doing it this way so that when the occasions come up, I don't have to go out to shop. I can just "shop" from this suitcase. I have about 4 toys too put away for the proper time. You know how difficult it can be to search for a gift when it's needed. It's the same as having to find a dress before a party or wedding; it's just so difficult and can get expensive! But because of my feelings of buying things on clearance, I haven't had to do any last minute shopping for either of those things, and in the long run, it saves me money.

Of course, there are some things that are just too cute and so incredibly inexpensive that it's worth saving for little Luke or Leia. I bought two of those Pixar shirts and gifted one of them already, but that other one you see is for me! I will save it for as long as I have to! 

Winnie the Pooh Cuties

The fourth (and fifth too) card that I made featured an adorable Winnie the Pooh Cuties. I love the Cuties line because not only are the characters adorable, they are also designed in a way that's easier to cut. I seriously am loving the fact that I can just go online and do a Google Image search for whatever images I might want to cut. It gives me much more freedom than what the Cricut can provide. Of course, the Cricut is also nice because all the layers are split up for me. There are still some things I prefer with Cricut Craftroom as opposed to Silhouette Studio: Designer Edition. But I could never cut these things for my cards on my Cricut Expression!

You can also see the images that have the layers separated by me because they have the black outlines. When Howard designs something for me, it doesn't have the black outline. For the simple Disney images though, I actually prefer them because that's how the original design looks.

As you can see, I made two versions of the card just by popping on a different sentiment. I looked through my sets from Pink by Design to find anything that had a bear pun on it. 

And it's no surprise that I popped him off the card. At the beginning of this year, I bought a ton of things when Joann was going out of business. I posted my craft haul here, which included foam sheets for $0.37 each. I've been cutting it in strips and then using small squares of it to pop my stuff off the card instead of actually using the adhesive foam squares, which can be quite expensive. I just use my ATG gun to adhere everything, and it seems to be working well. I actually don't mind having to use the ATG for it because it's either that or peeling off the thin sticker backs! All in the interest of saving some money!

Olaf, in High Demand!

I know I'm backtracking with updates, but I never had an opportunity to post these since I was so busy actually making the cards and doing stuff for work as well. The third card I made to entice people to sponsor me for my school's walk-a-thon featured the lovable Olaf from Frozen! I had set it up so that I would have 4 of them to cut, but I accidentally tore part of the last one. Instead of cutting one of the small pieces again, I just decided to scrap it because he is quite a tricky one to put together!

The big white pieces were easy, of course. Even his eyes and carrot nose weren't difficult. His arms and hair were what caused a bit of frustration! They're just so thin! You can't quite see it in these pictures, but his hair is actually three separate pieces instead of just one.

Since Olaf is so intricate, it was easy to just plop him on a card with a snowflake paper background. Of course, I had to use a quotation from the movie as my sentiment, so I chose "Some people are worth melting for" instead of "I like warm hugs" because I felt it was a little bit more usable as a card for any occasion. He was popped up on the card to give it some dimension.

When I posted this card on Instagram/Facebook, the three I had made were claimed so quickly! I had a bunch of others say that they wanted it as well and then some of my co-workers wanted a bunch of them! I promised to make 10 of them without actually having them made, so that was an extra $50 as part of my sponsorship. I'm hoping Howard can simplify the design for me somehow the way I saw one on Pinterest where the brown part is actually all one layer with a black layer on top. That way I don't have to cut the individual brown pieces and glue them. I'm so glad I have my Tweezerbee tweezers because there's no way I could do those with my chubby fingers!

Mickey and Minnie Cuties

My school is having a bike/walk-a-thon fundraiser this upcoming Saturday. Our new headmaster challenged us teachers to raise $100. I figured the only way I'd be able to make that amount was if I offered blank cards for each person who sponsored me for $5! I have to say that I'd probably just bypass someone's request too, but cute Disney stuff would definitely catch my eye.

I used a Mickey and Minnie image from Disney's Cuties to create this card. It's strange not having measurements and such when using the Silhouette Cameo. I could technically get the exact measurement since I saved the file, but it's not done exactly the same way as the Cricut. I'm still getting used to the difference between the two machines and the programs. There is, of course, the huge benefit of being able to cut images like this on the Cameo! Though it looks easy to put together, the pieces that really required extra care were the small red piece of Mickey's pants and the small yellow piece of his shoe. I use my TweezerBee tweezers anyway for every piece even when it's not teeny-tiny like that. When Howard saw how I had to be careful with all the small pieces on the Disney cuts I've been making lately, he commented that he wouldn't have the ability or patience to do it, haha.

I dry embossed the white paper with a Sizzix folder and then stamped the sentiment from Pink by Design on a banner cut out using a die from Papertrey Ink. I only popped up the banner since I didn't want there to be any possible tearing of their tails if I popped Mickey and Minnie off the card. I made 6 of these in total, and so far, I have 4 of them "sold"! Hooray! A huge thanks to my sponsors so far!

Nose Snuggles

I normally just go to the Disney Store to browse and trade Vinylmation, but the last time I went, I did actually make a purchase. There was a t-shirt deal when purchasing two, and my mom needed to get one as a gift, so I volunteered (hehe) to get the other one!

How adorable is this shirt? I admit I haven't watched Lady and the Tramp since I was a kid, and even then, I don't know if I saw the entire movie. It still came home with me anyway!

"Hi! Back Again?"

In an old sketch on MadTV, these 3 girls working at a shoe store talk about they really need to be honest because they say they're going to do things, but it never actually happens. For some odd reason, Howard and I randomly quote bits and pieces of it. We even say, "Back again?" which is what the main character says when the guy she likes returns to the store. Well, yesterday I ended up hanging out with my mom again because I wanted to get a price adjustment on the candles I bought at Bath & Body Works since they went from half price at $11.25 to $10. I thought it was funny that we were there two days in a row, and I just kept thinking that one of them would say, "Back again?" 

We also went back to the Disney Store too since we were there. None of the Vinylmation in the box actually changed though, so I didn't trade. It's entertaining to me when I go so soon after a recent trip because our werewolf Pluto and vampire Goofy Vinylmation figures are usually still in the box!

My mom made the funniest comment when we passed by the stand of plushies! All of a sudden she goes, "Awww!" She said that it was sad how Piglet had such a small space on the stand! Haha, look at those 2 Piglets in that narrow area compared to Eeyore!

As we were leaving the mall via JCPenney, we passed by Claire's. Out of the blue, my mom said she wanted to go in to look around, so after years of not having stepped foot in the store, we were browsing once again! She commented that we used to hit Claire's all the time when I was a teenager. Even when we drove down to Florida and stopped at the outlets, Claire's was at the top of my list! Well, yesterday they were having a sale where EVERY item that was listed as clearance was $2 regardless of the actual price on the sticker. I definitely was excited when browsing, hoping to find a hidden gem. These My Little Pony BFF necklaces weren't THE gem, but I thought it was cute anyway. If we had daughters, I'm sure the little trinkets like this would be super cute in a Christmas stocking if they liked the characters.

These hats, on the other hand, were rather creepy! The images themselves are a little odd to wear atop your head, but the fake hair hanging from the back was a bit much! They were not part of the clearance items.

This Cinderella skirt was though! Again, if we had little girls, I would've scooped that up for just $2! What a cute skirt to wear for dress up with the satin and the tulle!

The clearance stuff required patience though because I had to search every row to actually see everything since there were some items where they only had one. I'm used to just glossing over things really quickly, knowing what I like and don't like. These keychains were things that I bypassed during first and second go around. How cute are they?! I'm sure if you knew how to deal with polymer clay, these things are so easy to make. I admit I've been slightly intrigued by polymer items because of what I've seen on YouTube and Etsy. There are people who would make even cuter versions that the ones found in Claire's! It would definitely mean getting into an entirely different crafting category though. I think it might be fun to try things out when I have kids are they're a little older because they we could have some summer fun!

By the way, recently all I've been saying/thinking is "When I have kids ..." haha. I do realize it. 

I have to say that normally I wouldn't deal with a price adjustment UNLESS it was a big one and I was definitely going to be in the area. However, the BBW price adjustment was TOTALLY worth it since I got $2.72 back, and that ended up paying for the one thing I found at Claire's and grabbed the moment I saw it! I actually mentioned to my mom the day before that I was on the searching for more pillowcases so that I can change them out more often. Plus, I'm not a fan of the cotton ones because they're hot in the summer and not as comfortable. Well, what do I end up finding? A Disney princess pillowcase! It was originally $15, but it was on clearance for just $2!!! Um, I think I might need to check Claire's more often for great finds like this! And in this case, it's a good thing I don't have a daughter yet because I'm happy to have this pillowcase for myself ... hehe.

Clearly, I am still 6 years old although strangely, I never really went through a Disney princess phase! I did, however, like all the Sanrio characters a lot so when I saw this tiny Hello Kitty pail at our next stop, I took a picture of it too. We were at Burlington Coat Factory since I wanted to hit AC Moore, and they're in the same shopping center. 

There are many women out there who have huge collections of designer shoes and handbags. My mom and I are not those women, haha. We do, however, very much enjoy looking at bags even though we don't typically ever purchase designer items. I mean, does it count to say I have two LL Bean tote bags? I mean, that's a good brand, right? Haha. I also have a LeSportsac crossbody (thanks to my students who gave me a check for Christmas one year!) that I use mainly in Disney and usually in the summer. I also have two Disney handbags and one tote too! Uh, do those qualify as designer? Haha, yes, I know that they don't, but we're okay with that! My philosophy is that you can use the same amount of money for ONE designer and get a bunch of different ones for various occasions! I love having options, and I do change my bag out rather often. Howard can attest to that because I have bags EVERYWHERE because I'll change them last minute before I head out, so the previously used one is on the floor. Whoops!

As a sidenote, I used my brown Mickey barrel bag (it basically looks like a Louis Vuitton bag, but it has MM and Mickey heads on it instead) to the 8th grade graduation last week. One of my siblings of a graduate who was one of my students two years ago said, "Of course you have a Mickey bag!" and I replied, "Yup, did you expect anything else?" Haha, my kids know me. 

Anyway, we browsed in the bag section at Burlington, and I spotted this adorable bag. It looks so perfect for summer and has a nautical look to it. At only $14.99 (compared to $30), I was rather tempted, but I recently purchased a bag for the summer months from Kohl's. I haven't used it yet though because I keep forgetting to bring it to my mom's house because I need to use Scotchgard on it since it has a lot of white on it. I don't want it to get dirty! The Scotchgard is supposed to be done outdoors, and when you're in an apartment, there is necessarily an outdoors unless I want to go outside in the parking lot and hang around my car ...

The only downside to the bag above is that it isn't one that you can wear on your shoulder. For me, that would limit the amount of places I would be comfortable using it because it would definitely not be the kind of bag I'd bring when running errands. The Lily Bloom bags below would be though! They're so bright and cheerful! They were only $12.98 (compared to $40). If I didn't have my bag from Kohl's, I definitely would have purchased one of these. It's definitely similar to LeSportsac in terms of the bright patterns, but I think the Lily Bloom ones as a whole are nicer. The construction of the bag also reminds me of all the Relic ones I've seen at Kohl's. There was another one I saw down the aisle that had a bicycle print on it, but I didn't take a picture of it. I found the print on Zulily here. When I did the search for Lily Bloom items, I realized it was Zulily where I originally heard of the brand.

We left the handbag section empty handed. Though there were a bunch of cute finds, we didn't need any of them. I said to my mom that it's okay to have a bunch of different bags as long as there's a use for each one and it's not replacing the use of one you already have. Alas, the ones I saw would've been replacements. But that's why I do take pictures of them because they're pretty there too! 

I wanted to go to the kitchen housewares section because there are always fun finds there if you're patient enough to look. While mom was looking at the snapware-type containers, I had fun with some oven mitts because as I've stated above, I'm apparently 6 years old.

They actually had a ton of lunch box options! Many of them were the Fit & Fresh brand, so along with the actual lunch box, they included the food containers and icepaks inside too. That ended up making them even better deals! My mom was searching for a new one that was a little bigger than the one she's been using since she's actually a healthy lunch packer with the fruit and all that, haha. Instead of doing that, I have a big Pyrex container of carbs or something, haha. But the two in the picture were the ones that we narrowed it down to, and eventually she chose the one on the left to better suit her needs. If I hadn't just purchased my lunch bag two years ago AND if I hadn't just placed a rather large order with Thirty-One, I could easily have been lured into buying a new one myself! I loved how they opened fairly large so that there'd be no need to maneuver the Pyrex container in them. I don't need mine to be fancy with room for ice packs though since I have the benefit of sticking the whole bag into the refrigerator at work.

We moved on to the baby section in the back, and it was like hitting the jackpot! Well, except for the fact that we have no babies on the way ... oh well! There were a TON of diaper bag options, and they were all so nice! I initially thought I'd go with an LL Bean bag as a diaper bag when the time came because of the fact that it could function as a diaper bag but not actually look like one. Then it could be used thereafter as just another bag. But then when I saw these Mickey ones, I totally changed my mind! When else would we be able to use a bag like that? My favorite was definitely the one on the left in the picture below. For $40, it'd make a great diaper bag! Of course, it would make more sense than the Minnie ones since even if you have a daughter first, who knows if the next kid is going to be a boy or girl?

As we walked down that aisle, every few seconds, one of us was picking out a new Disney one! I did love them all, but that first one really was the best. This one looks very much like a LeSportsac tote bag. I think the profile view of Mickey is absolutely adorable!

There was even a "mini diaper bag" that kind of looked like a cooler, but I don't think it was actually thermal-lined. It's probably more so for the quick things on the go.

You can see that it coordinates with this larger diaper bag. Ahhh, the choices! They're all so cute and perfect for a Disney-loving family.

Before we left the baby section and then looked at the dresses really quickly, I got this picture of superhero sheets for a toddler bed. Haha, I liked how the superheroes were made to look cute!

Though we were there for a while, the only purchase that was made was my mom's new lunch bag. We were going to walk over to AC Moore, but a HUGE truck was parked next to my car, so I decided to move it. It was kind of annoying considering I usually park farther from other cars just so I don't have to deal with backing out of tight spots. The fact that the truck parked right next to me was irritating. It didn't help that we had to hop in the car where it showed the temperature to be 100 degrees! And yes, I'm aware the "Check Engine" light is on. It seems to do that with the extreme heat, and then it goes away.

The last stop was AC Moore. My intention was to pick up some 6x6 paper pads because I want to do a sunburst/starburst card where it would look better if all the papers were from the same stack so that it would coordinate. I knew there would be a lot of nice choices there as opposed to Michaels, so I specifically wanted to go there. But as you can see in the picture, each little stack would have been $3.58 whereas the bigger 12x12's were $8.99. It didn't make sense to get the little stacks although I do wish that they had the larger stack of the American Crafts "Summer" stack, which is the second stack from the left of the last full pictured row on the bottom.

I was able to find 2 of the smaller stacks in the 12x12, so that made me happy! As you can see in the pricing underneath, it stated that some were $8.99 and some were $6.88. I couldn't tell what the original price was, so I brought 4 that I liked to the register. I already knew in my mind which ones I'd choose if they all ended up being $8.99. Of course, they all were, so I chose not to buy one stack. I was going to just pick up two, but the last one was one I L-O-V-E-D. 

It's kind of crazy because I have NEVER done that with paper. I buy the value stacks at Michaels because you get so much bang for your buck, but in terms of patterns, it's definitely clear as to why these stacks cost more. I don't remember seeing them at Michaels, so that's why I was okay picking them up at AC Moore. I would have bought the smaller pads anyway, so I might as well get the ones that are more worth it. When I brought it home, I definitely thought that Howard would be like, "More paper?" But thankfully, he doesn't seem to mind it because he knows I'm not the kind of person who buys things on a whim. Even so, I thought it'd be somewhat appropriate to post these things I saw on Scrapbook.com's Instagram!

 

Since I purposely bought those stacks to cut, I know they won't just sit around and remain unused like the few DCWV stacks I purchased on sale from Marshall's and TJ Maxx. However, I think I'll at least wait until the next week starts before I make those first few cuts, haha. Now it's time to stop having adventures in stores and have more adventures at home!

Adventures with Momsicles

Yesterday I really had to run to the stores to pick up groceries since I haven't purchased the basics in a while. I was in desperate need of milk, eggs, and bread. We didn't have ANY of those things in the house; can you believe it? Most of the items I had to get were actually purchased at Target because my mom gave me a $5 off $30 grocery coupon. Of course, I also try to get the necessities from Target since my Swagbucks gift cards mean I can get all of it for FREE. Woohoo! I will never get over how awesome Swagbucks is. Even when things are cheaper elsewhere, I still will get things there anyway because it costs nothing out of pocket. 

Anyway, my mom came along with me so that she could pick up a few things herself and because we could finally just spend time together without worrying about rushing home! Since my mom is done with the school year, there's no strict schedule or fatigue like there was before. I'm planning on helping my mom organize the upstairs bedrooms this summer since I never fully moved all my things out when I got married, so we'll be able to have some more relaxing time during these next 2 months. I definitely had to keep reminding myself yesterday that it was the summer, and we didn't have to constantly check our watches all the time.

I just took a few pictures while we were out and about at the mall, Target, and Stop & Shop. The first one was a pair of adorable Nemo slip-ons at the Disney Store! They only had one pair, and believe me, if I were having a baby any time soon, I would've scooped these up! They were $9.99, which seems really expensive to me considering I don't pay that much more for my own shoes on sale that I won't outgrow, haha.

As we were leaving the mall through JCPenney, I saw this amazing necklace and earrings set. I'm joking, of course, haha. But I just had to take a picture just cuz it'd be funny if I wore an H for Howard.

A stop at Target definitely means a quick browse through the Dollar Spot. For some reason, I don't seem to find anything good at our store. It's always so bare. Maybe people really do buy a lot there compared to the one by school! This dry erase board caught my eye though just because I thought it was cute that it looked like looseleaf. I have plenty of dry erase boards for $1 each that I've used at school. Mine are made by the Board Dudes, so I love the quality.

Lastly, before we walked into Stop & Shop, we saw these planters right outside the entrance. They're so funny-looking and actually a little creepy! I wonder how many people bought these. I guess there have to be people who buy things like this or they wouldn't make things like this!

Here's to many more summer adventures with Momsicles!

Cupcake Fun

During one of my recent stops at the Disney Store, I came across this cupcake playset. Isn't it adorable? I snapped a quick picture because it reminded me of my Disney friend Emma at "A Pinch of Pixie Dust" who loves cupcakes at WDW!

I have to say that seeing all these toys makes me want to have a daughter so that I have a reason to buy these things for myself! 

Bringing Home a New Fella

This past Saturday I ran some errands in the late morning and early afternoon since I wasn't up to going the day before. Howard said he'd keep me company, but he had worked overtime on Friday and had to work yesterday as well, so I said I was fine going by myself. I had another free travel-sized item to pick up at Bath & Body Works and items to return at JCPenney too, so that meant stopping by the Disney Store! 

Like the majority of our trips there, I just browsed and didn't spend anything. They had some new baby onesies there, so I had to snap some quick pictures of them. The ones that are like the Marie, Stitch, and Kermit onesies are probably the type that can be recreated using the Silhouette. I do think the Little Mermaid one is absolutely adorable though!

The Tigger and Woody onesies were actually in the small clearance section for $9.99! But it just didn't make sense to get it for $10 when we're so far off from having a kid of our own. 

If we were having a daughter, I would have purchased this Monsters University shirt too to somewhat match my pink MU shirt. But I know that when we do eventually have our own kids, Disney will still be putting out adorable merchandise.

I moved on over to the adult section. Although Howard and I do not need any new t-shirts, I had to take a picture of this Pixar one!

After some browsing, I went to stand in line to trade Vinylmation. From far away, I could see that the top portion had 3 options from the latest Villains series including Oogie Boogie, Fat Cat, and Pain & Panic (the only one we already have). I contemplated getting Oogie Boogie and was texting Howard about it, but I asked the cast member if I could choose a mystery one and trade for one in the clear portion if I didn't like the mystery one. I know they do that in the parks, but I wasn't sure if they went by the same rules.

She said it was okay, so I chose #2 and out came Peg-Leg Pete from the recently released Ink & Paint series! He came home with me instead of Oogie.

I always enjoy a brief Disney Store adventure to get a little taste of the magic here at home!

Earth Day the Disney Way

Since my mom is enjoying her Easter break this week, we were able to run some errands together today. One of the stops that was a requirement in my eyes was the Disney Store because of their Earth Day promotion. Since there were a lot of people at the counter, we browsed a little. Well, let's be honest. I would've browsed even if the store was bare! And why wouldn't I when they have such adorable merchandise like this Buzz Lightyear iPhone case! The wings pop out and pop back in. I love how it doesn't exactly SCREAM Disney the same way a case with Mickey and Minnie would (not that I'm against those!), but it's only recognizable if you know the colors of Buzz. I'm sure most people would be able to tell what it is, but I still appreciate how it's still a bit abstract.

The cartoon Mickey and Minnie tumblers were on sale for $4.99, and I did consider getting one since I'm still holding on to some credit on a Disney gift card. But I decided not to mainly because the new Winnie the Pooh line of tumblers is also extremely adorable and maybe it would make more sense to add one of those to my collection when that drops in price. I wouldn't feel entirely guilty about it considering the two that I do have at home are just one color and I got them from students. I find that I drink a LOT more water when I use a tumbler because of the fact that the straw helps me sip and I don't worry about it getting knocked over.

The Winnie the Pooh mugs were also on clearance for $5.99. The little added piece to the handle makes them really cute though I feel that you'd have to be extra careful with it. 

I don't buy plushies because they take up space and my penguin Huey and my Build-a-Bear teddy bear Howie Wary Bear (both from hubs when we were dating/engaged) would get jealous, haha. On a typical trip to the Disney Store, I usually bypass this section and don't even give it a second look, but my mom took a peek and I noticed the bears! I think it'll be fun for our kiddies to have plushies that actually look more realistic. Not to say that there won't be an Oswald or Steamboat Mickey in their collection too ...

Well, the reason why we were at the store can be seen in that plastic bin on the floor behind the counter. For Earth Day, the Disney Store was offering an excellent trade: 5 plastic bags for a new reusable bag! Last year, there was a choice and that's how I got my Brave bag and my mom got the Cars one. This year, they just had the Bears one, but I was fine with that. Howard and I are looking forward to adding that movie to our collection.

When we finally got the counter and finished trading Vinylmation, I asked the manager a question knowing that it was a long shot. I explained to her her that I had told my friend in Wisconsin about the promotion but she didn't have a store near her, so I was wondering if I could get another. The manager who Howard and I have long conversations with about Vinylmation and Disney World said that it was fine as long as I had another set of 5 plastic bags, which I did! Yay!

I'm really excited that I was able to get an extra for my DIS friend Sarah. We got to know each other via Disboards and connected not only over our love for Disney but because we were both in education. Then we ended up being able to meet in WDW because we were there at the same time during our April break in 2010. We were in Disney World again the same time in 2012, and we randomly met up once more as she and her dad saw Howard and me on Toy Story Midway Mania while they were waiting to board! Sarah is also the one who really got me to see Animal Kingdom in a whole new light and was the one who got me interested in Disneynature in the first place, so I'm super happy to have been able to get one for her. I had messaged her a few days ago to let her know about it since I knew she was bummed having to return from her recent trip. I thought it was going to cheer her up, but she said she didn't have a store close by. 

She has definitely sent some pixie dust my way by getting the "Just Engaged" buttons I wanted so much from the parks, so I'm ecstatic that I too can send some her way!