Stinky, I'm not glamorous by any means, I wish I were. But when I try, I kinda clean up okay. This is a pic just before our daughter's wedding ceremony wearing the MOB outfit. (I wish I had been standing straighter instead of slouching.) Listen, for those of you who are shopping online, I don't know if you've heard of ebates.com. Registration is free. Before you shop online go to the main ebates page and look up the store name. If the store is a participant, you'll be directed to the store website. Shop just as you normally would have and you'll accumulate some % points that translate to cash back. I get a check regularly...not that much, but it's free money I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. You might want to check it out. In this economy, every little bit helps.

Ann, funny you should mention Bath & Body Works. I ran in there tonight, hoping to find a good sale. NOPE! I guess it's still a bit too early. That's okay, I'll wait! I got those Holiday hand soap pumps last year for an incredible deal and they made great gifts. I dressed them up by wrapping them in cute cellophane gift bags and ribbon. I stock up on their hand soap when it goes on sale. It's the best! Sheryl

Lets see- CVS has Softsoap Body Wash for $4.99, I had a $1 coupon plus got back $4.99 in Extra Care Bucks for its better than free!!!. Walgreens has Chapstick Naturals and Chapstick Shimmers for $2 and you get back $2 in register rewards coupons when you buy one so they are free (register rewards are coupons good on any purchase). Came back in and used it on a gallon of milk that was $2.99 before the coupon. Publix has a new display with Spongebob items. I debated on buying the wallet as a stocking stuffer for DD. Decided to by it for $5.99, but it rang up as $6.99 so they gave it to me for free! They have a policy-if you are overcharged the item is free!! Stopped in Kmart today. Found some bras clearanced to $1.99. Sport bras were in 2 pks for $1.99. I spent $22 on 6 bras for me, 4 bras for DD, a tee shirt ($1.99), 2 exercise type shirts ($1.99 each), a pkg of Duracell batteries, and a bag of Dubble Bubble gum.

ninos...I wondered why people line up 3 miles to get into that Midnight Madness sale. I didn't realize they pull them in with a $500. gift card hidden in a goodie bag...lol. No wonder. I would love to do Black Friday but I never do. My husband is not a fan of shopping period and he hates traffic more than most people. He hates waiting more than most people. None of my kids enjoy it either, so any interest I have in shopping on that day is very quickly squelched. [g] Actually, I haven't suffered for not going to Black Friday sales. Last year, I was looking for a camera and had my eye on a specific one and about mid December, Staples had the lowest price I had seen or expected to see and they bundled it with a printer. It was a Canon camera and rated highly. I notice this year, they were offering the same camera yesterday for what I bought it for last year without a printer. So that was a pretty great price for a camera that was just on the market last year. ninos...I also am not a pocketbook fan any more. I used to be for many years, but when my kids were small I got in the habit of using a fanny pack. I found one I really liked that was small, slim and black and looked pretty good. That was about 12 years ago and I still use the same fanny pack. lol Believe it or not, it still looks really good. No wear spots or tears or stains. I am a homebody so I am sure it gets less use than most handbags. [g] oceanna...that is one gorgeous table AND what a great job you did in bringing it back to life! Craig's List...I am going to have to keep my eye on that more often. Which categories do you look in the most? That is a great reminder and you are right of course, recycling is healthier for all of us and the planet too. I was horrified recently to discover when shopping for a new mattress that the government actually requires all manufacturers to use fire retardant on them. What is wrong with them? So you are breathing that all night every night, just 'in case' your house catches fire some day. When, if the fire gets to your bed, you probably would be dead from smoke inhalation anyway. So we have postponed buying a new mattress. This year, I have been thinking of becoming less of a 'consumer'. I think I already have been pretty reasonable over the years but there is always room for improvement. I have never been one to put lights up on the house at Christmas, but more because we just don't have the time or energy to do it. Now, with global warming and energy costs what they are, I just can't understand why I continue to see people escalating their outdoor holiday decorating. I went into Lowe's over the weekend, which apparently I rarely do over the holiday season, because it was the first time I saw where people are getting all these huge light displays. Unbelieveable. I LOVED when I was a kid and our parents would take us to see 'the lights' at Christmas, but I think times are different now. Anyway..that is the subject for another thread, [g] it would be nice to keep this thread going over the holiday season and we would have it for next year too, to compare. Thanks for contributing... :-) pm2