Fantastically Free!

This edition of "Fantastically Free!" is super belated, but equally as impressive (if I do say so myself!) as the first edition...

After we purchased our living and dining room furniture from Raymour & Flanigan, we received a $100 "thank you gift card" in the mail from the sales agent that helped us in the show room.  At first I assumed it was too good to be true -- one of those "coupons" you can't redeem without being lured back to the store and tricked into spending a bunch of mula you didn't originally intend to, in order to get a discount you on items you didn't need in the first place.  I knew we couldn't buy any furniture for $100, so a repeat visit to the show room would not be worthwhile.  Instead, I decided to take a peek at the website to see if they carried any small items we could order online and get delivered.  To my surprise, they did!

This silk flower arrangement sits in our office, and sure pretties it up!  It's a real nice size for an end table, and even though they're faux, these blooms bring a smile to my face whenever I walk in the room and see them.  Silk flowers are not for everyone, but I consider it a bonus that they "bloom" all year long and can't wilt!  ;)

Mixed Flowers in Silver Pot

And speaking of brightening things up...

Silver "S" Desk Lamp

This lamp fits perfectly with the decor of the room.  We initially had it atop our computer armoire, but we recently upgraded to a full-size computer desk with hutch, so this guy now sits on a little cabinet and looks just as nice there.  I thought the curvy shape was unique, and love that the "S" design signified my hubby's first name!

At just under $100 for both items, I was very pleasantly surprised to be able to use my coupon without breaking the bank.  I just love me a good deal!  :)  The cherry on the sundae is that I'm still loving both of these fantastically free items 15 months later!  Bonus points!

Have you scored any noteworthy free or discounted items lately?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Note:  I was not encouraged, paid or perked for writing this post.  These opinions are purely my own -- I can't help bragging about such a good fantastically free find!

Free Cupcake Alert!

Attention all cupcake lovers in the NY Metro area!

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Sign up for New York magazine's New York Deals and get a FREE cupcake (up to $3.95) from any of the 39 Crumbs Bake Shop locations in the NY Metro area!  New York Deals is New York magazine's short list collection of what its editors think are the best deals in NYC.  It's free to sign up and you can receive alerts delivered via email or view them by visiting their website.  As with most promotions, by signing up for this offer you are opting in to receive communications from New York Deals and Crumbs Bake Shop.  But, in my professional deal-seeker opinion, there is very little risk for this deliciously sugary reward.  ;)  So sign up today and enjoy your free cupcake by April 29th!


Disclaimer:  I have not been paid or otherwise encouraged to promote this free cupcake alert.  I simply believe in sharing great tips like this!  Enjoy!

Wayfair Rewards

I want to let you in on a little secret.... it's an online website that has zillions of really nice items for sale at surprisingly affordable prices!  Most of their items ship free (and fast!) and their selection is huge -- I can (and have) spent hours drooling over their merchandise.  Plus, their customer service is top notch.

Introducing...

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I discovered this internet gem about two years ago and have been smitten ever since.  The icing on the cake is a really neat rewards program that allows you to accrue credits for each purchase you make and apply those credits toward future purchases!  That's right... you get free stuff for shopping!  Signing up for Wayfair Rewards is free, and easy.  You fill in your email address and then get 3% back on a zillion things home!

And, if you use my referral link to sign up, we'll both get a discount on a future purchase!  Most items on the website ship for free, and the prices are really affordable.  So, click on my referral link and start browsing!  You have nothing to lose, but I have a feeling you're going to find something fantastic to buy.  ;)

http://www.wayfair.com/invite?rfr=27636292505

Member Benefits:

+ Earn 3% on every purchase you make.

+ Receive an extra $10 for every friend that you refer.

+ Get access to exclusive members-only email offers.

To give you a taste of their selection, here is some of my favorite Wayfair eye candy:

Crosley LaFayette Expandable Bar Cabinet in Vintage Mahogany

Kaleen Regale Blue Rug

Graham & Brown Watercolor Meadow Printed Canvas Art

Well, what are you waiting for?  Get shopping!  This site has everything you could possibly want, and more!!!  If you've already bought something from Wayfair, I'd love to see what it is!  :)

NOTE:  For reach friend who makes a purchase after signing up for Wayfair Rewards through my referral link, I'll get a $10 credit.  You'll get the same once you refer friends, too!!!  I was not compensated in any way by Wayfair for writing this post and the views expressed are solely my own.  I simply love saving mula, and also love passing savings on to friends, so it's a win-win!  Enjoy!!!

Free Shutterfly Wall Calendar!

Hi readers, I have a pre-Turkey Day treat for you!  Use code CALENDAR2013 at shutterfly.com to get a free* 12-month wall calendar!!!

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* Offer valid for one-time redemption per billing address and valid for one 12-month wall calendar only. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Offer ends November 23, 2012 (11:59 P.M. PST). For more details, please click here.

I am not receiving any perks for passing along this discount code; I merely saw the code in my inbox and wanted to share the savings!  I haven't personally used Shutterfly for calendars before, but I have created and gifted several photo calendars from another site for my grandma for Christmas the past couple years and she's loved them!

Enjoy!!!

Fantastically Free!

Remember when I won a gift certificate to One Kings Lane, courtesy of a giveaway Erin hosted over at House of Turquoise?  {I do -- it was one of the most exciting things that happened to me this year!}

Well, ladies and gents, I've spent my OKL gift certificate and I want to show you the fantastically free items I got!

First up, a pretty wreath of dried hydrangea blooms, purple sinuata, white larkspur, natural phalaris, mint flower and fern, for our front door:

Rustic Romance: Jewel Collection 18" Wreath
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It was packaged well so it arrived in great shape, and up on our front door it went!  Since we live in an apartment building, our front door is metal and we're not permitted to drill through it.  So, I used a handy dandy removable Command hook, which is working perfectly!  The only minor hiccup is that I placed the hook too close to the peep hole in our door, so the wreath blocks our view of the hallway.  Ooopsie.  What can I say... it was late and I was tired.  It's not that big of a deal since we don't really get any strange(r) visitors, but one of these days I do plan to spend the 5 minutes it would take to reposition the hook.  ;)

The next item I ordered was this toilet paper holder:

Bath Boutique: Jumbo Tissue Cylinder
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Our master bathroom is pretty large, but there is a serious lack of storage space.  {Boooo.}  This functional but attractive paper holder is just the thing we needed!  It's large enough to hold extra big rolls, and it fits great in the nook between our porcelain throne and shower stall.  I don't think I need to explain the value of having toilet paper within easy reaching distance.  ;)  Who knew a paper holder could be pretty?!  Not I!

And last (but not least), I purchased this little bath tub caddy:

Bath Boutique: Spa Bathtub Caddy Gift
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Admittedly, I have yet to use the gorgeous jacuzzi bath tub in our home (although we've lived here for 9 months now!)... but when I finally do get to test it out, I now have a little caddy to store some bath goodies.  And, although I've also never read a book in the tub in my entire life, for some reason the book stand in the caddy called out to me.  What can I say, I'm weak.  ;)

So there you have it.... my three most recent fantastically free finds!  {Say that three times fast!}

What do you think of my finds?  Have you purchased anything from One Kings Lane yet?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

P.S. -- If you're not yet a member of OKL, click here to sign up and get $15 off your first purchase!

Lovely Labels

I looooove address labels.  Shep might say that my love of labels boarders on addiction... I don't know if I'd agree with that characterization, but I definitely admit to having a quite large collection, especially for someone who doesn't even send snail mail all that often!  I can't help it, I have zero restraint when I see a cute design I like... something inside me gets giddy and I have to have them!

I can thank (and blame) my obsession with personalized address labels mostly on Vistaprint.  I'm not quite sure how they stay in business with such a pricing model, but Vistaprint often has "free" sales, which means many of the items on their website are free of charge; the customer must only pay for shipping.  In my opinion, the $2 postage charge for 140 address labels is well worth it considering the plethora of designs one can choose from, and the ease with which they can be customized.  After the very first time I ordered, I was smitten.

Here are some of my faves that I've created over the years:

The very first design I ordered!
Apparently after one gets engaged, one must buy labels.

I ordered these for our wedding save-the-date magnets!
Cue the music to "Memories" from Cats...

We used these the first time we sent joint
Christmas cards out.  Not very holiday-ish;
not sure what I was thinking (except blue).

Look familiar?  I needed them in blue
for our wedding invitations, of course!

If you guessed holiday cards you'd be right!
These are from December 2010,
when we were still in our first apt!  (sniff)

Our first labels with our new apt address on them.

These are the latest addition to my collection!
Aren't they so sweet?!  I'm in LOVE.

Speaking of love, that last label design happens to coordinate PERFECTLY with these postage stamps I have, which makes me doubly excited to send mail out!

2011 USPS Love Forever Stamp

Good thing I hoarded purchased a ton of these when they came out, because I just checked the website and it doesn't appear these are being sold any longer!

Well, there you have it -- my love for personalized address labels (and pretty postage stamps) is out in the open.  They say that admittance is the first step to recovery, but I don't want to recover!!!  My name is Nicole, I'm an address label collector, and I'm proud!!

Any other stamp, sticker or label collectors out there?  We collectors need to "stick" together, so tell me about what collections you have!  ;)



Note: I have not received any payment or other perks from Vistaprint for this post.  I just love their labels so much I had to share!

Free Shutterfly Photo Book

Free alert!!!  Through Wednesday, September 12, Shutterfly is offering YOU (and me!) a free* 8 x 8 photo book!

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Click here for more info and to order!  I've ordered a couple photo books from Shutterfly in the past: the interface is easy to use, the quality is pretty great given the price, and they're delivered quickly!  I definitely plan to utilize this end-of-summer offer.... hmm, maybe on a France vacation memory book!

*You'll be charged for shipping, but it's still a great deal considering these books are typically $29.99!

I'm not receiving any payment or other perk for referring this offer - I just wanted to share this great deal as a PSA to my trusty readers!  Enjoy!!

AmEx gift card alert!

Disclaimer:  I have not tested or verified this offer myself, nor am I receiving any financial or other award for sharing this offer.  I'm merely passing on a tip I just saw at one of my favorite blogs, 20somethingfinance.

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American Express is currently running a promotion whereby if you order and load at least $200 onto a new American Express pre-paid card before this Friday 8/31, you will receive a bonus $25 gift card.  For more details, click here.

I have received AmEx prepaid cards in the past as gifts or as the form of payment for various product rebate offers, and I can tell you they are as easy to use as a regular credit/debit card.  If you don't mind going through the steps of loading up an AmEx prepaid card with $200 from your bank account, then this sounds like a pretty simple way to score a free $25 AmEx gift card.  But remember, as always, to read the fine print when signing up to ensure there are no sneaky fees involved!  It doesn't appear as if there are any tricks behind this offer, but you can never be too careful!

West Elm Ice Cream Social

Consider this a public service announcement brought to you by an ice cream lover.  I take no credit for this offer and am receiving no perks from passing it on, except for the satisfaction of knowing I am spreading the joy that is ice cream.  ;)  Enjoy...

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Here are the details (via West Elm's blog):

Visit 1 of these 10 west elm stores on Saturday, August 4th from 1pm – 3pm and a store associate will gladly hand you a coupon for a free treat.

• Pleasant Pops will be at west elm Georgetown
• Westside Creamery will be at west elm Atlanta
• Feverish Gourmet Popsicles and Ice Cream will be at west elm Miami-Midtown
• Cool Haus will be at west elm Austin
• Sugar Wagon will be at west elm Nashville
• King Kone will be at west elm LA
• Scoop will be at west elm Portland
• Six Strawberries will be at west elm Seattle
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream will be at west elm Chelsea + west elm Broadway in New York City

Finally Making Progress

Slooooooowly but surely we're making progress settling into our new apartment.  Over the past few weekends we've been serious about attacking our to-do list.  We're definitely walking this race as opposed to running it, but nevertheless we are moving forward in the right direction.  Want to see our most recent milestone?  I spy some fantastically free decor!!...

Last night, we hung our fantastically free "poppies" art above our fireplace.  To the right of the artwork is the great vase that Shep picked out!  Shall we zoom out a little bit so you can get a better look at our new artwork in its new home?

Okay, how about we zoom out a lotta bit so you get the full effect.

Voila!!!  The poppies portrait is actually pretty large, and it fits great above the fireplace.  That area was feeling a bit bland, but now it's looking much more finished!  Some more mantle decor and perhaps a decorative fireplace screen with a chair or bench beside it, and it'll be just perfect!  Although it's a very small area of the apartment, it feels nice to see things start to take shape.

Stay tuned... we have a bunch more updates on the way!

Fantastically Free!

Like any good bargain shopper, I enjoy a good sale.  But scoring an item on sale is nothing compared to obtaining that item for FREE!  That's right folks, I have some serious bargain shopper bragging to do.  Welcome to the first edition of "Fantastically Free!"...

Remember the new sucker friend and the 3rd-one-was-a-charm bench we purchased?  We bought them during a Kohl's Cash week -- which means that you get Kohl's Cash back equivalent to a percentage of the price paid for your purchases that you have to use during a designated time period.

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Well, we sure put the cold hard green printed Kohl's Cash we received to use...

I'd been eyeing this piece of wall art for months, so naturally this was the first item I thought of to use the Kohl's Cash on.  Lucky for me, Shep liked it too so we got it!

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The tricky thing about this frame is that it didn't come with any hanging hardware, so we need to figure out how exactly to get it up on the wall.  It's a wood composite-like material so we should be able to attach hanging hardware to it; we just need to be careful not to split the wood.  Once we figure out how to hang it, we plan to put it above our fireplace.

The second item is one that Shep picked out.  He said that our apartment is too neutral and needs more color, so we got this:

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It's colorful alright!  Right now we're using it as a decorative dust collector accent piece on our fireplace, but one day we might actually put flowers in it!

And that, my blogland friends, is our first edition of "Fantastically Free"!  Fantastic + free = happy me.  :)

Splurge AND Save?!

Things in life don't always fit solely into one category -- black or white, on or off, positive or negative, pro or con, or even splurge or save!  Many things can fall into multiple categories: splurge AND save.  Like the newest addition to our household...

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our Dyson!  We've been debating whether or not to bite the bullet and get one of these bad boys for years.  Literally.  In early January, I sent Shep an email about Dysons being on sale at Macy's, and he responded with the following:

We've been debating to get a Dyson since 2009.   I have the emails to prove it!  Can't we please just get one?  Please?

After a quick search of my emails, I realized he was right.  After literally 3 years of researching, flip-flopping, and buying 2 smaller vacuums that we were less than thrilled with, we decided to bite the bullet and buy a Dyson.  But which one???  There are so many models, all with stellar reviews -- but which one was THE  BEST?  This simple question is what derailed our plans so many times before.  But this time I was serious, and I wasn't going to let my indecision win out yet again.  I spent a couple (more) hours reading reviews on Dyson's website, Amazon, and individual retailer's websites, and decided that an "animal" model would be a great match for the ridiculous amount of hair I shed on a daily basis.  ;)

Now on to the save...

Once I decided which model to purchase, I quickly did a search to see which retailer/website was offering the most competitive deal.  In typical anti-competitive style, the listed sale price was the same everywhere I looked.  (Probably mandated by Dyson, no doubt.)  But I didn't give up there.  Earlier in the week, I'd gone to Kohl's, where I saw a sign advertising 20% off everything in the store in exchange for applying for a Kohl's card.  Sure that "everything" would exclude super-fancy-pants Dysons, I checked with a cashier and was shocked (in a good way!) to learn that the additional 20% did in fact apply to everything in the store - including the vacuums!  In addition, they were offering $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent!   Never underestimate the power of coupons and other special offers!  In this case, they helped us save over $100 and scored us over $100 in free Kohl's merchandise!

That combination did the trick - we figured there wouldn't be a better opportunity to save on this purchase, so the time seemed right to take the plunge.  And boy are we glad we did!  Vacuuming (once a former favorite hobby) is now fun again!  But more than fun, it actually accomplishes something!  It gets rid of dirt and dust instead of just blowing it around the apartment.  Go figure!  ;)  Seriously though, to see the amount of dirt this thing gets up is incredible.  Our living room area rug looks good as new again after one no-nonsense vacuum from our new favorite purple friend.  And my long web-like (as Shep lovingly refers to it) hair is no challenge at all for this thing.  We are both 100% satisfied with our long-awaited purchase (and we crossed something off our to-do list that's been 3+ years in the making!) which is the best news of all.  ;)

Zip'n Steam Giveaway!

The right@home website is giving away a package of Ziploc® Zip'n Steam® Microwave Cooking Bags to the first 3,000 people to respond to their offer!  Click here for your chance to enter!

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*Terms & Conditions:  First 3,000 people to respond will receive a Healthy-for-Fall Gift Pack. For your chance to receive a gift pack, simply complete all required information on the offer form by September 30, 2011, 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time (CT). Offer available to U.S. residents only. Gift packs available until September 30, 2011, or while supplies last. Only 3,000 gift pages available. Limit: one (1) gift pack per household/address. S.C. Johnson is not liable for any typographical errors in the offer or any illegible, lost, late, damaged, separated, misdirected, incomplete, stolen or non-delivered email or redemption requests. Gift packs will be mailed by November 15, 2011. SC Johnson reserves the right to substitute a giveaway of equal or higher value if current giveaway becomes unavailable. If you have received a gift pack from Right@Home™ in the last 180 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer.