Happy Holidays from Uncle Sam!

Holidays are usually filled with visiting family and overeating, however this holiday is all about SHOPPING!  This weekend here in Nashville we will celebrate the 4th annual Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday.  Anyone in the market for clothes, comuputers, or school supplies can save on purchases this weekend by avoiding sales tax charges.  Tax free shopping commences this Friday, August 6th and runs through Sunday, August 8th.  Want a list of exactly what will be tax free?  Click right here for more information.

For my many, many blog readers that are not in the lovely state of TN, here is a list of states and dates that also participate in this special savings event.  Sorry my beloved Atlantans, no tax free holiday for you this year:(

Go big or go home

I LOVE ACCESSORIES! If you took one look at my shoe/purse/jewelry/scarf/whatever collection (or even past blog posts), you would know this.   Accessories are a great way to dress up your existing wardrobe and can be inexpensive.  Just add a necklace or a headband and bam!  It's like a whole new outfit for a fraction of the price!  My most recent purchase came from a stella & dot jewelry party, and it is quite a statement piece. I have already worn it a few times and it has certainly made my dresses and t-shirts much more fancy!

Kyla and I displaying our gems for Kenny Chesney

Close up of my new bling

My phone is better than your phone

Does your phone send you notifications when your favorite store is offering coupons or discounts? Mine does. Meet Yowza!!  I learned about Yowza!! while reading an article in Entrepreneur Magazine today and couldn't wait to share. This just took coupon collecting to a whole new level for me. No need to cut out coupons and carry them around with you after you download this free app. Just launch Yowza!! on your phone, and using GPS technology it will locate special offers in your vicinity!   Once you select an offer, it brings up either a coupon code or a bar code for you to use (who doesn't love scanning barcodes on their phone?). If there are stores you enjoy making purchases at, mark them as a favorite and you'll receive push notifications whenever that store has new offers.

Check out these deals from rumba on my phone.  Mojitos anyone?

Cheers to Yowza!! creators Greg Grunberg and August Trometer! To learn more, visit the article online here.





Follow The Map of Deals

Maps are a dying art. I myself have never used an actual map to try and find a specific destination. In my new city of Nashville, I just type in my location on my Garmin friend or look it up on my iPhone. However, I have found a map that I intend to use quite often - The Deal Map. Type in your zip code or search popular cities and a Google map pops up with deals in all sorts of categories. You can find promotions and coupons for restaurant and retail locations, hotel deals, even concert tickets. It's such a good deal that Clark Howard even spoke about it!

Socialize your shopping

If you're savvy enough to be reading this blog, my guess is you are on at least some of the social networks (such as Facebook and Twitter). If you're not, you should be, and here's one more reason why - to save money. Most stores post coupons or announce upcoming sales and happenings via their page, or you can learn about their new offerings. As I just moved to Nashville, I started "following" and "liking" several groups and activities here to keep me in the loop. This little gem from The Cotton Mill just showed up in my Facebook news feed today and I can't wait to head there this weekend!

Don't be tardy for the party

I LOVE to plan any kind of party or event, especially themed parties. Recently I put together a surprise 30th birthday party for my fiance in our new home of Nashville, TN. All of his friends and family were able to come and even his favorite Journey tribute band the Frontiers came to celebrate! To keep costs down and the theme consistent, I was able to make a lot of the decorations myself with the help of my graphic designer friend Lindsay Salet (who is available for hire). Lindsay designed the theme and main image, which we were able to incorporate into posters, koozies, cake art, and even a custom stamp to decorate tablecloths and napkins with. Check out the photos from the party below!

Vendors:
Posters and banner: FedEx Office
Koozies: Discount Favors
Stamps: Rubber Stamp Champ
Party Supplies: Party City

The Etsy Wetsy Spider...

Have you checked out Etsy lately? Etsy is similar to ebay where buyers and sellers can connect across the globe, however everything that is sold on Etsy is made by the seller. You can find jewelry, clothes, pet accessories and more. Most of the items are fairly low cost, but don't let that fool you. Items for sale on Etsy are very high quality products you could find in retail stores, but at a fraction of the cost.

Several of my more creative friends have set up shop on Etsy. These adorable baby onesies were made by my friend Lindsay for her twin cousins. You can check them out here. Spend some time browsing on Etsy, but be careful it can get addicting!