Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Ho, Ho Tan & Skinny

Want to know how to look super skinny in your holiday card this year?  Take your photos while you have a tan!!!!!

Want another tip?  It's actually a secret, but we tell our friends everything at the Grove!  We are thrilled to let you in on not 1 but 2 holiday specials....order early and save on your cards this year.  We heard from a lot of clients last year that when they took advantage of our sales their cards were a LOT less than other online printers and they knew their cards would be unique!

So get out your planner or iPhone and write this down:

August 28th-September 10th ALL holiday cards are 2 for 1!  Yep, pay for $50 cards, get 100!  No code needed.

If that is not enough time to get a photo session scheduled, order your cards between September 12th-October 8th and we will take 25% off your order and throw in FREE return address printing or FREE return address labels.  Just use code:  SHOL25

The best part is that your cards can be finished before Thanksgiving!  I confess a friend and I always have a friendly wager on who can get their cards in the mail by December 1st!

For those of you that ALWAYS wait until the last minute to take your photos, order from our selection of cards that you attach your own photo!  You can find them all HERE.

This design is one of our favorites for when you cannot choose just one photo!


You know that great photo from the beach this summer?  How perfect is this card?


You asked and we listened, this year we have a selection of cards that are photo-free.  You can see them all HERE.


Just think, if you save on your holiday cards, it means you can get yourself a little (or a BIG) something!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sweet Treat

This is the last week before school starts.  We didn't do a bucket list this summer, but we do have a "final checklist", Mini K's exact words.

1.  Final Manicure as no nail polish is allowed at school.

2.  Get used to school shoes, which actually means "tap" dancing in them all over the house.

3.  Deciding on what she wants to take for lunch on the first day...this decision alone with take DAYS.

4.  And most of all trying to fit in all of her favorite summer eats one more time before school starts.  Tonight we had our pink and green dinner.  Now before you start thinking we served a meal on Lilly Pulitzer plates (which we actually did) with pink and green napkins (guilty as charged) it really means Mr. G grilling salmon outside while I roasted broccoli in the oven.  Pink and Green.

Tomorrow morning will make her favorite summer dessert.  It is most certainly not for breakfast, but we will be sharing half of the pan (if not more) with the crew that is building our house.  Mini K has named this recipe CLEAN SMORES.  Which means I need to explain: Mini K and Baby C LOVE to make smores, but they are not fans of the broken graham crackers.  So what's a mom to do when a broken dessert can leave minnies tired from a day of swimming and playing outside in tears over a broken cracker?  Well, you just pour yourself a glass of wine and click on over to Pinterest.
Photo from Crepes of Wrath

I have seen a lot of people take credit for this RECIPE, but I am crediting it to this blog because I like that she tells you where she found it and why she adapted it.  It is a HUGE hit in our house.  We do not use the marshmallow fluff though, we use what Mini K calls Smore Mallows...the square, flat marshmallows.  I think it turns out pretty much the same and they don't seem to harden, but then again they don't last long in our house!

Anyone else have any end of summer traditions?  We did spot our first bag of Candy Corn today...at this rate the Christmas trees should arrive on Labor Day!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Hover or Run?

I PROMISE this is my last back to school post.  I think there are two types of parents and kids on the first day of school:  the ones that hover by the classroom door and don't want to leave or the ones that skip off down the hall and don't look back.  When a parent and a child are opposite types, well it can be ugly.

Fortunately, Mini K and I are the same type...we run and skip down the hall, away from the drop off line and don't look back.  She is so excited to go to school and is counting down the remaining 9 days of summer vacation.  I love that she is so excited and independent and I always look forward to the structure of a school year and an early bedtime after our crazy summers.   Her uniform is already washed and hanging in her closet, clean socks in her school uniform shoes and first day of school gift for her teacher wrapped and ready.  This year her first grade teacher is a former All-American field hockey player and Mini K thinks this is really cool and she was picked for her "team" class so to speak.  We ran with this theme and got Mrs. G a basket and filled it with a ruler, some pens, a lanyard with her monogram for her teacher ID, some candy, some Advil (my contribution!) and a gift card to the coffee around the corner from school.  We made a tag in the shape of field hockey sticks that says "I am so happy to be on your team this year!".  I would post a photo, but in the craziness of this construction I cannot find my camera cord.

As the summer draws to a close, my list seems to get longer.  Both of my kiddos seem to have grown, A LOT, this summer...and let's not even talk about the fact that their shoes from the start of the summer make me wonder how their feet have grown so much.  While I am not going back to school, I always make of fall list of what I want to add to my wardrobe.  What can I say there is a satisfaction of crossing things off my list....in sharpie of course!

While I don't smoke, I love a good smoking loafer and was thrilled to add these to my closet.

 Well Mini K wanted a pair as well, but pink ones.  Not only did I find her pink smoking loafers, but how about pink smoking loafers at HALF PRICE? You can purchase them HERE, or I should say purchase a $50 voucher for $25 and use code:  PDCOZ10 to save yourself an extra 10%!


Baby C is clearly growing up in the right house, because every time Mini K says school, he screams YEAH FOOTBALL!  In our this, this means burnt orange, tailgate food in front of the tv and hopefully the celebration of many, many touchdowns!

Fall is also birthday party season in Mini K's circle of friends...almost everyone has their birthday before the end of the year so I am stockpiling gifts for the upcoming soirees.

While I know a lot of you do not have kids, or aren't preparing for back to school, I hae to believe that you still like saving money.

Today started with a little happy in the mail:  my check from Ebates.  I mean seriously, how nice is getting a check for things you were going to purchase anyway?  If you haven't joined, click HERE and if you have joined but keep forgetting to go to Ebates and click through to stores, put a note on your computer!

You know that while I love to find a deal, I am not a good couponer (is that even a word?)  I really don't like spending money on things that I know my kids and I won't use outside of school.  Cue navy loafers for our uniform.  I was thrilled to find navy loafer, that are still cute, for under $35 today at MyHabit.  If you haven't checked it out, you should.  You can checkout with your Amazon account and the deals on loafers and Bloch ballet flats are a lot less than the same shoes have been on Gilt.

We have had a growth spurt since football season last year and Mini K has made me promise NO MORE SMOCKING.  I may have shed a tear, but thankfully, I discovered some non-smocked Longhorn wear for Mini K and when you purchase one piece, you get you second half off.  These collegiate clothes are my go to baby gift for friends that I know are die hard fans.  I mean, how cute are the smocked bubbles?  Obviously, even Crisco wouldn't help me squeeze Baby C into the bubble, and is working hard to rid our house of diapers so I ordered the shorts for him and belted skirt for Mini K.  You can check out the entire line HERE.
Now for the girls birthday parties galore.  I struggle with gifts for her school classmates as you want to give everyone something similar and I know most parents agree that their kids seem to have more than enough toys.  When I saw these necklaces, I knew I was on to something!  I think they make a great gift alone, or pair them with some Lip Smackers, some hair ties or even some candy treats in a cello bag with a big bow and my guess is the birthday girl will be thrilled.  We will keep it a secret that the necklaces are only $11.95 with $3.50 shipping and each additional necklace ships for only $0.50!  That's a touchdown in my book!  You can purchase them HERE.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

And We Are Off!!!!!!

The Olympics are over and I no longer have the excuse of watching swimming, diving and track and field with Mini K!  I will say she thought One Direction at the closing ceremonies was cool, but nowhere near as cool as watching Missy Franklin win the gold medal.

I have always thought that if you look cute when you are working out, it motivates you to go to the gym.

Cue our new monogrammed running shorts.....


I will have these on the site early this week, but wanted to share your color options with you.  All colors are $29.50 and that includes a monogram!

What's your favorite color?

Monday, August 13, 2012

Gameday

I realize I probably should save this title for college football, but today has been 3 years in the making.  When we found out I was expecting Baby C we started to think about moving.  We looked at more houses than I care to remember, but kept coming back to our own.

You can call us crazy as everyone else has, but we decided to follow our hearts and stay in our house and add on.  Well another story has now turned into a story and a basement and more changes on our first floor.  We have been working on the plans for 2 years and tomorrow demolition begins.

Mini K is still hoping that our builder with give her a pink sparkly bathroom...it's not going to happen as she is sharing said bathroom with her brother, but she is pulling out all of the stops to lobby him to her way of thinking.

Mr. G and I ran out today to confirm some of our tile selections and decide on an exterior paint color.  These are two different shades and we were going back and forth.  They are only one shade apart, but when it is going to cover your entire house, you want to make sure you like your choice.

While we were gone, Mini K convinced her babysitter to bake cookies for the crew and she left them a note that said: I will make cookies forever for a pink sparkle bathroom.  I have to hand it to her, sugar and chocolate might be the way to get our project finished sooner!


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Ready, Set, Plan!

I know not everyone that reads this has kids, much less kids that are going back to school.  I have been on a new vitamin the past few days and haven't been able to sleep....cue the late night Pinterest searching and I have to say, I am in awe of some people's organization.

We are getting ready for FIRST GRADE at Casa Grove...how did this happen?!?!?  I mean it seems like Mini K was learning how to walk and now she will be sporting a uniform and having sports team practice 3 nights a week in the blink of an eye.

We all know I LOVE a good monogram, so you actually think I would let her go to school in a plain white peter pan collar shirt did you?  I only wish I could have figured out how to save money on said shirts by purchasing them HERE.

I did refrain from monogramming the jumper..it was hard.

I will NEVER be the mom that packs a different lunch every single day, and blogs about it, or the one that cuts sandwiches in cute shapes...I look at these pins on Pinterest and wonder if these women have ever sent their children to school with leftovers from last night's takeout.  I am THAT mom...I mean insulated Thermos containers were meant for microwaved leftover Chick Fil A nuggets right?  Let me be clear, I am not making fun or judging these moms, I am just comfortable in knowing that I missed that gene/skill/ability.

I plan for other things that I am sure people think are insane:  back to school gifts for teachers, a running list of items to be on the lookout for for friends, my running house list of items I am looking for...and on and on.  There are some things that never go on sale (GOYARD, HERMES and the wish list continues), but most things, if you shop smart you can find at a discount and not sacrifice quality.  Personally, I think you can find some of the best deals of the year during back to school time...even if you don't have kids!

Here are my Top Five back to school sale items that ANYONE can use:

1.  Sharpies
I mean who doesn't love a good Sharpie?  They are on sale EVERYWHERE this week around here:  black ones, metallic ones, colored ones.  I purchased them in bulk it seems and will use them throughout the year as well as use the pink, green and orange ones in gift baskets I will give during the year.

2.  Hair Accessories & Brushes
CVS has all of the hairbrushes Buy One Get One Half Price this week.  I purchased a few of the Goody brushes that absorb the water and cut down on drying time and am going to gift with a note for a subscription to the monthly Twistband delivery.  I was given some Twistbands earlier this summer and am hooked.....they hold my hair better than the Emi and Jay ties and who doesn't love getting packages in the mail.  The subscription includes a box of hair ties and headbands delivered to your door every month.  You can get a 3 month subscription for only $15 if you purchase it through HERE.  This would also make a great first day of school happie for the teacher with a note that said:  For the days these kids make you want to pull your hair out, this can help you pull it back!  We are looking forward to a great year!
3.  Notepads
I think notepads, especially when personalized are a great gift for one big reason:  most people won't spend the money on a nice pad for themselves to make their daily lists, grocery list, etc, but there is something about reading something on pretty paper, even my dreaded grocery list, that makes it a little less dreadful.  You can wrap them in cello and tie with a bow, include a couple of Sharpies, or a gift card to their favorite coffee shop and the notepad suddenly becomes a great gift.  ALL of our notepads are 30% off with code:  HELY30.  We had a client order 10 of these pads today all personalized with Go Rangers! for her children's school.  I emailed her to make sure she wanted 10 of the exact same and she replied, "yes, I am going to use them throughout the year as hostess gifts when they have events for school.
4.  Kids Birthday Gifts
Last year I left like birthdays crept up on me and I had no clue what to give, especially to those tweens on my list.  Mini K received a Letties Betties necklace and LOVED it and they also sell sets of friendship necklaces for $58, those same necklaces sound a lot better if they were $10.99 right?  Well they are $10.99 a set if you purchase them HERE.  In case you really stock up, you can use code COUPCAB88 to save an extra 10%.
5.  FOOD
I know random right?  No I am not sending you to a grocery store.  How many times have you been in a city and thought, I would love to try....but then you didn't.  Years ago I had a boss that loved to find food that reminded him of where a client was from or a host had lived and surprise them with a package  after a contract was signed or he visited them.  I love to give, as my mother calls them, Just Gifts, for no reason other than you see something and you know a friend would truly love it.  Lately, Gilt, has had some amazing deals in their Taste section.  I know, I know, you are probably stuck in the fabulous shoe collection, or their summer sweater deals (AMAZING 70% off!), but there are some great finds that would be perfect for hostess gifts, new teacher gifts, birthday gifts, client gifts.....
I ordered this New Mexico brittle today for a friend that was born in Morning Glory Confections Santa Fe Brittle for , but now lives elsewhere.  How good does chile and pumpkin seed brittle sound and something tells me a 40 year old bachelor wouldn't buy it for himself, but will consume it during football season.  You can purchase it HERE.
Mr. G and I both LOVE Byrd Cookie Company in Savannah.  I have never seen their "cookies" discounted....UNTIL TODAY!  Mr. G's favorite cookie is the Red Velvet Cake cookie, my favorite "cookie" are their Cheddar Pecan Biscuits.  Both of these and a ton more flavors (Kona Coffee Chocolate, White Cheddar Peppercorn, Birthday Cake, etc) are all featured HERE.
My FAVORITE is the one I saved for last.  Baby C and I LOVE popcorn.  479 Popcorn is my absolute favorite and it is relatively healthy!  I love to take the Foodie Sampler to friends houses with a kid movie all tied up in a bow as a hostess gift.  I mean nothing makes an American Girl movie or Happy Feet go by faster than a good cocktail and some gourmet snacks.  TRUST ME:  even if you do not like popcorn you will LOVE 479 Popcorn. Fleur de Sel Caramel, Black Truffle and White Cheddar, Chipotle Caramel with Almonds, Coconut Curry, and on and on...you can find them all discounted HERE.
Pretty soon the weather will turn cooler and the holiday season will begin, but for now we are in what I call the plan season.  I looked forward to back to school season even after I was out of college but not yet married much less with minnies in tow.  It is the season of new starts and new goals, but also a time to see where the year has taken you, or if you are a planner, what you have done with the year.  You will have to humor these next few days as I love back to school time, especially when I no longer have to worry about my GPA!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Paper Present!

What a week!  I have been hiding something this summer...our little home improvement project.  Why, well because we were not sure if we would be able to move forward with it.  I believe in working with the bones of a house and not tearing them down.  We have done it twice before and made a decision to stay in this house and do a major renovation.  Let's just say that the city we live in does NOT like homeowners who want to make their homes bigger, so cue two frustrated homeowners (Mr. G & I) and  one AMAZING attorney and fast forward two months to today and Christmas came early in the form of a sheet of paper.  OUR BUILDING PERMIT!  It is now taped to our window, where it will live for the next four months until our new addition is complete...then we will start on the basement.

This past week has been an emotional roller coaster and it is not that I didn't want to share the good, bad and VERY ugly, it's that each day the story changed as this unfolded.

What I can say is that I am extremely thankful that I could focus on the flood of orders coming in and not the legal battle.

In case you missed our post on Facebook (just 8 more LIKES until we give away a pair of personalized sunglasses, so click on over and leave a comment!), we are having a MAJOR PAPER sale.  Since my day was made with a piece of paper and I couldn't wait to stick it on the window, I thought I would share today's big sellers.

It seems that a LOT of you are getting ready for the holidays and school birthday parties early!  We are doubling your order of stickers for FREE until August 13th!

You can view all of the stickers HERE.

These holiday stickers have been a huge hit.  Our two most popular phrases seem to be Merry Merry! and A Merry Little Something From The....
During the sale you get 48 personalized stickers for $24!  I don't think you can beat $0.50 a sticker.
One of our favorite customers has boy girl twins.  She ordered these exact stickers for her son to have for birthday parties this year.

And these stickers for her daughter.

I love the idea of picking a color theme for the year, stocking up on colored ribbon in that theme, white tissue and cello bags.  Even a giftcard will be well dressed and you won't have to stress about wrapping gifts before a party!

I always love to see what our clients select and today we had 4 different people chose these stickers today, all 4 of them chose the EXACT same wording:  Thank you for having us! Love, The XXX  What a great idea to have these stickers ready to go for hostess gifts, house hosts, neighbors, etc.