The Queen Of Clearance - Part 2

Last month (aka two days ago) I began posting about all the great clearance deals I've gotten over the years, and there were so many I didn't want to put them in one overwhelming post. I began thinking that maybe I have a problem. The more I thought about it the more items came to mind. Is there a CA (Clearance Anonymous) out there?! I may have to join!

The biggest clearance item in my living room is, of course, my sectional sofa that I got at Costco and paid $650 for after my rebate check. But I do have a few odds and ends in my living room that were once residents of the clearance racks.

This sweet jar is actually a candleholder with a flameless candle inside. The cutout is a flower. It's very rustic and sweet, and was only $7.99. I don't recall what the original price was; I bought it at Kohl's many years ago. It's still a favorite, and has found itself somewhere on my bookshelf ever since it entered my home.

This little cutie is a recent find from Hobby Lobby. The original price was $13.99 but I found it in the clearance section for a mere $3.49. I have several white animal figurines, but this one is the most unique.

I never pay a lot for pillows. I've seen throw pillows upwards of $80; that's not for me. Even pillows that are $25 and $30 are too much for my wallet. I think the most I have ever paid for a single throw pillow is $10. That's why, whenever I find throw pillows on clearance, I do a happy dance! I have several clearance pillows, but this one is a favorite. It's 24"x24", and y'all, I found it at Target for $8.00! I found another pillow at Target, this size and the same price, in pink. But the reason this one is my favorite is...

It's reversible! It's like getting two pillows for $8.00 instead of one! I love that the colors go with spring as well as fall. I can even leave it for late winter, since spring in South Florida typically begins in February or early March. We don't get much of a winter here.

This lumbar pillow would have cost me $24.99, but I found it at Target for $8.50. This is why I won't pay full price for pillows. If you look for them, you can find them. Patience is key; they don't always have them but whenever they do, it's a good deal. Flexibility is also necessary; you might not always find exactly what you want, but I don't feel like I've settled for less on either. In both cases I got brand new pillows for what a pillow cover might have cost.

I can't forget my olive tree that I found at Hobby Lobby shortly after the stores began opening up this year. Whenever I first saw it, it was on clearance for $29.99, but I was already at the checkout and I didn't want to hold up the line while I went to look at it. I decided to pass it up, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went back the following week to buy an arch for above my front door, and I figured if they had any trees left I'd make a decision whether I wanted it or not. They were at the entrance whenever I got to Hobby Lobby; there were only two left, and they'd been marked down to $24.99 from the original price of $99.99. There was no thinking about it - this baby was coming home with me! It's been in my kitchen, and now it's in my living room. The white basket it's in came from the Target dollar spot.

Trays are another thing I like to get on clearance because they can get pricey. I like having things corralled in a tray; it makes it easy to move things whenever I'm cleaning. This one in my living room is from Target; I got it for half price, $12.00. 

This tray is in my kitchen. It's the same size as the Target tray but this one is mostly metal with wood sides where the handles are. I picked this up at Kirkland's for $7.78, reduced from $19.99.

I found some Pioneer Woman goodies in the clearance section of Walmart a few years ago and I was so happy because they are so beautiful and classy. They can go with all different types of decor. The salt and pepper shakers were $2.00 each, and the soup tureen was $19.99 (down from $30).

Another great clearance deal I got from Walmart is my Keurig. I actually had this on my Christmas list whenever I saw it in the clearance aisle for $50.00 - it was $99.99 regular price everywhere else! I've had it for four years and it still works like a charm. It's a One Cup Wonder, but even the newer "cheaper" one cup Keurig machines go for over $70 so this was definitely a great deal. It was brand new in the box too. I think this particular color was not available in store, only online, so they had to sell it for less. It had been reduced previously to $75 but it hadn't sold. I guess it was meant for me!

Whenever I'm at Target I check the Hearth and Hand section for clearance items too. I've found several really good deals, but none beats this one. These ceramic jars can hold pretty much anything. The original price was $9.99, but I got them for $2.50 each. I ended up paying less for all three of them than what one would have cost at the regular price!

And how about this gorgeousness?! Hobby Lobby put this on sale after spring. It was originally $49.99, but it was 75% off! I was able to get it for $12.50, and it is perfect in my bathroom.

I recently found this adorable little birdhouse at TJ Maxx for just $6.00, less my 10% senior discount for shopping on Monday. I believe the original price was $20 but I'm not certain. Anyway, the color is so cute and it's a nice addition to my patio.

I don't remember what the original price was for this ceramic lantern, but whenever I found it at Target I picked up two of them for $4.50 each and asked my daughter if she wanted them for her new house. She declined, so I kept one for outside and gave one away as a gift. It was greatly appreciated - no one would think it was so affordable!

I love a bargain y'all, not gonna lie. It's thrilling to me whenever I go in a store and I find really great deals like this. I've had to train myself, though. It was getting out of control. I was buying stuff not because I needed the items, but because the deal was too good to pass up. Problem is, it's not a good deal if you don't use it. Thankfully I've used much of my clearance purchases as gifts if I don't use them myself, but I'm learning to be more intentional with what I bring inside my house. If I don't have a place to put it, or someone specific to give it to, I walk away. And that there is another way to save!

The Queen of Clearance - Part 1

I've often jokingly referred to myself as the Queen of Clearance. That's because I love the clearance section of any store. It's where I gravitate to first whenever I'm shopping because if I can get what I'm looking for at an extra bargain, well, I'm all about that life :-). Of course there are many others out there who probably call themselves by the same name, so I thought I'd provide some proof of why I deserve the crown ;-). This is just a small sampling of my clearance buys; many of the items I've bought on clearance have left my home as gifts that are super cute and no one knows that they were purchased on clearance. I call that a win-win.

Starting in my entryway, a couple of clearance bargains I picked up just a couple of months ago.

 Once stores were allowed to reopen the sales were abundant. Clearance aisles were filled with all the spring and Easter items that didn't sell and that needed to leave the stores so summer and fall decor could start occupying the shelves. I found these arches for above our front and garage doors at Hobby Lobby. The original price was $49.99 each, but I was able to scoop them up for $12.50 each. In case anyone is wondering, the wreath is one I made many years ago. It has undergone several transformations. Right now it's a simple fall wreath.

The monogram sign in my entryway is also a clearance find. I don't know what the original price was, but I picked it up at Hobby Lobby for $6.49. 

This artificial snake plant was purchased shortly after we moved into this house. It's from TJ Maxx, and I got it for a double bargain - it was on clearance for $16.99, but since I bought it on Monday I got my 10% senior discount as well, so my price was $15.29. It's really nice quality and heavy.

Another Hobby Lobby favorite is this chalkboard sign at the top of the stairs. The original price was $59.99. When I saw the price was reduced to $17.49, I knew I would find a place for this in my house somewhere! 

I never pay full price for vases, but I especially like to find them on clearance. Target is my go to for clearance vases. This one was $4.50, originally $9.99.

I found these three planters at Target for $4.50 each as well, reduced from $14.99. They are ceramic and can hold artificial or real plants. In my case only the cactus is real. It's out on my patio. The others are scattered around my house.

Kirkland's is another store where I've been able to get really beautiful decor at rock bottom clearance prices. This gather sign, for instance, was originally $29.99 but I paid $8.00 for it. However, my best clearance find at Kirkland's by far is above my futon.

This is not a small piece, y'all. It measures 46" x 34". The original price for this beauty was $139. It was reduced several times and was all the way down to $23.99 whenever I got to the store. I had a coupon that day; I ended up paying $19.75 for it! I mean, that is garage sale pricing! That is what you'd pay at a thrift store kind of price! I was on cloud nine that day!

Also in my office is this rose gold candleholder that I snagged for $5.50 at Target. I don't remember what the original price was but, y'all know Target prices. 

And what about big pieces? Furniture sized pieces? Yes, I've managed to get some good clearance deals on those too, not just little decor pieces.

Whenever I found this futon on the Walmart website, I didn't know it was on clearance. I just knew that $280 was way less than I'd seen it for several months on Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock and the like. I later found out this style was being discontinued. Another very similar style was replacing it, and Walmart was trying to get rid of their inventory. I've since not seen this particular futon in this color anywhere; you can find it in other colors but not for less that $400.00.

My sectional was also a clearance item. Costco was selling it for $899.99. They'd dropped the price to $799.99 but I had my rebate check, so my cost was $650.00. It's five years old and still looks great.

Sometimes the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby is a letdown, but whenever I needed a lamp for the side table in my office this was the perfect fit and it was only $19.99, complete with the lampshade.

I didn't realize how long this post was gonna be, and I'm not halfway through yet! Time to make lunch - this list will continue in another post. Stay tuned!

The Week In Review

Good morning! I hope everyone had a productive and pleasant week. I had some highlights that I want to share.

My son has a small desk fan in his bedroom which he has pointed on him during the night because he insists I don't keep the house cold enough. Clearly he doesn't pay the electric bill. Anyway, the fan was acting up (it was a cheap old thing) and Sunday night it simply stopped working. He had a terrible night sleep and had to get up early for his computer class the next day. I felt sorry for him, because it's no fun trying to learn while you're falling asleep, so on Monday I decided to run over to Target and get him another desk fan. I found one for just $15.99, but I also found something else.

I always check out the clearance sections at Target, especially the purse section because I've found some absolute treasures there. This trip didn't disappoint; I found this adorable mauve purse that was originally $36.99 marked down to $18.49. This is going in my Christmas gift stash!

I did go to the Dollar Spot, though not expecting to find anything I wanted. I was wrong.

These little pumpkins are adorable! And at $3 each I couldn't pass them up. I put them on the corner of my dry bar, and only then realized how perfect they were.

The colors match my Dollar Tree florals exactly! How cool is that?!

I hadn't been to Ross in a while, and since it was on my way home I decided to stop in. I had gone back to Ross whenever the stores reopened but twice left empty handed because the store had virtually nothing in the home decor department. Like, empty shelves everywhere. This time it wasn't as bad (though they certainly aren't well stocked yet) and I was able to find this beautiful throw blanket:

It's cream color so it can go pretty much anywhere. It is so soft and cozy, too. I wanted something different for my bed because the throws I have are the same color as the bedspread so they blend in. I wanted something that would stand out but just a little. This fit the bill.

On Tuesday I was on the phone again, this time with AT&T. I use AT&T for my home internet. Last year when we moved into our new home, they offered me 300 Mbps for $50 a month. I'd been paying about $84 a month at the old house, so a savings of $34 a month was music to my ears. Of course that promo was for 12 months, and it was coming to an end, so I decided to see what other offers AT&T had going. The service I currently had, with 300 Mbps, would be going up to $80, but an offer for 1000 Mbps was available for only $59.99. That obviously made no sense, so I started up a chat with one of their agents asking why the discrepancy. After beating around the bush he finally told me that it was because "we want everyone to have fast internet!" Give me a break. I asked a couple of times if the price was actually $59.99, if there were any hidden fees or if this was the actual price. I was assured this was the true price. I also asked if there were any other promotions, and the agent said he'd send me an email with more information. I thanked him and went on looking for other options.

A couple of days later my son asked if I'd gone ahead and upgraded, since he had checked and was able to download to over 900 Mbps. I was pretty surprised and said no, but I remembered I'd received an email that I hadn't looked over yet. When I did, I saw that not only had the agent gone ahead and switched our plan, he upped the price to $69.99. Well, Mama wasn't happy about that. So Tuesday I called and explained what was going on. I quickly realized it was an error on their part. I should not have been offered this promo because it was only for new customers, but since it was their goof-up the new agent said she'd go ahead and honor the price. Then she came back and said she couldn't offer me $59.99 but she did have an offer that was $20 off the $69.99 price and it included the 1000 Mbps plus HBO Max for free. I don't care about HBO but I was only too happy to take the higher speed internet for $.01 less than I'd been paying the past year. Lesson here: always question what doesn't appear right. It can end up saving you money.

On Wednesday we went back to our old neighborhood. My son had been lamenting for the past year that he hadn't found a barber as good as the one back home. I knew it was true; the barbers where he was going, the same place my son-in-law C goes to, were always rushed and did a mediocre job at best. Lucy takes her time and gives him the royal treatment, plus it's always exactly what he wants. I surprised him and made him an appointment with Lucy. After I dropped him off I went to visit my BFF and realtor. We had a nice visit for an hour before it was time to pick E up again. Then we drove by the old house. It doesn't look the same. The new owners painted the exterior, changed out light fixtures and a window, put in new front doors, took down all the coconut palms and the palm trees in front of the house. They even put in a new mailbox and new numbers on the house. It was bittersweet; of course I knew they wouldn't keep the house the same, but it's strange to see it look so different after 20 years. Still, I'm constantly reminded of how God has blessed us, and I'm happy for the new owners.

I didn't do much on Thursday except rest. I pulled a muscle in my back so I took it easy. I studied for our women's bible study on Friday. Since my old church is still doing everything virtually I'm able to participate in the group bible study which I am so extremely thankful for. We are studying Jesus's parables. This past Friday we studied Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the persistent widow. We learned about praying continually and not losing heart. Such a timely Word for the season we're living!

Then yesterday I served in children's ministry at our new church. I like the lady I'm co-leading with; she's a hoot! I also love teaching the children. I'm normally pretty shy, especially in large groups of people, but with the kiddos I come alive. God has shown me that teaching is what He wants me to do, and I'm blessed to be able to do it.

Well, that's been my week. I'm heading off to online church now. I encourage everyone to find a Bible teaching, Bible believing church. Start a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's never too late, and there's no time like the present. Have a blessed week.

Continuing The Fall Decorating Process

 Last Saturday I left off here...

I brought up my tubs filled with fall decor. I love whenever I bring up my decor that's packed away; it's like opening up a brand new package, because I can't remember what it was I had. I pulled everything out and started separating it into groups.

I was glad I'd gotten more pillows. I decluttered a few when we moved because we only had the one sectional. Now I had this futon as well, and I wanted to add a few pillows here.

As I take my everyday decor down, I wrap it in old pillowcases. This protects anything that is breakable and is a way of recycling items that I would have gotten rid of otherwise. 

I've had this glass pumpkin for over 12 years. It was a gift from a vendor when I was working as a purchasing manager for a company that closed in 2008. That's how I know it's that old. It was originally filled with candy. Now it's full of orange potpourri. I put it on one of the glass shelves above the dry bar.

 On the next shelf above that one I put this pretty candle that I got on clearance from Target years ago. Since my son E and I have allergies I don't typically burn candles, but I do like displaying them. This one has leaves cut into the wax and a little acorn charm tied around it with twine. I decided that was enough for the glass shelves; I wanted to keep it simple.

I added a couple of pumpkins to my dining room table to complete this look. Dollar Tree has some of the best little pumpkins for $1.00. I've had these for at least a couple of years. They are heavy and really nice quality.

This light up train station is a treasure I've had for many years. It's decorated for fall on this side, and for Christmas on the other. This was from House of Lloyd, from their Christmas Around The World collection.

Next I moved on to the living room. I took away some decor and added some pumpkins. Not too many, though. I feel like it's easy to go overboard and have clutter instead of decorations. The jar on top (I call it my genie jar) was originally in the dining room but I needed some height here. I added two pumpkins; the green one was from the Target dollar spot last year and the white one I got at Walmart. The one on the bottom shelf is the only new pumpkin, from the ones I picked up at Hobby Lobby. 

I did a similar look on the other bookshelf. I try to keep them symmetrical but not identical The Autumn Greetings sign I got from the Dollar Tree this year, and the white pumpkin on the bottom is from Hobby Lobby. 

Over in the corner I replaced the summer artwork with this framed piece that I bought years ago from Kirkland's. It has the first two verses of Psalm 23. I changed out the white flowers in the black vase with these tan and pink flowers in a mason jar, and added a pumpkin from Walmart. That was all it needed to give it a fall touch.

The coffee table got a slight makeover. This tray was on my dining room table, but I put it in the living room instead. These two Dollar Tree pumpkins have the same colors as the vase, and the green leaves match the candles perfectly. Oh, and the Hello Autumn sign in the background? It's under the television set, and I picked it up at Dollar Tree this year too.

There were still more pumpkins, so I decided to add a few to my bedroom. This little grouping is on the nightstand nearest the window. The larger pumpkin is a candy jar that I picked up a couple of years ago from Walmart. I wanted to mix up the colors so it would coordinate with the other nightstand.

A tiny Target pumpkin made its way to my picture shelf.

I moved on to the master bathroom. I don't normally add decor to the bathrooms, but I had this one pumpkin left and I figured it would brighten this area nicely.

We mustn't forget the kitchen! All I did here was add my ceramic scarecrow next to my Puerto Rican Cuisine cookbook. I'd already switched out the flowers; I didn't want to add a whole lot more. Besides, my bowls, which are there all the time and are used daily, have a fall vibe of their own.

I was really excited to fix up my patio area. Everything I have here came from our old house, and all of it is either from Walmart or the Dollar Tree. Y'all, it's possible to decorate a home on a budget and still have it look really cute. You don't need a fortune to have a lovely home.

I did end up making a switch in the living room. When I was unpacking the pillows and deciding where to put them, I found my pumpkin pillow that I got a few years back from Big Lots. I tried it out here and I liked it better than the Costco pillow. Which made me sad, because I really love that Costco pillow. What did I do with it?

I added it to my bed! Whenever I tried it here I knew this was the perfect spot. The colors match beautifully and pulled the whole room decor together!

That's where I finally stopped. My brain was drained from all that moving and switching! Of course I love every minute of it. And trust me, I'm not done. Things have moved around a little here and there, but that's the beauty of decorating. By making small changes we keep everything looking fresh and new. Happy Fall Y'all!