Money, Money, Money, Money

I'm horrible about making/remembering New Year's resolutions. I do much better with smaller amounts of time ... like Lent. But two of my resolutions this year are 1) to be more organized and 2) to be a better steward of my money. So about a week and a half ago I made my best purchase of the year. And I could not feel like a bigger dork for buying it ... but at the same time, I could care less. (Or couldn't care less ... I think I usually say that expression the wrong way ... but again, to that I say, I couldn't care less. Yea, I think it's couldn't.) Regardless, I could/couldn't care less because my new coupon/gift card organizer (below) is going to help me save oodles and retire at 35. That's right ... 35. At the very least, it will keep me from paying full price at Borders. And in just one purchase, it will help me win at both of my resolutions.

I've noticed that people in the checkout line are not always happy to see coupons. Come to think of it, the people behind the register don't look thrilled either. But until technology wins over people, moving every grocery store into only self-checkout lanes, I'm going to defend my right to hold up the line in order to get $.10 cans of soup. Even if I don't like soup. (Which would be crazy because who doesn't like soup?) When technology does win out, I'm going to stop going to the grocery store and will instead enlist in some kind of grocery pyramid scheme that I can participate in online.

You too can have this fantastic coupon organizer for the low, low price of $3.99 at the Container Store!!! (I could dedicate multiple posts to my love for the Container Store. I love any store that's color coded.) If you're thrown off by the fact that this organizer is set up by month, no worries -- you can also set it up alphabetically, as I have.

This is the point in my post where I've probably talked about coupon organizers longer than anyone really needs to, so I'll move on.
Last thing ... in looking up the picture/price for the coupon organizer (so I guess I wasn't really done talking about it), I came across this picture on the Container Store's homepage. I swear I was on drill team with this girl. If it is in fact "JJ" then congrats! If not, then she has a doppleganger. ("That bird better pray he don't mess up my credit.")

That's about it for today. I'm off to the Melting Pot tonight to use my gift card that, amazingly, expires in two days. I say "amazingly" because I just got this gift card about two months ago. I never would have realized it was about to expire if I hadn't filed it in my wonderful coupon organizer. With the money I'll save, I'm now one step closer to retiring at 35. (And I'm infinitely closer to sounding like a 50-year-old soccer mom.)

Angels We Have Heard On High

I'm watching the West Wing season 1 Christmas episode ("In Excelsis Deo") as I pack for Vegas. Apparently we're to expect rain/snow showers in Vegas this week. Crazy.

I'll probably watch this episode at least one more time between now and Christmas. I love it. And I love the Christmas episodes for seasons 2, 3 and 4 ... in that order.

My goal this December was to watch something Christmas-ish every day. It's been rather hit or miss, but there are plenty of great Friends, Scrubs and OC Christmas episodes to keep me busy. And I've watched some part of Elf almost every day for the past week. 

I love Christmas ... and Christmas TV.

Forgot to mention a movie review ... go see Slumdog Millionaire. It's fantastic.

Faces

This is the current view from my balcony ... a cartoon woman with crazy eyes who is "experiencing overjoyment: priceless." Nice.

Last Christmas the ad was for Starbucks, and there was a huge scarf that started at one end of the shopping center and ended with another ad a few stores down. I was really hoping this year the ad would be for GAP and would feature the four SNL guys.

No such luck.

It's a great afternoon for resting and cleaning, while watching Titanic ("Listen to your friend Billy Zane ...") and Love Actually. Which means I'm not going to have time to write about Snuggies today. But soon.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Part 2)

Hello again! So, Thanksgiving has come and gone (thank goodness), and we're breezing through December. Today was our "festive holiday attire" contest ... pretty hard to have a bad day when your coworkers are wearing reindeer sweaters and jingle bell earrings.

I made my shirt myself. And I love it.

Tomorrow I plan to talk about the best, but most ridiculous, invention ever ... Snuggies!!! Anyone who says those commercials don't make their day is lying.

(Unrelated, but FYI -- here's why the Tropic Thunder commentary is awesome: 1) it's with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black and 2) Robert Downey Jr. is in character the entire time. Hilarious. I'm still of the opinion that Tom Cruise has gone 'round the bend, but I have to admit I thought he was great in this movie. And his dancing made my day.)