Thursday, January 31, 2013

New Website Love: Groop Dealz!

A few months ago I saw someone post about how they bought a J.Crew-esque bubble necklace on a site called Groop Dealz.  I was a bit intrigued, so I checked it out and signed up to see if it was worth my time.

Hot pink bubble necklace...  Just as cute as J.Crew's for a fraction of the price!

I've been getting their e-mails for a few months now, but I just made my first purchase about a month and a half  ago.  It's kinda funny because ever since I've made about 8 purchases from that site!  I must say that so far, I'm a fan and definitely think it's a site worth checking out.

Wrist candy!

The best way to explain it is that Groop Dealz is pretty much a cross between Groupon and Etsy.  If those 2 sites got together and had a baby, it would be Groop Dealz.  The items are more along the lines of the accessories and some decor you would find on Etsy, but discounted for short periods of time in a Groupon-time deal.

I sent my mom the link to Groop Dealz and she got me the 2 smaller pairs of earrings.  I purchased the white and pink ones for myself.

I've made quite a few jewelry purchases on Groop Dealz over the past few months and have been really pleased with all of them so far.  It's by no means high-end jewelry, but it's definitely cute stuff at really good prices.  I'm not one to drop much money on jewelry and accessories (quantity > quality), so this site has  been a super fun find for me!

LOVE this mint necklace!  

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you're interested in joining / ordering from Groop Dealz...

Pay attention to the estimated shipping dates.  Most items I've looked at aren't set to ship immediately, so keep that in mind in case you want something by a certain date.  My bracelet came within a few days and my bubble necklace actually showed up in my mailbox two days before the estimated ship date, so I really have no complaints with this.  It's just something to keep an eye on.

Different deals run for different amounts of time.  Some deals are only for a few hours and some run for a week or so.  I've seen several things (and colors) sell out before their time is up, so you may not want to always assume it will be available until the end.  

Different items may ship from different sellers, which also means that even if you buy something at the same time, the shipping costs and times may vary.  You can pay altogether, but there isn't really a standard shipping rate across the site.  I'd say about half of the items I've purchased have had free shipping and most things appear to have shipping at $3.99 or less for the first item (and free or discounted if you're buying multiples).

Finally, some items have limits on how many you can buy.  I think so far the free gold bracelet was the only item I've seen with a limit of only one.  I actually like this since I'm sure some people would buy everything in stock if they could.

This chunky gold necklace adds so much to a plain outfit.

I've only had one mistake made with an order...  I ordered earrings in 2 colors and they sent me 2 of the same color.  I e-mailed using the order info on the website and I had a reply that it would be taken care of.  (The reply came within less than 2 hours!)  They sent the correct ones immediately and fixed the problem, so I've been very pleased with the customer service!

A closeup of my arrow necklace...  I love this one so much!

If you're into inexpensive accessories, this is definitely a website you can get hooked on!

This adorable gray polka dot scarf is perfect to pair with brights or neutrals.

Have you bought anything from Groop Dealz?  
If so, what goodies have you purchased?




(I'm sure this sounds like a sponsored post, but it's not.  This is just me wanting to share something I've come to really enjoy!)

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Math Tools & Storage ~ Part 2

On Monday I shared my manipulative storage drawers that my students use each day.  Today I wanted to share how the students keep their own tools in order and together in their desks.


At the beginning of the school year I give each child their own math resource pocket...  It's simply a manila envelope that I've laminated to last all year.  They keep these pockets in their desk to store various tools that they make.  As you can see, we do a lot of foldables, so this is a great way for the kids to keep those handy to refer back to.  Our math curriculum, Everyday Math, also has the students make a lot of things, so this keeps them all contained in one place.  


My theory is that there's no point in making these kinds of tools if the kids can't use them later on.  These resource pockets are the perfect solution to keeping them handy for daily use.


Do you have any great organization or storage tips for math tools and manipulatives?  
I'd love to hear and see what organization systems you've made work in your classrooms!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

To Do Tuesday

Here are last week's goals...
  • Complete at least 2 blog posts.  I did pretty well on this one.  I've got several already up and a few more schedule to post this week!
  • Workout at least 3 times.  I'm going to say this one is mostly a success.  I only went to the gym twice, but with our steps / walking / pedometer competition going on at school I've been trying to fit in a lot more walking during the work day.  I've been walking laps around the playground with my students, which has been super fun.  I have only 5 girls in my class this year, so it's been kind of fun to walk and chat with a few of my girls and have some extra girl time while we're outside!
  • Get caught up on grading for school.  I can't say I'm completely caught up, but I'm definitely way better off than I was this time last week.  I stayed late on Friday and hammered out a lot of work that had been piling up.  
  • Cook a real meal at least once.  Win.  I did this over the weekend when I had time and motivation, but that still counts.  I didn't eat out at all this past week and bought a few more groceries to make "real" food in the coming weeks.
  • Avoid unnecessary shopping.  I made one online purchase (which I was already considering), but other than that the only shopping I did was to get my Clinique clarifying lotion and birthday gifts at Sephora.  I popped into Gap, but wasn't all that tempted to get anything.
And now this week's goals...
  • Prep for conferences.  Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in a couple weeks, so I want to get a head start on filling out forms and getting all of those things prepped.
  • Cook a real meal at least once.  Same as last week!
  • Workout at least 3 times.  I'm hoping to make it to the gym at least 3 times on top of my extra walking at work.  If it's nice outside, I'm going to try to continue walking with the kids when I have a chance.
  • Clean and decorate at home.  I didn't decorate for Christmas this year, so I have some fall things still out.  I know it's early, but I'm thinking some springy decor may be in order.  I'd also like to find my dining table...  I know it's somewhere under that pile of junk.
  • Clean my crap pile behind my desk at work.  The corner behind my desk has kind of become a catch-all for random stuff in my classroom.  It's driving me nuts!
What's on your to do list this week?  
Have you been accomplishing your goals?

Monday, January 28, 2013

Math Tools & Storage ~ Part 1

One of my goals for the new year was to work on balancing my blogging and getting back to writing about teaching-related things.  I've kind of been at a loss on what to post about, though.  

To draw inspiration, I've been looking around my classroom at some of the things that I think work and make things run a little smoother on a daily basis.  

One of those things took a few years to develop, but it totally works for my classroom...  
My math storage drawers!


I changed my manipulative organization when we switched to Everyday Math a few years ago.  I knew that since the curriculum spirals I needed to have these tools on hand for the kids all the time.

You can find these drawers at places like Wal-Mart and Target, most frequently during the back to school / dorm shopping season.  I found these at Big Lots for less than $20.  I designated 1 drawer for each table group.  This has 5 drawers and I typically only have 4 groups, so we usually put the extra supplies in the "Group 5" drawer.  (My aunt is a first grade teacher and she bought 4 of these drawer sets and uses them for all of her phonics and reading skill activities!)

Within the drawer we keep math tools that the kids need access to on a daily basis.  It's not all of the manipulatives, but it's enough to get them through most of their daily work.  Inside each drawer you'll find calculators, clocks, unifix cubes, rulers, tape measures, money, Everyday Math cards, and pattern blocks.  (Some items I just have a small set in a plastic baggie and we take out the full set on an as-needed basis.) 



Within the drawers I have some smaller plastic tubs to keep things in a little bit better order.  Those smaller tubs are from the Target dollar section.  We also store the Everyday Math cards in travel soap containers.  My old principal saw that idea somewhere (since the cards are the same size as regular playing cards), so she bought a huge lot of soap dishes on eBay.

What makes this organization work?  It's totally accessible to the kids.  We go through everything at the beginning of the school year and I tell the kids that pretty much except for the calculators, they can grab and use whatever tool they need whenever they need it.  If they're doing independent work I don't even make them ask me first...  They just know to go get it from their group's drawer and where it goes when they are done.  

Check back here on Wednesday for part 2 of my math organization to see how the students store their own tools at their desks!

Happy Monday!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

January Birchbox

I somehow skipped doing a Birchbox review in December.  I blame it on the fact that I think I dismantled it (I gave my mom a few things right off the bat) before I even got home and then tossed the actual box into my Christmas wrapping pile.  I'm pretty sure everyone in my family ended up getting a gift wrapped in a Birchbox...  And then my mom stole them all for next Christmas.  

Anyway, this month's box was alright.  Not necessarily my favorite, but I was happy with what I got.



The Balm "Put a Lid On It" - I like all of the product that I've tried from The Balm.  I've just started using eye shadow primer in the past year and so far have just used minis of various brands.  I'm glad to have another one to try and I'm sure this little one will last quite a while.  

Viva La Juicy - I already have this perfume and love it.  I like getting new perfumes to try, but I was perfectly okay with getting a mini of this fave.

Amika Color pHerfection Shampoo - I haven't used this yet...  It's been put in my travel box and will get used at some point!  It smells pretty nice, though!

Juice Beauty Daily Essentials Organics To Go - I've become a bit leery about skin products after one of my Birchbox samples broke me out.  I'll give these a try one of these days, but I'm honestly not that excited about these.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (24 Hr. Miracle Cream) - I haven't really used this one much yet, but it says it can be a moisturizer and a makeup remover.  I'm kind of in that transition stage with my skincare between fighting breakout and preventing aging, so I do like trying some of these "miracle" products that are supposed to restore your skin.  



I'm hopeful that Birchbox will come out with some fun items as we move towards spring.  I seem to get a full size something every 2 or 3 months, so I feel like I might be due for something nice and big sometime soon.

What was in your January Birchbox?

How did you like your goodies?

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Budgeting Bloggers ~ January Ridiculousness

When I did my last "Budgeting Bloggers" post I hadn't had much luck with after Christmas shopping.  About 2 days later, though, my luck took a turn and the after Christmas shopping began!  I worked all but about 3 days of my Christmas "break", so I allotted a chunk of that money to shopping.  I went out of town last weekend and was able to hit some outlets and stores that I don't normally get to shop at.  I bought A LOT this month, but I'm really happy with my purchases and I plan to really tighten the wallet next month!


Abercrombie Fitch hoody



It's probably been years since I've been in Abercrombie, but I stopped in to check out their sales in hopes of getting my brother some clothes and ended up with this hoodie for myself.  Oops!  I totally love the neon coral color!  I don't buy too many hoodies these days, but I thought this one would be great as we move to spring.


Yup, you read that right...  $3!  I found these in my size a few days after Christmas marked down to $4.95 with an additional 40% off.   They're totally out of my element, but surprisingly work.  (They're totally a dark neon fuchsia.)  I've already worn them to work once and got lots of compliments on my cute hot pink pants! 


I love my Tippi sweaters and decided that the sale and free shipping was enough to justify another purchase.  These sweaters have become one of my closet basics in the past year.  I bought this one in "neon fuchsia" since I've been loving brights lately!

Collection cashmere Tippi sweater
image via j.crew.com

Target Ruffle Shirt - $6 (after gift card)

Merona® Women's Sleeveless Ruffle Top - Assorted Colors

I'd been eyeing this top since Whitney at Along the Lines of Style bought it in several colors.  I patiently waiting for it to go on sale (and then even more sale) and finally snagged it on clearance after Christmas!  I bought the white (which appears to be sold out online) as a wardrobe basic.

Revlon Lip Butter (Creme Brulee) - $6 (purchased with gift card)

I've wanted this Lip Butter for a while, so when I had a few Wal-Mart gift cards I decided to get a few makeup items before my makeup shopping ban.

NYX Lip Gloss (Beautiful) - $3 (with coupon)

This was another final makeup purchase before the ban.  With all of the bright clothing items I've been buying I'd wanted to get a pink lip gloss that wasn't over-the-top bright.

Forever 21 Spike Necklace - $9


Image via forever21.com

I've wanted to join in on the spike trend for a while, but I didn't want anything that was "too much." I love Forever 21 for their accessories and fell in love with this necklace.  I love that it's a teensy bit edgy, but still cute and sparkly!

Groop Dealz Arrow Necklace - $6

This thing is so freakin' cute!  I'm kind of obsessed with Groop Dealz right now (a whole post on that coming soon).


Groop Dealz Daisy Bib Necklace - $7

This one had popped up on Groop Dealz a few times and I finally decided on the mint color.  Can you tell I'm kind of a sucker for inexpensive accessories?

VS Pink Long Sleeve V-Neck Tees - $15 each (with birthday coupon)

I went in to VS with my birthday coupon planning to get something cheap from their semi-annual and ended up getting two casual tees.  I'm not saying they're completely useless (I'm quite a fan actually), but they weren't really a need for me.  I bought mint and purple (for K-State) and love them for their comfy, slightly slouchy fit.

Marc Jacobs Rose Gold Pouch - $21 (purchased with gift card)
Source: keep.com via Keep.com on Pinterest


This was from Target's collaboration with Neiman Marcus.  I'd really liked this, but wasn't going to drop $70 on it, so when it went down to $21 I started considering it more.  Then I saw (on a blog, of course) that it was the perfect size for an iPad Mini and decided that it would be a perfect purchase with my gift card.  I love Marc Jacobs, but can't afford most of what I want, so this totally satisfies that craving as well.

J.Crew Factory Charley Sweater - $39

Factory Charley sweater
Image via J.Crew Factory
This is the factory version of the Tippi and they're practically identical.  I don't buy much blue at all, but I found myself very drawn to this color and loved how it looked paired with yellow.

J.Crew Factory Scarf - $6

Factory printed eyelash scarf
Image via  J.Crew Factory
I grabbed this scarf off a display thinking it was 30% off the full price and was pleasantly surprised to find it was on clearance with 50% off plus my 15% teacher discount!  It's so bright and fun for when I want to add a pop of color.

Loft Outlet Earrings - $15

These were buy one get one half and I was so attracted to the colors.  And of course, I had to get two pair that go with my new sweaters...  One pink pair and one blue pair!

Loft Outlet Sequin Stripe Tank - $7

I've been loving the sequin tanks, but didn't love the prices that many of them came with.  Not true with this lovely in navy and cream! (Even better it was originally $40!)

Gap Outlet Aubrey Skinny Crop Pants - $34

I've found I wear my skinnies to work a lot more than my wider-legged black pants, so I was super happy to find these that fit so well.  Unfortunately my phone didn't want to load my $10 reward coupon, but I still saved 30% and I've still got the coupon for later.

J.Crew Colorblock Stripe Tee - $25

J Crew t shirt
Image via J.Crew / Polyvore


I mentioned that I bought the JCP version of this tee, but when I saw this year's one at J.Crew I thought I'd give theirs another try.  I liked the fit a lot more than the one I tried last year and I fell for the orange and blue combo.  My friend and I both ended up buying this, so it's probably good we don't live near each other!

Banana Republic Polka Dot Tank - $12

I've been eyeing this for months and finally found it on clearance when I was out of town.  I don't usually go to stores I have at home, but that particular BR just remodeled / relocated so I went in to check it out.  I'm so happy I did because I think my local BR was sold out of these!  (Check it and a few of my other buy out in this photo.)

H&M Gray Tee - $10

H M t shirt


Image via H&M / Polyvore

This was a cute, casual tee perfect for layering or for warm weather.  You can't really see it, but there are little flecks of bright colors in the fabric.  It's better than a plain gray tee!

H&M Stripe Sweater - $18

Silly pic of myself...
I've been on the hunt for the perfect black and white striped tops this season and have come up short.  H&M to the rescue!

Forever 21 Necklace - $2

Another item I've considered for a while, so of course I said yes when I found it on clearance for 2 bucks!

TOTAL = $310

Minus Extra Income (selling clothes and textbook as well as part-time work) - $216

= $94

It's not so bad when I consider that only $94 came from my regular income / clothing budget.

***

Yes, I bought a lot and spent a lot, but I'm actually really happy with all of my purchases this month.  I definitely wouldn't have bought that much if it hadn't been for my extra income and going out of town.  Other than the 2 items for H&M and the spiked necklace, nothing was full-price!  If I added correctly my full-price total would have been well over $600!  Crazy, huh?!?

February Budget Plan

Since a lot of my recent purchases are things that will transition into spring, I'm going to take a pretty easy on the shopping in February.
  • No shirts / sweaters!  This is a hard one for me, but I'm going to try not buying any new tops for a month.  I did it last April-ish, so I know I can do it again.  
  • No non-essential makeup.  I'm doing another month without makeup purchases.  I'm one month strong!  I've had a few moments of temptation, but I'm kind of liking this challenge for myself.
  • No nail polish.  I think this one is going to continue to be fairly easy because I already have a great selection to choose from!
  • Limited accessory purchases.  I've gone a little accessory crazy lately and I did get a few goodies for Christmas.  I'm not going to say "no" on this one, but I'm definitely not going to try to limit this one.
  • Focus on the bottom half.  By this I mean pants and shoes.  I don't need jeans, but I'd love to find work pants that aren't black.  I wouldn't mind finding work-appropriate skirts either.  I also still need workout shoes and other shoes that I could wear to work.
Aside from shoe purchases, my goal is to keep February's spending under $75, preferably $50. It's a bit of a challenge, but I'm up for it!  I'm looking at going on a short vacation with friends next month, but since I'll most likely be traveling with 2 guy friends I probably won't do much, if any, shopping.  That may be a good thing!

Sorry that this is a ridiculously looooooong post.  That's what happens when I do a lot of shopping in one month!  I promise next month will be a lot shorter!

What did you get this past month?  Link up with the rest of us Budgeting Bloggers over at Franish to share and see what others purchased!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Fashion Friday: Fails

I think of myself as a somewhat fashionable person.  I don't follow every trend that crosses my path, but I also feel like I embrace some earlier than other people do.

My motto when shopping and trying things on is to give pretty much anything a chance at least once or twice.  I've definitely learned what works and looks best on my body type, but sometimes I just have to try something "just in case."

The following are some of the items I've found to be a personal fashion fail on me.  These are things I wish looked good on me, but are just typically fails.  They're all cute items, just not what works for me.

Fashion Fails



Button-Down Shirts - I love the look of a cute button down shirt layered under another shirt.  I just don't love that look on me.  Those kinds of shirts just don't work well on me and without fail when layered add about 20 pounds of visual weight.  Not good.

Hi-Low Hemlines - I was excited about this trend at first and then I actually gave it a try.  Major fail.  I'm too short to pull this off.  I've tried this one repeatedly and have failed every time.

Loafers - Target has had the cutest loafers over the past year.  I bought the most fun bright pink pair on sale last spring, wore them once, and it was one of the most painful work days ever.  My feet are wide-ish and those shoes literally rub me the wrong way.

Pretty Much Anything Silky (& Non-Stretchy) - The overwhelming majority of these tops just don't fit me and my curves.  I feel like my proportions are always off when it comes to shirts like this.

Pencil Skirts - Another thing that just doesn't work for my body type.  I tried some at J.Crew recently and it was bad.  Really bad.

What are some of your fashion fails?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

What I Wore To Work

Tara over at Mix & Match Fashion is hosting a "What I Wore To Work" linky today!  I've linked up with her for "Teachers Have Class and Style" a few times, but this time she wanted to open it up to everyone.

Since I don't really have anyone to take pics of me and I don't have a tripod, I decided to have a little a lot of fun with my camera and my mirror.  Just be warned I got a little cheesy.

Sorry these don't show my full outfit, but I can never seem to get good pics from my full length mirror.  The bottom half is pretty dull anyway...  Just dressy black skinnies and black boots (that I don't even think look all that great).  

These are 2 looks that I'd put in the "dressed up casual" category.  They're not super dressy or all that professional, but they're also not completely schlumy and frumpy.  These are the types of outfits you'd find me in on a typical non-jeans day of teaching when I don't have any special meetings or observations.  


I love my denim jacket from Gap.  I wear it to work a lot because it's so versatile and a great layering piece. This one is a nice medium wash that goes with pretty much everything.


This is my new color block tee from J.Crew.  I wasn't so sure about the orange and navy combo, but I actually really love it.  The necklace is from GroopDealz.  


I told  you I had some fun with my camera!


Yes, the sunglasses had to come out.  I'm just that cool.

What I wore to work yesterday:



Sorry this is a little fuzzy, but it's pretty much the only glimpse you get of my pants.  I love this outfit combo!


I was super happy to find this sweater at H&M recently.  I'd totally been itching to pair some black and white strips with my leopard scarves.  


Here's a look at the outfit with my gray leopard scarf.  


Too cool for school.

What I'm wearing to work today:

Gap Leopard Scarves
Mossimo Stretch Ankle Pants

So, I took these pics yesterday...  I woke up to get ready for work only to discover I had no running water in my apartment!  Ugh!  (Some sort of pipe burst in my neighborhood.)  I couldn't take a shower or anything, so I had to prep myself as best as possible without running water.  My hair isn't at its finest, but not horrible either.  Thank God for headbands and ponytails!  

Come back tomorrow for my Fashion Friday post on my fashion fails!  

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

{Blog} Creeper

I had a slight creeper moment when I was out shopping this past weekend...

And I felt like the creeper.

I was out of town and popped into a store to look at a few items.  It was super cold outside, so I was a bit flustered as I made my way into the store.  Then sales associate greeted me and introduced herself.  As a untangled myself from my scarf and windblown hair I looked at her and instantly thought, "I know her from somewhere..."

As I walked around shopping I kept trying to place where I knew her from and probably kept looking at her like a creeper (or maybe a shoplifter trying to scope out the store).  Finally, after she let me into a fitting room it occurred to me where I knew her from...

HER BLOG!

Yup, I totally follow her blog.  

I contemplated whether or not to say anything to her, but I couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make me sound like a total blog creeper.  I didn't say anything in the end although my mom said it would have been a fun and kind gesture to let her know that I read and enjoy her blog.  

Has this happened to anyone else?!?

And of course using the word "creep" so many times makes me totally think of this song...  

Oh TLC, you were one of the best things to come from my late elementary school years!


To Do Tuesday

Let's start by revisiting last week's goals...

  • Complete 3 blog posts.  I did well on this one.  Yay!
  • Workout at least 3 times.  Fail.  I ended up a lot busier in the evenings than normal and then went out of town for 3 days, so I only made it once.  I really wished I would have made it at least 1 other time, but that just wasn't going to happen.  
  • Get (and stay) caught up with school stuff.  Epic fail.  Last week was one of the most overwhelming and emotional weeks of school I've ever experienced.  I had some pretty serious things going on with a couple students, reading and math observations, interim assessments, and other obligations that pretty much took away all of my plan time 4 out of 5 days.  I had some urgent needs arise, so just my regular grading and planning had to go on the back burner.  *sigh*  Maybe next week.
  • Contact at least 1 friend I haven't talked to lately.  Well, one of my friends beat me to it and she called me!  It was great talking to her, though!
  • Take some clothes to the resale shop.  I got this done Friday afternoon and walked away with over $30.  I should have gone in earlier since they weren't buying a lot of winter clothing anymore, but I was still pretty happy to walk away with that much money and a few less items taking up space in my house.
And now for this week's goals...

  • Complete at least 2 blog posts.  This might be aiming low, but I just have to prioritize right now.
  • Workout at least 3 times.  We're starting a pedometer competition at school this week and I'm a team captain.  Go us!
  • Get caught up on grading for school.  I really try hard to stay on top of this, but it's usually the first thing to get moved down on the list when other things come up.  
  • Cook a real meal at least once.  By this I mean, at least one meal that I "make" at home won't be a box of mac and cheese, tuna helper, or a bag of steamer veggies.  I have zero motivation to cook after a long day at work, especially when it's only for myself.  I don't hate cooking, but I just don't see the point most of the time.
  • Avoid unnecessary shopping.  I just went on a shopping trip this weekend, so this one should be easy.  I'm trying to cut out those "Oh I'm bored" shopping trips.  I don't feel like I'll have time to be bored anyway.
Have you accomplished much lately?

Monday, January 21, 2013

Winter Weekend Getaway

I've been itching to get out of town for a while and ended up working a lot over my Christmas "break" so I decided to take advantage of the 3-day holiday weekend.  I decided to hit the road head to KC to visit some friends and family and, of course, do some shopping!  

By the time you read this, I'll probably be on my way back, but I thought I'd share a peek at what I like to take for a short weekend away.  I did a similar post last fall, but a few things have changed, plus it was still pretty hot then and I was going to a wedding.




Winter Shopping Weekend



Since I stayed with 2 different friends on my 2 nights there I tried to keep my packing pretty simple and go for multitasking items.  I've totally left my entire cosmetic bag at a friend's house up there before!  The weather was cool, but mild, so I opted for Columbia fleece jacket and left my big puffy black coat at home.  (I hate shopping in that puffy coat!  It gets sooooo hot!)  

I'll be sure to post my purchases when I do this month's Budgeting Bloggers post in a week or so.  This was kind of my last big shopping excursion for a month or 2, so that's going to be a pretty big post!

I must say, I love road trips...  iPods and GPS make them even better these days!  

What do you pack for a weekend away?

HAPPY MONDAY!