Free BJ’s membership anyone?

Bundle up in style with name-brand outerwear at affordable prices.  BJ's Wholesale Club has you covered for the cool fall and harsh winter with hot trends. Find jackets in leather and fur (faux of course!), classic coats in various textures and color, and sporty downs for superb warmth. With pricing starting at $29.99, you can shift your wardrobe with the cool factor – style and weather!

Here's how:

Buttery Texture Faux Leather
Big Chill Outerwear® Faux Leather Jacket - Exposed seam details with mandarin-style collar. Side pockets with zip detail. Available in gold dusted indigo, gold dusted black, cognac and plum. Sizes S to XL. $29.99 (MSRP $39.99)
Giacca Faux Leather and Fur Trimmed Jacket – Available in chocolate and luggage (tan) with faux fur lined collar. Sizes S to XL. $39.99 (MSRP $59.99)

 Updates on a Classic

Anne Klein® Pea Coat – Double breasted, hooded, waist length wool in black, charcoal purple, charcoal tweed and red tweed. Sizes S to XL. $49.99 (Compare to $129 at department stores)


Larry Levine Walker – Long single-breasted triple button-down wool in textures like bouclé and tweed and patterns like plaid. Sizes S to XL. $49.99 (Compare to $129 at department stores)



Sleek Voluminous Down

Kenneth Cole® Hooded Down Jacket – Long length in gunmetal (grey), black and champagne. Detachable faux fur trimmed hood. Sizes S to XL. $49.99 (Compare to $129 at department stores)


Kenneth Cole Short Down Jacket – Quilted down with a stand collar and detachable hood, zipper closure with hidden snaps, allover seam detailing and zipper pockets at the waist. Available in black, brown, amethyst, white and poppy. Sizes S-XL. $39.99 (MSRP $99-129, $10 off on Black Friday)



To start shopping visit www.bjs.com/locations to find a Club near you (styles vary by club).  If you are not a Member please visit this link for a free 60-Day Trial Membership, which must be activated by December 31, 2010.

Tuesday Tip - Food Drives & Collections

With the Holiday season approaching, I thought it appropriate to share a food donation list that is posted on our local food drive's website, about what items they regularly need to stock their pantry shelves throughout the year.

Tip: Perhaps this year, you can help out your local food bank by asking your guests to bring a food donation item when they attend a party or play date at your house?


BEVERAGES
Coffee, Juice

BOXED GOODS
Spaghetti, Pasta, Rice
Macaroni & Cheese dinner
Instant Potatoes
Breakfast Cereal

CANNED GOODS
Spaghetti Sauce
Fruits, Vegetables
Tuna, Ham, Chicken
Stew and Pasta Meals
Soup, Beans

TOILETRIES
Toothpaste, Toothbrushes
Shaving Products, Soap, Deodorant
Shampoo, Conditioner
Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Tissues

MISCELLANEOUS
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Sugar, Flour, Oil
Pancake Mix & Syrup
Laundry & Dish Detergent

*And do you have lots of plastic grocery bags laying around the house waiting to be recycled? The food banks need them!

Include extra paper/plastic grocery bags with your donation. Our food bank asks that you don’t separate them, as they distribute the food to their clients in the same bags.

(This list was taken from The Lord's Pantry website)

Tuesday Tip - Pillow Pets!

In my house Pillow Pets have been the rage for the last year or so. I remember last Christmas they were sold out everywhere and I ended buying ours through QVC (which might have been the best deal in the end).

These pillows are super soft and you can throw them in the washing machine which is a huge bonus! I buy these pillow pets for birthday gifts as well, since they're an affordable price point.

So my tip today: Pillow Pets can be purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond right now (ladybug, unicorn, bee, and dog) for $19.99 PLUS you can use one of your B, B, & B 20% off coupons (which they take all the time, even if expired), making it a grand total of just $15.99 + tax. Now that's a deal!

Hurry now to buy your pillow pet gifts before the holiday rush begins!  I have also seem themm advertised at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, Walmart, and online of course....but with the 20% coupon, Bed, Bath, and Beyond has been the best deal I've seen.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tip

I am a 'list person.' 

Being a visual learner I love making lists to organize my thoughts, what I need to do, ideas for gifts, groceries, you name it!  The best part is crossing off the items and just seeing all that you've accomplished.  However in my life, sometimes I don't even have the time to make a list.  Sometimes I think of something brilliant to write down....but am not in the ideal situation to make note of my thoughts (ie. driving in the car, laying in bed at night, in the shower...you get the drift). 

So recently, I have been using my cell phone to make my lists!

Hence, my tip of the day:  Use your voice record feature on your cell phone to record your thoughts and listen to them later when you have the time.  If you don't have the voice record on your phone, send yourself a voicemail!

Are you a list person?  Do you have a great technique for your lists?  Please share....

Tuesday Tip - Rainy Day Soup

We have been having a LOT of rain lately here on the East coast so I decided to break out my Cooks Illustrated cookbook & try a homemade soup recipe.  I picked the Tortilla Soup.  It is awesome!  This is a must try and you will not be disappointed at all....oh, and the best part is that it only takes 30 minutes.

Tortilla Soup

6 C low-sodium ckn broth (suggested brand, Swanson Nat'l Goodness)
1 lb. bonless, skinless ckn. breasts, S&P
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1 T minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (found in the int'l food aisle) - you can freeze the rest of chilies too!
2 t tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T fresh lime juice
4 oz. tortilla chips, crushed into lg. pieces (about 4 C)
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 ripe avocado, pitted & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 C fresh cilantro leaves

(T = tbsp., t = tsp., C = cup)

1. Heat broth: bring to a boil, covered, in a large saucepan and set aside.

2. Season & brown chicken:  Meanwhile, pat ckn. dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large dutch oven over med-high heat until just smoking.  Add ckn. and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 mins.  Transfer ckn. to plate.

3. Brown onions and add seasonings:  Add onion and 1/2 t salt to far left in dutch oven and cook over med-high heat until lightly browned, 3- 5 minutes.  Stir in chipotle, tomato paste, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add broth and poach chicken:  Turn heat to low and stir in hot broth, scraping up any browned bits.  Add browned ckn.  Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in center, about 10 mins.  Remove ckn. from pot.  Increase heat to med-high and cook to meld flavors, 5 mins.

5. Shred Ckn, season, and finish:  While soup is simmering, shred ckn. into bite-sized pieces.  Off heat, stir in lime juice and season with S&P to taste.  Divide tortilla chips, shredded ckn., tomatoes, and avocado among the individual bowls.  Ladle broth over each bowl, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

To store the soup, make sure you do not add the tortilla chips because they will get soggy.

Enjoy!