Cocktail Class at Cantina 1511

I was so psyched when my friend Sharon invited me to this! It's funny how people have gotten into the fact that I will almost always be in for a cheap and/or free event. Here's how the cocktail class worked at Cantina: for $15 you got to learn how to make and then subsequently drink 3 differents cocktails and then there was food too. My first thought was, OK, how much food and drink are we actually going to get? Well, the answer is a ton! Let's just say that it's a good thing that I walked after having my cocktails and I was stuffed. There was even dessert, 2 of them! The other cool thing is that we all got copies of all of the recipes for the food and the cocktails. Plus, there were a few drawings too, and we actually won Bobcats tickets. How cool is that?

Free Wine at Polished

I haven't treated myself to a manicure and pedicure in forever, so when my friend, Sarah, decided that is one of the things that she wanted to do for her bachelorette party, I was doubly excited for the party. I booked us girls at Polished, a favorite place of my friends, Meigan and Leyf, that I had never been to. Well, for starters, a manicure and pedicure at Polished is only $35, not bad. Here's the best part, while you are there you get free wine (or beer, soda, water, etc.) It was so fabulous being with all of the girls getting pampered and sipping our wine. Congratulations and good luck, Sarah!

Free Arby's Roastburger

I love getting free food, especially in this crazy economy. Plus, Arby's is my favorite fast food, OK, it and Chick-fil-a are tied, but free is still awesome. I definitely recommend joining Arby's Extras. Basically, you just sign up on the website and they will email you offers and info about new products at Arby's. The best part is that immediately when you sign up the first coupon on your email box will be for a free Roastburger when you buy a soda. This is a perfect coupon for me because I don't like fries, plus, drinks are less than $2, so for less than $2 you are getting a drink and a sandwich. And, yes, the Roastburger is as delicious as it looks on the TV. Go for the Bacon/ cheddar variety. I loved it!

Birthday Party at Swoozie's

Swoozies's celebrated their birthday over the weekend, and that can only mean good things for their customers. My mom and I headed over to check it out and were happy to find out that we would get 20% off of anything we purchased and they were handing out free delicious cupcakes that Tizzert's had made especially for the occasion. My mom found a hilarious pack of napkins that say, "Does this napkin make my butt look big?" We were cracking up, so, of course, she had to have them. She is going to use them the next time her girls come over and I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear all of their laughter! Nothing for me, except for that free cupcake, but keep your fingers crossed for me that they call and tell me that I won one of their drawings!

IKEA

At long last, I was able to make it up to the new IKEA, and, boy, was it ever worth it! I immediately walked in and just let out a sigh. Wonderfully chic items for my home that are super affordable just make me happy. And, why shouldn't they?
The first thing that I saw and loved was a beautiful table runner for my kitchen table. I've been meaning to replace my current one, but haven't found one that I liked and could afford. Well, this one was $7.99, it went right into the cart. Next, I found the matching chair cushions, another thing that I have been wanting but can't justify spending the money. These were $5.99 each, and I only have 4 chairs. That's right folks, complete refacing of the table for only $32. What is better than that? The other items that I bought were kind of boring but amazing because of their cheap-ness. I got a bowl for my cat for $.49 (yes, you read that correctly) and a spray bottle that buddy uses for his laundry for $.99.
I've heard a lot of people buzz that the items at IKEA are not good quality and that is why they are cheap. Don't assume that things need to be expensive to be good quality (Google Mitchum deodorant, nobody bought it when it was cheap, so the company raised the price and now people buy it. How stupid we are as consumers) I have many pieces of furniture from IKEA that I have had for 5+ years and they are all in excellent shape. IKEA is the best and don't let anyone tell you any differently!

Earring Sale at Maddi's Gallery

Have you been to this wonderfully cute gallery on East Blvd? Everything is adorable and unique. Yes, there are many expensive items (remember these things are made, not manufactured) but the fabulous thing about Maddi's is that they have a special every month. This month all earrings are 20% off and when you buy 4 pairs, your 4th pair is 30% off. I found a great pair that I can wear with just about anything. With the discount, I came out of there with a beautiful new accessory for less than $20.
Now, I can't fail to mention the other things that I bought that weren't in the earring category. I found a great necklace on their sale table that was half off (always check the sale table in any store first, that's my tip for you) Plus, Miss Mandy got a beautiful new collar that was only $12. They cost at least that at Petsmart and I'm happy to have supported someone who made that collar by hand. Plus, she looks beautiful. Both of us got accessorized!

Community Health Services Casino Night

OK, so at $45 per ticket, this isn't exactly cheap, but it is definitely a good value. For that $45 we got all we could eat (delicious food too), all we could drink (Carolina Blond and great wines) and gambling. Plus, this was a fundraiser for Community Health Services, so it all benefited a good cause. My thought it that if you tried to go out to eat at a restaurant, drank and then had some form of entertainment, you would likely spend more than $45/person, and wouldn't be helping anyone out. Oh, and we had a blast! All around, a good night!

Free Milkbone Dog Biscuits

So, I was thumbing through this week's People (free mini subscription, of course) and between the info on the Oscars and Michelle Obama, I came across a Milk Bone dog biscuit ad. And, at the bottom of that ad there was a coupon, and do you know what it said? "Get a free box on is!" Well, don't mind if I do. I'm sure that this coupon/ad is running in other magazines also, but it's for sure in the March 9, 2009 People with Michelle Obama on the cover wearing the awesome pink dress. It's almost worth it to buy the magazine to get the coupon, really. The pups need their treats anyway, so you may as well get yourself a magazine in the process. Mandy and Ella are certainly going to be excited for their free box of treats!