black friday

Save More on Black Friday with Shopular #BlackFridaySurvivalKit

November 19, 2014 by Tara Kuczykowski 1 Comment

If you’re not familiar with Shopular, this is one app you’re definitely going to want to check out before Black Friday! Shopular delivers the best deals from your favorite retailers directly to your phone.

You choose which deals you want to see by selecting your favorite stores. Shopular can even notify you of coupons and deals based on your current location. That’s right, when you allow Shopular access to your current location, the app can push you offers directly to your mobile phone as soon as you walk into a store! No login is required, and the coupons are updated daily.

As I mentioned, Shopular is going to be a fantastic resource for Black Friday! Not only will it notify you about any coupons as you’re shopping, but it will also give you easy access to the digital ads for your favorite stores. Just visit the Black Friday page in the Shopular app, and you’ll find convenient links to the Black Friday tabs for all of the stores that you currently have listed as favorites.

In addition to these 10 Tips for Surviving Black Friday that I’ve shared in the past, you may want to consider putting together a Black Friday Survival Kit to keep in your car. Shopular put together a fun little kit for me, so I thought I’d share it with you to give you some ideas.

Shopular Black Friday Survival Kit

Reusable Shopular Shopping Bag — Toting your own shopping bag eliminates the need to carry multiple smaller packages, and it’s better for the environment. Win on all levels!
Stress Ball — Even though you shouldn’t need to stress over saving money with the Shopular app, there are bound to be a few of “those moments” when you just need to take a deep breath and relax. Give a stress ball a squeeze to release some of that tension!
Crazy Rumors Lip Balm — I’m a lip balm junkie, so I couldn’t pass up trying this all natural, vegan and organic lip treat. It leaves my lips smooth and the peppermint flavor is a great pick-me-up!
Quest Bars — You’re going to need some extra sustenance to shop all night, and Quest Bars will give you the nutrition and energy you need to power through without resorting to a drive-thru run!
Foot Petals — Keep your toes energized with Foot Petals plush insoles, because there’s nothing worse than hobbling from store to store on sore feet!
VerMints — My friends know that I always have a stash of chewing gum and mints in my purse. VerMints are organic and gluten-free, and the cinnamon flavor is a great alternative to mint!
Simbihaiti Hair Bracelet — My hair sure has a mind of its own at time, so I’m never without extra hair ties. These Simbihaiti Hair Bracelets can be kept in my purse of worn on my wrist for easy access at all times!
Cosmetic Boulevard Coffee Scrub — When the shopping day is done, rejuvenate with this refreshing body scrub to moisturize and exfoliate your skin!
Dearfoams Slippers — Finally, slip your tired tootsies into a pair of Dearfoams slippers to give your feet some much needed R&R after a long day of deal hunting!

In addition to these items, I think I’d also add a refillable water bottle and some hand warmers — you know, in case I get stuck in one of those frigid outdoor lines! Can you think of anything else you’d want to include in your Black Friday Survival Kit? Start gathering your must-have items now (and don’t forget to download Shopular)!

This post is brought to you by Shopular. All opinions are 100% mine.

Blame It All On My Roots $24.96 at Walmart + That Time I Met Garth Brooks…

November 27, 2013 by Tara Kuczykowski 2 Comments

Me and Garth Brooks go way back… Well, not really, but I have been a fan for many years, and I have fond memories of singing karaoke to “Friends In Low Places” with my sorority sisters in college. Good times!

Sadly though, I’ve never had the opportunity to see him in concert, so I was super excited to learn about the exclusive boxed set, Blame It All On My Roots, that he’s releasing at Walmart’s Black Friday event (starting at 6:00pm local time on Thursday 11/28)! Not only does it contain a two hour DVD of one of Garth’s concerts recorded live at The Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, but it also includes four new studio albums that feature Garth performing songs by his greatest musical influences, one for each genre — Classic Country, Classic Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul and the Melting Pot.

If you’re a fan and want to win the opportunity to see Garth Brooks in concert, here’s where you want to pay close attention:

TWO STEPS TO ENTER

Buy Garth Brooks’ boxed set only at Walmart, available November 28th beginning 6:00pm local time. (No purchase necessary to enter. Certain restrictions apply.)

Three lucky winners and their 3 friends will meet and see Garth Brooks perform live and receive: all expense paid trips to Las Vegas, 2 night stay at the Wynn Resort, opportunity to meet Garth, autographed boxed set , Garth Brooks gift bag, Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy S III & one year service!!!

———————

So now let me tell you about the time this happened…

Yes, that’s me and Garth Brooks, aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! It all started when the folks at Walmart asked if I’d be willing to take a last-minute trip to Nashville to talk with Garth about the boxed set release. Um, yes?!? And when I found out that some of my best blogging friends were invited too, well, there was no chance I was passing up this opportunity.

(Monica of Mommy Brain Reports, me, Lori of A Cowboy’s Wife, and Christine of From Dates to Diapers)

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but we packed SO much fun into it! We started the day off at the Country Music Hall of Fame, where we learned a ton about country music’s roots and saw memorabilia owned by famous country musicians over the years. I especially loved the Reba McEntire exhibit, which included a number of dresses she’s worn in concert and to awards shows over the years — lots of red in there!

We had some time to kill, so we walked up and down Broadway Street, checking out the honky tonks and doing a little shopping. There’s not a whole lot going on during the day, but I fully intend to go back again when I can hang out for an evening!

From here, we drove to Garth Brooks’ private recording studio for lunch. And this wasn’t just any lunch, but a fabulous homestyle meal of chicken fried chicken, creamed corn, roasted vegetables, green beans with ham, warm biscuits, and at least three different kinds of pie for dessert.

I was under the impression that we wouldn’t be meeting with Garth until later, but as luck would have it, just as I took a huge bite of those delicious green beans, in he walked, introduced himself, and immediately started asking us where we were all from.

To be honest, I’m not sure I would have recognized him on the street. Wearing an Oklahoma State sweatshirt and jeans, he didn’t quite fit that image that I had in my mind, you know, with the cowboy hat and all. But he seriously was just as nice and genuine as can be. He grabbed a piece of chicken and a napkin and just stood and talked to us for quite awhile while we were eating, until he finally to go take care of a few last minute details before we got to check out the studio.

After lunch we headed down to the recording studio where we had the opportunity to take some photos before hearing some of the new tracks from Blame It All On My Roots. I was under the impression that we’d be doing some formal interviews with Garth, but it was really just more like hanging out with an old friend for an afternoon, laughing and chatting.

I can tell you all that he’s very proud of these new studio albums, and he went out of his way to ensure that he stayed as true to the original recordings as possible. It was such an amazing experience to hear him share how each of the songs that he chose has influenced his music and see how much respect he has for these artists. It was truly an unforgettable experience!

Garth Brooks’ Blame It All On My Roots will be available starting at 6:00pm local time on Thursday 11/28 exclusively at Walmart for just $24.96. It’s definitely on my Christmas list!

P.S. If you’re really into the behind the scenes kind of stuff, check out this video that Lori put together with a bunch of clips from our visit.

A Visit with Garth Brooks!

Walmart Moms Disclosure

Walmart Black Friday Ad 2013 #BlackFriday

November 21, 2013 by Tara Kuczykowski 1 Comment

Can you believe that Black Friday is only a week away? Yeah, me either. My hubby and I are heading out for a much needed mini vacation, so I won’t be hitting the stores on Friday this year, but I do want to point out a few details for those of you planning to shop at Walmart.

One-Hour Guarantee

Walmart has expanded their One-Hour Guarantee this year from 3 items to 21 deeply discounted items, including:

Vizio® 60” Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV – $688 (a $310 savings)
Apple iPad® mini Wi-Fi 16GB (two colors) – $299 with a $100 Walmart gift card
Funai 32” LED 720p HDTV – $98 (special buy)
Furby Boom!™ – $29 (a $30 savings)
HP® Pavillion TouchSmart 14-B109WM Laptop – $278 (special buy)
Call of Duty® Ghosts (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) – $39.96 (a $20 savings)
LG® Blu-ray™ Player – $38 (special buy)
Graco ® Travel System (stroller and infant car seat) – $99 (special buy)
1 Carat T.W. Diamond and Sterling Silver Pendant and Earring Set – $98
Assassins Creed, NBA 2K14, Batman, Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) – $34 each (a $25.96 savings)
8 p.m. One-Hour Guarantee:
Beats™ by Dr. Dre ® Solo Headphones – $114.95 (a $85 savings)
Straight Talk ® Galaxy Centura™ prepaid phone – $29 (a $70.88 savings)
RCA 7” Dual Core Tablet – $49 (special buy)

These are awesome savings, but the best part is Walmart guarantees that customers who are inside the store and in the queue line between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, November 28th!

If any of these items happen to sell out during the designated timeframe, customers can purchase a Guarantee Card for the item. The product will then be shipped to the store where it was purchased for the customer to pick up before Christmas. There is a limit of one Guarantee Card per person, per item.

Three Sales Events
To help cut back on the mad rush, Walmart is once again breaking their sales offerings down into three events. The in-store specials will kick off at 6 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving Day, followed by the electronics sale starting at 8 p.m. local time and capped off with a weekend full of savings starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, November 23.

Plan your shopping trip prior to heading out with the helpful Black Friday hub on Walmart.com. You can also view an online map of your local Walmart store prior to the sales so you know exactly where to head for your items!

Manager’s Specials

New this year are Manager’s Specials. Walmart is empowering its store managers to drop the prices on other great items at their discretion. You can find additional details on your local Walmart Facebook page by visiting: www.facebook.com/walmart.

Don’t forget the online deals. Starting Thanksgiving Day, Walmart will be running a host of special online deals as well, so be sure to check those out!

Need some additional help planning your strategy? Be sure to check out these 11 tips to make the most of your Black Friday shopping trip. May your deals be plenty and stay safe out there!

Walmart Moms Disclosure

Walmart Black Friday Ad 2012 #BlackFriday

November 20, 2012 by Tara Kuczykowski 3 Comments

Can you believe that Black Friday is only four days away? Yeah, me either. While I won’t be hitting the stores on Friday this year, I do want to point out a few details for those of you planning to shop at Walmart.

One-Hour Guarantee

Walmart is offering the following three electronics at deep discounts:

Apple iPad®2 16GB with Wi-Fi – $399 plus get a $75 Walmart Gift Card
Emerson® 32” 720p LCD TV – $148
LG® Blu-ray™ Player – $38

But the best part is Walmart guarantees that customers who are inside the store and in the queue line between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time on November 22!

If any of these items happen to sell out before 11 p.m. local time, Walmart will offer a Guarantee Card for the item which must be paid for by midnight and registered online. The product will then be shipped to the store where it was purchased for the customer to pick up before Christmas.

Three Sales Events
To help cut back on the mad rush, Walmart is breaking their sales offerings down into three events. The in-store specials will kick off at 8 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving Day, followed by the electronics sale starting at 10 p.m. local time and capped off with a weekend full of savings starting at 5 a.m. on Friday, November 23.

Plan your savings strategy by checking out the full Walmart Black Friday ad here and the Walmart Black Friday ad scans here. You can also view an online map of your local Walmart store prior to the sales so you know exactly where to head for your items!

A few additional tips:

Ad Match will be in effect. This means you will be able to match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product right at the cash register.

Layaway items picked up during the sale can be Ad Matched. I have a feeling the layaway lines are going to be a nightmare, but if you want to give it a shot, any layaway order that is closed out during sale hours will receive the Walmart Black Friday price and/or can be Ad Matched to a local competitor.

Don’t forget the online deals. Starting Thanksgiving Day, Walmart will be running a host of special online deals as well, so be sure to check those out!

Need some additional help planning your strategy? Be sure to check out these 11 tips to make the most of your Black Friday shopping trip. May your deals be plenty and stay safe out there!

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for the time and effort spent creating this post. However, my participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own — always have been, always will be.