For most of us the snow has come and gone and warm weather is beginning to show its’ face and sometimes colors. For bargain hunters we await Spring in great anticipation of tag sales, garage sales, rummage sales and flea markets. This doesn’t mean that there haven’t been these sales throughout the rest of the year, but come on, some of the fun is taken out of the bargain hunt when you have to climb mountains of snow or slog through the slush! On the whole, there is more to pick from in warmer weather especially with flea markets since these outdoor events depend heavily on the weather conditions. MarkdownMom has come across a new publication thatwill enhance our quest this year:
Flea Market Style is a new magazine making its’ debut this Spring. It promises to be jam packed with tips, repurposing flea market finds, and decorating. It’s such a new fledgling enterprise that you will be on the ground floor with its’ first issue! Check your favorite WalMart, Barnes & Noble, CVS, Target and other outlets, or check its’ website, $9.95.
Book lovers, pet lovers, and those interested in learning more about American Indian arts, culture, language, and history will loveBirchbark Bookslocated near Lake of the Isles and Calhoun Lake in Minneapolis.
Owned by the famous American Indian novelist, Louis Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), customers travel from all over the country to visit her bookstore. She is the author of several fiction novels, poetry, and children’s books and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her 2009 novel,The Plague of Doves. Her artistry takes on features of William Faulkner with present-day Native-American fiction. This unique mixture is presented in the many characters that are repeated throughout her works and narrated in their voice, moving back and forth through time.
In store you can browse diverse topics ranging from Minnesota plants, geology, and history; American Indian culture, language, and history (with special focus on Objibwe and Dakota people); children’s books; young adult and adult fiction novels. Many of the books and book signing events feature upcoming local artists and writers. You can also find signed books for purchase by several authors, including Louis Erdrich. Also in store you’ll find jewelry, toiletries, and other pieces made by local American Indian artists and healing herbs and botanicals such as bitter root, sweet grass, sage, and bearberry.
Birchbark Books is the only independent bookstore owned and operated by American Indians in Minnesota. It is unique in that great care was taken to use salvage and non-toxic materials to build the store. The doors are from the ReUse Center in Minneapolis, the globe lights from an old school house, and inside the wooden floor is the original flooring that belonged to a meat market which was the site’s previous occupant. Birchbark Books takes a community-centric approach to doing business, supporting local artists and writers; having employees such as Manager Susan White greet customers with a warm and friendly smile and plenty of stories to tell; and each employee owns a dog which they proudly bring to work with them to greet regulars and newcomers. Drop in and when you do, tell them MarkdownMom sent you!
Yesterday, Julie Edelman, aka The Accidental Housewife, appeared on theRachael Ray Showto introduce products to help save time and make that Spring Cleaning easier!
CLICK HERE↓
For more great ideas, tips, products, and save time while putting some fun back into not-so-fun housekeeping, check out her books:
Paula Begoun, often referred to as the Cosmetic Cop, and author of bargain substitutions for pricey cosmetics, has launched a radio talk blog. This site gives a listing of the full range of topics she will cover and the airing schedule.
Known for her investigative abilities to ferret out skincare products that work, and those that don’t work, she has appeared with such popular television personalities as Oprah Winfrey plus consumer oriented programs and has authored such bestselling books as:
The ‘Coupon Mom’ went on the Today Show this morning and showed the hosts how she was able to purchase $100 worth of groceries for only 25 cents. Her handy tips will help you save money every time you go to the supermarket.
Every so often, tv viewers see little glimpses of another Martha on her television hit The Martha Stewart Show. A word slips out like “turd,” undercover forays to competitor shows, terse reminders that a member of the staff/crew has forgotten a utensil or something was not prepared correctly, the repeated emphasis on guest Lindsay Lohan being young and wanting to have fun and “play,” or the apparent awkwardness sensed when cooking with children. These moments, admittedly are few, seem out-of-character with the persona that Martha Stewart likes to present to her viewers and followers. They are until you read Jerry Oppenheimer’s Unauthorized Biography of Martha Stewart called Just Desserts. Even her trial and conviction for insider trading seems to fit into the portrayal by Oppenheimer of an obsessive, avaricious, egocentric personality. Her attributes seem to be that of a modern day Svengali. Whether you view this book as another sensationalized piece of mudslinging or insightful, it is an entertaining book that you will find hard to put down. Because this book has been around, you can purchase it a a bargain price.
Well, the Harry Potter series has ended, or has it? Just when you think that you won’t get your children to read another book along comes J.K. Rowling to save the day with The Tales of Beedle the Bard. t It contains all 5 wizardry tales left to Hermione from Dumbledore in the final book of the Harry Potter Series.
This new and next bestseller will be released December 4, 2008 and can be pre-ordered now atBarnes& Noblefor $8.44+sh online price.
Markdown Mom loves instructional DVD’s, she also loves colored and step-by-step photos in cookbooks. For her this is as close to a hands-on experience you can have without going to school. That is why it is particularly difficult for her to pan a DVD, especially a cooking DVD.
However, Lidia’s Matticchio Bastianich DVD’s at$14.95 a pop are not a great buy. For instance, Lidia’s Italy, Kneading With An Old Friend, is a DVD you can skip, not because you won’t learn a couple of tricks of the trade like rolling and cutting homemade pasta, but because for $14.95 you should get more than 26 minutes of a cooking class, especially when you leave out a key ingredient’s measurement and you fill a good part of that 26 minutes with advertising. If nothing else, Lydia, undoubtedly a talented chef, rather than making a separate DVD for just a few recipes should wait and compile a comprehensive set at a price comparable to her cookbooks.
So, until that happens MDM recommends, tape her shows, and save the $14.95. to apply towards her cookbook ,Lidia’s Italy, reg.$35, sale priced $23.10 atAmazon–at least you will find out how much flour to use to make homemade fettucine!
Mark Twain once said that " The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them."
At the Half-Price Books store located in St. Paul, Minnesota you can buy great books, magazines, and records at more than half-price, and take a tour of their rare book collection which includes a volume sporting Mark Twain’s signature; however only serious buyers of the $10,000 book are allowed to view it. This is a chain of 85 bookstores in 14 states and for Minnesota, reviews have been particularly favorable for the Half-Price Books store located at 2041 Ford Parkway as having the largest inventory of clearance books. Celebrating their 35th Year in business on July 27th, Half-Price Books is a great place to look for that special coffee table book at half the price of national chains or vintage LP’s. Periodically these low prices are further reduced by sales and coupons obtained by registering at their online location. Wander to the lower level and you will find those bargain basement deals where prices for books and vintage magazines and journals are as low as $1. Not only sellers of books and mixed media, additionally this store is a buyer where you can trade in your old favorites for some new ones. Take your children and spend an afternoon perusing these treasures–you’re bound to come away with a sack of special finds that will provide hours and hours of enjoyment–MDM did!
Paula Begoun
MarkDownMom