Happy Halloween! (+deals)

Happy Monday and Happy Halloween!

I hope that everyone had a great weekend and your costumes went over well, if you dressed up.  My weekend turned out fairly close to as I'd planned.  Friday after work I was feeling like baking, so I made a recipe that a friend had been raving about for some “deluxe” brownies (I’ll post it soon).  Once Ben got home, we went to dinner with MIL and SIL at Piazza Bella.  One of my favorite dishes there is their tortellini with prosciutto, peas and pink cream sauce.  My parents tease me that it’s “meant to be” with the pink sauce.  After dinner we watched the Rangers get killed end of the World Series at home.  As Cubs fans, we were rooting for the Rangers, but unfortunately that didn’t pan out.

Saturday morning was intense; or I should say Saturday-day.  I kind of went OCD on cleaning.  Looking back at our calendar; the last time that we were free for the entire weekend was the weekend of 9/9…seriously forever ago.  Our apartment was a mess.  We both tidy people, so we didn’t have crap strewn across the floor or counters, but the little tasks of dusting, etc. have not been taken seriously in the past month or so.  Ben went to the gym and I “slept” in (waking up at 9am).  By 9:30, I started cleaning, like everything. Seriously.  I swept the floors, dusted, washed all of the windows/sliding doors, organized one of the junk drawers (I still have two others to get to), cleaned the bathroom counters, sink and toilet, cleaned the kitchen appliances, vacuumed, etc.  I’m pretty certain I spent about 2 hours alone trying to clean/scrub our shower tiles and tub.  Ben got back from the gym and went to the brewing store.  I was scrubbing the shower when he left, and still when he returned.  I am embarrassed to say that I had not realized how gross the tub itself had gotten.  Just look at the difference below:

(OMG, just looking at this picture makes me want to vomit!!!!)

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much success with the shower.  I tried using both Comet Bleach and plain baking soda (separately) with tooth brushes, rags and a steel-wool type scrubber with no luck.  How the hell people keep shower tiles clean, I’d like to know.  I’m also starting to get why the bigger tiles (ours are about 4”x4”) are so popular nowadays! I also got Ben to clean the floors for me.

Another cleaning task I’m did, that I’m uber proud of but grossed out that it’s taken me about 2 years to do, was to wash our couch pillows.  Our couch is a sectional, which we love…but having Oscar up on the furniture, they tend to get slobbery, hairy, etc. Sick.  Originally he wasn’t allowed on the couch, but one day when he was a puppy he learned he could jump.  I got out of the shower and he was just sitting on the couch staring at me.  Ever since, he’s been up there.  So now to help prevent dog hair on the cushions, we cover them with brown sheets.  We have two sets, which we rotate out and wash every week.  This at least helps a little bit. Any who, I took off all of the pillow covers and washed them.  They turned out great and look and smell fabulously clean.

So yup, I spent from 9:30am to about 3pm on Saturday, just cleaning my little heart out.  After cleaning I ran to Crate and Barrel Outlet and Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get some organizing stuff.  I’m not ready to post the bathroom organization, but I am SO proud of my cleaning supplies organization:

(I saw the idea on Pinterest last week and instantly feel in love.)

This post is getting kind of long; so I’ll separate it out a bit for my other topics I went to write about.  In the meantime, here are some sales:

      ·    AT Loft: Take extra 50% off all sale items; select sweaters for $25; in store and online

·    Banana Republic: 30% off women’s styles through 12pm ET, today only (10/31), w/code: BRTAKE30

·    Gap:

o   35% off women’s and men’s styles; 25% off kids and baby syles; today (10/31) and online only w/code: GAPTREAT

o   In store only: get $40 off your $100+ purchase, through 11/9

·    Macys: Women’s Warm up sale: 25-40% off (includes coats, sweaters, jeans, dresses, etc); plus save an extra 20% with code: SAVEBIG

·    Michaels: 50% off one item (today only, 10/31) and 40% off one item 11/1 through 11/5

·    Old Navy: BR/Gap/ON cardholders: in store and online, take 30% off w/code: ONSTUFF30, through 11/3

·    Snapfish:

o   300 4”x6” prints for $3 w/code: SPOOKY300

o   100 4”x6” prints for $1 w/code: SPOOKY100

o   65% off 11”x14” designer photo calendar; making them $8.75 w/code: CALENDAR65 (plus get back additional 20% when you purchase via ebates.com; today is last day!); Through 11/6

o   All other calendars; 40% off w/code: CALENDAR40

·    Pottery Barn: Free shipping on over 500 items; Free monogramming on treeskirts, stockings, and stocking holders through 11/2 w/code: FREEMONO

·    Victoria’s Secret: Free tote with any online PINK purchase w/code: PINKTOTE11, plus $15 off $100+ orders with code: FALL11

·    Ulta: Select OPI colors are being retired and are on sale, 2 for $10.  I didn’t think the colors were all that great, but I did pick up new base and top coats:

·     Walgreens: Through Nov 5^th:

o   25% off photo cards w/code: FOR25LESS

o   25% off photo gifts w/code: DISCOUNT

·     World Market: 25% off all furniture; through 11/24

I love this set, especially with the bench.  I just wish we had space in our apartment for a dining table.  I dream of the day when we will (hopefully soon) and can host dinner parties :O)

Have a great Monday! I have a new crockpot recipes bubbling in our slow cooker on the counter and some candy to hand out (although I had to hide it from Ben because he kept eating the Starburts).  I'm not sure why, but I'm in a chipper mood today and definitely excited to get off work.