Black Friday Deals 2012: Gift Ideas

Hello everyone! Hope you all had great Thanksgivings. This is just a quick post with some great deals they have going on this Black Friday. Usually I'm not a big fan of Black Friday because I hate how it's getting earlier and earlier, ruining some employees' Thanksgivings, but most of the deals listed here are online. 

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I have a ton of gifts to purchase this year, so some of these free gifts they have with purchase would make perfect stocking stuffers for friends. It's also nice that some stores are offering a certain percentage off of one item. Have fun shopping!

• J.Crew: 25% off purchases in store and online; free shipping on $150 or more (ends Sun.)
• Check out the accessories section for fun stocking stuffer ideas; you can get the prices of iPhone cases and jewelry down using the 25% coupon

• Kate Spade: Free tote when you spend $250 or more (Fri. only)

• Barnes and Noble: Deals on Nook Simple Touch ereader; 30% off one item until Sunday (see all deals here).
• There's a sale of crossword books going on where you can buy two and get the third free...perfect for a crossword lover you know!

• Amazon: TONS of deals...see all here

• Marley Lilly: free gifts with every purchase on Friday
• Make a monogrammed item and get another gift for your friend, free! (or keep the gift for yourself, I won't judge)

• Bath and Body Works: $20 VIP tote; $5 2-pack wallflower refills; buy 3, get 3 free of signature collection; 3-wick candles, 2 for $20 
• The VIP tote is worth $100, so you can divide the goodies inside among several friends

• VS PINK Line: see Facebook event here

• Something Greek: free giveaway on all orders through Friday night
• Sorority gear can be expensive...so why not get a little extra something with your order?

• Best Buy: deals on front page.
•  For gift ideas, check out video games, headphones, USB drives, and wireless mouses

Good luck fellow shoppers, and may the odds (I mean, deals) be ever in your favor.

GFC Blog Hop: Link up!

Hey guys! It's Tuesday again which means it's time for the GFC Blog Hop! Even better, I'm cohosting the hop this week! Thanks go out to Melissa at The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife for allowing me to cohost. So what are you waiting for? Follow the rules below and link up! It's a great way to meet new bloggers.

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When I want to follow a blog the first thing I look for is GFC (Google Friend Connect), it's so easy and  nice to be able to go and see all of the blogs you follow in one spot. It's really a great tool to have. 

One side note- Did you know you can follow through GFC using your Twitter Account? TRUE, it's definitely an option!

Ok, so let's get to the party, shall we?

RULES are simple:

1. Follow your host via GFC

The First link below

2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC

The Next 8 links below

3. Link up below using your main blog url not a specific post.

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link up and follow them via GFC 

and if you want to leave them a comment, I'm sure they'd appreciate that as well.

5. Tweet about this blog hop

Tweet

6. Share about this blog hop by grabbing a button and putting it on your sidebar!

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Guilty Pleasures, Fall 2012

C'mon, you know we all have them. Guilty pleasures. Those things we know we shouldn't want, but they make us so happy.

Here are a list of my fall guilty pleasures:

Justin Bieber's new song, "As Long As You Love Me"

If I just pretend that someone else is singing this song, everything will be okay. I have an absolute HATRED towards the Biebs, but the song is so dang catchy. Speaking of the Biebs, I'm surprised he hasn't disappeared into obscurity by now. I still don't think his voice has changed yet though.

A blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese

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Best combination ever. I try not to think about the calories--if it counts for my breakfast and my lunch, then I can justify it. And c'mon, strawberries? Blueberries? Those are all fruit...so doesn't that mean that this is (sorta) healthy?

Chipotle

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It's the only decent, somewhat-affortable restaurant near my dorm, so my roommates and I grab their burrito bowls all the time. It's a good deal if you only eat half of the bowl for supper and save the rest for lunch the next day--two meals for the price of one!

Revenge, the TV series

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I think of this show as basically the grown-up version of Pretty Little Liars. The main premise is about a girl who's father was accused of being a terrorist. Now, as an adult, she goes back to the Hamptons to try to wreck havoc on the rich people who ruined her life. Yes, the Hamptons...half of the reason why I watch the show is just to ogle at the amazing dresses and outfits!

Gangnam Style by PSY

The music video is epic, and the song is so much fun to dance to. I have no idea what it's saying, but that makes the song even better.

What were your guilty pleasures this fall?

CampusBookRentals.com

As a college student, the most annoying part of the beginning of the semester is buying books. They're too expensive to buy from our college bookstore, and if you buy them used from Amazon you never know what condition you'll get them in. That's where renting online comes in--specifically, renting from CampusBookRentals.com.

Campus Book Rentals is an easy-to-use site that I just discovered. It's simple: type in the textbook's title, author, ISBN or a keyword and the textbook you need will pop up, along with the rental information.

For instance, I typed in the organic chemistry textbook I used last year, Organic Chemistry by Wade, Leroy G., Jr. and came to this screen:

After finding the book you need, simply check out and you'll receive your textbook in a matter of days. There's a 30 day guarantee, which is nice--if you drop the class or find out that you don't need the book anymore, you can return it and receive 100% of your money back. Here's a video explaining how the renting process works. I'll explain it more below as well:




Once you receive your textbook, you can use if for your class and even highlight in it! Then, when the due date rolls around, send it back free of charge in the included return envelope. That's it, you're done! So easy, right?

Something that makes Campus Book Rentals different than other rental book companies out there is that every year they choose a different organization and cause to donate some of their proceeds to (you can find more information on their "making a difference" page). This year they're contributing to Operation Smile, which is such a great cause. Last year they were committed to providing the funds for 1,000 cleft lip surgeries for children. This year they want to beat that number, and your purchases through Campus Book Rentals will help them achieve their goal! 

Bookmark Campus Book Rentals for next semester or go check them out now. I know that I'll definitely be renting my textbooks from the site next semester! 

Recap of October

So...how was everyone's October?

Mine flew by and I was so busy that I didn't have any time to blog! I miss the summer when I was able to blog everyday. Still, I'm having a blast at school and I thought I'd update you all on it.

--I've been busy with my sorority! Over the past month I've learned all about the history of AXO, met so many wonderful girls, and gone to a few mixers with the fraternities on campus (including a toga party...yup). Honestly it's been so much fun, and I wish I went Greek sooner!

--I'm starting the process of applying to medical school. All juniors have to apply first to their school's advisory committee. If they get accepted, the committee walks them through the medical school application process and writes a letter of recommendation. That's where I am right now. I have to write a six page paper that's an autobiography of my life--where do I start?

--I voted! I had to request an absentee ballot because I'm out of state at the moment. I'm not going to say who I voted for, but it was a tough decision. I don't find myself identifying with any political party, so I really sat down and looked at the issues before filling out my ballot. 

--We went on a sorority retreat and I went to what is apparently the scariest haunted house in Illinois. This picture says it all.

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--I'm reading Wuthering Heights in my Victorian Lit class and it's seriously the best book I've ever read. Where have you been all my life, Emily Bronte?

Feelgood.org

--My friends and I started a new organization on campus that just got the green light from the Student Activities & Greek Affairs committee. It's called FeelGood. We will sell easy-to-make food items like grilled cheese sandwiches to students in return for a donation. All donations go towards fighting world hunger. We're also going to educate our members on the hunger issues experienced not only abroad but in the U.S. as well.

Hope everyone had a great October! And just think: only 6 weeks until Christmas!