yogiyb

Entourage Season 2

Got the email and almost passed out!!!! I may be checking out that iMode AM/FM/MP3 Alarm Clock for iPod. Game on!!!!

I had one as a child (my dad was a coach and PE teacher), with no net and the whole game was to try to bounce someone off balance so they would fall. Luckily no killed themselves, although I should have as I often was the one landing between the springs!!! No one worried about getting sued for our boneheadedness. I brought one last year for my kids (3 toddlers) with the nets at Sports Academy on BF. I say supervision is the key. Usually if the neighbor's kids are over I recommend they do something else. I would recommend getting the largest one you can find at a good price if flips are goals. Get the netting and always supervise anyone on it. I still climb on ours occasionally and it's still fun and good exercise.

As a Coach fiend, I can tell you your best bet is getting to an outlet store. The retail store does NOT do markdowns. The outlet prices range from 20% to 75%(summer stuff) off. An alternate plan would be check the department stores (Macy's,etc) to see if they have any marked down; HOWEVER, any coupons you have for the store are usually not applicable on Coach items.

With POTC 2 coming out on 12/2 plus the fact that it's the biggest film of the year, I doubt Disney goes below $13. Personally they could msrp at $30 and I'd still get a copy!!!

I usually go for the cheap DVDs & games for the kids; although this year I'm hoping to score a good price on a LCD TV. As BB will match CC's prices, I prefer BB just for the reward program. I usually spend enough during the holidays to get a nice size gift certificate in January.

TRU's new return/no return policy is definitely going to turn away a lot of customers. Although they displayed the new policy prominently at the time of the roll out, my guess is that the average Christmas shopper (not us BFers) does now know about the policy. But then again, there's only 1 TRU left in B'ham so most people are doing their toy shopping at Target or Walmart.

Most years I go it alone...that way I'm setting my own pace. Before the kids, my husband and I would split up locations. Now he watches the kids and I tackle it myself.

I put D:/credit cards in my business card holder and put it in the front pocket and cell phone in the back pocket. (I'm planning to get a bluetooth before BF for the ear). I have a notecard binder with each store labeled with the applicable items. Ads stay in the card in case of price matching. The card and any applicable coupons are pulled out before going into the store and placed in the other back pocket. Gotta keep the hands free!!!

With regards to electronics brought at Wal-Mart, I've always thought "You get what you pay for". I've brought several of the cheaper DVD players for the kids' rooms and it's been hit and miss. We're gotten players that are still going after 3 years and others that were done after 3 months. Not sure if I'd gamble on something larger.

My biggest problem has always been everyone trying to manuever carts when the aisles are so frigging narrow. I usually grab the clear plasic bags they offer..that we can be slip in and around people with the big clumsy carts. It got me in and out in 15 minutes one year.

Now that they have broken off with Amazon, is anyone going to risk the new website for their holiday shopping? The past few years I've avoided the store and had everything shipped to the house. I'm a little worried about the new site. There's only 1 distribution center and right now there's a 2 -3 dayprocessing time? Amazon's toy page isn't too extensive but it's free shipping if you're in the VIP program? Any thoughts? Has any used the new TRU site yet?

Our BB had plainclothes officers handling the people who showed up at 5am and tried to just walk in the store. That was a huge problem last year b/c it was just the BB employees trying to control the line.

Last year, the TIVO was set up the same day so we could record the holiday specials. This year the husband is not backing down on the IPOD so it's being wrapped. But so is the XM radio he doesn't know about yet!!! HAHAHa!!!

No matter how many coupons TRU sends me, I will do my toy shopping online. Last year I shopped all the toys online (which is great - I have toddlers so they don't have a clue what's in the boxes). This year took my $10 TRU along with manufacturer coupons and went to TRU. A big mistake. The store aisles aren't wide enough for the shopping carts so I got the clear bags to drag around. The line, of course, was 45 minutes of waiting. Even though I saved money, next year it's back to Amazon.

My BB experience was frustating!!! My brother-in-law (a computer programmer who does warranty work) STRONGLY advised against the EMachine as he says everything but the MBoard goes bad on those things. I got to BB anyway about 3am b/c it's the hardest place to get in and out once the store is open. Got in about 5:05, grabbed the DVDs and XM radio and zoomed over to MP3s for an IPOD. Well everyone was crammed in this little section getting the doorbuster MP3. The 1st clerk said you have to pay for MP3s in this line, so I went and got in line (about 10 people in front). Ten minutes later, 2nd clerk comes through the line and says if you're getting an IPOD, you have to get the 1st clerk to get the IPOD out of the case. So I get out of line, wait 15 minutes for the 1st clerk (who has given the case key away) to get the IPODs (I wanted the 30GB for me & the Shuffle for a niece). 1st clerk tapes the two IPODS together (more on this in a minute) and I get back in line (Now there's about 35 people in front of me. There's only 1 register and it's also being used for pay-as-you-go cell phones activation. Anyway after an hour in line, clerk #3 comes over and asked "Who's just waiting to get an IPOD"? About 3 of us go "Over here" and he gets the IPODS and tells us to follow him. At this time I had about 3 people in front of me. We follow clerk #3 and takes us to the main checkout area and puts us at the end of that line!!!!! We were LIVID. Even though it was moving quickly, we were near the front of the MP3 line. At this point if it wasn't for some price-matching I was getting on some DVDs I would have just chucked everything and left, but by that time it was nearly 7am. The young girl who finally checked me out said my total for $349. Well I knew the 30GB IPOD was $299 by itself so I just stared at her for a minute. Clerk #2 had taped the two IPODS together and she had only rung up the $99 shuffle. Although tempted, I told her of her mistake which bumped the total to over $500. B/C my bag was small the door guy didn't even look in saying "You're OK since the monitor didn't go off". Imagine BB being soooo careful by trying to limit where you can check out & human error almost gave away $300. My husband said for my hassle I should have just walked out the door but then again an IPOD is not worth a trip to the back room with the police. Luckily was no crowds was at WalMart (there are 3 within 10 miles of each other ) or KMart so I was able to make up lost time but I'm thinking BB will still get an email on everything from line management to its employees.

Not sure if they still do this but last year at TRU you had to have a copy of the ad in order to get them to price match. Just a tip.

Although you can tell WM upped the stakes this year after taking a beating last year for lackluster sales, BB has the buzz as the place to be on BF here in AL. CC has an instock problem. KMart looks to be putting forth a good sale (especially when you include TGiving Day) but they also have instock problems. Plus we only have like 2 stores left in town.