Bargain Moose

Chuck E. Cheese’s features age appropriate games, rides, prizes, food and entertainment that children of all ages from toddlers to big kids will love. You can take your family there for dinner or for special occasions such as birthdays, play groups and school fundraising events.

We had my son’s birthday party there last year and the kids had a blast (ages 5 – 9).  He plans on having it again this year!  The kids played the arcade games and collected tickets that they later redeems for prizes.  The pizza was a hit with both the kids and the parents – which was a bonus.Here are some useful links for you:

• To win free tickets for Chuck E Cheese’s click here

• Register your email address & birth dates for coupons & freebies here

• Or just choose your locations of choice without registering and receive your coupon by clicking here

I was pleasantly surprised after our visit there!

• For locations in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan click here

Insert a rousing “high five”! There’s some serious savings for SPC Cardholders on 26 September 2009!

• Click here for more info on the SPC Card website

To whet your shopping appetite, here’s just a few of the deals to be had:

• Bluenotes: 20% off regular and sale prices
• Esprit: 30% off regular and sale prices
• Randy River: 20% off regular and sale prices
• Tip Top Tailors: 20% off regular and sale prices
• Urban Planet: 20% of regular and sale prices

I always wait to do my kids’ back-to-school shopping until this time – it gives them time to see “what’s cool” without buying all the wrong things (God forbid!) , and it saves me a lot of coin!!

Shopping on the Mac Cosmetics website is almost as drool-inducing as shopping in person! And until 27 September 2009, it won’t cost you any more to shop online!

So release your inner goth! Get back in touch with the 80′s!

• Click here to be taken to use the MAC coupon code

• Coupon code: BLACK or SHINE

As part of MAC’s “style black” campaign, they’re offering free shipping within Canada until 27 September 2009. There’s no minimum order required, just use the above free shipping code when placing your order online.

I admit that I laughed when I first saw this website – the shock value of the Evil Ronald mask made me laugh. But … after I started watching the videos and reading the articles, the horror of it hit me all over again. I mean … this is a restaurant where we take our children!!

I don’t want to alienate our readers, and I’ve definitely taken my kids to McDs in the past, but I totally support the work PETA is doing to stop McDonalds cruelty to the chickens they use in their menu items.  A more humane way exists (controlled atmosphere killing-CAK) but McDonalds has long refused to use it.

• Please take a second to visit PETA’s McCruelty website, and get informed.

(Please be aware that the info is very graphic and may disturb some people. Please use your discretion about what you choose to show your children.)

Isn’t it far better to make an informed decision when you choose where to spend your dining dollars?

If you choose to fill out the order form for the Evil Ronald kit, you’ll receive a pack that includes a limited-edition “Evil Ronald” mask, stickers, petitions and leaflets to help get the word out about McCruelty at school and around town, and more! Don’t forget to change your country to “Canada” when you fill out your address info. You’ll definitely get people around you talking!

PETA also has many more age-appropriate and gentle video clips on their website to teach children all about caring for and loving animals, and stopping animal abuse.

• Please click here to visit PETA.

From 24 September to 27 September 2009, there are two ways to save 25% (excluding clearance items) at Aeropostale during their Fall Fling:

• Click here to access the Aeropostale website and shop online. Enter the Aeropostale coupon code FALL09 at checkout.

• Click here to access the printable 25% off coupon and take it to your nearest shop to save

Click here to locate your nearest Aeropostale store.

It’s shaping up to be a good week to hit the mall! Our friends at Zellers are offering some great savings from 22 September to 24 September 2009:

You can save $10 on everything in the store when you spend $75+ before taxes.

• Please click here to access Zellers free printable coupon

Reduced prices on Baby Essentials (how does the littlest member of the family always need the most stuff?!)

Buy 1, Get 1 Half Price: save on kids apparel, outerwear and footwear (some exceptions in store, second item must of equal or lesser value)

• Click here to find the Zellers store closest to you!

Quiznos is offering an online coupon for you to get a free bag of chips and a 20 oz fountain drink with purchase of a regular/large sandwich.

• Click here to get your Quiznos coupon

Conditions:

• Valid only until 31 October 2009.
• Offer good at participating locations only.
• One coupon per customer per visit.
• Not valid on Everyday Sandwich, Torpedos, or delivery orders.
• Coupon must be presented and surrendered upon ordering.
• May not be combined with any other offer or coupon.

I love traveling across Canada by train, sipping chilled wine while watching Canada’s gorgeous, ever changing scenery float past!  Snort … my reality usually involves refereeing kid battles, but a mom can dream!

VIA Rail is celebrating Car Free Day on the 22nd of September!

They are offering you an environmentally friendly alternative to traveling by car -  with an e-coupon valid for 40% off on an adult regular fare when you purchase an Economy class ticket for one-way or round trip travel anywhere in the VIA Rail network.

• Click here for full details of the offer

Conditions:

• Travel must be completed between 22 September – 7 October, 2009 inclusive, and between 14 October – 14 December, 2009.
• Offer ends 28 September 2009.
• 40% offer only available to those travelers that subscribe to the VIA e-letter. Once you’ve subscribed, the 40% off e-discount coupon will be sent to your mailbox
• Subscribe to VIA Rail e-letter by clicking here

Thanks to Joanne Probyn!

I bought a notebook from NCIX.com in the summer and they blew me away with how fast they shipped (30 hrs in my case). Unlike my poor experiences with Dell, they shipped exactly what I ordered, and I actually received my own order instead of some other shopper’s!

• Click here to go directly to the memory stick

My boys brought home the latest list of much needed school supplies last week – the days of paper and pencil are long gone…sigh. But NCIX.com did help keep me looking  cool and hip! They have the Kingston Data Traveler DT112 Capless 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive in black/blue for $9.99 – whooot!

Limited quantities are still available, and you’re limited to 20 per customer. They ship within 1-2 days. The discounted price (normally they’re $14.03) will be applied only after you complete your order, and will be processed in the order in which they are received. No rainchecks/price matches at $9.99. Express, next-day shipping cost me only $10.

Tim Horton’s Smile Cookies are back, from the 21st to the 27th of September, 2009!

• Click here to see Tim Hortons making a difference in your community

Guilt-free cookies, with all proceeds going to local charities, hospitals, and community programs from coast to coast!

Although the Smile Cookies will be gone after the 27th of September, the impact they leave in each community will last forever … so indulge your sweet tooth!

Chai, espresso, cappucino, coffee, tea – oh my! I like to go through my day with a near-toxic blood caffeine level, so it’s pretty safe to say that I”m a hardcore Starbucks junkie! Just seeing the color green now makes my heart beat faster! And being the parent of teenagers, I never have loose change or cash in my wallet (why does everyone need my last $5 just as I’m about to head out the door in the a.m.?!) … so I always have a Starbucks card in my purse.

Starbucks is now offering an extra incentive to register your card with them – they’re giving you a free beverage on your birthday!

• Click here to go to the Starbucks site

Why bother to register your card?

Well, registering your card will help you to get the most out of it – special rewards and benefits like a complimentary beverage on your birthday. You’ll get up to 2 hours of free Wi-Fi (the card provides the username and password needed to conect with Bell Wi-Fi). It It lets you check your balance.

You can even set up your card under the “Manage Card” feature to automatically reload when the balance falls below a certain amount -   a definite perk if your kids use your card too, it helps avoid that “what do you mean there’s not enough left on it” moment at the till! Best of all, it protects your balance if your card is lost or stolen! If you report the card lost/stolen, they can transfer the balance as of that day to a new card that they’ll mail out to you immediately!

One other perk of registering your card, it also makes you eligible for Starbucks Card Rewards which offer some sweet savings to further enhance your visit to Starbucks: free syrup and milk options for your beverage, free brewed coffee refills -hot or iced, a free tall (12 oz) beverage with your 1lb whole bean purchase, and up to 2 hrs free Wi-Fi per day.

I registered my  card, and it only took me 4 minutes (and I’m a techno-doofus!). You’ll need to enter the card number and the 8-digit Card Security Code, both which can both be found on the back of the card. You’ll need to create an account with Starbucks, entering the usual name/password/date of birth/mailing address.

When you’re entering your address, the Canadian provinces are listed below the USA states. The form does accept Canadian postal codes.

Happy Birthday to us!

Thanks to pink!

If you have a movie or gaming buff at your house that likes to purchase their movies/games, Blockbuster and Visa have teamed up to offer you a great in-store coupon.

Print the coupon at home, pay in store with your Visa, and you can receive $5 off any purchase of $30 or more.

• Click here for the printable coupon from Visaperks.ca

Coupon restrictions:

• Coupon valid until Sept. 30, 2009, 23:59 ET.
• The $30 minimum purchase doesn’t include taxes.
• Coupon can only be used once.
• $5 credit can be used on current purchase only.
• Coupon cannot be combined with any other discounts/offers.
• Only one $5 credit allowed per membership account.
• Coupon to be relinquished to Blockbuster at the time it’s used.

I know what the coupon will be used for in our house:  Halo 3 ODST! It comes out on Sept. 22nd, and Blockbuster will have plenty in stock. With two hardcore Halo fans in the house, I figure I shouldn’t see my sons  or hear them arguing until at least Sept.  28! Talk about a great investment in “quiet time”!

Oh man … does it feel weird to be writing about Christmas when we’re still sitting in September but you just know it’s gonna sneak up on us in no time. I just saw that the Free Nestle Carnation Holiday Recipe Guide is now available for download or to be snail mailed, and it took me down memory lane! I’m betting that you’ll recognize more than a few of these recipes from your childhood.

I’m actually looking forward to baking some of these dishes again as an adult –but I loved a lot of these recipes, even though they were often charred beyond recognition when they came out of my mom’s kitchen! You can download the entire guide, or you can choose to print only a few recipes.

• Click here to go to Nestle Carnation site

Tips:

• You’ll need to create an account as a new user whether you want to download your version of the Holiday Recipe Guide or you’d like to have it mailed out to you, but that only takes a few seconds.

• If you click on the “mail it to me” button, you’ll need to enter your mailing address. The dropdown will list all USA states first, Canadian provinces at the bottom. If you enter your 6-digit postal code, you’ll get an error message. Simply substitute “00000” in the zip code field, and it should be OK.

Head on over to your Shoppers Drug Mart on September 12 & 13, spend $50.00 and get a free $10.00 Tim Hortons Gift Card.

I so need a new hair dryer so this is good incentive to head to SDM and scope them out plus the makeup stuff is always fun to look at…. plus hubby gets a present too!  Win – Win situation!!

• Click here to find your nearest Shoppers Drug Mart.

Listen up ladies!  Are you brave enough to deal with this?  Tomorrow only, August 22nd, 2009, Old Navy has woman’s tees for $3.00 each – maximum 5 tees per person.

• Click here to find an Old Navy Canada

Now this is probably only available first thing in the morning – so get there early!!  I think Old Navy had a similiar offer last weekend… did anyone attend?  Was it crazy?  Do you like Old Navy products?  I find they are a bit on the expensive side for the quality that you get.  Tell me what you think.