Eating, sleeping and discount shopping

What a fabulous looong weekend! As I mentioned before, my long weekend started around 3:00 pm Thursday and lasted all the way through yesterday. Can I please have 4.25 day weekends every week? I was feeling so well rested and reading to take on some projects as of yesterday, but of course today I'm right back in crazy work mode. We've been having some very rainy (and sometimes scary tornado) weather in Atlanta for the past few days. I have loved it & am enjoying every moment. Rainy days are my favorite...especially after a long spell of blistering hot sun.

Here's a weekend recap:
1. Thursday--went to the Georgia Tech v. WCU blowout game. Tailgated, ate sausages and generally enjoyed myself (even though GT tailgating in the middle of downtown Atlanta is very weird).
2. Friday--Outlet mall trip, other errands and dinner with John. Tried out the new Tsunami Taqueria (Asian/Latin restaurant) near my house--very yummy!
3. Saturday--Lots of discount shopping in Fayetteville (John's local Big Lots is moving and everything was an extra 30% off, yes please!) and dinner at our favorite Ted's Montana Grill (the pickles are to die for).
4. Sunday--Rainy day. Bought a new mattress (heaven) at the JCPenney outlet (best place to buy furniture and mattresses in Atlanta, hands down). Dinner at a new pizza place near my house, Varasano's Delicious NY style cracker-crust pizza. We loved it!
5. Monday--Rainy again. Splurged on some fast food and lazed around the house again. I did get lots of painting done in my bedroom--hopefully more tonight!

As you can see, you can pretty much sum up my weekend in eating, sleeping and discount shopping. I'm pretty ok with that. Some of my shopping finds of the weekend include:

-Outlet mall: a skirt & new heels from Ann Taylor, a cardigan from Banana Republic, another cardigan from J Crew and a pretty fall sweater from the Gap. All for less than $150.
-Big Lots: So many things between the two of us. A set of 3 tool boxes, a few shampoos, bobby pins, a grill cover, 2 Barbies (gifts for the neices), full set of painting supplies, a coloring book, candy, duct tape, ziploc baggies, plastic cups, etc. All for less than $60!
-Penney's outlet: a $2000 retail price mattress and box springs for $600. Win!

New obsession: restaurant.com

As if you couldn't tell from some of my previous posts, my new obsession is restaurant.com, where you can buy tons of restaurant gift certificates (usually $10 for a $25 GC). Its a pretty sweet deal anyway, but last week I discovered the coupon codes. Oh, the coupon codes. Here is a total of all the certificates I've bought and the staggeringly tiny amount I've paid:


$25.00 A'meritage at Dogwood
$10.00 Uncle Frank's BBQ
$25.00 Fontaine's Oyster House
$10.00 Piola
$25.00 Amedeo's North Italian
$25.00 Baci Italian Cuisine

Grant total of GC amounts=$120.00. Total paid by me=$16.75. $16.75!!! I would pay more than that for one meal at one of these places.

I am converted forever. And as you can see, these aren't crappy places either. They are places near my work and apartment, and near John's house (and Amedeo's thrown in for my parents). Places I would go anyway! Please give the website and the coupon codes a try if you have not already. Right now they are offering 80% off when you type in CLEARANCE at checkout. Enjoy!