If you want to brave the offers and take a chance that your lack of forsight has been rewarded, www.savings.com has a stable full of coupon codes and discount codes from various retailers. There is a 20% coupon code for Kohl’s. If you order by 11 PM Central Time tonight, you will receive your order of in-stock items in time for Christmas. You have until 2 PM for a free 2-Day shipping upgrade to 1-800Baskets, plus a 20% discount code.

If your shopping is all done, there are offers from online pharmacies for both human and pet, and grocery coupons to help with the monthly budget, even if you do receive them after Christmas.

My grandmother is not someone on the top of my list to buy the Crazy Cat Lady board game or Zombie Finger Puppets. She is decidedly a little more old school. She has simpler tastes, like “spending time together,” and flowers. Unfortunately, her favorites can’t be found amid the poinsettias and other greenery this time of year. There are a few florist promo 1800Flowers promo codes and FTD coupons that would fit the bill. I am glad that I looked, because it isn’t usually the type of item you think of with a hidden discount available.

On the 1800Flowers website, type in CHRMAS15 for 15% off holiday flowers and gifts, or XMASTEN for $10 a Christmas or holiday purchase of $59.99 or more. FTD currently is offering 25% a fall rose bouquet in a pumpkin planter, and up to 25% off select arrangement in honor of their 75th anniversary. No code is needed, but you’ll have to order by the end of the day on the Thanksgiving to take advantage of the offer. Many items are not shipped, but rather delivered by the recipient’s local florist.

Who knows, maybe you’ll even find something appropriate for the sentiment of “Sorry I Blew Up Your Planet.” Is there one for “Sorry I Didn’t Pick Up After My Dog In Your Yard. For the Past Three Years?”

On top of it, among the Savings.com coupons, there is a coupon code you can activate. First time customers receive 20% off on their entire order now through October 1st. There are two other codes that you may use that expire in January 2012. One is for $5.00 an order of $40.00 or more, and the other is for $10 plus free shipping for orders of $80 or more. Certainly, the new customer deal is the best.

Just like your local pharmacy, there is a category for school supplies. While school is already in swing, you can tack on the extra folders for next semester or replacement crayons while you have the discount.

Our products are safely tested by humans, in the manner for which the products are intended, not on animals. We believe that this method is more reliable, and more relevant. Due to the significant differences between species in skin, hair, eyes, metabolism and absorption rates, animal testing cannot define clear relationships between the test and the intended product use.

You don’t see a lot of Lush coupon code, aka Lush promo codes, bombing along on the internet. Maybe items sell at a fast enough clip that they don’t need to create artificial sales or entice newcomers with coupons. Surprisingly enough, I found a Lush coupon code that seems to work. If you use code 15VISA80 at checkout and also use your VISA card to pay at Lush’s website, you’ll get $15 off an order of $80 or more. Price Pickle scouted that one out for me. If you see any more that you have tested as reliable, drop us a line!

Where else can you get the head’s up about a scratching post that helps your kitty play King Kong or Godzilla (check out the June 27th post), Harry Potter’s Maurauder’s Map, a wooden Ipod case or a tablecloth that you can encourage your guests to doodle onv(don’t worry, it comes clean). Can you tell I’m hooked?

The geekery started in 2007, when Robert Birming and Martin Lindkvist, both of Stockholm, put their heads together. Now with contributing writers, the site is going strong.

What is your favorite geeky find for pets or people?

For those of you with fathers that you hardly see, especially if you keep putting off doing so, there is another round of fresh discount codes and coupons at http://www.savings.com, particularly for airfares and hotel stays. I was contemplating what to get Dad for Father’s Day. I am lucky enough to have my dad around, but I know that there are friends that regret either not living where they can see their parents at least every few weeks, or their dad passed away and they would do anything to have gone and seen him.

Don’t let the days slip by (and with the savings, bring your pup or cat, too). Little did I know a few years back that my Great Grandmother wouldn’t always be there forever, that my grandparents would be in their 80s despite the mental picture I have of them having been 60 for the past twenty plus years, or a woman I admire who is close to my age would have triple negative breast cancer. I thought that was only supposed to happen to “old people,” not the kind that don’t have to cover their gray yet…that is, if we choose to.  There are about ten people on my list that I it has been long enough not to see them.  Who is on your list?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrish for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The HoundsGood hounds were approached to sample and give their review of Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 dry dog food, which they wholeheartedly and quickly agreed to. I, on the other hand, like a mother sorting through Halloween candy, have the more serious task of disseminating the boring nutrition facts (the little guys snored through the next part). In fact, you can go to the Nutrish site for a free sample to follow along at home. Just be warned: The sound of an opening bag will wake him.

The GOOD:

• Rachael Ray’s Nutrish LAMB MEAL AND RICE formula does not contain any corn, wheat or soy. It appears that Ray’s folks listened to the negative criticism over including hard to digest corn in other or prior formulas. The variety suits dogs who are either allergic to wheat or people who are leery of possibly tainted wheat gluten.
• The price is slightly higher than Old Roy, but very comparable to grocery and discount store-obtainable brands like Pedigree for the budget-minded.
• There are no artificial colors or sweeteners.
• The food is as advertised…six ingredients, plus added vitamins. Those ingredients are lamb meal, brown rice, ground rice, dried beet pulp, poultry fat and natural chicken flavoring. I personally wish the chicken flavoring was chicken stock or fat rather than “flavoring.” Ground brown rice and chicken fat are ingredients shared with premium foods.
• Rachael Ray’s Nutrish gives back. 100% of the proceeds goes to Rachael’s Rescue which supports some very fantastic organizations such as Bad Rap and North Shore Animal Rescue League. Bad Rap exclusively assists PitBulls in need and NSARL is the oldest and largest no kill shelter and adoption organization in the country.
• Nutrish contains glucosamine chondroitin, Vitamin E and Zinc.

The QUESTIONABLE:

• Nutrish contains meat meal versus meat. Meal contains far less moisture than meat. Therefore, the protein can be more concentrated. The con is that it is more processed than meat. This is pretty standard for dog foods of this price point. Some higher end dog foods contain a high quality meal as a second ingredient to meat to obtain the protein concentration. However, if you are feeding your dog Solid Gold, you are probably not a target customer for Nutrish. The meal may not be of the same ilk, but some say meal is meal.
• Nutrish contains Menadione, a synthetic Vitamin K3. While Vitamin K is a safe nutrient found in leafy veggies and seafood, K3 is a synthetic form. The jury is out. Some experts conclude that K3 is safe. It is indeed safely used in livestock feed. It is also argued that synthetic K is better than none. Others argue that K3 canot be metabolized properly and affects the liver and kidneys over time although the dose is small. It is a personal choice for dog owners to study the facts and come to their own decision.

THE CONCLUSION:

We aren’t debating a raw food diet versus a commercial dog food diet in this article. We are comparing apples and apples. (Just addressing some potential mail).

If you are feeding your dog a supermarket dog food, such as Old Roy or Kibbles N Bits, a switch to Nutrish is a very wise decision. Your dog will thank you for it. Just read the list of artificial sweet4ners and dyes in competing foods you are feeding your dog to compare.

If you are currently feeding your dog Solid Gold, or Blue Buffalo or the like – stick with what you have. Nutrish is probably not something geared to your demographic and you are better off where you are.

As far as the HoundsGood hounds, ages 7 and almost 13, they found the little snack most delectable, although they will be sticking to their current diet based on their very specific health needs. They will finish their sample as training treats and as backup. However, I would not hesitate to recommend Nutrish to folks who were consistently buying sweetener-heavy foods as dog rescue donations or food banks and were looking for an economical alternative.

(Other little factoids: Nutrish contains 20% minimum crude protein and 13% min. fat. Maximum moisture is 11%. (Compare this to the nutritional needs of your individual dog. Remember, however, a smaller amount of protein that is high quality and more digestible to a dog may have more fire power than a larger amount of protein of lower quality.)

After the small but mighty gift card balance, I emptied my pockets for a total of $4.99. In addition, I used one of the shopping links at InboxDollars and they kicked me .26 into my InboxDollars account (not a fortune, but hey people its free money. I was credited within 24 hours.) The cartridge arrived a day earlier than expected – Bonus.

The point of this all is Exhibit A. This is the box my printer cartridge came in, full of the ubiquitous “air pillows” to show scale for a 14×12 box. Now, if you look carefully, you will see that the cartridge is indeed still in the box. (Yes, that blue rectangle in the upper half of the frame.) The photo was snapped so I could share my outrage. But really, I am un-outraged. If I had a mere slip of an envelope, it would have most likely ended up in the trash. You can recycle certain envelopes, but not every one of those bubble lined envelopes qualify for the recycle bin. The box is very clean, with no big logo on it and based on the shipping parameters, transit in an envelope or this box worked out to be about the same. On various box company the websites, I would pay .75-1.24 per one of these boxes if I bought a 25 box bundle, which seems to be the going minimum.

If I discard or scribble out about once inch of the shipping label, I now have the perfect box to jettison across the country to someone else after it completes as life as a catch all on my desk. So is this wasteful packaging or is it super considerate in that I have a useful item instead of a shredded envelope.

Now its your turn: Guess the retailer! Take your best stab at who the online retailer is who sent me this box. There is no prize per se,  just the satisfaction of generating a healthy discussion. And is the packaging useful or wasteful?

(Just as an aside, if you want to try InBoxDollars, here is a link. I am using my earnings towards a rotating roster of charity groups + pet surgery. You can use yours for whatever you want, or use it as a way to have pocket change for a collection box of a worthy cause. There are a few legit and worthy ones on my Links page. I am updating the list again soon.)

Sometimes, I look in the bin and see a huge amount of very outdated glasses. I am not talking about style specifically, but weight. Now, glasses are lighter. Technology has improved and they can make lenses a little thinner and frames a little lighter. There are not as many coke bottle glasses as there were before. It would be nice to donate glasses that are more recent, versus at the end of the road.

A few folks have been telling me about Zenni Optical and their $8 frames. I read a review by Eric Hammer, a Brooklyn Examiner, at Examiner.com recently. It is not a bait and switch. They have frames that are slightly more expensive, but indeed have plenty at the $8 price point. I thought about buying a few cheap eyeglasses and donating them to the Lions. This way, they would have a few light weight pairs for someone needed them. Perhaps have a more modern look would help someone put their best foot forward, or just make it easier without the weight.

Some may point out that the frames are not made in the United States. So far, I have not found any that are. If you find a company, please point it out to me. However, this allows someone to buy what is at the optical stores at a more factory direct price. You can afford to be generous. In fact, what a better way to impact someone’s life for such little money. For $8-20, someone’s life can be dramatically transformed. They can see the rivets at the factory, learn to read, or simply lead an independent life if the correction needed is extreme.

Not sure when the best time to by a computer or an airline ticket is? Savings.com now has an “Ask, Answer & Save” section where readers can ask other site users their burning savings questions. One user suggested the best deal on dog crates is to simply look on Craigslist. Another user recommended September as a much more economical time to go to Germany. LorenB, aka Loren Bendele, the CEO of Savings.com is even getting in on the act by asking user thoughts about phone apps.

Have you benefited from any of the coupon codes or advice at Savings.com? Comment or write in and let me know.

This is THE time of year to upgrade your computer if you already have carefully researched what you want. I’m a Mac girl, but I have been researching options for a few friends. It just makes more sense to buy a computer at a discount than for a non-profit to use a donated used computer that might have the last owner’s files on it or has quirks that motivated someone to discard it in the first place. They may be fine for someone who doesn’t use the internet much, but not for sensitive information and a unit that may be accessed by more than one person.

There are someHP coupons over at Savings.com right now. For example, you can save $25 on an order of $125 or more, $10 off and free shipping off of a $50 purchase and $400 off an HP Pavillion Laptop at a $1249 or higher price point. Most of these cannot be used in the store. They are either codes to punch in or coupons to activate online. Either way, before you buy, don’t be lured by something that you don’t want, but pounce on something that you have been eye-ing with the special discount.

1) Close up the guest room. Close the heat register and insulate the windows.  A cut-to-fit foam rectangle protects the window that hides behind the bush outside. For more prominent windows, purchase a plastic window kit and draw the curtains. When guests are actually coming over for an overnight stay, open the door. Open the heat register the day before they arrive to bring the temperature back up to cozy.

2) Bring out the blankets. Throw an extra quilt or comforter on the bed. Once you are in bed, the temperature of the rest of the house does not matter. Keep slippers close by and wear socks to bed.

3) Toss a throw rug in the bathroom. This does not exactly warm up the house, but when we perceive feet to be less chilly, we are less tempted to turn up the heat.

4) Light the fire. A properly maintained fireplace warms the house and cuts energy bills. Use the fireplace when you are home during the day or evening. Never leave it unattended. There are enclosed fireplaces that are more appropriate to light and leave, but it is equally wasteful to keep it going when you are not home.  A fire not only warms those in immediate proximity, but also warms the walls.

5) Dress in layers. Wear a thermal shirt or pants underneath your clothing.

6) Roll out the space heater. Do not rely on a space heater as a sole heat source. They are intended as temporary fixes. Bring one into a hobby room while you are completing tasks, or in a den where the family stays put for awhile. Unplug the space heater when no one is using it. Faulty space heaters can cause electrical fires. Remember: Space heaters are not “free” to use. They use electricity, so therefore cost to operate. However, operating a space heater for a few hours is more efficient than firing up the furnace a few more degrees.

7) Take a hike. Walking every morning will increase your circulation. You won’t feel so cold the rest of the day. Have a Wii or Playstation Move tournament in the house to get the blood pumping.

Re-evaluate your home’s insulation. While this may be a summer job, you can make a note of inefficient areas in the winter. The expense of properly insulating the attic or barrier walls may seem costly, but will save money in the long run.

A computer may come out of a volunteer or founders pocket, or one may come from the charity so that they can have a machine with only organization business on it. This way, if a volunteer or board member leaves, the information will not be lost, but passed, in total, to the next one responsible for it. Sometimes its also just not practical to rely on a donated computer that is past its prime, but rather rely on a newer computer and donated office supplies or time.

Right now, you can find some Dell deals via the Savings.com site. A variety of discount codes are listed, ranging from percentages off to dollar amounts off for selected items, such as laptops, software and bundled items. If the group has a gift card from a donor on top of it, the cost would be reduced as well. Either copy the code and use it at checkout or click to activate the discount, depending on the instructions.

Is your favorite group procuring items from the local office supply store? Hunt around–you just might save them a bundle.

A few of the highlights:

• There always seems to be an extra $5-25 off at 1-800Petmeds.com. That’s useful if you run a pet charity and need to buy something special for the 150 lb dog you just don’t have the right dosage for. Pet Street Mall and Petsmart also have codes.
• Offers from HP, the Apple Store and Sony, not to mention MacAfee for all of your virus-busting needs.
• Discounts at Tractor Supply Store. Have you ever been to one? Everything from horse feed to landscaping items to protective gear.
• Autozone and O’Reilly’s to keep your vehicles running.

If you are purchasing or procuring items from any of these businesses, and hundreds more, take advantage of saving a few extra dollars. You can put what you save towards saving another life or comforting another person.

I was surprised to see Linens ‘N Things shutter its doors. The particular location near me was actually quite busy, but chain wide, they just weren’t doing as well in some markets as rivals Bed Bath and Beyond, not mention the big box stores such as Target. LNT is back. It’s streamlined and has returned in web form. To simplify matters, now its simply “LNT.”

To celebrate, my readers can receive Free Shipping off their purchases through September 15th. Use code LNTFREE at checkout. With free shipping, you can afford to fill your cart just in time for Back to School and fall charity auctions.

The offerings may not be as exhaustive as their old store, but there are plenty of great basics and interesting finds for home, pet, bath and baby. The most offbeat offering?  The T-Rex Reptile Comfort Leash.  It wouldn’t be anything worth mentioning if it just came in Iguana size. That’s nothing new.  However, it comes in size XXSmall for tiny Anoles.  I imagine it would fit a variety of small swifts and other tiny guys as well.  The small will fit a gecko, while an iguana is medium.  If they had a large, would that be for crocodiles? Perhaps.

What would you choose?

There is even an American Animal Care Center coupon available for printing.   Actually, you can use one of three coupons.  One for a free initial exam.  Another is for $20 off vaccinations, and the other is for a free rabies vaccination with a regular priced exam. Heck it makes ME want to go there for MY checkups.

I have never heard of an arthritis prevention program, but AACC has one. Some folks just think it is inevitable.   I am going to have to look into it and see what it involves. Maybe it involves supplementation an monitoring a dog’s activity, or maybe it is merely being astute at detecting early signs or predispositions. As mom to an almost ten year old dog, I think it is a good idea to look into, even though for his breed, he is in the prime of his life as they live a long time. Maybe I will see if any of my California friends go to the American Animal Care Center and can tell me what it is all about.

What are you doing to insure the long term health of your buddy?