Every year on the 4th of July, I go with my mom to a local street fair where we peruse booth after booth of handmade creations – most of which are identical from the year before. But every once in a while, we across something new and different and cool.

This year, I fell in love with these journals which are made of old books that libraries decide to throw out. Doug of Recover Your Thoughts takes these dumpster bound books, removes the front and back covers and reuses them, adding a slab of recycled paper in-between to create nifty journals. In his words, what a novel idea.

The hardest part about buying one of these "Recover Your Thoughts" journals is picking the cover you like best and I think I pretty much went through every journal in his booth before coming across the perfect one for me: Churchill’s The Crisis. Could there be a more appropriate title for my journal? I think not.

Doug told me he hasn’t quite got the whole buying-online-thing down yet (and I immediately pointed him toward etsy), but if you’re interested in Recovering Your Thoughts in one of these journals, you can email him at info(at)recoveryourthoughts(dot)com. Journals are $12 each.

How about these melons? Huh?

In an economy of sky-rocketing grocery prices, I thought I’d let you in on this little secret: 99 Cent Store. These succulent cantaloupes? Yep! 99 cents each. And honest to god, they are a-ma-zing.

Also amazing? Loaves of bread for 99 cents each. I’m no cheap ass, but I’m not a brand whore either and I’m telling you, 99 cents for a loaf of What’s-Its-Butt Wheat versus the hoity-toity brand name wheat bread for $4 at your local grocery store? Mama ain’t that proud.

What’s your current big deal steal?

Removing the link… a number of people have said this company… yeah, not so great… in their experience. Well this surely blew up in my face.

If you like make-up, wear make-up or know of someone who might have heard of make-up before then pay close attention: I know of a website where you can get high quality (and I’m talking featured-in-major-magazines-quality) mineral-based make-up for $1.

Oh yes, you heard read me correctly. ONE DOLLAH.

The challenge is to shop while simultaneously showing restraint. I don’t think it’s humanly possible.

For those of you who do submit to the evils of this little internet shopping gone wild adventure, I want to know. So I don’t feel so… alone. That’s right, I’m talking to YOU – who not only has her credit card number memorized, but the 3-digit security number on the back also.

[UPDATE: While I'm at it, I'm going to wire $50 to a Nigerian bank and wait for my $5,000 return. ALLEGEDLY, this ONE DOLLAH special isn't a special, the make-up is always this price. Someone emailed me and was like, HEY DUMBASS, IT'S ALWAYS ONE DOLLAR. Ohhhhhhh. Well, whatever. As long as it doesn't make my skin burn or fall off, $1 is still a steal and a deal.]

I don’t normally buy shoes from Old Navy, but when I saw these bad boys, I wanted them. And then I realized that at that same time, they were doing their "Stuff and Save" promotion that gives you an additional 20 percent off and free shipping. Well then. I stand by my decision. It was a no-brainer, really.

However, because I have no life, the shiny vinyl black wedges are still sittin’ pretty in my closet, without having been used yet, the little elastic band still connecting the left and the right. But I still covet them and therefore Windex them every day. [OK, so now you know I'm lying. I don't own Windex.]

But the giraffe ballet flats*? LOVE them. I’ve worn them several times already and I just can’t stop looking at my feet when they’re immersed in the sexiness that is this shoe. And at the current bargain price of $9.49, you just can’t say no. At least I couldn’t. Obviously.

I’ve only found one slight problem with this purchase. They’re stylish, lightweight and comfortable – but maybe too comfortable. Because when I went searching for them yesterday, I discovered I wasn’t the only one enjoying the giraffe print…

It’s like every mama’s fantasy to see her little boy… in her? shoes?

Oh lord.

—————————————————————

*Giraffe print may or may not still be available… However there are a ton of other prints. All of them cute and necessary!

I’m starting a little something-something new… Every once in a while I come across a good deal or a complete steal and I feel like telling the WHOLE WORLD about it. That’s where the "Steals & Deals" comes into play. If you have any great deals or steals you’ve come across, send your ideas my way.

For this first edition, I present to you these vintage-looking notebooks:

Now here’s the thing. I love paper. I love books. I love notebooks. In a something-you-never-cared-to-know-about-me sort of way, I absolutely love the smell of paper – its thickness and texture – and I just want to inhale it’s amazingness and feel its weight in my fingertips.

OK… And I’m… BACK.

Anyway. These notebooks? Just another reason to love Target: The dollar section.

I bought one of these bad boys for – get this – $2.50 in the dollar section (go figure) of Target a week or two ago. But then, because I’m a natural hoarder, I went back and got two more, not having a single freaking clue what to do with them, but just knowing I coveted them so much that I should definitely have three.

Then I realized, hey! three! I’ve got three boys! So I wrote their names on the notebooks, dedicating one to each kid. I’ve decided to fill them with the funny things my guys say on a regular basis. Recording quotes as well as the time and place where they’ve said them. There have been so many times I’ve just about died laughing at something my kids have said…

Example (in E-man’s notebook):

HCLJPLP, Age 5 – When the teacher asked what his middle initial – "R" – stood for in his name, E-man replied (dead serious) "Race Car."

Now my kids will have these books to look back on and laugh at when they’ve got kids of their own. [I know! This almost makes me look sorta put together as a mom. SEE! Clearly the notebooks perform small miracles too! At $2.50 each!!!]

Or, I can use them as blackmail to steer away potential girlfriends. Whichever.