Thrifty Mommy » toys

Zhu Zhu Pets at Kmart Soon

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:40 +0000

SEE UPDATE BELOW – These are sold out…

Honestly, I’ve just recently heard of Zhu Zhu pets when I was writing my toy scalper post. It’s not a toy my son has seen. However, what I hear is that these are pretty much the hottest toy of 2009, so I’m guessing some of you are looking for one for your kids.

If so, you’re in luck because according to reports, Kmart has these fun furry friends scurrying-in just in time for Christmas.

On December 18th these electronic pet hamsters will be available for purchase on Kmart.com and on December 20th they will be available for purchase at select Kmart stores. Check Kmart.com for store locations.

Zhu Zhu pets will be available for $10.99 both online and in-store and there is a limit of 2 per customer.

Good luck!

UPDATE: I just got an email from Kmart’s rep noting that these sold out as of the morning of the 18th. Looks like Kmart just wanted the hype but maybe didn’t stock enough. Same old song and dance.

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Shop All Year and Save Big

Karen Weideman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:04:22 +0000

One of the biggest ways that I save money is by shopping for things ahead of time while they’re at rock bottom prices. I do this with my groceries, household items, and gifts for my children. This method is commonly referred to as the buy ahead principle or stockpiling.

Here’s an example of how I have used the “buy ahead principle” for purchasing my daughter’s Christmas gifts.

bath robe – regularly $20, after Christmas sale in Feb for $5
two-wheel scooter – regularly $17, Black Friday sale for $5
Hanna Montana doll set – regularly $28-32?, after Christmas sale in Feb for $7-8
guitar purse – regularly $8-9, clearance for $2-3
Barbie Advent calendar – regularly $20, after Christmas sale for $5
Pet Shop bubble bath – regularly $10, clearance for $2.50
High School Musical umbrella – regularly $8, clearance for $2
Pet Shop electronic game – regularly $13, clerance for $3.24

This is approximately $125 in gifts for the bargain price of about $35. My daughter will have a nice selection of toys under the tree this year, and all things that she likes.

Those of you with older children may find buying ahead more difficult, however, it is not impossible. Try picking up just a few things that you’ll know they’ll like, even if it’s just stocking stuffers or dvds. Every little bit saved helps.

Did you shop all year for Christmas?

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Toy Clearance at Target

Karen Weideman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:40:24 +0000

I went into Target today and found that they are marking down some of their toys 30-50% off. Selection varies by store, but here are a few of the things that caught my eye:

Pet Shop figures
Pet Shop play sets
animal backpacks
baby dolls
board games (Partini and a few others)
WordWorld toys
dog clothing and dog carrier (for the dog stuffed animals)
MagNext sets (select ones)
baby/toddler toys (including one by Parents)
bath toys

J had a gift card left from his birthday and so he purchased the MagNext Drawer Case. They were normally $24.99, but he got them for $11.99. I also picked up another set for the same price to use as a gift for him (probably for Christmas). It helps to shop ahead, if you know that your child will like the item later on.

Target also has a nice selection of clearanced toys online. For some reason, the MagNext that we purchased are not on clearance on their site.

Good luck and let me know what you find.

image from target

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Enjoying the Summer Yard Sales

Karen Weideman — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:12:44 +0000

I love the thrill of a bargain. There’s not much better bargains to be found than at a yard sale. Last week, my family stopped at a few yard sales. A neighborhood in the area was supposed to have a neighborhood yard sale, but only a few houses participated. I was a little disappointed, but I was still able to find some deals!

1st stop: Almost everything I found was $.25. Wowwee! As you can see here, I got some nice books for only 25 cents. The pink books are some pre-k/kindergarten books. He let me have all of them for $.25. Those will come in handy with Cuddlebug over the next two years. I also picked up a pink fuzzy purse for Alligator girl. It was only $.25 too. Somehow the purse didn’t make it in the picture.

Stop 2: I found these Ty stuffed animals for only $.25. My kids don’t really need any stuffed animals, but these were so cute. I threw them in the washing machine (on gentle) and they’re good as new. I also found two wallets/small purses for Alligator girl for $.25 and a few clothing items for her for $.50-.75.

Stop 3: The lady at this yard sale had two boys, so I was able to pick up a few things for the boys. A large floor size Thomas the Train puzzle was $1. Other things I bought: alligator toy $.50, Premiere gold earrings (new) $1, Buzz Light Year figurine $.50, Rollerblade brand rollerblades (adjustable) $2, Franklin VHS tape $1, Toy Story book $.25.

I think we did pretty well and the kids are happy with their new things.

Have you been to any yard sales this summer?

images (c) Karen Weideman

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Target Summer Savings

Karen Weideman — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:42:56 +0000

I received a Target sale catalog in the mail today called “splash into summer for less”. You may have received one too, but before you toss it into the recycling bin be sure to look on the back. Attached, you should find a coupon packet valued at over $55. You may find some of the coupons to be useful.

Here are some of the sale items that caught my eye:

Fisher-Price sand tools $3.49
Wigglin’ Water Sprinkler $8.99
Cootie Games $4.99
Primary Journal (room for writing and drawing on each page) $2.99
No-Spill Mini Bubble Bucket $4.99
No-Spill Bubble Blitzer (blows up to 3,000 bubbles a minute without re-dipping) $4.99
Crayola 3-D Sidewalk Chalk $4.99, $3.99 after $1 coupon in catalog
Littlest Pet Shop Band-Aids $1.89, $.89 afte $1 coupon in catalog
Mega Blocks Dora Big Backyard Adventures $9.99

This sale ends June 1, 2009. Enjoy!

image from target

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Free Things at Toys ‘R Us This Weekend

Karen Weideman — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:57:17 +0000

This weekend Toys ‘R Us is giving away free Thomas wooden trains. You get to choose one of four trains. Choose Thomas the Tank Engine, Lights & Sounds Percy, Sir Handel, or Peter Sam. To get your train, you’ll need this printable coupon. Limit 1 train per customer. This coupon can be used Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22.

Also, on Saturday, Toys ‘R Us will be celebrating the 50th birthday of Little People. Stop by between 12 and 2 pm for coloring activities, storytime, playtime with Little People toys and a free Little People DVD for you to take home.

Thanks to Freebies 4 Mom and Coupon Cravings for the tips.

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More Target Deals

Karen Weideman — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:36:50 +0000

We were out running errands today and passed by a different Target. I told hubby I wanted to stop to see if they had some different bargains from the other Target we visited Friday night.

Some things we got:

ping pong set – includes paddles, balls, net, and post $12.99 $6.48
Black & Decker 24v cordless drill $49.99 $24.98 Hubby has been wanting a new drill because his old one doesn’t keep a charge. Glad we waited for a deal!
Littlest Pet Shop digital pet $12.99 $3.24 – I got 2 of these and will certainly use them for gifts.
Woof Street Boutique clothes $12.99 $3.24 – This will go great with the Woof Street pup I got on clearance last week. I think I’ll save this set for Alligator’s birthday.
John Deere Johnny Tractor & Friends 60 pc puzzle $3.99 $.98

I also picked up a few 75% off clothing items for the kids. These were $1.25-$2.48 each. And I know this wasn’t on sale, but I got a 2 pack of Holly Hobbie dvds for $9.99. The reason I got them is because Alligator likes Holly Hobbie and doesn’t have any of the dvds. They’re usually $9.99 each, so this was a good deal. These will be a gift for later.

Have you found any deals at Target?

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Huge Toy Clearance at Target

Karen Weideman — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 05:13:23 +0000

As you know, this is the time of year when the toys get really cheap. This is the time when I begin to pre-buy for future birthdays and Christmas presents.

We stopped at Target tonight to see if their clearanced clothes were an additional 30% off. (FYI – they weren’t at my Target.) We also went to check out the clearanced toys. My kids had some gift cards and Christmas money left over anyway. There were many toys that were 30-75% off. Here’s what we got:

vtech Write & Learn Letter Pad $14.99 $3.74
Little Einstein’s Tub Toss Mission $4.99 $2.48
Barbie Advent Calendar $19.99 $4.98
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse figure $5.99 $1.48
Toy Story Toy Box Heroes figurines $6.99 $1.74
small monster truck $1.99 $.48
Woof Street Boutique dog $7.99 $1.98

Puparazzi poseable fashion purse $19.99 $4.98
Hannah Montana and Lola dolls, Target exclusive toy, contains 31 pieces $34.99 $8.74
Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! digital game $22.99 $5.74

Some of these items the kids bought with their money and some I purchased for gifts. Thankfully, hubby was there to push the kids in a cart while I got my bargains.

If you have a little extra cash to spare, it’s worth dropping by Target for the toy deals. Good luck and let me know what you find.

images by Karen

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The new CPSIA act

kellys — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:06:45 +0000

AS you all know, I love my resales shops. Mom of 14 asked me if I thought the new CPSIA Act that was signed into law last year by President Bush that would require any toy sold to be tested for lead, among other things, would affect my resale shop. Funny she should ask that as I just recently got an announcement from my local shop dealing with just that very thing.

Dear Valued Customer,

As you may have heard in the news or through online blogs, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 4040) was signed into law in August 2008. This act is referred to as the CPSIA. To view the Act, click here. In summary, beginning February 10, 2009 all children’s products that are sold must not exceed a specified lead content. What this potentially means is —- may not be able to buy and sell untested merchandise!

The law is very vague as to how OR if it applies to resale retailers like —-. We are working diligently with associations and legal council to ensure we can continue to provide a place for you to buy & sell gently used kids stuff. We know it is important for you to be able to recycle your gently used toys and clothing as well as to buy low-cost, high quality items that you can currently find at our store.

With Congress back in session this week, it provides us with an opportunity to communicate concerns about this law to the respective Senators and Representatives. The timing is perfect for us to raise our voices! If you want to alert your congressmen about your concerns click here, we have created a template that you may use if you so choose. To find your respective elected officials, go to www.congress.org. Under “My Elected Officials”, simply type in your zip code.

We will keep you posted as we learn more about the affect of CPSIA on our business. Thank you for your time,

I am looking at this 2 ways, I love buying and selling at my local resale shop, but I also want to know that they toys I buy are safe for my kids. So I am happy that this will make sure my kids are safe. I have been a little leary of buying ANYTHING these days and was happy to hear about the new law. Life should be interesting soon.

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Thursday Cleaning Challenge – Sort those toys

kellys — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:04:36 +0000

No parent I know likes to admit it, but the toys in our homes are asexual! Stop laughing at me. You know it is true. I am looking at my toys and am realizing that I am going to have to sort them again before we bring in new toys from Christmas. This time, I am going to let the DH do it. No I am not being lazy. But I can look at the toys and see where each one is played with every once in a while. My DH, however, looks at them a little more objectively. So I am actually going to let him go through them this time. If there is an obvcious toy that needs to stay, then I will put it back. Then, and only then, I will let the kids pick a toy to give to another kid in order to allow them to help with the process and to learn to take ownership of purging.

So this weeks, Thursday Cleaning Challenge is to purge the kids toys so that when Christmas comes, you won’t be totally overwhelmed. Hope this helps.

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