Doggie Duds

Just a quick note here: If you have small dogs like I have, you know the need for cozy, cute dog sweaters as the Winter weather rolls on into town. These darn doggie duds can start at $15 for the tiniest item & go up from there -- it's crazy!

New find: WAL-MART
I must say, for a nationwide discount retailer, they have a pretty amazing pet department. Of course, they don't carry my dog's fancy kibble there, but when it comes to bedding, dining accessories, carriers, crates, doggie diapers (yes, we need those for our little Mitzi until she learns to hold it better), and doggie duds, Wal-Mart really cannot be beat!

I have purchased several of the cutest dog sweaters there in recent weeks for only $5 each. Yep, you heard me....just $5! We're talking nice quality sweaters on the cheap. The sizing may be erratic but if you know your dog, you can quickly look at one & figure out what will fit & what won't, despite the size information on the label not being terribly accurate. Frankie & Mitzi now have matching grey & black "skull & crossbones" turtlenecks. Frankie got a new red holiday sweater. Mitzi scored a pink & white polka dot with patent leather bow applique on the backside. I even picked a couple of larger sized sweaters up for Marla for her Lola dog. I hope they fit! Pictures of Frankie to follow once my precious little hound is ready to model for you. It's not quite cold enough yet. *wink* Mitzi was willing, doggie-diaper & all.....

And, one more thing I need to add.....I bought a dog "crate" that is soft & collapses, as needed, for easier storage. I viewed several of these on Overstock.com & they started at around $70.....at Wal-Mart, I picked one up for under $17!! It's beige & black, so it should match my car, as well as the interior of my home, but they had other colors. It holds up to 50 pounds of dog, so that means I can fit both my babies inside. Not sure if I "needed" it, but I could not pass it up at that price!

Now, find your local Wal-Mart and pick up some cute clothes for YOUR beloved pets before it's too late!! Yes, they have some holiday duds for cats, too....but I suspect the felines don't like that sort of thing much.

Happy Shopping!

Shop Shoppin', Shoppin' at ROSS

If you find a good Ross store (because let's face it, some of them suck booty)....then you know how cool Ross can be. One of my favorite locations is the 2-story Ross in Pasadena on Lake Avenue.

All Ross stores offer a 15% discount to seniors on Tuesdays.....that means it's all the old crap from the week that did not sell & they want to get rid of it before the new goodies arrive. Lines are extra long on Tuesdays. New merchandise arrives at most LA Ross locations on Wednesdays.

Best days to shop at Ross: Thursdays & Fridays. All the new goodies are out for the taking! If you wait for the weekend, the stores will be more crowded, lines will be even longer than usual (if you can imagine that) & you may miss out on some of the good merchandise that I already went & bought on Thursday or Friday!

Many people don't like Ross because the stores tend to be sloppy, crowded & the lines are long. I understand all of that, believe me.....but if you can go on either a Thursday or Friday during the day (translation: on your extended lunch break), then you will likely score better merchandise while the store is slightly better organized. I am afraid the long lines seldom subside regardless of days or times you shop. You will have to "dig" a lot through the acres of clothing racks or shelf upon shelf of home decor, but it's often well-worth the hunt! They have some name-brand merchandise. If you have children, Ross is a must!!! They can get all the Roxy & Quicksilver they desire for a fraction of the price!

Ross is an excellent place to by stylish, affordable home decor items for general use OR if you intend to sell your home & you need to do some staging before you list with a realtor.

Ross Warning: read the tags on the clothing & bedding/towels......those items can be "irregular". It's clearly marked on the price tag, if this is the case. Try on the clothes -- in most cases, it's all good. With linens & towels, I have yet to find any irregularities with my naked eye that I cannot live with. Happy Shopping!