If y'all don't already know by now, I love to travel. I don't go to exotic places, but I do like to go normal places pretty often. And as you may have heard, one of the things I take a lot of pride in (in a good way, I think), is my ability to pack lightly.  I've been meaning to get some photos of my packing process, but usually it only takes me about 15 minutes (and includes K's clothes), but I lucked out last week!

[Brave New Films]
I was born to be a shopper. And much more than that, I was born to be a budget shopper*. My mother is the master of shopping for a great deal (as in $400 down to $14 great deal). While I have not yet reached her level in deal-hunting, I've learned a few tricks of my own, and thought I'd share.

• Timing. Shopping only takes as short or long as you want it to. If you have 30 minutes, you have time to shop. Sometimes the quickest decisions force you to make a good one (if not, look below on returning).
• Be patient. If it's not perfect, or not on sale (and you want it to be), don't buy it.

ELK GROVE - Makeup, shopping, a fashion show, big hair, prizes and a chocolate fountain all under one roof can only mean one thing -- the return of Girls Night Out. This special event is a decadent evening for girls ages 6 to 106 presented by the Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) and Kaiser Permanente. Mark your calendar and join us Friday, March 18 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Wackford Community Complex in Elk Grove, 9014 Bruceville Road.

Bring your gal pals, daughters, mother, grandmother or even your mother-in-law for a night of girlish delights.