The headline on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens said "Get Organized!" Got my attention.

I am planning a remodeling job inside my condo, so I've been clipping idea pictures from magazines. There were some on my kitchen counter, some on the coffee table, and some actually pretty organized in a loose leaf notebook

I found a great Martha Stewart basket at K-Mart that fit perfectly in my armoire. In it went the loose leaf notebook, and all the loose clippings. Also the files from the estimates I've gotten for the new hurricane windows and the construction. Wow, I feel so liberated!! (From the piles.)

Do you ever pack things neatly away in an attempt to get organized, then you wind up hiding them from yourself? And then spend hours looking for them? One idea from BH&G that I thought was cute and useful: Labels for your baskets. Make your own on card stock and tie with colorful ribbon or order from Sesame Letterpress for $1 each.

buyolympia.com

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Do you want a new sofa as much as I do? I'm afraid to have anyone over 40 sit it in because they'll need a crane to get up. Down pillows are great until they get old....

Or maybe your sofa is it ripped or torn. Or did the upholstery cleaners declare it unsalvagable?

If you don’t have the excess cash right now to buy another, check out the sofa sweepstakes at BassettFurniture.com. Starting today, in celebration of its 106th anniversary, Bassett will give away one custom sofa every day through Dec. 18. That's one for each anniversary year!

You can build your own sofa on line, like this one, if you win. The price limit is $3,000 for fabric only. Leather, sectionals or motion furniture are excluded.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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Are you a crafter or a sewer? Maybe now that we are all staying home more, I'll get back into it. If you've got the time, they have the stuff.

Two new Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft stores are opening Sept. 4 in Pembroke Pines and Margate. The Pembroke Pines super store is 27,215-square feet and is located at 11251 Pines Blvd. M’Liss Rae Hawley, author and quilt designer, will sign her books after the 10 a.m. ribbon cutting Sept. 4. In Margate, the 21,663-square-foot superstore is located at 3340 Northwest 62nd Ave. in the Margate Shopping Center. Hawley will sing her books after the 2 p.m. ribbon cutting Sept. 4.

Both stores will offer also free Jo-Ann creative demonstrations and free craft projects for kids, giveaways to the first 100 guests and $10 Chili's gift card to those who spend $30 or more beginning at noon each day (while supplies last). There will also be special sales.

Special activities run from Sept. 4 through Sept. 6. Doors open at 9 a.m.

Also check out projects like this tablescape at www.joann.com.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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One thing worth checking out every month at www.target.com is the "Red Hot Shop." Click on the left rail and you'll find affordable, trend-setting products.

My faves include:

The Grobal self-watering pot by the avant garde product designer Karim Rashid. The pot is stylish and practical. It draws water and nutrients from the reservoir into the top chamber. The 7-inch high pot, including soil disk and three food hydropacks, sells for $24.99.

The next item is pefect to keep in your desk at work so you can look perfecto all day, The JK Jemma Kidd Fix-It Kit includes travel bag, skin complexion enhancer, blush concentrate and volumnizing mascara. Don't know who Jemma is? I didn't either. She is a model, stylist and markeup artist who opened her own makeup schol in 2003. Who knew? It sells for $28.99.

Stay fresh!

XOXO -- Gossip Girl

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My daughter emailed me the link for these rattan storage boxes, knowing how much I love boxes that don't need to hide in a closet. Closets hadn't been invented yet in the middle ages when my condo building was built!

I NEVER have enough storage space. I'm a big fan of decorative storage, hopefully I can eventually get to that elusive stage where I have 'a place for everything, and everything in its place.'

The three wooden boxes were $89 at retail, marked down to $69, and with an additional 15% off were $59. Still not cheap, but if they help me get even a fraction my life in order, it'll be worth it.

I ordered two sets. I plan on storing my grandkids little toys and books in the two big ones. If they are as nice as they look in the picture, I can stack them and use them as a small side table. You'll just have to hold your drink if the kids are visiting. Any suggestions for a good use for the two smaller ones?

Ballard Designs is having an Anniversary Sale, 15% off everything until September 15th. Have a look at the 'Estate Sale' section for the boxes. In this case, the extra 15% covered the dreaded shipping charges.

Ballard Designs Website

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You don't want to know how many pitches I get for what promoters insist are really cool, innovative stuff. Only a few of them make the cut because I know you don't have time to sort through the bad stuff. Take the time to check this one out.

If you fly occasionally or often this Zen Class Nirvana Organizer can help remove some of the hassles of getting to your stuff during flight. The patented tote attaches to any plane or train seat back tray table. Inside are multiple mesh and zippered storage compartments to store everything from your laptop to DVD player. It's also works for Moms who want to use it as an organized way to use changing tables in rest rooms.

It is available at www.zenclasstravel.com and at www.ebags.com. The product will be on QVC in November and December. It sells for $39.99 to $90.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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December was always the best time to visit the Ralph Lauren flagship store in Manhattan. The store is housed in the the gorgeous old Beaux Arts style Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue, serious architectural eye-candy in itself, but coupled with the beautiful home furnishings and tasteful evergreen arrangements, it was always one of our first stops in an all-girls shopping weekend. Just the inspiration we needed to go home and tackle our own holiday decorating.

There is no Rhinelander Mansion in South Florida, but the RL store in the Boca Town Center completely updated its furniture displays last weekend to showcase the new fall line. There are two lovely room settings, beautifully accessorized to entice you into wanting to redecorate. Even though they don't have space to display it all, the whole line of furnishings is available to order from the Boca store.

If you want to take a virtual show house tour, have a 'walk around' the Ralph Lauren Home website. It's way out of my budget, but one can dream.

Ralph Lauren Home

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The folks who run Etikette, the cool Wilton Manors store that stocked everything from custom upholstered furniture to Italian lighting and funky accessories, are looking for a new home in Miami.

Everything in the store is on sale.

That's good news for shoppers who will find discounts of 20 to 75 percent. Prices range from $15 to a few thousand dollars. You'll find furnishings like this one-of-a-kind chair. It was originally $1,200 and is on sale for $599.

Etikette is located at 2341 Wilton Drive, 954-636-6427. Hours are 11 .m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

The sale ends Sept. 15.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

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It’s been a few weeks since I discovered Coupon Mom. I've taken a few weeks to learn my way around. I encourage you to try it!!

Watch Coupon Mom video

For example: I saved some coupons from a Kelloggs promotion a few weeks ago, $1 off two items. This week Kellogg cereals are buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) at a few stores.

If I were really good at this, I would have found the cheapest store for Kelloggs cereal that had a BOGO offer and used my coupons there. I worked late and had to go to the 24 hour CVS, where the regular prices were in the $4+ range.

I bought one box at $4.29 and got one free, and used the coupon for $1 off two boxes. The final price for two boxes of cereal was $3.29, or $1.65 each.

If you clipped the $10 rebate form from the same Kelloggs promotion, you could get a $10 rebate for buying 10 of the Kelloggs items. There are some good deals out there if you have the time and the patience to stick with it.

AND, if you used the 'Extra Care' CVS weekend $3 off coupon, (who can keep track of all these little papers?) then $42.90 worth of cereal came to a whopping $3.50. $3.50 for 10 boxes of cereal!!! I'm sold!!! Who can resist such a savings?

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I happened to pop into Dillards on Saturday, and saw my favorite signs, "Additional 40% off the Lowest Sale Price." I love those red signs. And especially those sales!

The salesperson said it was already the 5th day of the sale. Of course, we like to be there the first day before the sale items are all picked over. I'll get with Dillards and try to give you better notice next time.

I bought two pairs of $108 Karen Kane white jeans for $16 each. I was paying for one pair, when the price scanned in at $16, I ran over and added a duplicate pair to my pile. I'll hem one pair for flats and one for heels.

You know what, girls, we have to stick together. Whoever got there the first day should have let us know!!

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