Let me start off by saying that I am a firm believer that all practical things should come in pretty packages. Why companies are still making those silly bright yellow galoshes when cute ones like these are available is a mystery to me. You dont have to sacrifice pretty footwear for dry feet anymore; I had no trouble finding many different cute designs. (Just look at these adorable pink cowgirl rain boots!) The only hard part was deciding which ones were my favorite.

These little girl’s mary-jane rain boots are to die for. It’s a shame these cuties only come in sizes 6-11 toddler sizes, or I’d be sporting them every soggy day this spring. How sweet are these pink kitty rainboots? Slipping these cherry print boots on could easily be the best part about your little girls rainy day. The thought of splashing around with these in rain puddles actually makes me feel a bit giddy inside! Any of these rain boots will be perfect for those impending soggy days where it’s too wet for regular shoes, but not slushy enough for snow boots.

$23-28

As the year comes to an end all the clearance sales jump out at us to entice us to buy one last time. So if you are looking for a great deal, clearance sales are the way to go. There are always awesome deals over on our coupon code page but I’d like to take the time to feature some great clearance sales right here.

Brookstone – Save up to 80% – Clearance on Brookstone’s Best
Cooking.com – Clearance Sale – 75% off!
BuyCostumes – Clearance Costumes up to 80% off!
Hammacher Schlemmer – Save up to 70% at the Hammacher Schlemmer Special Values Sale.
Books aMillion – Book Clearance Sale – Save up to 80%!
CircuitCity – Spectacular Sale & Clearance begins Dec 26th
Zappos – Check out their clearance section.
NewEgg – Check out their clearance section.
UnbeatableSale – Free Shipping on Clearance Products $200 up to $500
CollectiblesToday – Shhh… Super Secret Collectibles Clearance Sale!

All of these clearance sales end soon, so act now and save. Some will end with 2006 and some will continue for one more week.
For coupons that aren’t expired check out our online coupons page.

We generally aren’t much for promoting celebrity-branded anything, but we had to let you know about these cute sandals. Heidi Klum got together with Germany based Birkenstock to create some limited edition sandals. They worked together to create quite a few styles but we’re only focusing in the cruelty-free vinyl sandals. They’re called Birkenstock Star and come in green, blue, and our personal favorite pink. Although these are “designed” by Heidi Klum, they keep true to the Birkenstock standards of comfort, support, and function. The footbed liner curves to ensure even weight distribution and proper arch support. You’ll see how contoured the footbed is by checking out the detailed product pictures over at Zappos and selecting the back view. Also notice that the raised toe bar is designed to encourage the natural gripping motion of your feet, exercise your legs and improve circulation.

These Birkenstock Star sandals are currently on a 10% off sale over at Zappos. If you’ve never ordered shoes online, take comfort in Zappos 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you aren’t happy with your purchase for any reason they will even pay for return shipping back to them in addition to refunding the entire purchase price.

Doing a little research on this Klum-Birkenstock project I read an article over at Kitmeout, which ponders what celebrity designed shoes could mean for Birkenstock’s branding and intended audience. Like Kitmeout, I also look forward to a brand that is “free from celebrity and stardom… reminiscent of the ‘hippie’ era” like Birkenstock used to be.

Recently, a contest to win a Healthmate Air Purifier caught my eye, and got me thinking about the myriad of other sweepstakes that are on the internet. I’ve skipped the ones that require more participation (like submitting an essay) or a purchase, so you should be able to enter all these in less than 5 minutes. Remember, the only guaranteed way to lose is by not trying, so fill out those quick little forms and good luck!

Sign up for their newsletter, and be entered in a drawing for a free air purifier ($299 value).

Win a trip for 2 to join Master Cameron Shayne for an intensive Budokon week-long retreat in the pristine Turks and Caicos Islands valued at $5,000.

Monthly drawing with a grand prize winner (prize value is always big; for July it’s a $1,000 scrapbook package), and either a $100 or $50 gift card from Joann’s.

Become a registered user of Zappos and you’ll automatically be entered into their weekly drawing for a pair of free shoes.

Monthly drawing for a tabletop water fountain from Serenity Health.

You heard it right: Free gas for a year from Mental Floss.