Now that I just turned 30, I wonder, am I allowed to wear Madden Girl, the “juniors” line of shoes by Steve Madden? Please say yes because I found the cutest shoe booties at, of all places, DSW!

Check out the Madden Girl Raleigh Ruffled Platform Bootie. It retails for $89.95 on stevemadden.com but is at DSW for $49.95. It comes in both taupe (pictured) and black.

Now is the time to cash in those DSW rewards certificates that are stuffed in a drawer somewhere!

DSW
3131 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657
773-975-7182
Sun 10am-7pm, Mon-Sa t 10am-9pm

(Pam Sherman, is the founder of Chicago Anytime Assistants, a flexible ‘anytime-you-need-it’ personal assistant service for the busy Chicagoan. She is constantly hunting down deals and sales for her clients and is now sharing them with PoorLittleRichGirls as a contributor.)

BCBG Snake Embossed Boots, Reg. $425, on sale for $213!

It’s finally here– the time of year when PoorLitleRichGirls everywhere can shop at BCBG and afford it. The Winter Sale arrives tomorrow (Thursday, November 12), which if you aren’t familiar, features 50%-70% off almost everything in the store. The sale starts now and will run through December & January with new mark downs taking place regularly through that time.

PLRG got the inside scoop on what’s going to be marked down in the Chicago stores. Erica, store manager at BCBG MaxAzria on Armitage, told us that “early Fall” merchandise will go on sale, with coats starting at 30% off which she says are going to go fast. Sweaters, knits and boots will be marked up to 50% off, also an amazing deal for the quality we all love.

Happy Shopping!

(Noelle Provencial)

Ooh, how I love “secret” sales! I just heard about a pop-up sale called RE.STOCK. It is a new concept in designer sample-stock shopping. Unlike traditional boutiques RE.STOCK is comprised completely of designer samples and overstock merchandise, all sold at sample sale prices. This is your chance to get the latest fashions from the top designers across the country at deals you have to see to believe. This is a new way of shopping designed to pamper you and your wallet!

For three days only, November 12th–15th, they’re popping-up in the West Loop! Save up to 80% off regular retail prices! I’m hoping to find incredible deals for moi and possibly gifts for some of the fashionistas on my list.

And a note to fellow non-size-zeros- this sale promises not to exclude and carry lots of “normal people” sizes.

RE.STOCK Pop-Up Sale:
November 12th-15th (in the West Loop)
1141 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL

Hours:
Nov. 12th– 4pm to 8pm
(Sneak Preview. Open to the public.)
Nov. 13th– 11:00am to 6pm
Nov. 14th & 15th- 12pm to 5:00pm

And Coming Soon to River North…
December 10th-13th
www.restockshop.com

(Pam Sherman, is the founder of Chicago Anytime Assistants, a flexible ‘anytime-you-need-it’ personal assistant service for the busy Chicagoan. She is constantly hunting down deals and sales for her clients and is now sharing them with PoorLittleRichGirls as a contributor.)

Will you score Christian's shoes for half-off?

UPDATE: Yay! So, Oprah’s hooking us up with 50% off at Payless, through close of business Friday. Go to Oprah.com for deets and to print your coupon or have a code sent to your cell phone.

When we have trouble getting to sleep at night, we always find ourselves watching the late-night reruns of Oprah. But, for once, we were more than happy to wake up exhausted this morning because we were able to catch the promo for Thursday’s show.

Set your DVRs, ladies, because Thursday’s show will feature some of your favorite reality show stars, including Heidi Klum & Christian Siriano from Project Runway. The promo promises “HALF-OFF” for Oprah viewers, but of what we are not sure…

What we do know is that both Klum and Siriano are each about to launch new lines of footwear. Klum has been working with Rick & Brian Cytrynbaum, co-founders of  Modern Vintage and Majestic Mills to create her collection, while Siriano has designed an exclusive line of shoes for Payless. Either way, we’re pretty sure the half-off deal will be fierce!

(Lacey Brenly)

While strolling through the aisles of Dominick’s last week I accidentally tapped a pharmacist with my grocery cart- oops! After apologizing profusely he told me all would be forgiven if I came to the pharmacy for a flu shot. Yuck! Not only do I hate shots, but I am also very…well, cheap. Plus, I wasn’t really sure if I was planning to get one this year.

Making an appointment for one of the always-inconvenient flu shot “clinics” at Walgreens or Osco was not really something I was looking forward to. But, at Dominick’s it’s only $28 and you don’t even need to present any insurance info. And no wait or appointment necessary! Not only that, but upon completion of my shot, they gave me a coupon for 10% off my entire grocery order! So, not only did I kill two birds with one stone by getting my groceries and flu shot taken care of under one roof, I also saved big on my bill. This is a PoorLittleRichGirls must!

(Written by, Pam Sherman, founder of Chicago Anytime Assistants, a flexible ‘anytime-you-need-it’ personal assistant service for the busy Chicagoan. She is constantly hunting down deals and sales for her clients and is now sharing them with PoorLittleRichGirls as a contributor.)

Have you been to Fox’s yet? For some reason, when pressed to list the top designer discount stores in the area, one store seems to miss the list, and I think I know why. Full disclosure- it’s the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms are more…uh…er… communal, I think is the right word. Yes, they are open, I admit it. Think bathroom stalls without doors. I don’t know why they do it, but I just try to stay focused on my clothes and wear mental horse blinders so I don’t accidentally see anything else. After a few visits I don’t even think about it anymore.

A die-hard discount fashionista would not let this deter them! In fact, I rank it right under my beloved Loehmann’s. Why? As I scan through my closet I came up with a few reasons:

• Hudson black flare jeans which I got for $89 (retail $189)
• Laundry raincoat for $98 (retail $198)
• Shoshanna dress for $109 (retail $259)

Are you with me so far? Give it a chance and make sure you wear cute underwear if you’re planning on trying anything on!

Fox’s
2150 N Halsted St, Chicago
(773) 281-0700
Store hours
Sun 12 - 5:30pm
Mon - Wed 11 - 7pm
Thurs - Fri 11 - 8pm
Sat 10 - 6pm

(Article written by, Pam Sherman, founder of Chicago Anytime Assistants, a flexible ‘anytime-you-need-it’ personal assistant service for the busy Chicagoan. She is constantly hunting down deals and sales for her clients and is now sharing them with PoorLittleRichGirls as a contributor.)

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is right up there with Spanx and vodka on our list of favorite things ever. As the legend has it, back in the 1960’s Nordstrom needed a way to boost sales in the “dog days” of summer.* So, rather than mark down this seasons’ merchandise, Nordstrom did something revolutionary. Each summer they marked down their brand new Fall and Winter merchandise before the season, allowing customers to stock up on in season cold weather essentials at prices almost 50% off!

The tradition continues Friday, July 17- Monday, August 3. But, for those in the know you can also shop the Pre-Sale and guarantee your purchases (and size, color choice, etc.) prior Friday. They’ll just hold your items, run your credit card Friday morning and you can pick up your stuff after work.

If you do wait until Friday to actually shop the sale get there early. REALLY early. Women have been known to actually camp out in line and wait for the store to open. But, with such sweet deals on winter staples, do you blame them?

*The sale actually began at Best Apparel in the 1940’s. Nordstrom, which was just a shoe store at that time later acquired Best Apparel and expanded the sale. It was this aquisition that put Nordstrom on the path to it’s present day “department store” status.

(Lacey Brenly)

People might try to tell you that the big difference between Catholic schools and others schools is the class size, the curriculum or the community. But, in my experience, what makes Catholic Schools so unique are the nuns. Very different from teachers, nuns are mysterious (just what are they wearing under those habits?) and crafty people (they can turn just about anything into a  punishment).  A few weeks back, the PLRG team went to check out the show “Put the Nuns in Charge” at the Royal George Theater, and now we have a new adjective to describe these holy ladies- hilarious!

If you’ve never seen any of the Nuns 4 Fun shows (Late Night Catechism, Sunday School Cinema, etc.) you’re in for a real treat. Each show is a “class” for adults being taught by a Catholic Nun and just like any good class, student (or in this case, audience) participation is a big part of the learning process.

So, it was no surprise when Eryn was immediately called on stage so Sister could make an example of her. “Eryn, is this something you think Mary, the blessed mother of our Lord, would wear?” Sister, played by Kathleen Puls Andrade, asked. Sister then gave Eryn a tissue to cover the 2 inches of her bare neck and a bracelet with the initials WWMW (What Would Mary Wear). Conveniently, Sister pointed out, if the bracelet was read upside down, it then would stand for Mary Wore Minimal Makeup. The crowd was already roaring with laughter as Sister went on to discuss the sinful Ms. Britney Spears and remind Eryn that she needs to look to Mary the Mother of God, not Mary Magdalene for fashion direction. 

Ok, so this isn’t your typical Sunday School class, but these aren’t your average nuns either! The talented crew at Nuns 4 Fun have over 70 years of combined acting and comedy experience (and maybe a few bad Catholic School memories) to draw on. Written by Vicki Quade, “Put the Nuns in Charge” is a sequel of sorts to one of Chicago’s longest running comedy shows, “Late Night Catechism.” This time around, Sister is teaching her class about the Seven Deadly Sins and along the way she draws on plenty of examples from the world of celebrity and pop-culture to prove her points (she’s got something to say about everything from Mel Gibson to iPods).

Put the Nuns in Charge made for a perfect girls night out, busting chops with Sister and reverting back to our grade-school selves. We think you and your girls (oh, and boyfriends, family, etc.) will have such a good time at this show, that we’ve worked out an exclusive deal to get you in for half the price. Just mention PLRG when booking your tickets to get them for just $15 a piece (regularly $30)!

Late Nite Catechism (8pm Thursday & Saturday)
Put the Nuns in Charge! (8pm Friday & 5pm Saturday)
Sunday School Cinema (3pm Sunday)

Royal George Theatre
1641 N. Halsted
312.988.9000

(Lacey Brenly)

Want to take a shot?

Jameson, Jäger and Jack Daniels jokes aside, Redken has come out with a deep conditioning “shot” that won’t provoke you to show off your killer dance moves late night at The Hangge-Uppe.

This week I sat down with Senior Stylist, Stacy McCuskey, at Swerve Salon to give it a shot (pun totally intended). I have to say that my distressed hair and I were very impressed.

Here’s the low-down:
The Chemistry System consists of 6 different “shots” that compliment different hair types: All Soft, Smooth Down, Real Control, Clear Moisture, Color Extend and Extreme.

“Extreme is essentially a protein shot for severely chemically compromised hair.” says Stacy. “This time of year I get a lot of clients feeling dull and lifeless, blame the winter, but the chemistry system is a great way to add some zest to your hairstyle without doing anything too drastic.” We even think it will do the same for your self-esteem this time of year.

The Results?
I tried a combo of All Soft and Smooth Down and could immediately feel the difference before Stacy even blew out my hair. I’m currently on day three after the shot and still feeling the effects. Talk about a hangover we could get used to!

Per usual, we’re going to hook up our PLRG readers with a KILLER DEAL so you guys can take a shot on us.

Book a “shot” at Swerve Salon with your coloring treatment and receive a FREE haircut
OR
Book a “shot” at Swerve Salon with your haircut and score a FREE Redken Shampoo and Conditioner- (no travel sized bottles…we’re not screwing around here ladies)

Swerve Salon is located at 1419 N. Wells 2nd floor, make sure you mention PoorLittleRichGirls.com when booking your appointment. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

(Lindsey Duda)

It’s February in Chicago and at PLRG we’d like to (wishfully) think that Mother Nature is paying homage to our “Hot” issue by sending 60 degree days our way. It’s times like these that make us realize exactly what Ferris Bueller was doing when he took his day off.

In any case, if you decide to play hooky from work to enjoy this pseudo Springtime, go scope out this deal and kill a few birds with one stone. Salon 1800 is offering you 30% off selected services (i.e. haircuts, facials, mani/pedis) if you book your appointment before 3pm on Sunday-Thursday. Math isn’t exactly our forte but we do know an affordable bikini wax when we see one (ask for Amanda, we swear by her).

Stop by either Salon 1800 location: 157 W. North Avenue or 1133 W. Armitage and enjoy a well deserved day off from work.

(Lindsey Duda)