I went on a shopping “spree” today. To OfficeMax.  I was only going to get a few things, but then in a total coincidence, I had just happened to buy last Sunday’s paper, which I rarely do, I had left it in the van on the passenger seat, I flipped through the paper just on the off chance there were any coupons I could use, and lo and behold, there was a brown paper grocery bag for OfficeMax in the paper. Anything that fit in the bag was 20% off. It was like the universe was telling me to go shop there.

Before I viewed a webcast run by TLC’s Peter Walsh and posted tweets during it last week, I received a package of the new Schoolio-Von-Hoolio school supplies to check out from OfficeMax. It is the cutest line of folders, notebooks, journals, backpacks, drawstring bags, crayons, and all kinds of other great stuff for back to school. There are three different designs- Cupcake, Darling, and Body Art. I had received products from the Cupcake and Darling designs, so I wanted to go check out the Body Art designs and see if it was stuff I thought the  boys would use.

And then I walked into OfficeMax with Kaitlyn and my 20% off grocery sack, and discovered that boxes of Schoolio-Von-Hoolio crayons were ONE PENNY. I could only buy 3 today, but you bet I’ll go back tomorrow. The two pocket folders, some of which have paper fasteners inside and some which have punch out holes so you can put them inside the matching 3 ring binders, were only 99 cents. Minus 20% at checkout. I know there are cheaper pocket folders at Walgreens, but the OfficeMax ones are SO CUTE.

So I scooped up a few folders- I got one for Ryan, my artist, that reads “Art Will Save Us”-and two bottles of Elmer’s glue, a packet of poster putty, a new package of Elmer’s GoPaint for Kaitlyn, three boxes of crayons, and a wire mesh desk organizer set for the boys to put their pencils and scissors in. They are currently using a couple of old yogurt and orange juice containers, which have seen better days.

Then I walked by the Post-It and Scotch brands display, and it was buy two things, get a cute reusable tote bag free. I needed Scotch tape (I’ve tried store brands. I buy Scotch brand.), and I was looking for a new wall calendar to go above my desk that I can use to schedule blog posts I don’t want to forget to do. Because making a list in Google documents is great and all, but I am totally an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person. If it’s right there ON THE WALL staring me in the face, I’m hoping I’ll be more likely to, you know, GET IT DONE.

So I found a great wall calendar made by Post-It that uses a sticky strip kind of like on those command hooks to fasten it to the wall, and it came with six pads of Super Sticky Post-its. Here’s hoping it helps me get organized

When OfficeMax said anything that fit in the bag was 20% off, they meant it. The two zippered pencil pouches I found on a clearance end cap marked down from $4.00 to $2.00 but had no visible defects? Another 20% off. The M&Ms I let Kaitlyn get at the checkout for being so good in the store? 20% off.

I paid $41.00 and change, got the receipt, and added up the discounts-I had saved $16.00 without having to clip any coupons! Woo hoo!  Oh yeah, and along with the receipt, the cash register spit out a coupon good for $5.00 off a $25.00 purchase at Payless! I have no idea why, didn’t know there was a connection between OfficeMax and Payless, but who cares? $5.00 off at a store where I buy my kids’ shoes anyway!

Altogether, it was a very successful shopping trip. And the icing on the cake? While I was in my room reading a book and resting, Nathan cleaned off his desk, wiped it with Pledge, then set up the desk organizer set with pencils and crayons and the glue. I hadn’t asked him to do it or even hinted at it.

Awesome.