An After-Christmas-Sale Haul

Well, “haul” may be a slight exaggeration. It’s more like a mini-haul.

Have you done in after-Christmas shopping? I haven’t been in the mood, probably due to being sick. Thankfully, I’m all better now! It’s 63 degrees here today, sunny and gorgeous! I decided to stop by the Williams-Sonoma that’s a couple miles from my home to see what’s shaking. In the past I’ve found some amazing deals there after the holidays. This is actually a great time to pick up a few gifts for next year, while stuff is greatly reduced!

Snowman Cake Pan
I don’t normally buy a lot of specialty cake pans because they can be kind of pricey. I was excited to find this Nordic Ware Snowman was marked down from $39.95 to $19.99 to $12.99, then was 20% off that! So the final price was $10.39. That’s 75% off! You may be seeing a snowman cake sometime in the next month or so. 🙂

Snowman Cake Pan

 

Shaved Chocolates
I love hot chocolate during the winter months. These shaved chocolates would be a nice way to top off a steaming mug of hot chocolate or sprinkle atop icecream or other desserts. They were originally $12.95 and after all the mark downs came out at $5.58 each. (From left to right: Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate and Peppermint Chocolate)

Shaved Chocolates

 

Blis Bourbon Barrel Matured Pure Maple Syrup…A Splurge
Have you heard of Blis Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup? I purchased a bottle back before Christmas as a gift after hearing the Williams-Sonoma employees raving about it one day while I was shopping in the location near my home. They told me they can’t keep it in stock.

I asked why and was told it’s because it’s made in small batches, thus available in limited quantity and is really popular. As soon as a shipment comes in, it sells out again. While shopping before Christmas, I visited a few WS stores and they were indeed all out of it, so I felt lucky to have found it in stock near my home. It’s was $29.95.

Today, while shopping the after-Christmas sale, I noticed they had a few more bottles, so I splurged and bought one for myself. Again, as I was checking out, the WS associate began exclaiming how heavenly it was! I still have yet to taste it, since the other bottle I purchased before Christmas was a gift.

The reviews on Amazon (where surprisingly it costs $6 more than it does in WS!) are glowing. Same on the Williams-Sonoma website. One reviewer on the WS site said she uses it in desserts, dressings, slaws, sauces and braises. Another mentioned adding it to cornbread while another adds it to her latte.

I’ll save the bottle I bought for a special breakfast or occasion. Or, maybe not. 🙂 Have you had the pleasure of uncorking enjoying a bottle of Blis Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup? Is it as good as everyone says?

Update: This syrup is available online at the Blis site for $18.95 here: Blis. Thanks Juanita for finding that. I checked to see what shipping was to my home and it brought it back up to a little more than what I paid in the Williams-Sonoma store.

Blis Bourbon Maple Syrup

 

Remember my friend, Cornelia who lives in Switzerland? She shared this photo with me yesterday morning via an email. She snapped it just outside their recently restored mountain cabin before they headed out for a day of skiing. So beautiful! Mother Nature is the best decorator ever!

If you missed it, you can read all about the restoration of the cabin in this previous post: Historic Ski Cabin Restoration

Okay, spill the beans! Where have you seen the best after-Christmas sale? Any off-the-hook sales I should know about?

Switzerland

 

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Comments

  1. Sadly, I haven’t been out since Christmas Day, too sick and now the Snow Queen decided to shake her blankets everywhere and it is still snowing. So another day in for me I believe. I have gift cards to spend too! 🙁
    Love that Snowman cake pan, you will have fun with that. Never heard of that maple syrup though.
    Pleased you are feeling better.

    • Megan, sorry you’ve been sick…no fun! Hope you feel better soon! I love the way you worded that…Snow Queen shaking her blankets everywhere. Such great imagery! 🙂

  2. Marcee ... ILLINOIS says

    Wonderful bargins Susan! Since I have an over abundance of this, that and everything else. So my days to shop clearance are past. Ha! If very important, there’s always the internet. Shopping for the grand babies is fun. Lots of fabulous deals on clothing & toys. Found adorable ornaments at Crate & Barrel reduced considerably …. like $1.99 each from $5 to $6. Holiday gifts for 2015! That maple syrup is interesting. Not sure if I would spend $30 for it though. Keep on bargin hunting!

  3. Christy Keyton says

    I shopped the Sundance catalog after Christmas sale and got some real bargains on Christmas décor. Beautiful ribbon on antique wooden spools for less than $2 a spool, hooked Christmas pillow, and picked up one of the real Austrian snowglobes for less than 1/2 price. I was particularly excited about this because I collect snowglobes. Also got some beautiful, linen napkins for $1.50 each!

  4. Susan, you will not be sorry you bought Nordic Ware. I have several pans and everything bakes so well. I have been sick myself and it is the one downside of a food blog – nothing looks appealing. 🙁

    Oh, Cornelia’s photo is postcard worthy.

    • Sorry you’ve been sick, Madonna. Seems like so many folks have already this year. I can see how that would be hard to cook when you don’t feel good. Time for a little break. You feel better fast!

  5. Umm, yea, I did some shopping, but technically they were BEFORE Christmas deals (cyber Monday and the likes). I bought several vintage items (tbd whether for resale or not) from a picker in the north, and told her to PLEASE not mail them until after Christmas. That pleased her, as she was slammed with orders and short-staffed. I should be opening up my ‘presents’ within the week, just in time for having put away all of Christmas and feeling like looking at ‘stuff’ again. Love your snowman cake mold.

  6. My after Christmas splurge was a trip to CVS to buy all of the adorable Peanuts collectibles that I didn’t already have. At 75% off. The Disney Hallmark ornaments were fun too. I bought a Cinderella ornament in all of her glittery fineness.

  7. The only shopping I did was at CVS while waiting for my prescrips, bronchitis has kept me away from the stores. Hope to make it to WSonoma Outlet this week, I have been watching that pan. No talent Needed to use it, a sprinkle of powdered sugar is all you need! I got the Nordic Santa there one year for a dollar!
    I really don’t need anything in decorations, time to purge!

    • Bronchitis is the pits…hope you are feeling better, Kathleen! I wish a WS outlet was closer to me…nearest one is about 1 1/2 hours away. Not worth it unless I’m already going that way. You always find awesome deals there!

  8. The only thing I’ve bought at an after Christmas sale is a small evergreen at Lowe’s. I put it in a concrete pot on my back porch and put white lights on it. Today I’m drying out some orange slices to hang on it too. I miss the lights so much after Christmas so I’m keeping little touches of them around for the winter months. You have me curious about the maple syrup. Let us know how you like it!

    • I love that idea, Julie! I’m leaving my preserved wreaths up in my kitchen…something to look at that’s green this winter. 🙂 I’ll let you know…it’s sounds so good from all the reviews.

  9. Dorinda Selke says

    Hi Susan, Sorry to hear you were under the weather and glad you are feeling better ! Not much after-Christmas bargains up here in NW CT – they had so many great sales before the holidays that everything was picked over before Christmas !! Still looking though, as I have gift cards burning a hole in my handbag XOXO Happy shopping and PS we are able to buy our maple syrup at a local farm down the street, but I’ve heard that syrup is amazing 🙂 Hugs, Dorinda

    • Well, you may want to hold onto the gift card for all the awesome spring sales that will be coming soon. I’m already seeing spring/summer stuff online. You know, I just really tried maple syrup this past year. I think I may have had it once before that. Now I’m hooked! So much better than the syrups you normally see in the grocery store.

      • Dorinda Selke says

        Yes, I’m going to wait for the spring/Easter stuff to come out, and it won’t be long now because Easter is early this year ! I was raising on real maple syrup – I’ve never had the syrup you can buy in the grocery store LOL – My kids have had to use the grocery store syrup at friend’s houses sometimes and they have always come home and thanked us for having real maple syrup – too funny ! I remember my Dad buying it from the farmer in a 40 gallon metal container and then he and my Mother would transfer it to sterilzed glass bottles – crazy huh?

  10. You really did hit the “jack-pot!!” Everything sounds…yummy…especially those chocolate shavings!! You’re way in front of the pack….I did get a “really pretty” jeweled Christmas wreath from Grandin-Road….waited until they had “free” shipping and some “mercury balls” that I use all year. Isn’t that ski chalet something else!!! franki

  11. Forgot to say I am glad you are feeling better! When I was at the Doctor’s office yesterday he told me the flu is so wicked this year many are ending up in the hospital. I’ll let you know if I get to the WS outlet and what I found. It is supposed to drop to the 20’s this week, so I will have to see if I feel up to it!o

    • Hope you find some awesome deals, Kathleen! Stay warm! I’m sure our 63 degree weather will be gone soon. I took advantage of it to take down the outdoor decorations today.

  12. Happy New Year, Susan. I found some really nice bargains at Pier 1 (organza napkin sheaths, snowflake ornaments), but my big score was at Dillards, where I found several gorgeous Fitz and Floyd Christmas pieces for 50% off.

    Cornelia’s photo is breath-taking! Question: did you ever feature photos of her renovated ski cabin after the renovations were complete? I saw the photos when the renovation was in process, but never saw the complete “metamorphosis.” Have a great day :0)

    Elena

  13. Sorry you have been sick as well. I have to fit in the CVS bargain shopping. I looked around while waiting on my Rx for strep meds. I bought a Minnie Mouse ornament for my granddaughter and the staples we were out of. Kind of like did my grocery shopping, because I didn’t feel like going to the grocery.
    Here’s to better health for us all. Shopping to follow.

  14. Juanita in OH says

    You always find the most interesting products. I cannot wait to try this. I checked on-line and it was not available at WS. I checked Amazon and it was expensive. I went to the Blis web site and found it for $18.??(maybe $18.95). I will check some other sites. I also found a coupon for 20% off the Blis store. I have never had much luck with the online coupons before, they never seem to work out.
    The photo from you friend is breathtaking! You are certainly correct about mother nature being the best designer. TFS.

    • Juanita, that’s great that you found it for $18. I didn’t think to check on their site. Smart thinking! I can’t believe all the awesome reviews on it at the Williams-Sonoma site and on Amazon. I think I’m going to have to fix a batch of pancakes and try it out. Soon! 🙂

  15. I used to always head out after Christmas to scoop up some great holiday items marked down. Even though I was off for 10 days of holidays this year I still didn’t bother. Mind you in Canada they don’t know how to really mark things down and they think clearance is 20% off. Not worth it.

    • Yeah, they got to do a lot better than 20%! I think I’d do my after Christmas shopping online…hopefully most places will ship to Canada, too.

  16. I got some good after Christmas goodies too, mostly Christmas decor and gifts for my daughter’s Feb birthday! I love hot chocolate too and am out so have to get somme FAST…it is going to be in the TEENS this week;(:( Glad you are feeling better!

  17. A Jim Shore Snowman @ 50% off at a Hallmark store in Pa. Last year I got a new 7.5′ Christmas tree at Home Depot for $25. No box, but the 2 parts fit into black contractor garbage bags. I wish I had gotten to WS this year, but we were out of town.

  18. I have that snowman cake pan and it is adorable. One thing though…if you use their delicious recipe don’t use all the batter. It’s too much for the pan and will over flow.
    Enjoy!

    • Thanks for that tip, Sandy! I haven’t read the recipe yet…but does it say what type sugar they sprinkled on it? It’s looks so fine…wasn’t sure if it was a special kind of sugar. I need to look at the recipe on the material that came with it. 🙂

  19. Okay, you’re a great salesperson Susan, I just bought 2 bottles of the syrup on the Blis site. One to keep … hope it’s worth it. Shipping was $$$ pricey!

    • Becky, let me know if it’s as good as all the reviewers say it is at Williams-Sonoma’s website and on Amazon. You may end up opening up your’s before I open mine. I hope it’s awesome! One reviewer said that you don’t need to use very much on pancakes…apparently a little goes a long way. Did you see all the places it’s been featured on their website? Check this page out: http://blisgourmet.com/blogs/press

    • Oh…and I agree…shipping seemed a bit high. It’s was $18 to ship to Georgia. Wonder where it’s being shipped from. Blis appears to be in MI. Sometimes you can find coupons online for shipping…not sure if there are any for Blis, though.

  20. My favorite place after Christmas is Goodwill. I wish I lived near a WS I love the snowman cake pan

  21. What a fun post to read about your great bargains & yummy syrup. My grandsons would love that snowman cake! I collect snowmen which I leave up through February, after all the rest of Christmas decor is put away, because they(& I) enjoy looking at them so much! I’m envious of your 63–it’s currently 2 degrees with bitter below zero windchill here in IL. Now I’m off to see the interior of that gorgeous ski chalet that I somehow missed.

  22. No after Christmas shopping this year! I spent a lot of December organizing storage and realized I have way too much of anything and everything. It was good incentive to not shop!
    Your items look great though!!

  23. I haven’t been after Christmas sales shopping,but I have been trying to add a bit of brightness to our home both inside and out. As many of you ,I have pots of narcissistic bulbs blooming now and more will continue to bloom through Valentine’s day. A few years ago, I started my Easter rye grass pots and trays really early and loved the fresh green look of them. Now I start them right after Christmas. I even have planted some pots and put them on the porch with my pansies and kale.With a haircut or two they will last through Easter. Friends used to chuckle about my pots of grass,but now some are planting their on little pots of green. Happy gardening!

  24. Hello:
    It was fun but sad to shop for 50% off the Hallmark store closing during and after Christmas. I was able to purchase some great gifts and pick up wrapping supplies for 2015. Also, purchased several wrapping items for birthdays and special occasions. I love leaving a special gift in visitors’ guest rooms and they had Yankee candles, small books and keepsakes. It was fun even shopping at our local Harris Teeter grocery where they had gift card boxes and snowmen crystal night lights for 75% off paid 2.00 each and they are cute. I love shopping for sales items.

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