Hello there, everyone! I hope you're enjoying your holiday weekend!
Just a quick update: as I may or may not have shared before, this year I'm doing something a little different for December. This year, I am kicking the last month of the year off with my Hobby Haven Holiday Cookie Blitz! There will be twelve straight days of cookie recipes: tried, true, and delicious! So keep an eye out for it, starting next week!
(Another, personal update: I finally got the PS4 remastered version of Final Fantasy X! At $8, it was an absolute steal. And now that my PS4 is being delivered tomorrow~~~~, I can get playing right away!)
Miss Scarlett, signing out!
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Black Friday!
Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Well, today is the craaaaaziest shopping day of the year, Black Friday! With deals galore, there's something on sale for every budget and every occasion.
I got most of my Black Friday shopping done on Wednesday, believe it or not! It seems that more and more retailers are beginning to launch deals before Thanksgiving, and extend them through the rest of the week and the weekend. So even if you weren't able to shop yet (if you're planning to, that is), you've still got some time! And actually, I find that I spend less and less time in actual stores and more and more online, especially if they offer free shipping.
I didn't quite get everything I was planning, though; I was hoping to get the remastered version of Final Fantasy X from Target (only $8!), but the deal never seems to be active when I check the website... Also, Walmart had some pretty decent Blu-ray deals, but the free shipping minimum is $25 (and I don't want enough stuff to make the minimum).
My Black Friday kill count:
I got most of my Black Friday shopping done on Wednesday, believe it or not! It seems that more and more retailers are beginning to launch deals before Thanksgiving, and extend them through the rest of the week and the weekend. So even if you weren't able to shop yet (if you're planning to, that is), you've still got some time! And actually, I find that I spend less and less time in actual stores and more and more online, especially if they offer free shipping.
I didn't quite get everything I was planning, though; I was hoping to get the remastered version of Final Fantasy X from Target (only $8!), but the deal never seems to be active when I check the website... Also, Walmart had some pretty decent Blu-ray deals, but the free shipping minimum is $25 (and I don't want enough stuff to make the minimum).
My Black Friday kill count:
Monday, November 21, 2016
Whoooo! Black Friday sales begin!
Hey, everyone! I am going to do my best to get the holiday shopping guide up either tonight or tomorrow--I've been really busy, so I'm sorry for not having it up earlier!
Now, onto the goods: today has kicked off not one, not two, but THREE anime sales! (okay, well one technically started on Saturday, but I only saw it today.) Today is not only the first day of the legendary Right Stuf holiday sale, but also sales from Sentai Filmworks and Funimation (who apparently have their own storefronts on their websites, who knew?)
Here's what you can expect...
The last day of Sentai's sale is the 23rd. They will be adding 40+ items each day, so you will probably have to wait until the last day to see everything that's on sale. They have some pretty massive discounts on their own titles, and the actually are beating out Right Stuf's prices on the same products! For example, a 12 (or 13) episode-long series on Blu-ray from Sentai is being sold for anywhere from $23.99 to $27.99 on Right Stuf, depending on how recently it was released. On Sentai, it's going for $20.99. So make sure to price-compare! The only annoying thing about Sentai's store is that they don't have many variations in prices; so let's say you have $70 worth of merchandise and you want to get the free shipping offer. You would need to spend $5 to reach the $75 minimum for free shipping. But the cheapest thing sold at their store is $10, so you'll be paying a bit more than you wanted.
The last day of Funimation's sale is the 28th, so there's quite a bit of time to browse through. And you're going to need that time, because A. They have over 700 items on sale, and B. Their website keeps crashing. You'll be reloading a lot. The sale discount is 50% for each item, so in some cases, their item is cheaper than Right Stuf, and in some cases, it's more expensive than Right Stuf. (I made a spreadsheet last year of all the anime I wanted to buy, and what price is was being offered for at Right Stuf; I found it very helpful in tracking my spending. I just checked the prices in this Funimation sale against the Right Stuf prices from last year, and was amazed at the differences. But your mileage may vary.) They aren't adding items to the sale, so it is what it is.
Finally, RightStuf! Their sale usually ends after Christmas. This year, they are doing so many things, it makes my head spin. First, they are adding items each day; they kicked the sale off today with over 130 items, but who knows how much they'll be adding per day. Second are daily "Mega Deals" which are often collector's editions or brand-new releases--items that usually don't go on sale or don't get huge discounts normally--for a hefty discount. That discount is only good for one day, though! Third are "Limited Time Offers." These are specials that are only good for one week. This year, these weekly specials are all volumes of manga from Viz. They are available either in bundles or singly, but at a sharp discount. And...uh...fourth are discounts on hentai and other adult-oriented products in the "Naughty List." *ahem*
Merry anime hunting, everyone! Miss Scarlett, signing out!
Now, onto the goods: today has kicked off not one, not two, but THREE anime sales! (okay, well one technically started on Saturday, but I only saw it today.) Today is not only the first day of the legendary Right Stuf holiday sale, but also sales from Sentai Filmworks and Funimation (who apparently have their own storefronts on their websites, who knew?)
Here's what you can expect...
The last day of Sentai's sale is the 23rd. They will be adding 40+ items each day, so you will probably have to wait until the last day to see everything that's on sale. They have some pretty massive discounts on their own titles, and the actually are beating out Right Stuf's prices on the same products! For example, a 12 (or 13) episode-long series on Blu-ray from Sentai is being sold for anywhere from $23.99 to $27.99 on Right Stuf, depending on how recently it was released. On Sentai, it's going for $20.99. So make sure to price-compare! The only annoying thing about Sentai's store is that they don't have many variations in prices; so let's say you have $70 worth of merchandise and you want to get the free shipping offer. You would need to spend $5 to reach the $75 minimum for free shipping. But the cheapest thing sold at their store is $10, so you'll be paying a bit more than you wanted.
The last day of Funimation's sale is the 28th, so there's quite a bit of time to browse through. And you're going to need that time, because A. They have over 700 items on sale, and B. Their website keeps crashing. You'll be reloading a lot. The sale discount is 50% for each item, so in some cases, their item is cheaper than Right Stuf, and in some cases, it's more expensive than Right Stuf. (I made a spreadsheet last year of all the anime I wanted to buy, and what price is was being offered for at Right Stuf; I found it very helpful in tracking my spending. I just checked the prices in this Funimation sale against the Right Stuf prices from last year, and was amazed at the differences. But your mileage may vary.) They aren't adding items to the sale, so it is what it is.
Finally, RightStuf! Their sale usually ends after Christmas. This year, they are doing so many things, it makes my head spin. First, they are adding items each day; they kicked the sale off today with over 130 items, but who knows how much they'll be adding per day. Second are daily "Mega Deals" which are often collector's editions or brand-new releases--items that usually don't go on sale or don't get huge discounts normally--for a hefty discount. That discount is only good for one day, though! Third are "Limited Time Offers." These are specials that are only good for one week. This year, these weekly specials are all volumes of manga from Viz. They are available either in bundles or singly, but at a sharp discount. And...uh...fourth are discounts on hentai and other adult-oriented products in the "Naughty List." *ahem*
Merry anime hunting, everyone! Miss Scarlett, signing out!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Odds and sods
Hi, everyone! The weekend is almost here! Are you as excited as I am? (My best friend and I are going to go out for lunch, shopping, and a play this weekend; it's nice to have some "girl time" to look forward to, especially given how busy work has been.)
Here's some bits of news for you:
Black Friday ads have begun to be leaked! There's news of lots of PS4/PS4 Slim and XBox One S bundles available from different retailers. So far, we've got confirmation of bundles from eBay, Dell, Best Buy, Target, Gamestop, and Walmart. The bundles are for the "vanilla" PS4 or the PS4 Slim bundled with a game, or the XBox One S bundled with a game, for $249. Last year (before the Slim and S models came out, obviously), bundles were $299. It looks like Sony is encouraging stores to sell existing models before the release of the PS4 Pro, so of course Microsoft doesn't want to be left behind.
Since I'm not getting a Pro (I don't really play AAA games, so it's not like the games I play would benefit hugely from the Pro), this is excellent news for me! I had initially budgeted $299 for a bundle, but this will save me some additional cash that I can hopefully put towards some games; I'm fully expecting Best Buy and other retailers to offer sales on PSN gift cards. Even if it's 10% off, that will be helpful.
Also, Nintendo is offering a special Black Friday deal: a limited-edition New Nintendo 3DS for $99.95. This is about 50% off of MSRP, and considering Nintendo doesn't usually offer sales or discounts on their products, this is an incredible deal. They're available seemingly at every big box retailer (Walmart, Best Buy, etc.), and the only caveat I can find is that they only come in black or white. I can't find any information on how many are available, or if any remaindered stock will be available at the same price, so I think it's safe to assume that this is a Black Friday-only deal. For those looking to get into the Nintendo 3DS family, this is an INCREDIBLE opportunity. Full disclosure, I have one of my own, and it's worth every penny thanks to all the awesome RPG and puzzle games available for it.
Persona 5....is delayed AGAIN. The new release date will be Tuesday, April 4th, approximately two months further out from the original February 14th release date. I've heard rumblings that this is due to the Nintendo Switch's release (so Atlus wants to make sure the game doesn't get quickly overshadowed), but who knows at this point. Atlus tried to soften the blow by announcing that they will offer the original Japanese game audio as a free DLC set. While I do have to admit that I'm a little pleased since I like several of the character's Japanese voices, I am just tired of waiting! (I am half expecting us to get to January, and oooooops, they have to delay it again)
In more cheerful news, next Wednesday will kick off Right Stuf's annual holiday sale! They sent out their catalog a little while ago, which had some details about the whole thing. It looks like they are continuing their strategy from last year of placing a new batch of items on sale every day, and keeping all the sale items on sale until the last day. They had a really fun feature last year where certain days had "Mega Deals" that were discounted at percentage rates they normally don't do (think 65% off as opposed to 50% off)...but the catch was that the super low discount was only for one day.
I'll try to post some links to sales and such again! Hopefully I will have some downtime at work next week to post them.
Miss Scarlett, signing out!
Here's some bits of news for you:
Black Friday ads have begun to be leaked! There's news of lots of PS4/PS4 Slim and XBox One S bundles available from different retailers. So far, we've got confirmation of bundles from eBay, Dell, Best Buy, Target, Gamestop, and Walmart. The bundles are for the "vanilla" PS4 or the PS4 Slim bundled with a game, or the XBox One S bundled with a game, for $249. Last year (before the Slim and S models came out, obviously), bundles were $299. It looks like Sony is encouraging stores to sell existing models before the release of the PS4 Pro, so of course Microsoft doesn't want to be left behind.
Since I'm not getting a Pro (I don't really play AAA games, so it's not like the games I play would benefit hugely from the Pro), this is excellent news for me! I had initially budgeted $299 for a bundle, but this will save me some additional cash that I can hopefully put towards some games; I'm fully expecting Best Buy and other retailers to offer sales on PSN gift cards. Even if it's 10% off, that will be helpful.
Also, Nintendo is offering a special Black Friday deal: a limited-edition New Nintendo 3DS for $99.95. This is about 50% off of MSRP, and considering Nintendo doesn't usually offer sales or discounts on their products, this is an incredible deal. They're available seemingly at every big box retailer (Walmart, Best Buy, etc.), and the only caveat I can find is that they only come in black or white. I can't find any information on how many are available, or if any remaindered stock will be available at the same price, so I think it's safe to assume that this is a Black Friday-only deal. For those looking to get into the Nintendo 3DS family, this is an INCREDIBLE opportunity. Full disclosure, I have one of my own, and it's worth every penny thanks to all the awesome RPG and puzzle games available for it.
Persona 5....is delayed AGAIN. The new release date will be Tuesday, April 4th, approximately two months further out from the original February 14th release date. I've heard rumblings that this is due to the Nintendo Switch's release (so Atlus wants to make sure the game doesn't get quickly overshadowed), but who knows at this point. Atlus tried to soften the blow by announcing that they will offer the original Japanese game audio as a free DLC set. While I do have to admit that I'm a little pleased since I like several of the character's Japanese voices, I am just tired of waiting! (I am half expecting us to get to January, and oooooops, they have to delay it again)
In more cheerful news, next Wednesday will kick off Right Stuf's annual holiday sale! They sent out their catalog a little while ago, which had some details about the whole thing. It looks like they are continuing their strategy from last year of placing a new batch of items on sale every day, and keeping all the sale items on sale until the last day. They had a really fun feature last year where certain days had "Mega Deals" that were discounted at percentage rates they normally don't do (think 65% off as opposed to 50% off)...but the catch was that the super low discount was only for one day.
I'll try to post some links to sales and such again! Hopefully I will have some downtime at work next week to post them.
Miss Scarlett, signing out!
Friday, November 4, 2016
Miss Scarlett Cooks! Pecan Pie
Welcome to the Hobbay Haven! With Thanksgiving on the way, I figured I would share one of my favorite fall recipes with you: pecan pie! Now I'll warn everyone first off that I'm a Northerner, so if you're used to Southern pecan pie, this ain't it. It's moist but not overly gooey, with a crunchy top, and has more of a dark and smoky flavor.
Let's get cooking!
Let's get cooking!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
It's that time of the year...
Aww, Halloween is over, guys. :( It's always a little sad when that happens. But we are now entering the wild, crazy holiday season (because honestly, most of November is now just a prelude to Thanksgiving and Black Friday).
I tend to get my Christmas shopping done earlier in the year; in fact, I usually try to have it done by summertime. So usually by the time November rolls around, any shopping I have to do is usually for me! I'll hold off on buying electronics or clothes I don't need immediately in order to get them during the holiday sales. (I also hold off on buying anime, because the best sales are always in November and December...)
This year, I'll be biting the bullet and picking up a PS4. Last year's sales were about $299 for a console, so I'm hoping that we'll see some bundles (maybe with a free game or with a controller) for about the same price.
Aside from that, I'm hoping for some good clothing sales to pick a few new things for my work wardrobe. Mainly pants and shoes, I think. And stocking stuffers, too!
As for the Right Stuf sales, I'm hoping to buy up a bunch of Aniplex-created shows that Sentai had licensed. Given that Aniplex has not been renewing contracts for a lot of their licensed-out shows this year, I feel that it's wise to pick them up now as opposed to waiting and and then being forced to buy them for a big markup after suddenly going OOP. I'd also like to buy some of the Funimation titles that are on my "high priority, want to buy these soon" list, like The Slayers (which I got into last year after trying on a whim, it's very "zany" but has great action and is pretty fun). Next year and the year after, I'm going to save up more and try to "go big" and buy up as much off of my wishlist as possible, including some of the pricier releases that I've held back on (which includes a few shows by Viz, who never offers any sales or bargains and forces you to pay close to full MSRP, grrr), plus some of the manga series that I have fallen behind on. I guess I'll need to buy more shelves!
Miss Scarlett, signing out!
I tend to get my Christmas shopping done earlier in the year; in fact, I usually try to have it done by summertime. So usually by the time November rolls around, any shopping I have to do is usually for me! I'll hold off on buying electronics or clothes I don't need immediately in order to get them during the holiday sales. (I also hold off on buying anime, because the best sales are always in November and December...)
This year, I'll be biting the bullet and picking up a PS4. Last year's sales were about $299 for a console, so I'm hoping that we'll see some bundles (maybe with a free game or with a controller) for about the same price.
Aside from that, I'm hoping for some good clothing sales to pick a few new things for my work wardrobe. Mainly pants and shoes, I think. And stocking stuffers, too!
As for the Right Stuf sales, I'm hoping to buy up a bunch of Aniplex-created shows that Sentai had licensed. Given that Aniplex has not been renewing contracts for a lot of their licensed-out shows this year, I feel that it's wise to pick them up now as opposed to waiting and and then being forced to buy them for a big markup after suddenly going OOP. I'd also like to buy some of the Funimation titles that are on my "high priority, want to buy these soon" list, like The Slayers (which I got into last year after trying on a whim, it's very "zany" but has great action and is pretty fun). Next year and the year after, I'm going to save up more and try to "go big" and buy up as much off of my wishlist as possible, including some of the pricier releases that I've held back on (which includes a few shows by Viz, who never offers any sales or bargains and forces you to pay close to full MSRP, grrr), plus some of the manga series that I have fallen behind on. I guess I'll need to buy more shelves!
Miss Scarlett, signing out!
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