There’s an awesome deal going on today at Vera Bradley! They’re one of my favorite brands to use as a diaper bag because their bags are BIG and many are MACHINE WASHABLE. I can’t tell you how important both of these are to me in the summer. And I’ve only recently realized how much I like one other feature of the VB bag I have- flat fabric handles that stay on my shoulder. And why wouldn’t mama want her purse to stay on her shoulder while she attempts to strap an octopus into a carseat?? I’ve learned my lesson here. Well, today (and through the 12th,) you can get a FREE Sweetheart Shoulder Bag (a $68 value!!) with any $100 purchase! That’s the Sweetheart bag on the right here, which would make a lovely “out without the kids” purse (it’s not a machine washable style.) Just enter code SWEETAPRIL at checkout! Check out the sale section for some great deals (some 50% off!) to make that $100 stretch!

There have been some really amazing toy deals going on at Target this week, but a lot of the online bargains sold out really quickly. I’ve been keeping an eye on a few of my favorites, and finally an awesome one is in stock! There’s an online coupon code (and an offline coupon in their weekly newspaper ad,) for 50% off one Little People toy, which is a great deal to begin with because Little People are rarely on sale, but a particularly good deal on this too-cute-for-words pirate ship, because there are a few third party sellers selling it for quite a bit more at Amazon (I assume because it’s harder to find and popular!) BUT…Target.com’s original price is $27, and with coupon code TGTHSJMK, makes this ship set just $14! WOW! If you use a Target Red Card, it will ship free, otherwise there’s free shipping on orders over $50. You’ll only be able to use this coupon code once per account, and it expires today!

And can I just take a step back and thank Hollywood for making it okay for me to use the words “too cute for words” and “pirate ship” right next to each other. I do love me some pretend pirates!

And one more deal- Rory’s Story Cubes have made an appearance here before, but never for such a low price! These are such a great idea and get fantastic reviews- a set of dice with pictures on each side to spur creative storytelling. One reviewer says they bring them along to restaurants and play while waiting for their food- brilliant! Originally $10, they’re on sale at Amazon for just $5.41, 46% off!

We’ve been a little under the weather here at Bargain Central lately, so I am really appreciative of all of our readers who have scouted out some great deals and shared them with me! You guys are the best! Here’s a few of my favorites:

A big thanks to TotBargainer Rachel who found a super deal at MyHabit (Amazon’s deal site) on even more JJ Cole diaper bag deals. Some that I’ve never seen on sale are almost half off! I think my favorite is this Myla bag, originally $119 and now $64 with free shipping! You can sign up to get into the MyHabit site just below!

And another thanks to TotBargainer Marissa for finding a deal on one of my summer favorites (which also happens to be JJ Cole, ironically) the “Essentials Blanket“. It’s a big weatherproof blanket that’s perfect for parks, summer concerts, picnics…I keep ours in the trunk all summer. Originally $30, the Gray/Red color is on sale for $22, 25% off (and probably the best deal we’ll see before summer, if I had to guess!)

TotBargainer Marie found some super prices on Learning Resources toys at Zulily, including some of my favorites like the Sorting Cupcakes and Hide N’ Peek Chocolates that are so great for toddlers- all around 40% off!

And TotBargainer Pratima found possibly my favorite deal today- even more diaper bags on sale at Gilt (another invite-only deal site) with some as much as 70% off! The popular Skip Hop Studio Tote is there for 50% off ($45), the JJ Cole (Fleurville) MotherShip for 55% off ($45), the Skip Hop Duo for 50% off ($29), the OiOi Messenger for 70% off ($33) and a bunch more. Those are super prices! (Look in the “Baby Boutique” section.)

Thank you guys so much for sharing! Hopefully this cold medicine kicks in soon!

I’m trying to post today’s bargain mobilly (is that even a word??), but it’s turning out to be much more difficult than I thought! I really wanted to get this deal out there, though, because I know I’ve been waiting for some good Vera Bradley prices for a while, and I’m sure someone else out there is too! I guess my cute picture isn’t going to work, but trust me when I say that there’s a few really adorable bags in a bunch of patterns that I haven’t seen on sale before in Vera Bradley’s “secret sale” for 50% off, a super deal! My favorite is the Large Hobo that’s originally $68 and on sale for $35, because it’s a great diaper bag size and it’s machine washable! You just can’t underestimate the value of a machine washable diaper bag, especially in summertime. Check out all the sale items here!