Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke is offering free photos with Santa from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 1). Pet parents, feel free to bring your furry children as well — animals are allowed!

Additionally, you can bring your own camera and snap a few of your own photos.

For more information, click here.

I’ve got a big batch of printable retail and restaurant coupons for you, and just in time for the weekend.

Know of any other great deals out there? Share them!

**Macy’s is having their Friends and Family Sale now through Monday (April 30). With this printable coupon you can get an extra 25% off regular, sale and clearance priced merchandise (10% off electronics, furniture, mattresses, and rugs). If you’re an online shopper, use the code FRIENDS at checkout for the same deal.
Exclusions include: Everyday Value, cosmetics, fragrances, TAG Heuer, Tempur-pedic, products offered by vendors (like Luis Vuitton), special orders, gift cards, gift wrap and gourmet foods. This offer can’t be combined with any other additional savings passes or coupons.

**Smokey Bones is offering $5 off a $15 purchase with this printable coupon now through April 29.
Exclusions include: alcohol, gift card purchases, Daily Lunch Specials, Party Packs and bulk to go orders.

**Dollar General is offering $5 off of a $25 purchase with this printable coupon on Saturday, April 28 only. Combine this coupon with manufacturer coupons for the best price!
Exclusions include: gift card purchases, phone cards, pre-paid VISA cards, prepaid wireless handsets, lottery tickets, Rug Doctor rentals and alcohol.

**Petsmart just released this printable coupon good for $25 off a $100 purchase now through April 29. If you have furry mouths to feed like I do, take advantage of this huge deal and stock up on food, toys and care accessories.
Exclusions include: gift cards, charitable donations and Banfield services.

**Staples is offering $5 off a purchase of $25 now through April 28 with this printable coupon.
Exclusions include: HP ink and toner, Epson ink and toner, self-serve copy and print, gift cards, postage stamps, and phone cards.

My family adopted Lucy from Angels of Assisi. One great thing about adopting from shelters is that the pets are spayed/neutered before coming home with you. Unfortunately Lucy paid a higher price than anyone -- she had to wear the cone for a week.

The side effects of a bad economy are not only impacting us, but our pets.

As pet owners, we often think of our pets as a part of the family — our fur-babies. Dogs and cats are there to greet us when we get home, and you can always talk to them.

So, what can you do to save a few bucks and still make sure your pet is properly cared for? Here are a few tips:

*  Visit the website or Facebook page of your preferred food and treat brands. Many brands offer printable coupons or coupons through an email newsletter. If there’s no mention of coupons, consider sending the company an email or calling to inquire about them. They just might reward you for your efforts.

*  Take advantage of vaccination clinics and other veterinary specials. Pet shelters and vets often have discounts on vaccinations, spaying and neutering, dental cleaning and other procedures. If you expect to need one of these procedures, call around and see who can offer you the best price.

* Shop around for high-dollar medications or food. Online retailers like Drs. Foster and Smith or 1-800-PetMeds and pet stores like PetSmart or Petco are all good options. If you find a cheaper price than what’s being offered by your vet, call your vet office and see if they will price match.

*  If you think something is wrong with your pet, visit a vet sooner rather than later. Visiting early can prevent serious problems from developing or an even more costly trip to the emergency vet.

Web MD recommends keeping an eye on your pet for some tell-tale illness signs such as hair loss, itchy skin, stiffness, changes in urination, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, decreased activity and skin irritations or bumps.

* Just as many parents save for their children’s college, an emergency pet care fund is a smart resource idea. When emergency care is necessary, this stash can help when it comes to paying the bill.

*  Consider pet insurance. For a monthly fee, an insurance company (Veterinary Pet Insurance, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance and Embrace are three popular providers) will assist in paying for pet medications and procedures. With the constant advent of new technology, the insurance could help pay for a costly but lifesaving procedure.

Do your research before you buy, though. Many common conditions can be excluded from coverage.

* Don’t cut corners when it comes to food. While there’s usually no need to buy the most expensive food for your pet, you also shouldn’t buy the cheapest. Low-quality foods are full of additives and artificial coloring that have no nutritional value. Ask your veterinarian what brands they recommend to be the most cost-effective and nutritional.

* Try at-home grooming. It may take a while to get the hang of it, but with the right set of clippers and a good pair of scissors, you can skip the pricey trip to the groomer and spruce up your pooch’s look in the comfort of your own home.

Brushing your pet on a regular basis will help the process go along more smoothly. Look for how-to videos online to pick up some tips. Pick up a pair of nail clippers while you’re at it. Most vets are happy to provide advice on the best way to trim claws.

How do you keep your pet care costs low?

Greyhounds Eldon (left) and Angel pose with Tom Caceci, dressed as Santa Claus, at Virginia Tech's annual pet portraits with Santa. Photo by Kyle Green, The Roanoke Times

If you’re in the NRV area, check out this deal for photos with Santa. Print off this page and take it with you to the New River Valley Mall, and you’ll get $3 off the purchase of a photo package through Dec. 7.

Don’t forget, you can also get pet photos with Santa on Mondays beginning at 6 p.m. through Dec. 12.

Shopping through PetCareRx is generally one of the cheapest options for pet parents (not to mention it ships to your door!), but you can save even more with the deal below.

Back to school shopping has been weighing on everyone’s mind lately, so relax and take advantage of some of these deals:

*The Betty Crocker Best of Summer 2011 cookbook has lots of delicious looking treats in it, and you can download it for free here. If you want hard copies of the recipes, you can also print the book.

*Bath & Body Works has a new printable coupon, and this one will get you a free Signature Collection item ($12.50 value) with a purchase of $10 or more. This means you could get a free full size body spray, body wash or lotion for free!

*Quiznos has a new batch of printable coupons. Four coupons are available, and include: 

• Buy One Sub and Two Regular Drinks, Get a Free Sub

• Buy One Regular Salad or Sub, Get a Free Regular Drink and Chips or Cookie

• Save $1 on One Sub, $2 on Two Subs or $3 on Three Subs

• Save $2 on a regular or Large Sub

*The daily deal site Eversave has a deal running through August 24 offering up to 56% off at PetCareRx. You can buy a coupon code that will earn you $20 worth of merchandise for $10 or $45 worth of merchandise for $20. This can be used on heart worm and flea/tick medications for dogs and cats, as well as toys, but not food. Two vouchers per person may be purchased, and they expire February 15.

Know of any other deals? Share them!

Mother's Day is 1 week from today, and the ads aren't letting you forget it! Flowers are always a safe choice.

This week’s paper is full of ads reminding shoppers of Mother’s Day, so you have no excuse if you forget this year!

First, the coupon inserts:
Pet products are available in all three inserts for both dogs and cats. Chances are whatever food and/or treat brand you prefer will be represented, so keep an eye out.

SmartSource and Redplum both cover your dry and frozen goods, while P&G is full of personal hygeine and beauty supplies.

Coldstone, Arby’s, Abuelo’s and Honeybaked Ham all have available coupons today.

Target has multiple opportunities to earn free gift cards — some as high as $50. In all, I counted $345 in free gift cards available on items currently on sale, ranging from electronics to clothes to items for kids/babies.

J.C. Penney has a great offer available at their salon through May 17. New clients can get a haircut and full highlight for only $70 or a cut and style for $20-25 (with coupon). Existing clients can get a free hair glossing or deep conditioning treatment with a full highlight. These are huge discounts, especially considering some of these services would be performed by senior and master stylists. They also have sales on OPI nail polish, hair tools and hair products.

Michaels is kicking off National Scrapbook Month today with huge savings on scrapbooking items. Paper, stickers, albums, storage and more are all on sale, many up to 40% off. They’re also recognizing Teacher Appreciation Day (May 3) and offering a coupon for 10% off your entire purchase or 40% off one regular priced item.

Best Buy is offering the Amazon Kindle for only $114 including some special offers. This is a great deal. You can get the Kindle for the same price on Amazon.com and at Target, so check out what each place is offering and decide what works best for you.

CVS is offering more ExtraBucks this week than it has for a while. Consider buying mom some beauty and pampering items for her special day and you could really stock up (especially if you’re part of the Beauty Club). Take a look through the ad and you’ll find ExtraBucks offered for something in every department — over $100 are offered in the ad.

Of course Kroger is helping celebrate Mom, too, with sales on roses, hanging baskets and other plants available in stores. Pepsi products are on special, as well as packaged meat. Organic Bartlett pears and apples are only 99 cents per pound. Michelina’s frozen entrees are only 88 cents each, so stock up. The 10 Item Mega Event is still happening, so buy 10 participating items and you’ll also save $5.

The weekend is almost over, but fortunately we’ve got lots of deals to look forward to this week.

Toys R Us has an impressive ad this week. Little Tikes, Fisher-Price Dollhouse Accessries and Crayola Outdoor Chalk & Bubbles are all buy 1, get 1 free. Each of these are quality and mom-trusted brands, so stock up now for the summer, or even hold onto some items for Christmas and birthdays. There are also tons of other great BOGO deals, and every Easter item in the store is on sale. Another super deal is the free $15 gift card you’ll receive when any 2 boxes of Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive value boxes of diapers is bought.

Kmart has Easter treats on sale, as well as family footwear. Make sure to check out the clearance footwear, where everything will be an additional 50% off. There are tons of BOGO items available here, too. Pay special attention to the housewares section, where you’ll find a coupon for $30 off of a home purchase of $100 or more. This coupon is good on regular, sale and/or clearance items, so stock up!

Michaels has their entire stock of Easter baskets 40% off. Not only are these baskets great for Easter, but some would make great decorations and/or gift baskets throughout the summer. Go shopping on Sunday evening between 4 and 8 p.m. and you can use a $5 off of every $25 spent coupon, as well as a 40% any regular priced item coupon (the 40% off deal is good through April 16).

Target is offering free gift cards with purchase on multiple purchases this week. Those include:
Buy a 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle, get a free $50 gift card
Buy a Callaway or Bridgestone 12-pack of golf balls, get a free $5 gift card
Buy a 42-tablet pack of Prilosec OTC, get a free $5 gift card
Buy any two value-packs of participating diapers, get a free $10 gift card
If you’ve been considering any of these items, factor in the gift card to your savings!

Dunkin’ Donuts, China Tastes, Subway and Honeybaked Ham Cafe all have multiple dining coupons available. Subway and Dunkin’ Donuts both concentrate on their breakfast items, so consider keeping these coupons in your car for those mornings when you’re running a little bit behind.

Redplum has an offer for everyone: coffee drinkers, wine drinkers, pet owners, parents and everyone in between. Both this insert and Smart Source are full of pantry and freezer staples, so take the time to stock up soon. Smart Source has some impressive BOGO coupons, and also deals for Petsmart and Pyrex products.

Did I overlook any killer deals? Tell me about it!

Some of you will receive a $1 off coupon for Mi0, the latest drink mix. It carries a pretty hefty price at $3.50 per bottle, but claims to make 24 servings. Has anyone tried it?

It’s still soggy and chilly out, but today’s ads should brighten your day.

Redplum and Smart Source are both making an appearance today. Smart Source is mainly covering your favorite lunch and snack items, while Redplum is full of hygiene, medicine cabinet and pet items. You’ll also find a promotion for a free bag of Iams pet food in the Redplum insert. Read the fine print and you’ll see that you can purchase a participating bag of dry dog or cat food at Petsmart, fill out a rebate form and receive the bag for free. This appears to only be available at Petsmart.

Some of you will receive the Smart Source packet featuring MiO on the cover (I’m not sure exactly where the lines are drawn for each region). This product is a “liquid water enhancer.” It looks like a comprable product to Crystal Light drink mixes, but you can control how much flavoring per glass with the liquid dropper. Has anyone tried this? I’m intrigued, since I enjoy the individual packets of Crystal Light from time to time.

The A.C. Moore ad is full of spring craft ideas. Homemade crafts are a great activity for kids over the summer, and every now and then you can really impress yourself! Plain T-shirts (perfect for tie-dye projects) are 5 for $10, all Crayola products are 50% off and spring decor is all 40% off. Also see the coupon valid for 50% off any one regular priced item.

Target is offering a free $5 gift card when you buy any 4 participating Vaseline, Suave, Dove and Degree products for men. Some of these products have coupons in this week’s paper, too, so you could end up getting them for nearly free when you factor in the gift card. Target also has Dove soap on sale this week (including the products for men).

This week Kmart will have all regularly priced family footwear buy 1, get one 50% off. It’s also a good time to stock up on winter clothes for next year. All winter apparel clearance is going for only $2.99. Pick up some basics for minimal cost! The ad also features “super coupons” for select grocery items, as well as certain products 10/$10 (such as Hershey’s Easter candy and select Coke, Chef Boyardee and other products).

This bored looking puppy is named Jack. He's hoping his Shoptimist pet parent will find him some goodies this week!

There’s literally something for everyone in this Sunday’s circulars. I’ll start out with something that appeals to everyone: food.

Kroger launches the Cart Buster Savings Event today. Sounds exciting right? Everything marked with a special yellow tag will be offering big savings. Participating products inclue Pepsi 2 liters ($.95), Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s entrees (5 for $10), Coca-Cola 12 packs (3 for $10), Lenten specials (like shrimp poppers 10 for $10), multiple candy products (10 for $10), natural food specials (like Horizon Organic Milk 10 for $10), Keebler cookies (10 for $10) and tons of other similar specials. Stock up on all of your pantry staples!

Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, Logan’s Roadhouse, Baskin Robbins and Chuck E. Cheese all make appearances as well, each featuring at least 2 coupons. Some of these are tucked into the jam packed Smartsource packet, so you may have to do a little hunting.

Boys and girls alike will be thrilled with Toys R Us this week. Ninendo DS games and Barbie & Ken dolls are all buy 1, get 1 half off. For the parents, find a 20% off coupon for any regular priced baby item and a $5 coupon valid on Huggies or Babies “R” Us value boxes of diapers.

Pet parents will be impressed with Petsmart. The retailer is offerening savings on multiple varieties of cat and dog food. Iams customers will be pleased to receive a free bag of cat (4 lb.) or dog (8 lb.) food with the purchase of any size of Iams cat or dog food (with a mail in rebate). Other offers include savings of 15% off of select popular KONG products, 20% off Martha Stewart Pets items and upt to 50% off of select dog and cat beds.

I’ve spotted my first major swim suit sale of the season at Target. All women’s suits are on sale for $14 per piece. Considering the price of swim wear these days this is a steal. The quality isn’t bad either. I bought one two years ago that is still in great shape.

Don’t skip over the Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid ads this week. Easter candy as well as pantry and bathroom staples are all on sale or are featured in store-specific coupons. While I usually wouldn’t be purchasing too many of these items at a drug store, these prices are comparable to Walmart and other retailers.

For those in the NRV you’ll be receiving the Home Expo Guide. It’s full of information about how-to clinics, recommended products, advice and a guide to the Home Expo being held March 11-13.

What stands out to you in this weekends ads?