Duane Reade Balance Rewards: New Look, Big Rewards

If you're a New Yorker, you've probably already noticed the signage on the Duane Reade stores that they're changing from FlexRewards to a new program, Balance Rewards. But if you haven't shopped in a Duane Reade lately, you maybe don't know any of the details about the switch - but don't worry, that's why I'm here.

As a Duane Reade VIP Blogger, I'm going to explain the whole thing in this post. (Spoiler alert: There's really no "whole thing." It's super-easy to use the new rewards system).

The first thing you need to do is switch over your current Duane Reade FlexRewards card for a new Balance Rewards card. You can do this at any register at Duane Reade, or even online.

If you do it in-store, as I did, you'll need to dictate your information to a Duane Reade employee who needs to type it into a touch-screen - which I will admit is not an ideal system, but once it's done it's done. You even get to review your information to make sure it's all correct.

Balance Rewards signs are easily visible throughout the store, and in the store I visited, there were even festive balloons.

Use the signs and the weekly circular (available inside the store, or online) to find the best deals.

My best find was Advil ($6.99 each when you buy 2), and that's not all - that purchase also earned a fantastic 5,000 points.

I will admit that I'm not any kind of extreme couponer - I'm not even a moderate or beginner couponer - but I did take a look at the online circular at DuaneReade.com before going shopping because I wanted to see what the current good deals were both in terms of price and points, and that's where I saw the great Advil deal - a savings of $9 (31% off), plus 5,000 points.

 And if you look closely, I also got a copy of US Weekly, which was totally not for me but for the rest of my family, who cray-cray love the magazine:

I think you can redeem your points once you reach 5,000, but the cashier didn't ask if I wanted to, and I didn't ask her either because as I just mentioned, I'm not so good at the whole couponing thing - extreme or otherwise.

But I'll be back to Duane Reade soon. And when I'm there, I'm so swapping those points in and seeing what I get. Maybe enough for another copy of US Weekly!

You can see more photos of my shop, and my family reading US Weekly in the Google+ Album: Duane Reade Balance Rewards.

Follow the conversation on Twitter via the hashtag #DRBalanceRewards and follow Duane Reade @DuaneReade, as well as on Facebook at /DuaneReade.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been
compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Duane Reade. #CBias #SocialFabric

Shopping at Duane Reade for Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy. Oh Yeah, and Meeting The Bloggess, Too.

Last week, I got to do some pretty great things.
Tuesday I hit up Book Expo America, or as Stephen Colbert described it, "The Lollapalooza of quietly reading to yourself."

There's something incredibly special about being in a Convention Center filled with books and the people who love them, as well as tons of authors reading from and signing books.

After the Book Expo, I headed to Duane Reade to try a brand-new hair product from Unilever, Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy, as part of the Duane Reade's VIP Blogger program .

I was already sorta dying to try Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy because I've been seeing the TV ads with Heidi Klum, and um, well, who wouldn't want to look like that?

Photo source: Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Facebook page

Duane Reade had a huge display of Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy right inside the front of the store, so I found it really easily.

I spent a long time debating (in my head, not out loud) which of the formulas was the right one for me.  In the end I opted for Total Care.

I also got a bag of deLISH organic lollipops for my son, the self-appointed Lollipop King.

Outside, I admired the flowers. Leave it to Duane Reade - and Manhattan - to make the front of  a midtown drug store this gorgeous.

Back home, I gave a very happy Lollipop King the bag of lollipops:

The next day I showered and tried my new Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy products, with great success - and they smell amazing, too.

I am totally sold on the idea that the secret to hair care is by cultivating a healthy scalp.

And I was very happy to be having a good hair day because I went to hear the one and only Jenny Lawson - better known as The Bloggess - give a reading and book signing for her new release, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, right here in New Jersey.

And here my clear scalp and I are meeting her:

I was so happy with my good hair day, I even snapped another photo of me reading my new book when I got home:

For more photos of my shop, and The Bloggess, check out my Google+ Album.

Get social with Duane Reade! Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter @DuaneReade as well as at the hashtags #DReade and #DreadeVIP.

Get social with Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy! Like them on Facebook, (there's even a page fore Clear Hair Men) and visit their YouTube channel.

I am a member of the Collective Bias(TM) Social Fabric Community(R). This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias #SocialFabric

I am also part of the Duane Reade VIP blogger team (follow along on Twitter at #DreadeVIP).

Duane Reade: THE Place for Kids Snacks

Monday afternoon of this lazy holiday weekend, and I realized next week I needed snacks for the class and snacks for softball. Not to mention, the regular snacks I need for my own kids every day.

I will be so glad when the school year is over and I can welcome with open arms a big snack-less summer.

But until them, forward snack-making I will go.

So I entered Duane Reade with five items running through my head on an endless loop, because even though I desperately didn't want to forget anything, I was still too lazy to write it down.

The five things on my list were:

Three snack must-haves:
- Popcorn (which I had seen in The Duane Reader was a great deal - two boxes for $3!)

- Cheddar Penguins (because my children love these)
- Grapes (another kid favorite)

I also wanted to try a slow cooker Cheesecake recipe I had just seen, but these two items were less urgent, but still I wanted to remember :
- Cream cheese (3 packages) and
- Graham crackers

I had a few other things to do in Chelsea, so I did those before I went to the Duane Reade at Eighth Avenue and West 17th Street (131 Eighth Avenue), which if I was the kind of person to pick favorites, would be one of mine because it has a huge grocery selection and it's open 24/7.

Seriously, this location has everything. Like gluten free cookies. And Mint Chutney.

So of course I wasn't surprised to see they had the more basic items on my list like grapes, cream cheese and graham crackers:

Surprisingly, finding the Duane Reade brand Nice! Cheddar Penguins and Nice! Popcorn was more difficult, but within a few minutes I had those items checked off my list, too.

And I was glad to see The Duane Reader sale price I had seen online was also clearly marked in the store.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, The Duane Reader is full of great deals (the current ones are good through June 2) that you can either view online or in the store.

There are also lots of signs throughout the store indicating items that are special Duane Reader deals.

I grabbed an Odwalla smoothie for the walk back to the train station, and spent the commute home applauding myself for remembering everything on my list and for being set for team snacks, class snacks and my own kids snacks for the week ahead.

When I got home, it only took me about five minutes to think of several things I needed, like now. So I'll be back to Duane Reade soon, possibly even with a written list instead of a mental one.

Also, when I got home my husband told me our A/C wasn't working (outdoor temp: a balmy 93). So, there's that.

In the meantime, at least we have snacks.

For how to make cute butterfly snacks (perfect for a class or a team) click here. You can make them with grapes and popcorn, or grapes and cheddar penguins.

For the slow cooker cheesecake recipe, click here.

For more photos from my trip to Duane Reade, visit my Google+ story, Duane Reade: THE Place for Kids Snacks.

Visit The Duane Reader online for a good read and to find great deals

You can also like Duane Reade on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @DuaneReade as well as at the hashtags #DReade and #DreadeVIP.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are my own.

I am also part of the Duane Reade VIP blogger team (follow along on Twitter at #DreadeVIP).

Lunch Snacks from Duane Reade with Help from the New Duane Reader

On Wednesday, I took the train into Manhattan to run about 319 errands and still be home in time to pick-up my kids from school by 2:30. 

Just as I finished what felt like even more than 319 errands, I remembered there was nothing at home for the kids to bring in their lunches, and there were still two more school days left that week.

Lucky for me, right there across from the train station at 33rd and Eighth was the answer to my school lunch woes:

Duane Reade.

I had just read the day before the new DuaneReader online (basically a drug store circular, only irreverent and funny)

so I knew Duane Reade had a bunch of treats my kids would like, and that I wouldn't find too terrible for them to eat.

Inside the store I quickly found Cheddar Penguins:

With the new low Duane Reader price I had spotted online the day before:

And even if you haven't checked out the Duane Reader online before going to the store, there are plenty of "old-fashioned" paper ones at the store:

as well as clearly marked labels by the Duane Reader featured items.

I also got the kids a bunch of dried fruit, since word at my house is when I pack fresh stuff it is "mushy" and "brown" by lunchtime.

Shopping complete, I left with even a few minutes to spare before I needed to catch my train home to Jersey. Walking across the street to Penn Station I realized in all my lunch food buying, I'd forgotten to bring home some products to help my daughter who had all of a sudden developed super-chapped lips.

Going down the elevator, and feeling like the worst mom ever that I was going to come home without the Chapstick, I stepped off the elevator, looked-up and there it was: a Duane Reade in the train station.

I grabbed the forgotten items,

made a dash for my train, and settled into my seat with a few minutes to spare.

Duane Reade, I totally owe you one.

For more photos from my trip to Duane Reade, visit my Google+ story, A visit to Duane Reade with a little help from the Duane Reader.

Visit the Duane Reader online for a good read and to find great deals.

You can also like Duane Reade on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @DuaneReade as well as at the hashtags #DReade and #DreadeVIP.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are my own.

I am also part of the Duane Reade VIP blogger team (follow along at #DreadeVIP).