It’s August! Rather than being dismayed at the end of summer fun, it’s time to take advantage of the hot deals available this month. As everyone prepares for the crisp fall season, retailers are anxious to unload outdoor gear and there are screaming good deals to be had. If you want to save some cash (and make sure you’re well-outfitted next spring), take advantage of deep discounts on the following:

Patio Furniture: The entire 7-Piece Country Living Seneca Patio Set (above) is available for $374.99 after discounts–more than 50% off the original price of $799.99. Shop for more deals on patio furniture.

Camping Equipment: Save 20% on the Wenzel 9×7 4-Person Tent (currently $39.97, was $49.99). Shop sale tents and camping gear.

Water Toys and Swimming Pools: For inflatable backyard fun, snag something like the Intex Rainbow Ring Playcenter at 30% off (currently $31.48 was $44.99–click the Target store to see the sale).

And finally… don’t forget to check out sales on swimsuits, shorts and tank tops for the whole family!

To see the great sale items every day, follow us on Twitter!

–Becky Ellis

We all know that there’s no gift large enough or expensive enough to adequately express appreciation for everything our moms have done for us. Childbirth alone would warrant a car or a house or a trip to Paris, and just forget about the debt we owe her for our teen years.

Of course, moms often don’t care about the gift at all (think of those twig and popsicle stick houses we made a summer camp) but just love to be remembered. If you’re on a budget (or if your mom, like mine, wants you to save your money rather than buy her things), these three gifts are beautiful ways to show your mom you’re thinking about her, without draining your bank account.   

(Above: Print Condition Scarf, $16)

Voluspa Pedestal Candle/ Santiago Huckleberry, $16

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy Cream, $15

I love so many of the looks I see in magazines, but definitely don’t love the prices I see attached. I am a firm believer that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to look fabulous; all it takes is a little sleuthing and creativity. Above is a Day to Night look put together by Elle Magazine (total cost: $2,899.50!), and below is my version of the look… for just 6% of their price!

Start with…

this Print Sateen Pencil Skirt.

For daytime, add…

an Off the Shoulder Sweatshirt from American Eagle, and…

the O’Neill Ziplock.

For evening, add…

Ben Sherman’s Carbon Oxford Women’s Vest, and…

this Madison Jodi Clutch.

Total cost for all five pieces=$177.09

Luckily, you can easily get this year’s red carpet look for less by shopping online for some of the key trends we saw on Oscar night. I’ve picked five of my favorite Oscar fashions and found a much cheaper alternative for you…let me know what you think! Oscar dresses for less…my favorite blog post to do. Ever.

(note: all photos below are courtesy of Donato Sardella/wwd except for the Robert Downey Jr. shot, courtesy of justjared)

One-shouldered Goddess Style

Tina Fey in Michael Kors; A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz One-Shoulder Dress sale $224.99

One-shouldered dresses abounded on the red carpet — Tina Fey, Sigourney Weaver, and Molly Ringwald are just a few of many goddesses struttin’ the trend on the red carpet. The dignified silhouette of a one-shouldered dress is a great way to show off toned arms, chest, and back while remaining modest, which is why it’s perfect for the classy yet svelte figures of these A-list celebs. A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz makes wonderfully gorgeous designer-style gowns at just a fraction of the price — I love this elegant one-shouldered jersey dress with rhinestone detailing, and at only $224.99 from Bluefly, you’ll still have money leftover for chandelier earrings to wear with it!

Regal Royal Blue

Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa; J.S. Boutique Beaded Cluster Gown only $117.90

Royal blue was certainly the couleur du noir on Sunday — Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’nique, Mariah Carey, and Maggie Gyllenhaal donned some form of royal blue in their gowns, a sharp but beautiful contrast to the spring pastels that I thought’d I’d see on Sunday. Gabourey’s royal blue Marchesa dress featured an interesting twisted bodice design with glittery floral detailing. I wasn’t fond of the detailing on the bodice, so I found a similar style in this JS Boutique beaded cluster gown that features a twisted cluster bodice, but with some sparkly detailing on the hip instead. Tell me what you think about it!

Lacy Days…

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa, JS Collection Lace and Chiffon Empire Gown, only $124.97

I was a huge fan of Sandra Bullock’s dress — I loved the delicate lace top, the daintiness and elegance of the silhouette, and even the color (and I’m not usually a fan of beige or golden dresses, especially on lighter skin tones). I found a similar dress from JS Collections, this JS Collections Lace and Chiffon Empire dress for only $124.97. My only critique is that I thought the gown was a bit matronly for Sandra — but she balanced that out with some stunning bright red lipstick which was a bold and youthful move! Wanna know what she used? Chanel Rouge Coco #22 Paris…you can get it here.

Rockin’ Red on the Carpet.

Penelope Cruz in Donna Karan, Laundry by Shelli Segal Charmeuse Dress only $173.80

Let’s face it, Penelope Cruz could wear a dress made out of dirt and still look good. So I guess it doesn’t matter much that I was not that impressed with the red swirling tornado of her Donna Karan dress. It needed something… like another dress that wasn’t so monotone right on top of it. But she still looked great, and I have a warm spot in my heart for people who pull off red dresses well. So I found a similar style in this Laundry by Shelli Segal Ruby Lipstick Strapless Charmeuse Dress for only $199.99.

The Accessory Blues

Robert Downey Jr. in Oliver Peoples Sheldrake Sunglasses; Tommy Hilfiger blue sunglasses, $69.99

I’m pretty convinced that the only reason male actors get invited to walk on the red carpet is to help prevent the ladies from tripping on their own gowns. They get completely overshadowed by all the gown talk — and that’s why I’m taking a special moment to call out two lovely lads that made a pretty impressive appearance at Sunday’s Oscars. Robin Thicke was pretty stylin’, with a perfectly manicured hairstyle, custom tuxedo and Burberry shirt. And who could forget Robert Downey Jr., breaking out the blue Oliver Peoples Sheldrake custom-tinted sunglasses and baby blue bow tie? I found a similar pair of Tommy Hilfiger blue sunglasses for $69.99 at Target and a solid blue bow tie from Krisar Enterprises for only $9.95!

Bonus red carpet look hint: pack it all in nicely with Victoria’s Secret Slimtastic body shaper — the stars swear by it!

What do you think about these 5 red carpet looks for less? Please leave a comment below…

Twilight Turtle Constellation Night Light on Sale $29.95

Twilight Turtle Constellation Nightlight transforms any room into a starry night sky to help your little one fall asleep sooner, sounder and easier than ever. From within his plastic shell, Twilight Turtle projects a magical constellation of stars onto the bedroom ceiling and walls in three soothing color options. Twilight Turtle’s shell illuminates like a nightlight to help ease children’s fear of the dark. This interactive and educational toy includes eight actual constellations (such as The Big Dipper) embedded in the star pattern. Parents can sit with their tots and identify these major constellations using the beautifully illustrated Twilight Turtle Star Guide. Twilight Turtle helps make bedtime fun for children ages two and above. It received the National Parenting Seal of Approval. It was the 2006 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice, Baby Talk Editor’s Choice and iParenting Award Winner.

Shop Twilight Turtle Now

baggallini Only Bagg – Microfiber - Was $69.99 now $19.99 (71% Savings)

Today is Cyber Monday (the internet’s version of Black Friday) which means that online shoppers can continue to save big.  Save up to 60% at Overstock.com on hundreds of items like electronics, clothing and shoes, home & bath, toys and so much more.  eBags Cyber Monday Doorbusters sale is offering an additional 20%  off their already low, low prices plus free shipping on great handbags, totes, wallets and clutches. Get up to 50% off during the eToys  Cyber Monday sale plus free shipping on orders of $49.99 or more.  Now you can get a head start on your holiday shopping and save big bucks!

Black Friday is over but stores like Toys R Us are extending their super savings and specials through the weekend. Now you can save up to 60% or even more on games, toys, puzzles, action figures, stuffed animals, baby toys, electronic toys and more. Get a jump start on your holiday shopping with the Toys R Us Cyber Deals sale now and stock up on everything for the big kid on your list or the little kid inside us all. Stay home, stay out of the malls and shop online for all your Black Friday savings and beyond.

Sony Bravia LCD TV 1080p 52 in. $1147.99

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe 30th Anniversary Edition $49.99

Elle Sweater $21.99 plus get xtra 15% with code TURKEY15 at Kohl's

Apple's One-Day Sale Today!! iPod nano $138

Nikon Coolpix L20 10megapixel Camera $96.95

Nikon Coolpix digital camera in deep red seem to be on sale everywhere right now. At Buydig, you can get a great bundle too that includes the camera, the case, 2GB of memory, and more for only $117.94!

Best Buy Black Friday Deals
Sale begins 11/27

Samsung 46” LCD TV 1080p 120 HZ $999.99

Sprint Palm Pre $79.99

Hewlett-Packard Laptop $197
in store only

Sony VAIO Laptop with free antivirus software for 1 year $399.99

Garmin Nuvi 205 $99.99

Left 4 Dead 2—Xbox 360 $34.99

Walmart Black Friday Deals — 5-11 a.m. on Friday
eMachine Laptop $198

Sony Bravia 46-inch $798

Nikon Coolpix S230 $139

Polo Ralph Lauren for Men $29

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker 7 Quart

Miley Cyrus & Max Azria Graphic Tees $3

Emerson 32″ LCD 720p HDTV $248

Emerson 42″ Plasma 720pHDTV $448

Maganvox Blu-ray Disc Player $78

Nintendo DS Lite $98

Xbox 360 Arcade Console with 3 bonus items $199

PlayStation 3 Console with Bonus items $299

Rock Band Special Edition $50

X Rocker Gaming Chair $35

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals

GET $3 IN MP3s for FREE!

Garmin Nuvi 260 $119.99
Kodak Pocket Video Camera $99
Canon PIXMA Photo Printer $49
KitchenAid Professional Mixer $299.99

Invicta men’s Russian diver collection black watch $89.99

Fujifilm FinePix J28 Digital Camera $79.99

Newegg’s Black Friday Deals
Samsung S2 640 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive $99

Sharp 46” LCD HDTV $699.99

Sony DVP- Portable DVD Player $152.99

Buy.com’s Black Friday Deals
George Foreman grill $16.88

Microsoft Zune Pink $100.99

Microsoft Zune Pink Refurbished 30 GB $89.99

White Gold 10K Three Diamond Drop Pendant $54.99

North and South Complete Collection $16.99

Target — Starts at 5 am

Westinghouse 32” LCD TV 720p $246

Nikon CoolPix S203 Digital Camera $88

TomTom XL340S GPS $97

Apex 40” 1080p LCD TV $449

Haier 7” portable TV $79

Memorex system for iPod $49.99

Casio Keyboard $49.99

Sony Blu-ray player $149.99

Memorex compact DVD player $19.99

Western Digital portable 500 GB hard drive $59.98

RCA 7” Dual-screen DVD player $88

Garmin Nuvi 1350 GPS $179

Apple 8GB iPod nano $145

RCA 7” Portable DVD player $47

H&M
H&M Friday Store Hours:

Most H&M stores will open at 6am; some will open as early as 5am

H&M Black Friday Specials:

25% off any item of your choice from opening until 10AM
Fashion finds starting at $5 (example pricing included below)
Select outerwear styles at 50% percent off

Example pricing:

Ladies

Knitted shrugs from $24.95 to $5.00

Knitted dresses from $34.95 to $10.00

Party dresses from $39.95 to $15.00

Men’s

Patterned shirts from $29.95 to $10.00

Merino wool sweaters from $39.95 to $15.00

Knit pullovers from $24.95 to $10.00

Kids

Little girls sweaters $17.95 to $5.00

Little Boys trousers from $17.95 to $5.00

Ladies/Men’s

Winter knit accessories $14.95 to $5.00