<p>This weekend and Monday is a great time to buy Alabama gifts for current or incoming students. Kohls has some great Alabama items for 20% off and no shipping. I have bought both my sons the Nike backpack with their school name on it. Junior son #1 uses it all the time and it is still in great shape (although he is in a northern climate so doesn’t deal with rain.) Alabama son #2 likes it and said it has held up to the rain so far, although it is not advertised as waterproof. I have bought hoodies and zipped hoodie jackets for both of them through Kohls and have been extremely happy (I shipped one in October direct to my Alabama student and he wore it to the game that night). I have also bought items through JC Pennys. There was no Christmas ornaments at the Supe in October when we were there, so I just recently bought some cute ones through Pennys as gifts and was extremely happy with them when they arrived. Besides buying gifts for my students, I have also bought college items for my parents for my sons to give them as presents. Just thought I’d pass this on.</p>
<p>Thank you for the reminder. I was at the Supestore for their Black Friday sale (an extra 50% off all clearance items) and noticed that they had recently stocked some ornaments and other Christmas items.</p>
<p>The Supestore’s annual 30% sale will take place sometime during Dead Week or Finals Week this year. This is arguably the best time to buy UA-themed gifts as one doesn’t need a coupon for each regular-priced item.</p>
<p>What and when is Dead Week?</p>
<p>Love Love Love Magnolia Lane…[Magnolia</a> Lane Collection| ~ A leading distributer of hand painted, college licensed items, picture frames and sentiment plaques](<a href=“http://www.magnolialanecollection.com/Scripts/PublicSite/]Magnolia”>Magnolia Lane Collection). Go to shop on line…they have a section called More than Tailgate. After you click on this it will give you many different options for colleges. When you click on U of Alabama it will take you to all of their products. I have all of the dishes for both Missouri and Alabama that we use for tailgating. Have given the ornaments, thank you notes, and picture frames as gifts. They are high quality and beautiful!</p>
<p>@CrimsonMomNC Dead week is the week before finals. Classes are still in session.</p>
<p>Mentioned in an older thread I can not find now (when I need it) is a discussion about ALARM CLOCKS that will wake even the deepest sleeper…</p>
<p>One I think might actually work w/DD is placed under the pillowtop and SHAKES THE BED VIOLENTLY.</p>
<p>ANyone seen/Used such a thing?</p>
<p>Other alarm suggestions? We need to try these NOW, while she still has me as back-up. lol</p>
<p>I have bought items from eBags in the past, and I just saw the CUTEST little wallet purse that slings over the shoulder with the Bama logo. If I had a daughter, I’d be ordering her one! SO CUTE!</p>
<p>@TXArchitect</p>
<p>I have a VERY morning challenged child as well. We knew that scheduling 8AM classes would be a BAD idea, but he’s still managed to sleep through his 9AM class at least once and his 9:30 class a couple times that I know about. </p>
<p>I’ve seen those alarms that shake the bed (or some that you wear on your wrist that vibrate) - there are several available on Amazon if you search for “alarms that shake the bed” - I suggested to my S that we should buy one and he responded, “It’d make me pee the bed.” :)</p>
<p>But he did agree to getting one that rolls away after you hit the snooze button (search on amazon for “alarm clock that runs away”).</p>
<p>I also suspect that part of the problem might be that if he turns the alarm off over the weekend that he forgets to reset it for his classes. I also found an alarm that allows you to set a different alarm time for each day of the week, so if you have a different start time on M-W and T-R, that you don’t have to reset the wake time each day. However that alarm didn’t come with the shake or run away feature.</p>
<p>I was just the same when I was younger…now I’d be THRILLED to sleep through the night. lol</p>
<p>^^^ TXArchitect: I know exactly how you feel, I think it’s been over a year since I slept all night long. And to add insult to injury, DS resembled nothing more than a giant tick over Thanksgiving break, leaving his bed only to come down and ingest vast quantities of food, then trudge back upstairs and fall exhausted, into bed, until the next meal.</p>
<p>I have no idea how he manages to get himself to his 8:00 classes since we never saw him before the crack of noon. I assume he sleepwalks.</p>
<p>I want a clock that makes him call his mother once a week.</p>
<p>The alarm clock is called a sonic boom. My son has used it since 10th grade. Works great. Sold at Think Geek. Also sold on Think Geek, and owned by son as a back up alarm. Is the Clocky aRobotic Alarm. Rolls across the room so you have to get out of bed and chase it to turn it off.</p>
<p>Amazon has the sonic alarm. I would recommend getting the extention for the alarm clock. They will need it in the lofted beds next year. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-SBB500ss-Vibrating-Alarm-Clock/dp/B000OOWZUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353978110&sr=8-1&keywords=sonic+alarm[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-SBB500ss-Vibrating-Alarm-Clock/dp/B000OOWZUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353978110&sr=8-1&keywords=sonic+alarm</a></p>
<p>There is a newer version of “Clocky” called “Tocky”. It is round and has more features than “Clocky”. It works well.</p>
<p>The bed shaking alarm isn’t working. S wakes up ok & just turns it off. I’m going to look into the one that walks away. He suggested one that required a complex calculation to get it to turn off.</p>
<p>Tocky works well. It offers more options than Clocky, takes up less space, and moves more easily on carpeted floors because of its round shape. Look for promotional codes online before purchasing to save money.:)</p>
<p>There’s also a setting on the Iphone 4S, and possibly others as well, that is meant for hearing impaired individuals. It flashes bursts of light in addition to whatever sound you desire. It works well as a back up alarm.:)</p>
<p>D has 15 alarms set on her iPhone for her TR 8AM. The good news is that her last class (and final exam) is this week. And from now on, no more 8AMs!</p>
<p>Here are some alarm clocks for you to consider:</p>
<p>[20</a> Annoyingly Creative Alarm Clocks | Bored Panda](<a href=“20 Annoyingly Creative Alarm Clocks | Bored Panda”>20 Annoyingly Creative Alarm Clocks | Bored Panda)</p>
<p>Also, Idinct- get the extension cord for the sonic bomb. You can buy it on amazon. That will allow him to put the alarm clock across the room. He will have to get out of bed to turn it off.</p>
<p>just bought 2 sonic booms, one for each kid 
Thanks for the tip!
( and extension cords)</p>
<p>Love these. I’m thinking the stand up one or the no snooze.</p>
<p>I like the anemone one. I would end up smashing it under a book, I am afraid! LOL</p>
<p>I wanted to remind everyone about the chocolates. We purchased these for teacher gifts, and a bunch of the candy bars for DS to give to his friends and cousins last year. </p>
<p>[Russell</a> Stover, Whitman’s, Pangburn’s: America’s Chocolate & Candy Store](<a href=“http://www.russellstover.com/jump.jsp?itemID=515&itemType=CATEGORY&path=1%2C3%2C474%2C515]Russell”>http://www.russellstover.com/jump.jsp?itemID=515&itemType=CATEGORY&path=1%2C3%2C474%2C515)</p>