President's Day

Presidents' Day is arguably one of the best shopping days of the year. In fact, data from Shop It to Me, a site that sends personalized sales alerts to shoppers, revealed that Presidents' Day online deals average better discounts than any other holiday. Here are a couple to look out for:

• J.Crew: Free shipping and an extra 40 percent off final-sale items with the code STYLE40. Offer ends Feb. 18.
• Urban Outfitters: Women's and men's apparel and home items on sale.
• Tory Burch: 25 percent off orders of $400 or more with code WEEKEND; ends today.
• Madewell: 30 percent off sale styles plus free shipping on all orders with code LOVEIT. Deal ends today.
• Neiman Marcus 25 percent off sitewide; ends today.
• Nordstrom: 33 percent off shoes.
• Forever 21: Up to 70 percent off select items.
• Crate and Barrel: Free shipping with no minimum purchase for items bought online today. Up to 20 percent off beds and bedding.
• Best Buy: Lots of deals on computers, TVs, and more. Deal ends today.
• Bloomingdale's: 20 to 40 percent off a wide range of select items online and in-store. Deal ends today.
• American Eagle: 25 percent off and free shipping on all online orders with the code 94369611. Deal ends today.
• Loft: 30 percent off everything, excluding jeans, with code ENJOY30.
• Ann Taylor: 40 percent off discounted items and 30 percent off select full-priced items with code SHOPCHIC.
• Staples: Save up to 75 percent on laptops, software, printers, consumer electronics, and more. Deal ends tomorrow.

Read on for more.

While many people are enjoying a day off from work, we're celebrating all the President's Day sales going on! Whether you're in the store or online, get great deals on items for every room in your home all weekend long. Hurry before Tuesday comes around!

• ABC Home: Snag a bargain on various items on sale in departments like accents, kitchen, lighting, and furniture.
• Ballard Designs: It's not technically called a President's Day sale, but we still think it's worth pointing out. Get 15 percent off all indoor rugs and everything that can hang on your wall until Feb. 25.
• Ikea: Check flyers for one-day-only listings all weekend long. One example: $10 for a shelving unit.
• Macy's: Get 10 percent off home items in-store and online and 25 percent off clearance items online only. Plus, enjoy 15 percent off and free shipping when you spend more than $99. Use the code PRES at checkout for all the savings.
• Pottery Barn: Save up to 60 percent on hundreds of items, including furniture, rugs, and bedding, through Monday.
• Restoration Hardware: Get $100 off when you spend $500 and use the code SAVE100 at checkout.
• Z Gallerie: Save 15 percent off furniture, art, vases, mirrors, and accessories until Monday using two different codes: PRES15 for art and accessories; PRESFURN15 for furniture.

According to a 2008 interview, our nation's chief is quite the home chef, and his favorite preparation is his family's chili recipe. This multi-ingredient, all-American stew has apparently made the rounds at family dinners and potlucks and, when you stop to think about it, perfectly embodies our multicultural President and nation.

And given that he's perhaps one of the busiest men in America, it's also rather fitting that this chili recipe is incredibly fast and simple. It may lack that slow-simmered flavor depth that a carefully cultivated pot of chili gains over the course of an entire day on the stove, but we certainly won't veto it as a tasty homemade dinner.

Flexible as a president should be, this recipe is receptive to any fresh herbs and spices you have on hand. And don't forget the toppings: sour cream and cheddar cheese are the classics, but I broke free of those bipartisan politics with some crumbled Fritos corn chips! Read on for the recipe.

Monday is Presidents' Day, and for some of you that means a three-day weekend! These mini-vacay gems can be much-needed breaks in a couple's hectic schedule, so instead of packing it full of errands, trips, and stress-inducing activities, why not keep it mellow and romantic? Here are three love-filled ways to spend your three-day weekend:

• Spend the day in bed. Not gettin' busy, per se, but just snuggled up and being lazy. "Activities" can include watching TV, enjoying breakfast and coffee in bed, catching up on your mag/book reading, and browsing the Internet together.
• Take a walk down memory lane. Visit a place that has sentimental value to the two of you, maybe somewhere you haven't been in a long time. It could be a frozen yogurt shop where you shared a meaningful date or a park where you had your first kiss; whatever it is, it'll be a sweet time for reminiscing.
• Have a movie marathon. Rent a stack of your favorite DVDs, pop some popcorn, and cozy up on the couch for a flick fest. You could go with a series (Harry Potter would be my choice!), a back and forth between his picks and yours, or just a "best of" collection including favorites you and your honey have seen together.

How do you like to spend a romantic three-day weekend?

Photo by Max Wanger via Style Me Pretty

Today is President's Day, and no matter your politics, you probably have a beloved movie president. Many actors have taken on the role of head of state, to varying effect. Michael Douglas and Morgan Freeman have played some of my favorite movie presidents, and both have an incredibly regal quality (and great scriptwriters who deliver them excellent speeches).

The shoes of movie president will be open as long as disaster movies and biopics are in vogue, so it's fun to think about who may get cast in the future. I know who I'd love to see as the leader of the free world — I think Richard Jenkins or Don Cheadle have the chops and the dignified air, though I'd also love to see someone like Robert Downey Jr. portraying a younger president. Who do you think could and should play a big-screen commander in chief?