Category Archives: shopping

>We also need…a list for this

Posted on by
6

>I admit it. My name is Daisy, and I’m a list-maker. Our summer vacation, the first in four years, is still in the planning stages, but I have list potential growing on the same back burner.

Things we should look for now so we don’t pay full price later
  • A bike rack for the minivan. Amigo’s bike will take up a great deal of the minivan’s interior. In fact, I’ll probably put the cooler in the bike basket and my suitcase under its back wheels. Our bikes (mine and Husband’s) will go on a rack on the back bumper. This ought to be a good season for buying a rack like this, so I’ll start reading the sporting goods stores’ ads in the Sunday papers. Something will turn up. A visit to the bike shop may help, too.
  • Husband needs a bike helmet; they’re required by law in Canada.
  • Amigo thinks I need a swimsuit. Hah! Not a chance. If I wade at the beach, I’ll wear my capris. I should, however, make sure Amigo’s suit still fits him.
  • Travel size generic meds. Let’s see — goodies to ward off headaches, stomach-aches, and motion sickness can fill up the little pocket of my purse.
  • Sunscreen. Sunglasses.
  • Reading material! Right? Shouldn’t I get a few books for the long drive and the ferry ride, too? Okay, I give in, that can wait.

And… I have a new post up at MidCentury Modern Moms today. “My” day is every other Thursday. Enjoy!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Yes, I’m on spring break. Random is good.

Posted on by
2

>To-do list:
Nap.
Make coffee.
Wash the winter jackets.
And more, and less.

The thrift store called, and I always say yes to a pick-up. It forces me to clean a closet or toss a few things. Since my purse strap broke, I’ve been putting off moving everything into a new/old one, saying I didn’t have time. The truth wasn’t exactly the lack of time to move things from one bag to another, but the time to face the junk in my purse, sort through it, and clean it up.

Here’s the inventory, along with random thoughts and reactions. Starting at the top and going clockwise (sort of): Wallet. Card-holder. Calendar, small notebook, assorted gift cards. Inhaler. Chico Bag (where was this when I went to Target last week?). Cell phone. Four — yes, 4 — pens. Comb, small scrunchie, and bobby pins. Receipt from bookstore. Tide-to-Go pen. Mints. Reading glasses with case. Sample pack of dental floss. Did I forget anything? Hey, wait a minute. I think I missed a pocket. Where are my hearing aid batteries? Where’s the little bottle of Tylenol?

It’s not a picture with a purpose, like the last time I posted a picture of my schoolbag for a contest at WorkIt, Mom. This time, it’s just (in La Petite’s words) lame. Look, kid, it’s my spring break, too. It’s okay to be lame. Just be careful you don’t think it’s lame that I’m doing laundry; I’ll make you wash your own.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Here’s the umbrella. Where’s the snow brush? Ice scraper, anyone?

Posted on by
Reply

>

Yes. NaBloPoMo is over for 2007. I posted 30 consecutive days. As to prizes, there are so many bloggers enrolled that I’m not counting on winning any goodies. That’s not why I signed on. why did I sign on? Oh, the usual, the personal challenge, the slight increase in readership, the kinship with a whole batch of other bloggers crazy enough to make this commitment. You know. You don’t? Well, then you need a blog. Really. It’s fun, it’s personal, it’s serious, it’s funny, and all of the other adjectives that come from journaling online.

I’m glad it ended yesterday, if only because I had a big all-day shopping trip planned with friends and it was a bit hairy getting home in the storm. Visibility was lousy, so we stopped at opportune moments to jump out of the minivan and help the driver clear the ice off her windshield wipers. By the time we got home, we were laughing about the whole experience. It reminded us of the Chaos Fire Drills we’d play while out cruisin’ back in high school. “Ready? I’m stopping now. Go!” Then we’d run around the car and try to get back in somewhere before the light turned green. But this time, we all got back in the same seats and buckled our seat belts safely like the moms we are, even brushed off what snow we could before jumping back in the sliding side doors. To make it even more chaotic, we were doing this with our gloved/ mittened hands; she couldn’t fin her snow brush or ice scraper! She knew they were in the van somewhere, but these essential tools of winter were nowhere to be found when we needed them.

Now that we’ve taken out all the shopping bags, she’ll probably find it tomorrow, after the storm passes. All’s well that ends well, and we had a great day shopping the outlet mall. Harry and David? I think I love you. Well, your peppermint bark samples and your free coffee, anyway.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Three, no, four reasons why I’m glad my kids are too old for toys

Posted on by
2

>1. Dora with lead paint
2. Diego with lead paint.
3. SpongeBob Squarepants notebooks with traces of lead.
4. Winnie the Pooh, Thomas the Tank Engine, and who knows what else? — all contain lead.

I could go on, but what’s the point?

It’s the stuff of which late night jokes are made, when their writers are working, that is. Who would believe the sheer number of new recalls in the last six to twelve months? It’s been unbelievable. Simply unreal. No one can blame it on terrorism, either. At least no one at the White House has tried…yet.

My children are no longer children, thank goodness, so I didn’t have to find a way to explain why their favorite toys had to come out of the toy box or their favorite new notebook was better off under the sea. Mine are 15 and 20, and their holiday needs are, well, different from the wish lists of their younger cousins.

So in the spirit of the Twelve Days of Safe Shopping, here are twelve ways I’m considering to help get the lead out of our family’s holiday.

1. Read the boxes. The bags. The packaging.
2. Look for those magic words “non-toxic” on the label.
3. Watch the news.
4. Look for water soluble paints and dyes. Lead isn’t.
5. Give homemade gifts to family and close friends.
6. Know your sources (like Dale and Thomas Popcorn: Mmm. Fresh.)
7. Buy music. Support artists and musicians making their living.
8. Buy clothes.
9. Look for country of origin, buying closer to home whenever possible.
10. Buy fair trade.
11. Buy from local craft fairs and farmer’s markets.
12. Stop buying toys (I can do that; my “kids” are older).

I didn’t need to clean out a toy box with each new recall, but I did wonder about families who did. It had to be difficult to handle with children to young to understand the dangers.
Many sites can give you up to date information on recalls. Try these.
The League of Maternal Justice
Consumer’s Union (Not in My Cart! is their mantra.)
Consumer’s Union’s blog
And finally, if you’d like to join Consumers’ Union in making a difference, check this site, their Safe Shopper movement.
Parent Bloggers Network is chronicling many bloggers who are addressing this topic in today’s blog blast. Find them here.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Just a note… a personal, handwritten note

Posted on by
Reply

>Note writing is not, repeat, not, a lost art. I have a file of nice notes from parents in my file cabinet at work. That file is separate from the encouraging notes from coworkers. Despite the numerous emails I send and receive each day, I still keep a box of notecards in my desk drawer at home and at school.
When I saw Just Being Notesy personalized notecards from The Wooden Porch, I had to pass on the offer. Who says you can’t mix old and new? She uses new technology to make something personal and unique. If you order, be sure to mention you heard it here. The maker of Notesy wants to know where her referrals come from.

Enjoy! Click here to find Just Being Notesy.

notesy long banner

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Should I? Oh, yeah, "shoulds" are bogus.

Posted on by
2

>I did it. I entered the lottery for playoff tickets should the Milwaukee Brewers actually get there. Their chances seem to fluctuate every day.

If (and I know, it’s a big if) they reach the playoffs, and if (this is an even bigger if) I get lucky in the ticket lottery, I’ll have the chance to buy four tickets.

Then comes the question: Who will go?

The first two are obvious: me and Amigo. I’ll take a personal day, and I’ll sign him out of school for this life-altering experience. But now… La Petite has been to Miller Park once, and she doesn’t really follow baseball closely. She would enjoy the game if she went, but she might choose not to goor she might have too many classes. Husband would go, but it’s hard to tell if he’d be able to get a day or two off from work in the middle of Packer football season. So…I guess we’ll wait and see. It could be La Petite and boyfriend. La Petite and roommate. Husband and brother in law. Maybe even my sister-in-law, in Madison working on her masters. Oh, I’m sure we’ll have no trouble using the tickets.

Now the real issue rears its ugly head. Whatever will we wear? We can’t go to Miller Park without being clothed in the proper colors. I might have to go shopping. Darn. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Merchants now fear us

Posted on by
3

>Husband and I had quite an experience shopping recently. We went to three stores, and we had to call for a manager in all three.

In the first store, let’s call it Office Heaven, I couldn’t find the notebooks I wanted. The store has recently remodeled and rearranged and makes no sense whatsoever. I walked through the computer section three times vefore I gave in and asked a clerk to point me toward the multi-packs of steno notebooks. There was only one option, it was pricey, and the steno books were ugly (plain white cover extolling the virtues of Office Heaven itself), so I decided to try another store. Meanwhile, Husband had picked out a small technology item for Amigo. The price on the package and the product name/code matched one price on the shelf, but a different price rang up at the register: $20 higher than the price we saw. The manager muttered and grumbled indecisively, but finally gave us the lower price.

Store two, Extreme Office Supplies, didn’t have my steno books either. They were out of stock for the second time this month. The folks in charge couldn’t give me an answer, either, when I asked when such an item might come in. “Oh, we never know how many we’ll sell. It’ll automatically reorder if we sell a lot.” I reminded them that they’d been out of these notebooks two weeks ago as well. No answer. None.

Store three, the Greatest Party Show on Earth, had also rearranged and remodeled to a point where I didn’t know where anything was any more. The clerk led us to the table skirt I need to cover the computer cords hanging from my classroom pod, and I wandered around looking for odd and random and inexpensive pencils for my students. We found them, finally, at the checkout. Three boxes of random designs, marked down to ten cents a pencil! Hey, honey, start counting. I want fifty. The clerk scanned one, hit the buttons to multiply by 50, and came up with — 24 cents a pencil. Oops! She called a manager, who verified that the right price was one thin dime per writing implement and unlocked the register so she could fix my total.

We came away with good deals and most of what we wanted. However, we imagined the neighboring stores setting up lookouts. “Here they come, that innocent looking couple we told you about! Check all your prices and shelf tags. Quick! Before they come in the door! Find the ‘Closed’ sign! OMG, it’s only Back to School. I hope they don’t shop here for Christmas.”

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Back to — school supplies!

Posted on by
2

>I’m seeing school supply tips all over the blogosphere. Suddenly Frugal talked about it. Mir at Wantnot even found a Back to School deal from PayPal. Others either agonized over the purchases or moaned over the time and money spent. Really, I’m not kidding, there are ways to outfit the family for school without breaking the bank. Trust me. I’ve been outfitting entire classes for 13 years.
Think of the basic 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reuse: a good quality backpack will last several years, reducing your time investment and your frustration while you reuse it. We sent Amigo’s Jansport backpack in for repairs last summer, free of charge. It’s worth the investment. Recycle your children’s art projects. When you’re done displaying them on your own refrigerator, send them to Grandma’s refrigerator door.
Stock up. That sounds backward, but it isn’t. School supplies are cheaper right now than they will be in January when your child’s science folder breaks into pieces. Buy two of everything now. You’ll be glad later.
Reuse. Scissors, rulers, pencil cases, binders, and more, can last for more than one year. I used hand-me-down supplies when I went through graduate school. Honestly, I never bought a folder or binder or notebook; we had plenty in the house already. It was fun using La Petite’s old pencil case from middle school, decorated with sketches and doodles of rabbits, when sitting in a serious curriculum theory class. The professor probably wondered why I kept smiling.
Read the sale ads. I stocked up on supplies for my class’ Writers’ Workshop last week at Target. They had composition books at 2 for $1, while the office supply store down the street still priced them at $2 apiece. Tar-jay had cute notebooks, too; I went back later with La Petite. She bought color-coordinated notebooks in several sizes for her upcoming journalism classes.

Writing this post reminds me that I have work to do. I need to browse through the reading textbook for fourth grade before I relax and do any pleasure reading. Back to work; I’ll be setting up my classroom soon.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Christmas in July

Posted on by
Reply

>I admitted this in another post; I shop almost year round for Christmas and birthdays. My sister-in-law sent me to this site, and I found some really unique treasures. In fact, that’s the name of the site; Evelyn’s Treasures.

I give practical gifts sometimes, and sometimes I’d rather give fun. Let’s see; La Petite might like this. My garden would look nice with this addition. I enjoy windchimes, and Evelyn offers several different types. Clicking on the home/office section will help you find some gorgeous bookends and other office supplies with pizazz. I like the Chinese sword letter opener for something both cool and useful.
Even though I like to pick on my younger brother, I would probably give him this. Cute, eh?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Blog Blast with a Cause

Posted on by
2

>iBakeSale is a unique new fundraising option for people who shop online. It’s simple; sign up, designate a charity or nonprofit group, and then shop. When you’re shopping your favorite online merchants, go through iBakeSale in order to funnel funds their way.

I’ve become a regular online shopper, and for safety’s sake I tend to stick to vendors and merchants I know. This list of links appeals to be because it includes well-known names such as Lands’ End. Linens and Things. Delia’s (a favorite of my college-age daughter). NFL Pro Shop, too (as if I needed more Green Bay Packer clothing!).The list goes on and on, and in fact can be intimidating in its length, so I prefer to click on “Select Category” and get a more focused display.

Now, here’s the fund-raising part. Click on “Select an Organization” to direct your donations to a meaningful source. I chose the Wisconsin Lions Foundation in Rosholt, Wisconsin because my blind son spends a very happy week at Lions Camp every summer and our local Lions have been very generous whenever we’ve asked for assistance. (They make great buffalo burgers at Octoberfest, too, but that’s a matter of personal taste. Yum.)

Here goes. To join iBakeSale, click here. Create an account, and then choose a group for your donations. I’d love it if you’d choose the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, but I hope you’ll look for other groups that are close to your heart. You can sign up a new organization, such as your children’s school PTA, as well. Go for it, folks; sign up before you start your Christmas shopping!

Please note: There is a prize involved for the blogger who gets the most sign-ups by August 7. My readership is small, so I’m not expecting to win. The only benefit for me would be to see people sign up to send a bit of their shopping money toward a good cause. I do not earn money through this post.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares