Category Archives: Shopping

7th day tourist

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Word on the street was Old Town was the place to be as soon as I got to Heidelberg.

So off I went.

And I didn’t have to walk far to feel right at home.

Pretzels….yum.

But as I strolled past the shops, both quaint and chain — yes, there is a Starbucks and an H&M — a disturbing trend darkened my day.

They were all CLOSED.

Apparently my people don’t work on Sundays.  Only the cafes — and a Subway, which was doing a rousing business — were open to the throngs of tourists wandering the streets.

So the teapots that tempted me will have to sit and gather dust.  The leather goods store, the card shop, the art store — all missed out, yes they did.  I hope their day of rest was worth the purchases that me and folks just like me would have made.

And I’m gonna tell them all exactly that…when I go back tomorrow.

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Posted in Commentary, Humor, Life, Shopping, Travel

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Paper part deux

Posted on October 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Are these sticky notes a ‘good thing?’

Of course they are.  They’re Martha Stewart Sticky Notes.

You heard me.  Martha is branding sticky notes now.  Applying her custom colors — and what appears to be tiny notches — to the corner of everyday stickies.

They are supposedly super sticky — more so than the regular Avery brand that Staples carries.  And Martha has handpicked the colors, so they will coordinate with any other Martha accessories you have in your kitchen or home office.

Because using sticky notes that don’t match your home decor?

That’s definitely not a good thing.

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Posted in Business, Commentary, Design, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping

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Follow the crowd

Posted on September 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

If you were looking for me today, you just had to follow the line.

It stretched all the way from Stoopher & Boots at 79th and Amsterdam, around the corner, and back to Columbus.

I was at the end of that line, but all the kids and moms and dads weren’t waiting to see me.

Dance Moms was in the house.

Mom Melissa and dancer daughters Maddie and Mackenzie made an appearance to help raise money for the Starlight Foundation.  For over eight hours, they signed autographs, took pictures and chatted with adoring — sometimes crying, they were so excited – fans.

I was helping out in the store, but — full disclosure — I watch Dance Moms, too.  And I thoroughly enjoyed having a front row seat for all the excitement.

Wonder if they are as tired as I am?

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Posted in Celebrities, Children, dancing, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Shopping, Television, TV

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Day Six, Vicenza: all that glitters

Posted on September 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

We have encountered a lot of history and beauty during our week in Italy, and our day in Vicenza was no exception.  But today I chose to focus on the beauty.

No museums for me.

The weather was just so nice — blue skies and warm temperatures after a few days of clouds, drizzle and chill.

So I hit the streets of this lovely, upscale village and shopped.

It’s the place to do it.

The only thing that hampered my trip was the shop merchants’ habit of closing down for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  I found myself most interested in items that were behind locked doors, but with no signs to indicate when the owner would return…I left with the money still in my pocket.

For instance, I really wanted to look at these leather wallets and tablet covers…but the shop owner was nowhere to be found.

I’ll show him.  I know how to buy things on the Internet.

Still, it is a lovely village filled with nice people.

And as I walked the flagged boulevard toward the train station, I left with warm memories…

…and tired, aching feet.

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Posted in Humor, Life, Photography, Shopping, Travel, Vacation, Walking

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Ruiners

Posted on August 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

eBay hates Harry Potter.

Or, at the very least, has it in for the Weasley twins.                                                                                                                                                                                                        In their 2012 Fall Sellers Update, the Internet auction site banned “wizardly enchantments, magic spells and potions.”

Divination Professor Sybill Trelawne would also be out-of-luck, because psychic readings have been nixed as well.

What are they thinking?

Hogwarts would be a shade of its former self without Snape sneering in potions class.  And with no deadly spells or enchantments to cast, Harry’s ultimate showdown with Voldemort would be no more.  The whole legend up in smoke.

It’s just a book series, you say?  Well, of course it is….

Now that eBay’s banned all the fun stuff.

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Posted in Books, Business, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Movies, Shopping

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Selling the games

Posted on August 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

We’ve all probably watched the Olympics at some point and imagined ourselves, standing at the medal ceremony, singing the national anthem with a gold medal around our neck.

It’s a nice dream.

But how about a trash bin that was actually used in the athletes village bathroom?  Did you dare dream you’d own one of those?

Be still your heart — you can.

In fact you and 2,505 folks willing to pony up the 2.5 British pounds can turn your toilet into an official Olympic shrine by shopping remainsofthegames.co.uk.

And you won’t just score trash bins, no sirree!  We’re talking traffic barriers and clocks, fire extinguishers and TV stands — all kinds of items the Olympic athletes used during the games.

Want a mattress slept on by an Olympic swimmer?  Now’s your chance!

How ’bout a mirror that was looked upon by a gymnast, track star or beach volleyball player?  Get your credit card ready.

Now…isn’t that better than a medal?

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Posted in Business, Humor, Internet, Life, Olympics, Shopping, Sports

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Branded

Posted on June 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

You can tell some folk’s politics by the signs in their yard.  But the logo on their coffee cup?

Wake up.  It’s true.

A report by Buyology, Inc., a New York City firm that measures the unconscious
decision making that drives brand preference, links consumers’ politics to the brands they buy.

For example, Democrats are more likely to buy Starbucks coffee.  Republicans prefer Dunkin Donuts’ brew.

No beans about it.

Partisanship also rears its ugly head in folks’ choice of car, insurance, sport and gaming system.  Democrats prefer Jeep, Progressive, NFL and Wii; Republicans go for BMW, Allstate, Major League Baseball and XBOX.

But both parties agree on Coke, Google, VISA, Apple and Olay.

Wha?  The Democrats and Republicans agree on five whole things? This is either a sign of a huge turnaround…

Or the end of the world.

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Posted in Advertising, Commentary, Humor, Life, Politics, Shopping

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The view from above

Posted on June 16, 2012 | 2 Comments

File this one under TMI-Interesting.

Crouching down is good for your health…well, in certain situations.

This baseball catcher’s low stance may not improve his health in the long run. You could argue it might eventually hurt his knees or back.

And this throwing arm? Don’t get me started.

But people can realize health benefits from assuming a squatted position…

In the bathroom.

I know, I know — but hang with me.  This is pretty fascinating stuff.

A 2003 study found that people who did not sit down on the toilet to do their business — but instead crouched above –  were able to do the aforementioned  business faster, more thoroughly and at less risk of hurting themselves due to excessive strain.  Turns out the squatted stance gives you the best angle for — well, business — compared to being seated or standing up.

Ya gotta admit — that’s pretty amazing…and might come in handy some day.   Of course, we ladies have been practicing this stance for years in public restrooms…

Time to bring it home!

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Posted in Commentary, Health, Humor, Life, Shopping

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Smelly cat

Posted on March 11, 2012 | 5 Comments

As society and technologies advance, some practices become archaic.

So why are people still bathing in cologne and perfume?

Most people in the United States — emphasis on most — bathe on a regular basis.  Lots of folks I know shower twice a day due to workouts and runs, god love ‘em.

So as a rule — and again, I’m generalizing here — men and women in the US are pretty darn clean.

So why the need to surround yourself in a cloud of cloying cologne?  When you walk down the sidewalk, it’s practically visible.  Passersby choke on it.  Folks who hug you are left unwilling wearers of it.

And let’s not even discuss your elevator assassinations.

Perfumes were initially reserved for burial rituals, then became popular as a way to cover the stench of the great unwashed.  We are no longer — as a rule — the great unwashed.  A little goes a really long way.

Think before you spray.

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Posted in Beauty, Commentary, Fashion, Friends, Home, Life, Shopping

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Dunk and cover

Posted on March 7, 2012 | 1 Comment

The Oreo turned 100 yesterday.  I cheered.  Bet you did, too.

But last night I learned that the eerily similar Hydrox sandwich cookie is 104 years old.

Now I have a bad taste in my mouth.

The Oreo — which, let’s face it, has the better name between the two — came second.  Was actually inspired by Hydrox.

But somehow Hydrox has always been perceived as the knockoff through the years.  So much so that the cookie was removed from the market in 2003.  Yet in 2008, in response to an online petition, Kelloggs put Hydrox back on the market, albeit temporarily, under the original Sunshine label.

Now?  All I can find is some crushed Hydrox on Nuts.com.

How fitting.

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Posted in Children, Cooking, Family, Food, Foods, History, Home, Humor, Life, News, Shopping

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