I’m linking to the main Amazon page for last-minute items if you’ve really screwed the pooch. This stuff is guaranteed same day delivery ’cause otherwise you’re gonna be paying all through 2025 🙂 This is their Same-Day Store, ’cause they must get a lot of orders.
My Goodwill desire has drained slowly over the past few years – don’t think I’ve been in a store in a year ’cause I just don’t feel the love! The good books and clothes are all being sold online and even excluding hole-y ones, I’ve got plenty of clothes. Today Pita and I took a drive over because she wanted more pajama-style pants and FirstBorn yelled down he wanted more wrapping paper.
While I’m still in the system as a Perks Plus loyalty member, someone changed my birth month to January, meaning I didn’t get the 15% discount. All other discounts, like Senior and Military discounts are scheduled to be discontinued, but apparently the change has already gone through because the cashier told me he was unable to use any of them. And even after checking my ID to prove my birthday, nothing could be changed. The wrapping paper was full price even though it was half off holiday apparel and accessories – I don’t know what more you need for a holiday than Christmas stars and guys in Santa hats, but that’s their business.
So I used up my gift card, paid for the rest and No, No, No to Goodwill, but if their mission is “Preparing people for life” then disappointment is a great starting place.
In case you’re not sure how you rank on the societal scale of class, here’s a site (IDRlabs.com) that offers a ton of fun tests to take. They don’t ask for any personal information; all ask questions and you move a slider bar that most accurately describes your feelings, etc. I took the food test and found my tastes are all pretty much middle class (okay, I like potatoes and fish sticks and pass of caviar); I am also a very easy person to get along with (don’t you dare disagree or you’ll go on the list!). Take the Sociopath Test and let us know the results 🙂
I had German measles, chicken pox and mumps growing up. I remember being kept in a darkened room for mumps, because the light hurt my eyes; I don’t remember much more, except it hurt to swallow, so maybe a mild case and I was young. Chicken pox as a preteen – oh, god, the itching and being told not to scratch when that would have been better than Christmas morning – I would have easily traded my brother for relief. Wait, would that be a bad thing? And chicken pox leaves scars, some deep, some shallow. So you can bet your ass my kids were vaccinated. A story on six childhood nightmares in the New York Times that you can read for free as part of my subscription. And no, I don’t agree with every vaccine currently being pushed, but these have withstood the test of time.
Mini Makeover: Brondell Bidet + Faucets & More! for $9.99 – $449.99. How about this combination air purifier/humidifier that has True HEPA filters for both functions? The air is soooo dry everywhere I go, no wonder I want to stay home! Lots of ways to improve your living with these Woot deals. (omg, I just checked and big brother has this unit for $250 more).
Hot Deal on Groupon! Snag a Sam’s Club Membership for just $25! Limited Time Offer. Lots of people have both Costco and Sam’s Club cards since each might carry favorite brands and for this kind of price? At a minimum, different samples 🙂
This Costco deal on Groupon continues! Get all your grocery shopping done in a flash and enjoy lots of samples. Groupon deal costs the same as buying directly from Costco, but you get the $45 gift card. The $130 Executive membership is also available and that one snags not only the gift card, but you also earn 2% back on purchases, a nice benefit (This is the card we have and sigh, use heavily). Your $65 yearly Gold Star Membership Package includes:
Here’s another NYT article which you can read in full for free – I seem to be on a roll here!
During filming for “Meet Me in St. Louis” in 1943, Garland did not want to sing what she saw as an overly melancholic song.
An early version, written by Hugh Martin (Ralph Blane shared writing credits), had harsher lyrics than the ones we know today: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas; it may be your last,” went the draft. “Next year, we may all be living in the past.”
“I cannot sing that,” Garland told Martin, according to John Fricke, a Judy Garland biographer and friend of Martin. “The audiences will think I’m a monster singing that lyric to that little girl,” Garland said.
Martin stewed about this and then vowed to completely rewrite the song. But Tom Drake, who played Garland’s neighbor and paramour in the film, sought to preserve the melody, taking Martin out for coffee and pushing him not to scrap it.
Frank Sinatra still thought they were too dark and insisted on more changes in his 1957 recording. Martin obliged: “Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight” became “From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.” Another line, “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” became “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”
The device appeared on the front porch for my birthday: seven inches of sturdy pink plastic shaped like a deep-bowled spoon. “Happy Peeing!” my friend — who, like me, is an avid hiker — had written on a note tied with a ribbon.The gift was a personal urination tool that allows people with vaginas to stand when they urinate. “Gross!” my teenage daughter groaned.
Here’s another NYT article, also free for all to read without a subscription. After reading, I realized it might just be a deal-maker for long road trips having combo trees/disgusting gas station restrooms or times out on a campsite – who among us has not squatted out of view? – so here’s a link to Amazon
There’s an article in today’s New York Times about crunchy folks, those people who were called weirdos for vegetarianism, making their own cleaning products, etc. Most would have tilted left, politically. Now, they’re non-political social influencers. Isn’t everyone a social influencer by now?
I’m here to tell you that making butter, laundry soap, raising bees and chickens doesn’t make you crunchy. I still make my own detergent and butter because it’s way cheaper and incredibly easy and fast. I do miss the smell of Tide, but lavender is a very pleasant substitute. I also use only white vinegar in the rinse dispenser so my clothes are wrinkle-free (no, there is no smell after drying either in the dyer or on an outside line – yes, I do that, too). And boy, are my towels super-absorbent!
Here’s a link to the NYT article, free for all without a subscription as I subscribe and am allowed a number of stories to share. Also btw, I keep lots of my grains, etc. in glass jars to keep them fresher.