Category: Shopping

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Shopping with mom

Yesterday I went with my mom to “pick up a few things” at her favorite super store. I actually thought she would stick to her short list this time and not buy items that weren’t on this list. Wrong. We went down every single aisle in the food section of the store. Granted, both of us got some great deals, but it took nearly an hour and a half to go shopping for “a few things” that my mom didn’t even really need.

I enjoy spending time with my mom, there is no doubt about that. When she asks me if I want to go to her favorite store though, I have to remember that the list grows and to know that we are going to be in that store for quite awhile!

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Early school clothes shopping

Maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit, but I’m going to take my youngest son shopping for some school clothes tomorrow. He likes this one novelty type store that all the kids get a lot of their shirts and jeans from, so instead of ordering online, at least I can take him to the shop/store and make sure clothes fit, instead of sort of guessing like one sometimes has to do when ordering from the internet.

I haven’t gone shopping with just my youngest son in a very long time. It’s going to be nice to spend some alone time with him, since we haven’t had that opportunity to do so lately. He’s always off with his brother or hanging out with his girlfriend. Playing video games with him doesn’t count.

I think we’ll make a day of it, go shopping and out to lunch at his favorite restaurant. If there is anything else he wants to do, or any other stores he’d like to go to, we’ll also do that. I’m looking forward to this. I’m not so sure my son is, but at 15 he is pretending well, for me.

 

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Shopping for residential address plaques

Since my daughter moved into a new home, I’ve been looking at residential address plaques that I think she may like since there isn’t one on her house. It’s hard to tell which house is hers and even her mail man has been messing up when delivering the mail. It’s been bothering her since she had to change her address and important mail has ended back at the post office for her to have to go into town and get. To me, this is basically the mail carrier’s fault, but people do look for a name and address when trying to find the right house.

Personalized address plaques are a nice gift. It has both the name and address on the plaque and it gives it sort of a homey touch, I think. I haven’t asked my daughter which kind she wants though, so I’m holding off on buying one. I don’t know if she and her husband want their last name on the plaque for privacy reasons. Which us understandable to me.

I personally like the bronze address plaques and think that one would look really nice on my daughter’s house. There are so many various plaques to choose from, I might just wait and let my daughter look at them and choose the one she wants. That way, since it’s her choice, I’ll know I got her exactly what she wants.

 

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Bedroom carpet

Today I picked out new carpet for my bedroom. I wanted the non plush kind, nearly like carpet tile, because it is much easier to sweep up dog hair. My dog sheds even in the winter and he has white and cream colored hair. It gets all over the place and I have to vacuum in the morning and then again before I go to sleep. Sometimes even in the afternoon. I hate dog hair, so I try and make sure it is always swept up.

The carpet I ended picking out, looks sort of like the large area rugs one sees in Victorian homes. It’s big enough to cover the whole floor and I love the antique rose pattern to it. It is going to give my room a vintage look that I was aiming for.

The carpet is due to arrive tomorrow and I must say I’m really excited to have it put down. The wheels are turning in my mind about shopping for new curtains and also bedding that will go along with the vintage theme I want to have.

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New bathroom vanity

Getting a new vanity in the bathroom had to be put on hold for awhile because we had developed problems with the pipes that came up from the under the floor and though I had kept telling my husband that I thought we had a leak, he had been too busy with work and other things he had on his plate, to even check it out. Something that of course upsets me to no end, as I don’t really know anything about pipes and plumbing. I didn’t even know how to begin to fix the leak or who to call that wouldn’t’ charge me a small fortune.

After talking to a good guy friend of mine, he came out and looked at it and thank goodness it was a fairly easy fix. I ended up using the barter system and promised him three loaves of homemade bread for him to fix my leaky pipe.

Shopping for the vanity was easy. There were only three that I had looked at and really loved, but only two that would fit the space. Since I couldn’t decide on which I wanted, I let my oldest son pick. I like his style and he knows mine, so we came home with a really nice looking and functional vanity. I’m happy with it and it does give me more storage space.

 

 

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Closet cleaning

Despite of the high temperatures we are having, I decided to clean my bedroom closet. I can not believe how many pair of shoes I have and also tops I have that I don’t wear. Unreal. I bagged up darn near everything and am going to take it to one of the homeless shelters in town. Someone may be able to use some of it.

While I was at it, I went to the store and got some really great extension type organizers and after I installed it, it gave my closet so much room and storage space that I was amazed. Needless to say, I’m on a closet cleaning roll, so to speak now.

While I was shopping, I picked up some nice mirrors to install on the closet doors also. And of course, I had to get new towels, since while going through the linen closet, I noticed that for some reason our towel supply is dwindling. I looked out by the pool, on the clothes line and in the washer and dryer. No towels. I got each of the kids their own beach towel (again) and this time, if they misplace theirs, too bad. They will go without. (mean mommie…)

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Late seed and plant shopping

Today, my mom, daughter and I went late seed shopping. It’s not really late, since our growing season last into fall, but it’s sometimes iffy to plant late like this. Still, mom knew of some stores that had seeds really cheap and if I don’t use them this year, I’ll use them next year. Unless seeds are a few years old, I don’t pay much attention to the expiration dates. I keep them in air tight and water resistant containers, so I’ve never had a problem with them growing.

Tomorrow we’re going to take my mom out for dinner for Father’s Day. She doesn’t want me to spend my money on this and wanted to cook us dinner. That is just the way she is. Today I bought her some great inside plants that she’ll get tomorrow. It was hard to get them into the cart and paid for, then into the trunk of the car without her seeing them, but I had my daughter distract her. Actually, mom has eyes behind her head and doesn’t miss a trick, so she no doubt saw them or had an idea that I got them for her. She’ll act surprised though.

My garden here is starting to look really nice and I’ve been working on my son and my bale garden. It’s fun and interesting to see how well the veggies are going to do planting this way, since we’ve never done it. I’m getting a lot of advice from my friend Lindsay though. It’s been a long day, I’m tried after walking all over today. I’m looking forward to scattering s0me seeds tomorrow though in a spot I dug up along the sidewalk.

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Shopping for summer

I’ve noticed this month is the best time it seems to shop for our summer clothes. I went to some various stores last week, and didn’t find many sales so instead I sort of held off in hopes of finding better prices on clothes and shoes/sandals that we could wear this summer.

While picking up some bath and shower items that my daughter and I were low on, I had to pass the woman’s clothing section. Wow! The store I was in had so many sales I nearly forgot the bath things. I got my daughter the basic skinny strap tanks she loves to wear for only about 4.00 a piece, compared to 11.00. I went a bit nuts on these, buying one of each color I could find. They will be put to good use though, as she wears these as “undershirts” in the winter also. I’m saving a lot of money so I’m glad I waited a week before buying these kind of items. I also got some great storage containers on sale to store the winter clothes after they are organized. I like this kind of shopping!

The shoe department at that store didn’t have much to choose from in way of sales, but I went to a popular shoe store at the mall and found great sales on sandals there. Some were buy one and get 50% off another pair, which was great, as most of the sandals were only about ten dollars. So all in all, I did pretty good this morning and it’s still early. I needed to come home to get my daughter so she could pick out her own short and underclothes!

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Market day and sky high prices

This morning I had to go grocery shopping and once again, the prices of food bummed me out. It’s getting harder and harder to feed my family and I know I’m going to have to once again tighten up the purse strings and go back to basics.

I can cook creatively, but now I’m going to dig out old recipes that my mom had used while raising us. She was a pro at cooking something great with the minimal of resources. I admire and respect her for this and a lot of other reasons.

Online there is a site that I go to, which tells what items, food and otherwise, is  found cheap during the month of June. It’s looking like meat prices are not in the cards, but berries and produce are. LOL.. there I go, I’ll fix my kids berry squash casseroles and see how that goes over. NOT!

 

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Chaining rain with rain chains

Never having heard of rain chains except for in something I had read while leafing through a garden magazine a while ago, I decided I’d research them and find out what they were and what they were used for. This was a few years ago, and now I love the ones I have and I indeed want to get more of them, and also more accessories that go with them.

A rain chain is a unique way of catching rain water and sort of recycling it. That is the best way I can describe them. There are really pretty designs and add a great deal of flair and also an old world sort of decoration in the gardens and on porches, decks and sitting areas. Anywhere actually, one would like to catch rain water.

These items chain rain and then the water goes down into a basin or even into a plant to save the water or to water a plant that needs it. I have quite a few now, and so many people have commented on them, that every now and then I will buy a nice rain chain and basin to give as a gift to someone who has come over and was genuinely interested in them. They do make great and also handy gifts. I love to shop for them.