Shopping ID
I do very little shopping, but there are times when it’s necessary. Unlike a lot of folks, I don’t find shopping to be entertaining. However, when I do shop I often use my debit card to pay for things. I don’t know if it has the rfid in it, but it might. I’ve never tried just passing it over the reader many businesses have these days.
If I knew for certain that it did, I’d really be wanting an identity stronghold rfid leather wallet to protect my identity from less scrupulous persons who might be able to “read” my information. One can’t be too safe when it comes to this part of life. We read every day of folks who have gone bankrupt, or nearly so, because they fell victim to an identity thief.
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Gifts in a jar
One of my favorite crafts to give, and to receive, is Gifts in a Jar. These simple little gifts are easy to make and always well-received.
You can use any kind of jars, really, though Mason jars are really pretty. However, I’ve used any jars that I’ve saved, such as spaghetti sauce jars, jelly jars, even peanut butter jars. Decorate the top with circles of pretty gingham or calico fabrics, or even Christmas fabric. Tie a ribbon, raffia, or hemp cord around the neck of the jar to hold the fabric snug, add a hand made tag you’ve cut from old Christmas cards or other tag stock.
Among the ideas at the site listed above are cookie mix, cake mix, soup mix, and bath salts. (Really…bath salts. Not the drug kind.)
Labels: Shopping
Autumn leaves lesson plan
It's officially Fall, or as some call it, Autumn. The leaves are changing colors on the trees, some leaves are falling, and the air has a definite chill to it, especially at night.
You may have youngsters who wonder how all this happens every year, and you may even want to develop a lesson plan centered around these events. Check out Autumn Leaves and Fall Foliage for a good resource for younger children.
This site teaches not only about leaves but gives your child some reading practice, vocabulary words, a word scramble, and some activities and experiments to do.
This lesson plan could take up to a week, depending on how you incorporate it into your curriculum. But mainly, it's engaging and timely.
Labels: Lesson plans, Shopping
Easy gifts
Do you have a budding young dancer in your family? Maybe you actually teach a dance class yourself. If so, then you might want to take a look at some wholesale dance gifts I found online.
These are so sweet. They have Christmas decorations (it's not too soon to be thinking about that), jewelry, coasters, magnets, tote bags...well, the list just goes on and on. You do have to order in bulk, but the prices are so reasonable that it wouldn't be any problem.
In fact, I can see a homeschool family ordering these and reselling them on an online auction site or local selling list, Maybe even to friends and relatives, or your church family. They also have gifts for kids interested in cheer or gymnastics, so don't think it's limited only to dance!
If any of my grandchildren was involved in these activities, I'd be jumping on this for Christmas and birthday gifts! I wonder if I can find anything music related there. Three of my grandchildren play several instrument apiece and would really love something that centers on their favorite activities.
Labels: Homeschool families, Shopping
Shopping
Along with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday and the many sales that begin almost at sunrise. I have to work this year on Black Friday which means I won't be able to actually visit any stores around here. However, there is always online shopping, should I choose to do so on that day.
This would be a good time to make use of coupon codes such as armani exchange coupons at dropdowndeals to get the best possible price for some really high quality goods. It's been my experience that the Black Friday deals are just things that are shipped in expressly for that day. After all, I haven't seen those items in the stores before! However, with online shopping and the use of coupon codes, I could actually get a better deal on better products and not have to stand out in the cold in long lines to achieve that.
Sounds like the way to go, to me!
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Birthday question
I have 5 children, none of whom were born in the same month. In fact, none were born in the same month as I was, either. That makes for a lot of birthdays over the course of a year. Add to that, my grandchildren were also born all across the calendar.
One of my kids was born in September and will be having a birthday this month. Does anyone know what the birthstone is for this month? This child is a grown man but he might like birthstone jewelry for those born in september. Or, he might prefer tools or a hunting item.
I always have trouble figuring out what anyone might want for a birthday or for Christmas.
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Appropriate wear
It seems like there is always a pregnant girl or two on the shift where I work. I'm past all that, at my age, but it's often difficult for us to find uniform maternity clothes for these girls. (I call them "girls"...they are young women.)
I am responsible for ordering uniforms when people need them, but maternity wear seems pretty elusive and takes weeks to come in, if it even does. When those uniforms don't arrive, the only option we have is to allow the young lady to go purchase her own black maternity pants and let us reimburse her for them. This is where it can get sticky. I've had some girls buy the most expensive pants they can find, which is not what we're aiming for. They still have to be cost-conscious and try to find pants that can be used at work but which are a reasonable price.
I was so glad to see one of our newer employees buy them actually from a clearance rack at a local department store where they have sales every weekend and they always have tons of clearance items. I told her thank you for saving us a little money and still following guidelines about what to wear.
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Class of 2012
The time for the new school year is just around the corner. If your kids are in traditional school, it's also the time for pre-ordering yearbooks and maybe even class rings.
Our kids graduated homeschool, but we still got them class rings. We let them determine what emblems they wanted on their rings, and what color the stones would be. Probably the most frequently asked question, though, was how to find my ring size. Fortunately, where we ordered the rings had a tool on hand for that.
If you're ordering from a local jeweler, they probably have the tool, too. Online ordering can be almost as easy if you follow the vendor's instructions.
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Coupon shopping
If you've done any shopping at all lately, then I'm sure you've noticed a marked increase in the cost of even the most common items. It's the time in which we live, I think. So, in order to hold the line on spending, you might want to think about using kmart coupons and other coupon sites.
I've seen a lot online about extreme couponing, and while you may not be able to achieve that level of success, it's a wise steward who uses coupons, both print and online, to save money. With the new school year right around the corner, saving money on clothes and shoes is something everyone is looking for. Those savings can be found at K-mart through their coupons for either in-store savings or online shopping. A deal is a deal, and folks like you and me should be alert to them!
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Father's Day soon
I realize Mother's Day hasn't arrived yet, but it seems to me that sometimes the fathers are dropped to the bottom of the list when it comes to gifts for their day. So, just what are the top fathers day gifts?
Up to now, they seem to be new socks, new ties, or a wallet. I'm thinking you can do better than that. Really put some thought into it. Think about what Dad likes to do, not what he has to do.
Unless he's a hobby gardener, I don't think lawn and garden tools are good enough. It might be more thoughtful to give him things he can use for his recreation time. Things like new fishing equipment or sports memorabilia. Maybe he loves woodworking. How about a turning lathe or a tool that creates beautiful scrollwork?
It's up to you, of course, because you know what that special man in your life would really want for Father's Day.
Labels: Shopping
Stocking stuffer
In our home, we have had at least one computer in place. As time went by, we wound up with more than one and now have a PC and 3 laptops. This can be pretty confusing if more than one computer is being operated by family members. There may be programs running where we need the sound on, but the noise gets to be too much.
That's where headphones come in pretty handy. Homeschoolers would probably find them to be very helpful when one child is learning how to pronounce foreign language words while another one is listening to musical scores or educational games.
These might be good stocking stuffers for the kids, you know!
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Online Shopping Makes Getting Back To School Clothing Easy
Guest post written by my buddy Franklin Davenport
I remember the days of trudging to the mall to purchase my back to school clothing. I had no idea how much everything would cost or exactly what the selection would be. Now, I just use my houghes netsatellite internet and back to school shopping is easy.
I can now save lots of money and get the brands I want by shopping online for my school clothing. I can often find specials at Abercrombie.com or Aeropostale.com and save money. I no longer have to spend gas money getting to the mall and can usually get free shipping or discounts when I order online. In addition, I no longer have to worry about the mall stores being out of the size of the article of clothing I want. I also now have access to stores that are not in my area, like Macy's or Hollister, to further improve my selection. The ability to quickly compare prices and products of dozens of stores is simple online while this would be next to impossible to at a mall. Going online for my back to school clothing is the only way for me to shop now.
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Shopping for school
Ok, the sales for school supplies are underway now. Have you visited them yet?
As long as you are purchasing school supplies to get your child started in the year, you might as well stock up on these things so you aren't paying full price for them in a few weeks. I've seen notebooks as low as .20 each. Loose leaf paper, pencils, and pens are similarly low-priced. Why not get a head start on the whole year or nearly the whole year by buying a lot at one time?
I've done this in the past and kept them in the top of a closet until needed. That way, they aren't scattered or wasted.
Yard sales are a good place to find school clothes for those fast-growing children. It's always been hard for me to spend money on full priced clothing that will be outgrown in a few weeks. Kids grow fast, but bargains can be had at yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops if you're careful to look the items over for stains and tears. The last thing you want is to repair an item before it's even worn by your child.
Shoes, socks, and undies, of course, I always bought new. They are inexpensive enough. Who wants someone else's used undies, anyway? Shoes tend to conform to the feet that have worn them which could cause problems for your child's foot if you buy used ones. Go new on these, but you don't have to spend a lot. Check out shoe store sales such as the buy one, get one for half price sales.
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Choosing books
While we still homeschooled, this was the time of year when I really shopped for next year's curricula. The spring is when a lot of us are searching around for bargains on regular textbooks and other books of interest, such as things about the rainforests of the Amazon books or books about animals or famous people.
Some of these books make even better curricula than regular textbooks because they can go into greater detail with the subject matter. A child tends to be more captivated by books that are written in and interesting and engaging way, instead of just cut-and-dried facts and figures.
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Sofa or sofa?
I am on a hunt. A particular hunt. I need a new sofa. My dog, Sassy, has "eaten" a great deal of the leather from one cushion and some from another one. Apparently, she thinks the couch leather is some kind of dog treat, the way she goes at it.
So now, I'm in a quandary. Do I look for another leather sofa or do I look at cloth upholstered contemporary sofas instead. I really like leather, and normally it lasts a lot longer than fabrics.
But not if your dog eats it.
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Christmas race is on
Are you ready for Christmas? I'm not. I've still got a lot of shopping to do, so I'll probably be shopping online. I can get some good deals and save some gas money this way. I figure the low shipping costs most places offer are worth the trade-off since gasoline prices are creeping up again.
The other big hurdle to cross at this time of the year is the weight gain most of us experience from the rich, holiday foods. I guess I'll be shopping for the best fat burners after New Year's Day, so I can whittle off some of these pounds I know I'll gain.
See, no matter how I try or what promises I make to myself, I still indulge too heavily in the treats of the season. Not all sweets, of course. But even the meals are heavier and more calorie laden this time of the year.
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Upcoming Christmas
The weather is cooling down, especially at night, now. As I look out across the woods that surround our house, I see leaves already turning red and gold, mixed in with the leaves that are still green for awhile longer.Do these colors remind you of anything?
They remind me that Christmas is only a little over three months away! Where has the year gone?
Anyway, it's time for me to start shopping for gifts for my loved ones. I don't go far beyond my closest relatives - Sis, Mom, kids, grandkids. I rarely get gifts for anyone outside the family, though I do sometimes make baked goods for special friends. It's not that I don't feel generous but in the current economy it's just not practical for me to be making a lot of extra purchases.
When my kids were younger, I'd often get one big gift for them to share, then smaller more personal gifts for each child. One year, we got the kids a PS3 that they enjoyed for a long time. Getting extra controllers and games helped to keep them occupied on days off when they couldn't go outside. It was also nice when they had friends over. We knew what they were doing and that they weren't someplace else, possibly being tempted into activities we wouldn't approve of.
So, have you begun your Christmas shopping list yet?
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Shopping sales
One of the local clothing stores is having a going-out-of-business sale. However, I can really understand why. I've tried shopping there a few times and never had much success finding anything I liked. So often, when I shop, I find things on the sale racks that appear to have been shipped in just for those racks. I don't recall seeing the items anywhere in the store previously. That, to me, is sort of like cheating.
I like to shop a
sale where the item really was part of the store's regular inventory, and they've marked it down to make room for more and newer inventory. That goes not only for clothing, but for other items I come across while shopping, such as tech gadgets, kitchen wares, and even books and movies.
I don't buy things just because they have a sale tag, either. If the items weren't already on my list of things I need/want, then they aren't going home with me.
Labels: Shopping
Technology tools
As with all new technology,
ipods are becoming more and more common among all age groups and the price is more reasonable than ever before. I think this is because people can add music to them that's completely a personal choice. Unlike just listening to the radio, you can listen to exactly the music you want to listen to, with no commercial interruptions. They have become widely popular and almost everyone has one.
Now, I'm wondering if there are other things that can be added to them. Things like recorded children's stories, novels, recorded language lessons, and other things that would make an ipod a valuable tool for homeschooling. Music is wonderful, of course, but I am the kind of person who wants the things I own to serve more than one function. Having educational recordings available would open up a whole new market base for these handy little items.
Labels: Shopping, Technology
Shopping for a toddler gift
Sunday is my youngest granddaughter's birthday and it will be celebrated with a cookout. However, I have to work so I'll miss it. I was really hoping to see everyone either today, for a July 4th cookout, or Sunday for the birthday "gala", but my job has me scheduled to be at work both days. I have to pay bills so I have to be at work. Besides, I'm the general manager now and it wouldn't be right to skip out!
I will be shopping for
baby gifts, though, since granddaughter is only turning 2. She loves Dora the Explorer stuff so I think I'll go that direction. Being an inveterate homeschooler, I'll be looking for something that's both fun and educational, of course. I always think that a child needs to be learning while playing, and so far it's worked out pretty well.
Play time isn't for mindless activity. For a young child, play time is really a learning time. They get to learn and practice skills they'll use later. It's why children will gravitate toward games of "let's pretend" and use old pots and pans to whip up imaginary meals. They have fun with dolls that teach them to button, zip, snap, and tie. Letter and number refrigerator magnets introduce them to reading and math at an early age. Dot-to-dot coloring books help them learn number order.
Labels: General learning, Homeschool families, Shopping
