It’s kind of nice that thrift stores are becoming trendy again. The bad economy has made more people re-think their spending and most second-hand stores are seeing a huge surge in business. Unfortunately, at the same time all of those people who are re-thinking their spending are holding onto their old items a little longer and the thrift stores are also seeing a downturn in donations.
Still, I love browsing at my local Hospice thrift stores. In our area, they tend to get the coolest stuff and they always keep their prices down. My favorite Hospice gets full sets of high end China all of the time. I have been looking for about two years for a set to come in that I like and is also complete. Last week I got my hands on a full set of Noritake Edgewood in pretty much unused conditions – 8 full place settings as well as fruit bowls and an array of serving pieces. I got it all for about $150. It was a steal.
That same Hospice store also tends to get overstock and old merchandise from at least one Hallmark store and a drugstore. My daughter saw a huge display of incontinence products this week at the Hospice and loudly announced to everyone around us that she no longer needs diapers, she has dry nights now. She looked so proud of herself that I did not bother to explain that those particular “diapers” were not for children.
I’m not sure how old kids are when they stop getting excited about new clothing that is not exactly new. My daughter is still thrilled when I come home with a pair of Calvin Klein jeans that I got for a buck or a sweater that cost all of 59 cents. They are new to her and that is all that seems to matter right now. I will count my blessings, because the say that those second-hand clothes stop being exciting for her is the day my budget will need a huge overhaul.
Posted in Shopping April 2nd, 2009 by Angie | No comments
Even though people in Florida can use their yards all year, I think most of us still fall under the charm of spring and summer. I know I have been thinking a lot more about how to make the yard look inviting than I did over the winter. This past winter I was more focused on pulling up the dead crabgrass so the real grass would have room to grow back in this spring.
Last month we brought home an array of solar lighting fixtures for the yard. We put some motion-sensor solar lights in the house out back and bought some very cute strings of star-shaped lights to put in the ficus trees out front. We even got some lanterns that throw off star and moon patterns when they come on. And yes, they are all solar. We found a specialty store down in St. Pete that was having a big pre-season outdoor lighting sale. I wish I had grabbed more of the light strings, because once the prices went back up they became slightly cost prohibitive. 
One of the warehouse discount stores down the road has all the usual suspects right now, like hanging lanterns and garden lights that you stick into the ground with pegs. They are all solar and the prices are great, but they just don’t have that unique vibe like the little star lights we sprinkled throughout the trees. There is just something about the slightly blue cast of a solar light that blends into the peacefulness of night while still illuminating the world around us.
Posted in Home & Garden April 2nd, 2009 by Angie | No comments
I have to admit I am getting weary of weekly weigh-ins. I lost a good deal of weight this winter, and I have been at a stand-still now for a month or so. I am just tired of the complete mental focus it takes to always be planning meals, counting calories, and making sure you have eaten every few hours. I work a job where it is very difficult stop and eat on the clock. It’s not like I can just whip out a small meal in the middle of a class. And, between classes I am nearly always interacting with students.
SO, I have considered giving the supplements and diet pills a break until this summer. Or, maybe just another month. I need to mentally and emotionally allow myself a break so I can start back over and approach weight loss as a “new” adventure again. I’ve proven I know how to eat to maintain now. It’s just a matter of putting myself back in the mindset of actual weight reduction. It’s work, yes, and I I need to approach it wholeheartedly.
I do stop and wonder sometimes if I am not just being lazy. Yes, it is easier to grab a sandwich at home with my daughter than it is to plan out several trips a week to the produce market and to keep gulping down high protein foods like lean meat and low-fat cheese. I like those foods, but a little variety is nice as well. I am looking food boredom right in the face and I am pretty sure I am losing the staring contest. 
Posted in Health & Beauty April 2nd, 2009 by Angie | No comments
When I really, really like a TV series, it generally gets cancelled. Last season it was Journeyman. This season, Life on Mars. Tonight they aired the series finale.
And tonight, my DVR filled up and it did not record Life on Mars. I have not been keeping up with old episodes of some shows and I just plain ran out of space. But the irony! This is the only show that did not record tonight. Lost ended one minute early and I can live with that. Life on Mars, though, I was really looking forward to watching this final episode.
I know I can go to the ABC website and watch it, but I am not sure when they will put up this last episode. It is not on there now.
I have small pleasures in my life, as it stands. Little things. This was one of them.
And, by the way, why can’t TV watchers be a more savvy bunch? Journeyman and Life on Mars were both *smart* shows. And still, crap like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol run season after season.
Posted in Entertainment April 1st, 2009 by Angie | No comments