Category Archives: Shopping

The Real Simple Life

4/14/2006

I actually bought a magazine this week. Newstand price even, which I can’t stand, but I’m completely addicted to the dream of having my life as organized as my purchase—magazine Real Simple. A special issue written with young families in mind, nearly every page, ad, article and feature held my interest while I stood captive in the grocery checkout lane (the only reason National Enquirer actually sells). Seriously, did they consult my wife about everything I’d like to change or improve at home? We’ve already implemented about 3 of the ideas from the magazine. One idea was having pre-made snack trays stocked with veggies, crackers, cheese and dip ready to go in the fridge. Really simple, but really great idea that even the kids love too. The magazine also talks about some great meals to make with your kids, bedtimes, some sweet collapsible laundry bins that Daria is trying to review and score for us at Boutique Cafe that come pre-labeled and look great.

The magazine also featured some sweet ottomans. Buouko (spelling?) bucks though. It so happened that yesterday I was stopping by the Real Canadian Superstore to pick up some apple boxes when I noticed they were having a “furniture blowout” (the huge neon sign outside also helped). My pre-conditioned state, their completely Real Simple-esque styled branding, and a desperate need not to have furniture featuring urine, chocolate, peanutbutter, with only the undercovering remaining, left me vulnerable. Not to mention 50% off.

Your now looking at the proud owner of two large square brown leather ottomans—highly climbable and featuring wipeable non-absorbent surfaces. I think you can even put your feet on them too.

If you haven’t read this issue of Real Simple I highly recommend checking it out.

Also posted in Readings – Comments Off

I love being productive

2/27/2005

I had a super weekend with Daria while we made some serious headway on ordering and decorating our home. Yesterday, we hit up Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Michael’s, Home Outfitters, JYSK, a health food store, Burger King and Superstore. The credit card was hot!

Here’s a list of what we bought in the order we bought it:

  1. 3 small wooden boxes and 1 medium sized green candle
  2. 1 pack of wheatgrass seeds
  3. 3 really vibrantly coloured straw baskets
  4. a bunge of fake (or to make it sound better artificial) flowers and greenery: bright gerbera daisies and two types of grasses, and 6 neat star-shaped foam strands to hold wallet sized pictures
  5. 1 laser level and 1 hex key set
  6. double bacon cheeseburger, gravy & fries, orange/rootbeer pop, and whatever burger Daria ate
  7. 1 pack of Extra gum, hair gel & wax
  8. 6 2X2’s of 8 foot length, 1 fluorescent light tube, 1 bag of potting soil, 2 cans of tinted Ralph Lauren paint, 1 pack of paint rollers, 2 paint tray liners, 1 light dimmer unit, 1 protested paint lid opener
  9. 6 black 18X18 picture frames, 2 placemats, 1 big orange pillow

Basically the exact of opposite of my sister’s philosphy. But oh was it fun. Daria and I then repaired and cleaned a keyboard, built a 6′X4′X26″ shelf, placed six laser leveled frames in our bedroom, installed the light dimmer switch, replaced the kitchen sink’s fluorescent light, chewed some gum, dipped the fries, waxed my hair, hung the foam strands, arranged the flowers, scarfed the burgers, filled the wooden boxes, placed the baskets and sucked every last drop of pop. We’ve used everything so far but the painting supplies, green candle, gel, wheatgrass and soil.

All the while I got to spend a ton of time with Daria working together, planning, dreaming, shopping, building, talking and even some kissing squeezed in. It reminds me of when Daria would sometimes come help me at work while we were dating—these are the days!

Also posted in Daria – 3 Comments

Feeling Down

2/19/2005

You always hear how great duvets are. In the past I think I’ve even slept under a few as a guest. We bought a duvet this past week at IKEA and let me tell you it is heavenly. We already have a great mattress set, but the duvet takes sleeping comfort to the next level. My wife came up to me today raving with giddy excitement over last nights slumber (I had nothing to do with it besides fitting the bill for the duvet).

I zoomed on over to IKEA’s website to grab an image of our quilt and found this odd selling point:

Good to Know
Down and feathers used by IKEA are never taken from living birds.

I had really never given the poor geese much thought but it made me wonder would I rather be sleeping on feathers pulled from a living creature or a dead one? IKEA seems to be pushing the animal rights side of things but consider this the geese had to be killed just to make me a quilt? I think I’d rather have a quilt made of feathers from geese who lived to tell the tale of their plucking. Either way I’ll still be sleeping fabulously tonight.

Down Quilt

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I found it at a Flea Market

1/29/2005

It’s been a busy day. First I helped someone move and then cleaned up the house a bit. Then we went to a Flea Market my wife pitched to me as a Garage Sale. Let me say that on this particular day I wasn’t overly thrilled at the idea. We need another dresser for Noah though, so I went in hopes of a deal-and the opportunity to be out of the house with Daria.

We walked in and within 2 minutes I had already thought to myself, there isn’t a single thing in here that I want or need. There was some interesting stuff for sure, but most of it looked like the stuff that nobody ever buys at a garage sale. I’m talking knick knacks galore and often tacky knick knacks at that. Table after table all I could see was other people’s junk. I thought to myself how do these people expect to make any money selling this stuff? Now I don’t mean to sound insulting but there’s a reason people were selling this stuff-they didn’t want it either!

I have my own knick knacks of course, most of them in my top dresser drawer. Old wallets, change, cuff links and stuff that hardly ever sees the light of day. I keep them mostly out of sentiment.

So I dutifully lugged around our baby and hunted through the tables looking for something–anything–to buy. Well what do you know I found something that I had been searching for for quite sometime. I even tried to buy it on eBay once. This item is pretty rare so I reluctantly went to the ripoff machine. What’s that you say? A ripoff machine is a atm/abm that you have to pay a “service charge” to withdraw cash from. This one was $2.00, which is over my limit. I’ll pay $1.00 if I’m desperate. So I hummed and hawed. I looked around for someone who might have a interac machine that I could buy something from and get some cashback but to no avail. Finally I gave in and “took it” like a man.

With my service charged cash in hand I went to buy my rare item. It fits in my pocket and I’m thrilled. The only thing is I can’t tell you what it is. I know you’ve read this far and you deserve to know but I can’t. You see the item is for one of my readers. Someday I will reveal all.

Have a good weekend and remember what is one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

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