Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Baggallini Bags

Does your shoulder hurt from your shoulder bag? I walk a great deal and have finally made some good decisions: I started to carry less and less in my bag and then bought a smaller bag, one which I carry across my body. What a relief. This has definitely helped me cut back on trips to the chiropractor.

I discovered a line of bags called Baggallini. They come in basic colors and then some more interesting ones. Some come with loops in the back so that you could slip them onto your belt. Aside from the ones which are worn across your body, they do have handbags, totes, you name it. The smaller ones make you realize how much excess you needlessly have carried in your other bags. A thought: the less you carry, the less phone calls you have to make to credit card companies if you lose your wallet.

Have fun taking your walks!

Where to buy: I have to admit, I found these on onlineshoes.com, my go to site for my Merrell shoes. Again, remember that this site often offers discount codes when you spend a certain amount. If you decide to buy a pair of shoes and a baggallini bag, you could be eligible for the coupon. Sign up for emails from the site.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Are Your Pets Happy With Their Food?

Most Dogs Love to Eat: This is very true when it comes to my dogs. They even eat dry cat food! We were feeding them one brand of dog food for many years, but the food got caught in the contamination fiasco so we had to change. Because of allergies, we went to a much better product but it was only sold in some specialty dog supply stores. No online ordering for me because I needed to pick it up to avoid shipping charges. I have two yellow labs and buy 30lb bags.

While searching online, I found a site that had stores not too far from where I live. They will do a price match if you see it somewhere else for less. Of course they will call this "other" store to confirm the price.

This price gets logged into their computer and each time I come in to buy more dog food, they ring up the lower, matched price. One caveat: they will give you a free bag for each 10 you purchase, but discounted bags are not covered. Also, they keep this lower price active for a specific amount of time.

If you don't live anywhere near this particular franchise, why not do some price checking and see if your store will do the same. It never hurts to ask.

By the way, the food I buy is called Artemis. I use this brand for both my dogs and cat.

Where to buy: choicepetsupply.com stores are in CT. They offer coupons every so often which you have to print out from their site and bring into the store. A little work, yes, but the discount is decent enough to make you turn on your printer.

Buy Dig

Do you search the internet for the best price for a TV? I do this all the time. It seems that the price changes each week. Sometimes it is higher, sometimes so low, I will want to buy it. Instead I wait. Wait because you know that at some point it will be even less, especially as soon as some newer model comes out. If you don't need a magnifying glass to see the difference between TV model #1 or #2, you can buy the model which is now reduced. I have ordered large size TV's online and there was never a problem. Once, on a lark, I went into Sears. They claim that they match prices, but as it turns out, the only price match they do is with stores which are nearby. Forget matching internet pricing as far as Sears is concerned.

Where to buy: www. buydig.com target="new", and www.beachcamera.com target="new". I believe that they are the same site so I go back and forth to see which posts the better price. Not everything on these two sites are the same. They usually offer free shipping. There is also Costco.com but note that they do not usually sell the newest nor the top of the line model, which may not matter in the long run. Some TV's on Costco.com come with shipping included and that is certainly a plus. Or you can go to the Costco store which may have different models and prices. And you have to be a member or someone's guest to buy anything.


Friday, September 25, 2009

Weighing Luggage

Does your trip have a weight limit? Not you of course. I was referring to your luggage. If so, buy a scale, one with a hook or strap to hang luggage from and you can easily see what it weighs.

On our last trip we had to take a small, chartered plane for one of the legs with a weight limit of 33lbs per each of 2 suitcases. I was so worried about this, because you know how you can stuff a suitcase, that I purchased a hand luggage scale. Now I was set.

When we arrived at the airport, our luggage had to be weighed for the airline's purposes - to see if we are over their weight limit. All of a sudden, my luggage weighed 51 pounds. Now, unless I had someone else's suitcase, I have no idea how that happened. My guess is that the scales at the airlines may be wrong. Maybe it is a case of not being checked often enough or...do they do it on purpose? I have no idea, but this is reason enough to purchase these small scales for a do it yourself check. I weighed my luggage numerous times just to be certain I was reading it correctly. I know I was right and the airline was wrong. (I was not over the airline's weight limit, so I didn't bother to complain that day.)

Have a great trip!


Where to buy: I purchased a luggage scale from LLBean.com. It was easy to use so I was able to pack properly. The exact one I purchased is not on the site but they have one called "Balanzza Luggage Scale Ergo" at $25. You can also find others which cost less, at Magellans.com, for example, which has one similar to what I have for $9.95, item # KT689.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I Love Shoes, Comfortable Ones, That Is

If there is a shoe sale, I will be there: I cannot help it. I have always loved shoes and to this day, have some I have never worn. At least I can say that they were all on sale. I may bore you now, but for the past six years, I have been dealing with a very arthritic foot and it has forced me to give up all the great shoes I have in my closet. Now my favorite shoe brand is Merrell. I have many of them, but I do wear them everyday. Some are really cute and the compliments I get are from people surprised that they are Merrells. I guess they picture them to be lacking in style.

Where to buy: all my Merrells come from Onlineshoes.com. They have free shipping, offer different discounts which you find out about if you sign up for emails. Free exchanges are also a plus.

When I need a dressy shoe, I have to wear a shoe
where the sole has a wedge versus a heel. Some very stylish ones happen to be from Bruno Magli.

Where to buy: I buy those from Lord and Taylor, when they have a sale, of course. They always have a decent selection. I shop at the store because online choices are not as good. If you don't have a Lord and Taylor near you, let me know.

Stay comfortable and be happy in your shoes.

How do you clean up those coffee grinds?

Coffee Grinds sometimes do fall on the floor: And what you would need is a great vacuum. I am not recommending one, but I will mention an online site where I have purchased 2 Miele vacuums as well as vacuum bags.

Where to buy: It is witbeckvacuums.com. And you can try witbeckappliances.com for, what else, applianaces. Matt Witbeck is the one I have spoken to many times and he is not only knowledgeable but a really nice person. He will do what he can to make a sale as pleasant as possible.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

My Jura Capresso Coffee and Espresso Center

What can I say? I love coffee: Because I drink it all day and because I need to be able to make a cup of decaf as well as caffeinated coffee, one at a time, I needed to buy a coffee system, not just a coffee maker. Being that I love to buy whole beans, I didn't want a Pod-type system.

Years ago I bought a Jura Capresso E8 Coffee and Espresso Center. To tell the truth, it was a tough decision because of the price, as is any coffee center of this type. This machine was wonderful and I have used it so much, I could have owned a coffee shop.

Recently a situation arose and I needed to buy another one. I researched all the new models of the Jura Capresso brand as well as others which had come on the market. Finally I decided on the new Jura Capresso ENA3 model. Again, I am putting it to use morning and night.

This model is a bit smaller than the E8, which is what I wanted, as well as quieter and also has a higher temperature as default so the coffee is a little hotter when it comes out. Great improvement especially for the price point. Jura Capresso makes many other models which are more expensive, which have addressed the temperature settings, but I wanted to stay at a certain price.

This company's customer service is really buttoned up. Not only can they advise you over the phone with any question you may have on the machine, but if something goes wrong and your unit is still under warranty, they will send you a label to ship the unit back (at no cost to you,) and in a few days you will have your unit returned. If the warranty is over, you pay for repairs but it is still cost effective.

Where to buy: One of my favorite sites is JLHufford.com. You can call and speak to someone for advice and every now and then you will find a discount offered on certain brands. They offer free shipping, price matches and bonus gifts on purchases of coffee centers. For example you could choose a free filter cartridge or a pound of coffee and more. They don't just sell most major brands of Coffee Systems, but tea products and many other items. Check it out.