By the time you reach the exciting age of 45 (mid-life if you make it to 90, see, I CAN do math!) you have found products that you use all of the time. And you have figured out what is worth spending extra money on, and what isn't.
For no particular reason (other than I wanted to post about this before my sister did), here are things that are worth spending money, and those that just aren't:
WORTH IT:
Aveda shampoo and conditioner
Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies
Starbucks coffee beans
artisan bread
King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
Duracell batteries
Canon photo paper
Oreck vacuums
bamboo sheets
Neutrogena face soap
Oil of Olay moisturizers
double sided, magnetic, stacking measuring spoons from Crate & Barrel
collapsible colanders
battery operated pepper mill (see, there it is again...)
Joe's Sticky Stuff Adhesive from Restoration Hardware
peeled garlic cloves from Trader Joes
Layer Cake wine
Penzey's spices and herbs
Jelly Bellys
Ghiradelli chocolate chips
fresh flowers in the dreary days of March
GO AHEAD, BUY THE TARGET BRAND:
Garbage bags
zip top storage bags
instant oatmeal
all purpose flour/sugar
fabric softener sheets
Mike and Charlie's shampoo (they don't care as much as I do...)
toilet paper
paper towels
window cleaner
mouthwash
granola bars
basic pasta
frozen orange juice
coffee creamer
skim milk
shredded cheese
There. Hopefully I have helped you on your next shopping trip. See, the money you save on the basic stuff can go for the splurging on the other things. Or at least that is how I justify it....
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
a world of books
Last night Charlie was diligently finishing up his homework about the International Space Station. "Mom, what 15 nations are part of it?" Ummmmmm, why don't you just google that.
If I had a question like that in fourth grade, back in the day, I would have had to wait until the next day when I could go to the library and look it up. In the card catalog first, to find if the school had a book about it, or in the school's encyclopedia. I REALLY wanted my own encyclopedias. The leather like covers, and that pretty gold printing on the spines, and if you got the deluxe edition, gold edges on the pages. So they shimmered when you pulled them off your book shelf.
An encyclopedia salesman came to our door one day. My parents let him in. We let people in our houses more often back then. And there was someone home during the day to answer the door. It must have been summer, because I was home too. The nice, balding man in the plaid sportcoat asked if he could give me a little test. Well, what do you know, our family was QUALIFIED to buy our own set of World Books! I was so excited, I am sure I just wriggled in my chair. I might even have drooled a little, when he pulled one of the books out, and opened a page for us to look at. We couldn't touch it, of course. Because it was a VERY SPECIAL, VERY EXPENSIVE book. Oh, I wanted them. So badly. I could see myself traveling all over the world with those books. And knowing way more than any of the other kids in my class.
He started discussing payment plans, and I saw my parents eye's shift away. It was the look. I knew I wasn't getting those books. I sat there disappointed, knowing that if Mike and Carol Brady were my parents, they would surely buy them for me and my brothers and sisters. But as my mother patiently explained to my cries of woe, there was no reason to have our own books, when all we had to do was go to the library.
Now when you need to learn something, you just need an internet connection. And within a very short time, you will have the answer. You don't need to know the Dewey Decimal System, or how to read an index.
And when I see the boxes of dusty World Books at yard sales, or on the shelves at the thrift store, I think maybe I should just buy them. To keep. Now that I can.
If I had a question like that in fourth grade, back in the day, I would have had to wait until the next day when I could go to the library and look it up. In the card catalog first, to find if the school had a book about it, or in the school's encyclopedia. I REALLY wanted my own encyclopedias. The leather like covers, and that pretty gold printing on the spines, and if you got the deluxe edition, gold edges on the pages. So they shimmered when you pulled them off your book shelf.
An encyclopedia salesman came to our door one day. My parents let him in. We let people in our houses more often back then. And there was someone home during the day to answer the door. It must have been summer, because I was home too. The nice, balding man in the plaid sportcoat asked if he could give me a little test. Well, what do you know, our family was QUALIFIED to buy our own set of World Books! I was so excited, I am sure I just wriggled in my chair. I might even have drooled a little, when he pulled one of the books out, and opened a page for us to look at. We couldn't touch it, of course. Because it was a VERY SPECIAL, VERY EXPENSIVE book. Oh, I wanted them. So badly. I could see myself traveling all over the world with those books. And knowing way more than any of the other kids in my class.
He started discussing payment plans, and I saw my parents eye's shift away. It was the look. I knew I wasn't getting those books. I sat there disappointed, knowing that if Mike and Carol Brady were my parents, they would surely buy them for me and my brothers and sisters. But as my mother patiently explained to my cries of woe, there was no reason to have our own books, when all we had to do was go to the library.
Now when you need to learn something, you just need an internet connection. And within a very short time, you will have the answer. You don't need to know the Dewey Decimal System, or how to read an index.
And when I see the boxes of dusty World Books at yard sales, or on the shelves at the thrift store, I think maybe I should just buy them. To keep. Now that I can.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time Flies, Part III
As I have mentioned previously, music plays a big part of my life. I used to sing to Charlie, before he was even born. Luckily, my body muffled just how bad my voice is, perhaps all he heard was a distant humming. I only sing in the car, or when I am home alone. Because I can't sing, but I like to pretend I can carry a tune. When Charlie was old enough to talk, and I would start singing in the car, he would put his hands over his ears, and say "mommy! stowp sinnnggggiinnnnng !! Okay, I can take a hint.
When Charlie was small, we always had music on in the car. Never had any Raffi, or any other traditional kids music. Nope, Charlie listened to whatever Mike or I were listening to. Springsteen, James Taylor, Earl Klugh (great for putting Charlie to sleep in the car) Bonnie Raitt.... When he was four, he started going to preschool two mornings a week at the JCC. It was good for him to hang out with other kids, and not spend all of his days with his mother. One day when I went to pick him up, his teacher was just giggling. I asked how his morning was, and she said that it was music day. Wendy had come in with her guitar, and all of the kids were in a circle around her. She asked each child what kind of music they like, what their favorite song was. She got predictable answers-Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. When it was Charlie's turn, he gleefully pronounced "Stevie Ray Vaughn!!" All of the grownups burst out laughing. Because apparently there aren't a lot of four year olds who listen to him. And I was quite proud that I was giving my child such an excellent musical background.
Fast forward to 2008. Charlie saved up his money and bought himself an Ipod shuffle, he loves to listen to it when he takes a homework break, or just needs to tune out his mom telling him to clean his room. He has received some Itunes cards for gifts, and loves to go on-line and find songs to buy. But I am started to grow a bit worried about his choices. He recently added "Ice Ice Baby" from Vanilla Ice, and "Can't Touch This" - what was that guys name? With the Zubas? Oh good heavens. And he has several Queen songs, and Billy Idol. Seriously.
I do my best not to wrinkle my nose in distaste when he picks a song or artist that I would never listen to. Because he is ten. And it is time for him to start making his own choices. And be his own kid. But when he starts searching for Milli Vanilli, I will have to draw the line....
When Charlie was small, we always had music on in the car. Never had any Raffi, or any other traditional kids music. Nope, Charlie listened to whatever Mike or I were listening to. Springsteen, James Taylor, Earl Klugh (great for putting Charlie to sleep in the car) Bonnie Raitt.... When he was four, he started going to preschool two mornings a week at the JCC. It was good for him to hang out with other kids, and not spend all of his days with his mother. One day when I went to pick him up, his teacher was just giggling. I asked how his morning was, and she said that it was music day. Wendy had come in with her guitar, and all of the kids were in a circle around her. She asked each child what kind of music they like, what their favorite song was. She got predictable answers-Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. When it was Charlie's turn, he gleefully pronounced "Stevie Ray Vaughn!!" All of the grownups burst out laughing. Because apparently there aren't a lot of four year olds who listen to him. And I was quite proud that I was giving my child such an excellent musical background.
Fast forward to 2008. Charlie saved up his money and bought himself an Ipod shuffle, he loves to listen to it when he takes a homework break, or just needs to tune out his mom telling him to clean his room. He has received some Itunes cards for gifts, and loves to go on-line and find songs to buy. But I am started to grow a bit worried about his choices. He recently added "Ice Ice Baby" from Vanilla Ice, and "Can't Touch This" - what was that guys name? With the Zubas? Oh good heavens. And he has several Queen songs, and Billy Idol. Seriously.
I do my best not to wrinkle my nose in distaste when he picks a song or artist that I would never listen to. Because he is ten. And it is time for him to start making his own choices. And be his own kid. But when he starts searching for Milli Vanilli, I will have to draw the line....
Monday, March 3, 2008
lights out
A typical winter Sunday night at the Pohl house-Mike was on his computer, I was organizing things upstairs, Charlie was playing with his DS. Suddenly, everything went black, and I heard a loud BANG! outside. No power!
In the summer, when a storm threatens, I get out the flashlights, and the kerosene lamps, and the matches and candles, and the radio. Just in case. We have never needed it.
You don't really expect it to happen in the middle of the winter. Luckily, I am a candle freak, so we had plenty of those. And enough fluid to burn two lamps. Mike and Charlie found their head lamps, but our emergency flash light was dead, owing to the fact that whoever used it last left it ON. And I don't normally have five fresh D size batteries lying around. As it was, I had to take the batteries out of my pepper mill to power up my book light, which chose last night to run out of juice. (yes, I have a battery operated pepper mill. I am a kitchen princess. More on my obsession with handy kitchen items in another post...)
Charlie wasn't quite sure what to do. We aren't big campers, so he hasn't had a lot of experience getting by without electricity. Mike and I were excited-the perfect excuse to sit and read! Charlie didn't think it sounded like fun. After sitting on the couch for a few minutes, staring at us, he realized there weren't a lot of other options.
What a setting. Soft candlelight, no noise except the ticking of our battery operated clocks. We were all snuggled on the couch with blankets, each of us with our own little light source, reading away. Luckily, we have a gas stove, so we were able to whip up thick mugs of cocoa and tea.
I was reminded of the "Little House" series, Laura, Mary, and Carrie bundled into their tiny beds, Ma sitting by the fire mending something (don't know how the heck she did that by lamplight, I guess they didn't know any different!) Pa enjoying his pipe.
Every few minutes, Charlie would heave a big sigh, and ask when the power would come back on. We told him it could be 10 minutes, or a day. No way to know. It did come back on, an hour and 30 minutes after it went out, and I was a little disappointed. I think maybe I will declare a lights out night, every so often, just to remind us to take a deep breath and listen to the clocks tick. I am sure Charlie will be thrilled.
In the summer, when a storm threatens, I get out the flashlights, and the kerosene lamps, and the matches and candles, and the radio. Just in case. We have never needed it.
You don't really expect it to happen in the middle of the winter. Luckily, I am a candle freak, so we had plenty of those. And enough fluid to burn two lamps. Mike and Charlie found their head lamps, but our emergency flash light was dead, owing to the fact that whoever used it last left it ON. And I don't normally have five fresh D size batteries lying around. As it was, I had to take the batteries out of my pepper mill to power up my book light, which chose last night to run out of juice. (yes, I have a battery operated pepper mill. I am a kitchen princess. More on my obsession with handy kitchen items in another post...)
Charlie wasn't quite sure what to do. We aren't big campers, so he hasn't had a lot of experience getting by without electricity. Mike and I were excited-the perfect excuse to sit and read! Charlie didn't think it sounded like fun. After sitting on the couch for a few minutes, staring at us, he realized there weren't a lot of other options.
What a setting. Soft candlelight, no noise except the ticking of our battery operated clocks. We were all snuggled on the couch with blankets, each of us with our own little light source, reading away. Luckily, we have a gas stove, so we were able to whip up thick mugs of cocoa and tea.
I was reminded of the "Little House" series, Laura, Mary, and Carrie bundled into their tiny beds, Ma sitting by the fire mending something (don't know how the heck she did that by lamplight, I guess they didn't know any different!) Pa enjoying his pipe.
Every few minutes, Charlie would heave a big sigh, and ask when the power would come back on. We told him it could be 10 minutes, or a day. No way to know. It did come back on, an hour and 30 minutes after it went out, and I was a little disappointed. I think maybe I will declare a lights out night, every so often, just to remind us to take a deep breath and listen to the clocks tick. I am sure Charlie will be thrilled.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
it's a musical life
I could not live without music. It is really essential to my life. The one thing I would absolutely have to have if stranded on a deserted island is my Ipod. And the charger. Oh wait, guess I would need some electricity. Okay, let's just hope I never get stranded on an island, because if the only music I had would be me, singing, I would be in trouble.
Watched the Academy Awards last week, heard a lovely song from the movie "Once". Just beautiful. And then the pair who wrote and performed it won the Oscar for best song. And they were so delightful when accepting the award. I am going to attempt to link to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6me2FnLM4oE
(Hope that works, I am still learning all of the technical aspects of blog world.)
The movie was beautiful, and yesterday I went out and bought the soundtrack. It was filmed with two hand held cameras, and $100,000, over three weeks. So exciting when you see such passion being shared with the world. And people who you have never heard of getting some attention. Not for being in rehab, or chased by papparazzi, but for just writing and performing a touching song.
Enjoy your weekend! It is finally March. Good-bye dreary days of February, we will start to get our first glimmers of spring!
Watched the Academy Awards last week, heard a lovely song from the movie "Once". Just beautiful. And then the pair who wrote and performed it won the Oscar for best song. And they were so delightful when accepting the award. I am going to attempt to link to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6me2FnLM4oE
(Hope that works, I am still learning all of the technical aspects of blog world.)
The movie was beautiful, and yesterday I went out and bought the soundtrack. It was filmed with two hand held cameras, and $100,000, over three weeks. So exciting when you see such passion being shared with the world. And people who you have never heard of getting some attention. Not for being in rehab, or chased by papparazzi, but for just writing and performing a touching song.
Enjoy your weekend! It is finally March. Good-bye dreary days of February, we will start to get our first glimmers of spring!
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