Archive for the ‘Shop Till Your Drop!’ Category

There was a time when wearing gloves meant something. After the Norman Conquest royalty and dignitaries could be seen wearing gloves. From there glove wearing took on a meaning of its own. I never thought much about gloves until a few years back. I have spent my life basically just buying gloves made in mass marketing for department store chains. Never did they fit me correctly. I just got used it and considered it a fact of life. I have small hands. They really fit in a child’s glove but the styles of child’s gloves just are not for me. Then I had the opportunity of having my gloves fitted to me.

This was a remarkable experience. While walking in the Galeries St. Hubert in Brussels my husband noted a small store that had gloves in it. I thought we would just go in and find some on display and pick out a pair. I was wrong. This beautiful shopping mall dates back to 1847, the time of King Leopold I. Some of the old traditions are still being practiced, like fitting gloves.

When I tried it on I was absolutely gobsmacked. The glove fit my hand perfectly but it also was the proper length for each and every digit on my hand. Never have I had a glove fit so nicely. She then place the right hand glove on the glove fitting form, stretched it and had me put it on. The saying, “fits like a glove” appropriately describes this purchase. Glove making is a old art and I am thrilled I had this opportunity of an old cultural experience in this little shop in Brussels.

I didn’t spend a great deal on these gloves but I got service like I had spent a million. And to this day they are my favorite pair of gloves.

I love my leather gloves and take very good care of them. I was given instructions in the care of leather gloves. I felt so…so International. Well, the only thing to do was start wearing my French beret that my son picked up in Paris for me with my gloves to complete the experience. 

I really had not thought much about that glove fitting until I had gone through several pairs and kept buying gloves that were ill fitting. I just gave it up and wear my leather gloves.

“A glove is the emblem of the faith” -Sir Walter Scott

Those amazing shopping carts. Every store we shop at has one for our use. And along with the use of the carts is the daily parking lot that is strewn with carts that are not put back in the proper receptacle. I mean it isn’t like the store does not provide these places in the parking lot. For some reason we think if we just push them up in front the car before we put the car in reverse and head out that we have experienced guilt free shopping. We have some places who actually hire someone to go out and round up all the carts that are rogues in the parking lot.

So I have come up with a great idea! Why now paint a strip of the parking right down the middle of the lane between the vehicles for the carts on every row. Shoot, we already fail to put them in the designated place the store provides, so why not? Oops I bet I would be putting someone out of a job.

I thought about this when I read a post by someone who was ragging about not being able to find a shopping cart because they were all in the lot or being herded into the store in a long caterpillar type row by a hired employer.

I was reminded of my time living in Belgium. That was before the Euro. Shopping carts could not be released from their chained row to use without inserting a 20 Belgian franc piece. Once you put the coin in the insert the chain could drop free for your one cart retaining your franc and viola, then there would be your cart. Now off to do shopping. And since 20 Belgian francs at the time were the equivalent of about $.70 American currency carts everyone always put the cart back. Once locked into place the 20 franc piece dropped into your hand to be used later. So rarely did you ever see a rogue cart that was not returned and chained back in.

I never saw carts willy nilly in the parking lot like I do now. And it never occurred to the Belgians to actually hire someone to go round up those carts. The practical thing was to put the onus on the shopper. And it worked! It was a cheap and efficient way to keep the carts from littering up the parking AND it saved money on hiring an employee to do that job.

I have often mused about that since I have been home in the United States. I have wondered why we haven’t figure that out. I hung on to my 20 franc piece, I used it in one cart, which I parked properly then I took it back and moved to another store and used the same 20 franc piece for another cart. It was easy and a practical way to shop.

Now I keep my 20 franc piece with all my other memorabilia of living in Europe. It is reminder of a simpler shopping experience.

1. Begin by bringing about an inch of water to just below boil.  You want the water to be steaming but not a rolling boil that will be too hot for your face.  Once you get it the correct temperature so that it is hot and steamy but not boiling, make a tent with a towel over your head and over the pan and steam your face for 5 minutes. Be careful to not get the towel on the hot burner and create a fire!  Sometimes I add a couple drops of some scented oil, like jasmine, grapefruit or eucalyptus. I use something that smells good or is useful for a reason, like the eucalyptus helps clear the sinuses along with the steam from the water.
2. After the five minutes turn off the water, then splash your face with cold water.  Then I use a peel off mask like Freeman’s cucumber that you find at most stores. However, any mask product that strikes your fancy will do.  You can even make one with a couple beaten eggs! I leave that on for about 30 minutes, making a thick coating on my face and neck (don’t forget your neck—that’s why women get turkey neck, they do not remember to take care of that skin, too.)
3. After 30 minutes peel off the facial mask and then wash with an apricot scrub or you can use sea salt, followed with an astringent.  I use witch hazel for my astringent.  You can use rubbing alcohol, which I feel is too harsh for me, or some store product of your liking. Then I splash my face again and then wash with Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream (you can use any cleansing product you usually use to wash your face) and then finished with Pond’s Dry Skin Cream (again use whatever product you usually use to soften your facial skin.)
4. Manicure:  If you have nail polish on, first remove it with nail polish and wash  your hands so the polish remover is no longer on your nails.
5. Soak your finger tips in a warm, not hot bowl of water with a ½ teaspoon each of glycerin and vitamin E oil for five minutes.  Then lightly dry your hands and dab some cuticle cream or oil on your cuticles and very softly push them back.  You could even use olive oil for your cuticles.
6. I then use Mary Kay Satin Hands kit.  The first is the hand scrub. If you do not have the Satin Hands kit or chose not to buy it (can be on the pricey end) you can use the apricot scrub or mix sea salt with olive oil and use that. The apricot scrub might be a little harsh on your delicate hand skin.  Follow with lightly scrubbing your hands then rinse.  Use the Extra Emollient Night Cream, or you can use Vaseline, then put on a pair of cotton gloves for about 15-20 minutes.  After that put on the hand cream or lotion of your choice, and let that soak in for about 10 minutes before polishing your nails again.

If you haven’t see Ann Taintor‘s products, you are missing out.  This creative lady combines vintage photos of unrealistically happy women with snarky sayings that represent what “real women” think.  She sells everything from air fresheners to file folders.  Make the statement–  You’re not just a pretty face!

Since the economy is in the toilet, even people who are not usually bargain shoppers are looking for good deals. Readers Digest states “the best day to shop is on Thursday, especially late in the day, because they’ll start marking down for the weekend.” (Reader’s Digest, October 2008)

A couple of places I like to save online are:  Overstock and Smart Bargains.  You can also do some great price comparison shopping at Shopzilla and Nextag.

What about in your local store?  As my family can attest to I am the Frugal Queen Maxima! I have been known to embarrass family members by haggling (a neglected art, in my opinion). Well if someone will give me 15% off an item that is missing a button, a screw, or a seam that I can replace–why not?!

What about you? What do you to save during economic hard times?