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By Janet Evans
Sunday, Dec 9 2007, 06:55 PM
How’s that Christmas Shopping going?
Bryan, don't you wish it was this easy to do your
Christmas shopping? (I knew you would love this)!
If you've been fighting the crowds at the mall, it's probably something you're not wanting to think about right now.
Didn't I tell you to do your shopping on the internet???
The word-on-the-street is that the less-affluent are scaling back their Christmas shopping, while upscale retailers are doing just fine:
Nationally, many luxury goods retailers appear to be doing just fine as wealthy consumers feel little ill effects from gasoline above $3 a gallon. Take jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co., for instance. Its same-store sales have climbed higher, while Saks stores saw 10.6 percent same-store sales growth in October as women stocked up on pricey shoes, jewelry and accessories.
Meanwhile, retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.[...]have responded to the softer economy by offering deeper discounts, and Wal-Mart's profits have increased as a result.
Stores such as J.C. Penney and Kohl's Corp. — sandwiched somewhere in the middle between the discount chains and luxury boutiques — have reported declining profits, though.
The article goes on to cite a recent consumer study:
A survey by consumer research firm BIGresearch in Worthington, Ohio, found households making less than $50,000 a year plan to cut holiday spending by 18 percent this year to $424 on average. Those making more than $50,000 a year said they plan to spend as much as last Christmas.
Another study by American Research Group finds that the average family plans to spend $859 on Christmas gifts this year, down 5% from 2006. This study notes that Christmas spending has declined in six of the past seven years.
Maybe American families are starting to realize that there's more to Christmas than presents under the tree.
Are you cutting back this Christmas?
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By Janet Evans
Monday, Nov 26 2007, 04:55 PM
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I love reading.
The New York Times Sunday Book Review has come out with the
100 Notable Books of the Year ◄◄
The list includes prices and a short description of the story.
Thinking of giving any books for Christmas gifts this year?
Happy Reading!
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By Janet Evans
Sunday, Nov 25 2007, 07:05 AM
Enviro-Friendly Gift Wrappings ….
That’s right! It’s time for GREEN GIFTING!
Here are some examples of how you can wrap up those packages to make ANY
Franklin Environmental Commissioner smile broadly.
Please take this down in your minutes ….
Let’s start with eco-friendly wrapping paper.
We don’t want to use that nasty kind that’s filled with dye and chemicals. ICK!
Go to Paporganics.com and you can purchase vegetable-based ink-prints on hemp and recycled paper ($5 for two sheets).
Also, importica.com has vibrant, fabric-like sheets made from naturally shedding tree bark ($6 for two sheets).
And lastly, Classified newspaper sections also make great wrapping paper, the small type forms a pattern. Just make sure you wash your hands after handing
over the gift!
For a great decoration on top of your gift, how about a bundle of pinecones, holly berries, or poinsettias, tied with 100 percent biodegradeable, natural cotton ribbon from kidbean.com ($4.99 for ten yards). Just make sure you don’t leave your gifts under the tree if you have pets.
You might be smiling about the environment, but you will be crying all the way to the vet if your little kitty eats that poinsettia or holly berries!
Don’t forget the Gift Tag! Get one from bloomin.com made of biodegradable paper and featuring a dove, tree or star.
They are made with wildflower seeds so you can plant them ($7.95 per dozen). If you would rather just place your gift in a “bag,” there is a reusable type at luckycrow.com ($4.49 to $13.49).
They are cute fabric pouches that come with an attached ribbon tie.
And how about re-gifting? That's right, giving gifts YOU have already received back out to other well-deserving people. That one ought to go over real well!
“Unglued?” You bet!
It’s not cheap to be Enviro-friendly.
They must think money grows on trees . . . .
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By Janet Evans
Tuesday, Nov 20 2007, 12:42 PM
I love children's books.
One of my favorite things to do with my kids when they were young was read with them before they went to sleep every night. Some of the stories would be read so many times, that they would be memorized by me. I can still recite many Dr. Seuss stories right now!
Funny how when you are reading to a young child, and it is getting late, and they are falling asleep, the parent thinks, "I'll just skip this page." Immediately, the child's eyes pop open and they say " You forgot the words!" You can't pull the wool over the eyes of a young reader. That's for sure.
One of the favorite authors of my children and I was Roald Dahl, and one of my favorite all-time books of his is "The BFG", which stands for "The Big, Friendly Giant." Dahl has a way about him in his stories. A very dry sense of humor that is much like mine. He's also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
With Christmas coming, I thought I would recommend purchasing books for your children and spending time reading with them. There is nothing better than snuggling close to them and seeing their reaction to a humorous story from Roald Dahl. And I think you should buy good quality hard-covered books that will last and can be saved for their children.
Another Dahl book I recommend, besides "The BFG", is "The Twits." Actually I suggest ALL of his stories. They are absolutely great.
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For some reason, The Twits is just on my mind today....
So, read to your kids every night, and have fun.
Forget the video games.
That just makes me unglued ....
Save those for the weekend. If you begin reading with your kids from the start, they will love reading when they are older.
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By Janet Evans
Friday, Nov 16 2007, 11:55 AM
Rubber Band Shooter
Year's Most Dangerous Toys According to World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.)
Well, the LIST is out ...
The list of the year's 10 most dangerous toys according to W.A.T.C.H.
And after seeing the list and looking over some of the toys, including the one pictured above,
yeah, that one, I have to ask,
"What were the manufacturers of these toys THINKING?"
We've got the Rubber Band Shooter (above.) W.A.T.C.H. says that rubber bands should never be sold as toys. But Simple Toys LLC, the manufacturer, states on the box that the Rubber Band Shooter is for "Family Fun" and "Simple Fun." They also state that this toy is "for target practice only" and "Do not aim at people."
Well, I'm JUST a little bit "unglued" about this. Exactly what child, given a gun that shoots rubber bands, is NOT going to aim it at another child?
Oh, wait ... let me go find my "target."
"Mommy, where is my target?"
"Can you find my target?"
"No?"
"Guess I'll just aim this rubber band shooter at my STUPID LITTLE BROTHER THEN."
Duh!
Sticky Stones
Oh, boy. IT GETS WORSE ...
Sticky Stones, made by GeoCentral, is a “powerful magnetized iron ore ” that is sold as a toy for children. For what purpose, I'm not sure. But, if more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attach inside the body, potentially causing intestinal perforation, infection or blockage which can be fatal. There is an in-store warning to consumers: “Swallowed magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious infections and death....” The pre-packaged stones available to Internet shoppers provide no such warning.
I just saw something like this on one of the medical shows this week, or last week (who knows, I have TIVO, I think maybe it was House or Grey's Anatomy) and the magnets the child swallowed migrated through the intestine and were going to perforate the intestine wall. They were moving up and down the intestine attaching to each other. Maybe the writers for the show got the idea by toy shopping and seeing the warning on the box of STICKY STONES!!!
Well, these are my Top 2. There are 8 more for you to take a look at. It's really unbelievable what these manufacturers get away with. They should be required to take each toy home and try it out not on their own children, but on themselves for a month before they send it out to consumers.
10 Most DangerousToys List 2007
What do you think about crappy, dangerous toys?
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