Footprints on the Moon

Yeah, you read that right. I’m talking about MBT shoes, have you heard of them? I’ve run across them before, but I just found them again, and I’m intrigued. It’s considered the anti-shoe, and is supposed to be good for the whole body. The shoes are supposed to distribute the weight to your entire foot, and create a “natural instability.” I’m really curious to know if they actually work for people, and frankly, I’d love to see how they look in person. So if the MBT people are reading this, feel free to send me a pair of shoes, I’d love to try them out!

In the realm of the ever rising grocery prices, I’ve found that one thing that works really well for me is stocking up on the non-grocery items. When you have to buy all of your skincare products, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and paper towels all in the same week that you need to restock the basics in your fridge and pantry, it adds up to one hefty total at the checkout. Even for someone living by themselves! So instead, I like to stock up.. hopefully the big sale on the toilet paper I like falls on the same week I have some wiggle room in my grocery budget. If not, I buy one or two packages on every trip until I have a good stock going. Then I don’t feel the pinch quite as badly on every single grocery shopping trip. I know I’m not the only one who does this… my friend Tina has a 6 month old baby girl, and when we went to lunch a couple weeks ago she said she probably has enough disposable diapers to last her until the kid is out of diapers entirely.

This paycheck is a tighter grocery budget week, so I won’t be able to stock up this time around, but I know it’s coming out of the next paycheck. I’ve got plenty of paper towels (been using hand towels more lately), but I’m running low on just about everything else. Do you stock up on the essentials, or do you just buy as things are needed?

A couple weeks ago I decided I wanted to buy a black skirt. Little did I know, that was going to turn out to be a nearly impossible task. My first several trips out resulted in finding absolutely ZERO skirts. Friday night, I finally found a couple of skirts, but they just didn’t work. Saturday I was out and about shopping with Sarah, and still couldn’t find anything like I was looking for. I think I looked in about 15 different stores, and still left empty handed. Everything I found hit a couple inches below the knee, which if you’ve ever been a chubby chick, you know this is not a flattering length. I’m really looking for a plan black skirt that is knee length… not a few inches longer than that! Apparently, I should have spent the day yesterday shopping for unique baby gifts because I saw plenty of those… I did find a completely adorable skirt at Layne Bryant, but it was too long, just like all the rest of them. Apparently, if you’re fat, you’re not allowed to show more than the three inches above your ankles. I still would like to find a black skirt, but for now, I’m out of ideas.

Now, the story I’m about to share with you is one that I first heard some time ago, but when I first heard of the situation, I didn’t fully realize the implications of it. Now that Colleen has shared all the dirty details of the situation, the way I look at “new” clothes has forever been changed.
It has to do with an Old Navy, a pair of “new” pants, and a girl in Florida that needs to buy some panty liners. Do you see where this is going yet? Well, if you’re not so quick on the uptake, head on over to Colleen’s blog and read all about her Old Navy pants saga. Make sure you click over the ebay auction to see the accompanying pictures. When you’re done brushing your teeth to get the taste of vomit out of your mouth, I have a feeling you’ll think twice when you want to wear your new clothes that you just brought home and took the tags off of!

I’m excited to get off of work today… this is not anything new, I think I’m always ready to go home. This is true for a couple of reasons today though… one is that mom’s got Killian tonight and she’s invited me over for dinner. As soon as I go home and change (and maybe catch up on some email), I get to head over there and play with that baby and that ALWAYS makes me happy.
The second reason has to do with my title. Last week was one of my two “extra” paychecks of the year, and I used it to pay a couple bills, and then to buy things that I’ve wanted and needed to buy but haven’t necessarily been able to afford on one of my normal bi-weekly checks between bills and rent, and the expense of living. I ordered a new cell phone, a gorillapod for my camera, an x-shot, Tivo… I did my shopping online, and according to many of the tracking methods, several of my items should be sitting in front of my door waiting for me when I get home! Well, the UPS shipped stuff won’t be there until I get home from mom’s. Everything should be here by the end of the week. Sometimes it’s nice to shop in stores and be able to bring your stuff home right away. Other times, it’s just plain fun to be able to come home and find packages on my door step. It’s no secret that I like to get mail… I especially like to get mail that ISN’T a bill! Shopping online is the best of both worlds– retail therapy, and mail that isn’t bills!

… more than just covering up hickeys. Did you know that some people actually wear them too? I’m not one of them, as I really just don’t like things being up on my neck like that. I have to wear a buttoned to the top collared shirt with a “tie” for work and it took a couple weeks for me to stop tugging on it, feeling kind of panicky. Not even a mock turtleneck works for me. (And wouldn’t you know, just writing about it, the collar on my shirt just feels tighter, and tighter…)

I was asked if I might like to review a turtleneck, so I had to see if I knew someone who might like to wear one. And you know, not feel like they are choking? I called my mom and asked her if Harold wore turtlenecks, and her response was, “Unfortunately, yes.” LOL Think maybe the turtleneck has gotten a bad reputation?? Anyways, I had a taker, and as you can see from the picture below, he likes it!

When I first handed the shirt over, his response was “Ooh that’s nice!” When I returned last night to get a picture of him in the shirt, he went back to change into it. I heard him call out “This smells really good!” Now, I’m not sure that the folks at Clothing4All had anything to do with how the shirt smelled, but there you go. Maybe I’ll have to order something for MYSELF this time, and find out for sure.

That’s the question of the hour… well, in 3 1/2 more hours anyways. I brought my lunch all last week, and had planned on doing so this week as well, but I didn’t bring one today. Of course, when I got down to the cafeteria, they didn’t have this week’s menus out yet, just last week’s. Whatever was cooking didn’t smell too good though… I just hope they have something halfway decent to eat because the greasy grill side that I usually opt for when the meal options are not so good is just not an option. Maybe they’ll have some chili… it’s good chili weather.
I need to get to the grocery store so that I can bring my lunch, but there are two problems with this. One is that I do not get paid until Friday, and that does not help me buy groceries on Monday. The second is that the stores are insane! Unless the furniture stores (about the only stores not swarmed with millions of crazy people) have mysteriously started selling groceries, I’m not sure I want to touch that with a ten foot pole. I guess I’ll either brave the crazies or figure something else out, won’t I?

Did I ever come back and tell you that I was officially done with my Christmas shopping? I know I told you that I was still waiting on my dad to give me ideas. First all he could tell me was he wanted a new cell phone. Ha! I can’t even afford to replace my old, dying phone! Hey, while I’m at it, how about I buy him a new truck bed liner, and a big screen TV! But he finally did give me a few ideas of things he’d like, all well within my budget, so I ran out and secured a couple of them. I still have to wrap a couple of presents, but mostly I’m ready for Christmas now!
I had planned on doing some baking, but I don’t know how much I’m going to do. I’ll probably make some peanut blossom cookies, and the pie I promised to take for Christmas with immediate family on my mom’s side. (This would be the same pie that was supposed to go on Halloween but I failed at. Miserably. Wish me better luck this time!)

I’m spending money like it’s going out of style! I haven’t spent all that much when you consider that over the last two days I’ve purchased 85% of my Christmas presents, a new TV for me, Christmas decorations, birthday presents, and many other things. It’s just kind of shocking to the system because I’m used to spreading out my shopping a little bit more than this! I’m starting to feel like I need drug rehab for my shopping addiction, or at least someone to come take all my credit/debit cards away from me.
Today Erica and I spent the day running all over town. We went to Hacienda this morning, and then to Walmart, and Steve and Barry’s, and back to her house because Aiden was tired and having a meltdown. We stayed there for a couple hours and then it was out for dinner, to another Walmart and Meijer. But I’m definitely done shopping for awhile. I have only Aiden, Ryan, and Dad to get presents for yet, so that will probably come out of my next paycheck.
Right now I really want to set up my Christmas tree and decorate, but I need to get to bed. I’m kind of getting a second wind and that’s not a good thing. It’s not a problem today, but if I stay up late, I’ll sleep late. And then I won’t be able to go to bed at “bed time” tomorrow night! If you don’t get up early mornings for work, take it from me– that’s not a good way to start the work week!

I generally have a very strict rule in regards to Black Friday– “Don’t leave the house.” Last year was not a problem, I got off work at 7am, came home and went to bed. The year before that was a similar story, but I was working at a retail store, and seeing the crowds on my way out the door at 6am (and the amount of returns ALREADY) was insane!!
This year, however, I broke my own rule. I went Black Friday shopping, and I went alone. There were a few deals in the Meijer ad that I just couldn’t pass up. By virtue of being a 24 hour store, they also got my vote as I could do my waiting inside where it was warm rather than outside in the snow. The downfall was that for the “hot ticket” items, you had to wait in line and get a ticket. Two things that I wanted had separate lines… so I had to make a decision. One line I was pretty much guaranteed to get what I was after, and the other line was questionable. I went for the sure thing. It also helped that a couple of the other things on my list were “in the line” that I was going to be standing in.
So I got up at 3:30, was at Meijer by 4. The sale officially started at 5am. I checked out, went to McDonalds for breakfast and was still home by about 20 after five. I had briefly considered going from Meijer to Target but decided that I’d rather come back home and go back to bed. I still haven’t gone back to bed, but I’m glad I didn’t go to Target– the local news was there, and they were broadcasting live as they opened the doors there. Yeah, there were at least 1200 people running through the doors. No thank you!! I’m doing more shopping on the internet this morning, and I’m still hoping to take a nap at some point this morning.
Did you go Black Friday shopping this morning? Tell me about your good deals!

Oh, and here’s what I got this morning– Merry Christmas to me!