SUNDAY SMILE

For my friends overseas let me just explain to you that Walmart is a popular department store with prices that tend to be lower than other big stores.  People of all sorts shop there and it can make for quite entertaining people watching.  I have seen many interesting people at the Walmart where I shop including a transvestite with more than a little facial hair, and some people wearing outlandish outfits.  This seems to be so much the trend that there is an actual internet site where people upload photos of rather fascinating characters found shopping at Walmart.  You can check it out at peopleofwalmart.com

*Be warned that some of the pictures and comments on the site are a bit off.*  I have shared with you a sampling of what you can find there.

I am hoping that he was completely without clean underwear and decided to wear his wife's knickers just for that day.  That's definitely one way to take the focus off your white socks with loafers.  I know too many men who will not get that last comment.

I've already signed a paper allowing my kids to put me into a nursing home if I ever leave the house wearing an outfit like this when it's not halloween. She needs to be at least 60 years younger and 30 pounds lighter to pull this look off.  The socks and sandals are a no go at any age. 

I think I need to put a book together showing which outfits are grounds for my children to have me put in a home.  This would be on the first page. My gorilla costume doesn't count kids so don't get excited.

I have a feeling these guys were the inspiration for the song Pants On the Ground.
I've seen this more often than any one person should and I always have to fight the urge to go up to the offender and say something.  I am just wondering when it became cool to waddle like a penguin.  Am I so old that I missed that memo?

In what world is this okay?  

This is why Ian is never allowed to have facial hair...ever!

I hope so honey, for your sake I hope so.

3 REASONS WHY I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AMERICA

When I lived in New Zealand a number of years ago I became familiar with the term 'only in America'. It was not a phrase I had heard much before and I quickly realized that it was not a complimentary term.  When the news would air some wild and whacky story that originated from the USA one of the commentators  would usually end with "only in America".  I used to come to the defense of the US and remind the Kiwis that they had some of their own colourful characters (as does Canada).  Well I am making it known that I have officially given up the battle.  USA you are own your own. There are some things I just can't defend. 

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN STYLE

I know a lot of my friends are big fans of Christmas and rightly so but I have to say it annoys me when halloween is not even over and Christmas ornaments are lining the shelves at department stores and Christmas ads are already playing on television.  Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Christmas too but the season starts so early in the stores that by the time Christmas rolls around I'm pretty much tired of it all.   I do recognize the need to prepare early especially if you will be doing online shopping so as to allow for shipping.  There's nothing worse than receiving a gift you had planned to give , two days after Christmas.  There are some definite perks to shopping on line:

• no trying to find a parking space in a crowded lot.
• no bundling up to brave the cold/snow/ice. (northern hemisphere)
• no standing in line at checkouts.  
• no getting dressed. Shop in your pajamas if you want.  (I have seen people shopping in their pajamas at Walmart so this might not be a perk for some of you.)
• no store hopping looking for the right colour/size.
• no store hopping to compare prices.
• you can have items shipped directly to gift recipient.  This is great if you have family overseas.
• you get to open packages that come in the mail! So fun!

There are some cons to shopping online too:

• shipping costs.  These can be a real bummer if you are purchasing heavy items or from a company outside of the country you reside in.
• waiting to receive your items.  If you are "I want it now" kind of person, you are out of luck.
• returning items.  This can be a real pain and costly.
• not seeing the item in person.  That dress looked really cute on line but in the light of day the colour is ghastly/fabric is not what you expected/ size is way off.

I do shop a fair bit online and for the most part it has been successful.  Quite a few of my friends are really nervous about it and refuse to even try.  Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way.

• Always pay for things through a secure server.  You can tell it is secure by looking at the url.  If it begins with http it is not secure.  If it begins https then your payment information will be encrypted and secure.  Please note that the shopping pages themselves may not be secure and that's fine, it is only when you are sending payment information that you want it secure. There is often a little lock icon too in the url.  If it is closed then it is secure, if it is unlocked it's not secure.  
• Open a paypal account.  Many sellers online accept paypal and it saves you a lot of time.  Paypal is a secure site that stores your credit card information and address. It is just a matter of entering your paypal password instead of all you credit card information and shipping address to purchase items. Paypal also will reimburse money for items purchased through ebay.com that have not arrived.  Paypal also sends you an email receipt so you have further proof of your purchase.
• ebay.com/.ca/.nz is a great place to buy just about anything new and used.  Pay particular attention to the item description (do not rely solely on photos) and the seller's information. Check the seller's feedback.  If it's not close to %100 don't bother buying from them. Be sure to check shipping costs and delivery times.
• Always keep a copy of the receipt.  All online stores email you a receipt.  I keep mine in a special folder and move them to another when the item arrives, that way I can keep track of things that are late and can send an enquiry if needed.

Some of my favourite sites to shop?

• ebay.ca  Like I said before, you can buy almost anything there, again just watch for shipping costs and read description carefully.
• etsy.com  This is a site for mostly handmade articles.  It can be pricey depending on the seller but the stuff is just adorable  and it can't be found in stores.
• amazon.ca  It's not just books, there are lots of items here and usually at decent prices.  
• bookdepository.co.uk  This site is fairly new to me but already I am loving it.  This company ships books worldwide for FREE!  There isn't a minimum amount to purchase to qualify.  Love it!  I received my books within a week of ordering.  I am impressed.

So pull out your laptop, put your feet up, relax, and go shopping in style!

PINTESTED

If you know me at all you know that I am all about Pinterest.  It's a great site to get ideas and save them so that you don't have to search the internet for that great quilt, craft, recipe, or printable you came across once weeks ago.  I'm pretty much addicted but that's a whole other story.

Often the captions under some pictures will say something to the effect that the original pinner tried it and it was the best/easiest/most delicious thing ever.   I have to admit that sometimes I am taken in by these claims and rush out to the store to buy ingredients only to be disappointed. Sometimes though the recipes are worthy of every bit of praise.

DO TRY:

Roasted Broccoli

Avocado Pasta

Chicken Taquitos

Lemon Tartlets

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookie

Avocado Milkshake

GIVE THESE A MISS!

(No links here, trust me, you won't want them)

Crockpot Sludge Oatmeal

Brownie made in a waffle iron.

That last one was a disaster and a half.  It took me ages to clean my waffle iron.  I was able to salvage some of the brownie and use it as crumble on top of ice cream which was actually rather nice and crunchy.  My advice, don't bother trying, it's not worth the effort it takes to clean up the mess.

5 LITTLE THINGS

1.  My most brilliant, hilariously funny blogposts are written in my head sometime after midnight while waiting to drift off to sleep.  I will actually laugh into my pillow so as to not wake my husband.  By the morning they are forgotten.

2. I am in love with my blender... seriously.  If you knew the delicious goodness of the smoothies that it produces, you would never leave my kitchen.  It can crush a tray of ice cubes  in 3 seconds.  Yep you read that right. 

3.  I own at the very least ten pairs of reading glasses.  On a good day, I can find two.  

4.  I am hearting the Ryan Gosling memes.  This one made me laugh out loud.  You may have to be Mormon to really appreciate the humour.  

5.  I have already purchased Christmas pajamas for all seven of my grandchildren.   If I can talk the men into wearing the pajamas I have planned for them, it's going to be the awesomest family Christmas photo ever... either that or we will show up on awkwardfamilyphotos.com.