SUNDAY SMILE

I have been doing a bit of online shopping this past week in preparation for Christmas.  These are some of the products I have passed on for various reasons.

1. My butt doesn't need a lawyer but when it does...

 2. I don't think I could ever be thirsty enough.

 3. I don't eat with this orifice.

 4. I find washing my clothes with barf doesn't get them as clean as I would like and I really don't care for the scent.

 5. I am not eating sugar right now but apparently the Aussies love this stuff.

6.  I hear these are very addictive.

 7.I think this goes with the crack sticks.

 8. I'm not even going to comment on this one.

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!