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consumerisms, plus a general baby update
May. 23rd, 2008 10:20 pmI had an odd online shopping experience this week. I placed an order with a company at about eleven p.m. on Monday night. I chose the cheapest shipping option. At noon the next day, Tuesday, a DHL van swings into the driveway, running over the lid to our garbage can. That is not really part of the story but it kind of made me jump when I saw him do it. He runs up to the door and wordlessly hands me a package and then takes off. It is the item I had ordered fourteen hours earlier. I wonder, what exactly would they have done if I had chosen to upgrade my shipping? Would it have been transported through space and time to arrive before I had even placed the order? I don't know. That sort of thing might happen to you guys all the time, but I live nearly an hour away from a real city where things might presumably get routed, so we never get anything anywhere near that fast. The item was a free-after-rebate webcam, and I still haven't taken it out of the box. I, uh, didn't really need it that fast, guys, but good job!
I have also decided to become an Active Consumer, and have had some success on that front. I believe I mentioned that I emailed Minute Maid over a bad batch of orange juice. They did send me a replacement coupon. Infantino has them beat, though, because they did something fantastic. I have this shopping cart cover, purchased for Ducky by my dear friend KP (who sometimes reads this journal, so hi KP!) It has been lovely for the germaphobe in me, and also, it makes the seat more comfortable for her. A few weeks ago, I took E out to run errands. As I left Walmart, it began to pour down rain, so I threw her in the car seat and then hurried as much as possible to get all the stuff in the trunk. When I backed up, I heard this suspicious loud crunching noise. I got out of the car and found that in my haste to get out of the rain, I had dropped the belt that straps the baby into the cart, and I had crushed the plastic bits into a thousand worthless pieces. Crap! Sooo... I emailed the company, asked if there was a way to replace just the belt, and they said they'd just send me one. For free. Isn't that awesome? All I had to do was ask. It arrived today. PLUS there was the contest I won. That was awesomely cool, too.
I also went to Walgreen's today, and picked up a bag full of stuff that will be free (after rebate). I don't necessarily NEED this stuff (ear rinse, anyone?) but by golly, I'll have it if I do! I am planning on doing this monthly, along with Rite-Aid and possibly CVS. They give away stuff every month! It's awesome. A blog post that explains it pretty well. I also had a $5 off coupon for today only, plus you get an extra 10% if you choose your rebate to be a Walgreen's gift card, so I have made money today just by going shopping. With a handy-dandy $5 coupon that I printed online, I paid $17.66 for these items, and I should get back $23.83. Next month, that will pay for whatever they have for free then.
Evelyn is in a super-cute developmental stage right now. Today she started saying "bear", and it is SO CUTE. She's actually repeating things now, sometimes, though I am not counting those as words. We can ask her "Where's Mommy's baby?" and she'll point at herself. (Or Daddy's baby, whatever.) She will blow kisses, although only when she wants to and you really have to take her intent and not her actual actions because she frankly isn't very good at it. She was snugglier today than usual, which isn't really saying much but M and I sure appreciated it. We are both confused as to how we could have produced such an unsnuggly baby. She gave several hugs and kisses today, even to M! (She thinks it's hilarious to not love on her Daddy. Poor Daddy!) I had been planning on going out after her nap, but apparently great minds think alike because she woke up from her nap saying "byebye" and waving. I guess she was going stir-crazy too. Oh, and we've been playing Mommy Ticklefingers a lot lately. That involves Mommy wiggling fingers around her neck, and then enjoying the sweet baby cackles. I'm real good at that second part. ;)
I have also decided to become an Active Consumer, and have had some success on that front. I believe I mentioned that I emailed Minute Maid over a bad batch of orange juice. They did send me a replacement coupon. Infantino has them beat, though, because they did something fantastic. I have this shopping cart cover, purchased for Ducky by my dear friend KP (who sometimes reads this journal, so hi KP!) It has been lovely for the germaphobe in me, and also, it makes the seat more comfortable for her. A few weeks ago, I took E out to run errands. As I left Walmart, it began to pour down rain, so I threw her in the car seat and then hurried as much as possible to get all the stuff in the trunk. When I backed up, I heard this suspicious loud crunching noise. I got out of the car and found that in my haste to get out of the rain, I had dropped the belt that straps the baby into the cart, and I had crushed the plastic bits into a thousand worthless pieces. Crap! Sooo... I emailed the company, asked if there was a way to replace just the belt, and they said they'd just send me one. For free. Isn't that awesome? All I had to do was ask. It arrived today. PLUS there was the contest I won. That was awesomely cool, too.
I also went to Walgreen's today, and picked up a bag full of stuff that will be free (after rebate). I don't necessarily NEED this stuff (ear rinse, anyone?) but by golly, I'll have it if I do! I am planning on doing this monthly, along with Rite-Aid and possibly CVS. They give away stuff every month! It's awesome. A blog post that explains it pretty well. I also had a $5 off coupon for today only, plus you get an extra 10% if you choose your rebate to be a Walgreen's gift card, so I have made money today just by going shopping. With a handy-dandy $5 coupon that I printed online, I paid $17.66 for these items, and I should get back $23.83. Next month, that will pay for whatever they have for free then.
Evelyn is in a super-cute developmental stage right now. Today she started saying "bear", and it is SO CUTE. She's actually repeating things now, sometimes, though I am not counting those as words. We can ask her "Where's Mommy's baby?" and she'll point at herself. (Or Daddy's baby, whatever.) She will blow kisses, although only when she wants to and you really have to take her intent and not her actual actions because she frankly isn't very good at it. She was snugglier today than usual, which isn't really saying much but M and I sure appreciated it. We are both confused as to how we could have produced such an unsnuggly baby. She gave several hugs and kisses today, even to M! (She thinks it's hilarious to not love on her Daddy. Poor Daddy!) I had been planning on going out after her nap, but apparently great minds think alike because she woke up from her nap saying "byebye" and waving. I guess she was going stir-crazy too. Oh, and we've been playing Mommy Ticklefingers a lot lately. That involves Mommy wiggling fingers around her neck, and then enjoying the sweet baby cackles. I'm real good at that second part. ;)
