It has been way too long since I last posted anything. I would blame my lack of posting on the fact that I've been super busy, but I know my mom would disagree and cite all the tv shows I've spent time watching recently. (Psych and Burn Notice just came back, so I've been absolutely giddy. Totally loving Shules, but Jesse not so much) So I'm not gonna even bother trying to excuse myself and move on to the topic that's been bouncing around in my head all week.
*Ahem*
This week, my friend Katrina and I spent an hour in Walmart shopping for an Operation Christmas Child box. We spent more than half of the time walking down each aisle of the toy department pushing buttons and being thoroughly creeped out by the animated toys. When I was little, we didn't have these toys with moving body parts which hilariously fail to imitate real animals. We had to use our... wait for iiiiit... imaginations!!
Really, I think animation significantly limits the toy's usefulness. Sure, moving arms and legs may be sorta cool in that you don't have to waste allllll that energy to move them yourself. But stuffed kitties with mechanical insides are absolutely no good for cuddling. You can't squeeze their plushy lower half into your Barbie Corvette so they can drag race against the beanie baby on the next shelf. Just give me a toy that does absolutely nothing so that I can make it do whatever I want! Confused? Let Phineas and Ferb explain it:
Genius, right? My favorite Disney boys totally get it. And my favorite Disney toys from Toy Story get it too. Yes, Buzz Lightyear had the wings that pop out and the voice box that apparently has an epic Spanish setting. But practically all the other toys in Andy's room were simple and therefore able to do absolutely anything. At the very end of Toy Story 3 as Andy drops off his toys to the little girl down the street, he hands each one to her while describing just how awesome these individual toys were. He didn't describe their high-tech animations, but rather the characters they played in his imagination which made them a special part of his childhood. *sniffle* I may need a tissue.
Anyways, Katrina and I picked out a little stuffed monkey with no mechanical qualities whatsoever so that the little girl who receives it can make it do whatever she wants. I even tested its cuddliness before putting in the box to be sent to another country. It passed with flying colors. I liked it so much that I may have to buy myself another one. Yes I am almost 22 years old, and I may be purchasing a stuffed critter for myself. As if I didn't have enough already.
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Shoeboxes!
I love shopping. I've talked before about just how much I enjoy shopping. But even more than shopping for myself, I enjoy shopping for cutesy things to put in a shoebox which will be sent to an unknown kid in an unknown nation for a Christmas present. Operation Christmas Child, a program run by Samaritan's Purse, takes thousands upon thousands of stuffed shoeboxes to children in poverty-stricken countries. And I LOVE being part of it!
This year, I am the Operation Christmas Child coordinator for my church. Essentially, it's my job to make announcements, answer questions, and get all the church's shoeboxes to the local collection site. How they're all going to fit in my adorable, but small car, I've no idea yet. I normally make one box for a girl, but since I wanted to have examples in the sanctuary, I put together one for a girl and a boy. And I had a blast shopping for the stuff.
After picking up the basic hygiene items, I had more fun than I can remember while dragging that cart through the toy department of the Havelock Walmart. I strolled through the aisles and referred to my list as I ooh'd and aah'd at all the adorable stuffage. And a few times, I may have been guilty of a loud "OHMAHGOSH THAT'S SO CUTE!!!" Fortunately, the store wasn't busy at all at the time, so I got no weird looks around the corner. So after an hour of non-stop cute shopping, I checked out with $60 worth of adorableness. Here's what my girl box looks like:
Now I want to talk about a few of the things I absolutely loved!!
1. The girl's teddy bear. I almost didn't see this lonely critter hiding on the top shelf in the decidedly pink section of the department. But I knew as soon as I touched it that it would end up in my box. It was so ridiculously soft, I had to fight the urge not to massage it like a cat on a comfy blanket. Thinking back on it, I don't even think I looked at the price tag. I just threw it into the cart and went skipping down the aisle.
2. The boy's t-shirt. I did not intend to buy this at all. I was going from one department to another when I passed the little boy's clothes. And then it grabbed my attention - a Buzz Lightyear glow-in-the-dark t-shirt! Excited, I found the size I thought would best fit a boy age 5-9, and it was on clearance for $3! The lucky boy that gets the shirt is gonna be so thrilled when he wears his shirt to bed the night after opening his box and sees the glowing silhouettes of Buzz's ninja-like moves.
3. Coloring books!!! What kid doesn't like to color, right? Heck, I'm almost 22 and I still like to color on occasion! I got a Lisa Frank book full of cats and butterflies for the girl, and then a Disney heroes book complete with Robin Hood and Hercules for the boy. I also got 24-packs of Crayola crayons and some colored pencils in addition to sharpeners for both boxes.
4. The girl's hair accessories. It doesn't matter what country you live in, little girls love playing with hair. I don't know what kind of hair my little girl will have, but she'll have a pretty pink brush along with sparkly butterfly clips and soft hair ties accessorize with! I can just imagine her getting together with all her little girlfriends and getting all prettied up!
5. The boy's toy cars. I know nothing about cars, but I picked up two little Matchbox ones. One is yellow and looks like an old Camaro, and the other is a sleek blue Porche-looking thing. Again, I know nothing about cars, so I may be totally off. But anyways, they look awesome and I'm sure he'll have them speeding down the walkway within an hour of receiving his box. Although I hope his neighbor didn't get a police car in his box, or he could have some unwanted citations...
I got so many other cutesy things like a tiny plush elephant and a sketchbook for the girl, and a ball for the boy. I'm so super excited for the kids who get my boxes! While I may not know the recipients of my boxes, I will be using a new feature that allows to find out where my boxes end up, and I'm so looking forward to that!
Much more important than the tradition of Christmas gift-giving is the meaning behind Christmas itself. God sent Jesus to earth so that He could take our punishment, giving us a way to have a real relationship with the God who made us and loves us dearly. And that's why Samaritan's Purse and I do this. The gifts are awesome and put big smiles on these kid's faces, but while volunteers are handing out the boxes, they're telling these children about God. These shoeboxes can make kid's day, week, or month, but what they could hear from God through this program could change their lives. And I hope and pray that it does!
This year, I am the Operation Christmas Child coordinator for my church. Essentially, it's my job to make announcements, answer questions, and get all the church's shoeboxes to the local collection site. How they're all going to fit in my adorable, but small car, I've no idea yet. I normally make one box for a girl, but since I wanted to have examples in the sanctuary, I put together one for a girl and a boy. And I had a blast shopping for the stuff.
After picking up the basic hygiene items, I had more fun than I can remember while dragging that cart through the toy department of the Havelock Walmart. I strolled through the aisles and referred to my list as I ooh'd and aah'd at all the adorable stuffage. And a few times, I may have been guilty of a loud "OHMAHGOSH THAT'S SO CUTE!!!" Fortunately, the store wasn't busy at all at the time, so I got no weird looks around the corner. So after an hour of non-stop cute shopping, I checked out with $60 worth of adorableness. Here's what my girl box looks like:
Now I want to talk about a few of the things I absolutely loved!!
1. The girl's teddy bear. I almost didn't see this lonely critter hiding on the top shelf in the decidedly pink section of the department. But I knew as soon as I touched it that it would end up in my box. It was so ridiculously soft, I had to fight the urge not to massage it like a cat on a comfy blanket. Thinking back on it, I don't even think I looked at the price tag. I just threw it into the cart and went skipping down the aisle.
2. The boy's t-shirt. I did not intend to buy this at all. I was going from one department to another when I passed the little boy's clothes. And then it grabbed my attention - a Buzz Lightyear glow-in-the-dark t-shirt! Excited, I found the size I thought would best fit a boy age 5-9, and it was on clearance for $3! The lucky boy that gets the shirt is gonna be so thrilled when he wears his shirt to bed the night after opening his box and sees the glowing silhouettes of Buzz's ninja-like moves.
3. Coloring books!!! What kid doesn't like to color, right? Heck, I'm almost 22 and I still like to color on occasion! I got a Lisa Frank book full of cats and butterflies for the girl, and then a Disney heroes book complete with Robin Hood and Hercules for the boy. I also got 24-packs of Crayola crayons and some colored pencils in addition to sharpeners for both boxes.
4. The girl's hair accessories. It doesn't matter what country you live in, little girls love playing with hair. I don't know what kind of hair my little girl will have, but she'll have a pretty pink brush along with sparkly butterfly clips and soft hair ties accessorize with! I can just imagine her getting together with all her little girlfriends and getting all prettied up!
5. The boy's toy cars. I know nothing about cars, but I picked up two little Matchbox ones. One is yellow and looks like an old Camaro, and the other is a sleek blue Porche-looking thing. Again, I know nothing about cars, so I may be totally off. But anyways, they look awesome and I'm sure he'll have them speeding down the walkway within an hour of receiving his box. Although I hope his neighbor didn't get a police car in his box, or he could have some unwanted citations...
I got so many other cutesy things like a tiny plush elephant and a sketchbook for the girl, and a ball for the boy. I'm so super excited for the kids who get my boxes! While I may not know the recipients of my boxes, I will be using a new feature that allows to find out where my boxes end up, and I'm so looking forward to that!
Much more important than the tradition of Christmas gift-giving is the meaning behind Christmas itself. God sent Jesus to earth so that He could take our punishment, giving us a way to have a real relationship with the God who made us and loves us dearly. And that's why Samaritan's Purse and I do this. The gifts are awesome and put big smiles on these kid's faces, but while volunteers are handing out the boxes, they're telling these children about God. These shoeboxes can make kid's day, week, or month, but what they could hear from God through this program could change their lives. And I hope and pray that it does!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Living With Little?
In light of my last post depicting my happiness about shopping, this article seemed ridiculous when I first read it. A couple in Oregon are living with 100 items each including clothes and other necessities. Just in my dresser I have probably 200 items already, so the idea of living with so little seemed insane. But what about all my beloved shoes?? What about my Psych DVD collection?? And oh my gosh, what about my bag full of makeup must-haves?!?!?! But upon further thought, it really doesn't sound all that bad.
In my Sunday School class, we've been talking about the costs of being a follower of Christ. One of those costs is that we "give up" all the possessions we have. (Luke 14:33) It does not necessarily mean that we are to walk through life with nothing but the clothes on our backs, but upon deeper study into my trusty lexicon, it means "our belongings being placed away from us into their proper category and not being permitted to be a part of us." So in essence, do not be attached to your possessions, and put them in their "proper category" so that your priorities remain in the right place.
And then today, Dad was preaching about being content with what we have instead of chasing satisfaction in things that cannot give it. Hebrews 13:5 says "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'" I cannot get satisfaction from the latest product of awesomeness and God has promised to care for me, so why do I bother seeking contentment in anything but Him?
All that being said, I don't think I'm gonna start living with 100 items alone. God has chosen to bless me with lotsa stuff to dust, and I don't want to waste it, haha! But what if I started spending less money on unnecessary and temporary things and focusing on God for my satisfaction? Not only would my life feel richer because I was closer to my Heavenly Father, but I would be able to save up for maybe a house later on in life and I would also have excess money to give to my church and to those who need help! Who really needs 20 pairs of shoes anyhow?
In my Sunday School class, we've been talking about the costs of being a follower of Christ. One of those costs is that we "give up" all the possessions we have. (Luke 14:33) It does not necessarily mean that we are to walk through life with nothing but the clothes on our backs, but upon deeper study into my trusty lexicon, it means "our belongings being placed away from us into their proper category and not being permitted to be a part of us." So in essence, do not be attached to your possessions, and put them in their "proper category" so that your priorities remain in the right place.
And then today, Dad was preaching about being content with what we have instead of chasing satisfaction in things that cannot give it. Hebrews 13:5 says "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'" I cannot get satisfaction from the latest product of awesomeness and God has promised to care for me, so why do I bother seeking contentment in anything but Him?
All that being said, I don't think I'm gonna start living with 100 items alone. God has chosen to bless me with lotsa stuff to dust, and I don't want to waste it, haha! But what if I started spending less money on unnecessary and temporary things and focusing on God for my satisfaction? Not only would my life feel richer because I was closer to my Heavenly Father, but I would be able to save up for maybe a house later on in life and I would also have excess money to give to my church and to those who need help! Who really needs 20 pairs of shoes anyhow?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Shopping Like There's No Tomorrow
One of the things I looked forward to most when starting another semester at school was shopping for new school supplies. I was never quite singing "It's the most wonderful time of the year" in my head while dancing down the aisles like in that old Staples commercial, but it was still fun to choose new notebooks and pens. Even last year in college, my friend and I would show off our new supplies and "ooooh" and "aaaah" at all the pretty colors.
But now that I am done with school (for now at least) I don't have the option to enjoy shopping for such stuffage. Well, I could I guess, but I would never use the stuff. And now that I have a car payment, I can't just be wasting money like that. I say that, but I've been spending money left and right on other things that I may or may not have needed...
Ever since I dropped most of my savings for the down payment on my beloved car, I've been spending money on like... everything. I had been saving up cash for years for my big purchase, and now I've suddenly started buying everything awesome in sight. Apparently I'm making up for denying myself everything awesome for the last few years. I will probably regret it later. But there are a few things I bought that I'm super happy about.
My favorite Roxy flip flops were practically dead. After wearing them every day for ten months out of the year, even really nice flip flops need replacing. When I went to my favorite surf shop to purchase a new pair, they did not have the kind I wanted. So I splurged a little and bought some double stacked Rainbows. Oh my gosh, it's like walking on a cloud. In fact, I loved them so much that I went back three days later and bought a pink pair that I have already planned to wear with my Sunday dresses. Including the amazing Reebok Easytones I bought recently, I have spent nearly $200 on shoes in the past month. Am I crazy? Don't answer that.
I've also been going kinda makeup crazy too. My cousin is selling Avon now and I have fallen in love with their mascara and lip gloss. But it's justifiable because it's cheaper than the Lancome stuff I was using, and much better. I wish I had jumped on this bandwagon a loooong time ago. Also while Sam and I were shopping spree-ing in Wilmington, we walked into an Ulta store on a whim. It was either a mistake or an act of God, I haven't figured out which yet. But they were having this big promotion that if you bought about $20 worth of Ulta products, you could get a bag full of makeup goodies. And we did it. I think I've found a line of makeup that I will love for the rest of my life.
Will somebody please take my debit card from me before I go completely crazy? Thanks.
But now that I am done with school (for now at least) I don't have the option to enjoy shopping for such stuffage. Well, I could I guess, but I would never use the stuff. And now that I have a car payment, I can't just be wasting money like that. I say that, but I've been spending money left and right on other things that I may or may not have needed...
Ever since I dropped most of my savings for the down payment on my beloved car, I've been spending money on like... everything. I had been saving up cash for years for my big purchase, and now I've suddenly started buying everything awesome in sight. Apparently I'm making up for denying myself everything awesome for the last few years. I will probably regret it later. But there are a few things I bought that I'm super happy about.
My favorite Roxy flip flops were practically dead. After wearing them every day for ten months out of the year, even really nice flip flops need replacing. When I went to my favorite surf shop to purchase a new pair, they did not have the kind I wanted. So I splurged a little and bought some double stacked Rainbows. Oh my gosh, it's like walking on a cloud. In fact, I loved them so much that I went back three days later and bought a pink pair that I have already planned to wear with my Sunday dresses. Including the amazing Reebok Easytones I bought recently, I have spent nearly $200 on shoes in the past month. Am I crazy? Don't answer that.
I've also been going kinda makeup crazy too. My cousin is selling Avon now and I have fallen in love with their mascara and lip gloss. But it's justifiable because it's cheaper than the Lancome stuff I was using, and much better. I wish I had jumped on this bandwagon a loooong time ago. Also while Sam and I were shopping spree-ing in Wilmington, we walked into an Ulta store on a whim. It was either a mistake or an act of God, I haven't figured out which yet. But they were having this big promotion that if you bought about $20 worth of Ulta products, you could get a bag full of makeup goodies. And we did it. I think I've found a line of makeup that I will love for the rest of my life.
Will somebody please take my debit card from me before I go completely crazy? Thanks.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Car Shopping
Many of you have been watching my Facebook profile with great interest as I shop for a new car. My beloved little 1995 Nissan Sentra with 275,000 miles on it has decided that it wants to have its motor taken apart to be repaired. But the actual repair work would cost more than the value of the car itself, so that just doesn't fly with me. After fighting with my car for few days (It's winning by the way), I decided to invest in a new-to-me car.
I started looking around in used car lots for what I could find within my cash budget. And the result was: not much. I found a few vehicles, but they had not been taken care of and needed some work before they would be worth driving. After doing some number crunching (I rox at math, yo) I realized that I could in fact afford a small payment if I chose to get a newer used car. So payments or less-then-acceptably-air-conditioned rust buckets? Imma go with payments.
Many certified used cars at some dealerships in the area really caught my eye. I test drove several including two major contenders that met nearly all the criteria on my lengthy list: a 2008 Toyota Corolla (which was in reality just a tiny bit out of my price range) and a 2006 Mazda 6. After driving the Corolla again, I knew that I loved it, but the tough part would be talking the sales dude down to a price that I could afford. My aggressive haggler of a grandfather tried his best to bring the price down, but the sneaky dude would first say he would go down a few hundred, and then he would come back with an offer on extended payments that brought it back to the original price. Immediately following our departure from that dealership I put my algebra skills to work on my cell phone's calculator and was like "oh HECK no!!!" So as much as I adore that Corolla, I'm probably going to have to let it go. *sniffle* Here's a pic of it...
Adorable, eh?
Then we went over the place with the Mazda 6 and haggled with the sales dude there. The price is good and definitely within my budget, but I still wasn't sure. So in an attempt to make me love the car, they let me take it home for two days and see what I thought about it. I do like the car and it's super fun to drive. (V6 engine baby, *Tim Allen grunt*) But I'm not quite sure that I love it, and I don't want to put so much money into something that I do not love. Then I think about all the money that this thing will cost, and although my budget can absorb it, the thought of it all nearly paralyzes me. So I'm still not sold on it. But just for your enjoyment, here's a pic of it...
Pretty too, huh?
I'm gonna check out some private sellers online to see what I can find there for the next few days. But the car shopping thing is ridiculously hard. Especially in this heat which has given me a couple of sunburns. No fun. So anyways, we'll see what happens and I'll be sure to post something about whatever car I end up purchasing. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!
I started looking around in used car lots for what I could find within my cash budget. And the result was: not much. I found a few vehicles, but they had not been taken care of and needed some work before they would be worth driving. After doing some number crunching (I rox at math, yo) I realized that I could in fact afford a small payment if I chose to get a newer used car. So payments or less-then-acceptably-air-conditioned rust buckets? Imma go with payments.
Many certified used cars at some dealerships in the area really caught my eye. I test drove several including two major contenders that met nearly all the criteria on my lengthy list: a 2008 Toyota Corolla (which was in reality just a tiny bit out of my price range) and a 2006 Mazda 6. After driving the Corolla again, I knew that I loved it, but the tough part would be talking the sales dude down to a price that I could afford. My aggressive haggler of a grandfather tried his best to bring the price down, but the sneaky dude would first say he would go down a few hundred, and then he would come back with an offer on extended payments that brought it back to the original price. Immediately following our departure from that dealership I put my algebra skills to work on my cell phone's calculator and was like "oh HECK no!!!" So as much as I adore that Corolla, I'm probably going to have to let it go. *sniffle* Here's a pic of it...
Adorable, eh?
Then we went over the place with the Mazda 6 and haggled with the sales dude there. The price is good and definitely within my budget, but I still wasn't sure. So in an attempt to make me love the car, they let me take it home for two days and see what I thought about it. I do like the car and it's super fun to drive. (V6 engine baby, *Tim Allen grunt*) But I'm not quite sure that I love it, and I don't want to put so much money into something that I do not love. Then I think about all the money that this thing will cost, and although my budget can absorb it, the thought of it all nearly paralyzes me. So I'm still not sold on it. But just for your enjoyment, here's a pic of it...
Pretty too, huh?
I'm gonna check out some private sellers online to see what I can find there for the next few days. But the car shopping thing is ridiculously hard. Especially in this heat which has given me a couple of sunburns. No fun. So anyways, we'll see what happens and I'll be sure to post something about whatever car I end up purchasing. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!
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