Please Christmas Don't Be Late...Or Too Early

Is it just me, or is Christmas creeping up faster each year?

It used to be that Christmas was always encroaching on Thanksgiving

Now it's invading Halloween's turf.

Last year I went out to get some last minute Halloween decorations a week before the big day, only to be confronted with rows and rows of pre-lit trees and animated blowup lawn figures.

I love Christmas just as much as the next guy. Maybe a bit more than the next guy...


 

But come on. I'd much rather fully enjoy each holiday; the sights, the smells and the individual ways we celebrate them. I want to walk into my nearest supermarket and smell pumpkin spice in October/November not Yankee Candle's Christmas in Paris (my favorite by the way).

I'm not blameless in the mad rush to holidays. I certainly buy Christmas items when I see them, no matter the month because I know they won't be there come December. But my crazy obsession with Christmas is saved for those close to me. I watch 12 Dates of Christmas and Home Alone in June. I secretly plan our next month-long Christmas celebration on a private Pinterest Board shorty after the tree from that year is taken down and I'm always thinking about how I can update our year round holiday savings plan.

I LOVE Christmas but I want my kids to feel the joy and excitement of each fun holiday and that's getting harder to pull off when the stores are more concerned with pushing products.

 (If you'd like to read more about me visit my post on A Bit About Me)

Is Shopping from Home Worth It?

Dear Wegmans,

As a loyal shopper I was thrilled to hear that you were adding the “Shop from Home” feature to your Woodbridge store but upon closer review I see that it’s not worth it. I love supermarkets that give me the option to shop from home. I don’t have to lug my kids to the store and search for one of those lovely two seater carts you have. I don’t have to cart them up and down the packed aisles while they ask for every delicious item of food or cool toy/book they see. I don’t have to wait in line while the person in front of me searches for their wallet, which they happened to forget in their car. I just have to search and click, then pick up and pay from the convenience of my front seat.

As any good shopper would do, I did a price comparison by uploading all of the items that I purchased in the store to the online shopping feature. Now, I get that this feature is a luxury but the price markup on top of the service fee is a bit much don’t you think. I saved $37 by buying these items in the store instead of using your shop from home feature, I thought the purpose was to save people time and money. I’m always telling people how much I love Wegmans because your prices are the lowest I’ve seen in my area, your store brand items are actually good and the store itself is always a welcoming and beautiful place to be in (especially the café and upstairs seating space) but this is one feature where you lost me.

Sincerely,

Still a loyal customer Niki

 (If you'd like to read more about me visit my post on A Bit About Me)

My Hairy Journey

I'm still on the fence about going natural but I think this time I'm sticking with it. It seems like every summer I go through this phase but something feels different this time around.

Here's my first braid-out of 2016 on hair that hasn't been relaxed for the past two or three months. My hair is generally shoulder length.

I sectioned my damp hair in the style I wanted then did some cornrows all the way around using a flaxseed gel mixture that I saw on YouTube. I wrapped the ends in perm rods and let it dry overnight wearing a bonnet (not very comfortable).

The next day I let it air dry some more while I played with the kids in the yard. When I was ready to style it, I used a little coconut and castor oil mix to soften the hair and help unravel the braids. I love the end result!!

Summer Reflections of 2014

As I sit here planning the last weekend of summer, I can't help but ask myself, where did the summer go. I feel like I wasted these precious months being stressed out over my unemployment; waking up almost every morning searching, searching, searching and sometimes going to bed feeling defeated. I would beg my crazy children for 5 minutes of silence, so mommy could finish her cover letter and send it off to the umpteenth employer. But they're five and one, so five minutes of quiet feels like thirty to them.

Then yesterday I heard a great sermon from Pastor Joel of Lakewood church about waiting for what life has in store for you.

There's no Disney FastPass for life. Sometimes you just have to stand in line and wait for your blessing to come. Though you're waiting and watching as others in front of you are enjoying their ride, remember that they had to wait their turn too. The waiting is preparing you, so don't give up. With each small step you take, you come that much closer to the ride. When it's your turn, enjoy it!!