If you are considering a coop purchase I would be interest in Exotic Star La Paz Neon Rose and Splash if available. Mariae.

I offered to exchange/return some items of clothing for my family so I was able to look around. I didn't buy anything for myself because there just isn't anything. Well I do need a new pair of boots to wear in the snow but I wasn't in the mood to wait for a salesperson to get them so that I could try them on. I wish shoe departments were more self service. But my downfall was going into the Christmas decoration department at Macy's and Boscovs. I don't think I've ever outgrown stuffed animals because I bought 3 Santas. Did I need 3 more Santas you might ask? Well the answer is yes, obviously. At Macy's I purchased 2 that were about 18" tall to go on one side of the mantel to balance the nutcrackers that are on the other side. I think they were 50% off then an additional 15%. But at Boscov's I found a really wonderful old fashioned looking Santa that must be over 30" tall for the landing in the foyer. He was originally $129. and marked down 75%. When I took him to the cashier the price came up as $25- which was 80% off. So I happily brought him home and he's now welcoming everyone who comes inside.

This one is from my own sweet mom, who is mother to 9 of us. To save on bathroom storage space ~ which, let me tell you, was at a premium with 9 kids! ~ she gave us each a simple, inexpensive, plastic tool-type caddy to keep our own personal bathroom necessities (toothbrush, comb, brush, etc. ) in. They were stored on a shelf in our bedroom closets, to be carried in and then back again, as we needed them. This helped a lot to keep our bathrooms uncluttered and organized. Mom also bought one of this type of plastic baskets for each kid to catch of our dirty laundry. She wrote our names on each of them. The plastic made it easy to keep clean and the holes kept our dirty clothes somewhat aerated . . . which really helped with our brothers' stinky things (LOL). The handles made them easy to carry back and forth to our laundry room. Lynn

ninos...I wondered why people line up 3 miles to get into that Midnight Madness sale. I didn't realize they pull them in with a $500. gift card hidden in a goodie bag...lol. No wonder. I would love to do Black Friday but I never do. My husband is not a fan of shopping period and he hates traffic more than most people. He hates waiting more than most people. None of my kids enjoy it either, so any interest I have in shopping on that day is very quickly squelched. [g] Actually, I haven't suffered for not going to Black Friday sales. Last year, I was looking for a camera and had my eye on a specific one and about mid December, Staples had the lowest price I had seen or expected to see and they bundled it with a printer. It was a Canon camera and rated highly. I notice this year, they were offering the same camera yesterday for what I bought it for last year without a printer. So that was a pretty great price for a camera that was just on the market last year. ninos...I also am not a pocketbook fan any more. I used to be for many years, but when my kids were small I got in the habit of using a fanny pack. I found one I really liked that was small, slim and black and looked pretty good. That was about 12 years ago and I still use the same fanny pack. lol Believe it or not, it still looks really good. No wear spots or tears or stains. I am a homebody so I am sure it gets less use than most handbags. [g] oceanna...that is one gorgeous table AND what a great job you did in bringing it back to life! Craig's List...I am going to have to keep my eye on that more often. Which categories do you look in the most? That is a great reminder and you are right of course, recycling is healthier for all of us and the planet too. I was horrified recently to discover when shopping for a new mattress that the government actually requires all manufacturers to use fire retardant on them. What is wrong with them? So you are breathing that all night every night, just 'in case' your house catches fire some day. When, if the fire gets to your bed, you probably would be dead from smoke inhalation anyway. So we have postponed buying a new mattress. This year, I have been thinking of becoming less of a 'consumer'. I think I already have been pretty reasonable over the years but there is always room for improvement. I have never been one to put lights up on the house at Christmas, but more because we just don't have the time or energy to do it. Now, with global warming and energy costs what they are, I just can't understand why I continue to see people escalating their outdoor holiday decorating. I went into Lowe's over the weekend, which apparently I rarely do over the holiday season, because it was the first time I saw where people are getting all these huge light displays. Unbelieveable. I LOVED when I was a kid and our parents would take us to see 'the lights' at Christmas, but I think times are different now. Anyway..that is the subject for another thread, [g] it would be nice to keep this thread going over the holiday season and we would have it for next year too, to compare. Thanks for contributing... :-) pm2