zappos.com

My friend E ordered her wedding shoes from Zappos.com and mentioned that they were for her wedding. They sent her this!!!!! I have always loved their return policy, but, WOW! This is huge! They totally did not have to do this, but now? I will definitely always shop them!!!

p.s. Congratulations E & T!!!!!

rj

comments

Yes, I recommend commenting on my blog(s). After several comments on FB and other places, I suddenly realized that I had my settings wrong for this blog. So I changed some things and *hopefully* you can comment now. Sorry for the earlier inconvenience.



rj

suggestion box

Hi there.

Do you have a website that you think is just the coolest? Do you know of a product that you think everyone should know about? Well, let me know. You can email me at seagullsinhereyesatgmaildotcom. I'll check out whatever it is you send me and maybe I'll recommend you or your website or your product or what-have-you. Just thinking it might be fun  :)



rj

the pioneer woman

I know I already made a recommendation today, but I just have to share this one. S gave me a whole bunch of websites that I "just had to check out." So guess what I'm doing instead of telemarketing??!!!

Next, you're going to tell me that you've been reading this blog for years & where have I been??  But here it is anyway: The Pioneer Woman 

I do not want to be this woman, but her story is fantabulous. I have no interest in working on a ranch or having kids or homeschooling. I just want a story that's kinda like her's. I want to figure out my life. I want to be able to spend all the time I want in the kitchen & around the house. Underneath all this working-girl stuff is a domestic woman who would love to be able to afford to stay home and putter. Heck, I might even put in a garden! But I don't have that luxury.   ...sigh...


p.s. I wouldn't mind meeting my very own version of the Marlboro Man, even tho I have no idea what that version entails. But then, neither did Ree before she met hers.  :)



rj

Viberg Boots

I did one for the ladies, so here's one for the guys

I have no need for these boots. I don't work in safety, on the lines, or on the ranch and I don't log, bike or hunt. But check these out anyway. Viberg Boots  

I really like the front page of the website. The rest of the design is easily read & it is very easy to use. There is a very cool "boot anatomy" tab. It shows how the boots are put together. There are pictures of each type of boot under 8 different categories. If you click the "blog" tab, you will find very cool pictures of their boots.

Want a pair? I recommend that you buy them at Clark's Luggage & Shoe Repair in Regina, Saskatchewan. (I mean, if you happen to find yourself there...)



rj

Victoria's Secret - for the ladies only!

Never thought I'd recommend Vicky's, but I LOVE the bra I'm wearing!!! Victoria's Secret's BioFit® Uplift demi bra. I have it in pink paisley & no, I won't tell you what size. Just know it's smaller than a year ago.  ;)  This is seriously the most supportive bra I have ever worn!

But I suppose you're wondering why I wouldn't recommend Vicky's. For a while, I was getting all my bras there. Then I just stopped. I guess they stopped fitting how they had in the past? Or maybe it was the cost??? Either way, I stopped and switched to Gap Body. Oh wait! I know. I had been unimpressed with the service I had received at the Oakdale Mall location. Then I moved to Seattle and there wasn't one downtown. Something like that. Anyways, I discovered Gap Body whilst living in Seattle and started shopping there.

Once I started losing weight, I needed to go bra shopping. Alas, there is not a Gap Body within 2 hours of my house. So I tried Vicky's again. I had to ask one of the girls for help. She measured me totally wrong and then argued with me when I told her the sizing was wrong. One of them fit better than the rest, so she told me I should get it. I did because I needed a new one. But once it got home, it stayed in the bag until it went back. I refuse to spend that kind of money on a bra that fits only "just okay". So I took it back. The girl who helped me that day was very sweet & apologized profusely. But I didn't go back.

I tried Lane Bryant & Target, with moderate success. My sister gave me a VS gift card for Christmas. I thought about trading it, talked about trading it, said I wasn't going to use it. And I didn't. For almost 6 months. Then, one day, I walked in the store. The women working were older than me, not just high school/college age girls pushing the "it" bra. I had a fitting and we had lots of discussion about what I was looking for. Then they started bringing things for me to try. They even asked lots of questions, like, what do you like about the one you're wearing? does it fit better than the last one? did you adjust the straps? It was very personalized attention. I felt special. I tried on this bra. It felt amazing!!! And almost like wearing nothing, but being totally supported.

I'd like to point out that it was not cheap and, without the gift card, I probably would not have gotten it. But since I had the gift card, I went for it. I'm now considering buying another one.


rj

sleep

(I wrote this yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't let me post...)


Yes, I know. This is another one of those get healthy recommendations. Not as much fun as when I talk about the radio or blog backgrounds, I know. But after not getting enough sleep for about 2 weeks, I figured it would be a good topic.


Sleep is important! I know I feel much better when I have a good chunk of sleep every night for a week. And I definitely know when I’m not getting enough sleep, too.

Like today, for instance.

On Saturday, I drove to my friend M’s house in Maryland. We took the Metro into Washington, DC. I saw Julia Childs’ kitchen in the National Museum of American History. It was awesome & I highly recommend going to see it. (See? A fun recommendation!) Then we walked the monuments yesterday & didn’t leave downtown DC until 6:30. Then M & I stopped & picked up dinner (Mango Chipotle chicken salad from Baja Fresh for me! Tho I have to say, it was a bit scant on the cojita cheese…) and I never left her house until 8:15. With a stop for gas and a stop for the bathroom, I got home at 1:10 this morning and was asleep by 1:15. I made my desk at work at 8:02. And I’m barely keeping my eyes open. Boo! Definitely looking forward to going to bed super early tonight!

So here, a list of the benefits you can get from sleep. Follow them and feel better!!  :)

Top 10 Health Benefits of a Good Night's Sleep

Why Sleep Matters

The Restorative Benefits of Sleep

Benefits of Sleep


rj

National Donut Day

June 4 is National Donut Day.  In the Binghamton market, I'm limited to Dunkin Donuts. Which is okay, I guess. Tim Horton's chocolate glazed is much better, but I'll take what I can get. I left the house earlier than normal cuz I figured DD would be busy. I went to the one at the end of my street. (Well, it's not my street, I have to go around the corner and down to the traffic light, but still...) And it wasn't as busy as I thought it would be. Of course, I was a little earlier than the high school kids so I think that helped. Anyways, go on out and get your free donut. DD makes you purchase a beverage, but, supposedly, Krispy Kreme is just giving away free donuts.

Speaking of Krispy Kreme. Does anyone else remember that when the Hot Fresh sign was lighted, you could go in and they would just give you a free glazed donut? When those things are hot, they just melt in your mouth. It's like eating (inhaling??) sugared air. These days, I go into sugar shock just thinking about it. But I loved it back then.

Ok, so yesterday, I was all gung ho about listening to jazz in the mornings. Well, this morning, I didn't. The first song I happened upon in my searching was 10 Rounds with Jose Cuervo. It is an excellent song for the morning - very upbeat, very fun... stuck in my head for the rest of the day!!!  :)   Let's see if you can get it out of yours  ;)  That was between my house & DD. When I came out of DD, they had just come back from commercial and started playing That's How Country Boys Roll. Which I also love AND I actually got to hear my favorite line "they love their women one beat shy of a heart attack". Really & truly??? I wanna be loved like that! The next song was one I didn't know, so I switched to classic rock then to Q107. So the morning play list went like this:

10 Rounds with Jose Cuervo - Tracy Byrd
That's How Country Boys Roll - Billy Curlington
You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party ("Mom, you're just jealous, it's the Beastie Boys")
Once Bitten Twice Shy - Great White
Move Along - The All American Rejects
All Through the Night - Cyndi Lauper

More proof that my music tastes tend towards eclectic  :)

Anyways, Happy Friday! Enjoy your free donut and make a fun playlist! The weekend's almost here!!!  :)



rj

listening to jazz

or more specifically, if you are in Binghamton, check out 91.5 WSQX, your Jazz & News alternative. I absolutely love jazz for my morning commute. I was listening to it every day when I was working at my last job. Then, for whatever reason, I stopped when I started this job. But I didn't just stop listening to jazz. I stopped listening to the radio in the car. I think it has something to do with being on the phone all day? Anyways, I was listening to WHRW (college radio) last night on my way home. When I got in the car this morning, they were playing jazz. But that station is very static-y at my house, so I switched over to WSQX and was like "Ahhhh".  It was nice.

(Well, the "ahhh" was more like a combination of jazz & iced Ladro decaf, but I digress...)

I would also like to make a plug for NPR. I love NPR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the best for road trips. When I drive to Canada after work, I can listen to it almost all the way to the border. I just scan for the next station that is clear. They always have the most interesting stories, often the same as what I read in the paper, but it's much more interesting when they talk about it. Possibly because I mostly read headlines?  oops!  lol  Also, Saturday mornings, on NPR, they have the funniest game show. Ever!  It's called "Wait, wait, don't tell me!" I generally learn some big, new word and always laugh a lot.

And I recommend the radio in general.  :) To quote R.E.M. "all their lives radio listeners"



rj

this is better, yes?

simple, and, hopefully, easier to read  :)

changing the background on this blog

Has anyone else found this a bit difficult to read? Everytimg I check it, I have trouble with the font colors, finding links, etc. I love the cutest blog on the block and know there are other things on there that I could use. I just need to find the time to actually look for one that's easier to read. I mean, after all, how can I recommend things if you can't read what I'm recommending?!

And just so you know, I do have an actual recommendation started, it just needs more information than I can pull together while I'm at work.

More soon...  :)


xo

drinking water

I know, I know. You want me to recommend funner things, but I truly do recommend drinking water.

I can definitely tell when I haven't had enough. This article is helpful. It is from Healthy U's website, but it wasn't the exact article I was looking for. As we move into the warmer months, it becomes more important to stay hydrated.

While I'm at it, I also recommend Clintwood Healthy U.  (Oopsy, this could lead to a couple other recommendations...) They are a health-food store/pharmacy. The staff is very knowledgeable and will be glad to answer any questions you might have.

That's all for now!


xo

Harney & Sons Organic Passion Plum Tea

This tea is yummy!

It has the aroma of fresh plums with a hint of spice.

It tastes summery, like fresh plums, but without the sweetness.

It would probably ice well, but has a weird aroma/flavor when it is lukewarm.

Not sure what it would pair well with, but a chocolate-glazed croissant is not it.

They have Harney & Sons at "my" Barnes & Nobel, but I haven't seen this flavor. I get mine at "my" Wegmans.



xo

using a Neti Pot

...or how it all began...

This goes back several months, but since I have a spot of time this afternoon, I decided I should get started.

Jay, my old boss, gets colds at the drop of a hat, or fishing pole - take your pick! He then goes and buys every box of cold medicine on the shelf at CVS and proceeds to take one of each, washed down with orange pop. I had recommended using a Neti Pot for his sinus issues, but he didn't like the sound of it, or didn't know where to get one, or some other lame excuse.

One day, a customer was in and they got talking about their health issues. She said, "have you tried a Neti Pot? They are wonderful!" Jay says, "nah, but Rachel does."  So the customer & I got discussing the benefits of using a sinus rinse. He was a bit more interested since I wasn't the only one telling him this. But I don't know if he actually went and got one.

As the customer was leaving the store, she told him to "Listen to Aunt Rachel!" and the concept of this blog was born. It's just taken me about 3 months to actually get it started!


P.S. Really, I recommend a NeilMed Neti Pot. I realized later that I was going to name drop...  ;)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So this blog is going to be about things I think everybody should know about. Or just random advise that I decide to pass along. Like all my blogs, I am not promising consistent posting, but I will do my best to keep it current.

xo