Does Black Friday Shopping Mean Savings?

I like to shop. I'm thrifty and frugal. Therefore, I like decent prices.

You'd think Black Friday would be a great time to get great deals. But maybe that's not the case when we take a closer look.

Yesterday I was at the Premium Outlet Mall in Orlando. Sophie and I were there in early October as well when we went to Disney to celebrate her birthday and visit Mickey's Not-So-Scary!

We bought Sophie a Donna Karen New York black wool peacoat on sale and half off! The full price was $375. We felt $187.50 for a classic coat that she should get years of wear out of was reasonable.

Yesterday, I revisited DKNY because Miss Sophie had somehow lost the belt to the coat and I was trying to see if it was possible to replace it before her spring trip to NYC.

Low and behold! The very same coat was no longer on sale. Instead, it was back to the original price of $375.00. My guess is come Black Friday the prices will be marked back down (hopefully) to were they were when we bought the jacket over a month ago.

It seems Black Friday is more of a sales gimmick to deceive buyers into making purchases that were actually just as low or lower just months earlier.

Thank goodness we shop in October for Christmas. It seems like retailers are playing Scrooge to customers.

My guess is that mid-December will be a cheaper time to shop than Black Friday.

I understand the retailers point of view (but as a consumer, I care about my point of view and my wallet only!) It's supply and demand. Why make things super cheap on the busiest sales day of the year? No one shops in October. Lower prices then. Everyone shops the day after Thanksgiving. Pretend to lower prices then.

Cruising for Christmas

Although Sophie and I had already booked a 18-night stay in Vegas for the Christmas holiday, last night we changed our plans. (Thank goodness hotel reservations can be canceled!)

Instead, we decided to take a Caribbean cruise. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE Vegas! It's kitschy Americana is just our style and the idea of shopping at the Premium Outlet Mall in Vegas right after Christmas gives me goosebumps (both good and bad since I love sales and hate crowds).

Nonetheless, we've got gowns! Sophie and I have found a new favorite store. BCGB Max Azria has an outlet store at the Premium Outlet Mall in Orlando. We've found some fabulous gowns at incredible prices. Who wears gowns these days, anyway? We do!!!

Side note: One nice thing about not having men in the house is that no one complains about dressing up. It's more a matter of finding appropriate places to dress up!

Ever since our first cruise (we've only taken two), we've fallen in love with dressing up for dinner and eating in the formal dining room.

Our first cruise was with Norwegian Cruise Lines where dressing up was optional. We were treating ourselves to a special time and wanted to respect and appreciate each aspect of our experience. Also, we had just found this incredible shop in Barcelona where we bought a boatload of cool clothes which we found ourselves wearing to our dinners. The cruise was 12-nights which mean that it was us and the geriatric crowd. Turns out most people can't take the time away from work or afford long trip (buy them when their cheap! I think we paid $499 per person) unless they are retired. Well, as you might assume, older folks appreciate our desire to dress up for dinner. And we did!

Our second cruise, a 14-night transatlantic jaunt from Barcelona to Miami, was another sensational reason for premium attire at dinner. Especially since Royal Caribbean mandates formal dinner wear. My only complaint with this cruise is that they refused to allow us our own table (two person tables are commonplace on this ship) and forced us to sit with single men. After a few days of this - and one of the men trying very hard to convince my (at the time) 18-year-old daughter that the parties were better down with the crew - I demanded our own table and, by golly, got it! I also got nasty stares from the man and his father for the rest of the trip. lol Deal!

As it turned out there finding people under the age of 65-year-old was slim pickins which was just fine with us. We tend to like to spend our time with a much older crowd as they are more sedate and Sophie always seems to enjoy the conversation... and the games. Everyday there is some game or another that everyone gathers to play. Sophie is right in there with them.

So, after our most recent excursion the our new favorite store where Sophie bought something like 10 new dresses (all at incredibly discounted prices. Think: $39 for a runway Max Azria!) I suggested we might consider a cruise for the holiday as we really don't have anywhere else to wear them (okay, the periodic steakhouse or to the Nutcracker in NYC.) She thought it was a great idea. I looked into it and presto! We've got an all inclusive place to wear our fabulous gowns and little chance of running into places to spend money! (Always a nice side benefit.) When we travel we like to walk around the cities we visit. We aren't so keen on shopping, although we like to buy stickers for our suitcase.

Bathrooms in Paris: Even More at CDG Airport

And here's the carousel ride free for all to ride in the Charles de Gaulle Airport.





Unlike the conservative, uptight nature of the French populace, the French bathroom design at CDG Airport is fun and light-hearted, colorful and vivid. Too bad you can't say the same for the people of France...


If you think I'm being harsh on the people of France, you clearly haven't spent enough time there. My judgment comes from living there for more than three-and-a-half years and experiencing their condescending nature on a daily basis. Eventually, you just have to face facts. France can decorate a bathroom much better than they can treat people. An odd fact to say about a country that is terribly reliant upon tourism as a source of income.

Bathrooms in Paris: More CDG Airport

While France might scoff at the idea of being kind to tourists, Paris takes toilet time and all things related very seriously. France may not think civility high on its list... but bathroom tranquility... now that is essential for all.

Apparently, in Paris, one must feel at peace with the world before, during and after crap-time. Perhaps it is fair to say the French take potty-time as seriously as they do dinner time. Or, it's just as important coming out as it is going in...


The new choice of bathroom design at the Charles de Gaulle Airport is bright, fun and vibrant.


The time for austere, bland and boring is going. Now is the time for visuals.

A Non Commercial Mother's Day

Yesterday Sophie asked if we could celebrate Mother's Day a day early because her new job asked if she'd work a double shift on Mother's Day. I willing agreed as I don't care when it is celebrated rather just that it is celebrated.

Sophie made me a new set of dreads and put them in for me. That was my gift.

Today, it occurred to me that Sophie has never bought a card or a gift for me. Instead, each year I have received handmade presents and cards.

There was a year when she really wanted to buy me a card. Her argument was that store bought cards were nicer. I clarified my position by stating that no card could ever be more special than one made with love. Stores and consumerism want people to think store bought is better so they don't go out of business and we 'do our part' to stimulate the economy. I, on the other hand, do not subscribe to that rhetoric and know full well the best card or gift is the one my child makes me. The conversation never came up again. I've steadily received cards for all major holidays and gifts (generally jewelry - bracelets and necklaces) for Christmas and my birthday.

My birthday just passed. I received a pop-up card - stemming from Sophie's design class and the pop-up book she recently designed - and a long beaded necklace. For Mother's Day, I've had the joy of tons of compliments on my new dreads which Sophie made and put in yesterday. Celebrating a day early was a great way to go since I've spent Mother's Day being complimented on my fantastic dreads!

Consumerism is overrated. Love isn't...