Consuming and the American Dream?

I unfortunately suffer from the more-than-occasional migraine.  It’s a family trait, passed down to my brother and me from my father.  I get them most frequently from stress, especially during the approaching exam season.  I started getting them when I was in eighth grade and they can be more than debilitating; they can actually make me physically ill from intense nausea.  My dad, brother, and I settled for sleeping them off in a dark room, but it was much more difficult to deal with when they last for several days (which they sometimes do).  Tylenol and Ibuprofen would only dull the pain, not eliminate it and we didn’t want to get in the habit of taking too much of them every time we had a migraine.  We did research and my mom realized that caffeine and a massage were good ways to help get rid of the migraine quicker.  However, I wanted more than just tylenol, coffee and a neck rub and I decided to try Excedrin.  The Excedrin brand has several different types, and I found the “migraine” pill to be extremely helpful in eliminating my migraine completely within several hours.  However, most of my migraines I realized began when I had extreme pressure and cramping in my neck, which would spread.  That’s when I tried Excedrin Tension Headache.  The addition of acetaminophen and caffeine targeted my muscles in my neck as well as my head, with extra relief.  I totally recommend it to anyone who suffers from the kind of migraines I do…it truly is a miracle drug!

Febreze Air Effects eliminate odors and freshen the air. They are offered in three different kinds of effectiveness; everyday freshness, extra strength, and pet odor eliminator. There are numerous scents to choose from, but my all time favorite is Powder and Pamper. Powder and Pamper has scents of vanilla and jasmine. The smell is very clean and refreshing.  When you smell a problem in your home Febreze Air Effects is very helpful. All you have to do is spray the air throughout the entire room and before you know it the odors are eliminated and the room is refreshed. They are very useful in the bathroom, kitchen, or any other rooms throughout your home. The Frebreze Air Effects are also being offered in seasonal scents for the holidays. These scents include fresh evergreen and snow, vanilla and baking, winter evening and warmth.  Frebreze also offers other products such as fabric refresher, noticeable, candles, scentstories, and laundry odor eliminators. You can purchase this product at any grocery store or even online. Coupons for Frebreze air Effects are offered online.  The 9.7 ounce can runs about $3.29 which is a pretty reasonable price because the product lasts a long time. Even though I love the Powder and Pamper scent I am going to try the limited edition holiday scents.

Who wouldn’t want a Wii? The Wii is what I am asking for Christmas it costs $249.99 and includes Wii sports along with two remotes. The reason why I am asking for this gaming device is because it is not only fun but it is family friendly as well (as the pictures shows grandma can bowl, so can you). Wii is the biggest demand gaming system right now. I have found out the hard way; checking Wal-Mart weekly and they sell out of them usually in a day. The Wii uses sensors to catch your movements and from there it relays it to the system. It is fairly easy to learn to play, for baseball you act your going to throw the remote to pitch and to hit you act like your going to actually hit.  So, hopefully when christmas rolls around I will have a Wii under the tree.

CRISTAL!  Cristal is a fancy and well-known champagne.  The price of Cristal starts off at $350 and only goes up depending on the size of the bottle and the year that is was released.  You are able to buy this product online, at stores like Total Wine, and at clubs where you are able to get bottles throughout the night.  Some important words from the retailer are “Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink responsibly.”  The reason that I posted this product is because I want to get crazy like the celebrities do and I recommend if you want to hang out with the “cool crowd“, you need to pop Cristal bottles.

For me nothing beats finding a good book.  Reading is one of my favorite things to do and when you find a book that you never want to put down it is like finding gold.  Reading lets you escape from stressful reality.

A recent book I have read is House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III.  After viewing the movie with the same title, I was really interested in reading the book.  This book came into my hands in a very interesting way.  Back home I work at a bagel shop and over the summer it was purchased by new owners.  When these new owners were cleaning they discovered some old books and were just going to donate them to the Salvation Army.  I was curious so I started looking through the books.  There were bibles, books about loving god, and more religion based books but then there it was beneath the pile.  I could not believe it, I had forgotten about the house of sand and fog and I was so excited and ran to my ask my boss if I could keep it.  My boss of course said yes and I was so happy.

For those that do not know what this story is about I will give a brief description.  I women named Kathy is wrongly evicted from her home that belonged to her father.  General Behrani purchases the house but Kathy does not agree with this and wants her home back.  Kathy fights with lawyers and the police to obtain the house that rightfully belongs to her.  Kathy is living out of a motel and then when she runs out of money she begins living out of her car.  Kathy is determined to get her home back and it leads to a destructible relationship with Behrani.  Behrani is a proud man who was a very prominent, wealthy general in the Irani Air Force but now in the US he can not get any decent job and is stuck working jobs he highly dislikes. He will not give up his house.  The fight for the house leads to fights, murders, and suicides.  It is an intense, emotional story that will rip at your heart.  It is so good that Oprah herself made it a part of her book club. Also, I highly recommend watching the movie.  It is an amazing movie that does the book justice and will have a big impact on you.

I did not purchase this book myself but you can find it at Barnes & Noble for $14.95 or for $10.17 at Target. You can also purchase the movie at Best Buy for $9.99.

There are many books that I would highly recomend and the House of Sand and Fog is definitely on that list.  If you just finished reading your book of the month than go out and purchase this fantastic book. You will not be let down.

Also here is the trailer for the movie: (also highly recomend watching the film)

House of Sand and Fog

So, this is the last Shopping Blog and I am actually very sad about it. Since the Holiday Season is pretty much here, I figure I will go along with American Commecialism and start helping people with gift ideas. The Personalized Gingerbread House is on the top 20 gifts on the Williams-Sonoma website.The Personalized GIngerbread House is a quaint gingerbread house. The all-natural traditional gingerbread is festooned with royal icing and old-fashioned candies like gumdrops and cinnamon sticks. And since all the fine details are applied by hand, no two homes are quite alike. For a sweet finishing touch, Williams-Sonoma will personalize it with a name of up to eight letters on a plaque above the door. The house is 8 3/4″ x 11″ x 9″ high. A Williams-Sonoma exclusive for only $56.00.

There is specific shipping when ordering the Personalized Gingerbread House, it cannot be gift wrapped and to ensure freshness, perishable items are shipped overnight from the supplier, and are not eligible for rush shipping. Please allow up to one week for delivery. So if you are looking to send an original gift to someone for the holidays, consider the Gingerbread house or go on Williams-Sonoma.com for other great gift ideas!

The morning after Barack Obama claimed the presidency of the United States, at 10a.m., I went to the local Borders to find a copy of that day’s New York Times. Unfortunately, I could not find a New York Times or a Washington Post or any daily newspaper. They were all sold out. A stranger drove up to me and told me that he had driven around to all the local stores and that they were all sold out too.

A few days later I bought a commemorative copy of the Washington Post at the local Shoppers Warehouse for a $1.50. Recently, the Washington Post was selling their commemorative copy of the November 5 issue online for $9.95. You can also bid on copies of different national newspapers on eBay. The day after the election there were rumors of copies of the New York Times selling for $250 online.

As the decline of the newspaper industry worsens, the rush for the Obama Election Newspaper points the importance of print medium. People wanted a memento to remember this historical day and to show others in the future that they were around when it happened.

I had to save the best for last. This is truly my most prized possession. My Dean Exotica FM is an electric acoustic is made up of Flame Maple in cherry red. Her name is Dinah (Dine-a) like Alice’s cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. She boasts a rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl inlay and an internal tuner. With such amazing features you may think that she would cost at least $1000…but no…she is truly affordable, she only costs $572.50, trust me this is a bargain. You can buy a Dean online at site like Musicians Friend but I really do not suggest this. A guitar is like a pair of shoes…you have to try it on to truly know how it fits. What seems like kismet to one player may be awful and awkward to another. I got my guitar at a shop in Gainesville, VA called Classic Axe. I would rather patron a privately owned music shop than a Guitar Center or a Sam Ash…just out of principle. When you choose your instrument it is like falling in love…I have had experiences at the above mentioned store where the guitars were terribly out of tune, the customer service was lacking, or even heaven forbid, I wasn’t even allowed to try the instrument out…which is totally ridiculous.

This is Dinah…isn’t she beautiful?

The Dean Guitar company was founded by Dean Zelinsky in Tampa Florida in 1976. The Dean is a guitars player guitar, meaning that is has the same types of features as its fancy counterparts such as Gibson and Martin but its sleak style and quick action sets it apart from the rest. Any serious guitar player or guitar shop owner will stand behind their Dean’s whole heartedly. Many professional musicians argue that the Dean is the best guitar in the business. Rockstars including Trent Reznor, Sammy Hagar and the late Randy Rhodes used the Dean as their primary instrument. Even the late Dimebag Darrell from Pantera fame helped design many of the electric models. It is durable with an amazing sound quality that can match any Gibson or Martin.

Going home for Thanksgiving? I am. And living 6 hours away from home has forced me to think about my travels back and forth. How to pack, what to pack, modes of transportation… and even how packing relates to my mode of transportation. At most airports, you have to pay if you’re checking more than one bag (unfortunately). So that means- pack responsibly! But, who really wants to carry around a huge, bulky suitcase, especially if it’s just for Thanksgiving break. Less-than-a-week trips do not call for huge rolling boxes. Thus, the large duffel bag from Vera Bradley. My sister got one as a gift and I’ve stolen it from her countless times over the past couple of years. This summer, I got one myself to take to school with me, and it has been a godsend. It’s incredibly roomy and perfect for trips that are up to 4-5 days long.

Normally, these bags, at retail price, run at about $80.00. But, if you get a “retired color”, it lowers the cost considerably. The above pattern is called Botanica and is $48.00. I have yet to find a bag that can hold as much clothing as this one can and not feel so heavy. Because it is a Vera Bradley, it’s obviously a “carpet bag”, but the material is extremely durable (and soft). Of course, there are side pockets which just boost the duffel’s practicality. You can get this bag, or any Vera Bradley luggage online and pretty much anywhere Vera Bradley is sold. For me, the price was reasonable, especially since luggage in itself is terribly expensive anyway. This bag is sure to safely hold all of your belongings, with room to spare- definitely won’t disappoint!

   On Friday, after looking through the fridge and cabinets, my roomie and I decided we needed to go to the grocery store. So after classes we walked (in the cold, mind you) to Giant to get some goodies. On my mind were snacks I should buy for the 9 hour train ride I’ll have on Wednesday, so I went through every aisle, not sure exactly what I wanted. I grabbed some snacks and a large bottle of water. But when I got to the frozen food section, I decided I really had a craving for ice cream.

        Once near the ice cream, I had to make a decision on the size of the container, because the freezer in my room is only so big. So my roomie and I picked out a pint each of Ben and Jerry’s. This is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted and I only buy it occasionally. I paid $3.50, which is a lot for just a pint, but this was actually a sale price. I’ve seen grocery stores that sell Ben and Jerry’s for almost $7.00 a pint. I was just grateful they had my favorite flavor, chocolate fudge brownie. It has actual brownie inside! And although it was below freezing when my roomie and I got back to our dorm room, I insisted on having some Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.