On Halloween Night Heads Will Roll

.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖🕸️🕷.𖥔 ݁ ˖.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆

Standing in lines, dressed to the nines, a Spooky Halloween Party begins.🎃

Oh, do come in to stay till the end.👻

Walk with me; there’s plenty to see.👀

Like off with their heads, chillin' and dancing till dead!⚰️

The heads will roll, taking their toll.☠️

Catch the blood, sweat, and tears, and missing some ears🩸

What a spirited fight, all day and all night.🌃

Quenching an evil thirst ... every October 31st.🧛‍♂️

When the undead meet the living, it’s all very riveting!🧟‍♀️

Undoubtedly, Gotham is the place to be.🐈‍⬛

To ease any fear, party helpers will stand near.👺

For humans and demons alike, it promises to be a fang-tastic Fright Night!🐺🌕🐾

Attendees will firmly agree; it's an eerie party with a ghoulish motley.😱

Enjoy every spine-tingling scene. 🔪

  

          For a Happy Haunted Howl-o-ween!

.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖🕸️🕷.𖥔 ݁ ˖.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆

All photos were taken by me on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, except for 4 nighttime jack-o'-lantern images. Clicking on those 4 images will take to their sources.

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A Second Chance To Buy Preminium Labels At Macy’s And Walmart

Did you know that Macy’s, Walmart, and Target have all expanded their digital storefronts to include recognizable name brands and premium contemporary labels? When you see the offerings, pay close attention to the seller listed, as it is done under different arrangements. Lands’ End and COACH sell directly via their own storefronts hosted by Walmart.com. Plus, these famous brands may come from pre-owned or 3rd-party marketplace sellers. Personally, I prefer buying articles sold directly by the well-known retailers: Walmart, Macy’s, Target, or by the original brands’ storefronts, not a 3rd-party seller, although Walmart will make good a sale gone wrong from all 3rd-party sellers. So you’ll still have 30 days to return damaged items, or if you change your mind. Usually if Walmart is the seller, customers have 90 days for returns. THE SAVVY SHOPPER urges all customers to be mindful and fair with returns, so companies will continue to have liberal return policies. With abuse, merchants start charging for returns so the cost of returns doesn’t eat into profits. Buyers, please show your appreciation with mindfulness when ordering. Order items you aim to keep.

I’m featuring a Lands’ End dress I bought in 2 colors for my senior mother earlier this year directly from Lands’ End that I now see offered on Macy’s and Walmart’s websites. We love the quality and cuteness of this Lands’ End Jersey Cotton Tiered Mini Dress. It’s not mini but hits right above the knee! Made of thick cotton, it’s the perfect Indian summer dress to transition into cooler temperatures! 

If Lands’ End sells out of your size or color, you now have a 2nd chance to grab the dress at Macy’s or Walmart online! Sometimes for a reduced price, sometimes not, but when customers regret not pulling the trigger at the time a piece launches, or they buy one, love it, and desire another color, they get a 2nd chance to buy it! Next time your size sells out, check to see if the retailer has a storefront at Macy’s, Walmart, or Target! I suspect the arrangement is a way for retailers to sell end-of-season stock, so it's a win-win for both merchants and their customers!

Personally, I refuse to pay the big markups pre-loved or opportunistic 3rd-party sellers ask for used bags. I’m thinking of YOU, random sellers of the discontinued COACH original Cassie 10” by 6” by 3” leather bag that I covet! Manufacturers, such as COACH, with storefronts on Walmart.com  sell only new items sans markups; however, when the season's stock is gone, it’s gone! Poof!

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Dr. Silkman's: The Smallest Retailer In Manhattan

Since 2003, Dr. Silkman's has manufactured and sold its soap, body lotions, and beard oils, made using local, clean ingredients at the Bryant Park and Union Square Holiday Markets, as well as on its own website. Finally in 2024, the botanical beauty retailer opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in a tiny 50-square-foot SoHo space that was originally an alley, turned tobacco shop, turned pizza shop. It has gotten press as the tiniest store in New York City. 

In Manhattan, residential and commercial rents are not cheap, so opening the store is a big achievement! It’s so cute, quirky, and full of the spirit of New York; Manhattanites and tourists alike should visit SoHo just to set foot inside this tiny shop to support a local, industrious, small business.

I wondered what prompted the creation of beard oil + care and got my answer when I saw that founder Zack Alper sports a beard. In 2003, he also pioneered the brand’s signature Body Lotion Candle. The shopkeepers encourage customers to sample its Body Lotion Candle while inside the store. Heat at body temperature melts the wax so it won’t burn your finger.

Dr. Silkman’s small-batch soap (large 5 oz bars), lip balm, bath, and body care and beard care are 100% homemade in New York and are relatively affordable. Its premium soap comes packaged in an exfoliating muslin wrap that doubles as a washcloth. The soap is made with organic olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil bases. Its beard and shave care products contain argan oil. The Body Lotion Candles are made with nourishing shea butter, avocado oil, and beeswax.

An old photo the merchant found of his grandfather inspired the brand’s packaging. 

THE SAVVY SHOPPER senses that Dr. Silkman’s skincare products are made from the heart, and customers get quality ingredients plus a little extra value for their money. The store is located at 401 West Broadway. From November through December, Dr. Silkman’s will once again sell at the Bryant Park and Union Square Holiday Markets. Come on down, readers! 

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About CleverMade’s Haulkin-Like Tote

CleverMade

Can’t fit a metal cart into your space? In 2023, I reviewed the $110 rolling Hulken Sack. Three years later, I'm seeing more and more of them on Manhattan streets hauling groceries. They’re popular with New York shoppers who live in small apartments.

But now for $32 (or less at Walmart), customers can buy a comparable tote made by CleverMade that is well worth the savings! It’s a fraction bigger than the medium-sized Hulken and is available in shiny silver, yellow gold, rose gold, and black. Initially, I preferred the silver, then switched to the shiny black because I think it will show less dirt and wear.

	CleverMade	Hulken (medium)
Open dimensions	18”L x 14”W x 24”H	16”L x 12”W x 22"H
Folded height	5"	4 "
Bag weight	4.1 lbs	3 lbs
Weight capacity	75 lbs	66 lbs

Customers who have both bags split hairs over the differences in size but mention liking the CleverMade caddy's snap-collapsible poles, giving it more structure to stay open and making it easier to load than the Haulken bag. CleverMade is designed with an extra exterior compartment also. Both have a zipper-closed top, 3 handles, and wheels made of steel, but surprisingly to some users of both, the CleverMade rolls smoother on concrete and uphill compared to the Hulken.

There’s no way of knowing without testing both which brand is the most durable, but at less than 1/3 of Hulken’s price, you could buy the rolling CleverMade Tote 3 times and still break even. I think it's quite telling that owners of both brands don’t have an outright preference for the Haulken, yet seem to be 

neutral.

So what would I do? The Haulken folds down to 4 inches compared to the slightly bigger CleverMade Sack’s 5 inches. If the 1" difference in height is irrelevant because a buyer has the storage space, I’d buy the $32-or-less CleverMade. Only if I needed Hulken’s additional compactness would I very reluctantly consider paying 3 times more! It’s one of the times when customers can save by selecting good enough over the higher-priced tote, an option they didn’t have 3 years ago.

Savvy Shoppers always compare to know whether to save or splurge! When quality matters: splurge. When nearly the same: save.

Extra tip: 

A neighbor gave me a rolling tote exactly like the Temu one below that is made of substantial nylon and is even more compact than both the Haulken and the CleverMade rolling totes. Although CleverMade is still my 1st choice, I’d recommend the Temu rolling tote if you need greater compactness due to a chronic lack of city storage. It doesn’t have the structure of the CleverMade (or Haulken), but it is sufficiently well-made and relatively large when unfolded, at a far lower price. Strong enough for wheeling groceries on concrete, and due to its unstructured nylon fabric, it folds down to stow away in the most challenging of tiny spaces. As you can see below, you can expand it to 3 different capacities. If using it for travel, it has a flap to slide over the handle of a rolling suitcase. The wheels of the Temu bag are also detachable. They slide off so you can clean them in soapy water sometimes. 

All 3 brands of rolling totes look stylish LIVE in front of your face! My neighbor gave me the Temu tote in a bluish-grey color that is more grey than blue. For the price she paid, I love it!

Temu rolling totes here

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Harper & Wells Boston For Simple Elegant Style

Harper & Wells of Boston offers great style and quality at a great price. The pieces are well-made and durable. With clean lines, soft fabrics, and thoughtful details, they’re comfortable, elegant, and versatile, so you’ll reach for them again and again. The brand defines quiet luxury, with nothing designed in excess.

The clothes, shoes, and accessories are made for both men and women, and the prices start at a good value for the money, even before the retailer offers seasonal reductions of up to 80%, a combination always near and dear to THE SAVVY SHOPPER’S heart! This constitutes a great find!

Wow, don't these casual smart pieces look ultra upscale? Let’s describe them as preppy marries pizzazz and has an offspring they name polished! What I love is the cozy yet never sloppy vibe of every Harper & Wells piece.

So let’s feature more of these timeless pieces, shall we? I bet readers can’t pick out one they dislike!

IMHO, customers could wear these effortless and refined clothes whether they are a college student or a senior citizen because the style is so classic ... i.e., timeless, fitted, with flattering details at prices that won’t break the bank! 

Did you know of Harper & Wells of Boston before reading about it here?

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Bistex Launches New Intense Lip Moisturizers With Color

Blixtex is no longer just a pot of petroleum jelly. Its lip moisture line now includes lip color and lip liner, 2 worthy additions. They contain ceramides to repair the skin barrier and vitamin E to smooth dry lips  -- the claim is for 24 hours of all-day moisture. Although I think Blistex makes superior lip moisturizing products, I've never used any brand that moisturizes lips (or skin) for 24 hours without reapplying it throughout the day. I suspect the same is true here. But ceramides do the most to moisturize the skin and last longer than other ingredients.

Products less moisturizing than Bistex include ChapStick and Burt’s Bees, which can be stiff and waxy instead of treating and melting into your dry lips. Maybelline’s Baby Lips melts into your lips without really treating or smoothing the dryness, and its degrees of pink hues bleed. That said, I'd use these 3 lip moisturizers over using nothing at all in winter.

Another excellent product to treat winter dry lips is a tried-and-true jar of petroleum jelly. It's super cheap and lasts forever. I wouldn’t spend the money on the minuscule jars of Vaseline colored petroleum jelly. The tiny pots cost more per oz than a 13 oz size that will last for years, and I’d rather carry a cylinder lip balm in a purse than a tiny jar of Vaseline. To boot, the pink color has no staying power.

The Blixtex lip colors let you moisturize your lips without having to apply lipstick under petroleum jelly, which smears. So if you must look polished on the job, Blixtex’s lip color moisturizers might be the answer to add a little lip definition as you moisturize your lips.

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Ceiling Light and Fan

In my Manhattan apartment, there is a convenience I lack that I wish the builder had installed. I don’t have a ceiling light fixture in the center of my living room. The reason is unknown. Was the builder trying to lower expenses? Or was it thought unnecessary in apartments constructed in the 1970s with lower ceilings? Who knows in 2026. I lean towards saving costs.

To light my living room, I have 3 floor lamps, but I still wish I could turn on the overhead light right smack in the middle of my living room from my missing phantom ceiling light fixture! It also means I can’t benefit from installing a ceiling fan in the center of my living room, which I’d love to do to reduce the need of using my air conditioner. Outside of July and August when humdity can be oppressive, I like the feel of a fan’s gentle cool breeze over the artificial coldness of an air conditioner.

My ideal ceiling fan is a modern low-profile bladeless fan like the ceiling fan from Humold. That said, builders and electricians say older blade ceiling fans work better than the newer bladeless ones, which should be verified if you cool a big space.

Made flimsy now

To compensate, I have 3 floor lamps and 4 fans. Two of my 4 fans look like space helmets and are bladeless. I reviewed them in a prior blog which I’ll link below. My 3rd fan is a tower fan, and the 4th is a floor box fan I nearly gave away until I discovered its usefulness in finishing drying garments that come out of the dryer damp. Plus, it blows air into the kitchen when I turn on the oven in August. So it stays. I  suggest you buy box fans in black as dust and dirt is visible. Hard to clean without a private backyard and garden hose. 

Hmm, this poses the question: Do ceiling fans need cleaning? Yes! Even though newer models feature sleek aerodynamics, DC motors, and sealed components, dust, pollen, pet dander, and household grease still accumulate on the blades and motor housing, and so need cleaning every 2 - 3 months. Oh!

Nonetheless, I continue to pine for a ceiling fan.

Comment if you use ceiling fans, or if you have found alternatives to installing one.

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