8 More Holiday Stocking Stuffers

The design comes in Morganite or Moissanite.

So what's this talk about a shortage of Christmas gifts due to supply-chain disruptions? #1 - Gifts don't define Christmas, and the best ones don't come from a store; #2 - Store shelves are stocked, not empty; and #3 - Thoughtful gifts come at every price point from cheap to pricey.

You will find inexpensive and/or good-value-for-the-money gifts at your figure tips sold online at Walmart, Kmart, and Amazon -- 3 retailers with winning gifts that won't empty your wallet. Talk about "pay less, live better," very often Walmart lowers costs further on already reasonably priced goods to get rid of old stock ... making many buys a steal!

The following are already good-value-for-the-money items that are further reduced at Walmart, but can also be found on Amazon or Target while supplies last:

1) 2 Carat Round Cut Real Moissanite Trio Wedding Ring in Silver Dipped In 18K Rose Gold by JeenJewels - The Art Deco style rings are dainty and delicate, and yet the bands feel strong. The vendor says they are handmade, and I love the attention to detail. The set of rings have a 1.5-carat center natural Moissanite with prevè Moissanites on all 3 bands crafted in silver (which is a precious metal) and dipped in 18k rose gold. No way would I buy them for an engagement/wedding ring set, but they are beautiful as a right hand or pinky ring. The ring sets (there are several designs to select) are sold at Walmart and Kmart, as well as, on Amazon. (Also listed as JeenMata here at Walmart). It's a nice piece of low-priced fine jewelry! I recommend buying them at one of these major well-known retailers for (a) the best price, as well as, (b) reliable customer service -- since I'm unfamiliar with dealing directly with the vendor, JeenJewels.

2) Necano Portable Bluetooth Speaker With Custom Bass Radiator - You get spectacular sound ... and yet it's tiny. Weighing 6.2 ounces, it is one "pair" of powerful Bluetooth speakers -- that's right the big sound of 2 speakers in one lightweight, small body. It's easy to carry and has 6 hours of playtime. Use it to play music on your smartphone, iPad, MacBook Pro, or other audio devices with Bluetooth. Wow, I didn't know I needed this until I got it.

3) Something Borrowed 2% BHA Toner - The toner has Beta Hydroxy Acid that lightens age spots and reduces the appearance of large pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. It contains green tea extract and orange blossom water. The toner is the only product in the brand I tried, but I now want to try some others. The company makes retinol serum, vitamin C serum, and moisturizers to treat hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores, acne, and aging. Everything is created to achieve VOW skin!

4) ArtNaturals A trio of Serums - 

• Hyaluronic serum for enhanced hydration - Use day or night.
•  2.5 Retinol to fight aging with cell turnover - Use at night.
• Vitamin C serum to moisturize and brighten the skin - Use in the morning.

This is the brand I currently use. You can't beat the prices of these gift sets! Buy direct (they offer good customer service), or from Walmart.

5) Sharper Image Closet Ionic Air Purifier - Hang in your closet to ionize the air to prevent mold. I recommend monitoring the websites of Sharper Image, Amazon, and Walmart to get the best price.

6) Ipad, Tablet or Bookholder - To read in bed. Books get very heavy, and devices can drop if you fell asleep. This frees your hands and keeps your reading material from getting damaged. Again check the prices between retailers: Amazon, Walmart, as well as, Bed, Bath and Beyond as they all carry pillow bookholders.

7) Black & Decker Toaster Oven/Air fryer - Frankly professional chefs tell us if we own an oven, air fryers are not much more convenient, nor do they cook better, just differently. Yet for various reasons, there are people who want them, so if I were to get an air fryer, I'd want this multi-tasker toaster oven. It's a compact size for a kitchen counter, yet not too small. And if you stop air frying you still have a toaster oven.

8) Container Store Purse Organizer Insert -  This last item is only sold at the Container Store ... it's a good example of how I shop ... keep checking elsewhere to find it at a lower price. I missed my chance to buy it for $19.99 last year when we had a brick-and-mortar Container Store on the Upper East Side. LITTLE did I know then the store would close; and now I'm too cheap to pay an $11 shipping charge. So I'll have to wait it out until I visit a store away from home ... or this Bag:In merchant sells on Amazon or Walmart. Plus at the Container Store, it now costs $26.99 + $11 for shipping. Yikes! All I want for Christmas is this purse organizer without shipping fees!! You would think another retailer sells it that offers free shipping. Where are you?!😁

These 8 gifts go to show you how many gift options we have at our fingertips (online) or in brick and mortar stores ... every kind of store! Nobody needs to worry about not having a great gift to put under the Christmas tree 4 weeks from now ... if you try, you will find them!

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Wamart Has a Fine Selection Of Activewear

Walmart is partnered with some winning brands for basics and activewear clothing. Desperation led me to them! Considering the ongoing joke of how inappropriately some shoppers show up to shop at Walmart, you'd be surprised by the retailer's array of smart pieces at ultra-reasonable prices!

My elderly mom needs a few comfortable t-shirts and trousers to do double duty for wearing around the house, as well as, leaving home. Her fashion sense isn't up-to-par with the latest easy-to-care-for fabrics, so I'm stepping in!

Know that I have a bias against loungewear, sweats, and leggings-that-are-t00-casual. Since you can find these same functional pieces in polished styles that are also in easy-care fabrics, why not look polished around the clock? Dress once in the morning and let your dapper attire take you throughout your day, no? If you select the right style and color of leggings or casual-smart knit paints, you can dress them up or down with shoes, a lovely cardigan, a blazer, and jewelry. As much as my mom's senior years allow, I try to dress her as stylishly as I'd dress a 30-year-old woman. She doesn't want to look shabby just because she's older and her limbs are less flexible. No sweatsuits for her on my watch! She didn't wear them as a young woman.

That said, I'm pleased by the quality and price of Athletic Works socks, therefore I ordered the brand's 100% cotton knitted pants for my mamma in navy blue (in fact, they're close to black) to match her tops. If you select navy or black they look like fashionable dark trousers and not athletic pants. As you can see by the image 👆above, lighter colors look sportier exposing the trousers as activewear.

The next brand, JustBlanks, I stumbled upon as my usual suspects for t-shirts, Uniqlo and Old Navy, aren't making t-shirts in enough bright colors. What's going on here, a shortage of fabric dye? For a few years now my 2 favored retailers for cotton t-shirts have eliminated vivid blues and instead offer navy, very dark teal, beige, white, gray, and black. Since my mother and I prefer black or navy bottoms, we rely on a rich rainbow of colors in tops to liven us up so we don't look like we're going to funerals every day of the week. A beige, gray, or black t-shirt doesn't cut it paired with black pants! If not too Grim Reaper-ish, then just plain ole dull!

We love vibrant pink, blue, red, and purple. I'm puzzled by the disappearance of bright-colored t-shirts from the shelves of so many retailers for a few years already. Whoever thought Uniqlo and Old Navy would stop offering basic cotton t-shirts in at least 4 lively colors. I assumed t-shirts were their bread-and-butter items. And years of no vivid blue, a favorite color of many customers (including me) is odd, indeed. My mom likes pink which Uniqlo has, but hey, we need to mix it up and can't just wear one color over and over!

Of course, I love the excellent quality of t-shirts from Landsend and L.L.Bean too but don't want to pay $22+ for every t-shirt I buy. I like to supplement higher-caliber t-shirts with good enough cheaper t-shirts that can be mindlessly worn, machine washed, and dried. My family tends to hang dry, i.e., baby, our pricier cotton. Frankly once on your back, nobody knows the difference. The difference in cost means you can purchase brand-new t-shirts more often. At Walmart's bargain prices, the re-buys truly are a wash!😊

I found glowing colors at Walmart. The selection is also decent in quality, style, and price. Not boxy or too thin or low-quality at all! Moreover, Walmart is partnered with many different brands, and by visiting a store and/or reading item descriptions and customer reviews, you'll find your preferences whether they are for 100 cotton fabric, thick or thin material, fitted or relaxed, crewneck or v-neck, solid hues or patterns.

Hanes is one of Walmart's vendors

Ok, great! But, what's going on? Why have so many other retailers dropped bright colors in t-shirts? How you noticed the switch to muted or dark hues also? 

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Washcloths, Save or Splurge?

Walmart

Let me cut to the chase. After decades of buying washcloths, I learned to save and not splurge on this household essential. You want to splurge on big, thick, thirsty bathroom towels that can be washed time and again but save on washcloths. Here's why:

1) Washcloths, whether they are made by Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley, Walmart, or Target, get ugly really fast. Cute doesn't stay cute for long regardless of price. After you wash a washcloth twice it doesn't look new anymore. Washcloths get stained by personal care products (like vitamin C serum) and look somewhat dingy after multiple machine washes and there's little you can do about it.

Pottery Barn

2) Unlike bath towels, big thick thirsty washcloths are actually a drawback. I have 4 Pottery Barn washcloths that I hate to use for 2 reasons: (a) the color bleeds and (b) they take 2 days to dry before I can toss them into the clothes hamper. This experience turns me off of big, thick, thirsty washcloths.

3) While you don't need a ton of bath towels, you do need a ton of washcloths, one freshly laundered washcloth daily for every member of your family. A ton of Pottery Barn washcloths costs a tidy sum! Not so at Walmart or Target.

Target

4) I happen to prefer the lighter Target or Walmart washcloths to the heavier more expensive Pottery Barn ones as it's easier to swish around and buff the skin with less weight.

5) The bargain Target and Walmart washcloths are good enough, they won't soon fall apart, and you get unbeatable value for the money -- such as 6 washcloths for $5, as well as, sales like 6 washcloths for $2.40, as opposed to, $14.50 each for Pottery Barn or $25 each for Ralph Lauren as in only one!

6) With such substantial savings, you can afford to buy spanking-new washcloths more often and still come out ahead. 

Walmart

Once upon a time, I bought sets of matching bath towels and washcloths, but I no longer do since as it turns out nobody cares. In washcloths, I don't look for Egyptian threads or Turkish cotton either. Nowadays I buy big thick thirsty cotton bath towels and good enough cotton washcloths as needed. Pay the piper when it counts. 

Other tips: 

When selecting these home goods create one washer load only: Either buy all white towels and washcloths (and perhaps bedding) or go with colors and skip the whites. Why create the need to do 2 loads of laundry weekly? Simplify a repetive job by going one way or the other.

 

Don't overbuy washcloths just because they're cheap as there's never a washcloth shortage. Always buy enough not more than enough. You're welcome!😛🙂

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Rubbermaid Easy-Find-Lids Set(s) At Walmart

Plastic food containers have a way of disappearing or wearing out.  So I needed a new set. Although I would rather have glass, plastic is far more practical.  It takes up less room in a cupboard and won't break when dropped.  That's why I selected this rubbermaid set.

Walmart is offering a super deal.  2 sets: 56 pieces for $20.  Here is what you get:

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids 24-Piece Plus 4 Food Storage Set x 2 =

• (16) ½-cup containers with lids
• (8) 1 ¼-cup containers with lids
• (8) 2-cup containers with lids
• (8) 3-cup containers with lids
• (8) 5-cup containers with lids
• (8) 7-cup containers with lids

Microwave, freezer and dishwsher safe, the containers are sturdy and cleverly designed.  Despite being BPA-free, I never microwave food in plastic.  But here's a useful feature, the lids snap to each other and also to the bottom of the containers, so you are less likely to lose them.

Another fantastic deal is, you can order merchandise online from Walmart and receive free shipping.  The online-retailer will ship an order that is under $45 to a Walmart store, or to your nearest Fed Ex Office for you to pick up.  And, if your order is $45 or more, you get it shipped free to your home.  You can order toilet paper, or paper towels to make up the difference and enjoy the convenience of home delivery.  Bargains, plus convenience, make shopping online worthwhile.

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Inflation Beaters: 12 Foods You Should Always Buy At Target

Here on the Upper East Side, it's hard to dislike Target, which opened Target Express retail stores in Manhattan beginning in 2018. One Target Express opened on my block in 2021, which thrilled the entire neighborhood. Unfortunately, many New York Moms and Pops are expensive. Although we love small businesses too, we also need to buy groceries and household goods at affordable price points, and mostly Target (as well as, Walmart) delivers. When it comes to food staples, what I appreciate about these big box stores is their consistently lower prices, meaning I don't have to wait to catch a weekly supermarket sale. Staples, already at lower prices at Target than most supermarkets, sometimes also become a loss leader item for an even lower price! Indeed, Target is doing very well in my neighborhood, and the retailer hasn't raised its prices to reflect inflation.

12 Foods that are Cheaper at Target (without a sale) include:

1) One gallon of milk - $2.99

2) Large Eggs - $1.99 per dozen (on sale last week for 99 cents/dozen)

3) Peanut butter - $5.29 - 40 oz.

4) Frozen orange juice - $1.99 - 12 oz. can

5) Butter - $3.99 - 16 oz. - 4 sticks

7) Spaghetti - 99 cents - 16 oz.

8) white or brown rice - 95 cents - 16 oz

9) Semi-sweet dark or white chocolate chips - $1.99 - 12 oz

10) Tomato sauce, salsa, and canned foods are often 20 cents - 50 cents less than at supermarkets. Also, dried spices are as much as $2 - $4 less than at supermarkets.

11) Unbleached all-purpose and whole-wheat flour - always list at the supermarket loss leader sale prices - $2.49 each.

12) A box of saltine crackers - $1.69, the supermarket loss leader price.

Target so consistently offers the lowest prices on these 12 food items therefore I don't need to find a supermarket sale. I simply walk to Target to pick them up. If online prices are less than in-store, your cashier will give you the lower price if you ask for it.

Target's store brands, Good & Gather and Market Pantry are usually as tasty as the name brand.

🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛

I'm sorry Target discontinued their Oreo knockoff, it tastes 100% like Oreos. I'll have to try competitor Walmart's store brand of Oreos, which I'll show below:

Walmart's Oreo knockoff

Walmart's chocolate cookies with cream centers are half the price of Oreos also. Other Great Value food has been great ... except for saltine crackers which aren't as tasty as Target's house brand or other name brands.

Another winner is C-Town's store-brand soft Dutch Chocolate cookies (which is what Oreos are). They are without cream centers yet still delicious. Interestingly enough, we are charged $2.00 in Manhattan for the same package and quantity.

🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛 

A final Target tip: Be sure to buy milk, peanut butter, or eggs before you run out to avoid an empty shelf. It's annoying to run out and then have to wait for a shipment to arrive on key food items.

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8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend

Photo: Adobe

Through experience, you inevitably learn about skin care products like which ingredients really work, and which knockoffs, identical to their more costly name-brand counterparts, to buy.

Here's what I now use every day in my skincare routine, as well as, for my senior mother whose skin still feels baby soft. I like to pamper her with mild, good clean ingredients to keep her skin healthy and moisturized. I've reviewed the following beauty items in prior blogs, so if you wish to know why they're good for your skin click on their links for a description and list of ingredients. Today's blog will try to save you a few bucks when purchasing them:

8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend:

 

1) SheaMoisture Soap(s) - to wash with during a shower. T.J. Maxx often carries the bars at $3.99/bar.

2) Noxema Cleansing Cream - to wash my face before bed. I also use it to soothe my mom's dry skin where she needs it, such as her arms. Alternatively, I love the face washes from CeraVe and Cetaphil, as well as, their Walmart Equate knockoffs. Walmart also has a Noxema dupe only for in-store pickup. However, Noxema, the name brand, usually selling at under $5, is cheap enough.

3) Coconut Oil - I buy food-grade coconut oil often from Puritan's Pride, to use as after-bath oil to lock in moisture. The reason for the food-grade coconut oil is to simplify my life and not have to buy 2 different coconut oils. {The same applies to white vinegar for cleaning my home. I buy food-grade, not cleaning-grade white vinegar which lies in the cleaning products aisle of supermarkets. When cheap enough, reduce to one multi-tasking product you have to stock. Saves time! Looks like Puritan's Pride no longer sells what I use, so here's another good online retailer. Costs: $6 - $10 for 16 oz.

If I need extra moisturizers in the fall and winter to slatter on dry skin, I add the following to my skincare routine --

4) Equate Moisturizing Cream (a dupe for CeraVe) - Cost: $10

5) Equate Beauty Gentle Skin Cream with Long-Lasting Moisture (the dupe for Cetaphil). - Cost: $6.40. Cetaphil is a tad thicker than CeraVe. Both knockoffs are excellent, plus they work wonders in moisturizing your face, so mild, light, and absorbent that you can skip buying a separate face moisturizer.

6) Target's Up and Up or Walmart's Equate Baby Powder - We use it after bathing and I often apply a sprinkle with a makeup brush to my face to prevent a shiny complexion. Real face powder has a finer texture, than the cornstarch ingredient in baby powder, but baby powder with cornstarch is still a super substitute. Talic (a finer grain) in body power has been removed in the USA. Price: $2.99 for 22 ounces.

7) Daytime: I use Equate Beauty All Day Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion for Skin, Broad Spectrum SPF 15. (the dupe for Olay Complete Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin, SPF 15). I'll use whatever I can get, for normal or sensitive skin. You'll pay about $4

8) Nighttime: I apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair - I use the cream formula but have also tried the serum. If only buying one of these, get the cream. Cost: $16 at T.J. Maxx or $13 - $16 on eBay. $25 regular retail price.

By learning what's in skincare products, and focusing on key effective ingredients supported by science, you can find knockoffs for less. Look in health food stores, small batch-start-up companies, and drugstores that offer both name brands that go on sale, as well as, drugstore dupes to lower the costs of your everyday skincare. Toss in Equate (from Walmart) and Up and Up (Target's store brand).

We're talking about effective, clean, high-caliber skincare for less. Skincare without compromise you can afford to use 365 days of the year without going broke! You are welcome.

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Building A Cheese Platter On A Budget

Photo: teacuptea.com

Walmart has expert advice on how to build the perfect cheese platter just in time for the holidays. The retailer calls it a party platter, but I call it a cheese platter, since I think a great party platter consists of lots of cheese!

As it happens, I often begin a dinner party with a cheese platter since most eveyone loves cheese, and it's easy because no cooking is involved, lightening my load so I can enjoy my guests. Personally, I usually go with extra sharp cheddar, baby swiss and Brie, pairing them with saltine crackers, or slices of rye bread, or a bakery fresh baguette. What a delicious start! 

However, here is what the pros recommend:

Photo: NotesOnDesign.com

1) Choose 3 cheeses: One hard: such as sharp cheddar; one semi soft: like blue cheese, or Goulda; and one soft: like Brie, or goat.

Yikes, I dislike goat cheese, so not at my table, but many people love it. I like Havarti, a Danish semisoft cheese from cow's milk.

2) Next select 3 savory items to go on your platter: Nuts, olives, turkey or ham are examples.

3) Finally, choose 3 sweet food options: Fresh or died fruit works. Walmart suggests a pot of honey also, which I've never done.

Extra tips: Remember that cheese tastes best at room temperature, so set it out beforehand; and pick plain crackers that won't overpower the cheese. As mentioned, I like a combination of fresh bread and crisp crackers.

All excellent Walmart suggestions for hosting the ultimate "party" platter. (I have to remember not to serve chilled cheese.)  Another tip is to prop Post-it-notes on toothpicks with the names of the different cheeses. However, I think most people know the usual suspects of cheese so I'll skip the labels. I mean, I never take a bite of goat cheese by mistake. The thought alone makes me pucker.

Nonetheless, what an appetizing spread on a budget. Cheese, cheese, and more cheese! For a crowd, I like leaving the platter out for the duration of the party. 

Perfect nibbles before and after dinner washed down with some mightly fine wine!

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Let's Plan A Wine Party

Photo: Testing Room Wine Potomac

If you don't have the time to put together a full dinner party, try hosting a simple wine party.

According to experts at Walmart, serve 1/2 bottle of wine per person. As an example, for 10 people set out 3 bottles of red (such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignan, Pinot Noir, Gamay) and 2 bottles of white (like Chardonnay, Champagne, Riesling, Moscato). Rosé is made from white wine grapes.

It is suggested that the red be chilled for 15 minutes and the white for one hour. A confession: I like my red wine chilled and tend to keep it in the refrigerator, but for guests I chill it the proper way. If I'm at your party, you may see me slip an ice cube into my glass of red wine.

When I buy wine, I always ask the wine seller to help me select red wines low on tannin. Tannin comes from the skins, seeds and stems of red grapes. Although it gives red wine its health benefits, tannin can taste dry and astringent without a nice juicy steak to balance the sharpness. If guests sip wine without heavy food, a red wine low in tannins is often more palatable.

I like to set out a cheese platter to nosh as people drink the wine, and I often serve a pot of homemade hot soup also. (What can I say, I'd rather eat then drink.) With soup, guests can grab a mug and spoon to serve themselves.

Walmart says, serve light food (like mild cheese, fruit, nuts) with white wine and

rich food (such as robust cheese, ham, sausage) with red. Although Brie is a mild cheese and extra sharp cheddar is robust, they both taste sensational paired with either red or white wine, in my opinion. So there is no need to split hairs, delicious nibbles will always be a hit!

Hosting a wine party is a classy idea without the stress of a full dinner. Most of the work is done in advance, letting you spend time catching up with your guests.

My take away tip from Walmart is the amount of alcohol to serve. One-half bottle per person is a good rule of thumb. That's 2 glasses for each guest. I might add two extra bottles of wine per ten people. Because: What if someone went over his drinking allotment?

Photo: henryhearld.com 

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