len_mullen

I refuse to respond to this until you post a link to the announcement. What are you new here?

I'm not sure what will be missing. So far, none. I don't mind stores being closed on Thanksgiving. I don't mind not standing in line in the wee hours. I'm hoping that consumers return to retail for the entirety of the Christmas shopping season. My biggest concern is that this forum will slump badly absent the ads and deal discussion. I will miss the anticipation and excitement of the ad arrivals -- and occasional cease and desist. If you guys keep the forums busy, I can deal with a little less anticipation and excitement. (A tee shirt and a gift card would be very exciting.)

I bought a set this weekend. It has a tempered glass top. That's really what I was looking for. The wooden table top I have now is vulnerable to moisture rings, sharp objects, and ... well ... just about everything. Thanks for thinking of me.

Struggling to understand why you would preclude posts to the prize club thread. Doing so makes it even harder to maintain interest in that thread beyond, "in for September."

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, to assist me in choosing a new table for my kitchen. I have a table in my kitchen. It has a wooden eating surface. Wet or cold drinks leave rings on the table. It never feels clean to me. It's gotta go. The existing table has to go by 10/24. I'm looking for a table that cleans easily is resistant to human beings, and seats six comfortably.

When I moved into my home, we had Ames, Bradlees, and Service Merchandise. Ames became Walmart, Bradlees became Kohls, and Service Merchandise became...Staples...I think. Like everyone else in the world, I shopped Walmart. Never went into Kohls. Then one day I had to use a rest room and ducked into Kohls. Nicest public restroom I ever used. No kidding. On the way out, I walked around the store. Lots of nice stuff. We got their cards, started working their promotions, and have all but stopped shopping Walmart. If I am not in a hurry, I can usually beat Amazon and Walmart on price and returns are very easy.

Interesting development. Simon vs Walmart vs Amazon?

I don't think Home Depot starts the domino effect. They do not have much of an event anyway. It'll be interesting to see if Ace Hardware and Lowes follow suit. I think that is how it goes -- sector by sector.

Take the glasses off!

already working on my haikus.

It is. And healthy -- in moderation. When my kid went to the BSA National Jamboree, they got 'scout bucks' for participating in activities. Some genius showed up with a tractor trailer full of jerky which could be purchased with those points. On the ride home he regaled me with tales of beef jerky. (Better than chew or snuff, right?) I was surprised to learn this jerky could cost from $20 to more than $100 per pound and decided to do some research. What I found is that off the shelf jerky is not very healthy. We had a fruit dryer, so I bought a roast, made a marinade, and dried out some thinly sliced beef soaked in the marinade. It was great. Now, I have a deli slicer and a nine tray dehydrator and dozens of recipes. I also make raisins and dried mushrooms. Have fun!

Your niece would LOVE the fart machine. I don't care who you are, farts are funny.

I hear you. All good stuff. Still pretty happy with the existing program and even happier with 5% cash back. Generally coincides with the other discounts but out of sync with rewards. That's OK with me because rewards are deducted before discounts are applied, so you are better off using rewards on k-cups or some non-qualifying item separate from the discounts. Also, pick up at the store and get $5 rewards.

79f right now with sunny skies. Tonight it will drop to 61f. Tough to beat. Primary day (except presidential) in my town today. All the 'public servants' who have been hiding in their basements since March were on hand. Apparently, ballots counting and trash pickup are the only essential services in Danville New Hampshire. (Actually, they do not get paid for elections if they do not show up.) The woman in front of me had a little girl with her. I always took my kids to vote with me -- just as my father always took me. We used to vote at the school. It was set up the day before and we held a mock election. Great civics lesson. My first real vote, I knew exactly how things worked. The keeper of the checklist knew me by name and asked about my siblings. She was the town historian and my second grade teacher. Things are different today. With the World Wide Web, we know a LOT about the people on the ballot. End up not liking most of them ;-) Nine trays of banana slices in the dehydrator. No salt, no sugar, no preservatives. D@mn near free (if you ignore my time). I have six pounds of beef jerky queued up -- Honey Jalapeno, Ghost Pepper, and Habanero Orange Beef. The Ghost Pepper is based on a comment in a jerky forum... 1 lb Round Eye cut 1/8th cross grain1/3 Cup Soy Sauce1/3 Cup Worcestershire1 tbs Onion Powder’1 tbs Garlic Powder1 tsp Smoked Paprika1 tbs Honey2 Whole Ghost Peppers After that, Sweet Heat Sriracha Jerky -- except with chicken breast. I just polished off a gallon of soy sauce -- never thought that would happen. In the meantime, banana bread and breakfast casserole are in the oven. Time for a walk. I cannot wait to be retired! (845 days)

Tara, Kohls offers free shipping with a well promoted code nearly every month. Tradition says it's imminent and will probably be SEPMVCFREE. Ditto for 30% off with Kohls card. Just have to pay attention in the deal discussion forums. Lately, they give you $5 in rewards if you pick up your stuff. I guess the $5 in Rewards that arrived unexpectedly last week is the new 5% back in rewards. Happy shopping!

I like shirts.

What could be better than that?

Same here. Like to select my produce and meats. Check the sell by dates on everything fresh. Sticking with B&M until they take my license away.

Like you were one of my kids, I guess? Here's a deal for you... https://www.bestbuy.com/site/amazon-echo-show-2nd-gen-smart-speaker-with-alexa-and-built-in-smart-home-hub-charcoal/6292547.p?skuId=6292547 Add the 10" Echo Show to your cart for $179.99 and a 5" Show and a smart LED bulb are added for free. This is the very best Echo Show. Bigger screen, better speakers, great mic array, and a built in Zigbee smart home hub. I have had a Show 10 on my kitchen counter for most of a year. While I'm planning and cooking meals, I direct Alexa to add ingredients to my shopping list. I ask her for recipes for whatever I am in the mood for or whatever leftover I want to make great again. I might ask her how much a bell pepper weighs (because I dice and freeze mine when they are on sale and recipes often call for one medium bell pepper, etc.). And I set timers -- "Alexa set a fourteen minute timer for ribeye", "Alexa set an eight minute timer for lobster." When I make jerky, I set eight jerky timers to remind me to change the temperature or rotate the trays. You can name the timers. Names come in handy if you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner at the same time you are making jerky, "Your turkey timer is done." I can check or cancel a timer or alarm from any Echo device. This time of year, I like to cook outside. The Echo Show's AC networking allows me to take radio, television, and the world wide web with me. I have one on my desk at work. I enjoy the slide show of my family and listen to the radio. I have a lot of smart devices in my home -- especially lights and especially in the kitchen. I don't leave lights on at night. I simply direct Alexa to "Turn on sink" or "Turn on Kitchen" (Kitchen is all the lights I use in the kitchen). This comes in handy when you are up to your elbows in dishes and the sun decides to set. It comes in handy when you need a midnight snack too. Most of the time, Alexa is entertaining me. I have a collection of photos playing as my background. The Echo Show 10 is an excellent digital frame. I listen to radio stations -- music, talk radio. Alexa keeps track of my favorites. When I select a radio station or album on one Show, the rest of my Echos add it to their 'recent' lists. Very handy. I have a Recast, so I can stream Free TV to my Shows. I can also watch Pluto in a browser. Or Prime. I have an electric fireplace insert that looks really great, but it doesn't make any sound. I have a first gen Show tucked behind the insert. When I run the fireplace, I direct Alexa to play fireplace sounds and to turn off the display. Everyone is fooled except the electric company. I have a Show 10 in my bedroom. I bought the Show 8 to replace this so I can slide a cover over the camera when I want privacy, but college boy has already let me know his privacy is more important than mine and he will be taking the 8 back to school. The Show 5 and Show 8 have mechanical shutters for the camera. Sometimes I work from home. The Show is great for voice calls. Mute button right on top. It's great background noise (TV/Radio) when I am 'mostly' working. I set an alarm to get me up 'weekdays'. I left a first gen Show at my mother's house. I have it configured so I can 'drop in' if she does not answer the call. I have an Echo Connect installed, so every device offers to pick up when my phone rings. A pair of Echo Shows would make a great, secure baby monitor that can be monitored from your smart phone. I put a first gen Show in my dog's pen. Initially I put it in there so I could drop in on him when the automatic feeder rotates to make sure it was working as expected and to see how he was reacting to it. (After a short time, he stood over the feeder and barked when it was time to eat. He was alone all day and I could drop in on him. Not sure what he thought of it, but he would get out of bed and bark back at me, so... Because you can interact with the ecosystem using a phone app, shopping list, calendar, and contacts are in your pocket and you can drop in on any Show from anywhere as long as I have Alexa installed on your smart phone. With Prime Days just around the corner (I guess), I brought one of each model of the Show into work. It was like a carnival. One guy googled things to ask Alexa. (If you have one, say, "Alexa, I am your father." We discovered trivia games, math quizzes, and a thousand different ways to interact with Alexa. If your kid asks Alexa how to spell words, he will LEARN how to spell words. Same for math facts. Imagine a generation of kids who can actually make change? Amazon offers exclusive deals via the Echo devices. I protect the buying function with a PIN since Alexa makes it VERY easy to buy stuff from Amazon. Communication is an improvement opportunity. Sure, you can call people or drop in on other Echos, but we are talking about 1x1 communication. Everyone else is doing 1xM or MxM. Amazon ought to work on a 'party line' feature that would let the family get together. Rumor has it you can Skype with the Shows, but I have not been able to (minimal effort on my part) I have not seen evidence anyone has gotten group calls working on the Shows. (If anyone knows better, please reply to this note.) The browsers are not great. After a period of inactivity (because you are reading a recipe, for instance), the Show reverts to the home screen. Best accessories for the Echo Show are 1) smart phone, 2) Recast, and 3) Connect. Your smart phone is just a portable, cellular, battery powered, very tiny Echo Show. The Recast lets you watch free TV on your Shows. The Connect turns every Echo device into a landline. So, hop on over to BestBuy.com and buy yourself an early Christmas present. Put the 10" Show in your kitchen and the Echo 5 in the kids' room or your bedroom or the Man Cave and install the light over your sink. Think of me when you do dishes.

Walmart only knows what the best toys in China are. Here are some great, timeless toys... SNAP circuits: Lego (Classic): Colorforms: Cozy Coupe (great for kids learning to walk): https://youtu.be/uxmzNCo8kGs Krazy Kar: Dome Playset: Operation: https://youtu.be/mKUQEn35IdE Twister: Fart Machine: Red Rider BB Gun: https://youtu.be/VvpzrbtOTK8 Mr. Potato Head: https://youtu.be/ekYmdmgPhWU Easy Bake Oven: https://youtu.be/_5mHBKHHiqA Brio Trains: https://youtu.be/fW2P3W3iRTE Spring Ride On Horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woFXBTVjf9Q Hippity Hop: https://youtu.be/xvIHevSeMDs Sand Box Digger: https://youtu.be/WQ2JbycS01o Play-Doh Fun Factory: https://youtu.be/ACGTf8i2pQc Marx Shooting Gallery: https://youtu.be/Q-FK5T-5NDI Electric Ride On Car: https://youtu.be/lhk7RChrF0E Sorry: https://youtu.be/uMdylyrST6w Bicycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsQa87WYRfQ

http://quotesideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/31643-Hello-September1.jpg September 1st. Traditionally, this is the first day of my Christmas season. Making my list, checking it twice, and all that. This is when I start paying attention to the Black Friday forums. The list is shorter this year. I no longer have any idea what my kids want. I'm going to dial the way back machine to 1980. Ten years before the World Wide Web. Fourteen years before Amazon. http://www.npointercos.jp/images/Moscow2009ssIMG_5428.jpg This year, I'm going to venture into malls and look for really awesome things I may never have considered. I'm going to eat out... and snack on the run. Anyone care to join me?

I expect to be out in November and December. I'm OK with no BF lines in the wee hours.

Black Friday is the day retailers go from being in the red to being profitable. The name won't change (the date may). I would like to go back to Christmas Shopping Season if it is OK with everyone else... http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2013/11/23/11364869/1.jpg

It looks to me like they toss the boxes off the truck. Every single week more of my dollars are spent at local retailers. It turns out I am a much more conscience delivery channel than any of the pros.