I’m not completely sure of Amazon Prime’s shipping guidelines (and don’t care to know), but for those of us who aren’t subscribers we need to spend a minimum of $25.00 to get free shipping. So when I run across something I want that’s $10.00 or so, I’ll add it to my cart then go to my cart and move that item to “Save for Later”.
Then once a month or so, when I’m buying something pricey like a Rolex watch or case of coffee, I’ll grab one of those $10.00 items and throw it in with my order. Free shipping!
(By the way, no more coffee shopping on Amazon for me; last month they raised the price on my favorite brand from $35 to $52.00, so I decided to purchase my coffee by subscription at Keurig.com. The shipping is free and I get a whopping 25% discount for auto-delivery every 6 weeks.)
Anyway, in accordance with my proclamation to blog all my online purchases, here’s the doo-dads that arrived here earlier this week:
Spring Chef Ice Cream Scoop with Comfortable Handle, Black
Price: $10.99
Bought at: Amazon (click here)
Also: The soft handle comes in a wide variety of colors
Remarks: Recently my friend Margaret on her blog Stargazer posted a picture of a mangled spoon, and wrote “No I do not have Uri Geller’s psychic powers, I was trying to get some ice cream and my freezer is very cold.”
That Uri Geller reference made me laugh, but my God her poor spoon!
It motivated me to stop putting it off and get an ice cream scoop (my freezer is also very cold). I looked at cheaper scoops at the Dollar Store & supermarket, but they were lightweights and I didn’t see how they’d make scooping easier. This one is perfect. It’s very top-heavy but feels good in your hand and is made to last a generation or two!
It dipped into a rock-hard tub of ice cream so easily I wondered if it had softened some. Nope, the ice cream was frozen solid. THE SCOOP IS THAT GOOD.
Lamicall Cell Phone Stand, Phone Dock for Office Desk (or ApacheDug’s end-table) – Black
Price: $9.99
Bought at: Amazon (click here)
Also: Comes in black, red, silver, gray & rose gold
Remarks: I love this simple thing. It’s just a strip of matte metal folded a couple times over with little feet in front.
There’s a very polished hole in the back, so you can run your charge-cord thru it.
There’s also small pads under the base, behind the phone and in those feet so the phone (or the table beneath) never come in contact with the metal.
Also, if your phone has an otter case like mine, it will fit (or sit) in this thing just fine.
Since giving up my landline a couple weeks ago, I missed having my phone “sitting beside me” on the table beside my couch. Now when Inga or Yvette calls, I won’t have to go running around the apartment looking for my damn phone!
TOPDesign 2-Pack Cotton Canvas Grocery Shopping Tote-Bags
Price: $13.99
Bought at: Amazon (click here)
Remarks: A couple months ago I heard Pennsylvania was considering joining states like California, Hawaii & Washington and banning single-use plastic shopping bags.
I know the ban will be a good thing, but I make good use of those bags from the supermarket. I use them for protecting sweaters & winter socks from moths, storing various electrical cords, bagging summer sandals & shoes in my closet so they won’t get dusty over the winter.
But I especially like them for lining the small wastecan under my kitchen sink. They’re free and a perfect fit.
Anyway—a couple days ago I learned state legislators were still twiddling their thumbs, but Pittsburgh & Philadelphia aren’t waiting; the ban is iminent. My God!
I went on Amazon to look for those canvas shopping bags I sometimes see other customers using in my local supermarket, and was surprised by the 1) number of cotton canvas bags out there 2) awful reviews on most of them.
People wrote they were too small, the handles came off after one use or the material was so flimsy they could see thru them. As the price per pair of bags was typically $8.99, I decided to look for higher-priced ones like the ones I just got in this nice ziplock bag. $13.99 for two sounds fair.
I’m pretty pleased with them. I thought they were small at first, but when you REALLY unfold one, see below. These are larger than most paper bags, and contain sewn-in ‘liquid holsters’ for items like bottles or quarts of milk.
But in the meantime, I’m hoarding my plastic bags. My dishwasher is now packed with 530 of them!
The only problem I see with having that ice cream scoop is that I need to buy ice cream and I cannot resist eating it when I shouldn't! :-)
ReplyDeleteOops, I wish I'd thought of that before buying that scoop! You're right DJan 😋
DeleteDid I forget to blog that I bought the same scoop? Then found my other one? :) I still buy my chocolate and coffee from amazon. The coffee has stayed the same price but the chocolate has gone from $26 to $38. Crazy! I tried to switch to Hersheys Dark Syrup but my palate is just too finicky!
ReplyDeleteHaha--yes you did forget to blog you got a new scoop, and all this time I've been feeling sorry for you :^) My gosh, chocolate from Amazon? I'm intrigued!
DeleteThe canvas bags are a good size and look strong and sturdy too. A tip from a once-was checkout operator: please remember to wash them. Some people would arrive at my checkout and hand me a bunch of screwed up filthy, smelly re-use bags. If they weren't too bad I would pack in their groceries and make up a story about washing all my bags to suggest they should do the same. Others would have bags that actually had mould from old spilt milk and disgusting smells from old raw meat stains where the packaging had leaked. Because the old plastic bags just got thrown away, it just never occurred to some people to wash the reusable ones. We were allowed to refuse to use any that were too filthy, but the customers weren't happy about that.
ReplyDeleteI have a very solid ice cream scoop too, bought from a homewares shop about thirty years ago.
Yuk! These DO look like they'd get dirty pretty fast--sorry you had to put up with that River, I won't let that happen to the checkout ladies at my store.
DeleteI bought a set of very similar if not identical canvas bags from Sundance many years ago. I got 4 for myself and 4 for my mom and although none were ever damaged, I only have 2 left. I have read many, many reviews on similar totes on Amazon and that has made me indecisive so I'm glad to find someone who has actually used them - and Margaret's friend who surely I can trust implicitly.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, mine were washable but required spray starch and ironing to make them look all fresh and crisp again.
Thanka Zazzy, I did read that (they're a mess out of the dryer). Thanks for your comments, I hope they don't shrink a lot!
DeleteMorning Doug, love this post! Cheap, I mean frugal as I am I am still using the ice cream scoop that I grew up with. When my Mum left her house I grabbed a bunch of her kitchen stuff before everything got donated. Isn’t part of eating ice cream the wrestling match with the scoop before hand?? Your new one looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteYour cell phone stand is very snazzy! No more dashing around looking for your phone.
I love your new cloth bags! I am a long time (late 1980’s) user and have some of the ones I started out with. Love the square bottom on these bags. You can pack so much more into them. Sounds like you have a good stash of plastic bags. I unfortunately do too. For about six months in the beginning of the pandemic many stores here would not let you use your cloth bags. I never understood that as I would keep my bags in the grocery cart and not let them touch any part of the cash out . Thankfully this has changed although most stores you have to pack your own bags if using cloth.
As River stated people forget to wash bags. I have seen some pretty disgusting bags over the years!
Enjoy your week Doug!
Robin
Robin, thank you so much! I loved your comment here, I think I'm going to bronze it! :) That's awesome about having your mom's old scoop, gosh that beats new stuff every time. And you're right, I completely forgot about stores banning those cloth bags, I saw more than one customer argue with the manager or angrily storm out of the store over that! Now with this variant out of control, I'm wondering if that's going to happen again--thanks for the reminder. Anyway, thank you again for the great read here Robin! Hope you're enjoying your weekend! :^)
DeleteWe have bought our coffee from Amazon when Keurig was considering dropping our favorite brand (Dunkin Donuts 100% Columbian). But we do belong to the automatic order on Keurig and get the 25% off! And I had to laugh at the phone holder as not that long ago I made myself a ceramic one. It works well too. As for the bags, we buy the ones that Central Market has (HEB owned). They work. Of course now that we're doing curb-side groceries, we haven't used them lately. But I will say, that Amazon has been a big help during these pandemic days since we don't get out to shop. Thanks for sharing your purchases, Dug.
ReplyDeleteRian I should've known you'd make your own phone stand, I know how crafty you are! Anyway, thank you for sharing your own purchases here too, it makes me feel a little more connected with others like yourself :^)
DeleteHi Doug! Sorry for no response from me until now - I just found your new post. I am subscribed and it usually pops up on my blog list but not this time. I've had several other blogs not show up either. After checking around, it seems other bloggers are having the same problem. Apparently more glitches with blogger.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love this post! I really enjoy it when you tell us about new products you have tried out. I'm an Amazon shopper as well and I love to hear how others are doing with their purchases. You are smart to save items until you have the free shipping amount.
Your coffee sure did go up a lot! I have learned to watch their prices because some items go up and down all the time. I order a protein drink mix from them and at times it is as much as $20 higher but then later it goes back down. I just watch it and only order when the price is low and then get more than one. I love that ice cream scoop! That one will last! The phone stand is really cool too and I'm sure very helpful to keep your phone close. I have a few cloth grocery bags but they don't have straps on the inside for drinks. That addition has to be super helpful. I think you said once that you walk to the store? If you do having the handles will be a big help. I think it's much easier to carry a bag with a handle on your arm and those handles won't cut into you arm as bad as the ones on the plastic bags. By the way, I agree with you about the plastic bags being handy. I save all that I get and use around the house too.
Sorry for the long comment, as you know I'm bad about that. Take care Doug and have a good week!
Bonnie thanks so much and please don't apologize for anything--I LIKE your long comments very much, also I think I sabotaged my post this week when I posted it then worried it was too boring and took it back down until the next day. (I need to stop that!) But I wanted to tell you and the other bloggers that you're right there are a lot of glitches going on, and last night I found a blogger who's been tracking them (and supplying solutions when possible). He's in my blog-reading list on the right, "Too Clever by Half". Thanks again for this great feedback Bonnie :)
DeleteThis was so much fun. I saw that Margaret mentioned getting the idea for the ice cream scoop from you. I told her that I read you could stick your too hard ice cream into the fridge for 20 minutes to soften it. For almost a year, the military commissary wouldn't let us bring our own bags so I accumulated plastic bags again too. Your dishwasher? You keep them in your dishwasher? You're not using your dishwasher?
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Kay I almost snorted my coffee out my nose while reading this! You are too sweet & funny! Hey, before I got my shiny scoop that's exactly how I did soften my ice cream but now there's no waiting--and haha yes my dishwasher is packed I mean PACKED with plastic bags, no I've been here 4 years Kay and never used my dishwasher!
DeleteI pay $120.00 a year for Amazon prime. This also includes Prime video (many original series and movies) and Amazon music which I stream from my phone in the car. We order about 150 orders a year and some of our orders are only a few dollars. We order what we need when we need it! This Amazon prime is a bargain!
ReplyDeleteDavid I'm not knocking Amazon prime for others, I know it has a LOT of happy customers! I just have so much tv already, no desire for Amazon's movies or shows so it would be a waste of money for me... but I'm glad you enjoy it! :^)
DeletePlastic bags seem to deteriorate in about a year. They just disintegrate. They are only single use. I had a whole bunch that left a mess in my closet.
ReplyDeleteDavid maybe it's your saltier, more humid climate but I have plastic bags from 2014 (from my local market) that are exactly the same as bags I got over this weekend! Mine honestly last forever! But that's probably not a good thing for wherever our trash is taken...
DeleteWe like Amazon Prime. $10 per month for membership is not that expensive. It includes movies and shipping too. Great for shipping small items or big items too. As for shopping bags, we buy ours directly from the supermarket we shop at. Be careful with those plastic bags as they disintegrate as time goes on. Before you know it, the plastic is a pile of dust and you have a mess.
ReplyDeleteGigi I know you & David are big Amazon fans, I know a LOT of people are--I may look into it more someday, but for now not for me! Mister Hawaii also said the same thing about my plastic bags, but I can assure you they last for eons! Maybe you're thinking of a lighter plastic, my grocery bags are pretty durable and I have ones in my closet I stored stuff in YEARS ago! Anyway congrats again on your terrific paint job! :^)
DeleteI find it interesting that a couple commenters mention plastic bags not lasting very long. I have plastic bags that I store Christmas stuff in that I know are more than twenty years old. Maybe it is something to do with the climate they live in??
DeleteRobin, thanks for the follow-up here, this left me scratching my head too! Well, Gigi & David are both from Hawaii (where plastic bags aren't used) and I was thinking, maybe they're thinking of produce plastic? I can see that dissolving in time, but shopping bags? And you just reminded me, I have some in storage with Christmas cards & decor that are so old they smell a bit like mildew. I smell another blog in the works :^) Thanks Robin!
DeleteA good Ice-Cream Scoop is a thing of Beauty! My best one is an Antique that is all one piece and could probably roll Asphalt into a nicely shaped Scoop!
ReplyDeleteHahaha!! Asphalt! Yeah, those antiques they knew what they were doing--that's what I like to hear!! :^)
DeleteDid you really buy a Rolex watch? I have a Citizen “Eco-drive”, a solar watch, no winding, no change of batteries. It’s the type I like – just hands (two, no second hand) and numbers, nothing else.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I have an excellent coffee shop close by that I’ve being using for more than 40 years. I was going to say it’s still as good as ever, but it’s better.
Of course, Uri Geller doesn’t have Uri Geller’s psychic powers either.
I assume all these arrived at once. It must have been like the Christmases from our childhood.
Hi Peter--well, I was being a bit on the lighter side in regards to the Rolex watch reference, I have no desire for such bling; but I WOULD like a self-winding or solar powered watch! I'm so tired of these watch batteries always dying out and not having someplace handy to get them replaced! I'm going to look for that watch of yours :^)
DeleteAnd yes Music Man, we're on to Uri Geller in the States--finally!! Also, these purchases all arrived at once. I was going to say of course, but come to think of it, purchases often DO come in bits & pieces :)
Peter... you've proven yourself useful today. These are a little pricey, but not too bad and I very much like what I'm seeing, both the outside and their working parts. Thank you!
DeleteHi Doug, just a quick jump in again! I have a Citizen solar watch too. Bought it more than a dozen years ago. Beyond changing the time when we flip in the Spring and Fall I have only had to fix the time once this past Spring. With hardly going out and not wearing it in the house the watch wasn’t getting charged up.
DeleteEnjoy your week!
Robin
Hey Robin, that's a pretty nice review on these brand watches, thanks for sharing that! These sound great, just what I was looking for. :^)
DeleteOops, don't know how I missed this one.
ReplyDeleteI was all set to go to the reusable bags then Covid hit. Now I get store pick up and they insist on giving me the plastic ones. Wonder how we will get around that?
I use those Amazon "save for later" for when I just don't quite make the free shipping dollar amount so I pull out one of the saved ones to qualify. Handy.
Patti, no oops on your part--I posted this last week, then had second thoughts and took it back down. When I told myself to knock it off and re-posted it, Blogger's system didn't see it as new anymore! Anyway, you're right about the reusable bags not being permitted during the pandemic, they'll have to go on with the plastic like it or not, I suppose...
Delete