Pink Can Stink

I do not care (putting it lightly) for the mass marketing of the pink ribbon. I am all for breast cancer awareness and for raising money to find a cure. But I HATE when companies play it to make a profit. Pink ribbon everything.... going to have to brace myself in a few months for October's Pink Ribbon Hell. The reason is because most of these companies donate nothing or pennies for every profit dollar made off selling pink ribbon products.

For example, I was flipping through Heal magazine. Love the magazine! Great articles, a real asset for the cancer survivor. But I do chuckle a little when I see the ad for Arimidex because I didn't get my hot pink boxing gloves when I was given this prescription. And they seem pretty important in beating breast cancer.....

Anyway while looking at Heal magazine, I saw a particularly awful piece of pink crap being advertised. I mean really awful, tacky, hideous. I am so sorry if I offend anyone that actually likes these little collectibles. But here she is..... The Hope Shoe Collectible!



Price is $19.95 + $6.99 "shipping and service". Also, in the full-page ad, it states
"A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these limited-edition charity keepsakes will be donated to help in this important fight"

I thought that sounded suspiciously vague. So I emailed them and specifically asked what percentage of the proceeds are donated to charity and what specific charity or charities the funds are dedicated. The answer was as follows:"As per your email, 2% of each item sold goes to Breast Cancer Research."

OK, so out of the ~$27 dollars that a customers spends on this crap product, an entire forty cents is donated to "Breast Cancer Research." We can only hope that she meant the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Obviously, if you just donate the $27.00 directly to breast cancer foundation instead, we win and the profiteers lose. Please check out the think before you pink website to look up which pink ribbon campaigns are worthwhile. And a big fat Boo Hiss Award to all the companies trying to profit on the fear, pain and suffering that breast cancer causes.

Surf's Up at the Dump

The Marge News Report

In recent developments....

1) My "m" key is on this fritz. So annoying!

2) I a going to the dup on Tuesday.

OK, put in a couple of m's for AM and DUMP. (See #1)
My son's third grade field trip is in need of adults. I am looking for my rubber boots today.

3) Kittens fart.

4) I do not know how to take a photo with my cellphone. I do not know how to send any phone photo to anyone else either. Apparently, my four year old daughter can do both.

I was sitting at my desk when my cellphone beeped. Text message. I don't know how to text anyone either. Message from my sis "Cute." How did she know I was? LOL, I call her to tell her she is losing her mind and she tells me I just sent her a picture of our new kitten. Oh, dear daughter.............

I think I can write a Dr. Seuss-like story:
I do not know how ......I do not know how .......daughter says "WOW, how can you not know how?"

5) The entire state of California can be rainy and stormy for Memorial Day Weekend. Oh ya, we can have tornadoes and hail storms too.

6) There is a need for all the broken jewelry and little beads and what not that I have accumulated. Please consider donating yours to Buttons and Dollars. My friend Hayley has a great post with contact information on her blog.

7) We have four bluebird nests in our menagerie of bird houses this spring. We also have at least two king snakes hanging out near the play structure. We hope they all play nice.

8) FOUND (when I cleaned out all the cabinets): pickles that were best by April 2004, twenty tubes of dried up frosting, thong underwear (worn for exactly 10 seconds) and a note from my then 6 year old son that said Mom, I need to speak to you up to my room right now. From your son. I found tons of other junk too. Want. To. Stop. Buying. Crap. Now.

9) If, by chance, a jelly bean rolls unnoticed under the griddle on your cook top, and you cook on the griddle for a week before you notice.....................well you are screwed.
Burnt, melted, stuck-on-there-forever screwed.

10) There is such thing as a drive by hissing. Just ask Melissa. I decided this is much better than a drive by farting. See #3.

11) My husband can do a dead-on Homer Simpson voice "I've got three words for ya Marge.................go... to........ the...... store! " (insert Homer laugh here)

And yes, I need to go to the store- see excuse #5, and reason why I don't wanna #8.

I guess I still need food around these parts....
But I have lost my appetite, reality #3.

Just a few laps outta do it.....................

Housecats of America

Poor things. It is a shame really that they such have a rough life. Especially in recent economic times. They might have to sleep a little more to conserve energy. So out of respect for their plight- I have a new design:






They started offering pet bowls at cafepress, so I felt obliged to create some designs for them. My pet section is just starting- check back soon as I have more in the pipeline!

Me Wuv Football, Me Tired

I Can Be Frugal....I Can Be Frugal.....

I am trying to stay on budget for the first time in...... well ever. In the last few months, I have managed it by the skin of my teeth. Of course the price of everything, coincidentally, is going way up just to spite me ;)



And thanks to Susan I am more conscious of what we throw away.
So the story goes, dear daughter's booster seat is a hand-me-down, 5 year old thing. In perfectly good functional state, but the fabric is irreversibly nastified. Honestly, no one stain is too horrible. But her seat pales in comparison to dear daughter's friend's booster seats. New. Pink cheetah. Pink sheepskin. Pink Moo Cow. Dear daughter wanted a new booster seat. It would be ~$90 and she will probably need a booster seat for about 2 more years. (Side note: her poor brother is almost seven and only weighs 47 pounds. I think he will be in junior high before he hits the 60-pound booster-free zone since he has been gaining only one or two pounds a year.)



Now I was considering.............peer pressure at four years old........but the seat is kinda gross..........but we don't NEED a new one..........but she hasn't whined about it, just asked nicely a couple of times.............but I NEED to stay on budget........



then, brace yourselves, I had a fabulous idea. It was spur of the moment and cost exactly $14.99 (plus tax).



Here is my solution






Solution=Recycled Booster Seat

So I am happy to save $75, happy to not give or throw away a booster seat. Dear daughter is thrilled that she got to pick out the shiniest, hot pinkiest fabric in the store. I just tied back the stretchy veloury fabric (does anyone know the proper term?) with some silver ribbon. No sewing required. We are good to go. I think I can even wash it as needed.

So I tell dear husband the story of how I saved us $75 and all he had to say was "If you saved us any money, just put it on my dresser."