Anything to keep from Christmas shopping

Yesterday my neighbors had 6 old Loblolly pines taken down. The tree guys chipped them and and I lucked out and got a huge dump truck load of the chips last evening. Today instead of buying gifts I am giving one to the garden. Been hauling chips all morning and have to get it done by tonight or people will complain about the pile out front. I am exhausted but free mulch always makes me better than Christmas shopping does. LOL

Tidings of comfort and mulch, ardesia! I'd much rather get the shopping done online really quick and spend the time in the garden!

brigidlily - It may too late now, but do you feel like starting a new thread about favorite online shopping sites? I'm intrigued by the whole concept, but a little nervous about the idea too.

Do you mean garden shopping, or Christmas shopping? Christmas garden shopping would be superb!

PGZ5-

I did virtually all my Christmas (and birthday) shopping on line this year, mainly at e-bay and amazon. I swear, I'll never go to the mall at Christmas again, unless it's to look at the decorations! Especially the Poinsettias.

Check it out- it never hurts to look does it? ;)



This message was edited Dec 15, 2006 2:23 PM

I meant shopping for whomever, I don't think I'm ready for e-bay!

Actually, I did most of my shopping online at Sierra Trading Post. However, there are always those few family members who are hard to find something for...................

I think the best On line Christmas/Garden Shopping is at Lee Valley

http://www.leevalley.com/home.aspx?c=2

Sierra Trading Post is my favorite too.

Well, when I shop for *me* Lee Valley is up there. LOL

Thanks you guys, I'll be checking them both out when I have more time to browse. :0)

When I lived in New York City, many years ago, we were allowed one after noon off for Christmas shopping. (I worked for Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith on Pine Street). I headed for 5th Avenue. Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Now they are on-line!
Chique teen age girls and older ones, too: New-Port News. L.L. Beans, and Lands End are always good for the out of doors people. Sewing and crafts: Nancy's Notions. Pattern Works and Interweave Press for knitters.

Comfy bedding: The Company Store, also Macy's. Kitchen stuff: Chef's Catalog. Amazon is the super store of everything.

Seeds and plants, Dave's Garden Watch Dog. Spruce up the house: Pottery Barn. Crate and Barrel. Thats just a start. I haven't checked out Harrods in London, but I bet its on line. Its the www, Folks. The World Wide Web.

PGZ you married a farmer and you are afraid to take chances on Ebay? I have enjoyed the hunt and search of ebay without worrying about trafic and mean people. Or did you just marry a man with a tractor? Ho Ho Ho. Steve.

Um, no I married a bricklayer, no tractor and little cash this time of year. Ho ho hum.

Geez, I can't find my other post. I wanted to tell you all that I found a great deal on the holiday lights I've been looking for online, those little silhouettes that you hang in windows. Only the shipping costs double the price! Or is there some secret trick I don't know about to get around that? Anyone in Mesa, Arizona want to pick up a package for me? LOL

This message was edited Dec 17, 2006 7:16 PM

I meant to tell you Steve I really enjoyed your little display, I love the wire sculpture on the wall and the tree is awesomely different!

I never have cash cause I just spend it. At most I only carry 20 bucks. My DW offeres me cash all the time and I tell her no thanks I have enough. I have a long time ago lost the Identification of having money as the reflection of who you are. I worked with the likes of the owners of PacCar, Microsoft, Bellevue Square, and the CEO's of Nitendo, Weyerhouser, etc and NEVER would trade lives with any of them. I have had the benefit of learning to live simple and the excess I have is spent in the garden and given away. (Please note no requests to be acknowledged for cash). Oops I forgot I have a sailboat. I lied.

??? Where do you sail in Montana?

Everyone asks me that. There is a lake called Flathead that is 38miles long and up to 15 miles wide. Lots of water to sail in there. It is like a big Lake Tahoe. It is surrounded by mountains and is quite beautiful.

PGz5 - high shipping costs are where a lot of online make their money after they've discounted a product right down, but sometimes it can still work out cheaper than buying from a store because you may not have to pay sales tax. My hubby & I do most of our shopping online, ebay included, and in the last 5 years have only had one bad experience. We've bought food, clothes, shoes, bedding, toys, bikes, and of course gardening stuff including plants. My dh infuriates me when I express an interest in purchasing something and he immediately goes to ebay to do a price check. Like it's a department store! His motto is "never pay retail". The smallest thing we've bought is probably a book and the largest item is my Thermador range (from Ebay - saved thousands). As long as you use a credit card and purchase from secure suppliers or sellers with excellent feedback you're pretty safe. One of the greatest things for me about online shopping is I can order gifts and flowers online to send to friends and family overseas and out of state.

I am getting bunches of emails from online retailers this week saying "free shipping" and you can order up to the 22nd (some cases the 23rd) and still get guaranteed delivery by Christmas. If these guys are willing to spring for for overnight shipping you can imagine their markup on the merchandise.

Well, I did get the beautiful mulch spread but no my arms are too tired to make Christmas cookies. Np [resents, no cookies, I sound like a grinch.

Soferdig, how long is your sailing season on Flathead Lake?

Soferdig: My first year in college at Sault Ste Marie Michigan I had to work for tuition--baby sitting for an obgyn who had a sloop named the Stormy Petrol. Summers I was invited to come along on a few occasions, sailing on Lake Superior. I was hooked! Later, at U.C. Santa Barbara I took sailing lessons--every one did. Sailing lessons on the Pacific Ocean. Races every Sunday. I was hoping to buy a sloop, but my life took a turn and I had to leave. No sailing since then. Your life style of being a "poor" sailor sounds great to me. Do you race?

kiwi-You're right, no taxes, but shipping adds another $10 to the price, for ground shipping. I may just bite the bullet and go for it! I'll let you know.

Yes I have raced sailboats many years. I started in Puget Sound on a Laser 28 crewing and moved to Montana. Here I have owned and raced J22, Viper 640, and my current S2 6.7. This summer I will be sailing across the northern part of Lk Superior through the locks and down to Muskegon on Lk Michigan. I will be completing a canoe trip from Alberta, Canada via the Voyager route to my home town. I will be sailing my grandfathers Old town sailing Canoe. Have you ever sailed up there?

If you're stopping in Chicago, give me a holler!

Via canoe, Chicago to the mouth of the Muskegon river is kind of far. When I reach the Muskegon I have to do the first up river paddle of my 3400 mile trip so I need to rest up there. So no side trips to 'Chi town'. Thank you though PGZ! When I drive back next time might be better. This is the canoe getting ready for the big trip. This is the before picture.

Soferdig: You are not just a sailor. You are a world traveler! Im glad you are waiting for summer for that trip. My memories of Lake Superior in the winter are blow holes 15 to 20 tall in the solid ice.

I lived in Michigan for 22 years in a small town called Evart. I have paddled, sailed, and hiked many of the beaches of all the Great Lakes. I know the summer disasters on Lake Superior let along the winter. I have been to Whitefish Bay many times and visited the beaches along the east coast of Superior up in WaWa area. So That is why I am planning Superior in Late July and early Aug. I havent spent any time on the north coast of Superior any ideas of what kind of terrain I will have? It sounds like rocky shallows that will make rough landings. Oh well I will have lots of duct tape. LOL

My memory of Lake Superior from my years at Sault Ste Marie was sandy beaches, diving off a canoe for mussels on the lake floor. I haven't been there for many, many years. Im sure someone here has more relevant information. Wow. That sounds like a major adventure.

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/wildlife/viewingguide/up/13Keweenaw/index.htm

Here are some pictures and info. Ft. Wilkins is a civil war Union Fort. As you can imagine it did not see a lot of action. This is where I say the blow holes.

Yes I remember many trips along the southern shore in my childhood. But have only traveled the Trans Canada Hwy on the northern shore. Keewanaw penninsula ahhh. and OOOO cold even in the summer. I loved the ISle Royal Park also.

I also went to school at Houghton Michigan. (Michigan College of Mining & Technology, I believe now Michigan Technological University) I got married (not hard to do there since there were only 13 girls and some 3000 guys). My uncle-in-law was park ranger at Ft Wilkins. He closed it down for the winter and lived at Marquette for the season. Our wedding present from him was Ft. Wilkins. I stayed there from Dec. 27th until after the new year. The uncle left snow shoes and skis, and I went exploring to keep from getting bored to death. My new husband spent the whole time watching football on tv. Thats when I saw the blow holes off the shore of Lake Superior. I also met a bear who thought I should stay in the house.

I remember the blow holes on Lake Michigan. I often went to the beaches in the winter to study in the beauty of the surf and PILES OF ICE! You need to pay attention to the rythym or you would get wet. I wanted to go the southerly route of Superior but it meant crossing at Isle Royale and I didn't have the courage.(stupidity) To do it. I have logged many miles along the ocean side of Vancouver Island and have been blown out into the ocean with some concern. Well I was fine but my Jack Russell Sophie was crying a lot. LOL

Soferdig: Who blows the blow holes?

You are talking about being blown out into the Atlantic ocean? It sounds to me like Sophie has a lot of sense.

Woops. Wrong ocean.

Yes it was the Pacific Ocean and I could not speak Japanese. I was worried. The blow holes are areas of ice pile up on the beach and the surf off the great lakes causes the force of water through the hole.

Oh. someone told me, they were breathing holes for some animals under the ice. but I never learned what kind of animals would be there breathing. People do not always tell me the truth, though.