Dollar Stores Rule...What to Buy

Awhile ago, my friend Athena wrote a facebook note about what she buys and does not buy at the dollar store. As someone on a budget, dollar stores are awesome, and so I thought I'd write my own list of what's worth buying there. This is part my own opinion based on personal experience and part based on general value: what my seem like a great deal may not be if you consider price vs. amount. Finally, this is based on my experiences at Dollar Tree - unlike some "dollar stores" which are really just discount stores, everything at Dollar Tree really is just $1.

So, what to buy? As most people on a budget know, some things it's good to be cheap on, while some things a better-quality or value product is worth the splurge. Overall, though, I've found Dollar Tree to be great for basic household and toiletry items. Here's what I buy, and what I pass on:

Good Buys

Household Goods

Their dish liquids and detergents and laundry detergents have worked well for me, and are great cost savers when compared to purchasing them at a big box store or grocery store. I haven't used any of their other cleaning supplies, and depending on the product, it might be worth spending more elsewhere. 

Athena disagreed with me here, saying that she thought Dollar Tree paper towels were too flimsy, but they have suited my needs, as have zip-lock plastic bags. 

I've never bought their Tupperware, but it seems to be a good value. 

So do many of their home organization goods. I have two mesh laundry bags I bought a few months ago. Admittedly, one has been accumulating holes at the top, but that's probably due to me overfilling it. 

Also, lint rollers. And plastic hangers.

Office Supplies

I definitely choose the dollar store over Staples and the like for basic office supplies like pens/pencils, envelopes, etc.  Any teachers out there who need to purchase classroom supplies out of their own pocket? Dollar Store to the rescue.

Toiletries

Toothbrushes are definitely a thing to buy at the dollar store! Dollar Tree carries toothbrushes from brands like Colgate, and less familiar brands in packs of two or three. 

My hairbrush is also from the dollar store - don't knock it.

Dental floss, mouthwash, and hand soap are also good buys.

Gifts

The dollar store can be a decent place for gifts, depending on your budget, the recipient, and the occasion. Or for party favors - normally I would spend a bit more on a "nicer" gift, but a mug from the dollar store for that co-worker you feel obligated to get a Christmas gift for? Why not? Also, greeting cards are a great bargain at the dollar store - compare a card for $1 to a $3.99 Hallmark card. At Christmas they have boxes of cards as well.

Pass On:

Most Food Items 

My dad once bought a bag of shredded "cheese" from the Dollar Tree. "Cheese" is in quotes because the cheese was so processed as to be less "cheese" than "cheese product", and came complete with a warning that "this product is not intended to melt."

So, yeah, the Dollar Tree does have a large freezer section and a smaller refrigerated section, as well as non-perishable foods, but it's mostly processed crap. I do buy their Arizona Iced Teas, as well as a few other beverages, and their frozen garlic bread isn't all bad. They've got bargains on brand name candy, too. Other than that, though? Pass.

Most Pet Items

Pet toys are fine, and their cat food I've purchased in a pinch, but their pet food is limited and not great quality or value.

Cosmetics, Bath & Body, and Feminine Care, Depending on Personal Preferences

There are some cosmetic and bath and body products I've liked from the dollar store. Nail polish remover? Fine. Their mascara and chap stick suit me fine, too. But their selection of other cosmetics is limited, and, in my experience, not great (tried their nail polish once, but I'd much sooner purchase a moderately-priced brand like Revlon over dollar store stuff).

I don't buy their shampoos either. I usually stick with my $4.00 or so Herbal Essences, but even if I didn't, there are other better deals on shampoo/conditioner out there. For instance, Dollar Tree carries V05, but I found the comparable Suave for only 89 cents a bottle at Target.

Any males reading this who find this TMI or irrelevant, you can skip this paragraph...but I have purchased tampons and pads at the dollar store. However, the boxes are small and they only carry store brands. I think our lady parts are worth more of a splurge.

I do like some of the dollar store body washes and lotions, however.

I would write on what to buy at thrift stores, but I'll buy pretty much anything, minus underwear or swimwear (eww) there.

  
 

Oh, Pedestrians...

This is just one of those short rants that I considered posting on Facebook, but then decided against it. But we all, myself included, need to just rant some times, and this blog is turning out to be almost as neglected as my old livejournal is, so I thought this would be the space for it.

The subject? Pedestrians. Now, walking is great, and given that this country is known for both a highly sedentary lifestyle and pollution caused by over-dependence on vehicles, I'm glad to see people walking. But the walkers in my area (suburban PG County, MD) just don't have much sense. They ignore perfectly good, clear sidewalks to walk in the street instead. These aren't high-traffic areas, but it's still unnerving as a driver having to share road-space with people who should be utilizing the sidewalks made for them. It's for your own safety, people!!

What really brought about this rant was seeing, on the outskirts of my neighborhood, three men walking abreast right down the center of the street. I had to go illegally pass in the opposing lane to go around them. Again, this wasn't an extremely high traffic area - a semi-residential road with speed bumps and a 25 mile-per-hour speed limit. But still. There were no sidewalks, but in that case, the shoulder is perfectly appropriate walking space. The middle of the road is not.

 Aargh. It's even worse in cities. In both Baltimore and DC (where I have been a pedestrian as well as a driver), pedestrians are all too eager to ignore the signals in the cross-walks and act like the road (rather than the sidewalks) belong to them.

Just think of this as a little public service announcement. Keep on walkin', just do so in walking-appropriate spaces, and when it's your turn to walk.

In other news, it's now officially spring, and yet again there is snow (freezing rain? sleet? wintry mix?) forecasted for Tuesday. Get it together, mother nature.

Goodreads Book Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Susan Collins' enormously popular Hunger Games trilogy seems to have sparked the trend of dystopian teen novel-turned-film. I can't speak for the yet-to-be-released film version of Divergent, but Veronica Roth's novel Divergent, also the first in a trilogy, has many of the factors that made The Hunger Games so popular: a fascinating dystopian setting, a strong and courageous female protagonist, and both plenty of action (and, yes, violence) and internal turmoil.

Sixteen-year-old Beatrice lives in Chicago, where all of society is divided into 5 factions intent on cultivating a specific virtue. For the Erudite it's knowledge, for the Dauntless it is bravery, for Amity it is peacefulness, for Candor it is honesty, and for the faction in which Beatrice has grown up, Abnegation, it is selflessness. As the novel opens, Beatrice and her brother, Caleb, prepare to take a test that will help determine where they truly belong and which faction they should, after a formal initiation process, devote their life to. It is "faction over family," they are told.

But Beatrice's test results reveal something unusual: she is "divergent," and as such is considered dangerous.

Not fully understanding what her divergence means, Beatrice, who adopts the nickname Tris, decides to leave Abnegation for the Dauntless and begins a grueling initiation process in which she tests the limits of her courage, attempts to learn who to trust, and comes to realize that the society she lives in is not as perfect, or as safe, as she had though.

Divergent is written for teens, but its content makes it an engrossing read for adults as well. It may not be appropriate for younger teens, as the violence approaches Hunger Games levels. It is a quick, fast-paced read, but thematically heavier than most teen-oriented books. Roth's use of imagery makes the novel come alive for the reader; she incorporates real landmarks such as the Ferris Wheel into a crumbling, dystopian Chicago. While some of the habits of the various factions verge on stereotype (the Dauntless are all tattooed, and the Erudite wear glasses even if they don't have vision problems), these details also bring Tris' world to life.

As fast-paced as Divergent is, Roth manages to incorporate deeper themes along with the non-stop action. The novel will leave readers pondering everything from the nature of bravery to the pitfalls of cultivating certain virtues at the expense of others to the futility of trying to cultivate the "perfect" society.

The one thing I wasn't such a fan of was the budding romance between Tris and her Divergent leader, "Four." It wasn't as bad as Twilight's Bella and Edward, but Four never seems to be that...well...nice to Tris. Yes, it is largely under the guise of him being the "tough leader" trying to draw out Tris' courage, but even after he confesses his feelings for her, things like him grabbing her wrist to hold her back or calling her an idiot grated on me. Four is otherwise an admirable character in many ways, with a vision for what his faction and society could be, but his relationship with Tris bugged me. But that relationship is a relatively minor part of the book, so I can let it slide.

I'm curious to see how successfully Divergent will be adapted to the big screen. If you are interested in dystopian fiction, see the movie, but definitely read the book!

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2014 Superbowl Commericals

Because a good high school friend of mine has moved to Denver, I feel a connection to the city I have still yet to visit. And so I had to root for the Broncos in the Super Bowl. So their loss to the Seahawks 8-43? Big. Disappointment. The ads were somewhat better, although few really stood out to me this year. I found some of the more serious ads to be more effective and memorable than those that went for the funny factor. I didn't feel like coming up with a whole top-ten list this time, but here are some of the ads that did catch my attention...

With his evangelical faith worn on his sleeve and debatable football talent, Tim Tebow has been a polarizing figure. But his Super Bowl ad shows that he's got a sense of humor about himself. Check out all Tebow's done without a contract:

The Cheerios commercial featuring the multiracial family deserves a shout-out to make up for the crazy backlash the original ad received. Come on, people, it's 2014 already. The Super Bowl spot wasn't the most clever or unique ad, but this (growing!) Cheerios-eating family is as adorable and heartwarming as ever.

John Stamos has already been featured in ads for Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt. But for the Super Bowl he reunited with "Full House" castmates Bob Saget and Dave Coulier for a bit of nostalgic brilliance.

Toyota Highlander featured the Muppets in their Super Bowl spot, and who doesn't love the Muppets?

Chrysler featured Bob Dylan praising the tradition of American-made automobiles.
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Oddly enough, many of Budweiser's Clydesdale ads seem to appeal to a more female-dominated audience. This one, featuring clydesdales, puppies, and Passenger's song "Let Her Go" is another tearjerker

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Goodreads Book Review: The Storyteller

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had already written a short Goodreads review of Jodi Picoult's "The Storyteller." However, I'm going back and writing a longer review because I wanted to post it on my blog. So here goes...

I'm a fan of Jodi Picoult's work, and I've read most of her books. I love that she deals with complex, controversial, usually contemporary social and ethical issues from multiple, nuanced perspectives. There are many shades of gray (not those shades) in Picoult's exploration of issues. However, she does tend to be formulaic (virtually every novel has a "surprise" twist at the end) and a bit cheesy at times (read the obligatory romance between detective and client). So I wasn't sure what to think of her delving into the Holocaust with "The Storyteller." Fortunately, in the harrowing portions of the novel depicted from the point of a young woman deported to a Polish ghetto and then Auschwitz, she drops most of her usual tropes and her writing is at its absolute best.

Like most of Picoult's novels, "The Storyteller" is told from multiple perspectives. It opens in modern-day New Hampshire, where Sage Singer is a young culturally Jewish woman with scars both physical and emotional. Eschewing most social contact, she works nights as a baker. At a grief support group, she meets an elderly German man who tells her his name is Josef. Sensing that they each carry scars and remorse, Sage and Josef form an unlikely friendship. Then Josef confesses the unthinkable: he was a Nazi SS officer, and he wants Sage to help him end his life.

As the shocked Sage comes to terms with what Josef has told her and asked of her, she delves not only into issues of justice and forgiveness, good and evil, but also into her own past, family history, and personal identity.

Josef's revelation has personal significance to her because her grandmother, Minka, is a Holocaust survivor. Piccoult narrates several chapters from the young Minka's perspective, and her writing in these chapters is clear, sharp, and heartbreaking. Minka is a woman of incredible courage and resilience,and the reader naturally roots for her as her world is uprooted at the tender age of 18. Piccoult minces no words in describing the horrors Minka endured, but she shows how Minka's cleverness and her friendship with another young Jewish woman helped her maintain her humanity.

It's clear that Minka, a budding writer, is "the storyteller" of the title, and in some ways she is a more central character than even Sage. Strewn throughout the novel are bits of a fantasy story Minka writes about two brothers who are upiors, or Polish vampires. These bits of the novel are a bit confusing at first, as they are scattered throughout the book, but once the reader realizes what they are it is clear how they fit with the larger story. Yes, vampires have become cliche in our post-Twilight world, but Minka's vampire story seems to deal with themes, like whether evil is inevitable or can be turned into good, that Stefanie Myer tried less successfully to explore.

The chapters of "The Storyteller" that take place in the current age are slightly less effective, as Picoult resorts to some of her favorite formulas. A romance between Sage and Leo, the FBI detective she contacts to help her deal with Josef, is unrealistically paced, and much of Leo's dialogue and narration is heavy on the Velveeta. Some of the minor characters, like bakery owner Mary, are compelling, but some, like the bakery employee who only speaks in Haiku, are pointless, unbelievable stock characters that don't really serve any purpose. And Sage's character is not nearly thoroughly developed enough. While the reader knows that she has both minimal self-esteem and burdens of guilt and remorse, Picoult does not reveal why until more than halfway into the novel. As a result, Sage just comes across as whiny and self-interested for much of the novel. While Josef's revelations launch an inner transformation in Sage, this seems to happen far too quickly with the causes of Sage's anguish and inner turmoil not fully explored.

Of course, like all Picoult novels, "The Storyteller" ends with a twist, and it was a twist I did not see coming. Sometimes Picoult's twist endings seem forced, but this one leaves the reader with a lack of closure that is integral to the story. Parts of "The Storyteller" may be difficult to read, but it is a book that will leave you thinking long after you put it down.



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Wrapping It Up

A little behind once more, but here it is:

Day 29:

I am thankful for stores that allow me to mooch off their samples. ;). Yes, I admit it. So, thank you, Sephora and Ulta, for being cosmetic playgrounds, and thank you to Stonewall Kitchen and others for your yummy food samples.

And finally, Day 30:

I am thankful for my almost-30 years on this earth - must remember that it's more than some get.

Yup...

For Day 27, I am grateful for Pope Francis. Even though I am no longer a practicing member of the church of my baptism, I really <3 this pope, and think he is exactly what both the Catholic church and the world need in a spiritual leader at this point in time.

Because of things like this:

And for this Thanksgiving Day, Day 28, I am thankful for food. That I have enough to eat, and that I can eat for enjoyment as well as nourishment. And for celebrations revolving around food...

Happy Thanksgiving!