Life Is Just So Daily

Monday, November 29, 2010

My Complaint About Toys R Us Express




I know I posted previously about this, but I am really quite miffed about this.

I had a very poor shopping experience with Toys R Us Express on Thanksgiving/Black Friday this year.

I was told by the sales associates in the store (when they FINALLY opened), that they are NOT Toys R Us, and would NOT be honoring the Toys R Us advertised pricing that was so widely distributed online & in my local newspaper insert.
I was also told that the frequent shopper coupons that were emailed to me would NOT be honored at Toys R Us Express because they were not in fact "Toys R Us."

Well...that's odd...
Here's what I read from the Toys R Us website:
Wayne, NJ (September 9, 2010) – Toys“R”Us® today announced plans to operate approximately 600 Toys“R”Us Express stores in malls and shopping centers nationwide during the 2010 Christmas season, in addition to its 587 full-size Toys“R”Us stores in the United States. The major expansion of the Toys"R"Us Express initiative will double the number of Toys“R”Us locations available for holiday shopping needs as the company asserts its authority position by making itself even more convenient for customers. This sizeable rollout of pop-up stores represents an additional 2.4 million square feet of toy-selling space for the holiday season.

“By doubling the number of Toys“R”Us locations nationwide, now more than ever we will be available when and where customers want to shop with us this holiday season,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “We are pleased that this significant expansion of our Toys“R”Us Express initiative also creates thousands of new jobs beyond our usual seasonal workforce build.”

FROM:
http://www.toysrusinc.com/press-room/releases/general/2010/toysrus-announces-plans-to-open-600-toysrus-express-stores/

So, in the above italicized portion---do they not indicate that they are DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF TOYS R US LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE? Is that not a reference of Toys R Us being Toys R Us Express? Did they not indicate that the goal was to BE AVAILABLE WHEN AND WHERE CUSTOMERS WANT TO SHOP 'WITH US' THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

Well, Toys R Us---I wanted to shop at my local Toys R Us Express store at 10PM on Thanksgiving night. Your newspaper insert indicated that your stores would be open. My closest location was not. I even asked the sales associate why they weren't open. She sounded quite rehearsed in her "I am so sorry that we were not able to extend those shopping hours to you. We are not Toys R Us, and were not able to open at that hour." ....Why? Because you were all sitting around with hot cocoa & practicing lines like that?

Toys R Us---you've disappointed me.
As for your Express store: I won't return. And I'm telling everyone.I.know.

Don't come to my area, throw up a half-a$$ attempt of a toy store & think you're doing me any favors.
Toys R Us Express: What a JOKE.

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Black Friday Deals. Was It Worth It?

Well, my answer is YES!

Stephanie asked about some of the deals that I got on Black Friday, and I'll happily share some of them!

The Nerf-n-Strike LongShot CS-6.
I've seen them online for $34.99-$45.00
I paid: $15.00


Rubbermaid 40 piece storage set.
Retails at Walmart for $19.00
Online pricing for this item goes up from there...
I paid: $9.00


Folding 2-wheel scooter.
Retails for about $20 & up.
I paid: $12.00


Batman Lego Wii Game.
Retails for approximately $20.
I paid: $9.99


Toy Story 3 Leapster Game.
Retails for about $25.
I paid: $15.00


Thunder Tumbler Remote Control Car
Retails for about $20 online, though it was on sale in the store for $9.99 & then half off that!
I paid: $4.99


Bendaroos 500 piece set.
Retails at approximately $14.99
I paid: $11.99
(not a huge savings, but I know that Gage will love these)


PaperJamz Guitar & Drum Set
Drums & Guitars retail for about $20-$30 each.
I paid: $14.99 each.
Guitar strap retails for $5.99.
I paid: $2.99

And yes, Hubby...I got Gage the Shark Guitar!


So those are just SOME of the great deals that I got.
Clearly, they are mostly for Gage.

So...those are some of the deals that I got.
Very exciting...

Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday!

Okay, so I am one of those crazy people who LOVES Black Friday shopping.
I love it.
I look forward to it all year.
I'm nuts, I know.

That crazy lady on the Target commercials who's training for the event? Yeah, that's me.

Normally, I eat my Thanksgiving meal, and then map out & plan out my shopping. And, normally I go alone.

This year, I had helpers!!!!
The helping started at home.

This little guy happily used a Sharpie to circle AAALLLLL the things he'd like for Christmas. Unfortunately for him---many of them were "M for Mature" rated video games for gaming systems that we don't even know. But..whatever.

Another helper? My mom. My mom came into town to be my official line-holder. If you don't know how it goes, well, let me break it down for you. You may or may not wait in line for hours for a store to open up. The doors open. You get your items, as do all the other people who got into the store at the same time you did, or before. So, you head to the check out. You may spend even MORE time waiting in line to check out than you did for the store to open up. So, my mom volunteered to be my line holder. How sweet is that?
We didn't exactly end up doing it that way because we enjoyed looking & shopping together...

Anyway.... We left the house around 9:30pm so that we could be at Toys R Us for their 10pm opening.
Excited Much???



Toys R Us...Guess what? The store I was at didn't freaking open at 10PM. TOYS R US EXPRESS SUCKS! Why is Toys R Us Express so crappy? Well, they didn't open at 10pm like all the regular Toys R Us stores. They also didn't honor the "frequent shopper" coupons that the Toys R Us company emailed me for use on Black Friday. AND, they didn't honor the Toys R Us pricing which was advertised in their newspaper insert. I have many complaints about Toys R Us Express from that night.

But...the show had to go on.
Walmart @ Midnight.
Who were my helpers there? Courtney & Lindsey! There was something I wanted across the whole store from where I was. So, they grabbed it for me. Cell phones are wonderful things.

Checked out there... Then Courtney & Lindsey went to Old Navy, I think...
We went to Game Stop.
After that, we all met up at the Waffle House.
Nice, huh?
IHOP had a line....so we went to the Waffle House instead.



I think Mom & I hit 4 more stores before quitting time...
Lindsey & Courtney went to Target. They said that it was soooo awful. By the time they got in, all the carts were gone, several of their wanted items were gone, and the line to check out was not worth waiting for. That's been my experience at Kohl's each time I've been there on Black Friday. I normally do Target...but it's never been as nutso as their experience was...

So...Mom & I made it home around 9:30 or so. We ate breakfast (again), and put on jammies. We climbed into my bed & slept until about 1:15 that afternoon.
My goodness, it was a LONG night! It was fun, and I'd totally do it all over again...but it was long.

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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

How was my Thanksgiving?
Well, thank you for asking.
I worked.

Well, let me back up.
I woke up at 4:48am, because I couldn't stand it. Black Friday was approaching, and wouldn't you know it!? A few stores were open on Thanksgiving too!!!!!

So, I shopped, and then went to work.
Yes, I'm a freak.

Black Friday is the Super Bowl of my sport. By sport, I of course mean shopping.

So...I worked that day because the hospital never closes.
When I arrived home, my Hubby had set the table, had things coming out of the oven literally as I walked through the door...it was PERFECT!

Hubby even set the table sooooo nicely!


...and Gage chose his own dinner-ware as well!

I'd love to show you pics of Hubby & his hard work, but they're all blurry. He just couldn't stay still! In his world of cooking---this is like HIS Super Bowl. And the food was delicious.




A great meal was had by all.
I made the dressing this year though...and I learned an important lesson: If you are going to make cornbread dressing---do not cheat & think that it's going to turn out well if you bake up cornbread from a mix, crumble it, and count that as your cornbread. It will be too sweet, and it just won't be right. That's what I get for trying to cut corners, right?

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Get Together for Megan & Stephen

Well, I haven't posted it yet, but one of my oldest & dearest friends is moving away...to LONDON.
So, before she goes, we've got a few get togethers planned.

This last one was a few weekends ago.
The menu: Texas Stuff.
Chips & salsa, Tex-Mex Enchiladas made with Wolf Brand Chili (which I hear is difficult to come by in London...), David made Queso which was a big hit! Shiner beer was served in addition to Dr.Pepper. For dessert??? Blue Bell ice cream sundaes & banana splits! Mmmmmm!

Monica even got to come! {Sorry Edward & kids---poor Monica's whole family was sick, so she was flying solo.}

Here are some pics from the day....

Lainey-Paney, Megan, Monica, Susan



Who's Ready For A Sundae??? {the answer? We all were!}



Perhaps nobody more than this little guy....




David & Baby Matthew...


How sweet are those little cheeks?


Susan & Megan...


Poor Stephen was jet-lagged because he'd just returned from Europe. Baby Matthew was kind of fussy for part of the day...and after lunch & ice cream, I'm almost certain that all the men folk napped (or got close to it!) while we women took Gage down to the park.

Like a big goober, I didn't get a really good picture of just Megan & Stephen. I'll make it a point to do that next time. So, I'll leave you with this: a super smiley picture of Baby Matthew.
:)

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Happy Thanksgiving!


Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!


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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Get Your Christmas On.

Well, I must say, that the Christmas decorations cannot WAIT until after Thanksgiving. It's just not in Hubby's nature.
His passion for all-things-Christmas is contagious.

And so---the prep work has begun.
It began a few weeks ago.

The theme for this year's yard decorations: A Griswold Family Christmas.
Yeah, it's crafty.
The official house lighting: Friday Night After Thanksgiving.

And with regard to the neighbors---Hubby says, "Game On."

Some pics from SOME of the prep work...





{To note---the non-PC quotes will NOT be facing the street...}









House lights, tree lights, wreath, garland...Well...we had to have additional brakers & outlets installed. I have no idea how many little bulbs will be illuminated. After the first few thousand we kind of lost track.

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

3 Careers, All In One Day.

My son....the painter, the archaeologist, and the carpenter...all in one day. {all before noon, for that matter!}

The Painter....






The Archaeologist...





The Carpenter....



Oh, the daily live of a little one!
Now, if I could just break him of the 5-outfits-per-day habit...Or at the very least, teach him to do the laundry! Then, I'd be set.

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