Great Gifts Ideas

Also, if you have any great gift ideas, share them with us! My wife is making lots of cookies as gifts, and I'm getting her a calendar with pictures of us together (and other stuff too!)

Another great gift idea, if you like NASCAR, is a gift certificate for the Buck Baker Racing School. I've been there, and it rocks!

Holiday Shopping Nightmares

This time of year, shopping is always a little difficult. Like when I went to the mall on Black Friday, and couldn't find a parking spot to save my life.

Please share your holiday shopping nightmares with us! Just click on the comment button below and type away. Remember, no pointless spam!

Cyber Monday, FatWallet, and Charities

If you shop online, and use FatWallet, you may have noticed the Charity Bucks, like I did. However, it isn't working for me. It says I have $18 to donate, but when I click donate now, it takes me to the request a payment page. Hmmm. anyone else having this problem?

I mention it because "tis the season" to be generous.


Informed Banking's Charity List

Work N Gear

Work N Gear is a pretty cool company, but rumor has it they are experiencing some hard times. Some advice to them (if they are listening):

* Improve the website, it needs help
* Clarify the brand - its hard to tell who your best customers are

These two items alone would do wonders for them, but easier said than done.

Amazon Trick thanks to Slickdeals.net

Tired of Weeding Out Items from Third-Party Amazon Merchants? Use This Helpful Trick!

Staples Cyber Monday Deals

Staples Cyber Monday Deals are already available!

Firestone in Hingham Massachusetts

On Thanksgiving, while at my best friend's house for our annual Scrabble battle, another friend mantioned that he was bringing his car to the Firestone in Hingham Massachusetts to get the tires rotated. My friend remarked that he's always gotten good service from them so I thought I'd share that information here.

Have you had a good or bad experience with them?

UPDATE June 1, 2007: I've started a new blog just about cars, you can check it out here:

NeoCarz.com

Sale Tricks

Today at Super Stop and Shop I tried to buy 2 packages of Thomas English Muffins, at the sale price of buy one get one free. Unfortunately, since I chose one pack of plain, and one pack of raisin, which didn't fit the requirements of the sale.

The sale was only for original english muffin, not the raisin. What a pain!

CompUSA breaking the law with Massachusetts Blue Laws?

I heard on the news tonight that CompUSA broke Massachusetts blue laws which prohibit opening a retail store on a holiday. Can anyone confirm that? Will they be charged or fined?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Have you heard about black friday and cyber monday? Chances are you've heard of black friday. That's the day after Thanksgiving when retailers get into the "black", meaning they become profitable due to sales for Christmas, or whatever gift giving reason one may have. Its a day off for most and prime time to get some shopping done.

Cyber Monday has evolved out of the fact that not everyone enjoys shopping mobs (myself included), and the fact that most people are allowed to shop online while at work. Its pretty incredible actually. I see the reasoning for people thinking that they have better internet access at the office, but shopping online while you work, isn't exactly working. I have to admit, I've done it myself. I guess it's better than blogging at work!!!!

Montillio's Bakery

I'm watching the Phantom Gourmet on channel 38 right now and they are featuring Montillio's Bakery. I've only had one item from Montillio's, but it was DELICIOUS! Unfortunately, the store that was just down the street just burned down due to an electric fire, so they're staying at the Fruit Basket until the store is repaired.

I was surprised that Montillio's was repped much higher by the Phantom than Konditor Meister.

My step-father, who is from Quincy, always tells me a funny story about Montillio's. I guess there was a drunk driver who claimed he was intoxicated because of a rum cake he had from Montillio's Bakery. Unfortunately for the intoxicated driver, but fortunately for us other drivers, his excuse was not accepted by Quincy's finest.

By the way, Montillios IS open, they have relocated to the Fruit Basket down by the Burgin Parkway.

Target's Commercials Rock

I HATE commercials, I mean it. I can't stand them. However, Target department stores stand out among the rest. Its pretty amazing.

Animation
Target takes the stuff they sell, animate it, and make it dance around. Cool!

Music
The products dance to what? Music of course, but the music is good.

I hate to say it, but marketing works, even TV ads. I've only been to one Target, and its nothing much different than other department stores I've been to.

Rosie's Bakery

Rosie's Bakery was just featured on the Phantom Gourmet, and it was really great to learn more about that company. They have a retail bakery in Inman Square, Cambridge, on the Somerville line. Its so great to see a self-made company like that succeed. I think one of the reasons that they have succeeded is because of their graphic design, because that helps people identify the store, and bring them in for a try.

Once they are in the store, its all up to the cooking to bring the customer back again. The cooking is more important in the long run, but the graphic design is important to start.

Check out their website and see for yourself:

Rosie's Bakery

Jordan's Furniture

Awhile back Warren Buffet bought Jordan's Furniture, but word on the street is that Berkshire Hathaway is trying to sell it because its not doing so hot. I can see why, I've personally evaluated their offerings and thought it was very low quiality, especially for the price. What do you think?

If I were to buy furniture, I'd go to Target. I have in the past and I'm happy with it. If I had more money I'd go to Crate & Barrel.

Adobe's online store sucks!

Whoa, I just went to Adobe's online store for the first time in awhile and my has it gone downhill. I'm just trying to buy Flash 8 and its taken me way too long. I wonder if they are ignoring Macs?

UPDATE: Holy cow their website just isn't working for me. Ugh. It looks like its all in Flash and just not working.