HGTV as Spectator Sport

     I was stripping sheets off beds when silence broke.  You can't afford that house, you jackass!  Mike was watching HGTV.
     Home & Garden Television has become like spectator sport for us.  We both equally love watching it.  We holler at the players; we holler at the hosts; we make predictions about the outcome.
     It's Number 1.  It has the lowest price.
     It's Number 2.  It has a pool.
     It's Number 3.  There was no furniture in that one.  That's a dead give away.
     We boo one of the hosts, Hilary Farr from "Love It or List It," as any sports fan would boo a bad referee.  She never has enough money in the budget to do the job the homeowners have set out for her.  She delivers her dictum in every episode that "there simply isn't enough money."  It's her version of calling holding on every play.  We boo a certain type of home buyer - the ones who say, "It's a bit small."  Or, "I was really hoping for stainless steel."  Or, "I hate laminate.  I was hoping for real hardwood floors."
     We have zero patience for the people who have been looking for a house for a couple of years. Stop agonizing over which fixer upper to choose.  Drew and Jonathan will turn whatever you pick into a thing of beauty.  So just swing batter, swing.
     We even have a cheer:

     U-G-L-Y, That house ain't got no alibi.
     It's ugly.  It's ugly.

     Maybe we get a little carried away, but it's harmless fun.  So far, we haven't held up any signs (or held up the latest copy of HGTV Magazine that graces our coffee table).  A spontaneous wave will never break out in our living room.  Also, we don't annoy anyone when we leave our seats to go to the bathroom.      
   
   

Shopping at the Dollar Store and Where it Lead Me

     I'm a big fan of the Dollar Tree.  The one in Mt. Holly and the one in Mt. Laurel are probably equidistant from the house.  I've read enough articles to know which dollar store products are bargains and which should be ignored.  Yes to party supplies, books, storage containers, and paint brushes.  No to spices, toothpaste, anything electrical, and dog chews.
     I recently came across soap in pretty boxes.  The manufacturer, Shugar Soapworks, is located in California.  The soap is a big 7 ounce bar, it contains no animal fat, colorings, or parabens (a preservative), and it smells nice.  But was it a bargain?  By weight, it seemed a better value to buy a three pack of Dial, each bar weighing three ounces.  But it smelled nice and the box was pretty.  I bit the bullet and grabbed ten boxes.
     When I got home, I went online to research Shugar Soapworks.  They make quality soap out of natural ingredients.  My dollar store soap is obviously a discontinued line, but their currently available soap costs $4.50 per eight ounce bar.  I'd say I got my dollar's worth.

http://www.shugarsoapworks.com/shugarsoapworks_catalog.html

I'll tie a ribbon around this and make it a party favor the next time I have a tea party.

 
While researching, I found this video:



     There's a whole world of people out there who post reviews of dollar store products.  I found a nine minute video in which a woman compared Swiffer products to the dollar store version. Her conclusion was that the dollar store items perform as well as the name brand.  Another woman posted a video about reselling dollar store items for a profit on eBay.  Low and behold, I found this soap on eBay selling for $2.25 to $9.99 per bar.
     So, I like this soap.  I like that other people also like this soap.  I am especially fascinated by the possibility  that someone out there might be so in love with Shugar Soapworks' Oatmeal and Verbena that they pay $9.99 for one bar!