Category — pêle-mêle (This n That)

If you’re like Moi shopping online is a regular event: not just on Cyber Monday. But in honor of cyber Monday I’m sharing one of my online shopping tips: ebates.com.

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Just got back from Walgreens where I bought 2 huge bags of Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Wasabi & Soy Sauce:  almost 1/2 price! Have you tried them yet? Moi traveling friend S introduced me to them a while back: I’m addicted!

Bold is a good word to describe these almonds: the strong spicy flavor is a perfect afternoon snack, and great to serve to friends with cocktails. Keep a stash in your cabinet for companies…if you can resist eating the whole bag!

Moi tip: Wasabi Soy Almonds are on sale at Walgreens thru November 20 at your local Walgreens store or at Walgreens.com. The 16oz bag is regularly $7.99: it’s on sale now for $4.99! They’re also available in purse-size 1.5 oz bags.

With all the world-wide eco-green efforts its shocking how much bottled water is still sold: and how expensive bottled water can be! On long roadtrips we’re often shocked that its cheaper to buy a huge bottle of pop than a small bottle of water: scary thought! So for our wallets and our planet we’re a fan of BYOB Water: Bring Your Own Bottled Water!

The world does not need another bottled water vendor. But apparently we do need another reusable self-filtering water bottle. I’ve had a reusable Brita water bottle for moi long walks, days on the terrace, car rides, and just for convenience in the house. You simply pour tap water into the bottle, and screw on the lid with its built-in, replaceable Brita charcoal water filter. Voila! I bought it at Target over 10 years ago, I buy the charcoal filters online, and throw the bottle and cap into the dishwasher regularly. What could be simpler!

But this week a NYTimes article on a new reusable water bottle caught my eye: The Bobble.It also has a replaceable charcoal water filter, so you can have filtered water on the go. It also comes in several sizes, and the charcoal filters are in multiple colors. Snazzy!

My Brita bottle still works great, but it triggered me to look at Brita’s website: oops, my bottle is no longer made! In fact, although I found references to Brita’s Fill and Go Water Bottle, I couldn’t actually find one for sale. I still can buy the filters on Amazon.com, so I’m good to go.

But when my old-school self-filter water bottle wears out, I’ll be shopping for The Bobble or one like it.

The Bobble and other water bottle filters are available at Bed Bath and Beyond and The Container Store.

Moi tip: self-filtering water bottles are a great Christmas gift: ecological, economical and convenient!

I just discovered a perk of being a Bank of America customer: free 1st week-end of the month at over 100 museums across the country! Is this a new perk: no, I just never heard of it until moi personal banker Greg happened to ask me if I was going to take advantage of the free museums  in Chicago for BoA customers this week-end.

Free 1st week-end museum? It makes me happy!

So here’s the scoop on Museums on Us :

Some of my favorite museums participate in this program:

• New York City: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bronx Zoo, Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
• Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, DuSable Museum of African American History
• Florida: Museum of Art Ft Lauderdale, Miami Children’s Museum, South Florida Science Museum
• Washington DC: The Phillips Collection
• St. Louis: Contemporary Art Museum

Moi Tip: afraid you’ll forget to schedule museum visits? BoA lets you sign up for text alerts or emails to remind you of upcoming free musum 1st weekends!

Climb Every Mountain

The hills really were alive with the Sound of Music. A few years back we organized a family hiking trip in the Alps of Lech, Austria. TBG, Mignette and Moi drove from Paris; my cousin and his wife and 2 girls drove down from Munich; and my sister, her husband, my goddaughter, and her cousin (another goddaughter) flew over from Chicago. 6 adults, 4 little girls, and a little white dog. And really big mountains.

5 of the adults were experienced hikers: my sister was not. The girls had never been hiking. So we planned several very family-friendly hikes through the mountains with lots of scenic view, herds of cows, fields of wildflowers, and surprisingly: singing.

It always started with Edelweiss. Then Doe a Deer. And of course: Climb Every Mountain.

Now you too can sing along with Julie Andrews! The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long is coming to a theater near you!

In honor of the movie’s 45 anniversary, October 19 and 26 theaters around the country will be hosting a Sound of Music Sing-Along Event at 6:30pm. Tickets are available online. Don’t miss out on My Favorite Things!

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I try to visit a day spa for a facial several times per year, for deep skin cleaning, moisturizing, mini-peels, and general skin maintenance. Often when I’m traveling or if a local spa advertises a special rate, I’ll schedule an appointment as a special treat, and try out a new product or procedure.

But what about at home maintenance? Recently I discovered Olay Regenerist Microdermbrasion and Peel System at my local CVS drugstore. I was shopping for tinted moisturizers, and saw the box, and decided to try it out: encouraged by a $5 off coupon from CVS: $22.99. [Read more →]

For a quick minute, a couple times a month, I take a peek at a the pretty little bits shared on

French Bleu Vintage

How did I find this site? Simply by googling 3 of Moi favorite words! And what did I find? Lots of pretties and charmings to warm my soul on a cold rainy day made for indoor shopping. Not all blue, and not all vintage; not even all French. But all the lovelies make me happy…

a collection of 4 vintage glass frogs $28

crystal perfume bottle with stopper $8

metal rosette candle sconces $50

Moi Tip: If you like the shop you might also like the blog: French Bleu Vintage

Since I got my 1st iPhone (I’m on my 2nd, debating when to upgrade…again!) I’ve tweeted, blogged, emailed, and complained about the headsets with a remote and mic: they tangle too easily! Why can’t Apple make a retractable iPhone headphone? Or Bose? Or Motorola? Or Belkin? Or any of the dozens of other companies that make headsets compatible with the iPhone. Why is this so hard to find? I can easily find retractable iPod headphones without the volume and mic features!!

Meet Moi new best friend:

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I’ve been hearing alot about the massive Forever 21 store that opened last month in Times Square NYC: 4 floors of bargain priced trendy fashions for girls and guys. But I had no reason to stop in. That changed last week when Moi  niece visited, and we went on a 13 birthday celebratory shopping spree. 1st stop: Forever 21 for fabulous and affordable back-to-school wear.

Wow! The scoop:

• 4 floors of fashions, bright lights and action
• 100,000 square feet of floor space
• 121 dressing rooms
• 7 days a week, 8am-2am
• 600 employees
• 100,000 visitors per day [Read more →]

TBG, Mignette and Moi are departing on the all-American summer tradition: the road trip. And because our kids are grown and gone, we’ve borrowed a child for the backseat: Moi niece R, who will:

• serve as the backseat buddy for Mignette
• act as tie-breaker over which roadside fast-food stop to pick
• provide the “how many hours til we get there” background noise
• deliver cold drinks and snacks from the back seat to the front
• walk Mignette at rest stops while TBG gases up and I search the store’s pop coolers wondering why I didn’t pack my own diet Canada Dry ginger ale [Read more →]