Author Archives: MaryM

Men’s clothing. Here is a gift idea…

Posted on by
Reply

Recently, I have been receiving requests to review products and/or services.  Nothing makes me happier.  Well, there are things that make me happier, but you know what I mean.  Try a product for free?  Get an exclusive discount?  Holla!  I know that expression has been spent.  My daughter told me so.  Frankly, I am not having any of it.  You need to know how excited I get about a new find – product, cool new store, cutting edge trend, a sale at Nordstrom.   I love all these things.  Who doesn’t, right?

I have just come across a men’s clothing company that mixes style with technology.  Say what?  That is pretty cool.  I don’t know about you, but I have trouble buying something unique for the men in my life.  We know they love electronics but they buy all that stuff for themselves anyway.  Right?  I purchase way too many men’s sweaters at the holidays.  And now that I think of it, I hardly see any of them wearing them.  Hmmm.  So go check out www.ministryofsupply.com.   They use phrases like heat regulation.  Non-wrinkle.  Robotically engineered.  Those are their words, not mine.  But I like it. This is serious clothing, people!  I am loving the “tech optimized” dress socks for men that fight odor.  Who wouldn’t love that?  Huh?  Ladies, think about it….your man without foot odor?  There’s something to wish for!

So anyway, this company is offering my readers a nice promotion.  If you make a purchase at Ministry of Supply, you will receive a gift certificate valued at $15 to use at www.pinchprovisions.com.  Now, this is another cool company I had not heard of.  Where have I been?  I would love one of these.  The glitter kit would be cool.  Hint. Hint.  You must use the promo code PINCHME to qualify.  Now don’t get silly with that code.  This is a retail transaction!  The promotion ends December 16th.  And one more thing.  If you are in the Boston area, Ministry of Supply is holding an open house/event on Friday, December 13th and the inside scoop is Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow will be there from 5-6 pm.  Check out the website for details.  Very cool.  Maybe a new shirt and an autograph for the man in your life?  You can all thank me later.  Happy Shopping!

 

How do they do it?

Posted on by
4

I was speaking with someone the other day who in the course of the conversation was telling me that he has been married for 14 years.  That may not be the exact number but I know it was over 10 years.  Truth be told, he may have been married 10 or 14 years but I was struggling through a 5 minute conversation with him.  Ten plus years of this incessant chatter.  Day in and day out of the complaints and minutia.  How do they do it?  Is there a particular club that people join when their chief interest in life is complaining and criticizing others?

This is not a club I want a membership in.  They wouldn’t include me anyway.  I can find a silver lining in almost any scenario.  It may be unrealistic but I would rather view life through humor and ‘rose colored glasses’ then spend my days evaluating how inept others can be.  Or how lousy the weather is.  Or what’s wrong with the PTO, the football coach, the government.  We all know these people.  Some are family members. Not mine, of course!  Some are coworkers.  There’s always one.  Some are people we have “small talk” with (and you know how I feel about small talk) and are glad to know our paths will not be crossing any time soon.  Insert martian wave here.

Later on, I popped into a restaurant that serves breakfast all day.  The woman ahead of me in line was rattling her order.  No hello.  No “How are you?”  Just “I will have an omelet. Egg whites only.  Onions. Peppers.  A touch of salt.”  And on and on she went.  Staccato.  No emotion.  All detail.  It was a $4.95 omelet and you would have thought she was ordering a steak at Morton’s.  I was wondering if she was going to request a complimentary back massage with the order.   The chef handled the whole situation with ease.  I don’t think he spoke once.  I know he didn’t roll his eyes.  I think I may have.  Did I roll my eyes?  Clearly, I am spending too much time with middle school children.  Then I thought, imagine if the person I spoke to this morning and the omelet lady are a couple and they are sitting down to dinner right now saying, “I met the most annoyingly optimistic person this morning.  She writes a blog….”   You never know, right?  Maybe that’s how they do it!

Awww

Posted on by
Reply

I have mentioned a few times here how my middle schooler has all types of expressions but one that is currently taking the prize for most annoying is “Awww”.  It started out as her sarcastic reaction to anything I mentioned that deserved a slight bit of emotion.   So, for example, I could say, “I cannot believe I forget to turn in this form.”  She would get that sly look, raise her eyebrows and I would think, maybe, just maybe, there will be a new comment.  There would be a delay…..then, “Awww” would arrive.

Then it escalated.  “Awww” started to be the automatic response to any question or comment from me.  I could say, “You may need a new school folder.  Your folder looks worn out.”  She would wait.  I wouldn’t see it coming.  Then, “Awww.  My folder looks worn out.”  She would smile and I would cringe internally.  “Really? Is this a conversation?” I would ask, trying to conceal how angry I was becoming over something so silly.  She would see my dismay and then it was, “Awww”.   Again.  An “Awww” on top of an “Awww.”  I started to wonder if she was losing her ability to communicate.  What if some bizarre “Awww” martians visited her middle school and implanted “Awww” chips in her brain.  Every time she would use it, I would try to be clever.  Fight fire with fire.  I would say, “So did they serve a side of sarcasm with your school lunch today?”  Awww.   Nothing worked.  There seemed to be no cure.

“You are not using this with other people, are you?”  “Awww.  Yes, I am.”  “Who, your friends?  Nana and Grampy?”  “Sure, with everyone.”  Why haven’t my parents mentioned it?  Do they not notice it?  Do they think it is cute?  Then it happened to me.  Someone at work mentioned how overwhelmed they were and in my mind I heard, “Awww.”  I think I said, “Hmmmm” or “Oh, I know”.  I hope it sounded sympathetic.  But my brain kept shouting, “Awww.”  Louder and louder.  I wanted to say it.  Oh no, it’s contagious.  You may leave this blog post and instead of a genuine reaction, you may be compelled to utter a sarcastic “Awww.”  I certainly hope not.  Please let me know…….because……Awww.  That would be terrible!

My daughter and I when she was 5......Awww, miss those days! But loving every stage of her life!

My daughter and I when she was 5……Awww, miss those days! But loving every stage of her life!