If Gramma weren't already gone...

things that make you go "hmmm..."
Originally uploaded by S'mee.

This would kill her! Yesterday I followed my sister's advice and took my camera along on a trip to a Big Box store we all know and love for photo documentation of the pre-holiday temptations offered up for this year's celebrations.

I will begin with what would have surely caused my Gramma a heart attack. As I walked in the store, this display was number three on the isle (coincidentally, the third item you see is usually the one most folks purchase). When I first saw it I was immediately attracted to the "spa" items. It's all the rage right? We are all trying to get that "spa" feeling in our bathrooms. Something to help us de-stress and relax after the days routine. You know, those special imported oils and the waffle weave robes with terry slippers. This chrome rack had 3 large bottles filled with different bath oils, the lower rack contains 4 body oils and 3 bottles of sea salts for the bath. All different "flavors". (who came up with that? "flavors" imply the sense of taste, not smell.) Why would gramma object to rest and relaxing oils? Well, because to give those essential oils there "spa" like appearance and appeal to today's market, they have added tiny little twigs, branches, leaves and yes, pebbles into the jars and bottles. She would have freaked. "Aren't they supposed to strain all of those things out of the oils before you buy them?"

file under:"Who are we trying to kid here?"
Originally uploaded by S'mee.

Here's another thing that would have driven her off the proverbial cliff: French. The "spa" in a basket in the photo you will notice the very French CruDeProvence packaging, suggesting that it is from the Provence region in France which, of course is anything better than you could purchase here in the states. Each of the labels in this basket is written entirely in French; except the back label. The back label (which was too tiny to photograph and read) gave all the information of ingredients and where it was produced (China, known for it's spas and herbal wraps) and the base company distribution center (Fullerton, CA; known for it's ..., um, well, hmmm. Well I am not sure what Fullerton is known for.) Gramma would be upset. She was nothing if not patriotic and "what, pray tell, is the matter with the English language any way? You want soap from France? Move there!"

isn't it ironic....
Originally uploaded by S'mee.

And now, something for my friends who live in the great state of Utah: Fireplaces in a box! I just think it's kind of humorous that I live in the desert, with temperatures that range in the high 40's to the higher 110's and we get, hmm, maybe an inch of snow one day a year and you absolutely can not find a dwelling in our town, -apartment, condo, house or mansion- without at least one full working wood burning fireplace.

However, for the folks who live in 80% of the dwellings in Utah where it begins to snow 3 weeks before Halloween and continues at whim until Easter, well no such luck. You got a heater and that's all you need. It was explained to me as an environmental issue, which again I am at a loss to find logic in . California is known for it's granola eating tree huggers, solar and wind generation, and flex your power demi-gods; while Utah is pretty o.k. with allowing whoever to decide what is and is not environmentally sound. Go figure.

Just in case you don't have enough fire places in your home you can get -not one, but two!- for $499.00. Just plug them in, no wood actually needed!