Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
GARDEN WRITER OF DISTINCTION: DEBRA PRINZING
www.debraprinzing.com
Contributing Garden Editor, Better Homes & Gardens
Contributing Editor, Garden Design magazine
Regular Contributor, Los Angeles Times HOME Section
Debra’s work also appears in Country Gardens, Sunset, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Flower magazine, Alaska Airlines magazine, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles, Cottages & Bungalows, and others. Debra’s work will soon appear in Canadian Gardening and Style at Home.
Photo credit: Mary Grace Long
It is not every day that you meet a reporter who has covered every imaginable topic within their field. Just spending 5 minutes with Debra Prinzing is a true learning experience. Debra, one of the country’s most well-respected and recognized writers, with a true passion for all things having to do with the outdoors (and indoors, I should mention), has an endearing way of teaching how to tackle even the most vast garden. Though I live in a city home, I love beautiful country gardens, interesting containers and organic foods. Debra’s garden tips appeal to people living in all parts of the country, as she helps break down gardening in the most understandable way.
Debra’s sites and blogs:
www.debraprinzing.com
www.afreshbouquet.com
MY INTERVIEW WITH DEBRA PRINZING
Me: How did you develop a passion for garden writing and turn your love for the garden into a career that has grown exponentially over the past few decades?
Debra: My background is an interesting combination of textiles, journalism, garden design and horticulture. I have a BA in Textiles, but during my senior year in college I transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, where I worked on an advertising and communications minor. There, I took a class in magazine journalism, which soon became my first love, thanks to my professor named Anne Bernard. She encouraged me to pursue an internship with Seventeen magazine, which I did. And that led to my first job after college, working in the education department at Seventeen magazine (I edited a magazine called Seventeen-at-School, which was sent to high school home economics teachers in the 1970s and 1980s).
Later, after returning to Seattle, I studied international business and marketing while working on a Masters of Communications degree at the University of Washington in the late 1980s. I thought I was going to cover the fashion industry, which was burgeoning at the time in Seattle. And that’s exactly what happened. I joined a regional business newspaper and covered the “chick” beat—all design-oriented businesses, like fashion, retail, hotels, restaurants, advertising, media and architecture. And sadly, I never finished that degree.
In 1997, I was working as Director of Communications at an international nonprofit agency. I remember sitting at my desk, looking out my window and saying to myself: I want to be a garden writer. That sounds strange, but after graduate school I realized that I had all the tools to be a features writer and reporter. My background studying textile design gave me the language of design principles, so that wasn’t a concern. But I knew that simply being an avid home gardener wasn’t enough—I had to improve my knowledge of plants and horticulture.
Thanks to my dear friends, who have influenced and helped me over the years, I dove feet first into the horticulture and design world 15 years ago. I have been an active garden, design and outdoor lifestyle writer ever since. When I started, my two closest friends were garden designers, so I have learned the business vicariously through them. Karen Page and Jean Zaputil—I call them my Garden Muses. Simple networking led to my first paying “gig”. I was having coffee with a woman who I wrote about when she was President of Seattle’s largest woman-owned advertising agency. I mentioned wanting to get into garden writing to Charmel and she said: “Oh, I’m buying media for a new garden center. Do you want me to connect you with my client?”
That simple connection led to a 3-year relationship with Emery’s Garden in the Seattle area. I learned so much from the smart and talented people at that nursery. They encouraged me to use my skills in writing, editing, events planning, PR, marketing and seminar development to promote the nursery. From them I learned all about plants, especially growing plants in the Pacific Northwest.
Me: You probably get asked this question a lot, but do you work in your own garden all the time?
Debra: Jennifer, the sad story is that I have created and left behind three gardens since 1989. Two were in Seattle and one was in LA. Nothing makes me happier than to putter in soil, play with plant combinations and decorate my garden with furniture and ornamentation. One of my favorite literary sayings is by Beverly Nichols, a British garden writer from the first half of the 20th century:
“…surely, if you are privileged to own a plot of earth, it is your duty, both to God and man, to make it beautiful.”
The next chapter is exciting, as we have returned to Seattle after 4 years in Los Angeles. By this summer, I hope to be again in possession of my own little plot of land. Right now, I’ve turned my creative energies to floral and container design…those are portable gardening projects that one can do whether she owns a garden or not.
Me: Portability is definitely an important option for garden lovers who must move often. How did you get the idea to write a book about garden sheds and all that you can do with sheds?
Debra: Off and on between 2000 and 2006, I worked as the Garden Editor for a magazine called Seattle Homes & Lifestyles. I was also covering homes and gardens for a daily newspaper called The Herald, which is published in a suburb of Seattle. In my role for both of those publications I scouted gardens constantly. It seemed to me that nearly every garden I toured and wrote about was occupied by a fanciful garden shed. Not just a crummy storage unit, but an ornamental structure at the heart of a landscape.
After a while, these gardens sheds grew on me! Another friend of mine invited me to meet the owner of a garden shed building company called “Garden Solutions”. My friend, Cindy, invited me to tour several of the company’s clients’ garden sheds. All of a sudden, I was seeing sheds that were used for all sorts of purposes other than for storing tools and lawn mowers. One owner had a retractable roof that opened so he could watch the stars through his telescope. One woman used her shed as a pottery studio, while another entertained her grandchildren with tea parties.
The first newspaper story I wrote appeared in 2000 and was called “Shed Chic”. For my second story, which appeared in Seattle Homes & Lifestyles, the Art Director hired an architectural photographer named Bill Wright to do the photography. That story was called “Garden Getaways”. After that piece appeared in 2001, Bill and I started producing garden stories for Romantic Homes magazine. Again, it seemed like every garden we covered contained a beautiful, romantic or whimsical garden structure. At one point, I said to Bill: We should do a book about these sheds. And that is what happened. The book, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, was published in 2007.
Me: I know you are speaking all over the world these days—there is so much interest today in the garden—what kinds of speaking engagements are you working on?
Debra: My current focus as a speaker relates to my next book project, A Fresh Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers. I love spreading the word about the benefits (to the environment and to humans, alike) of sourcing floral ingredients from the garden, local flower farms, U-Cut Fields, farmers’ markets and those that have been wild-gathered or foraged. This spring I will be speaking on this topic at Canada Blooms in Toronto, the largest indoor flower show in Canada, and at the Denver Botanic Garden’s spring lecture series, as well as at major horticultural societies and garden centers in the Northwest. By September of this year, I will assume a 2-year term as President of the Garden Writers Association, our main professional organization for garden and horticulture communicators. We have 1,800 members with information and resources to stay competitive. Education and training will be my focus as president.
Me: Most of us are novices in the garden. What’s your advice to help us get started?
Debra: Nothing beats walking through a garden gate into a friend’s backyard, as I did, asking him or her questions, like “what is this plant?” or “how do you grow that plant?” Every county in the US has Master Gardener training programs. Once you are certified, as am I, you “give back” to the community by volunteering at demonstration gardens or local horticultural events. When I did my MG training, I was 38 years old, so I ended up working side-by-side with people as old as my parents. Their experience and wisdom rubbed off on me.
I also recommend joining your local horticultural society. These groups hold monthly educational meeting with great speakers on relevant topics to their region. They have plant sales and opportunities to volunteer on garden tours. Once you start meeting kindred spirits, you will not be able to resist getting more involved in the garden.
Organic food lovers have so many wonderful options. Most cities or regions of the country have Edible magazines, such as Edible Seattle. In these magazines you can find out about food and wine festivals, local farmers growing interesting crops, or raising delicious ingredients. The “foodie” world and the gardening world are converging. All you have to do is check the bookstore shelves to notice an explosion of grow-your-own vegetable gardening book titles!
Photos copyright © William Wright, www.williamwrightphoto.com
Read about my new book project with photographer David Perry:
www.afreshbouquet.com
Check out my GWA Gold Award-winning book, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways with photographer William Wright (Random House/Clarkson Potter, 2008)
SHOPPING FOR APPLIANCES FOR A NEW HOME? DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING THAT ONLY THE IMPORTED APPLIANCES ARE THE BEST
We all want to know we’ve made the right buying decisions on everything we buy; especially on big ticket items for the home. While you are shopping for the major appliances; washers/dryers, dishwashers, etc., make sure you really do your research and talk to people who have recently shopped for the same appliances. Just because you bought your last appliance at a store doesn’t mean you should buy your new appliances at the same store, especially if you now have a big house you need to fill with appliances. Now may be the time to do your own research instead of relying on your salesperson.
APPLIANCE SALESPEOPLE TEND TO PUSH PRODUCTS THAT WILL MAKE THEIR STORE AND/OR THEM THE MOST MONEY
This is true. Many products are sold at only the retail price, as I was told Miele and Bosch adhere to. On these more “high-end” products you will be forced to pay retail and may only get discounts on shipping or installation. Consumers often feel safer with products they don’t have to negotiate for–retail pricing diminishes the fear associated with bargaining, or with discovering you may have paid the wrong price.
WHY I CHOSE 2 MIELE DISHWASHERS
After spending more than 20 years shopping for appliances at Abt Electronics in Chicago, I moved into my current home in Chicago, and spent the next several years living with my 15-year old appliances. They actually worked really well, so I decided not to switch them out. We had more expensive, important projects that needed more immediate attention. During the few years that he used our old washing machine and dishwasher, except for the loud noises, the appliances washed thoroughly and with little problem.
Eventually the old Maytag dishwasher and washing machine died. I began to look for newer, more state-of-the-art appliances. Every store I went to I was hearing about Miele and Bosch. I decided on a Miele dishwasher and Bosch washing machine, just to switch things up.
MY FIRST MIELE DISHWASHER LASTED ONLY 5 YEARS
Miele was a no-brainer for me in making my selection for the dishwasher. Miele offered a virtually silent wash and had a great utensil drawer. The best part was that my salesman told me I wouldn’t need much detergent or water to get the dishes extremely clean, and that the hot water would sanitize my dishes. That part I loved. However, about a year into owning the machine, I began having problems. Problems that included my dishes not get particularly clean, and repairmen telling me that I need to greatly reduce the amount of detergent and frequently clean out the arm. Cleaning out the arm was virtually impossible to do, because you couldn’t open it. Other than trying to clean it out with a knife, and under water, I couldn’t do anything really besides calling the repairman to come over and try to fix it.
What I have noticed with both Miele and Bosch is that when they work, they work beautifully. They are both quiet, the water gets really hot and the dishes come out sparkling. But that is only about 2/10 times. The rest of the time I can’t seem to get it right.
The first Miele ultimately broke down, and I was told I would need to replace it…after only 5 years. Yes, you’d think with all the problems I had with the Miele I would switch back to Maytag, or to some other old-standing, reputable company. But no, I was again led to believe that Miele was the way to go. So again, I had a beautiful new stainless dishwasher installed. This time, I was told I was getting the top of the line…the Advanta.
MY SECOND MIELE DISHWASHER DISASTER
That was 3 years ago. But today, I am still having the same problems that my first Miele posed. The dishes are not consistently getting clean; not even close. And if I want to run a big load I actually have to break the load into smaller loads, or else the dishes won’t get clean.
MIELE HAS PERSUASIVELY TRAINED ELECTRONIC STORE SERVICE PEOPLE THE CONSUMER TO TELL THE CUSTOMER THAT THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD KNOW HOW TO FIX THEIR MACHINES, AND TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE RECURRING MIELE PROBLEMS AND THEMES
Though I have continually battled the same service issues, Abt has promised me that the manufacturer will come out to inspect the unit. That visit has yet to happen. If you buy Miele and Bosch, the warranty period is so short that by the time you realize you are having a problem your warranty has run out.
THE BOSCH WASHING MACHINE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE MIELE
The washing machine story is virtually the same as with the Miele dishwasher. When I bought my Bosch, the washing machine was newly introduced into the US. The Bosch cost about 50% more than the US brands, but I was told again that the Bosch will run extremely quietly and require very little water and detergent to clean my clothes.
WHY THE LITTLE WATER/LITTLE WATER THEORY BY BOSCH DOESN’T WORK, IN REALITY
I have had problems for the past several years with my Bosch. With as little water as the unit uses, the washer never seems to drain all the way. So by the time I get to the clothes they are soaking wet. Abt repairmen have told me that the reason why this happens is because I need to run a temperature boost cycle several times, and add bleach, or vinegar, to make sure the clothes get clean; of course, when the washer is empty, thereby using more water. I don’t get it.
MY NEW BOSCH MOTOR HASN’T CORRECTED THE RINSE CYCLE PROBLEM
After having the service man out several times, over many years, Abt said that Bosch would replace the motor. Finally, a new motor. What a great idea. But the new motor hasn’t fixed the problems. After my last service call, I was instructed again to use only HE (high efficiency) detergent. But I had been using Tide HE for years. So we are back to square one, and Bosch isn’t doing anything about it. I have been told that the unit needs to be replaced, yet again.
BASED ON MY BOOK, “FURNITURE HOT SPOTS: THE BEST FURNITURE STORES AND WEBSITES COAST TO COAST”
I recently connected with an old friend/neighbor who had relocated to Atlanta. She saw my book somewhere and immediately recognized my name on the cover. She happened to be at a furniture store; one of the furniture stores I reviewed on my cross-country mission to uncover the best and worst furniture stores across the United States.
“FURNITURE HOT SPOTS” WRITTEN TO IDENTIFY THE HONEST FROM THE DISHONEST STORES AND AWARD STORES WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE, VALUE AND INTEGRITY
Until 2002, the US government had guidelines for selling furniture, and for describing the furniture that stores sold. After that point, the government lifted all restrictions on furniture stores across the country. Stores could call furniture anything they wanted to, and it would be allowable. Until Furniture Hot Spots was published there was no other book reviewing furniture stores across the country, using a system of rating the stores; in my case, the Chair of Distinction.
“CHAIR OF DISTINCTION”
If you see an orange sticker on the windows of furniture stores, with a little picture of a chair, that is the “Chair of Distinction”. The Chair is awarded to stores that I feel go above and beyond, in terms of quality, service and professionalism. Chain department stores and big box retailers, you would think, would have consistency and meet all the requirements of a store with a “Chair”. That logic doesn’t necessarily follow.
Studies have shown that in harder economic times small local retailers provide the most customer satisfaction. Large independent stores also offer added value; take Furnitureland South, for example, the largest furniture store in the world, located in Hickory, North Carolina. Shopping undercover at Furnitureland South was harder than hiking the glaciers—1 million square feet of shopping space. You’d think you would get lost and feel helpless. However, that wasn’t the case. As I pointed out on my recent radio show, with Jason Harris, President of Furnitureland South, the store makes it a point of having weekly classes for all salespeople, to teach them the latest innovations in furniture design and construction. Shopping undercover at Furnitureland South I was impressed with the professionalism of the staff, and indepth knowledge of the vast selection of furniture.
HOW THE WEB HAS HELPED SHOPPERS COMPARE NOTES
While I am not a big fan of shopping for everything online, I do believe that shopping online for furniture will help you determine what you might pay for a particular piece. “Furniture Hot Spots” shares my picks for the best websites designed for real furniture shoppers. What concerns me today is the rise in online auctions, or broker businesses that can charge the consignor up to 50% for selling the goods. Local sites are more cost effective, like Craigs List, where you pay a small percentage, and shipping is usually local. 1stdibs.com offers selection from high end antiques dealers from all around the world, but these dealers charge a lot for their goods because of their high commission structure with 1stdibs.com.
SHOPPING AT AUCTION IS STILL THE FAIREST SYSTEM FOR BUYERS
Yes, buyers (and sellers) pay a commission for buying, but the item sells only for the price people are willing to pay. One of my favorite auctions is the Market Place Auction at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. At this auction, which takes place several times a year, you can bid on anything from $50 up. If the weather is bad or if there is low turnout for other reasons, you can be the successful bidder who gets a steal. That is a fair system.
THE FAIR AND HONEST RETAILER
I am more impressed with how well retailers stand by their products and work with consumers on price and service. In this economy, service matters most, and the stores that go the extra mile will surpass the high-end antiques shops with bad service and little integrity. During the past two years, I have been extremely impressed with many of the big box stores, like Target and Wal-Mart, who have really stepped up to the plate in terms of competitive pricing, free shipping offers, and value that is so necessary to all families at this precarious time in history.
SALLY SCHWARTZ, FOUNDER OF THE RANDOLPH STREET MARKET
www.randolphstreetmarket.com
The Randolph Street Market has become something of an anomaly in the world of stale flea markets with fly-by-nite dealers, located in the middle of nowhere. It is not to say that we all wouldn’t want to spend days driving around to flea markets that require you to take a weekend off just in transportation, but what Sally Schwartz has done in the most urban location possible in downtown Chicago, just steps from the loop, the city’s hottest nightspots and fashion scene, is pretty darn amazing, to say the least.
When Furniture Hot Spots first came out, I was asked to peruse the Market with some reporters who wanted me to comment on the scene. In 100 degree weather I remember not wanting to spend a morning outside in the hot sun. Boy, was I surprised to show up at 9 AM, find a lemonade and ice cream stands just waiting for me. The rest of the morning was so enjoyable, and the Randolph Street Market was packed by 10.
The vibe has caught on in the Midwest, and the last weekend of the spring and summer months has become a treasure people look forward to, because the Market is more of a city party, filled with jazz and other musicians, the best food vendors in the city and the hippest crowd you could hope for at a flea market.
My daughter, Bailey, so much looks forward to buying all the cute vintage costume jewelry, and most of all, the great caramels and other bakery favorites that are freshly made for the show. Food samples abound, and whether you are looking for great art and jewelry for under $25 or high-end vintage clothing and handbags, the Market is a treasure. The best part is when the weather is bad you can go inside the building that is attached to the parking lot where the vendors are.
www.randolphstreetmarket.com
Phone: (312) 666-1200
Email: info@imagepilots.com
Show entrance: 1340 West Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607
Click here to see Sally’s spotlight on Glossed
Click here to see the ABC7 Chicago article and video clip on the Randolph Street Market Festival
MY INTERVIEW WITH SALLY SCHWARTZ
I sat down with Sally Schwartz recently to talk about how the Randolph Street Market has taken off in just the past few years, even being featured recently by Nate Berkus in the Wall Street Journal.
Me: Your show moves inside during the winter. What do you offer winter shoppers?
Sally: We host fall and spring vintage clothing, jewelry, accessories and textiles shows and only one general show, which is our holiday market. We are considering some additional options going forward.
Me: You have such a flair for putting these energy-packed, fun shows together. How did you get into this business? Were you in the antiques business?
Sally: I was raised with antiques and always loved kitsch, but I had my own event production company and loved decorating my clients’ parties with authentic vintage pieces. I was among the first party planners who rented props rather than have everything made and then I started investing in these items, getting rid of them at my own garage sales. As I was driving out to the country and hauling the goods back into the city, it hit me that the city really needed its own market. I found that other antique market owners had tried to start a Chicago market, but no one had successfully pulled it off to date. Everyone said it would never work, that dealers were wary of downtown Chicago, customers wouldn’t support it, the union would shut us down, we’d be taxed to death, etc., etc., but somehow, my ignorance and ability to sell the dealers on giving it a try, we broke the spell. It is never easy and we constantly have to reinvent it and offer more than the previous season to stay competitive.
Me: How do you see the show changing in its format, if at all?
Sally: It’s been a struggle to attract the large furniture vendors because it’s difficult to deliver furniture in downtown Chicago for these out-of-towners, and space is much more expensive than the rural areas where they sell. For every furniture dealer who contacts us we get at least 5 jewelry and vintage clothing vendors. For 2011, we are going to dedicate the largest portion of our outdoor lot to strictly furniture and décor, and offer a significantly reduced rate. We will give these dealers more space for less money. We are committed to being the biggest and best source for antique, vintage and repurposed furnishings anywhere in the Midwest.
Me: The crowds are just exploding from month to month, from when the market first started a few years ago. What do you attribute that to?
Sally: First, we have more visibility just in terms of the amount of local and national publicity we’ve garnered…in the last few months the market has been featured in Apartment Therapy, Country Home, and the Wall Street Journal, so the Randolph Street Market is being featured in the same publications as some of the best markets in the country—that doesn’t hurt! Also, the vintage craze is wildly popular with the youth market and Chicago has a huge hip college and young affluent working population.
Me: What’s one thing you want everyone to know about the Randolph Street Market?
Sally: You could come and sit and watch the crowd and be endlessly fascinated, even if you didn’t buy a single thing—some of the best people-watching! People dress to the nines, whether they are carrying Hermès purses and sporting huge diamond rings, or they may be in head-to-toe tattoos with piercings, or just decked out entirely in vintage…all kinds of people gathering in one place to find the best of the best. The people-watching is my absolute favorite part about this market next to the amazing and vast variety of quality merchandise.
Me: How do you use the internet in this day and age of web browsing?
Sally: We are just revamping the website and are blogging, but we’ve found that Facebook is a wonderful way to engage people with contests and photos. We have an email blast we send out and clickable links so we can pre-sell tickets. Believe it or not, there are not many other antique shows or markets that sell tickets online, so our customers benefit because there is a discount for purchasing the ticket online and we benefit because we can track who our customers are and have some tickets sold even if there’s a total rainout.
Me: Have you seen any local celebrities at the Market?
Sally: Sure, all the local media folks come by, as do actors who happen to be in town filming movies or starring in plays. We have had ambassadors, former sports stars and politicians.
Me: What advice can you give to the novice flea market shopper?
Sally: Bring cash because it is easier to bargain when you have cash, always ask, “What’s the best you can do?”, Never, ever denigrate the item you want to buy. The dealer is more likely to give you a better price if you love it and are kind. They may hold onto it no matter what you offer if you make disparaging remarks about the item.
Good tips. I can’t wait to go to the next Market!
I love antiques. That’s why I wrote two books about them. I also know that more than 60% of you who buy antiques shop for them online to save time. So do I.
1stDIBS.COM
Michael Berman has done a great job of creating a website where anyone can buy any kind of vintage or antique online, from dealers all over the country, and even abroad. 1stdibs.com posts the pictures and descriptions of the item, and then if you are interested, you can contact the dealer directly. The dealer pays a commission on the sale of the item to 1stdibs.
As I have mentioned many times over the years, in my books and on TV, you must be the one in charge when buying from an antiques dealer. Otherwise, you are likely to be swindled. You must, as 1stdibs.com must, require a condition report or else you, as the buyer, will be out of luck if the piece comes damaged.
NO CONDITION REPORT FOR ME, THE EXPERT
My advice to you has always been to get that valuable condition report, and yet I completely, stupidly forgot to ask for one on my own recent purchase from a prominent NY dealer. I recently decided that I wanted to purchase some vintage Italian ceramic tiles for a wall in my house. I saw these tiles on 1stdibs. The dealer and I agreed on a price (though I feel I overpaid for the piece, but didn’t really care because I already owned one set of similar tiles from the same dealer). Continue reading »
BANK REFINANCING RATES THE BEST IN 50 YEARS
That’s what you see over and over in the press. True. Yes, the cash-strapped can win big when refinancing right now, saving money over the life of your mortgage, or so we’ve been led to believe. But wait. There’s a catch. In effect in most states now:
APPEALING YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES WILL NOW REQUIRE YOU TO GET AN APPRAISAL, OR TO SHOW ANY APPRAISAL YOU HAVE GOTTEN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS
Wow. So if you have had your home appraised for refinancing purposes, that appraisal will come in most likely at much more than what you paid for your house possibly years ago. Your higher appraised home will hurt your ability to now get your real estate taxes lowered, ever. Especially if you get all the way to your appeals court. The counties will do anything to get revenue and property taxes are one of the best ways to recover the financial losses over the past few years.
HOME APPRAISALS MEAN A HUGE GAMBLE IF YOU WANT TO EVER TRY TO APPEAL YOUR ALREADY HIGH PROPERTY TAXES
Counties across America are getting smarter. They are coming down hard on people who claim they are overpaying for taxes relative to their neighbors. Too many people are hiring too many lawyers and the courts are overflowing with real estate tax appeal cases. With states and counties feeling cash-strapped, they are looking for any way to collect more taxes. Your county knows that if you are required to submit your appraisals done within the past three years you will be less likely to try to get your real estate taxes lowered.
Something important to consider when deciding whether or not to refinance. Don’t learn after the fact.
Do you have a college-bound child that you are doing some last-minute dorm room shopping for? The good shipping deals will expire soon, so you want to get out now to take advantage of the deals.
RETAIL TRENDS FOR COLLEGE SHOPPERS THIS YEAR DIFFERENT FROM LAST:
1. Free shipping offers, as opposed to monthly or weekly sales right now — actually, only a few sales right now—this is the peak season for stores and when they expect to do their biggest business:
- Positive: You’ll save hundreds of dollars in shipping
- Negative: You will have to wait 2 weeks or more to get your goods; you don’t have the time to wait—even with the big box retailers, or discount places, like Wal-mart and Target. My advice, based on trial and error is to avoid driving to a store to pick up the shipped good, (Container Store) even if the shipping is free—will take too much time. They never seem to have your goods waiting for you when you arrive at your scheduled “time slot”.
2. Assembly required on most items:
- Positive: You’ll save money because you need to assemble
- Negative: Many of this year’s products are not easy to assemble. Also, dorm rules are getting stricter about nailing things into walls—they may fine you and it isn’t easy for college kids to repair walls when they leave.
THE LATEST TRENDS, HITS AND MISSES IN EVERYTHING FOR YOUR DORM ROOM
- Bedding Sets: Best overall deals in decent quality bedding come in color-coordinated sets this season. Wal-mart has sets from $35-55. Some of their sets include 11 pieces for $55, including a carrying case that doubles as a hamper. If you like color-coordinated sets this is the way to go. Can’t beat the price. Quick-drying towels a must for space-saving, drying quickly and having fewer laundry loads.
- Skip Decorative Boxes, ranging from $15-25 each; meant to also be used to carry your belongings to and from the car. Personally, I would skip the boxes. For no money you can go to your local grocery store to get big cardboard boxes or go through your garage, and then fill in with some inexpensive Glad or Rubbermaid containers with lids.
- Functional Wall Accessories: Wall Functionality is key this year, as many of the newest wall and desk accessories provide function and storage. Pottery Barn Teen is selling a wide variety of fun, colorful accessories.
- Closets have space-saving rods and places to put sweaters, shoes, and accessories: Hottest trend is extension closet rods, with places for hanging accessories, shoes and sweaters.
- Decorative, Functional Desks: Cool looking art objects that double have holders for paper, pens, supplies
- Cooking Ware: Many dorms are no longer allowing microwaves—alternatives are easy plug-in hot pots, and pizza makers—let’s face it, late night studying means pizza in dorm rooms.
SHOPPING ALERT! —Many colleges are trying to save money on electricity –they are prohibiting microwaves and refrigerators for the first time, but are providing things like garbage cans that you don’t need to buy—check with your school ahead of time, and try to coordinate with your roommate to save some money and avoid duplicating and overdoing it.
Some of my favorite dorm room picks, including the latest trends in everything for your dorm room:
FROM BED, BATH & BEYOND:
For the Shower
Hot Pot
Handbag Storage Rack
Hanger Extension
FROM POTTERY BARN TEEN:
Wire magazine rack
Desk Accessories
Closet Storage for Sweaters
Wall Note Holder
FROM WAL-MART:
Pizza Maker
Basketball Hoop for Over the Door
11-piece Bedding Set
FROM THE CONTAINER STORE:
Double Hang Closet Rod
FROM POTTERY BARN:
Photo Rolodex Frame Cadre in 4×6″: $69
Do you ever just want to recycle your old, grimy pots and pans? Maybe you don’t want to spend a lot of money on kitchen gear. But a few years ago, an extensive report came out on the dangers of and cancer-causing ties to using non-stick frying pans. At first, consumers were suspicious that the startling revelation about the cancer-causing possibility of our everyday frying pans may have been instigated by the industry’s goal to create a profit motive, forcing all Americans to purge their stock of frying pans.
GET RID OF YOUR OLD NON-STICK FRYING PANS?
Before you make any rash decisions, consider the facts: At high heat, which non-stick frying pans are prone to reacting to by getting even hotter, the coating on the non-stick frying pan breaks apart, causing toxic particles and cancer-causing gasses to be emitted–these gasses and particles can cause extreme illnesses, even thyroid disease, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a prominent nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization, financed by the Rockefeller family, among other well-known families. Teflon has been known to kill birds because of its toxicity.
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HOW THE CREDIT CARD ACT OF 2009 AFFECTS YOUR KIDS AND CHARGING
In February, the Credit Card Act of 2009 went into effect to limit a credit card’s ability to charge high interest rates and service fees. Kids and especially kids in college were trapped with high balances and high interest rates. Kids and credit cards have always been a risk to credit card companies, and to their parents, of course.
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Let’s face it—we don’t all have lucrative college savings accounts. If you can’t absorb the cost of going to a physical university right now, you may be looking at your online options for the best value. Though online education may cost less than an a physical university or college you have to understand what you are getting for your money and how your degree will be perceived.
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