I love Poppin.com

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I have been on a hunt for a cute tape dispenser for quite some time now.

I’ve had the same tape dispenser for quite some time. I decorated it back in 1992 or something when I first got it with gold metallic ink and green permanent pens. It was kinda cute.

Since then I’ve lost the thing that actually holds the roll of tape and  it’s lost all of its original splendor.  For the past couple years I have been on a hunt for either the missing piece (so that it might serve to be a tape dispenser again and I could redecorate it) or an adorable new tape dispenser to brighten my work life.

My sad, old, unusable decrepit tape dispenser.

In my search I found tape dispensers that look like shoes (tacky), clear acrylic tape dispensers (imagine how visible the dust would be!), silly ones that resemble animals or some such and the run-of-the-mill plain ones. I wasn’t satisfied. Continue Reading

Office Depot Greener Office Delivery Service

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I needed labels for the totally awesome Jenfest souvenirs and Office Depot was the cheapest retailer that had these labels. Normally I would just go pick them up, but they were only available online. AND if I ordered $50 or more I would receive FREE overnight delivery. Score! I needed staples anyway!

So I worked my way to $50 buying extra toner and pens. I should have gotten some note pads.

The next day the office supplies show up packed in a nice white paper bag proclaiming their delivery service to be the “Greener Office Delivery Service.” Office Depot seems to really be trying to be green; rumor has it they deliver by bicycle in the UK. Everything was placed inside the bag as if I had gone shopping myself (though I would have brought my own bag). I was gratified by the lack of extra packing paper and boxes, and, I have to say, it was convenient.

Then came the harsh reality. The gel pens I had gotten — Gelio is the brand — sport a “comfort grip” that is more like blades of rubber. OW!!

And then I started thinking about it. These labels I needed they only carried online. But here they were in a paper bag as if someone had just wandered around the store picking things out. Something didn’t add up. Continue Reading

Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

Beauty and the Beast is tied in my heart as best Disney movie ever. I decided to get it from Netflix months if not years ago, but was disappointed that the so-called “Special Edition” was the only one I could find and wasn’t available! It remained at the bottom of my queue, and finally emerged at the top last week.

I was so excited! I counted the days before I could set aside a good hour and a half to really relax and admire the wonderful animation, beautiful story and fantastic soundtrack.

All was going along well until this monstrosity came on:

It tuns out that Disney added in a new musical sequence in the 2002 Special Edition of the movie. Be warned, friends, be warned. Do not buy a new version of the movie. I’d argue it’s a reason to keep the old VHS & VCR around–just in case. Continue Reading

Tupperware and Social Media

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

My friend Jigar sent over this New York Times story about Tupperware’s new campaign to better use social media.

I’m sure we’re all familiar with the Tupperware scheme, but let’s review. Tupperware does not spend money on traditional marketing campaigns. Instead they build a workforce of women who sell Tupperware by convincing friends and strangers to host Tupperware parties.

I love Tupperware, and I use it every day. I started selling it because I recognized how great of a product it was. I never sold that much of it because it comes with a very high price tag.

For whatever reason (and I have my theories) Tupperware is an investment. You invest in quality, and the fact that it’s going to be around forever and you can get replacement lids and yadda yadda. But you have to have that cash upfront to commit, and a lot of people just don’t have that. Especially a lot of my friends who are primarily still barely post college. (What’s that? I’m 7 years out?? It feels like yesterday.)

So I didn’t sell much, but I have continued trying to convince my friends and loved ones to make the investment because it’s worth it. I’ve had daydreams for years about making fun Tupperware commercials on Youtube and selling products that way. My sister and I embarked on this scheme back in 2006 before I read Tupperware’s Internet Terms and Conditions. Continue Reading

Public Service Announcement: Del Oro Tostada Crowns are terrible

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

We’re big fans of Mexican food around here.  We have some awesome taquerias nearby (Cactus and La Calaca Loca are our favorites).

We also like to make it at home.  It reminds me of childhood; especially if we’re lazy and use the Lawry’s spice packet.  Will picked up Tostada Crowns for a change.  They were terrible.  Beyond stale.

They did make a pretty good bowl, though.  Especially since no one wanted to eat them.

We’ve gotten stale taco shells and crowns as often as we’ve gotten good ones.  From now on, I’m going to figure out how to make my own.

Continue Reading

Another Reason Why I Hate Comcast

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I have been their customer for years, and yet they continue to send advertisements for their services almost weekly.

Not only is it a waste of money and paper (you know they aren’t buying recycled), but it screams, “We charge you SO MUCH more than we need to so we can afford ongoing direct mail campaigns without even caring whether we’re pitching to our very own customers!”

As a small business owner, I’m honored to receive double the direct mail offering me products to which I already subscribe.  And for this, I hate you, Comcast.  I also hate you for all the hidden fees you sneak into my bill every month.  Not cool, Comcast.

I look forward to heading over to your local office within the next two weeks and turning in my DVR, receiver, remotes and anything else in the house labeled Comcast.

I finally found a local internet provider, Sonic.  They’re coming tomorrow to hook me up.  EXCITED!

(Not that that will keep me from receiving the Comcast spam snail mail, though.) Continue Reading

Dear RefurbDepot.com,

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I really enjoyed the deal you gave me on my Canon SD 1000 two and a half years ago.  Such a great little machine and such a great price.

Even though I was bummed that it finally kicked the bucket after getting wet on the way to the Prince concert, I knew you would have my back.  I checked your prices.  They hadn’t budged from the 2009 prices proving what I knew: that the Canon SD 1000 is a solid companion of a digital camera.

I added it to my shopping cart.  I snap photos all day long–I can’t be without a camera for long.  “Check out”, I tell your website, “check out.”  Nothing happens.  Again and again. Continue Reading

No Me Gusta McDonalds

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I spotted this billboard for McD’s breakfast deal. Just $2.99!! But what is it?

It looks to me like it’s a big pile of mush. If I liked McDonalds food, I might have been interested in it. As it is, I can hardly tell the sausage (is that even sausage?) from the hashbrowns from the biscuits from the eggs.

I don't think it's my mediocre photo that makes this look like a heap of mush instead of an appetizing breakfast.

My great friend Molly taught me a lot about food in college. A rule of thumb, she says, is that you have a balanced meal when you have a colorful plate. Look for all the colors of the rainbow; find red in kidney beans, beets or red chard, green in, well, greens, throw in some orange carrots or squash…it makes me hungry just thinking about it! Continue Reading

Cold Snaps Conquer Colds!

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

Cold Snaps (actually called Cold Snap) are an herbal supplement composed of 20 herbs to restore righteous chi.  I don’t know what the herbs are or how it works, but I do know that it does.  I just had to make a video and tell you all about it — especially when Julia came over with a cold.

Buy Cold Snap now at Amazon!

What helps with your cold? Continue Reading