Online Shopping Destination Offers Great Organization and Videos of Products

Over the past few years, I’ve begun doing more and more of my shopping online. I guess that’s partly because the mall is seldom the most economical way to shop, and partly because I have less time to shop, so running from one discount store to the next is usually too time consuming (and too difficult with a toddler). So, I’m slowly becoming a connoisseur of online shopping destinations.

Recently, ShopNBC.com invited me to check out their site, and I really like it. My favorite part of the site is the organization. The general umbrella categories across the top (jewelry, watches, apparel & accessories, beauty, house & home, computers & electronics, coins, clearance and auctions) have drop-down menus with intuitive sub-categories. And once you’re in a sub-category, you can shop by brand, price or another sub-category. Of course, you can search the site by keywords.

Another very shopper-friendly part of the site is the live chat function – that’s better service than I can get at most discount (and non-discount) department stores where you can literally fire a shotgun and not draw the attention of a customer service rep or sales clerk on most days.

Similar to those television programs where you can see hosts demonstrate and talk about the products, you also can view webcasts and live programs on ShopNBC.com. Plus, if you see a product you like, you can click on a button and see the video demonstration/pitch on that particular product. That’s way better than trying to see something from a single thumbnail photo.

I’ll be bookmarking this online shopping destination and sharing it with friends. Do you have any online shopping destinations you’d like to suggest?

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*compensation provided for the links in this post

Messy House Ignored Results in Great Morning

I have this great neighbor who lives two doors down and has a few girls (ages 8, 5 and 3) that my toddler really admires. My girl simply cannot walk past “Soozie’s” house without insisting we knock on her door. So, we are often just “dropping in” on Susan.

She’s great about it — always offering coffee, some delicious home-baked treat or rice balls served with a yummy Japanese dipping powder whatchamacallit that she made in minutes via a food processor and ingredients from the Asian grocery. Me — while I’d like to be the neighbor that anyone feels comfortable “dropping in on”, I’m not so much. But I’d like to be.

Today, when I got home from the gym early (in the pouring monsoon-like rain) I looked around my house and here’s what I saw: a sink full of dirty dishes; cereal and milk spilled on the kitchen table; toys scattered around the family room; unmade beds; laundry in the dryer waiting to be folded; laundry in the basket waiting to be put away; paperwork all over the counter waiting to be filed; emails to be answered; school forms to fill out; and, toilets growing that lovely coral/pink colored ring around the bowl at the water line. (I know, TMI). I had plenty to do. Guess what I did? I called “Soozie” and invited her and the girls up for coffee and playtime.

My toddler got a “new” $2 garage-sale Cinderella Barbie castle yesterday and I knew her girls would love playing with it. And it just seemed like it was time to return the “drop in, you’re always welcome” feeling that Susan is always extending to us. I had a lovely morning of coffee and friendship and laughter. And my girl had fun playing with the older girls and not having a Mom rushing her from room to room while we tried to clean the place. I have GOT to do that more often, and I must find the secret to exuding that “drop in, you’re always welcome” vibe that Susan gives off to those who meet her.

What about you — are you the neighbor who makes others feel welcome, or are you more like me (very appreciate of that neighbor but not as good as being that neighbor).