#good thing we have a Costco pack of toothbrushes

[certainwizardlady]

The reality of living with the borrowers. At this point just steal it, I don’t want it returned.

[surlybobbies]

The Noises of Routine (deancas 3.7k)

Excerpt: 

Cas’s apartment has always been quiet, but now he’s even more thankful for it because he can hear Dean everywhere: the creak of his footsteps on the floorboards, the running water of the shower, the music that sometimes drifts from behind his closed door into the living room.

Cas wants the sounds even closer. He wants Dean’s footsteps in his bedroom, Dean’s murmur from the pillow next to his, Dean’s music from the nightstand while he gets ready for bed. He wants the noises of a lifetime of routine, the noise of a life with Dean in it.

(quarantine fic. Dean and Cas stay in Cas's apartment.)

Rating: T Tags: Quarantine fic, friends to lovers, emotional hurt/comfort, happy ending, roommates

Notes: A fic written for the “Quarantine and Chill” round of gift exchange on the Profound Bond discord. My giftee is @zigostia!  I’m glad they enjoyed it, and I’m glad to be able to share it with you all too!

You can read it on ao3 here or

When the news breaks, Dean and Cas’s eyes connect over Cas’s tiny kitchen island. Dean is standing over a pot of chili. There’s an empty bowl in his hand. Cas is perched on his secondhand stool with a chili stain on his collar.

They stare at each other while the broadcast continues from the TV behind Cas. He can see the light shifting on Dean’s throat when he swallows.

“With the confirmation of the first case of covid-19, the governor has issued a statewide stay-at-home order effective midnight Monday. We can expect to hear about how long this order may last during her press conference in a few minutes.”

Dean puts the bowl down. He doesn’t break eye contact with Cas, though it’s obvious his mind is miles away. “That’s… not good.”

Cas opens his mouth but he can’t find anything to say. He had known this moment would come eventually, his eyes having been glued to the TV now for weeks, but here in the moment he can’t quite comprehend it.

Dean’s hand skates over his eyes. “Fuck.”

“We’ll be fine,” Cas says, startled out of his shock by Dean’s distress. “Let’s make a trip tomorrow to Costco - “

But Dean is shaking his head.

Then Cas remembers. “Your lease is up next month.”

“In three weeks.” Dean gestures toward the TV. “This isn’t going to be over in three weeks.” He walks to the couch in front of the TV and sinks down into it. “How the hell am I going to find a new place in quarantine?”

“Surely your landlord won’t kick you out - “ Cas shuts his trap when Dean sends him a look because they both know his landlord’s reputation. At a loss, Cas wanders over and stands behind the couch. For a while they watch the news. The governor is late to his press conference and the anchor is repeating the talking points of the breaking news. Cas’s eyes slide to Dean, sitting on the right side of the couch. Cas knows there’s a permanent divot in the cushion from all the time he’s spent there. Struck by a sudden idea, Cas says, “If you don’t find a place, you can take my couch for as long as you need.”

Dean’s head sinks slowly into his hands. “Thanks,” he mumbles to his lap.

“I mean it.”

“I know.”

Cas stares at the back of Dean’s head, trying to figure out the reason behind his behavior. Then it hits him. “But before that you have three weeks stuck in your apartment.”

“With my neighbors stuck in their apartment.”

“Their dog,” Cas remembers.

“Their dog,” Dean groans.

A silence falls between them, though meanwhile the governor has finally made his way onto the TV screen. “Looking at the data, if we all do our part by staying home or otherwise practicing social distancing, we can expect to emerge from this situation in about four weeks.”

Dean, his head still in his hands, says some very choice words about his opinion.

“Stay with me, then,” Cas says.

Four beats. Quiet. Then, “Say again?”

“I’ve got a spare bedroom. You’ve got clothes here already. Pack your things and stay with me for four weeks.”

Dean lifts his hand and twists around to stare incredulously at Cas. “Pack my things? Cas, that’s a whole fucking apartment’s worth of shit - you want me to get it here in three days?”

“So you’re thinking about it.”

“I’m not thinking about it.”

Cas raises an eyebrow. “The dog.”

Dean’s face falls suddenly. “The dog,” he sighs in defeat. “Fuck.”

So he moves in. Cas’s apartment is suddenly full of beat-up boxes, most shoved under tables and stashed in corners, ready to be moved again for when Dean finds a place of his own. Dean takes a few of the boxes into Cas’s spare bedroom.

Within a few days there’s evidence of Dean’s presence all over the apartment: his jacket in a pile with Cas’s near the door, his toothbrush in a separate cup near Cas’s, his shoes by his bedroom door, a spare sock in the dryer. It makes Cas feel warm in a way he doesn’t dwell on, even when he notices the way Dean smiles at him without fail every morning when he finally emerges from his blanket cocoon in the spare bedroom.

It’s hurtfully easy to live with Dean, but every time Cas wakes up looking forward to spending his day within Dean’s orbit, he walks into the living room and catches sight of the boxes under the coffee table and remembers why Dean’s there, why Cas is there, and why the streets outside are empty. Their days are simple and easy, yes, but there’s always an undercurrent of anxiety that Cas can’t seem to shake.

The first time they go grocery-shopping during the stay-at-home order, they go together, and only because neither wanted the other one to go, but neither could no one go, and so their stubbornness resulted in this:

Dean, driving. Cas handing him a disposable face mask before they get out of the car. Worried frowns hidden behind cotton and elastic. Without speaking, they quickly understand their roles: Dean handles the cart and Cas handles the groceries. They watch each other - what they touch and what they don’t. Cas watches as Dean weaves through the shoppers, his mouth a thin line every time someone gets too close to him.

He doesn’t say anything, but once they get into the car and wipe down their hands with antibacterial wipes, Cas heaves a huge sigh. Dean looks at him, and his eyes are gentle. They don’t speak on the ride home and eventually Cas’s heart begins to calm.

In the apartment, they take 45 minutes to wipe down their groceries. “Is this how it’s going to be from now on?” Dean sighs, after stashing the milk in the fridge.

Cas has spent the last 45 minutes watching Dean’s hands under the guise of health and hygiene. “I’m getting used to it,” he says.

Their routine takes shape over time and ends up looking a little like this:

Cas wakes up first. He makes the coffee. Then he skims through the news on his phone while he waits for Dean to wake up and start breakfast. They didn’t plan the arrangement: it came about only because Cas never ate breakfast and Dean figured out very quickly that if he wanted food in the morning he’d have to make it himself.

Eventually Cas starts joining him for breakfast, but Dean is still without fail the one standing at the stove every morning with a spatula in his hand.

They sit near the window to eat for the most part. They chat about the pains of working from home, all while watching the eerily empty streets outside and carefully avoiding the topic that dominates the news.

They go through bacon at an alarming rate, and one day when they run out Dean sulks the whole day.

“Threw me off,” he complains at the end of the day, sprawled across the couch with an arm over his eyes. “Accidentally left my meeting when I wanted to mute myself.”

Cas cooks dinner to give Dean a break. Cas is not a great cook but Dean always clears his plate with relish and claps a hand on Cas’s shoulder before clearing up and starting on the dishes. Cas lets him handle the dishes to avoid the judgmental look Dean had cast on him the first time he saw Cas washing up. “You’re using too much water,” he’d said, wincing.

Cas had blinked at him. “You’re welcome to do them yourself.”

“Honestly, I’d prefer that.”

So Dean handles the dishes and Cas wipes up the table and waits for Dean on the couch where they channel surf for a few hours.

When Dean starts to nod off, Cas will shut off the TV and nudge Dean until he trudges toward the bathroom to brush his teeth.

At the end of each night they end up behind different doors.

The stay-at-home order continues. The four weeks that the governor’s data had projected at the beginning passes as cases have not shown a decline. Quarantine edges into months. Cas’s hair gets long and Dean laughs every time he catches sight of him. Then one day he runs his hands through it in passing, and neither of them laugh. Dean just quirks a smile and takes his coffee and goes into his room to start work, and Cas collapses into an armchair because he’s in love with his best friend and can’t stand it.

The next day Cas lets Dean take clippers to his hair. It’s gotten out of hand, he says, but mostly he wants to feel Dean’s hands again. Dean turns on the clippers and Cas watches him in the mirror.

“You don’t need to look so worried,” Dean says, grinning.

“I’m not” is all Cas says.

Their eyes connect in the mirror. Dean’s grin falls a little, replaced by something soft and surprised and thoughtful. He’s silent through the rest of the haircut, and Cas lets his eyelids fall shut with every pass of Dean’s hand through his hair.

When they’re done Cas nods his approval at his reflection, turning his head left and right. “Who needs a barber when you have Dean Winchester?”

He catches Dean’s eye. Dean has been staring.

“Dean?”

Dean grins suddenly and begins packing up the clippers, winding the wire around his fingers. He won’t look at Cas. “Not bad, eh?”

The TV says the state will reopen in phases beginning in a week. The chyron across the screen confirms what Cas thinks he’s hearing, but it’s difficult to believe after so long in one place. Cas tries to catch Dean’s eye, but is unsurprised not to succeed. In recent days Dean is either staring into Cas’s soul or looking away completely and it’s more often the latter than the former.

“I still don’t think it’s safe,” Cas ventures, a little hesitant because Dean’s staring out the window again at the empty streets.

“It’s not,” Dean says. There’s a trace of anger in his voice, but Cas knows it’s not directed toward him.

“Will you stay a little longer then?”

Dean looks at him finally. He looks sad. “Yeah, probably. Sorry.” He clears Cas’s plate from in front of him and walks it to the sink.

They spend the first few weeks after the reopening of the state in much the same way as they did in quarantine. Cas’s apartment has always been quiet, but now he’s even more thankful for it because he can hear Dean everywhere: the creak of his footsteps on the floorboards, the running water of the shower, the music that sometimes drifts from behind his closed door into the living room.

Cas wants the sounds even closer. He wants Dean’s footsteps in his bedroom, Dean’s murmur from the pillow next to his, Dean’s music from the nightstand while he gets ready for bed. He wants the noises of a lifetime of routine, the noise of a life with Dean in it.

The want is not new. What is new is the sour feeling in his gut knowing that everything he wants is only just out of reach. If he could stretch out his fingers just a little bit more, he’d be able to pull Dean closer and keep him from leaving. Every day the boxes in his living room greet Cas and remind him that despite whatever routine they’ve established, Cas’s apartment is destined to return to its silence.

One day Cas finishes work early and wanders into the living room to see Dean sitting on the couch scrolling through pictures on his phone with a frown.

“Finished up?” Cas prods cautiously as he reaches for a glass in his cupboard.

Dean barely looks up. “Nah,” he said. “Took the day off so I could concentrate on looking for an apartment.”

Cas’s stomach sinks. He thinks of his next words carefully as he turns on the tap and fills his glass. “How’s it going?”

“There’s a few options. I might take a look at one of them later on today.”

Cas doesn’t respond. He’s staring at his glass of water.

“Wanna come with?”

Cas suddenly realizes how much he’s missed sitting in the passenger seat of Dean’s car. The trips they’ve taken recently have only been fraught with worry and tension, and Cas desperately wants to correct that. “If you’ll have me,” he replies.

Cas can hear the smile in Dean’s answer: “You know I will, Cas.”

The apartment building is nice but painfully far from Cas’s. After almost three months of living with Dean, the concept of having him almost an hour away makes Cas feel sick.

“You okay?” Dean asks, as they make their way to the building door. “You’re squinting again.”

Cas scowls, but Dean can’t see it behind the mask. “I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Dean says, in the tone he’s reserved for when he doesn’t want to bother with Cas’s attitude. He presses a buzzer. A few seconds later, they’re being ushered up a set of stairs by a sweet old lady with curlers in her hair who coos over them and chatters about the possibility of having another wonderful tenant. She opens up the apartment and lingers at the door while Dean and Cas wander.

“At least it’s furnished,” Cas comments. The furniture is mismatched and a little beaten, but it will do.

Dean just shrugs. He’s been quiet since entering the apartment.

They make their way to the single bedroom. In it is a queen-sized bed and nothing else. They stand at the door and look at it for a long moment. Cas bites his tongue and digs his fingernails into his palm, trying not to think about who Dean might share it with. “It’s a decent size,” he manages to say. It might be the mask covering his mouth, but to his ears his voice sounds distant.

Dean looks at him with raised eyebrows.

“The place, not the bed,” Cas corrects.

It’s difficult to read Dean’s facial expression through the mask when he says, “I wish there were another bedroom for you.”

“That’s very kind,” Cas replies, a little taken aback. “But don’t let me influence your decision. It’s your apartment.”

Dean just shrugs and turns away.

In the end they leave only with words of thanks for the old lady and reassurances that Dean will get back to her.

When they return to Cas’s apartment, Dean throws his keys onto the table near the door and then takes off his shoes. His jacket goes on top of Cas’s on the door hook. He takes off his disposable mask and holds out a hand silently for Cas’s. When he gets it, he throws both into the trash and washes his hands.

He looks like he’s headed toward the fridge when he notices Cas watching him from his spot by the door.

“What?” he asks as he reaches for the fridge handle.

Cas takes a long breath. “Stay here.”

Dean freezes just as he opens the fridge. He blinks at Cas. “What?”

Cas has just watched Dean move through the apartment like it was his own, and it makes Cas desperate to be understood. “You’ve been here for two months already. Your clothes keep getting mixed up with mine, and you’ve taken over the fridge. We haven’t killed each other. You might as well just stay.”

Dean grabs a beer from the fridge. He looks at it, looks into the fridge, then looks at Cas. Cas knows from years of experience that Dean’s going to crack a joke, and he does: “Is that your only requirement for a roommate? ‘Must not murder me’?”

Cas still hasn’t moved from his spot near the apartment door. “I’m serious.”

“I know,” Dean says. He closes the fridge and then pops the top off of his beer to take a long swig. When he’s done, he just looks at Cas and blinks.

“That’s not a yes,” Cas points out after an uncomfortable few seconds of silence.

Dean leans against the counter and stares at his socks. “I gotta think about it.”

Anxiety worms its way under Cas’s skin, but he’s determined to quash it. He moves toward the sink near Dean to start dinner. He had plans to make a pot of chili again, but for the life of him he can’t remember where to start. After washing his hands, he opens the cupboard and grabs a few spices that sound familiar. Dean is still leaning against the counter a few feet away.

Cas puts the spices down and stares at them, hands on hips. He must looked stumped because Dean clears his throat and says, “Onion.”

Cas doesn’t acknowledge it but he turns to get the onion anyhow. He can feel Dean’s eyes on him as he reaches for the bowl behind Dean. Cas is close enough to smell Dean’s aftershave and almost crazy enough to lean in closer. He doesn’t, though he desperately wants to. Cas can feel a blush blooming on his cheeks but he avoids Dean’s eyes and turns away, onion in hand.

Cas begins to dice the onion. He’s never been great with a knife but this time, with Dean’s eyes on the back of his neck, he’s somehow even worse. It takes forever, and by the time forever has passed, Cas’s eyes are irritated from slicing the onion. Dean snorts at him when Cas turns around, eyes squinted, to wash his hands and rinse out his eyes.

“Every single time,” Dean says. Cas’s eyes are barely open so he can’t see Dean’s expression, but he can hear the traces of affection in his voice. “Go faster next time.”

“You’re hired the next time I need to cut onions,” Cas says as he washes his hands.

Dean’s quiet. Cas hears him take another swig of his beer as he leans down to try to rinse out his eyes. When he straightens, he feels Dean pushing a towel into his hand.

“Thanks,” Cas mumbles as he wipes his face. When he’s finished blinking away the moisture in his eyes, Cas is finally able to focus on Dean, who’s watching him intently.

The apartment is silent save for the whir of the fridge and the swing of the ceiling fan. If Cas listened really closely he might be able to hear the murmur of conversation from his neighbors, but right now he’s focused in on Dean, who’s living and breathing in front of him, a testament to the wonders of the universe.

In this moment it’s almost as if Dean is thinking the same thing about Cas. His eyes dance between Cas’s. His throat bobs. Cas is about to ask what’s wrong, but the words die on his tongue when Dean suddenly puts his bottle down and then lifts a hand to fit around Cas’s jaw. His hand is cold and slightly wet from the condensation. A shaky thumb grazes Cas’s mouth.

“I do want to stay, Cas,” he says quietly. “But you need to know what that means for me.”

Cas’s heart is in his throat. He opens his mouth to speak, and Dean’s thumb follows his bottom lip. He forgets his words.

Dean waits for a response. When he doesn’t get one, he gives Cas a pretend scowl. “You gotta say something.”

“P-please clarify,” Cas stammers. His cheeks are on fire, and his eyes are welling up again.

Dean kisses him. It’s just a touch of his lips against Cas’s, small enough to argue that it was barely anything at all, but Cas knows it for what it is: a question he has to answer.

“Clear enough?” Dean asks softly, staring at his socks again. He’s dropped his hands and linked them together in front of him. He’s still leaning against the counter. Cas would be angry with him for looking so goddamn cool but he’s too busy trying to process the fact that Dean has just kissed him.

Cas swallows. The towel in his hand is crushed by his nervous fist. “My offer still stands,” he says. “My home is always open to you.”

Dean looks up at him through his eyelashes with a slightly exasperated look. “Where I’m gonna live is not really the most important issue at hand right now.” His eyes dip down to Cas’s lips then back up to Cas’s eyes. It’s an invitation if Cas ever saw one.

Cas steps forward and kisses Dean. It’s a proper one this time, one that involves Dean’s hands on Cas’s ribs and Cas’s hands in Dean’s hair. Cas feels like there’s a current of electricity running through him, up to his ears and down to his toes, running through Dean everywhere their skin touches. It’s only when Dean makes an eager noise low in his throat that Cas pulls away (not without an effort), making Dean scowl.

“Dinner,” Cas says, his vocabulary greatly reduced. He wants to wrap himself up in Dean but knows there has to be a long talk beforehand, and they can’t do that when Dean’s hands are trying to inch down Cas’s waistband.

Dean closes his eyes. “Fine,” he mumbles.

Cas steps away and Dean’s hands drop. “But I take it you’re staying.”

Dean’s mouth twitches upward, though his eyes remain closed. “You couldn’t pay me to leave after that, Cas.”

Cas indulges in a pleased smile because he knows Dean can’t see it. He returns to the cupboard. By the time he’s gotten the ingredients gathered, Dean has gotten the bowls and cutlery, the pot and the stirring spoon. He arranges them on the kitchen island, then steps away.

Cas watches as Dean drags a box from underneath the coffee table and opens it. The sound of the cardboard is comforting in the silence.

“Hey,” Dean says, looking toward Cas. “Where should I put my mom’s picture?”

[laurenconraddaily]

What Lauren Conrad Can’t Live Without

If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hairspray and the electric toothbrush. We asked Lauren Conrad — whose brand, Lauren Conrad Beauty, launched this fall and just expanded to skin care — about the coffee maker, hair clip, and wine she can’t live without.

Kristin Ess Full Size French Pin Set $12

I’ve worked with Kristin since I was 20 — she’s amazing and her whole line is literally the only thing I use on my hair: her shampoo, conditioner, stylers, everything. My hair is pretty thick. After my first pregnancy, it all fell out. I’ve been able to hang on to a lot of it this time around, but it still has changed a lot. Kristin explained to me that the texture of your hair changes every seven years and it changes during pregnancy. So mine has become a bit thicker — I have a lot more hair than I did before — with more of a natural wave to it. I recently grew it long enough to really do a top knot again, and this French pin makes that so easy. It doesn’t cause breakage like an elastic can. I use it every single day. Even if I’m not wearing my hair up, when I get home at the end of a day, I twist it up when I walk in the door because I live with a one-year-old hair puller. I don’t even look in a mirror to do it.

$12 at Target Buy

Kinto 4 Cup Brewer Stand Set $188

The first thing I do every morning is make coffee at around 6:30. Years ago I had a Keurig in my kitchen, and when one of my husband’s best friends stayed with us, he very kindly said to me, “If I sent you more ecofriendly ideas for coffee, would you be open to them?” He got me thinking. The next weekend we were going up the coast for a wedding and we stopped in this small boutique, where I saw this little coffee maker. I was like, “Oh, this is so beautiful.” It doesn’t require anything, including filters. I got it and have used it ever since. There’s a whole process to it: I grind my own coffee, and in order to use this, you need a more coarsely ground coffee. Then I pour a bit of boiling water over it, let the coffee bloom for a minute, then pour the rest in and watch it make my coffee. It’s definitely more involved than a regular coffee maker or a Keurig, but I actually think it makes a nicer cup. It looks better on your counter, too, and best of all, it’s a little nicer to the Earth. Mine has held up for a few years. We did have to replace one piece because my husband dropped it while washing it, but other than that, it has really lasted.

$188 at Huckberry Buy

Kirkland Signature Organic Virgin Coconut Oil $16

I love this one from Costco because it’s a really good value. I do use it to cook, but I mainly use it for baths. At the end of the day, after we put the boys down, I try to take a 20-minute bath. It’s my end-of-the-day thing — I usually have a glass of wine in there, too. And I always put a bit of coconut oil in the bath while it’s running. The last thing I want to do is apply moisturizer after a bath because I’m so relaxed and tired, so putting coconut oil in there keeps my skin nice and hydrated.

$16 at Costco Buy

$23 at Amazon Buy

Health-Ade Pink Lady Apple Kombucha (6-Pack) $30

Instead of having a coffee in the afternoon, I’ve switched to having kombucha. It’s better for digestion and whatnot. I have a fridge stocked with kombucha, that’s how much I drink it. I treat kombucha almost like I would beer — I have my go-tos, but I like trying different ones, and I always come back to my favorites. This is one of them. I found it at my local grocery store. It’s sort of a middle-of-the-road one in terms of sweetness, for when I don’t want anything too sugary. It’s tasty. If I don’t want to try something new, I go for this because I know I’ll enjoy it.

$30 at Health-Ade Buy

Philips Avance XL Air Fryer $300

I mainly use it to reheat things. For example, if I’m making a batch of waffles, I’ll freeze the extras, then pop one in when I want it. The air fryer defrosts and crisps it up. It also brings leftover fries back to life, which is honestly enough of a reason to own one. This model is the newer version of mine, because when I went to look up mine, I only found used ones on eBay. I guess I’ve really had it for a minute. But mine is still working well, I don’t have a reason to replace it. I got it about two years ago when I was pregnant. Some woman at a talk about how to healthily feed small children said we all needed to get an air fryer because it makes things so easy. Recently I did a Zoom wine date with one of my good friends and she texted me that she was running late; she was like, “I just finally unwrapped my air fryer from Christmas.” I responded with a short novel about my air fryer, outlining everything she needs to do and try. I’m obsessed with it.

$300 at QVC Buy

Sweet Laurel: Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts $28 now 25% off $21

Our whole family is dairy-free. We have been for years. My oldest son is actually lactose-intolerant, but we’ve all struggled with dairy, so we just cut it out of our diet. Cutting out dairy is pretty easy, but it becomes a challenge with baking. Sweet Laurel’s recipes are all dairy-free; she’s also grain-free, so it’s all almond flour. The main ingredients she uses are almond flour, maple syrup, and Himalayan salt. All of her recipes are really easy, too — I pull out cookbooks for dessert a lot, but sometimes recipes have so many steps that I get overwhelmed. The last thing I made from here was a strawberry cake for my son’s birthday. I handed him the book, told him to pick what he wanted, and he chose that. It was dyed pink with beets. You don’t taste them, they just made the whole cake pink.

$21 at Amazon Buy

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength Exfoliating Mask $48

I love a mask that gives me instant results. I don’t have very sensitive skin, but when I take this off, my face is bright red. It does burn a little, but I don’t mind. I really feel like it’s working. I only use it once a week — I do it at night and the next morning I wake up and my skin feels great. It’s a nice refresher and takes away that dull feeling I can get. I’m trying to do as much as I can at home — I haven’t been able to get facials or see any specialist — and this is the closest I’ve gotten so far to instant results.

$48 at Dermstore Buy

$48 at Ulta Beauty Buy

Eden Brothers Organic Roma Tomato Seeds $4

We started gardening this year as a way to pass the time. I’ve gotten really into it. I mean, it’s definitely taking over our yard, which is pretty small, but it’s really fun and strangely rewarding. When I went to buy seeds, Eden Brothers had the best selection. We’re growing green beans, tomatillos, raspberries, blackberries, onions, lots of tomatoes — cherry, heirloom, and Roma tomatoes — corn, and pumpkins. Oh, and lots of herbs and stuff, too. We harvested our first corn not long ago. It was weird. The flavor was good, but I don’t know, I’m still learning. I think it maybe was overwatered. I thought gardening would be simple — it’s not, but it has been a really fun hobby. I’m sure I’ll get better with time. My 3-year-old son goes out with me every morning to check the garden. He’s way more inclined to eat something off the vine than he is off a dinner plate. And I love that he gets to see where food comes from at a young age.

$4 at Eden Brothers Buy

Avaline White Blend $20

When I heard about this wine, I was really curious. Katherine Power, one of the founders, is always coming out with different brands and she always does such a nice job with her launches. I don’t like when wine is too sweet or fruity, and I prefer organic wine — if it isn’t organic, I tend to get a headache. This one tastes amazing and has beautiful packaging. I like their white wine best; I actually just ordered a whole case.

$20 at Wine.com Buy

Lauren Conrad Beauty The Lip & Cheek Tint $20

My first pregnancy, which was four years ago, was honestly the first time when I was aware of what I was putting on my body and the effects those products could have. I transitioned all my products to clean and vegan, but I hated feeling like I had to compromise — I wanted clean lipsticks with staying power that had really great pigment and felt good. One of the reasons why I came out with my brand now, as opposed to a few years ago, is because I decided if I’m going to do a beauty line, I want to do it correctly. Everyone involved with my line really stays informed on ingredients and the market, so we can create products you can feel good about using. A multitasker is our target customer because I’m one myself. This tint is one of my favorite products for that reason. I use it every day throughout the day. It’s something you can apply to a bare base, you can layer it over light makeup and build it up. It’s about whatever works for you.

$20 at Lauren Conrad Beauty Buy

[365day2015]

Day 149

Only picture I took the morning after the party haha.

Woke up at around 8 when I set my alarm for 7 but it didn’t matter cause we didn’t leave for Costco until about 1130. FM picked me up and we met up with Jonita and her sister there and we did some shopping. Got some alcohol, pineapples, breakfast food, and other stuff and then left. Went to the ABC store next and Jonita took like 20 minutes just to pick up two bottles of alcohol. After that, FM left for a lunch and then we went back to the house where the party was going to be at. Dropped off all the stuff and then Jonita took me home. Once I got home, I called up Faith and Gennie and then started packing-ish. They weren’t even getting ready yet cause Faith just woke up from a nap when I called her but it’s all good. I finished pretty fast cause I didn’t really need to bring much so I cooked some ramen while I waited for them. They had to come over and drop their car off here cause their parents thought that it was a girls only sleepover haha. They came around 5 while I was still eating and I finished up and then we left.

Went to Farmfresh cause they wanted to get some chicken for the party and we picked up some ice as well for Jonita. After that, we picked up FM and then headed to the house. There were a few people there already and not much happened for a little. It was still setting up a bit but awhile later the party got going. I feel the need to talk about this party in bullet format so I will:

First watched some beer pong in which FM and a real chill dude named Josh were teaming and playing others. They were undefeated for the night even when I played them with Jerica.

I think I was about 3 Seagram bottles and one pretty powerful jello shot in and I was already feeling a bit buzzed. Not really sure what the next event was but I made this drink that had ciroc and mango nectar in it. I feel like I put a bit too much ciroc so I started feeling tipsy at that point (couldn’t really walk). Played some ping pong with Jonita’s brother Josh while I was feeling like that.

Bridgett and Jared ended up coming and they brought a bottle of tequila. Everyone was taking shots for Jonita and they wanted me to take one as well. I still haven’t had a shot ever and my stomach wasn’t feeling it so I was feeling kinda nervous. Everyone was like pressuring me to do it for a good 10 minutes but I ended up getting out of it.

Can’t really recall what happened next but I made that same mango nectar + ciroc again for me, FM, Gennie, and Faith. Toasted and we drank some and then the next thing I really remember was Faith being done as hell. I think she took like 2 fireball and 2 tequila shots + some other drinks so i’m not surprised. Jonita was saying I was done too so that cool guy Josh carried Faith upstairs and walked up there and watched over Faith.

I felt obliged to watch over her for the rest of the night because I couldn’t leave her alone since she was drunk as hell. Jonita told both of us to stay inside that room and not to leave so that happened for a good while. The night was still young (I think it was only like 1030 when this started) and everyone was still partying it up while I watched over her. People visited from time to time to check up on us and we were good for awhile.

Then I’m pretty sure what happened next was I was trying to make her go to sleep but I think she was to drunk too. She sat up and said I feel like throwing up and my dumbass tipsy self instead of getting a trashcan myself yelled downstairs to get one. It was too late by the time I got back into the room as she already threw up on herself, the bed, and the floor. I was trying to comfort her as she was yelling that she was sorry and that she didn’t mean to while the other party people helped clean it up. Before I knew it, it looked spotless and like nothing happened. It was just the smell that lingered haha. But Gennie was talking about being embarrassed the whole time and she helped me get Faith’s life straight by giving her a toothbrush to brush and showering and changing her. Of course I left so I just did other things while that happened. Went back upstairs by the time she was done and volunteered to take care of her again.

Stephanie was invited into the room as well cause she was drunk too and they had their fun time. Mason watched over the two and I left for a good to do other things. I think the next thing was that I played beer pong with Gennie on my team against Jonita and her friend Justin. Loser took a shot and me and Gennie ended up winning. But because I was like avoiding the tequila shot earlier saying that I would take it later, they were like c’mon you have to do one. It wasn’t tequila since they ran out, but there was this peach vodka left that wasn’t as strong so I considered it. It was only half a shot too so I thought it couldn’t hurt. The Justin dude was like getting angry (not actually but y’know) at me for not taking it and after just thinking about it I did it. It wasn’t bad but it did burn by stomach haha.

After that, I went back upstairs to check on Faith and Stephanie and everyone was trying to take a nap. I was feeling even more tipsy than I was earlier so I decided I should just relax with them.

For the longest time that happened, but as the night passed things got worse. Kyle and Kristen crashed the party and Jonita was getting really pissed at Kristen. I don’t exactly know what happened since I was with Faith, but I just remember there was yelling at 2 or 3 in the morning and Jonita actually like barged into our room and ordered Stephanie to get them out. There was some shit that Jonita took Kristen’s phone (because Kristen almost killed her and her lil sister when she tried driving home or something) and that she wouldn’t give it back unless Kristen apologized. Kristen ended up getting it back and getting escorted out by Stephanie and her friend Megan.

Jerica also lost her phone and for a good while we tried looking for it. Everyone was cleaning up already and I felt kinda bad for not really helping. After a good clean search, the phone is still lost. We have no idea if Kristen took it or something, but we couldn’t find it. Around 4, everyone just calmed down and relaxed.

I went back upstairs and spent the rest of the night with Faith making sure she was okay. I don’t remember what time, but she ended up needing to go to the toilet just in case she needed to throw up again and we just hung out there was a while. She did end up throwing up again but it was clear so i’m guessing it was from all the water she drank. After that though, she was feeling better and we went back to the bed and tried to sleep. I’m pretty sure she successfully did, but i’m positive I fell asleep on and off for an hour max. I “woke” up to Faith leaving the room around 630 maybe but I didn’t get up because I thought she was just using the bathroom. Apparently she threw up one last time but she felt a whole lot better after that. We tried to sleep for a bit longer but we ended up just getting up around 8.

Jerica and Gennie were making breakfast and I was not feeling good. I was like shaking and my stomach was eh. It was either cause I was hungover or cause I didn’t get sleep. I highly doubt it hungover cause I wasn’t wasted. Either way, they made pancakes, eggs, and bacon and I only ate half a pancake. After breakfast, there were a few rounds of ping pong and then a cornhole round with me, Jonita, Josh and Faith. We played one round where me and Jonita lost, and the second round didn’t finish.

Everyone packed up and left around 1130. I took FM home and then the twins stayed for a bit at my house. Bro came over for a little and then the twins left.

That’s all this post is going to be. I’ll continue the day later tonight maybe.

[writingpromptswithkate]

Two Moons Are Better Than One

Part V.

Even though at length she recovered enough of her wits to stand, Hannah was incapable of going through the house to look for supplies. Nate could hardly blame her, but since the task had to fall on him, he was sorry he failed to close the master bedroom door when they left it.

Nate took Hannah out to the front porch and sat her down on the steps. He put the lap quilt from the couch around her shoulders.

“Stay here a minute. Deep breaths. Try to keep your eyes closed.”

“Still thinking it’s like Bird Box?” Hannah said, her voice completely hollow.

“Let’s not take any chances about it, huh? I’ll be back out in a couple minutes.”

Nate himself had to take a deep breath before heading back inside. It was not so much that the air smelled different with all the blood it it; it’s just that he knew it was there. More to the point, he felt like a grave robber. What kind of scum disrespects the dead like that?

That was not true, he told himself; it was Hannah’s house too, and whatever he took from the house was for her survival. He was not stealing from the dead. He would not even go into the master bedroom again; he would restrict himself to the kitchen, bathroom, living room and hall closet. Places full of household goods, not personal possessions. 

Hannah’s parents had more nonperishable food in their kitchen than Nate normally kept, but that did not make it easy to decide what to take. Canned goods were not the most practical due to their weight. Neither were noodles that were not instant. That said, between the granola bars, trail mix, and toaster pastries, Nate could put together a small lightweight feast. An obliging cupboard full of plastic shopping bags made it easy to pile the lot by the front door while Nate moved on to the closet.

It occurred to Nate, in a stroke of uncommon thoughtfulness, that Hannah would probably like to have a few essential toiletries with her, especially since she was likely to have to go without a shower for days or weeks. There was a green backpack in the hall closet, maybe Hannah’s own from high school, that would do. He grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair brush and elastics, face wash and moisturizer -- he definitely would not have known to grab the moisturizer on his own, but luckily they were right next to each other. He had poked his head into the cupboard under the bathroom sink to see if there was anything else she might need when he spotted a box of tampons. Might as well grab them too, he decided: even if she did not need them now, she might need them in a few days, or next week...

He had not wanted to go into Hannah’s bedroom -- that was a private space where he had no business -- but in going over the house he was keenly aware that he had not found Hannah’s jacket. Blankets were well and good, but she needed an option with sleeves. So he went in.

Her room smelled like incense and a strange combination of scented candles. She had so many candles. Many of them had little black flecks of something on top: tiny pieces of ash? There was an altar of sorts on top of her dresser: a mirror, more candles, a variety of crystals and rocks with strange symbols painted on them. There was a battered three-subject notebook with a pen stuck into its spiral. Maybe a diary? Without really thinking about it, Nate picked it up and shoved it into the green backpack. Without thinking through any of it, he also picked up a pink crystal the size of a kiwi and packed that too. Hannah liked collecting rocks; that was about as far as Nate understood Wicca. Maybe having one of these rocks would give her comfort.

She had just watched her parents die, and Nate thought a rose quartz was going to give her comfort? He huffed out half a laugh at the absurdity of it. Still, he did not take the crystal back out of the backpack.

The jacket, his original target, was hanging on the back of the door the whole time. He grabbed it on the way out.

Part of him was afraid that he would walk out onto the front porch and Hannah would be gone, or worse that she would be there, but be violently insane like her mother.

Hannah’s reaction to shock was much more like her father’s: she was just sitting there, staring blankly, hands limp in her lap. Tears continued to run down her face but she had no more energy left to sob. Nate had loaded everything they were taking from her house into the last few open square feet of his truck bed, and in the mean time she had not spoken, stood up, or even blinked as far as he could tell.

“Hey. Hannah,” Nate said quietly, his hand on the quilt over her shoulder. A bit louder but still gently: “Hannah. Hannah Jennings. Look at me, Hannah.” She finally looked. Whew, so she was not completely catatonic after all. “It’s time to go, Hannah.” It felt strange to keep saying her name over and over, but Nate had read somewhere that repeating a person’s name helped to keep them grounded in reality. He hoped that wasn’t just something made up for a novel or a movie.

It seemed to be working in her case: Hannah nodded. She even tried to stand under her own power, but that did not work out terribly well. Nate supported her back to the truck and lifted her in. When he got in on his side, she had made no motion to fasten her seat belt, so Nate ended up doing that too.

They drove in silence back to the office. Near silence, anyway: once in a while Hannah gave a loud sniff. There was nothing Nate could say, so he kept quiet. 

There were five other vehicles parked at the office when they arrived, not counting crazy drivers who had rolled up over the curb: Hannah’s dark green Honda Civic, Alex’s red Dodge Durango, Scott’s black Jeep Cherokee, Robbie’s dark grey Nissan Altima, and one of the company trucks, a white Chevy Silverado several years newer than Nate’s grey one. Nate backed his truck into the handicap parking spot close to the door. No one else was going to need that spot for a while.

Hannah, though far from okay, recovered enough that she offered to help unload when Nate shut his truck off. Nate didn’t figure he needed the help, but he equally figured that doing something productive would keep Hannah from falling apart again. He told her to get the paper towels and toilet rolls into the supply closet, and then to organize the food as he brought it through to the kitchen.

They walked in on Alex and Scott in the middle of a loud and heated discussion.

“That’s why I told you to try calling him, the little fucker blocked me!” Alex yelled.

“If he’s gone, he’s gone! What makes you think he’ll answer me if he blocked you?!” came Scott’s reply.

“What’s going on?” Nate interjected.

“Finally!” cried Alex. “I was starting to think you two left us, too.”

“What do you mean, left?”

“I mean, that little shit Hector hasn’t shown up, and he’s blocked my number. No sign of Martin yet, either.” At this Alex threw a dirty look in Scott’s direction.

Nate groaned. So it was going to be like this, huh? “Alright, Scott, you try calling Martin, I will call Hector.”

We’re sorry, but the number you have dialed is not in service at this time...

Nate tried texting.

Message not deliverable.

So much for Hector.

This was what Nate had originally wanted, wasn’t it? He told each of them to take money, get water, and hunker down at home. That’s exactly what Hector did. At least, Nate hoped that’s what Hector did. The alternatives...

No time for this. Nate hauled in more bags of food, more blankets, more water bottles.

“Hey, Martin! Glad I caught you, buddy,” came Scott’s voice from inside Robbie’s office. “Oh is that right? Huh. Thing is, we were kinda countin’ on you, man... What? No, that’s not... Martin, come on... What the hell are you talking about, dude? Slow down, you’re not making any sense... Yeah, I know, the moon’s real nice...dude? You can’t drive to the moon...No that wasn’t a dare! Martin! Come back, come on man, let’s talk about this... Martin! Martin?! Shit! Fuck, shit, fuck.”

There was a window between Robbie’s office and the main office. Nate saw Scott pull the phone away from his head as a look of pain and horror passed over his face. More than ten seconds later, Scott put the phone back up to his ear.

“Martin? Buddy, you there? Martin? Answer me, goddammit! ...Fuck you...” Scott’s voice broke and he put the phone down for good.

He stepped out of the office and met Nate’s questioning look.

“I think Martin’s dead.”

“What happened?”

“If I had to guess: car crash.” Scott sounded as wooden has Hannah had earlier.

“Jesus.”

“What the fuck is going on?!” Scott exploded. A muffled crashing sound answered from the direction of the kitchen, as if a large Costco sized box of Ramen noodles had been dropped, collided with the edge of a table or counter-top, and then fell on the floor. A skittering, as of a dozen packets of dried noodles sliding around on linoleum, followed the crash.

“I don’t know, man, but considering the day we’ve all had, maybe keep it down a little? We need to stay calm.”

“Calm, hell! You didn’t have to carry Robbie out of here into the woods! I did that! I’ve never cleaned up after a dead body before in my life, but that’s the day I’ve had, Nate! Don’t tell me to fucking stay calm!”

“Not that it’s a competition, but you definitely have not had the worst day of anyone in this building right now, so will you kindly keep your fucking voice down.”

“You think you’ve had a worse day so far? Or are you talking about the filing girl you clearly want to fuck so badly? Is that how you can stay so calm, Nate? Have you already fucked her and you’re too mellowed out to care that Robbie and Martin are dead, and probably so is Hector?” Scott turned away and started stomping toward the break room and kitchen.

Nate thought Scott was storming off to cool down for a few minutes, so he did not follow. But then came Hannah’s yelp, followed by the thud of something heavy hitting the kitchen floor, and he was sprinting across the office.

“Maybe,” Scott was growling. His voice sounded thick like he was talking around a wad of saliva. “Maybe Nate has the right idea after all. Maybe I’d mellow out some, too...”

“Are you crazy?” Hannah shrieked from the floor.

By the time Nate entered the kitchen, Hannah had flailed and crawled until her back was against the cupboards, but Scott continued to advance on her. All the while he was pulling his belt off. His hands were occupied; Nate took the opportunity to charge.

Nate and Scott went down in a heap, but there was a problem in that Nate had no Step Two to this plan. Scott was taller, heavier, and definitely not thinking straight. His fist collided with the side of Nate’s head. Lights burst behind Nate’s eyes, and he finally understood why cartoon characters had stars around them after a head injury. The world was spinning blurry lights; Scott’s growls and Hannah’s screams sounded a world away. 

He became aware that Scott was trying to stand up again, and without any other plan in place, Nate tackled him again. For a moment they were nothing but flailing limbs, until a gunshot pierced the air and cleared even Nate’s foggy head.

Suddenly Nate’s knee would not hold up his weight. He staggered, then fell to the floor. His pants felt too warm; he hadn’t wet himself, had he?

He was, very dimly and vaguely, aware of the shape of Scott rising to his feet. He was screaming something else now, but Nate could not hear the words.

Another nearby sound came to him, the sound of Alex’s voice? He could not tell what she was saying either. All that was clear was that Alex and Scott were talking to each other.

There was another gunshot. A great shuddering thud as Scott hit the floor. A scream. Hannah’s; Nate knew her scream too well, even in this state.

“Nate? Nate. Hey. Stay awake, Nate, stay with me.” Hannah’s voice was near his head. She was sobbing again. How did she have enough water left in her to sob?

“Keep pressure right here,” Alex’s voice came from somewhere above his hips. “I’m really sorry Nate. I was trying to get Scott, I heard what he was saying to you about Hannah, and... Hannah, keep pressure right here! Keep it together, come on. I’ll be right back with first aid.”

Despite all of Hannah’s begging him to ‘stay with her’, Nate felt his consciousness slipping. He couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. What was that bright silvery light? God damn it, it looked just like those two moons. Wouldn’t they ever just let him get some sleep?

--the story continues--

<<Part IV  | Part VI>>

[biofunmy]

Black Friday 2019: What You Need to Know

In the age of e-commerce, Black Friday can feel like an anachronism. But don’t be fooled. The Friday after Thanksgiving remains enormously important — at least symbolically — to the retail industry. And millions of shoppers will still be out in stores, working off that turkey and stuffing by racing to find the best deals.

Many others will simply stay at home, content to cruise the internet to do their shopping. Whether it’s in stores or online, our reporters will be covering it here, with a little help from our friends at The Wirecutter.

Shopping has become easier, and more fun

It’s hard to think of a better time to be a shopper. There’s one-day delivery, online purchases with in-store pick up, even $17 cocktails served while you shop for shoes.

Retailers are trying to be all things to all shoppers, but it is proving to be a tough and, some say, unsustainable way to run their business. The more money retailers invest in new initiatives to boost sales, the more their profit margins seem to shrink.

Amazon is driving a lot of this pain, as old-school retailers try to catch up with the online giant, which sets the standard for speed and convenience.

— Michael Corkery

Online sales start strong. ‘Frozen 2’ toys, L.O.L. Surprise dolls and laptops are hits.

Let’s get real: Black Friday shopping, online and in stores, really starts on Thanksgiving and lasts all weekend. So it will be awhile before we know how the retail sector did this year. But one early indicator was positive: Shoppers spent $4.2 billion on Thursday, about 14.5 percent more than on Thanksgiving 2018, according to Adobe Analytics.

Adobe, which tracks purchases made on thousands of websites, said the top-selling items online were toys and products affiliated with the movie “Frozen 2,” L.O.L. Surprise dolls and toys, Amazon Fire TV products and Apple laptops.

Separately, the software company Salesforce projected that online sales would reach $7.4 billion in the United States on Friday alone, about 16 percent more than last year, and $40 billion globally, about a 24 percent increase.

The company found that more people had started their Black Friday shopping early by looking for deals online on Thanksgiving, and 60 percent of those digital orders were placed on mobile phones.

At Costco, the website was slow so the store extended one-day online deals intended for Thanksgiving into Friday. “The website is currently experiencing longer than normal response times,” Costco wrote in a banner across its home page. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”

— Jacey Fortin

Hoping for Gucci in the bargain bin? You’ll have to wait a bit longer.

When Barneys, the iconic Manhattan department store, was sold for pieces last month, it marked the end of an era in New York retailing. It also set the hearts of consumers racing, as talk of an unprecedented liquidation sale swirled. What sorts of deals could be had on cashmere? Would Gucci be in the bargain bin?

Alas, consumers have since been disappointed. Barneys’ liquidators — led by B. Riley Financial’s Great American Group — have largely limited the discounts to just 5 percent or 10 percent off the chain’s luxury wares. Twitter has been rife with incredulous shoppers. “I just checked out Barneys New York closing down sale and socks are $97,” one user wrote. Another remarked that they needed more than 10 percent off, noting, “This is like a rich folks sale.”

This week, however, B. Riley said it would deepen discounts at Barneys beginning on Wednesday, for an average of 30 percent to 35 percent off items throughout the weekend. It promised additional promotions for in-store shoppers. There’s a chance that will spur sales — though shoppers may continue to wait for even bigger discounts during December, as the liquidators will have to offload all of the inventory at some point.

— Sapna Maheshwari

Some shoppers are done already

People who get an early jump on their holiday shopping inspire both envy and awe, and there has been even more early shopping this year.

During the first week of November, consumers had completed 24 percent of their holiday shopping, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. It was the highest level in the history of the trade group’s survey, and up 16 percent from a decade ago.

For the retail industry, it means that the all-important holiday shopping season is getting longer, and Black Friday’s importance is increasingly fading.

— Michael Corkery

How to not get fooled by bad tech deals

Black Friday offers an avalanche of tech sales, and many aren’t worth your time, either because of the quality of the item or a discount that isn’t very exciting.

TV doorbusters, for example, are usually filled with low-quality, off-brand products, or even stripped-down models from top brands that are only available for the holidays. But that doesn’t mean all TV deals are bad deals. The Wirecutter Deals team has found large high-end models from last year at a bargain. We’ve also seen nice discounts on well-regarded midrange sets for everyday viewing or gaming.

While many people are hoping to snag Apple products for a steal, only select product lines are exceptionally priced. Surprisingly, some of the newest models are being discounted, though the reductions are meager. The best deals we’ve seen have been on older model watches. In general, you’re more likely to see discounts on Apple tablets and accessories from big box stores, but if you see a too-good-to-be-true price from a third-party site, it’s likely a refurbished unit with a shorter warranty and no quality guarantee.

In the world of gaming, consoles, controllers and subscription plans have seen strong discounts, as have tech accessories like wireless mice and keyboards. But before you get swept up in the hype and marketing language, we always suggest comparison shopping to ensure you’re getting the best deal on the best products.

— Nathan Burrow

Black Friday in France: Sales and a backlash

Thanksgiving is just another Thursday in Europe, but Black Friday is a bone of contention: embraced by some and rejected by others as an alarming invasion of American consumerism.

Black Friday sales can be found in many countries, from small stationers to major chains to car dealers. In Britain, many retailers, like John Lewis & Partners, a source of appliances and furniture, started offering Black Friday discounts days ago. Curry’s PC World, an electronics retailer, has a “black tag” event claiming savings of up to 50 percent.

On the rue Vieille du Temple in the Marais district of central Paris, nearly every boutique within a one-block stretch is plastered with signs promoting “Black Friday” in English. While France has been slower than other European countries to join the trend, retailers forecast 6 billion euros in sales this year around the event.

In some cases, something is lost in translation. In Germany, the “Friday” is often dropped in signs promoting a “Black Sale” or “Black Week.”

But a backlash has been gaining steam. In France, lawmakers this week proposed to ban some Black Friday promotions starting next year, citing misleading pricing tactics and the rising environmental cost from the delivery of millions of packages.

Élisabeth Borne, the French environment minister, warned of “a frenzy of consumption” in which people are encouraged to buy products they don’t need.

“We need to consume better, not more,” she added.

Parisian authorities also asked the government to allow cities to slap a so-called eco-tax on Amazon and other delivery platforms to make e-commerce players pay for pollution and rising delivery traffic.

Protesters from the Extinction Rebellion movement and other environmental groups held “Block Friday” demonstrations throughout France. Many of the events were aimed at Amazon, with some banners saying “No to Amazon and its world.”

— Liz Alderman and Stanley Reed

Is a short holiday season ‘the fright before Christmas’?

How did the week of Thanksgiving become so entwined in consumerism?

It may have started with Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 32nd president of The United States was so eager to jump-start the economy in 1938 that he moved the holiday’s official date up a week in order to create more shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It was a bold move — and unpopular. The nation had been celebrating Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November ever since Abraham Lincoln declared the day a federal holiday following the battle of Gettysburg.

Roosevelt reversed course in 1941 and returned Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of the month, where it remains.

The holiday’s late arrival this year is worrying retailers since it means there are 26 shopping days before Christmas, six fewer than last year.

The abbreviated shopping period is one of reason Morgan Stanley analysts labeled their 2019 holiday retail outlook “The fright before Christmas” and are expecting a less than stellar shopping season.

— Michael Corkery

Santa’s list is packed with everyday items

Black Friday may be known as the raucous kickoff to gift-giving season (especially this year, as Christmas and Hanukkah overlap), but some people aren’t actually shopping for loved ones.

Instead, Wirecutter readers’ lists seem squarely rooted in everyday products. Some of the items our readers have asked us to look out for deals on: baby gates, electric toothbrushes and a garage door opener. And the retailers know this. The Wirecutter Deals team has found excellent pricing on everything from shower curtains to fly traps to computer cables that don’t exactly scream gift. Though, perhaps, nothing says “I love you” like a dongle.

— Annemarie Conte

Sahred From Source link Fashion and Style

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[optforrvliving-blog]

Bad weather survival tips in RV living

Living in an RV or any small space can have its challenges. The first year of full time RV life flew by in the blink of an eye. As we celebrate our three years of RVing, I want to share some tips that helped us survive the transition to RV living. Whether you’re a solo RVer, family of five or a couple with a dog, I hope you find these tips helpful.

1. Communicate

The key to our survival is good communication. There is limited room in an RV and it will start to feel small fast. If you’re frustrated or angry with each other, that space will feel even smaller. Sure you can take a walk, sit outside for a while or jump in the car (if you tow one) and go for a drive, but temporary distance won’t solve the issues. Related Articles : https://www.rvlivingusa.com

A lack of communication in the first month of transitioning to RV living put stress on our relationship. Once we figured out the communication breakdown and addressed it, life was much more enjoyable. Good communication is something we continue to work on everyday especially living full time in a camper van.

2. Have the Right Gear

Having the right gear will help prevent many headaches down the road. The best thing we did before transitioning to RV living was doing extensive research on the best gear. Having an electrical management system (EMS) and essential RVing apps made RV living a breeze. For a list of our favorite gear, check out these posts or head to our store:

3. Know Your RV

When we took delivery of our first RV, it came with a suitcase full of user manuals. It contained a manual for every component in the RV. There was even a manual on Michelin RV tires. We read through every manual and downloaded the online versions as a backup. Having a PDF version will make searching for a specific topic faster and easier.

There were also build sheets, diagrams for each fuse box and information on roadside assistance. We referenced all the information many times throughout our first year of RV living. When a fuse goes out at 1a.m., you’ll want to know which fuse box to check. Our first RV had four fuse/breaker boxes and two of them were outside. When it’s pouring rain outside, it’s not fun to run around wondering which breaker box to check. rv wall mount toothbrush holder https://www.rvlivingusa.com/best-wall-mounted-toothbrush-holder-for-rv-bathroom-that-never-fails-to-impress/

4. Spring Cleaning

It can be a challenge to figure out what to bring for full time RV living. “Is one pair of sandals enough or do I need a second pair for campground showers?” We ended up having way too much stuff. After a month of RV living we decided to sell the bicycles because we never used them. A few months later, we performed a spring cleaning by re-evaluating everything in the RV. Many articles of clothing ended up in the donation pile because neither of us had touched them since we moved in.

“I’ve been looking for this!” The spring cleaning also reminded us of things we’d brought that we forgot about. This is also a great time to reorganize and optimize storage. After the initial cleaning, most of our bays, cupboards and drawers ended up half empty. That’s also about the time we realized a small Class A motorhome was too much space for us. Now we travel full time in a Class B camper van.

5. Share the Drive

Looking back on the miles we drove in the first year, neither of us can imagine doing it by ourselves. Unless you don’t have plans to move very often or for long distances at a time, it’s good to share the drive. Whenever I pull up to a campground, the neighbors always stop by and say to Joe “I wish my wife drove.” rv bathroom accessories https://www.rvlivingusa.com/rv-bathroom-accessories-you-shouldnt-do-without/

If you’re not comfortable driving an RV, there are driving classes available. The more you drive, the more confidence you will have. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking to yourself “this is a piece of cake”. You might even start looking forward to taking your turn behind the wheel.

6. Develop a Checklist

After too many items flying off the counter and drawers coming unlatched around a corner, we knew it was time to have a checklist. Just like pilots have a pre-flight checklist, it’s important to have a pre-departure checklist for your RV.

Every checklist will be different depending on the type of RV and the gear. The important thing is to make a comprehensive list and check it EVERY time you leave. We got complacent a few times and inevitably we would forget something.

7. Everything Has A Place

Just like the cupboards in your house, everything has a place in an RV. The difference is, when the RV is going down a bumpy road and that bottle of vinegar gets loose because it was put back in the wrong place, you might end up with a mess on your hands. It also makes packing up a much faster process because you know where all the pieces of the puzzle go.

8. One In, One Out

This rule applies to anyone looking to prevent a build up of “stuff” in the RV. The “one in, one out” mentality changed the way we shopped. A trip to Costco meant we bought what we needed at the time, not what we think we might need in six months. Just because there’s storage space doesn’t mean it needs to be filled.

A minimalist approach to RV living worked the best for us. Once we got the hang of it, life became much more enjoyable. We no longer had an “explosion” of stuff when we camped somewhere for a week or longer. It ended up becoming a “one in, two out” policy naturally and the bonus for us was saving money.

9. Expect the Unexpected

Whether it’s severe weather, a flat tire or a windshield repair. Be ready for the unexpected. Have an RV repair fund to pay for that unexpected problem. Carry a spare in case there’s a flat tire. Develop an emergency plan for those unexpected situations.

If you have to evacuate the RV, do you have your essentials in one place with easy access? What’s your plan if there’s a flash flood and the river you’re camped next to is flooding? What happens if there’s a medical emergency and no cell phone signal?

This video shows a glimpse of the severe thunderstorm tornado warning we experienced in Florida.

10. Be Flexible

It’s good to have an idea of where to go, what to do and how long to stay but don’t have a rigid plan. Be flexible enough to have the option to stay a few extra nights or leave early. Every town we drive into is a new experience. Sometimes we love the town and sometimes it’s just not our cup of tea. Having a flexible schedule means we can stay longer in places we enjoy and take off early if we’re not feeling it. camper closet organizer https://www.rvlivingusa.com/20-storage-ideas-for-rv-closets-with-pictures/

11. Fun Fund

Have a “fun fund” for those spur of the moment adventures. If you decide that today is the day you want to go for that hot air ballon ride, do it! Having money set aside for these experiences will make that transition to RV living more enjoyable and fun. We always seek out free and cheap things to do in our travels, but there are some experiences that are worth the splurge.

For us, our big splurge was RV camping at Fort Wilderness and going to Walt Disney World.

12. Enjoy the Journey

Most importantly, enjoy the journey. There are headaches associated with RV living, but there are many more pleasures.

[whittlebaggett8]

We tried a new e-commerce startup that sells organic and natural products with a $59 annual membership — here’s the verdict, Defence Online

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My Public Goods shipment.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Public Goods is a new online store that specializes in essentials like food, household, and personal care products.

It uses both an annual membership program like Costco’s and a private-label model where each product category offers pretty much one choice.

The company’s tagline is “It’s all good,” meaning that each product is natural, organic, and/or sustainable.

We ordered a smattering of Public Goods products to see if that was true.

Public Goods is part of a new breed of online shopping startup.

This time, the equation is Costco + Brandless = Public Goods.

The relatively new online store specializes in essentials like food, household, and personal care products, all with slick, Instagram-friendly branding. It requires a membership, which costs $59 a year. (Costco’s membership costs $60 a year.)

“Our membership model, it allows us to deliver that quality without compromise but still being accessibly priced,” Morgan Hirsh, Public Goods’ CEO and founder, told Defence Online.

It also fits the mold of recent online shopping startups like Brandless, which launched a shop that offers natural, organic, and sustainable own-label goods that are priced in $3 increments. Public Goods offers a similar focus, but without the specific price target.

Read more: Brandless, the online store that sells everything for $3, just got $240 million to take on Amazon. Here’s what it’s like to use.

“Hitting a specific price point is less important for us, it’s just hitting quality,” Hirsh said. “And for us … quality means that it’s healthy for people and healthy for the planet.”

Products on Public Goods range in price from $1 – for four razor blade refills – to $45 for a large bath sheet.

The strategy has seemed to work in the year that Public Goods has been shipping products to customers, starting with personal care and expanding into food.

“80% of people who try us repeat,” Hirsh said.

Public Goods took an atypical road to get to where it is today. Instead of a splashy, VC-backed round of funding, Hirsh and his co-founders went first to friends and family and then launched a Kickstarter campaign in the summer of 2017. It blasted past its goal and raised $686,748 from 10,260 backers.

In the fall of 2018, it ran another Kickstarter, raising $410,676 from 5,239 backers. At the same time, the company raised $3 million in seed funding from angel investors.

We decided to take advantage of Public Goods’ free 30-day trial and ordered a smattering of products to see what it’s like:

Ordering on Public Goods’ website was easy and sleek, supported by Shopify’s simple interface.

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Navigating around the site and placing items into my cart was easy and quite fun.

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With the stellar reviews written by customers on most of the products featured on the site, I had high hopes that I was going to love the products I was buying.

One snag: there’s no way to cancel a membership on the website, and you have to email customer service to do so.

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I did not want to get charged just for this review, so I emailed right after I placed my order. It was cancelled soon after, a rep confirmed to me.

But I still had to email. A button would be better.

Shipping is free for orders over $25 — a necessity in this e-commerce day and age.

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My entire order came in a sleek black box about five days after I placed my order.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

It was well-branded with the Public Goods word mark and catchphrase.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Opened up, it looked like your typical e-commerce fare, with goods in a box made safe with paper packing.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Removing the paper revealed the merchandise in matching slick packaging.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

F0r Hirsh, the branding was key. Each bit of packaging is made from renewable materials, and the labeling is consistent among products to create a uniformly beautiful appearance.

“People care about beauty,” Hirsh said. “This is like a very real human need to be surrounded by things that are beautiful. And yet when it comes to [consumer packaged goods] products historically, and presently, they haven’t been designed for your home and to have a beautiful home.”

In a sentence: the products are designed to look nice on Instagram, not on store shelves.

Food items were placed in one plastic bag.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

And non-food liquids were placed in another separate bag that was tied on top.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Going through the box, I had some questions. Why was there a random mini white envelope thrown in there?

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Turns out it was for the lip balm, which I found at the bottom of the box.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

The lip balm was unremarkable. Standard fare. It reminded me of one you might get for free in a swag bag.

It’s usable, but for $2, I didn’t feel like I would be getting my membership fee back yet.

Another disappointment going through the box was the spilled pesto sauce.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

I’m not sure what happened, as neither the glass nor the top was broken, but the sauce had leaked onto its protective paper encasement. A $4.25 disappointment.

I got penne to go with the pesto, but those hopes were obviously dashed.

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Public Goods

I instead cooked and dressed the pasta with some leftover butter, cracked pepper, salt, and some parm on top.

I have to say that the pasta was probably the best I’ve ever had out of a box. For $2 a box, it was the first item in the order that felt like it was worth the higher cost.

The Wheat Thin-style crackers were also a hit.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

They’re much better than what you might get at a grocery store, with a subtle saltiness and a pleasant wheat flavor.

For $3 a box, they were a pleasant snack.

I also tried the unsweetened apple sauce.

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Public Goods

This apple sauce was cool and creamy, and it had a nice color and consistency. The color of the sauce was actually what you see on the outside packaging.

It was good, but at four for $4.25, it felt a bit steep.

The popcorn was easily my least favorite of the food items.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

It was a bit too bland to really stand out – it lacked the flavor punch I’ve experienced with other brands.

It was $2.75, and I don’t see myself buying it again given the opportunity.

Moving on to bath products, I was not a fan of the bar soap I purchased.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

This soap lathered nicely and smelled clean, but it had a problem that a lot of body soaps do: that feeling of not being able to get completely off the skin.

I completely stopped using it after the second time, and at $3 for one bar, it did not feel like I got my money’s worth.

It was at this point I realized that personal preference – and likely sheer habit – may become an obstacle to Public Goods’ mission.

The set of kitchen towels included two organic cotton towels.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

I loved the design, but as soon as I got them out the bag, I realized they were more about style than substance. They’re just too thin to really be used for anything other than decoration.

At $6 for two, the price was right, but the design left something to be desired.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

The hand cream was also pretty standard.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

Clean, a natural-smelling scent, and not greasy, the hand cream was a winner.

At $3.75 for two ounces, that seemed fair to me.

The toothpaste came in a similar-looking bottle.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

The toothpaste was much like more natural-focused brands. I don’t usually go for those, as I feel like they don’t get my breath fresh enough.

I didn’t really have anything to compare this to, but I liked it enough to keep using it to brush my teeth before bed.

The sunscreen had an identical bottle — but a very different product.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

I can’t say anything for its 50 SPF effectiveness yet as it is the end of winter in New York, but it rubbed into the skin easily and had no scent at all. This travel size is also perfect for a carry-on bag.

At $5, I wouldn’t exactly call it cheap, though.

The toothbrushes came in a set of two inside a paper box.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

They’re made out of bamboo, which is more sustainable than plastic. The bristles felt completely normal, but the handle felt kind of exactly what you might expect it to feel like: bamboo.

I also wondered how a natural material like bamboo could stay fresh and usable, and a few days later my fears were confirmed when a black mold appeared on the bottom of the brush from the water that collected at the bottom of my toothbrush holder.

This has never happened when I’ve used a plastic toothbrush. Sustainable materials are great, but if they make a disposable product even more disposable, it seems to defeat the purpose.

At least they are cheap, at $4 for two.

The dental floss came in an adorable glass container.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

It’s made from natural silk covered with peppermint oil to make it minty fresh.

It was easy to get the strand out of the bottle, but using the small sharp bit to cut it was not quite as easy as I would hope. The thick strand made it difficult to cut it to size.

The thick strand also was hard to maneuver between my teeth, and I wasn’t getting much peppermint. I think it all rubbed off on the container while un-spooling and cutting.

The pocket tissues were low-cost, and there were lots of them in the package.

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Dennis Green/Defence Online

They’re also tree-free, meaning they’re made from recycled fibers.

Unfortunately, that means they were a bit scratchy and not very comfortable. Certainly not great for colds that have symptoms including a runny nose.

The final verdict:

Public Goods does deliver on offering a slate of natural, organic, and sustainable essentials at low price points, making it easy to purchase for people who can’t get those things at a local grocery store.

But for some of these categories of necessities, it seems like natural, organic, or sustainable does not always mean easier to use.

The customer needs to be aware of what “quality” means at Public Goods when shopping there, because the items may not be what they’re used to when they go to the grocery or drug store.

I’m also unsure whether the price points were low enough to justify the $59-a-year membership fee, which is half of what Amazon Prime costs but does not offer any of the same benefits except access to these product.

But if you’re looking for a one-stop shop for essentials that do fit those parameters and you don’t mind any extra cost, Public Goods is very appealing.

The post We tried a new e-commerce startup that sells organic and natural products with a $59 annual membership — here’s the verdict, Defence Online appeared first on Defence Online.

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6/11/17, 1:41am - post vacation

It’s been two weeks since I last wrote. Goddamn it feels like months.

The day after saturday.... So Sunday my family shows up at my place, mom immediately starts going through my shit until I start yelling and smacking her on the back of the head. Definitely not a good note to start off on.

The trip was pretty fucking great. Idk if they’re highlights but I just wanna ramble off a bunch of memories. Ate at Cracker Barrel on the way down because Trusten always felt left out when me and Tessa would go eat there with my dad. Little did he know that was my least favorite place he would take us, but it was a nice dinner nonetheless lmao.  The subject of my vasectomy became a huge topic all trip, partially because I had to bring up trying to keep my shit from getting infected whenever we would go swimming. Immediately jumped into the beach though it was fantastic. The water was beautifully clear and so warm, like taking a bath. Got to know my cousins a lot better. Christina is great, but also made me happy I’m not about to have a kid at my age. Got to see my aunts and stuff too, I can’t rag on her too hard because one has cancer, but they were talking about some pseudo-spiritualism-science for a long time and I just had to smile and keep my mouth shut for a while. “I’ve read it takes 48 days for the spirit of the deceased to reach the heavens. And it takes 48 days for a developing baby to be imbued with the spirit. Coincidence??” yeah idk lmfao. Great dance party with the fam though lol. Tessa’s looking unhealthily skinny but tremendously happy. I’m glad she’s back and done with her crazy dieting. Puts me to shame, tbh. Kinda makes me want to go a little harder and finish trimming off my fat but I’ve got more healthy plans I’m gonna start working on I think. Saw danni and her new gf, she cut my hair and gave me a new dye job. Was frustrated that I had to have so much cut off because I wanted to keep growing it out, but it Does look pretty fucking great and I have faith in her regardless lol. Smoked with her and grandpa and mom and talked about a whole bunch of shit. Tried to explain about how I treasure my personal time way more than investing my time into growing my wealth, had to try and do it without giving him shit for spending all his time trying to make money and not having any of it left to himself after the divorce. Also asked if he was gay and he said nah so that puts that to bed lmaooo. we went out to the Keys and that was kind of a disaster. I always kinda romanticized the thought of them when I was a kid, remembering like bright white sandy beaches and beautiful water, but there’s actually not much of that at all down there. The beach we went to smelt like rot. It was beautiful but covered in seagrass and very shallow, me and tessa and tav and trusten had a nice time of swimming against the current together joking about shit. Made a nice dinner of fried salmon and asparagus for my little brothers. Felt nice to cook again, should probably do more of that. Things boiled over with my mom when she kept fucking with the other food I picked out for us. Wasted a whole pack of bacon out of spite and so I flipped shit and decided I was done with them. Spent a day playing video games and tanning and laying around, was probably best to heal up my nuts anyway lol. We left the keys a day early because of it, but not before we got to watch this tenacious D video that they had. No wifi lol. Lessee. Came back up, saw gabbi and I think I like her new bf. They seem pretty good together, but I tried to warn them to not nitipick each other to death now that they’re moving in together. Good luck lmfao. Drank 9 beers and a cider with my uncle DJ and cousin Dom and his girlfriend was cute too, I shared wayyy too much about my life, told half my family about how I had my friends photograph me fucking at the old well, but ate some delicious fucking italian cooking and had a wonderful night. Smoked with DJ and mom and listened to their old stories of growing up as kids and getting into trouble for smoking and stuff. Oh and right before the keys I started binge watching Doctor Who. Since Katy went and watched every single episode of rick and morty in one night I asked her what her favorite show was that I could do. Doctor Who is a Little more involved, but I’ve gotta say it’s fucking incredible. Fell in love with it within minutes, had me giggling like an idiot all week. I’d stay up til like 7am watching episodes, get a few hours of sleep and then try to do whatever everyone else was though by the end of the trip it wasn’t much. The drive home wasn’t very eventful, me and mom split it, and it ended at a nice pit stop at dar and pa’s for some pancakes and a nap before I had to head home. Was trying to do a melee tournament and see katy and found out I needed to get my tire fixed, but then costco was going to take too long and so would melee so I just got back to greensboro and had a nice night of watching adventure time and a little sex and cuddles. Pretty fucking solid vacation despite the fighting with the fam, not gonna lie. Plus this is like the first time I look really not-fat in beach pictures, it’s kinda incredible.

So Katy... I spent a lot of time talking to Katy. We’ve at least snapchatted every day for the past month now, but haven’t had another drunk convo like when I was at the lake. After seeing her when I got back on monday I also spent the night with her again weds, and we’ve been bingewatching Adventure Time from the beginning and I took her out to eat at Smith Street Diner, it’s all been fantastic. But she couldn’t see me tuesday because she had another guy friend over (and another on thursday, but I was at work anyway lol). So I get kinda jealous that she has this beautiful ass kid and all these other guys wanting to fuck her, mostly because I don’t have other people or a very decent schedule to hook up right now, orr even get to go out drinking with her. Feelsbadman. It also feels like it’d be too much work/money to try to get a side chick anyway, and plus, melee is my real side hoe let’s not kid ourselves.. [speaking of which, the day I couldn’t see her I kicked ass at melee and won a little money, so that was pretty fucking great.] She’s amazing to spend time with and she gave me a toothbrush to keep in her bathroom and I love cuddling up with her beautiful body, but tbh she’s pretty standoffish whenever I try to get too intimate in person (mostly trying to kiss her too much), and when she refuses to send me a message back because she’s with somebody else I can’t help but shake this feeling like I’m not good enough for her... Feelings are stupid. I worry about going too hard too fast with her, but every time I’ve gone too far off the deep end she’s been able to laugh it off, which I think is incredible. Definitely should have scared her off with the shit I was saying about trying to make her fall in love with me (and not vice versa, for the record, because I still don’t have any feelings <:^D ) when I was 10 drinks deep, but somehow she even laughed that off. Plus she’s fantastically nerdy and exposed me to doctor who and this show is like my favorite shit right now lmao. I’ve just wrapped up the fourth season, which is about 37 hours of watching within the past two weeks.. It’s so fucking goooood, man. She told me all I had to do was catch up to her at the 12th doctor but I wanna go back and watch all the old stuff after that, too. so like 56/835 episodes done so far so good lmaoo. Anyway. Idk I just hope I get to spend a lot more time with her doing cool shit. I don’t know what I am to her, so I have no idea if this is gonna go anywhere, but it really doesn’t matter all that much to me anyway. I just enjoy hanging out with her, and she got me to quit smoking cigarettes completely, and now I’m watching this wonderful show instead of wasting my fucking life bored on twitch streams, and I’m even actually starting to get motivated to start exercising again. And the sex is greattttt lmaooo. So I want to spend as much time with her as possible. It’s pretty gay, not gonna lie, but that’s where I’m at right now. Idk why I’ve always needed some cute girlie to help motivate me to get my shit done, though. Personal flaws...

OH HOLY FUCK so this week was the most productive week ever though, because not only did I manage to get laid and place 3rd in melee this week, I also FINALLY got to take the exam for my RPSGT!! The day I was originally scheduled for was a shit show, I drove 2 hours out to fayetteville and found out they had fucked up my registration and I didn’t get to take it that day after waiting for hours to see if they could fix it, but luckily I was able to get rescheduled for the day after, so I left Katy’s place to go to Durham and took it at 8am thursday. I was fucking sweating a little, not gonna lie. They were asking me all sorts of questions about pediatric sleep medicine that I wasn’t quite prepared for, and some of the scoring questions were confusing to me, but I managed to pass! So now I finalllllllllly have made it to become a real sleep tech. Gonna get that fat raise and finally get to a point where I can stop worrying about money, it’s fucking phenomenal.

So I’m so fucking ready to get off work... Gonna go back to raleigh today and see fonzi and frankie and maybe johnny so that’s gonna be sick. There’s this new melee mod that came out so I’m thinking about getting a soldering iron and fucking with my controller, maybe I’ll actually be good at this game lol. Dunno when I’m hanging with katy next hopefully every day lmfaooo. I guess I’ll update when I update.