Support your local merchants at any cost

It is rare to find U.S.A made clothes anymore, but I did manage to find something for a baby shower in down town Bigfork. A baby PJ cost me $31 and change at Merry Gems in Bigfork Montana. I thought the price was a bit high for such a small piece of clothing but it was so lovely so unusual, so American, I couldn’t resist. After leaving the shop it struck me how important customer service is. Customer service and quality is almost a lost art in America, but not in Bigfork, and I’m sure not in other small towns.


There was a time, back in the day, when a woman shopped, and an attendant would assist. If you were looking for gloves, the attendant would pull the gloves out, show them to you, and encourage you to try them on. In the meanwhile, you would chat and talk about the weather or indulge in a little harmless gossip. Shopping was enjoyed, savored, loved for the social qualities of it. You ended up spending "LESS" and appreciating more. But most importantly you walked away with something that lasted practically a lifetime. My mother still has those gloves and she's in her 70s now.



We have become so fat and stupid as a nation we have forgotten to appreciate our own good craftsmanship. We have stopped appreciating art in all its forms in this country. I had to come to a small town to realize that we still have little slices of Americana when it comes to shopping.



When I walked into Merry Gems I had no clue what I was going to purchase. I needed help because I did not know what to buy a baby. I had not had a baby in over 20 years. I asked the attendant what I could buy for a baby shower that was Made in the U.S.A. She was very engaging, she showed me all the possibilities, and the brands made in America. She managed to take care of others without losing her attention on me. That NEVER happens at Wal-mart or Kmart.


One day at KMart I asked the cashier a question, she in turn asked her manager and her manager rolled her eyes at me like I were some sort of knucklehead. I told the manager right then and there, never mind, I'll go somewhere else, and I did. I haven't been to K-Mart since and that was seven months ago.


After making my selection at Merry Gems, I purchased the product, bought a cute hand-made card and handed her the item. She pulled out the box, wrapped it up with lovely baby-color ribbon and handed it to me. She then turned and picked up a little package of chocolates tied with a bright red ribbon and gave them to me. I popped one of those chocolates in my mouth right away and it was like I’d just tasted heaven. I’ll have to go back and get some more.



This shopping trip was a real one, there was no pushing and shoving, no checking yourself out at a line with your debit card. There was no impulse buying. I may have spent $31, but I would have spent a lot more on junk if I had shopped at a discount store. Because what is the first thing one does at Wal-Mart? We pull out a shopping cart. It is not a small shopping cart either we have, it's a BIG one. They want you to fill it up, and it usually costs more than $31!


This adventure in Buying American is becoming much more fun than I thought. Shopping shouldn't be about spending money, but about human interaction and appreciation and courtesy. The real bonus to this whole experience, was that I purchased a soft and beautiful AMERICAN made product for a new life. Perhaps this baby will wear his PJs and become a leader in appreciating American made goods and supporting local small business. We can only hope.

How To read bar codes

A friend of mine, out in Carmel, California, sent me this information via email today. If you want to know if something was made in China or USA here is the scoop.

With all the food and pet products now coming from China , it is best to make sure you read labels at the grocery store and especially Walmart when buying food products.



Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located. It is important to read the bar code to track it's origin.

How to read Bar Codes ... interesting!

GREAT WAY TO "BUY USA & CANADA? AND NOT FROM CHINA!!
This may be useful to know when grocery shopping, if it's a concern to you. The whole world is afraid of China-made "black hearted goods".

Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ?

If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690, 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA .
471 is Made in Taiwan .

This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products "MADE IN CHINA ", so they don't show from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits are:

690-692 ... then it is MADE IN CHINA .

00 - 09 ... USA & CANADA

30 - 37 ... FRANCE

40 - 44 ... GERMANY

47 ... Taiwan

49 ... JAPAN

50 ... UK



BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for "0" at the beginning of the number.
We need every boost we can get!

My U.S.A. Made LapTop Desk

The other day I decided I needed a lap top desk for my new laptop computer. A laptop desk for those of you who don't know is a table with a pillow bottom, so you can comfortably put it on your lap and type away, which is how I'm writing my blog now :)

I looked at the laptop desks at Wal-Mart, (made in China) the price was $16.00

Now if I had gone to Walmart in the old days I would have ended up spending at least 50-$100. Instead of opting for the 'stinkin' Wal-Mart brand I found a way excellent little desk for $59.95

This one is way cooler and way worth the money. It's made by Donna MacDonald in California. I found her on etsy.com and her website is lapdeskandmore.com. The laptop pattern has peace signs and flowers, very attractive to an old hippy like myself.

She sends a cute card along with the desk, explaining the desk's features. The product is hand made so has a few imperfections, but so lovely still. She made the desk with a handle so it can be carried more easily from room to room. the desk is made of wood and is easy to care for.

If you need a new lap top desk and want to support a small business, visit her website. I highly recommed this home-grown American-made product.

Gift baskets and underwear Made in U.S.A.

I was very successful today putting together a bridal shower gift. I went to Vicki Montana Classics. It's a very cool place actually here in Montana. She had homemade huckleberry everything, so I loaded up the basket with Montana made soaps, and lotions, wheat for bread and a special kosher salt. I'll include a coin later. I believe it's an old custom somewhere where the bride gets "bread" so the family will never go  hungry, Salt, so life will always have flavor and a coin so that the couple will always have prosperity. Cute huh?

So that mission is accomplished, I now have a bridal gift, made 100 percent in USA, including the basket itself. and it cost less than $35.00. I'm very pleased with the whole thing.

That mission is accomplished but the search for plus size underwear and bras for this ALL American woman are hard to come by. I have found panties, but I have not found a bra maker yet that will take care of the big melons I carry. I can of course MAKE my own panties, I found some patterns on the internet, tell me what you think.

I'm not going to win a beautiful sexy panty contest, but what's a girl to do. After studying these very easy patterns I decided someone, somewhere in this great country of ours can make some panties that fit and don't cost more than $30 a pair. I did find panties that were about $18 a pair that would fit, but good grief. That's a lot of money for a scrap of cotton to fit around one's arse...

But I will not give up! I will go to J.C. Penneys sometime this week since I was told they do have an all American, Made in U.S.A. bra. for $32. It will have to last me the whole year, because that is much more than I'm used to spending.

Next week, I will be writing the executives at Wal-mart to see if they carry anything U.S.A in their store, if they do. I'll let you know.

Bath and Body Works is All American!

Yesterday's adventure with "Olive Press Soap" had me frantically looking at my "Bath and Body Works" labels on my body wash and splash. I was incredibly worried that I may have to give up the lovely scent and feel of BBW. 

I looked on the label, everything looked like it was in order and Made U.S.A. But to be sure, I sent an email to the product manager. This was her response.

Dear Cristina,


We are eager to assist you with your concerns regarding the
manufacturing location of our products.

All Bath & Body Works Brand products with the stamp "Specially made for
Bath & Body Works 97 West Main Street New Albany, Ohio 43054 USA" are
made in the United States. Products not containing this statement are
not made in the United States.

For further information on specific products that do not contain this
statement or that are made by a third party, please reply to this email
with the product name and fragrance.

Thank you for your interest in BathandBodyWorks.com. We hope you enjoy
our products and look forward to serving you in the future.


Sincerely,

Linda C.


BathandBodyWorks.com Customer Service

Visit http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/


I am totally impressed with how quickly they emailed me, but more relieved that I don't have to give up that fabulous product. Let's face it. So far, U.S.A. Made bath soaps are far superior than any other in the world. I know...because I smell FABULOUS today!