MIX IT UP MONDAY

Have you ever started eating something that tasted so yummy, and you couldn't stop?  Lately, I've been absolutely hooked on Halo Mandarin Oranges because they are so sweet and delicious.  They are about 37-40 calories each and have NO seeds! Sometimes they can be a little pricey, but I had a coupon for a FREE bag, which I used at Walmart.  However, Aldi's sells them at bargain prices.  What treat can't you get enough of these days?

HELP THE TROOPS
Do you have duplicate copies of books, or doing some Spring decluttering around the house?  If so, wwww.booksforsoldiers.com has been around since 2003 and needs books, games, cds and care packages to send to the troops that are overseas. Another suggestion for book donations is  http://www.operationpaperback.org which has been around since 1999.  These are both non-profit agencies.

Barbie's & 4 Furbies from McDonald's Happy Meals - 1999

DO YOU HAVE ONE?
Barbie has been around since March 1959, and Mattel has sold more than 1 billion dolls.  I've collected quite a few over the years. Many have been sold,or given away to my granddaughter, but I still have hundreds of them.  

By the way, if you happen to have $9000 lying around, you could score a vintage mint in box Barbie# 4 from eBay that's currently for sale.

But if you happen to have these dolls just sitting around the house, you may be surprised that they could still be worth lots of cash.  Holiday Barbie, and other collector dolls as recent as 2010 may be considered valuable.

And don't forget about those old clothes from back in the day, especially if they're still in the package.

RETAIL STUFF
Did you know that when you return an item to the store, it may be actually tracked by a company called Retail Equation?  Certain stores capture your personal information to see how often returns are being made.  Customers who are returning items frequently, or suspected of suspicious activity, (return abuse/return fraud) could be flagged and barred from making future returns.  Retail stores report losses in the millions because of this problem.

A few stores that are known to use this company for reports are Sephora, CVS Pharmacy, Home Depot, JC Penney and Victoria's Secret.

Many years ago,  a friend used to purchase clothing for parties and other events, then return it on Monday.  It didn't matter how many times I tried to convince her not to do it, she happily kept tucking price tags under her sleeves for months. YIKES! She outgrew this after about a year, but I can imagine that these days they would have been waiting for her at the door to tell her NO before she even headed to the Customer Service Desk. (lol)  These days, she owns a salon in Texas, has 6 grandkids, and says she has very little time to shop these days.

ANIMAL LOVE
I absolutely love the Animal Planet because they  provide some really neat programs.  So this weekend, I watched The Zoo, which focuses on a zoo in Bronx New York.  Now before you get all excited, the director of this zoo is nothing like Jack Hanna from the Columbus Zoo. (lol)  He's very laid back, and you don't even see much of him.  But you do see his wife and all the other people who interact with the animals in such a loving manner.  

Laying an egg together

Maleo Egg & Regular Chicken Egg

I learned that the Maleo Bird is addicted to peanuts and is totally monogamous, hanging out with each other most of the time.  The female lays an egg in the perfect spot, along with her mate and they never returns.  

Also porcupines aren't as scary as I thought they were.  For years it was thought that they attacked people by spraying those quills, but that's not true.They can be rubbed and petted just like dogs or cats.  They raise their quills, stomp their feet and back up towards the person who is making them nervous.  Because their quills come out rather easily, an animal who attacks them actually gets stuck with them.  Those they lose easily grow back.

What are you reading these days?

If you like chicken, today is your day!