Papyrus

Thanks to Meijer and Papyrus for a sample of their new line of cards. They are very unique and creative. Julie is having great fun sending them to friends and family for various occasions. You can find these cards at your local Meijer store;

Simply the Best

Another gift I (Julie) received from Meijer this summer was the "Simple" face products.  I actually got two sets, so I kept one, and gave the other to my friend, Lisa, to try.  She has younger skin than I do and I thought a little compare/contrast would be helpful.

To be totally honest, I LOVE trying new face products.  They might be my favorite of the Meijer gifts, because frankly, face stuff is expensive and I hate investing in a whole bottle when I'm not sure if I'll like it or not.

One thing that impressed me right away about Simple products, is that they are so... clean.  I know that sounds redundant, but you would not believe how many chemicals there are in cleaners.  Simple is great for those of you who have sensitive skin or skin allergies.  But don't ask me (because I don't have sensitive skin), ask the British.  Simple is the number one skin care line in the UK, and at least some of their play, is that they offer an inexpensive, clean alternative.

When Lisa and I tried the Simple products, here is what we learned:

B.U.Y.  T.H.E.  W.I.P.E.S.

The wipes are great.  They are soft, unscented, and are perfect for removing make-up in one swipe.  When sadly, my own stash of wipes were used, I trotted off to Meijer to get more.  FIVE BUCKS!  Something this handy should not be so affordable!

Neither Lisa nor I liked the moisturizer.  It was really wet.  I'm all about a five minute morning.  If my face takes longer than five minutes, I'm trying too hard.  So, it cramped my style to have to wait 2 or so minutes for my moisturizer to dry before I could apply my make-up.  However, my husband (whose skin is a little dryer than mine) really liked it.

Moral of the story:  buy the wipes.  It will be the best five bucks you will spend on your face.
buythewipes. buythewipes. buythewipes. buythewipes. buythewipes. buythewipes. buythewipes.

When Gud Happens

My (Julie's) favorite days, are when I come home, and there is a brown box on our front patio with a return address from Meijer.  It's amazing how such a plain, boring box can bring so much joy.  Of course, it's not the brown box as much as what's in it.  One day this summer, I got this great little gift box of "gud" products from Burt's Bees.  Inside was:

Or, in case you cant tell what these things are...

Spritz, Slather, and Lather.

I LOVED the "lather."  It was a luxurious body wash.  It was thick and soft, and smelled wonderful.  The scent "Floral Cherrynova" was not my favorite.  It was a little too... soft.  The "Vanilla Flame" was a nice regular smell.  You didn't have to worry about it being offensive in any way, but the "Orange Petalooza"?  The Orange Petalooza was my favorite.  Very crisp and clean.  It's yummy.

Gud happens at Meijer.  My suggestion would be to treat yourself to a little Orange Petalooza body wash. The next time you get groceries at Meijer remember that your favorite lip balm has a new line of products.

Tide Pods are Here

Thanks to Meijer for the free Tide Pod samples! We had an opportunity to try them out this weekend following a particularly muddy bike ride along the Maumee in Fort Wayne. Those who often make use of the River Greenway may be interested in the effectiveness of the new Tide Pods. Check out the photos below.

Here's the nifty trial package with specific instructions not to resell it.

Here a shot of the pod in its dissolvable wrapping. I'm not really sure why Tide felt it necessary to have three different colored detergents in one pillowy package, but we'll assume it enhances the cleaning power.

Next up, Julie's sweatshirt following her bike ride.

And wa-la! The Tide Pod seemed to work really well. It was certainly easy to use. No messy pouring or spilling powder granules all over the place. The downside was smell. It wasn't bad, but not anything exciting either. More chemical plant than Mountain Spring. Look for Tide Pods coming soon at your local Meijer store.

Gingerbread Contest

Meijer is sponsoring a Gingerbread Contest entitled, "Gingerbread Bites Back." There are three separate contests involved including: GingerSnaps, GingerMash, and GingerKids.

Here are the details.

Gingerbread Bites Back!

MEIJER OFFERS A FULL PLATE OF GINGERBREAD-THEMED CONTESTS FOR THE CREATIVE, ARTISTIC OR HUMOROUS AT HEART

Holiday Contests Will Include Funniest Video, Most Original Gingerbread Man, And More

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (Dec. 1, 2011) – The elusive gingerbread man has been caught by Meijer, and he’s been placed online this holiday season to serve as the star of three delightfully engaging consumer contests that require little baking, but much creativity.

The Michigan-based retailer’s online program, entitled “Gingerbread Bites Back,” invites shoppers to submit their funniest or most off-the-wall submissions for a photo contest of the most original gingerbread creation (person or house); a video project capturing an interesting take on people baking or eating gingerbread; or a contest inviting people to place downloadable gingerbread imagery in humorous or unique settings or situations.

The online contests live at www.facebook.com/meijer, and will include thousands of dollars in gift card prizes to nearly two dozen winners. The contests will conclude Dec. 23. Gingerbread fans are asked to submit entries for any of the individual contests to the Meijer Facebook page by Dec. 18.

“The gingerbread man is an iconic feature of the holidays, and the perfect symbol to generate excitement for a program that entails, fun, creativity and the joy of giving,” said Kevin Brown, chief marketing officer for Meijer. “As Meijer approaches one-half million Facebook ‘likes,’ this contest provides a great opportunity for our customers to demonstrate their creativity through the digital and social channels they continue to embrace.”

Here are the three different contests comprising the Meijer “Gingerbread Bites Back” contest:

• GingerSnaps: Fans upload a photo of their most original gingerbread people or houses.

• GingerMash: Fans are encouraged to create their own Gingerbread characters, as they will be provided with electronic “bits-and-pieces” of a gingerbread man so they can build their own creation. Fans can put a gingerbread man in an unusual spot or predicament, or create a zany new breed of ginger person. Others will be able to vote on the best submissions uploaded to the Meijer Facebook gingerbread tab.

• GingerKids: Fans upload their funniest videos of their kids decorating or eating gingerbread men or women, or building and decorating their gingerbread houses.

For each of the three contests, Meijer will award a $500 gift card to the first-place winner, a $250 gift card to the second-place winner, and $100 gift cards to the five honorable mention recipients.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As the inventor of the “one-stop shopping” concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings.

For more information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/meijer or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

Have Fun!

Sad News

I am ashamed to admit that I have only just heard of the passing of a great leader in business, society, and culture. Good-bye Fred.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/11/public_visitation_today_for_fr.html

also check out:

http://www.fredmeijermemorial.com/home