Replacing Basics

My wardrobe has a few key items that I wear often.  My American Eagle "jeggings" and my Graceland boots.  I don't like spending a lot of money on clothes or shoes because they can so easily get damaged, but if I find something I like I'll just keep buying it again and again.

But what happens when the store let's me down?

Take American Eagle for example, I have been a dedicated customer for over 15yrs!  But this past year I realized their jeans just aren't the same anymore, what am I going to do!!!  A few years back I jumped on the "jegging" bandwagon and haven't looked back.  (Actually I have a stack of "boyfriend" jeans I don't know what to do with.)  When I visit The States I pick up a pair of AE "jeggings" or have my Mom send me a pair for the holidays, it's the easiest way to keep stocked up overseas.  But the pair I bought back in March 2014 just didn't fit right, I tried to shrink them, I tried everything, and yet after 30 minutes they are baggy and falling off.  I thought I bought a dud pair and had my Mom send me another pair for Christmas.  They're not as bad but still I can't keep them on all day because they just can't keep their fit.  I compared the labels of my old jeans with these, old jeans 99% cotton + 1% spandex, new jeans 99% cotton + 1% elastane.  Supposedly spandex and elastane are comparable, but I'm telling you the jeans just don't have the same fit anymore and they are impossible to shrink to become more fitted.  I am highly disappointed.  I actually think I might have to try out a different brand, it's not like I can wear the same 3 pair of jeans that do fit for the rest of my life.  Anyone else notice the difference in the American Eagle jeans?

Another dilemma on the horizon, is my favorite autumn-winter boots are wearing out and I can't find anything comparable in the stores right now!  To some they are extremely ugly boots, I must admit when I first moved to The Netherlands I never would have worn them.  But time wears you down, and you end up adjusting your style.  And actually you'd be surprised how many outfits these boots go with.  I can wear them with "jeggings" & "skinny" jeans, none of my other boots can handle the extra material of the "skinny" jeans.  I can wear them with light or dark colored jeans.  And because of the sneaker like sole I don't mind walking distances in them.  I could go on and on.  Anyway, I've been occasionally checking the 2 stores that carried them and they don't have anything like them anymore.  I have the feeling I am going to have to either pay more money elsewhere or find a different style.  I know the stores have to change styles every season, but that doesn't mean all of the people do.  I should have bought 2 pairs when I waited a month for the sale, arg!  Any store let you down recently by discontinuing a shoe model?

My sister-in-law did tip me off to a store worth trying here in Eindhoven for jeans, but that doesn't solve my shoe problem.  I'll let you know if I can find replacements to my basics!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste! Salut!

:) Danica

Primark - Eindhoven

So back in November the largest Primark in the Benelux opened in Eindhoven.  To be honest, I had never heard of Primark until then.  Turns out its a British/Irish clothing retailer that sells clothes and what not at ridiculously low prices.  Seems like a great store for a frugal shopper like myself, except I hated the hype behind it all and refused to step foot inside until last week.  From the day it opened it has been insanely busy.  During the opening there were lines up and down the street.  Weeks later there was security letting people in and out to help control the chaos.  And last week, over 6 months after the opening it was still packed!

If it wasn't for wanting an outfit for a theme park and not wanting to pay more than €10 I probably never would have gone into the department store.  See theoretically I didn't need an outfit for the theme park, but I knew the year before walking around in wet jean shorts after the log flume wasn't the most pleasant experience.  My main goal was a pair of board shorts or even thin shorts that would quickly dry, and luckily I found them within 5 minutes of being in the store.  Good thing, because the chaos around us was starting to get to me.  I don't mind a crowd, but swarms of mostly women frantically going through racks and stacks of clothes is more than anyone can take.  Being that the store was new to me and the sizing was based on UK sizes, I decided I should try on the shorts so that I wouldn't have to return to the store.  We fought our way to the back and my mouth fell open when I saw the line for the changing room looping around the jeans section.  It was 11am on a Wednesday!  O.k., there went trying it on, I was going to have to hope for the best and return them if needed.  When we reached the cash register I saw the line was nearly as long as for the changing rooms.  But there were at least 10 registers open, so there was hope.  (It's so busy they even have digital boards to let you know which register is open, never seen this at a department store!)  Once outside the store we took a breath of relief and both swore we would never go back.

That was until I realized the only shirt I had to match the shorts was white, and I wasn't looking for a wet t-shirt contest at the theme park.  Oh no, this meant we were going to have to go back!  So on a Thursday at 2:30pm we returned, and it was still packed.  Almost hard to believe!

Needless to say we survived.  Found shorts for €4 and a t-shirt for €3!  Was it worth the stress and chaos... I think so.  Will I go back... damn, probably.  With prices like that I am starting to understand why all around the center of Eindhoven I see people carrying the brown paper Primark bags!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Zeeman

What a waste of paper!  I bought one item and the receipt is way too long!  I went specifically to this store because their batteries are cheap but yet I feel I'm costing the environment a lot :( 
Have any of you noticed paper waste after simple purchases?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Great Finds

During my terrarium project I hit up 3 different local second-hand shops in order to collect some of the supplies.  And mixed within the endless used clothes and old electronics were a couple hidden treasures.  -At one point while skimming the stores I wished I had an understanding of antiques (you've all seen the tv show, Antiques Roadshow, right?)-  Anyway, I snapped some pics of some of the great finds, just so I could share them with you!

Check out this old Singer sewing machine!
(My parents always had a sewing machine in the house, wished I had learned how to use one, maybe I still will!)

And this old record collection, wow, there must be some great finds in there!
(During summers at my grandparents in NJ I remember playing there old 45's, especially The Monster Mash!)

 

Of course there was the kooky stuff!
(Pretty sure this came out of the Disney's Polynesian Resort or possibly a Thai themed restaurant, what's your guess?)

 

I'm already itching to go back to the second-hand shops, but since my terrariums are still in test phase I'll wait a couple weeks before buying more supplies.

Hope you enjoyed the great finds!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica 

Creative Mission - Part 2

Now that I had my vases for the terrarium project, it was time to collect the rest of the items on my list.  I headed out to a large garden shop, my 4 yr old in tow.  (She loves plants and shopping so it wasn't going to be an issue.)  Since I don't often shop at these types of places it took me a while to find what I was looking for.  You also have to keep in mind I found my project in English online, and I'm standing in a Dutch store.  Some of the plants I remembered from pictures I had seen, some I had to refer to their scientific names - luckily I had a list.  We bought a big variety of plants, ranging from a Coral Cactus to a Spider Plant.

With the plants picked out I now needed to find moss.  Hmm, I had walked through the entire store multiple times and hadn't seen it anywhere.  We headed to the outside department in the rain, and still couldn't find it.  Once we were back inside I stopped to think for a minute, when I looked down there was a crate full of moss!  Apparently I had to buy it by the crate, it made sense.  The next item was going to be more difficult, activated charcoal (carbon).  Maybe in The States this is easy to get a hold of or a reasonable price, but not here.  The teenager behind the counter couldn't comprehend what I was looking for and was little help.  I of course referred to my phone and Googled suggestions, I quickly realized I was going to have to look in the aquarium department, because that's the only time the Dutch use it (to filter the water.)  By this point my daughter was tired of being there and wanted to head off to the next store. 

After pricing the stones & pebbles at the garden shop, I knew I could get them cheaper at a DIY store, so off we went.  (At the DIY store I bought 2 bags of stones for what I would have paid for 1 bag at the garden shop.)  The interesting thing about this DIY store is the stones are located in a self-service drive-thru.  Usually I have my husband with me to do the heavy lifting but this time it was up to me.  In the rain I loaded the SUV up with 2 huge bags of stones (1 weighed around 55 lbs & the other 1 weighed around 88 lbs, but I managed - would like to see the store security footage though, ha-ha!)  Inevitably I had them for the right price, but I was dirty, not my favorite thing.  Wanting to price the activated carbon we headed inside the store.  They wanted €15 for a box, and it wasn't exactly in the form I needed.  Forget it, I was going to have to come up with another idea.

Once back home, I hopped on the computer and looked up alternatives for activated charcoal.  Apparently there aren't so many.  One tutorial showed how to make it myself, yeah, wasn't really planning on that.  So I went back to a variety of DIY terrarium sites and they said the activated charcoal is used in closed terrariums to help with mold and to filter the air.  But if you are building an open top terrarium the activated charcoal was not needed.  Yes!

So, now that all the items are collected I just need to find time to finally starting making the terrariums.  I need an undisturbed block of time and preferably no rain so I can work outside, this is yet to come.  Crossing my fingers for this afternoon, but between school and play dates I'm not really sure if that time will come today.  Meanwhile, everything is stacked in the corner of my living room, don't want to kill the succulent plants by storing them outside in the cold!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica 

Creative Mission - Part 1

I'm on creative mission, I've decided to make a few terrariums!  How did I come up with this, you wonder... well, it started out when I wanted 1-2 new decorations for a shelf in my living room.  I checked the stores, didn't really like the prices I was seeing, and to be honest the decorations weren't even really what I wanted.  I like unique and sort-of eclectic, so maybe I was just looking in the wrong places.  One day while skimming through Pinterest I saw an image of a terrarium collection.  I kept thinking about the idea, and realized, hey, I want that in my house, what a great idea for an indoor decoration! 

Then the creative mission started, I decided to make my own!  Why... it's fun and also because I didn't want to pay the prices for the few I had seen in the stores.  (And to be honest they weren't even that nice.)  Being that I am frugal, and there is high risk that this project might not work out, I decided to buy the vases from local second-hand shops (aka kringloop). 

This turned out to be an interesting experience in itself.  I even managed to embarrass myself on a couple of occasions... like following people into a warehouse when it turns out the store wasn't even open that day or at another shop asking if I could take a look around their warehouse and shop when the actual store was around the corner.  And even at one second-hand shop I had to turn in my purse, which happened to have my husbands passport in there, oops, luckily nothing was taken out!

The 1st & 3rd second hand shop I went to were a bust.  Sure, I saw some incredible finds, but just not what I was looking for.  The 2nd store, now they had a decent collection of vases, ones I could actually work with.  They're shapes aren't as unusual as I would like, but that's because I'm paying roughly €2 per vase versus €20-€50 I had seen at normal stores.  In the end I've ended up with 1 fish bowl and 2 flower vases from the second-hand shop.  I wanted something a little bigger, so I still went back to a discount shop and picked up a tall vase (I had been pricing vases all over town, from flower to fish shops.  And then seeing the size of the vase was dramatically different than the others, I decided to toss in a glass vase that had been collecting dust in my shed.  At this point, I was out a total of less than €10 and have 5 vases that need to be washed and filled!

In a follow up post, I'll be sure to show you some of the great things I stumbled upon at the second-hand shops (things not really relevant to my terrarium project).  And besides clear glass vases, I was also looking for thick books with unusual bindings to help stack the smaller vases and either rocks or figurines to go inside the terrariums... I didn't find either but I'll skim the second hand shops again in a couple weeks. 

Hope you enjoy my project, there will be more posts to come!!!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica 

Wordless Wednesday #83

Check my sidebar for WW link ups or

pop by my blog hop page! 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Christmas is Coming

I was at my favorite bargain store the other day and I noticed they already have a small section of Christmas supplies on display!!!  Now I know in The States they start a couple months before the holidays with sale items, but I'm across the pond in The Netherlands.  They aren't even into commercial holidays like Valentine's, Halloween, & Christmas (delved into this in a post last year).  To be honest I was a little confused when I first saw the half full racks of cards and decorations, I actually had to question which month we're in.  I am so busy right now planning my daughter's b-day celebrations and transfers of schools & hobbies I can't even think that far ahead.  I really felt like the store had jumped the gun until I was at my in-laws and they started talking about where to put the Christmas tree!  Maybe I'm behind in planning???  Didn't summer just past?  Even the weather decided to jump on board, last week it was hot, shorts & tank tops kind of hot, and this morning it was 50F on our walk to school! 

We barely decorate for the holidays, and only thanks to our kid do we put up a tree at Christmas.  How many of you have started pulling out the boxes of autumn decorations?  Anyone started stocking up on Christmas decorations yet?

Sorry for the short posts this week, but like I mentioned I am slammed busy, hopefully once my daughter starts kindergarten full time I can get back to decent posts (even though I did promise you this a month ago)!

Skull Boots

I need your help deciding on which winter boots to buy... this isn't the first time I've turned to my readers when it comes to shoes.  I've narrowed the choice down to two boots, both biker style & both with skulls.  I don't usually dress this way, but I wouldn't mind expanding my wardrobe with some unique pieces.

Do I dare go with the large rhinestone skull on the side or the inconspicuous small studs that are shaped liked skulls?  Keep in mind, standing out is not an issue for me but I don't want to scare off the moms & kids at my daughters' new elementary school. 

Which ones should I order? 

(I need replies today, because the boots have to be ordered by tomorrow - they're running out of stock!)

Makes Me Laugh (#2)

Around town I'm always seeing things that make me laugh. When I saw this I burst out laughing and just had to take a picture for everyone.

Would you buy clothes from this guy?

Sayonara Stroller

Goodbye (sayonara) trusty stroller!  Our heavy duty stroller finally bit the dust yesterday.  I can't actually complain considering what we put this stroller through.  We bought the Mutsy Transporter over 3 years ago and we used it to its fullest.  At least once a week it made a journey through rain, snow, or sunshine to and from swimming class (3-3.5miles).  It went on endless walks, and since I don't have a car it was also my tots mode of transportation for everything from playdates to the playground.  It also totted full groceries and purchases, I'm surprised the mesh basket underneath held up as long as it did.  It was a comfy place for my tot, even when she technically was too old and weighed too much for it.  We even used the stroller to the point there wasn't any tread left on the tires. 

Last week on the way to swimming class I pressed down on the handle bar to pop the front wheels up in order to get the stroller and tot up on to the sidewalk and I heard a pop.  I could see the stroller was leaning a little to the left but it was still working.  At that moment I knew we wouldn't have much longer together.  Then yesterday before swimming I mentioned it to my husband, probably manifesting its end.  On our trek to and from swimming class I made sure to only use ramps and avoid having to lift her up on to the sidewalks.  Luckily I did, because a few minutes from our house, on the return journey, I had no choice but to pop a wheely and sure enough the right side of the frame broke also.  If I hadn't have been in a hurry I would have told my tot to hop out and walk, but instead I lifted the back end and trucked it home (she was basically in a recliner at this point).  I was so glad this happened close to home, otherwise I'm not really sure what we would have done.  Before leaving for swimming I ran a lot of scenarios through my head and most of which were quite inconvenient.  It's not like it's an umbrella stroller and can be tossed out easily.  And after swimming she would have been too worn out to walk that far anyway.  Again, we were very lucky! 

When our girl was just a baby the stroller had a bassinet attachment (and also attachments for the car seat), I saved them thinking we could reuse the stroller for the next kid.  But at that point so early on in my daughter's life I had no idea what I was about to ask of this stroller.  I feel like the Mutsy Transporter went above and beyond my expectations, and I would defnitely buy another one in the future. 
Sayonara stroller!

Tank Weather

I'm not a fan of extremely hot weather (not really sure how I survived 20 yrs in Florida).  But I am a fan of a sunny day and the only clothes needed are a pair of shorts and a tank top.  In preparation for the spring/summer I bought a few new tank tops while visiting The States.  I'm getting a little tired of waiting to wear them though, it's still ranging between high 30's and low 50's here!  I know I can team them up with a cardigan or something but I don't actually like layering... even though it's something you have to do in this climate.  I love the "boyfriend tanks" from American Eagle, I already have a couple, one solid and one with a mesh back.  When I popped into a mall somewhere in TN I was sure to hit up AE and buy a couple more.  I decided a dark pink almost purple and a dark grey would be perfect for my collection.  But then when I visited an Old Navy to buy a few things for my husband & tot I couldn't help but pick up one of their "perfect tanks" too.  It wasn't that the cut or tank was so spectacular, I just love the color combo.  Since I'm horrible at matching clothes, I figure the color combo will help me create more outfits.  At least every other day while I'm getting dressed the striped tank crosses my mind, I don't think I'm going to be able to hold out for the warm weather before I find an excuse to wear it!

Spring Displays

Even if the weather doesn't feel like spring at least the stores remind us!  The florist, Bergflora, across the street from our apartment always has great window displays.  Along with unique vases, pots, plants, flowers, & gifts, they go above and beyond just the generalization of florist.  As soon as spring rolled around they changed the displays in the two large store windows.  There are neon green sheep and endless colorful eggs.  And besides these eye catchers they've also added the cutest display of owls & chickens.  Something about these little decorations made me want to stop and take a picture, so while out on one of many dog walks I was sure to get a picture for you (and me).  Just something to perk up your day and remind you it's spring!  The little owls are so cute I might just have to stop in and see how much they cost! 
(Please excuse the reflection and the fact my hands/phone are photo-bombing the pics, even a photo editor couldn't help these shots, but I tried!  It's not easy taking pics when your dog is trying to jump on everyone that passes!)

Bloggin' From TN #2

Here I am again, still on our short trip to Tennessee. When visiting The States there are always a few pit-stops we have to make, like American Eagle & Old Navy!!! But clothes stores aren't the only places we hit up, I love Walmart! When I used to live in Florida I avoided Walmart but since moving overseas I've learned to appreciate the deals. You may take Fruit of the Loom & Hanes for granted but we sure don't.  Where we are in TN, Walmart is one of the largest stores in town, it also includes groceries... I think I've been there 3 times already and intend to go again!

 

Like me, my grandma also appreciates saving money (I guess being frugal is in the family, and so is hoarding but that's a different post). In the hopes of saving some money we also hit up Dollar General (I mentioned bargain stores in an old post, I love them). I was glad we did because I found cards to mail home for 50cents!

 

As always I snapped a couple shots for you. The 1st is an insanely busy Walmart, especially for 2:30 in the afternoon. And the other is Dollar General for those of you unfamiliar with it.

New Hat

I don't often wear hats, mostly because I'm afraid of the dreaded "hat-head" when I take it off (I have the type of hair that immediately fills with static or gets a strange ripple across the back).  But I keep seeing this hat around and I was just positive it would suit me.  Technically it's a cap, it has a lot of different names one of which a military cap.  During the summer I couldn't find what I was looking for (cotton/twill), but then the other day at H&M the winter (wool/polyester) version popped up and I was sure to buy it!  H&M call it a flat cap but if you look up a flat cap, it's similar but not quite the same.  Maybe it's just the female version.  Needless to say it's super cute!  I wore it the first opportunity I could, and my niece's soccer in the middle of December was just the right excuse.  I'm sure it helped keep me warm, hat's are there to serve a purpose.  But I have to be honest and say I wore it purely because I liked how it looked, how vain of me!  Sure times will arise that I'll actually use it to stay warm, giving me more options than the one white knit beanie I own.  Actually I own other hats, but I don't think I'll be wearing the leopard print cuffed hat I bought in the 90's that's still lurking in one of my drawers. 

Which reminds me, why do we keep these things?  Anyway, I just wanted to show you all my new winter hat, and the one I hope to find during the summer.  Speaking of summer hats, I still regret not buying a straw cowboy hat with seashells I fell in love with while dress shopping in 2006!  This doesn't happen to me often, but it was one time I wish I hadn't taken the cheap road and put the hat back on the shelf.  Maybe the next time I'm back in Florida I'll find another one.  And if there are any men reading this post, I promise you there is a difference between the two hats pictured besides the color, ha-ha!

Christmas Shopping

It's time for dreaded Christmas shopping again.  Just in case you missed the post, I am a big 'ol scrooge.  Every year I plead with my husband to change our ways, and yet every year some how we wait until the last minute to go shopping.  So not only are we shopping (which we don't like), we're shopping under pressure and fighting large crowds while doing it (prime ground for bickering).  My husbands work schedule has been slammed for months now so there's no time for shopping after work.  Last weekend we were all sick, leaving this weekend to shop.  And now somehow our schedule is filled with everything but Christmas shopping, argh!  I feel sorry for the guy, he hasn't had a break in forever and now he doesn't even get a moment of relaxing down time this weekend; any spare moments will now be filled with unpleasant shopping.  While being pushed through the stores, disagreeing about Christmas present budget, and trying to keep a 3 yr old entertained while going store to store, I am going to have to keep one thing in mind.  We get to go see Disney on Ice this Sunday.  It'll give us all a moment to regress to childhood, take in a well done Disney show, and also see the twinkle in our daughters eyes as she gets to watch the characters from the 2nd row!

Zooplus.nl

This blog is not only about random things that anyone in the world might find appealing, it's also for people here in The Netherlands (expats & Dutch).  So when I find something interesting that might help out a fellow resident of The Netherlands, I like to spread the word.  If I haven't mentioned it enough, I am an avid online shopper I despise actually going to the store.  I can conveniently sit behind my computer in my pajamas, sipping on coffee, and shop.  And whether you want to believe it or not, shopping online can often work out to be cheaper than physically going to a store. 

My latest find, you ask... an online pet supply shop, called Zooplus.nl!  I was in need of dog food, but then I remembered the last time I went to the store and had to lug the 15kg (33 lb) bag out to the car while keeping close tabs on my toddler.  I figured there had to be an easier way, plus my toddler had just come down with chicken pox and my husband was in Finland on business.  Then it clicked, there must be a store online.  Knowing the amount I would have paid at the store for the food and the trimming scissors I wanted, I went in search of a comparable deal.  Not only did I find something comparable, I found something cheaper!!!  The dog food was about the same price, but delivery was free (if you spend more then €20), that meant someone else would carry the bag to my front door.  The scissors were €10 cheaper, and on you first order you get 10% off, so I tagged a few other things on to my order.  Like doggy diapers, which were also cheaper.  And the shampoo was about the same price but hey why not buy it while getting a 10% discount and free delivery.  In the end I spent about €5 more than I would have if I had gone to Jumper, and received twice as much without the hassle.  And besides the 1st time customer discount you can also sign up for a savings plan, you pay a few euros and then with every order you 3% off, it'll pay for itself quickly!  So again, thank you online stores!  For anyone who finds this beneficial, you might also be interested in one of my older posts about groceries online.

Gift Certificate

Since I live far from my family, my Dad & I often send each other gift certificates for the holidays.  Many years for my birthday I get an Amazon.co.uk gift certificate and I use it to buy shoes.  I can usually get Crocs or Converse cheaper in the UK than here in NL.  Here it is September and I've been holding on to my gift certificate for a couple months now.  At first I was too busy to sit down and find the time to search the hundreds of shoe options, but now that I have a bit more time I just can't decide which shoes I want. 

Do I replace shoes I already have?  I mean literally buy the same style and color because I love them and I'm wearing my current shoes out.  Do I buy something completely different?  Do I buy out of need, because my winter boots are too old?  Do I buy out of want, there are shoes that aren't practical but I like them?  What do you all think of the shoes I am considering?  (Keep in mind I am not fashion forward and I walk everywhere, so comfort is the key!)

Dollar Store

If you're an American from the South just the name Dollar Store probably puts a smile on your face.  Where else can you go that most everything in the store costs less than 10 dollars, some things even actually cost just a dollar.  (Well at least when I used to live in Florida, things might have changed in the last decade.)  I'm a frugal shopper and always looking for a good deal or even just random doodads.  And I have found two great bargain stores in Eindhoven (they are also located in other cities).  First, and foremost, there is Action. 

There are multiple Action's here in town but the mother load is on Insulindelaan.  Everything is cheap, maybe not the best quality but cheap.  When it comes to plastic baskets or coloring books does the price really matter as long as it serves it purpose.  And so what if the stain remover is in a different language, you already know how it works, you're just now spending half the money.  There are also decorations, you can spruce your house up inside and out by combining expensive items from another store with accents from the Action (thanks for the tip, you know who you are).  You can also prepare easily for a bbq (charcoal, cooler, table cloths, etc.), and they even sell snacks and drinks.  It's also a great store to pick up tanks tops and panties for my daughter while potty training, the Disney sets are only 3 euros.  I would prefer to shop at Action but I don't always have access to the car, so my plan B (accessible by foot - for me) is the Big Bazar. 

It has similar products but is a lot smaller.  These are definitely stores that you'll want to take your time in because the selection is always changing and you never know what you'll find.  You can find... party favors and decorations... painting supplies... gardening supplies... things for your animals ranging from toys to treats... toiletries (even face masks)... kitchen accessories... I could go on and on, you should just check them out yourself.  And before I end this post, I'll leave you with one more tip (for those of you living in the Netherlands).  Drop into Xenos some time, it costs more than the above bargain stores but they too have a unique selection as far as bargain stores go.  (I bought the mix for my brownies there.)

For those of you not living in the Netherlands pop by a bargain store some time.  Maybe many of you frequent them already, maybe you haven't been to one in years, maybe you turn your nose up at them, all I'm saying is give it a shot.  Why not save money where you can!