FeeFiFoto Blog

I Won An Award From Two Cat Friends And One Cupcake

Anyone who checks in here regularly knows that we are a dog family, but lately I've been gaining a new appreciation for cats.  I just received an award from Chica and Pumuckl, two golden cats from Egypt who just moved to Germany.  Look at them -- how could you not want to snuzzle kitties that cuddle each other in a heart shape?

Chica and Pumuckl have honored me with the BFF Gold Card:

And, as if the Gold Card weren't enough, Hannah Fanna has honored me with this:

 

Now, according to the rules, I should reaward these awards to a bunch more bloggers.  Wish I could decide, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.  Besides, I just drove two hours north yesterday, and a corresponding two hours south today, so if I don't get off the computer soon my typing will fewjs  ves8f-2 T&^OPDR E56t8iRC{O EW^Yy8o;y89p)xc

Oops.  Too late.

Seriously -- thanks to the cool Egyptian German kitties, and thanks to Cleopatra for these special honors.

Photo Hunters: Beautiful

I don't love this picture but I do love the Art Deco design of the door.  The door belongs to a Post Office that was built in the 1930s not far from where we live.  The rest of the building is just as charming as the entrance.

See more of my photo hunts.

 

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Enter The FeeFiFoto Fame Contest

Graphic from Transform Destiny

You are getting very sleeeepy.  You will enter the FeeFiFoto Fame Contest.

A Contest Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen

It's time once again for the FeeFiFoto Fame Contest.

You've seen contests to win beauty supplies. You've seen contests to win baby supplies. You've seen contests to win computer supplies. Now for something completely different:

Enter this contest to win FAME.

The winner of this contest will have one favorite photograph incorporated into a landing page on FeeFiFoto. Just visit FeeFiFoto, cruise around as long as you like, then come back here and leave me a comment about which item you'd like to see your photo on. (Okay, I know that was ungrammatical, but sometimes you just have to use a preposition to end a sentence with. Oh no! I did it again!)

Anyway.

I'll draw one name at random on September 15th. Once the winner has emailed the photo to me, I'll put it on a graphic on the FeeFiFoto home page.

Wordless Wednesday: Hybrid Car

Remember to enter FeeFiFoto's Fall Fame Contest. The winner's name will be drawn on September 15. Good luck!

I found this at Love Shak, Baby.  A brief explanation: This film depicts driving a hybrid from Texas to Canada, compressed into slightly more than four minutes.  Guess how many times the car has to be filled?

I want a hybrid.

Should I Be Crying?

Remember to enter FeeFiFoto's Fall Fame Contest. The winner's name will be drawn on September 15. Good luck!

Robespierre started middle school today.  When he graduated from preschool I cried for one straight week.  I'd see myself in the mirror and sob pathetically as I hummed the goodbye song he and his classmates had sung.

But today I'm not crying.  I'm rejoicing, but not for reasons you might think.

I'm rejoicing because:

• I'm thrilled that my son is at a new school with a whole new set of teachers and classmates.  It's not that I didn't love his previous school (his sister's still going there, after all), but he feels and acts grown up in an environment where he attends assemblies, band practices, lunch and school events with older kids.
• I'm delirious at the change in him since he came home from camp and started preparing to transition to a new environment.  He's been relaxed, serene, thoughtful, cooperative and sensible.  We've had none of the usual arguments about wardrobe, school supplies, the cost of sneakers; we've discussed and addressed each issue rationally and maturely.
• I'm excited that next year, when the large influx of 7th graders occurs, Robespierre will already be a member of the middle school community, able to mentor new students and say things like: "This is how WE do things here."

It's true I'm not allowed to kiss or hug him within vision or hearing of any person older than 8.  It's true he'll now be making way more of his own decisions and plans. It's true I'm not allowed to walk him into school.  Yes, these are things to cry about.

But I'm not crying.

Yet.

Early Christmas Shopping To Save On Gifts And Leave Time For Gloating

Remember to enter FeeFiFoto's Fall Fame Contest. The winner's name will be drawn on September 15. Good luck!

Holiday shopping is inevitable.  Get used to it.  Accept it.  Get on it.

Every winter and summer I pick up a couple end-of-season bargains.  In March I might find some exceptional velvet pants or an extravagant cashmere sweater.  In September I might score a linen jacket or a flowy skirt.  There's nothing like picking up an obscenely expensive Ralph Lauren blazer at 85% off; for that kind of savings, I'm even willing to spring for alterations.  Who cares if it's a pair of size 14 pants?  I can use the extra fabric to make headbands.  I'll just grow my hair longer so I have something to wear the headbands in.

Of course, I'm not the kind of person who can wear something divinely luxurious and not tell anyone who admires it how much I saved by buying it at an outlet store using a coupon and a cashback credit card.  I've even been known to grab strangers by the lapels at a bus stop and challenge: "Guess how much I saved on this?!" 

And I don't even ride the bus.

I have a pair of $900 Tod's boots that I bought for $100 at an outlet store using a generous discount coupon; I'll tell anyone in an instant how much they cost retail and how much discount I got on them.  If they've never heard of Tod's, I'll launch into a detailed explanation of how unattainable anything from Tod's is, and then return to my story of how cheaply I got the only thing made by Tod's that I will ever have any hope of owning.

I bought a marked-down comforter online.  I entered the retail site through Upromise, which you should check out if you don't already know about it -- they provide tax-free loyalty kickbacks that can be applied to college tuition when you need it; via Upromise I got a rebate of somewhere around 5%. I used my Discover card to get cash back, and the store was offering free shipping.  I figure I acquired the comforter at approximately an 18,504% discount.

What's the point? 

• When the appropriate season rolls around I'm always pleasantly surprised to find treats in my closet, since I usually don't remember what I had for breakfast, much less what I bought six months ago. 
• I need to save money wherever I can; who doesn't? 
• And, since I'm incapable of wearing $900 boots and not letting admirers know how cheaply I bought them, I get the extra rush of gloatitude.

I bet you can see what's coming.  Well, you're right: Christmas is coming, and it's my duty pleasure to nag gently remind you to take care of as much holiday shopping as you can before everyone else thinks of it and gets a jump on you.  Almost anything you might give as a holiday gift will be on sale at some point during the year, even if it's the middle of summer (or the 26th of August, for that matter).  Ehow provides some sensible advice:

"Make a budget early in the year for what you plan to spend on Christmas. Spread that out over the entire year instead of doing what some do, which is to spend like crazy in November and December...

Hit the sales! Start your shopping as soon as January if you can. With your monthly allotted budget for Christmas, buy gifts throughout the year. You can save significantly and find some great deals and unique gifts. Taking the time to find thoughtful presents can result in a less rushed experience and a happier gift recipient."

Jenny How, writing for Buzzle.com, suggests you "think of Christmas shopping as a year long event."

Yes, you're burned out by the end of the holiday shopping season, and gift shopping is on the list of the top five things you don't want to think about the other ten months of the year, but imagine how triumphant and surprised you'll feel in the heat of the holiday season when you discover that your shopping is nearly finished. 

While you're at it, imagine how much you'll save by buying things on sale when you see them rather than desperately paying the going price in the turmoil of the Christmas season. If you can keep the holiday season somewhere other than the darkest caves of memory where you store algebra and that time you slipped on the ice in front of your 7th grade crush, then when you see something that might shorten your gift list, you'll have the presence of mind pick it up.

Besides, in addition to the satisfaction of saving a ton of money by shopping during the off season, you get to make your friends and relatives jealous that you got it started, and maybe even finished, months in advance.

Need more encouragement to get started on holiday shopping?  Click here and here.

You'll Be As Famous As Michael Phelps, But Without All The Chlorine

Sticky post -- Please scroll down

A Contest Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen

It's time once again for the FeeFiFoto Fame Contest.

You've seen contests to win beauty supplies. You've seen contests to win baby supplies. You've seen contests to win computer supplies. Now for something completely different:

Enter this contest to win FAME.

The winner of this contest will have one favorite photograph incorporated into a landing page on FeeFiFoto. Just visit FeeFiFoto, cruise around as long as you like, then come back here and leave me a comment about which item you'd like to see your photo on. (Okay, I know that was ungrammatical, but sometimes you just have to use a preposition to end a sentence with. Oh no! I did it again!)

Anyway.

I'll draw one name at random on September 15th. Once the winner has emailed the photo to me, I'll put it on a graphic on the FeeFiFoto home page.

You can feature family, pets, kids' artwork or artistic shots -- your choice. A black and white photo of your house on a porcelain plate would be lovely. Once your photo is up on the site, far-flung friends and family can tune in and shout to each other: "Honey! Come quickly! Little Timmy fell down the well! ... No, that's not right ... Little Timmy / Lassie / Fluffy / Pizza Face is in an advertisement! Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!"

Previous winners include:

Chatbug Karen, who opted to display a couple of amusing, shall we say, photos on a microfiber handbag:

Laura Williams, who chose to show her kids on a photo personalized mouse pad:

 

and Kailani, who opted for a photo of her daughters on a melamine plate with a Disney princess:

See your favorite faces featured on beautiful porcelain Christmas ornaments from FeeFiFoto.

Any. Where. You. Choose. Visit FeeFiFoto and tell me what you where you want to see your picture. It's all about YOU. 

And remember, the winner of this contest will see his or her photo displayed on FeeFiFoto through the holiday season.  This means that your picture will be seen by thousands of shoppers looking for personalized Christmas and Hannukah gifts.

A few simple guidelines:

• Please furnish your email address so I can get in touch with you as soon as you win; this way, your photo can be up on the site within a couple of days
• The photo submitted to me by the winner must be G-rated
• Your entry must state which item from FeeFiFoto you'd like to display your photo
• Blog about this contest (and give me a heads up) and I'll give you an extra entry

Good luck everybody!

Click here to read more about the FeeFiFoto Fame Contest

Konduki Guide To Gift Giving

I just received a link from Konduki Guide to Gift Giving.  Here's how they describe their theme:

"konduki is the word for “guide” in esperanto, a language that has enjoyed brief periods of hope from groups of esperanto advocates as an alternative to English as a global, unifying language (never happened!).

Anyway, we wanted to find a word for “guide” in another language to be hip and cool."

When you're looking to find something unique in all the cacophony of the internet, a site like Konduki can be invaluable, as you're practically guaranteed to experience a gift-giving epiphany before too long.

Luckily, I Have An Appointment With The Opthamologist Today

... because I just saw this headline:

2 Men Guilty Of Stealing 8 Tons Of Copper

and thought it said this:

2 Men Guilty Of Stealing 8 Tons Of DIAPERS

Wordless Wednesday: Redundant

See more of my Wordless Wednesdays

How To Change The Orange RSS Icon Into Something Much Cooler

You may have noticed my cool new purple RSS link.  I just learned how to add it and it was so ridiculously easy that I’m embarrassed to admit how long I’ve wanted to do it but been afraid to try.  I was talking to Jessica and noticed that she has this great purple blog but, sadly, no purple RSS button, so I offered to show her how to get one of her very own.  Since Jessica’s on Blogger I’ve created this nifty little demo on how to do it there, using Cleo’s blog as an example.  Thanks to Bob Rankin for the easy-to-understand tutorial on turning screen shots into JPGs.

If you like the icon on my site then the easiest way to use it on your site is just to copy it off of mine.  Right click on the icon and select “Save image as…” and save it to your desktop.  If you want pink, you can copy it the same way from Cleo’s blog.

 

Next, go to your blog’s home page and click on your RSS feed icon,

 

 

which will take you to your Feedburner home page.  Here, highlight and copy the URL that appears in the address bar – you’ll need it in a moment.

 

 

Then, after signing into your Blogger account, click on Layout and then on Page Elements, and then “Add a Gadget.”

 

From here, choose “Picture.”

 

Click in the box that says “Link” and paste the Feedburner link you just copied.  You can add a caption if you like; this will appear above the icon on your home page.

 

 

Then, click “Browse” (from your computer) and select the image of the button you saved to your desktop, then choose “Save.”

 

 

 

And you’ve done it!  You now have a lovely button that links you to Feedburner in a much more purpley and less orangey way.

If you’re up for a bit more of a challenge, click here to find dozens of RSS button options.  To get them, click on the link to download a set to your desktop.  You may have to unzip them (“Extract”) before using, but once you have them the rest of the steps are the same.

 

 

At The Dentist

Possibly no substantive posting today.  Cleo's having two baby teeth removed to make room for the adult teeth.  The condemned are tooth "C" and tooth "H," which she has named "Charles" and "Helen," and her teeth are costing me half an arm and a leg.  I offered the oral surgeon $50 if he'd just give her a quick punch but he pointed out that accuracy is just as important as force; I had little choice but to agree.

In other news, Artypants is leaving for college today.

Early Christmas Shopping For A Better Chance To Snag That Hot New Gift Item

Want the hottest gift items for Christmas 2008? Want to give gifts that are personalized or have to be made by special order? Start researching, designing and ordering now, before everything is sold out.

Last fall Robespierre tested for his black belt in Tae Kwon Doe, having attended no fewer than seven classes a week for three years. I wanted to reward his dedication with a Wii, so one pleasant October afternoon I stopped pleasantly at B*** B** and pleasantly inquired where I might find one. We're out, they said. When will you get more? I asked pleasantly. We don't know, they replied. So I left and pleasantly tried C*** C*** and T***.  Sold out, they said.

I hit the phones grumpily. I grumpily called every big box, medium box and small box store I could find.  Sold out, sold out, sold out. When will you get them, I demanded grumpily. Oh, sometimes we get a few on Wednesday, no Friday, no Tuesday. Can I pay for one in advance? Are you kidding? Can you call me when you get them? Heck no! Any suggestions? Well, sometimes people wait in line outside the store when they think we might be getting them.

I agitatedly resorted to the internet: S.O.L.D. O.U.T. Amazon? Nuh uh. EBay? Yeah, for double the price and no warranty. Google -- hellllp meeee ... I found some site that tracks rumors of online availability and emails you if there's any hint of a chance of Wii acquisition via the usual suspects. In theory this was a brilliant tool, but in practice, not so brilliant. I'd get an email trumpeting: "S*** may have the Wii in stock," but 11 minutes later another email would announce: "S*** sold out of the Wii." If I wasn't in front of the computer as the email arrived, which I never seemed to be, I had no chance of getting my cyber-hands on a Wii.

Meanwhile I was still pleasantly frantically power-calling the big box stores, trying to trick them into revealing when they were getting the Wii. More than one interrogee informant claimed that an angel song ad in the weekend paper could be a sign they'd have some Wiis in stock on Sunday morning, but I suspected they were just making this up so I'd take my hands off their throats.

Finally came the moment of truth: the Sunday advertising supplement swore that C*** C*** would have the Wii on Sunday. I arrived apprehensively at 7:45 a.m. with my folding chair, orange juice, bagel, cell phone and New York Times. I was the first person there. Within an hour the line held more than 20 apprehensive people. By the time the store opened there were about 35 apprehensive people waiting for only nine Wiis, but everyone stayed in line out of hope that some of us would change our minds, or forget why we came there, or be abducted by aliens. I bought my Wii, briefly considered selling it for a profit to someone further down the line, reconsidered, and went home.

Every Sunday after that, as Christmas came nearer and the weather became less hospitable, desperate parents bundled up and waited in line. Did everyone get the Wii? Who knows – after I got mine I stopped caring.

The Christmas season is crazy busy for everyone. On FeeFiFoto we start getting orders by early October for calendars, Christmas ornaments, porcelain plates and other favorite holiday gift items; orders escalate through November and December. The closer we get to Christmas the more chance our manufacturers will run out of some popular item, and then the buyers who want them are just out of luck.

Want whatever the hot gift is going to be this Christmas? Want personalized Christmas ornaments, or personalized purses or photo blankets? Start looking now, start strategizing now, start ordering now. You’ll thank me when Christmas comes and everyone else is scrambling to get holiday gifts delivered before December 25.

Need more valuable Christmas shopping advice?  Look here.

Have You Seen What's Been Going On At "Boobs, Injuries And Dr. Pepper?"

It started on August 12 with Crystal's furious post about a disappointing visit to a Red Robin restaurant, made worse by the discovery that her 8-year-old daughter had left a backpack containing a Gameboy at the restaurant:

"I immediately called the store and spoke with Lexi, who ... told me that she did, indeed, have the backpack... She said that ... the managers lock up lost & found items, so not to worry.

I went in today to pick up my item and Lexi reluctantly informed me that it was gone...

As I type, my sweet, generous daughter is softly crying on the sofa. She feels bad FOR ME because she knows that it was hard for us to afford the lunch outing and we can't replace the Gameboy. She is more crushed, however, that someone stole from her. What a terrific lesson for a child who bought that Gameboy with her own money."

Soon afterwards her post was updated by the following:

"EDIT: A member of our US Army just emailed me. He shipped Virginia a Nintendo DS. I am constantly humbled by the generosity and kindness of you all (several of you offered to PayPal funds or buy one and send it to her) and I can't thank you enough for the gift you've given me."

On August 13 Crystal posted that the Red Robin regional manager had called at 7:00 am offering to make it right, which was followed by calls offering to throw her daughter a party at the restaurant, as well as deliver a new Gameboy and backpack.  Later that day she posted photos of her daughter posing with the Red Robin mascot and the restaurant manager, who'd arrived at her front door loaded with replacement games, as well as Hannah Montana CDs and gift cards to Red Robin and a major electronics chain:

"And I want you all to know that when I explained to her how many of you were wishing her well and offering to help, she burst into tears. When I asked what was wrong, she said, "If I hadn't lost my stuff, they wouldn't feel bad and feel like they have to do something for me."

Later that same day:

"So...after talking with Paul (the incredibly sweet man who sent Virginia a Nintendo DS), he only wanted V to do what she wanted with the game he sent and does not want it back. Virginia wants very much to give it to someone who might otherwise never have one, so here's what we came up with:

1. If you know of a child who would be deserving, please email me at payingitforward2008@gmail.com and tell us about them. 

2. Virginia will pick 5 entries...  

3. I will post those here and let you vote for a winner...

By today, the 15th, Crystal has a PayPal link on her blog to contribute to "Paying It Forward For Kids," along with pledges from Red Robin and private donors to try to make sure that anyone who submits a worthy request will receive a handheld video game.

What a brilliant recovery by Red Robin.  What a splendid attitude from an eight-year-old, one that puts many petty adults to shame.  What a grand response from the blogging community.  My daughter and I have been following this story's progress with great interest and we think it deserves wide publicity.  Please visit Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper.

Photo Hunters: Colorful

Cleopatra-Queen-of-the-Nile took this photo the day before we had some of her friends over for a swim party.  Did you know that diet sodas tend to float when you drop them into a swimming pool, while regular sodas tend to sink to the bottom, where they have to be retrieved by third grade girls wearing goggles?  Did you also know that cans of regular 7 UP seem to be exempt from this rule, as they float happily on the surface of the water, close by the gogglewearing third graders?

Now you know.

See more of my photo hunts.

 

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Contest Over. I Didn't Win.

Hannah Fanna's Pet Rock Naming Contest has ended.  Neither of my entries won.  In fact, I was disqualified. 

The rock's name is FuFu.  The winner was Lux.

I still like Paper Scissors.

Excuse me for a moment while I go to my room and sulk.

Wordless Wednesday: Welcome Home Robespierre!

Cleo and I made these just for you.  But we hope you'll share.

Hannah Fanna, that copycat, stole my idea.  I'm gonna get her ... Well, okay -- technically it was her idea, but I posted first.  So there.

Not Funny

Today Dooce posted a photo of her dog with six elastic hair bands clasped tightly around its snout.

Why would someone do something that cruel to a dog, even if only for the moment it takes to snap a photo?

I get got the feed for her blog because she's so well known, but I'm frequently appalled by the tone of her writing.  No more feed.

Let's Get Ready For Christmas Early

Now that we have all the back to school shopping done and the little darlings are on their way to the bus -- wait, you haven't finished your back to school shopping yet?  What are you waiting for?  Run like a bunny and get on it, and then come back here when it's all done.

**musical interlude: "Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed / A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed ..."

All done?  Good.  First things first, I always say.

I know you think you're the only one contemplating it right now, but take a look at some of the bloggers already talking about Christmas shopping:

• Jodie Z is finding bargains on Etsy
• Synthesisblog is urging shoppers to start early for the benefit of the U.S. economy
• Pursuing Holiness is swearing to start early:

"Heh - Amazon is having a Blu-ray 3-for-2 Sale. There aren’t 3 movies that I want, but I may do some Christmas shopping. Every year I say I’m going to do it early and every December 20 I start to freak out because I’m not even close to being finished. Maybe this is my year for getting it right."

• Windy City Chat reminds that early shopping helps save money
• And Stephanie Klein at Greek Tragedy mentions "Christmas in July"

Last year I ordered holiday cards in August; labeled, stamped and stuffed envelopes in September; and had everything ready to drop in the mail by October.  Sensing that mailing holiday cards in October might mark me as, I don't know, weird eccentric, I held off until the end of November, but the day after Thanksgiving I was outside stuffing the mailbox, you betcha.  There is absolutely no reason to wait until the last minute to order Christmas or Chanukah cards, since it can all be done online (and preferably through FeeFiFoto, but nobody's pushing or anything...)  In addition, there are such good sales and so many unique gifts out there, there's no reason not to get at least some of your Christmas shopping done during the summer when there's much less going on than in the school year.  I already have a sizable wish list accumulating on Amazon.

And for anyone whose life doesn't begin and end with the school year, there's still no reason you shouldn't think about doing some of your holiday shopping now.  The Christmas holiday season is filled with busyness, in case you haven't noticed: parties to attend, plan or avoid, family to try not to murder celebrate with, cookies to eat raw bake, trips to passive-aggressively avoid planning schedule, office celebrations to embarrass your self at enjoy, stockings to knit buy...

Granted, you can't set up the tree this early because you'd have pine needles in your boxer shorts or something -- well, I really have no idea, because I've never done a Christmas tree, but there'd be some level of agitation involved somehow.  And you can't bake cookies this early because you'd eat them and have to make more they'd be stale.  But you can order cookie tins with your favorite photos for when you finally do get around to baking cookies in December. 

Check out the Scrolling Peppermint counter: as of the publication of this post there are only about 135 days left until December 25.  Start thinking about Christmas gifts now.  You'll thank me later.

For more on making your holiday shopping less stressful:

Avoiding Lines By Going Online

The Right Gift For The Right Recipient

Photo Hunters: Dark

Photo from Maternity.net

Seriously -- is there anything better than dark chocolate?

See more Photo Hunters