|
While I am not a big fan of JCPenney, I have found some fabulous buys in their football team apparel. They have clothing with designs of both NFL and college teams.
One year, I was able to find...
While I am not a big fan of JCPenney, I have found some fabulous buys in their football team apparel. They have clothing with designs of both NFL and college teams.
One year, I was able to find a heavy, fully lined motorcycle style jacket with a University of Miami design for my father. Since he is a graduate of the UofM, my dad likes anything with their team logo. He has Christmas ornaments, caps, sweatshirts, a license tag, pillows, a blanket, coffee mug and more with the design of his alma mater. The jacket had a modern design and was something I knew he didn't already have. Since he was living in Maryland at the time, I knew it would keep him warm throughout the cold winter. Originally priced at $84.95, I found this jacket marked down to $19.95 just a month before Christmas.
Another year, I found an entire sweat suit with an FSU for one of my brothers, who is a Florida State fan. I happened on this outfit just days before Christmas when I was panicking because I couldn't find anything I thought my brother would like. It was also marked way down.
So, although I don't generally like JCPenney, I have been very pleased with the football inspired clothing I've bought there.
Hide
|
|
I like shopping at Beall's Department store in Lakeshore Mall. Although they're not a sports store per se, it is surprising how many football themed items they sell. In fact, they have something...
I like shopping at Beall's Department store in Lakeshore Mall. Although they're not a sports store per se, it is surprising how many football themed items they sell. In fact, they have something for almost every member of the family.
For infants, they sell several sleepers with football designs, they have a baby blanket with a sports design in the corner and the cutest sports bag by Gund. A soft sports bag holds four plush balls that each do something different. (One rattles and another squeaks, for instance.)
There is a cute overall set for toddlers that has a football design on it. I was recently looking at this for my 3-month-old twin grand nephews as a Christmas gift, but I think I may choose the baby blanket and sports bag described above.
Beall's sells T-shirts and tanks for men, women and children in lots of football designs. The Ts are more than just white shirts with a team logo; they come in a variety of colors.
They even have football themed items for the home, from chip and dip sets to insulated mugs to a football shaped bulletin board to silly FSU and UF gnomes!
So, even though most people think of Beall's as a clothing store and not a sports store, you can clearly see it is.
Hide
|
|
Located in the Lakeshore Mall between Bealls and Kmart and directly between BonWorth and Rave, The Sports Fan is a great place to go when I'm looking for gifts for the sports fans in my life. Most...
Located in the Lakeshore Mall between Bealls and Kmart and directly between BonWorth and Rave, The Sports Fan is a great place to go when I'm looking for gifts for the sports fans in my life. Most of my family roots for the Dolphins, although we do have a couple of Tampa Bay Bucs fans, too. This store carries jerseys, t-shirts and jackets for all major NFL teams as well as some collectibles. Under new ownership, they don't carry the variety the store once did (no more team trashcans) but their shelves are still packed. I think their prices are a bit steep, though, and hope they will offer sales and specials throughout the year.
Hide
|
|
Located across US 27 from Lake Jackson, just before Hammock Road, they Why Not Lounge is not a business I would usually patronize. Why? Simply because I don't drink and this is a bar. However, my...
Located across US 27 from Lake Jackson, just before Hammock Road, they Why Not Lounge is not a business I would usually patronize. Why? Simply because I don't drink and this is a bar. However, my ex-husband worked with a woman whose relative owned the Why Not Lounge so we ventured in one day.
Although the Why Not has snack foods like chips, pretzels and popcorn, they do not have any type of food menu. There are a few TVs and they have them tuned to football games during football season but this isn't a major focus or draw.
The Why Not seems to be popular, even during slow season. I know they are proud of the fact that one of their bartenders is a Bartender Hall of Famer, which is a good advertisement for a lounge.
Hide
|
|
Beef O'Brady's bills itself as a "family sports pub." This is your first clue that it would be a good place to watch football. When you walk inside and see the 20 television sets, you've got your...
Beef O'Brady's bills itself as a "family sports pub." This is your first clue that it would be a good place to watch football. When you walk inside and see the 20 television sets, you've got your second clue. The restaurant is one large, open room containing all those TVs. I've never sat in any booth or at any table where I couldn't see at least one television.
I've always been happy with the food at Beef O'Brady's. Their thick, filling sandwiches and healthy salads are some of my favorites. I particularly like the Watterson (a roast beef and Swiss cheese sandwich on grilled rye bread) and Reuben sandwiches. Their grilled chicken salad is my favorite salad choice.
Beef O'Brady's also has some awesome chicken wings, from what I hear. Their traditional Buffalo chicken wings come in mild, medium, hot, extra hot and NUCLEAR! They also make wings with honey barbecue, teriyaki sauce, garlic and Caribbean Jerk flavorings. I like the honey barbecue wings but the others are way too spicy for me.
Hide
|
|
Although I think Albertson's grocery store's everyday prices are high, I love their weekly sales! This week's sale paper is titled, "Easy Savings for Labor Day." Prices are good from Wednesday,...
Although I think Albertson's grocery store's everyday prices are high, I love their weekly sales! This week's sale paper is titled, "Easy Savings for Labor Day." Prices are good from Wednesday, August 30th through Tuesday, September 5th. The ad includes several choices of meat to grill including New York Strip steak at $4.99/lb., top round London broil at $1.99/lb., and boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders at $1.79/lb. For a different Labor Day meal, try large snow crab clusters for $3.99/lb. They also have sweet corn (which is great on the grill) on sale at 8 ears for $1. While most of our local stores are featuring Pepsi products this week, Albertson's has a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans of various Coke products priced at 4/$9. I really don't like diet Pepsi so I'll stock up on diet Coke at Albertson's. After munching on steak, ribs and/or chicken, you can enjoy a dessert of red, green or black seedless grapes priced at only 99 cents/lb.
I enjoy shopping at Albertson's because the store is always clean (although the bathrooms do leave something to be desired). There are rows of grocery carts (including special carts for babies and young children) conveniently waiting as you enter the store. Store personnel is easy to find whenever I have a question or need help finding something. If the store is out of a sale item, it is very easy to get a rain check. There is always someone ready and willing to carry out my purchases, which is a real benefit to me.
Hide
|
|
According to MapQuest, Beach Veterinary Clinic is 2 hours and 16 minutes from my home. This isn't a veterinary clinic I normally go to or one I will go back to.
We had four 9-week old kittens to...
According to MapQuest, Beach Veterinary Clinic is 2 hours and 16 minutes from my home. This isn't a veterinary clinic I normally go to or one I will go back to.
We had four 9-week old kittens to get rid of and couldn’t find anyplace in Central Florida, near our home, that was able to take them. Apparently this has been a prolific year for kittens and every pet store and veterinary clinic or hospital in three counties either had their quota or doesn’t deal with kittens. I had a doctor’s appointment in Sarasota so we began calling pet stores in that area to see if any were taking kittens. Petland in Bradenton said they would; however, we would have to take them to their vet to make sure they didn’t have feline leukemia and/or kitty AIDS. I was told if the kittens tested negative for those viruses then Petland would pay for the tests. I asked several times during our conversation if that was the only criteria for Petland paying for the tests and was assured that if the kittens tested negative for feline leukemia and the feline immunodeficiency virus then Petland would pay the bill. I was also told that is the arrangement Petland has with their vet and I wouldn’t have a problem regarding the bill if the tests were negative.
We had an appointment with Dr. Luke Berglund at Beach Veterinary Clinic at 10 o’clock in the morning, so we left our house at 7:30 in order to arrive in time. The office seems small but was busy. The office staff we dealt with were very nice and friendly. When Dr. Berglund saw the kittens, he began to exam them and then did the blood work for FeLV (feline leukemia virus) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). He took the kittens to another room, drew their blood and then brought them back and continued with his exam. He was very thorough. He said he would need to talk to Petland and would let us know the results of the tests and what the owner of the store said. When he returned, he told us the tests were negative (the kittens did not have FeLV or FIV) but they did have ear mites so he had recommended that Petland not take them. We said we could understand that but wanted to make sure they were going to pay for the tests. Dr. Berglund said it was his decision that Petland should not take the kittens. He said he is solely responsible for the health of the animals there and he didn’t want to introduce ear mites into the store. That was understandable and acceptable to us but we were told the only reason Petland wouldn’t pay the bill was if the test was negative. We know our adult cats do not have either virus and were certain the kittens didn’t either, which is why we decided to take the kittens for the tests. It wasn’t really a risk for us. We knew the kittens would test negative and, therefore, we wouldn’t have to pay for the tests since that was what I had been told. I had questioned the person I spoke with at Petland several times to make sure that my understanding was correct. Dr. Berglund, however, said it was our responsibility to pay the bill.
He knew upon his initial examination before he drew the blood for the tests that the kittens had ear mites and wouldn’t be going to Petland. He should have discussed this with us before running the tests and asked if we still wanted to have the tests done. The bill came to $241.22, which I paid.
During his exam, Dr. Berglund suggested we use Revolution on the kittens because it would kill the ear mites. I told him I would go home and look online because I knew I could find it for a good price there. He didn’t say anything about that. That night, I found Revolution for a great price but the company (in Canada) required a prescription in order to sell it. I called Beach Veterinary Clinic the next day to ask for a prescription from Dr. Berglund. The first person I talked to said they sell it there. I then told him I lived two hours away and wasn’t going to come back for Revolution. He then told me that cats don’t need a prescription but dogs do. When I told him this particular company required a prescription and asked if Dr. Berglund would write one, he said he would check. Another person came back on the line and said Dr. Berglund would have to see all my cats before writing a prescription for the Revolution which doesn’t ordinarily require a prescription. I think Dr. Berglund was trying to take further advantage of me and take more of my money.
It is my opinion that I was lied to and taken advantage of and I think Dr. Berglund is more interested in making money than caring for sick animals; therefore, I would recommend against taking your cherished pet to this animal clinic.
Hide
|
|
I haven't had my hair cut in about ten years. While I was out today, I walked by the hair salon where my mom has her hair done and I decided to go in and make an appointment. Sabrina, the owner of...
I haven't had my hair cut in about ten years. While I was out today, I walked by the hair salon where my mom has her hair done and I decided to go in and make an appointment. Sabrina, the owner of the salon, and her daughter were sitting at the front desk and greeted me immediately. They were both very friendly and cheerful and made me feel welcome and glad to be getting my hair cut. Although there wasn't anyone available to cut my hair right that minute, I was able to make an appointment for two hours later. When I went back, Tammy Dickerson washed and cut my hair. I think she did a wonderful job. My hair looks much thicker and healthier and has a lot more movement. I plan to go back to Tammy for regular upkeep. The cut cost me $23. I don't know how this compares to other salons.
The shop is nice, although all the mirrors made me a bit uncomfortable. There are mirrors everywhere. In fact, the wall behind the station where I sat was completely mirrored from the up to the ceiling. On top of that was placed a large, round beveled mirror in front of every chair. It's hard to look anywhere without looking at someone in a mirror, which makes it seem like you're looking at them. There are also some rough wood beams and plants placed here and there.
Hide
|
|
Beall's Department Store sells mainly clothing and accessories for women, men, juniors, kids and babies; however, I think women's clothing and accessories make up at least 50% of the store's...
Beall's Department Store sells mainly clothing and accessories for women, men, juniors, kids and babies; however, I think women's clothing and accessories make up at least 50% of the store's merchandise. Some of the brand names include Elizabeth Arden, Rafaella, Monet, Tommy Hilfiger, Dockers and Sag Harbor. They also carry Florida college merchandise. They sell Guy Harvey's wonderful men's shirts, too. All their clothing is suited to warm Florida weather, too. I don't know if this is true of stores outside Florida, but locally in their housewares department, they sell great Florida-themed items. There are all kinds of items with seashells, sailboats and sunsets - even Christmas items. I think the sale prices are very good, too. During the month before Christmas, they had all their Christmas vests and sweaters on sale for 45% to 50% off. This is the exact time when you buy these items, so I was able to get a great Christmas sweater for my mom as a Christmas gift at 50% off. I was simply amazed at the price and she was very happy with her sweater.
Hide
|
|
I remember when this building was a dance studio. After the landlord and her husband divorced, she decided she wanted to open an antiques mall. This is the busiest of the antiques shops in our...
I remember when this building was a dance studio. After the landlord and her husband divorced, she decided she wanted to open an antiques mall. This is the busiest of the antiques shops in our area and there's good reason. Although I think the setup of the mall is awkward, there are loads of antiques and collectibles hidden in every nook and cranny. There are a half dozen or so individually owned and run shops out back on the other side of the parking lot that you want to be sure to go in. The set ups are nicer and you're more likely to bargain a good deal.
Hide
|