Shopping Tips Online

You either love them or hate them. Crocs. The (very) bright plastic clog-like shoes that became popular a few years ago. Their claim to fame is the comfort and light weight of the shoes, made of their proprietary resin called Croslite. They’re also soft, odor-resistant, and non-marking. I do not own a pair of Crocs, but I have been more drawn to them lately, since they have expanded their style offerings to include all-terrain type boots, thongs and even ballerina styles.

The company is doing well. Very well. They recently partnered with Disney to design and manufacture a line of kids shoes. Now, word on the street that Crocs, to avoid falling by the wayside when the desire for plastic shoes wanes (remember jelly sandals from the 80s?), is planning some surprising strategies to stay current. I’ll be interested to see what those are. My gut feel is that companies that extend much beyond their core business are taking a big risk. But I’ll keep tabs on it and keep you updated!

Crocs

Earlier this month we heard about a University of Arizona study that showed that shopping carts have more saliva, bacteria and even…ahem…fecal matter…than public telephones, escalators and public restrooms.

Now a company named Nice Pak has announced a
“no rinse” shopping cart wipe. These wipes are available for groceries to place near the shopping carts on a stand.

This didn’t sound particularly revolutionary to me, after all, my grocery provides wipes by the carts and the door already. So I went to the corporate site to check it out. Nice Pak manufactures all sorts of wipes for consumers and businesses. The No Rinse Sani-Surfaceâ„¢ Shopping Cart Sanitizing Wipes, marketed toward retailers, is one of several similar products they offer.

So what makes it different? Apparently, the previous generation, called SaniCart Wipes, intended for hard surfaces, had a longer drying time (5 minutes), and required surface rinsing and hand washing after use. The new No Rinse wipes are apparently meant for both hands and hard surfaces. They dry in only 1 minute, and you don’t have to rinse the surface or wash your hands. Both wipes kill bacteria and E.Coli, but the new wipes kill E.Coli in 60 seconds, while the old wipes take 5 minutes. The new No Rinse wipes are not proven to kill the common flu virus, but the SaniCart wipes are. Visit the commercial area of the Nice Pak website to download sell sheets on both products.

Here’s my take on this.

The temptation, of course, is to say that we have all grown up around grocery carts and lived to tell the tale. On the other hand it’s probably not wise to ignore the problem and hope it will go away. Shopping carts are filthy dirty and probably do pose a health risk.

But the whole thing is pretty confusing. I have occasionally availed myself of the free hand wipes at the door on my way out, but if they were the “must rinse” kind, I had no idea. A “disinfectant” wipe is different than a “sanitizing” wipe; some wipes kill some things and some don’t. How should I know?

Because I am a several-times-a-week shopper, I usually grab a hand-held shopping basket for the few things I’m picking up. These are probably germ-ridden, too, but at least there hasn’t been a kid with a messy diaper sitting in it. I always use the plastic baggies provided in the meat section to prevent leaking meat packages from contaminating my other food. I think those are a couple of things I’m doing to prevent the spread of bacteria. Short of wearing a pair of disposable gloves while shopping, my plan will be to use the wipes where they’re offered and wash my hands or use a wet wipe after shopping.

Shopping Cart Germs, Hand Wipes

If you’ve never heard of Rachael Ray, you probably need to crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under. She now has two shows on the Food Network, she hosts a daytime network TV show, and she also publishes a magazine, “Every Day with Rachael Ray.” . Our favorite gal next door also has a line of licensed cookware and kitchen products, and you can even get a tee printed with her catchphrase, “Yum-O!”

According to HFN, the Newsweekly of Home Products Retailing, Rachael has now teamed with gift and tabletop manufacturer, Precidio, to launch a line of melamine and acrylic dishes. Called “The Rachael Ray Collection by Presidio,” the line will include a “GB” which devoted fans know is the “garbage bowl” she keeps on the counter to prevent multiple trips to the garbage can. They are introducing Rachael-ware at the International Home & Housewares Show in March.

So, bust out the EVOO, make a 30 minute meal, and then serve it up on some cute Rach dishes!

Rachael Ray, Precidio, International Home and Housewares Show, Melamine Dishes, Garbage Bowl

The US Mint has introduced the shiny new George Washington dollar coin into circulation. Three hundred million of the gold colored coins were minted in Philadelphia and Denver. One side of the coin features an engraving of George Washington and the other side the Statue of Liberty. Around the edge, you will see an inscription of the year of minting or issuance, the mint mark and the words “E Pluribus Unum,â€? and “In God We Trust.”

Collectors can order uncirculated coins directly from the US Mint in either 25-coin rolls or 250-coin bags. Of course you can also buy the bags or rolls and just use the coins like you would a dollar bill. The new coin is larger and thicker than the quarter, to make it easier and quicker to identify it in your purse or pocket.

With the exception of collectors, there is little or no excitement about this new coin. We’ve been there, done that, and pretty much unanimously said “no thanks” to a dollar coin. In 1979 we had the Susan B. Anthony dollar; in 2000, the Sacagawea dollar. In both cases, the much-hailed dollar coins were failures. Why? Most experts agree that while we still have the paper dollar, we’re just not going to make the switch to a coin.

Here are three reasons why the dollar coin won’t work for me.

1. I can’t make an oragami crane with a dollar coin. (I have never made an oragami crane with a dollar bill either, but that’s not the point.)
2. Part of the pleasure of using a vending machine is the way it teases me. I like the victorious feeling when I finally get it to take the bill. Dropping a coin into a slot just seems like giving up.
3.If I ever want to bribe a maître d’ for a good table, it will be a whole lot less subtle with ten clanking coins.

But, looking on the bright side…

The couch cushions could become a savings account.

US Mint, Dollar Coin

Kids love to be involved in grownup excitement about sports, but could that turn into an opportunity for learning? Greg Scheinman, Founder and CEO of Team Baby Entertainment thinks so.

“The goal of Team Baby Entertainment is to allow parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to share their love, loyalty and passion for their favorite teams with their children” says Scheinman. “Our product is an informative, entertaining and educational way to introduce a child to the university and/or team you root for.”

The DVDs are designed to present the sights and sounds of the sport or team in a fun, educational way. They are licensed by the NCAA, NBA, MLB and NASCAR, so you have lots of teams to choose from. Team Baby Entertainment programs have earned the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval and KIDS FIRST Endorsement.

Since NASCAR fans are gearing up for the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Team Baby Entertainment was out promoting “NASCAR Baby” on popular morning news shows today. NASCAR Baby is narrated by Jay Leno, and features licensed footage of your favorite drivers and teams.

If you are a fan, you are passionate about your team. Let your kids participate in that passion, and learn a little something at the same time.

NASCAR, NASCAR Baby, Team Baby Entertainment

It was number 5 on CNN Money’s list of top tech flops. That seems a tad harsh. This is more like “useless and bizarre.”

It’s a belt-buckle-slash-personal-media-player by egokast. Retailing for $289, it features a stainless steel case, 3 1/2″ LCD display, and a 2 gig memory card. Apparently you can load your own videos onto your… belt?… or choose to download “egovideos” from their site. Then you can, well, walk around proudly playing your belt for about four hours on a charge.

In case you were wondering, egokast is their word for personal media players “turned outward.” “It’s your ego,” says the manufacturer, “let it blaze.” I think it’s going to take navel gazing to a whole new level.

CNN Money, egokast, Video Belt Buckle, Personal Media Player

The cell phone. For most people it’s an absolute necessity. But it’s not just about function. It’s also a status symbol. Whose is smaller. Whose is newer. Whose phone isn’t just a phone. Whose is designed by a famous Italian.

Prada has teamed with LG Electronics to co-produce a cell phone intended to bring high tech and high fashion together. The news was released back in December, but just this week the details were announced. According to the Boston Globe, the Prada phone has a lot of the features of the iPhone, and some distinct differences. It is slightly smaller, but a little thicker, than the iPhone, and also has a touch-screen interface. The phone features a 2 megapixel camera as well as a video and music player. Instead of a hard drive, it is equipped with a slot for removable memory cards. It is Bluetooth enabled, but it doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity and it won’t play iTunes files. It’s set to retail for around $775 when it’s released to the US market later this year.

I guess what makes it so “Prada” is the word “Prada” printed in silver on black above the touchscreen. For some people, I suppose that’s enough. In the battle of the designer brand phones, the Prada phone wins in the sleek category.

Prada, LG Electronics, iPhone