Tag: shopping

Target runs make things get done!

by Tator

Target has helped me amp up the magic of Christmas this year!

We recently did a Christmas necessity haul at our local Target and got EVERYTHING we needed to *Wrap up* this year right! 

(Yes, y’all know me.. a sucker for a good pun.)

After hitting Starbucks for my venti hot white chocolate mocha with extra everything we headed over to the dollar spot and bullseye’s playground to pick up gift bags, tissue paper, and drawstring North Pole Santa sacks (not pictured for obvious reasons)

We headed to the back and the major Christmas display section to hunt for Wondershop wrapping paper I just had to have and got 2 rolls of the new ASL merry Christmas pattern release. 

(I may go back for more!)

During the search, we found licensed Spider-Man wrapping paper that we absolutely couldn’t pass up with a major Spidey fan at home!

We found our magic scotch tape and bought 4 rolls because I absolutely refuse to run out and I wholeheartedly tape my presents to death.

And on the way to the checkout line, we also found a limited edition only available at target Christmas countdown book that we just absolutely had to have anyone who knows me or my family can tell you we do holidays in a very big way so a story to read every night was a must-have.  

At checkout, my husband grabbed me a Starbucks mocha Frappuccino (the 2022 snowflake edition) because he knows that I need mom fuel to get through the undertaking that is wrapping copious amounts of gifts for everyone we love and stashing them under our tree and all over our house.

I’m absolutely floored by the quality of products and the availability of the things that I truly want and need at my local store I’ve never had an issue with customer service and unlike the majority of places that I have no choice but to shop when I go into target my anxiety lessons instead of flying through the roof. 

I’m always grateful for the opportunity to write segments such as this one and to be able to slow down and enjoy little moments I always look forward so dearly every year to picking that year‘s wrapping papers and gift labels and making each year special down to the little minute details that some people would not appreciate or even notice but that’s what the season is about for us slowing down and spending time and effort towards the people that we love and appreciate most. 

Merry Christmas. happy holidays and a fantastic new year from everyone at Tatorthoughts and from our house to yours!

We hope you guys have a wonderful safe holiday and we cannot wait to see you in 2023!

Swiffer Heavy-Duty Duster 6-foot Extender Starter-Set Review

by Tator

Being part of the disabled and advocate community I encourage people to ask me questions about myself and my experience rather than make assumptions and I’m grateful that they do!

However, you would not believe how many people just assume that because I have cerebral palsy I can not do the mundane albeit necessary things everyone else does like cleaning. 

While it’s true I have limitations and don’t do some things or do things differently one thing I have complete control over in my home is cleaning because for the most part I enjoy it and I do it well. As they say, I work smarter not harder this is especially important when I’m limited on “spoons” and they vary by the day. 

(Shout out to my fellow spoonie community! If you’re not familiar with the spoon theory I probably sound crazy. But I encourage everyone to look into it and revisit this post and many others.)

I use ibotta and LOVE IT so when I was planning for my household restock recently and saw the offer for the Swiffer heavy-duty 6-foot extender starter pack I jumped on it!

I have zero regrets! 

Now before I continue let me say that every disability brings different challenges and no Cp case is the same just like anything else everyone and their experience is unique. 

With that being said,  where balance and stability are concerned for me personally we are in dangerous territory.  It’s less a than ideal thought to have to stand on things or lift things of substantial weight above chest height.  So dusting with traditional dusters was either a task I delegated to someone else or dangerously attempted myself with as mu caution possible. 

I stand 5 foot 6 inches tall. With my new 6-foot extending Swiffer duster I can reach 11 feet 6 inches off the ground with multi-directional swivel head options fully acceptable! I can reach everything while standing flat on the floor out of harm’s way!

This duster works disgustingly well and locks in all the allergen-causing dust and debris. I’m not even mad about how gross this thing gets because now I KNOW it’s clean!

The handle is ergonomically friendly and doesn’t strain my hands, it’s easy to adjust the length to fit the reach needed. It’s easy to slide on the dusters and they stay secured!

My kit includes one reusable handle with a hanging slot. And 4 dusters, (2 applications). 

I’m so happy to finally have disability-friendly cleaning products like this! It’s a total game-changer for me and allows me to be proud of something I can control and enjoy knowing I do it effectively and safely. I’d like to believe this was created with people like me in mind because it truly feels like it was. 

I would buy 100x over and recommend this for everyone!  The only thing I would change would be making dust covers for the wand that are reusable / machine washable that are a car detailing cloth type of material. As far as I’m aware, no reusable dusters are available for the extender set. 

Good job Swiffer, THANK YOU!

If you’re new to ibotta and want to get started receiving cash back for things you already buy from places you love use this link to sign up! https://ibotta.onelink.me/iUfE/8cc13c64?friend_code=jurdwlv

Or enter Referral Code: jurdwlv at signup.

Happy shopping!

Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind: Spring cleaning – A purchase I wish I’d made sooner

by Tator

If you know the family behind tatorthoughts at all, & if you’ve been here for a while you do you know that our go to for large purchases or important appliances & electronics is Best Buy. 

This week was no exception. 

After more than 3 years In our all hardwood home with the exception of the plethora of rugs we own I was absolutely burnt out over struggling to sweep.  Those with wood floors know the struggle needless to say sweeping multiple times a day was much more than a chore. 

I headed into Best Buy kid free for a moment 

Which rarely happens with only my husband and dreams of spotless floors in tow. 

I was a mama on a mission:

Obtain the thing that would decrease my ever growing daily to do list by at least 3!

I thought I wanted a bissell to match my hand held pet pro that I’ve loved since I got it only to discover something that better fit our needs & to my surprise at a better price!

This delightful creation being The Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind with Allergen Block

I opened it as soon as the box touched our living room rug

-It was well packaged and in several pieces.

-Smelt very strongly of new plastic and rubber which I didn’t mind because I’m one of the few who enjoy that smell (comparable to the smell of new tires.)

-packaging was informative and attractive on all sides which was a plus for me as someone who values marketing and aesthetic graphics on product packaging. 

-even with my physical limitations and dexterity challenges it took me less than 6 minutes to assemble everything by myself. 

I used it for the first time that same day and was both delighted and oddly disgusted over how well it worked on what I thought to be clean floors.

The cord has an incredible reach, and the fact that it is tangle free and retractable living within the machine is a major plus for us.  It’s a Super convenient feature!

I didn’t find the vacuum to be too bulky or heavy like reviews of others have stated and

I wasn’t too bothered by the noise level although it was louder than I initially expected, both my toddler and preschooler slept through it completely unbothered.

I like that I can change suction and performance type by using a dial and go from rugs to hardwood seamlessly. 

It comes with multiple attachments that work well for their intended purpose and there’s no loss of suction with use. 

It’s easy to empty the contents and allergen filter Maintainance is simple. 

All in all for a $180 purchase I’m extremely satisfied. 

It won’t replace my desire to mop daily with my O-Cedar ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop, but that’s simply by personal preference and the fact that I have small children who spend more time than most in our floors. 

Tatorthoughts is now a proud addition to Hoover nation and the Hoover whole house rewind family! 

Pop Shelf : First impression Review

by Tator

this week I visited pop shelf for the very first time with a really good friend of mine on what we have coined “mom‘s day out”

I had heard little of it before visiting myself, however, I chalked it up to them being fairly new. 

While my day out was fun I was only mildly impressed by this new mystical store I found myself perusing. (Think more colorful version of family dollar or dollar general here.)

Sure their cute seasonal setup was aesthetically pleasing and they have an array of items but I wasn’t immersed in wonder or jumping for joy. 

(To be fair, there is very little I would jump for.)

The item availability and quality seemed nice enough and their prices seemed fair but one item caught my attention specifically. 

Pink tax is real and in this moment that was evident. 

Being that my daughter’s birthday is in June and my son just had his birthday last month; I found myself browsing the party section filled with bags, gift wrapping, sashes, tissue paper, and birthday ribbons. 

The birthday ribbons I felt were a must purchase item until I saw that while one of each was gendered towards a boy and a girl and they were essentially the same generic birthday ribbons in pink and blue the pink one was TWICE the price of the blue for the same item in pink. 

I doubt very seriously it cost them anything more to make the pink ribbon than it did the blue and I found the price hike unfair but I digress.

During this visit, I picked up a few items and collected a very small Pop Shelf Haul. 

The process of shopping and self-checkout was simple enough and it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded or busy which I enjoyed for my calm leisurely day. 

While my first encounter was brief and left me with a slightly sour impression of the brand I may go back if I’m in the area. 

Don’t get me wrong, Pop Shelf has the potential to be great especially if they start paying attention to slight oversights and gaps in marketing. 

During this trip, I purchased two different print sets of Easter ears to include in my children’s Easter baskets 

An extremely soft cupcake print baby blanket for my daughter because I call her “Cupcake”

*DISCLAIMER: I’ve yet to see how well it holds up after washing*

The Birthday pin Ribbon For her upcoming birthday (only after mentioning the price discrepancy to the employee before my purchase was made)

And a beautiful well-bound journal/ Notebook for myself and upcoming big events. 

In short: yes, I’d go back likely once a season max.. Or if it were the last time simi-decent store on earth. 

Moral of the story; gender price hiking for the same exact item is crap & good friends make even somewhat lackluster things great!  

Be kind today

Xx -Tator