Today is Hug a Bear Day, Today is Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
Build-A-Bear Is Opening Locations Inside Walmarts
Build-A-Bear Workshops can get pretty crowded sometimes, but now parents and grandparents will have more ways to give their kiddos a chance to create cuddly things because the company is adding locations. But these aren’t just more stores in malls, they’re putting Build-A-Bear Workshops inside select Walmart stores, just in time for the holidays.
They’re starting with six Build-A-Bears in Walmart stores as part of a pilot program and they’ll have the majority of the stuffed animals that are available in the standalone stores. But the Walmart ones will also include a new line called Condo Cubs, which are smaller versions of bears, cats, rabbits, and dogs. And the best part? Those little cuties start at $10. That’s welcome news to the grown-ups who know how pricey a trip to Build-A-Bear can get.
So now you can buy bulk toilet paper, windshield washer fluid, and a made-to-order stuffed animal all at the same place, if you’re near one of these Walmarts:
- Dallas, Texas (1521 N. Cockrell Hill Road, Dallas, TX 75211)
- Stockton, California (3223 E. Hammer Lane, Stockton, CA 95212)
- Phoenix, Arizona (5250 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85031)
- Riverside, California (6250 Valley Springs Pkwy., Riverside, CA 92507)
- Daytona Beach, Florida (1101 Beville Road, Daytona Beach, FL
- Victorville, California (12234 Palmdale Road, Victorville, CA 92392)
Source: Bustle
The “Gray Rock Method” Shuts Down Toxic People
While we try to surround ourselves with kind, caring, drama-free folks, we can’t avoid negative people entirely. And when we are forced to spend time with Debbie Downer-types, like at family holiday gatherings, knowing how to deal with them can make all the difference.
Have you heard of the “gray rock method?” It’s an easy way to handle tough personalities, from narcissistic coworkers to energy vampire cousins, and it was developed by psychologist Nadene van der Linden. Basically, it’s a way to keep toxic people from escalating the situation and stressing you out, which they love to do. And all you have to do is act as uninteresting and unengaged as possible, being a boring “gray rock” and they’ll move on to a more exciting target.
Van der Linden explains, “The best chance we’ve got of a healthy outcome with a toxic person is changing our response to them.” So don’t tell them about your new promotion or your mother-in-law’s visit, instead channel the most boring person you’ve ever met, speak in a neutral voice, and give short, generic answers. Be as blah as you can and bore the toxic person away.
Because draining, difficult people crave excitement and drama, if you don’t give them any, they have nothing to spin and lose interest. Subtlety is key, but if it means protecting your time and energy, you can do it.
Source: PureWow
Experts say Americans will spend more than $1 trillion this holiday season
Buoyed by a strong economy, consumer confidence figures, and sky-high employment numbers, people in the U.S. are set to open their wallets in a big way this holiday season: to the tune of more than a trillion dollars.
This high water mark has never been crossed before, note the experts at eMarketer.
Americans likely will spend $1.002 trillion from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 -- a 5.8% increase from 2017, and the strongest growth since 2011.
While traditional brick and mortar stores will account for nearly 88% of this trillion-plus total, this percentage is still in decline -- not surprising considering the fate of stores like Toys 'R Us, Sears, and other former shopping powerhouses.
Increasing, however, is e-commerce spending: 12.3% of that $1.002 billion total will be point-and-click-based shopping -- that's $123.73 billion, an increase of 16.6% over last year.
Aldi’s Wine Advent Calendars Go On Sale Today
Can you feel the excitement in the air folks? Today is the day Aldi’s much sought-after advent calendars hit stores and based on previous years, they won’t be around for long. Beginning today (November 7th), the grocery store chain’s wine advent calendar and cheese advent calendars will be available across the country, while supplies last.
This is actually the first year Aldi has sold these in the U.S., but they’ve been so popular in the U.K. American fans have been waiting for our turn. The wine advent calendar comes with 24 mini bottles of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wine and sells for $70. And there’s a limit of one per customer, per visit, so plan accordingly.
Aldi also has a cheese advent calendar, which includes 24 mini imported cheeses and costs $13. These are great, but not nearly as in-demand as the wine calendars, so they have a cap of three cheese calendars per person, per visit. Seems like the smart thing to do is pick up one of each, so you can treat yourself to a tiny bottle of wine and some cheese to pair with it every night in December as you wait forSanta to arrive. Just don’t wait too long to get yours because they’re known to sell out fast.
Source: Delish
Dating Trends: Unicorn Hunting
We’ve managed to wrap our heads around polyamorous relationships. Even though it’s a bit taboo, people everywhere are opening up to the idea of having multiple partners. And it’s actually the most common when married couples find a third person to complete their love fest. If there’s one thing that truly doesn’t work in this process, it’s unicorn hunting.
Many heterosexual married couples don’t just want ANY third person to join them – they specifically want a bisexual woman. In this case, that’s considered a unicorn. But at that point, it’s not really being open to a third person to love – it’s fulfilling your husband’s sexual fantasies. That’s why unicorn hunting isn’t really the way to successfully go about polyamory.
On top of the clichés attached to finding your man another woman to join the mix, it’s important to remember that everyone has feelings. The more feelings you involve in your relationship, the messier it’s bound to be. If you’re going to be giving your lovin’ to more than one person, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons!
It’s not about having your cake and eating it, too.
Source: Business Insider