Non-Consumer Photo Essay — Bulk Buying, Pirate Talk & Vaginal Radiance

by Katy on September 20, 2013 · 22 comments

If a picture says a thousand words, then today’s blog post is 10,000 words of frugal and visual goodness!

I found this photo in a library book, and I’m kind of in love with it. So fun and kicky, with its nod to Andy Warhol. I’m suddenly picturing a set of three pendant lights with Campbell’s soup can shades. Maybe painted gold on the inside for extra glow. Do you remember the commemorative Warhol Target soup cans from last year?

So cool!

I bought these vintage Pyrex bowls at Goodwill last week and have already resold them on Craigslist. These were so shiny and pristine, (obviously always washed by hand) and the buyer was ecstatic to add them to her collection. However, it confused my husband, as he thought I was selling our bowls, which we use on a daily basis.

My friend and neighbor Lise is going to help me put a new zipper in my son’s school backpack. And what’s a better than her “Make Do & Mend” mug? I almost stole it.

Make Do & Mend

Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which did not go unnoticed at my house. And since Krispy Kreme Donuts gives a dozen free donuts for those who come in both talking and dressed like pirates, we had no choice but to pirate up an hit the road.

Pirate Colin

Hello . . . free donuts!

Pirate donuts

This is my friend Lise, buying bulk honey at Winco. And yes, she brought her own container. She’s cool that way.

Sweet Lise

Bulk food shopping is fun with a friend, although it apparently had the potential to be even more fun! πŸ˜‰ And I think some previous shopper had fun pulling off the word “dill.”

Bulk weed

I was weirded out by this box of Radiant Tampax. I guess it puts a literal spin on “where the sun don’t shine.” Do you think that the written instructions include this line?

“Insert where the sun don’t shine.”

I guess that’s why I don’t work as a technical writer for Tampax. It’s better that I work as a labor and delivery nurse, where vaginal jokes areΒ always in fashion.

Radiant Tampax

Back to the bulk food section, I enjoyed the instructions for “No sampling please” on the dried bulk garbonzo beans.

Can you imagine? You’d be absoluteness toothless!

Garbonzo beans

This photo may not be new, but I just rediscovered this image of my son from last year’s trip to Japan. The students had to interview multiple Japanese people for their school projects, and this photo just melts my heart. I just love the memory of watching my son speak Japanese with total strangers.

β™₯ that guy!

Emmett in Japan

Katy Wolk-Stanley

β€œUse it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }

Jenn September 20, 2013 at 10:38 am

My favorite is the “NO SAMPLING” on the dog food bins at Winco.

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Jennifer B. September 20, 2013 at 10:39 am

Personally, I like the warning sign on the bulk honey, saying not to lift the lid or the bees will escape. Whaaa???!!!

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JOyce September 20, 2013 at 10:58 am

We had those beautiful bowls growing up. Nice! Arrggghhh. We couldn’t take advantage of the Krispy Kremes or the Long John Silver giveaways since they’re not in our area but I did be havin’ a lark at priate speak all the day long. Arrrrgggh. Ahoy Matey!

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marie September 20, 2013 at 11:22 am

Even if I wasn’t in the mood to read anything today, Vaginal Radiance Caught my attention!! Lol.
I have the green pyrex bowl. Was my mothers and it’s used on a daily basis.

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Maureen September 20, 2013 at 12:09 pm

Perfect Friday column!

And the labor and delivery nurse jokes are funny. But then again you have to be funny because the women in labor are not at their best!

Thank you!

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NMPatricia September 20, 2013 at 12:41 pm

I bought honey at Whole Foods the other day and brought my own quart jar to put it into. As I was waiting to check out, some woman was absolutely astonished that one could bring their containers and fill them. She thought I was brilliant. I am afraid I didn’t react much as I was astonished that she DIDN’T know that. I guess I just figure that people chose not to bring containers. It didn’t occur to me that they didn’t know.

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Kate September 20, 2013 at 12:49 pm

I was baffled when the tampons I used to use added “Pro” to their description. If I’d known I could have gone pro and had sponsors for that special time each month, I would have been first in line! πŸ˜‰

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Roberta September 20, 2013 at 12:54 pm

Urology nurses and docs have to have a sense of humor, too!

I like the L&D jokes.

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Katie September 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm

No way I would have been brave enough to interview strangers when I was your son’s age, let alone in another language! You must be so proud.

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Lori in Michigan September 20, 2013 at 1:35 pm

“Weed”… giggle.

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Yvette September 20, 2013 at 2:04 pm

Had a good friend who was a hospice nurse. Have to be VERY careful where and when to let loose with the sometimes very morbid humor.

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Lilypad September 20, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Congrats to your son for having the courage to gamely interview the Japanese—it couldn’t have been easy. I remember trying to speak German with my elderly great uncle when I was 18, how frustrating it was that he spoke only the local dialect and that I couldn’t really get anything out of the conversation. This, with my parents and sister breathing down my neck wanting to know what he had said. Yikes. It makes me want a couple of shots of schnapps just thinking about it. πŸ˜‰ (Almost 30 years later and not speaking German on a daily basis any more, it takes a couple of beers or glasses of wine to get the words flowing again.) That fear of making a mistake remains strong in a recovering perfectionist like me. I hope your son keeps up his Japanese, it’s really such a blast to speak another language–or three!

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Vivian September 20, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Love the Radiant Tampex. I would really suck at marketing if I worked in that industry. I don’t think I could spend one hour with out cranking out at least crank comment.

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megyn September 20, 2013 at 4:14 pm

I find it ironic/funny that the bulk honey is right next to individual trail mix/snacks. Such a confusing message haha!

And vaginal radiance…bwahaha. Made my night!

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gabrielle September 20, 2013 at 4:57 pm

Which Winco has bulk honey? I’ve never noticed it at the one at 122nd & Halsey…maybe I’m not looking hard enough?

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

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Katy September 20, 2013 at 7:59 pm

This was the Winco on 82nd Avenue.

Katy

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gabrielle September 21, 2013 at 8:39 am

Thanks! I will have to check that out.

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Megg September 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm

I’m inspired by your pyrex reselling! I find pyrex a lot in my thrift store but they usually aren’t in good condition at all πŸ™ I did find an awesome butter dish that I love and use every day! Don’t want to sell that one, haha. But maybe I’ll keep a closer eye on pyrex in my thrift store!

As far as the tampons, gotta have a gimmick, as my dad says!

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Iforonwy September 21, 2013 at 2:58 am

Talk like a Pirate Day! There is a Norwegian Film Crew making a children’s movie in our area – Captain Sabretooth and the Lama Rama Treasure. The film set they are building is awesome! Hope to go down and take a look at it again soon – if it ever stops raining!

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Rebecca September 21, 2013 at 4:48 am

Kudos to you son! I had 4yrs of French in school. We took a trip to Quebec as an opportunity to put it to use. I think we asked for directions on a bus once, and it wasn’t very good, the rest of the time everyone was speaking English.

I wish we could find goodies at our Goodwill stores. There’s rarely anything “nice” in ours. I’ve heard that the employees get dibs on stuff first. So I rarely look there anymore for treasures.

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Annie September 21, 2013 at 12:01 pm

Love, love, love my Pyrex bowls. I was able to get a complete set on eBay and two weeks later I got the set of matching vinyl covers! The old Pyrex is the best, the new stuff is not as well made. I have several sizes of the original glass measuring cups and won’t give them up for anything.

As for the tampons, OY VEY! What really irks me is that marketers think women are dumb enough to believe that such things are necessary. It’s just plain silly!

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That Other Jean September 22, 2013 at 8:06 am

Radiant Tampax? There are some things that simply should NOT glow.

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