I made a quick trip over to Rite-Aide this evening to buy a tube of anti-itch creme and I came across this item:
Yup, it’s Chia Barack Obama, the very definition of clutter.
You can be assured that you will not be receiving one of these testament of bizarre-itude from me this year, or frankly any year. Even if I found it at Goodwill. And no, it’s not because of my political beliefs, as I neither want a Chia Al Gore, nor a Chia Jimmy Carter. (Even though he did put solar panels on The White House.)
What’s the most ridiculous item you’ve seen on the store shelves so far this gift giving season? Please share your stories in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha ha ha. I want it! But yeah, I have a clutter problem…
I think that product is degrading to the President, and besides, it looks like Tim Meadows!
OMG, it TOTALLY looks like Tim Meadows!
-Katy
I think varisty and cammo Snuggies rank up there.
my son has this high on his Christmas list this year. I think I’ll go to goodwill after christmas and rescue one that someone else didn’t want.
and the dog snuggies, are up there in rank,… I mean really??!?!?
Ellen, I was going to say Dog Snuggies, too, and Mary Kay, I second that about varsity and cammo Snuggies. Fillin’ up the landfills!
That really is an ugly chia. Of course to me they all are. Sorry, I haven’t really noticed anything on store shelves yet this year. Besides the grocery store, I’ve managed to avoid all the other ones. (And I stay away from the “junk” aisle in the grocery.)
I don’t go into a lot of shops, but have had needed to this week and cannot believe the amount of clutter on the shelves – as I get older it becomes increasingly irritating. I dream of the day that all the gifts I give are handmade and useful or beautiful! I plan on baking christmas cakes for everyone – better get on with it!
Yes, that is extremely ugly. The only chia I’ve ever seen that I liked was Garfield.
I haven’t been shopping in quite a long time. I had enormous vet bills for my dog Dorie, and my best friend needed a loan to get a car. I get a lot of mail order catalogs, and do keep finding things I can easily live without! Although, I would like that beautiful Christmas tablecloth…
Consider reducing your clutter by eliminating those catalogs – and the temptation to buy useless stuff. Save tress in the process. Win all around.
This just cracked me up when I saw it – I mean, c’mon. A ChiaPrez to show patriotism? Sheesh! LOL!
I have 3 kids and my mom buys them each $100 of toys/video games, plastic junk each birthday and Christmas. My mom-in-law not to be outdone does too. So, that’s $1200 worth of bikes, fisher price, legos, Wii, Rock Band, DVD’s and crap that I constantly throw or give away every year. I ask them to please consider paying for dance lessons, basketball sign ups, movie passes, etc. or even savings bonds they can cash in later towards college, their wedding, house downpayment. They don’t listen. Sure my kids smile at the new stuff, but it is such a waste. Drives me nuts. I’m glad they love my kids, but wish they could show it without clearing the shelves at walmart and toys r us. My m om in law actually lives with us and knows I’m constantly making goodwill runs or having yard sales. She says she feels bad I give their stuff away without asking (her I guess), so just buys more throughout the year to supplement what I chuck. My husband says she’s old and let her spend her money any way she wants. It’s a losing battle her………………….
Oh Kayleigh, I feel your pain! We went through this every year when my kids were young, and it is such a waste, particularly when they enjoyed the box better than the gift. All I could figure out is since my in-laws were not well off when my husband was growing up, they had to make up for it by obliterating the room with gifts from toys r us etc. Or maybe they felt that if they bought the kids a lot of stuff, it was their way of knowing them better, or having more of a presence in their lives, how sad. I just kept giving stuff away to Goodwill, shelters etc. Kids can only play with so many toys.
It was embarrassing, but I could make no headroom until the in-laws got older and it wasn’t so easy to shop anymore. At that point, they made the switch to gift cards and cash, much more appreciated by the kids. So maybe there’s hope for your mom and mom in-law, too.
My kids would love Wii Rock Band. It’s something they could play with their friends.
-Katy
Kayleigh,
I also feel your pain. My mil buys junk. She asks me what I want, and then buys what she wants for them anyway.
I told her by them one thing they can open, and then put money in their saving account, buy them bonds, a stock, but goodness we have a small place, and stop buying that junk!
I would donate the “head” and eat the chia seeds….clutter gone. They are full of nutrients and omega 3’s…not worthy of a head though.
I’d only buy a Chia head if I could have it made in the exact likeness of my sister. She’s 36, and when she was in grade school, she got a curly perm, and kids at school started calling her Chia Pet. I might have to take up pottery.
Oh my ~ there is a lot out there that makes me wonder just who would buy that but to each his/her own I guess.
One product that seems to have a lot of wasteful packaging is the Keurig coffee maker’s coffee since each time you want a beverage you have to use/waste a little plastic cup. Even a single serving of tea is in a plastic cup ~ last time I checked the tea in the little bag was still pretty simple to brew – dip and let steep. LOL.
You can buy a reusable filter to brew your own coffee/tea etc. My mom gave me one of these last year for christmas, and my initial reaction was like yours ( actually I wondered how much I could get for it on ebay) then my mom handed me the reusable filter saying ” I know you won’t be buying those little cups”. I’ve found that I really like it, as I am the only coffee drinker in the house and it helps me to control my caffeine intake a bit better.
Thank you!!! I had no idea… I’m off to eBay 🙂 I actually won a keurig machine but haven’t taken it out of the box since I wasn ‘t game to use the little cups LOL.
Oh my! Do they make other Presidents also? I would love to have a Michelle Obama. I think a collection of presidential chias is far better than a collection of those little animals that come in the Red Rose tea. Those have no value or charm. I still think my Napolean Dynamite talking figure is the best odd thing out there. I even have a back up hidden away. Imagine this: your husband is home from work and grouchy, and you hit the Napoleon and hear him say “Sssswweeeeeeeeeet” Priceless.
I think bikes and legos and Wii and RockBand sound like good presents. But you have to put your foot down. I would tell my mother and mother in law what to buy for the kids and they liked the ideas 90% of the time. The kids would rather have an experience like making cookies or doing something special with a grandparent over junk anyday. Ann
Holy cow. You have GOT to be kidding. I know we live in a world of insane consumerism, but this thing…wow…don’t even know what to say. (shaking head in disbelief).
Hysterical. I assume it would only be given as a “gag gift” at office parties and the like. But I’m still laughing!
Hilarious, mildly offensive and definitely unnecessary. But it cracked me up, so thanks for sharing!!
LOL, Dr. F got one of those for a gag gift… last christmas I think. He
was going to mist it with water… but used dry erease spray instead. The plants all turned a lovely shade of brown. It looks even better now. A better likeness to our president was the result.
Do the make a Mao version of this? Because I that I would totally buy.