I get approximately seven offers a day about covering events, writing sponsored posts, or giveaways. I say no to 99% of them. It’s the same success rate my children have regarding any questions they ask me.
Every now and then I say yes, though, as long as I retain full creative control and can use my sense of humour.
Enter Best Buy, who offered me a gift card if they could help me put gift suggestions together for my family. Blogging about it was optional, but whattheheck.
SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU’RE MARRIED TO ME, STOP READING. AND TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE & RECYCLING.
Best Buy’s offer was timely, since I knew I was getting my husband an iPad for Christmas because (a) he uses mine too much (I’m selfless that way), and (b) I kind of ignored his 50th birthday in May and held my own book launch party instead and didn’t get him a present (I’m selfless that way).
Top 5 Things I Loved About Shopping at Best Buy
(1) I had a personal shopper: Moe. I loved Moe. He was clearly Best Buy’s Best Guy. He was kind, was funny, and spoke basketball. I speak basketball too. It was a stress-free shopping experience. Even other shoppers looked relaxed; no one was going psycho on a Saturday afternoon (likely because my kids weren’t on site).
(2) I bought a wireless printer that was marked down to less than $70. Currently, with the ancient printer we have in our basement, it costs $75 to replace the ink cartridge, which seems to be an idiotic pricing plan (unless you’re referring to Chris Rock’s logic on the cost of bullets). The replacement cartridges on this new printer will only be about $25 (about one third the cost of most parking tickets I get when I go out for lunch with my husband).
(3) I have ideas for my kids’ and husband’s birthdays in May that will blow them away without breaking my limited budget. This also means I’m six months ahead … in one area … which cancels out all those items I’m six months behind in. Logic for the win!
(4) Best Buy sells beauty products. Who knew? Viva is their line, which should help minimize my lines. They even have a new magazine that’s free in store, called Wife Life & Tech.
(5) Best Buy helped out on West Jet’s awesome viral Christmas miracle promo. And that video made me cry…meaning my mascara nearly carved rivulets into my cheeks (except I forgot to put on mascara the morning I watched the video).
YOUR TURN:
Any tech gifts on your wish list this year?
What tech gifts do you remember receiving as a kid?
Will I give away my age is I say a tape recorder thrill the pants off me? And back in the day my parents gave me a wood burning kit that used fire and matches and I could just go off to my room and burn wood?
I can still remember going nuts about getting a “boom box” in the 6th grade, along with a cassette tape of “Hits of 1983.”
Do you think the guy who asked for socks and underwear wishes he’d said “A flat screen”? Ha!
Anyway, I need fresh mascara now, too.
(And new socks and underwear, if we’re being honest.)
I get zero offers a day, but I’m grateful you’re more popular, because this was one of your best!
Does an atari count as a “tech gift?” Because that’s what I’m getting my kids this year.
I was the first one in my small town to receive a DUAL cassette recorder – big news man! No more placing two ghettos facing each other with the door closed to record mixed tapes… I spent my entire high school career making people mixed tapes…and my grades reflected this.
I actually don’t have any tech gifts on my list this year, but we’re getting my dad an apple TV (which my mum thought was a bit unnessesary as they have two TV’s in the house).
I remember getting my first protable CD player, It was awsome! And I could listen to my CD’s and tapes in my room an bring it to our summer house!
The WestJet video also made me cry, too.
In 1953, when I was 11, my parents gave me a ‘build-it-yourself’ 2 tube radio. I was overjoyed and had it together in a week. This was real stuff too – soldering, cutting, wiring – the whole schmear. That started me on my 50+ year career in electronics/computer.
I saw that WestJet video when Clay posted it on FB and I cried all over myself too.
First it was when I got the boom box I wanted. Later it was when I got a discman. Somewhere in between, I was ecstatic when I got a stereo (which I finally took to Goodwill a few years ago after about 25 years of faithful service). It played records and tapes and the radio, and it had a slot for 8-tracks. I loved that stereo.
Discman! Cassette players! I feel so old now thinking of those.
Hm, I am 50, and my family was not well off. I do not remember getting any tech gifts ever! I was only allowed to watch two hours a week of TV! Hard to believe now when I look around the house at what my kids have. Since I am divorced, and have teenagers not yet working, I don’t really have a holdiay wish list of gifts. But bought myself an iPad, last summerwhich I love, and a DSLR camera, for my birthday, which I have yet to learn to use.
Hey Leanne!
6 months ahead on gift ideas? You’re keeping company with the brisk and efficient brigade- that must be very disconcerting! I, on the other hand, am part of the 12 months behind brigade. I bought an aunt a gift last Christmas for an activity we were all going to do together. We never did and now the gift is expired. So I am having to buy her an additional gift this year to make up for last year’s. Merry Christmas!
Agreed about Best Buy!
Love them. Love you…and your Fluevogs! (Auto correct wanted to use flu bogs here… Now to google flu bogs and find out why that is more acceptable to auto correct than amazing shoes!) Love your selflessness!
Best of the season – (read: 2 weeks off your primary income job, so you can work on your phenomenal hobbies!)
?Spoiler Alert?(for Ross) … Noise Cancelling Earphones ….or whatever those thing-a-ma-jigs are.. the Best at BB and I love that video too Leanne. Merry Christmas.
Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented:
The only new tech I would like is a cell phone, and maybe a new computer bug-killer program that actually got rid of the bad ones.
BestBuy was nice enough to give me a Kobo Aura and spa products a few weeks ago because I happened to tweet I hadn’t slept the night before. So I’m good for tech gifts.
I remember receiving a Spiro-Graph as a child, I think that was pretty techie at the time.