Black Friday lure or lore

It is getting to be that time of year again when the Black Friday lure will be calling out to consumers everywhere. Is the lure real or is it lore? For many of today's savvy shoppers, it is a combination. While fliers will be touting great deals, many shoppers will not be willing to either give up their Thanksgiving evening or get up at 2 a.m. to be at a retailer at 3 a.m. to either get in line or to fight the crowds. How much is saving money worth to you?

Deals

The deals that seem to attract the most attention every year are popular electronics. It may be a large screen TV or the latest game console. Best Buy is a popular destination for these kinds of deals. They will offer specials and doorbusters but they will be in very limited quantity. Best Buy's website offers some strategies to make the most out of your Black Friday experience. Among the things they suggest are having a list so that when the limited quantity items sell out you will have your backup plan with you.  

If you are going to be shopping for items other than those that are drastically reduced why are you going to get up before the light of day and go shopping? Wouldn't it be better to just stay home and enjoy the Thanksgiving afterglow and brave the holiday shoppers in a few days when the craziness has subsided? 

Another of their suggestions is to get there early, even on Thanksgiving for stores that will be open. What is wrong with this picture? You getting up from the table and getting in line for a game console? Is that really what the holidays are all about? Apparently, at Best Buy it is. What about those employees who will not be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with their family so that you can have a lower priced TV?  Again, is this the lure of Black Friday?

Probably the best of the suggestions they offer is to take advantage of Cyber Monday and order some of the items that you want online. Amazon is already offering Black Friday deals on their website and others will be turning up in the coming weeks.

Lore

Is it true that the best deals will only be found on Black Friday? The best way to answer that question is to go out to the stores or online starting as early in November as possible and know what the actual price every day is for the items you are looking for. Great pricing will be showing up all along the way and even if you don't get the best price, you can still get a great price and not sacrifice your time, family and holiday spirit to do it.

The lure of Black Friday is not going anywhere. Retailers count on shoppers being enticed by their few outstanding deals. They know from experience that once they have you in the store you will spend money even if you are not one of the lucky few who get the special deal. So is Black Friday lure or lore, mostly lure with some lore thrown in for good measure.

Baby Halloween costume ideas-

Is there anything cuter than a baby in a Halloween costume? If you have a little one and are looking for some ideas for a really cute Halloween costume, here are a few that may be just what you are looking for.

If your baby is just as cute as a bug, why not go for a ladybug costume. This will work well for a boy or a girl and red is a flattering color when paired with rosy little baby cheeks. These costumes are readily available or you could make on yourself if you like to sew. 

A more traditional costume which will be as popular this year as it is every year is a pumpkin costume. Babies lend themselves to this by being rather pumpkin shaped and with a little stem hat with an elastic beneath the chin. This is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Small animal costumes are always very popular with babies. There is always the great puppy or kitten costume but some people prefer something a little wilder like a lion, tiger or a zebra. A very cute option is a turtle with the adorable shell. If you would rather choose an animal that is a character Winnie the Pooh and Tigger are timeless choices that are as popular this year as they were 25 years ago. Peppa the pig is a beloved as is Olivia and both costumes are readily available. Peppa's brother George who is just as adorable as can be. 

Flower costumes will get everyone oohing and ahhing. The babies little face is the center of the petals and no one can resist those adorable little daisies or sunflower. Some of the costumes include the pot as the body covering and others are a bunting that is cost and warm.

For little boys, there is a wide variety of superhero costumes available even in baby size. He can be your superman or he can be Captain America among others. There is even Wonder Woman available if you want your baby girl to be able to show off her super attractions.

These are just a few of the hundreds of costumes that are available for babies. You can even make your own with a store-bought tiara and a tutu or a little cowboy hat and a bandana . It doesn't have to cost much to make your baby just as cute as can be for Halloween.

Where to find the best Fair Isle knitwear

There is only one place on earth that real Fair Isle knitwear can come from and that is the Scottish island of Fair Isle which is in the Shetland Islands. It can take over one hundred hours for a sweater to be hand-knitted. When you own a genuine Fair Isle sweater, you own something very unique and handmade. The majority of what you see in the marketplace is Fair Isle-style, not real Fair Isle. There are very few places where you can find the real deal.

Thistle and Broom is attempting to preserve the authentic craft of knitting Fair Isle items and promoting this very special craft. You can get a made to order Fair Isle sweater from one of their knitters and help to keep the economy of the Shetland Islands viable. The website introduces you to the individual craftspeople and their designs. If you won’t settle for anything but the real thing, this is the way to go.

The Spirit of Shetland Collection is another website that sells only authentic Fair Isle sweaters and cardigans. The prices are very reasonable when you take into consideration the hand-knitted nature of these items. A variety of patterns, including Oxna, which is offered in not only sweaters but in hats and gloves and vests are offered. There are ten different patterns if you are looking for a handmade fashion statement. Capes and ponchos are also offered. They have a shop at the Spiders Web or you can order from their website.

Anderson and Company offers a variety of items from the Shetland Islands and no such collection would be complete if it didn’t offer some items that were in the Fair Isle pattern. Here they are offered in the All Over Fair Isle pattern with sweaters, jumpers, and scarves available. The all over patterns each have a name and distinctive colors. All the prices include delivery which is a nice option. In addition to the beautiful wooden knitted sweaters, this website also offers hand-knitted shawls and baby christening blankets in what looks like a beautiful pattern of hand-knitted lambs' wool lace. It would be a perfect gift for a newborn baby.

The Shetland Collection offers a variety of items from some very talented knitters on the Shetland Islands.

Designers such as the late Alexander McQueen had Fair Isle-style sweaters as part of their designer collections. They are much more expensive than the ones that are hand-knitted in the Shetland Islands. Most of those Fair Isle-style sweaters are machine-made and definitely not in Scotland.

There are many places where you can purchase Fair Isle style sweaters, but very few where you can get the real thing. These three offer original Fair Isle knitwear made in the Shetland Islands. Support the local economy by purchasing the real thing and help keep this wonderful craft alive.

Best socks for fall

After wearing sandals and flip flops all summer, it is hard to get back to wearing socks on your feet. It is getting cooler colder and nothing makes your whole body feel colder than having cold feet. That means that you have to find socks that are both warm and stylish. This means finding the best socks for fall.

In addition, they have to fit comfortable inside of your shoes or boots. It is always a wise idea to wear the thickness of sock that you plan to wear every day when you are going to purchase your boots or shoes. If you like a thick sock you may need to buy a larger size or a wider width.

White socks

The white sock is a year-round staple to wear in an athletic shoe. It can be ankle height or it can be below the shoe level. Some are much thicker than others but they are generally used to keep your feet comfortable and sweat free when you are exercising.

Warm socks

When you are wearing a sturdy hiking type boot or a warm tie shoe it is often appropriate to wear a thicker sock. These come in wool, cashmere, cotton and in blends. They come in tweed, argyle or in a wide variety of pretty colors. They protect your feet both from the cold and from the rubbing of the shoe. These type of socks are also great in a clog or a winter mule. They help to make the clogs or mules fit better. I love my slip on Berkenstock opeen back shoes and these chunky socks are the best.

Knee high socks

Knee high socks are often thought of in terms of being worn with a uniform such as the "Catholic school girl" look with a kilt type plaid skirt and a knee sock. They also work with a longer split skirt or winter shorts or knickers. These also come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and materials. Knickers look especially good with a chunky knee high sock.

Thigh high socks

If you are young and have great legs, thigh high socks are a very cute look with shorts or a short skirt. These can be most any color but are usually not bulky or thick. Thigh high socks can also be layered over the top of tights or tight jeans.

Trouser socks

If you are a wearing a dressy shoe with your trousers and don’t want to go bare foot, wear pantyhose or knee high nylons, trouser socks are the way to go. They are usually very thin knitted material and should be worn in a coordinating color so that they are invisible. These are not made to stand out and make a statement.

I have to admit that I am a gold toe girl, I find that they keep their shape, wear well and are reasonably affordable especially with a 30 percent off coupon at Kohls. 

At the end of the day, there are many types of socks that may be the best socks for fall. The best socks are the ones that make you comfortable while you are wearing your shoes or boots and that keep your feet happy as well.