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Friday, February 13, 2009
Are you enchanted? Get lilac roses
Since there is much talk of flowers and roses floating around on this Valentine’s Day eve — at least on this blog — I thought I would pass on what the various rose colors mean. I knew some of them, but some of them — especially the combos — surprised me.
About.com did a whole list of what the colors traditionally mean, and here’s what they had to say:
Red Roses: Red roses proclaim “I love you.” They are the ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion.
Yellow Roses: Yellow roses indicate friendship and freedom. Yellow roses are also appropriate for sending congratulations to newlyweds, graduates, Texans, and new mothers.
Pale Pink Roses: Pale pink roses connote grace, gentleness, and gratitude.
Light Pink Roses: A joy to behold, light pink roses express fun and happiness.
Deep Pink Roses: Deep pink roses say “Thank you.”
Lilac Roses: Lilac roses indicate the sender has fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and is enchanted.
White Roses: Pure white roses symbolize truth and innocence. They also send other messages: “I miss you” and “You’re heavenly.”
Coral Roses: Coral roses express one thing with their passionate color: Desire.
Peach Roses: Peach roses speak of appreciation, gratitude, and also sympathy.
Orange Roses: Orange roses communicate enthusiasm and desire on the part of the sender.
Dead Roses: Regardless of the original color, dead roses say “It’s over” loud and clear.
COMBINED ROSES
Put two or more colors of roses together, and a new rose meaning arises:
White Roses + Yellow Roses: A symbol of harmony.
Red Roses + Yellow Roses: A message of happiness and celebration.
Red Roses + White Roses: An indication of bonding and harmony.
Two Roses Entwined: An engagement or marriage is imminent.
Help your kid build a jewelry box
Let’s see … who do you know who loves your kid and loves jewelry? Or, do you and your kid both love jewelry and need some cool handmade boxes to house your baubles?
If you or anyone you know fits that description, you might want to take part in a fun, free clinic being put on by Lowe’s Home Improvement store from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.
When I plugged in my Kettering ZIP code, the site offered the event at the Dayton Mall, Beavercreek, Huber Heights, Trotwood, Xenia and Middletown locations.
The clinic is designed for parents and kids to make a jewelry box together.
To attend, register online in three easy steps for the Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics.
If the idea appeals to you, but not the jewelry box so much, Lowe’s is offering a race car kit building event from 10 to 11 a.m. Feb. 28 as well.
The Home Depot also offers kids’ workshops for ages 5 to 12. They are the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon.
The March 7 one will allow kids to build either a wooden trinket box or a raceway. And, as noted on WalletPop, each child also receives a kid-sized orange apron and an achievement pin.
Don’t overlook Flowerama for Valentine’s Day
Flowerama also has some Valentine’s Day offers for your flower and gift-giving pleasure.
The special the store spotlighted for the holiday is Two Roses and a Stargazer Lily in Designer Vase for $24.99.
The store — which has three area locations in Kettering, Huber Heights and Riverside — also has a large online selection.
Another Valentine’s Day special that is more about hugs than flowers, is a 28-inch Bear with three Roses & Balloon (pictured), online only, for $49.99.
Where should you get a dozen red roses?
I have noted many good deals on flowers online for Valentine’s Day today, but there are also good deals around town. And if you shop locally, you can see the flowers and pick them up at your leisure.
To get an idea of who had a dozen red roses for the best price around town, I called a few florists and grocery stores to see which had the best deals.
It wasn’t a surprise that the grocery stores largely have the better deals, but they don’t always have the best presentation. It all depends what you’re looking for.
Colonial Flowers and Gifts on Siebenthaler in Dayton was the florist with the cheapest prices, offering cash and carry (wrapped, no vase) for $19.99.
Here is what I found in the Dayton area for a dozen red roses:
Jacques Garden of Flowers in Kettering: Premium Package, which includes vase, baby’s breath and arrangement is $79.95; cash and carry (which is flowers chosen by you and bundled, without a vase) is $29.95
Hills & Dales Florist in Dayton: $60 plus delivery
Furst Florist in Dayton: $59.95, which includes vase and filler
Colonial Flowers and Gifts in Dayton: Has cash and carry dozen for $19.99
Kroger: $49.99 with vase, $19.99 cash and carry
Dot’s Market: $19.99 cash and carry
Meijer: $29.99 for larger roses without a vase, $19.99 for smaller roses in a vase
Linden Avenue Florist in Dayton: $73 in vase, or a dozen pink wrapped roses for $30
Oakwood Florist: $76 plus tax and delivery for long-stemmed, $50 plus tax and delivery for short-stemmed
Do you know of any other prices on a dozen red roses around town worth noting?
FTD has flowers for $19.99
It’s not too late to order flowers for the big day, and FTD has some Valentine’s Day specials that are the best I’ve seen.
Among them are bouquets for $19.99, including the My Valentine Rose Bouquet and the Rosy Renewal Mini Rose (pictured here).
The site has more beautiful arrangements worth checking out.
Also, BloomsToday has their arrangements on sale for 50 percent off sitewide.
Win free flowers for a year
Whole Foods is giving away free flowers every month for a year to 10 winners of a drawing.
The entry deadline is March 4, and the sweepstakes started Feb. 4. One entry is allowed per person.
It is a nationwide contest, and for us Dayton-area folks, the only catch is you would have to pick up your flowers at Mason, Cincinnati or Columbus each month.
You can enter online; no purchase is necessary (and they say that buying something won’t increase your chances of winning.)
The winners will receive a punch card good for a bunch of Whole Trade roses or Whole Trade flowers every month for a year.
Lingerie for 99 cents! But don’t tell her that
Today, Feb. 13, 99-Cent Only Stores are offering a famous maker 3-piece lingerie set for only 99 cents to the first 99 people who spend $19.99 at participating stores.
There’s a limit of one set per household.
They’re not allowed to advertise the brand name, but this could be quite a find.
As WalletPop notes, it’s not a great deal unless you really need $20 bucks worth of other things, but these stores have plenty to offer.
The 99-Cent Only ad also features ladies underwear from a famous brand for 99 cents each. Again, 99-Cent Only Stores aren’t allowed to mention the maker in its advertising.
Condoms selling well in poor economy
Thinking of adding another mouth to feed? Neither is your neighbor.
Nielsen, which keeps tabs on retail just like they do on television, reported Thursday, Feb. 12, that sales of condoms were up 5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007.
January saw an increase of 6 percent, and according to WalletPop.com, with that increase, condoms join cheap vodka as one of the few products that’s seeing an upswing as consumers cut back.
Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan, told USA Today that “If people don’t have the money to go out to a fancy dinner or are looking to cut back, Trojan gives them some real affordable ways to stay in and make some great memories together.”
… without getting pregnant.
WalletPop also notes that recessions tend to increase marital stress and divorce rates. If extramarital sex or sex with a new partner is on the rise, that would also explain the increase in demand for condoms.
If you can’t even afford one condom, you can fill out this form to receive a free one from Trojan.
For more commentary on the recession’s effect on sex, watch the video on the WalletPop site.
Brown pushes for more authority for the federal government in recalls
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced legislation Thursday, Feb. 12, that would give the federal government new authority to recall tainted foods and establish a federal program that would quickly and accurately trace the source of tainted food.
Brown — who is also a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — is making these moves in reaction to the many peanut butter recalls associated with the salmonella outbreak at the Peanut Corp. of America.
“Too many Ohioans are struggling to put food on their tables. They shouldn’t also have to worry about the safety of that food,” said Brown.
Brown’s legislation combines provisions from two food safety bills he authored in previous sessions of Congress. These include the Food Tracking Improvement Act and The Safe and Fair Enforcement and Recall for (SAFER) Meat, Poultry, and Food Act.
This outbreak has sickened 600 people, and caused the recall of more than 1,900 products. Ohio has reported 92 cases linked to the outbreak and two deaths.
The complete list of recalls can be found at www.fda.gov. Here are the latest recalls:
In-Room Plus and In-Room West: Select Honey Roasted Peanuts and Hot Cajun Mix
American Almond Products Co.: Selected Lots of Roasted Granulated Peanuts, Peanut Brittle Crunch, Chunky Peanut Butter, Fresh Direct Brand Honey Roasted Peanut Butter and Fresh Direct Brand Chunky Peanut Butter
Mooresville Ice Cream Co.: Carolinas Recall of Half Gallon and Three Gallon Containers of ‘Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight’ Flavor of DeLuxe Ice Cream
Golden Temple of Oregon: WHA GURU CHEW Peanut Cashew Bars
Something Better Natural Foods: Products With Peanuts
Germack Pistachio Co.: Sugar-Free Milk Chocolate Peanuts
Deluxe Ice Cream Co.: All Labels Of Tin Roof Sundae, Goo Goo Cluster, Candy Bar Half Gallon Packaged Ice Cream Product
Best Maid Cookie Co.: Expired Peanut-containing Cookie Products from 2007
American Nutrition: Announces a Voluntary Recall of Baked Dog Treats
Western Trade Group: Roasted Peanuts
Orchard Crest Farms: Some of their snack products
Elder-Beerman has many gifts on sale
Elder-Beerman is in the midst of a Valentine’s Day sale that not only offers discounts, but offers triple rewards points toward future purchases.
Among their offerings are perfume sets, such as the Euphoria Calvin Klein Gift set that includes perfume and lotion. It was originally $94, and is now $78.
The store is offering 50 percent off their entire stock of sterling silver jewelry, 25 percent off many handbags, 40 percent off sweaters and much more.
Valentine’s Day deals at 1-800-FLOWERS.com
Flowers are the centerpiece of this lovely holiday, and there are deals to be found.
One such sale is available at 1-800-FLOWERS.com, and there are bouquets of many sizes and shapes available for an average of $10 off their usual prices. And many of them are available even if you order that day.
One bouquet on big sale is the Capture My Heart by Jane Packer (pictured) arrangement, that is 50 percent off. However, the original $75 seems a little steep to me to begin with. But at least it is only $37.49 now.
Tax tips from the IRS
We’ve all been trying to ignore it, but that is no longer possible.
The W-2s have been delivered (or at least they should have been). The forms have begun arriving in the mail.
There is no way around it —it’s officially tax season.
And although it may be hard to believe, the Internal Revenue Service is not really out to get us. In fact, it regularly offers tips and assistance to make sure all of us are able to complete our tax returns properly.
As I receive useful information, I’ll share it, either in my column or on my blog at springfieldnewssun.com/blogs.
Here are the most recent tips from the IRS to help you get things done right:
How to get tax forms
Forms and publications can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at irs.gov. Hard copies can be requested by calling toll free at (800) TAX-FORM (829-3676) and should be received within 10 days. Forms are available also at most public libraries.
Use Free File
Free File is a free federal tax preparation and electronic filing program for most taxpayers. The program offers two options. The full service is for individuals with an adjusted gross income of $56,000 or less in 2008.
New this year is Free File Fillable Forms, which allow taxpayers to enter tax data, perform basic math calculations, sign electronically, print returns and file electronically. Free File is only available through irs.gov.
Use electronic direct deposit
If you chose to have your refund electronically deposited into your bank account, you’ll have your money much faster. The IRS claims electronic deposits are also safer than paper checks sent through the regular mail, reducing the risk of stolen refunds.
And don’t be skeptical of this option — I’ve used it for a few years, and it works like a charm. I’ve had my refund in about a week with no problems.
