Had to share this story that happened to me today. We need to buy two additional car seats - one for A and one for Z - for Grandpa’s cars in NJ. Husband has a new job that will have us at sales meetings together and Grandpa (and K, who has graciously put up with my father for over 10 years) will be in charge of the boys during this time. I also think that it will make it easier for when we fly with the boys and don’t rent a car - sometimes we use one of Grandpa’s cars.
I was fairly excited this weekend to get a Babies R Us coupon book that included a Save $10 on all car seats over $39.99. I was even happier when I found the detail that the coupon can be applied online because in the end, these seats need to be shipped to NJ. Husband and I found two appropriate car seats - both over the needed amount - and I was set to buy. The promo code was not working. I then spent 20 minutes on the phone with BRUs.com customer service only to be told that for some reason, the code isn’t working, but I can place my order and give her the number now to get a $10 refund. I quickly point out that I am buying TWO seats so it is $20. Not so - she says. In stores, they will apply the coupon to both products but online it can only be one per order. I said no thanks and hung up set to go visit the store to redeem my coupon.
Husband says (and is correct) that I am coupon obsessed. I decided on a whim to check out the prices at Amazon.com and see if they have free shipping or something that would have equaled what I was willing to spend at BRUs.com…Even Better! They had the exact seat that I wanted for A at the same price + free shipping and I did some research and found a seat for Z that also qualified for free shipping. I ended up spending exactly what I would have spent at BRUs.com and now I don’t have to go to the store and then mail them myself. These things that take up my time matter to me right now - I’m a working mom!!!!!
I rarely have gone wrong with my Amazon experiences and here is another good incident. But this is another example that I am not to be dazzled by the coupon and that I need to price shop - find the good deal that suits my needs. Now back to catalog edits…
I had stated in an earlier post that I had a goal of getting the eBay Live 2008 Dummies follow-up email out within two weeks. I am not the greatest at post-show follow-up so this was a major goal for me this fiscal year. Lead retrieval companies have made this easier over the years - I used to get our leads “within a few weeks” via email from them but now I am able to walk away from the convention center with a USB drive holding all of my email addresses. We had collected 601 email addresses and my colleague in San Francisco who handles our post-show email blasts to off them some books and a discount (and try to get them to opt into our standing mailing lists) was willing and able to create and send out my follow-up email within 10 days of the last day of the show. Yay!
I don’t normally go to eBay Live, so it was great to attend a new show. I enjoyed meeting people who LOVE Dummies books and pretty much worship our author, Marsha Collier. It was also nice to be in Chicago - over 15 years of conferences, I have NEVER been to a show in Chicago! Crazy, I know. After the show, I got in an overnight visit with my husband’s brother and his family. Husband also drove up with our two boys and that added to the wonderful trip!
Be sure to check out a photo of me with eBay For Dummies author, Marcia Collier. She was in the Wiley For Dummies booth signing copies of her books and talking to eager customers/followers. This is also a rare sighting of me in my glasses that I got in March. I use them for driving and to see long-distance. I’m also finding at the show that they are helping me see and read names on badges! Boy I am getting ancient.
Show is going well this week. Traffic is good and steady. We are across from the PayPal booth which is getting us some good traffic. I used to laugh at my co-worker about the “eBay Live pin craze” but it is true…people are coming to our booth looking to see what the new design is. Whoever came up with the idea for Dummies Man’s hair to be flying off in the wind (the Windy City of Chicago - where the conference is this year) is a genius. Lots of people LOVE the pin! I’d say the Dummies pin and a pin of Wrigley Field are the real winners this year. But I’m not biased!
Tomorrow is the last day of eBay Live. Then I am heading to my brother/sister (in law) house for a weekend visit. Husband is driving up with the boys to enjoy time. Looking forward to that.
I’m in Chicago until Saturday evening to attend eBay Live and exhibit our Dummies eBay books with the editor. My colleague who handles this program and attends this yearly show is nearing her maternity leave and cannot be here so I am filling in. It should be interesting. My “normal” conferences are usually those from Microsoft (Tech Ed, PDC, Dev Connections) and more technical conferences on Linux and databases. I’m sure I’ll do fine. I have bought and sold on eBay - at least I have that in common with the attendees!
One thing that is a bit “weird” to me now…long exhibit hours. Three days and each day is 7 hours or so. Microsoft shows are usually 4 days but shorter daily hours. I actually prefer the 4th day if each day is shorter. I’m sure my feet will kill by Friday.
Then on Saturday, after the exhibits close at 4 pm, I am heading off to catch a train to Aurora, IL to visit Husband’s brother and family. Husband is even driving up Saturday morning with A and Z so that we can enjoy a day with the cousins 
It is rare that we have “alone time” with Husband’s brother, his wife, and their two sons without the grandparents. In fact, A is convinced that his cousins live at Grandma’s house. I think that this will be good for all of the boys to have the chance to see each other in different surroundings.
Regardless, it is nice to have the opportunity to get in a visit post-conference. I flew up to Chicago today from Indy and will drive home from Aurora with Husband and boys in our family minivan (very cool!). Perfect!
I did get the hearing tests last week and saw the ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat) doctor on Friday. Though my hearing is classified as “normal,” it is not very promising. The average of the tests gives you a number…20 and under is “normal” and 20 and above is hearing loss. I am at 20 right now. The doctor is a bit concerned because for a 35 year old, I should not be at 20. But he did say that he doesn’t know how rapidly I’ve ended up at 20. So I am going to “live with it” - this new lack of hearing - and have another round of tests in a year to see if there is significant loss. In the meantime, he wants to work on other factors - like my allergies and sinus issues. He put me back on nasal steroids and I am going to have allergy testing done on 7/11 - the day before I leave for a family vacation with the in-laws - YAY!
At least I am putting this out on the table and seeing a doctor. And you would have loved my husband telling ENT doctor…”Doctor, she is deafer than her 84 year old grandma.” Thanks Honey.
