USA fave things # 3

FREE Address labels from many organisations and charities here!

Even when I was still back in the UK receiving things from the Hubster, I was in awe of all these cool little address stickers he got for free! The day I received my very own labels from some kind charity who had got my name, was a happy one in our home.

We actually only give to a couple of them, but I guess that means we are seen as potential punters, so we now regularly get them sent to us. For those of you in the UK, they are sheets of sticky labels with your name and address on, with a design or illustration on them. The reason they send them, is all mail in the USA is supposed to be sent with a return mailing address on it, so they are needed.

The best part is they are often seasonal! So I will get spring bunnies, pumpkins for Fall (Autumn), christmas ones, patriotic ones and even additional stickers with messages on - all for free :-)

Can't beat that and after 3 years I still enjoy opening them to see what the design is, I'm an easy girl to please!

USA Fave Things #2

'Drive through banking', just absolute genius and I love it.

I know why we don't have these generally in the UK, we just don't have the space as our towns are all laid out around a main street, the buildings are older and all built closely together.

But not only is there the convenience of not having to exit your vehicle, but it's also safer than using a walk-up ATM, where anyone could creep up behind you. Where I am they even have wider lanes for Pickups, I have no idea if this is normal across the whole USA?

For my Brit readers - basically they will have an extended covered area to the side or rear of the bank. There will be a couple of lanes for customers to pull up in, you press a button and the cashier appears on the little TV screen and speaks to you. Then you put your banking in the shute and off it whizzes to the cashier. A minute or so later, you are done and get back your receipt or cash. Bloody brilliant and most banks also have a drive up ATM for when the drive through banking lanes are closed after hours!

It doesn't end there though - Walgreens a major pharmacy/chemist (like Boots) also has a drive through for collecting your prescription! All I need now is a drive through shoe/handbag shop and I will be officially in heaven :-)

Awww isn't it pretty!

Thanks to my friend Karla I have a lovely new protective cover for my Motorola RAZR.

It is made by a company called GELASKINS and is a very thin easily removable art print skin for Laptops, iPods, iPhones and other cellphones. The material was developed by 3M and incorporates vinyl and adhesive technology, with an ultra-clear, scratch resistant photo coating. They also make your phone look pretty individual and cool!

The one for my RAZR cost me $12.50 + shipping, so really not too expensive to keep your phone looking nice and scratch free.

Some of my fave things in the USA...

GARDEN RIDGE!!

I adore this store, we just do not have anything quite like it in the UK, partly because we don't go in for decorating around the home in the same way you do here.

If you're a Brit' I will try to describe it for you! I guess it's like the Ikea marketplace area, with a bit of The Pier thrown in, a posh Garden Centre and all reasonably priced. But the real part I love is the HUGE field of amazingly realistic fake/silk flowers in the midst of every store. All sorted by colour or seasonal styles and just totally awe and design inspiring, even for non-artsy type like moi!

I usually run around like a headless chicken as the Hubster tries to be patient, but eventually gets worn down as I dilly-dally back and forth trying to decide between all the overwhelmingly beautiful flowers. You see here just about every home will have some fake (and using that word is doing them a great dis-service) flowers somewhere.

They have inspired me to make 2 doorstep arrangements for Autumn/Fall and Christmas that I can interchange. This Christmas I decorated all round my front door with them and am now about to shop to do a similar door display with sunflowers and foliage for the summer. I also have 2 arrangements indoors that look great and don't die! Garden Ridge also has pictures, dinnerware, stemware, seasonal decorations (and we decorate for them all here!), furniture, knick-knacks, vases, candles, crafts etc etc....

Trust me you Brit' girls would love it as much as I do!