Around this time of year, I usually start thinking of vacation destinations for the coming year. How about this one?

Walt Disney World just announced their new theme for 2009, "What will you celebrate?" They are giving a free theme park ticket to visitors who come on their birthdays. So if someone in your family has a birthday when you are thinking of going on vacation next year, you might consider Disney World or Disneyland. A little planning now could save you a bit of money later. 

From the Orlando Sentinel: 

Next year everyone will be able to come to a Walt Disney World's theme parks on their birthdays and get in free.

That's the cornerstone of the 2009 national promotional campaign, "What will you celebrate?" announced today by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Anyone showing up with a valid ID including proof of birthdate will get a free ticket on that day in 2009 for one of the theme parks at Disney World or at Disneyland in California.

Disney officials announced the promotion as their effort to cash in on what they described as a growing trend called "celebration vacations" -- trips to vacation spots that people take to celebrate big birthdays, big anniversaries, honeymoons and other momentous personal occasions.

We have been at Disney World on my birthday. I got a free cake when we ate at Mexico, a favorite lunch stop at Epcot. But free dessert pales in comparison to a free theme park ticket! (Hmm, could we go next fall?) 

Of course if you go to Disney, wouldn't some free Disney money to spend be nice too?

If you apply for a Disney Rewards Visa credit card from Chase bank, you can earn free Disney money! Each month the card awards points to your account in proportion to the money you charge. When you are ready to use the points, you call them and they change the points to dollars and load them onto a Disney debit type card. You can then use that card's dollars to purchase theme park tickets, food, gifts, etc. in the theme parks and stores. The longer you have the card, the more points you can rack up.

We have had this card for years and used our points for free tickets and food. (Mine has Mickey on it.) Just make sure you pay off your balance each month so the dollars truly cost you nothing. (The only way to use a credit card.)

The Disney Rewards Visa card also carries an excellent buyer protection insurance plan on your purchases. (We have collected on that too.)

So if a visit to the Kingdom of the Mouse is in your future, plan now to save later. Free is good.

Brookfield District 7 Info meeting, Wed., Sept. 24, 2-3pm or 6:30-7:30pm

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

Links: 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

It sure took long enough. I planted earlier than other years, and my tomato plants looked great. Yet those green tomatoes just would not ripen!

I suspect cool night temperatures are to blame--tomatoes need it warm at night to ripen properly.

But today, TODAY, I found 2 ripe Lemon Boy tomatoes out in my garden they became my first tomato mayo sandwich of the season. The Mortgage Lifter looks like it will be next.

Now I can say I broke even on that plant. If I would have bought 2 yellow tomatoes at the store today, they would have probabaly equalled the plant purchase price. All the rest I harvest from this point forward will be free!

How is your garden growing?

Links: 

We rekindled our love affair with road trip vacations in 2001 when our son was finally old enough to endure 3 days of driving at a time, and we were able to afford more dependable transportation. Instead of our usual 2 hour drive to some favorite State Park for 2 weeks of camping, we graduated to visiting various National Parks out west. It has been great.

Because of our road trip habit, I've payed attention to gas prices. Beginning in 2001, when prices spiked in late spring, I would wring my hands with everyone else and worry how high they would go by August (the time of our departure.) But it seemed every year, gas prices went down about 40 - 50 cents/gal by the time we hit the road. (Good reason to plan your driving vacation late in the summer.) Photo shows $3.79/gal on July 25, 2008 at Speedway on Greenfield and Sunny Slope Road, that is about .50 cents lower than earlier highs this summer. 

Experience taught me to not fret too much about what would prices be by the end of summer? I would assure myself the price would come down later in the summer, and they did. Unfortunately, the lower price of August was usually .25 to .50 cents/gal higher than the year before! 

I checked my travel journal for some past August price examples*. You can see the prices increases nearly every year:  2003 - $1.59/gal, 2004 - $1.83 to $1.93/gal, 2005 - $2.53 to $3.47/gal (California' price), 2006 - $2.99 to $3.19/gal, 2007 - $2.85 - $3.09. Notice the prices in 2007 were cheaper than 2006, but that was the exception to the norm.

The AAA agent told me Monday, the price this summer is $1.19 higher (nationwide) than last year's gas prices. That is a higher jump from years past. Some other market forces are at work.

USA Today attributed the oil prices drop to fewer miles driven in, Cost at pump dips as demand, oil prices fall,

Drivers in the USA logged 9.6 billion fewer miles in May than in May 2007, the government reported Monday. It was the third-largest monthly drop in 66 years.

But to me, that alone cannot account for the downturn in oil prices. If you look at the graph to the left, you see that oil prices started declining more steadily around the time the President announced he was removing the moratorium on offshore drilling. I believe if the Congress would approve domestic drilling, we would see more declines. 

If you look at the chart from this 2nd article, US drivers Log 9.6 B fewer miles in May, you see that Americans have been driving significantly less all year. May did not even mark the largest downturn, March did. If the price of oil was so dependent on driving alone, March's decline should have triggered a crude oil price reduction, shouldn't it have?

The data released Monday show that Americans drove 29.8 billion fewer miles in the first five months of this year compared with the same period last year, a 2.4% drop. The dip continues a seven-month trend beginning in November. Americans have driven 40.5 billion fewer miles from November through May compared with the same period a year earlier.

I believe we must start drilling in America if we want to see oil prices really decline. (Domestic drilling would also keep  billions of US $ at home, but that is another subject!) We are on a hair trigger as it stands now, where any natural or man-made disaster could push prices up. 

Unrest in non-OPEC countries, such as Nigeria, could push prices higher. Militants in that country sabotaged two oil pipelines Monday, driving crude prices for September delivery up $1.47 a barrel. A major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico also could send oil prices higher.

"We could always have a spike to $150 a barrel," Smith says.

For right now, we can relax just a tiny bit and enjoy the typical price decrease of .40 to .50 cents/gallon in August. Too bad it is still .70 cents a gallon more ($1.19 nationwide) than last year!

*In 1979 gas prices were under 50 cents a gallon in the early summer! (Good thing.This was our 5 1/2 week, 8,000 mile Way Out West camping trip.)

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Links: 

Meet our kitchen dynamic duo: Silvia, on the left, and Rocky, on the right. They both make our day begin! (They were named by their manufacturer, Rancilio, not us. We do refer to them by name though.)

I have introduced them to many of my coffee drinking friends, and my duo have always left a very good impression.

We purchased Silvia, the espresso maker, from Wholelattelove 6 years ago to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary*.

It sells now for $595.00. That seems steep for a frugal gal like me, but when you consider the small Krups or Braun type machines are around $100 and they don't last or make a great cup, this price is not so bad. Plus, remember what my mother taught me: skimp on what doesn't matter so you can splurge on the important.

Same with the grinder. Rocky has replaceable burrs. We have had Rocky for 4 or 5 years (another anniversary gift to ourselves.) So far--so good. Again, the Braun grinder we got from Linen's and Things for around $80, did not hold up. Rocky sells now for $320. Since you can replace the grinding burrs, it potentially can be kept going for years.

Both are considered professional quality. I have found that when you use something a lot, it is best to buy very good quality tools. They perform better and produce a superior product.

Good coffee is a ritual in our household. We don't go out for coffee**, lattes, or espresso. Instead, we use really good coffee beans--Alterra--and make our own espresso at home. 

People think nothing of going out for a $3 specialty coffee every day for both a husband and wife, which adds up to $2,190 / year for one cup a day each. Even factoring in the grinder and espresso maker (total price divided by 6 yrs) along with the coffee (65# a year), doing it ourselves costs us $706 a year for many cups a day each!  We "save" $1,484 a year. Our home brew is still cheaper than just going out for one regular cup of coffee each at a Caribou or Starbuck's saving $681 a year.

The Rancilio company was very good about getting me a replacement gasket for Silvia. (That was the diagnosis from my trip to Alterra last year.) Rancilio ended up sending me a gasket for free. I call that good service!

Wholelattelove is a great place to look for coffee related items. They have lots of customer reviews to read, which can be helpful. (Mine are in there somewhere.) 

If you love good coffee--espresso in particular--consider doing it yourself. 

I am not affiliated with Rancilio or Alterra in any way. 

*We had originally purchased a Capresso fully automatic espresso maker to celebrate our 25th anniversary. It was fascinating and fun to use, but it produced a very inferior cup of espresso: not nearly hot enough, not strong enough, not enough crema. In addition, the water and bean chamber were very small as was the dump container. It was automatic, but it seemed it always wanted something.  That got returned and we did more research. Our son, the master of online product research, found the Rancilio company. It seemed to be just what we were looking for--a home version of a professional machine.

I will caution you though, you MUST use either RO or distilled water. Using Brookfield's hard water will ruin any espresso maker. Even the professional demineralizer coffee maker treatments can't eliminate the build up.

**I do go out for coffee with a friend from time to time, but this is purely for social reasons.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here just reached the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions.  

Links:

Before we breezed out of town last weekend, I purchased some Edy's Slow Churned Ice Cream in what formerly was the half gallon size and tossed it in the basement freezer. (I know ice cream has not been 1/2 gallon for years. It is actually 7 cups.)

While away, my husband spotted a USA Today article he thought was blog worthy: Shoppers beware: Products shrink but prices stay the same It was all about how manufacturers are making the packages smaller but charging the same price as the former full size:

"Downsizing is nothing but a sneaky price increase," says Edgar Dworsky, former Massachusetts assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division, now editor of Mouseprint.org, a consumer website. "I'm waiting to open a carton of eggs and see only 11."

The article showed Edgar Dworsky with a magnifying glass and some Breyers ice cream cartons in the new 1.5 quart size. If you aren't paying attention, it would be easy to mistake the 1 cup smaller packages for the former 1.75 quart sized cartons.

 "We did not in any way try to hide this," insists Tim Kahn, CEO of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, which also makes — and has shrunk — Edy's. "The package-size change couldn't be any more visible."

I didn't catch the Edy's reference at the time--hey, I was on vacation! But tonight when my men wanted some ice cream, I noticed the Edy's carton on the counter and said, "This is smaller than before, we got gypped like the article!"

I still paid the same price as the larger size but lost 1 cup of ice cream.

Sometimes manufacturers have the nerve to try to sell the idea of smaller sizes, spinning that it is for your convenience that the package is smaller because it is easier to carry!

Sure enough, my ice cream was the newer, smaller size. When I put it back in the kitchen freezer, I noticed that it fit in a place that wasn't tall enough before. Guess the smaller size was for my convenience. :)

Other products have shrunk too. Sugar is a good example. Sugar always came in 5 and 10 pound bags. Now you have to be careful. The name brand sugar often comes in 4 pound bags. Generic or store brand sugar usually comes in 5 pounders. (Aldi's sugar is 5 pounds for $1.79 if you were interested.)

Consumers just can't catch a break. We pay the same, if not more, for gas laced with ethanol for a 10% reduction in m.p.g., and now we pay the same price for a container that is 10% to 20% smaller than before!

Hmm, if only we could reduce the density at Percheron Square by 20%, but that is a subject for another day.

Links:

Today is Tuesday, and I must make my monthly pilgrimage to Alterra coffee at Mayfair Mall. (It is usually the only reason I venture over to Mayfair!)

In case you did not know, Tuesdays are double punch days at Alterrra Coffee. That means they give you 2 punches for every pound of coffee you purchase at Alterra Cafes. They also have a drink card if you purchase brewed coffee to drink there.

When you fill the card with 12 punches**, you can turn it in for a free pound. But that is not the end of the freebies. On the reverse side of the card, if you fill in your name, address and birthday, Alterra will send you a birthday greeting with a coupon for another free pound of coffee!*  Now, I call that a bargain.

Alterra is great coffee. It is a local company that roasts right here in Milwaukee. Photos are from their roasting operation on the East side at 2211 N. Prospect Ave. (It is fun to watch the roasting operation and it smells wonderful in there!) It is a Fair Trade company if that matters to you. I like supporting local companies, especially when their product is great!

The coffee I purchase at the actual Alterra stores at Mayfair Mall or on 92nd and North is REALLY FRESH. Much fresher that even the Alterra coffee from Sendiks or Pick 'n Save, I think because they go through it so fast at the cafes. 

Coffee is one area I am picky about. I would rather drink 1 cup of really good coffee than a pot of bad, cheap coffee. In fact, I do not drink regular coffee much at all; my husband and I switched to espresso 20 years ago. (Warning: Once you acquire a taste for espresso, all other coffee pales in comparison.)

Over the years we have tried many different coffees. We found Starbuck's beans
too burned tasting. Used to use Victor Allen's but they closed the Brookfield store long ago. Then we stumbled onto Alterra and have used only theirs for years. Sumatra is our favorite for espresso. 

The stores also offer a 25 cent discount if you bring in your own 1# Alterra bag to refill.

I purchase my coffee in the bulk 5# bag, which they offer an additional 10% off on.  This brings my total cost down to about $42 for 5#. Add to that the extra 2 punches for 1 additional pound to fill the card, and the card is then ready to turn in.

That comes to about $51 for 8# of coffee: $42 for bulk 5#, 1 more pound @ $8+ to fill the punch card, then 1 free pound when card is turned in, and 1 free birthday pound.

Really good coffee just became more affordable!

* Only one free pound per name. Because I buy so much coffee, one helpful Barista told me to fill in a name/birthday/address for each family member or even fill out with a coffee loving friend's name, birthday and address to send them a free pound.

**Unfortunately, their policy has changed on 5# bags. They are still discounted, but they only offer 5 punches regardless of which day you purchase. It is still really good coffee! 

(I am not affiliated with Alterra in any way.) 

Links:

I actually got my tomato plants into the soil yesterday! That is a record for me--usually I don't get them it until the first week in June. I am pleased with my accomplishment. :)

For the past few years I have planted Lemon Boy. They have a wonderful fruity flavor and are a pretty yellow color. They are not heirlooms, but I purchased 2 at a recent visit to Steins since they are a favorite. I also picked up a Sweet Cluster--a small 2" red type.

Last year I ventured into the heirloom varieties with Mr. Stripey. Those were fun. Huge striped red and yellow fruits with a great flavor. The photo is from last year's Mr. Stripey. You can see it was mostly yellow. The tag on this year's shows a primarily red tomato.

Since I liked Mr. Stripey so much, I purchased it again this year and ventured into a few more heirlooms. A gardening friend recommended I try Brandywine, so this year I picked one up.

Steins had a marvelous selection of heirlooms this year, and the plants looked very healthy. I think the price was 3/ $6.50. A few more heirloom varieties jumped into my cart:  Mortgage Lifter--a meaty red prolific tomato, said to have sold for $1.00 during the depression, Aunt Ruby's German Green--a large yellow and green striped tomato, Green Zebra--a small green and yellow tomato, and Cherokee Purple--an unusual mahogany and red colored tomato.

Sadly, tomatoes do not grow well in my vegetable garden. I must have some virus in there or something. Instead, I plant them on the southern exposure of my house in my perennial bed. The tomato plants love the heat that radiates from the foundation after dark. Granted they look a little odd in with the flowers, but hey, I am a tomato lover so they look good to me! 

No need to worry about having too many tomatoes. They freeze very well. All I do is wash them off, cut out the core, and throw into a freezer Zip-loc bag. Because the freezing action breaks down the structure of the fruit, they are wonderful in soup or spaghetti sauce  I am rather a peasant type cook, so I don't even peel them. You can rub off the peelings very easily when they thaw a bit before you put them into the soup pot, however. 

Can't wait for the first tomato and mayo sandwich!

I noticed in Brookfieldnow that Dixon Elementary School was including heirloom tomatoes in their fundraiser on Sat. May 17th, from 9AM to Noon. Price: $5.00/plant. Proceeds go to purchasing white boards for the school.

Links:

I just got back from a trip to the Elm Grove Sendik's. Wow, lots of tasty samples, good deals, and drawings for prizes.

Reason? It is Sendik's 82nd anniversary celebration. Food and drink samples will be served all weekend, I believe, at all Balistreri Sendik's stores. So if you are out and about, stop in--especially if you have children. (Kids always like samples.)

I filled out a two entries for their drawings while I was there--Brewer tickets, gift certificates, a TV, and even a $1,000 shopping spree are being given away.

My bargain of the day was a pound of very nice strawberries for $1.50. 

Growing up on the east side of Milwaukee, Sendik's was a household name. As kids, we loved to go in their stores and watch the fresh orange juice squeezer machine. I think it automatically cut the oranges in half, squeezed, discarded used halves, and started over again. It was a source of great fascination to most children in the neighborhood.

My grandfather came from Sicily and knew all the Italian shop keepers. He did all the grocery shopping and would often bring home interesting vegetables from Sendik's like fennel and artichokes. 

These days, I find I am going to Sendik's more and more. I'm afraid my usual grocery stomping ground, Pick 'n Save, is letting me down more and more. They are eliminating some of the more unusual products from their line, one being coconut oil. That has forced me to seek other shopping venues. I checked at Sendik's and sure enough, they had it.

Sendik's, although more expensive on some things, has great bargains on others. Their quality is very good, and I like the atmosphere of their stores. They also respond to requests for products. My favorite Cedar Crest ice cream is Coconut Joy. The old Sentry always carried it, but when the new Sendik's moved in, they did not. I asked at the customer service desk if they could order it, and they said yes. I like that kind of service.

Check out Sendik's bargain shelf in the produce department too. Often they have great deals there. I picked up a 3 pound bag of green beans for .99 and a bag of red and yellow peppers for $1.50. Can't beat that.

So Happy Anniversary Sendik's. May you have many more. Having you here evokes many happy childhood memories.

(I am not affiliated with Sendik's in any way) 

Links: Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier