Saturday Car Service Dilemma

Oh the joys of living in a small town. Of course if an automobile breaks down it inevitably does it on a Saturday where the options are seeminly limitless for service and repair. Oh, wait, I must be dreaming because here in our wonderful little town there is literally one place to go, Perfection Tire.

And what a place I have to say. I called nearly every service department in town before someone at Taylor Parker recommended I call Perfection Tire, which I did. They informed me that they were extremely busy, but that if they had an opening they would take a look.

To my surprise, they actually squeezed us in, were able to hook up to the computer on our car and diagnose it. Turns out it was a misfire and there wasn't anything wrong with the car. THEN they had the audacity to not even charge us for their time. How dare they! All they said was, bring it back next time you need a service.

We have decided that from now on Perfection Tire has earned our business. I wanted to share this story with you all so that if you ever had a Saturday morning (car) breakdown you know where to go.

If anyone else knows of anyone locally that has Saturday hours, please let me know so that we can keep everyone informed.

As always, thanks for reading!

Controversy or not?

Well folks, I have been reading the paper & listening to the radio and have noticed considerable talk out there about keeping your money here locally. Which I am ALL for as you know. The real debate centers around whether or not shopping at Walmart constitutes "local" and if its okay to buy certain things there for cost savings, in leiu of the recent dramatic increase in gas prices.

To put it simply, is shopping at Walmart acceptable for things like diapers that you know are the lowest prices in town? Am I an evil person if I go there for select things that maybe a local person doesn't carry because I know it is a lower price?

We're trying to figure out that delicate balance between staying local & also not breaking the bank. We have definitely determined that going to Coeur d'Alene is anything but smart due to gas prices. However, we stil go back and forth about the old big blue WM.

What are some of your thoughts on the issue? In general we go to Yokes, Safeway for groceries, and local places for everything else. Our friends typically go to Cd'A once a month and bring us back diapers from Costco (I know, shame on me) but they may not continue that tradition either.

You can get a lot of things in a lot of other places, which I am happy to do. But is it better to shop there than at Costco or is it still best to stay away?

Thanks for reading and debating.

Home Decor & Gardening

I was out and about recently in Ponderay, avoiding that place with the big blue W and that other one with the orange H & D and realized that there are some really fun places to shop out there. For one thing, Sandpoint Furniture has some amazingly beautiful furniture and decor, and priced well. They are, of course, locally owned.

I have also talked at length about the stores in the mall, many locally owned as well. I have to say that I haven't ventured too far north of Kootenai Cutoff, and, well, quite frankly I am ashamed of myself!

Did you know that Ponderay is home to one of the COOLEST (yes, I am a generation x-er) garden centers around? If you haven't been to Ponderay Garden Center yet, shame on you! I have to tell you, I was beyond impressed with their selection. I do have to give a quick disclaimer, they really are putting their efforts into their product selection & service, so they have a little work to do on curb appeal.

So don't think you won't find the help you need because they are still (a little) shabby from the road. Quite the contrary actually. You'll find a truly spectacular selection of plants, trees, pots, garden decor, gifts in the gift barn and more. They even carry, for the most part, organic stuff for your yard & garden. Plus, they will have people who KNOW what they are talking about who will be HAPPY to help you. Also, they are really kid-friendly and will be more so as spring arrives.

You can find them just north of Kootenai Cutoff on highway 95 past Sandpoint Building Supply.

I also wanted to mention the Galleria - discount home decor. They are next to the Wireless Works on the south side of the old K-Mart building. You HAVE to go in there if you need home decor. (she also carries purses, wallets, business card holders and other surprises).

The think I like about this store is that it is like a mini-Pier 1 with great prices. The tags all show a retail price and the price you'll actually pay (reminds me of Ross, Marshalls or TJ Maxx) but you are actually getting a GREAT deal for the money.

Also, this is a locally owned store. So if you, like me, are getting that spring fever feeling and need to redecorate and/or do some yard work, visit these new businesses (and I guarantee you'll save money and have a great experience!) and enjoy!

As always, thanks for reading!

World's Best Department Store

Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to go to the department store with your parents? Remember how they had just a little of everything you needed? You could find shoes, toys, outdoor gear and great gifts? There was always something new around the corner, plenty of things to see and places to hid from Mom & Dad.

I have really missed that feeling now that I am an adult. I rediscovered that experience yesterday at Larson's in downtown Sandpoint on First Avenue. What an amazing place! I should mention that I have been there before, but haven't really ventured upstairs or out of the women's and children's section. I go in there for kids things and their sales on women's stuff.

Luckily I was there with a friend who knows the owner who gave us the most delightful tour of the store. Totally unprompted but completely welcome. He was also such a wonderful host, laughing and giggling as he showed us all the little things you can find there that you really wouldn't expect. He says they carry a little bit of everything, and boy is he right.

I also need to mention that his prices are very reasonable, has great sales and you will find quality merchandise for a very fair price.

So if you are looking for that old-school, hometown department store experience, check out locally owned Larson's on First Avenue in Sandpoint. You won't be disappointed!

Portrait Studio in the Mall

Dear friends,

I have done a very bad thing, many, many, many times. I take my kiddos to Coeur d'Alene or (GASP!) Spokane Valley for their portraits. I couldn't find a studio in town where I could take them.

But guess what? There is a new studio in the Bonner Mall that has VERY reasonable introductory pricing for portrait packages. And think of what I will save on gas by going there instead of out of town? I am not sure what the name is, but when I was shopping there last week at the GNC (had no idea we had one here) I crusied the mall and saw the studio. It's on the left almost to Sears.

And my tummy rumbled something fierce when I saw the hot dog shop in there. You can buy all kinds of goodies, lunchy items that are kid friendly, chips, ice cream, refreshments! How delightful that there's a more convenient (and nonsmoking) dining facility right there in the mall.

If you haven't been to the mall lately, you should check it out. I was highly encouraged to find more typical mall-type stores (photo studio, food, frame shop) and mostly locally owned, then there ever have been since I have lived here.

If anyone out there has experienced the new photography studio, let me know how it went. I believe they will do all ages. Also, if you know of anyone else in town that I am not aware of with a studio where you can have portraits done, please let us all know.

In addition to not shopping at Walmart, I am constantly trying to find ways to avoid going to Coeur d'Alene or Spokane. Keeping our money in the local community is much more important to me now than it ever was before.

Thanks for reading!

Organized Activities for kids under 4

Dear friends,

I know its been awhile since I posted and I apologize. My job has gotten quite busy lately. My biggest frustration at the moment is completely un-Walmart related (though I am happy to report I still haven't been shopping there this year!)

I have 2 small children, one who is 4 and one who is 2. The four year old is interested in soccer or t-ball or really anything fun & organized that she can do after "school". I really want to get her involved in fun activities (even ART classes for pete's sake) but I can't take her during working hours. Evenings and weekends are all that I have available.

Can anyone out there tell me what she might be able to do? I looked up soccer, t-ball and art classes and it appears that she has to be 5 or 6 to do any of those things (at least what I could find). Just another reason why I start thinking that I don't think living here with little kids is a good idea!

Any ideas out there? It would be appreciated! Thanks for reading.

Let's talk about the Country Co-Op

Hello friends!

Today I'd like to talk about one of the finest one-stop shops in Bonner County. Long before Walmart ever put its smiley-blue footprint on our community, the Co-Op provided local residents with nearly everything they need in one location, including gas & propane!

Now if you have never been to the Co-Op, I highly recommend you make it on your list of things to do this weekend. Here are my top 10 reasons why you should visit the Co-Op:

10. You can get some groceries, horse tack and gas all at once.
9. Where else can you buy Wranglers and a blender (besides WM)?
8. No matter what animals you own, they have something to feed them!
7. Most days they pop popcorn (which keeps little hands busy while you shop).
6. If you need a filter for your heater and a gallon of milk, they've got both!
5. If you need gift ideas, they have a little of everything: from home decor to tool sets.
4. If you want to buy gardening stuff, you can get it all: rakes, seeds, spades, plants, pretty much everything except someone to do the work.
3. The adorable big red barn in the clothing department.
2. You can buy crocs there!
And the number one reason to visit the Co-Op: THEY ARE LOCALLY OWNED!

So folks, let's start a comment list of all the great things we've been able to find at the Co-Op. I'll start: They are the only place that we can get a random sized filter for our heating system and the only place we can get the right kind of salt for our water filtration system.

As always, thanks for reading!