I got my Fitbit Charge HR in April 2015. I didn’t wear it every day – I’d say it was used 9 months of the past 18 months and I am not into any kind of extreme sports. It had never been submerged in water, stepped on or even dropped on the ground. When I went to use it most recently, I was taking the charger off and the black piece of plastic that goes around the back and the sides, and has the button on it broke off. It looked like the glue wore off or something and it would no longer hold the charger in place nor would it track steps anymore when I put it on. It was broken.

In talking with customer service, several (not good) things were revealed, which I will include verbatim here. Continue reading →

I’ll start by saying that I’m a registered Democrat and have been all of my voting life. I still lean Democrat in local and state elections in a very conservative Southern state, so I will remain that way because local politics is more important than many people realize.

However, at the Federal level, I have not been a Democrat since about 2009. Reading the news from places outside the mainstream media shed a light on the massive corruption in both parties with lobbying and campaign contributions. Citizens United lifted the floodgate on this already problematic issue.

I voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson in 2012, even though I voted for Obama in 2008. I felt the Democratic party had lost its way from the people of this great country. Gary Johnson is far from perfect and I am unsure if I will vote for him again, but it was the right choice for me 4 years ago.

Fast forward to 2015 and the media circus around Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was already in full swing. The presentation of Clinton as the de-facto next President was so ridiculous and un-democratic, I was turned off and vowed to not get sucked in this election cycle.  Continue reading →

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a serious, non-lifestyle themed post.

But after reading the news of Aldi’s foray into organic foods, the $3 billion/500 stores growth plan and the many ways in which they keep their items cheap, I felt the need to highlight what those rock-bottom prices actually cost us – lest we forget. We’ve got to remember that fundamental Economics 101 fact – “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  Continue reading →

I grew up with phrases like “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and “a diamond is forever” on TV, the radio, in magazines…pretty much everywhere. It was ingrained in me (and people everywhere) that a diamond ring is a requirement for entering into an engagement. I never gave it much thought until I started working in a jewelry store.

I learned about all types of natural and lab-created stones, and realized that many of these are more beautiful than the diamonds. Often, the diamonds were small with poor color and clarity – but with a hefty price tag. Stones like white sapphire, white topaz and moissanite often had more sparkle and shine, at a fraction of the price of a diamond. But, as just about everyone will tell you, a diamond is an investment.

As time went on and I moved to other jobs, the things I learned about stones stayed with me. I read an article awhile back from the Atlantic on the diamond industry and suddenly everything clicked. I knew I wasn’t going to get a diamond – and I tell you why in this article, as well as why moissanite was an obvious choice for us. It’s important to understand where your hard-earned dollars go. Continue reading →

Voting with your wallet is hard because there is such an illusion of choice that makes it difficult to know where your money is actually going. Now, I’m not a “know-it-all”…but I strive to continuously learn new things. One area I’ve learned a lot about over the past year and a half is my food – where it comes from, who owns it, what’s in it, and the larger biotech industry that’s changing it.

I often talk to my friends and family about how to change their habits to be more aware and how to influence change by voting with their wallets. I also constantly mention that we’ll never know everything – nor will we know it all once. We can’t compare ourselves to others, or judge ourselves too harshly for not eating completely organic or grabbing the (likely GMO) corn chips at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Continue reading →