Oh where, oh where could it be?

Sorry about all the off key singing. I get inspired and lose track of what I’m doing.

I came across tech bargains today and just had a little fun wandering around. As a geek, even a geek on a tight budget, looking at all the fun tech toys out there is fun. Even if I do sometimes just about whimper from wanting things I can’t have.

Techbargains has a lot to offer, including a newsletter that tells you about each week’s best deals, deal alerts that you can customize to your interests, and RSS feeds for those who just don’t want to mess around with waiting for email.

The site allows you to search for the lowest price on products. I clicked on a link for the Fuji FinePix F480 Black Digital Camera and it came up with several different stores offering it, with prices ranging from $135.99 - $180.70.

Of course, by the time you add in shipping, lowest price may not be lowest overall expense, but this gives you a great point to start off.

Sometimes the site doesn’t read so well, but if you’re looking for the best deal that may not matter as much as other times. Getting a good price comparison can save you quite a bit when you’re shopping.

These are just cute! Soap that look like goldfish in a plastic bag, like you bring home from the pet store.

Actually, I can see one problem… getting the kids’ hope up. I know my daughter wants a pet fish, and this could fool her for at least a few seconds.

Then again, as party favors for a kids’ birthday party it could be a great way to scare your fellow parents. Just picture the kids coming running up to their parents waving the bag around. “Mommy, look what I got!”

Definitely something for the evil sense of humor, there.

Technorati Tags: soap, party favors

Eep. No, it is not too soon to start thinking about Christmas. After all, it’s almost Halloween. Get with the program.

As a general geek, there are some things I find nearly irresistable when it comes to Christmas shopping. Some things would have general appeal, while others are strictly for geeks.

The 15″ Gigantor Digital Photo Frame, for example. I would think a lot of people would enjoy being better able to display their photos. 15″ may be a little large for some purposes, but there are smaller digital photo frames available.

I couls also picture myself enjoying a Palmsize R/C Helicopter, making it zoom around and driving people nuts. Size matters at times, and smaller can be better… or at least more annoying when you fly it around the house or office.

These Bi-Color LED Blow On-Off Candles I really adore. A really cool idea for candles. Blow on, blow off. Potentially romantic, yet geeky, yet no worries about fire.

The Soldius 1 Solar Charger appeals to the greener geek in me. I don’t have much that would need one, but given my habit of forgetting to charge my cell phone, it could be really, really useful. Unfortunately, my cell phone isn’t on the list, so I’d have to check the specifications pretty carefully.

I bought one of the Fuze Necklaces for my sister for her birthday. She loves it.

I like the Flying Alarm Clock, but not for its usual use. Oh no. I’d much rather try to sneak it into someone room and have it set for just a minute or two before their regular alarm clock goes off. Is that wrong of me?

Then there’s my more practical side, which says that if you’re going to use a laptop and an Internet hot spot, you need a good firewall. The Yoggie Gatekeeper Pro meets that notion nicely. It’s a hardware firewall that connects to the laptop but doesn’t need to be plugged into the wall.

That’s the trouble with sites like ThinkGeek.com. I can shop at them all day. It’s much, much worse than heading out to the mall.

Technorati Tags: geek, geek gadgets, thinkgeek, christmas, christmas gift ideas

I often wish that my husband and I were more into entertaining. It has a lot to do with the good dishes my sister-in-law insisted we HAD to register for that rarely get used. So far it’s just when the kids want to do a fancy dinner. Holidays are always at someone else’s home.

To make matters worse, we saw a huge set of fine china at an antique shop for less than was spent on the 6 place settings we received of our pattern. It was hard to resist the temtation to sell them so we could buy the complete set, but we felt that wasn’t a kind thing to do to the people who had bought from our registry.

Now I’m looking at the serveware on the Villeroy & Boch website, and oh is it nice! I clicked over to the classic section, and there’s this beautiful set called Wildberries that I really like. As the name implies, it’s a berry pattern, very simple and not excessively accented. And I’m trying very hard to not think more than necessary about their current 20% off deal that ends October 31.

The Aureus pattern has some beautiful flowers, but I never like more than a little gold patterning when I see it in person, at least for my own use. It’s still very nicely done when I look at it more closely.

One of these years I’m just going to have to insist that my husband and I host for Thanksgiving (not a chance we could get Christmas, just the way things work in our families), and actually get to use our good dishes. Beautiful dishes just add a little something to a special family dinner, and with more family moving away of late it is actually approaching where it would not be impossible for us to get enough dishes to manage it, especially since I would love to have a collection where each place setting matches, but each place has a different pattern. I just like that look.

Elegant isn’t something most people get to do very often anymore, but I do enjoy it every once in a while.

I’ve always been a bit of a science and technology geek. Just how I am.

I used to love having The Discovery Channel Store in the mall. So much fun wandering the various gadgets and science toys. But they’re gone now, for several months. I gather they decided to stick with just selling online.

The Discovery Channel Store website is certainly a lot of fun. Lots of really great toys and videos. There’s a rainbow generator, for example, that I bet my daughter would love.

But I’ll keep missing the mall stores. They were just so much fun to wander!

Technorati Tags: discovery channel store

Yes, it really is almost October. Really is time to get serious about your Halloween costume, if you’re going to wear one.

I have a standard set of Renaissance Faire garb I usually wear for Halloween. It’s quick and easy, but one of these years I really ought to switch things up. You know, buy a new Halloween costume. After all, I have to work up something new for my kids each year.

My daughter is old enough to have definite plans. She’s thinking Rapunzel this year, as she still loves the dressup outfit I got for her as a Christmas present last year. She’s also just considering going as the color pink (her favorite, of course). It’s a costume I call a pigment of the imagination.

No idea what I’m dressing my son up as. He hasn’t expressed an opinion on any of the things I’ve suggested, but he really doesn’t understand what Halloween is yet.

I do love to shop online for Halloween costumes. So much of a better selection than the stores have, and no fussing through the selection trying to find the right size, hoping it’s not sold out yet. You just generally have better odds online.

So… what are you dressing up as?

Technorati Tags: halloween, halloween costumes