Branded for life...

As I've intimated several times before, I can be quite the creature of habit.  I tend to know exactly what I am looking for, search long and hard to find said thing, and then am as loyal as loyal can be once I actually get my hands on what I am hankering for.

There are just certain things that I have a certain affinity for, that I won't soon do without.  I suspect all people have certain quirkisms such as these, probably some with more fervor than others, but I can tell you that I have some things that as long as I can afford them and they are available, I won't soon be living without.  Sometimes things come and go, and occasionally, although hard to believe, sometimes, although it seems more rarely,  you actually stumble upon something even better than what you've been accustomed to--talk about a score!  Love when that happens.

Take something as simple as toilet paper.  Yes as embarrassing as it might be, I am a loyal fan of super thick and strong charmin ultra.  There's just something about that cushy softness that I just can't live without.  I'm thankful that I do not have a septic tank, as some of my friends do, or I'd have to sadly part with this friend called Charmin that I've grown so fond of over the years.  I can't fathom how some folks can even tolerate some of those other brands that are so thin, you wonder how it can even do its job!

Sometimes though, as I've found recently when trying to replace my favorite lipstick, manufacturers decide that a product that you know and love is no longer good enough for whatever reason and pull it off of the shelves.  This makes me so sad, as this particular item was just perfect the way it was. I'm a middle aged lady for god's sake, I don't REALLY want lip gloss anymore!! (which I guess is the trend these days). I waste so much time, money and effort trying to find other products to replace them that it gets incredibly frustrating.  After several fruitless attempts at trying to find my old tried and true favorite--bad color, didn't feel smooth, didn't last long--I relied on good old amazon to fill the bill.  Even though I'm sure it's old product, I spent over $10 bucks including shipping to purchase my favorite lipstick in hopes that it'll do until I find another suitable replacement.  Was it worth over ten bucks?  Who knows, but it sure made me pretty damn happy that I'm getting it delivered to my doorstep in a couple of days.

Any of you out there remember the neat sheet?  Loved that product too.  I thought it was such a great idea--a lightweight blanket which was sand/water resistant with weights built in that was made of a disposable fabric, but it could also be washed and reused, pretty often actually.  It was inexpensive, served it's purpose, but costs such relatively little money, that you weren't so concerned if it were damaged, stained beyond salvage or left behind, because you could always purchase another one.  That is until they stopped selling them.  Had I known that they would have been discontinued, I would have stockpiled a bunch of them before they were no longer available.  Even my friend Amazon was unable to help--I did find them eventually there, but at a steep $40 price tag. Even though I loved them,  finally finding it took away the main reason that they were awesome--that they were inexpensive.

There are countless times that this kind of thing happens.  My favorite moisturizer of 15 some odd years met the same demise as my lipstick of late.  It's funny how you come to be so used to a product, you can't imagine not having it, until you can't get it any more.

Costco is another one of those places that I find this happens with some regularity.  I am a very loyal shopper there and come to rely on some of the products they offer and one day--poof!--they no longer have it.  One recent example, they used to have an awesome brand of frozen meatballs (that actually tasted home made!) that they offered.  My son loved them, but they decided instead to come up with their own version, which, in my opinion, is far inferior.  They add some kind of smoke flavoring that makes them taste like they are grilled--seriously people, who do you know that grills their meatballs?  Get with the program!  I still get them sometimes because my kid doesn't complain about them and eats meatballs nearly every day, but yuk, I don't like them. Give me the old ones back!

So I guess that's just one of the drawbacks of capitalism.  Companies are always trying to get you to buy more stuff.  Better, more improved stuff.  And most likely, more expensive stuff.  Which I guess is the bottom line--to make more money. So enjoy what you can for as long as you can, because you just never know if you'll never be able to get your hands on it again...let's hope not!

Barb Welsh has lived in Herndon for about 12 years and has two sons aged 9 and 11. She is a member of the Herndon Patch Mom's Council and regularly blogs at www.obsessmuch.com.