Friday, August 11, 2023

West Edmonton mall/ Reuse Centre sells dvds/ Edmonton Heritage Festival

Oct. 6, 2021 West Edmonton mall: 

1. Kawaii Alley- sells anime products.  This opened in Jan. 2021 by T&T.

2. Bubble King- in T&T closed down.

4. The Skinny- they moved into where Bench was.  They sell women's and kid's clothes.

5. Szechuan- this fast food place closed down.

6. The McDonald's don't sell hot chocolate or mini donuts.


Jun. 25, 2022 West Edmonton Mall: I went there two days ago because it was my day off and it was raining outside.  I haven't attended the mall for a big shopping trip in a long time.

As I write about this trip, I felt like it gives me energy just writing about it.  I feel like I'm reliving it.


I took the bus early in the morning and went to the Staples at Unity Square.  I recycled 2 discmans and some pens.

I then went to the mall.

1. Urban Behavior

2, All Things- they sell food like hot sauce and candy, jewelry, home decor

3. GAP

4. Noize- they sell PETA approved vegan clothes and from recycled materials.  They opened 3 months ago.

5. Bath and Body Works

6. Dynamite

7. Garage

9. Levi's

10. Sage Natural Wellness

11. Fossil- they sell engraved jewelry, and bags.

12. Bluenotes

13. Pink

14. Victoria's Secret- I tried the perfume and fragrance mist

15. Build-a- Bear Workshop

16. Kawaii Alley- they moved to a bigger location with a lot more products like stuffed animals.  This is a Japanese gift shop.

17. Volcom

18. Forever 21- they closed down at the end of 2019.  I know they opened somewhere around 2021.  It's in the same location in the mall.  There's a F21 store in Kingsway mall that never closed down. 

19. Urban Outfitters- I read this astrology book of every birthday of the year.  I checked mine (Aug. 11) and it was like a forensic researcher or investigator.  That was very much like me.

I then checked my sister's birthday and the description of her personality like a secret romantic was like her.

I then checked my brother's birthday and the description of his personality was like a party animal which wasn't like him.

As I write this, I know this guy J who I used to work with at the 1st Restaurant job.  He has the same birthday as me.  He was Fillipinio and he was an athlete.  Our personalities weren't alike.

20. Oak + Fort- clothes, and dishware

21. International Clothiers- they're closing down.  I posted this on Facebook.  They sell men and women's clothing that are dressy and casual at low prices.

22. Urban Planet- this store closed down in WEM in like 2014.  They opened again around in 2017 or 2018 at a different location in the mall.

23. Zack and Finnigan- home decor, jewelry.  They opened 6 weeks ago.

24. Stokes- dishware and pillows.

25. Toyota Store- this is the first time I have seen a car dealership store at West Ed mall or really any mall.

26. Showcase- bath bombs, candles, snacks, candy, and bubble tea in cans

27. Imagine +

28. Claire's

29. Bentley

30. Suzy Shier- they had a Le Chateau section in the store.  I remember reading that Suzy Shier bought the company.

31. Kokomo- here's another Japanese gift shop. Home decor, jewelry.

32. The Dollar Store with More- they sold a lot of art supplies.   


33. Cleo

34. Warehouse 1 The Jean Store

35. Hallmark- they have Christmas items behind a curtain and they will open the curtains in July.

36. DeSerres- they sell art supplies, but also puzzles.

37. Miniso- this is a Japanese gift shop.  On the Internet, it's described as "Asian household goods store."

38. Peloton- they sell gym clothes with their exercise bikes.  They opened this store location this year.  They had a "micro store" which had the bike in a cage.

39. Seven80- they sell men's clothes.  However, I entered and they also sold small local business products like hot sauce, cotton candy, coffee, and crafts.

40. Ilahui- another Japanese gift shop.

41. Homestead Creations- I like looking at the home decor items and wallets.  They sold a lot of Elvis items, probably because a movie about him came out:

Elvis (2022) - IMDb

42. Sterling Gallery and Framing- I like to look at the art.

43. Beck Antiques and Jewelry- they sell crystals, books, tarot cards.  They even sell DVDs for $3.  They opened in Aug. 2021.

44. Rocky Mountain Soap Company

45. Hollister

46. Icebreaker

47. Anthropologie

48. The Skinny

49. Golden Mountain- this is by T&T.  They sell jewelry.  They also sold a leather bag that looks like a Chinese takeout box.

50. Yoyoso- a Japanese gift shop.

51. Whimsical Vintage Creations- they sold home decor, jewelry, and hot sauce.

52. Toys R' Us- they sell candy.

53. Starbucks- there was this sign that said they donate food to the food bank and other community organizations.

54. Catcher Teppanyaki and Tea- this opened in 2021.


I went to KFC and used this coupon of 2 flatbreads and shredded lettuce and Italian sauce with small fries for $5.  The flatbreads were small.  This would have been like a snack.

I also redeemed to get a free medium coffee at McDonald's.

I recycled a 2005 iPod that my mom gave me in 2018.  This was from her lost and found box.  I used it a few times.  I tried to recharge it and was plugged in for 12 hrs.  It only lasts some seconds.  I called the Apple tech guy and he said the battery doesn't work.  There is a low chance you can find a battery to work that can fit into this old iPod.

I recycled it at the Apple Store.

The stores that will be opening:

1. Shoppers Drug Mart- I like this store because I go there to buy chips and snacks and put them on my Shoppers Optimum card.

2. It's Sugar Store- sell candy.

3. Pop Eye's Louisiana


The restaurants closed down:

1. Bourbon St. Grill- this fast food place.

2. Paramount- they opened around in 2017.


Jun. 14, 2021 City Centre mall: 

1. Fat Burger- permanently closed.

2. Michael Hill-permanently closed.


Jul. 30, 2023: 

1. Glam Shoes- this store opened where Aldo was.

2. ILAHUI- this store opened earlier this year.  They sell stuffed animals, stationary.


Bonnie Doon Mall:

1. Coles book store- closed down.

2. Rain- clothing store closed down.


Downtown:

1. Care It restaurant- closed down. 



Jun. 26, 2022 Reuse Centre sells dvds: A few years ago, my friend Dan L. said he buys all these DVDs there for like 25 cents each.  If you're going to buy DVDs, go there.  However, I don't know if they still do.

You can buy old and used DVDs from garage sales, pawn shops, Amazon.ca or other websites.  

Streaming has a lot of TV and movies, but you can't get the other features like:

1. Behind- the- scenes making of the TV or movie.

2. The bloopers.  

You may be able to see this on Youtube.  I always go there to watch the bloopers.

You can't find the audio commentary of the TV or movie from the actors, writers, and producers on Youtube.


"The Reuse Centre currently offers reusable items to Edmonton residents free of charge. Individuals and businesses can also donate items to be reused by others."

https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/garbage_waste/reuse-centre


The other 2 blog posts:


"Trading up"/ "3 Thoughts on ... designing a hobby room"

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2020/07/interior-design-articles-trading.html


"The 16 Best Paid Survey Sites in Canada"/ LEO surveys

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2020/06/paid-surveys.html


Thurs. Aug. 10, 2023 "Shoppers upset over lack of cashiers as self-checkout use soars": Today I found this article by Sophia Harris on CBC:

VideoMining, a U.S. market research company, analyzed shoppers' checkout habits during 1.2 billion trips to more than 1,000 U.S. grocery stores in 2022. 

It found that self-checkout made up more than half (55 per cent) of all customer transactions, a big spike from 2017 when the machines accounted for about one third (36 per cent) of transactions. 

"For the first time we saw a majority of checkout happening at self-checkout," said VideoMining CEO Rajeev Sharma.

The study also found that self-checkouts made up almost half (48 per cent) of all registers in the stores. In its 2017 study, they accounted for only 34 per cent. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/self-checkout-cashiers-1.6931122

Store discounts aren't always programmed into self checkouts. I noticed that a couple times. Like when the weekly flyer has all these discounts, but when you buy the discounted items, later at home you check the bill and discover the self checkout didn't appy any of them.

  • Reply by Bill Harding.

    Maybe you should watch the screen when you are checking things out?


Sat. Aug. 5, 2023 "Chakra Meditation - Increasing Your Energy Flow": I went to this Meetup event for a free meditation.  It was good:

The term chakra refers to energy centres that interact with both the physical and energetic bodies. The seven chakras are thought of as the main energy points in your body, which run down the spine. By increasing the flow of energy in these energy centers in your body you can affect your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

This Chakra meditation will help bring the chakras into balance and increase the energy flow throughout the body and spirit.


https://www.meetup.com/training-in-power-calgary-energy-healing-and-meditation/events/294933019/?_xtd=gatlbWFpbF9jbGlja9oAJGIwNmE5YzZjLTBlN2MtNDIwMC1hZWExLTUzMDk1YTM2MzU3Yw%253D%253D&utm_campaign=rsvp-confirmation-social&_af=event&_af_eid=294933019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=join_rsvp_info


Great Meditation: I found this in 2020.  I like listening to these guided meditations of a woman talking in a soft, warm, calm, and gentle tone of voice.  Most of these are 10 minutes long.

https://www.youtube.com/@GreatMeditation

5 Minutes by Great Mediation: These are 5 minutes long.

https://www.youtube.com/@5minutesbygreatmeditation

I listen to one of these mediations like once a day.


Michelle's Sanctuary: These are sleep stories and mediations for grownups to help you fall asleep:


https://www.youtube.com/@MichellesSanctuary


Dry erase markers: Yesterday I posted on my blog about wanting this.  I went and found an old one in my home.


Sun. Aug. 6, 2023 Edmonton Heritage Festival: I went there today.  I haven't been there in years because they were at Hawrelak Park and that's really far away and hard to get to.  This year was at the Edmonton Expo Centre so it was easy to get to.  I took the bus and LRT to get there.  I got there by 12pm.  

Columbia: I went to Columbia station and tried 2 empanadas which I never had before.  It was $7.  It was average.

This was on Wikipedia:

An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern EuropeanLatin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish empanar (to bread, i.e., to coat with bread),[1][2] and translates as 'breaded', that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, tomato, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying.


Empanada - Wikipedia

Korea: I was eating and then I saw this hip- hop dancing performance.  Of course, I went closer and sat down and watched it because it's my favorite kind of dancing.  There was Korean music and some English.  I have never heard any of the songs before.


정국 (Jung Kook) 'Seven (feat. Latto)' Official MV: They were dancing to this song, and I had to look it up.  This music video is pretty interesting with the special effects.  Jung Kook is mainly chasing after this girl in outlandish situations.  She is riding the train, and Jung is hanging outside on the train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU9c0053UAU



Mexico: I watched a woman sing in Spanish and a man play guitar.

Romania: There was this Dracula inflatable.

There was Barbados, Ukraine, Turkish, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.  

They sold lots of jewelry, clothes, art, statues, crystals, etc.

I went to the Serbia station and ate an elephant ear with sugar and chocolate on it.  It costs $7.  This was filling.  I haven't ate one in years.  

I was looking around to try new food.  There were tacos and donairs, but I already those before.


Jumbo Dim Sum: My family and I went here to celebrate my birthday.  It was good.  We had the usual deep fried shrimp, peaches, lettuce and mayonnaise. 

https://www.jumbodimsum.ca/

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