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You know, I know I shouldn't complain. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers spent the better part of their day doing laundry. It is a much easier job these days with all of our steam washers and front load super speedy dryers.

Honestly, it's not "doing" the laundry that irks me... it's the sorting, folding and putting away. It never seems to get done! Making the kids put away their laundry used to just send me into a fit because they'd take all my hard work of sorting and folding, then dump their newly folded clothes on the their beds, wad them into drawers or just leave them on the floor to be kicked over. ARGHHH!!!

I'm a much nicer, happier person since I've discovered the wash and fold laundry. Who knew such a magical service existed?? Why didn't anyone tell me about it before?

My significant other introduced me to this wondrous service. As I was tearfully battling the clothes monster in the boys' room, he quietly came in with a couple of large trashbags and took all of the piles of clothes away. The next day he returned with clear bags that were curiously squared off... full of freshly washed and folded clothes!

Here's the deal: in my area, the magical laundry that we use charges $.85 a pound for laundry. We make each kid keep their laundry in a separate hamper, and we take it in each in separate bags. That means each person's clothes get washed and sorted (even the SOCKS!! OMG, yes, they match up the socks...) and returned to them in one wonderous bag that can easily be put away. They even put the hanging stuff on hangers for us; it goes straight into the closet.

Typically, each kid's laundry is running between $15-$30 per month with the adult laundry running about $28-$35. We find ourselves taking laundry about every 3 weeks on average.

Is it the cheapest way to do laundry? Nope. Not even close. But the hours and frustration saved not to mention the serenity I get from not seeing piles of laundry around the house in various stages of wash/unwash is priceless.

Try it out! Find a wash and fold laundry in your area and give them a test.


Once upon a time, I'd spend hours looking at prescription glasses frames, suffer over what to get and in the end, I'd buy the simplest, plainest frames there were because a) they were expensive and b) I had to wear them every day with everything and I didn't want to get something "out there" that would look odd when I wanted to dress up or dress down.

Kids are even worse! They go through glasses as if they were disposable- breaking them, losing them and generally costing a fortune to replace, but what can you do? They have to have them.

So, if you wear glasses, you can imagine my joy (and skepticism) to find Zenni Optical, a Hong Kong-based company that sells prescription glasses for as little as $8! And yes, they really mean $8.

I just purchased the 3 pair of glasses you see above... 2 of them were $8 and one of them (the blue ones) were $9.95. I paid $4.95 to get a dark grey tint on the zebra glasses and now I have super fun prescription sunglasses for just $12.95.

Would I have bought these styles at $89 or even $39? Nope. I would have picked out something safe and boring. But when you can get 5-6 pair of glasses for the price of one pair of "discount" glasses locally, why not go a little crazy?

I have rainbow frames, tortoiseshell frames, blue metal frames, even pink frames. My current favorites are a pair of green stripey plastic frames with dark green lenses; I've probably ordered 12-14 pair of glasses from Zenni in the past two years.

The Bad

OK, you are getting supercheap glasses. They don't come fast- it might take 3 weeks to arrive or it might take 3 months. They do eventually show up, but don't order from them thinking you'll have them next week. I did have one order take nearly 3 months... order some fun glasses then forget about it until they arrive.

Customer service? Not so much. They do have a phone number you can call to check on your order, but don't expect a lot of hand holding or warm fuzzies. If you need personal attention, get your glasses locally.

Upcharges... if you have a complicated prescription or more sophisticated needs than a single-vision prescription, it's going to cost a little more. It's still a much better price than you are probably used to, but it won't be $8.

The Fun

Go a little crazy. Order some animal print frames or something with sparkling crystals embedded in it. Try a color you love but wouldn't even think of buying in traditional glasses. Get the kids a few pair so that you are ready for any tragedy that might befall their current glasses!

Zenni Optical


Got a skateboarder at your house? I do! We'll definitely be checking out the new skate park soon. The following is the official announcement of the skate park's opening.

"Construction of the new Owens Field Skatepark in Rosewood is near completion and will officially open one month ahead of schedule at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 6th. The skatepark, located at 1351 Jim Hamilton Blvd, will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open skating for the skaters who have been patiently waiting to utilize their new skatepark.

Wally Hollyday Design, a California-based general contractor specializing in the design and construction of custom concrete skateparks, was able to create a one-of a kind custom concrete skatepark for the city of Columbia; the first of its kind in the Palmetto State.

The skate park features 14,500 square-feet of usable concrete surface incorporating innovative requirements for skateboarders to include ramps, bowls, half bowls, stairs, ledges, and inclined rails. The skatepark is set to become one of the premiere skateparks in South Carolina – becoming a valuable asset for Columbia and its skaters.

“A big misconception that we face is that many skaters believe the skatepark is complete,” said Damon McDuffie, Parks Planner Manager. “Owens Field Skatepark is still a worksite under the responsibility of the general contractor until the site has been thoroughly inspected and a checklist is complete.”

After the checklist is complete, the construction site will be turned over to the City of Columbia. Signs have been ordered to post park rules and regulations as required.

For more information, contact the Department of Parks and Recreation at 803.545.3100."