Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

Hey, It's Okay....



....to be bummed that Gymboree is closing all its stores. I wrote about why I think it's happening here.



....to have not done a lot during the long weekend. I basically read and told the cats to stay off the table.



....to be searching for The Most Stuf Oreos. I checked Walmart without luck. I'll check HEB soon. Everyone else is easily finding them in stores.



....to really be enjoyed the show The Orville. (It airs on Fox Thursday nights after Gotham, which I also watch.)



.....to love the Potion Purple stuff at Disney! I can't get to the parks until June, so I bought mine at Shop Disney.

Inlinkz Link Party

Why Did Gymboree Declare Bankruptcy?

Once upon a time, I used to be a frequent shopper at Gymboree.

The clothes were adorable. They were known to be "matchy matchy." There would be matching hats, tights, hair pieces, purses, and shoes. I ate this up. So did many other parents. 

People would ask how I could spend the money on overpriced clothes, but if you shopped the sales, the clothes weren't much more than ones found at Walmart. Also, there were usually always coupons stuffed in magazines, so that helped too. The quality was there.

The employees began to know who I was. There was one, Dorothy, who would greet me by name.

I would re-sell the clothes so I could buy new outfits. Sometimes. There were some that I still have to this day. I'm not sure why I'm holding onto them. I'm done having kids. Maybe for future grandkids? Or maybe because we had a lot of wonderful memories in Gymboree.

Some years ago I began to notice the quality was going downhill. I mean, I get it, companies want to save money so they try to come up with ways to do this. But I find when this happens, customers stop shopping. 

Yes, part of the reason why I didn't shop there was much was because my daughter was getting older, but it was mostly because the quality was going and the sales seemed to be diminishing. There used to be a Red Balloon Sale, where clothes from past lines would be out and incredibly cheap. I would load up here. Where did all the sales go? 

I noticed the Gymboree lines that came out weren't as appealing. The styles seemed off. In the past there were lines that I would grab up. (And they all had fun names. Cupcake Cutie. Petite Mademoiselle. Cozy Owl.)

So why did Gymboree declare bankruptcy? Well, they didn't listen to their customers. I know there is more to a business than I'll ever know, but they missed the mark by giving up the quality of their clothes. They also started going modern, and modern can be boring. I was part of various Gymboree groups, and mothers LOVED the "matchy matchy" aspects of the lines. When that went away, what was the point? When Gymboree started to look like regular clothes, there was no reason to shop there anymore. 

It's probably too late now, but if Gymboree were to bring back old lines, they'd make a killing, I can almost guarantee it. If they brought back the quality, people would return. 

My daughter can still fit into Gymboree, and I found the clothes she picked to be age-appropriate. But I would have not purchased it if she were younger. I would want the whimsical looks and the matching hats. I would want the purses and the shoes. 

I'm sorry Gymboree will be gone. I'm sorry they didn't listen to their customers who were the ones scooping up the clothes years ago. 

But maybe other stores will take it as a lesson. Don't take the easy route. Modern doesn't always mean stylish. Most parents want to dress their kids as...well KIDS. Not as mini teenagers. Matching knee socks will always be a hit. 

At least we'll always have memories of the Gymboree we loved. 

And I am grateful for that. 

Duck Donuts In San Antonio, Texas Review

I know some people have made resolutions to eat better.

I have not, because I know myself. I like food. And it's not always healthy.

Duck Donuts is a magical place where you can watch donuts being prepared. I'm usually watching with my mouth pressed up against the glass.

I'm kidding.

I watch, and I keep the drool to myself.

My family tried it for the first time when we were visiting North Carolina and were instantly hooked. Then we found out that there was one opening in Texas.

Now, the thing about Duck Donuts is that it's usually in a small building. There isn't much room to sit, but it's okay with me, since we take ours home. If I cannot wait to eat one, well, I gobble a donut in the car, because when you get them, they are warm, and who doesn't love a warm donut with icing dripping off it?


The menu explains their options, and you can also look at one of these.

There's usually specials as well. For the winter, it's toffee crunch.

Our favorites are the Flip Flop, Beach Ball, and French Toast. My husband likes the lemon frosting with powdered sugar. We always get a dozen. We have NOT tried the donut sundaes yet, but I need to. You can have ice cream AND donuts.

Yes, they do a military discount at the one in Texas. They also did a military discount in North Carolina. So ask at your local Duck Donuts.

For a limited time, you can also get hot chocolate:

After you order, as I mentioned before, you can watch the workers prepare the donuts.

I really want to just stick my face in the vat of frosting, but I always remind myself that I'm a grown adult, and such thoughts aren't appropriate.

After the order is prepared, they'll call your number, you can look the box over to make sure everything looks good, and then you can proceed to stuff your face. Do not suddenly shout "YUM" when the worker shows you the donuts because you WILL startle them. I won't say if I learned this from personal experience. (Sorry about that again, Ben..)

As I mentioned before, the place is small, so there's only one table inside. There are a few outside, so I recommend taking the donuts to go. But if you get lucky and score the one table inside, there is complimentary water out. The Duck Donuts in Texas is super clean with polite workers who tolerate grown women drooling all over the place.


And yes, you can buy merchandise if you want to share you love of Duck Donuts to the world.

Ducks, for example, because duh. Plus hoodies, tumblers, and t-shirts.

So, have you ever eaten at a Duck Donuts before?

Check out Duck Donuts at the following:

their webpage

Instagram

Facebook