Do you know what maypops are? When I was in middle school, everyone who was anyone wore Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. “Chucks,” we called them. Oh, there were a few more hoity toity types who had the new Adidas, but Chucks were the standard. I had bright green high-top Chucks, into which I put purple laces, laced upside-down so that they tied in a bow at the white rubber-tipped toe. Very feminine. Looked particularly fetching with my orange and purple polyester jumpsuit. But I digress. Kids who, for lack of funds, or lack of knowledge, or lack of parental cooperation, did not have Chucks, had “maypops.” And once everyone knew what maypops were, we shortened the label to “‘pops.”
“Ha, Davey, yo’ mama got you them red ‘pops!” We would say, as we pointed and laughed until Davey’s face matched his ‘pops. (We were ghetto when ghetto wasn’t cool.) Perhaps because Chucks weren’t all that expensive, i.e., most people could afford them, we didn’t consider the maypop teasing to be cruel. It was mostly an observation of the adolescent angst that occurs when your parents inflict their (lack of) fashion sense on you.
I have carried the maypop paradigm (I challenge you to find those two words together anywhere else) with me into adulthood. For instance, a few years back, Jif very generously, very thoughtfully, bought me four new tires for my hoopty (I’ve fallen into the wayback machine; please indulge me). When he came home and told me what he’d done, I was terribly excited. I began to try to guess what kind. The ones represented by the big white marshmallow man? The ones on which the cute babies hydroplaned down the highway (because so much is riding on your tires)? What? What?
None of the above.
“Real Deal Wheels,” he said. OK, I don’t remember the name. But the point was, I’d never heard of them.
“What? What are they, some kind of ‘slight irregulars’?”
“No. They were what the guy at Mr. Round Rubber Rollers recommended. Said they’re better than the marshmallow ones or the baby ones. And anyway, he didn’t have either of those kind.”
“Oh. So you said, ‘Hey, I want to get my wife some really good tires. How much for your marshies or your hyrdobabies?’ And he said, ‘Don’t have those; but I’ve got some POPS over here, how about some POPS?’”
“Pops?”
“Yes, POPS. You got me MAYPOP tires!” I was truly offended. I had to explain to Jif about maypops. I researched the Real Deals and discovered that, yes, they were kind of like Adidas, so I got over it. But still. I like that marshmallow tire guy.
A couple of weeks ago, just before LG’s graduation from gradeschool, I needed new camera batteries. Jif was going to the store, so I put them on the list. He came back with loads of batteries. But they were not brand names. I was ticked.
“What are these?!”
“Batteries. Two for one sale.”
“You ever heard of this kind? What’s it? ‘Smart Living.’ Hmph.”
“No, but they were two for one. They’re just batteries.”
“Just batteries? I’m going to use them to take pictures of just your only child’s only gradeschool graduation! You entrust that to ‘Simple Life’* batteries? MAYPOP batteries?” (*Yes, in that moment, I changed the name.)
“They’re fine. A battery is a battery.”
“Hmph.” And that was that. For then.
A few days later, Jif was off to the store to get the ice cream for LG’s pool party. “What brand do you want me to get? Edy’s? Ben and Jerry’s?”
“No, don’t get anything that expensive. They’re going to load it up with toppings and crap, so just get something good but basic.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, Breyer’s, Turkey Hill . . . . anything but Simple Life . . . ” I stifled my giggle while I waited for his response.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you intended to EAT the batteries.”
“What?! No, I’m just sayin’…” and I laaaaaaffed and laffed. And I think Jif smiled a bit, too, as he left to get the decent, brand name ice cream.
Fast forward about a week. We are sitting in a neighborhood restaurant for a quick dinner. LG asks her Dad if we have any batteries at home. “We have a lot of them. I just bought them. On sale.”
I can’t resist. “But LG, what do you need them for? We have maypop batteries.”
Jif explains, “Mommy doesn’t like that I didn’t buy brand name batteries.”
LG gets it right away. “No copper top? No bunny with a drum?”
“Not a single bunny,” I say.
“So what kind are they?” she asks.
“Simple Life . . . . Simpleton . . . something like that.”
Jif is looking persecuted, so I try to explain. “Look. I don’t care about brand names for most things. But some things, there are some things on which I will not compromise. They are . . . batteries . . . paper towels . . . and . . . there must be something else . . . oh, yea, macaroni and cheese. ALWAYS buy the brand names on these things, no matter how cheap the maypops are!”
Jif indicates that I am being ridiculous.
“Look, ” I say to him, “isn’t there something, something, that you always, always want the brand name of? Come on, there must be something . . . “
“No.”
“Come on . . . “
“OK. Those shoes that I like to wear to work. Rockports. I always try to find the Rockports.”
“Well, there you go! And you wouldn’t like it if I brought you home a pair of Simple Ports, now would you? Huh? You wouldn’t go around sportin’ the Simpleton Shoes! Would you?!”
Sigh. “No. I wouldn’t sport the Simpleton Shoes.”
Now, see? That’s all I’m saying.
***
Now tell me. What MUST you have brand names of? And do you have a word for maypops?
LOL. Although we call the little spare tires you’d get with new cars Dunlop Maypops. All the cars we had until like the 80′s had full size spares, then came those little things that you can’t drive full speed on.
Anyway, I grew up on store brands and generics, and I buy those simple batteries (*L*), although my husband will not eat anything but French’s mustard, heinz ketchup and hellmann’s mayo. I think maybe I had Ked’s when I was a kid, but that was many moons ago. We got the new shoes for first day of school and they were Buster Brown’s (remember those?) and we’d get patent leather (eeeekkk) little mary janes for Easter. That lasted til about 4th or 5th grade, when we didn’t have to wear dresses to school anymore. (pants weren’t allowed, even when it snowed). Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Here’s Buster Brown
He lives in a shoe
Here’s his dog, Tighe
He lives in there, too!
I remember them! AND I must have Hellman’s.
Thanks for being my first new house guest, Barb!
Toilet paper. I’m not even going to try to use some John Wayne toilet paper on my lady bits in the name of saving money. I’m a fuzzy bear toilet paper kinda gal.
Loving the new digs here.
I’d say my top name brands are Heinz, Angel Soft, Prego, and Nikon. Definitely Nikon.
I’m wondering, were the tires the Toyo brand?
Paper Towels, toilet paper, all canned food items. I don’t care what label my clothes and shoes are. But the above items will not do with a maypop.
John and I went through this with toilet tissue. He brought home the store brand. Why would you buy this? It was on sale . . .
I won’t use this sandpaper. I need the kind where the cartoon ladies spend their days quilting. Or the tissue the bears use in the woods? You want to use leaves?, John asked. No the bears on T.V. Remember when Mr. Whipple would tell all those women, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin” on TV? Well now they have bears. Alright then, next time I’ll buy the ladies quilting or the kind bears use.
Well you know I have to use more than you do? That fact alone gives me the full rights to decide.
Welcome to WordPress, Susie! The new place looks terrific. Very clean and fresh. I wiped my feet before I came in.
I had never heard of maypops until your post. Maybe it’s a regional thing?
I don’t mind store brands (I guess “generic” would be my “maypop”-related word, since that’s what my mom always called the store brands) on some things…in fact, I often seek out the store brands, especially in the pharmaceutical department – OTC meds, ointments, etc. – but, like you, I do have items I won’t compromise on. I’m very brand-loyal when it comes to laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, and – yes – batteries, to name a few.
Hey Susie. I’m just catching up around here. I’m praying for you and sending you warm thought everyday.
We used to call generic shoes “Bobos.” My husband called them “Flying Bobos” due to some story about some kid who was hit by a car and his bobos went flying.
I generally prefer namebrand things to generic but it’s not the end of the world if I have generic products. The products that must be name brand are batteries for a camera (remote control batteries can be generic), lotion, toothpaste, bread, soap, and that’s all I can think of.
My husband is like you when it comes to name brands. I bought generic rice crispies to make rice crispies treats and he thought I had gone crazy. I didn’t think it was a big deal though, until I tasted them. So add rice crispie treats to that list up there.
There are some products that are fine in the generic version. I like for my shoes to be specific name brands, as my back and legs complain otherwise. Birkenstock and Reebok work for me.
I like your new site, too. So far I’m still okay with Blogger.
Oh, I thought I knew what maypops were until I read your post. I never heard of that definition before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata
*wipes feet on mat, steps in the front door, takes off Croc flip flops – slightly intimidated by clean, shiny new place – and pets VBD (I think that’s his head…)*
I do believe Jif and the Cap’n are definitely cousins. When I pined for a iPod, he bought me a perfectly serviceable MP3 player, brand never heard of, from Walmart. Only $15.00.
Comet – I always have to use Comet. It was good enough for my mom, it’s good enough for me. And I’m with you on the batteries!
Welcome to WP! You’re going to like it here.
Brand names, let’s see . . . toilet paper, paper towels, and Tide to name a few. Also, peanut butter (Jif–I’m a choosy mutha too). Oh, and Cap’n Crunch. But the Wegmans brand is just fine for pretty much any other kind of cereal.
Clothing-wise, I really don’t care.
Nice place you have here!
Re name brands: I’ve been a single, full-time student for the last 7 1/2 years, so I’ve gotten VERY friendly with Wal-Mart products (their cookies ROCK). I do like the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts better than the Great Value ones, however! Off-brand chocolate can be scary too–there’s not much cocoa in those things. I’d rather have one square of excellent chocolate than a whole bag of those crappy chocolate easter eggs.
There is a remedy for cheap, rough toilet paper that works (at least just before you go to bed at night): First, you smear cold cream all over your face and then you carefully wipe it off with the rough toilet paper. Then you use that paper to wipe your butt! It feels better than Charmin, I guar-ohn-tee!
Wow, nice place!
Gotta watch those maypop batteries. I used two of them last xmas.. they came with a sweet little prelit table top xmas tree..I figured what the hey…after 2 uses of a couple hours tops, they got too pooped to party any longer and even yacked inside their box…maypop corrosion ruined the chance for my brand name batteries to make my tree shine again….rendering my lil tree useless, and my table acid stained. *sigh* Someone mentioned TP…no mapop TP! or paper towels…as well as hygiene stuff…toothpaste, soap,etc. Most everything else I can go either way on.
Oh you’re soooo cute! Here you are in your name-brand blog!! Things that may NOT be maypop: cereal (must be real Frosted Mini Wheats); cheddar cheese (always get Tillamook!); laundry detergent (All — hypoallergenic); toothpaste (Crest, of course); underwear (what, like I’m gonna tell the innernets which ones?!?!); and hairspray (Systeme Biolage). There are probably others, but that’s all I can recall at the moment.
I like the new pad. Thanks for inviting me.
I have to admit that I am totally not addicted to brand names. I’ve been broke for too much of my life for that and I’ve worked in a grocery store so I know how generic brands are manufactured by the expensive brands most of the time. But there are a few things. I bought store brand whole wheat pasta the other day. EW! I’ll pay more for my fave brand name now. Also for those reusable plastic containers. After wrestling with lids for 20 minutes only to have them pop off in the freezer I will only buy brand name for that too. But I’d buy good brand name tires for my car and when I am a wealthy old broad I plan on buying a few really awesome fancy things like a Cartier Stainless Steel tank watch. Not because Cartier floats my boat name-wise but because I love the little details – the winding pin has a sapphire set in it. Sexy. Also a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes with the red soles. I love the thought of walking down the street in those heels with the scarlet flashing.
TOILET PAPER! I cannot bring myself to use single ply, scratchy, no-brand toilet paper. I.JUST.CAN’T.DO.IT!
Clothing/ purses/shoes, I really don’t care about brands. I used to, but that was back when Mommy & Daddy were footing the bill and I…..er *they* could afford to buy the trendy names for me.
Oh and laundry stuff. I only buy name brand laundry stuff…oh wait and cleaning products.
Most everything else, I don’t care if it’s generic.
But my “lady bits” as Kat calls them, and my cleaning OCD deserve name brands exclusively!
YOU MOVED ON ME! Sheesh.
I *need* the name brands of LOTS of things… growing up “on the cheap” meant I wore “Touche” jeans, rather than Vanderbilt or Sasoon.
Toilet paper
make up
Mrs. Buttersworth Syrup
Cereal
Coca-Cola
Usually chocolate
Sometimes, though… I can deal with skimping on ice cream and going generic. I’m in heaven, though, when I can have Edy’s or Ben and Jerry’s or Hagendaaz.
Our “Maypops” are “generic”.
Hey you! Lovely new place you’ve got here.
Hmmm… we don’t really have a ‘maypops’ word other than generic but brands I am totally loyal to are for toilet paper (Andrex – and not just because of the puppies!), Hellman’s mayonnaise and that’s about it. You made me think, actually, because until very recently the list would have been a lot longer with cleaning products but I’m trying really, really hard to be more environmentally aware so have been using stuff up and switching to eco safe brands but switch between branded and generic on those depending on what’s cheaper.
kat, I switched to brand-name scratchy tp years ago, because of fragrance, dyes, etc., that were not supposed to be good. Oh, that would be Scott that I switched to. But they just made it softer.
umutha, the tires were Uniroyal. Funny about the camera brands. My all-time favorite 35mm was a Minolta, so that’s what I bought instead of the Nikon. Cameras are like cars, I think, with the long-term loyalty.
nina, Jif is not known to be particularly cost-conscious, generally. So it always boggles my mind when he does something crazy like that because something’s on sale. And then he wants credit for making a good buy. NO! And you make an excellent point about women using the tp twice as much. All tp decisions should be made by women.
ladybug, I forgot laundry detergent. I use Tide like my mom did. Does. I am SURE I will be asking for help with this wordpress bidniss.
JOMAMA!, hi, it’s so good to see you. Thank you for your prayers. I had forgotten about bobos, but yea, that came after maypops, I think.
squirl, I didn’t know about the plant/flower until I went looking to see if there were a maypop shoe definition somewhere. Truth be told, I like blogger better, mostly because I know it better. It wasn’t for technical reasons that I moved. More emotional, spiritual reasons. Bad mojo, if you will.
htgt, Crocs! LG had to have that brand. I kinda like them, too, but I don’t have any yet. Are the flip flops really comfy? I could see me wearing them more than the clogs. Jif would so do something like that with the MP3 player. And then did you feel like an inferior human for being ungrateful? I would.
shawkey, I buy Jif, too. You like Cap’n Crunch? That’s our official vacation cereal. We only buy it on vacation. The rest of the year, we do less-sugary cereals.
katy, your tp trick cracked me up
And you remind me of something I just discovered: The CVS brand of “Divine” chocolate chip cookies are excellent, and like, $1.75. That’s one sale product that Jif bought that was actually a good one.
elizabeth, see, that’s the kind of thing I was afraid would happen. Damned maypop batteries!
eclectic, I don’t buy store brand cheese, but I’m not loyal to any particular brand. I might buy Cabot’s now, since seeing it all over Vermont. I don’t think we have that Tilly kind here.
kranki, those are excellent examples. I’d love to see you in those red-soled shoes. In fact, I decided today that I really need some red shoes. Not the soles, so much, but some really red shoes. Don’t have any right now.
soozieq, I like the brand name cleaning products, too, even though I think sometimes we’re being ripped off. Mr. Clean, Pledge, Lysol . . . I was raised on them.
ck, it’s not like you came home from school and I was gone! I TOLD you where I went. You reminded me of the one thing I’d rather go thirsty than go generic on: Coke.
platy, I haven’t started trying to clean up my cleaning products yet, to be more eco-friendly. Just was thinking about that this week. I think we all have to do that, now.
paper products (for cleaning, not writing
)
soft drinks
most ice cream
chocolate
coffee
diapers and wipes
and oh yes, batteries!
most food however i only buy name brand if there is no generic available. canned, frozen, fresh…it seems to only matter with my serious indulgences (see above)…
nice place you got here!
Great new look! Very clean and breezy!
I’m not much of a generic person. There’s a few OTC items I might do generic, but that’s about all.
I’ll never switch from Skippy peanut butter. Don’t try to make me!
No generic colas, either. Diet Coke is it. Diet Pepsi will do in a pinch, but no generic colas. Flavored generic sodas sometimes are ok.
Heinz ketchup. Definitely.
Maypop is an interesting word. Never heard of it, but may find a use for it. I like the way it sounds.
Welcome to your new home, Susie!
I’m a brand snob.
I like the new digs…I guess Blogger is the Pops of the blog world.
We called maypops “Bobo’s” I wore them until I could afford the chucks.
Diet Pepsi and Bacardi Rum.
There’s only one thing I can think of that hasn’t been mentioned by someone else. Imagine how hard it was to explain to my wonderful, self-sacrificing, runnin-to-the-store-when-I-don’t-wanna husband that you just can’t skimp on tampons!
TP – only Cottonelle for this gal!
Oh, and thank you for leaving a link to your new site – it’s pretty!
Otilia beat me to it! Bless a man that will run to the store when you’re crampy and bloated, but you can put those store brand tampons out for the birds ‘cuz they just don’t do the trick!
Store brand dishwasher tabs don’t even dissolve, Dawn really does take grease out of your way and Curad are the bandages you’ll find stuck on me because they actually stick and stay there.
Welcome to your new place! Here’s a scented candle for you. I warn you, it’s a maypop!
I must have name brand dish and laundry detergent.
Nice new digs!!
I always buy brand-name cat food. And not just any brand-name cat food, either, but a particular brand-name cat food that my vet recommends. It’s funny because, for us, I’ll buy generic stuff. But the cats must have only the best! It’s pathetic.
Although, I did recently buy maypop dish detergent and it sucks, so I won’t make that mistake again.
Nice little cottage you’ve got here!
Now, about the maypops… I really don’t know what that would be for me, unless it is the plain paper tins of stuff in the supermarket that are called “No Frills.”
Brands I must have: Hellman’s mayonnaise, Oscar Mayer bacon, Angelsoft loo roll (I think that’s the name). For the rest, hey, it just has to be a color I like, ha-ha.
A great post! No time now to read so many comments!
Name brands for me:
SAS Shoes from San Antonio, Texas
Not only do my feet appreciate such comfort, they are made in the USA.
Eats include, but not limited to:
Miracle Whip salad dressing
Musselman’s applesauce
Cholula hot sauce (we carry our own to breakfast to put on our omelettes)
DOVE dark chocolate (although I can be persuaded with Ghiradelli)
Heinz ketchup (I also voted for John Kerry and his Mrs)
Eggland’s Best eggs
Potty Paper has Angel in the title, but I like whatever the janitor orders at church. If I didn’t have to buy a huge case from a supply house (no storeroom space) I would get whatever that is
I wrote about laundry detergent awhile back, now using the second jug of TIDE HE Fragrance Free in my front-load washer
You are sure gonna put some spambots on notice with these comments rolling in
Gotta go, time to turn the chicken breasts and stir the pasta!
susie – yes, the Crocs flip flops are the MOST comfortable flip flops I ever spent money on. I’m having a little love affair with them. It will be very hard to give them up when I return to work next week. And, yes! I did feel like a total poopoohead for my ingratitude about his gift! P.S. I have never heard the term “maypop” before today.
Love the new diggs – Oddly enough I am checking out the free wordpress blog too for all the same reasons you mention. Not sure yet.
Must have:
Tide
Pantene
LLBean
Ken’s (as in salad dressing)
Laura Mercier (as in over priced makeup)
Dansko (as in shoes)
OK, Susie, I followed you here. Now I’ll change all of the URL references so I don’t lose you!
xox
dc
Gotta have soft toilet paper!
I only knew about maypops growing on bushes in Monroe, Virginia when I was a kid. We used to throw them on the ground and pop them.
Hope your new “home” brings fresh vibes!
Ok, even a cheapskate like me will admit that everyone has a few things that they must have the name brand for, but I think cheap is sexy. My husband is a big tightwad just like me (we don’t inflict it on the children much) and I think it actually… is it possible that this makes him more attractive? Yes, I think it is…
You’ll like this one Susie. I am SO cheap that I am cheap consciously AND unconsciously. I finally have proof that it’s not just skin deep. I am cheap all the way to the bone. And the cartilage. When I woke up with the horrible arthritis flare last week, every joint in my body was killing me. Except for my neck. My neck was fine. I think it’s bizarre that my health insurance company has a rider on my neck. My neck HAS to be okay — because it’s not covered!!!! Even my body and unconscious mind are cheap.
Like the new digs. Couldn’t stand Blogger anymore, huh? Can you let us all know how it goes with moving all of your posts. Maybe after a while you could give us the pros and cons of the move?
pat, you sure you don’t want Jif? Maypops is fun to say. So is bobos.
mrtl, thanks! I wonder if it’s hard to be a brand snob in Alaska. Can you get all the brands?
william, honey, you are the BOBO KING in my book; and I mean that as a high compliment. I’m talking about one flashing shoe. Can’t beat it.
jeannie, sounds like you’re all set for the evening
otilia, welcome, I don’t know if we’ve met. And yes, absolutely. Maypop tampons would be frightening.
cindy, thank you for coming over
queenmommy911, my brain works the way yours does. Ads really do stick with me. If I know the slogan or song, I think the product is better.
ern, I just gave a maypop candle as a gift at the house where we stayed on vacation. But we did leave some real deal beer. Thanks, the candle smells good
kalki, thanks, it’s just the basic wordpress starter home. We should all live as well as your cats
mrsDoF, mmm, Dove. I didn’t even think about attracting spam. So far, so good.
DaNa, I just gave you a new name. You have the right to refuse it
Not that I think you ARE a poopoohead. It’s just that I have more experience than I’d like to admit, at being a baby because Jif didn’t get just the right thing. There’s the angel and the devil on the shoulders, you know?
smoochdog, I like some overpriced makeup and skin care stuff, too. A minor addiction there. Even though I wear very little makeup, I still feel compelled to buy it.
ssnick, thank you! I feel quite happy to see so many people here already. So it wasn’t the fancy house y’all were coming to see, apparently
dang, my sweet dang. How much do I love you for showing up here today? I was JUST talking about you to Jif the other day, wondering where and how you are. You could let me know, you know. xxoxox
do confide
barb, fresh vibes would be most welcome.
lynn, that’s too funny.
It’s more that I couldn’t stand my blog anymore. I’ll let you know how this goes. I have to get with some of my wordpress experts, here, and learn the ropes.
First…nice digs girlie. Second, there is a button thingy around here that will transfer all your old posts here with just a click or two. And thirdly, I don’t have any brand name dealios that I can think of right now but I do wear Fakenstocks…you know, the Birkenstock wannabees??? My daughter, however, loves Chucks…although she and her friends just call ‘em Converse! Jus’ sayin’…
Ah… see? I *knew* there was a reason I was in love with you. It’s Coca-Cola. Always. The Real Thing.
Testing one, two, three… Probando un, dos, tres…
Susie: ignore if this goes through. I am just testing to see if this gets caught again in the spam filter.
Love the new digs – especially the header. I liked that little hedgehog!!
Brand names – hm. Always Energizer batteries. Quaker oatmeal and corn meal; Karo corn syrup. Crisco vegetable oil and solid shortening – can’t use anything else. I prefer Calumet baking powder, Morton salt and Arm & Hammer baking soda. I’m now convinced I have to use Cheer or Tide – I don’t like the bargain/store soaps as well, even though I’m now working my way through the last of whatever it was I bought – and I don’t buy bargain bleach.
I buy that come in tall sizes, regardless of brand, because they have to fit, and I buy whatever shoes come in my size as well. I do have a thing for Coach purses, but I have bought the last three on eBay, so it’s not like I’m paying $200/bag….
(Yes, I’m a purse whore….)
When I string them all together like that, it sounds like I’m a marketer’s dream come true, but I really don’t buy “brands” for the sake of buying brands…….. I just know the names of the stuff I like.
I think I have gotten to the point in life that I avoid “name brands” unless I’ve had a bad experience with the off-brands. These days $30.00 Wal-Mart shoes are as OK as the $300.00 ones I once bought.
` I agree about the batteries. Even more, I must get Energizer rechargables – the non-rechargeable ones suck but the rechargeable versions last about ten times longer. Seriously!
`…Ironically, I don’t ever get Jif precisely because I’m choosy; it’s all partially hydrogenated stuff. I get any peanut butter that’s ONLY made out of peanuts; I’m not such a sissy that I refuse to stir it when it’s new.
` N E Way… it’s good to know what a maypop is now! Especially good because I’m… let’s just say… ghetto-fab.
Just came by to say hello.
Nice place you have here!
Hi Susie,
The new joint looks great! I’m kind of in the same boat as Sharkey–go figure. Must have Jif, Tide, Kraft Mac & Cheese. I bought store brand frozen veggies for a while, just to save some money. I started to think that I didn’t like vegetables as much as I used to. Then I bought Green Giant again for some reason, and then realized that the cheapy kind was the problem. Won’t do that again. For cereal, I buy the bag kind–almost as good as real. Name brand clothes have never been a huge thing for me. All my clothes come from Target and Kohl’s these days.
Wow…lots of people like their name brands!! TP is a big one, too.
Clorox Wipes. I have to have them, the off brand ones just cannot do the job. Same goes with diapers, (Huggies!) and baby wipes and gotta have my Tide.
I’m OK with generic shampoo, soap, dishwashing detergent…saline solution. There was an article in the latest Reader’s Digest on what to splurge on and what not to…it said don’t splurge on mascara but definitely on eyeshadow. Who knew?
Never heard of maypops…but we just call them ‘no-namers’
Never heard ‘em called “maypops” before. I shall use it always!
I also didn’t realize what a brand snob I am about some things until you brought it up. MUST have brand-name:
French’s and Gulden’s mustard
Miracle Whip (don’t worry, I also keep good mayo on hand)
Silk soy milk
Duracell batteries
Doc Johnson vibrators
…and then more Duracell batteries
Tostitos tortilla chips
BetterMade pretzels
Vernor’s incredibly orgasmic ginger ale
Coca-Cola
Rice-a-Roni (the San Francisco Treat) (oooh, or is that still a sore subject?)
Purina One cat food
KRAFT mac n’ cheese
Liquitex acrylic paint
I’m sure there are more. Don’t really care where the clothes come from, but I’m definitely picky picky picky about the food.
traci, I’ll have to find that button. And tell your girl all good shoes need nicknames. “Cons,” at least.
ck, have a Coke and a smile.
ortizzle, I think you’re good, now
cheryl, yes, only Quaker oats, and only Crisco shortening. Although, curiously, with that, it can go bad in my pantry before I ever open it; I’m not a shortening cook, for the most part, but I still think no home should be without it.
ssnick, I can’t imagine $300 shoes. I like to feel like I have “good,” shoes, but that doesn’t have to do with price, for the most part.
SEEQ, ghetto-fab, and peanut butter purist. Got it.
joyce, hi! Thanks for coming by
CB, I agree, the name brand frozen veggies do taste better. Probably like you, I dressed well before I had a kid. Then my kid started wearing clothes from the “better” stores, and I started wearing any old thing.
jana, definitely babywipes. Maypop baby wipes are very bad news.
bucky, you addressed something I was wondering about (not the DJ vibrators, I’m still wondering about that, I’ll have to google it) — people with particular avocations, do they need brand name supplies, tools, etc. So you need a special paint. Question answered.
Oh, Bucky, look what I learned, right there on Amazon:
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I’ll have to renege on the Musselman’s applesauce.
For years, they were the last holdout on having plain ol’ apples and ascorbic acid in their jars.
Just yesterday, when I was shopping, I happened to need applesauce, and having this post fresh in my mind, I read the list of ingredients on several name brands.
Musselman’s has gone and put high fructose corn syrup into the applesauce.
I had to go over to the organic foods aisle and get what appears to be fine applesauce without any additional sweeteners.
Paid 50c more for the same size jar so they could not include something.
I can hardly wait until our local orchard has ripe apples so I can make my own applesauce for the freezer.
I’ll make a bunch more containers than I did last year, so I won’t run into this problem again.
Wow, great discussion. I’m a little late in wishing you well in your new digs, I see, but I am in agreement with people about most things. Cleaning products must be brand name. Cereal. Ketchup. Tea.
I got burned recently with batteries, though. I said to myself, “We use so many, I’ll just get this big pack of yellow ones”. See, I thought they’d be okay because the Memorex ones were okay. (But Memorex is still a brand-name, just not one of the biggies.) When I used them, I was convinced my camera was broken. Turned out to be bad batteries.
I learned my lesson! No generic batteries for me.
Mountain High Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt. The only way to go.
I’m a brand snob about the tortillas I buy… but I can’t remember the brand….. You can imagine the joy this gives my hubby when he’s at the grocery store, on the cell phone, going, “What…. what kind? What? Green package?” and the store owner walks by, laughs, and grabs the brand SHE KNOWS I LIKE and puts it in his cart. True Story.
And, yes, I confess I buy the Costco brand toilet paper…. I might have to start signing my party invites with BYOTP….
Just learned by having dinner with a friend that the absolutely best butter is Land O’Lakes. I took a bite and said, “Wow, what is this delicious butter!?” She and her husband swore that he can tell if she substitues another brand of butter. I believe it. It was THAT good!!!!