Crayola's Customer Service

I've had many interactions with the customer service folks at Crayola, and each of them was very pleasant. Crayola really stands by their products and will refund you one hundred percent if anything goes wrong. I've had the tips of jumbo crayons snap off when falling from the table, markers that dried out while capped, and black markers that weren't truly black. Each time I called to voice my concern, Crayola was glad to send me reimbursement coupons so I can buy a new product in the store. And they were so happy to help. They wouldn't just send me a coupon in an envelope like any other company would do, but instead they sent me a colorful card with an apology and wish for "a colorful future"!

I decided payback was due so here's what I did. I recently found a slick deal for the Crayola Glow Station, which is a very unique and highly fun toy. The list price is $39.99 but I paid about $7 for it on Amazon once (as of today it's $14.99 there). Anyway, we pulled it out for the kids to play last night. By the way, the toy is exceptionally enjoyable for all ages over 4. I decided to make a video describing the various things you can do with the product, and here it is:

I figured I'll send this as an appreciation email to Crayola. I did, and later today I received a reply from them that read:

Thank you for sharing your video with us!  I am happy to learn that you enjoy using the Crayola(R) Glow Station On the Go.  Our company receives hundreds of letters and e-mails each week.  Most are inquiries for product information.  Few people take the time to write and share their thoughts and experiences with us.We appreciate your contact and are sending several complimentary cents-off Crayola product coupons.  You can expect to receive the mailing within 12 business days...

UPDATE: You've go to hear just how cool Crayola is! They did not send me "cents-off" coupons, oh no! They sent me a $10 off and $20 off coupon that I can use on any Crayola product!

Staples $15 off $15

There's a deal going now, as I write this. Load your Staples.com cart with at least $15.01 worth of products and then enter the coupon code 25172 which deducts $15 off your order! Then, choose the site to store shipping method so you don't need to pay anything. I've just completed three orders that included: Crayola color pencils, Pilot G2 pens, paper trimmer, and paper clips (as a slick filler). That's over $45 worth of stuff, for about $3. An awesome day.

Of mice and men - Two mice for two platforms

Here are my reviews of two mice: An Apple Magic Mouse for Macintosh and a Logitech M305 mouse for Windows. Both are wireless.

APPLE MAGIC MOUSE:

• The mouse is extremely sleek: while handling, you hardly feel as though you're even touching it! Smooth and shiny top and bottom for easy gliding.
• It only comes in a white color so all kinds of mouse gunk that normally attaches to mice with use will appear. But it's easy to wipe clean.
• The mouse takes a while (approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute) to pair with your computer. For the non-techies, pairing means that your computer realizes and acknowledges your mouse.
• Connectivity is perfect. It pairs automatically with any Mac with Bluetooth capabilities and requires no extra software or hardware.
• Scroll wheel (which works horizontally as well as vertically) and buttons are integrated within the mouse - which is touch sensitive.
• People who aren't accustomed to the Magic Mouse will find it confusing when they click anddifferent functions occur because of proximity of "buttons".

LOGITECH M305 MOUSE:

• This mouse is extremely small, and not everyone prefers that. Big-handed individuals might like something larger.
• Scroll wheel is smooth and scrolls in increments. 
• Sides are covered in rubber so the mouse stays firm in your handhold. It's also contoured so your palm leans downward, rather than flat across, which, I assume, is supposed to relieve the stress on your fingers.
• The mouse comes with a small (postage-stamp size) plastic piece that must go into a USB port to allow the mouse to pair.
• Pairs with computer extremely fast: within 3 seconds of powering up.

Google Chrome web browser

Pros:

• Faster than Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer.
• Address bar doubles as a Google search box so you can input websites or search terms.
• No extra buttons to distract or confuse you.
• You can decorate your borders and tabs with themes.
• Features "incognito tabs" that let you browse "off the record".
• Is available in a Mac version.

Cons:

• Not compatible with certain secure website features. 
• Updates automatically so you never know when to expect something new.
• Many add-on toolbars that work for FF and IE don't install in Chrome.

Bottom Line: For fast everyday browsing, Chrome is the best way to go. Of course you'll encounter some incompatibility while using certain websites, but IE also has its own share of weird compatibility problems. If you stumble upon a site where something loads improperly, you can always switch to another browser. Chrome is great because of its dual-purpose address bar. You can use it to type in a web address (like "swagbucks.com") or you can fill in search terms (such as "ways to earn money"). Try searching like that in IE or FF and you'll get strange errors.

Dafont.com for Free Downloadable Fonts

Pros:

• Tons of free fonts to choose from.
• No-hassle downloads.
• Allows you to preview your custom text with each font and font-size displayed.
• Neatly categorized by font style and advanced filtering options.
• Clear and user-friendly.

Cons:

• Can't search by font name if you don't know the category it belongs to.
• Not all fonts work well with Microsoft Office on Mac OS X (they work fine in Windows).

Bottom Line: Sometimes you're not content with Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia and Impact. And let's say you want a funky, handwritten font? Most websites that offer free downloadable fonts have a catch. They either let you choose from only a few preselected fonts, or they might ask you to first create an account and enter your credit card info. There are other sites that also offer totally free fronts; however, most don't have good searching and browsing options like Dafont.com does. It may be hard to remember the name of the site so bookmark it. 

Pilot G2 Gel Pens

Pros:

• Clean, undrippy ink that does not leave splatters and spots on your document.
• Comes in a variety of thicknesses (ultra-fine, fine, medium).
• The point retracts easily with one click. 
• Grip is sturdy and does not fly around as you write.
• Ink lasts a long time and does not dry out mid-way.

Cons:

• They cost approximately $2 a pen. 
• Shirt clip snaps off easily when chewed.
• Fine point pen writes thicker than average medium size point in a comparable brand.

Bottom Line: Stick with the ultra-fine (0.5mm) size since those are like most medium-thickness gel pens.The ink writes smoothly without skips and stains, but when writing on even slightly shiny surfaces, take care not to smudge. The ink does not dry that fast on glossy papers, but will dry extra-fast on regular matte papers. To save money, buy them in packs of two. Rubber grip may double as a teething ring for adults (while wisdom teeth emerge). Store upright whenever possible.