Sitting in the Lap(top) of Luxury

This is a sponsored review of the Acer Chromebook from Staples; as a matter of fact, I'm typing on it right now, partly because I'm excited to tell you about the sleek laptop that has my husband all drooly with jealousy, but also because I'm on a train (I know, I didn't know they still did trains either) with no internet connection and no other entertainment besides the adorable little girl across the aisle who keeps informing her mom that WE'RE NOT ON THE TRACKS! She's also out of Cheetos, in case you were wondering, and I can't help but laugh because the mom keeps getting blamed for eating them all (if she's like me, she probably did).

My apologies to the person behind me,
who seemed puzzled about why I kept getting in odd positions
to take this photo. Although really, you should probably
consider just minding your own business, Train Person.

Anyway, I'm super grateful for the Chromebook's entertainment value, and that Staples' lightning quick shipping got it to me before I left in this trip, and that I'm not trying to type with my thumbs on my phone, and that I get to use this crisp 11.6" screen, and that it's nice and lightweight. However, as pleasant as this is, I can't help but notice that no one is bringing me (or the poor mom across the aisle, who's probably thirsty after eating all those Cheetos) a beer from the concessions car - though that can hardly be blamed on the Chromebook.

I am, as I write this, on my way to BlogHer'13, where I intend to learn a lot about writing and drink my weight in cocktails (NOT REALLY). But I will be taking notes and yukking it up on social media and staying in touch with those suckers - ahem, I mean my family - back home using this nifty new gadget, and I'll tell you all about it on the Chromebook because yes, you can blog on this sucker, too. It's all going to happen in Real Time, though you'll just have to trust me on that since you'll be reading it all at once later.

Thursday, 12:02 PM - Writing interrupted by arrival in Chicago - popping the Chromebook into my bag, and I'm off!

Thursday, 5:45 PM - Stopped by the room to get beautiful (read: brush my teeth) before dinner. Thankfully this laptop wakes up the very split second you open it, giving me time to check email and type this!

Friday, 10:28 AM - Waiting for my first session to start at the conference, still feeling shy. Glad that I brought the Chromebook so I can hide behind it while pretending to be Super Busy and Important.

Friday, 2:00 PM - Second session of the day and just made a new friend (which is news to her, as she watches me type this as a demonstration of how cool the Chromebook keyboard is). Sorry, new BBF, you're stuck with me sitting next to you - no turning back now!

Friday, 5:23 PM - Just being productive again before my book signing (shameless plug). Note: "being productive" is secret code for "goofing off on Facebook."

Saturday, 9:00 AM - Early to an appointment at the expo hall. Thanks to this little gizmo, I can use these few minutes to write instead of hiding in the bathroom (not that I would do that) (yes I would).

Saturday, 3:46 PM - Last session is wrapping up, and I can actually read my notes because they're typed and my hand didn't get all cramped up from scribbling as fast as I could all weekend!

Saturday, 8:23 PM - Got to say hi to the family on the Chromebook with the HD webcam via Google Hangouts! Downside - it's hard to convince husband we're going to crash in the hotel room early when he can clearly see I'm dressed to go out and party.

Sunday, 1:12 PM - It's over already?!? Oh well, I learned a lot, and now I can be productive on my new laptop while my husband drives me home (please note definition of "being productive" above).

So there you have it, proof that the Acer Chromebook from Staples is handy dandy, in real life. Be sure to pick up a case for it like I did, too - not that the Chromebook isn't sturdy, but because OH MY GOSH, SO CUTE! Plus, if you're clumsy like me, you can't be too careful.

This post was sponsored by Staples - all opinions, social awkwardness, and sudden cravings for Cheetos are my own.

The Shopping Solution

It's no secret, folks - I don't like shopping.

Don't get me wrong, I loooove buying stuff.  But to get to a place that sells Things, I have to load kids into the car, fight traffic, refrain from smacking the children (within view of strangers) when they whine and beg for stuff they don't need, stand in lines, cram the entire family into the germ-infested public restroom when somebody has an Emergency...  Not fun.

Why don't you just shop online, lazybones,  you could suggest with impunity, since I can't hear you or see you roll your eyes about my first world problems.

Because shopping online can be just as annoying.  I could easily waste a whole day searching the innerwebs, comparing prices and shipping and in-stockedness, and still not end up finding what I want.  And let's not pretend like my kids can't whine and beg for stuff just because I'm on the computer all day - they know what Amazon.com is for.

It's overwhelming and time consuming, and I am - above all else - a woman with precious little patience.

Then there's the flip side of shopping - purging.  I can't keep hauling new stuff into the house without getting rid of the old stuff, or else the team from Hoarders: Buried Alive  will be here with a camera crew, and the next thing you know I'll be standing on the porch in my housecoat screaming for them to stay away from all my precious, precious treasures.

Nobody wants that.

But garage sales aren't my cup of tea.  Once I decide I don't want something, the last thing I'm interested in is putting a price sticker on it and spending quality time with it under the hot sun on my front lawn for an entire Saturday afternoon.

Also, no thank you to eBay with their fees and limited auctions, and to Craigslist with the random strangers and creepy creepiness.

Enter my new BFF, Ubokia.

Ubokia is a marketplace for lazy people - I mean, people with excellent time management skills.

You can list stuff for sale, and they find people who want it!  You can also browse the Wants, and see if there's anybody looking for the stuff you're selling - that means you don't have to wait around for people to see the junk you're trying to unload, you can immediately connect with people who are looking for what you have.

And speaking of Wants, you can list some wants of your own - no more searching for the stuff you want to buy, because the sellers come to you!

It's super versatile.  You can use it to:

• List the job/apartment/car you're looking for.
• Ask if anyone has a vacation rental available next week in Key West (I wish).
• Find a math tutor for your kid.
• Say you'd like to borrow a wheelbarrow on Tuesday afternoon next week.
• Offer babysitting services.
• Make some money on the clothes your kids have outgrown.
• Announce that you'd love some tickets to the Big Game.
• Swap recipes.

As for creepity creeps, you have no worries. They have a fancy system for confirming that people are who they say they are (they call it uTrust) which makes it the safest way to buy online, so you don't have to be concerned that you're dealing with a feeble old granny who turns out to be a beefy gun-toting crazypants. Things are much more pleasant that way.

As if all this isn't enough awesomeness, I'm hosting a Ubokia marketplace right here at HTV!

Click me!

You can shop and sell, all from the safety of the bosom of my blog (though I promise no actual bosom will be visible). You'll have access to the whole Ubokia network, but you can also opt to only deal within groups that you're comfortable in. You could even start your own uGroup - a kids' clothing swap in your neighborhood, a marketplace just for the people who work at your company, or a list of Wants for the teachers at your kid's school, maybe? Groups help you find like-minded people, people near where you live, or people with the same interests, making it easier to find what you want from folks you trust.

Get in there and check it out - you won't be sorry.

I was compensated for this post - can you believe it?  All opinions expressed are my own.
Come back and list your heart's desire any time - just click the Ubokia button on the left sidebar!
If you need practice clicking, might I suggest honing your click skills on the Top Mommy Blogs button below?