Small Business Saturday November 30, 2013

Hello Friends and Happy Shop Small Saturday

Black Friday has come and gone so today we celebrate and support small businesses and all that they do for their communities. Please join the SBA and organizations across the country in supporting them by shopping at a small business in your city or town.

On Main and Broad Streets in Middletown there are some great small businesses that feature unique and affordable gifts for everyone on your holiday list.

Decor by Moore’s located on 500 North Broad Street recently celebrated their First Year Anniversary, and if you mention DeDivahDeals you’ll receive an additional 10% off your entire purchase until December 31st. “Stop in and Be Amazed” at their wonderful and unique gift items including “Diva” ornaments, personalized wine glasses, animal print boxes, lighted pictures and handcrafted cabinetry.

Decor by Moore’s is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9-6, Wednesday and Friday, 9-8, Saturday 9-7 and Sunday 11-3.

Purple Sage Herbs & Gifts located on 41 West Main Street has more than 100 apothecary style teas and you’re sure to find something to soothe your soul or remedy anything that ails you. Now and until the end of the year they are featuring new holiday teas as well as the new Holiday Troll Beads.

If during this busy holiday season you are seeking stress relief or a little relaxation, make sure to stop in for personalized service and a cup of hot tea. Purple Sage Herbs & Teas is open Monday through Friday, 11-7, Saturday 10-4 or Sunday 11-4.

A high end fashion boutique with warm friendly customer service can be found at Femme Fatale Boutique on 25 West Main Street.

Femme Fatale Boutique is currently featuring the “Black Friday Limited Edition Pandora Bead”, Alex & Ani and the Brighton collection.

Free gift wrapping and personal shopping assistance is available for the men who love the women in their lives but don’t know what to buy them!

New in stock are the Brazilian Butt Lifting Jeans, guaranteed to fit sizes 2-20. These jeans stretch but don’t sag and are available in assorted colors.

Holiday hours are Monday through Friday, 10-7, Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-3.

The Gibby or Gilbert W. Perry, Jr., Center for the Arts is a cultural staple in downtown Middletown featuring works by local artists. Their Small Works Perfect Gift Shoppe is currently showcasing unique handmade jewelry, clothing, photography, ornaments and home decor.

Free parking across the street at the Municipal lot makes it convenient to shop Thursday and Friday 12-7 and Saturday 10-5.

A unique gift boutique specializing in jewelry and craft design can be found at Jewelapalooza. A recent transplant from Galena, Maryland, Jewelapalooza is located on 104 West Main Street and is featuring a Santa’s Workshop where kids can create homemade gifts that will be cherished for years to come.

Jewelapolooza specializes in Jewelry Making Parties as well as after school camps and workshops for the little ones in town.

Melissa & Doug Toys and Chamilia & Kameleon jewelry is prominently displayed throughout the boutique. Other unique boutique items include women’s shoes, dresses, sweaters, purses and totes.

I don’t know about you, but shopping makes me hungry so take a break and stop in at the mother and daughter owned bakery, Half Baked Patisserie located at 13 W. Main Street.

Make sure you get their signature Half Baked Cupcake which is made with chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie dough center, topped with brown sugar frosting and sprinkled with chocolate chips….yes, it is AWESOME!!!

Vegan cakes, muffins, custom cakes and catering is also available during their daily Holidays hours of 10-4.

As you head out of town after a long day of shopping make sure to drive down to 725 North Broad to the Middletown Square Shopping Center and check out the newly opened Middletown African Market.

This Market features authentic African and Caribbean food items, Kente Cloth, clothing, videos, health and beauty products as well as kitchen items. This long-needed ethnic market sells wholesale and retail fresh, canned, packaged and frozen foods. African spices, sauces and seasonings that is guaranteed to jazz up your holiday meals. The Middletown African Market is open Monday through Saturday 9-7.

Swinging after shopping was the best part of their day!

Why not catch a show at The Everett Theatre?

Where ever you decide to shop today, I hope it will be an enjoyable Shop Small Saturday.

Rest up tomorrow because next is Cyber Monday!

17 Comments

Nikon CoolPix P520 Camera August 6, 2013

Hello Friends and Happy Tuesday

Inspired by some awesome photos I’ve seen taken by you guys I decided to upgrade my camera from a Canon PowerShot SX150 to a Nikon CoolPix. Not that a camera will make me a better photographer, it will however, (I hope) make my photos pop with less of a need to rely on editing software.

My husband recommended that I go to Cameras etc and take a look at their selection of used cameras of which was extensive, but I was more interested in the Nikon Coolpix P100 on sale that I had seen in the newspaper.

Armed with the advertisement I drove into Newark, to Main Street on the campus of the University of Delaware and fed 4 quarters into the parking meter. Entering the store I was immediately greeted by Imaging Consultant Todd. I explained what I wanted, showed him the ad and stated that I had “Liked” them on Facebook hoping for a discount.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have the advertised model in stock but Todd did show me a higher priced model the P520, but before you scream, “bait and switch”, he didn’t try to push me into purchasing it. He called their Wilmington store and asked to have one shipped for arrival the next day.

Todd explained all the features on the P520 and how it compared to the P100 so that I would be familiar and comfortable before making the purchase. He also took time to show me some used Nikon cameras in the same price range but after I took the camera outside, snapped a few pictures I decided then to buy it.

The time and patience that Todd spent in explaining all the features was awesome, I even had to feed two additional quarters into the meter, I see why they have been a successful business since 1977.

This camera is an early birthday present to myself and I am looking forward to using it this weekend as we celebrate our 23rd Wedding Anniversary and at the BLMGirls event in DC on the 31st.

Thank you friends for your inspiration and thank you Todd for your patience!

Share your thoughts

Swahili Kitchen July 26, 2013

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

Is your palate stuck in a rut…do you find yourself always ordering the same foods…pizza, cheese steaks or Chinese takeout? Do you want something different while supporting a new local business, then I suggest you try Swahili Kitchen on Main Street in Middletown.

Swahili Kitchen specializes in East African cuisine, specifically recipes from Tanzania, and although the menu is new it’s actually the second part of Manhattan Bagel, also owned by Rishen Patel and his wife Heeral.

The concept of adding a different offering in an already thriving breakfast business was a great idea, Rishen stated that after 2 p.m. no one was coming in to buy bagels so he decided to offer his native foods. In Middletown you can find every type of food except African style which is what motivated the Patels to open Swahili Kitchen.

On Sunday, hubby and I stopped in and decided to try the chicken and beef items from the promotional menu, which also included Pork Kebabs, but you know we don’t eat pork. If you like mildly spicy foods you will definitely enjoy the Chicken dishes, especially the marinated leg quarters called Sekela. There was just the right balance of seasoning including curry and the chips weren’t soggy even with the veggie topping. The promotional prices, currently $5 and under were very reasonable considering the portion sizes which were more than enough for leftovers.

The Chicken Mishkaki is listed as being served on a skewer, but since we had take out it was simply placed in a Styrofoam container. The Tamarind Sauce was a perfect compliment to this dish of very tender chicken cubes, potatoes, green peppers and onions slices.

What are called “chips” in Africa are actually what we call “fries”, and they are topped with a veggie mix of shredded carrots, cabbage and red onions and a perfect blend of spices.

Chicken Pili Pili is a spicy BBQ leg quarter served with white rice and coleslaw

Dinner was excellent and the side sauce added just the right amount of “fire” for me!

So this weekend if you are in the mood for something different head over to Swahili Kitchen which is located at 400 W. Main St. and their hours of operation are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday)