Sara’s Shopping Tips

You shop. Amazon gives.Before we get to today’s post, we’re pleased to announce that Amazon.com is now making charitable donations to the MdDS Foundation. You shop. Amazon Gives. After you use this link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-5953110 and set the MdDS Balance Disorder Foundation as your chosen charity, any time you shop Smile.Amazon will make a 0.5% donation on your behalf. With just 7 weeks left to shop for Christmas, now is the perfect time to start shopping Smile.Amazon.


Sara, a young mother of two, knows firsthand that crowds can be challenging and realizing that her typical Black Friday shopping wasn’t going to happen, she devised a way to get her holiday shopping done anyway. Sara’s list of shopping tips are specifically for shoppers with MdDS and can be helpful for any type of shopping whether it’s in a grocery store or out for buying presents.

1.  Shop with a friend, family, partner, etc. Have another adult with you if you are going into a store that you know will be full of people. Big name places are having huge deals this season and tend to fill up on the weekends, which leads me to my second tip…

2.  Try to shop during the week in the early morning. Most people have left for work and stores tend to be a little more empty during these times.

3.  Now I know there are a lot of people who can’t go during the week, but check your stores hours. Most stores have extended their times for the season. Check to see when they open on the weekends. Early shopping hours on Saturday & Sunday are better times.

4.  Shop  your local Mom & Pop stores. Small business could use your help this season. They are usually less crowded as well. Help your local farmers by buying their produce instead of fighting the grocery stores. Go to your local farmers market to buy your holiday decorations, candles, soaps, etc. Craft bazaars at schools and churches are in full swing as well!  You never know what you will find, and besides it’s outside! Plenty of room to roam around on our rocky world without having to worry about bumping into things.

5.  Shop online! I know, I love to go out and find stuff while I’m out too, but this year was different. I couldn’t go out to the big deals so I stayed in my pjs and rocked out on the computer. I had to take a lot of breaks because I was basically window shopping on each site, but it worked. Be sure to start this now though to give yourself ample time to get your items.

– Sara

Be sure to visit Sara’s therapeutic blog, Sailing with Music, where she shares many more ideas for managing MdDS.
Smilematic AmazonSmile browser extension

POWER SHOPPER TIP: Click on this Smilematic badge to install a browser extension that will make sure your everyday Amazon purchases create AmazonSmile donations.

4 comments

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  1. I AM so glad WORD IS SPREADING AND SUPPORT IS RIGHT BEHIND
    THAT!! Perhaps now the medical community at large will begin to
    recognize this as a legitimate ailment! Thanks, Amazon!!

  2. Polly

    Thanks Holly – isn’t the interweb wonderful?? Wish it didn’t scramble my brain box to use it. But all the same I love it and I offer praise to St Isadore of Seville on a regular basis : )

  3. Polly

    Holly, does this work internationally? I have some stuff I want to order from amazon, if I can figure out their site, which I can’t always do with migraine mushing my mind. But I will certainly make the effort if it works in the UK. Thanks, Polly.

    1. Good question, Polly! We will get an answer for you. Meanwhile, you should know that the Foundation is registered with EasyFundraising.org.uk which includes Amazon.co.uk among its many retailers. Not which program provides the bigger donation, but at least you have an option.

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