Dominique Riggs: Tired of Being a Mother in Finland :(

Parenthood can be a soul exhausting experience. 

Day in and day out diaper changing, cooking for picky palates, soothing, bed time management, and school shuttling can grate on any human. But stigmas regarding how much and what you can complain about pervade motherhood. 

I hate being a mom and I don't like my kids. There I said it!

I happened upon the following women and their stories during my routine mommy discussion in Finland. They’re united in the feeling of being duped by parenting mythologies, or rather a “fairy tale,” according to one. 

I knew having kids would be a big change but in no way did I know just how much so. I am so unhappy with what I have. There is no time for me anymore. I have lost myself. I used to be a person and now I feel like nothing. 

The children suck the life out of us. Nobody tells you how awful it is. I see how my husband changed and not loving me anymore. 

my kid: his forehead is a bit - might go for surgery

We used to not worry so much about money. We used to sleep in on weekends. We used to take care of our appearances and we used to enjoy life. Now we don't do any of that anymore. I am this cranky tired bitch all the time. I hate myself. I hate him. I hate my life. I hate my kids. I feel trapped. 

this is my other kid

Disability Benefits

I thought I would write something a little more personal in terms of family life here and how it affects me living in Finland.

Our (now) 4-year old son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2 - which you may have known already from reading my blog in the past.
Some benefits that we qualify for - are truly unique and I'm constantly amazed and grateful for all of it.

*This is based on my family's experience - so if you're interested in these services - contact your doctor or social workers to see what you qualify for.  I also reside in Jyv�skyl� - so different cities or districts may have variations to benefits.*

• Domestic Aids - these are people who are there to help you with your basic living/quality of life.  They can be hired to clean your home, care for your children (in your home so you can sleep properly or even outside - so you can get stuff done), they do grocery shopping or running errands for seniors etc. Contact your Neuvola for more information.  Your child doesn't have to be disabled for this service!!!!  
• Free (limited) therapy sessions- both speech (and recently) occupational.  You have to have formal requests from the doctors and fill out all kinds of paperwork - but I promise you - it's worth it.  We are thrilled with our speech therapist and our occupational therapist for our son is also lovely and patient too.
• Free Diapers - this only applied to us once our son turned 3 and proved he refused to potty repeatedly.  So I believe it's 3 or 4x a year - we can call this hotline and have diapers delivered to our door for our son.  The city will pay for up to 5 diapers (maximum) per day and that's how many you get.  You have to set up a delivery time and date and if you're not home to pick up the order - they'll just drop it off at the nearest post office...which would really suck if you don't have a vehicle to carry it all in...About 4-6 packages of diapers fit in each box and you get 4-5 boxes (depends on the size of diapers and how many per package etc.).
• "Extra caregiver benefits" - once a month we are awarded from the city a sum of money that helps us with all the extra bits we may need for our child or for ourselves.  Loosely speaking - it's more or less money to help us make it through the month and not stress about things so much because caring for a child with special needs can be very exhausting.
• With this benefit plan set by the city and our social worker - because we do not have family here (not that it's a requirement) - we also are able to have our child stay overnight at a special place where he gets 24 hours a day round-the-clock supervision and care.  Pretty much an overnight day-care (some are held in another family's home - that is specialized in handling and caring for children with special needs) that allows us a break from him and he gets a break from us for 3 whole days and nights per month.
• I was really hesitant about this "Overnight Care" for my son and felt like an awful parent for using this service (we get billed afterwards - approximately 30� a month for those 3 days and nights) - but it's really helped us as a family in terms of being able to do things with our younger son and even being able to go out on a date once a month...because it's a lot easier to find a sitter who can handle a "normal/average child" than handle both a busy average child and one who is Autistic too.
• We have less stress in our marriage and with our youngest - who often starts trouble to get more attention (and I can't blame him) -  because we're constantly busy with our oldest's needs - knows that when big brother is gone...he gets a break too.
• "Disability Benefits for a child under 16" - this is tax-free income and paid once a month via Kela.
• Free Day-Care - the reason a family can qualify for free day-care is because day-care in Finland is based on the total household income.  Another reason a child can receive free day-care is because it's part of their rehabilitative program pertaining to their disability.
• Taxi Service - this is provided to our son only (so myself or spouse cannot hop in for a ride too) - so he can be transported to and from his day-care.  It's not an easy service to qualify or be approved for - as I have other friends who applied for years before they were accepted (or they were not accepted at all).  Every week-day that he goes to day-care - a taxi picks him up at 7:30am and drops him off by 3pm.
• Why we applied for it:
• We don't have a car to get him to day-care and it's over 3 km away from our home (45 minutes and without snow to push a stroller through - snow could or ice can easily add another 30 minutes depending!).
• I tried to take him by bicycle (with him in a child's seat) and he freaked out so much and grabbed my back-pack and we nearly fell over, while speeding down a hill.
• My other child goes to a different day-care quite close to our home.  
• I have to be at school for 8am (class starts at 8:15) - so if I did drop him off by taking the buses - I would be late everyday for class...especially if he's having a difficult time settling down.
• My husband does have to go to his office regularly and also takes the dogs out in the morning (I do the evening shifts) so I can get to school on time.

Since having this extra help - it's been a lot easier being able to live in Finland with a disabled child.  

I am truly grateful for everything we have and don't take any of it for granted because I know in Canada - we wouldn't get half of these services.

"Back to Earth" (Another Finnbay-Related Post)

Sorry it's been awhile since I blogged but now I finally have something really worthy to blog about!

I recently have received a "Formal Notice" from Finnbay threatening legal action against me - Dominique Riggs on November 20, 2013.
What could I possibly do to offend the oh-so-mighty Finnbay while raising two kids, two dogs, keeping house, baking for Restaurant Day (and an up-coming Christmas market), studying Finnish intensively and trying to squeeze in weekly craft meetings and Foreigners in JKL meet-ups once a month??  (On top of all the regular household errands required...)

I wrote a blog post.

I know!!!!!!!!! So terribly scary and so on.  Well the company and it's creator, Mr. Onur Y., are super mad at me because of a privacy breach and defamation.
And possibly because when you go on Google and search for "Finnbay" - my blog post is the 4th link listed on the first page.  
Thanks my readers - I feel pretty famous!

Before you get your knickers in a twist about what I'm going to write - here's the law on defamation in Finland and Finnbay's own privacy terms and conditions (See section 3.1.9 and as well 3.1.7).
As of November 23, 2013 - there haven't been any changes but just in case you're on a mobile phone and hate opening new tabs like I do - I'll copy and past it all for you here:

"3.1.7. Neither Party will, without prior approval of the other Party, make any public announcement of or otherwise disclose the existence or the terms of this Agreement." (Accessed on November 23, 2013 from http://www.finnbay.com/about-us/legal-notices/)

"3.1.9. This Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) years from the Effective Date unless otherwise terminated by either Party giving notice to the other of its desire to terminate this Agreement. The requirement to protect Confidential Information disclosed under this Agreement shall survive until the volunteer has provided a written notice of their leave of FINNBAY."  (Accessed on November 23, 2013 from http://www.finnbay.com/about-us/legal-notices/)

Okay - so I get an e-mail first thing on a Thursday morning advising me that:

A) It's a formal notice directed to yours truly.
B)  Finnbay is taking the first step of legal action against me for the above linked post because of a breach of privacy and defamation of the named company.
C)  They hope they can find middle ground and we can work something out.
D)  While they support freedom of speech, they do not tolerate untruthful information being spread that damages other people's credentials in public...(I'll tackle this point in another blog post in the future but do note - I do have all e-mails confirming everything listed in this blog post.)

So! I went back to that blog post - dated August 13, 2013 - and out of the kindness of my heart - removed the name "Onur" and changed it to "Bob".
I also removed someone else's name as they have nothing to do with Finnbay - other than to want their remaining pay owed from this organization.

After doing some research - I discovered that Finland has a 100% Freedom of Speech law - so I can write (and so can you) anything about any business or public persons that may be of interest to the general public.
Considering Finnbay is a fairly new site and I had a difficult experience since leaving there - I felt it was only justified and fair that others interested in "volunteering" are aware of what is included and what might experience after your official resignation with this company.
Others that I know of - have also had difficult experiences and negative opinions of Onur's operations with Finnbay as well...which I'll be more than happy to share with y'all once I have collected enough resources and evidence to support a blog post about it.

I advised Finnbay that I had made some edits and removed his name (he's the creator and owner - although for some reason, a Bruce Stone is listed as the heir/holder of the site - which I can't find any information on either - so possibly it's just an alias??).
"Finnbay Team" (as Onur doesn't want to take ownership??) as the e-mails were all signed - thanked me and removed my articles listed on their site - which is great - because they were more or less just duplicates (with perhaps the odd slight edit) of articles listed on my blog here - which existed well before Finnbay was launched (February 2013).

It was then requested that I remove my post within a week or they would continue with taking legal action against me and have already (suggested) submitted paperwork to the Helsinki Court.
Okay - I don't see anything wrong the blog post - other than me using his name - it turned out it was legal so I re-edited the post (November 23, 2013) to reflect as such.

He/they (whichever way you want to read it) suggested breach of privacy - right?
Well, then he posted the link to Finnbay's legal notice page...and after searching through my private communication/e-mails with Finnbay - noticed that there was never any terms and conditions listed or privacy agreements for me to read, sign or agree/disagree to.  I was never sent any and never advised of any either. It should be noted that I sent Onur/Finnbay a couple of pieces/articles for him to use prior to the website's official launch.
So if any such agreements were listed on the site - I wouldn't have known and it was done so without my knowledge or consent (Section 3.1.7).
So what this really means - is that if you volunteer (or if you're lucky enough to get paid something) for Finnbay - you are not legally bound to any sort of privacy agreement because this agreement and terms were already made public prior to you typing your first word in their site.
Way to go Finnbay!

Also, it was requested in the 2nd e-mail from Finnbay - that I remove or re-write my blog post to reflect as "my despising" of Finnbay as a user and not as an ex-volunteer (his words).

So after a lot of research, editing and such - I sent him/them a lengthy e-mail advising and kindly pointing out the two most major flaws in their terms and conditions.
I'm sure there are others - but these two really stuck out.

A) I submitted an e-mail/letter of resignation due to lack of recognition for my Learning About Finland blog (it was never linked - although there was a promise of more networking and exposure to my blog etc. - which I do have an e-mail of - specifically from Onur) and due to lack of time.
I wrote that e-mail and had received a kind "thanks for getting us started - good luck with your stuff" response and that is dated on July 8th, 2013.
I published the "Finnbay= Waste of Time" post over a month later - on August 13, 2013.
So - that Section 3.1.9 fully supports what I did.
Apparently this blog post was only discovered 3.5 months after publishing date and I was accused of defaming Finnbay for the past 3-months....but I only wrote the one post, and only intended to write the one post - until now.

B) According to Section 3.1.7 - the agreement never existed to begin with.
Don't blame me - I'm just telling you how it is.

C) Finland 

Criminal Code

In Finland, the libel of State authorities and symbols as such has not been established as a criminal offence. In the case of State authorities, libel constitutes criminal defamation provided that the insult can be considered against certain persons (public servants). Under section 8 of the Act concerning the Finnish flag (Statutes of Finland 380/1978), a person who ruins or disrespectfully uses the Finnish flag will be sentenced to a fine.

Criticism against politicians and public servants is only punishable subject to certain conditions. Under chapter 24, section 9, subsection 1, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code (Statutes of Finland 531/2000), a person who spreads false information or a false insinuation about another person so that the act is conducive to causing damage or suffering to that person, or subjecting that person to contempt, shall be sentenced for defamation. Under paragraph 2, a person who makes a derogatory comment on another person otherwise than in a manner referred to in subparagraph 1 shall also be sentenced for defamation. Under section 9, subsection 2, criticism that is directed at a person�s activities in politics, business, public office, public position, science, art or in a comparable public position and that does not obviously overstep the limits of correctness shall not constitute defamation under paragraph 2 of section 1.

A person who spreads information, an insinuation or an image of the private life of another person, so that the act is conducive to causing that person damage or suffering, or subjecting that person to contempt, shall also be sentenced for invasion of the personal reputation under section 8 of chapter 24 of the Criminal Code (Statutes of Finland 531/2000). Under subsection 2 of the section, the spreading of information, an insinuation or an image of the private life of a person in politics, business, public office or public position, or in a comparable position, shall not constitute an invasion of personal reputation, if it may affect the evaluation of that person�s activities in the position in question and if it is necessary for the purposes of dealing with a matter of importance to society.

This is copied from the Council of Europe and is the first organization listed on Finnbay's "About Us" page underneath "TRUSTED BY".
So this clears me too.

I have sent Finnbay that e-mail (November 22, 2013) and haven't heard anything since.
_________________________________________________________________________________

But funny enough, I did receive an e-mail from one of those sites that hides your identity and sends it on your behalf and is listed as "Anonymous" with the following message:

"Dominique,  We have reported you to the tax office for selling cakes and food without permission and sanitary conditions! http://hookedonsweets.blogspot.com/ That will teach you to get back to the earth!"

I am curious who this person or party might be but have already explained how Restaurant Day works (hint: no taxes or hygiene passport required - or else it wouldn't be such a world-wide phenomenon would it?) in this specific blog post.

I'm also wondering if this above written e-mail was sent from a representative of a particular not going to name them company since I managed to prove there is no legal case at all??

However, this is merely a hypothetical theory and just me blabbering on my blog...since there's no official proof yet - since the author of the e-mail chose to sign it Anonymously instead of writing their name or what organization they represent.

If you are the author of that e-mail:  since I can't write back to you directly (since I don't know "know who you are") - please use proper spell check prior to sending me an e-mail.

Earth is a name of a place and therefor should be listed with a capital "e" - like this: Earth.

And yes, I am currently still here and haven't left.

PS:

Before threatening legal action for defamation - please re-read the above copy and pasted information from the EU Council site.

**Please note:  In case of any possible changes or updates to the Finnbay site - I have dated screen shots and print-outs of their Legal Notices page - confirming everything I have written here.

Dear Finnbay: 

You're welcome for the free promotional adverts on this blog.

Kindly yours,

An Ex-Volunteer 

Update:  I had misread the dates on my e-mail in which I had listed my resignation and Finnbay's recognition as August 2013 - it was actually more than a month prior to my blog post.  The date has since been updated accordingly in this blog post.

Is that how they do it?

I qualify, as far as I know, for un-employment benefits here in Finland.
I have never held a paid-position job that took me away from home for example.  And by "away from home" - I don't mean abroad.  I just mean away from kids because they'd be in day care and I'd go to work from 8-4 or 9-5.
NOT saying that being a stay-at-home parent IS NOT a job....it is!!  So let's get back on track.

So I submitted my paperwork really late to Kela, because I knew I "qualified" as of the 2nd week of May.  But I was still in school, kids still in day-care - rushing around to pick them up and so on, hubby was still writing his thesis - so I had to be with them once I was done school...and we travelled to Wales and London for a bit too.
So I finally got around to submitting it to the office in September.  They questioned why I didn't submit it back in May...not really a lot of time to be honest!
Then in June we were travelling, and after that - hubby had a major deadline...the oh-so-mighty thesis!!!
So I was taking the kids everywhere and leaving him at home to finish up the biggest project ever.
Then my school started - and with the hours I have in school - and having to be home by 3pm so V-man can get in the house (a taxi drops him off after day-care) - there's NO WAY I would get into Kela to ask questions, fill out the form together and so on.

Anyways, I justified this and they said fine - we will make a decision.

Fast forward 3 weeks later - and I'm not seeing anything in my bank account from them.  So thankfully, I had an off period and rushed to Kela, waited over 30 minutes (that's what I mean about not being able to do it after class - I wouldn't get home in time!) and after the expected identity check - the Kela rep lady says,

"We are waiting on a paper from TE-Toimisto." (The un-employment office)
"What papers?  I thought it was automatic...nobody said anything when I was here 3 weeks ago..." -me frantic.
"Yes it should be automatic...but they have not sent it.  Maybe you could call or make an appointment with them and see what is the problem?"
I agree and thank her and am about to leave when she says, "Oh - and can we have your number?? We don't have it in this system."

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Every piece of paper/application for anything involving Kela requires a few things:

1. Your name
2. Your social security number
3. Your PHONE NUMBER
4. Your E-mail Address (most applications)
5. Your signature

I must have given her a look like she had rabies because she said, "Well?"
And I pointed out the fact, that they should have my number in the system because for the past 4 years and especially within the last 2 - I have done nothing but fill out forms every 4-6 months on behalf of my son - which has my phone number and e-mail.

She smiled and gave me the typical Finnish response:  a shrug.

I gave my number to her and she said thanks and that was that.

Now I'm wondering if this is one way that Kela gets out of paying people their benefits.

I'm semi-pro-Kela...love 'em and hate'em at the same time.

With the Un-Employment/studying benefits - they will only back-date it 3 months. No ifs or buts about it.

A month will have gone by since I submitted my paperwork and by the time they come to a freaking decision and by the time they actually receive the TE-Toimisto paperwork.

So now I'm losing yet another (potential) month of income...it's not my fault that TE-Toimisto didn't do their job (as far as I know)...so who will end up getting penalized?

Me.  Or maybe You.  (Perhaps you're in a similar position?)

It's not the first time I have been screwed over - because Kela has these set rules of not paying back what is owed - even when it's their fault and they admit it openly in person....

So I called up TE-Tomisto yesterday and the first guy must have thought I was drunk - because I had been waiting for 10 minutes during their horrible electric rock waiting music...I started eating my breakfast...a slice of feta pie...And of course I'm on the last big bite - and he answers the phone.
I asked if he spoke English - with a mouth semi-full of food and he hangs up on me.

Not even an "Ei!" (No)

Just a flat-out "click".

I call back to the switchboard and ask for the direct line to the JKL TE-Toimisto office and call them back again...another 5 minutes wait - and mouth empty of food....and someone picks up.
After some Finnglish - she gets me someone who speaks English...
And may I point out that rep sounds like she LOVES her job...*Major sarcasm font - if one existed...*

"Hi there, I need a paper for Kela saying that I qualify for benefits - they haven't received it yet...what do I do?" -me trying to be friendly and patient.

"What's your name?  How do I spell it?  I'll do it. Bye."

So I have no idea if she means it, or what kind of time-frame I'm looking at...

But here's hoping??

Night Reflectors

So if you're not interested in the shapes available and want to make your own - it's totally possible and very easy!
You can find a link here on how to make them, and no, you don't have to live in Finland to be able to use them.
Benefits of wearing a night-reflector on your outer clothing ?

1. Cars can see you better when their lights shine on you while driving.
2. People on bicycles with lights can see you too...
3. You have a better chance of NOT getting hit by one of the two vehicles mentioned in 1 and 2.

It's also strongly recommended to carry a safety reflective vest in your car/vehicle - so people can see you if you pull over and need to fix something on your car...or pee on the side of the highway...

It's also a super smart idea to put one (a vest or reflector or little non-blinking light) on your dog or other pet, when going for walks!!
Animals can be un-predictable - even the better trained ones - and move into the opposite side of the sidewalk and ended up getting hurt (or hurting a cyclist) for example.

Snow.

As usual - here's your weather warning that there is now snow on the ground - and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere....as it keeps sneakily falling from the sky non-stop.
So what does that mean for you, the person living in Finland?

It is mandatory to get snow tires on your car/truck/vehicle.
And strongly recommended for your bicycle.  
I don't know if they actually make a REAL difference, as I won't bike in the winter!! 

Wear reflectors on both sides of your body if possible - so people can see you where it may be poorly lit...yes the snow helps a bit but not always if there's no street lights!!
Get a bike bell and bike light - DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE THEM.  You can help to prevent many accidents by warning people you're coming too quickly towards them - or trying to get around them.  It's the polite way to get past someone faster...*RING RING*

Your balcony (if you are lucky to have one) makes an EXCELLENT extra fridge/freezer (once it's REALLY cold out) - and it's prime time to empty out and clean your fridge...and if you have icicles in your freezer...probably a good time to de-frost as well.
Also an excellent time to stock up on ice-cream by the way (no, you're not crazy for eating ice-cream in the winter..or shopping 6 months in advance so it won't melt on your way home from the shops!)....and I've used mine as an extra freezer for meats and so on too once December hit!!

Just be sure to have proper trays or mats or plenty of towels to soak up the liquid from the de-frosting!!!
And make sure you change your towels/mats/empty the trays out frequently so you don't damage your floors if they happen to be sensitive to moisture/humidity.
It's also a great spot to let baby/young children sleep in their strollers - well bundled up (and usually not colder than -15*C or so)...as cold air soothes them, minimalizes flu bacteria growth, lets them sleep longer...and fresh air never hurts!

Layer up!
Most important thing about living in a cold climate country (especially if you're not used to it) is to wear light layers.

• Long johns/underwear - usually made of cotton or wool - touch your skin and keep your skin happy because this fabric is breathable.
• Long sleeved shirt and pants - not too thick (of course depends how cold it is outside and how long you'll BE outside and how much you're moving).
• Wool socks
• GOOD winter boots - warm on the inside, waterproof, quick-to-dry if possible, excellent grip underneath.  It gets slippery - and the rest won't matter if you're falling all over the place and getting soaked and twisting your ankles and whatnot.  It's worth the investment and can last you several years!!
• Snow pants or even basic wind/water proof pants (I went one winter just wearing "track pants" that were breathable, water-proof and wind-proof.  I wore thick pants underneath like fleece pajama bottoms and long johns beneath those and felt perfectly fine!).
• Winter coat - should have a hood, reflectors, wind/water/snow resistant/proof.  Brightly coloured helps too - especially if you're hiking or travelling and have a tendency to get lost....
• Scarf or cowl - nobody enjoys a sore throat.
• Hat/toque (Canadian term)/Pipo (Finnish word)
• Ski mask helps on very blustery and cold days!!!  I have a great thin one from Mountain Equipment Co-Op, a Canadian sporting/outdoor shop.  Best thing I ever bought.
• Mittens/Gloves 
• Moisturizer - not just your hands and body - but your face and lips!!!
• Sun-screen...yes you can get burnt on exposed skin when skiing or being out for long periods of time (or even short ones with sensitive skin) in the winter. 

Signs of FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA....
In case you've never had it, been close to experiencing it - or have never been to a country with a snowy/freezing winter - you may want to check the link above.

It's also handy (even if you don't have children) to get a pull-sled to get your groceries!  Because walking in the snow that's not been plowed can be hard enough - may as well make use of it and drag your groceries (especially heavy things!) quickly along the snow!!

I think that's everything....but just keep an eye on the weather and ask a Finnish friend (or friend that's lived here through a winter or two) to help you out!!!

Kestovaippakauppa - A Review

I was on the hunt for a KAM-branded plastic snap fastener.  My Prym brand one doesn't fasten plastic snaps - only metal ones and eyelets.  Darn.
I immediately looked online at Etsy and other sites that sold craft supplies and equipment- but the shipping was almost double the cost of the pliers themselves!
I asked a Finnish friend to help me look in Finland for reasonably priced (including shipping) KAM pliers and she actually found me a shop IN Jyv�skyl� called "Kestovaippakauppa".
There was the option to order online and shipping would be 3,50� - not bad!  But then my friend and I were able to hang out and catch up.
They weren't quite easy to find in terms of being able to hop on a bus and go on my own - but she thankfully took me there by car and we had quite the experience.
For me -it was a mostly positive one.  For my friend - well, she wasn't overly thrilled by the service, speed or anything but the products she purchased.

It turned out that I have been to this shop before - last year and at night, so I didn't recall how to get there - but recognized the building (it's in the basement floor of a house) once we arrived.
Anyways, what I was looking for was this:

It came with the screw driver, awl, metal rod and other press-dies - just not shown in my photo!

That was easy and my friend translated - then I had to choose button colours....I just asked for a mix.  For 50 pairs of mixed colours - "I'm not picky" I told the store rep helping me.  She was great to work with and very helpful and quick - considering each "set" of snaps consist of 4 pieces.

While my buttons were being chosen and packaged - my friend and I cruised through the single-room shop and looked through all the different fabric types.

I decided I wanted to venture into "cloth-pad land" - hence why I wanted the KAM snaps fastener and snaps to begin with....but of course there were so many fabrics available that weren't sold downtown.
I found a couple pieces of fabric on sale and then my friend pointed out a PUL-type of printed fabric.

PUL is the water proof stuff on one side and usually printed (or a solid colour) on the other side.  Traditionally used for lots of things like cloth diapers, diaper covers, wet bags (for pads or diapers or soiled clothing) or even lunch bags!

I thought it would be wise to buy a piece and asked my friend how much it was - she was told 5� a piece by a different store rep.  These pieces were colourful, modern, fun, great quality and pretty big!

GREAT!  I picked up one and the buttons were ready and the store rep I had began to tally up my sale.

I asked/confirmed with her that the PUL fabric was 5� and she looked at me like I was insane.

After searching on the internet - it turned out it was over 11� a piece.

By this point - my friend finally got her fabrics cut and her sale being processed.  She was already charged with the 5�/PUL sheet and the rep had no idea what to do.

It took forever to get a couple pieces of fabric cut and to sort out the billing.

She was first charged X� with the PUL sheets being 5� each.  Then they calculated the difference - and she was charged the difference - but the lady punched in 0,13� (13 CENTS) instead of 13,00�.

Then the 3rd time....she got charged the difference of 12,87�.

Crappy customer service: We each got a 10 cents discount for the "confusion" of the older store's rep mistake.

Excellent customer service would be:  Take the hit and sell it to us for the price we were told.  Or even 50% off would have been nice.

We could have been in and out within 20-30 minutes tops.  We didn't leave until an hour later.

I'm sorry to say that I won't be shopping there again - not even online (they offer shipping on their site).  Not only is it difficult for me to get to by bus, but the service was really disappointing for my friend and I.