free gift worth a trillion million dollars.

ive got my fair share of free gifts from magazines. do i use them? no. actually i've used one. a free sample size of chanels mascara. beautiful. which i then went out and bought the real thing.

but what i'm trying to get to is that most of these 'free gifts' have a ridiculous price next to the designers name. most of them are tote bags. i dont use totebags myself, they just happen to be sealed with the magazine i want to buy. they are then removed, looked at then put aside. ive found them now and then behind the couch. these tote bags are usually super creased with poor sewing. even if i did buy tote bags i wouldn't pay the money they say its worth at its home store. which then brings me to this months free gift with cleo. a one teaspoon sports watch.

it comes in white or hot pink. i chose the white one as its more versatile. the band is from molded plastic, so just like its tote bag counterparts its been set into shape from its packaging. so it doesnt sit flat on the wrist, it sticks out on both sides. i've been trying to bend it back into shape to no avail. it looks quite odd when wearing it, it's essentially non-wearable. the clasp is actually pretty sturdy, it wont come apart easily, or at all because of the mechanism it uses. the price they claim it to be worth is $59.95. but with the condition it's in, it should be classed as a faulty item, as if it was bought instore it would be returned. i know i may sound cynical about it all, because some people might think, it's free why are you complaining, but it's moreso the fact that is just a piece of plastic, that most likely wont be worn by all the people who get one (because its bent out of shape) and it will just be put aside and eventually thrown out. its a waste. a waste of energy to produce and a waste of the companies money as a promotional item. this doesnt make me want to go out and see what one teaspoon has to offer. it's quite the opposite, it makes me think that they have other shoddy items for sale if they didn't quite take so much care in their promos. it's free, i know but its just disconcerting that we all take consumerism so lightly. this is where i would insert a preach about consumerism vs third world countries but we have all heard it before.

well i can't wait til the next tote bag!

- her.