What we have here is a failure to communicate..

Greetings from The Big Apple. While I am toiling away at work, yesterday I popped into Whole Foods to pick up something and alas, they don't carry it anymore. You realize what you are being told, but somehow you stand there and wait, hoping the employee adds, "Just kidding."

This phenomenon started with the Freesia scented lotion at Bath & Body Works. I don't even remember when that product first hit the shelves. Was I in 8th grade? Was I 19? I just remembered the lovely scent and uber-glossy store. And I was hooked. And then they stopped making it. So I switched to the White Tea & Ginger scent. And had a new favorite. And then it too was discontinued. And then the Grapefruit lotion. And then it was discontinued. So, I wised up and stopped buying lotion from Bath & Body Works. But then I got hooked on their sugar scrub. As in hooked since the day it came out. (And incidentally, I have never been without this product since that first purchase. I have tried dozens of sugar/salt/citrus peel scrubs including the most over the top version from Natura Bisse. NONE is as great as B&BW Sugar Scrub.) But I got hooked on the grapefruit peppermint version. DAMN YOU Bath & Body Works...why do you discontinue this pioneer and fabulous product. Luckily I found other faves but one day I was buying my recent fave Black Currant Vanilla and a young girl working in the store told me they were discontinuing it soon. So I stocked up. To the tune of 10-15 tubs of it. Later to learn, no in fact, she was not correct. And now I have gobs of this tucked away under our bed because there is simply no room under the vanity.

But the point is this, its hard to get attached to a product and see it go by the wayside. This has happened to many products I love including Crest Weekly Clean toothpaste, my first favorite Aveda shampoo, and a cocoa powder I love to use for baking.

Oh, I get the thought track on why products are discontinued but to me, can I be the only one who loved it? Doubtful. And no one gave me the warning shot or I could have scads of Crest Weekly Clean under the bed with the sugar scrub. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Company, you need to let me in on your marketing strategy and plans to make me frown. I would have at least given you a little cash boost there at the end.

And one day my husband brough home Breakstone's Zesty Blend Sour Cream with Jalapeno. I don't like sour cream. And when I use it, I use fat-free. The quickest way to ensure JohnnyMac isn't participating in whatever has been prepared is to include anything fat-free. But I was out of fat-free and tried this new product. And I LOVED it. JMac laughed and said, "that is because it is not fat-free." But the jalapenos add the perfect spicy cartwheel to this amazing Mexican dish I had prepared.

So now I love the spicy sour cream. And use it in a variety of ways. Until literally, one month later I can no longer find it on the shelf. What is the meaning of this? Of course, you already know. Discontinued. How did I find out? I went to their website and found nothing. But Facebook had all the update I needed. Good thing you are super-savvy and hip Breakstones so I could read about why you aren't making this product anymore via your Facebook page.

When I exclaimed my discontent, my husband, always so logical, simply said, "Or you could just add sliced jalapeno to regular sour cream."

My response: Really??? No one likes a know-it-all.

I think companies should be kind enough to warn when products are going to hit the bricks. It would allow me to extend the life of some of my favorite products. Althought, I need to locate a better storage facility then under the bed.