Let's Go Shopping!
Take Pen to Paper: Edition 116
Holiday Greetings to you, my Readers!
I’ve been out shopping most of the day. It’s work looking for the perfect gift for everyone on my list.
Or do I make this task into work? Do you find it work or fun?
In this newsletter:
Shopping from home.
Shopping in your home.
Shopping fun.
Where Do You Shop For What's on Your List?
Once upon a time, I loved to shop…in stores. I made my list. I knew where to go. It was an adventure.
I’ve changed, or something has. Where are the little specialty shops? We seem surrounded by big box stores. Shopping should be easier, but finding what you want can be a challenge.
The difficulty is twofold.
First, we are trying to find the perfect gift. Maybe it’s our gift-buying strategy. We ask others for a list. We look for exact matches. Is the perfect gift even out there?
Growing up, the only person who asked what we wanted was ‘Santa.’ We received a lot of surprises.
Second, our expectations have changed. As children, everything we could ever want was in the Sears or Penney catalog. You shopped “downtown” (wherever that was) or ordered from the catalog, and we were OK with that.
Now, we have stores worldwide at our fingertips through ordering online. Even when the recipient provides the gift list, the options can be overwhelming. How do we decide?
Does It Matter Where You Shop?
From an economic point of view, yes. Shop small. Shop local. Support your small business owners. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. The directions are clear.
From the point of view of a gift recipient, it doesn’t matter—homemade can count.
Once upon a time, most gifts were homemade or handmade, sometimes worked on for months.
Why don’t we keep the same mindset that we encourage in children? Make something!
One year, my son’s class had a gift exchange for Christmas. He was not pleased to discover the one rule to follow: the gift had to be homemade. I thought it was a brilliant idea. I really disliked class gift exchanges. The handmade element seemed to level the playing field.
Isn't the time you spend making something more valuable than that spent looking for something already made?
Shop with Creativity
We could cut down on the time we spend shopping and just have fun.
When my husband and I were first married, my brother came to spend Christmas with us. I’m sure I worked hard to find the perfect present for him. I don’t remember, and he probably doesn’t, either.
My brother took a different approach. He went to his local K&B drugstore and bought everyone’s gift. K&B was THE drugstore chain in New Orleans. Each one was like a Walgreens or CVS, except it had everything you could imagine in it and more. It had items you couldn’t buy anywhere else.
I loved the idea of him making one stop and doing all of his shopping. It made me smile. I don’t remember what the gifts were, but I’m sure we enjoyed them. In fact, each year, I consider suggesting to my family that we shop the same way. It’s a fun idea.
We should shop with the spirit of fun in mind.
However you choose to shop, don’t make work out of it. Shopping should be at least almost as fun as the giving and receiving of gifts. Don't you agree?
7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:
This article is not about holiday shopping, but it includes information about how shopping makes us feel. You may find it interesting.
If you are interested, here’s a comparison of online and in-store shopping.
It’s good to remember that we have gifts to give that aren’t bought in stores. 🏪
This article demonstrates how sharing your expertise can be a forever gift. 🎁
It’s a good thing to lean into your strengths when making a gift for someone. Whether you doodle, cook/bake, or know all the local walking paths, you can make a gift worth giving. 💪
I’m a fan of “The Great British Bake Off” on Netflix. Season 15 just ended. In episodes 6 and 7, the contestants, Nelly and Sumayah, talked about gifts when they were eliminated from the competition. 🧁
No matter the origin, I’m grateful for the gifts I receive.
Thank you for reading. This week, whatever kind of shopping you are up to, I hope you are having fun.
Until next time,
💚
Susan
What is your favorite way to shop? Do you have a favorite store? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to read about it.
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I have a 2nd newsletter about journaling. If you are interested or know someone who would be, check it out at From The Pen’s Nib: A Commonplace Book About Journaling.