This weekend was another round of furnishing the apartment. Poor kid. He thinks it’s all about him! I’ve been having a blast.
On Saturday we managed JC Penneys outlet, Macy’s, Target, World Market, Bed Bath and Beyond, Pier 1, Steinhafels, and probably a couple of others I’m forgetting. There were bargains to be had. The child now has dishes and pots and pans I covet, but I guess that’s just the way it goes.
Yesterday we drove down and put most of it away. It’s a lot of fun to see everything from a new shower head to the perfect coffee table fall into place. Unfortunately all of the cardboard from this expedition landed in the back of the van, and I’m not looking forward to dealing with that.
In our discussions he mentioned how much easier shopping was with a “pro” than alone. I admit, once the list is made, I’m pretty good at it. I wonder though, is it a skill one can only acquire through years of practice, or did I fail to teach the kids properly?
The weekend certainly suggests it’s time to get that Christmas shopping done. While almost every store had help wanted signs in anticipation of the holiday season, they also had very deep discounts on really basic goods.
Cha-ching!
Your shopping skills are instinctual, Cindy, and you’ve honed them over the years. I’m convinced that is just how it is. My sister who is 12 years older than me can find bargains (our Mom taught us well) but just can’t pull things together so then it really isn’t a bargain in my book. I’ve always been good at both and have gotten better with time. (My sister is a fabulous seamstress, though, so it all balances out because all I do is mend) Your family is lucky – it’s a gift to have this talent! Keep having fun with it
P.S. Made garlic roasted pork and onions in the crock pot yesterday with baked sweet potatoes and spinach salad on the side and your dressing – delicious!!!!
Yum.
We had pork roast last night, too, with onions and apples. I mashed white potatoes, but sweet potatoes would have really been a good choice.
The spinach salad really sounds good right now. I may have to put that on this week’s list.
You know, I usually throw in some apples too. However, I made apple cranberry crisp for dessert that night so I didn’t use them with the roast. Gosh…some leftovers for hot pork sandwiches would be so great right now…
Interestingly enough, we have come to the conclusion that we have codild our son on some of these basic things. He needs to get a few suits for his upcoming interviews for the 26 medical residency programs. Of coarse he has sport coats, etc. So, wife and son both think it was someting Dad would be helping him on. I am so glad I held the line on this one. He spent a weekend looking, going to different stores and bargans. He ended up buying two suits, shirts, ties, etc. Of coarse we picked up the bill ( he is 100,000 in school loans ) but now he knows his shirt size, coat size, neck size, arm length size, etc. He did not enjoy the process but now at least he understands what the process is. While I admite that there might have been a better lesson made if he had paid for it, I could not push my feelings to that. As- when I told him, next year he would be picking up his car insurance and I would not be paying for his apartment any more ( 8 years worth ) he just sort of had to take a deap breath and think it through. So- Cindy, as parents it is understandable that we want the best, we just need to get out of the way so they can learn and process all of the things that life gives us.
Oh, yes. There’s something to be said for doing it alone. I must say the hard work he handled alone – getting the job, getting the apartment, etc. This was a set price boost up bonus. We sat down with all the kids and said we’d give them all the same deal when the time comes. But when it comes to choosing the better spatula? I still win that one for now.