Welcome to Anybody Home!

Here you will find scattered pictures from my point and shoot camera, random thoughts from my little world, treasured memories of days gone by, hopeful dreams of the days yet to come, and a bunch of ideas - because I've always got ideas!



Friday, December 29, 2006

A Few Thoughts on Thrifty Gifting

I know I am an oddity, but I did not enter a mall at all to shop this season. THGGM, who enjoys shopping in crowded malls, did all that shopping while I stayed home baking cookies.

But, on the Friday before Christmas THGGM and I did hit our two usual thrift venues.

While shopping there I noted that a family with young children could have clothed and toyed their family for extremely low dollar amounts. Really. I do not know why those two stores where almost empty.

I get upset that toy drives give children expensive electronic gifts. I would like to suggest that the toy drive people get a clue. Just ask people to donate the gifts to a thrift store and let people buy them at a reasonable price.

That reminds me. I saw a news report about a group who bought the most sought after toy of the year for children who had lost a parent this year. Oh. Nice. Make all the living parents of the world have to sleep with one eye opened.

My shopping was done, but I did manage to pick up a few things.

I found a set of eight snowmen mugs designed by Susan Winget (one of my favorite "Lang" calendar artists). I also found two board books in 'like new' condition for my pile of books for Baby Boy - for a mere 29 cents. One of them I had actually planned to have THGGM pick up when he was at the mall shopping for the very hard to buy for Daughter. It is a 'touch and feel' book - which are his all time favorite - that he did not have. These sell for $6.95. I also found a Fisher-Price "All About Tools" book which retails for $12.99. I bought another one, in slightly less than perfect condition, Sandra Boynton's "Barnyard Dance". I love her books. Baby Boy likes anything with rhythm.

I'm not a fan of the commercialisation of Christmas. But I LOVE giving gifts. It can be done very inexpensively, if one is capable of thinking out side the mall.

Well. That's my thrifty gifting rant for the day.

Baby Boy shared his cold with me. I am sure via the snotty pacifer he insists on shoving into my mouth when I least expect it. Which means, no doubt, I will be ranting all day. Nothing like the inability to breathe freely to cause one to rant.

4 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Capable of thinking outside the mall. I like it.

Anonymous said...

And what, pray tell, are your "two usual thrift venues"? You always find great stuff. I never find a thing at thrift stores - you must get there first!

Melissa

Melissa said...

I so agree...I so, so, so agree...did the thrift store thing again today...

Most of my gifts are made - a few more are thrifted - only a few were bought new and those were the hard to shop for people.

Debra said...

Hey! I didn't go to any malls this year either... :) I love thrift stores and ours here has a half-off Wednesday every week and one week the family in front of me in line had a huge cartful of pretty great clothes and shoes for the whole family and it only came to $50... Like you, I was wishing everybody could shop that way! Blessings, Debra