Dear Walmart,

I hate shopping in your store. But alas, you are the only store which carries mason jars year round. After 3 failed trips, I finally found the jars I needed today. So thanks for that.

But, I wanted to discuss your Santa situation.

You have a Santa outside collecting change alongside the Salvation Army peeps. AND you have a different one inside wishing customers a Merry Christmas. One is skinny, one is fat. One has the 'Santa' beard and one looks like homeless Santa.

Are you trying to confuse all of the children?  They've already seen Santa at the mall and now there are two of them at Walmart? How do parents explain this?

XOXO,

Amy

P.S. Thanks for restocking the mason jars though.

The Art of Shopping with a Gift Card

After yesterday's incident, I decided a lidded cup was in order. Because I am only buying essentials this month, I hit up Home Goods with a $25.00 gift card from my last year's students.

There were two objectives to the trip:
1. Leave with a travel mug.
2. Don't spend any actual money.

I found the cup pretty quickly and it was only $3.99! I then set out to spend the remainder of the gift card without going over and without buying random stuff that would add to the clutter that I am constantly trying to declutter.

Home Goods has LOTS of random stuff. Exhibit A, B, C and D.

I did not need random animals, picture frames, pillows, candles, giant vases, or clocks. I scoured the store and eventually brought home three things:

A lidded cup, a new cupcake pan to replace the old rusty one I have, and a new hairbrush!  I know it's super random but tell me, when was the last time you bought a new hair brush?  For me it was about 10 years ago and it was time!

I carefully priced items and the total ended up being $23.34! Bad new, sad news...they wouldn't cash out the remaining $1.66 so I'm stuck with a gift card that can't actually buy anything. Next time I'll just pass it off to the person behind me in line.