I have this friend Shelly*. She shops early every year for Christmas gifts. I think she’s crazy. As we know, Halloween is my thing. I’m closer to opening my garage as a new cemetery location than I am to Christmas shopping. So let’s get this straight. I normally respect the turkey and don’t even think about the holidays until Dec 1.
Until this year.
A few family members asked me for my children’s Christmas list.
On November 1.
DON’T THEY KNOW HALLOWEEN WAS YESTERDAY!
I’m still picking candy corn out of my hair.
Seriously.
Luckily, my kids watch a lot of TV. As we know, they run those toy commercials every 11 minutes. They’re like drug pushers dangling baggies of hot wheels crack in front of my obsessed four year old.
“Mommy, can you put that on my list” is now heard 547 bazillion times a day.
Also, the timely mailing of “The 2011 BIG TOY CATALOG!” in October from every store in a 50 mile radius gave my kids at least an hour of circle time. Circle time meaning circling everything on every page. Basically, take a look at the Toys R Us catalog and throw a dart. Unless it’s pink? They want it.
So I started a list for the McEarlyShoppers
I was talking to Shelly one night and she was asking about the list too. Really.
Even my bestest of friends was all “Hey, so about this Christmas gift list thing”
But you know what? As she was looking at items online and quoting sales and savings, she won me over.
Even better? Daylight savings was on Sunday and I stuck the kids with the husband all day to do this shopping.
It really worked for me to be out shopping on the longest day of the year. I may make this a tradition.
So I’m here to say if you have a list?
Get out there.
Need more proof?
Look:
Hot wheels wall tracks
$25-30
I paid- $14.88 (Meijer)
LEGO Heroica Castle
$20-30
I paid- $15 (Target with coupon)
DaGeDar Two Lane Battle Jump Raceway
$25-30
I paid- $15 (Toys R Us)
Quelf
$25-$35
I originally bought this from Toys R Us for 22.49 which was their sale price. I came saw it at Target for $17.99. Almost a $5 difference. I bought it and returned the toys r us one.
Hot wheels pack of cars
$5
Now this was a Halloween pack of cars and it was at Target on clearance for 90% off. I paid .48 for 5 cars. The fact that they’re Halloween and super cool? BONUS and perfect for the stocking.
Power Ranger Blue Costume
My son was the red power ranger for Halloween but really wanted both because he likes to dress up year round. Obviously, I was not going to buy two costumes. I was at toys r us and like everywhere else, their costumes were on clearance. There hanging was the blue power ranger. This was the deluxe version with the “muscles” built in. $25-35
I paid- $8.75 (will be given for Christmas)
Skylanders
$70
Now I didn’t exactly get a deal on this BUT I did get an extra pack of 3 characters for free with this purchase from Toys R Us. A $20.00 value.
And the deals just did not stop all day. I saved a minimum of $5 per item and the best part?
Everything was ALL IN STOCK.
Sorry Turkeys, I call this a win.
______________________________
*Not her real name but since we talk everyday I just can’t call her by her internet name. She probably hates it. She can come up with her own name for me though I think we all know my name is Jen.
Dude. Your friend "Shelly" is clearly brilliant and bad ass.
My GAWD but you're lucky to have her.
My recent post I don’t have a title, because this has no real topic. You probably shouldn’t even bother reading this.
I try to be DONE Christmas shopping by December 1st. Because frankly, I am impatient and standing in line with the rest of the world in December just doesn't appeal to me. The sooner I am done, the less I have to deal with lines.
But it's a week into November and I have only purchased ONE gift, and I just sat down and made a Christmas list today. And unless I can talk the husband into not exchanging gifts {unlikely} I still have to figure out what in the heck to get him.
My recent post Holiday Comforts-Can it just be Christmas already!?