Holiday Gift Shopping on Sunday

Sunday morning, I was still tired from Saturday's almsgiving, so I rested and took it easy.  Later in the afternoon, my daughter and I went to the mall to do some shopping, as we both needed to buy some gifts for Christmas and New Year and an engagement, as well (one of daughter's friends).  I had made my list of people to buy for, what I wanted to buy for the majority of them, and at which stores.

I wasn't sure how crowded it would be at the mall at 3:30 p.m. on December 23, but, we set out prepared for long lines at the check out counters.  The parking garage was full, but, we got parking almost immediately, as someone else pulled out; we just had to wait only as long as it took the driver of the other car to pull out!  Inside the mall, it was busy, but, not too crowded!  I had time to look around a little bit and the check out lines were not that long, at all. 

The mall we went to has three stories.  We started at the top - at the first store we went to, I looked around a bit to find a gift for my cousin's son and his wife and found something for their house (they are newly weds, so household items seemed appropriate) and I also purchased a gift card for one of my friends.  Three people crossed off my list!

Then, we went to the second floor, to the bath and body shop for body lotion; buy 3 and get 2 free.  Not as good as their buy 3, get 3 free sale, which they had the day before, but I was too preoccupied with the almsgiving to take advantage of that sale (in hindsight, I suppose I could have asked my daughter to order it online, for me, but I didn't think about it).  Anyway, now I had enough lotion to complete the gifts for five more people on my list!

Then, we went to the department store, also located on the same floor, to buy gifts for two of my aunts.  It took a little time as I was looking at sweaters for one or both of them.  Eventually, I settled on a sweater for one and a knitted scarf for the other.  Yes, I could have knitted a similar scarf, myself, but, the scarf was on sale for not much more than what the yarn would have cost me and it saved me time!  That store had the longest line I stood in at the check out, with about 15 people ahead of me, but there were 4 cashiers and the line moved fairly quickly. 

After that, I could feel myself getting tired (daughter noticed that I was walking slower).  I had finished the shopping I needed to do at the mall, but daughter needed to check one more store for one of her gifts.  So, I sat down at an empty table in the food court (located on the 1st floor), and rested, while daughter checked the store.  Then, we left the mall - we had spent about 2 hours shopping!

We, then, drove to another mall, where the crafts supplies store was located.  Daughter needed a planner for next year and a gift for one of her friends; I wanted to buy two more t-shirts to embroider for another niece's two children (theirs will be a New Year's gift, not Christmas).  Again, the parking lot was crowded, but, I saw a car pulling out as we were nearing the store and we were able to park without any trouble.  The store was not crowded, either.  Daughter found her planner and a gift for her friend.  I got the t-shirts I wanted; they were regularly priced at $3.99 and not on sale, but daughter had a 50% off one regular priced item coupon that she gave me as the items she bought were on sale, so her coupon couldn't be applied to them.  So, the coupon reduced the price of one t-shirt to $1.99 and that meant, I paid $5.99 for both t-shirts (plus sales tax, of course). 

The crafts store was having a 70% off sale on all Christmas items and that included their holiday scented jar candles!  Originally priced at $6 each, they had been on sale for $2.50 each (sign on the display stated 4/$10), but now, they were on sale for $1.80 each, which is 70% off the original price.  This is my price point for these candles.  I might have bought them for $2.50 each, but I prefer to wait until they go below $2.00 and then, I stock up!  I bought 10 of them!  They will be given as gifts, either by themselves or in combination with other gifts.  For example, my daughter said that a candle, combined with one of the journals I purchased, earlier, and a pen would make a nice "mindfulness" gift: light the candle and write in the journal. 

Scented Jar Candles

We were in that store for about one hour!  Altogether, we spent three hours, shopping!

When we came home, we had tea and rested a bit.  Later, we decorated the tree!  We didn't quite finish decorating it, as we both got too tired.  I have a lot of ornaments collected over the years; enough for at least two trees!  LOL.

On Sunday, I was grateful for:
- A pleasant shopping experience
- Finding parking without a problem at the two malls we went to
- The shops not being too crowded
- Finding good sales
- Enjoying decorating the tree with my daughter

How was your Sunday?  Have you gone shopping at the mall this close to Christmas?  If not, would you consider it?  Have you finished all your Christmas shopping?