Every year my 2 sisters and I go out Christmas shopping together. We usually do this in the beginning of November. That way we have a head start on things, and we don't usually have to worry about bad roads due to snow. We start out Friday morning and shop all day. We spend the night in a hotel, and make a stop or two on our way home on Saturday.
This past Friday was our shopping day this year. It was cloudy and windy, but no rain or snow. We shopped all day and I forgot to take pictures!
Here's the first photo I took. We had loaded most of our bags onto luggage rack, to get everything to the room and sorted out. When we got to the room the key didn't work, so Terri had to get that straightened out. Cheri and I were left standing in the hall with all this stuff.
Here's everything loaded onto the beds waiting for us to sort it.
We always get a yummy dessert to go and take it to the hotel for a snack later in the evening. This is Chocolate Mousse cake from Olive Garden. It was yummy!
We stayed up late, talking and laughing. On Saturday morning, Terri had to get home for her daughters softball game. Cheri and I made a few stops on our way back home including a craft show which was so crowded we could hardly shop!
After I got home and unpacked, I did a little weekend baking and some laundry. Then I started wrapping gifts. This is such a fun way to accomplish that Christmas shopping!
What a fun little tradition you all have. Looks like you guys made quite the haul!
ReplyDeleteYou are so smart to start early. Shopping with friends, with the fun and laughter are the 'cherry' on the cake! And the dessert looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteI knew it was time for that trip and I was waiting for this post. You girls have a pretty sweet tradition going there. I especially like the cheesecake part. xoox
ReplyDeleteYou mean you've bought and wrapped all your presents already!! Wow I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteWOW I'm with LL Cool--so impressed (my mouth is hanging open). Have a beautiful day, friend.
ReplyDeleteI remember your post from last year about your shopping trip. Such a great tradition!! My sister, Patti, is a super shopper. She can shop until the rest of us drop and she is still going. It's probably a good thing she lives 1,600 miles away. What fun, though! That dessert looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your shopping trip with us! And you have it all wrapped and ready. I need to get busy! Have a great week, Mari!
ReplyDeleteSounds like such fun. The dessert makes me hungry! I love the wrapping paper. Hope you have a nice week, Mari.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! I have three gifts bought...yay! haha....but it's your wrapping that I like the best.....so many times I've stayed up late on Christmas Eve to wrap and there is NO joy in that. lol...
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun weekend!
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have a jump start on your holiday shopping :)
~K.
Hi Mari! There's just nothing like family, and it sure sounds like you have a wonderful tradition! I would love to shop early like you, and have some of that yummy cake too :) I was just at Olive Garden last week, and lovingly looked at the dessert menu. I did take a pass, but maybe next time, I'll dive right in!
ReplyDeleteYour packages look so festive! I hope you will have a peaceful Christmas season because of your foresight!
Blessings,
Ceil
That sounds like such a fun tradition! The Chocolate Mousse cake looks heavenly!
ReplyDeleteWoah I feel super lazy now!
ReplyDeleteI'd better start my shopping.
Sounds just wonderful. Now you've had that time together, expect you've run out of things to talk about!!!!!!! NEVER..... Seeing my sister in a week or two and we usually find a topic or two to talk about. Love it.
ReplyDeleteWell done you for getting such a good head start..I cant get my head around the fact that Christmas is just a few weeks away. Although I did buy a couple of Christmas towels this morning. So glad you had fun
ReplyDeleteBtw....that dessert looks so yummy
Phoebe x
That is just SO nice that you girls have a special Christmas shopping outing. Sure makes me wish I had a sister or two. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll probably do the shopping like last year, and that would be the internet. LOL
The cheesecake looks amazing.
xoxo
Wow, that is a lot of shopping! Very organised of you though!! xx
ReplyDeleteI think that is the most fun tradition. You girls are blessed that you have the kind of relationship that you can do fun things like together. By the way, it sure looks like you hit the jackpot in finding gifts for everyone.....And already wrapping your presents...you are so way ahead of the game.....
ReplyDeleteSo much fun! I love to shop and shopping with sisters or friends would make it delightful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a haul! Are you done now?
ReplyDeleteMari, from the looks of the photos, you must be done your Christmas shopping. I don't have much to do these days and I just have a few more to get. I have the grandsons almost taken care of, which is my biggest expense. This year I bought them sports hoodies. Brandon wanted Seattle Sea Hawks and Jordan, a baseball team, Detroit. Other than that, I will give them a bit of spending money and they can get something they want. They are more difficult to buy for now that they're grown.
ReplyDeleteTake care. I enjoyed coming along on the fun shopping trip with you and your sisters.
I'm always jealous of this event!! The fun and the getting a jump on Christmas shopping!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fun weekend! Good for you girls getting your Christmas shopping done early.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had another successful sister Christmas excursion. It sounds like so much fun. Do all of your siblings names end in 'i'? I just noticed that!
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect tradition!! I absolutely love it. Genius to do it early in the season to avoid crowds and stores not having what you want. A great head start, plus so much fun while you do it and bond with your sisters.
ReplyDeleteBlessings on the rest of your week. xoxo
What a fun time! No sisters for me but maybe I could get my daughters together at once to shop sometime and my mom too.
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous that you are so far ahead! Someday Heather and I will have to start doing that. :) I only hope there won't be as much cackling involved! ;)
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