He Loves Me, Therefore He Shops

12.10.2007

Last Friday Doug and I took the day off for the sole purpose of going Christmas shopping. Specifically, we planned to start and finish our shopping all in one day.

Now, this Day of Shopping was especially noteworthy because shopping at any time of year, let alone on a Friday during Christmas Season, is so far down on Doug's list of things he likes to do it can't even be seen with the naked eye. The only thing lower on that list would be spending any amount of money with more than one zero at the end.

So you can imagine my state of bliss when, for six glorious hours on December 7, my Red Hot Smokin' Husband became my Red Hot Shoppin' Husband.

Early Friday morning we plotted our course, made our lists and left the house about 9:30am destined for Target. We chose to go there first because we could also get double-huge-triple-caff-coffees to give us some much needed shopping endurance.

In addition to toys, games and clothing we also stocked up on nearly every kind of over-the-counter remedy known to man. This is also known as the "Annual Spend Down the Medical Savings Account Extravaganza". If you need fleece, Transformers, pain reliever or dental floss, let me know. I have a stash.

Two hours, two cart-fulls, and many zeros later we headed for the outdoor shopping center.


When we got there Doug said he could see I was really beginning to hit my shopping stride. I had to agree. I'm like a distance runner when it comes to shopping. I've been sharpening and refining my skills for years. It takes awhile for my heart to get pumping and, when it does, I can go for a loooong time. Doug, on the other hand, is like a sprinter. One quick run through a store and he's at the finish line.

This year everyone in the family is getting pajamas, which we will open on Christmas Eve and mostly likely lounge around in most of Christmas Day. Everyone's pjs have been purchased except mine. So I thought it might be interesting to give Doug some shopping incentive see what Victoria's Secret had to offer for 40-year old mamas who don't like to show a lot of skin.

Ummmm... no...I don't think so.


Ummmmm...no....doesn't look very comfy.


ahhhh...yes! Perfect neck-to-toe coverage!

Our next stop was Sports Authority, which was a nice respite for Doug. I don't think he minded shopping there. We went our separate ways. He was looking for an in-ground basketball goal and I was looking for cold weather work-out gear. I freely admit it's as much about the look as the work-out. And, as far as cold weather goes, that one is still up in the air since it's nearly 80 degrees as I'm typing this.

It took Doug all of 10 minutes to find the goals, choose one, and get the paperwork completed. By that time I had barely begun to hone in on all the various choices in thermal layered jackets. Not only do I have to hem and haw about the style, I also have to carry on and on about the color. He was patient - oh so patient - and helped me decide on a black pair of pants, a celedon green turtle neck and white jacket.

After that, the only possible choice was sustenance in the form of food and drink at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

"Wanna go back to Victoria's Secret?"


"Maybe next year after I put that workout gear to good use. Now, I wish she'd hurry up and bring those onion rings."


Happily fed and watered, we headed home to unload. It was quite a haul, if I do say so myself. And, after Adam went to bed that night I wrapped every single thing in pretty paper and frilly bows made a cup of hot tea, heated up a cinnamon scone and laid on the sofa until I fell asleep.


How's your holiday shopping going?

25 comments:

Steph :

I love it! Those pictures with captions are soooo funny!
My hubby and I are two totally different shoppers, we would probably kill each other before the day was over if we had to go together!

Tonja :

Shopping is something I can not do with Don. He likes to look at every available version of something in every store that could possibly have it, then sit down and weigh his options and then go back and get it. I could have the whole Christmas list finished while he is still on 1 gift. But kudos to Doug for being a sport. I taking it he didn't mind the VS stop. Men never do!

Amber Kay :

Oh my gosh...you husband was cracking me up in those pictures from VS. LOVE IT!

Jody :

Too funny! I can't shop like that. Online all the way...

*carrie* :

Funny pix, Jill! Glad Doug "played" along. =)

Lori :

Oh my goodness - this is so us! My hubby gives me one good shopping day a year and since we just went to Chicago for a weekend and shopped for 2 days straight - he's counting those days as "good for 2 years!"

LOVED the pictures - you two are just the cutest!

justabeachkat :

Cute. Cute. Cute!!!!!

I'm almost done....yippee!

Christmas hugs!
Kat

Melody :

What a great blog. That is story is too funny. I could never get my husband to do that. My family also gets the pajamas however they are getting them a week and a half early to wear on a Polar Express train ride. We are almost done shopping and will probably go finish the rest after we chip ourselves out from under the ice.

Leah in Iowa :

What a great post, Jill! I'm so glad you're done shopping, or almost done. Me, I've bought two whole presents. I'm secretly hoping they'll postpone Christmas two weeks just for me.

And those VS pictures with Doug were hilarious! What a team you two make. =)

Merry Christmas,

~ Leah

Janis :

Oh, me and my hubby DO NOT shop together. It only takes about 2 minutes in the mall for him to start whining about his back hurting, (which doesn't seem to hurt when he walks 18 holes of golf) so I try to not shop with him very much. The two of you look like you had a good day. Great pictures!

Happy Working Mom :

How cow! What a tiring day! But you got so much accomplished! Good for you guys!

I LOVE Cheeseburger in Paradise!!!

Melene@Sing For Joy :

Fun day and fun post! Thanks for sharing!

I have a couple more items to get and gifts to wrap and boxes to mail....but for the most part, I'm finished!

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality :

Oh, Jill! I just found my birthday wishes from you! Thank you SO much...I have been running since Friday & haven't had time to check my fave girls.

That was fun going along on the shopping trip with you & Doug. Just the looks on Doug's face was worth it all....hilarious! I don't think I could get my hubby to hang in there that long. Thank goodness we don't have a lot of shopping to do.

xo,
Rhoda

BlondeMomBlog (Jamie) :

Why don't we have a Cheeseburger in Paradise here...WHY?!

I love the shopping post with pictorials. You all are too funny! I went to Target and Toys R Us last Friday and got several gifts. But in order to drag my husband along, willingly, I probably would have had to bribe him with... (something like Cheeseburger in Paradise!) ;)

Happy shopping! I still have several more gifts to buy but I have a plan of attack.

*An Iowa Mom* :

I had a similar experience this past Saturday. On the spur of the moment, we called a babysitter (which we NEVER do) and went shopping ALL DAY LONG. It was great!

I'm all finished. Hubby is still crying as he tries tallying the checkbook and I really really really did take everything out of the Suburban that evening and wrapped it all. Really. I really did. :)

Had fun reading your experience. :) Wish you still lived in Iowa. We'd have a ball.

*An Iowa Mom*
www.aniowamom.com

Given Grace :

Great pictures and such a fun post. Sounds like an exhausting but fun day!

Good motivation for me...thanks!

Knit-Wit :

I Hate shopping! I did most of my Christmas shopping online this year. It was wondeful. Now I just need to wrap them.

Tammy :

Jill, this was perfect...love it, love it!
And what a great sport your non-shopping hubby was!

I just actually walked in from Target just now. The girls and I were picking out the rest of our presents to a boy and girl we picked names for (Our family is going in with two other families to "adopt" a family in need.
It was hard picking out boys' stuff, but after two hours we came home triumphant!

And you have a Cheeseburger in Paradise where you live? Wow...you're so lucky! We went to the one on Oahu- I think the original one...loved it!

As for shopping with hubby, we rarely do this any more....even for our kids. So half the time I have no idea what some of their presents under the tree are!

This was such a fun post, Jill!

Lynne :

That's great that Doug went shopping with you. I did get Dom to go to a store today, but he usually leaves everything to me. Love the pictures - especially the ones from VS!

Lauren@Baseballs&Bows :

Jill, you are so funny! That was a great post. Glad you had a fun day shopping together. We don't even try to do that together! :)

Melissa in Mel's World :

Jill, that was awesome!!! Great day, great stories, and good gracious, was that really the back of your trunk??? Ha!

You are one impressive chick, and to document it all was the cherry on top of the day! You Go Girl! You are my new HERO!

Melissa

Shawna :

What a good man! Although my hubby does buy most the gifts for his side of the family. I still have him beat on shooping miles though. We ended up shopping for Scamp on our anniversary date night! I love the pictures!!

Susan :

Well what fun! My DH HATES to shop. We shopped last year for our trip to NYC and I was blown away at how he approached the whole thing. It was great fun.

I enjoyed reading about YOUR shopping day. I have to get mine done too.

:-) Susan

Chery :

You are a hoot!! I loved the shopping photos!! I think it is so neat that you met up with some of your blogging buddies. How fun!! Thanks for your comment on the ice storm. We are getting ready for a snow storm on Friday. We feel lucky to have lights & heat. Many people are still in the dark. Have a great weekend!! Chery

Sonya :

How fun! I have been doing the same thing with my hubby for the past few days. We hit all of the local bookstores and I have to say, he was waiting patiently for me each time! I'm like a kid in a candy store when you put me in a bookstore. I realized this year that it is so much more fun when we go shop together!

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