Day 28: Bring on the boxes!

Alternate title: why you shouldn't shop when hopped up on meds.

In all the apartments and houses that I've lived in since graduating college (6, in case you were wondering), my mailman has hated me.

At one point in my life, I subscribed to 12 – TWELVE – magazines. Twelve heavy publications that had to be stuffed into a mail slot each month, trudged across the Boston Common, delivered during rain and snow storms.

Then, this little thing called the internet was invented, and really took off. And with it, came online shopping!

When you have boxes being delivered by large UPS and FedEx trucks, and you live on one of the most narrow streets in Southie (one that's barely on the map, and traffic isn't supposed to drive down it), you hear all sorts of colorful language, tinged with a thick Boston accent.

And then one day, Amazon was born. And following that, Amazon Prime.

If the mail/postal/delivery people didn't like me before, they certainly don't like me now.

Last year when we were renovating our family room, our contractor said to my husband, "Your wife sure gets a lot of packages delivered." Um, thanks buddy. Way to out me.

It's just so simple. Shop. Add it to your cart. Hit "purchase" (and your credit card info is saved! so easy!). And then two days later...POOF. Packages.

You've heard the phrase "Don't drink and Prime?" Well, I'd like to suggest: "Don't Prime on Meds" as a close second to that.

Today, I'm home sick. And it's Cyber Monday. And I'm armed with prescriptions. 

In between naps, I MAY have done some damage Christmas shopping.

So my point is, I blame the person who invented the internet, and then Amazon Prime, for any troubles the UPS delivery man has two days from now.

(And for the record: I'm down to only 5 magazine subscriptions right now. Not bad.)

Black Friday, (with a) baby!

Since the arrival of Mr. Max,our Black Friday routine has definitely changed.

Crowds be damned, we used to head out every year. It used to be that we would time our trip to be early morning,and – back in the day when Black Friday really meant Friday shopping – we would arrive after the wave of 5am-ers were heading to their cars to go home. It was like we were the second shift.

This year, we STILL did Black Friday, but our focus was less on the shopping and more on where our lunch was going to be. Sure, we hit up a few stores, but the bulk of our day was  planned around Max's lunch and nap times.

Like usual, most  of my Black Friday purchases were for me. Though this year I snuck a few items in for Mr. Max as well.

Today turned out to be less about shopping and the Christmas rush, and more about me spending time with Mr. KK and Max. 

We weren't on a time schedule. The weather was 65 degrees. Seriously, it was a perfect day.

After Black Friday shopping we hit the park with Max. 

This kid loved the swings!

Random: When was the last time you saw a $2 bill? Let alone $36 dollars' worth!

FACT: bars will take $2 bills...reluctantly.

(they ARE money, though!)

Day 28: Yeah, we do Black Friday. Sort of.

Every year Mr. KK and I go out on Black Friday.

Let me preface this with a few things:

1. we are NOT the crazy people who camp out in 30 degree weather outside of Walmart, putting our lives on the line to get trampled for $6 off a flat screen TV.

2. I am 100% against this new trend of stores opening up ON Thanksgiving to get a 'jump start' on Black Friday sales. The only thing you're doing is ruining a holiday for 100 of your closest employees.

Side note: there was one year that Mr. KK decided he was going to do the real black Friday: get up early, stand in line in the cold – the whole nine yards – for a deal on a TV. He woke up at 4am, got dressed and headed out on his mission. 

Ten minutes later he came back upstairs, put his pajamas back on and crawled back into bed.

"What happened?"

"Car won't start."

Ah, the luck of the KK's.

I LOVE Christmas.

It's my favorite holiday.

And I like going out on Black Friday because this is the day when it feels super Christmas-y everywhere you go. People are buying presents, there are trees on car roofs and the Salvation Army beggars people are out there ringing their bells with gusto. This is the day I start listening to Christmas music straight through until Christmas Day (this is a warning for anyone who drives in the car with me in the month of December).

And we have curated our own Black Friday tradition.

We do head out early – usually around 8am or 9am, coffee and tea in hand – to the Westfarms Mall. We find the perfect parking space in the garage outside of Nordstrom and we leave our coats in the car. I then proceed to shop completely for myself, because let's be real, there are very few gifts I buy for people at a mall. But 50% at Banana Republic until noon? Yes, please!

After Westfarms we head over to West Hartford to Crate and Barrel and then lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We sit at the bar, have a drink or two, and enjoy a nice lunch that doesn't consist of turkey, mashed potatoes or stuffing.

Then we usually head home, light a fire, and lie down and watch TV and take naps.

And this year, just because we have Mr. Max, we weren't about to abandon our shopping tradition.

Black Friday 2.0:

First, we skipped the mall entirely (I just can't bring myself to take Max to a germy mall. Hole in the wall bar? Sure. Stinky mall? Pass.)

Max slept through Crate and Barrel (apparently he had no need to purchase housewares he'll only use one and then curse every time he opens a drawer or cabinet).

Next stop was Barnes and Noble where I picked out new books for Max (for someone who can't focus on pictures yet, this kid has SO MANY books), and where Max enjoyed an impromptu lunch.

After he drifted into a post-lunch nap, we headed across the street to the Cheesecake Factory for our lunch. 

We parked our stroller among the sea of strollers near the entrance, traded our bar seats for a booth, limited ourselves to one drink each, and enjoyed a nice lunch that didn't consist of turkey, mashed potatoes or stuffing.

The we headed home, lit a fire, and watched Max nap.

There are some traditions you just can't break. You just have to modify them a little bit.

PS: We went into that kids' store Janie and Jack today. Beautiful clothing. But they have some nerve trying to pass off having 3 onesies and a cardigan for boys as a 'girls and boys store'. I think the store needs a new name that's less misleading. Something like, "Just Janie". Or "Jack Who?"