Christmas Shopping Choices

/ Kimberly

Musical accompaniment: Don’t Wake Me Up, Let Me Dream by the Howard Lanin Orchestra

Christmas shopping is a lot quieter since the Internet.  It’s slightly more crowded than usual in stores but not too much. The shopping experience is probably more like the old days when Christmases were more modest.  Or maybe people were ordering with the Sears catalogue!

If you haven’t finished your shopping yet,  it’s too late for Amazon, so let’s take a look at our shopping options!

Our first choice is the Curtis Family Store in Ohio. A small-town store probably has limited variety but good quality and a reasonable price.

ohiomemory.org

This 1908 picture shows New York City children gazing through Macy’s  toy window. Shopping at Macy’s in the Big Apple will give us lots more choices—-but we’ll spend more too.

LOC

Lastly we have some Christmas street peddlers. Street vendors aren’t the first place I’d look but every once in a while, you may luck out!

LOC

So what do you think? Where would you like to shop?

17 thoughts on “Christmas Shopping Choices”

  1. Street peddlars are rather the equivalent of the market stalls in our area around Christmas. If something was interesting and well priced, I would shop there. I am also a big fan of supporting local shops. There are so few around anymore, I would definitely shop at the mom and pop too. And as for Macy’s, well sometimes it’s the only place to find some particular thing.

    This year I shopped at the local hospital auxiliary shop, The Bay (Canadian version of Macy’s), Chapters (Canadian version of Barnes and Noble), Canadian Tire (kind of an all purpose auto and hardware store), a shoe store, Laura Secord (think Canadian Lindt), and a local clock repair shop where my gift to my son was repairing our old mantle clock. We also bought our Christmas dinner from a local specialist butcher/chef (there are only two of us so we get it catered).

    How about you? Where did you shop this year? Did you notice that I did not buy anything online!?

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    • Well, Jennie, our shopping consisted of obtaining a “wishlist” from grandchildren, most of which they searched for through the internet. Everything we purchased for them was through online shopping. Our adult children and their spouses were given $$$ via Zelle that went directly to their bank account. I call it “Christmas Shopping Circumvention.”

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      • For certain of my gifts, I “shopped online” but just picked them up at the store rather like you can do with groceries. That way I wasn’t wasting time wandering about, but I was also shopping local bricks and mortar. All my grands live within a half hour drive and I just ask their mom for good ideas and then find what I can locally.

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      • Agreed. NYC during Christmas, at one time, was the greatest city to do shopping. Many “Main Street America” cities and towns also had an aura of the season. Oh my, how things have changed.

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      • I’ve only been to NYC twice, and once was on Halloween. There’s some kind of undefinable energy that pulses up through the pavement. It’s an amazing place. I can’t imagine what an extra infusion of Christmas energy would be like on top of that.

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    • It sounds very naive to write but I just assumed Canada had all the same stores we have in the states

      One more reason to visit. I’ve always wanted to explore your country! Bravo for not shopping online. Wish I could say the same 😬

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      • My “bride” is an outstanding cook. For Christmas Day she prepared a large brisket along with several sides and desserts for 8 adults. After many years of hosting holiday dinners she has finally acquiesced to having New Year’s Day dinner prepared by a local branch of a regional grocery market. The plan is to pick up the full meal at the store, about 2 miles from home, on New Year’s Eve Day. Since we have nearby family, the meal size is for 4 adults.

        The meal is marketed as “Lucky New Year’s Meal,” that includes the typical Southern foods customarily eaten on New Year’s Day. The Menu includes a large sliced ham (for Abundance); Corn Soufflé (for Prosperity); Collard Greens (for Good Fortune); Hoppin’ John (for Luck, Health & Wealth); Basmati Rice (for Prosperity); and, Boston Cream Doughnuts (brings Luck Full Circle.)

        Y’all have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!!!

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  2. Arrival of the Sear Catalog Christmas Edition generated great excitement in our house. It was the reference library for our children to generate their Christmas List to send to “Santa.” Those were wonderful years when the joy of Christmas was experienced through and by our children.

    In the small city I spent my childhood, there were only two shops that caught the interest of kids: Mort’s Sporting Goods and Klein’s General Store. Many a Christmas list item was identified in those two brick and mortar stores, and sourced by “Santa” to place under the tree.

    This year’s Christmas gifts for Mom and Dad are a new washer and dryer. Oh, what joy there is in a laundry room filled with new equipment.

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