Saturday, November 22, 2008

Thanksgiving Farmer's Market

I go to our local Farmer's Market, held outside in the town square, almost every Saturday from May until October. I've been missing going out and looking at the vegetables, touching them, trying to decide what I want to eat this week, looking at the flowers and spices, talking with the farmers. Well, I saw in the paper that they were having a Thanksgiving Farmer's Market today from 10 am - 2 pm held inside the sports coliseum, so of course, we went. We had a great time - we saw many of the "regulars" and a few new people. We tried samples of local cheese, roasted brussels sprouts and chestnuts (YUM!), chicken noodle and minestrone soup, and pumpkin almond bars.

They were selling turkey, beef, chicken, eggs, spinach, apples, sweet potatoes, potatoes, salsas, ornamental and squirrel corn, garlic, turnips, honey, and cheese and there were several craft/art tables too. I came home with ornamental corn (I mentioned that I was a preschool teacher, and I use the corn as a tweezing activity. I wasn't looking for him to give it to me for free, I was just having a conversation, but then he said to just take as much as I wanted for no charge! I took two and thanked him!) honey, garlic, eggs, and sweet potatoes. I was tempted to get some cheese curds, peach salsa, and a pair of earrings, but I resisted the urge.

So while still basking in my naturalness, I decided to go to the mall. LOL. Those people that know me know that I'm not a big fan of going to the mall, but I wasn't in the mood to go home yet, and it was close and it had been a LONG time since I'd been to the local mall. I ended up getting some great deals - a plum pullover sweater at JCPenney for $3.43 (with tax) and 4 shirts and a pair of socks at Old Navy for $5.82. When I can get those kind of prices at the mall for new clothes, then I don't feel quite as guilty for spending the money and shopping isn't quite the torture that it usually is for me.

I must admit that I went shopping a few weeks ago and it WAS pretty tortuous until right near the end when I ended up in Gap Kids (which I haven't been in in probably 5 years) and I was looking at the clearance rack, and they also had an additional 30% off that day. I ended up buying 9 pieces for $60.03. It is all for the Simple Kids for Christmas presents. I felt pretty good about that deal too.

So in case you are worried that I live a completely natural, simple, organized life all the time, I don't all the time. I'd like to do a better job with it, and I write about it here to motivate myself, and to write down the things that we are doing in case it can be helpful to anyone else. But I have days when I'm stressed out, days when I'm completely disorganized, days when the house is a mess, and days when I don't feel like cooking, and days when I am crabby. Hey, I even went to McDonald's today!

2 comments:

Stacey said...

Funny!! I am glad that the Gap made the trip better for you. It always makes me feel better too. You must have hit the .97 rack at Old Navy? I got Bex some stuff for next summer from it. I got swim trunks and although he will rarely wear them he still needs them so I love it when I can get them for so cheap. Sounds like the perfect end to your great shopping deals was McDonald's.

Anonymous said...

Man....ok so you have GOT to tell me about these deals. I had no idea that there was a Thanksgiving Farmer's Market today. I would have been there! ( Of course I am NOT trying to make you feel guilty ) Sounds like it was alot of fun. And I hear you on the mall. I haven't been to the mall shopping in I don't know how long. I usually just hit target and then the once a year haul at Old Navy and Children's place. And it is rare that I go ahead and spend money on me again because I don't want to spend too much money! In talking to you and others it is my goal to look at Goodwill first for the things that I can. I hear people rave on the deals they get and they look good too! That is where I can live a more simpler life and reduce our spending more even though I don't still spend alot anyhow(at least not on clothes). Most of the things my children wear seriously are from Target or hand me downs from others that I gladly take off their hands. I have NO shame! Hopefully I won't scar my children for life because when they were small they didn't wear Gap,Gymboree etc. Oh and I am not knocking it we just chose to not spend our money there that is all. Ok.........so this is a long comment just like our once a month hour and a half phone conversations too! LOL