Black Friday

It barely fit in the trunk.

Early, early Friday morning I was speeding toward Tysons Corner (a big fat mall out here), listening to Christmas music and marveling at the freakishly clear Beltway. I had my coupons in my wallet, my Black Friday strategy was in place, and I had my game face on. I was ready to shop. Driving along, I felt a distinct pang as I wished I were in Seattle and heading downtown or to Bellevue Square with Mums. It’s not the same doing the big shopping days alone—in fact, it can kind of suck. Then Charlotte kicked me as if to say, “Hey! Chin up! I’m here with you! And I think Daddy was kidding when he insisted that you Not Buy Anymore Baby Clothes.” She had a point. So I decided to make the best of it and go in with the same I’m-Going-To-Kick-Some-Retail-Ass attitude that I have when I go with Mums. It's just that now I'm the mom--well, at least I will be in 10 weeks. Most of my Christmas shopping was already done, but there were a few people still sitting on my to-buy-for list. And I was going to finish this TODAY.

So I sailed past the stuffed Macy’s parking lot, heading straight for Nordstrom’s—and Strategy #1 paid off as I landed myself a spectacular parking spot. I started out at Macy’s (Strategy #2—first go to the store with the biggest door busters). The only thing I knew for sure that I wanted there were some desperately needed pillows for the guest bedroom, and I got some very nice ones for an über good deal. I also scored on some on other gifts and had to make a run to the car to drop off shopping bags. I’ll admit I’m not a huge Macy’s fan—they took over The Bon Marché in Seattle, their stores increasingly resemble T. J. Max as far as organization goes, their shipping and handling charges are way too high, and their staff is typically sparse and not terribly nice—but I had to admit that for once Macy’s had their act together. I shopped in three different departments and stood in three different lines, but I had no more than one person in front of me each time. Management-types were positioned throughout the store, being pleasant and helpful. Very un-Macy’s-like. With Macy’s out of the way, I hit Brooks Brothers (no luck), Gap Kids (less than no luck), Bath and Body Works (luck!), Sephora (luck!), Children’s Place (no luck), and Banana Republic (luck!). And, of course, I hit most important store of them all, the Seattle-based mecca of good shopping: Nordstrom. (Fyi, Strategy #3 is to always use Nordstrom’s restrooms—they’re cleaner, nicer, and never have a line. And you’ll need to use it if you’re a) pregnant or b) bring a bottled water, as recommended in Strategy #4). I found myself enjoying shopping more than I anticipated, and as I sat in Panda Express at my perfect perch where I could people watch (Strategy #5—eat lunch at 10:30 to avoid the insane food court crowds), my phone rang. It was Mums. Mums: “I’m shopping without you!” Ashley: “Ditto.” Mums: “I was outside Macy’s at a 5:45 this morning! Alone!” We compared purchases via phone as I munched on orange chicken. Between the call and the greasy Chinese food, I got my second wind and went to the rest of the stores on my list. I came home and hit a few stores online and voila! I’m done with Christmas shopping! I know, I know, Christmas isn’t about consumerism. But you know what? I enjoy shopping for folks and picking out stuff I think they’ll like. I love the store decorations and seeing little kids dressed up for their photo with Santa. I adore hitting Black Friday and the day-after-Christmas sales at the crack of dawn with Mums. I love finding a fabulous deal. For me, the mall-based hoopla adds to the fun of the season. So what's the harm? This year, Chris has offered to tackle the day-after-Christmas sales (my VERY favorite shopping day of the year) on December 26th--to ward off some of the sting of us not being able to fly home for Christmas, methinks. I agreed he could come on the condition that he a) not question any of my shopping strategies, b) have a good attitude, and c) approach the day as a competitive game, not a leisurely day of shopping.

Something tells me that 12/26/09 might be his first and last time taking on a major shopping day.