Bargain shopping

My mom taught me and my sister many valuable lessons over the year, but I think the one we practice best on a daily weekly basis is smart shopping.  I rarely, if ever, purchase full-priced items.  I stalk clothes/shoes/accessories down until they are at least 40% off. I dance a merry jig when I receive coupons in the mail.  And if I get home and think about my purchase and realize it's something that I don't necessary need at that point, I happily return it the next day with a smile on face.  More money for me, plus no buyer's remorse. Cha-ching!

However, while one can be taught smart shopping, one cannot necessarily learn patience.  And that is one major virtue I lack. Because of my impatience, I miss out on one area of smart shopping: the thrill of the hunt...for a bargain. 

The following scenario happens to me quite often:

Me: "Oh my gosh! I love your <sweater, coat, purse,etc,> where did you get it?"

Good friend/Random stranger: "Oh, thanks! I bought this for $21 at <TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross>!

Me: "Really? But I never find anything at those stores!"

Friend/stranger: "You really have to hunt through racks and racks of clothes. You've gotta have the patience for it."

And there lies the problem. 

So imagine my surprise when I wandered into Daffy's today, sorted through accessories and tried on countless outerwear, and I left with not only a super cute wallet (a red leather Kenneth Cole wallet for $19.99), but a perfect Nine West coat (houndstooth, fits perfectly, $49.99). What a deal!

I wonder if this success will keep me motivated until Black Friday, when my mom wants to hit the stores at 4:30 a.m. Yikes!! Maybe I can convince her to bring along my 2-year-old nephew Will, and he and I can compete in the ultimate whining contest. :)

Other exciting things for Monday:

- We had a fantastic weekend. I got to sleep in and be very lazy, and I got to spend quality time with several good friends throughout the weekend. My dear friend Isabelle called from Paris and we had a lovely catch-up chat. Our kickball team beat the pants of the other team, and I got to play with Baby Domenick.  And last but not least, we got two home-cooked meals made for us. Turkey chili on Sat. night, and spaghetti squash last night. Perfect!

- One more week until my sister's due date! C'mon, Baby Ryan! You have lots of excited grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins/friends waiting for you, and not to mention awesome parents and big brother!

- On our walk home yesterday from kickball, someone had boxes of free records outside. There wasn't the best selection overall, but they had a few random ones I liked.  I went a little overboard and took home about eight Christmas records (I told you they were random). Rhett was not as impressed, but he will be come December when I play these non-stop! :)