Day 4: Coupons, Plans, and Whoa!

As a listoholic, I learned long ago that the best-made plans are GOING to be broken, so just count on it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. Take today, for example. I had a pile of coupons for various stores and a corresponding plan complete with numbers designating the most geographically effective way to proceed in my shopping.

Before I got to the first retail destination, however, I made a quick stop at the jeweler to pick up a repaired bracelet. Just as I was leaving to tackle that wonderful list, the jeweler tried to entice me with a bunch of half-price jewelry she had in a "treasure chest." I found several pieces I loved, and the prices ranged from $25 to $1,000...something for everyone's budget. I must have spent 10-15 minutes just admiring jewelry before the message that was dropping into my lap finally hit me: these items would make fabulous Christmas gifts for (shhh...) one of my sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law - two ladies who are all about glamour and bling. And wow! The packaging from this jewelry store (R.M. Johnson & Sons) is so luxurious that simply looking at the unopened gifts will be a huge thrill in itself! In summary, I found lovely gifts for two ladies in my life from a jewelry store (probably the last place I would have thought to look), and I hadn't even hit the first store on my list yet!

Now on to the mall and another sidetracked moment. As I drove by Pier 1 Imports, I got a hankering to go inside and look around. Not on the list. But look at this glittery gift box I found in the clearance section for $2.00. And it came with gold tissue paper, and pretty ribbon, and flower gift tag.

Pier 1 also had ZEBRA TISSUE PAPER! Yes!!

Last stop of the day (which was supposed to be first according to my meticulous list): Macy's. Without disclosing too much, I can tell you that I was able to cross a young friend off the list with the help of a 20% off coupon. I did verify with the store clerk that my recipient will be able to return or exchange her items as long as she does it within a few weeks after Christmas. Macy's has a 180-day return policy. Whew.

Tally for the day: 3 more people checked off the list Total tally: 9 lucky people all squared away!