Christmas Shopping In The City

Me and my son have been wanting to drive to the city to see the sights and hear the sounds of Christmas.  It's about 50 minutes away, so we don't get there that often, and this time I drove.  I've been wanting to do some Christmas shopping, and go to some of the places that we don't have up here.  Now, this used to be a small country town when I was growing up, but now it's a big city with a mall, lots of restaurants, and plenty of shops.  Our first stop was to get a coffee and Christmas treat at Starbuck's.  I got my usual Cafe' Americano, and after enjoying our Christmas goodies, I bought some holiday coffee to bring home.

I heard that Home Goods opened very early during the season, so we headed over there before the crowds.  My son went to Sprouts while I was at Home Goods.

  I absolutely loved browsing through all the isles.  I couldn't believe when I noticed there was a Valentine section already out.  I saw a Valentine nutcracker that was just too cute not to get.  And I put it out along with my other Christmas decorations.  Isn't this the most delightful nutcracker?

The next stop was Michaels and World Market.  I picked up some Marzipan Stollen, which is a German Christmas bread, and so delicious.

Barnes and Noble was right next to it, so I went inside to get a calendar for next year.  And Mary Engelbreit is the one for me - its cheerful pages makes me smile.

It was time for lunch.  All that shopping made me hungry, and I noticed an Italian restaurant in the distance, so we went there.  The atmosphere was so festive with Christmas trees, lights, and decorations.

  You can always tell how a restaurant is if the cokes they serve are good.

I ordered chicken alfredo, which was creamy, thick, and very good.

It was time to do some more shopping.  While my son went to Trader Joe's to get some goodies, I went over to Kohl's.  Have you ever tried these Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onions?  They are tiny bites of goodness.  Nel and Jess get them all the time at Trader Joe's.

I bought a sweater at Kohl's - a classic soft cream colored sweater for winter. 

After that, we drove over to Target, which was in the area, and then headed back home up the mountain.

I unpacked all my goodies, and enjoyed some of the foods we bought.  I was tired from the excitement of the day and the drive home, so later that evening I settled in and watched my favorite movie, White Christmas.

I had a great time with my son going to the city and having a day of Christmas fun.  Sons have a special way of making their mamas laugh, don't they?

We went at just the right time, cause the next morning we were covered in snow. ⛄

~Sheri