Posts Tagged ‘shopping’

An internet meme, suggests Christmas shopping with one’s husband is like hunting with a game warden.  Shopping with The Beloved Soul Mate is more akin to hunting with a P.E.T.A activist. Bringing  our different perspectives to the task, reminds me of how those committed to saving animals have trouble understanding those who enjoy eating them.

Different perspectives…I saw an example this weekend, when a child’s wish-list item was reinterpreted by a grown-up.  The child had his heart set on something, but the grown-up was sure he knew better.  In his attempt to buy the child something “better”, he forgot it wasn’t what the child wanted. A well-meaning parent certainly knows what is good for a child, but if Christmas were about what is good for us, there would be no spiked ‘nog or cookies.

We all know someone who would benefit from a smack to the side of the head, and  while the delivery of this, might for an instance allow the smacking party to experience the joy of giving, it is hardly in keeping with the spirit of the season.  If Christmas were about giving people what they needed, shopping would be easy–underwear all around!  Still,  some can’t resist the temptation to give others things they like or want the recipient to like. Read the rest of this entry »

On any given day, you’ll see them, the men on the benches outside stores at the mall.  Patiently, they wait, as the women browse every store.  Admirable or pathetic, they wait ,wondering how much longer she’ll be.

There are not as many men who go to the mall with their wives or girlfriends, as those who stay home, doing whatever it is men do while women shop, because most men don’t understand the way women shop.As a  woman goes from store-to-store looking, the men wonder why it takes them so long to find what they’re looking for.  For most men shopping is a challenge–like a hunt.  To come home empty-handed is to fail.  Bagging something–anything makes the hunt a success.  It would seem that when it comes to shopping, men and women are wired differently.  The woman lets the quest continue as she shops for the perfect [insert noun of choice here].

Though a man may not understand why a woman looking for the perfect pair of shoes or the perfect dress, can try on dozens of seemingly similar items and still be looking for something else, when it comes to choosing women, some men shop more like women, than they realize.  You know the ones, those guys who are always looking for someone or something they can’t seem to find.

There was a time when men may not have known exactly what they wanted in a wife or girlfriend, yet they managed to find one.  That was back when relationships were thought of as a launching point for forever after–instead of a stop-gap, ’til something better came along. Unfortunately, with sex-before-marriage now more the rule than the exception, and marriages are often short-lived, some men are no longer looking for a women to grow old with, instead they are looking for a women who will never grow old to them.

With sex readily available, men are more wary of monogamy and it’s implications and with so many choices, they may be reluctant to settle on one.  Relationships have become a gamble, as iffy as buying something at a store with a no-refund policy.  Maybe he sees something he likes, but only after he’s laid out a hefty chunk of money, will he discover the package was misleading, it wasn’t what he’d hoped, or that it isn’t going to last.

When it comes to women, some guys are are exactly like women shopping for the perfect pair of shoes.

There are so many to choose from, many styles, colors and sizes.  It’s up to him how many he tries on, and he is free to discard them if they don’t suit him, OR if he believes he might find something better. So while the women around him wonder why he won’t settle down or what it is he’s looking for, he’s narrowing his choices.  Women may not understand it, but they should–at least with a little decoding.

SHOPPING FOR THE PERFECT SHOES vs.  SHOPPING FOR THE PERFECT WOMAN

• She says: These are too wide. He says: She’s too wide.
  
• She says: This shoe is too narrow. He says: She’s narrow-minded, she doesn’t think the way I do.
  
• She says: I like these, but they pinch. He says: She cramps my style.
• She says: I like these, but I they cost too much. He says: I’d rather not spend my money on her.
  
• She says: I’d buy these, but I don’t want shoes I’d have to polish. He says: Too high maintenance!
• She says: I want to try on a few more. He says: So many women, why settle on one.
• She says: This one is comfortable, but it isn’t attractive enough. He says: I like hanging with her, but I was sorta hoping for a super-model.
• She says: Maybe I could do better. He says: Maybe I could do better.

Like cute shoes in the window beckoning and hoping you’ll pick them, or nice dresses left on the rack at the end of the season, we are left to shake our heads and wonder what it is he’s hoping to find.

After spending a weekend scurrying through holiday activities, I lost Monday–a day I needed.   The busy weekend, left my wits were dulled, my energies lulled and my productivity nearly annulled.  My excuse?  Tis the season, the season in which there is always too much to do.

With just a little over a week until Christmas, everyone is checking their list.  This time of year, the everyday to-do list is augmented by the Special Holiday Edition to-do list, including the Christmas shopping list, and the holiday mailing list.  On this list ordinary tasks are joined by extraordinary tasks like decorating the yard, whipping up something from a cherished family recipe or staying up late to finish some holiday surprise.  Whether it’s cleaning, cooking, parties or pageants; it’s nearly impossible not to become exhausted.

Yet, at this time when we are stretched, most of us neglect the one thing which would most likely ensure a more enjoyable holiday–REST.  The great irony is at the time when it’s time to relax and enjoy the holiday, nerves are frazzled and goodwill toward men is waning.  As family and friends begin to gather, we find ourselves asking how we wished for  “White Christmas” but instead got Snow White’s pals Grumpy, Dopey and Sleepy.  (Except, instead of being short, they are merely short-tempered.)  Is it any wonder our holidays don’t look like Norman Rockwell’s?

With this in mind, a new holiday tradition is in order–taking time to rest and regroup.  When it isn’t possible to get enough sleep at night, make time during the day to relax and rejuvenate.  Slow things down even briefly.   Writing cards or paying bills at a favorite coffee house, may be all it takes to allow you to unwind.  You can take a break to enjoy a massage or pedicure or slip into a tub of warm bubbles to relieve tension and fatigue, but if you really want to recharge, I suggest a nap.

This isn’t the wimpy nap associated with babies or old people–this is the real deal, the big Kahuna, the power nap.  A quick little catnap of about 20 minutes will leave you feeling sharper and better rested than a full-fledged nooner-nap.   Twenty minutes–short, but, oh so sweet!

I’m a big devotee and proponent of the short snooze.  Many are the findings and studies on why such a small rest produces such big results.  I’d cite some here, but you’d be tempted to read them, which would require you to be awake.   Trust me, your time would be better spent with your eyes closed.

Happy Holi-Doze!  Sleep in heavenly peace.