Day Three Hundred Thirteen: Mercado Central

I can't believe we've been in Mendoza a month and only just made it over to Mercado Central for the first time today! I always love markets, and this one is especially nice because it's very bright and clean and not smelly like some markets tend to be. The market has been operating in this location since the city was first established, though it has obviously undergone changes over the years. I'm so glad we got to visit before we have to leave the city!

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Six: A New Stunt

When you are the mother of four, you can often feel like you've seen every stunt a kid can pull. But, this evening, I experienced a completely new one. My youngest child, who is generally one of the most compliant and agreeable children I have ever met, decided to try on a different personality for a while. Just he and I were grocery shopping, and he was pushing the cart and generally being quite helpful. We stopped to pick up something, and he asked for an adjacent item, which he must have known I was going to say no to, and that is exactly what I said. I then continued walking and turned to the next aisle while he lagged with the cart. That little toot went ahead and put the forbidden item in the shopping cart, which I failed to notice during the rest of our shopping trip. Then, while I was busy talking to the clerk and sorting through some coupons, he put it on the conveyor belt, and it was rung up and bagged before I even looked up. And, while I was bringing in groceries, he unloaded his "prize" and put it in the pantry with the label turned so I wouldn't notice it. But, of course, a sibling found it and realized it was something we wouldn't normally have in the house. Busted. This truly came out of nowhere and just goes to show that kids will surprise you, even when you think you've seen everything.

Day Two Hundred Four: Groupon

I promise I haven't been living under a rock the last few years. I've obviously heard of Groupon, but I have never bought a voucher from them until now. I came across a deal for my yoga studio quite by accident, and my class pass just had one more class on it, so I jumped at the opportunity to get another class pass for more than 50% off.

Day Two Hundred Two: $4.50 Outfit

The other day, I went in a store to look at bedding, but on my way to that department I happened past a clothing clearance rack. I am a bargain shopper, and I really love to get a good deal, so I was naturally inclined to peruse the rack and check out the offerings. I ended up finding several things to try on, and of those I decided on a few to take home, including the outfit I wore today, which cost a grand total of $4.50. Even for a bargain shopper, that's a pretty amazing deal--probably the best one I've ever gotten on brand new clothes. And the best part was I received multiple compliments on the outfit throughout the day!

Selfies are super weird, but a $4.50 outfit is worth documenting!

Day One Hundred Seventy-Seven: Military Surplus Store

I think once, when I was in college, I stumbled upon the military surplus store across from campus. I barely gave it a glance, and I haven't darkened the door of another military surplus store since that time. Until today. Because that's where you shop when you are the mother of a CAP cadet and you don't want to pay ridiculous prices at the online retailer for specific uniform components. I thought we would just be popping in there for the necessities, but I have to admit, it was a super cool store, and we spent plenty of extra time just looking around. I kept wondering if I needed any tactical gear or grenade boxes in my life and how I would look in various shades of camo. It was definitely a new kind of shopping experience for me, and it was surprisingly fun!

Omaha's Surplus

No camo for me this time, but we got this girl fully outfitted.

Day One Hundred Forty: Custom Toe Ring Shop

The ladies in our group had a little field trip to Karen's Custom Toe Ring and Anklet Shop today, which was definitely a new experience for me. I did not acquire any new jewelry, mostly because pretty much everything in the store was out of my budget. But I was intrigued by such a niche business and the process of trying on toe rings to find the perfect fit.

Day One Hundred Six: Black Friday

I do believe today was the first Black Friday shopping I have ever done (and actually it will be fine with me if it's the last), and really it was sort of a fluke. After my mom and I picked Ruth up from her riding lesson, Mom mentioned she needed to pick up a hair dryer since hers had died this morning. The next thing we knew, we were surrounded by Black Friday sales and were actively participating in the shopping. In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that we only went to one store, which was just enough to collect this First and pick up a pair of sparkly cat ears, which we obviously needed because they were 50% off. 😉

Sparkly cat ears for the Black Friday win!

Day Ninety-Six: Grocery Shopping

Obviously grocery shopping isn't anything new for me. I basically feel like the grocery store is my home away from home. I have "my" stores that I frequent and am very familiar with. But, while waiting on a child to finish an activity on the other side of town, I decided to pop into a grocery store I never had been in. The brand was the same as one of my regular stores, but the layout of the store and even some of the products were completely different. If I hadn't read the sign before going in, I might have thought I was truly visiting a new grocery store. Clearly, this isn't one of my more exciting Firsts, but I thought it was so curious to have such a different experience in a store that seemed as if it should have been familiar.