I’m sure I told you that if they gave medals for being a terrible 🎁 shopper, I would receive a Bronze Star Presidential Ribbon of Honor. Over the last few posts, you have been very supportive of my shopping failures. Some have offered very useful ideas. Sofia @soffenoffe described her approach based on careful planning. Over the years I worked with a lot of architects and contractors—truly master planners with vision. They told me they start a project after they do a site visit. They design based on client needs and the unique features of the location. I decided to adapt this approach as my shopping strategy when I went to the mall. I figured I’d scope out all the different stores, would see the latest in everything, and would surely see things that appealed to my family’s needs. Starting fresh in the morning, I visited every store in the Center. Of course, I needed to refuel myself with stops at the donut counter, the food court for lunch, and Starbucks for afternoon tea, and the gourmet hotdog stand for a late afternoon snack. But I redoubled my efforts by walking around the outside of the mall campus a few times to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Good news: the health app on my phone says I did 10,895 steps, almost 5 miles, a little over 8 kilometers. Bad news: didn’t buy anything for anyone, though there were several tempting items (singing model bass fish and the singing Elvis hound dogs really caught my eye). Oh, and despite the exercise, I mysteriously gained three pounds. . . #christmasshoppingtime #givegoodgifts #ihateshopping #12daysofchristmas #12daysleft #wheretoshop #worstshopper #badatit #changeandgrow #writersofinstagram #story https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OyKviJ_d1/?igshid=1k04kw1oilxf7