Wednesday is the one day of the week David is off and we go run errands. Sometimes we have breakfast or lunch. This moring is was lunch after we finished shopping at Walmart. let me tell you that store is on #Holiday overload with Fa,, Harvest, Halloween and now Christmas taking over the store.

Even though it’s still be September, but if you have walked into a store lately, you already know what is happening. Halloween is beginning to be faxed out. Fall is slowly going away and Christmas decorations are already making their way onto shelves. Now, don’t ask me about Thanksgiving because it seems like people have forgotten about it.

So today, instead of simply telling you what I found, I want to invite you to go holiday window shopping with me. You don’t have to buy anything. You don’t even have to be looking for something specific. Just walk through the store, look around, notice what catches your eye, and start thinking about how you might decorate, bake, read, or make memories with your family this season. And then ask yourself one question: What will you find?

During my own window shopping, I found some things that made me smile. At Walmart, I spotted a Donald Duck Halloween Blow-Up and the fun part was I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Donald Duck Halloween décor before! Have you? Then there was also Pinocchio but the question is where was Jimmy Cricket?

Then there was Snoopy. I found Snoopy Halloween decorations and Snoopy Christmas decorations, and a Snoopy Stocking as if I need another Stocking. LOL. But I’ve decided that I need to find a Snoopy fall decoration, too.

I already know I want Snoopy on the balcony at Christmas. For my family there is just something about bringing favorite characters into different seasons and letting them become part of your family traditions. And for me, Snoopy and Charlie Brown aren’t just decorations. They bring back memories.

While shopping, I also came across the children’s book Corduroy’s Halloween. I stood there holding the book and thinking about the stories I used to share with Charlie and Suzanne. David knows me well enough that he already knew which book I would gravitate toward.

He picked up The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. That little moment meant something to me. Sometimes love shows up in the smallest ways and sometimes it is someone remembering the book you love. Sometimes it is knowing exactly which decoration is going to catch your eye. And sometimes it is simply walking beside you while you look.

At DD’s, I found another cup towel I just had to have even though we all know I have enough cuptowels to open my own decorating store with. If yuu ask me you can never have too many cuptowels because I use them as decorations.

I also saw a Halloween sign mentioning Monster Mash. Do you remember that song? I remember hearing it when I was growing up, and it is one of those songs that can instantly make Halloween feel like Halloween.

I still enjoy listening to the song today and even though Charlie isn’t going to admit it he does to just as David does. That is part of what makes window shopping fun. You aren’t just looking at merchandise.Sometimes you are looking at memories.

Now we get to my unexpected find. At DD’s, I spotted a king-size Halloween blanket for $17.99. It had spider webs and these beautiful pinkish-purple flowers. I fell in love with it and David liked it, too, and said he really wanted it.

But then we started thinking about the dogs and whether they would mess it up on the bed. Then David reminded me that Walmart had blankets for $9.99. His thought was that we could get two of those instead — one for us and one for Charlie.

And I had to laugh. After 19 years of marriage, I finally taught my husband to watch for the sales! Sometimes window shopping really does lead to unexpected conversations. As well as lessons showing us what we’ve been saying for years has sunk in.

I normally put out seasonal blankets for every holiday. But things are different in our house now. With Junior living downstairs, I can’t decorate the downstairs the same way I used to. And I’ll be honest — that makes me a little sad.

I could put all those seasonal blankets upstairs in my room, but sometimes I think, what is the point if nobody sees them? That is one of those little changes that comes with family life. Our homes change. Our families change. The way we decorate changes.

And sometimes we have to find new places for old traditions. Do we have to like it no., which is another reason I enjoy walking through stores and looking at all the holiday things. It gives me ideas for what might work in the season of life we are in right now.

While you are window shopping, don’t skip the baking aisle. I have already started noticing Halloween-themed baking supplies, including fun pumpkin and character-inspired items. Including drum roll… Snoopy inspired Pumpkin flavored Bundt Cakes.

So here’s your challenge:

Halloween Baking Must-Haves

☐ Cookie cutters
☐ Halloween sprinkles
☐ Cupcake decorations
☐ Halloween candy
☐ Pumpkin-themed baking item
☐ A favorite character-themed item
☐ Something you could use for Halloween cookies or treats
☐ One unexpected baking find

You don’t have to buy everything. In fact, you don’t have to buy anything. The point is to look, dream, plan, and get ideas.

Your Holiday Window Shopping Challenge: Now it’s your turn.

The next time you are at Walmart, Target, a dollar store, a grocery store, or even a local shop, take a few minutes to walk through the seasonal aisles. Look for:

One Halloween decoration

One fall or harvest item

One Christmas item

One baking item

One Halloween book or movie

One cozy item

One thing that reminds you of childhood

And then look for one more thing: Something you could use for more than one season.

Maybe it is a blanket.

Maybe it is a character.

Maybe it is a sign.

Maybe it is a color combination.

Maybe it is something completely unexpected.

That’s the fun of window shopping.

You never know what you are going to find.

As you look at everything in the stores, start asking yourself: Could I use this again? Could that Christmas decoration work with winter décor? Could that Halloween character work for fall? Could that blanket be used all autumn? Could that serving dish work for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Could a favorite character become part of your family’s decorations year after year?

Sometimes the best holiday purchases aren’t the things that can only be used for one day. Sometimes they are the things that become part of your family’s traditions. I’ve shared some of my finds. Now I want to know what you discover.

When you go holiday window shopping, tell us:

• What caught your eye?
• Did you find something unexpected?
• Did you find a decoration you could use for more than one holiday?
• Did something remind you of your childhood?
• Did you find a favorite character?
• Did you discover a book?
• What would you bring home if money were no object?

And most importantly: What will you find?

Today’s Ticket Challenge

Complete the Holiday Window Shopping Challenge = 1 ticket Complete your 10-minute reading challenge = 1 ticket That’s 2 possible tickets today.

Remember, bonus tickets are for the weekend, so today we are keeping it simple.

Go window shopping. Look around. Make a memory. And maybe you’ll find something unexpected along the way.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates