If I tell you I would be happy to never see another McDonald’s Happy Meal toy?
Starting yesterday, we’ve been doing some reorganizing and cleaning up of our first floor. Part of that included me going through Brianna’s toys today and giving away a whole lot of them on Freecycle. I’ve had people at my door all day long. But as I was looking through the toys, to see what she’s outgrown and what she can live without, I realized that half of her little toy bins are an accumulation of Happy Meal toys. They’re everywhere. And I think they’re breeding in those toy bins.
Aside from organizing and giving away, this morning Brianna and I hit some Black Friday sales. First, I was going to get up realllly early and go to the stores before Josh had to leave for work (he leaves at 6:30). Ha. I set my alarm last night and then five minutes later laughed and turned it off. So instead, I got Brianna dressed and out the door for some shopping at around 8:30 this morning. We hit Michael’s craft store first, because we had a coupon for 25% off our entire order before 9am. Bwahahaha. The lines, oh the lines. We got some xmas ornament crafts, some fake flower/poinsettas to do some arrangements for outside and a santa. We didn’t make it through line by 9am but that wasn’t our fault and they were still honoring the coupon. Actually, the lines moved pretty quickly, I was impressed. Oh, and the salespeople I encountered were very friendly and helpful when I stopped them to ask questions.
Then we went to Home Depot which was a breeze. We walked in, found the santa train for around the tree and loaded it into the cart. We were actually greeted by an employee as he walked past. Then, we were just strolling the Xmas section and another employee asked if we needed help. Wow! We walked right up to the register, no waiting, and the cashier was pleasant and friendly (even in light of the fact that I had a Lowe’s coupon–HD honors competitor coupons–that she didn’t know how to use). Very nice experience at Home Depot.
Next it was off to Kohls, where I wanted to buy a garment bag for traveling. Again, amazing employee experience. Helpful people in the luggage department. Helpful young man in the toy department who offered to keep the garment bag back in his section until I was at the cash register, and they could just call him to bring it up so I didn’t have to lug it around. And I did. And he did. And even offered to take it to my car! The line at Kohls moved quickly, they were very organized, the cashier was friendly as was the lady there helping her bag items. Again, I was so impressed!
Our last stop was Big Lots and dammit, they almost ruined my good customer service high because truly, they were a mess. And I waited 15 minutes at the register to pay for an item that was advertised in their flier. Why? Because it didn’t have a sticker on it. And no, they couldn’t just ring the price from the ad. They had. to have. something. to scan. But when the cashier called for a price check no one answered. Not the second time either. And the third time, the woman who answered was clueless. So the cashier actually left and went to go help her find something. Oh. My. God. Then, to make it even better, I had a coupon I’d gotten off the internet. Oh no, I couldn’t use that? Why? *sigh* have to wait for a manager, who tells me they’re fakes and the person who made them will be prosecuted, where did I get it from? Yeah, you know me, sitting around in my house manufacturing coupons for Big Lots. *snort* So I officially think they suck and I’m going to pretend I didn’t go there today, and instead tell you that Brianna and I had an excellent shopping experience.
My proud mommy moment of the day: We were in Kohls’s and I could NOT get Brianna’s attention. She was mesmerized by something I couldn’t see because my angle was wrong. I thought, from the way she was in a daze, that they had a TV set up with a cartoon on it. So I walked around the corner to see. Nope, you know what my child was enthralled with? A Disney Princess book. Slightly out of her reach to grab, but she could see it and oohhh, she wanted. Yes, I did buy it for her. Duh. And she’s “read” it in the store, in the car, on the couch when she got up from her nap… *sniff* I’m so proud 
But now it’s back to organizing. What did you do today?
:pirate: pssst. when you get a chance…you should probably take a peek at the newest better homes and gardens Quilts and More magazine. There’s this pattern inside for an awesome tote…AND coordinating wallet and checkbook cover…and a kid’s apron (SOOO easy…I made one for my son :cheer: )…just take a peek!!!They also have 10 free tote patterns on their site. http://tinyurl.com/36zyw9 Don’t worry about posting the comment, I just wanted to let you know!
Well, darn. I thought the comments were on moderation.
LOL. Happy holidays. I’ll be pulling out my sewing machine. *huge grin*
Happy Meal Toys. :chair: Multiply your HMT’s by three, and you’ve got my multi-kid household. Sigh.
For a while, I saved them up, unopened, to give to my MIL who was an elementary school principal. She’d give them out as good-behavior rewards to the students. Then she retired, and I’m buried in them again.
And congrats on an almost-perfect Black Friday shopping trip!
Now I have to decide what purse to sew first.Yay! Thanks, Dawn.
:kissie: Thanks for the clue on the totes, Dawn. I have always wondered if book publishers did as much advertising on the TV as toy manufacturers would the literacy rate in the US rise.
Congrats on having a reader, Angie. Good job.
My son had one of the monster HMT collections. Took us days to clear out his toy room when he outgrew them.
My daughter has fallen victim to my new policy – “Out of sight, out of house.” Soon as she leaves it laying somewhere for more than a day, it goes on top of the fridge. After a day or two there, it goes in the trash.
And I just had the thought – what the hell is all this doing to our landfills? Can these things be recycled? :bitch:
LOL NP Jackie!
I just don’t go to McD’s any more. It has cut down on the trash I find when cleaning. Unfortunately, GRANDMA does go and saves all the toys for the girls (why is G-ma getting a happy meal anyway??)
You are a better woman than I when it comes to the holiday shopping experience. I stayed hidden in my home on Black Friday, putting up Christmas decorations. Though I did venture out to one of the pharmacies for medicine for my little one who has one nasty cold right now. I can’t stand Black Friday shopping. Gives me the willies! As for the HMT, yeah we have a lot of them. I clean out my daughters room about once every six months when she’s not home and toss most of them in the trash, though, believe it or not, she does still play with some of them and those I do keep! :chair:
Angie I see that you got a train for the tree from home deopt. I am looking for one for Preston and see 2 on their website.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100597189
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100597190
Was it one of these?, is the quality good? Sorry the links are so long, I dunno how to shorten them.
Hey Kristie
It was the first one, the Santa Express, since we got it just for going under the tree. Brianna has a train table with other train stuff so we didn’t need an every day one.
But the two trains are actually exactly alike, except for how they look. The Santa Fe (your second link) is more every day.
As for quality, I haven’t pulled it out of the box yet since our tree isn’t set up, but they look really nice.
Email me (bbybookworm@gmail.com) if you’re planning on going into Home Depot to buy one and I’ll try to email you back a Lowe’s coupon for $10 off that you can use (HD accepts competitor coupons).