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January 1, 2009

Retail Therapy

Happy New Year!

Last week I told Mr. Munro I would like to go shopping on New Year’s day. I backed up the suggestion with additional information, saying the sales were on and I thought it would be quiet.

“Okay,” Mr. Munro said.

“I want to buy some summer clothes. A skirt or something.” I watched him closely, and to his credit, he barely flinched.

This morning he brought me a cup of tea in bed. That was about eight o’clock. Not long after, I wandered into the office. A sort of a hint to tell hubby it was my turn on the computer. I wanted to do a few promo things.

“You should hurry,” he said.

“But it’s only eight and the shops don’t open until ten.”

“We’ll have a coffee. I don’t want to be late and face crowds of people.”

I decided I wouldn’t argue the point and went off to have a shower. Updating my website etc could wait. We arrived before ten but most of the shops were open.

“I think I’ll check Stax first,” I said.

Hubby followed me into the dress shop that happens to be my favorite because everything is NZ made. I looked at a few things and he gave his commentary. I walked down the end of the shop and looked back at Mr. Munro. He was standing by a rack of dresses with his arms folded across his chest and an expression on his face that a wife doesn’t really like to see.

“Don’t fold your arms,” I said. “It’s annoying.” He did a sort of grunt and unfolded his arms.

We moved on and after a coffee, stopped at the next shop on my list.

“What do you think of this?” I demanded.

“Too busy.”

Finally, armed with a couple of outfits I went to the dressing room. I put them on and went out to show hubby. He nodded, which is short-speak for good. I noticed he didn’t cross his arms again. Definite Brownie points. About twenty minutes later we left with two skirts and a top.

“You were very good,” I said to Mr. Munro. “Thank you.”

He grinned and said, “It might have been different if we’d gone to a third shop.”

We stopped at Borders for a while and then to the grocery shop. Mr. Munro enjoys food shopping and he was positively cheerful by the time we left the shopping center.

How is your husband/partner/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend at shopping? Does the experience turn into a nightmare or is it a fun excursion? Who does the grocery shopping in your family?

17 Comments

  1. Fedora

    Hmm… Mr. Munro sounds like a sport :) To be honest, I tend not to be very much of a clothes shopper, only in fits and spurts. I do enjoy just random shopping, where I have the luxury to wander around and browse the clearance racks for stuff I don’t need but *gasp!* is 90% off! My husband can’t stand that sort of shopping, so when we shop together, it tends to be a bit more focused. He’s pretty good about shopping for himself and we split the grocery shopping, or the whole family goes and we scout out samples to occupy the kids while we decide what else to toss in the cart.

  2. Jennifer Colgan

    Happy New Year, Shelley! I am hoping to go shopping today too, but for craft items rather than clothes. I never take my husband clothes shopping. He would perish from boredom. He’s happy only if there is a toy store, book store, comic book shop nearby where he can spend his time while I fuss around looking for essential items.

  3. Karen Erickson

    Mine doesn’t mind going to the grocery store or to Target/Wal Mart or even the bookstore. But he rarely goes clothes shopping especially if it’s just me looking for something. I usually go alone. It’s easier that way. LOL

    Happy New Year Shelley!

  4. Cheryl McInnis

    My hubby is so NOT a good shopper. But he doesn’t mind sitting in the car in the parking lot of the mall waiting for me or the kids. He says that’s the only time he gets peace and quiet! LOL

  5. Gabriele

    Happy New Year.

    I pretty much hate shopping and I won’t foist it upon anyone to accompany me if I need to do more than groceries. Fortunately, I have one clothes’ store where I’m known well and were the ladies will tell me outright if my ass looks fat in those trousers (well, a bit more politely worded :wink:) so I can be sure I won’t leave with something that makes me look like a stuffed sausage.

  6. Colleen Love

    Mr. Munro sounds like such a good sport!!

    Mr. C? Not so much… It’s been too long to remember the last time he went shopping with me! lol I prefer it that way too! For me, shopping is a zen thing and he would just want to hurry through it. The funny thing is, my 8 year old son is the same way. He has to be lured out and even then he asks how many stores are we going to and then reads over my list to see how long its going to be. If it is going to be more then a few things from more then two stores, forget it!! lol

    So, boys stay home, girls go out! :mrgreen:

  7. Marissa Alwin

    Happy New Year! *tosses confetti*
    Your Hubby sounds like a good sport. Maybe the coffee stop in between stores did the trick.

    Mine is okay if he knows what we are shopping for. He is not into browsing or going shopping just to look. He needs a direction, a purpose.

    He doesn’t like to shop with me for clothes. I usually complain about how everything looks on me. Asking him questions he says no matter how he answers will get him in trouble.

    He needs a list for food shopping but he will call and ask if I need anything so he can stop on the way home from work.

  8. Alice Audrey

    I love shopping with my dh, but we don’t go looking for clothes together. He does his and I do mine. We have fun messing with people in the grocery store.

  9. Shelley Munro

    Fedora – Mr. Munro has his moments! I don’t usually drag him out clothes shopping. I don’t actually enjoy it myself, although I never mind it when he needs clothes and we go together. It’s quite different hanging out in the men’s department. Hmmmm, I wonder if there’s a story there somewhere???

    Jennifer – have fun craft shopping. After being married for so long I have a pretty good idea of how far I can push. He was a good sport yesterday, despite his arm-folding.

    Happy New Year, Karen. I agree. Sometimes it’s quicker, easier and more peaceful if the shopping is done alone.

  10. Shelley Munro

    Cheryl – LOL. At least you know that no one will break into your car while you’re shopping!

    Gabriele – there’s something about changing room mirrors that make people look ten times the size. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. I did not like the view in the mirror yesterday, although I’m not making any New Year resolutions because of it!

  11. Shelley Munro

    Colleen – sigh – they learn early don’t they? I can just picture your son looking at your list and scowling. :mrgreen:

    Marissa – Happy New Year. Tossing confetti back. Hmm, let’s have a confetti fight :mrgreen:

    My hubby loves food shopping and is quite happy spending ages in the supermarket. I’m usually the one that wants to hurry through there.

    Alice – grocery shopping is a very serious business for my hubby. He comes home with loads of specials. I’m not sure how he does it.

  12. Wylie Kinson

    I never take hubby shopping with me. It would be worse than taking the kids! But he’ll happily take the tykes to the park and let me get on with it along (thank goodness).

    Groceries? Me 90% of the time, but he will go out for the odd thing as long as I give him a list.

  13. Shelley Munro

    Wylie – I suspect hubby taking the kids to the park would be welcome while you’re trying to shop!

  14. terra

    I am the one who does the shopping, don’t like shopping much with hubby, when he goes he goes to get what he wants, done, checks out. Definitely not one for browsing

  15. Shelley Munro

    Terra – I think that’s in the male gene!

  16. Janet H

    I do most of the grocery shopping, but he will go pick up things if he’s cooking. He’s usually not very gung ho about going “Shopping” with me, but when we get to the stores, he’s great. He doesn’t complain or anything. I think he really likes to shop, just doesn’t want to admit it.

  17. Amy W.

    My hubby is good because I generally don’t make him go. And when I do he’s more than willing to offer opinions and visit many shops as long as we go to his shops too. Mind you we usually have the munchkin along so his job now-a-days is to corral her while I try things on. LOL! I’m not allowed to do our weekly food sopping without him. Small trips for a forgotten or unexpected item yes, big weekly planning trips no, on pain of death by tickling. (Well I’d at least have to pee my pants before he’d stop. The big meanie!)
    Hugs,
    -Amy