Busy Rainy Sunday

We had planned that, if the weather was nice, we would take all 3 girls to the PNE, which mostly means going to Playland and riding all the kiddie rides. So we switched cars with our son-in-law so we'd have the van that will take all the car seats.

But the weather has been weird lately. It started off nice one day so I went to work in a thin skirt and a tshirt with 3/4 length sleeves. When I finished work it was pouring rain and I had to run for it. At least I had the car that day. Then another day it was raining in the morning, so I dressed more warmly and wore my waterproof jacket. By the time I left it was sunny and hot (and this was a day I was walking and taking the bus). I actually left the jacket at work so I wouldn't boil.

Today, of course, it was pouring rain. My in-laws came over for a visit. Boo Boo had a nap, I fed the girls and then got them ready to go out and run errands. Hey, if it wasn't nice enough to go to the PNE then we had to go shoe shopping for our Dear Child for school.

So we went to Payless and got her 2 pairs of school shoes on a BOGO sale. She got Tinkerbell runners with velcro closures for her gym and outside shoes, and a pair of flat black shoes with a little strap for inside shoes. We tried on pretty well every pair of girls' size 9 shoes (and a few of the 8 1/2's) before settling on those. Many of the shoes I thought would be good DC turned down flat. She said a lot of them hurt the bottom of her feet, a couple were tight and 2 pair were loose enough that her heel slid up and down when she walked (those were the ones where we also tried 8 1/2's). The 2 pair she chose were the only ones that left a smile on her face when she walked up and down the aisle in the store.

We bought a few other little things: juice boxes and a bottle brush at a dollar store and a Webkinz on sale 30% off. Then we drove to IKEA. I finally found the receipt for the mirror I returned and I wanted to get the store credit they'd given me transferred back to my credit card to pay it off in full. Except that they will only do that within 45 days of purchase and I was several months too late. So I'm stuck with my store credit and have to pay the credit card off myself. Actually, stuck with store credit is not a good way to put it. This is IKEA. I could spend $166 and some odd cents in a heartbeat. Maybe I'll buy the 2 Hemnes mirrors I want for the other house now that they've gone down to $79 each. I'd just have to pay a few bucks towards the taxes for them. And I always need more Billy bookshelves.

Then we went to Linens 'n Things. I had a duvet cover and shams that I'd bought (again, months ago) but never used and I wanted to return it and get drapes for the living room here in the city. Second verse, same as the first. I didn't have my receipt so I got my refund on a store credit but it gets worse. They give you the lowest price the item has been offered for at any time in the previous 6 months, regardless of what you actually paid for it. I paid $59.99 and got back $29.99 as a result (actually $33 or so with taxes).

I ended up with 2 Dupioni silk panels (on sale), a picture frame to replace one of my husband's that broke, a car air freshener and a small candle (DC buys one pretty much every trip). I used 2 of the 20% off coupons that come with the Sunday paper and the store refund. I forgot to buy a curtain rod so we can actually put the panels up.

When we finished up at Linen 'n Things it had stopped raining so we conferred a bit back and forth with Eldest Daughter and eventually decided to go home to pick up son-in-law and we spent the entire evening at the fair. ED was finished work by the time we got there so she also came around with us.

We had a great time. I bought a skirt for $9.99 in the Marketplace (in addition to going on most of the kiddie rides that allow parents) and the girls won a couple of small stuffed toys. But I'm exhausted now and have to leave early tomorrow for work because I agreed to drop ED off at the store where she usually works before I go to work for 8:30 am. She has to go there to restock their booth at the PNE. Anyway, gotta go before I fall asleep at the computer again.