The Holiday Trap

Well folks, we’re on the backside of Christmas and New Year’s and hurdling straight into the month of Cupid, hearts, candy and flowers. Any store you might enter appears to be totally confused as to what should be on display and it’s kind of confusing to the consumer as well.

You arrive at whatever store, your frame of mind set on what you traveled there for and you walk into the front door and on the right-hand side of the entrance is a pile of combined Christmas and Fall decorations, all marked down to the low, low price of next to nothing. Then on the other side of the aisle is SURPRISE! NOT -Valentine cards, decorations, napkins and coffee cups blaring out those little sayings like “you fill me up with love and warmth” – you know that cute little double entendre that makes you wanna gag unless you’re young and in that icky kind of love stage; which for the record, I have not been since 1979.

So, you are visiting this store looking for artificial flowers for a potential flower arrangement, but as soon as you walk in the door, that whole mind thought has disappeared and your brain is doubling down trying to mentally calculate the percentages off certain merchandise as you are steadily packing it into your cart thinking “man, what a deal!” You know when you get home, you’ll have plenty to explain, so you’re already conjuring up your very rational reasoning for buying a cart load of stuff you won’t even look at, much less use until next year! But that’s okay, because you’re a pro-defender of buying things on sale. Who could NOT buy that adorable little pumpkin napkin-holder for $2.50 when it had been $12.50 – right?! Who in their right mind could walk away from that kind of deal? Especially when NEXT year it is going to be just ADORABLE as the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving dinner table! That’s what I’m talking about – sell it sister! Sell that idea like you practically stole it from the store!

But then, your eyes wander to the other side of the entrance way – where all those hearts and mush are just staring at you, daring you to take the leap, walk over, and check it all out.  The little heart door-hangers, decorative wall-hangings, all the things that make your heart pitter patter for days gone by. And even if you’re past that particular stage in your life, most of us still have children and grandchildren who come to mind when we see all those things. I bought my children Valentine boxers and candy until they were well into their 20’s!

Somehow, that day, I made it past the holiday traps. I actually walked straight past it all, and headed towards the seven rows of artificial flowers that I would now bury myself into trying to find the perfect color combinations. After looking at different shapes and shades of flowers until my eyes were blurred, I found what I needed and walked right out of there with no “extra’s” in my bags! Well, except for a few funny birthday cards I snagged on my way out. But that’s another addiction topic for another day.