I didn't miss shopping while Baby was away

The one thing I didn't miss while Baby was away on her Durban holiday was going shopping. I don't mean didn’t buy anything in her absence. But I buy stuff I need as quickly and efficiently as possible; I don’t “shop.” Okay, maybe there is no distinction except in my mind, but….

Take my “shopping” expedition this past Saturday. I updated my casual wardrobe and bought a couple of pairs of jeans, corduroy and tracksuit pants, some tops, sneakers, socks, cosmetics , a birthday present for a friend's nine-year old son, etc.

It took me one and half hours to buy all the items from four retailers (and to buy groceries for the week).

I kept track of the time because I was going to meet a friend soon after, and then run off to catch the plane to Durban. I also think I could have done it faster, if it were not for the queues.

I also to stayed within budget because many of the stores I went to had a sale. Quick and painless, just the way I like to buy things.

Shopping, on the other hand, involves going from shop to shop, looking at stuff, comparing with other stuff, fitting it, and eventually deciding whether you'll buy it or not. Feels like a lot of work to me.

I never liked shopping, and in my pre-Baby days, my younger sister and a very close friend did most of it for me. I’d give them my list and money and they’d get it for me.

They loved shopping for clothes and cosmetics and stuff, and since I pretty well knew what I liked and they knew it too, why not let them have fun while I did other things.

Turned out Baby also loves shopping, so now I have to do it because she doesn’t understand why I won’t do such a “fun” thing with her. And one of the first things she wants to do when she comes back to Jo'burg is go shopping. We don't have to buy anything, she assures me.

So what kind of activities do you do with your children for their enjoyment, which you wouldn't do otherwise?

P.S. My head doesn't feel too overloaded with information anymore. I've written out most of the articles coming out of the events I attended, so the information has been off-loaded. Finding my creative groove back now....