Post Date: Thursday, November 26, 2020
Cindy is DBP's Community Development and Membership Manager. When she's not working (and sometimes when she is), Cindy enjoys making art and shopping at small businesses in downtown. She has lived in Boulder for over 14 years with her husband and two kids.
Typically my Thanksgivings are chock full of really crowded and cozy houses, family, and all kinds of different tasty food (because Thanksgiving is the ultimate potluck). A couple years ago, my husband and I decided to have a low key Thanksgiving, with just our immediate family. Since neither side of the family lives in Colorado, it was just the four of us. After that Thanksgiving, we both turned to each other and said “let’s not do that again!”. Thanksgiving to us was about being in that big group, with kids running all over the place, and adults trying to catch up since last Thanksgiving. So, you can imagine my disappointment when COVID canceled our plans to drive (yes, drive!) all the way to California to spend the holiday with my side of the family.
Not only was I looking forward to being with family, but I was also pretty excited about the drive - we were going to stop at 2 spots along the way there and a different route with 2 different stops on the way back and make an adventure out of it.
So, here we are “stuck” in Boulder. After about half a day of feeling sorry for myself, I started to think about the bright side…. Wait, Boulder is only one of the most amazing cities in the world, right? And no travel means no travel expenses! While I love to travel and see family, I don’t love paying for gas, a hotel for one night, or airfare. That stuff really adds up for a family of four. Also, I’ve been feeling especially conscious of supporting local businesses during COVID and this time home will give me a great opportunity to get a jump on the holiday shopping season right here in my favorite place, with my favorite stores.
Now, I’m starting to get really excited about this…Then I have an idea, what if I spent a portion of all that money I would have spent on travel right here at home? Since I currently do much of my work remotely, my schedule is a bit more flexible and I can take my time and look around when things are quiet in downtown, like midday on Monday or Tuesday. I love shopping for gifts at places like Peppercorn, Savory Spice Shop, Boulder Book Store and more. I can take my time instead of rushing through after work as I’m trying to get home to cook dinner. Because we have a little room in the budget due to no travel, we could even order out more this coming week and treat ourselves to some different tasty food from Downtown Boulder restaurants! And, since I love clothes, maybe even get myself a little something? So, yes, I bought a pair of shoes for myself from Two Sole Sisters. Wait, now I’m kinda liking this. What about a little rest and relaxation day after all that shopping? I need to get some goodies from Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary to treat myself and the family. We could do mud masks, drink herbal tea, and do some moisturizing treatments on our hands and feet while we catch up on the latest episode of The Mandalorian.
And, even after that, I will still be left with more in the bank than if we would have spent on travel, so I’m looking for places to donate! There are plenty of worthy causes in the heart of our city that I love. Attention Homes is one of my favorites and I love cooking or buying a meal from a local restaurant for one of the many houses the organization manages. Boulder County Aids Project runs a food pantry right here in the middle of downtown. Other great organizations, like Open Studios, Rocky Mountain Equality, Boulder Treasures, Bridge House — all here in the heart of Boulder and all could really use more donors, especially this year.
So today, I’m excited about staying home for Thanksgiving because my home town is pretty awesome. I still miss seeing my mom and dad, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, aunts & uncles. But, I’ll see them on Zoom and it will be fine and we will give each other a hug in person sometime next year.
- DBP Cindy
Mentioned in this Post: Boulder Bookstore, Boulder County AIDS Project, Bridge House, Open Studios, Peppercorn, Rebecca's Herbal Apothecary & Supply, Rocky Mountain Equality, Savory Spice, TGTHR, Two Sole Sisters
Tagged: Shopping