So I went shopping with the girls yesterday. Had to buy hubby a coat for snowmobiling in two weeks. We have been looking for three months for a coat for him that would fit, be water proof and not look totally gay. A manly coat. I feel victim to the made in China issue. The girls said that this has to be the end of my blog cause now I have bought a couple things made in china. I think if I read the beginning of this right I was simply going to try to do this. I kind of knew going in that I could not be completely successful. Well anyway got the coat made in china. Columbia sports made in China why are so many American companies moving their manufacturing to China when so many Americans are out of work? Questions I can not answer.

After buying the coat we moved on to the mall. Lots of people in the Mall which I really hate. Cherilyn and I ditched Tara and Erica in bath and body works and headed over to Christopher and Banks. Lots of stuff on clearence I love clearence. Cherilyn found this really cute top for me, it was green and white very cute very businessy. Look at the tag also made in China. This time I resisted. Didn't really need the top even though it was very cute. I do have will power in this resolution. Ended our day by eating at the Mongolian grill very good food I always love eating there. Was just a little confused as to why mexicans were cooking the food in a Mongolian restraunt? All in all we had a good day. Some laughing, some shopping, some eating does it get any better?

Food

So I have been forgetting to look at my food labels for country of orgin. Yesterday I remembered. The green tea I like, and some rice I was going to buy was the only things I found made in China. Picked a different brand of each and was happy. I am glad to see that maybe I haven't blown it with my food purchases. I am hoping to remember from now on. Need to have another shopping trip with the girls so I can write something funny.

So before Christmas I ordered a pair of easy tone workout shoes from my sister. They were having a hard time keeping them in stock and she was gone a lot so finally I got them yesterday. Put them on they feel great, a little snug but will stretch out I am sure. Wore them around for a couple of hours and delivered Cherilyn's to her. She texted me an hour later and said "they are made in China you have to send yours back". I responded that I didn't buy them Donna owed me some money for something I had bought for a Christmas present so this is an exchange. Cherilyn still thinks I need to send them back, I say "they were ordered before the resultion was made". Now I am feeling like I am justifying having something made in China. Should I send them back or not? How will I ever decide? What to do what to do???!!!!

So here is the latest adventure of shopping. I went grocery shopping tonight and needed to pick up a new lunch box and theroms for Tod to take while working. Food shopping took a while, and of course WalMart didn't have any cooler style lunch boxes or thermos', so off to Bi-Mart we go. Of course Cherilyn is with me. We got the lunch box and the thermos, and of course shopping includes laughing and talking so I forgot to check the made in China status of my items.

I am sitting at home chatting with Cherilyn and the thought comes to my mind I didn't even look. Of course on the lunch box didn't have any stickers or lables so no point of reference there. Almost didn't get to buy it because of this they had to send two guys to sporting goods to try and find the price. So I go on line and look for the coleman company, to my suprise it has a list of countries that they produce their products in the top of the list is the USA, but no where on the list is China. I think I am safe on that one. The thermos, however, I was not so lucky. It says right on the lable Made in China. What should I do. Should I scrap my resolution? Take it back or keep it and say I will do better next time? I will more than likely keep it and say I will do better next time. Taking it back means another trip to town and then trying to find one that isn't made in China. I am really suprised that a Stanley thermos is made in China. That is a very American name brand. I don't know the more I think of it the more I think I will take it back and try to find on made in any country than China. Part of this resolution is the challenge of making these finds. I will keep you posted.

So I bought a new bag for my lap top and day planner. It is a big cool looking shinny red bag. Searched for quite a while to find one not made in China. Ordered the bag, along with a co-worker who actually found this one for me cause she is trying the same thing of buying nothing from China.

We were really excited to find these bags and when they showed up I was confronted with a delema. Inside the bag was a pen which had a tag on it "made in China". Researched the bags lables yes made in America, but what is with this pen made in China? I didn't purchase the pen did I? What if I use the pen? All these problems started poping up what to do? Didn't want to break my resolution so quickly into the new year so I dropped the pen into the drawer of another co-worker who doesn't really care where her stuff is from. I feel less guilty and she has a new pen. In my world that makes us both winners.

More from today

I was just reminded that while out shopping today there were some very confusing people running around and we ended up playing what is your nationality based on what they were wearing. Then as we were on our way out of town we passed the funniest looking spaceship turning onto the road in fornt of us. It turned out to be a tricycle bike with and outer shell that looked like a spaceship. I told you funny things happen to me when I am shopping.

First Shopping trip of the year

Well it was pretty uneventful all in all. We started at Target, bought a couple of books no problem there. Got to the check out stand and the cashier informed us that Washington was going to quit accepting your Oregon ID for the exemption on the sales tax. This was starting to ruin our lives cause we go to the Tri-Cities as there are no good stores in Hermiston to shop at. We were thinking we were now going to have to take road trips to Portland if we ever wanted anything you can't get at Wal Mart. Like customer service. This did however turn out to be untrue at least for now.

Next we were on to the Mall and JC Penny's to buy a pair of slacks for Tara. I was amazed there were several clothing items that I would actually wear not made in China. On our way to Famous footwear to buy a new pair of tennis shoes for me the girls were making all kinds of plans to have me give them the money and they would buy my shoes they were certain we could not find any that were not made in China. I did find a cute pair if Puma's made in Vietnam. I will post pictures.

I did just remember the delema we found in Target. We were buying some way cool sports bras all made by the same company, some made in china, the exact ones different color made in the Demonican Republic. Very strange.

Now on to something I just thought of as I was writing this. We went grocery shopping after all the fun stuff. I never once looked at any of my food to see where it was made. I could have already messed up. Cherilyn also reminded me I would not be able to eat Chineese Food all year. That could be my exception on this one cause I love Chineese food. Wait the chineese food is not made in China duh its made in America where I live I'm all good. Tara and Cherilyn also challenged me to go to the Asian market and find food not made in China. There are lots of country's in Asia. Thats all for today. Our shopping trip did end up taking us about 6 hours.