Business Spotlights: Hobby Lobby

It was July 4th. I went shopping with my Mom that day. Since it was a new place, we decided on Hobby Lobby. I had heard good things about Hobby Lobby, and so, we both went to check it out. Going in, I was especially eager for their Autumn decorations. I know. I know it was still summer. But when summer comes each year in my life, all I can think about it Autumn. And of course, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It's just my favorite time of the year. Anyways, we made our way in and walked down the aisles. So many things to look at! I was overwhelmed with excitement. Mom felt the same way.

Walking through, I noticed that the store was huge. It made me a little nostalgic because JCPenney used to be there in that same place. I used to do a lot of my shopping at the old JCPenney. It was my go-to place for clothes. Now, it's Hobby Lobby. While I miss JCPenney, I was and am happy to have Hobby Lobby. Hopefully, it'll bring more business to the mall where I live. Because there just isn't much left. I don't know if other malls are suffering the same way, but they used to be the place to visit when I was young. When most of the shops left the mall, I rarely stopped by. With Hobby Lobby here, I'll be more frequent. 💓

While looking around, I noticed there were Bibles and Christian books. I know that the owners of the Hobby Lobby chain are supposedly Christians. I think that's so awesome, especially to see that they had books and Bibles. This was comforting to see! And they had so many other products to look through. I walked with my Mom through the aisles. We found so much! I picked out a glass with a lid and straw - which was pink (one of my favorite colors is pink). I also grabbed a popcorn bucket, because my most-loved night-time snack is popcorn! We were both pretty satisfied as we plopped items into our cart.

I found some nice home-decor items for my place, too. I got a mat that has a bird design on it. A bird picture to hang on my wall in the living room. A lovely art piece for my cherry blossom bedroom. I got a few more things, as well. My Mom did, too. She found some items perfect for her. After a while, I kind of wandered on my own. I was eager to check out the Autumn stuff, since I knew they had it out. Indeed, when I found that section, I was in a wonderful mood. I picked out two candles and a few more things ready for the end of August (that's when I decorate). My Mom joined me. We were done shopping.

We left Hobby Lobby feeling good. Our first impression was that it's fun and a great store to find useful things for the home. I plan on shopping there a lot, especially for holiday stuff. I can see myself loading up the cart with Autumn, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations. To be honest, I can't wait to go back. I'm already planning in my head when that will be.

So, yeah, I hope you enjoyed our first visit to Hobby Lobby. I was elated to be able to have some shopping time with my Mom. I'm sure we'll go together often to Hobby Lobby. It was the first of many trips to the store, I'm sure. And go, yourself, if you have the chance!

Thank you, and don't forget to follow this blog and on my Facebook page here.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

A Day In My Life: Celebrating Fourth of July

I woke up early but then went back to sleep. I got up at around 9:00. I chose to take the morning slow and enjoy the day. The weather was cloudy and sunny. We were expecting it to rain at some point that day, but it never did. It's pretty dry here, so rain is a blessing. I'm glad it was cooler that day, though. I didn't do much in the morning, but I did get cleaned up. Around noon, I helped my family. After that, I was really excited for the afternoon. I discovered that Hobby Lobby was open. My Mom and I had planned to go at some point. I was especially eager because I had never been to a Hobby Lobby. I had only heard things about it. Plus, it was a new store in town! In the early afternoon, we headed out to see it.

   

We arrived in the parking lot and walked into the mall. I won't write about our experience there, because I'm saving it for a post next Monday. So, if you want to read about it, come back on Monday! Once we were done shopping, we got into my car. I had to have a coffee, so we drove through Java Stop, which I keep calling it Java Hut for some reason. I drove through and got a 32oz Iced White Chocolate Mocha. It's actually my favorite coffee in the valley where I live. I sipped on my delightful drink, and we headed home. Once there, we started preparations for dinner. I also stepped outside to admire the flowers. I took a few photos of the cone flowers - they're so pretty! The bees were out and about, too. I then followed Dad to the grill. There, I visited with them while he grilled. Food looked good!

The food was finished cooking! I fed my brother dinner and then ate mine. My brother had a steak, and I had two pork chops with huckleberry bbq sauce that I had purchased from the bookstore at ...And Books, Too! It was amazing! I highly recommend getting some for yourself. After dinner, I joined my parents out on the deck and ate watermelon. It was the perfect way to end dinner. Once we were all done, my Dad and I lit some sparklers I had purchased from a place selling fireworks. We didn't want to do any other fireworks this year, because of the dryness. However, sometimes we just do fountains, because they don't leave the ground. I'm kind of glad we didn't do it this year, though. Satisfied. We were all pretty tired. Reflecting back on it, the Fourth of July this year was quiet and pleasant. We had a nice little party together with just my family. So thankful for what we have! 💓

I've learned over the years, that the simplest is the best. I don't enjoy being in large crowds or around loud noises. Fireworks are fun but can be too much. I'm glad we did something different that day, too, in going to Hobby Lobby. Maybe we'll make it a new tradition as my Mom and I love shopping. What did you do for Fourth of July this year? I hope it was nice and memorable. I honestly got the idea to do a day in my life for Fourth of July this year. I thought it would be fun and make for some interesting content. I know that a lot of people seem to like reading or watching what someone does in a day. I actually really enjoy this kind of content. And I want to make mine good, so that you're able to come on a journey with me. It might not be super adventurous, but I like sharing my life with you, friends. 💙

Let me know what you think! 😀

But I digress. After watermelon, I got back to my place. At Hobby Lobby, I had checked out their cat section. They didn't have much, but I did find a tunnel for Kenji - my cat. I didn't know if he'd like it since he's picky with toys. I set it up in my living room and allowed him to explore it. He stepped into it. He was curious. That was a good sign. I've found him in the tunnel for a bit, but he hasn't used it a lot. I think he'd like it better if I grabbed a toy and played with him on or in the tunnel. A while passed, and I went to bed for the night. It was a good day. I got to spend time with family. We made some memories together. If you'd like to see more posts like this, let me know in a comment. It was awesome to take you all on this journey, my fellow wanderers. If you'd like to see more, I'll most likely do more! 💖

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson