Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Places to Shop

1. Shaws - the more I spend there, the more I save on gas.... and with their discount card, I still save big bucks on groceries. The other day I saved 60 cents per gallon on a full tank of gas. It adds up.

2. Whole Foods - I don't get my big groceries there, but I always stop by if I'm around. I always pick up mangoes and whatever unique produce catches my eye. Recently I picked up some pansies that they had out front... they are my absolute favorite annuals this year and they smell amazing. They also have fantastic brick oven pizza and bakery cookies.

3. Halcyon Yarn - The local yarn superstore. It stocks lots of basic wools which are my favorite. Plus, it's BIG and stroller friendly. bonus! Also, the staff is huge, knowledgeable and very friendly -- and not just in a courteous way.

4. Speaking of friendly, I love shopping at Purl Diva so I can visit with Ellen, who most of the time is the person I actually converse the most with face to face other than my immediate family. I always kind of leave feeling embarrassed because I tend to rattle on to her about every detail of my life. She's like a bartender... keeps feeding the fine fibers and counsels as well. But seriously, Purl Diva has such a warm, intimate feel and it's literally bursting at the seams with the most wonderful yarns.

5. EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) - The best outdoor gear store around. Plus, their stuff is guaranteed for life. The zipper on Eric's EMS gore-tex coat had broken and we recently took it back there to have it repaired and even a decade later they hold true to their promise and fixed it for free. If it's not repairable -- they replace it. Plus, they repaired the sternum strap on our Kelty Kids backpack for free! Such awesomeness.

6. Target - It was just sort of the standard discount store in Iowa, but here they're few and far between. There is one in the Portland metro but I prefer to go a little farther north to the one in Topsham. There are no Super Targets out here, either.

7. LL Bean - the store. We live about 20 minutes from Freeport which is where LL Bean is based. They have a HUGE flagship store that is open 24/7. Their stuff is also guaranteed which is nice. I have always shopped by mail order... then the internet... with LL Bean and am thrilled to live so close. I love that I can go there at 2AM and shop if I want to (not that I do, but I could). Plus, they're really involved in the community and always are having events which is nice.

8. any thrift store I can find... for obvious reasons!

9. Pineland Farms - the best fresh produce and local cheese and so many more goodies!

10. Farmers' Markets - nothing beats locally grown produce, friendly faces, and sunny Saturday mornings with neighbors. Our area has a GREAT farmers' market. It's small and friendly. I can be in and out in a half hour if I want. The last time we went, I spoke to just about everyone there. Everyone is SO nice.

So there you have it. What's your 10?