Joy in Valley Junction. by Patresa Hartman

I have five nieces and one nephew, and they are outrageous lunatics. I am so grateful for them and their ridiculousness that I can barely stand it. If they ever turn normal, I think the earth will turn sad sad sad. And so, every Christmas I try to find gifts that will encourage them to be weird. A great place to do this is at your local theater shop.

I discovered the treasures of a theater shop last Christmas when I wandered in grumpy and then lost myself in rock star wigs and glittery microphones. I bought a set for each, plus crazy Elton John glasses, and left the theater shop absolutely giddy and convinced I had found the secret to remaining joyful during stressful holidays. Yesterday, I returned to the theater shop and came out with top hats, moustaches, and magic wands. I giggled all the way down the street.

I learned something else yesterday...about shopping locally. Having worked earlier this year at a locally owned bookstore that had to close, I already understood the importance of supporting the little guys. But yesterday my body absorbed and noted a whole different energy in the small shops.

In Des Moines, we have the historic Valley Junction. I do not know why it's historic; but the signs say it is. It sits off railroad tracks by an old train depot in an old part of town. Small local businesses occupy a mixture of typical storefronts and old houses with large front porches. There are at least two antique stores on each block, a few coffee shops, a Mexican grocer, and three bead shops.

One of my favorites is the Fair World Gallery, which sells goods made by people in refugee camps all over the world. My nieces are receiving friendship beads made by a group of women who have moved to Des Moines from a Burundi refugee camp. Another favorite is a shop called Porch Light, where you can find a mix of new and antique household items. My coffee cup currently sits on a Hercules orange crate found in Porch Light's mix.

After a quiet and charming afternoon wandering through small, thoughtfully themed shops, I went to Target, and the mood shifted.

I like Target, typically. But I did not like it yesterday. Loud. Industrial. Crowded. I felt like a cog in a factory. I squinted through the flourescence, grabbed what I needed, waited in line with the other frowny pants, and then left as quickly as I could, hiking to my parking spot in the very back of a cornfield-sized lot.

The moral of this story is: I am grateful for the weirdness of my nieces and nephew, and I am grateful for the small shop owners who help me navigate Christmas shopping peacefully and joyfully.

The Buck Stops There by Barbara Quinn

I am truly grateful for the Dollar Store. Every other month either the snow plow guy, or the newspaper delivery fellow, runs over and breaks one of the reflectors that line my very long driveway. I used to have to go searching for new ones and hated the expense. But then I discovered that my dollar store carries them. Hooray! Now I stock up and pull one out when necessary. Likewise, when I lose my reading glasses, off I go to the dollar store for a new pair. In fact, I now keep a pair of reading glasses in the kitchen, and also in the bedroom, and in my purse, since at a buck a piece it’s easy to splurge.

I know these things are not high quality. Most are from China. I’ve had some items break within hours, but, boy, it sure is nice to pay merely a buck for spatulas, gift bags, greeting cards, notepads, and lawn decorations. Plus, it’s one stop shopping for non-shopper me. Being able to buy glass cleaner, holiday decorations, and hair bands for the gym in the same place is a time saver. I don’t purchase pills, cosmetics, cups, dishes, candles, or children’s toys, since I’m paranoid about things made in China (lead paint, impure products, lead wicks, oh my!). But I rationalize that the things I do purchase can’t be emitting enough Chinese death rays to harm me when I hang them in a window or place them by the front walk.

How great is it that my dollar store cuts keys, and makes balloon bouquets. And that the proprietress is always helpful, so much so that her store is my first stop when I need something. If she doesn’t carry it, I steel myself for the hunt, and it’s off to crowded Wal-Mart. If they don’t have it, I’m on the internet because I can’t deal with the frustration of not finding whatever it is that I need.

Recently I had to buy two room humidifiers. The easiest way I’ve found to locate an item at a good price is to go to mysimon.com or yahooshopping.com and search for the product. After doing that, I found a store that had a good humidifier at a reasonable price, so I made the drive. I’m not getting one of those for a buck, that’s for sure. But for all those other little helpful items, nothing beats the Dollar Store.