Did you hear the Gabriel on the trumpets yesterday?
You should have! He was heralding a very rare event. The beloved husband took a day trip with me to an outlet mall. Woo hoo!
Many years ago, we would take off from work and go on shopping trips. We visited stores – some for me and some for him. There were “guy” stores with men’s clothes and shoes. He would always find something.
Then there came a big change in the outlets. In fact, it’s more than the outlets. If you look closely at any mall, the merchandise is about 90% female.
There maybe one or two stores like the Gap or Abercrombie that carry a good selection of men’s stuff but most times it’s just a small section in an anchor department store. The specialty men’s stores are not always located in malls.
My husband is a very nice man but watching me try on 50 pairs of shoes is not his idea of fun. I usually go alone or with some girl friends but yesterday he came along.
The outlet mall has a humongous kitchen store that dwarfs any we have locally. You can find any kind of gizmo or thingamajig that you need. I gave him a list and send him in there while I perused one of the shoe stores.
Then I joined him. Good heavens there were gizmos that I wasn’t sure what they did. Some looked kind of kinky. Although I showed restraint, there were a few things that fell into my basket. (No judgments please. I know I just made a big deal about cleaning out my kitchen cabinets. Get over it. I already did.)
I wanted to keep him interested so at our next stop we divided up. He went to the very small men’s section and I did a major sweep of the large section of women’s clothes. After buying tops and bottoms for the summer we met up. He bought two shirts for sweating.
Yes, that’s exactly what he said. They wick perspiration which makes them very good for bicycling or yard work in the heat. He’s a prolific sweater!
It was off to Auntie Anne’s pretzel place. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Auntie Anne’s pretzels, they are freshly made dough balls drenched in butter. Can you feel your arteries clog just reading the words? They were so good!
We had a delightful day together. I ended up with shoes and clothes. He had his “sweat” shirts and a few belts. Quality time with the beloved husband — priceless!
I also learned a few things. You know you are getting older when the bag with the kitchen gizmos cost more than the clothes and shoes you bought.
I have to work on that.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
You’re lucky. My husband would sooner have a root canal than go shopping … even if it’s for him. 😉
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Mine too that’s what made it so special.
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I have a weakness for those large kitchen stores, too. And the fact that I have no remaining kitchen space has never deterred me either! It sounds like a really fun day for the two of you. Those amazing pretzels are a great lure. Just so you know…and you probably don’t want to…you can find a copycat recipe for those pretzels on food.com I’ve been thinking of giving them a try. Probably a big mistake!
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I am definitely NOT going to try to make them at home. There would be way too many for us to eat. Now you can feed your whole family with them and that would be fun.
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Glad you enjoyed your OUTing! And your INing at Annie’s.
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It’s a good man that will go shopping at an outlet mall! Auntie Anne’s pretzels are gourmet and an excuse to eat butter.. 🙂 I can’t find any clothes I like for summer. Yet. Good Morning Kate!
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For him, Auntie Anne’s was the highlight of the day. We were going to go out for lunch but we overindulged in pretzels so we passed on that. I didn’t get much. I don’t need much. Heck, I don’t need anything! Sometimes it’s just therapy and a day out.
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I hear ya on a day out. I NEED to get out today!!!
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What a nice day. I always think, whenever you write about your home life, how serene and special it sounds…cats…trees in the yard…buds coming up. Now I see you and your husband, his muscles bulging out of a Popeye shirt, with butter running down your chins. Contentment. Love the arteries line.
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Believe me it’s not all that serene but it’s a good life! When I read your blog, I think about how great it must be to live in NYC. So much stuff so close by.
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Well now I envy you that quality time with your hubby Kate! Wish mine would consent to a day out at the mall. And your last line is priceless: “You know you are getting older when the bag with the kitchen gizmos cost more than the clothes and shoes you bought.”
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Ain’t that the truth!
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Always good to share a delightful day! Happy Spring!
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and it was a gorgeous day!
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What a wonderful blog! I just knew you would only have writers block for a moment or two! Enjoy all your goodies and gadgets. It was such a perfect day to have gone to an outlet mall.
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There is nothing like buying a pair of shoes to pick up your spirits!
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Taking hubby to Auntie Anne’s was a smart move, Kate! Those pretzels will drive any man back to the mall. 🙂
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Yes. Keep the belly full with things they like and you are gold (unless you diddle too long)
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