Embrace the joy of browsing

You don't always know what's out there

I bought most of my Christmas gifts online this year. But I’ve also made time to go to Barnes & Noble and Target to see what was on offer. As a result, I found several really cool options for teens and tweens and that I would not have thought to look for. Turns out lots of people are wondering what to buy for teens and tweens — and a good store has items for you to see and to know this will meet the need!

It was a reminder to me that there is something to be said for browsing. Yes, online shopping is much more convenient (and trust me, my household could not operate without Amazon’s nearly instantaneous delivery of many things).

But we don’t always know what we want. There are many things in the universe that would never occur to us, or that aren’t so closely adjacent to our known wants that an algorithm would suggest them. When we see what someone else has curated and arranged, we discover things. We can be unexpectedly delighted. Somehow it’s different seeing things in person (since yes, I know that Barnes & Noble and Target both have robust online stores as well!).

So as you are finishing up your shopping, or trying to get something for a hard-to-shop for person, consider going to a store in person. Obviously, you want to be smart about this. Shopping in person on the Saturday afternoon before Christmas is a recipe for turning into a Grinch. But if you’re working from home today, maybe you could go to a local boutique or even a big box store on your lunch break. See what’s displayed. See what catches your eye. Next thing you know someone’s getting a board game you didn’t know existed or a calligraphy set. Santa is feeling a bit more satisfied with one more thing crossed off the list!