Sales Tax Free weekend

Once a year, for one weekend, the denizens of Ohio don't have to pay sales tax on clothing items prices $75 dollars or less and school supplies under $20. I know that several states don't charge sales tax on clothing fifty two weeks of the year, but, well, we aren't that lucky. 

The sales tax free weekend history goes back about ten years or so. Abby was at the stage/ age of enjoying shopping for clothes when it first went into effect. It made sense to go back to school shopping on this weekend then and it still does today! It's definitely become a looked forward to tradition each year. The stores we shop at aren't sacrosanct though going to the closest mall at some point in the weekend almost always happens.

Here is how this weekend looked:

Friday, Abby and I went to our closest mall. The mall is a depressing edifice; its prime was at least fifteen years ago. Nonetheless, it's close to us and I feel a twinge of nostalgia whenever I step through the doors. Here is the JC Penney Portrait Studio where the photographer and I tried to cajole smiles out of babies' toothless mouths and chubby cheeks; here was the Gymboree where I embarked on missions of finding not just cute outfits on sale with socks and barrettes in the same motif but also tried to find two of each of these in the correct sizes so the girls could have matching outfits; here was the Children's Place where I picked out some of Jacob's most worn childhood t-shirts, etc. Lots of memories here even as many mainstream nice stores have closed their doors (ie Gymboree and Children's Place (though of course I wouldn't be shopping at those stores now had they not closed)). Speaking of JC Penney's, we got Abby a pretty blazer there on Friday. We got some good deals at Bath and Body Works (though we paid sales tax as nothing was exempt there). Lastly we had lunch. Chik- fil- A for the win!

Saturday, we went to a new to us store. My mother in law suggested we go to it. It's a Dillard's Clearance center in Cincinnati. It's huge and most of the prices were really good but a lot of it was last season's wear (so last winter's sweaters and such) and the girls were not too interested in its wares. Donnie found a couple of shirts- they were both the exact same style and brand of the one he was wearing. He'd placed a Dillard's online order not too long ago. Unbeknownst to him, he could have saved money if he'd purchased all of the shirts at the clearance center instead of placing a traditional order. But, we didn't even know that this store existed until my MIL mentioned it.

We went back to my MIL's for a cook out afterward.  It's always nice to have a meal not prepared by me! 

She had this amount of dessert for six of us (plus I brought cookies...)

Pretty screened in porch

... and fountain

My MIL gave me some prints of pictures of the kids that I'd not seen before. They were pictures she'd taken when she watched the kids for us. I enjoyed seeing "new to me" pics of the kids.

Babies and redheads don't keep. Alyssa was a bona fide red head for one summer! Her hair was darker the summer that she was a baby baby but the summer that she was a toddler/ baby, her hair was red. By the next summer it was more brown than red but it still retained (and does to this day) pretty red, highlight looking strands in it.

And seeing this pic of Miss Sassafras from her first dance competition cracked me up.

Sunday, after watched church online, Alyssa and I headed back to the mall closest to us. Alyssa found several back to school clothing items.

I realized at the conclusion of the weekend that I'd not purchased anything for myself. I didn't look too hard- I went to Nordstrom's site as the anniversary sale was still going on. But everything that interested me was not available in my size. Earlier in the summer, I treated myself to hauls at two of my favorite stores so I was content to not get anything.  I certainly didn't need anything but I normally try to anticipate things that I may be buying in the next couple of months and purchase them during the tax free weekend. 

We also didn't buy any school supplies. Honestly, though, I feel like we could open a mini back to school shop in our house. We have so many brand new folders, lined paper packs, pencils, rulers, crayons (though I doubt Alyssa as a senior in HS is going to need crayons...), etc. so I don't think we needed anything anyway. 

Sales tax free weekend is always a fun weekend of shopping, saving money, and memory making and this one was no different.