The Challenge

By now you probably know that I live in a small city in Northern California. We love living here. My husband has a commute time of 7 minutes to work each day. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and so much more. We live near 3 sets of my children's grandparents and 3 great-grandparents. But the down side is that the shopping is limited. It's better now than when I was a kid, because now we have a Macy's, Old Navy, TJ Maxx and a few others.

It got me thinking about what people do who live in other small cities and even smaller towns. Thank goodness for the internet. My sister in law who lives in a VERY tiny town, does much of her shopping online. But sometimes nothing satisfies the shopping desire like going to a bricks and mortar store having your senses edified. Feeling the textures of fabrics. Being visually stimulated by rows of clothing racks. The sound of the hangers sliding across the metal racks while sifting through layers of colors and textures. Spotting a garment from across the room, rushing over to see if it's available in the right size. Not to mention the value of being able to try something on before you purchase it. Oh....there's nothing quite like the physical act of shopping.

So here's the challenge: To find fashionable, affordable, modest clothing at stores that even small towns might have. Not just one or two pieces, but an entire outfit. Let's make that two outfits at each location; one casual and one dressier. Budget: $150 per outfit; head to toe, including accessories and shoes. So...which stores shall I choose?? Hmm....how about.... 1. Walmart 2. Thrift/Consignment Store 3. Sears 4. Local Boutique.

I'll report back, once a week for the next 4 weeks. Wish me luck!