World Market Shopping Spree

Allow me to tell you about one of the most unexpected and fun experiences I’ve ever had. It involves football, fate, and one of my favorite stores…


This adventure began a few weeks ago during the last big game before the Super Bowl. I’m going to be real with you here: aside from the Super Bowl, I couldn’t care less about football. While her parents watched the game, I took my little niece to World Market. Near the food aisles (of course this is section I like best), was a table set up for a Big Game Shopping Spree Raffle. I almost passed it up because I never win anything like that, but I did enter – and wouldn’t you know….I WON!

I won a $500 shopping spree to World Market!! Easily one of the best days of my life. I mean, who doesn’t fantasize about a shopping spree? You imagine yourself running through the aisles tossing random things into your cart, carefree, hair blowing in the wind… That’s what I imagine, anyway. When I opened the email, I was ecstatic. Think back to your childhood, on Christmas morning when Santa brought you that impossibly perfect gift you had been desperately wishing for. That was me, and I said “What?!?” about a dozen times, then I did a dance- like a spastic, electrocuted, crazy person dance. I couldn’t help it. It was involuntary, like a possession, but a good one. I was possessed by a really happy ghost that can’t dance.

At the store, the Manager gave me this awesome certificate. For some reason, a certificate makes everything more legit and impressive, don’t you think? I almost want to frame it. Due to our recent move across the country, I needed a lot of basic things. I made a list of things like lampshades, oven mitts, and bath towels. Patrick and I (yes, I shared my shopping spree) filled three carts!

Like responsible adults, we started in cookware, then moved to housewares and art, and then…the food! Close your eyes and just imagine how many exotic, delicious treats $500 would buy at World Market: tea, spices, sauces, candy - just about anything your hungry mind can conjure up! But you should know, because we were being responsible, only about $100 was left for food, but that was plenty!

Thanks to World Market (and football, and fate), I have full cupboards, a gorgeous new bathroom set, and was even able to find a few treasures for the two Charlies in my life (my niece and little brother).

Here is the moral of the story: always enter contests. Sometimes, you might win bogus ‘free’ gym memberships (this happened to my friend Val and me…sad day), and most of the time you won’t win anything, but someday fate might favor you and its definitely worth it. :-)