October is that time of year when I start to think theoretically now would be a good time to start a little Christmas prepping, and in that same moment of responsible thinking I see the signs go up at the local coffee shop advertising the one and only pumpkin spiced latte. With its hypnotic beckoning, I ditch all thinking and start frantically looking for my wallet. The first sip of pumpkin euphoria induces a chemical reaction of amnesia and all my Christmas prepping thoughts disappear and I am consumed with thoughts of flannels, pumpkins, raking the yard, and October appropriate festivities and worries. Then after the second sip, I find myself in November. OH MY! How does that even happen? That gives me like all of 5 free days to complete a plethora of Christmas requirements, if the majority of you fall into the category of being blindsided by the quickness of holiday overload, I have recently found a solution that will rock your socks, or flannels off. It's called First Monday at Canton Texas.
Now you might be thinking, how is one weekend at an outdoor collection of markets going to be the solution to all that is Christmas? I mean come on, you need yard decor, lights, presents, trees, food, ornaments, presents, coffee, indoor decor, kids Christmas clothes, flannels, white elephant gifts, holiday couch pillows, and did I mention presents? Well I’m here to tell you, this is all in one place and you could accomplish it all in one day! All the while exploring the local community with your friends and family or whoever you drag with you to enjoy a merry weekend out. I'm telling you, it's a Christmas day miracle!
Let me give you a rundown, first there is parking, which is a pain basically everywhere. Cue panic attack feelings in dark serial killer mall parking garages. Not exactly the warm jolly Christmas feelin' you want to experience before and after a day of shopping. Well coming from recent experience I google mapped myself to the South gate of First Monday, and zipped right in and parked, in open daylight, right next to the fairgrounds. It was that simple. I highly recommend this strategy! Even the worst driving offenders could pull this off and you don't have to dodge parking garage Freddy Krueger while you're doing it. I call this a solid win because no one wants to be robbed or murdered right before Christmas.
Once parked the real magic begins, please I beg you, bring your family or close friends because this will be a great time to hang out and make some Christmas shopping memories. Plus the holidays are a time of forced bonding. It is enjoyable for all age groups and walks of life, because there are funnel cakes, an abundance of unique handmade items both womanly and manly, there are crazy old collector items, also funnel cakes, lots of boutique style clothing with all the witty t-shirts and flannels your heart desires, and if you’re still hungry, funnel cakes!
After filling yourself to the brim with funnel cakes go take a good look in the Arbors here you will find this is actually a shortcut to the Chip and Joanna Gaines Waco trip you've been thinking about trekking for years. Shop after shop is filled with their own take on the classic whitewash farmhouse style decor that's been graced across your HG tv screen at home. Add a little red here and there and boom! You’ve got Christmas. One such store even had beautifully handcrafted cutting boards with alternating stripes of different shades of wood. A fantastic gift find for the chef in your life. Couple this gift with a cast iron skillet from the outdoor market section and you’ve given a timeless gift to be used for Christmas dinners for years to come. I would suggest this gift to someone who can actually cook and has a habit of sharing what they cook.
That outdoor market area I just mentioned can be whimsically described as a Pickers Paradise. Got any collectors in your family? Here you will find one of a kind baseball and football cards from years gone by, star wars memorabilia from the 70s, metal lunch boxes with all the nostalgic characters of the 80s, and plenty of toys that cross the span of many many decades from hot wheel cars, to priceless vintage baby dolls. Have any readers on your Christmas list, because you will find hundreds of books! Book you didn’t even know they needed. What about the men in your life? Let me tell you, I couldn't throw a knife in this outdoor market without hitting another knife. I'm no knife connoisseur but looking at all the handcrafted options I could tell these knives were really special and the craftsmen took a lot of pride in their work. White Elephant gift exchange? If you walk out of here without a white elephant gift then you did something very very wrong and I’m concerned for your mental health.
Last stop is the Trade Centers. Here I enjoyed way more samples of food than any sound diet would allow. But it was soooo good! I am a terrible cook but here I found the cheat code. Say it with me "pre-packaged seasonings." They had seasonings aplenty, for dips, soups, casseroles, and desserts. Got a big Christmas breakfast or dinner in your future? Well here you go, not only is all your decorations, and gift shopping through but now you even have the dinner to top it off. Now if only you had a way to gift wrap this whole day. Well, guess what! There are even booths in the trade center for just that. Lots and lots of unique vintage style wrapping papers, boxes, and ribbons. I’m telling you the Canton Texas trade days is the one stop shop for everyone this Christmas season. So be sure to mark it down the following dates on your calendars and don’t miss out. It's the complete Christmas package! And also there's funnel cake!
Mark your calendars now!
11/1/18 - 11/4/18
11/29/18 - 12/2/18
1/3/19 - 1/6/19
1/31/19 - 2/3/19
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