Shopping Downtown Cape Girardeau Missouri

In my latest transformation from "married" momma to "single" momma, my eldest sister has a mission to teach me to be more "frugal".  I have always been "frugal" but I have never truly been a HUGE Thrift store shopper.  I would occasionally head downtown with the kids or the family and do some antique shopping, but nothing intense.  Well to my surprise, my sister happens to be a Thrift Store Diva...she hunts down the bargains, knows for the good loot, and is a mad case of "I gotta get the good stuff".

Today she buzzed me, she had a few errands to run in Cape Giradeau and so did I, so we decided we would stop off at a few of the Downtown Stores and do some shopping.  I mostly windowed shopped today, but I made notes for my future shopping expeditions...okay really I photo-logged everything that caught my eye!  

Our first stop was The Semo Safe House Thrift Store , my love for this place is all profit goes back to help local folks in our community.  Let us face it life can be tough and sometimes you just need a helping hand, well this place is a helping hand!  I snapped pictures of while visiting...my sister, however, walked out with a bag of goodies, some for my kiddos.  Ha Ha she said they were in "need"!

We then headed down Broadway to Annie Laurie's Antiques, I personally could have gotten lost in this place.  I am not sure why Annie Laurie's has Antiques in her business name, yes there are antiques there, but it should just say Cool Rad Fun Stuff!  I totally lusted over a pair of purple cowgirl boots, they screamed my name for my upcoming trip to Dallas and the Family Travel Conference...I sadly had to leave them behind!

After my love fest in Annie Laurie’s Antiques, we were headed downtown to Main Street Cape Girardeau.  My sister obviously frequents Reruns on Main Street and truth be told I can see why!  Reruns is classy used clothing, for a classy price, of course I was sick to see a pair of Dr Martens shoes for nearly a 1/3 of the price as I had paid for my last pair!  Dang!  What was I thinking?  I will note here, the lady who runs this shop was incredibly sweet!  I travel a lot, and when I enter a shop and the owner acknowledges me, takes time to talk to me, and at least momentarily gets to know my name it says something for their business….well she did that!    

We then crossed Main Street hit up Pastime Antiques, Judith’s Antiques, Back Porch Antiques, Sloan & Themis (sadly they are closed on Wednesday, but I was able to window shop). We neither one had ever been in Hempies so we checked it out, not sure it is a store I would frequent, but I loved some of their clothes!  I am sure I am forgetting a few of our other stops, but after 4 hours of “bargain hunting” and downtown shopping, I am exhausted!   

For a complete listing of shopping in the Cape Girardeau visit The Cape Girardeau Visitors Center’s website, they have a great shopping guide! 

Have a Great Day!

~Becky 

They would MATCH EVERYTHING @ Pastimes Antiques 

I could so sport those with my dress pants! @ Pastimes Antiques 

Cool & Elegant @ Back Porch Antiques

Awwww a doll house! @ Back Porch Antiques

Seriously! I would look CUTE! @ Sloan & Themis

I dream BIG! @ @ Judith's Antiques and Gung Ho Militaria

I have a luggage fetish @ Judith's Antiques and Gung Ho Militaria

Wow! That's Me! I look like that! @ Judith's Antiques and Gung Ho Militaria

So Much Good Stuff @ Judith's Antiques and Gung Ho Militaria

I <3 this dress!  @ Hempies

Dr. Martens! OMG! So screaming Lesse! @ Reruns

Bam! Total Must Haves! @ Reruns 

The chick has it going on! @ Annie Laurie's Antiques

I always say put a bag over my head! Hah!  @ Annie Laurie's Antiques

I'm Feeling Orange! @ Annie Laurie's Antiques

I need these for my trip to Dallas! @ Annie Laurie's Antiques

Shopaholic on a Dime! @ SEMO Safehouse Thrift Store

Dang it is only $2.00 & Tommy Hill @ SEMO Safehouse Thrift Store

Classes offered by Southeast Missouri State University Continuing Education

Beer & Bacon, Cake Decorating 101, Tea 101, and Great Holiday Wines on a Budget.   Yes this is Hosh Posh of everything, but the good news is there is someone way better organized than me in charge of this.  

Southeast Missouri State University's Continuing Education Program is offering some fun, adult cool, and okay we can say they are educational classes this fall.  

Beer and Bacon 
What is better than beer or bacon? Beer AND Bacon. Join chef James Cain as he walks you through the wonderful world of bacon (including his own special smoked creation) paired with delicious craft beers to enhance your culinary experience. You will learn how bacon is made, how to properly cook and serve your bacon and taste and take home several amazing bacon recipes. 

Cake Decorating 101
Want to WOW your friends and family this holiday season? This workshop is the perfect place to start! Katie, owner of Fancy That Cake, will show you the right way to decorate, step by step, so that you experience the excitement of successfully decorating your first cake. You will learn to work with both frosting and fondant as you create a Christmas candle cake. You will leave with your own cake creation and a decorating kit to useat home.

Tea 101
TEA LOVERS! Mark your calendars! Join Chef Dewayne Schaaf and Patrick Koetting of Eshu Tea for Tea 101. You’ll learn about different types of teas, , how different teas are processed and their health benefits. In depth discussions on how to brew hot and iced teas. Observe the appearance of tea leaves prior to and after brewing. Taste the flavor and scent the aroma of these authentic drinks. Enjoy good company, great teas and delicious treats from Cup and Cork.

Great Holiday Wines on a Budget
Think you have to break the bank to have a nice wine with your dinner? Think again! It’s easy to find some real gems if you know where to look and how to shop for them. Join us as we taste and compare seven great wines for a total cost of less than $80! In addition, our wine expert will discuss the basics of food and wine pairings and how to properly serve different wines.


For more information about these classes and more offered by Southeast Missouri State University Continuing Education visit their website.

Have an Adventurous Day!

~Becky

Berry Bliss...that will do!

There are very few things that I allow myself to indulge in, the one thing I never skip out on is my Bubble Bath.  It is no secret, especially in my house, that when Momma runs her bubble bath, then that means DO NOT DISTURB. 

Tonight, I cranked over the hot water, ran to the kitchen to pour me a drink, then back to the bathroom, reached up to grab my Lavender Scented Foaming Bath Soap.  Only to discover that it was GONE.  Yes, this is a tragedy, not this could be fatal, I mean this is the one activity that I can totally tone the world out and ignore all the chaos around me. 

I was determined that I was not going to sacrifice my bubble bath, after all the tub was ¾ of the way full of extremely hot water.  I reach over the other cabinet and grab the kid’s bubble bath, tonight became a Berry Bliss kind of night! 

I officially smell just like a Berry Bliss Disney Princess!  Yahoo!    

~Becky

Normally I share my personal stories on my other blogs, however, sorry folks I am combining blogs to less my mass chaos and simplify my life!  I truly hope this does not scare off my readers...Thank you again for you patience, kindness, and faithful support! 

Welcome Home Momma we MISSED You

I have been on a whirlwind for the past few day, but my whirlwind was minus my sidekicks!  Yes, momma flew solo again and I must confess it felt GOOD!  Hey, those adorable faces you all fall in love with so easily require a LOT OF WORK…..sighhhhhh!

Okay since I did not have my two bosses along WHAT DID I DO? Right I sat around and bon bons and worked on my suntan….I WISH, but I did have tons of fun! 

I left late Sunday afternoon (after depositing the kids at their destination) and hit the streets of St. Charles MO yes, of course, I have tons to share, but guess what YOU HAVE TO WAIT.  I will say for the first time EVER I set my feet on the Katy Trail for my morning run!  SCORE.  It was grand. 

I left St Charles Monday morning and was on my way to Lebanon, Mo…here is a short set of details this is what I did: hung out on the Route 66, met a way too cool British Blogger, went shopping, ate way too much food, went canoeing, saved my canoeing partner more than once (I WISH), checked out this cute campground, ate too much food, met the alpacas again, model alpaca clothing…yes must see photo, and learned bits and pieces about fly fishing.   Sheeewwww…okay you must wait to read the whole story and I do promise there is much more.  

I returned home on Wednesday afternoon and if you have not guessed it yet those smiling little angels that I often say are more evil than kind were happy to see their Momma.  However, they also had been just as busy as Momma.  Dillard and Lesse has spent their first ever week at Calvary Hilltop Church Camp!  Calvary Hilltop is the same rustic little church camp that momma attended oh so many years ago as a little girl, met some of my very best friends, and learned what good ol fashion fun was. 

Today we all have returned home, Lesse stayed 2 more nights at camp after I got home.  We all are a bit exhausted, there is a mound of laundry, and very happy to see each other.  

Have an Adventurous Day

~Becky 

Disclosure:  My trip was sponsored by the TBW Group, but all opinions are my own. 

Summer Car Tips from GearHeads Auto Repair

 By:  GearHeads Auto Repair

A few summer car care tips....
After the mechanic gives your car a once-over before summer, take the time to pack some backup items:

One gallon of 50% coolant to 50% water.
2 spare quarts or oil.
One Gallon of windshield washer fluid
A good flashlight with spare batteries
A disposable camera in case of accident or a good photo opportunity
A piece of carpet or a door mat, in case you have to kneel down on the ground in bad weather
Drinking water. People always get thirsty.
Sunblock and insect repellant.

These are just a few items that can make your life a littler better when out on the road this summer. And remember when driving long distances, take breaks ever couple of hours and stretch. Enjoy your summer!

Gearheads Auto Repair is my personal mechanic, and owned by Amy & Carlos that also have kids of their own.  While car repair is their business, I have found my safety seems to be very important to them also.  You can follow GearHeads Auto Repair on Facebook or give them a call at 573-204-3422...note they are in the Jackson, MO area.