Catalogpalooza 2021!

In a close second to my beloved annual Christmas ornament hunt, one of my favorite blog traditions is doing a round-up of catalogs that appear in my mailbox in October and November.   They just pile up and my husband keeps threatening to throw them out until I eventually give in and put this post together.  Here are some of my thoughts from the past: 2018, 2019, 2020. In this edition of shopping I will never do, I ignore whether or not things are made ethically or are from trustworthy companies and just, you know, window shop with reckless abandon.

One of the things I've been trying to find for a couple of years now is a warm rain jacket.  I walk the dog in some pretty terrible weather, but the worst is 30s/40s and rainy. It's so cold and no rain jacket I have can handle this. I end up layering sweaters and scarves under jackets, but it's just not a great solution. To the rescue come holiday catalogs!

L.L. Bean - Women's Waterproof PrimaLoft Packaway Outerwear ($249, which is INSANE and available in multiple colors)  - It seems like it would be perfect for my dogwalking needs, but I'm much too frugal to spend this much money on it.

American Giant - Women's Storm Full Zip ($178, available in three colors) - I like AG and have a number of their shirts.  They don't hold color very well, if you must know, but they otherwise are a good source of basics.  This is basically a hoodie with water repellant fabric, which might be an okay solution if it's not really pouring.  

Hammacher Schlemmer - Kickball Dartboard ($179.95) - HS is such a strange catalog, but I often find things I think would be fun for family events and this kickball dartboard is one of them. I also would not spend this much money for something huge I'd have to store, but I can window shop and talk about how cool it is, right?

Guideboat - New England Traveler ($395, comes in two colors) - Guideboat is one of our favorite catalogs because it regularly features dogs. It skews maybe a little bit older than we are just yet, but this jacket is super cute on the model in the catalog. It doesn't look as great in the online photos, but if I were the kind of person who would spend $400 on a jacket to wear a few times a year, I'd consider this one!

Garnet Hill - Ribbed Hat ($79, available in multiple colors) - GH has clothing, pajamas that look cozy and soft, but not warm, linens, and home decor. I have never purchased anything from this company, but I enjoy looking through it, knowing someday in twenty years it will be my main form of gift purchasing. Ha!

Parachute - Fouta Stripe Towels ($114 for set of 2 hand towels, 2 bath towels, 2 washcloths, available in three colors) - We've had our towels since we got married and they're looking ratty and threadbare and a bit stained. I have had towels on my mind, but I'm unlikely to get any until ours are unusable because that's the kind of person I am. 

Sharper Image - Heated Ice Scraper ($49.99) - I got one of these when I was in college and as soon as I plugged it into my cigarette lighter, it blew the fuse of my latek-90s model Chevy pickup truck. That was decades ago, so who knows if it works any better now?  

Stio - Wool Neck Gaiter ($39, available in three colors) - Is this really just a scarf?  Stio has a lot of outdoor equipment, particularly for snowboarding. My neck is the weak link in cooler temps and you probably won't see me without a scarf for the next six months, but isn't a gaiter just a scarf with a different name?

See's Candies - Cinnamon Lollypops ($10.50 for 12 lollies) - I have put in a request for some cinnamon lollypops from See's this year and will probably get them.  See's has wonderful chocolates and candies and has lots of gluten-free options, which is important to me.  

Orvis - Battenkill Cashmere-Lined Gloves ($129, available in two colors) - My husband gets cashmere-lined gloves almost every year for Christmas from someone and the cashmere usually has giant holes in it by the end of the season, so I'm not sure they're worth the price.  I have ordered sweaters for Dr. BB from Orvis before, so they keep sending me catalogs and I'm not mad because the catalogs frequently feature dogs.

The Vermont Country Store - Blue Willow Servingware ($39.95 - $59.95) - My mother-in-law's choice of daily ware was this pattern. When I saw it in the catalog, lots of feelings were felt. 

Uncommon Goods - Fitness Dice ($19) - I've actually purchased a lot of things from this catalog for gifts. It's always full of interesting ideas and things people might actually use.  

Minted - Deconstructed tree holiday cards (roughly $2/piece) - It is the time of year when I spend way too much money on holiday cards and that is the way it will always be.  This year we went with a stripped down version of a card - us on the front and the girls on the back. I definitely used the coupon code that came with the catalog, but it really is still stupid expensive, especially once you factor in postage!

And that is the fun romp through catalogs this year.  What's your favorite catalog to get in the mail?