Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) – part 5: grandma

So, if you’ve been following along, you’ll know I was given a nice chunk of change ($1,000) from PayPal. My task, go shopping for five family members and friends, spend $500 online using PayPal and $500 at the mall buying comparable gifts.

Here’s the run down of gifts for grandma:

Online
What: The First Snow Gift Box ($34.95)
Where: LUSH.ca
Cost: $39.49 ($34.95 First Snow gift box + taxes; found promotion code for free shipping)

In Store:
What: “Sweet Pea” Gift Basket ($34.95) and
What: Bath & Body Works, Yorkdale
Cost: $29.66 ($34.95 “Sweet Pea” Gift Basket @25% off in-store promotion+ taxes)

Outcome:
I arrived home from a meeting on Dec. 16 to find an attempted delivery notice from Canada Post notifying me about a package available for pick up the next day. The package was from LUSH and required a signature (I asked why some packages were left at my doorstep but not this one.)

Sure enough, when I opened the box, a lovely wrapped gift just like the one on the website appeared inside. Although it would have been nice to check that what I thought I was ordering was in the box, it was convenient to have it nicely wrapped with a pretty bow and gift tag. They also surprised me with two samples of hand-cut soap. I really liked how LUSH added a “Holiday” tab to their website with lots of great gift ideas, including a page for people who want to give holiday gifts but not necessarily for Christmas.

Had I ordered $100 or more, I could have used an advertised promo code for free shipping and guaranteed two-day shipping. Instead, I Googled “lush promo” and found a code for free shipping that still works.

LUSH doesn’t have a store at Yorkdale. I considered The Body Shop and Aveda but when I passed by Bath & Body Works, I saw a big 25% off sale sign caught my eye.
I’m less familiar with Bath & Body Works but they had a whole bunch of gift baskets displayed at the entrance, I figured I couldn’t lose. They had a whole bunch of large baskets, including a small picture frame, regularly priced for the same amount as the gift box from LUSH, minus 25%. Wow! The only thing I didn’t like was that the baskets weren’t wrapped. I would have preferred them with cellophane.

Donated to: Red Door Family Shelter, Dec. 22

Related articles

• Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) - part 1
• Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) - part 2
  
• Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) - part 3: dad and teen
  
• Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) - part 4: young girl