Gobbling Up The Deals
Thanksgiving used to be a time for families to gather around the table, reconnect, and give thanks for all the treasures of the harvest. Ah, the turkey, the mashed potatoes, and your grandma’s Green Bean Casserole. Family can be….how do we say this…um, difficult. Yet, we still drove “over the hill and through the woods to grandmother’s house” for full plates and family drama. In the last few years, the table talk has turned to “What I really want for Christmas…” and “Did you see the big sale at BlankBoxStore tomorrow?” (Unless your family decides to debate politics.)
These days, Thanksgiving is less about thanks and more about the “deal.” We obsess over which store has the cheapest price on frozen Butterball Turkeys. We scour the web to find new recipes to try on unsuspecting house guests while being served ads for big-screen TVs. We even schedule “family time” on Friday around the early morning “doorbusters.”
Think about it. You have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday to anticipate after Turkey Day. Not to mention holiday sales starting earlier and earlier each year leading into the holidays. Black Friday starts for some big box retailers on Thanksgiving night.
Maybe I’m too nostalgic, but I remember a simpler time before Thanksgiving became such a consumer-centric holiday. I long for a simpler time. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV, eating our Franken Berry cereal, and dreaming of going to Disney World because we saw a Mickey Mouse float. Not to mention watching ads for toys we wanted, like the Evil Knievel Stunt Cycle and G.I. Joe (with the Kung Fu grip). How else would we have learned that “weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down?”
Hmmm, on second thought, maybe Thanksgiving dinner has always been served with a side of consumerism.
Either way, this represents a great opportunity to let you know that the Texas Inn is having a MASSIVE four-day sale, from Back Friday to Cyber Monday, where you can get 25 percent off ALL T-Room merchandise. In store and online. Offer code: THANKS25.
MONDAY:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARISSA!
Yesterday, Senior Art Director Carissa Ghaffari celebrated another year around the sun. She spent the weekend fulfilling her birthday wishes with family and friends. She donned her skates and hit the ice rink with her husband and son, hiked in the cold, and closed out the celebration with a much-deserved drink. Happy Birthday, Carissa!
TUESDAY:
OUR PENGUIN PEN PAL
Communications Specialist Kennedy Heidel is on the trip of a lifetime, visiting her seventh – yes SEVENTH continent – Antarctica. After radio silence for a few days since she boarded a ship from Argentina to the southernmost continent, she wrote us an email with a few glimpses of her trip. She’s been playing with the penguins, seals, and probably carving sculptures out of giant blocks of ice.
WEDNESDAY:
GIVING THANKS
November is National Gratitude Month, and our client CowanGates went all out at their recent Week of Thanks and Giving. In partnership with the Coalition of Powhatan Churches and the Powhatan Food Pantry, they helped provide meals to families in need at their Thanksgiving Food Drive. Not only did they give back to the community, but they also shared their appreciation for one another with handwritten cards expressing their gratitude.
THURSDAY:
TURKEY DAY
On Thursday, the team took off to enjoy all of the Thanksgiving festivities. This week, we canceled all of the regular meetings and held a Special Production Week for all of the Madison+Main-iacs. This way, the team wouldn’t have anything outstanding on their plates so they could enjoy the holiday to the fullest while getting full of delicious food. Enjoy feasting with friends and family!
If you’re looking for fun for the whole family, our client Compass Entertainment Complex reopened their skating rink for the season. It’s made of synthetic ice, so it’s easy to get around for both beginners and those who have experience. Rent your skates, get them sharpened, and race around the rink as much as your feet can handle!
FRIDAY:
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
With tomorrow being Small Business Saturday, also known as small businesses’ busiest shopping season, there are plenty of ways to support local businesses. For shoppers, find participating small businesses in your area. (If you’re in Lynchburg or Harrisonburg, stop by the Texas Inn where we’ll be dishing out meals and deals.) If you’re a small business owner, hopefully, you’ve shared the news on social media already, but if you haven’t, there’s still time to get the word out about your deals!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Pet Food Pantry Pop Up
Holiday Barn Pet Resorts
614 Johnson Willis Drive
Richmond, VA 23236
December 3 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Our friends at Holiday Barn Pet Resorts are hosting Compassion Animal Project‘s inaugural one-day pop up Pet Food Pantry event, which is distributing 25,000 pounds (about 80,000 meals!) of donated high-quality dog food to individuals and animal welfare organizations in need of a little help this holiday season. Check it out!
Festival of Lights
Hermitage Roanoke
1009 Old Country Road NW
Roanoke, VA 24017
December 3 | 6 – 9 p.m.
It’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit. Hermitage Roanoke is inviting everyone to gather the family together, warm up the car, and explore thousands of twinkling lights at their third annual drive-thru Festival of Lights. Even Santa Claus will be in attendance. Keep an eye out for more details!
“Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving.” — President John F. Kennedy, November 5, 1963