The Kleiber Family Timeline

Category: Shopping

Shopping trips

  • Winter Visit To “Past Tense” 2016

    We made the trek to “Past Tense” in Lapeer Michigan this weekend to check out the displays and were happy to find that the awful construction and detours they have had their the past year are finally over and we shot right through the town of Lapeer. Past Tense has Halloween and Christmas displays up all year long, in addition to being one of the most unique garden shops in Michigan. Our friend Dynamike joined us as he does a lot of gardening in his front lawn and while he was looking at gardening and antique idea’s, Dad was in the Halloween section (as expected).

    Next we stopped at the antique store there and checked out what was new (or old as the case may be.

    After the antique store we stopped for treats at their restaurant (the one with the water wheel) we headed back home, noticing how early the sun sets in January. By the time we got home (around 6pm) it was pitch dark. Spring is getting close but not quite around the corner.

    (more…)

  • After Halloween Sale 2015

    This was a strange year for after Halloween specials because Nov 1st was a Sunday and we really did not know what to expect. For the second year in a row James was with us for the shopping and having more people is always helpful (Mom used to do this all by herself in the past). What we found was not as many great sales – Halloween City and Target only offered 30% off – but you could still find them if you looked (Michaels 80% sale was awesome). Spirit, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart were all at 50% off so its still the normal percentage discount. Another bit of a surprise was the Christmas Tree Shop and Home Depot were 50% off before Halloween so it could be said Nov 1st no longer has exclusive rights on the Halloween sales. Regardless we did very well and declared Michaels this years winner (CVS was last year with 90% off). Some of the items were not perfect but all are quite fixable, most just needing new batteries or a wire soldered here and there. Once again, today was when Dad got his Christmas gifts which makes this extra special for me.

    (more…)

  • US 12 Garage Sale 2015

    Once again we spent an enchanting day driving down US-12 for their annual Detroit to Chicago Garage Sale. This has actually become a routine for us as we have our favorite places to stop. This year our first stop was the farm and while we did not find much in the way of purchases, it still made for a good time and allowed us to visit the chicken coop and such. Later we stop at a Church that turns itself into a big flea market and found a couple of Halloween items there. By the time we got to Clinton MI (about the half way point in our trip), the cars trunk was getting pretty full and we had only spent about $20. By the time we got to Colon for the Magic Festival the trunk was pretty much full and fortunately we had spent very little. That’s the great think about these garage sales on US 12, everyone can afford it.

    (more…)

  • Past Tense Country Store 2015

    We actually found out about this place in a Halloween Forum because they sell Halloween year round. Its located in Lapeer MI and is a little over an hour drive from where we live. Its called “Past Tense” and consists of an Antique and Craft store, a Cider Mill Restaurant, and a General Store that is huge. The General Store has several sections including Christmas, Halloween, Floral, Greenhouse, and just about everything else that you can think of. Mom enjoyed the crafts and antiques, James enjoyed the Christmas and Halloween, and Dad enjoyed everything. A great outing on a rainy Saturday and a real fun place to visit just off US 24 in Lapeer.

    (more…)

  • Haunted Garage Sale 2014

    We have had much success the past few years picking up Halloween items at garage sales and such. Finally we made it to the ultimate garage sale, the Haunted Garage Sale held annually in Belleville Michigan on the County Fair Grounds. Mary found out about this through a friend on FaceBook and as it turns out this was the 13th annual time they had this event which really surprises me that no one in this family found out about it until this year.

    Plenty of surprises and fun, the event was free to attend and I would suggest this to any Halloween enthusiast if for nothing else than to get some fresh ideas.

    (more…)

  • US 12 Garage Sale 2014

    Imagine a garage sale that goes from Detroit to Chicago and you have the U.S. 12 annual garage sale.

    This year everyone in the family did good as Mom found a birdhouse she liked, James found a box of National Geographic magazines, and Dad found two zombies for Halloween.

    Our tour usually starts in Saline at the farmhouse where you can visit all sorts of booths and still see chickens on the farm. A true throwback and done in a very organized manner. Our garage saling takes us into Clinton, then to the Irish Hills, then to the Michigan Speedway, then to Jonesville (where dad found the zombies), then to Quincy (which is also the antique capital of Michigan), to Coldwater on U.S. 12 and 69, and finally to Colon where we visited garage sales as well as took advantage of all the wonderful things the magic capital has available for us.

    (more…)

  • Abbotts Magic Flea Market 2014

    For the third year in a row, Mom worked a flea market table at the annual Abbott Flea Market in Colon Michigan. It was a perfect day and James was able to take advantage of some of the recreational activities at the new park behind the school. James was a big help as he helped label items and such, he has come a long way from his first Flea Market where he told a customer everything was a “nickel”.

    In addition to helping Mom sell, James also bought a few tricks, including a glass effect that is a real fooler. Lots of fun for a kid at these events. He also was given a T shirt by one of the dealers and some candy and a “fart maker” by another dealer. How can a kid go wrong?

    Afterwards we went to a China buffet and for the first time ever, Mom and Dad got the same fortune cookie message.

    (more…)

  • After Halloween Sale 2013

    As I am sure it has been pointed out before on this blog, Dad get his Christmas and Birthday gift from Mom each year Nov 1, a shopping spree consisting of Kmart, Walmart, Joanns, and Spirit Halloween. This year was no exception, best deals we found were 70% off, but the rest was 50% off. However I think the best deal was the T-shirts, which were only a couple dollars each.

    It may take a little longer to get decorations this way, but if you pack them away then open them a year later, its no different than if you bought them just then, this way you save a ton.

    This year James got to join in on the fun as he was off from school for scheduled school admin stuff, so he picked out a few things as well including an Angry Bird Pig pumpkin carving set (you stick the parts into the pumpkin and you are done, no muss, no fuss).

    After shopping Mom took the family out to Big Boy for the breakfast bar, a great day with lots of great values.

    (more…)

  • U.S. 12 Garage Sale 2013

    Once again we went on tour down US12 (known as Michigan Avenue around here) for the annual garage sale. Last year the weather was bad and we only made it to the Irish Hills, this year the weather was perfect and we made it all the way to Cold Water!

    James picked up some toys for virtually nothing, and Mary did well finding some awesome quilts and other items that she hopes to resell on Ebay.

    The Halloween crop this year was very limited, not much for Dad to get. I think we cleaned out the Halloween stuff over the past couple years at garage sales. James is trying to get a road map of every state in the U.S. and actually is more than half way there.

    (more…)

  • Abbotts Magic Flea Market 2013

    What a great time we have at the Abbott Magic Flea Market which takes place each year around Mothers Day. If you are looking for magic and need to watch your funds, this is the place for you. You can go in with about $10 and walk out with a big bag of various magic. Prices are so low they could not be considered wholesale, but well below wholesale. Most of the magic is used but it is usually in good condition and the owner simply wants to make more room for new magic by selling off the old stuff.

    We have found some great deals for Halloween as well. If you were to buy a guillotine or chopper for Halloween it would cost you a fortune, but here you can find those products cheap, and if you are buying them for Halloween you don’t even care about the magic part which means you can usually get them even cheaper.

    Just a great 4 or 5 hours of fun here, highly recommended for all magic (and Halloween) enthusiasts.

    (more…)