Church — $150.00
Today’s offering was particularly large. I hadn’t budgeted for it but will figure out a way to absorb it — probably out of my own small personal savings account.

After the service last week our priest gave a short, informal talk about the status of all the US congregations and priests and communities. He told us that each congregation is responsible for contributing $5,000 each year to the fund that supports retired priests and widows. Though the retirement fund was the motivation behind my digging-down-deep contribution, I did not specifically ear-mark it for that purpose because I believe our treasurer and priest are best suited to make those financial determinations.

Einstein Bros Bagels — $15.78
Instead of waiting until after church, the kids and I ran to Einstein’s during the service so we could share bagels with the congregation between the service and the gathering afterward. It was a decision that was well received by both the congregation and my kids — that way they could eat and I could attend the meeting without them pleading starvation and wanting to go — now!

My youngest sister has an upcoming birthday.  I called her the other day and asked if there were anything specific she wanted.  She listed two different CD titles that she’d like to have and then mentioned that she’d also love to have a new pair of pajamas.

It’s possible that my sister mentioned the PJ’s as just on off-the-cuff “oh by the way” gift idea, but my brain interpreted it as a direct challenge:  “Anyone can buy me one or the other of these CD’s but it will take someone really clever, someone who loves me enough to make the effort, to find me a pair of PJ’s that I love.”

PJ’s — how hard can that really be?  Here are the requirements: 

• flannel pants (either 3/4 or full length)
• short-sleeve t-shirt
• shirt cannot have buttons
• both pieces have to be 100% cotton and should be long and not form-fitting
• bottoms would ideally have elastic and drawstring waistband
• set should match and should actually be PJ’s and not just a pair of bottoms and a t-shirt

I really didn’t think this would be very difficult.  But so far I’m batting zero.

 I started at Old Navy.  The have cotton flannel bottoms but all of their tops are long-sleeved with buttons.  Strike one.

Next I check out The Gap.  They, too, have cotton flannel bottoms but the mix-and-match PJ tops are all either long sleeved, long-sleeved with buttons, or skimpy camis.  Strike two.

So then I visited Victoria’s Secret.  Their flannel PJ sets include flannel pants with weird waistbands and long-sleeved flannel buttondown tops.  Strike three.

I figured I’d check Sierra Trading Post to see what they had.  They actually had two or three different t-shirt and long bottom PJ sets but they were all too ugly to even consider. Strike four.

American Eagle’s selection included long-sleeve tops and Aeropostale’s t-shirts are a poly/cotton blend. Strikes five and six.

At this point I was beginning to suspect that my sister had sent me on a wild-goose chase, so I stretched out beyond my first-line shopping sources and did a Google search. That brought up several on-line stores that I’d never heard of but promised to have women’s PJ’s. Strikes seven through twenty.

Now what? Well, I can always fall back on the CD idea. But I haven’t completely given up — yet. I figure I’ll see what’s available at T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s. I only have a few days left, though, before I have to make a decision and get something in the mail.

Any suggestions?  Where are the cotton t-shirt & flannel pant PJ’s hiding?

edit:  I happened to look at Aeropostale again and noticed that while most of their tees are poly/cotton blends, there are one or two that are 100% cotton.  Question is, are the styles too young for my about-to-turn-39 year old sister.  She’s pretty hip so maybe it would be okay.