Little shoppers buy family surprises

Kids swarmed from table to table with different-colored plastic baskets in their hands looking for the perfect Christmas gift.

Scented candles, pom-poms, Hannah Montana pens, baseballs, dog toys, stuffed animals, light-up swords, back scratchers and flashlights could all be purchased for $1 — gift wrapping included.

At Dr. Ralph E. Hawes Elementary School’s Secret Shopper event, students had service better than Nordstrom, with parent volunteers ready to help them shop and wrap up their purchases.

During lunch or recess throughout the week, students popped into a room laid out with potential presents, made their purchases and had them gift-wrapped in less than 20 minutes. The event is designed to give students a chance to surprise their friends and family with gifts, event Coordinator and PTA volunteer Lori Anderson said.

The shopping took 7-year-old Shelby Nadler a little longer Monday, but she managed to finish all her Christmas shopping. The second-grader, dressed in bright blue tights and an oversized blue tie-dye T-shirt, forgot her shopping list, but managed fill her neon-green basket and spend less than $18, her budget.

Picking out her gifts, Shelby wasn’t sure who each gift was for, but got it anyway. Going back and forth to the tables, she picked up a lime-green mini sewing kit and put it in her basket for her cousin Anna.

“She doesn’t really know how to sew, but her mom will teach her how,” she said.

Shelby said the boutique had cool stuff and kept telling her friends, “Every item costs $1.”

The gifts, wrapped in white tissue paper inside a white bag with a colorful bow on top, will be the first Christmas presents under her tree.

Jack Bray, 8, also finished his Christmas shopping Monday.

Although he didn’t buy anything for himself, Jack said he wanted to.

“I wish I could buy all of it,” he said.

Jack was thoughtful in the presents he bought, buying a piece of sports equipment for his brother and a candle for his parents.

“Because our house is always stinky,” Jack said.