It’s shop-hop season here in Maine, and while it can be a little overwhelming when you’re just starting out, there are some pro-tips that can save you the stress.
We love Maine Shop-Hop season. Who doesn’t love a good incentive?
What is Shop-Hop, you ask? Here’s what the website says, “For the past 26 years, independently-owned quilt shops of Maine have collaborated by inviting their customers to spend the month of April hopping from shop to shop. Customers print out ' passports' and have them stamped at each shop. There are goodie bags, in-store drawings, demonstrations and more! At the end of the month, hoppers send their completed passport and are entered for a number of wonderful prizes! Perhaps even better than any prize, hoppers rediscover why they fell in love with quilting in the first place as others begin their quilting journey.”
I know… That sounds pretty stinking great. And while it’s totally amazing… It’s also a lot. Dozens of shops, limited time, maps, passports, planning, OH MY! Honestly, it can feel like a full-time job (which frankly would be awesome if that were my full-time job).
I hear these all the time:
“How am I supposed to hit all these shops?”
“Do I need a plan?”
“Am I doing this wrong already?”
“What if I don’t hit every store?”
All first-timers feel this way. It’s a mix of totally exciting and wildly overwhelming. You’re not alone; this is completely normal. Trust me, even experienced quilters get caught up in the “I must do everything” mindset. Guilty.
But the key to the most successful (and way less overwhelming) Shop-Hop is to remember, it’s just for fun, it’s not a race, and you are not a failure if you don’t hit every single shop. I promise, it’s not about checking every box.
It’s more about the experience, the connections, and the goodies you collect along the way. You’ll be filled with discovery, creativity, and connection. You’ll meet fun people, your creative mind will explode with ideas, and who knows… You might just discover a new favorite shop.
Look, Shop-Hop is a great time, but I am a big believer that your hobbies and things you love should definitely not cause you to burn out. There is a way to tackle Shop-Hop, so you have a great time and don’t get overwhelmed.
We’ll create a solid plan, decrease decision fatigue, and increase your enjoyment of your experience.
This is a quilt Shop-Hop, not a competitive sport… let me tell you, there are no medals for most miles driven.
7 tips for getting through shop hop overwhelm-free:
1. Create your plan of attack (before you leave)
This might seem ridiculous, but if you walk out the door without a real strategy, you’re guaranteed to come home completely overwhelmed and probably fairly empty-handed. Trust me, shop hop is all about hitting up multiple stores in a short timeframe where you have to make a million decisions at once. Does that sound like something you can wing?
Here’s how to make a solid strategy for your shop hop experience:
Ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish today?”
Figure out how much time you have for the day.
Within that time, figure out which shops you’ll hit that will fit within the time.
Plan your driving route.
Think about what you want to get so you are able to walk in with confidence.
Why does this matter?
If you make shop hop a free-for-all, you’ll likely tap out early. You have to pace yourself, and the best way to do that is with a solid strategy.
You don’t get a prize for doing it all in one day. Having a strategy keeps you focused and confident, so you can make it to the end line. It also keeps things manageable because we all have lives.
Takeaway: Create your strategy before you even walk out the door. It’ll help you avoid overwhelm before you even get started.
2. Set a budget
I bet you’re rolling your eyes right now, but I’m looking at you. Set that budget. Don’t just let it be open and free; that’s how you get heavy regret. This can go along with your strategy to help you stay focused.
There are two ways to do a budget:
Traditional: Set a dollar amount. Know what you’re comfortable spending. If you’re going to do this, I would do a bit of research beforehand. Figure out what things cost to give you an idea of what is realistic for something like this.
Alternative: If that feels too limiting, but you’d still like a way to give you a purpose and keep you from going wild, try having a plan to buy one specific thing at each shop. Shop hop is about fabric lines, so you could limit yourself to one fat quarter at each shop.
This is still something you can do ahead of time to help you focus and keep the overwhelm at bay.
Why this matters?
Trust me, we’ve all been there. We get home after a shop hop or a big shopping spree, take a look at the credit card statement, and have a mini panic attack about how we can hide the statement from our spouses. To keep ourselves from accidentally needing to take out a second mortgage on the house, create a budget.
Takeaway: A budget will save you overwhelm in the moment and later. To ensure you have no regrets about your purchases and avoid the guilt every time you look at that extra fat quarter you just had to have, create a monetary budget or an item budget.
3. Don’t forget food stops
Nobody likes a hangry shopper or a hangry friend. Make sure you plan your meals and snacks into your allotted time for the day. This is probably the most consistent thing that is missed, and if you wait too long, you’ll end up being in pretty bad shape. In order to make the most of your time and your experience, think about food.
How to build food stops into your shop hop:
Once you know which shops you’re hitting up, pull up your good friend Google Maps (or whichever one you use), and look at what’s around.
Think about the time of day you’ll be at each shop. Where will lunch fit in for a big meal? What’s around for a little snack? And, of course, don’t forget the ice cream stop.
You can also pack snacks for your trip. Things that are easy to eat on the go or in the car.
Why this matters?
As soon as your blood sugar and energy drop, you’re done for, and if you’re a ways from home, yikes. Keep your energy up for the potentially long days. If you’re with someone else, you also want to make sure your hang-ger doesn’t stop them from enjoying their time. No one likes the Debby-Downer.
Takeaway: Take the food stops and snacks seriously. They’re not just fun to have, they’re essential.
4. Enjoy the entire experience… not just the shopping
Something Andrea and I love to do is take the time to be present, make memories, and fondle our purchases… Or you know, really look at what we got. If you’re with a friend, take a moment before going to the next shop to show them what you got, get their ooohs and ahhhs and then do the same for them.
How to enjoy the whole experience:
Do a quick show-and-tell with your friend if you’re shopping together. Brainstorm what you can do with your purchase, and get excited.
When you arrive at a new shop, take a moment before getting down to business. Look around, notice each shop’s distinct personality. What is unique about it? What catches your eye first?
Don’t be afraid to chat with other shoppers or the store's owner. You might end up meeting some new friends.
Don’t rush. Slow down, really look at each item before you impulsively grab it. Be in the moment.
Celebrate as you go and at the end. This can be a really fun experience.
Why this matters?
When you take the time to enjoy the whole experience, slow down, and celebrate the day, you have something positive to focus on. When you rush, shop impulsively, and just move through the motions, that’s when the overwhelm creeps up, and you end up remembering how stressful it was instead of how fun it was.
Takeaway: Let yourself live in the moment. This isn’t a race or a mission; it’s an experience, it’s networking, it’s doing something you love to do. Make sure you set yourself up to actually have fun.
5. Expect distractions… And embrace them
Just as a warning, shop hop is an event. You won’t just walk into a store, get your passport stamped, shop, and be on your way. It’s not just about buying fabric. There are often goodie bags, door prizes, discounts, conversations, etc. If you don’t expect them, they can derail your entire experience and cause you to walk away with nothing. That would be the saddest thing.
How to embrace the shop hop distractions:
First, know that they’re inevitable. Be prepared for a little bit of overstimulation.
Second, be open to it. The goodie bags often have some really good stuff. (See what I did there?)
Third, if you are more of an introverted type, bring an extroverted buddy. They love to talk, and they’ll be the life of the party while you get to observe.
Last, plan for a little extra time. Knowing you’ll have extra distractions in every store, add that in to the time you’ve allocated for shopping.
Why this matters?
If you don’t go in expecting the extra distraction and added time, you’ll definitely get overstimulated and overwhelmed right away. But when we plan for them to happen, they’re not as big of a shock, and honestly, end up being pretty fun.
Takeaway: Know what you’re getting into before you even walk into the store. Shop hop isn’t just regular shopping. There are always extra distractions that can derail even the best laid plan. Factor that in to your overall strategy.
Remember, a successful shop hop isn’t hitting every store on the list or buying the most fabric. Seriously, do not do those things…
It’s all about enjoying the experience, getting wildly inspired for your next project (or projects), and connecting with other people. Who knows, you may just make your next quilting bestie, and you can go to a retreat together (such as the Bar Harbor Open Sew Retreat hosted by yours truly… wink, wink).
You really don’t have to do everything to have a great experience. Simply slowing down and living in the moment (with a solid plan of attack) actually makes it even better.
And in case you need it, here’s your permission to skip some shops, change your plans, and take breaks where you need them. Do I need to remind you, this is supposed to be fun? At the end of the day, the best part of shop hop isn’t what’s in your shopping bag… It’s how you felt along the way (and the goodie bags, duh).
