Goodwill Hunting: Florida Edition (Now with More Carpet Woes and Shot Glass Chess)

They say everything’s bigger and better in Florida—well, they weren’t lying. Sunshine? Big. Mosquitoes? Bigger. Goodwill stores? Super-sized. And honestly, we are not mad about it.

Today’s mission? Clothes for the boys, who apparently grow overnight like weeds on Miracle-Gro. Also, some home décor to make our place feel less “we just moved in” and more “we actually live here.” Oh—and the pièce de résistance—two computer chairs with no wheels. Why? Because we have carpet. And because nothing says “I love you” like preventing your child from slowly rolling away mid-Zoom call.

Stop #1: Goodwill of Wesley Chapel
Cue the angel chorus because THIS PLACE. IS. MASSIVE. I’m talking “Target-who?” kind of big. We walked in and were immediately greeted by color-filled clothing racks and the scent of secondhand success. We scored name-brand clothes, some of which still had tags on them—Carson is now the proud owner of shorts that were too cool to ever be worn before. He’s in that awkward limbo where he’s not a kid, not quite a man, and Goodwill came through with the in-between sizes. Also: cheaper than Bardstown. I said what I said.

We walked out with bags of clothes, one perfect chair (no wheels, hallelujah), and a whole bunch of art that we are very excited to hang…even though that just added another Walmart trip to our agenda today.

Stop #2: New Port Richey Goodwill
We were feeling ambitious. “Let’s just hit one more,” we said. “We’ll find that second chair,” we said. HA. This Goodwill had a higher price point and, unfortunately, was experiencing a chair drought. However, it did distract us with a glass chess set where the pieces are shot glasses. Because nothing says “family game night” like accidentally drinking a rook.

Quincy was in awe. Sadly, he’s a bit young for shot-glass-based strategy games. He made the suggestion of using Fanta! WIN!

BUT—plot twist—we did stumble on a sea green kitchen table with a glass top. Stunning. We stared. We debated. We decided “no” because we weren’t sure it’d fit in the kitchen. So naturally, we got home, measured, panicked…and turned right back around to go get that table.

Best decision ever.

It’s not just pretty—it’s got a built-in display area under the glass. Our plan? Fill it with shells and sand from all the beaches we’ll be hitting this year. Boom—coastal vibes without the commitment to nautical rope décor.

Bonus Stop: Back to Wesley Chapel (Round 2)
On the way home from New Port Richey the first time—before the whole table escapade—we made a quick detour back to the Wesley Chapel Goodwill. Carson had seen a chair earlier that he almost liked, but in classic teenage fashion, couldn’t commit to it. (I get it. Chairs are serious business.) We figured we’d check if it was still there, but fate had clearly been working overtime because sitting right next to the original was a chair he liked even better. The kind of chair that says “Yes, I can game and do homework in this.” Victory.

So there you have it. Goodwill adventures, teenage growth spurts, and carpet-related chair restrictions.

Florida, you weird, wonderful thrift shop paradise—we’re just getting started.