DOES SHOPPING AT THE DOLLAR STORE BALANCE OUT IF I RECYCLE?

This is a gorgeous painting I won from Stevie C., whose blog I read. I commented on it when she first painted it, and so when I won her contest, she gave me a choice of prizes, and I picked this. I love bottle trees, and this painting is so vibrant and wonderful! THANKS again, Stephanie!!!
Today was another day that I put off my Christmas shopping trip. I don't know why I feel so...way past overdue with it. Granted it IS later than it should be, but it's not even December yet, for goodness sake!
I went to Beeville today, skipped dropping the plastic bags off at Goodwill...went to the place where I last took aluminum cans to be recycled, and apparently they've been closed for years from the looks of things. I don't even know if there IS a place that takes aluminum in Beeville. I have given up on drinking Coke Zero, since it only comes in aluminum cans now. It's too much trouble squashing the cans, and saving them until I can find a recycle center. I guess those three bags of cans will stay in the van a while longer. I did go to both Dollar Stores though, something I rarely do, since I don't like the feeling of supporting human rights abuses in China. I was looking for purple ribbon and Christmas decorations without much luck. I did get Shabree a crocheted hat and a birthstone angel necklace. Got a couple of candles that say the wick is lead-free, and a box of some rice crispie treats, since I had been hungry for one for days. Then I went to Walmart and returned some things, and got plaster of paris to set my Christmas 'branch' in. Then I stopped in Sonic for cheddar peppers and a gingerbread 'blizzard'... or whatever they call their version of a blizzard.
When I got back to Skidmore, I went to see if Zachary could come help me set the branch in the plaster. I mixed the plaster and it took a lot more than I thought it would. Then I had him hold it in place while I washed up the mess and then washed dishes, with him standing behind me sighing heavily. I told him to be glad he didn't live in China where children his age have to do hard boring things like that all day long every day. When I finished the dishes, I held it awhile, and since it had set up about half way, he went to find some bricks to hold it in place. So I sat down with a Diet Coke, and he sat down with two pieces of pumpkin pie, while it continued to dry. Then he went up in the attic and got the door wreath, and the angel, and looked through the BIG box of Christmas stuff to get the things I knew I wanted to use this year. I will probably have to get more down later, but didn't need everything down at once.
Chuck came home not long after we finished, so I gave Zachary the box of Rice Crispie treats and Chuck took him home.
I had planned to put the tree...er, branch... on the buffet, where I've had trees/branches before, but it is too tall for that. In fact, the coffee table is the only thing low enough for it to sit on. Soooo I guess I'll move the recliner to the other side of the couch, clear off and maybe move the dry sink, straighten the tall bookshelf, and move the coffee table with the branch to where the recliner is now. But then, I know Coconut is going to chew and pull on a tree skirt hanging down... We can't put presents under the tree/branch either... and no setting up the one Nativity set on the shelf of the coffee table.... Gee, just when Mathieu was getting halfway civilized, we get Coconut.