Our Target Tradition

Saturdays are my favorite. We have a pretty "official" Saturday schedule going: wake up, Happy Donuts, Starbucks for mom (who is avoiding processed sugar and gets super grumpy after about 20 minutes at the donut shop), "The Target"/mall, sometimes lunch, and then home so Paul can head to church.

We always mindlessly wander Target, throwing things into our cart that we don't really need, browsing the toys with Porter, looking at the new clothes for both the boys, trying to find a good place or reason to buy a faux fur stool in the home decor section, stocking up on La Croix and coconut milk nog and peppermint white chocolate kettle corn... you know, the usual. We check out, I save 5% on my Red card, Paul panics about how much money we just spent on non-necessities, Porter gets a sticker, and then we're on our merry way.

This post sounds like an ad, but it's not. I just genuinely love it that much. What is it about Target that is just so... happy? Do they have subliminal messaging in their advertising? Is it because it literally has everything you need in one place and people always look much more sane than the local Walmart? I even love the Target brand, Archer Farms. I mean, I'm being serious: it's just ALL GOOD. Even the little things.

I mean, just today another mom and I, who was toting around a baby maybe a couple weeks old, laughed and joked around together as we searched through personalized ornaments for our kids' initials. So, ya know, it's really also about community.

I need to start documenting our weekend Target trips in pictures, so I can look back through them someday - when Porter is too busy on a Saturday morning to accompany us on our Target dates (sobs). Some of my favorite weekend memories are in our local Target, and it makes me oddly happy when Porter exclaims "THE TARGET!" as we drive up. Until he starts backseat driving and telling us to park the car, like that's not the one thing we're focused on at that very moment.

What are some of your favorite weekend traditions?

Sunny Saturdaze

Saturday. My favorite day. And, bonus... it's SUNNY.

We woke up at 8am (thanks, Simon!) and laid around for a few minutes before we got dressed, headed to Starbucks, and then to the mall. We have family pictures on Sunday, so we were on a mission to find some "blue" items for all of us, since that is the color we chose.

I also happened upon some MAC eyeshadow palates that were Nordstrom exclusives, and since I had already warned Paul that I needed to pick up 3 - 4 eyeshadows since I'm out of everything and I literally CANNOT scrape the bottom of the pan anymore, I figured... why not spend an extra $30 and get a palate of 15 neutral shades? I mean, that's just... math, or something.

Oh, and I got a mineralized bronzey skinfinish, because I'm a terrible checkout shopper. You know those cookies you can add to your order at the window of any drive-thru restaurant? That's how they get me at Nordstrom. "Oh! Since you got that amazing collection of all the best neutrals, you should get this pearlescent bronzer that doubles as a highlighter."

Um, ok.

After shopping, we went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A. This is a major deal, because is JUST CAME TO WASHINGTON. It's madness, you guys. I know it's fast food, and what the heck are we thinking sitting in a line that wraps around a neighboring building...

..but it's delicious. I would wait for 40 minutes for the sauce alone. Plus, it was SUNNY and Porter and Simon were snoozing... it was the perfect afternoon.

We got home and Paul had to hurry and get ready for church, so I have spent the last hour cleaning. The GOOD cleaning: all the dishes, scrubbing the whiteboard of permanent marker, sorting rogue toys.. the serious kind of cleaning where no one gets in my way.

I feel so accomplished on Saturdays like this. Don't worry, though... this isn't the norm. 9 times out of 10, my Saturdays are spent in sweats and wandering through the grocery store to avoid the rain, or on the couch watching DVR'd Datelines while Porter destroys everything in site. But, on those sunny days when we're teased with our first glimpses of summer...

...nothing better.

Happy Weekending!

I Don't Run, But I Like To Look Like I Do

Saturday almost always means Target runs with Paul and Porter. It's one of my favorite parts of the week. We usually always pick up a few necessities, like diapers and dog food, or we spend way too much time pouring over the home decor, debating on if we need a new rug for our living room. But, I also always get to peruse through my favorite areas: clothing. Cosmetics. Shoes. Holiday.

I mean, when don't I need another bag of Holiday Reese's, or a new wine-stained lip (made possible by this, in Bordeaux)? The answer you're looking for is never.

So, I bought a hot pink pullover last winter before I had Porter, and I am in love with it. It's fitted and soft and is a perfect go-to outfit for running errands with a 9 month old. I'm sure it's made for something like yoga or running, but HAHAHA.

Yeah right. If you see me, and you think to yourself "man, she must be going running!", I'm sad to disappoint you. I don't run... but I like to look like I do.

I found this year's version today -- which is even softer and stretchier. I'm in love! I bought one in black (but this purple one looks better in a photo, so you can see all the fun detail).

They have a ton of different variations of this jacket, so if you've never looked in the athletic section, I urge you to do so! If you're lucky, you may even find last season's version on the sale racks. 

True Life: Sometimes I Forget I Have A Baby

I just practically skipped into my room, singing and dropping things (as per usual; my middle name should be "Grace"), forgetting that I had a sleeping child in there. 

He stirred slightly, I almost had a heart attack (pleaaaaaaaaase don't wake up), and then he drifted back off and we both went about our business.

Crisis averted. That was a close one.