A few years ago, I wrote a post on Facebook about starting a non-target challenge. I held up the challenge for three months. Three months with no target. As much as I loved shopping at target, I also hated it. I am exactly the kind of person target is targetting. I have a shopping list in my pocket: 5 items, like everybody. I, unlike everybody, end up with only 3 of these and 10 other unnecessary things. So, a few years ago, I stopped going to target for 3 months. But then, one day, there was a birthday party AND an urgent need for laundry detergent. Only Target seemed to offer the two items at the same place, so I went back and ended up with three laundry detergents (they were on sale), toilet paper, a new pair of gloves, a box of tictacs and a birthday present.

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target is a temple of millions of unnecessary items. hmm. should we should take that horse mask?

In the movie, 'we bought a zoo', they complain because the closest target is 10 miles from their house. They make fun of it but also complain about it. Our closest target, friends, is 1h30 from our house. Whenever we are going on a little trip, we have to stop by Trader Joe's but somehow, Target is not really missed. We always manage to skip the Target store and we are doing perfectly well like that.

But last week-end, we went to Portland, Maine.  It was raining like hell. Not just a little rain. Driving was a pain, puddles all over, going from the car to some place was enough to get drenched, even with umbrellas. We visited the art museum, the children's museum, had a good lunch but we were not ready yet to go back to the hotel. As my husband was staying in the hotel room to work and needed some quiet time, I asked the kids what they wanted to do. They were tired of museums (the children museum is awesome but really too crowded and better for the younger children).

This is when the big girl came up with an idea: is there a Target here?

I look up Target on my nice little phone. Yep, there is a Target in Portland. Yes, we can go there. At least, we won't be drenched in Target. And as the dad is working, I decide to be generous and to offer $10, for a toy or a book. $10 but no more. 

The big girl jumps with joy! Yoohoo! We are going to Target! Yeah! The kids make up a song about their happy feeling towards Target. I promise them not to share it on Facebook even though it is hilarious.

Suddenly, I become the best mom in the 'whole wild world'. 

I am not sure what happens, but when we are in the Target, the nicest part is the fooling around. Not all the toys. Of course, Target is some kind of  Santa workshop of the Modern Mamma and yes, the kids have smiles in their eyes when they see the dolls, the legos, the little animals. But they do not stay in the toys aisle for more than a few minutes. They imagine new games for the dolls that they can play when we get back home. We end our Target shopping trip with three boxes of tictacs, two funny birthday cards for my dad a very big very good smile on our faces.

(I always let my kids food around in supermarkets. First, it is nice to take pictures of them acting crazy. It is a nice memory. (below are a few old pictures, not necessarily from target) Second, there is no harm in laughing in a store, it makes shopping much easier for everybody in the family. Also, some products come in handy: when the boy falls asleep in the shopping cart: thank you Target to let us borrow the stuffed teddy bear; hats are there to be tried on, right? Couches too. Finally, I don't need to compete for the-picture-perfect-nice-mom-with-her-well-behaved-children-award. I don't care: I already received the best mom in the whole wild world award)

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Sorry Target, we do not miss you after all. But it was fun to visit and to avoid the big rain!