How Far $250 Goes at Target

WARNING: Today's entry is very domestic in nature and may not be suited for those needing more action. So if you're bored, tough shit. :)

So I got this gift card from Target for my ten-year anniversary at work (I don't know whether to laugh or slit my wrists.), and it's a rather generous one - $250. My husband and I went out there after work, because he's all about spending money, but I told him that this was MY gift card. He balked and said that I'll try to influence him when he gets his $250. (We work at the same place, and his ten-year anniversary is in October.) I told him that I wouldn't, but he doesn't believe me.

Anyway, we made our way down to Target, sitting on the exit ramp off the interstate for 20 minutes in the going-home traffic, and finally to the mecca that is Tar-jay. And in case you think this was an impersonal gift, I asked for a Target gift card. I had the choice, and I asked for it. I know there are those of you who love Target just as much - and more than likely more - than I do. Target runs circles around Wal-Mart. The store is better organized and less cluttered. I just feel like I can breathe when I'm in Target, as opposed to Wal-Mart, which makes me gasp for breath from the moment I walk by the elderly greeter to the second the security person swipes that highlighter across that receipt (although I'm not sure if they do that anymore).

So back to my shopping spree. I picked up a pair of lamps that I'd been eyeing for months for the living room with a pair of lampshades that look totally awesome with my curtains. I browsed the patio furniture, but I'll be going back with the gift cards that I got for my birthday last month. I ooohed and aaahed over the stereos that would connect to my iPod, but we already have a connector that lets us play our iPods through our stereo system. (That's right, we have two, because shortly after my husband bought his, I realized that I was never going to be able to use it for any length amount of time. So when I got a good commission check from my home business, which I can't promote or name on this site, I bought my own. It's no wonder we're in credit counseling.) I did get a nice case for my iPod though, with a handy dandy clip - perfect for all the exercising I'm not doing right now. Then I moved on to the DVDs and CDs, and here's where I finished everything off. I bought the new Foo Fighters album; Anna Nalick, Wreck of the Day; and Kelly Clarkson's new one (Yeah, yeah, it's pop, but I really like her voice). Then I picked up The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles because I have to nurture my '80s teenage-angst nostalgia. (My husband simply rolled his eyes and moaned in disgust.) But I also got a value pack made up of The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy because those, in my opinion, are two underrated action movies.

Throw in an umbrella and two lamp arms to connect the lampshades to the base, and that added up to $250. I don't think I did too bad for my purchases, as I bask in the reddish glow radiating from the new lampshades, and I'm looking forward to going back and picking out some patio chairs and table for my deck.