I debated going to New Jersey a few Saturdays ago to run some errands including picking up laundry detergent and club soda at Target. The weather wasn’t great and I knew I wouldn’t be missing a sunny walk in the Park anyway. It was still early and I could zip on over there, avoid traffic and be back in the City in no time, right? So after a healthy 30-minute internal debate that I both won and lost, I got up, dressed, and motored on over there. As I was crossing the George Washington Bridge, I was thinking that I’m fairly certain I’ve never walked out of a Target carrying just one single bag in my entire life. So what actually happens to all of us shoppers when we enter such a tempting paradise? I was determined to find out.
I got a choice spot in the big lot, grabbed a pre-sanitized bright red cart, and rolled on in. The only items on my list were detergent and club soda. Check. So I wandered right over to the cleaning products to find a 61-pac of Tide Pods. To my delight, I was greeted by a plethora of cleaning opportunities. Blue sponges with stars on them in a four-pack. Ooooh. I’m sure I’m running out of kitchen sponges. I chucked them into the cart. Swiffer Wet Jet replacements? Yep, gotta get more of those guys. Dryer sheets? I think I have enough. Ok, onto club soda and out. I actually left the section without the Tide! I doubled back and got two 61-pacs because, well, yeah.
And then… as I was buzzing by the greeting cards, I made an abrupt halt. Cards? I need cards! Father’s Day is around the corner, I have two friends with upcoming birthdays, I could always use a thank you card in my arsenal, and jeez my anniversary isn’t that far off either. I stopped, browsed, laughed, got teary, smiled, and stocked up. (The thought crossed my mind that an in-house therapist in the card section might actually be a good idea before a major holiday… and possibly a consultant to answer challenging questions for the rest of the year? Lots of tough emotional decisions go down on aisle twelve– believe you me.)
After a deep cleansing breath I meandered to the next grouping which housed school supplies, pens, markers, and wrapping paper. I think pens and markers are corporate expenses so no need to shell out my own shekels for those, even though the cute specialty post-its were calling mah name! Just one package of universal wrapping paper made the cut, in several options of course. I rolled on hoping to make a beeline to soda on the back wall.
Of course on my way to beverages, I happened upon the trial size section- a big fave. Because I fly so often and try to never check luggage, I always need minis of my go-to beauty items. I bought 4 mini Crest tubes and then remembered that I could use a mini hairspray… or two. Cute little Elnett cans piled into the cart that was now rattling a little when I pushed as all the small randoms were being tousled around.
The noise was a little bothersome. So I added a satisfying sixteen mega pack of Charmin blue right on top to quiet the noise. Crisis averted. And then two packages of Dixie paper plates in the Eat Less! size jumped into my cart. (Manhattan only has small or single size versions of everything since space is at such a premium. So to have access to family sized versions of products I favor is just too much to resist.) And by the way, how good does that melty grilled cheese with ridged potato chips look with the fun pickle? Just sayin…
I saw delicious shelled pistachios that I know Michael likes and also added two packages of Matty’s favorite brownie mix in case I do a drive by bake for him. With the brownies added, I got a six-pack of Strawberry Applesauce—my secret ingredient for making super moist brownies. And then those amazing 8×8 disposable aluminum pans that come paired with those perfectly fitting lids that are great for hand delivery purposes hit the inside edge of the cart in a tinny thud.
By the time I got to the soda section, I had to use the bottom platform below the main cart to store the three cases of bubbly. Soda was my last stop and when I slowly turned the wheels around, I actually had trouble navigating the overflowing cart back to the checkout area. I made several other “quick” stops while I was in Jersey– at the mall (ha!) and the grocery store, bagel store, and specialty take-out store for prepared foods.
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