Target Therapy

After yoga today, I stopped by Target for the flimsiest excuse of buying B a red shirt. Surprisingly, they didn’t have any. (I mean, it’s their signature color and all – what gives?)

Shopping often lifts my moods for a couple of reasons. First, it’s SHOPPING. It just rocks by its very nature. I love the stores, the people, the products, getting stuff, picking out stuff, giving stuff to people, spending money frivolously – all of it. Second, it’s productive. When I’m on an errand, I’m actually making life just a little better for my family. Bringing home the comfort and joy.

Here’s what I had in my cart after 10 minutes –
· An end of summer bikini for each girl - to get us through winter trips to the beach.

· The huge carton of whole grain goldfish crackers – to donate to B’s classroom snack pile.

· An on sale T-shirt for B – purple with two butterflies. For $3.48, how can you go wrong?

· An on sale T-shirt for J – white with sparkle rainbow and also a purple skirt because that’s her signature color and they’re not always easy to find. She prefers skorts, but she can wear leggings.

· DVDs of Season 3 of How I Met Your Mother AND Season 2 of The Big Bang Theory.- This was an amazing coup. When I’m stressed, I LOVE to watch absorbing TV shows or movies. Problem is, I’m fairly picky and don’t get engaged by much of what passes for entertainment. So to find two whole seasons of shows I like was like manna falling from heaven. I actually felt my brain relax –ahhh – just by holding them in my hands. They’re even better than therapy –a guaranteed 910 minutes of being able to sit on the couch with Shawn, snuggle, laugh and be taken away from most of my own life, responsibility, and thinking in little 20 minute bursts. Add some alcohol and that is heaven to me. (A great book works the same way, except Shawn and I can’t share it as easily.)

· Dog food – because we need it AGAIN. They eat like horses, not dogs.

· Alright, this is the embarrassing part. I actually bought, yes, choose to hand over hard won money for, Demi Lovato’s new CD because I am hooked on her song “Here We Go Again” and I can’t get it out of my head. I’m ashamed to admit that there is entirely too much Disney Channel going on in our house. I guess after the twentieth or thirtieth time you see a video as you’re going about your own routines, it just slips in when your guard is down. They are masters of the self-promotion, that Disney franchise and it is just relentless.

The other day I completely pissed off my older daughter J by commenting about Demi’s angst throughout the video. “She could totally do without him,” I said. “She just thinks she can’t. But that’s ridiculous. If she spent a few months away from him, she would be strong and happy and look back and say, ‘Good Lord, what was I thinking? I’m so past him now.’”

“Mom, don’t ruin it by talking,” is the response I got.

So much for sharing of our family values. I just hope it sinks in and my daughters don’t think it has to be all dark and stormy and complicated to be a relationship. Because I don’t want them to be pawns of our cultural crush on infatuation. All the more depressing to see that I am pretty indoctrinated myself. Thus I identify with the song. Now I own it.
Sigh.

I did manage to stop myself from buying The Wizards of Waverly Place movie soundtrack that was sitting next to it on the shelf. Because I am almost 41, not 12. Although I do like that catchy title track. Fortunately, a calm voice of reason came to my rescue and guided me gently away.

20 minutes, $125, and some cool stuff – about the same expense as therapy and with just about as good a result. Maybe even better. Because you can’t wear talk to the beach in January.