This n' That

Okay, Target a couple of days ago was wonderful. I spent over half a day there. Not because I bought a LOT of stuff, but because it took, you know, awhile. And it was air conditioned. And there are groceries. And a Pizza Hut place for the kids. And the aforementioned Starbucks. Not a bad place to spend an afternoon!

First, I must say that before I had a blog, I never came home and took pictures of my purchases. But, I know you'd do the same for me... ;)

We picked up a couple of these fun chairs for only 12.00 apiece for Bethany's room. She enjoys having friends come over and "hang out" in her room, but there's no seating besides the bed. These chairs perfectly match her decor, fold up to be out of the way, and then provide a great way to sit comfortably on the floor. Fun!


I had to buy one of these for some of the fun Rachel Ray recipes I'm trying. I'm do not particularly enjoy standing out in the 104 degree heat index grilling on the patio, and sometimes things just sli-i-i-de off the George Foreman. (Or I don't want them grilled on both sides at the same time.) There were other pans with Panini presses that were much more expensive. But, I was being budget conscious, what with the chairs and coffee and all. :)

And, have you seen all of the Crayola Total Tools? Talk about fun! My son got the talking ruler (which really works great), the erasable highlighters, the Ultimate Cutter (which ultimately cuts into counter tops, I've discovered...), glue roller (very cool), and the staple-free stapler.
Those, plus this airplane that's a ruler, pen, and a bookmark have begun to start to initiate the process of getting him in the mood for back-to-school.




In the dollar section I picked up some "Build-a-Story Flip books" that we thought were fun. There are different sections of sentences that "flip" together to make nonsense topics for writing, like... "Imagine you are on your way to school and you find... a shoe... that can leap over mountains." or "What would you serve for dinner if your visitor was... a hippo.... that could sing rap music?" or "What if a king... wrote a famous speech... while perched on a cliff on the side of Mt. Everest?" Kyle and I made up stories for most of the afternoon using those. And they were a dollar! And I didn't have to make them!


I got this magnetic dry-erase board with an Old World map on it in antique colors, that matches our school room decor perfectly. (We used it later that night to keep score when my husband skunked us all at Guesstures.) It will eventually go in my about-to-be-repainted-and-reorganized schoolroom.
I also picked up one of these to go by our calendar in the kitchen. I like the main family calendar, but sometimes I just need to focus on the week at hand!

Oh, and as a public service, I will just tell you do not buy this paper shredder in your Target back-to-school section. We shredded a few papers in it this morning before it pooped out. SO, now I have to go back. :::rubbing my hands together::::

Today I'm cooking Mexican food for my parents, brother, nieces and nephew who will be coming over tonight to celebrate my Mom's birthday. I can't wait to see everyone! In a bit I'm going to go work in the Awana office for awhile. Friday is officially "Awana Day" around here for me each week. It's starting in just a few weeks, and there's lots to be done!

I don't watch the news at all, really (it's not good for my stress level) but yesterday I turned it on to get a glimpse of the Minneapolis situation. It seems so trivial to post pictures of what I bought at Target and talk about little details of my week, when others are going through such an unspeakable tragedy. My prayers go out to all involved, whose families were touched by this and who are in the ongoing recovery efforts at the bridge. I can't imagine. I know you're praying, too.

Well, if you've made it this far, thank you! Have a blessed day and weekend!