Before and After....

Ok- after 6 days on Crest White Strips - just 5 minutes a day, here are my results so far....

I am no photographer so it was hard to make the pictures totally alike but I didn't do what they do on TV - suddenly have red lipstick on the "after" picture.

Honestly, I think this is working. It is subtle but my teeth are actually a bit whiter and seem to be more bright or shiny.

I will keep going... expect another pic next week.

Super Soft Sweater

If you need (want)a cozy, warm, soft like a cloud sweater for this winter - check out this one from Target. It looks great with jeans or with leggings tucked into ugg-type boots for a pass-me-the-hot-chocolate-at-the-ski-lodge look. I like the long, long sleeves- pull them out of my jacket for extra wrist warmth and fold them over for a good sleeve length when indoors.

This would make a great gift for the holidays - it is not tight fitting and would flatter anyone - cozy always works!


Pink Sweater by sponsormetarget

It is on sale for $19.99 and comes in a heather grey and a blue/grey color as well.

Enjoy!

Can I get white teeth at Target?

Crest Whitestrips Challenge


Teeth by sponsormetarget

I have always wanted to whiten my teeth. They are actually not that unwhite, but I am a sucker for commercials and hey, I smile a lot. I love those before and after pics in my dentist's office. But I remember once inquiring about the price and realizing it cost as much as the bus that takes my kid to school every day for an entire year.

I recently saw that the whitening strips have busted a move, offering to freshen your smile in just 5 minutes a day. I can handle that.

So today I started my whitening project. I promise to post before and after pictures - I even took a mouth close up today.

*My Crest Whitestrips box came with an offer for a $7 coupon AND (this is a big AND) got me a $10 Target gift card at check out!

So, wish me whiter teeth!

And if you want to take your own whitening challenge, I will be happy to post your before/after pictures too... just as long as you bought your products at Target of course.

Crock of ....

I admit it... I have stayed a bit away from my Target of late - just adding to the economy problems by avoiding any shopping myself.
But that just means I haven't been buying anything truly interesting. Not to worry, still heading to Target for pretty much anything I need.

One recent purchase was a good old crock pot. Ours was broken from overuse and it was time for a new one. Of course, while at Target I also picked up toothbrushes for the boys, a new pilates video (I know, I should have used half.com) and several other sundries.

But I wanted to mention the crock for anyone who doesnt love theirs.

Here is, hands-down the best chicken recipe you will ever taste - thanks to a crock pot:
Slow Cooked Garlic Chicken (3 Points)
Serves 4 @ 3pnts



4 skinned chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons lemon pepper

1 large onion, sliced

10 cloves garlic (about 1 medium), un-peeled



Mix together salt, pepper and paprika. Rub all over meat side of chicken breast. Place onion in slow cooker. Place chicken breast side up on onion. Place garlic on chicken. Cover and cook on low in slow cooker for about 6 hours or until juices run clear.

Ahead of the times

Boots by sponsormetarget


Have you heard? The new trend? "Recessionistas" - and guess where they want to shop? My Target!!! At first I was upset - how can all the fancy shmancy ladies start walking around with my bags and shoes? They are exclusive! ... To people like us who know what you can find at Target. But then, I realized. Welcome. Come one, come all. The secret is out. A bag for $39.99 can look just as hot as one with four extra zeros. And we all need to save as many zeros as we can score right now.

Today's find is this cute boot. I somehow never have rain/snow boots. My kid are always all set and I step out in sneakers and get all soggy. Not this year. I found a bunch of boots and selected these because they actually have a heel. At 5 feet tall I value a heel on every shoe - plus these will work fine for business meetings too- under a pair of black pants they look pretty nice. Could have used these when I walked through Wall Street on a rainy morning a few weeks ago. Could have used a magic wand that day too.

And if you are feeling like you want to be a recessionista - follow this blog as well as the recessionista blog on my blog roll.

Tank and Top

Vneck by sponsormetarget

V-necks are everywhere and I stumbled upon these. Loved this cranberry colored one so much I went back for the basic black I knew I'd wear incessantly.

But even better I think are these camis - I WISH I had bought a bunch of them. Here is why it rocks. 1. It is fitted. I hate tanks that bunch under clothes - these are perfect. They also are high enough to help- very low cut tanks don't do me any good - I wear them usually because I am trying to deal with the fact that most shirts are cut way too low.

Both of these are great finds. Run out and get 'em!

Tuesday Tots: Couldn't Resist

Little Girl was so excited by this jacket that she made me put it on over her PJs last week when I brought it home. We have tons of hand-me-downs for her so get to have some fun with random purchases. This was a good one. I know - you must think everything in the house is purple, but I think I've now posted all that is purple - or most of it.

Shin Guards and Chargers and Cups, Oh My!

It was late Saturday night when we read the email saying our boys would have soccer practice on Sunday morning. Great! No problem. Except... we only had one set of shin guards and one cup - not the kind you drink from, but the kind that protects little boys.

But have no fear. It was 8:30pm and we still had an hour and a half of Target shopping available to us. So off went DH. He returned with protective gear, a birthday present for Big Boy's friend and even a phone charger so we can actually reach each other from different soccer fields without sending smoke signals.

Thanks Target, the way I look at it, you may have saved our legacy this weekend... if you know what I mean.

Target Tanks

I did not work out today. Did not yoga. Didn't lift a weight or kick any cardio. But... when I do... I really like these tanks.

I don't know about you - but when I stretch, twist, reach and bend ... I prefer not to show my tummy to the world. I don't even want to see it staring back at me in the mirror across the gym. These tanks seem to appreciate that. C9 by Champion® Long and Lean Tanks are comfortable, come in nice colors and are long.... as in cover your tight or not-so-tight tummy long. Thank you Champion and Target for that! $14.99.

BULLSEYE BODEGA

NYC doesn't have a Target, so Target is bringing the bulls eye to them. The Bullseye Bodega will give the big apple a preview of top designer duds before they are available at the store. Thanks Amy for the heads-up!

September 12-15:

Locations:
Midtown:
101 57th Street at 6th

Union Square:
813 Broadway between 11th and 12th

SoHo:
489 Broome Street between Wooster
and West Broadway

West Broadway East Village:
325 Bowery at 2nd

It would be silly to drive into the city for the bodega when Target is right down the road... Right?

Little Black Dress

I know, I know - it is time for fall fashion. But do you blame me for wanting to hang on to the summer a little longer? Next week I promise to start with some great fall finds. Check back for a special recurring feature I have planned. My nails, clicking on the keyboard, are cut short and painted red. If you are Mad Med obsessed like me, come back to see what Betty-Draper-inspired attire I find at my favorite store.

But for today, I had to post about two of my favorite dresses from this summer. A quick mention for the brown dress (Mossimo® Black: Short-Sleeve Embroidered Shift Dress - Brown) here which saved me on many hot days. Takes a second to get dressed and looks great. If you can snap it up for $16.09 for next summer, you won't regret it. Buy it a size smaller than usual.

Now, I usually avoid the Juniors department but I have to recommend this perfect little black dress. I love it for the fall too - with a pair of tights and boots. Juniors' Xhilaration® Bubble-Sleeve Dress - Ebony The model in this pic must have legs to the sky because on me it is knee-length so assume the image is as short as it would go. It is very comfortable and looks casual with flip flops and has passed muster as a fancy dress when paired with accessories.

And Target, if you are listening. Yesterday I received emails from people in Canada and Hawaii demanding you bring the bullseye to them. I said you and I were not yet in touch, but I promised to pass along the word when we speak.

Wednesday: Target Home

Here is my Wednesday Wow picks for Target Home.

This shaggy rug was a great find. We had been looking for a nice rug for a long time - and when I say "nice" I mean one that looks great and can survive three kids and a cat. Under $100 (I think it was $79) I wasn't stressing about whether the rug would last for 10 years. We have had it now for probably a year and a half and it still looks great. The shags are free to go in whichever direction the family sends it and I love having a light-colored rug. It does fine with soap and water and so far, not a single stain (despite many spills.)

The trunk here is our coffee table. Inside it has great storage space where we keep all of our family photo albums. It has a place to put your hands in each side so that you can easily move it and the dark color and solid really make it a great peice.

We also found natural looking balls (these pictured smell like vanilla - hadn't seen those in the store) to bring together the various natural colors in the room. Our walls are pale blue but you can find bowls in many colors at Target- they have nice wicker ones or you can select a color to compliment your pillows, window treatments or more. Oh, the window treatments. I'll get to that next week!

Tuesday Tots: Back to School

Thanks Shira K. for the suggestion. Posts will be organized by theme each day of the week. For now, it is on the fly - but a pattern will emerge. Stick with me.

Tuesdays are now official Target Tot Tuesdays with kiddie clothing finds.

Want to know how I did my back to school shopping for the 7-year old? School started last Wednesday. So Tuesday night at 8:30pm, I headed out to Target and found these cool duds for my big dude. Yes, I bought the shirt in red, green, white returned white, what was I thinking?)and navy.

The pants? They have the blessed adjustable waist and look great in a few neutral colors. The great part is that everything is mix and match so he can dress himself in the morning without any trouble.

Like Butta

I actually own a pair of Egyptian cotton pjs given to me once as a gift. I have a bit of a pj obsession - they are what I request for every birthday. I love to be comfortable.

So, as an expert, I can tell you that the Gilligan & O'Malley sleep pants and short-sleeve T are incredibly soft. You can get them in the store or online and you would not regret it. I love them also because they don't look like your husband's pjs, nor do they look like your 7-year olds. They look like they are made for a women who wants to sleep comfortably. So today's Bulls eye buy are Gilligan & O'Malley pajamas.
I do want to mention that I prefer the pants I linked to over here - I don't like big ties or poofy draw strings on any of my pants. There are several options however, so pick which works for you!

PS - every time I see "Gilligan"- I think of Gilligan of course, but when I see "O'Malley" I think of Grey's Anatomy. Not a bad thing.

PPS - I will admit here to having worn the pajama shirt out to a dinner - both the top and the pants can do double duty!

Purple Pick

It seems my 1 year old is destined to be more fashion-forward than her mother. She has been picking purple (for everything) for a few months now. Apparently, purple is THE in color for this season.

I don't believe in investing tons of cash into trends - who says purple will still be "in" next season. Who am I kidding? I have never invested tons of cash into any article of clothing - I just don't.

Which is why this $16.99 purple tote is a great way to add a little amethyst to your life. The cool glaze look tells me it will survive next to a sippy cup, which is always a plus. And it will fit at least two mini notebooks, a blackerry, makeup, pens and a diaper and wipes when needed.

Bulls eye.

Orange ya Glad it's comfy?

You can't see the easy summer skirt in this picture. But every summer Target carries a lightweight casual skirt that easily goes over bathing suits, or works great with a T and sandals.

I loved this summer T-shirt and had fun with the huge selection of comfortable headbands Target carried this year. Maybe I overdid it with the orange but as always, it was very simple to run in one day and grab a few T-shirts and accessories.

Hannah Hat...

Hurricane Hannah brought us some strong winds and rain yesterday. We were heading out for a celebration party - toasting a friend who passed his medical boards. What's a girl to do on a bad hair day?

A pair of skinny jeans from Target kept my legs dry under a short dress. And even better, unruly humid-hair was kept under wraps with a cute and generously-sized hat. Only hubby knew what lurked beneath!

Dear Target, Please Sponser Me

Dear Target,

Please sponsor me.

Why? Well, why not?
I am a working mom of three young children. I do not have the time or energy for malls or stores where people ask "Can I start a fitting room” before I walk through the door.

At Target, the big red bulls eye has long been my shopping-home. Clean, organized, ever-changing racks of clothing in all sizes. Fun, flirty, in-style but not-so-expensive-my-kids-can't-hug-me clothing. People in red shirts waiting to help, knowing better than to interfere with zoned-in 5 minute, 8am shopping sessions.

I think everything I need may be at Target. Friends have noticed. When they ask "Where did you get that (insert adjective) (insert noun) - I more often than not reply "Target" (French pronunciation ala Katie C.) They say I am a walking billboard for the brand.

So, just like bikers are sponsored and race car drivers, why not moms? Target, if you sponsor me, I will wear what you provide. Everywhere. The gym, the carpool line, the office, the pediatrician, the Port Authority, on the webcam, out to lunch, on Twitter, on Facebook, on line at the post office, over email. Everyone will know that the great suit, cute top, sexy shoes are from Target where a busy woman can find everything she needs.

Sponsor me not because I am special but because I am your customer. And then, let's perhaps go searching together for a regular woman in every market with a Target store. I think this is a bulls eye, don't you?

This site is not affilated with Target.com or Target Brands Inc.