‘Target’ Articles at Sweetnicks, Page 2

What I Wore Wednesday

April 13, 2011 · What I Wore Wednesday

I promise I’m not headless in real life. Those that hang out with me can surely attest to that. Two headless pictures in as many days though, I can see this might be a problem. All in the interest of getting the best shot of the shirt for you, of course.

Get thee to Target‘s clearance rack. You just might be lucky enough to score something fun for yourself too. This gold-matte sequined tank top was a mere $4.98 on the 75% off clearance rack. Danielle over at Take Heart got herself a whole outfit for ten bucks. You need to dig through, but bejeweled tanks and ten dollar outfits are certainly worth a few minutes of your time, yes?

Sequins are a funny thing. When we were kids, my mom was all about the sequins and the glitter and the sparkle. She still is, but in smaller doses. It didn’t do anything for me back then. But now? I’m all about the small doses of glitz. Color me a convert.

For more What I Wore Wednesday outfits, be sure to check out The Pleated Poppy.

Project 365
April 13, 2011, Photo #102 (and a bonus!)

Tried to go to this restaurant for lunch today with a co-worker, but it turns out they don’t open until 3:30 pm, which would explain why the parking lot is always empty when I drive by. Madeline was enthralled with the leprechaun painted on the side of the building and wouldn’t leave before touching it. Hey, maybe she brought home some luck ‘o the Irish.

If it’s Wednesday, it must be time for Kids Zumba!

iPad Bargains

March 30, 2011 · Narrative

Last week, we stopped at the store to get a few items on our list. The kids always have a hard time getting past Target’s Dollar Spot. Nick scored a package of eight mechanical pencils and Madeline? Well, she had a whole handful of stuff I made her whittle down, settling on an Elmo notebook.

Later that night, she was looking for her “iPad.” Did I know where it was? Did Nick take it? Where’s the pen that went with it?

I had no idea what she was talking about, and it took a little while to figure out exactly WHAT we were searching for. You know, since I don’t own an iPad. And speaking of which, she certainly doesn’t either.

She meant the Elmo pad. Of course.

I don’t know where she even heard the phrase iPad since no one I know has one. But ever since then, she has called her Elmo notebook an iPad.

love the poses!

Now there’s a bargain I can live with. You can get your very own iPad in the Dollar Spot of your local Target. I have a feeling it’s the best deal around.

Project 365
March 30, 2011, Photo #88
Today I was feeling very off. Not sick, but a headache, lethargic and nauseous. When we got home, I asked Madeline if we could lie down a bit, and she readily agreed. Then she checked my head. And my stomach. Wrote me a prescription on her iPad. Got me a blanket and a drink. And watched tv quietly so I could rest. And then my nurse fell asleep.

Preparing for Success

March 8, 2011 · Narrative

When it comes to meeting any goal head-on, whether it be health, fitness or otherwise, you absolutely, positively have to be prepared going in. If not, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Guaranteed. How can you succeed if you don’t have the proper tools?

The difference between the impossible and the possible
lies in a person’s determination.
– Tommy Lasorda

Since I started my massive “Cate overhaul” over a year ago, I’ve had friends ask me how they can get started. What I have been doing is not rocket science. I armed myself with the best tools possible for what I wanted to achieve and committed to it. I have given this nearly everything that I can, and then some, and have reaped the rewards because of it. But it’s nothing special. You can do it just as easily. As long as your going-in position is all about preparedness. How could you possibly succeed otherwise?

A good beginning makes a good end.
– English Proverb

You have GOT to have a good pair of sneakers. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them either. Truth be told, my go-to Zumba sneakers are a pair of $15 Danskin sneakers from Wal-Mart, which The Neighbor Husband calls my “lunchlady sneakers.” Hey, they do the job. So do these Rykas. I heart Ryka, a brand made for women by women. They mold to your feet like no other. Whatever your exercise routine is, make sure you get the proper sneakers for your activity. I have a few pairs I swap out, but have a soft spot for Ryka. In fact, I am still hanging on to my favorite pair, even though the holes in them mean my feet automatically get wet when it’s raining outside. Just can’t give them up.

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong attitude”
– Thomas Jefferson

If you are heading out of the house for your work-outs, get thyself a gym bag. Again, it’s not about how much you spend. Five Below has some great Nike ones. Mine comes from TJ Maxx and was a whopping twelve bucks. Fifteen months later, even though I’ve grown tired of the design, it’s still going strong and is washable, a huge plus in my opinion. I keep my gym membership cards in the zippered pocket, as well as my iPod headphones, a few dollars and a couple granola bars, so the bag is ready when I am.

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
– Peter F. Drucker

Whatever your work-out of choice is, make sure you have the proper equipment before embarking on a new program. If you don’t, there will always be an excuse. Whether you need kettlebells (my newest obsession), resistance bands or a jump-rope, arm yourself with the necessities.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
– Beverly Sills

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’re on Weight Watchers, visiting Curves or a gym rat, the refrain is very commonplace … drink water, drink water, drink water. You are supposed to drink half your weight in water ounces a day. And that is if you’re not working out. Are you drinking enough? And if you’re working out, it should be even more. My Spin instructor said 40 ounces of water for 40 minutes of spin. And get yourself a refillable water bottle. Please. Enough of the disposable bottles. It kills me to see a garbage bin filled with them at the gym. First, they should be recycling them, and second, so much unnecessary waste. I’ve gone through a bunch of reusable sports bottles to find my favorite. These are from Costco. They were $18 for a package of three (although they have gone on sale for $15/set before). They are BPA-free and completely and positively leak-proof. They have a clip so you can attach them to your gym bag. Nick even takes one to school every day. Love them.

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New York Crumb Cake and Recipe Failures

November 11, 2010 · Narrative

When it comes to Martha Stewart recipes, I have, quite honestly, had a mixed bag of results. Years ago, there was an Upside Down Cranberry Cake that graced the cover of her Everyday Food magazine. It was gorgeous and I made plans for it to be the star of a Thanksgiving meal, but luckily I took it for a test run first. I made the recipe … twice … and both times were epic failures. It was then that I started to tread lightly with her recipes.

So earlier this week, when Beth recommended Martha Stewart’s New York Crumb Cake, I made it because I trust Beth in the kitchen. Not because Martha’s name was attached to it. I made it in spite of that. Beth had recently made FOUR of those cakes to take to her very lucky office, and it fit the bill for a catering need I had. A lot of Martha’s recipes, particularly the baking ones, tend to be exhaustively long and very detail-oriented. This is awesome if you don’t have a bustling household full of activity and you have some quiet time to concentrate on not mucking it up. That doesn’t happen to be the case very often here. So imagine my surprise when I saw how easy this Crumb Cake recipe was.

Simple. Fail-safe. And downright delicious. I don’t happen to like crumb cake, but those that do, loved it. I find it’s much safer to make sweets I don’t like. Less temptation. I made one of my favorite cookies this week too, and I just sent the last of them next door because if they sit here any longer, I might eat more than the three I had. While I indulge a sweet tooth every now and again, I don’t want to undo my hard work.

So, here we are. A great recipe for you to make if you like Crumb Cake. Or if you know someone who does. Gift it. Share it. And keep this one for the upcoming holiday season. You’ll be glad you did.

Project 365
November 11, 2010, Photos #212, 213 and 214

Objects in this picture may be pinker than they appear. Madeline got her winter coat today (as did Nick). I tried really hard to convince her to get a different one. Something that wasn’t so, um, Pepto Bismol pink. But she was having none of it. Not the deep chocolate brown one with the bright pink lining. Not the darker pink one with the fur hood. Not the purple plaid one. She did, for a brief moment, toy with getting the faux leopard-spotted one, but thank goodness they didn’t have her size. Folks, we have reached a crossroads. The point in time where my daughter will no longer let me choose her clothing. I expected this. Really I did. Just not before she hit three years old.

I’m down with different Oreos. Seriously. I have no problem with it. I like the chocolate-filled ones actually better than the regular ones. I like the mint-filled ones and purposely don’t buy them because of that. But these red-filled ones for Winter? Really? I’m certain a line has been crossed somewhere.

It does not take much to make this child happy. As soon as we are near Target, the earnest requests for Icees begin. She gets that from her brother. Along with the apparent need to mix the pink and blue flavors together. Ick.

And before you leave me for the weekend, one programming note… I did a review on Pop-Tarts over on The Voice of Mom and one lucky reader has the chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, courtesy of the fine folks at BlogHer. Go on, check it out and comment. Good luck!…

Wordless Wednesday

July 22, 2009 · Narrative

Regular, long-time readers may remember me asking about these cupcake placemats. I had caught a glimpse of them on Jon & Kate Plus 8 and wanted to track them down. It seems only natural given my intense affection for cupcakes. You guys have sharp eyes and pointed out that they originally came from Target. Unfortunately, it was much after they were selling them (they were part of a Valentine’s Day line), but all was not lost. For my birthday, a few months later, my mom surprised me with a box full of them (and the mini cupcake candles that were also part of the line). She had tracked them down from a few eBay vendors and collected enough for a whole set for me. Love that.

Every time I see them, they make me smile. They’re happy placemats, full of sparkles and pastels and (hello!) cupcakes. How can you not smile when looking at them? It’s all about the little things, you know? A very belated thank you to you guys for pointing me in the right direction, and to my Mom for tracking them down. We used them again last night and it just reminded me of the journey it took to get them to the table. As you can tell, Madeline likes them just as much. She has a word for cupcakes and she says it “cuppa-ca,” and started saying it as soon as she saw them. Too cute.