Do They Sell Good Feelings At Target? GIVEAWAY BLOG!!

Do you ever feel like you're not doing anything?

I mean, I know we're all working our assess off making peanut butter sandwiches, settling disputes about who really had the blue light saber first and cleaning up....everything, but what are we doing? I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer mundane nature of my "job." 

I know, I know, I have the most important job in the world.  I'm doing the best work that can be done.  I don't disagree, I'm making people.  People. That's huge.

The fact is though, it takes a long time to make these people and they tend to be difficult on a thousand different levels along the way.  It's joyful, it's challenging, it doesn't feel like I'm actually doing anything and it's straight up boring sometimes. 

So what's a Mom to do?  Well, we have play dates with women we like and other kids we can stand, we search for joy or wine on the really rough days, and we go to Target as much as possible to shop for reasonably priced  items that we can wear and put in our house that makes us feel good while we drink Starbucks and strap all three kids into a very large cart.  It's wonderful.

I have been to Target four times in the last seven days. This is just ridiculous.  I'm not that bored, right?  I mean getting all three kids out of the house four times in a week is sort of impressive so there are bragging rights about that.  And it's not like I'm volunteering for the homeless at Target,  I'm just buying crap I think would make me look pretty.  What am I doing?

The truth is though, I love it there, and my kids love it there. I think I've been four times this week because I've been a little bored and Target gives me entertainment, and reasonably priced fashion. 

Since embarking on our oh so tight budget I've banned Target from our list of potential activities or places to run for milk (so we have an excuse to buy a tee ball set for the boys and a new swimsuit cover up for me,)  I've avoided it because I knew I'd rationalize $100 worth of shampoo and shower curtain rings because it's easy to do and frankly, I kind of want to buy some stuff.

There is a certain kind of therapy in shopping that I can not explain, and don't really want to, because I just love it and would hate to ruin that by discovering it's actually really unhealthy.   Whether it's Target or elsewhere, it is a true joy to be able to purchase things that I find beautiful and get excited to have in my home.  Unfortunately it also comes with a whopping helping of guilt. 

What's a girl to do though?  Well, as usual, I have all the answers.

I have this friend, Jessica, that started a company selling goods made by artisans from around the world whom are trying to work their way out of poverty by making beautiful accessories and home goods.  Furthermore, proceeds go towards placing orphans in forever families (Jessica is adopting from Rwanda and also helps others raise funds for their adoptions). Shopping entertainment meet do-good for the world possibilities?  Oh Jessica, you are brilliant!

(Yes, she is as great as she sounds and yes it is sometimes difficult to be friends with her because it wounds my image of myself as a great person.  Unfortunately I love her though and so I put up with all her fantastic-ness.  Someone has to do it, I worry she's scaring a heap of other people away.) 

Anyway, so she started this amazing company.  Noonday Collection.  If you've seen me wearing excessive amounts of beads around my neck, cool bracelets, or my friend Jenn wearing a belt that I am determined to one day own (or perhaps steal from her)....it's all from there. 

I was thinking that maybe instead of going to Target to soothe our souls this week, maybe we could head over to Noonday to check out all the stuff...and perhaps feel like we're doing a pretty damn fantastic thing in the process, perhaps even inching our way closer to Jessica's goodness level? 

Well, at least we could buy some pretty stuff and help another woman and children out in the process.

In honor of all the retail therapy we all need for doing this Mom job, and my dedication to each and every one of my readers (I just know there are tens of you out there reading and waiting for this) I'm doing my very first GIVEAWAY!

Here's what you can win.  The dainty necklace. 

I love it.  LOVE IT!

So,here's what you have to do to win:


1) Like Noonday Collection on Facebook (comment here that you did, one entry)

2) Subscribe to their newsletter to get weekly style inspiration (comment here that you did, one entry)

3) Facebook about this give away (comment here that you did, one entry)

4) Follow @NoondayStyle on Twitter (comment here that you did, one entry)

I'll take comments until Monday, April 4th and then pick the winner on April 5th.

I'll use random.org to pick a comment number and if you are lucky and super smart for reading my blog....you'll win.  So clarification:  if you do one of these things, comment once that you did it.  If you do another, comment again.  You want to have as many individual comments as you can...four.

Also, if you live in the Austin area and want to come drink some wine with me and look at this stuff in person, (or you could just drink the wine and talk to Jessica)  please email me themommytherapy@gmail.com and I'll send you the evite.  Let's hang out!

Happy shopping therapy ladies...there might be life beyond Target. At least periodically.

(I am not giving up on Target entirely either, I'm not that desperate for for goodness, that place rocks, but so does Noonday.)

***************************************
linking back up to Amanda's Bloggy Weekend at Serentity Now - A Mom's Solution to Staying Sane