I am the first to admit that I am not good at shopping at the sales time of year. For shopping for toys, period. The kids are really tech oriented, which comes with its own challenges, but luckily we pass through most playground phases unscathed. Like football cards? Beyblades? Those ball things that you roll along and then once they’re on their magnetic card they flip open into an action figure? (You know what I’m talking about.)
Nope, none of those. Trash Packs have been the single trend that we’ve dabbled in, but now those little orange garbage cans lay scattered and unused around the house. I’m sure I could think of an alternate use for them if I really tried. Except I probably won’t.
So it was with hefty case of uncertainty and curiosity that I lined up outside the closed doors of Target last week, shortly before they were due to open at 6pm. A dressed up employee wandered among the crowd handing out chocolates to make sure our energy levels were high. But no need, really! Many people had their trolleys ready to roll – at speed! – to get through those doors.
I was meeting Adam and the kids somewhere in the throng, having hopped off the train to arrive from one direction whereas they came down from the top. Once the all-green was given and the crowds were charging, we met somewhere the middle, bewildered and a little bemused.
I was there to get Christmas presents to put away for some friends; Keira and Riley had a little to spend each. Keira, given a taste of budget responsibility, wandered through the aisles, checking if she could afford something. Riley (and Adam), in the opposite direction, blew the budget and then some lusting after the Skylanders game. So while they joined a mammoth queue to get that, I chased after Keira, still debating with herself as to what would be the correct purchase.
Finally, finally, after running around, and being flabbergasted at all the things people were buying, we reached the front of the line.
The cashier looked us over. “Hey, I know you guys,” he said. “I’ve delivered pizza to your house heaps of times.”
Well, that was a new one. Instead of being ‘that blogger and her family’ we’ve been promoted to ‘that fast food, lazy family’. A dubious promotion, certainly. I also felt like declaring to everyone who might’ve been listening, ‘He’s kidding, it’s not heaps of times. REALLY.’
All in all, we were in and out in pretty good time, got some bargains and no-one was rage rammed with a trolley or fought over the last item on a shelf. Success.
Even better, to help you or your family with present shopping, I’ve got a $50 Target voucher to give away in time to spend before the toy sale ends. Please see the terms and conditions below.
Terms and Conditions:
1. One entry per person. Australian residents only.
2. Competition closes at midnight Wednesday 4th July (Eastern Australian Time) and I will contact the winner shortly thereafter.
3. Entrants must leave a comment stating what they would want to buy if they won the $50 voucher. Winner will be selected by a random number generator.
4. If contact cannot be made within 48 hours, I reserve the right to redraw another winner.
Note: The voucher will be valid for 24 months, just in case you can’t make it to the toy sale before it finishes.
Good luck!
Edit: This competition has now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Tiff!
Disclaimer: Our family was given vouchers to spend at the toy sales. Thanks to our gaming aficionados we spent a little more than we originally intended and that money came out of our own wallets.
