Dear Target, I’ll Be Back

I grew up in a really small town with a Wal-Mart and a couple of dollar stores. I was not raised on the Target life. 

But, it did not take long for me to fall in love after moving to New Orleans for college. Target was a good 30+ minutes away from my dorm, but it became a regular outing. Target was a refuge for me in law school and really started to cultivate a place in my life when I had an apartment of my own to decorate, furnish, and make a home. 

When we (meaning Target and I) tied the knot

My Target love affair escalated to great heights when my husband and I got married, moved to Lafayette, and bought our first home within a 15 minute drive of Target. I can tell you honestly that I made at least one Target trip a week before we had kids. Target was my first postpartum outing and I think you can say it was the venue for Max’s very first play dates. 

We go to Target for one thing or five things, or even just to get out of the heat or the rain. My husband says that Target carries the most expensive milk because even when I got to Target for just milk, it somehow costs around $100. 

As I type though, I have not been to Target in over 10+ weeks. Yep, TEN PLUS WEEKS. 

Photo from my last victory lap around MY Target

Hold your gasps. 

I am currently pregnant with our third son, our sweet, sweet rainbow baby. I have an incompetent cervix and had a cerclage placed to tie off my cervix for this pregnancy. I am currently 29.5 weeks, and counting. I am on modified bed rest and keeping it super low key. 

So, Target has been a no-go. And let’s be honest, it is a trek from the dollar spot to the milk, so I do not even think I could pull off “going to Target for milk” only to return with milk, a case of sparkling water, and $40 worth of dollar spot purchases when I am supposed to be keeping my activity level way down. 

I mean I am not totally deprived thanks to Shipt.

We have still been getting our weekly dose of Target groceries via my BFFs, the Shipt Shoppers. But, it isn’t the same. I stick to my budget when I use Shipt and I do not get sucked into any end cap glories when using Shipt. In these 10+ weeks being limited to Shipt, I haven’t purchased a new coffee mug or door mat, and can’t say I have tried any of the seasonal snacks. 

But, Target, don’t you worry. I will be back. And when I get back, you will have pumpkins on your shelves and it will be as if you decorated just for me. 

P.S. If you are reading this and come across  a dollar spot find that I have to have, pick it up for me and I will send ya some PayPal funds immediately.  

Rebecca Autin
Rebecca is an attorney by day and a toddler wrangler by night. She is a product of divorced parents and grew up in both Thibodaux and Franklin, Louisiana. Rebecca attended Loyola University of New Orleans and Southern University Law Center. Rebecca married her high school bestie in 2012. Quinton and Rebecca went through months of infertility before giving birth to Maxwell Lincoln in 2015. In 2016, they were surprised by a baby boy due in June 2017. But, in February 2017, they suffered with incompetent cervix and delivered sweet Theodore Paul too soon. In October 2018, after an incredibly difficult pregnancy, a cerclage, and a whole bunch of bedrest, Fitzgerald Joseph was born -- a happy, healthy, and perfect rainbow. If you can't find Rebecca, you can summon her with pot of freshly brewed coffee or look for her in Target or behind the kitchen island where she is hiding from her kids with a very generous pour of red.