Nifty Gift: Kids Critter Scarf

Last year I started a feature called "Nifty Gift", featuring finds at Target that would make great holiday gifts or stocking stuffers. I'm continuing the tradition this year, starting with these adorable 'critter scarves' for kids in various animal designs. As shown from left to right, I saw bear, panda and fox versions, with the animal "face" at each end that doubles as a pocket. You can find these in the Dollar Aisle for just $5 each.

Fab Find: Thanksgiving Leftover Bag

In the "I didn't know I needed this until I saw it", Target has these cute kraft-paper bags labeled "Thanksgiving Leftovers For...." (fill in the blank). They're a substantial size with an easy-to-use handle, and come 3 to a pack for just $3. I found these in the Dollar Aisle along with a bunch of other great seasonal decor items.

New at Target: OhJoy! Fall Home Line

Target has rolled out another installment from OhJoy!, just in time for Fall. "Inspired by the moon, the stars and Swan Lake, this collection mixes rose gold accents with jewel and midnight tones,” says Joy. “In preparation of the holiday season, there are entertaining pieces like a barware set, cocktail shaker,serving bowls, serving utensils and cocktails forks. And for cozying up your home, we have swan and moon lights, pillows full of glimmer and a chic side table.”

She adds "I'm especially loving the mini rose gold appetizer forks (shown here) for both hors d’oeuvres and for desserts as well as the serving bowl and utensils for serving up salads, pastas, and other delicious morsels when guests are over.” You can read more here on A Bullseye View.

Your Target store may no longer carry Miracle Whip...

Consumerist reader 'Krystal' went to her local Target store to look for a pretty mundane grocery item: Miracle Whip, the “salad dressing” that many Americans sub in for mayonnaise. Employees told her that Target was no longer selling it at all, so she turned to Consumerist for help, wondering what Target had against Miracle Whip. “Why would they discontinue selling a pantry staple?” she asked.

To find an answer to Krystal’s question, Consumerist contacted Target to find out what was going on, and also checked out local Target stores to search for the creamy spread. The official answer is that the company hasn’t banned the stuff, but your local Target might have Miracle Whip, depending on where you live.

“Target does sell Miracle Whip,” a company spokeswoman told Consumerist by e-mail. “It is most widely available in the Midwest, where the demand is the highest. We are continuously evaluating our assortment based on what we hear from our guests and continue to adjust our offerings store-to-store based on guest demand.”

In other words: in some parts of the country, people really like to make salads based on mayonnaise-like substances. In other parts of the country, they do not. In summary, if you want Miracle Whip and you want to buy it at Target, check the website (for specific store pickup availability) or call ahead.

New at Target: Re-designed C9 Champion Leggngs

Target has just re-designed their C9 Champion athletic legging assortment into three new styles: Freedom, designed for comfort and built to perform, Embrace, made with Power Core® compression fabric to hold you in, and Flawless, providing maximum coverage and superior shape retention.

The full line boasts moisture-wicking and a wide selection of patterns and colors. They also come in a variety of fits: Curvy Straight, Relaxed, Straight, Flare, Skinny and Tight. Ranging from $24.99 - $39.99, they're available now in Target stores and on Target.com.

Fab Find: Mercury-glass Scented Votives

Remember the pretty mercury-glass votive candles I raved about a year ago? Well they're back in the Dollar Aisle at Target. This time around the scents include Apple Cinnamon, Harvest Sangria, as well as other holiday fragrances.

Deal of the Day: Nate Berkus Brass Vase

Yesterday at Target I nabbed this unique brass vase by Nate Berkus for 70% off! Now sold out online, this triangular-handled vase was regularly $24.99 but marked down to just $7.48. At this price, I'm tempted to go back and buy a couple more of them as gifts.

Fab Find: More Halloween Decor

Target is really killing it this year with the Halloween decor, especially in the Dollar Aisle. Shown here are varied "magic potion" bottles for just $3 each. They also have a "test tube" party favor kit including 4 tubes you can fill with your favorite candy + 4 corresponding gift tags.

Fab Find: Studded Pumpkin

Looking for the perfect blend of punk, goth and Halloween? Then try this gold-studded pumpkin at Target. Just $6 - and available both in stores and online - it also comes in white in addition to black as shown here.

New at Target: Beekman 1802 FarmHouse

Target is expanding their collaboration The Fabulous Beekman Boys. In addition to the Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry line, Target is now taking their rustic charm to a new level by bringing the exclusive Beekman 1802 FarmHouse home collection to Target.com.

Inspired by the history and aesthetic of the Beekman farm, the collection offers nostalgic pieces that evoke a touch of Americana; think sun-faded quilts, ticking stripes, embroidery, etc. And with the line encompassing everything from dishes to bedding, home décor enthusiasts can add the Beekman farmhouse look to every room in the house.

The Beekman 1802 FarmHouse collection will be available on Target.com starting today, with prices ranging from $14.99 to $599.99.

The Look for Less: PB Teen vs. Threshold

Thank you to reader Cotton Candy for this tip! On the left we have a neat refillable lamp from PB Teen; you can fill the glass base with sand & seashells (as shown at far left) or candy, leaves, or other fun fillers. It'll set you back almost $100, though. To get the look for less, buy the Threshold version on the right (at Target) instead for just $34.99.

Fab Find: Spider Placemats

In the Dollar Aisle at Target this past weekend I spied these adorable spider-motif placemats. Trimmed with black mini pom-poms, they'd be perfect for your Halloween placesetting. Best of all, each pack of two placements costs just $5.

New at Target: Nate Berkus Fall Collection

The Nate Berkus for Target Fall 2016 collection is starting to trickle into stores. You can check out the selection of home decor here on Target.com. It looks like his usual offerings of lamps, vases, trinket bowls, and decorative objects. Nothing really stands out to me, although these fun animal-head bottle stoppers would make a nice holiday gift alongside a bottle of wine.

I also notice that Nate is now offering upholstered furniture at Target: overstuffed chairs, benches and ottomans in a linen-like fabric in a a variety of colors.

New at Target: Cora

Target now carries Cora Organic Tampons. Designed to be both healthy and high-performing, Cora tampons are made with 100% certified organic cotton and eliminate synthetics and chemicals compared to other feminine care products.

According to Target's website, Cora’s compact BPA-free plastic applicator allows the smooth insertion you want without the chemicals you don’t. Cora products are responsibly made without pesticides, insecticides, GMOs, rayon, polyester, fragrances or deodorants, or chlorine bleach. Plus, Cora’s soft and silent wrappers make for a discreet bathroom experience and easy applicator disposal. And every box of Cora purchased helps provide menstrual products to a girl in need in a developing country.

Cora retails for $6.99 for a box of 18, and looks like they already have rave reviews on Target.com. I noticed in store that they also have a 'sample' box of 4 for just $1.49.

Fab Find: Merona Rainboots

You've heard me rave about Joules rainboots before, and I'm glad to see that Target is bringing them back this season. But in stores I've seen some Merona styles that almost rival Joules that are done up in basic black. There's a quilted style, a corset-tie back style, and I'm especially loving this tweed-trim equestrian style (shown here). Best of all, they're just $34.99 each.

New at Target: Noble Supply Company

The other day at Target I noticed an endcap stocked with interesting items marked "Noble Supply Company". The selection seemed concentrated on office accessories (such as a metal wastebasket, wire fan, pendant lamp and desk clock) but they also had some fun items like a cedarwood-scented candle and this cute throw pillow. I couldn't find any more info online about this brand, but I like what I've seen so far and will probably go back for the candle this weekend.

Sale Alert: Sugar Paper Planners

The other day in Target I spied this sweet coral-colored weekly planner with matching pencils by Sugar Paper. The bright pop of color and gilt edges makes agenda planning less of a chore. And this week, all Sugar Paper planners are on sale at Target for 10% off.

New at Target: Harper by Hare + Hart

Luxury leather-goods maker Hare + Hart has a new line called Harper by Hare + Hart, exclusively at Target. This budget line is NOT made of the real thing, and is instead dubbed "vegan friendly" and made of faux leather. Although the selection is small (only 7 items) I have to say I'm loving the clean lines of the colorblock pieces, and so far they're getting rave reviews online. And through tomorrow, you can get 25% off any Harper purchase with the coupon code LABOR25 at checkout.

Clearance Alert: Superga at Target

The limited-edition Superga sneaker collection for Target (which debuted back in June) is now on clearance in stores. Discounts range from 50% off for the patriotic flag print to 30% off on other styles. Unfortunately, this markdown is available in stores only (and not online) but my local store had a good selection of styles and sizes still available.

Back at Target: Pumpkin Spice

Attention pumpkin spice fans! It's that time of year again, and Target has rolled out a whole slew of new products in this season's favorite flavor. As shown here, you can start your day off with Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Coffee or Hot Cocoa Mix. To go with that coffee or cocoa at breakfast, you can try Archer Farms Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix, or layer fresh fruit and yogurt with Pumpkin Spice Granola.

For snack time, you can munch on Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Glazed Pepitas, Pumpkin Spice Glazed Pecans, Pumpkin Spice Monster Trail Mix, Pumpkin Spice Snack Bites, Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn, Pumpkin Spice Coated Almonds, Pumpkin Spice Pretzels, Pumpkin Tortilla Chips or Pumpkin Spice Roasted Salted Pepitas.

And finally, for dessert you can whip up some Archer Farms Pumpkin Caramel Streusel Blondies or Pumpkin Toffee Cupcakes to cap off your pumpkin-spice-themed day.

Product Review: Sonia Kashuk® Soft Focus Satin Matte Foundation

Earlier this week I alerted you that Sonia Kashuk had introduced a new foundation at Target. Well yesterday I 'road-tested' it, and unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. This is what Sonia Kashuk's Soft Focus Satin Matte Foundation promises: an anti-aging formula with shine-free medium to full coverage. Geared for oily and combination skins, it is infused with blue lotus, daisy flower and mallow extracts to nourish, protect and brighten dull skin.

On the plus side, this foundation didn't make me break out or seem to clog my pores. It went on smoothly, and looked great when I first put it on in the morning. It also felt good on my skin, and was lightweight with no irritation.

By the end of the day, however, I looked in the mirror and the coverage seemed to have 'melted away', leaving all my skin imperfections shining through. Also on the con side, this product has a really strong perfume scent which lingers after you put it on. I think they were trying to be "arty" with the ombre colored bottles (as shown here in the foreground) but the result is that it's hard to see the foundation colors. Plus, there's only a total of 6 colors, which isn't a very wide range of shades. Finally, this product does not include any SPF, so if you're looking for something that includes sun protection, you're out of luck.

I'll be going back to my current foundation, L'oreal True Match Lumi, which ironically makes some of the same "healthy skin" claims, plus it comes in a range of 14 shades and includes an SPF 20. If Sonia was trying to copy Lumi's success, I'm afraid she didn't come close.

Fab Find: Dollar Aisle Pet Outerwear

Remember the adorable pet outerwear I blogged about last year? Well its back in the Dollar Aisle at Target. This time they have puffer jackets and tweed coats at just $3 each. They've also brought back the cozy fleece pet blankets in a variety of colors and patterns.