Rain, rain, go away...

So in my neck of the woods, we have rain. And I'm not complaining, mind you, since I realize that a good portion of the nation is curently facing record snowstorms. But all this weather got me to thinking about rainboots, so I decided to check Target.com to see what they had to offer... and let me tell you, I was blown away by the selection! So many cute designs and patterns; how to choose?? I'm just showing one here (the Tattoo Rose) but click here to see the 60 different colors/designs/patterns from polka-dots and plaids to leopard print and florals. Boots like these will definitely make puddle-jumping more fun, and help to chase away my rainy-day blues.

Wendesday's Rave: Archer Farm's Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce

Back on New Year's Eve, I listed some of my favorite purchases at Target in 2009, and one of them was Archer Farm's Imported Italian Pasta. And, I mentioned that I'd be trying the Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce soon... which I did, and can wholeheartedly rave about! This spicy red pepper sauce - which definitely has a bite to it - is made with extra virgin olive oil and tastes as close to homemade as I've found in a jarred sauce. This will definitely become a staple in our pantry.

PS: sorry... I couldn't find an exact picture of the Arrabbiata flavor, but it comes in a jar like the one shown.

Tuesday's Rant: The Great Save = The Big Letdown

Most Tuesdays I take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. Today's rant is about Target's new "Great Save" event, which I blogged about the other day. Not only is Target giving up valuable shelf space for their "warehouse" deals - formerly occupied by great seasonal deals on home decor - but the entire event is poorly executed. Case in point: I have now been to 2 Target stores this week (one near my home, and one 20 miles away near my work) and both "Great Save" sections are very poorly stocked. Basically, the surrounding perimiter is filled with multi-packs of toilet paper, paper towels, books and DVDs...leaving the middle racks COMPLETELY empty. Neither Target that I've been to have stocked the supposed "deals" on Samsonite luggage, Hanes t-shirts, and other bulk items. The signage is all there, but the merchandise isn't. Which makes the "Great Save" section look pretty pathetic, IMO.

Betsey Johnson talks Target...

Last month the folks at StyleList interviewed style maven Betsey Johnson. You can read the full transcript here, but check out what she had to say about a possible collaboration with Target:

StyleList: Would you ever consider doing a fast-fashion collaboration with a store like H&M or Target?

Johnson: I would love to! But with all of my licensing and other projects, I'm really busy. But I'd love to do that -- just a one-shot collection for one of those places. I really wish we had was our own diffusion line. But you have to have so much volume, with a capital 'V' to come out with prices like that.

"The Great Save" at Target

Reuters is reporting that starting January 3rd (today) Target - the No. 2 U.S. discount retailer - is introducing "The Great Save" in its 1,740 stores.

In the space where it typically sells seasonal merchandise, Target will instead set up a "warehouse-club-like experience" to copy the success of clubs like Costco in drawing more store traffic with deals on necessities. For the next 7 weeks, Target's Great Save will feature items like a six-pack of bath towels for $19.99, children's T-shirts for $3, and 35-packs of Market Pantry bottled water for $3.59. Its stores typically carry 24-packs of the Market Pantry water for $3.99.

Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club charge members an annual fee to benefit from their discounts. But Target says its Great Save will give shoppers warehouse club savings without the warehouse membership fees.

Readers, I guess this is good news if you like to buy in bulk and want to get the "Costco experience" while perusing the aisles at Target. But the bad news is that with this move, Target will abandon their annual temporary events in January like the "Global Bazaar" or "Home Design Event" to entice shoppers with exotic home decor like African wood carvings and Asian accent tables. Target does currently have a "New Year Home Event" online, but it looks doubtful that these offerings will be made available in-store.

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly Ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Now you may have heard about The Huffington Post report last week on the "12 Things That Became Obsolete" this past decade. Much to my dismay, #12 on the list was "handwritten letters". This one just kills me. While I realize that we've become an electronic society, I also believe that a Tweet, an IM, or Email does NOT suffice for a birthday, an anniversary, or other important greeting. Therefore, I'm thrilled that Target has a selection of value-priced greeting cards on sale this week for just 99-cents each. I plan to stock up and keep a supply on hand, because just as I write this I can think of 5 January birthdays that I'll need to get cards for.

Note: these cards are available in-stores only.

Target open on New Year's Day

Happy New Year! And for those of you who are wondering: yes, Target IS open today.
So if you have to get your Target-fix today, you can.

BTW: does anyone else remember when all stores used to be closed on New Year's Day?
I do, and it actually seems weird to me that Target and other retailers are open.