99p worth of home

Every Expat knows that there are little things from back home that you really miss. Those things that you took for granted, but now can't find.

I'm talking to you Target Long & Lean Tank Tops*.

my favourite layering piece

There are alternatives, sure, but the known item that fits/works just how you like it isn't available. 

Well- Hark, Expats, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy. One of those can't-get-them-here items can come off your list.

What am I talking about?

My favourite cleaning product

Well, not exactly. After years of trying various imposters (I'm looking at you Doktor Power Magic Eraser) that were found severely lacking and asking my mom to bring some when she visits, I stumbled upon this little item at the grocery store last week.

Can it be?!

My breath caught. Could it really be? It looked promising. I bought my single eraser for 99p (a fine price, but it was market 1/2 off and 1.99 seems a bit steep) and rushed home to try it. And, Hallelujah! This is it! 99p worth of home to clean my bathroom and kitchen!

What little things do you miss from back home?

Have you found any acceptable substitutes for your favorites?

*Let's be honest, I pretty much miss everything about Target. Y'all know I'm slightly obsessed.

Halloween Cuties

Last year, I told you about some differences in the way that Halloween is celebrated in the US and the UK. I'd say that Halloween has become slightly more prevalent than last year, so it seems that the holiday is slowly becoming more of a "thing" here. They still haven't managed to figure out adorable children's costumes. There isn't much selection and they mostly still skew towards the creepy/scary.

Creepy child's clown costume in Asda

There are a few options for babies, but nothing great- mostly just sleepers with skeletons printed on them. It goes without saying that people here don't make a big deal of dressing up their babies in adorable costumes (or even better, family theme costumes!) like this:

my cousin with her adorable little lobster

As I've been deprived of participating in the right of passage, I'm going to share with you some adorable costumes that I might have picked if we were in the States. You're welcome.

Adorable Monkey with Cinnamon Roll Ears

He could draw a Red Line!

Roar!

Puppy Love

Studious Owl

Banana Baby

Yes, they're mostly animal. They are all from Target. (But then you know how I feel about Target.) They're all super-adorable. Feel free to share pictures of adorable babies dressed up so I can live vicariously!

What's the cutest baby costume you've ever seen?

Last night I dreamt I went to Target again...

Ah my beloved Target.*  I love you.
Like how the narrator loved Manderley.
Except is doesn't have a crazy creepy housekeeper...
And hopefully it won't burn down.
And I don't feel haunted by the presence of Ross' first wife at Target.
Because I am Ross' first wife.
Whatever... I like the book Rebecca and this has all gone horribly awry, but I'm not going to delete it.

The point is- I love Target.
It makes me happy.
We don't have Target in the UK**, which makes me sad.
I used to love to peruse the aisle of my local Super Target, now I torture console torture myself by looking at the Target website to see all the pretty things I can't have.
As a type of vicarious living, I will now share a few of the things that I've found that tickle my fancy.
If they tickle your fancy too and you are lucky enough to have a Target you can go buy them!
If you have a Target, but they don't tickle your fancy, but you love me- you could buy them and send them to me here in England! (kidding.  sort of.)

Online browsing does deprive me of my greatest joy- the true bargain.  I love those little red stickers and finding a treasure in the clearance section.  Oh well.  On with the pretty:

First up items for around the house:

So cute. And sweet.

Want this for the gallery wall in our living room that currently only exists in my mind.

Love. Love. Love.

Sure, I have no idea where it would go in our house, but see statement above.

Now, on to my favourite.  Clothes!

First you should know that I consider 3/4 sleeve cardigans the king of all clothing.  I can't get enough of them.  

Yellow + Ruffles + 3/4 sleeve = adorable

Minty Fresh Lace

Neutral and Feminine

Ba-BOOM! Zebra in your face.

**SPARKLES!!!**

I warned you!  I big puffy heart love a cute cardi.

Simple and Classic

Oh, orange v neck-  Your description says you are super-soft.  

I like the sound of that.  Plus a v neck shows off my tatas real nice and classy-like.

Now, onto shoes and accessories:

Bright Tribal flats

Sure to spice up any outfit

Every British resident woman needs wellies.  Can you believe I don't have a pair?!

These graphic black and whites with a pop of cheerful yellow would do the trick.

Seaside Statement Necklace

Dainty Tree 2 Strand Necklace

So thus ends my internet love letter to Target.

What do you think of my pics?

What is your favourite place to shop for bargains?

*Target doesn't know who I am or care about my little blog.  This ain't no paid post-vertisement.
** Long semi-relevant tangent which I find amusing: Awhile back I read an article in some British newspaper that was profiling Phil Spector's wife.  She was proclaiming the fact that she isn't a gold digger and that she truly loves her wrongly-imprisoned crazy-haired fella.  As part of the proof that she wasn't after Phil's moola she said that her favourite store is Target.  The paper explained parenthetically to it's readers, who would be unfamiliar with the glory that is Tar-jay that Target is similar to Argos.  If I'd been drinking anything, this would have been my cue for a spit-take.  Argos is NOTHING like Target.  I'd never experienced a store like Argos before moving here.  There are a few things out on the store floor, but mostly there are magazine type books around the perimeter where you can look to see what they stock.  There are little electronic pads next to the books that you can input an item code into, which the system then uses to check if the store has it in stock.  If they have it, you fill out a form and pay and then wait for the item to be brought out from the back (sort of like some of the stuff at Ikea).  If they don't have it, I think you can have it ordered in.  Exactly like Target, eh?  I'm guessing they were making a comparison based on the type of price-point in the two stores... I thought it was funny and Ross and I still joke about it nearly a year later.  Interesting tangent story, huh?  Aren't you glad you read all this rambling? :)