Are you a Target at Target?

Simplify. We hear it over and over again. And yet, as I blog-hop and get a small peek into other women's homes, I am concerned. Consumerism is intoxicating and suffocating our homes, it seems. We've gone from the desire to create a haven and a refuge from the world for our families, to an ego-driven distraction to out-do one another in creating homes of the Rich and Famous.

Mommas, every day does not have to be a parade. We do not have to have homes that look like they came out of HOUSE BEAUTIFUL to be good homes to raise a family.

Our children can look like children and not like America's Top Model and still be happy. My mom said "You don't have to be rich to be clean." Keep the kids clothes clean and their noses wiped and you're good!--no need to be OCD about it. How do I know this? Because I was an over-acheiving young mother--I sewed alot of my kids clothes to match one another, even sewed Mother-Daughter Easter dresses that took me well into Easter morning to finish! I ironed my sons and daughters play clothes, and tried to coordinate them when we went out in public as though we were going to a photo shoot instead of the mall. I thought that was expected of me. I was so wrong. Then, I discovered Mervyn's--a now-closed store--but one that I loved to shop their clearance racks! So when I sound this voice of reason, it comes from a place of experience! Don't do it! Don't wear yourselves and your wallets out just clothing your kiddos. My youngest daughter wears church dresses that my oldest daughter wore, and 2 other daughters in between. She loves her hand-me-down dresses.
Our Kitchens do not have to be full of "gourmet foods" to be appreciated. I ask our missionaries all the time, what's their favorite dish that their moms make for them. You know what they say? Sunday roast with potatoes and rolls. Chicken enchiladas. Tacos. Easy stuff. Comfort foods. Never once has a missionary said, "This one dish my mom makes that takes her hours in the kitchen, yeah, that's the one!"

Why put the pressure on ourselves to out-do? Excellence does not Equal Exhaustion.

Shopping used to be an activity borne out of necessity once humans no longer grew their own food and substance. Now, it is a bonafide hobby.

LISTEN UP: Target, specifically, caters to young homemakers with their marketing. Each aisle is carefully designed to reflect the current season...the messages perfectly hanging from the ceiling which combine to say, "If you buy this stuff, you and your family will be happier." Think about it. Do you really need a handtowel with easter eggs on it? Does your bathroom floor mat need appliqued snowmen to make your shower somehow better? Will your food taste better if there are 4th of July relics all over the plates, glasses, tablecloth, placemats and stemware? I call it "sucker marketing"...and if you spend alot of time in Target you will come home with something you don't need...everytime.

Good taste is classic.Be careful of where your money goes...is "it" a necessity? Our Bishop just gave us that counsel last month--to be more thoughtful about where our money goes, even if we think we have more than enough to cover being frivilous--it is not what the Lord wants us to do with our resources.

The next time you go to Target (later today--lol), walk into the store with "new eyes"...be sensitive to their marketing...notice the "feeling" they are trying to evoke in their shoppers. Look at the junk in their $1 bins...all of it is color-coordinated by theme to match the rest of the wares they're hocking. Be a smart shopper.

Don't get me wrong, I love Target. If I have to go shopping, I will choose Target over Walmart [usually]for household things. Talking with a friend of mine who was a Marketing Manager for Target stores in the midwest, I told her of my observation that Target uses holidays to manipulate homemakers into buying their wares, and she said, "You got that right. That's exactly what they do. That's why they're called "Target" --they know their demographics." Good to know, yes?

Looking for something to buy just to buy something is habitual. It's an expensive habit.

We are charged to be profitable in our calling as wife and mother...profitable in the sense that our time and resources are used wisely to create a loving, faithful home that releases into the world responsible, faithful, loving citizens who are prepared to take their place in society.

There was a family in our Texas ward years ago--the Cannons. They had alot of kids and little money.

But let me tell you what--they remain in my mind one of the happiest, most well-adjusted families I've ever known. Their manners were impeccable, their countenances glowing, and their smiles unforgettable. They drove a huge white van that had seen better days. Their home was modestly furnished. Bro. Cannon shared his testimony one Sunday and said then that he'd always wanted to provide better for his wife and children, and how grateful he was for their love.

The he said he was the most blessed man he knew. I think he was.

That was nearly 26 years ago. The Cannon's got it.

I also think of Mr Wonderful's Aunt Pauline & Uncle Al in Spokane. We went to their home for a visit a couple of years ago. A lovely home. The dishes we ate off of were at least 40 years old. I'm not kidding! They reminded me of the plates my own mother had when I was a kid. The meal served was simple and nutritious and homemade. They had a garden out back that was the highlight of the trip for my kids--they stayed out there plucking beans and berries for most of the morning. I admire their priorities.

Whenever the "envy monster" rears his ugly head to me, I think of President Hinckley's life and home. Modest. No winding staircases with designer railings and window treatments. Simple.

Efficient. When I think of Sr. Hinckley, I imagine she had her favorite special linens and dishes that she cared for and used up to serve her family. Her home met her expectations. Just like she used her life.

Be wise young Mommas...your legacy will not be how your window treatments matched your lampshades, or if your child's room was a palace, or if all your tupperware matched. Legacies are bigger than that.

I'd really be interested to know if other Momma's agree with my take on this, or if I'm just weird. Comment here, or make your own post on your blog!