CRAZY WINTER
Have you heard about the horrific avalanche at Lake Tahoe? Northern California was hit with a huge storm last weekend. We got a ton of rain, and the Sierra Nevada, of course, was dumped with snow. Everybody was excited because we needed the precipitation, but man, why does it always have to be “feast or famine”? And then the rapidly changing temperatures make for really unstable conditions. There has been a tick up in avalanches in Europe as well. It’s all very sad. I am not sure what’s going on, but could it be the thing that should not be named? Maybe? (Pssst, it’s called climate change and it’s not a hoax.)
TIME PERCEPTION
The weeks are just flying by right now. Just me? I should write a sample “day in my life” post again to explain how limited my time is (or I feel my time is) during the week.
Sarah asked in her post today how people who run actual long distances find the time to do it, and it’s a legitimate question. The simple answer is: They prioritize running. And I totally get that this is an easy thing to say because what if there are a gazillion other things that need to be prioritized, like work, kids, and other commitments? Not everybody has completely free rule over their time. I don’t have kids or even a long commute, but I work long days, and I know that feeling of always being squeezed for time all too well. All this to say, I get Sarah’s bewilderment. I think running/exercise is the only thing I am prioritizing right now, because I can, but that also means that other things fall by the wayside.
SHOPPING HELP
I am going on week three of my Target boycott, and man, this is a hard habit to break. Where do people shop for certain things if not Amazon or Target? What other, similar retail stores are there? (And don’t suggest Walmart, that is completely out of the question.) What are your go-to stores? Do you also try to boycott certain places and have a hard time finding alternatives? I think I need some community input.
Taxes
I ran our taxes through the tax software earlier this week (my President’s Day activity), and it took me less time than I thought it would. Yay. I am planning to go over all of it again this weekend, but I think I might be ready to file next week.
Weekend Plans
I got all of my errands out of the way today (yay!). I love getting errands done on Fridays, because a) it’s usually less busy at the stores (and I tend to go in the morning – an old habit leftover from the pandemic) and b) I can keep the actual weekend free for other things. Tomorrow, I have another video call scheduled with Ingrid in the morning, and I will also do my long run (11 miles) and hopefully finish the taxes. And Sunday, I’ll (virtually) meet with Tanja and my sister in the morning for a Power Zone Ride on the Peloton, and then I’ll have my FaceTime Call with my family and probably clean up around the house and prepare for the new week. The usual.
Have you filed your taxes yet? What are your weekend plans?
coco
February 21, 2026 at 12:02 amI totally agree with you, we find time to run despite life responsibilities because it’s important to us. That’s always my answer to question on time spent exercising. I know it’s hard for others to imagine but it’s the truth. ;)
I delegate tax filing to someone and it’s almost done.
today we have swim meet up in the afternoon, Sunday will be open and free. I like your schedule calls with friends and family. I try to do that on weekends too.
Jenny
February 21, 2026 at 5:04 amNo, I hadn’t heard of that avalanche! That’s terrible- all those people killed. I guess there have always been avalanches, but conditions definitely have been out of whack lately. We’ve had a weird winter down here, for sure.
I have no shopping advice for you, but I want to know if anyone does. Boycotting Target and Amazon feels almost impossible. Where am I supposed to shop???
I vote YES for a DITL post- we all love those!
J
February 21, 2026 at 5:48 amThat avalanche is so horrible.
I have not started our taxes. Perhaps I will start that next week.
I haven’t found a simple replacement for Target. I have gone once or twice. Mostly I don’t shop there a lot though, so it’s not a big deal for me. I can get things at Costco, or the hardware store, or the grocery store. Sometimes I end up paying a bit more sometimes, which I don’t like, but I’ll do it. For Amazon, I go to there to look for items, then I buy them directly from the manufacturer. Again, I end up paying a bit more. I have bought a few things from Amazon, but nothing like I used to.
Nicole MacPherson
February 21, 2026 at 6:59 amWe don’t have Target here so that’s an easy one for me! I do most of my shopping at Superstore or Costco. You can get a surprising number of things there! I guess it depends on what things you’re needing but in terms of cleaning products, makeup, soaps etc., I don’t know what else, I get them at Superstore. I do, however, get Rex’s dog food delivered via amazon, because I have to buy them in enormous bags and it is just physically very difficult to do this.
I would LOVE a day in the life post!
Allison R
February 21, 2026 at 7:21 amI have never been a huge target shopper, but for certain things I used to go there. I’ve been leaning more on Costco for household supplies and Kohls for home goods and clothing.
Michelle G.
February 21, 2026 at 9:58 amYes! You make running a priority, and you love doing it. People have asked the same thing about my art or sewing – how do you have time to do those things? Because I make them a priority and I love doing them. I don’t have options besides Amazon for a lot of things, and I’m rather bound to them through Kindle and Audible. But I do shop locally as much as I can. My town has a grocery store, a hardware store, and a Family Dollar, so I can find most things I need. I would love to read a DITL post!
SHU
February 21, 2026 at 12:55 pmNo Target or Amazon does sound pretty tough! Maybe more specialty retailers? Office supply stores often have a lot of household type stuff too. Grocery stores + costco as above, ordering directly from manufacturers! Maybe keep a list of the types of things you are having trouble finding and we can source ideas! That said there’s no rule a boycott has to be 100% – if you’re spending even some percentage less at somewhere like Target or Amazon it’s still going to hurt their bottom line. (I say this as someone who does try to ‘vote with my wallet’ sometimes by shopping at places I want to support but does not really do boycotts, so maybe I’m missing something!)
Birchie
February 22, 2026 at 5:45 amLet’s see, I’ve been “boycotting” Target for years because they stopped carrying the few staple products that I was getting from them. Offhand I can’t think of anything that is only available at Target. Amazon is tougher, and my answer there is to just be mindful of what I buy from them.
tinna
February 22, 2026 at 10:14 pmMost of my shopping is at Costco. So depends on what you’re buying! LMK, and I can maybe offer some suggestions… Going low buy is also an option. :)
Suzanne
February 23, 2026 at 9:33 amThe Tahoe tragedy has been heartbreaking to read about. So devastating.
While I have not boycotted Target fully, I have been shopping there less. But I do think that’s resulted in me shopping at Amazon more. Ugh. I don’t know WHAT other options are. I know a lot of my problem is convenience, and going to three or four different smaller stores to get the same things I could get in one go from Target or Amazon is hard to beat. That definitely feels like a cop out, but I am trying to be more mindful about what I buy and where I buy it.
Your weekend plans sound so nice and full of connection with important people! I hope they went well.
Lisa's Yarns
February 23, 2026 at 10:55 amI still shop at Target. I know they are problematic, but in this little kid stage of life, we need things that aren’t easily bought elsewhere. It’s a little more complicated as a Minnesota resident since they are our hometown company. I have friends that work here and they are an important part of our local economy. I know many will not agree with my decision to continue to shop there, but they seem like the lesser of evils compared to Amazon and Walmart.
The avalanche deaths are so heart breaking!
Stephany
February 24, 2026 at 3:53 pmI have not started my taxes and I tell myself every weekend that I should just DO IT ALREADY. It’s not even that complicated for me, but it’s always disappointing and I don’t want to deal with that, lol.
I, too, found it really hard to stop shopping at Target/Amazon completely. There is some stuff that is really hard to find elsewhere!
Sara
March 1, 2026 at 6:50 pmWe have not filed yet, but thank you for the reminder to focus on that!! Ours are a bit complicated and we use an accountant, but I do need to make sure all the info gets where it’s supposed to go sooner rather than later.
I can’t remember the last thing that I bought from a Target type place. Almost everything we need can be found at Aldi (or CostCo). Tom has a saying, “If Aldi doesn’t have it, we don’t need it…” and I suspect that has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, for better or for worse, LOL
Anne
March 6, 2026 at 3:13 pmI no longer shop at Target. I try to get things at my local (Kroger-owned) grocery store, Costco, Walgreens, or ACE Hardware, believe it or not. They have good prices on cleaning supplies, although the grocery store and Walgreens-with-coupons are also pretty good. Is it convenient? No. Do I like sticking it to Target? Yes. I’m petty that way.