You may recall that I love using buckets to organize and store things—it’s just one of my (uh, many) quirks. Lucky for me, the holiday season offers new opportunities to organize things with buckets (hooray!) and, it turns out, the holiday season also offers the opportunity for finding new buckets.
Yesterday I discovered some new buckets on my way to an in-home client appointment. I arrived very near the client’s neighborhood about fifteen minutes early. It just so happens that my client lives very near to a very nice and very new Target. So, I thought “I have just enough time to stop at Target to return those pillowcases and use the ladies room.”
So I run into this very new, very nice Target and stop at the returns counter—which happens to be right next to a very well stocked Dollar Spot. This very well stocked Dollar Spot happened to have some very cute holiday buckets—in red, blue and green. Now remember, I have fifteen minutes to a) use the ladies room, b) return pillowcases and c) drive the remaining three miles to my client’s home. And arriving on time is a priority. So, those buckets really complicated things. Do I use the bathroom or do I buy the bucket? I opted to stick to the original plan and use the ladies room, reasoning that I could easily swing back by Target on my way home.
Fast forward 4-1/2 hours…and I’m back in the very new, very nice Target. I have $2.50 in my hand and I am ready to claim my lovely green bucket. To my shock and horror, there are only red buckets left! That’s right—all the blue shiny buckets and all the green shiny buckets are g-o-n-e, leaving me not only green-bucketless, but also realizing I am not the only crazy bucket-loving lady on this planet. In fact, there were many bucket-loving people in that one very new, very nice Target buying up my shiny green buckets while I was happily and unknowingly organizing with my client. Who would have thought?
I decided to settle on the red bucket and head home, slightly bothered that all those green buckets got away from me—every single one of them. Gone.
Now a rational person would let it go. I had a red bucket, I should be happy. Right? Nope. Not me. That green bucket kept calling me and that green bucket kept nagging at me. The red bucket simply wouldn’t do. I had to have a green bucket. (Yes, I was becoming an even crazier bucket-loving lady than I was just hours earlier.)
So, I did what any crazy bucket-loving lady would do and headed to my not-so-very-new Target to see if, by chance, it had shiny green buckets. And alas—it did! I am now the happy owner of a shiny green bucket (and a red bucket, too. Because…well…you just never know when you might need a red bucket, right?)
So, what do I plan to do with these buckets? Well, when I first saw the green bucket, I thought it would make a great spot to store incoming Christmas cards. Without a designated spot, incoming cards can quickly become a source of holiday clutter.
These buckets would also be a handy container to corral card sending supplies – the cards, pens, stamps, address labels, etc. so that this project can be portable and move from room to room as my mood strikes.
I also thought it would be fun to use a bucket to store coupons, catalogs, receipts, and other holiday shopping gear throughout the season. The basket I used for this purpose last year has been permanently “borrowed” by my daughter for use in her closet, so I needed a container for this purpose anyway.
These buckets are really fun colors, making them great to use in a kid’s room any time of year. (Perhaps I should have picked up a blue one or two for my son’s room…hmmm…)
You could also use these buckets as a fun gift basket filled with anything that strikes your fancy…hot cocoa with holiday mugs, for example.
Okay…I’ve got to stop because I’m about to talk myself into more buckets, and really, I have other things on my to-do list today that trump my desire to go crazy buying buckets. (Again.) So, I’ll end the bucket report here. But, if you get a bucket or two of your own, I’d love to hear how you plan to use it. (And not to start a bucket-buying frenzy out there or anything, but just keep in mind these cuties sold out very fast yesterday at that very new Target by my client’s house. So…keep that in mind as you make your own bucket buying plans.)
Those buckets are super cute. Last year I spent 5 times that each for the containers for the holiday treats I give to a few neighbors. These are way better. I’ve added “stop at Target on the way home” to my to-do list today. Thanks for the post.
I’ve already picked some up!
thanks for enabling yet another bucket-lover to run to my nearest target tomorrow. It sounds like I need three – one for incoming holiday cards, one for idea catalogs, and a third for card making/sending supplies . . . is that about right?!? haha – appreciate that!
Ahh yes, the buckets. Awhile back Target had them in white and I picked some up for my office/craft room. I haven’t seen the red ones so I better make a Target run before they’re gone. Thanks for the heads up!
I used to drive myself crazy with trying to keep the bathroom counters cleared. I wanted nothing on the counters except for the soap dispenser and a couple of decorative items. I found these tin buckets at Target over the summer and that’s when my obsession finally ended! I put a white one in the kid’s bathroom and use it to corral all of their sprays, lotions, fluoride rinses, etc. It looks nice and neat and the items are easily assessible. It also cuts down on having them rummage through the vanity, stirring up all of the towels as they go!
You should have put ‘Enabler alert’, but then I should have guessed by the title 🙂 I get semi-crazy like that, too when I’m looking for something and it’s not in the first store!! ‘Must find cool item!’ Ok, off to Target!
Oh no! You have given me the opposite of buyer’s remorse–nonbuyer’s remorse! I saw these at my very nice, just renovated Target over the weekend. I was tempted to buy some, but since I didn’t have a purpose for them in mind, I overrode my impulse. (I am trying to develop some discipline at Target. It seems I can’t leave that store without spending at least $100, b/c I’m always finding things!) Oh well. I will refrain from making a special trip, but the next time I go I’m going to grab a few if they have any left. Wishing now I had some white ones like Heidi Y’s.
OK I was at Target yesterday and we didn’t have any of the cool buckets. I always look for buckets there. I bought rounds ones last summer and love them. I still have 2 remaining and they’re perfect for Christmas gifts. I’m going out tomorrow so I’m stopping by Target to see if they got them in. I have one sitting on my desk that hold my craft markers. I love the oval shape becasue you can get more in it then the round ones. I can see purchasing several to have on hand. I think you should just give in and pick a few more up while you can get them. Happy Bucket Shopping!
I love those buckets and I would love a white one. We actually got gift baskets at work with the exact same buckets and silly me must’ve told my husband to toss ours because I can’t find it now. I was trying not to accumulate any more clutter and now am wondering if I was too hasty. I figure I really should define what needs containing and what needs to go so I let that go. Hmmm. Always more buckets and baskets out there right?
Thanks so much for telling us about these adorable buckets. I will be on the look out for these when I am at Target on Saturday. I was needing something to make a gift basket with and this is perfect!
I’ve just added Target to my list for tomorrow. I definitely need one (red or green) for incoming cards. I may also consider getting one to hold the supplies for my outgoing cards until they’re sent – envelopes, printed photos, labels, stamps. 😉
Do I sense a bucket giveaway in the future? LOL As I was reading this post I thought “Wow. Those are nice! It’s too bad they don’t come in white.” Now I will be on the lookout!!! Thank you fellow bucket-lovers. Shall we form a club?
@juliebavi
Had to laugh at your buckets posts because I went crazy over buckets at Target, too! Only the $1 plastic, brightly colored ones! I posted about it today, too! Glad I’m not the only one that obsesses enough about Target buckets to make multiple trips!
Now I have buckets on the brain – so to my surprise, when I opened my Garnet Hill catalog in yesterday’s mail – what do you think was there? An advent calendar made with BUCKETS! Very cute. Here’s the link in case you want to check it out:
http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=19211&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C10969%2C10976&iProductID=19211
I bought red, yellow & blue oval ones in the spring from Asda (Wallmart’s English cousin!) They also did buckets in sets of 3 different sizes in the same colours. I could NOT pass by them on the shelf so now I have 3 oval buckets & 9 little buckets!! The yellow oval bucket I use in our kitchen to hold all the medical bits we need on hand like asthma inhaler, paracetamol & vitamins. It looks so pretty on the counter & it is easy to pick up & take out with us when we go on day trips! The red & the blue oval buckets have my paper punches in. I have used the buckets to organise all my crafty bits & at Easter the kids also used the buckets for the egg hunt on Easter Day! they really are cute!! :o)
PS My husband is very good really- after I bought all the buckets he just said ‘Are you sure you have enough buckets?’ I think you know the answer to that…. LOL!!
Did someone say there was a white one? OMG I have to get that one too. I went to Target after work yesterday and got the red and blue one. They were out of green. Guess I’ll have to go to another Target this weekend. But really did I miss a white one? I’m so bummed now.
Got one green, one red, and one blue today at my local Target.
Aby, since you’re single-handedly responsible for the bucket-mania that apparently has taken over our country, it’s hard to feel too sorry for you. Me, I would have gone to the ladies’ room, bought the buckets and come back with the return. I’m not a bucket lover but your post made me want to run out and buy some!
I picked up some of the red smaller ones with the ribbon for my coworkers at school, my 2 and 4 year old nieces were visiting and had a blast with 25 little buckets…I love buckets, redoing my room and have picked up some for when I ready to put the room back together!
I, too, am bucket/basket obessed and saw these beauties at Target. I picked up a red one but put it back because I couldn’t think of a use for it. I try to avoid overbuying. As soon as I got home, I thought of about 10 uses for the bucket. Sadly, Target was closed so I could not go back. The buckets are gone now.
This has happened to me several times. After reading your post, I got the bright idea to make a list everytime I realize I need a bucket/basket for something. That way, when I see adorable buckets at Target I can justify, er I mean, buy them for a specific purpose!