Near Disaster @ Bath and Body Works

I'm so not kidding.

So BBW sells these cute little duck totes. (See Link) Made of that really think sleeping bag type material. The tote tucks inside a little duck that zips up. Pretty cute, huh?

For those who haven't been in the store, I'll try my best to describe the display:

Imagine a pillar/column type thing. White. You always see them in senior pictures, it seems. Square base. And it's taller than Chloe. I would guess it's about 3-4 feet tall. So on top of this pillar sits 4 huge glass bases. Very thick glass. About the size around of a dinner plate and about 1.5-2 feet tall. I'm 5'3 and the top of the vase/jar comes to about the top of my head. There are four of them sitting on this pillar filled to the top with these duck totes. That takes up all the place on the base.

So they have one of these on display. It's opened up, so imagine the duck hanging on a hook with the bag just hanging there. How is it hung, you ask? Well. It's on one of those S hooks attached to the side of the VERY heavy GLASS vase/jar. (You see where I'm going with this???)

So as we are walking by, what does Chloe do? She grabs the bright yellow fabric that's hanging at her eye level, not being able to see that it's attached to anything. Not that that would have stopped her...

Anyway, down comes the duck tote along with the vase. The vase shatters everywhere.

We are VERY fortunate, because that could have ended in a major disaster. Luckily she only had some minor cuts. And luckily I was holding her hand and kept walking, dragging her with me, before I knew what was happening, if not, it would have come down right on her head!

I collect Chloe and put her in the stroller and try to pick it up some. It took about five minutes for someone to come over with a broom. I explain what happened and profusely apologized. I was torn between telling the girl that I thought this was a safety hazard, because I didn't want it to seem like I was making excuses for it and not taking responsibility. But ultimately, I added that I really think that is unsafe and the consequences would have been tragic very easily. She nodded and I went on my way.

Actually we went to target and shopped for about an hour. On the way back to my car, I happen to glance into the store and see that the display is replaced exactly the way it was before. I was LIVID!

But I get in my car and go home. Once I'm home, I can't let it go, so I call up to the store and ask to speak with a manager. I explain what happened and express my frustration about it being right back the way it was. I mention that all it takes is someone brushing by, even with a purse, and knocking it over again. She actually apologizes and agrees it's definitely a safety hazard. She goes ahead and takes it down but asks me to come back in to fill out an incident report so that it can be faxed to their corporate office. She stated that was the way the store required them to do the display, blah, blah, blah.

Really, all I wanted was for the tote not to be hanging off of the vase. We accomplished that, so I was fine. I guess the moral of my story is to watch out for this if you happen to go in there in case it's not changed in your store!

Funny tidbits:

• This happened yesterday. We went back in today to fill out the report. I'm holding Chloe at this point, and the second we pass the display of duck totes, Chloe starts yelling at the top of her lungs and pointing the display, as proud as can be:

Chloe: I broke dat! Look Mama, I broke dat Mama!!!
Me: Yes. Yes you did baby. We don't want to do that again.
Chloe: Yeah, I broke dat. Hey guys!!! I broke dat!!!

• You know you shop at Target too much when your toddler gets distressed because we aren't going in there. And for the rest of the way home you have to listen to: "I go to Target, Dat way Mama...Target. Mama Target!!!"