We talk a big game about moms loving Target, but let's be real: America's favorite retail store is beloved by all — moms, dads, old people, young people … and especially Ariah Becht, a 3-year-old from Milwaukee who loves it so much, her mom recently created a kid-sized Target store inside her playroom. (WHAT?) Photos of the little girl donning a red sweater and customized Target name tag are sweeping the internet this week, as people marvel at the level of detail Ariah's mom Renèe put into the sweet play set.
Renèe posted photos of her toddler playing "store" on Facebook last week -- and people lost their ever-loving minds.
"MOM of the YEAR!!!!" wrote one person. "This is amazing!"
It certainly is.
"Although this gift was really late, I wanted to do something different for Christmas this year," Renèe wrote in her January 13 Facebook post. "I asked my Sissy and Robby for some help with this crazy idea I had."
And lo and behold, she pulled it off — with flying colors.
Using a Melissa & Doug grocery store toy that she got off Facebook Marketplace, the crafty mama got to work.
But she didn't do it alone — she says she enlisted the help of her friend Robby Mueller and sister Bridget Doby.
Together, they upcycled items, painted what they could, and used a Cricut machine to create the pitch-perfect Target signs and decals.
An inexpensive shelving unit soon became the clearance aisle.
You know, that section of the store you always make a beeline to, even though you SWEAR you are only coming in for one thing, and one thing only? (LOL — yeah right!)
In fact, lots of the items used in the playroom were upcycled or purchased at a discount.
“I absolutely love Melissa & Doug toys, but you can find them cheaper at T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls,” Renèe told BuzzFeed. “I get the majority of Ariah’s toys on Facebook Marketplace or local buy and sell groups.”
No detail was spared.
Those details included this adorable replica of the Employee of the Month wall, which featured this month (and every month) … Ariah!
But of course, you can't open a Target store without a mini Starbucks inside.
For that, Renèe repurposed a cubed shelving unit, attached inexpensive laminate flooring, created more Starbucks logos with the Cricut, and started adding little touches such as an upcycled plastic coffee set.
"I got the flooring from Home Depot for less than $10 because the box was open," Renèe told BuzzFeed. "At hardware stores, I recommend always asking if they have opened boxes. They will normally give you a discount if they do."
All in all, it's safe to say that Renèe was proud of all their hard work.
(Oh yeah, and little Ariah is pretty psyched about it too!)
"I’m happy with how it turned out and even happier that Ariah loves it (even though I’m probably more excited about it than her)," the mom wrote in her Facebook post.
On Facebook, people were pretty impressed by this mom's DIY skills. (Not to mention her respect for Target.)
"OMG you are my hero!" wrote one woman. "I am blown away right now!!!"
"HOW FREAKING CUTE IS THIS! AH!" added another woman.
"Looks like we have a project!" another woman said, before tagging a friend.
“The best gifts have the most thought and effort," someone else shared. "This will be one she will remember forever!”
To date, the post has been shared more than 9K times, all by users who are amazed and inspired by what a little ingenuity can do.
Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle this week, Renèe admitted that she was shocked by the public response.
“Not in a million years did I think this would be that big of a deal,” Renèe said. “I definitely was excited about it and thought maybe a few likes, but not this.”
Something tells us her inbox is about to get flooded with requests to make more pint-sized Target stores (if it hasn't been already).
