I overheard a discussion this week about how retailers have become really good at product placement so that once they get you inside, you purchase way more than you intended. That is so true. And I, apparently, am particularly gullible to their wily ways. This got me thinking about at which stores I am the weakest.

That would be Walgreens.

Walk inside and you're immediately greeted by displays of the latest drugstore makeup

gimmicks. And I fall for it every time. In fact, I think I enjoy getting duped.  I go in for shampoo and come out with a new mascara and two lipsticks: "plumtastic,"

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and "plum crazy." I mean, hey, I have "plum about town," "plum setter," "plummy," "dusty plum," and "plum riche" at home, but I didn't have those shades. And, clearly, anyone can see how drastically different each shade is and why I would need so many choices.

And then there's all the cool USB phone accessories they have lining the register. I live and die by those neon USB charging cords. I own, like, 12 of them. Do you know what happens when your phone goes dead? I don't. I'm terrified to find out. So, I've bought the USB wall plug, the USB car plug, and USB charging cords for my car, purse, travel bag, work lap top, home lap top, nightstand and bathroom. And then an extra one or two.... you know.... just in case.

My 10-year-old daughter has even caught on. She'll ask me to take her to Walgreens to feed her lip balm habit. But she was asking me to take her so often I brought our Walgreens excursions to a screeching halt. Now, she's gotten smart about it.

"Hey, mom? Can we go to Walgreens? We need Band-Aids."

"How do you know we need Band-Aids?"

"I checked?"

"Why would you check that?"

We end up at Walgreens and walk out with Band-Aids, lip balm, nail polish, a bag of the new mini Girardelli chocolate squares, and another neon USB charging cord. You know, just in case.

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