GAGA LOGIC

There is this thing called "Girl Logic" or "Female Logic" or "Woman Logic". Whichever way you refer to it, the basic concept is that it really isn't logical at all but makes sense to her. For example: If a woman has had a salad for lunch & saved 300 calories over what she would normally eat, then she can have a chocolate chip cookie & still have saved 150 calories - therefore a cookie is healthy! Or if a girl found a blouse for half price then she can buy two & she is ecstatic even though she spent the same amount of money.

In my online research trying to explain "Girl Logic" I also found countless examples that seem to drive men crazy. I won't even go into those explanations since most women know how easy it is to confuse a man & drive him nuts without even trying.

A few days ago while shopping with my five year old granddaughter, Charley, I applied the concepts of "Gaga Logic" & it all made perfect sense to me. If you know me or have read these blog posts, you are aware that Gaga is a total pushover when it comes to Charley. I am quite frugal in my "real" life but where Charley is concerned, I will spend money I would never spend elsewhere.

I was watching Charley while her daddy went in to work. It was a windy, rainy day so we were cooped up inside. After watching some TV, eating breakfast & playing dominoes we were planning to see "Beauty & the Beast" at the movies. After checking it out online many sites felt it might be too scary & intense for young children. Charley & I watched a couple of trailers online & she agreed it looked too scary so we scrapped that idea.

I suggested that we go to the mall instead (with a bit of an ulterior motive). Last month we came across some "Monster High" figures at a store. Charley excitedly pointed & knew exactly who they were but I had no clue. We came home, searched on Netflix & watched a "Monster High" show. It was pretty cool.

The characters are typical teen-agers with monster characteristics & names like "Frankie Stein" & "Draculaura" & "Clawdean Wolf" & "Lagoona Blue". Good Lord, I just looked it up & there are 67 characters listed - I'll never remember all of those. The students at "Monster High" get into all sorts of predicaments, but ultimately it works out fine & there is a positive message that is shared. Charley knows lots of songs from the shows & really loves the characters.

My hope was to buy her one or two of the figures. Unfortunately that store in the mall didn't have them anymore so we went to Ross where I ended up buying her a Barbie that she really loved. She has one already & decided to name the new one Rosie who would be Barbie's older sister since she was taller. They each had two or three outfits & could share them.

Gaga was slightly disappointed that we couldn't find the "Monster High" figures so I suggested we head to Toys R Us. It was deja vu all over again for me since I had visited that same store hundreds of times with her daddy when he was on his Star Wars & G.I.Joe quests around thirty years ago.

Of course they had a whole aisle of "Monster High" stuff - who knew? She had to have the "Frankie Stein" figure AND the "Draculaura" with 30 different hair accessories (extensions, clips, headbands, etc). I'd already spent $12 on Rosie & her clothes. These two totaled another $35. This is where the "Gaga Logic" kicked in.

If we had gone to the movie, I would have spent $12 on the tickets & another $12 on popcorn & a drink. That was $24 right there. I have a fairly substantial stash of Christmas & birthday money left to spend. Isn't gift money supposed to be spent on something that you really want that makes you happy? Well, seeing the joy on my sweetie's face when I said, "Sure, Gaga can buy you both of them", made me deliriously happy & I really wanted it. So, I took a $20 from my birthday money & it was just about a wash - "Gaga Logic" - voila!

Charley had the best time playing with Barbie, Rosie, Frankie & Draculaura all afternoon. Any amount spent would have been a bargain. Besides, I only had a boy to interact with & I knew all about trains, Star Wars, & airplanes. I totally loved it. But I never got to change clothes on dolls, put on belts or shoes, comb hair, choose accessories or do any of this cool girl stuff. This is fun!