Fabulosity On A Dime

Hope everyone is having a great morning so far. My littlest lil' man and I are hanging out with one eye on the Today Show as we do every morning. Yesterday, I caught a segment talking about a new trend in shopping for baby clothes...borrowing or renting children's clothes. They estimate that we spend $13,000 a year on kids' supplies and this is one way to save a little bit of that. Our children grow out of their clothes so quickly that it seems we are constantly having to buy them new socks or new jeans or new shoes. Well, as I saw on TV yesterday morning, there are sites online that you can rent children's clothes from.

Borrow Baby Couture offers the opportunity to rent high end brand name clothes like Dior and Versace for children 9 months to 4 years for a small weekly fee. Shop online and the kiddie couture gets sent right to your door. Once returned, the company themselves have each item professionally cleaned so you don't have to worry about small accidents. Most items are special occasion items, but can also be outfitted for slightly less fancy moments. BBC was started by a couple who realized their son would never use the suit they purchased for a wedding a second time and figured there were other parents out there who could benefit from borrowing these one-time-use outfits for a fraction of the retail prices.

The segment also mentioned an online consignment website called Moxiejean.com. Here you can buy and sell gently used clothing for minimal cost. They offer clothes for Preemies up to 8 years old. Click here to get $10 off of $20 and share the site with your friends in order to save even more.

I had heard about consignment before, though I wasn't clear on the details of how it worked until I had my 2nd child 2 years ago and came across a couple of consignment stores in my area. You can find some really cute and unique items at these types of shops, but you can also find your everyday play clothes made by Carter's and other well known child clothing companies. The closest consignment boutique to me doesn't always have the types of clothes that appeal to me so I'm pretty excited to have found an online option as well.

I am not going to sugar coat it. I am a self-proclaimed "Brand Whore," but I am also a "Discount Diva." "Full price" is almost considered a swear word while the word "Sale" is kind of a turn on. Hahaha. I would prefer an item that is brand new that no other person has ever worn, but quite frankly kids are kids. They grow out of their clothes way too fast for me to keep buying brand new...especially now that we have 3 little youngins and I'm looking to close up my Mary Kay business by the end of the year. There is a new invention out there called a washing machine and laundry detergent, so I think I can manage a few not so brand new pieces without having a cow, but I will be picky about the things that I purchase from these types of stores. And besides, you can make a little money back on those clothes your child has outgrown to purchase bigger sizes they will need.

I might also point out that you can do a search on Facebook for sites that recycle children's clothes and toys, etc in your area. I know of several groups I am a member of on FB where I've bought gently used toys and sold gently used clothes to other local moms. It's like an online yard sale.

These are all great ways to save money and help save the planet. Don't forget that you can also donate your items to places like Goodwill and the Red Cross for those who have been affected by natural disasters. Hope you'll think about it. You can still be fabulous. Items may not be brand new but you can make them brand new to you!

Have a great day!

A Deal That's Hard To Resist

Alright...this is kind of too good not to share! For all you new momma's and expecting momma's or ladies who know expecting or new momma's or those who are looking for a gift for new or expecting momma's this is just for you!!! So, my daughter's school sends home the Scholastic Parent & Child magazine regularly and I came across the page that offers great new items for kids. I've seen it in several different issues of P&C as well as Parenting magazine. There is an offer listed for a FREE car seat canopy from carseatcanopy.com with offer code PC11. It is originally $49.95 for free, but you will be charged shipping of $12.90. I think it's still a pretty good deal. Shipping is kind of pricey, but I think of it more like the canopy itself costing $12.90 in the store. They have some great prints and you have to hurry and get yours because many are backordered for a couple weeks to a month. You want to get it before it starts snowing (if you're in an area that snows). It will be great for protecting baby from the rain as well. And once you place the order, check the confirmation page for codes to use for a free nursing cover and baby sling carrier. Get going! Now!! GO!!!

Enjoy!

All I want for Christmas

Gosh, time is just flying by. Here I thought I was ahead of the game with planning my son's birthday party and somehow it is coming up a week from today! I did my best to work make a majority of my decorations, menu, and other plans DIY to save a bit of dough. I will post more on that once the event actually happens. :)

Anyway, the reason I'm here tonight is because, as I said, time is just comin' and goin' without warning. The holidays are on its way and I don't want them to sneak up on me. So, we started doing some Christmas shopping today. However, this is not about the kids. This is about...well, me. There are tons of "What's Hot" toy lists going around, but what about big girl gifts? I'm not into those perfume sets (Calgon take me away?) or fruit cake. In fact, I'm usually pretty happy with something for my kids...but I find myself putting together a little something anyway.

When I'm asked what I want for Christmas every year, I never know what to say. Truly, Christmas time means family time and tradition and thankfulness and love and charity to me. That's my politically correct version of an answer. Haha. But seriously, Christmas is about the kids. And I absolutely love the feeling of picking out a special gift that the recipient truly loves. I put so much into picking the right gift for each person that is special to me. So when I'm put on the spot, I'm never prepared. But I'm only human and there are material objects that exist that my heart desires. Here is the Christmas list I've come up with.

• A food processor These things intrigue me and I would love to try some recipes out...for example some yummy salsa!!! This one is small and reasonably priced for a newbie to the appliance with decent reviews and the best part, it's pink!!! I'll be looking for some great Black Friday deals on this one. :)

• Conair Jumbo Ion Shine Instant Heat Soft Hair Setter I've read some pretty decent reviews on various websites for this basic set for a beginner like me. Who doesn't want Victoria's Secret waves while I'm getting myself ready without standing in front of the mirror for half an hour with a curling iron. But I may need more than one set for the amount of hair I have and I may have to do it at night. I'm really not a morning person :p

• A Nikon 1 J1 Digital Camera I am a new portrait photographer trying to start a business and a self proclaimed Mommarazzi. I have one of those big DSLR cameras that I take everywhere with me! However, I would absolutely love to be able to carry a camera around that takes great quality pictures, but is not so bulky and a huge PITA! I think this one would be a great supplement for every day pictures with my family on outings and at events where the moments are important to me, but they don't have to be professional grade shots. Besides, it just looks sexy!!!

• A piece of plexiglass I would like a nice sized piece of thin plexiglass for taking studio portraits. It just gives pictures a sleek, nice touch. My hubby knows where to find this...Home Depot.
• A massage Being a mom takes a toll on your entire being. The relaxation, the pampering, the quiet time is essential to rejuvenating ones self. You must take care of yourself in order to better take care of others. It's OK to be a little selfish once in a while. So go ahead and enjoy.

Based on this list, it seems as though I'm looking to try new things. I didn't even realize it until I put things down on paper...well a virtual piece of paper I guess. Haha.

I don't expect gifts. I really don't. But if I happen to be on your list this year,  I hope you know I truly appreciate your thinking of me.  I hope, if anything, this list at least helps my husband. :) Though I love it even more when he is creative and puts thought into picking the right gift and surprising me. I love you, honey!

Hope you get all you ask for under your tree this year!

XOXO,

Tricks for Treats

Well, I hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. We had a nice time with our three little munchkins despite possible cancellation. Many towns and cities in our state have cancelled or postponed Halloween as a result of Hurricane Sandy, but luckily our particular neighborhood felt very little effects...however, if you drove 20 minutes in either direction, you could come about many downed trees and debris that washed ashore from the high ocean surges and some homes with damage along the shore. We lucked out, thankfully, and Halloween went on. One of my children still hasn't been back to school, but all 3 participated in events at the preschool my son attends. We also went to a trunk-or-treat at the community center and did some door-to-door trick-or-treating nearby. This year, I opted for a few DIY projects instead of spending a butt load of money on costumes and treats. And I was rather pleased with the effort and savings.

Since my son still had school (and I'm still planning on sending treats with my daughter once she goes back to school), I decided to put together little treat bags for the children and their classmates. I bought two of those large tubs of cheese balls.They are light and tasty and it's a little different from your typical candy treats. I already had little clear baggies and made my own labels on Photoshop Elements that I just printed out here at home. The end result was 40 bags of Pumpkin Poop. Total cost just over $10.

Kind of at the last minute, I also decided to search for a costume for the baby. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend too much money on it seeing as he can't even go trick-or-treating or was even really seen by anyone since he slept in his stroller as we walked around, but it is his very first Halloween and I just felt guilty about not doing a little something. I searched online for costumes on sale at the last minute and decided to search for DIY options as well. I came across the cutest thing I had ever seen - a sushi! Luckily I had a white onesie that barely even fits the poor kid anymore and an orange one that definitely doesn't fit him anymore. I found a stencil for a shrimp from Martha Stewart and instead of just doing a 1-dimensional felt shrimp, I sewed together 2 pieces of the template and stuffed it with some pillow fluff I already had making a super cute 3D version from the old orange outfit. My husband also had some black Gorilla Tape lying around so he helped me make a "belt" out of it to act as the nori. I also had some green felt from previous projects that I cut up to look like the green plastic stuff that they use to separate the sushi from the ginger and wasabi in bentos. It didn't cost me anything since I used stuff I already had around the house and this was my end result:

He looks good enough to eat!!! Finally, I came across a purple witch costume on Pinterest and it dawned on me that 1) my daughter looooves the color purple, 2) I had purchased a purple witch's broom on clearance last Halloween and 3) we already had a good amount of the attire that was pictured (black and white striped leggings, a black top, and purple tutu). All we had to buy was a hat and we found a cute purple witch's hat headband and put everything together. We added a second sheer black tutu for a little extra body and she had some purple boots (not quite the same color purple as the rest of her costume, but whatever...she didn't really care). Her costume ended up being about $10 as well. The only store bought costume we actually did buy was for my other son. We went with a monster from Old Navy, which turned out to be fitting since he was introduced to and fell in love with Monsters, Inc. the movie.

So easy and so fun...we had a great time. Just thought I'd share our little tricks for treats. I'm feeling rather Martha Stewart-esque! :) Hope everyone out there in the blog world did and were safe as well!

Happy November!!

Gnawing Away

As I was browsing Pinterest (yet again) I came across a recipe for teething biscuits. I thought, "Really? Hmm..." So I clicked on the link to check it out. Sounded like a great way to use up jarred baby food and rice cereal...since my picky little baby doesn't want either...at 8 months old, he wants the good stuff...the stuff that his brother and sister are eating. So, I thought it was a perfect fit. The very same night, I got in the kitchen and starting mixing up the ingredients. Half an hour later, it was cooling off in time to subdue the little dude once he started fussing later in the night.

The recipe was pinned from here. If you try it, I just want to note that I used apple sauce in place of the oil and sweet potatoes from a baby food jar in place of bananas. The dough is supposed to be uber sticky and hard to roll out...even with a layer of flour. Next time I might try some wax paper, but I think it might even stick to that. :p And once baked, the biscuit itself is supposed to be chewy as it is a teething biscuit. And that way it's a bit harder for a baby to bite off pieces and choke on them. They should be able to take their time with it. My little guy can handle little bits at a time. (Next time I will be making them smaller). And through reading the comments on the recipe post, I noticed that the author had introduced her child to it as early as 6 months.

You'll notice since it is almost Halloween, I decided to shape the biscuits like skull heads. But next time I'll just be making small bars. ;)

Short and Sweet. :)

Christmas Shopping Countdown!!!

Oh my goodness!!!! I am still scurrying around for costumes for the 3 kiddies and the hubby with Halloween a week away. Yet, despite the almost complete focus on my mission, I still notice that there are stinkin' Christmas trees up in the department stores already!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm no grinch!!! I absolutely LOOOOOVE Christmas! But I am so not ready for them this year. I'm usually counting down the weeks and days, but it seems that this year it just kind of snuck up on us. How in the world did that happen? Just in case it has snuck up on you, too, Christmas is exactly 9 WEEKS AWAY!!!!

Even if Christmas is not your thing, are you ready for those insane Black Friday deals?! That's part of the fun for me, going out the day after Thanksgiving to wait in line in the middle of the night for some awesome deal I've been waiting and researching for. But according to the local news, they are saying that Black Friday isn't that big of a deal anymore. Gasp! You can get just as good of deals right NOW!! From the news segment I saw, I've come to understand that certain retailers like Wal-Mart will be price matching even prices you find on the internet instead of just local competitors. So, if you find the exact same item on Amazon.com, show them the price offered online and they will give you the item for that amount. Pretty sweet, huh. But there are some pretty sweet deals to be found on deep discount sites that are becoming a huge trend these days. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for Christmas gifts now. I will list off a few of the ones that I frequent!

- 1saleaday.com - Here you will find electronics and jewelry for super cheap! Every day they have a Flash sale, as well.I have found a couple of items off of here that I've enjoyed. I haven't come across any significant issues with any of the products so far and they sometimes even offer Free Shipping which always works in my favor!!!

- nomorerack.com - This site has seriously grown since the first time I started shopping on it. They used to have such a small list of items and now they offer tons! The products range from electronics, toys, clothes, handbags, shoes, jewelry and so much more. Shipping is only $2 per product and you can receive a $10 credit for every friend you refer that purchases from the site. I have bought several items off of here and have yet to be disappointed. Most items are at least 50% off, but usually a lot more!!!

- zulily.com - This site is great for keeping up with trends for the whole family and innovative home wares that are fun and modern yet practical. The shipping is slightly delayed because they do not order the items from their retailers until they have a buyer count. And some of the items can be a bit pricey, but this is because we are talking boutique quality...not mass produced and generic...and they constantly have new items every day. They also offer a credit for referring friends so please go ahead and click the link and check out what they have to offer. :)

There are also sites out there that offer discounts in other ways! Go to Mrrebates.com for small rebates on purchases made from huge retailers. And go to retailmenot.com for discount codes that you can apply to your online purchases as well. There are so many ways to save online.

However, if these sites are not for you...you're the type that likes to touch and smell and flip an item over and over before purchasing it...there are ways to save in your local mall as well. With your smartphone, download the free "Coupons App," which locates your position by GPS if you allow it to and up will pop coupons for stores and restaurants in your area. You can also plug in your location or search a specific store. This app even allows you to locate the cheapest gas in your area. I always check this app when I'm out!!! You can also sign up for mobile deals from Target. In doing this, they will text you mobile coupons straight to your phone and you can have it scanned at the register. Worth noting: You need to have access to the internet to use the coupons, though.

Now, back to my online browsing. :) Shop your little hearts out in the mall, online or at my Etsy shop.

Have a great night!

Splitting Chores or Heading to Splitzville

Earlier in the week, or maybe it was late last week (who knows these days), there was a lot of attention in the news media surrounding a foreign study that claimed that couples who share chores more equally are more likely to divorce. The conclusion was based on the correlation between couples who share chores and having a more modernized POV on marriage. They claimed that modern couples who no longer deem household chores as women's work don't put as much emphasis on the sanctity of marriage and are more open to the idea of divorce. It is also significant to note that within those couples who share household chores, women are more financially independent as well as they are working outside the home and rely less on their husbands as breadwinners. I can see where they are coming from. There is definitely a link among these ideas.

Now, in my own personal relationship, my husband and I do share the chores. Whether or not they are equally distributed is another argument. :p However, I do rely on my husband to help more with the children and at times to make a meal for the family and even to help pick up around the house. Yes, I do have a modern idea of marriage, but we each have different standards of the way we want things done within the household. And in those situations, we take a more prominent role in fulfilling them. For example, I like a clean house, but with 3 kids I am not going to trail 2 feet behind each one of them picking up every crumb and toy. My husband on the other hand does not understand why he comes home to a house where toys are flown about and crayons on the wall and open containers of food sitting on the counters. So, he is often hollering at them to pick up after themselves or cleaning (also known as tossing) these displaced objects. And I do well to pick out the cutest outfits for the kids and myself and therefore I am in charge of laundry, otherwise we would all have pink tie dyed wardrobes. On the other hand, we typically stick to the general rule of 1 person cooks the meal while the other cleans the kitchen.

Don't get me wrong, the divide between household chores is cause for many arguments in our house. In fact, it's probably the number one fight between my husband and I. Otherwise, we don't have much to argue about. But most of it is still learning to live and accept each other's way of living and adjusting to make it work for everyone. We have been together for a nice chunk of time, but are still in the toddler stages of wedded bliss.

Despite the split in chores and the arguments that arise from it I do not see our relationship heading for Splitzville any time soon. In fact, I think we have a better relationship than many couples we know. That's not to say we are perfect, but we work together raising our family and we work together on our relationship and therefore I believe we will last. And we also have a little bit of those good ol' fashion values that put marriage on a pedestal. Fighting over chores is the least of my worries within my family. The most important factors in our lasting relationship is supporting each other and allowing each other to dream big and having the same goals for our children and being each other's best friend seeing as we are stuck together from here on out.

A correlation in studies does not result in cause and effect. It's called a coincidence.

On another note there are chores I don't mind and chores I despise. Bleh. Here's my list of Not-so-bad to Shoot-me-now.

1. Organizing
2. Washing laundry
3. Folding laundry
4. Cooking
5. Loading the dishwasher
6. Helping the kids with their homework and picking up their toys
7. Cleaning the kitchen
8. Bathing the children
9. Putting away the laundry
10. Putting away the dishes