Tuesday, May 31, 2011

holidays and diets don't mix

i forgot that it's tuesday and not monday, so i'm a little behind here. 

this is week 2 of my "detox" and well, it didn't work so well.  i am famous for starting things and not finishing them- so you might as well add weight loss to the mix.  monday-thursday went pretty well.  we had dinner @ panera tuesday w\ dave's mom, and i tried to select a meal through the my fitness pal app before we went, but everything seemed to have some form of sugar in it.  it was a little maddening.  in the end, i just tried to pick what showed the lowest amount- but had a good amount of calories and protein as well.  eating out is tough- and we don't even do it that often.  grr.

eating:

thursday morning my parents got here.  i knew my detox was going to be a little loose this weekend because of their visit- i knew we would cook meals and eat at home, but that we would also go out a few times b\c there are places that they like to eat when they're in town.  thursday i had my regular breakfast & lunch, but we went out to dinner that first night b\c dave had a hockey game.  i ordered shrimp & lettuce wraps- i think that fit in perfectly with my detox.  everyone else had nachos for an appetizer.  i had two chips with a little bit of toppings on there and that was it- control.  friday i also had my regular breakfast & lunch and that evening we made turkey burgers for dinner & had potato salad.  i started w\ my burger on a thin bun, but halfway through decided to chuck the bun and eat the burger alone.  good choice!  this was the first day i also deliberately had sweets.  i wen to pick up my rental car & they gave me a bag of homemade toffee.  i had one small broken up square and wrapped the bag up.  i did have a few more squares as the weekend went on, but i made sure to bag what was left up and send it back w\ my family for the car ride home. 

saturday & sunday were a little more tricky.  saturday i made an egg bake w\ veggies for breakfast- which fit into my plan.  the boys went to the cubs game, so it was me, mom & ian.  we decided to go to thai food for lunch.  great, noodles.  i chose rama thai, which is a favorite of mine and we had spring rolls.  i had 1 spring roll and then when my lunch came- i took a small portion and ate just that- i had the rest boxed up.  so even though i had something that had noodles in it, i didn't go overboard by trying to eat the entire thing!  that night we made a salad for dinner- the salad had apples in it, which are a no no right now, so i picked 98% of them out and gave them to dave.  sunday was the first day i didn't have breakfast in months!  not sure if that's good or bad- but i knew it would be better for the rest of my day.  we had a goodbye get together with dave's family since his sister & her husband are moving.  i knew there would be tons of food.  i made a dip from a recipe i had gotten at whole foods (sugar conscious, yay!) and a pie.  when we got there i had a small amount of the dip i had made w\ a couple pita chips.  for dinner there were hamburgers, brats, sausages and bbq.  i decided to go w\ the bbq (sans bun, as i normally eat it) which ended up being the best decision.  i got my hands on the nutritional facts later- and i made the right choice.  i had a small spoonful of pasta salad & baked beans, and some of my dip.  i also had a dr. pepper.  i know, i know.  i drank about 3/4 of my drink, poured the rest out and finished with water.  when dessert came around, dave & i split a piece of the pie i had made.  i actually stayed within my calories, but the sugar was out of control. 

monday (the end of my detox) was probably the toughest day of all.  for breakfast i had a protein bar- ick.  we went out to a local hotdog stand that we had never been to before (alleged as the greatest in the US).  there i had a hotdog, fries and coke.  dave & i split a tamale, which was actually teh one thign that would fit in my diet.  for dinner we went out for japanese, so i had meat and veggies.  not terrible i guess.  i'm back at it this week, continuing to work hard and be mindful of what i put into my body.  ::sigh::

sugar intake:
monday- 10g 
tuesday- 23g
wednesday- 14g
thursday- 12g
friday- 48g (i forgot, i had sweet tea- apparently splenda is sugar)
saturday- 47g (this is probably a little off b\c the recipe counts all the sugar from the apples- which i mostly picked out of my salad)
sunday- 105g (yikes)

needless to say, i'm feeling a little embarrassed... 

exercising:
we worked out only 5 days this week.  sunday is normally our off day, but with the boys going to the game saturday, we thought we'd make it up on sunday.  of course, sunday it stormed like crazy- so we weren't able to ride outside.  we ended up driving to the gym instead, but on the way there it started pouring the electricity went out as soon as i got inside.  so much for that.  i was tired this week during my workouts- which always makes me feel like a failure. 

side effects:
i was still having headaches this week, but they've been less frequent.  i also didn't seem to feel as hungry as often.

set backs/cravings:
see above. 

weight loss:
it's really hard to tell.  today i was up 5 lbs from what my scale told me last week, but i have been tracking my calories and there's no way i ate enough to gain 5 lbs.  my scale also told my dad he gained 13 lbs, so i don't know if it can even be trusted.  i can say that i noticed last monday when i was getting dressed for work that my pants felt looser!  i felt this a lot this week in putting on different pairs of pants.  maybe not looser, but definitely not as tight.

recommendations:
i really need to drink more water, but i just don't know how.  also, continuing to be more mindful of what i eat- saying no to a second portion, skipping a dessert- i think even in my failures this week i made some successes.  i also need to get back on track.  we just paid our rent last night, have no food in our house and  don't get paid again for 2 weeks.  we really need groceries- starving might be the plan for the next week & a half... 

i hope next week is better.  i'm pretty disappointed still. 

i'm linking up with Blair for McFatty Monday over @ Heir to Blair Pin It!

mommy reads: the virgin suicides


i don't know what led me to want to read this book, but i'm glad i did.  i saw this movie back in college- but i fell asleep and i don't remember anything about it, so i guess i didn't see it...  

the virgin suicides is a story is narrated by an anonymous group of narrators- teenage boys, now adults who went to school and were neighbors of the lisbon family.  the story follows the year of the suicides among the lisbon girls and how their deaths affected their entire neighborhood.  

what i loved about this book is was the descriptive narration.  it really just made the book.  you actual felt like you were living in the neighborhood and apart of the tragedy.  i really enjoy it when you read a book and the book actually takes you there.  where you feel you're so much apart of the story that you can see the house the girls live in, and feel their silent pain.  

i'd definitely recommend this book.  it took me a little bit of time to get into, but i think that's mostly because we've been so busy around here.  i think anyone would enjoy it.  the book doesn't dwell too much on the morbidity of the suicides themselves, but there are still depressing aspects.  i can't imagine a person feeling so much pain that the only way out would be to end their own life, but it's obviously a way many people feel.  

4/5

have you entered my giveaway yet?  get on it!
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Thursday, May 26, 2011

giveaway!!! cio prints

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!  CHECK BACK TO SEE IF YOU'VE WON!  GOOD LUCK!


i'm so exciting to be hosting my 2nd giveaway ever!  this giveaway comes to you from cio prints!  cio prints is an atlanta-based company (and if you don't know, that's where my heart is) that specializes in diy party invites!  not just any diy party invites- adorable diy party invites.  


see, i told you they were adorable..

here's how it works, and it's so easy.  1.  purchase a listing on etsy.  2.  leave detailed information during the checkout project (who, what, when, where, etc), plus you can modify colors!  3.  wait 24-48 hours for your proof.  4.  make changes or approve.  5.  receive your digital file to print your invites from your home!  basically, they're as customizable as you want!  

don't have a birthday coming up?  throwing another bash- say a baby shower or 4th of july blowout- cio prints has you covered.  they have tons of cute designs to choose from- you can even include a photo with some designs.  they don't stop at invitations though- they also specialize in little details to make the party extra special- goody bag labels, cupcake toppers & birthday banners.  besides the cute invites, one of my favorite items are the mommy calling cards- adorbs!

so you wanna win?  one (1) winner will receive a (from within the shop) diy digital download.  you can customize colors, arrangement and party info.  you receive your file and print at home!  printing services are available, but must be purchased separately.

also cio prints is offering EVERYONE will receive a 25% discount on their purchase!  ohbabyitsababy readers can receive a discount through the end of the YEAR(!) just by entering PARTYTIME at checkout!

winner must respond within a week after winning or i will have to draw someone else.  after that, winners have 30 days to claim or reserve (for a later date) their prize.  winners drawn via random.org

there are a few ways to win:

1.  you must be a follower of ohbabyitsababy- so leave a comment with your follower name thru gfc or bloglovin' (mandatory)
2.  visit cio prints on etsy- tell me what your favorite item is (optional- but recommended!)
3.  heart them on etsy, like them on facebook or follow on twitter (or do all  3!)  (optional)
4.  tweet or share this giveaway on facebook (optional).  sample tweet:  enter to win a customizable diy digital download for print-at-home invites from @cioprints hosted by @mcmellll 

so there you have it, 4 simple ways to enter & win!!  this giveaway will be open until 11:59 pm tuesday night (5.31).  i will announce a winner next wednesday (6.01)!  

good luck!



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Monday, May 23, 2011

detox- week one- am i doing this right?

thanks for the super-supportive comments on my previous post.  it means a lot!  very encouraging!

as previously mentioned, i started my no-sugar detox monday evening.  i had a couple of sugary things in my house that i wanted to rid myself of (including a meal with fruit in it), so i had that for lunch monday.  i have been going strong ever since... maybe.

i can't decide whether i'm doing this right or not.  am i supposed to be having zero sugar?  because i find that sugar is naturally occurring in things i thought were "safe" to eat.  ie: milk, almond butter, tomatoes (i guess a tomato is technically a fruit, which i'm not supposed to be eating), sunflower seeds.  i haven't had a single sugar-free day yet.  here's the weekly breakdown (remember- i ate "normally" (not really b\c i was eating stuff for the sake of getting it out of my house) on monday).

monday - 102 g (holy crap)
tuesday- 16 g
wednesday - 11 g
thursday - 19 g
friday - 7 g
saturday - 12 g
sunday - 18 g

i mean, i guess when you look at monday- i appear to be hitting it out of the park.  but i am wondering about the other aspects of detoxing- such as the fact that my fat & cholesterol numbers are through the roof!  is that right?  i mean, i guess it would be if i'm eating a lot of proteins.  it just sounds weird.  here's what this week has been like:

eating:

breakfast- plain greek yogurt w\ cinnamon and/or almond butter.  or an omelet or scrambled eggs.  milk to drink

lunch- salad- spinach topped with various veggies, a small amount of cheese, seeds and a protein- either chicken or an egg.

dinner- i've made salmon and 2 salads this week (one steak, one shrimp).  tuesday we go out to dinner and i also had a salad.

snacks- mixed nuts, hummus with veggies or terra chips, almond butter with terra chips or jicama, brie with veggies, string cheese

water:  i am weird.  i could go an entire day without drinking ANYTHING.  i don't know anyone else like this.  it's odd.  so to drink anything- esp water- it's like forcing it down my throat.  i'm trying.

exercising:

we worked out 6 days this week, which is our norm.  we take sunday's off b\c dave plays hockey (so he works out 7 days) and thursday i don't really go work out, i just go to work, which is 4+ hours of standing, walking and lifting.  i re-learned how to ride a bike.  they say you never forget, but "they" are liars.  i have scrapes on both legs and a nice bruise on my tail to prove that i forgot...

side effects:

i keep getting wicked headaches.  they flare up for about 10-15 minutes at a time and go away.  i'm guessing it's either from caffeine or sugar- or both.  oh, and despite all the protein i'm eating- i find myself hungry a lot.  i'm a BIG eater.  i always have been (i know where my poor child gets it from).  i can put food away- and then be hungry in an hour.  that's still happening.

set backs/cravings:

i am actually doing really well as far as dr. p goes- i haven't felt any real need for it.  i am having the desire to tear into a bunch of bananas or just eat some fruit.  i also really want a coconut frappuccino.  so i love chocolate- like- a lot.  i was so desperate for just a bite by saturday night.  dave & i went to the grocery store to pick up a movie and i bought  box of unsweetened baker's chocolate thinking that would do the trick... hello.. that stuff is SO BITTER.  gag.  still, no sugar.  today however, i did get a lindt 90% cocoa bar- 4 squares has about 3 g of sugar, so i had 1 square.  i felt that would work- and dark chocolate is so good for you anyway.  it was a perfect treat.  and now i might be a cheater.

weight loss:

i don't feel smaller and i don't think i look smaller.  my clothes don't feel looser either.  however, i stepped on the scale monday and i stepped on the scale sunday night and sunday night was reading 5 lbs less!  eek!

recommendations:

if you are looking to lose weight or just to track your calories, i can't recommend enough the myfitnesspal app.  the fabulocity of this thing is unmatched.  it has just about every food you can imagine (you can use a bar code scanner for the things it doesn't have) and it has foods from many major restaurants listed.  plus, you can put in all the ingredients from a recipe you're going to make with the servings and it will split up the nutritional value for you.  plus, you can track your workouts and water intake.  i love it!

i probably won't complete a full detox b\c my family is coming into town this week and we will probably hit up some fun chicago spots- but i will be watching what i eat very carefully and probably be eating 95% of what i eat according to my detox plan.  that won't be until this weekend though!

also, i have an exciting giveaway coming up this week!  stay tuned

i'm linking up with Blair for McFatty Monday over @ Heir to Blair Pin It!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

this time it's for real

i am overweight.  i don't care how many times my husband tries to pick a fight with me about this one- it's the truth.  my bmi is in the "overweight" range.  in fact, it's hovering closer to the "obesity" range than it is to the "normal weight" range.  this hasn't been easy for me.  i gained 45 lbs when i was pregnant, and here i am 16 months later, and i still have 15 of those pounds.  i.  want.  them.  off.  15 extra pounds is not my ideal- whether it's watching my mii grow a belly, still looking pregnant or listening to 2 high school girls in my gym have a conversation where they talk about weight, bring up my weight and then refer to that as "chunky."  i'm tired of it.  i'm tired of having to make 2 outfit changes, or looking in the mirror and wanting to cry some days. 

i can be pretty lazy.  i love to sleep and i love just sitting around doing nothing- i thought that was my problem. wrong.  13 weeks ago husband & i started working out- we work out at least 30 minutes (usually 45+) 6 days a week.  i have lost ZERO pounds.  it's not that.   something is wrong with the way i eat- i think we eat healthy, but in the same vein, i think i snack too much.  it's time to fix what's broken.

i have asked around in several places- friends, my husband, my mentoring group- we're trying to nail this thing down.  they all have the same solution- count your calories- get the best idea of what is going in your body.  i also mentioned here that i was interested in doing a detox.  that has all started today- i'm counting my calories and exercise and i'm giving my body a 2 week sugar break.  no sugar, no bread, i'm forcing water down my throat (more on that later).  it's time to see what i'm really eating- and hope that the little changes make all the difference! Pin It!

Monday, May 16, 2011

catching up- mother's day & daddy's birthday

i'm proud to say that i'm only a week behind here!  hooray me.

last weekend was my 2nd mother's day!  it started out on thursday when i received beautiful flowers from my boys and it just kept getting better!  friday i got my gift since dave couldn't wait until sunday- i got a pair of havaianas fit- which brought a little bit of warm weather with them!  on saturday, ian was running a small temperature, so we gave him a light dose of tylenol & headed to see dave's sister & meet our new nephew, gavin who was born on may 4th! 



when we got home, we went out for mother's day dinner to beat the sunday crowds- i chose thai food again.  too bad ian still wasn't feeling great- and was pretty fussy @ dinner.  we ended up having to have our dinner boxed and to go since it's a pretty small restaurant and only had a few people in it.  i should probably get used to not seeing the inside of a restaurant for a while...  we took ian to dave's parent's house, finished our dinner and went to see a the wife of one of dave's friends sing with her band.  on the way home we stopped for a milkshake @ steak & shake- it was nice to have the time alone!  when we picked ian up, he was super hot.  he was running a temp around 103!  this time we gave him a full dose of tylenol and put him straight back to bed when we got home.  sunday morning my boys gave me a card and surprised me with pancakes in bed.  we then got ready & got cupcakes from the cupcake truck & headed to my in-law's house for lunch- ian seemed to be feeling much better, and had a good time playing around.  i got so many sweet texts and facebook messages- it was a nice, simple day.  here are a few mother's day themed photos.

 my mom & me

me with my mom & brother shortly after he is born.  seriously mom- how do you look this good.  i mean, seriously, you look amazing.  i need to know people's baby-havin' secrets...

me and my boy on mother's day.  love.

on tuesday we celebrated dave's 30th(!) birthday!  it was a bit of a crazy day for us- in the middle of the afternoon, i got a few frantic messages from various members of the family letting me know that dave's great aunt was stranded in chicago where she was connecting on her flight from seattle to visit dave's gma in ft. wayne.  she needed someone to pick her up & i was the only one available... and we've never met...  luckily, i found aunt connie quite easily and made it back to dave's parent's house with her.  we ended up having to skip the gym, but went out for our normal tuesday night dinner and back for cake- a cake made from scratch- by me!  we got home and gave dave his "gifts" (for the first time ever they had not arrived in time)- we went with the hard-to-find indians hat that he wanted from our cleveland trip, and a 3 month beer of the month club membership!  i even decorated the house and dave's car in honor of the big day!!


 delicious homemade carrot cake... and 2 sweet guys!

i've got it pretty good, even when i don't think i do.  ;)

happy monday!


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30 before thirty... (a new home)

my list... again.  sorry, i need to move this post to its own new post so i can reference it easier!  i didn't want to be scratching things off my old list when i have a new list.  hopefully i'll just make this into a blog tab and make it easier on everyone...

my 30 before thirty

1.      renew my passport 
2.      visit canada 
3.      start an actual work out plan or start riding a bike 
4.      lose the rest of my baby weight + 10 
5.      bike out to crystal lake and back 
6.      drink less soda 
7.     throw an awesome 30th birthday bash
8.      develop a weekly plan for keeping our house clean 
9.      finish printing all my pre-baby photos and put them into albums 
10.  plant a garden 
11.  date night with husband at least twice a month 
12.  super secret Item
13.  take our first family vacation 
14.  pay off (original- ie: ian's birth) hospital bills so we can pay off student loans and be debt free! 
15.  teach ian sign language 
16.  get my nose pierced- maybe? 
17.  bake a cake from scratch 
18.  cloth diaper and cloth wipes 
19.  start a compost pile 
20.  make ian’s baby food myself  
21.  eat healthier- more cooking at home! 
22.  continue growing our marriage by working on the love dare - 100 days to go!
23.  join the rest of the modern world with a smart phone 
24.  get rid of the clothes in my closet/drawers that i’m never going to wear again 
25.  have all my old camp/college tshirts made into quilts 
26.  take ian to the georgia aquarium 
27. purge our own home of all the stuff we don't need.
28.  file our financial documents- shred the junk! 
29.  visit at least 3 more ballparks  1.  cleveland.  2. 
30.  drink at least 32 oz. water a day Pin It!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

i resolve... may

not to make stupid resolutions this year that i will have forgotten about by... yesterday.

instead.  my "resolution" is to make a short list of attainable goals each month- and to share them with you.  sometimes later in the month than expected...

i'm getting earlier with my posts... that's good.  let's review my goals for april.
  • finish 2 more books - HOORAY- BUtterfield 8 & Garden Anywhere
  • finish 2 more 30/30 items.  i didn't finish anything.  but i have been working hard on items!
  • don't spend any extra money on crap this month.  approved items are:  tv with tax money (planned ahead), lunch this weekend w\ friends we haven't seen since october.  easter basket goodies for ian.  out of the house date.  trip to milwaukee to see the braves (tickets are $0.75).  all of this total (not including the tv should cost less than $100)we did well enough on this one to mark it out.  most importantly, i didn't buy any clothes this month.  we bought our tv, had our lunch, got easter baskets and went to milwaukee.  we also ended up going to cleveland- which was relatively inexpensive.  the one unplanned item- a portable dvd player to keep ian occupied on our trip back.  success.  oh gosh, i forgot about the vera sale.  so maybe this is a fail.
  • 2 date nights.  1 at home.  1 out.  one at home, and then dave & i went to cleveland
  • lose 2 lbs.  i didn't bother with this in march, but i'm coming back to it.  it's been 8 weeks now- the weight has got to start coming off.  i'm busting my butt.  i'm not talking to my scale.  i have no idea if this has happened. 
  • figure out how to spend/save the remaining tax money.  we could pay off ian's hospital bills in full, but would like to save some money as well.  unfortunately, it went to our atlanta trip and paying all the er bills except the big one. 
  • cash in my bonds.  they're earning about $0.25 a year.  ridiculous.  money in everyone's pocket.
goals for may!
  • sell stuff we don't need on ebay (move clothes from smashion if necessary)
  • drink more water.  i've really been slacking lately.
  • go to bed earlier (revisiting this one b\c as soon as it came off my list, i just started doing it)
  • detox.  guys, this is so hard.  thinking about it scares me.  i have a HUGE sweet tooth.  i don't feel that i overeat when it comes to sweets, but i love them so much.  i also love dr. pepper.  it's embarrassing... mostly embarrassing to admit that i'm so weak.
  • 2 date nights.
  • be the bigger person when it comes to a certain family issue that i can't seem to let go of.  i can only control my own actions, not another person's.  
  • finish my book
  • practice patience with ian as his molars are coming in and i want to wring his adorable neck while he screams at me all day (6 hours, anyone?) (and i'm not going to really wring his neck, fyi, so don't report me to defacs)
  • 30/30.  2 items.  
that's a lot on my plate this month.  ai yi yi. Pin It!

Monday, May 9, 2011

catching up - easter

remember last week (or maybe it was the week before..) when i blogged about how i don't have my head on straight and my bedroom looks like a shipping warehouse?  ai yi yi...  well, much to my husband's delight, i finally unpacked that suitcase, and now my child actually has clothes in his room.  i can't figure out why i've been so frazzled lately.  as i'm blogging, i'm multi-tasking by paying a phone bill that was due a week ago, and yesterday, i found out that i had completely forgotten to make a payment on my credit card.  hello late fee.  sorry, husband.  it's like i've never existed in the outside world before... you spend 2 weekends out of town and your entire world flips upside down...  at least if you're me. 

tomorrow dave turns 30.  ian has been running a fever off/on and is a total crankster today.  i need to run to the post office to mail ebay stuff and i need to run a couple more small errands- but cranky doesn't mesh well with errands.  i have to work tonight (of course), so it has to be down in the next 5 hours... luckily, ian is napping now, but who knows how long that will last.  basically, i'm running out of time. 

i've totally blown it on dave's bday.  i am usually so, so, so good at this, but i'm admitting defeat.  i had 2 absolutely wonderful ideas, but they are both well over my budget.  i'm basically grasping at straws here.  dear- i'm sorry.  :(

so, the title of this blog mentioned easter... i probably should too.  we had the pleasure of spending easter in atlanta again this year where once again it was 30 degrees warmer than it was at home.  we saw family, friends, enjoyed delicious mexican food, and i got my hair cut for the 1st time in almost a year.  delightful.  we went to church w\ my parents for easter sunday and ian lasted about 20 minutes before i decided that he would need to go to a church nursery for the 1st time.  he was fine of course. 

a little from our trip...

 we met with family and friends for dinner.  L: dave & ian with ian's cousin landon, and his daddy, ryan.  ryan is married to my cousin, christi.  R:  our little family.

outdoor easter picture.  maybe next year we will learn that this tree casts horrible shadows and to take family photos elsewhere... oh, and you can't tell, but ian is wearing a little vest and tie- presh!


here's me and my little boy, and a shot of me.  i was pretty impressed with how this dress ended up looking on me once i added the belt.  it felt nice to feel thin even when you're not.

 ian checking out his goods from the easter bunny

 ian giving my parents georgia bulldog statue a kiss.  go dawgs!

ian with his grandparents!

ian with his great grandparents- gigi & pop

the whole fam

i would ask you what you did for easter, but you probably already blogged about it seeing as it was a little over 2 weeks ago...
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

30th Birthday Wishes

my 30th birthday is a little over 6 weeks away- and husband's 30th birthday is in a mere 6 days!  Usually i'm on the ball with birthday gifts for dave- but i'm stumped (sorry dave).  i want something really special seeing as it's his 30th birthday...  any ideas?  anyone?  anyone?  help!

however, i know what i want for myself... of course...

 

this gorgeous comforter set from target.  our room needs something new- and i think this will really brighten things up for spring and summer!


this mixer.  duh.

when it finally stays warm here, i want these on my feet when i'm not wearing sandals or flats!


i've never had a "nice" watch before- this one is so pretty

a new pair of brown shoes- either these or, the more wallet-friendly ones from f21


a beautiful handmade scarf from the pleated poppy


or this beautiful handmade necklace from allora handmade

just a few things that are on my list!  i'd be lucky to just get one of those items!!  but i guess mother's day is coming up too!!

now, what to get for husband... running out of time!


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just bragging on myself, that's all

guys, i can be, well, a bit of a cheapskate.  it's not that i don't spend money, b\c believe me, i do.  but unfortunately, we're not made of money, and our never ending hospital bills due to our horrible medical insurance are cramping my style- so i gotta save where i can!  so when i get a good bargain, i just wanna shout it out to everyone!  and i've gotten a couple really good bargains lately!!

after our car accident, we had to get a new seat- the accident wasn't that serious, but i called the seat manufacturer and they recommend that seats be replaced regardless of crash severity.  we decided to go w\ the sunshine kids radian car seat.  i've heard nothing but incredible things about it- but the price was always a bit steep...  then a friend from my mom's group tipped us off on a sale that buy buy baby was having on the seats- 20% all sunshine kids seats- taken off immediately at register!


seat- $299 (regular price)
         -20%   (that's almost $60!!)
_________
$239

then, i always make sure that i hang on to my buy buy baby & bed bath & beyond coupons- the ones for bed bath can be used @ buy buy.  that's another 20% off!!

$239
-20%  (that's almost another $50!!)
________
$191.36

add in 10% for tax and that makes my grand total... $210!!  whoo hoo!!

my next great deal was something i've been pondering over for months- the ergo carrier.  highly touted and does something that my beloved bjorn doesn't do- allows me to carry ian on my back or hip!  baby steals has offered this carrier a few times before and i didn't bite- but this time it seemed too good to pass up- so i stole it!

 

ERGObaby sport carrier $115 regular price.  baby steals price- $57!!  with shipping/tax $69!!

if someone had told me i could get a new convertible car seat & an ergo carrier for less than $280, i probably would've laughed in their face... but i did it!!

boo ya!

i want to know about your great bargains!  i'm always looking for new deals! Pin It!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

mommy reads: garden anywhere


i recently finished garden anywhere by alys fowler.  inspired by my desire to grow a garden for my 30/30 i read this book because i was basically clueless.  now i am even more clueless.  not really... ok, a little.  seriously though- i almost think i would've been better just going it myself- not b\c the book isn't well written or b\c alys isn't brilliant, b\c it is, and she is.  but there is so much to gardening, and now that i've read all her tips, i feel like i should be following her rules to the letter- and it's just so involved.  if i had done it myself, i probably just would've went and thrown everything into the same spot, but now... i can't.  or at least, i don't think i can...

alys shows you that you really can garden anywhere- from your lush, giant backyard, to 1 tiny window box.  from food to flowers- it's all there.  she even tells you how to start making your own compost, or how to worm compost (eww!). i'm so excited about starting a compost pile b\c this is also on my 30/30 list.  i'm also excited about gardening... if it ever gets warm enough for the love of a loving God.  this books is full of helpful tips and beautiful pictures.  i know i'll be a better gardener for it, once i get over my neuroses.  and this will be one of those books that i have with me while i'm gardening- reading to make sure i'm doing everything right b\c i'm crazy like that...  so if you're curious about gardening and want to have a garden, but not sure you have the space that allows for it- i definitely recommend you pick this book up.  i can't wait to show off my gardening skills... you know, if it ever warms up.
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