Dave Ramsey would be SO FRICKIN' PROUD!

I cannot stop smiling about how much of a deal I got today.  So some how (maybe craigslist???) I ran into an ad for this event at an organization called Parent Talk in Needham.  Basically, twice a year, they host a HUGE rummage sale aimed at ages 0-8 years.  The sale runs at typical yard sale prices from 10am-11:45am.  Then at 12:00, they switch over to a "bag sale" where anything you can fit inside a brown paper grocery bag you get for $10 total for the bag.  Well, T.E. (soon to be T.B.... if she's taking his name, that is...) went with me today to scope out the sale at 11:15 and to do some MONDO shopping at 12:00 sharp.  And look what we came up with!!!

In case you can't tell from the picture, that includes:

1 baby bath tub

1 bouncy seat

1 boppy

1 changing table top pad

9 board books

7 cloth books

6 other random cloth toys

5 hats

11 bibs

2 blankies

3 maternity tops

1 maternity pants

20 onsies

10 cotton/light weight sleepers

5 warm/fuzzy sleepers

9 light weight sleep sacks

25 pairs of pants

6 kimono/wrap tops

4 sweaters

4 other longsleeved tops

1 bathrobe

1 pair of socks

If my (really bad) math is correct, I think thats 133 items... 

wanna guess how much I spent?!?!?!

Oh yeah... $36.00 even.  Not a penny more or less! 

T.E. and I totaled up what the sale prices were if I'd shopped before the 12:00 bag sale.  That alone was $200+.  And when we estimated what the likely retail price was of these items, we felt it was highly likely over $1,500.  

I pretty much feel like a rock star.  And you can bet I'm joining whatever listserv I need to be on in order to be alerted of the next sale.  If they do this twice a year, I think I've found my only necessary source of kids clothes, toys, etc for the next few years.  

Maternity Clothes

So tonight's obsession is about how the heck I'm gonna make it through the pregnancy without spending a fortune on maternity clothes. It doesn't make sense to me to buy a bunch of new stuff for several reasons. First, I'll only wear the stuff a few months, and then they're back in a box for years (or ever?) until I... what... have another? That's so not something we're even gonna discuss right now. Secondly, what a WASTE of money!!!

Thus, I'm really keeping my eyes peeled for interesting ways to keep my maternity expenses down. Right now, I'm using the 'rubber band trick' which, from what I can tell, most moms know about. (Where did we learn this stuff before the internet?) And things like Belly Bands, of course, make a lot of sense to stretch my 'normal' pants a few more weeks/months (I'm ordering mine tonight, because they were out of my size at Isis this weekend). But what other ideas can I find or think of?

Turns out, there's a lot of great ideas out there on the internet! Who would have thought?!?! Take a look:

make-baby-stuff.com shows how to turn two shirts that are too-short into one that's long enough. It's actually brilliant for tees and for tanks. The question is, are the bright, contrasting colors too cheesy? Maybe putting a neutral like tan or black in the middle would make sense for work.

homemadebyjill.blogspot.com shows how to take one larger shirt and turn it into a slightly tighter one. Hm... might require a trip to good will, especially if I don't want to just steal all of Ben's shirts. ;-)

diymaternity.com's ribbon tied top

and finally, here's a couple top patterns that honestly, while I have the skill for, I probably just won't take the time:

ruthie-lilmamasews.blogspot.com

diymaternity.com's men's button down top

Any other ideas for me???

BPA free? What else you got?

So sure... BPA is bad. We got that news a few years ago. But when my patients at work ask me, "what bottle system would YOU choose?" I always wish I had a better answer which was more earth friendly than the average. The next step up is glass. Not only is glass BPA free, but it's also free of any other toxins in plastic we don't yet know about. And using glass bottles fits with the face that Ben and I stopped using plastic Tupperware containers last year too. We just really feel we want to minimize the plastic in our lives.

But glass bottles have their downfalls too. In my recent search, I've come across a new possibility. What about stainless steel? I mean, it's the preferred material for adult bottles these days, why not kiddos too? Check these out:


stainless Steel bottles by Pura! They are unbreakable, toxin free, and adaptable to grow with our little Olive until he or she is a toddler and beyond!

Thoughts? We just might be crazy enough to break out of the box and try 'Em...

Reduce reuse recycle

Hey! I feel strongly about the ideas of 'cheap' and 'reuse' in all walks of life. But especially as I start this new chapter as a parent, I really want to get off on the right foot. Thus, I've signed up for this awesome new website called Thred Up. You can find them at thredup.com. The principle is that you exchange (for a small fee) your box of unwanted items for a box of someone else's unwanted items. It looks pretty cool, actually! If you're a parent or grandparent (or uncle, aunt, or cousin with a spending problem), I highly recommend you check it out.

Thred Up even has a referral program. So if you decide to join, use my referral code in the pic above and we both get a deal!

Start at the beginning

I had a first post written. It was witty, intelligent, and thoughtful. And then somehow the iPad deleted it. The iPad is not witty, intelligent, or thoughtful. But the bottom line... You guessed it, is we're pregnant! We've made it to the 14 week mark and I'm even starting to bulge a little.

Yes, we'll find out the gender.
Yes, we are getting excited (slowly... Day by day...)
No, I haven't felt too terrible.
Yes, I told work already and they took it well!
No, we haven't decided on cloth diapers vs disposable, but I am very pleased that so many of you have asked me because it means you see me as the green person I want to be!

What other questions have you all been asking? ;-)

I don't envision myself becoming a hard-core blogging momma. Every time I start a journal for myself for a blog for the world, it tends to last a few months and then fizzle out. But I am, for some reason, trying hard not to become 'that mom' who only talks about her pregnancy or child on Facebook. Thus, I thought that for now, while my head is swimming with pregnancy related thoughts, a blog might be a good place to track them. That way those of who who care can read it and those of you who don't can skip right by without being too irritated or annoyed with me.