Posts Tagged ‘shopping’
Dollar Store
Posted on: June 25, 2015
I visited the Dollar Tree for the first time last week.
I don’t know what took me so long to visit.
M found the hoola hoop that was just her size. She had been looking for one for the longest time and she was so happy that she found one. I had to snatch it up right away. The price? ONE DOLLAR!
I also found a few art supplies that I didn’t buy. We didn’t need it at the time, but I now know where to go when we do.
We only got to stay for a little bit because K was not happy about being inside her carrier and stroller, but I can’t wait to come back and get more things.
These are my Dollar Tree finds that definitely will find it’s way on to some cards and crafts in the future.
I caught it…
Posted on: November 26, 2013
Yes. I have been off the blog for a few days.
Toddler germs are really potent.
I caught whatever M was dealing with.
M has gotten over it quite quickly.
What ever she was dealing with absolutely floored me! There weren’t enough steam baths, decongestants, tissues and hot tea in the world that was going to make me better. Seriously.
I was so stuffed up one night that I was so absolutely miserable and angry at the world.
I just couldn’t stop complaining and ranting and sulking and just being absolutely miserable just because I couldn’t breathe through my nose.
A little melodramatic, I know.. but I couldn’t help it.
My poor M, because she wanted to be with me at all times, she had to hear about how miserable I was. I’d lie there and she’d look at me.. and I’d just pour my frustrated heart out to her.
And if you’re wondering, no, I never blamed her for my cold. It’s not like she gave it to me on purpose. It’s not her fault.
Luckily, the severe congestion only lasted one night. I’m still battling congestion, but it’s not as bad as that one sad night. The cold seems to be lingering for me, while M is pretty much on the mend.
I hope this cold won’t be too bad during Thanksgiving, I’d love to have some sense of taste back when I eat some yummy Thanksgiving food..
Toddler bed.. the reality..
Posted on: November 18, 2013
A few months or so ago, we mentioned toddler beds.. I knew it was an inevitability, but I just figured we’d cross that bridge when we get there..
We got to the bridge this weekend.
Saturday morning, I woke up wedged (literally) between Hubby and M. They were pressed up so much against me that I had no room to move. It was uncomfortable, but I felt loved. Who wouldn’t want the two people you love the most being so close to them?!
Anyway, we all woke up and Hubby and I were having a conversation about how squished I was between them. Hubby mentioned toddler beds, and I brushed it off. I didn’t want to deal with that yet.
But it was as if M was listening in on our conversation and actually understanding what we were saying because she suddenly said, “Sleep in small bed? Yes?”
Me: “You want to sleep on a small bed? You want your own bed?”
M: “Yes.”
Me: “You will sleep in a small bed? Where will me Mimi and Daddy sleep?”
M: “Big bed.”
Well.. later on that day, we purchased a toddler bed. Yes.
We looked at Babies R Us and priced them.. The frame alone was $119, while the mattress cost anywhere between $199 to $79! That didn’t include any sheet sets, we didn’t bother to look.
Luckily, next door to the Babies R Us was a Target. We found a cute bedframe that looks almost like our bed for only $79. The mattress we chose was $69. The sheet set we purchased (Sofia the First) was about $12. We have the Target card, so we have a 5% discount on all our purchases AND we had gift cards.
I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for not wanting to get the most expensive, like I used to.. I think I’m finally growing up!
We assembled the bed and put it in our bedroom.
It’s one thing to get her a toddler bed.. it’s another issue for me to deal with to get her out of our bedroom! Baby steps..
Bed time came and she went straight to the toddler bed, which she called “sofia bed” because of the Sofia the First sheets. She put the comforter around her and asked for the lights to be off. I really thought she was going to go through with it.
I go up into my bed and she follows.
Me: “Aren’t you going to sleep in the sofia bed?”
M: shakes her head “No, sleep in mimi bed?”
Ok..
So, as much as she loves her toddler bed, at this moment, she thinks its just another new toy.
We’ll try again tonight, but I won’t force it. I will put her there for naps, but bed time will be a process..
I guess having a toddler bed isn’t so bad after all..
Play doh..
Posted on: November 13, 2013
M is so interested in Play Doh that a good number of the videos she watches on Youtube involve playing with a Play Doh set.
Not kidding.
She watches this video where they are reviewing some sort of ice cream making Play Doh toy. She watches this video where someone is making a rainbow with Play Doh. She watches this video where they are opening a box of some Play Doh toy and just going over what’s inside and then making stuff with it..
It’s pretty cute how obsessed she seems to be with Play Doh.
I won’t buy her any.
Not that I’m against Play Doh. I used to love Play Doh as a child. I remember having so many tubs of it. I also remember being really careful not to mix my colors together. So the objects I ended up creating were always just one color. I didn’t like seeing the colors get all mixed up.
The reason I won’t buy her any is because she sticks toys in her mouth. Yes, at two years old, she still has a habit of sticking things in her mouth. The scary thing is, since her mouth has obviously grown, objects fit further into her mouth than before. So we have been SUPER diligent about the objects that are around her. There are the obvious play foods and table settings that go into her mouth. She loves to pretend she’s eating, or having a tea party. Such a girlie girl. Then there are toys that should be in her mouth, and that’s why I worry.
She always asks for Play Doh videos, and when she sees actual Play Doh in the stores, she always seems to want it. I feel really bad about not getting it for her, but it’s for her safety. I tell her all the time, “I will buy you Play Doh when you no longer put random things in your mouth.” So far, she hasn’t shown me that she’s matured in this aspect, so.. no Play Doh.
I can’t wait until she is old enough for it all. I can’t wait to play with the Play Doh with her. Maybe I’ll show her that it’s ok to mix colors. Maybe that’s more for me than for her. I shudder to think of the icky brown color that will result when all the colors eventually get smushed together.. :::shudder:::
Thankful November:
November 13 – I’m thankful that my daughter has the opportunity to discover new toys and new experiences through technology. I’m thankful that she is blessed with these opportunities to grow and learn and develop.
Craft fair..
Posted on: November 11, 2013
Usually I post crafty stuff on my craft blog “CutieQ Cards n Crafts.”
This time, since it’s more about observations than actual crafting, I decided to put it here..
I heard there was a Craft Fair at the local Church my family and I attend. They also have a Craft Mininstry, which I was super curious about since crafting is totally my thing..
I went to the craft fair with intentions of looking at the products, and maybe talking to someone in the ministry to see what is needed to participate in the ministry and in next years craft fair..
We got there fairly early. It was busy! I had no idea the craft fair at the Church would be so popular.
When I looked at the products, my heart sank. If I sat there with my handmade cards and banners, I would have been overlooked completely! It was jewelry, blankets, soaps, painted art turned into cards, holiday decorations..
Everything looked so much more professional than my handmade cards and banners..
Plus, there weren’t many handmade papergood vendors.. I only saw one table that had some handmade cards and gift card holders, and honestly, they didn’t look like they were getting much business..
I’m sure a lot of the vendors sold handmade crafts, but it just seemed like it was all way out of my league.
There was so much inventory, if I ever wanted to participate, I’d have to start making cards and stuff TWO years before the event! Plus, there’s the issue of displaying my stuff, and packaging it just right..
I was feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it..
It is a goal to want to participate in something like this in the future. I wish I could think of more things that I could make in order to make my stuff sell more and sell better. I wish I wasn’t limiting myself to paper goods.. but with the time and space and budget I have, I really can’t venture into anything else at the moment.
I’m still thinking of ways to make this aspect of my life better. I’d like it to become something that could make me a little spending money. I don’t ever expect it to become a full source of income, but it would be nice to see it become something a little helpful. With all my aspirations of becoming a stay at home mom, a little extra income while doing something I love, is the perfect little dream.
I’ll keep my mind turning for ideas… meanwhile, check out my crafting Facebook page “CutieQ Cards n Crafts” and click “Like.” I’m so close to reaching 1000 likes! That will make me totally excited. Also, visit my blog linked at the beginning of this blog entry!
Thankful November:
I’m thankful for creativity that God has blessed me with.
Product Review: Wetbag
Posted on: August 28, 2013
I love this wetbag.
I don’t do cloth diapers, but I rely on this wetbag constantly when M and I are out and about.
This wetbag is lined with waterproof cloth and is perfect for when M decides to spill things on herself. It’s also great to store outfits that unfortunately get wet due to a diaper leak. A change of clothes and this wetbag are the two essentials when going out and running errands and such.
My friend owns the Etsy shop, Rosalie Jane’s Creation, and sews all these wetbags. The quality of her work is absolutely exquisite. The bag is very durable and big enough to fit a whole outfit, and more! If you use cloth diapers, or just have a toddler, having one of these is a lifesaver! Before I had this, I would go searching for a plastic bag if M decided to get something wet, or her diaper leaked. Those weren’t always readily available, especially when I’m somewhere where plastic bags aren’t normally distributed.
The bag is easy to clean. I was told to just turn the bag inside out, then wash with the rest of your toddler’s laundry. Then you can either pop it into the dryer, or hang dry it.
I highly recommend these bags to anyone and everyone! She offers them in several different patterned fabrics and colors. I do believe she also takes custom orders for these, and other items she sells.
Please visit her Etsy shop, Rosalie Jane’s Creation.
Also visit her FB page, Rosalie Jane’s Creation.
Lastly, visit her blog, Rosalie Jane’s Creation.
The grocery dilemma..
Posted on: January 15, 2013
When I first moved to SD, I remember writing a blog post about how to manage grocery shopping, meal planning, and stuff like that..
It’s been about two years since then, and while I thought I had it under control, evidently, I don’t.
For awhile, we were buying a lot of perishables at Costco, but realized that we were throwing so much food away because it would go bad before we could make a dent in the stash..
We decided that we’d go grocery shopping for veggies and other perisables about once a week at a regular grocery store. We’d plan what foods to make for the week and then buy accordingly.
Even THAT is proving difficult.
We were at the grocery store on Saturday. I could NOT figure out what I wanted to make for this week. It’s hard to decide on food ahead of time.
There are just too many options. AND it’s hard to think about food when you aren’t hungry!
Maybe it’s because I’m a working mom, that I’m having such a hard time with this. I just wish we could come up with a better system that doesn’t require a daily trip to the grocery store to get the veggies that I need for dinner that night.
I’m all for the freezing of cooked meals to have for future use, but since we don’t have a big freezer, we have no room for storage..
Any suggestions?!
Almost done!!
Posted on: December 14, 2012
We’re about 11 days away until Christmas and I’m happy to say that I’m pretty much almost done with Christmas shopping!
We’ve probably got about less that five more gifts that we need to buy and then we’re done!
I did take the easy route and bought a lot of gift cards. Being the terrible gift giver that I am, I always find it easier to just supply them with a gift card so they can get the thing that they acutally want!
The fun side of buying a bunch of gift cards is that I was able to make a whole bunch of handmade gift card holders.. hee hee.. (shameless plug to visit CutieQCardsnCrafts on Facebook.. don’t forget to LIKE it too.. )
Now the hard part is wrapping everything.. actually.. it’s more like finding the time to wrap everything..
I know I’ll get it done..
How far have you gotten on your Christmas shopping?!?!
Adventures in parenting..
Posted on: November 23, 2012
- In: Parenthood
- 2 Comments
After a year or so of parenting, I totally thought I had it down. I thought this parenting thing was so easy. I was ready start giving unsolicited advice to new mothers and possibly write a how-to book…
Ok, not really.
The point is… I felt totally under control.
Until this past weekend.
We were out of town on an overnight stay to be with some family friends. We were asked to run a quick errand and we took M with us.
Thinking that it was going to be quick, i decided to not bring the diaper bag…
Hubby and I made it to the last stop on our errands (buying food) when hubby makes the comment , “M, you better not go #2 while we are gone… Mommy didn’t bring your diaper bag.”
It’s like he knew….
As we were waiting for our food to arrive, a certain familiar smell hits my nose…
I panic. She doesn’t have a diaper, what if she gets a rash? Or worse, what if she gets a urinary infection if I don’t clean her up right away?
So I take her to the bathroom with a game plan. I was going to take the poo out of her diaper, wipe her down with wet toilet paper, put the diaper back on lined with toilet paper.
Gross, yes I know. But I figured it was better than risking her getting a rash or infection over it.
However, angels in the form of a mother and toddler came in just in time.
She kindly gave me a diaper after asking her for one and we were good to go!
I felt so low on the parenting scale.
Toddlers are so unpredictable and seem to follow Murphy’s law. I should have known better. I should always be prepared.
Parenting lesson learned!
Christmas shopping..
Posted on: November 17, 2012
Black Friday is coming up…
That means Christmas shopping will be starting up soon.
I’ve got my list, and I’m pretty sure we can find gifts for everyone on the list.. I just have one that I’m unsure of..
Little M.
This is her second Christmas. She’s fully aware of how to open gifts, play with toys, play with boxes, play with paper.. etc.
But what am I going to give her?
My parents are most likely going to get here that Rockstar Elmo that plays the drums and sings songs. M loves watching Elmo sing whenever we find ourselves in the toy aisle.
I was going to get her the first and second season of The Fresh Beat Band and both CDs of their music.
But, I can always let her watch episodes off of Netflix.. so why spend the money on the DVDs?!?
She’s also very much into Dora the Explorer.. so I can probably find something for her Dora-related..
I just don’t know what to get her..
I think I’m going to have to take her to Toys R Us and let her roam the aisles so I can see what sort of toys she is drawn to. Then I can make my selection from there..
How did you decide what to give your toddlers for Christmas?
Living life in the carpool lane.. 