Sunday, January 31, 2010

Target Diaper Deal

I almost forgot.  There is an awesome deal going on at Target, I believe till the end of the week. 

You can buy 4 packs of 96 count Up and Up diapers and save 15 %.  You will save 8.00 with the promotion...and you will get free shipping, which would have cost 23.39.  This brings your total to 46.55 for 384 diapers.

I calculated all of this with size 3 diapers, that is where you can get the biggest sale (luckily my son's size).  But there are other sizes on sale as well, just different counts.  The free shipping is on 3-5 day.

Hope this helps!

Menu Plan

Well, ladies, here is what I plan on cooking this week.  Thanks to my awesome food shopping last week while saving 50 dollars...we have enough to get through the rest of the week!  Feel free to post your comments and menu plans, I love new ideas.  Enjoy!

Monday: Lucky us, we get to eat at my in laws!  It's fish and chips for Ryan and Baked fish for me =)
I will let Nick try some of the fish and chips.

Tuesday: Sausage, bacon, and beans cooked in a tomato sauce served over polenta.  This is a mixture of a recipe from lydia and my husband.  It is sooo yummy!
For the little guy: beans and polenta

Wednesday: baked chicken potatoes, and onions
For Nick: Maybe some ravioli

Thursday: Pasta Night  Probably just a quick home made tomato sauce
Pasta for nick

Friday: I think it will probably be a pizza night..I said, probably, don't tell my husband =)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

My little boy grew overnight!

We woke up this morning and as usual I got Nick changed.  I put on one of my favorite bodysuits of his..and it doesn’t fit.  He has worn this thing TWICE.  It was even the next size up 18-24 months!  Well, this isn’t good considering I had a bunch of stuff loaded into my baby gap cart all in this size.  It is already a big enough problem that we have to get him new clothes right before the season changes…now I just have no idea what size to get him.
Who am I kidding…I am loving this.  That means I need to go shopping, and I should probably actually go to the store so I can see what I am getting, and how big the outfit looks.  So off I go.  I stopped at Kohl’s as recommended by a friend.  There were some great sales, but nothing that I liked that would have fit him.  My next stop was of course babygap.  I am lucky enough, or cursed enough, to have one right around the corner.  The clothes were just too cute to pass up there.  I bought him some shirts in size 18-24 months but not bodysuits.  He has this incredibly unproportionate body.  But still, oh so cute.
Here’s some of his new diggs:
babyblue This shirt is so amazingly soft.  I got it in baby blue.  I wanted one for myself.
mrcoool This shirt and the last one were 2/20.  I wasn’t so in love with it…but it was the best of the options, and Nick is Mr. Cool.
fish
I am hoping that this gets us through until at least late march.  I have to at least be thankful that he is finally eating after his two month strike! 
Check in tomorrow for my meal plans for the week…I think that actually posting my plan will help me follow through and provide some home cooked meals for my boys. Also, take a look at my swagbucks link.  My nephew told me about it and I think it's great.  You earn "swagbucks" and then can cash them in for just about anything.  Have a good weekend!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

SAHM: Part II “What do you do all day?”

For all of you stay at home moms, have you ever heard this question, “What do you do all day?”  I sure have.  There are two types of people that ask you this question, ok, maybe three.  The first are truly curious, they know that it must be a pretty serious job, they just truly want to hear more about it.  The second, well, they think they are better than you.  What could you possibly do all day? Watch tv, read a book, take a nap, and occasionally play games with your little one?  The third is other moms.  Let’s deal with all three of these people in this post.

Like I said in the previous post, staying at home with your children is no easy task.  There are many never-ending lonely days where you just pray that your husband will get home just a little early so you can have some sanity.

When we decided that I would stay home, I prepared myself.  What would my job be?  How would I label myself.  I knew I needed a way to define myself other then…Nick’s mom.  The titles I decided on were: teacher, mother, wife, companion, organizer, budgeter etc.  You don’t want to lose yourself by staying at home.  All too many moms run themselves ragged, don’t take care of themselves, and are not overly happy with their lives.  How do I know this?  I was this person for a long time.  I can honestly say that before these past few months, yes, I enjoyed being with my son, but I didn’t have anything else that I enjoyed about it.  I got through it, day by day, no identity other then Nick’s mom.

So, what do I do, and how did I get there.  Just like I did when I worked, I set a weekly schedule.  I plan ahead to have things to look forward to during the week.  I make sure to have at least 4 days out of the week where I know Nick and I will be socializing and out of the house for at least an hour.  This is critical, I think I’d go crazy being stuck in my house all day long.  You need to look and look for different activities.  Google is your best friend.  I guarantee you will find either a Gymboree, my gym, or other gymnastics or music class for your child.  They can sometimes be pricey though.  If it is in your budget I definitely recommend it!  You can also find playgroups on meetup.com or even start your own.  I was so surprised when I met one of my now great friends while posting for a playgroup on craigslist.  The local library for reading time is also a great bet.  Sometimes Nick and I will just go to the library to read a few books to get out of the house.  Through some of those activities, you will hopefully be as blessed as I have been, to meet some amazing people, who become great friends.  If not, there is always other classes.

I do recommend having a day, though, where you and your child can just relax.  Plan some indoor activities, read to them.  It does a lot to ground you and your child and get them back on a routine.

Finally, for the ones that ask the question, "what do you do all day,” and judge…I spend my day doing what I am too selfish to have anyone else do for me.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Part I: Stay at Home Moms

I had originally planned on getting this post out a little earlier this morning, but wouldn’t you know, it’s happened again.  I’ve spilled a liquid on my laptop.  The first time I did it I was about 7 months pregnant and attempted to get up without support, kicking my iced tea onto my computer.  It was never the same again.  Today, I, unfortunately have no excuses.  I am addicted to coffee, and this addiction almost ruined a 1300 dollar laptop that was a present from my in laws (no one tell).  So, wow, do I tell my husband? Yea because I am a sucker. But, of course not until I try to fix it myself only leaving my husband two hours of work when he got home.

Well, here I am.  The computer is fine, thank God. 
Let’s start with the decision to actually become a stay at home mom.  It is not in the least an easy decision.  Usually, it is even hard to decide if it something you wish to do, nevertheless, if your family can afford it.  The truth is, it isn’t an easy decision.  There aren’t even two decisions.  There is no wrong and right.  In my opinion…everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Some believe that no child is better left with someone other then their own parent.  Mother knows best, that is where your child will get the most nurturing environment.  Or, is it that a structured environment, with a structured day full of activities and socializing best?  Who knows.  Really all it comes down to is what is best for your family.

Let’s talk income.  You may think that any extra income is just that, extra income.  Yeah, not true.  Nannies are NOT cheap, and neither is daycare.  I was paying my nanny 400 a week.  That’s 1600 a month, a whole lot of money.  If you add that to gas money, lunch money, work clothes, and anything else a career mom/dad would need…Are you really making that much?  For some of you the answer may be yes.  If so, by all means, consider how much this is helping your family.  And don’t forget the inevitable taxes and how a two income family may effect this.
http://www.hughchou.org/calc/dappen.cgi
Here is a calculator that will help you decide if the second income is really worth it.  In our case we found out that yes, we were making more money, but it wasn’t enough for me to emotionally justify what I was loosing by working.

This is assuming that you do wish to stay at home with your children.  There are of course other things that come into this decision.  Some people would just much rather go to work during the week, knowing that their child is socializing, and that they are providing what they believe is a better future for their children.  Some individuals have put a lot into their career goals and no matter how much they love their children, they need something else.  This is perfectly fine.  Some days I wonder what I was thinking when I gave up the prospect of sitting in my office, having conversations that didn’t revolve around sleep patterns and bottles.  There are ways to have both a fulfilling family life, work life, and even personal life.  For me, this wasn’t an option.  Some of you may just know what is right for your family, others may want something more in the middle.  I love having an occasional work day.  It makes me feel like I have not put my education to waste, and I love being able to use my mind in different ways.

Staying at home with your children is no joke.  Luckily I had the luxury of knowing this before I quit my job.  There are long, boring days ahead, but there is also joy, love, and the greatest gift of all…watching your lessons and love transform a baby into a young man or women.  This week I hope to share some of the ups and downs that I have faced and even some great tips on staying happy and enjoying every minute with your little one!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Stay at Home Mom Series

On the drive home from New Jersey, after I filled up my flat tire, I was thinking up what I should write about this week.  What came to mind is a conversation I had at the shower I went to this weekend.  I had the pleasure of meeting a very nice 32 year old mom of 4!  She looked extremely young an when I asked her if she had any children, the last thing I expected her to say was 4.  Anyway, we got to talking about the sacrifices an choices you make when you have children.  She was finally going back to school after staying home to raise her children for the past 11 years.

A lot of the times when you have children you have to choose between two things that are very important to you.  For instance, your career, or caring for your child full time.  For me, this was not an easy decision, but in the en, one that came very naturally.  I went pretty far in my pregnancy thinking that as soon as Nick was born, I would take a 6 week leave (of the imaginary job I would one day have) and then return to work happy to be building my career.  This was easier said then done.  Of course, there was the fact that I couldn’t fin a job that I actually enjoyed going to every day, but also because leaving him to be with someone else every day was so much harder then I expected.

I would go some days of seeing my son only 30 minutes.  I would treasure every single second that I got to spend with him.  We would try to keep him up just a little later at night, and I wouldn’t mind holding him for an hour trying to get him to fall asleep.  At the same time, though, I was completely miserable with my job and struggling to reconcile being a mom an working.  Trying to find time to do the dishes, or go grocery shopping was becoming the ultimate struggle.  Eventually, the combination of my horrible job, an desire to spend more time with Nick wore on me and we made the best decision for our family. 

There are definitely days where I wonder if we made the right choice, but every time the answer is most definitely.  Nick is flourishing and learning so much.  I am happy, I enjoy my role in the home, an I am sure my husband is happier that I am happier.  I still get to stay involve in my career, building experience, and hope to get back into it full force when our family is older.  But for now, I am enjoying music classes, Gymboree, play dates, and all the other things that go along with being a mom.  Anyway,  I thought it would be good to write about staying at home this week.  Maybe write about some of the decisions that go into it, the struggles, the joys etc.  So stay tuned.  Tomorrow I will talk about the decision, an some of the ways to decide if it is something your family could consider and what to expect. 
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

What did I do with myself before I had a child?

Have you ever asked yourself this before, if you have a child?  I bet you have.  It seems to be a common thing that parents say.  I, myself, have been saying it a lot lately...but it hasn't COMPLETELY hit me until today.

This morning I woke up early with my son and let my husband sleep in.  We each get one day a weekend to sleep in.  Get this, we sleep in until 8:30!  Sometimes we will cheat and wake up at 8 am so that we can lay in bed reading a book, or surfing the internet.  This has become what "rebelling"  is.  Well, anyway, I took care of Nick until my husband woke up.  During this time I got all his food ready for the day on the counter.  Cleaned a sippy cup, and mostly tried to straighten up the kitchen a little...all so that I knew things were mostly in order before I left for the night!  Yes! For the night.  I had a shower in New Jersey to go to and boy was I excited.  First, though, I had to stop and get milk and drop it back at home so that Nick doesn't go without his organic whole milk for a night.

Once this is all finished, I get on the road.  The day is going just as planned.  I decide to call my friend who I honestly had not spoken with in FOREVER.  We are talking and talking...when I realize, hey, I have NO CLUE where I am.  Yea, I missed my exit and thus have to go over the George Washington Bridge.  Not so bad when you are from New Jersey.  When you haven't lived their in over five years though, I finally get what people say when  NJ drivers are crazy!! It is NO joke.

I finally get to my destination 15 minutes after the bridal shower started, after changing and putting my makeup on in the car in a bank parking lot.  In the end it was great to see some old friends and catch up.  Once it was over I had the shocking realization that I had no child or husband to go home to.  I wouldn't be changing any diapers or giving any bottles tonight.  No baths, no putting my son to sleep, no night time stories...well, not in person at least.  Yes, that's right...I read both Goodnight Moon and the Very Hungry Caterpillar to my son, by heart, on speaker phone.  Sad, I know.  Mostly for my poor husband.

So the question is, seriously, what did we do before we had children?  It all seems so boring.  Maybe I can actually sleep a full 8 hours without going to put my son back to sleep...or maybe I will just lie awake contemplating how my life was so empty before he came along.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Spring Finds

As promised, here are some spring picks for the mommies.

I was very suprised with some of the new looks that are out, or for that matter, the old looks.

My favorite place to shop, no matter the time of the year, as my husband knows all too well, is Banana Republic and the Gap. It could be because I opened a credit card there about 5 years ago...or just because I love the style.

I have to say, though, I couldn't find anything that I was all too impressed with at these stores.

So I scoured the web and found some nice finds. It looks like the utility look is huge this season, but I will leave you to that, you can pretty much look at any site and find some great green or khaki colored jackets and pants out there.


First off: If you have a wedding coming up, or any other special occasion and feel like being a little sexy I found this great dress from Kohls that was designed by Lauren Conrad, from The Hills. It is on sale for 29.99.

















If you want to be a little more conservative, there is this dress from Nordstroms, BCBG for a little over 200.



















This jacket from Nordstrom is by Michael Kors. It's great for late winter, early spring. Price tag is 128.




























This is one thing that I did like from Gap, but it is rather expense at 44.50.












Nice Blouse from Ann Taylor Loft for 36.50, and a cute scoop neck from Banana Republic for 26.50


























This is a great bargain find from Kohl's Vera Bradley Collection. It is 23.99 and great for the office, or a day out.









And please send me any other cute pieces you see around!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Tot Spring Style

I have compiled a list of some of, what I think are, the cutest spring tot outfits. A lot of stores have just put their new lines out, and some of them are plain adorable! I have included both more expensive store's outfits, as well as some that are a little more reasonable.

I couldn't believe while looking through the outfits how CUTE the little girl's clothes were. Spring is the best excuse to dress your little girl up. It's easter time, and the season is changing. The colors are bright, and the clothes are airy. The perfect reason to spend some money.


THE GAP:

Gap has a new line called the Indigo Collection, I am a big fan. The colors are very bright, a lot of blue and green. I think even a little girl in these colors, with the right design, is adorable.
Right now, this rain jacket is on sale for 34.99, and the scarf is 4.99.




























































For the boys:


This simple green rugby shirt is great to layer, or just wear with jeans.




















Gymboree:


Golf is big with a lot of dads (my husband included) and bringing your son home wearing this, might not get you in as much trouble =)


The t-shirts are 15 each, and the shorts are 25...if you have gymbucks, you get a great sale.



























I love these layers, you could wear it with or without the leggings.

Price tag: the top is 19.75, leggings 14.75, and the skirt is 26.75.



















Janie and Jack:

These are by far my favorits, for both girl and boy...but unfortunately, also the most expensive. The girls outfit is perfect for easter. You can also wear the dress without the sweater in the summer.

I love the boys outfit because it's not too cutesy, the colors are great, and it can be worn through the summer.

The price tag: very hefty. The girls dress is 69.00, the cardigan is 42, and the hat...18.

For the boys: 52 for the windbreaker, 24 for the shirt, and 28 for the shorts





Enjoy shopping!

Gymbucks Winners

Congrats to follower Jen and Hoernela! They are the winners of our first ever giveaway. Enjoy your shopping! Get your little one, or future little one some cute little clothes!

In honor of yesterdays giveaway, my next post will be spring fashion. It will be a two part series, one for the mommy's and one for the little ones. Check back later today for some adorable baby/toddler spring style!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

First Give away

Everyone's heard about Gymboree...both play and music, and the clothing store.
Some refuse to shop at the clothes store, well bc, it's too expensive. I find that the only way I will shop there is during Gymbucks redemption period.

Everytime you spend 50 dollars during earning period, you get 25 dollars in gymbucks.

Once you get the gymbucks, you then have to spend 50 dollars in the clothing store, or online. Once you spend the 50, you use the gymbucks, and it comes out to 25. 50 percent off! It's a great deal.

Me, I'm not really a stickler for spending money to save.

So, become a follower of my blog, and I will give 2 25 dollar gymbucks away, randomly TOMORROW! I will give you the code, so that you can order online...it might be too late to mail, unless you live close by.

Good Luck!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Sippy Cups

Hence the title of this blog, I figured talking about sippy cups first, would be the way to go.

I wish when I first started purchasing sippy cups for Nick someone told me which ones were the best, and which ones were a COMPLETE waste of my time and money. So, here is a review on some of the ones we have tried.

Feel free to post your reviews, as well, in the comment section.

Philips Avent BPA Free

I have mixed feelings on this cup. I have to say, I have used it the longest, but sometimes I question to myself why. I will come back to my final answer later. The things I like about it are that it has handles. This is a huge plus for most children who are just learning to go from their parents holding their bottle, to using a cup.

It comes in some very pleasant colors for both boys and girls. The thing that confuses me though is, unless you have a boy and a girl set of twins...why do they mix blue and pink?! I can rarely find a pack of just boy colors! As long as you aren't worried about other moms gaydar...I think you will be fine. My friend Stef tends to agree with me on this one.

The "sippability" of this cup is pretty good. I have had many a leak in this cup, but not nearly as many as with other cups. The valve helps prevent leaks and the spout makes sucking easy for baby.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


Gerber Sip and Smile

I have to say, I didn't expect much from this cup...but I still haven't found anything wrong with it. It really is my go to cup. There aren't that many pieces, which make it very nice for cleaning and finding! Nick loves it, and I haven't had any spills.

This sippy comes in different sizes, and has built in handles, unlike the avent, which I like. The thing I also like about this cup is the fact that when Nick pushes down on the spout, no milk comes out..you actually have to suck.

I especially like the insulated ones.

All in all: I am going to give this one 4.5 stars. I need a little more of something for 5

The infamous name cup

You know you all have one, it catches you on your way out of babies r us. Not that you really need it, but hey, why not.

At first, Nick refused to drink out of it. I have no idea why. Now he loves poking at the design and looking at it. Occasionally he will actually drink from it. Just like the sip and smile, it doesn't have many pieces, doesn't leak, and is great for tiny hands.

The cons: Well: have you seen the size of it? You can't really fit much liquid in it. So if you don't need it for traveling and just keep it around the house (although who would see it then) It's a great buy.

4 out of 5

Nuby Soft Spout

This thing was my life saver, at first. I couldn't get Nick to use a sippy, and then bought this. He loved it! It was easy for him to hold, a very soft, squishy spout, and he didn't need to suck much to get anything out. Hm, kind of like a bottle. Well, almost too much like a bottle. You pretty much just have to turn the cup over for the liquid to stream out.

The opening has also ripped on both of ours, so now the liquid comes out even faster. I would recommend this cup for little bitty ones...not so much for the toddlers, they will play with it more than they drink from it

2.5 out of 5

Gerber Graduates

Just another typical sippy...I can't complain, it does what it is supposed to do with minimal problems

4 out of 5.

Nuby Spill free flip it straw cup

Your kids either a straw drinker or not...mine was, now he's not. It's like how he forgets to use it. But if yours does like straws...this is probably the way to go. Although, the pieces kill me! And my husband. He hates putting it back together, and I hate cleaning it. It's a pain, but doesn't leak, and is easy for transport.

3.5 out of 5

So, there you have it...hopefully I have helped you decide what to buy on your next trip to babies r us.

Introduction to Coffee Mugs and Sippy Cups

My name is Alicia and I am a 26 year old stay at home mom/attorney. Hm, how does that work?
Well, I went to law school...ran up the loans, married my husband, had a baby....and couldn't bare to be away from my little one.

I have been home with my little boy for about 4 months. I had a brief job for three months during the summer, and then finally landed the job of my dreams, (sarcasm) only to quit a month later.

So here I am, changing diapers, lounging on my couch with drool on my shoulder, a legal job working about 20 hours a month, making barely 200 dollars.

Who is the little man that changed all my plans? Nicholas. He is fourteen months old and is a little fireball. I am sure you will hear a lot about him...you can even check out my blog on him at http://www.babybrothers.blogspot.com/.

This blog, though, is something I have been dreaming up for a while. There is so much I love to do with my lack of spare time =) For instance, I enjoy couponing. I get a kick out of it, I can spend hours sitting around trying to save money on groceries...and I have to say I have gotten pretty good at it. Am I a loser for it? Hell yea...but it's what I do. Any little thing I can do helps.

I could also sit here for hours looking at cute baby gear,clothes etc.

So why not have a blog dedicated to it. It will be a one stop shop where moms...and dads alike can come to read about our crazy, chaotic life as well as get some great tips on cleaning, couponing, style, and even the latest trends and gossip in the mom community. Hope you enjoy the ride!
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