Out of my element

Two posts in one day is going to be a rare thing for me, but today calls for it.  I need help.  I need advice.  I need recommendations.  About shopping.

I like to consider myself a proficient shopper, but that really only applies to shopping for myself, my husband, family, close friends, etc.  Well today I'm getting in to new territory.

I'm shopping for a 1 year old's birthday.  Most baby shopping I've done previously has been straight off of registries.  Even when I shop for my nephews, my sister just tells me what to get them (they live 4 states away so it's hard for me to keep up with what they're interested in).  I've never been left to my own devices before and I must say, shopping for baby toys is overwhelming!

I'd like to get him one large toy, a few handheld toys, and some clothes.  The clothes part should be a breeze since I know what he normally wears and what sizes he needs.  The rest of my list is a little bit more complicated though.

Just how accurate are the age recommendations assigned to toys?  Are "educational" toys really superior to others?  Blocks or books?  Walker or jumper?  Noises, lights, or both?

Here's are some of the things I'm considering:

The VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker, $29.99.  It's a little cheaper than I think a walker should be, but it has gotten great reviews. 

The Chicco Baby Jogging Walker, $57.99.  This one seems a bit plain, but the reviews pointed out that other walkers with regular plastic wheels tend to slip on tile floors while this one has rubber on the tires so it grips better.  My friends' condo is all tile so that might be an important characteristic.

The Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table, $35.  I love that it's so focused on music but also concerned that it might be noisy and annoying.  

The Fisher-Price Little People Time to Learn Ride-On, $39.99.  Do kids actually play with ride-on toys?  My nephews never seemed interested in stuff like this.

The Fisher-Price Rumble and Learn Driver, $29.99.  This seems like a cute option, but I'm not sure it's age-appropriate.  The website says it's for children 6 months to 3 years, and I just don't understand how that's possible.  Do 6 month old kids really play with the same things as 3 year olds?  I'm not convinced. 

The Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Fun with Friends Musical Table, $44.99.  This seems pretty similar to the Baby Einstein musical toy above so I'm not sure why it's $10 more.  Is it better quality?  More sturdy?  Better features?  I have no clue. 



I'm leaning toward the VTech walker or the Chicco Baby Jogging walker.  I'll do some more looking around before I order one so if anyone has any recommendations or suggestions, please let me know asap!

On a side note, someone please tell me that people don't actually use things like this:

I always assumed kids learn to walk when they're ready but apparently not.  Thankfully, SOHO offers the Baby Walker - Learn to Walk for those impatient parents whose kids aren't growing up fast enough.  It's a steal at only $13.99!  Grab yours today!

Weekend Wrap Up

I don't know about you but sometimes I appreciate a really boring weekend.  M worked a lot this weekend and usually I fill up my time with friends and errands.  This weekend I ended up laying low a bit more than normal. 

Friday night I met up with some friends for a game night.  We fully intended to play several different games, but we ended up playing one very long game of Battle of the Sexes.

It's a great game but probably not one of my favorites.  I honestly felt like the questions asked to the girls team (about traditionally male topics) were MUCH harder than the questions asked to the guys (about traditionally female topics).  Plus, some of the questions were downright weird.  I kid you not, this was one of the questions asked to the guys:

True or False: When she is on her period, a woman changes her tampon every other day.

Oh. Come. On.  First of all, true or false?  That's ridiculous.  The girls team didn't draw any cards with T/F questions.  Second, what the heck kind of question is that? 

In the end we all had a great time.  We're hoping to make game night a monthly thing, rotating between different hosts.  As fun as it was, I have a feeling Battle of the Sexes will be put on the bottom of the must-play list for a while.  Personally I'm a big fan of Taboo and Scattegories.  

Saturday and Sunday I got some stuff done around the house and caught up on sleep.  I met some friends for sushi Saturday night and spent most of Saturday night and Sunday morning regretting that decision.  Hopefully it was just a fluke because I really love the restaurant.  Maybe I'll take a break from it for a while but I'm not really to give up on it yet.  At least not feeling so great kept me home on Sunday so I got a lot of things done.  Not a total loss I guess. 

That was the extent of my weekend.  Not bad, not great. 

**Diet log 4/23-4/29 final 
Amount remaining from last week - ($8.07)
Aeropostale gingham shirts - $0
Target cognac pumps - $24.99
Total spent - $24.99
Total remaining added to next week - $1.94 ($35 - $8.07 - $24.99)

**Diet log 4/30-5/6
Amount remaining from last week -$1.94
Total spent - $0
Total Remaining - $36.94

What's in a name?

Question for all you other frequent shoppers out there.  How much does brand name negatively influence your buying decisions?  I like to think that I'm pretty open to inexpensive brands and I frequent stores like Old Navy and Forever21, but for some reason there are certain stores I don't even consider shopping in.  I don't mean that in a snobby way.  It's not like I feel like certain places aren't good enough, but there are certain stores that I just ignore because for some reason I've decided they don't suit me for one reason or another.    

A few months ago, I was given a gift card to Aeropostale by a family friend.  It was supposed to be a gift for her daughter's 15 year old friend but they picked out a different present at the last minute.  I accepted it because I didn't want to be rude, but I promptly put it in a drawer and left it to be regifted or forgotten.  I've always associated Aeropostale with teenage girls whose shorts are too short so I never thought the store would carry anything I'd ever be interested in.

Well that may have changed today.  I was looking around for a gingham shirt to wear on our upcoming trip to GA over Memorial Day weekend, but wasn't having much luck.  Old Navy had some cute options but apparently I'm a little late to the party because the colors I like are sold out in my size.  I kept searching and searching and just kept coming back to this:

The Perfect Shirt in mini-gingham from J.Crew.  Priced at $75, it's more than I'm willing to spend on a shirt that I'm planning to wear while relaxing at a cookout.

J.Crew Factory online has a cheaper option, but at $49.50, it's still more than I want to pay for a casual shirt. 

After searching through all my favorite brands and online stores, I finally decided just to Google "women's gingham shirt" to see what would come up.  Trust me when I say I was more than a little surprised to find this:

The Woven Gingham Shirt from Aeropostale.  Marked down to $17.80 with no visible logos, I started thinking about taking a chance on a brand I never thought I'd buy.  What pushed me over the edge?  The site is currently running a 25% off coupon code (spr2012, expires 4/29) so at $13.35 each I could get blue, lime, AND pink without going over the gift card amount.  

Of course I assume that sizing runs small since the store typically caters to teenagers so I had a tough time deciding what size to try.  In the end I bought three colors in two different sizes and I plan to take back the ones that don't fit.  So technically I had to spend some of my own money but that should only be temporary.  I really hope they fit because I love the large gingham, bright colors, and discounted price tag. 

Speaking of trying out brands I've previously avoided, I finally pulled the trigger on the cognac pumps from Target.  If they fall apart in a day, then I learn my lesson and I won't buy Target pumps anymore.  But I've got no reason not to give them a try.

So sometime next week I should be the proud surprised owner of some gingham shirts from Aeropostale and a pair of cognac pumps from Target.  Who would have thought?



**Diet log 4/23-4/29
Amount remaining from last week - ($8.07)
Aeropostale gingham shirts - $0
Target cognac pumps - $24.99
Total spent - $24.99
Total Remaining - $1.94 ($35 - $8.07 - $24.99)

Pass the cognac!

I love cognac.  No, not the brandy, the color.  From shoes to belts to bags I absolutely adore cognac goods.  I have cognac riding boots for fall and winter, cognac sandals for spring and summer, and a cognac handbag I use year-round. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to track down reasonably priced cognac pumps or flats.  Yet. 

Has anyone ever bought pumps from Target?  I've bought several pairs of flats from Target but never pumps because I've always found their prices to be surprisingly high.  Why buy $30 pumps from Target when I can get $30 Nine West, Guess, Max Studio, or Jessica Simpson pumps from TJ Maxx?  Well I'm getting tired of hunting through TJ Maxx for cognac pumps and Target has some available right now.  The problem is, I'm not sure about the styling:

These are the Mossimo Peony Pumps in cognac, priced at $24.99.  Not a bad price and they've gotten great reviews, but I'm not so sure about the heel and I'm not a fan of having to pay for shipping (they aren't available in stores).  I'd probably risk it if I could find a free shipping coupon that doesn't require me to spend $50.  Decisions, decisions.

As for flats, these seem to be my best option right now:

These are the Steve Madden Kaddiee Flats in cognac, priced at $69.95.  If I find them marked down somewhere I might pick them up, but there's no way I'd pay that much for these.  I'm not in love with the zipper detailing on the back but these are a good option if the price is right. 

I know I can't expect to find quality leather goods for bargain bin prices all the time, but cognac shoes have been on my shopping list for three years.  As a frequent shopper (both online and in stores), it's frustrating that a great deal on cognac pumps or flats hasn't crossed my path.  Yet. 

**Diet log 4/16-4/22 final 
Amount remaining from last week - ($43.07)

2 Old Navy Pleated Keyhole dresses - $0
Total spent -$0
Total Remaining for next week - ($43.07) + $35 = ($8.07)

**Diet log 4/23-4/29
Amount remaining from last week - ($8.07)
Total spent - $0
Total Remaining - $26.93 ($35 - $8.07)

Friday Finds: eBay

I admit it, I used to be scared of eBay.

The thought of buying something that someone else already had their house freaked me out...until I realized that I've always enjoyed thrifting and really, what's the difference?  Plus, if items arrived in any condition other than described, eBay Buyer Protection steps in. 

Since eBay gives users the option to narrow down results (NWT/NWOT,Pre-Owned, etc), it's not difficult to track down quality items at greatly reduced prices.

NWT = new with tags
NWOT = new without tags
NWB = new with box
NWOB = new with out box
Pre-Owned = item has been used

Here are just of couple things I tracked quickly tracked down this afternoon:

NWT Banana Republic Blazer, 0 bids, low bid asked - $24.99

 NWT Gap Wrap Dress, 0 bids, low bid asked - $26.99 

(currently listed on the Gap website for $54.95)

 NWT Loft Necklace, 1 bid, next bid asked - $8.00

 NWT Loft Stripe Dress, Buy It Now - $25.97

 NWT Loft Utility Dress, Buy It Now - $27.80

NWB Nine West Cut Out Pumps, 0 bids, low bid asked - $13.50 or Buy It Now - $25.00

I don't know any of these sellers so I'm not trying to advertise for anyone, I just saw these items today and thought they showed what kind of good deals are available on eBay.

Unless you buy something using Buy It Now or the Best Offer feature (where interested shoppers message the seller their best offer and the seller chooses whether or not to accept it), you may end up bidding against other people.  This can be frustrating at times but I've always gotten a good deal on items I've fought over.

A couple of months ago I bought a NWT suit blazer from Gap off of eBay and after getting into a bidding war with other buyers, I was able to win it for $17.50 shipped.  Originally priced at $70, I bought it for less than $20.  That may have been the moment when I became an eBay believer. 

I'm currently "watching" a couple of items that I plan to bid on next week when I'm allowed to shop again.  I'll post my purchases if I win them. 

Happy Friday! 

Georgia On My Mind

Priceline.com finally cooperated with me and let me rent a minivan for the price that I wanted ($320 for 5 days!) so we are officially road tripping over Memorial Day weekend.  We're heading up to Georgia with some friends to visit a couple that we went to high school with.

When we started planning this trip, I was still a bit bummed that our NYC plans fell through.  Fortunately I went through my friend's pictures of where we'll be staying, and my spirits have been lifted.

Looks like we're trading shopping and shows for hiking and tubing!  It's not exactly Times Square, but I think it will do just fine.

I'm so excited for a weekend away with my husband and our dear friends.  With how hard we've all been working, this will be a much needed break.  35 days till we're off to Georgia! 

Face to Face

I think it's time we take this relationship to the next level.  I know it's only been a few months but I really think we have something special so I'm willing to take a leap of faith.  Try not to freak out, but I think we should meet face to face.

So here goes...

M and I on our wedding day 3 years ago.  No clue why the photographer took it sideways. 

Who doesn't love a man in uniform?  M is a firefighter/paramedic.

That's M's sister in the middle.  I don't know why we all look purple.

The kids!  Schumi (Yellow Lab) and Deacon (English Springer Spaniel)

Some of the girls from my Bible study.  The one with the baby is the one we moved last weekend.  (I'm in the yellow)

M and I in British Columbia last fall for a friend's wedding. 

M and I at brunch for my 27th birthday a few months ago.  The green theme was unintentional...

Once everything is settled with our house I'll post a few photos of that as well.  I don't want to get ahead of myself and jinx the sale!

A little bit more about M and I.  We met in middle school but didn't start dating until after I graduated college.  We've been together for 5 years, married for 3.  We don't have (human) children yet, but God willing that will be changing sometime soon.  We live with our two dogs in a house we're in the process of buying (currently renting it).  We own a smaller home that we'll be putting up for sale once we officially own the house we're in now.  We live in Florida (where we're both from) and it looks like we're not going anywhere anytime soon.

M, 28, is 3rd generation firefighter/paramedic with the same city that his father and grandfather worked for.  He's considering going back to school to pursue medicine but that's a few years off.  His parents are local and his only sibling, a sister, lives about an hour away.  We have a great relationship with them and see them frequently. 

I work for a local city but not the same one M works for.  I work for the administration supporting the elected officials and maintaining City Hall.  My mom lives up north near my oldest sister, and my other siblings (another sister and two brothers) are scattered across the country.  My dad had heart disease and passed away in 2004.  My parents were divorce and I wasn't close to my father, but I'm still having a hard time coping with his death.  I'm not particularly close with my mother and our relationship seems to work best when we live in different states.

I've recently finished graduate school so now I'm just working and trying to get our housing situation ironed out.  Once that's finished, we're planning to try to start a family.  For now, I fill my time with reading, online shopping, friends, and Bible study/church. 

So there you go, internet world.  That is a brief introduction to my life, complete with photos. 

There's no going back now...

The Elusive "Dressy Casual"

I've always had a hard time mastering the "dressy casual" look when it comes to dresses.  I love sundresses but I find the traditional jersey knit sundress to be too casual for things like dinner out or brunch.  I love a great cocktail dress, but they're often too much for drinks with the girls or a beach-front date.  Since it can be hard to find anything in between, I usually end up going with dressy jeans and heels to achieve the "dressy casual" look.  Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time outside in the spring and summer, so jeans are not always a comfortable option. 

That said, when I find a great "dressy casual" dress, I tend to snap it up.  In multiple colors if possible.  Enter the Pleated Keyhole Dress from Old Navy.

Thanks to a store credit and some Old Navy bucks, I was able to buy it in two colors without spending a dime.  I picked it up in Tropical Undertow and Black Jack and I'm hoping to eventually get it in Hazard Orange as well.  The Raspberry Punch is really pretty also, but a bit bright for my taste.  If it goes on sale I may snag it at some point too.

The picture on the website really doesn't do this dress justice.  It is super comfy, really flattering, and the perfect balance of dressy and casual.  It's more than a knit sundress but less than a cocktail dress so it will be perfect for summer events and dinner out.  Add some fun accessories and shoes and it really has some great possibilities.  I love the inspiration outfit Old Navy has on their website using this dress:

How cute is that?  Colorful and comfortable.  Since we live near the water, we like to go out to restaurants that have patios or waterfront seating and I think this will be perfect for these outings.  We've also got a rather casual afternoon wedding coming up in June so this might be perfect for that as well. 

Old Navy doesn't always get it right but I've been a big fan of their spring and summer items this year.




**Diet log 4/16-4/22
Amount remaining from last week - ($43.07) Sad!
2 Old Navy Pleated Keyhole dresses - $0
Total spent -$0
Total Remaining - ($43.07)

Weekend Wrap Up

Well it's done.  My friend and her family (husband and toddler son) are all moved.  It took us all weekend and several trips with borrowed pick up trucks but they're officially out of their first house.  It was a cute little house, perfect for their needs 6 years ago but not perfect for their needs now.  Meant to be a starter home, they were in the same position that my husband and I are in now: bought a house to start a life together and quickly realized they couldn't get out of it when they'd outgrown it because of the downturn in the housing market.  Thankfully their short-sale went through so they've settled into a bigger place now.

We're hoping our house sells as quickly as theirs did.  We're all set to start a family in the bigger home we're buying and I'm excited to have room for guests and a nursery.  Even though we'll be rid of our smaller home one way or another what once our current purchase goes through, we're hoping it's legally settled quickly and easily.

The friends I helped moved are the ones we're traveling with over Memorial Day.  Unfortunately our plans for NYC fell through (our free place to stay isn't available anymore) so we've shifted our focus to visiting another couple in Georgia.  They live in a cabin in the woods so it will be a fun, outdoorsy getaway.

Now if only priceline.com would cooperate and rent me a minivan at the price I want...  For those who have never used it, priceline.com's name your own price feature can be a great deal but it is frustrating to work with because if your bid is rejected, you can't bid again on the same rental for 24 hours.  I've had great luck in the past but this time has been less than successful thus far. Fingers crossed I can confirm a reservation this afternoon.

 Priceline

Before heading to their house Friday to start moving, I met up with friends from Bible study to talk through what happened.  We worked everything out and I think it was a constructive afternoon.  The friend we're trying to hold accountable is still struggling but at least she's more aware that our concerns are rooted in love and not in judgement. 

The rest of the weekend was spent moving topped off with some laundry and movie watching last night.  Ah the glories of adulthood.

Love this movie! 

**Diet log 4/9-4/15 final
Amount remaining from last week - $40.92 ($35 + $5.92)
Nine West "Flappy" crossbody bag - $14.99
rsvp Ellia pumps - $69
Total spent - $83.99
Total Remaining - ($43.07)

Finally Friday

Well today is Friday, the end of a very long week and the start of a very long weekend.  One of my friends is moving this weekend and I've volunteered to help so while M is working (gotta make that dolla!) I'll be moving boxes and watching a very active 11 month old.  Whew!

After work today I'm going to meet with the girl from my post yesterday to talk about what happened Wednesday night and clear the air.  She seems to be in good spirits so I'm hoping she isn't mad.  Another girl from our Bible study is going to come too so hopefully we can have a brief but constructive discussion about the importance of honesty and accountability and then enjoy some girl talk over appetizers.  Then it's off to pack my friend up and move some boxes.  Hopefully both events will go well.

Even though I'm not supposed to be shopping this week or next week (since I blew my spending allotment for two weeks on these), I've been eying this dress:

Old Navy's Pleated Keyhole Dress, priced at $29.94.  I rarely buy anything from Old Navy, Gap, or Banana Republic for full price but I might have to cave with this one.  I've got a store credit to so even though I'm not supposed to spend anything for the next two weeks I might be able to pick this up in at least one color (maybe two?).  I tried it on in the store a couple of days ago and was surprised by how much I liked it.  It's lined (a rare thing for ON dresses) and the colors are really bright.  With the right skinny belt this could be a wardrobe hit.

Happy Friday all!  

?

Have you ever handled a situation in a way that left you feeling uneasy later on?  Not necessarily a sense of regret, just a lack of peace.  That's how I'm feeling right about now.  A friend of mine is going through some difficult things and I'm having a hard time knowing how to respond when I'm in the middle of it.  I saw her last night and there was a bit of a weird interaction and now I've been left with this feeling of anxiousness in the pit of my stomach. 

For a bit of background, she had made a commitment to change some things about her life (voluntarily) and asked a couple of us to hold her accountable.  Since then, she has slowly been sinking back into her old habits and doesn't respond well to people expressing concerns or disapproval.

Such was the case last night.  She end up leaving Bible study annoyed and I left full of doubt about my instincts.  Looking back, I don't know what we should have done differently that would have worked out better, but things did not play out how I'd hoped and I can't figure out how much of it was within my control.  The last thing I want to do is make her feel like she has to hide, but isn't the point of holding someone accountable to ask the difficult questions and lovingly call them out when necessary?  It all sounds great in theory but practicing accountability is much more difficult than I expected.  Is it possible to question someone without pushing them away?  

What do you do when there doesn't seem to be a right answer?  

Pumped Up

You know that feeling when you find something you absolutely love and it isn't available in your size?  Ugh, I hate that feeling.  I've been looking all over for yellow shoes lately and I haven't had any luck, with either pumps or flats.  Every time I find a pair I like, everyone else in my size has already beat me to it.

This was the case for my latest find, the Ellia pump by rsvp.

I've been lusting at these for weeks but I haven't been able to find them in my size.  With a modest heel height and a warm yellow color, they're exactly what I've been looking for but alas, a 9.5 eluded me.

Until today.  I checked zappos.com (as I've been doing almost daily for two weeks) and bam, they had 1 pair available in my size.  I ordered them as fast as I could and was able to snag them.  Victory! Excuse the pun, but I'm pumped.  A big THANK YOU to whoever returned these.

I'm thrilled with this purchase, even though it puts me over budget for the week.  $69 is more than I like to spend on shoes, but I think I've just been spoiled by TJ Maxx and Marshall's where I can pick up great brands for under $30.  If these live up to the reviews, I think they'll be worth the extra cost.  At least the shipping was free. 

Now if only someone would free up a pair in teal... 



**Diet log 4/9-4/15
Amount remaining from last week - $40.92 ($35 + $5.92)
Nine West "Flappy" crossbody bag - $14.99
rsvp Ellia pumps - $69
Total spent -$83.99
Total Remaining - ($43.07) Yikes! 

Weekend Wrap Up

Whew, what a weekend!  We were busy busy busy with spring cleaning, boating, work, and Easter.

Friday was a half day for me at work so I headed home and noon and spent the rest of the day cleaning.  With laundry done (and a short nap thrown in just for good measure), M and I ran errands and picked up some items I'll need for my new part-time job.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to go out on the boat with my in-laws.  It was a bright, sunny day but oh my goodness was it cool and windy!  We ended up hanging out on a small island all wrapped in towels trying to stay warm.  No tanning for me, but it was still a good time with family.

Saturday night both M and I were working, me at my new part-time job.  It went pretty well but being on my feet for 6 hours was tiring.  I don't know how people have full time jobs that require them to stand all day.  I really enjoyed myself but I don't know how long I'll stick with this if I'm constantly standing.  I'm back to checking job boards every day in hopes of finding something that lets me sit on my lazy butt.

Sunday we drove to visit M's sister and spending Easter at her apartment.  My in-laws met us there and prepared a full Easter dinner.  We relaxed, watched baseball and golf and ate til we couldn't eat anymore.  The Easter bunny was very good to us (along with other treats, I got a Kindle Fire and my husband got a watch winder).

All in all it was a really nice weekend.

Today I went to TJ Maxx on my lunch break (shocking, I know) and picked this up for $14.99:

It's the Nine West Flappy Crossbody bag in mellow yellow.  After my first colorful crossbody purchase, I've been craving a yellow one.  I've been wearing a lot of navy and I think yellow will be a great accent color.  I also found an aqua Urban Expressions crossbody that intrigued me, but I didn't pull the trigger because I couldn't figure out what outfit I'd carry it with.  Priced at $24.99, it will require some extra thought. 




**Diet log 4/2-4/8 Final
Amount remaining from last week - $20.41
Ray Ban polarized wayfarers (c/o TJ Maxx) - $3.99
Old Navy tortoise flip flops - $10.50
Total spent- $14.49
Total remaining to add to next week- $5.92


**Diet log 4/9-4/15
Amount remaining from last week - $40.92 ($35 + $5.92)
Nine West "Flappy" crossbody bag
Total spent - $14.99
Total Remaining - $25.93