Category Archives: Life

Shutterfly photo card contest winners

Thanks everyone for entering and making this one of the most popular contests I have hosted. Unfortunately, there can only be three winners. Selected randomly by comment number, here are the lucky readers:

Ida

Andra

Karen

I’ve contacted them by email, but if you’re one of the winners and you haven’t received an email from me, please get in touch with me so I can send you your promo code.

If you’d like another opportunity to win, head over to my friend Jes’s blog and enter there. If you’re a blogger, you can also register here for the opportunity to receive 25 photo cards for hosting your own contest.

Have a great weekend!

Win 25 free holiday photo cards from Shutterfly!

Sorry! This contest is now closed.

I realize it’s not even Halloween yet, but yes, it’s already time to talk about holiday greeting cards.

I just love this promotion, and I’m so excited to be participating in it again this year. Only now there’s a twist: I have three promo codes for 25 free custom holiday cards to give away to my readers!

Last year, when Shutterfly offered me the opportunity to write about their new holiday cards in exchange for some free photo cards, I jumped at the offer. I had a baby on the way, and I planned to use our holiday cards as birth announcements. I loved the way they turned out, and the quality was outstanding. Here’s the design we chose last year:

I can’t believe he was ever that tiny.

I looked through their selection this year, and they have lots of options for holiday cards, greeting cards, and photo gifts. I can’t make any promises obviously, but I was impressed with their shipping last year. I ordered at the beginning of December — the height of holiday card season — and I still received my cards in plenty of time to send them out before Christmas.

So how can you get 25 free photo cards for yourself? Just leave a comment on this post telling me how you plan to use your free cards. You can use them as Christmas cards, holiday cards, birth announcements, everyday greeting cards, or something entirely different. The best part about customized photo cards is you can really make them your own.

I’ll randomly choose three winners who will receive promo codes for 25 free cards each. Winners will be selected Thursday night at 9 p.m. and announced Friday morning. Make sure you leave an email address in the space provided when you write your comment so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

In exchange for this blog post, I’m receiving 50 free holiday greeting cards from Shutterfly. Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here.

You say it’s your birthday

Today I turn 27 years old. I do not lament aging, though I suppose it’s easy to say that when you’re only 27. But even at this age, I see friends post on Facebook on their birthdays about how “old” they feel at 27 or 28. I don’t feel that way at all.

My baby-making years have only just begin (don’t worry, I’m thinking three tops). I feel good, healthy, happy. I’m old enough to feel settled, but still young enough that most of my life lays ahead of me. My early 20s were fun, but I’ve always felt like I’ll hit my stride in my 30s. I’m looking forward to 30 in just a few short years, and I think the best is really still ahead.

I know there are many of you out there reading who have never left a comment (I see the hits, but don’t have the comments to show for it!). I wanted to ask you a favor for my birthday. Please say hi! I still don’t have many local mom friends, so I count you guys (not just moms, but all of you reading) in my support group. Tell me something about yourself or just say hi. Don’t be shy!

I’m off to get out of the house with my baby on this lovely day. Then I’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and an adult beverage after the baby is in bed. I hope all of you are feeling this good!

Simple ways to feel more organized

When Judah started bebopping all over the house a couple months ago, I felt like I lost a good chunk of useable time during the day. He suddenly started sleeping less, and he wanted to be moving constantly — which means I have to watch and chase him constantly. It’s hard to get anything done when he’s awake.

I’m not ashamed to admit that housework took a backseat. My to-do list took a backseat. And yes, this blog has taken a backseat. Eep.

I’m working on getting it together, though, and there are a few things I’ve implemented to make me feel and seem more organized — even on the days when I’m anything but.

Create a daily routine, and try to stick to it.

Things seem to go more smoothly when Judah and I stick to a basic routine. Play time, meals, naps, errands, and chores are all penciled into our day at roughly the same times every day, so we both know what to expect. Judah seems happier when we’re on a schedule, and I feel like I get more done when I adhere to a routine. There’s room for variation, but certain constants keep us running on schedule.

Keep things tidy.

Housework is one of the first things to fall to the back burner when I’m pressed for time, but a messy house makes me feel even more chaotic. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been cleaning a little every day instead of doing major cleaning on the weekends. By keeping our living areas (the kitchen, living room, and dining room) tidy, I just feel better and more organized. It also leaves more time for relaxation on the weekends. This same principle can be applied to your work space. Keeping your desk tidy will help you feel more focused and productive.

Schedule some downtime.

No matter how hectic things are, I try to reserve Judah’s morning nap time for quiet time for myself. I read, blog, email, or sometimes even nap during that time if we had a particularly rough night (ahem, teething). Taking an hour to myself every day helps me recharge and feel more focused so I can be more productive throughout the day.

Write it down.

I rely on my iPhone for pretty much everything. Appointments, reminders, and other odds and ends are programmed into my calendar, and I receive an alert to remind me of things. I would probably lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my body, so these reminders are crucial to keep me from missing important dates and appointments. If you prefer pen and paper, a planner or calendar can do the same job.

Know when to quit.

Sometimes after I finally get Judah to bed, I want to keep going and finish what’s left on my to-do list, but I know I’m too drained. When you hit a wall, tackle the last crucial things, but leave odds and ends that can wait until tomorrow. If you push yourself too hard, you’ll spend every day feeling exhausted, and it’ll lower your overall productivity. Instead allow yourself to quit when you know you’ve had enough. You’ll start the next day with more energy, and hopefully that’ll give you the bump you need to finish what you didn’t get to the day before.

What tricks do you use to fake it when you’re feeling unorganized?

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Kicking the habit of using unnecessary household products

Habit has always been one of my biggest money drains. There are a lot of expensive things that I buy just because I always have, but when I really think about it, I could probably survive without them. I’ve already broken my habit for a few of them, but I’m still working on others. Here are a few of the things I came up with:

Paper towels

I’ve been trying to break my paper towel habit for years. They’re so expensive, and they’re bad for the environment, and yet I can’t seem to kick them. Over the past few months, I’ve tried really hard to decrease my dependence on them. I now use a dish towel to dry my hands, and I use a sponge for most household cleaning. For some messes (like sanitizing the counter after working with raw meat), I still prefer a paper towel that can be thrown away. But I’m saving money by reducing our consumption of this expensive convenience item.

Fabric softener

For years, I spent money on fabric softener sheets without really thinking about it. When we started using cloth diapers, we read that fabric softener residue can coat the washer or dryer and damage diapers, so we kicked the habit cold turkey. I was shocked to discover that I didn’t miss fabric softeners. At all. My towels are just as fluffy without them. My laundry may not have an artificial fragrance now, but I don’t miss that enough to warrant spending the money on them.

Individual cleaning products

There was a time when the cabinet beneath my sink was stocked with 20 different cleaning solutions. Kitchen cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, shower cleaner, mopping solution for the floors, and so on. Then I realized it’s all basically the same thing. I consolidated my cleaning supplies to a bottle of Lysol and a bottle of bleach. I’d like to kick the chemical habit all together and switch to vinegar, baking soda, and good old fashioned soapy water instead, but I’m working through the rest of these two bottles. I may still keep a bottle of bleach in the garage for really messy jobs, though.

Convenience foods

I used to spend a lot of money on snacks and frozen meals and other convenience foods. These items were one of the first things I dropped from our grocery list when we started living frugally, and I never looked back. They’re expensive, unhealthy, and I didn’t miss them one bit. We have fun crafting similar foods from scratch, and our grocery budget is much lower without them.

What household items have you learned to live without to save money?

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Crock pot cooking saves time & money

I’m suffering from a lack of inspiration this week. I’m tired. Judah is teething. Things have been a little rough lately. So forgive me for phoning it in a little on this one, but lately I’ve been having a love affair with my crock pot.

I’ve always thought of the crock pot as a fall/winter thing, but my love affair with mine started during this summer’s intense heat wave. We were having issues with our air conditioner, and the house just wasn’t getting as cool as we wanted. We couldn’t bear the thought of turning on the oven, and my husband (the cook in our family) didn’t want to stand over a burning stove top in the kitchen. Enter the crock pot.

We started buying large cuts of meat, slow cooking them in the crock pot, and using the meat in dishes throughout the week. Sandwiches, salads, soups, quesadillas. The possibilities were endless. Now as we enter the cooler season, I’m thinking about soups and stews and roasts and other winter comfort food that will be a snap to prepare in our beloved crock pot. It makes me wish we’d started using the thing years ago.

Here are a few of the reasons why I love it so much:

It’s easy.

Just chop and drop your ingredients in the morning (or before you go to bed), and when you get home dinner is ready to serve. Simple!

It uses less energy than the oven.

Even though the crock pot cooks for longer, it doesn’t use the massive amounts of energy it takes to heat an entire over to 300-400 degrees. So it will lower your energy bill (slightly).

It doesn’t heat up the kitchen or the house.

While most people think crock pot = winter comfort food, we started using ours in the summer time to avoid the heat generated by the oven and stove top.

It allows you to buy and cook cheaper cuts of meat without sacrificing flavor.

The process of slow cooking breaks down and softens up cheap cuts of meat that would otherwise be tough. That means you can stretch your grocery budget and still eat delicious meals.

It makes the house smell glorious.

There is nothing better than walking in the door to a house the smells of delicious roasted meat or soup. Trust me.

You can make more than you think with a crock pot.

I have an entire pinboard on Pinterest devoted to crock pot cooking, and I’ve been shocked at how many different recipes you can make. It’s not just soup and roasts. The crock pot can make it easier to prepare pasta dishes, casseroles, dips, and even drinks and desserts.

What’s your favorite crock pot recipe or web site? I’m always looking for new ideas!

Photo credit

Are pot roasts covered by car insurance?

My parents were visiting us all weekend, which means we didn’t have time to run the errands and do the chores that we typically do on the weekend. So my Monday was a little busier than normal. My to do list looked like this:

  • Grocery shopping
  • Post office
  • Return library books
  • Attend play time at library

It’s not a lot, obviously, but usually the only thing on my list on Monday is play group.

Last week, Judah skipped his morning nap, so he was crabby all through play group. I decided to go to the grocery store first yesterday morning in the hope that he would fall asleep in his car seat on the way there and sleep through most of my shopping so he’d be rested by the time we got to the library. (Ha! He did fall asleep on the way there, but woke up immediately after I shut off the car, so my plan didn’t even work.)

I was running late when I left the grocery store, but I thought I’d have just enough time to get home, unload the groceries, and make it to the library right around the corner just in time for play group.

I was driving up the center lane of the parking lot when an ENORMOUS monster-sized dump truck suddenly appeared on the other side of a parked school bus. I slammed on my brakes and laid on my horn. THUMP. The dump truck hit me anyway.

Thankfully, he wasn’t going very fast, so the impact was minor. If Judah HAD been sleeping, I doubt he even would have woken up. The air bags didn’t deploy, which is a relief for me since those things terrify me. I mean, I get that they’re helpful in a high speed crash, but they usually cause more injury than the accident itself in a minor collision.

You may remember, I just bought my car in February. My shiny new beautiful Toyota RAV4, the nicest car I’ve ever owned. Now it has a huge dent on the front thanks to the giant dump truck. Sigh.

Obviously, we missed play group as we waited in the parking lot for an hour for the sheriff, and he wrote out a police report. All while my $12 chuck roast sat in the back of the car probably spoiling. So help me, if that chuck roast spoils, I WILL SUE. For $12 plus pain and suffering caused by lack of dinner for the rest of the week.

Anyway, I’m clearly keeping things in perspective. I’m thankful that we’re both safe, and even if the damage had been major, it’s just a car. In this case, the damage is superficial. I was able to drive away from the scene with no problems despite the fact that my front side is dented in.

After posting about the incident on Facebook, Kacie reminded me that I should probably consider replacing Judah’s car seat. I did some quick research to see what the protocol is in the event of such a minor collision. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a car seat may still be safe after a collision as long as 1.) the air bags don’t deploy, 2.) no one is injured, 3.) the car is still drivable and 4.) there is no damage to the door closest to the car seat. All of those things are true in this case. However, the NHTSA says you should defer to manufacturer guidelines.

I called Chicco to see what they’d have to say. Surprise surprise, the corporation that sells car seats says the seat is now unsafe, and they want me to buy a completely new car seat no matter how minor the impact. Pfft. I’m annoyed, because I don’t think there’s any way the seat was damaged by such minor impact. I could probably shake my car more by bumping it with my hip. But I am a parent, and I’m not willing to take any risks with my baby’s safety, and they know that. So they’re using my parental fear to manipulate me to buy a brand new car seat.

Well, the joke’s on them, because I’m not even buying a Chicco! Judah’s probably getting close to the height limit for his Keyfit anyway, so I’m just going to go ahead and get him a convertible. The dump truck driver’s insurance better reimburse me, though, because now I won’t be able to use the Keyfit for a future baby. I’m pretty crabby about that.

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Judah desperately needed a nap when we came home, but I couldn’t get him to sleep all afternoon, because they’re replacing the roofs on the condos next door, which is making a ridiculous racket.

All of this is to say, I had a bad day. But we’re okay. Any time you and your kid can walk (or crawl) away without a single bump after an accident, it is a blessing. My pot roast may not have been so lucky, and my pretty new(ish) car is all dinged up, but we’re okay. And that’s what matters, isn’t it?

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Flip camera winner

The randomly chosen winner of the “Great Piggy Bank Adventure” Flip camera from T. Rowe Price is Kim with her comment:

I think its easier to talk about these thing rather than money because there are so many families struggling with their financials right now.

I feel terrible admitting this, but I didn’t consider that perspective. I can see how people who are struggling or feeling bad about their financial situation would have a hard time talking to their kids about it.

If that’s the situation you’re in, I really want you to know that it’s never too late! Despite the unsure economy, you can dig yourself out of any situation you’re in and help your kids avoid mistakes in the future.

Congrats to Kim, and thank you everyone for entering. Stay tuned for more contests and prizes in the future!

Things I have seriously considered since my baby started crawling

This new stage of development does not agree with me. I much preferred the days when Judah would sit still, snuggled safely in my arms out of harm’s way.

It’s not that I wanted to keep him that way forever. I’m really looking forward to the fun stuff that comes along with having an older kid — the increased freedom, the family vacations, the conversations with my little person. But I am struggling with this in between time when he wants to go go go, but he’s not yet old enough to understand caution or danger or reason of any kind.

For a while, he was content to crawl around in the playpen if I needed a few minutes to get something done around the house, or you know, use the bathroom. But now he’s suddenly rebelling, and even the playpen is too much containment for his taste. He no longer plays contentedly in there. Now when I put him down, he stands up and screams at me until I take him out again and let him wander the house on all fours.

I realize this stage is crucial to his development, so I baby proof the house as best I can, do my very best to keep him safe, and chase him all day to prevent him from hurting himself. But on days like today when I’m exhausted and longing for the time when he snuggled safely with me, I start thinking crazy thoughts.

What if we converted the spare bedroom into a padded room so I could let him bounce around in there while I fold laundry?

What if we just padded the entire HOUSE? Then he could crawl around bonking into things to his heart’s content, and I wouldn’t have to worry.

Do they make rock climbing helmets and knee and elbow pads in size 6-9 months? They really should consider that for daredevil babies with absolutely no sense of self-preservation or caution.

Why on Earth don’t human babies learn to walk proficiently within hours of birth like colts and deer? Wait. That actually sounds worse. Scratch that. The LAST thing I want is a 1-week-old bonking his head on the coffee table.

I’m trying my hardest to relax and accept that I’m not always going to be able to protect him. The best I can do is prevent serious injury and hope that he’s designed well to withstand a few bumps along the way as he learns to get around. My dad always says, “They’re built low to the ground so they don’t have far to fall,” and I think he’s right. Mobile babies really are built tougher than we think and designed to handle the normal bumps and bruises that go along with learning to walk.

While this attitude helps my fear a little, it does nothing to help the exhaustion that comes with chasing him all day. Pfft. Slow down, baby! Mama needs a break.