Back To Me

Mini Therapy

What do I do when I can't shop for anything?  Make a list based on pure greed, of course!  Here is my somewhat pathetic Amazon list of what I'd buy if I could get anything that I wanted without guilt.  I know I know, some of the things on there aren't just for ME (kitchen stuff, etc) but they'd still make me happy and that's all that matters in this little exercise, okay?  No judging.

Do you do anything like this or am I crazy?  And what would you buy?  (Granted, I was stuck within the realm of Amazon and while they do have tons of stuff, I was still somewhat limited).

Things you will have to pry from my cold, dead fingers

There are a handful of things baby related that make our lives so much easier and wouldn't you know it, I'm going to talk about them!  Shocking.

Thing The First: the el cheapo box fan. This brings the gift of WHITE NOISE, and white noise brings the gift of a sleeping baby.  This is especially crucial since we live in an apartment so his room is off the living room and kitchen.  I personally like this better than a white noise machine because it also A FAN.  Two purposes!  When called into action it can go anywhere in the house if we're too toasty.  I just point it at the wall in Theo's room if I don't want it any cooler in there.  Works like a charm.

Thing The Second:  The almighty activity gym.  Theo has been going ape over this thing since he was two months old.  He can obviously interact with it a lot more now that he's older, but even from the get-go this has been a lifesaver.  He loves the mirror (I'll admit it--he gets that from me), the music isn't annoying, and all the dangly animals do different things so he's never really bored.  Bryan dubbed it "The Office" since Theo gets so fired up when he's playing in it; screaming and screeching and batting wildly.  We're always so sure somebody is going to get fired, and I've got my money on the purple elephant.

Thing The Third:  Theo's snuggly blanket.  I can't even tell you just how soft this thing is.  Picture a baby bunny fresh out of the dryer.  Or, a cloud covered in kittens.  I'm sure you get the picture.  Anyway, this is Theo's lovey and we're TOTALLY getting a second one as a back up.  It comes in pink and natural so all your gender color palates are covered.  We've gotten tons of compliments, it washes and wears well and keeps the kid happy and warm.  Two thumbs up.

Thing The Fourth:  The bottle warmer.  Oh I can't even tell you how much this thing has helped my poor hungry child.  At first we just warmed water in a glass and put the bottle in.  It took approximately 6058794 years to warm it and my starving child had a MAJOR problem with that, thus the bottle warmer was employed.  I sing to it, kiss it good night, and wash it with loving care.  You should too.

I'm sure there are a million more things out there that I will think of later, but for now, those are my Top Four.  What can't you guys live without when it comes to maintaining sanity and a happy baby?

Some more things I'm in love with

I love hearing about products that people love. Is that common or is it just me? Anyway, I thought I'd share some more stuff that I love more than should be allowed.

--My boyfriend, the Snoogle. I am not even kidding when I say that this thing is worth its weight in gold. I had heard about this before I got pregnant, and being the penny-pincher I am, thought: "Dude, just use some extra bed pillows you've got laying around. Why shell out fifty bucks for THAT?" Um, because there comes a time in the pregnancy that you will make a pact with the Devil himself to get comfortable enough to sleep through the night. And if buying a Snoogle will do that for you, then use the 1-click feature on Amazon and get on with your life. I got pretty miserable in December and was desperate to get comfortable. My friend Maggie said this was a lifesaver for her, and Bryan said he'd get it for me for Christmas so I bought it early. And let me tell you, I would have paid double. (I even schlep it with me when I'm not sleeping at home). Sure it takes up a third of the bed and provides a cushy barrier between me and Bryan. But am I sleeping? Yes. Does it make me less whiney and crabby? 'Fo 'sho. Plus sometimes I see Bryan or Cleo cozy up to it when I leave early for work, so really, the whole family reaps the benefits.

--Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise: Yup. A juice. Sorry it's not something more sexy, but I gotta tell ya, this stuff rocks. Plus it's full of good stuff without all the sugar. I bought the grape and you can't taste the difference (it's got carrot juice in it, among other things). In fact, I like it BETTER than regular juice because it's smoother--there's no bite to it that straight grape juice has. Honestly, from now on, this is the juice we'll keep in the house and we'll even give it to our kids. Grape mustaches for everyone!

--Dove Exfoliating Facial Cleanser: I used to use a pricey Clinique make-up remover, but it got to be really expensive and a pain to get once I was out (slogging all the way to the mall when I was faced with a billion other options at Ulta was insane). So I fell prey to Dove's marketing campaigns. They seemed like good people, the price was appealing, and it was easy to access. Sold! And my friends, I've never looked back. This stuff gets all the nasty caked-on make-up off without being overly drying and it doesn't have a nasty smell--some are just so perfume-y, no? It also does what it says by gently exfoliating, and that is appreciated now with the cold and dry weather. I'm flakey, but not AS flakey as I would be had I not tried this magical cleanser. If you're looking for a new facial gunk remover, I highly recommend this one.

--My Winter Scarf: This. Thing. Is. Amazing. My mom bought me one a few years ago and at first I thought it was kinda dumb. But then it got cold and I put it on and at that point, I believe my eyes rolled in the back of my neck and I started drooling. Because it was THAT cozy and warm. I like it better than a regular scarf because: it stays put, it really keeps my neck and chest warm because of the two-ply wool and fleece, and I don't have to worry about strangling myself. Any time someone new sees me wearing it they ask to try it on and the consensus? "It's like a warm hug around my neck!" True. Moms also like it for their kids because they can't get tangled in it. Anyway, if you live where it's bitterly cold, I give it two gloved thumbs up.

Things that make me giddy

I bought myself a few things for Christmas with a bank gift card and am digging them SO MUCH that I wanted to share the love. Behold:

--This wallet in pink from Fireworks. First saw it at Sundrybuzz and have been coveting it ever since. Well it's mine now, baby, and let me just say that paying for things is much more fun now. Really.

--The Wrap-N-Mat from my new favorite website. I got it in the Eco Print and purposefully made myself a sandwich Friday so I could use it. I'm in love. The bread stayed moist and didn't dry out, it really DID work as a place mat, and dude, no extra waste! I think we'll order another in blue so Bryan can take it to work and not feel like he's in 5th grade with the crazy print. HIGHLY recommended--would make a great gift, too.

--Also from ReuseableBags, is the SIGG bottle. I wanted to replace my Nalgene because of the harmful plastics, so I bought this one in Maha Turquoise. I have gotten SO MANY compliments on it, it's shocking, actually. I feel better about the water I drink, especially knowing nothing funky is getting passed along to The Boy. Bryan even ordered a boy one in black so he could ditch the Nalgene too. Yeah!

--Erba Organics Stretch Mark Cream. My best friend got me a travel pack of four of their products when I first said I was pregnant. Once I got over the nausea and mustered the energy to get back into personal hygiene, I started using this cream in conjunction with the oil. It doesn't have a fruity smell which is key with me. To this day I do not have a single stretch mark. Is it because of this cream? Who can tell for sure. But it makes me happy to slather it on my growing belly every morning, and the smell comforts me. I think I'll always associate this smell with my pregnancy. Bryan too. I love it and it can be found at Target, which is nice as opposed to having to order it.

--Method OMop.. Our new place has partial hardwood floors, so I was looking at a healthy way to keep them clean. Pseudostoops suggested this to me and the next time I see her I may have to kiss her on the mouth. It totally works and it smells good too. The floors looked fabulous after I was done, plus I didn't have to worry about the cat getting toxic juice on her paws. This of course gives me piece of mind when the little man is eventually crawling and toddling all over, too. Safe for the whole family!

--Luxe open neck sweater by Gap Maternity in black. It's very flattering, you can dress it up or down, and it doesn't have a single bow on it. Any preggos out there should swoop in and order one while they are on sale. Hurry hurry do it now!

--Tasha Rae Designs. I'm having her do our birth announcements and the little I have worked with her so far has been wonderful. I can get them printed on recycled paper, too. Again, my best friend turned me on to her as she ordered my baby shower invitations from there (shown here listed under "Baby World"!) and had nothing but glowing things to say about the experience. I can't wait to see the proofs she's sending me.

It's really the little things that help get you through the day, and man did I need some little things. It has been a while since I shopped like this so it felt good to get some cool stuff. All functional, I might add AND 5 out of 7 are earth friendly! I should get an award or something for that, right?

Really. There's nothing left to say.

Help clear my conscience. Please.

If you were to peruse my About page you'd notice that #84 says "Corporations make me want to set my hair on fire." Still true. Maybe I should tweak it a bit to say, specifically, mean-ol-nasty-and-greedy-corporations-that-abuse-the-enviornment-and-their-minimum-wage-workers-for-their-own-personal-gain make me want to set my hair on fire. And what corporation do we all usually think of in this instance?

Wal Mart.

I hate it. I hate the way they treat their employees, especially woman. I hate how they take up so much freakin' space. I hate how they purposefully drive out mom-and-pop shops from small towns so they can milk the neighborhood for all it's worth. I hate how they prey upon people with limited financial means and make it so they are the only resource available.

Sigh.

So can you please make me feel a bit better because we have begun shopping there again.

(shudder)

Let me explain. Without delving into our financial issues, we struggle. Yes, we make it every month, and are blessed with what we have, but it's hard. So I really try to economize. We are not poor or broke, but every penny counts.

We used to have Cub Foods down the street from us. Cub Foods was my mecca. Low low prices and name brand foods. Couldn't get any better than that. Now you could argue that they were a corporation and something was bad about them and I'm sure I'd agree. But. They weren't a monopoly like Wal Mart is. They didn't carry everything from milk to handguns. So, we shopped there for the past five years. What we couldn't get there we'd get at Trader Joe's and all was right with the world.

Then! One horrible day I saw a sign saying they are going out of business. Oh no! I literally almost cried, I took it so hard and felt as if our grocery needs would never fully be met. For the past few months we have been buying as much as possible at TJ's, and reluctantly crawled to Jewel for whatever was left. Dude, Jewel is expensive! I'd clutch my chest every time we were told the total, and that was even with our Preferred Savings Card!

We were in DeKalb visiting Bryan's family when we figured we'd do some grocery shopping together--he was leaving to go to Cincinatti with our only car the next day. I needed to be properly stocked to have the place to myself for a few days. So we went to Wal Mart. Nevermind the fact that I almost had a seizure from the over-stimulation, stuff there was CHEAP. I couldn't believe it. Stuff I have been buying for years elsewhere was almost a whole dollar less. On almost everything! I was completley seduced and started throwing things in the cart. I was out of control. But it was on sale! And we needed this stuff! Shampoo, lotion, kleenex, paper towels, yogurt, cereal, the list was endless and it was all crazy cheap.

Plagued with guilt and shame we approached the register. Bryan and I like to play the "Guess how much it's going to be" game so he eyed our cart and threw out $150.00. I low-balled and said $108.00. Now, before I tell you the grand total, I just want to say that in Wheaton, the total for that cart would have EASILY been $200. We had meat, toiletries and cosmetics in there, so we hit all entire spectrum of the grocery shopping experience. Want to know the total?

$104.00

I was stunned. And I still feel guilty. But where are we getting our groceries again this week? Wal Mart. We can't NOT shop there right now. Maybe in a few months when things pick up a bit but right now we can't afford not to.

So, if you have any suggestions please, I'd love to hear them. We don't have a Co-op 'round these parts so that's not an option. I can't raise my own food as I am in a high-rise. And we still shop at TJ's. But for the rest? Looks like Sam Walton has won again.

My life has changed, and I owe it all to QVC

Can I be super girlie for a post and sing the praises of a new make-up I found? (Actually, I want to be just like Sundry so I'm giving recommendations.) I went to buy some things at Ulta last week and I got a free sample of Smashbox Photofinsh foundation primer. I was hesitant to open if for fear of becoming addicted to yet ANOTHER product, but I buckled and used it anyway. Holy Mother Of Sweet Perfection. I stumbled upon the Garden of Eden.

It felt like velvet and when I put it on my face it didn't feel like I was even doing anything. Happily a little goes a long way so I'm going to make this bad boy last as long as possible. I put on my foundation and it went on a lot smoother and I didn't need as much. Later that day I went to my mom's and she commented on my make-up without even knowing I tried something new. My foundation lasted all day without getting thin in places, I didn't get all shiny like I used to, and my coverage remained even and strong. I was hooked. Then. Then! that night on TV (a luxury we still do not have) we flipped to QVC and they had an hour-long program ALL ABOUT SMASHBOX PRODUCTS! It was like a message from Heaven. I viciously knocked over my mom to get to the pen and pad of paper and wrote down all the joy I can't live without. But you wanna know the real kicker? Their Mod Chic collection--the one that I now adore--is decorated in houndstooth. HOUNDSTOOTH. It's like that damn print is going to haunt me for the rest of my days. Sigh. But frankly? It looks better on the lip glosses than on the office staff. Aaaaaaanyway, they obviously sell these products at Ulta but I might just buy it off the QVC website and get some Upromise credit out of it. And the icing on the cake? Smashbox is animal friendly and PETA approved three years in a row. Whew. Beauty without guilt.

I've been thinking about this make-up for days. It's turning into an obsession and is driving Bryan crazy. But with my new hair I think fun new make-up is completely necessary. ESPECIALLY for the upcoming holidays. Gotta be fun and festive.

And I totally scored 'cuz my mom got me an early Christmas gift and I am picking it up tonight. Wahoo!

Now I just need someplace to go with my new look.

I'm a greedy bastard

What does someone with OCD who is feeling a bit depressed do to perk up? Make a Christmas List, that's what! Because nothing helps put your life in perspective than writing down all the things you want/need that you don't have! And can't afford! But covet oh-so-badly! Today is October 23rd, and I'll admit it's a bit sick and I'm not really proud of it, but let me share because that is what I do:

--ipod nano, silver. I'm thinking long-term here. Not only will it help me with hitting the gym and walking after dinner more, but it will be handy when I'm pregnant and in labor. See? Everybody wins, even the non-existant baby!
-- Front zip neighborhoodie. It's sick how often I tell Bryan "This would be a perfect opportunity to wear a neighborhoodie, but ohwait, I don't HAVE one" or "If I had a neighborhoodie I'd be so toasty warm and trendy right now." This occurs at least twice a week. Pitty my poor husband.
--Gift cards (sorry guys, not gonna link all these bad boys): Hobby Lobby, Target, Archivers, Lill, Paper Source, Kohls, Old Navy, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, J Jill, itunes, Hallmark, Color Me Mine, Borders, ebay, Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store, Yankee Candle, Ikea, any restaurant(s)
--Books: Cathy Zielske's Clean and Simple Scrapbooking, The Sequel , Ali Edwards A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, Chicken Soup For The Scrapbooker’s Soul. I like books :-)
--Money to get hair done, and we KNOW how well that turns out!
--Digital camera
--Pottery Barn: Decorative Mirrors Set of 3 / (2) Square Medallions / Filled Organic Monogrammable Candle Pot 6” diameter (Letter ‘C’ style #11)
--Crate & Barrel: Black Iron 5 Pillar Centerpiece / (5) Rustic Brushed Candles 3” X 6”
--Paper Source canvas tote. Better than wasting bags at the grocery store.
--Subscription to Simple Scrapbooks magazine. Gotta get some new ideas for our January Circle Journal!
--Pilates resistance ring--good for physical therapy and exercise.
--Friends complete DVD series: 2,3,6,7,9,10
--AFV DVD Nincompoops and Boneheads. That's some comedy genius, people.
--Tickets to see Blue Man Group. Date Night!
--Columbia jacket. Gotta stay warm, but not TOO warm.

Now, you may ask, "Sam, do you really NEED any of these wonderful things you've painstakingly mentioned?" and to that I say "No, not at all." But you know what? It's fun to wish for stuff. And like my mom always said, "It never hurts to ask." as I put dog, a million dollars and a trip to Hawaii on my list every year (and I'm still waiting on two, btw).

Bryan and I are very blessed, don't get me wrong. I appreciate everything we have and know we are very lucky to have a wonderful home, a working car, a job with benefits, food in the fridge and a strong marriage. But I like stuff--a lot. Can't help it. And sadly most of it exceeds our budget. But a girl can dream, and plan, and make list after list after list. It's what people with OCD do and if it helps my husband get me what I'd enjoy then I'm just here to help:-)

Now It's Only T-minus 20 More Days!

Well here you have it:

I decided upon the Ally and here are my fabric choices. I am so excited to see it in person! They are shipping it to my door (since it is too much of a haul to drive in the city to pick up a bag, not want to shop in Lincoln Park, and then drive back) and I will of course post a picture once I receive it. It is addicting I must say since I felt giddy with power. And I saw 4 more things I want to make. Of course.

Let the final countdown begin!

Just Add It To The List. . . .

I have to say I have found a new love that isn't that expensive, so I share it with you. THIS bag. I have to have it. It's handmade (so I love that!) and you can pick and choose the fabrics. Plus it's monogrammed! I LOVE MONOGRAMMING! Icing on the cake. Sigh.

I guess I have a purse/bag thing going on because I am FINALLY making my purse next Friday at 1154Lill. I'm torn between the Polly, the Ally, and the Katie. Who knows. I'd love to go buck wild but gotta take it one bag at a time. Hey, maybe that will be my new motto.

Which bag do YOU think I should make? It has to be under $100. That's the rule.