Whatever happened to that "to do" list?

Back in January I came up with my master to do list for 2012.  It was lofty... but if you can't be ambitious with a list then what can you be ambitious about?  So, about a month later, I posted an update on how my to do list was coming along.  Then March and April hit annnd... life got really crazy.  Thankfully, we are moving along in the process!  My hubby and I have just been so busy with the list and life that there's been no update!  So here's what's been happening...

Painting

I had these high hopes of getting our entry hall, stairwell, and upstairs hallway painted (the only areas of our home, other than the basement, that we have not painted since moving here 2.5 years ago).  It's bugged me for a long time that as soon as you enter our home you are greeted with white flat paint.  Yuck.  So, at the end of February and beginning of March I convinced the hubby to help me do at least the front hall and up to the top of the stairs.  (Seriously, what decent and intelligent man says no to his 6 month pregnant wife.)

We did it all in pretty much 2 weekends.  I'm thankful to Andy for doing the bulk of it (and making several trips to Home Depot).  We paint well together.  We both do the taping.  I do the trim, he does all the rolling.  

The entry hall walls were painted "sagey" and I don't love it.  I'm not sure how long it will stay this way, but I wasn't about to make my hubby go through me picking another paint... again.  The stairwell walls are a very neutral "cornerstone" that I like.  It really makes a difference and I can't wait until we get the upstairs hall done, too!  Here are a few before and after pictures.  

 

The plan is to eventually make a new rag garland and make or find a new pillow for the bench that will include some of the sage, gold/mustard, and black colors that in the hallway.  For now I'm content enough to call it done and have moved onto the next thing. 

Jadon's Scrapbook

Well, very little progress was made on the scrapbook.  I think I've done 2 more pages since the last update.  But, progress is progress...  No pictures, so you'll have to take me at my word.  The weather has been so nice, who wants to sit inside and scrapbook!

The Nursery 

Well, I'm not really going to give away any new pictures of the actual nursery, but we've made a lot of progress.  I've done some projects and shopping and am very happy with how everything is coming along.  Hopefully by the next "update" I will have tackled the closet... 

After a lot of shopping around (my poor, poor husband), I finally got a crib bedding set that I love!  I had purple in mind for the nursery from the beginning.  I also knew that I didn't want to decorate the room in a way that made it seem too grown up.  It's a little girl's room and I want it to have that feel - pretty, fun, and girly (to contrast the little boy that I have who's current favorite thing to do is play/dig in the dirt... oi).  

Andy (and Jadon) worked on installing double curtain rods (Christmas Tree Shops - $7.99 each).  Cheap screws kind of made the job a hassle, but they are all up and look really nice.  Just don't yank on my curtains...

Here are the curtains that I got.  I really had initially considered making panels myself, but as I have been in that room more and more I've realized it is the sunniest of the 3 bedrooms in our house (particularly the afternoon and late day sun).  That, combined with the fact that since the time change my son has most often been up between 6 and 6:30 am, was enough for me to decide to invest in thermal blackout curtains (as I'm about to do the same for his room which gets the morning sun).  There will be no regrets for me.  I found these (that match pretty perfectly to the crib bedding) at Target for $14.99 each.  One for each window will be enough.  Shortly I'll be tackling a kind of curtain tie project that I'm going to make up as I go along.  (That's always scary... for everyone in our house, so prayers are much appreciated.)

Speaking of projects... here is just a part of a project I was inspired to do from a Pinterest idea I saw.  I definitely went about it a whole lot different, but it was a success and I'm very proud of it.  I'll reveal the entire project and directions on how I did it... eventually.  

Last, but certainly not least, here's a sneak peek at the baby bedding we purchased, as well as the mobile my mom bought to go with it.  This set is from Target.  It was initially more than what I wanted to spend on baby bedding, but... you know me... why pay full price when you can stress and wait impatiently for weeks until it goes on sale at a price you're more comfortable with.   Yup, that's what I did.  So if you follow the link to the Target site, I paid about $20 less, plus had free shipping (it's an online only item).  Normally I worry about getting something like bedding without actually holding it in my hands first, but our Target actually had this set on a display crib in the store, so I checked it all out before purchasing!  


That's about all for an update for now.  Up next on the list is our yard sale, set to happen on Memorial Day weekend.  Hopefully we get rid of a lot of stuff and make a little money.  We have 6 weeks until the due date, so lots to do between now and then!  


~ Carrie ~

Checking in on the "To Do List"

It's been almost a month since I posted my 2012 to do list, so I thought it might be time for a little update.  The list was (and is) quite overwhelming to me... and even still, immediately after posting my list, I thought of at three or four additions to it.  So, not all of the things I'm going to mention that have been done are actually a part of my original to do list, but they are still big accomplishments.

My hubby reads my blog.  So, yes... he saw the list.  I'm not sure if he felt a sense of guilt about some of the things that needed to be done (I hope not!  It wasn't meant to be a gigantic honey-do list!) or challenged to see just how much he can get accomplished around the house before little girl arrives.  Either way, he has cranked out a few jobs in the last few weeks that may not be big projects, but nevertheless needed to be done.  

So, Andy accomplished 3 things that have been on the to do list since we moved into our home (two and half years ago...).  Come on... you all have projects like these, right?  A drawer in our kitchen has not worked right since we got here.  It was constantly falling off the track.  Andy tried to fix it a while back and realized it was going to be harder than he thought.  Well, it's fixed and we can finally open and close our "junk drawer" without fear that it's going to completely fall apart on the kitchen floor.  The other 2 projects he tackled were replacing the light fixtures in both bathrooms.  Both are older and, in my opinion, needed some updating, but the one in the full bath had never worked right.  So, for a grand total of $40, both fixtures were replaced and look awesome!  It's amazing how something little like a light can make a huge difference in a space!  

Now onto some things that were actually on my to do list!  

A big thing on our minds has been to convert our guest bedroom into a nursery.  The first step toward doing this was to get new wall-to-wall carpeting.  When we moved in, the carpeting was in rough shape and so we made the decision to rip it out and put down a temporary area rug until the church was ready to replace the carpeting.  We don't use the room much, except when we have company, and even then it was still useable.  But, since we're changing everything all around to prepare for the baby, we felt like this was the right time to finally replace the carpet (and the church agreed).  It was even more exciting when - yup, you guessed it - we got a great deal on the carpet because we were able to select a remnant piece that they had leftover in the warehouse (resulting in just over 50% savings)!  Here are a few pics... unfortunately I must be a terrible blogger because I totally forgot to take before pictures... Oh well!

Jadon enjoyed testing out the new carpet, and insisted on having his picture taken in the "baby's new room"

The new carpet... so soft... and so clean!

 The nursery will still double as a guest room, when necessary, so we've kept the full bed in the room, but have it in a corner to make more space for the baby furniture and "stuff".  

Walking in the door, the bed is on the left and the closet is on the right. 

All the baby's furniture is straight ahead when you walk in.

I'm a little concerned that Jadon may love this bed so much that he wants to sleep there after his sister is home!  (FYI, the glider will be moved if ever we have guests sleeping in this room.)

So, the process is well underway.  There's still lots to be done and decisions to be made, but we've gotten a good jump on the process.  Over the next month or so I'll be shopping sales and looking for bargains to decorate the room.  I have so many ideas rolling around in my head, but have yet to come up with a clear concept of what the room will look like... 


In addition to figuring out the nursery, I've been doing some reorganizing, shopping on Craig's List, and compiling more yard sale items (yup, something else on the list!).  I've also finally begun scrapbooking Jadon (now that his 3rd birthday is less than 2 months away!).  I'll wrap up with a few pictures of what I've done so far...

"Special Delivery Due to arrive on April 2, 2009"... and that's when he arrived!

It's a BOY!

 And so... until the next to do list update!

~ Carrie ~

Shop a lot, Spend a little

I like to save money.  This is good because, quite honestly, our budget relies on it.  I'm not the crazy coupon lady.  I don't want to be that person because as important as it is for me to save money, there are other things that are more important.  I like the place that budgeting and coupon clipping has in my life, and I don't intend on changing that any time soon.  

Although I do clip coupons and scour fliers and online websites for good deals, a big part of the way that I save money is simply by common sense.  I try to pay attention to when certain items go on sale and stock up at those times.  For instance, I know I can get great deals on office supplies in July and August at stores like Staples.  Another example is that frozen foods go on sale in many grocery stores in March.  Combine these good deals with a few coupons and you suddenly have a very good time to stock up on food items that will keep for a quite a while.

Another cost-effective fact that I've learned is that clothing clearance racks are at their fullest immediately after Christmas and at the end of the summer.  Think about it... Stores stock up for the busy Christmas season and then have to quickly unload what's left in order to make room for Spring/Summer lines of clothing.  Similarly, at the end of the summer, stores are quickly getting rid of all the bathing suits and sunglasses to make room for back to school and fall lines, soon followed by winter/Christmas (and getting earlier every year it seems...).  So if you're okay with being a season behind in your attire, right now is a great time to get some deals on clothing.  

Even though the stores are empty and many people are relieved to take a break from the shopping, you now know that for me January means clearance racks - and with the coming of my little girl this summer, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of pink, purple and ruffles!  

So where have I shopped?  Well, I went to JCPenny and, well, let's just say the trip did not go as planned.  My precious little boy ended up having a huge meltdown in the store (a rare thing) and my husband took him to the car.  So, feeling pressed for time, I hurried to at least look through the maternity section since I was in desperate need of a pair of jeans.  The result was:

 $25 maternity jeans (a pretty good deal) - $14 from a gift card = $11 maternity jeans

Unfortunately I never made it to any other section in the store.  It happens.  Oh well.  

A few days later my mother-in-law and I went shopping at Kohl's and Carter's.  We hit the jackpot at Kohl's.  We found some incredible sales on baby, toddler, and maternity clothes.  I was also excited because (as a Kohl's card carrier... fyi, the only store card I have) I had a coupon for 30% my entire purchase!  Woohoo!  I won't list all of my good deals out because... well, this blog post would end up even longer than it already is... but here are a few items I purchased and their clearance price before my 30% off... 

Cute pink maternity sweater(orginally $56.00) = $5.40

2 Pairs of maternity shorts(originally $40 or >) = $9.40 total

 3 Piece dress outfit for Jadon(originally $56.00) = $11.00

Several infant shirts(originally $13.00) = $2.60 each

Girls dress(originally $34.00) = $10.20

Then another 30% off!  Wow!  It was exciting!  And our husbands (my husband and his father) were actually excited about our buying all of this stuff!  We made our purchase together (so that we could both get the 30% off) and ended up spending just under $100.

My actual Kohl's receipt from this trip with a total savings of $369.89!  Woohoo!!

 

We then went on to the Carter's store and found some more great deals.  I got 3 outfits and 3 pairs of no-scratch newborn mittens for under $24.  Lovin' me some good deals!  This little girl is going to be looking good!

This week I went to Target, but not with the intention of looking at clearance racks (but let's be real here... I have to at least look briefly at them!).  Jadon needed new dress pants, which I found.  But as I combed through some racks of clearance stuff I also found...

2 Infant shirts = $1.50 each

Ruffled skirt w/ leggings = $3.88

And this was the result of a quick look through two clearance racks.  Not bad.  It was not, however, the highlight of my trip to Target.  

When I first entered the section of toddler and baby clothing I noticed probably about 10 big boxes pretty much sitting in the middle of this department on a pallet... like they were just dropped there and forgotten.  My first thought?  Umm... okay.  Real nice.  Could they not put these where they are supposed to go?  Seriously?  Then I noticed a little red sign on top of one of the boxes that said, "Clearance 50%".  Those words are like magic to me.  It was all big baby items, so I immediately was thinking about whether I needed anything.  So, I looked down at the closest box to me and it was none other than a Baby Trend Sit & Stand DX.  For real?!  This is the type of stroller we've been thinking about purchasing for when the baby arrives.  The only thing is, we wouldn't even begin to be able to afford one brand new, so I had recently begun researching what they typically go for on Craig's List.  So, I called Andy to do some quick research online about this stroller to make sure it was definitely what we wanted (since all I had to look at was the box, which wasn't much help).  We concluded it was and I bought it!  

Came mostly assembled, and folds up very small.

So, it must have been a good deal, right?  Well, used strollers like this one were going on Craig's List for between $60 and $100 (the only one I saw for $60 did not appear to be in good condition at all).  Brand new you can typically expect to pay between $140 and $200.  I bought my brand new one for... (drum roll please...) $70!  Yup, I was pretty excited.  Annnnd, my awesome hubby put it together for me that night!  Why?  Well, I watch a one year old 3 days a week and it would be really ideal on nicer days to have a double stroller to go on walks.  Jadon does well walking while holding the side of the stroller, but his little legs are usually pretty tired by the time we are making our way home (especially if our walk has included a stop at the park).  

Assembled in 10 minutes!

So that's pretty much it for my shopping sprees this January.  I've spent enough (although not all that much) and have tons of stuff to go through.  

If you haven't done any clearance shopping this month there's still time.  I picked up a few clearance items at Christmas Tree Shops for 75% off (Christmas items I'll tuck away until next year.).  I've also heard that Old Navy has good clearance items, too.  Do some exploring and see what you can find!  Who knows?  You may just find that double stroller you needed but weren't looking right at your feet!  

~ Carrie ~ 

 

5 Steps to Survive Target with a Little One

...or Wal-mart or any store for the most part.  

I try to do most of my errands on one day during the week.  This week, however, (due to my involvement in a nursery renovation at our church) I have lost track how many times I've been to Target - sad, but true.  So, I may not be an expert (especially considering I only have one child), but I feel like I really know how to make it through Target only getting what is on my list and without a child who is screaming from beginning to end.  Here's what I've learned so far...

PLAN

• Make a list, even if it’s “just a few things” (I’m known for saying this).  If you know your store well enough then make your list according to where each item is located. 
• Decide where to park.  If your store has two entrances, figure out ahead of time which entrance makes the most sense to park closest to. 
• Select your mode of transportation – not for how to get to the store, but rather for while you are in the store.  Stroller, shopping cart, or cadillac shopping cart (you know, those huge ones that multiple children can ride in)?  Consider what is on your list and what your children can handle.  My son enjoys riding in the big part of the shopping cart, so if I can fit everything around him then I do it!

PASS UP

• Avoid areas that are a weakness for your children, if at all possible.  Toys, books, movies, clothes, video games, whatever it may be – try to stay as far away from those areas as possible. 
• Avoid areas that are a weakness for you.  If I can admit it, so can you.  Mine are the dollar spot and clothing clearance racks (in pretty much any department).  If you want to get out quick and with only what’s on your list, just don’t go there. 

PREOCCUPY

•  Little helper.  Let you child be a little helper by handing over the list for safekeeping or hand items to your child to then place in the cart (I do this all the time in the grocery store – except with the eggs!).
• Hide and seek.  Try playing a game while going throughout the store, such as list hide and seek.  Say what the next item is on the list and have your child start looking for it. 
• I spy.  Look ahead to see what you will be passing by.  Pretty much any store is great for playing I Spy.   

POSITION

• Keep moving. Recognize when children get restless and just keep moving.  Even if it means you do a couple of laps up and down a few aisles, sometimes it helps! 
• Musical Chairs.  Switch seats.  Walking, riding, hanging off the side of the cart – whatever you feel comfortable with!
• Last resort. If you sense your crew is growing restless, steer your ship to the book section.  This has saved me more than once.  The opportunity to pick out one new book just to look at (not to buy) for a few minutes may just be enough to get you to the end of your shopping adventure. 

PATIENCE

• Plan shopping trips on days when there’s nothing else going on.  I try to avoid any major shopping trips on already full days, not only for the sake of my son, but also for me!  If it’s already been a long, frustrating morning, how patient am I really going to be with him while trying to get everything on my list in Target? 
• Shopping with your children is good for them.  Yes, it’s easier to do your shopping without the kids, but it’s also valuable for kids to learn how to behave in a store (even though they won’t always be perfect).  If you have more than one child, just bring one and leave the others with dad or grandparents.