I'll never do...

I'm sure you have that list of things you once said, "Oh, I'll never do XYZ when I'm a parent! NEVER!"

I have had that list, too.  At the top of the list was that I was never, ever in a million years pushing one of those enormous, germy shopping carts with the toy car attached.  Not sure what I'm talking about?  See below:

And then one day, I found myself at the store with a 3 1/2 year old who begged to sit in the cart and a 15 month old who was just not setting right in the front pack when lo! A golden ray of light shone down upon the Car Cart - one of two at my grocery store - right next to the doors, waiting for me.  It was Laura and Gavin's dream come true.  And it wasn't quite as tricky to push as I feared.

Peapod

I really didn't want to make my weekly trek to the grocery store on Monday.  My meal plan for the week was nonexistent, and I knew I would just wander the aisles aimlessly with an antsy toddler in tow.  Wouldn't it be lovely if someone could do my shopping for me and deliver it to my home?

Wait.  That service exists.  It's called Peapod.  I did a quick survey of friends to see if anyone had used and liked the service.  All votes point to yes.  So I started to create some semblance of a shopping list to fill my online cart. 

I just couldn't do it.  I had maybe five things in the cart, nothing of any substance for any dinner, and I still needed to pick out some ice cream.  I don't buy ice cream all that often, and I really wanted to stand in front of the freezer to make my selection.  So after work, I hauled Laura to the grocery store for our weekly ritual of sweet conversation, mild tantrums, and bribery.

IT WAS AWFUL.  One of the worst grocery trips of my life.  I was completely lost without my shopping list, and Laura was a two-year-old at her worst.  We started the trip by opening our unneeded purchase #1: a package of "Monkey Ogurt" (Dannon smoothies), which Laura promised to sip carefully as we didn't have a straw.  By the time we got to the milk fridge, she had dumped most of the smoothie down her shirt.  She was beyond distressed by the cold, wet, sticky feeling.  We high-tailed it to the baby aisle for unneeded purchase #2: baby wipes, so I could strip my child in the grocery store, wipe of her stomach, and clean her shirt to the best of my abilities.

While we were there, I grabbed unneeded purchase #3: a package of take 'n' toss cups with straws, so Laura could use a straw for a second attempt at Monkey Ogurt.  Meanwhile, I still only have bananas, grapes, yogurt and milk in my cart.  I had promised Laura some "marshamallows" as potty training bribery on our way to the store, so we backtracked to the nuts and candy aisle for a bag, which I let Laura hold as we trudged back across the store to grab something - anything -  for dinner.  Just as we're nearing the end of this abysmal trip, just as I'm starting to see the light, Laura scolds me for not opening the marshamallows.  Cue tantrum.  So now I have a yogurt-covered toddler screaming in the bread aisle over an unopened bag of marshamallows.  Obviously, I cave and open increasingly unneeded purchase #4: the damn marshamallows.  I still haven't bought anything useful to make for dinner.  We obviously need quick and dirty tonight.  I head to the Stouffers section, and pick up a veggie lasagna and a chicken with broccoli rice casserole.  I let Laura choose, but she says chicken and broccoli while she points to the lasagna.  I put mostly unneeded purchases #5 & 6: two frozen dinners, in the cart. 

We make it to the ice cream aisle, where I am silently cursing myself for not ordering our groceries through Peapod.  Why, I ask myself, why do we really need ice cream?  I put normally unneeded purchases #7 & 8: two pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, in the cart. Laura is back in a good mood, and somehow overlooks this source of more unneeded treats - thank GOD.  We make it to the line for the register, where I am joking with Laura about how silly she is.  Apparently, I strike a nerve. 

I NOT A SIWWY GOOSE!  GET AWAY MOMMY!  I DON"T WIKE YOU!  GET AWAY!

Ouch.  Really, really ouch.  I know she'll say that to me and about me hundreds (thousands) more times throughout her life.  When she becomes a frustrated big sister in a few weeks.  When she's a tween and wants to do so much more than I'm ready for.  When she's an angsty teen.  When she heads off to college.  We she's planning her wedding... but ouch did it hurt hearing those words from my daughter so young.

We wound up spending $86 on absolute crap - half of which we wouldn't have needed at all if I hadn't attempted the groceries that night.  I used to love my weekly shopping ritual with Laura.  I'd bribe her with a snack, as we meandered through the aisles adding the items on our list to our cart.  Laura would babble and chatter, I would laugh.  Lately, there has been less laughter and more tears.  I think maybe we need to put our mother-daughter shopping trips on hold for a little while.  I'll be trying Peapod next week.

I can't begin to imagine what it will be like prom dress shopping in a few years.

Groupon, I think I love you.

A couple of months ago, Nate casually asked "do you use that groupon thing ever?"
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.

So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up.  And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly.  Well, hello!  I was just in the market for a photobook.

No, seriously.  I make a yearbook for Nate every year.  It started with our honeymoon.  I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took.  I'm dead serious.  We took two full cards worth of pictures.  1,200.  Tahiti is that gorgeous.  So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures.  So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery.  And then I made one for 2008.  Then again for 2009. 

2010 was a big year for us.  I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year!  We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive).  I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.

So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet.  And then promptly forgot about it.  I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done.  And then life would interupt me.  Until this week.

This week, I got the book done!  I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories.  Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.

$33.00

This was a $70 book that I got for $33!  I cannot believe the savings!  Groupon?  I love you.  Now, what should I purchase next?  (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books!  I can't wait to see how it turns out!)

Groupon, I think I love you.

A couple of months ago, Nate casually asked "do you use that groupon thing ever?"
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.

So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up.  And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly.  Well, hello!  I was just in the market for a photobook.

No, seriously.  I make a yearbook for Nate every year.  It started with our honeymoon.  I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took.  I'm dead serious.  We took two full cards worth of pictures.  1,200.  Tahiti is that gorgeous.  So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures.  So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery.  And then I made one for 2008.  Then again for 2009. 

2010 was a big year for us.  I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year!  We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive).  I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.

So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet.  And then promptly forgot about it.  I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done.  And then life would interupt me.  Until this week.

This week, I got the book done!  I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories.  Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.

$33.00

This was a $70 book that I got for $33!  I cannot believe the savings!  Groupon?  I love you.  Now, what should I purchase next?  (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books!  I can't wait to see how it turns out!)

I'm in trouble!

My favorite store just opened 2.1 miles from my house.  I could practically walk there.  Except that I'm too lazy to walk 2 miles just to shop for things I probably don't need.

But what am I talking about?  Of course I need all the shoes, clothing and home furnishings that Marshalls can offer me!

Yes.  I am fabulous.

Laura and I went over to check out the new heaven on earth store after school yesterday.  And we left with one pair of sandals, one shirt, and two pairs of pants in a size six that fit me perfectly.  Um, all of the aforementioned articles of clothing might have been for me.  I might have neglected to buy anything for Laura.

In fairness, I picked out a new board book for Laura - Moo, Baa, La La La! - for the little minchkin.  We read it while we shopped.  When we finished the tome, Laura waved her hands in the air and shouted "Gall Gahn!" (which means all gone) and then shoved the book away.  I took that to mean that it wasn't her literary styling, and that she didn't want to take it home.  So we saved $3.99 off a bill of $100.

All I'm saying is that having a Marshalls so close to home is probably not a good thing for my wallet.  But it is a very good thing for my soul!

I'm in trouble!

My favorite store just opened 2.1 miles from my house.  I could practically walk there.  Except that I'm too lazy to walk 2 miles just to shop for things I probably don't need.

But what am I talking about?  Of course I need all the shoes, clothing and home furnishings that Marshalls can offer me!

Yes.  I am fabulous.

Laura and I went over to check out the new heaven on earth store after school yesterday.  And we left with one pair of sandals, one shirt, and two pairs of pants in a size six that fit me perfectly.  Um, all of the aforementioned articles of clothing might have been for me.  I might have neglected to buy anything for Laura.

In fairness, I picked out a new board book for Laura - Moo, Baa, La La La! - for the little minchkin.  We read it while we shopped.  When we finished the tome, Laura waved her hands in the air and shouted "Gall Gahn!" (which means all gone) and then shoved the book away.  I took that to mean that it wasn't her literary styling, and that she didn't want to take it home.  So we saved $3.99 off a bill of $100.

All I'm saying is that having a Marshalls so close to home is probably not a good thing for my wallet.  But it is a very good thing for my soul!

Groceries

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Ok!  Let's get you plugged into the cart!  Ew, someone left their shopping list in that one.  We'll find a different one.  As if eighty-gazillion people have NOT touched this shopping-list-free cart.  Here we go!  Zoom!  Into the store!  Ok, so what do we need?  That's right!  Bananas!  Ooh, and some pears.  Mommy loves pears.  Those D'Anjou pears are looking particularly lovely right now.  No, you can't have Mommy's shopping list.  We don't eat paper.  Here.  You know what?  We can skip the produce aisle and come back to it.  Let's go straight to the deli for a snack.  Look!  Ham!  You love ham!  Oh, come on.  Please don't spit out the ham.  Do you want a graham cracker instead?  Ok.  That's better.

Random stranger: Hi there sweetie!  You're so cute!  How old is she? 

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Not quite one!  Say thank you, Laura.  Thank you!

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Ok, now where were we?  That's right.  We have to go back to the produce aisle now that you have your little snack.  We need something green.  Ooh!  Asparagus!  And you know what?  I'll just get the rest frozen.  That way it won't go bad if I forget about it.  Oh, but you do like sweet potatoes, so let's find a few good ones.  No, Laura.  Please don't grab the lemons.  C'mon.  We gotta keep moving!  Vroom! Vroom!  Let's head over to dairy!  We need milk, eggs, pie crust, cheese, and some more baby yogurt.  Which flavor of Yo Baby smells the least offensive?  We'll go with banana.  Yuck.  But I guess I'm glad you like it, right? 

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Uh oh... Oh come on, Laura.  Please don't lose it now!  We still have a few aisles to go, and we still need to get through check-out!  Oh lord.  Okay, we'll speed shop.  Have another cracker.

This was written from the Red Writing Hood prompt, "Dialogue," over at The Red Dress Club.  If you have been to the grocery store with a baby, you can completely understand the one-sided dialogue that occurs!

Groceries

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Ok!  Let's get you plugged into the cart!  Ew, someone left their shopping list in that one.  We'll find a different one.  As if eighty-gazillion people have NOT touched this shopping-list-free cart.  Here we go!  Zoom!  Into the store!  Ok, so what do we need?  That's right!  Bananas!  Ooh, and some pears.  Mommy loves pears.  Those D'Anjou pears are looking particularly lovely right now.  No, you can't have Mommy's shopping list.  We don't eat paper.  Here.  You know what?  We can skip the produce aisle and come back to it.  Let's go straight to the deli for a snack.  Look!  Ham!  You love ham!  Oh, come on.  Please don't spit out the ham.  Do you want a graham cracker instead?  Ok.  That's better.

Random stranger: Hi there sweetie!  You're so cute!  How old is she? 

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Not quite one!  Say thank you, Laura.  Thank you!

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Ok, now where were we?  That's right.  We have to go back to the produce aisle now that you have your little snack.  We need something green.  Ooh!  Asparagus!  And you know what?  I'll just get the rest frozen.  That way it won't go bad if I forget about it.  Oh, but you do like sweet potatoes, so let's find a few good ones.  No, Laura.  Please don't grab the lemons.  C'mon.  We gotta keep moving!  Vroom! Vroom!  Let's head over to dairy!  We need milk, eggs, pie crust, cheese, and some more baby yogurt.  Which flavor of Yo Baby smells the least offensive?  We'll go with banana.  Yuck.  But I guess I'm glad you like it, right? 

Mrs. MidAtlantic: Uh oh... Oh come on, Laura.  Please don't lose it now!  We still have a few aisles to go, and we still need to get through check-out!  Oh lord.  Okay, we'll speed shop.  Have another cracker.

This was written from the Red Writing Hood prompt, "Dialogue," over at The Red Dress Club.  If you have been to the grocery store with a baby, you can completely understand the one-sided dialogue that occurs!

Driving Miss Daisy

Or Miss Laura, in this case.  And actually, I have never seen "Driving Miss Daisy," so I have no idea if it's appropriate to say I'm driving Miss Laura all around.  Appropriate?  Not appropriate?  Maybe I should watch the movie.

Regardless, Laura spends a lot of time in the car.  She's currently sporting the Graco Snug Ride.  But that little coupe has a weight limit of 22 pounds - which we are fast approaching.  Also?  She screams bloody murder at the mere sight of her sweet ride.  So it's time to look for a new model.

That fits in a Honda Civic and an Acura TSX.  In other words, a slim profile for two small cars.

And you know what else?  Car seats are expensive.  Like really expensive.  So I want to choose wisely.  I'm looking at the options Britax has to offer, but PLEASE!  Send your suggestions, reviews, and criticisms!!  I need help, and I'm open to suggestions!!!

Driving Miss Daisy

Or Miss Laura, in this case.  And actually, I have never seen "Driving Miss Daisy," so I have no idea if it's appropriate to say I'm driving Miss Laura all around.  Appropriate?  Not appropriate?  Maybe I should watch the movie.

Regardless, Laura spends a lot of time in the car.  She's currently sporting the Graco Snug Ride.  But that little coupe has a weight limit of 22 pounds - which we are fast approaching.  Also?  She screams bloody murder at the mere sight of her sweet ride.  So it's time to look for a new model.

That fits in a Honda Civic and an Acura TSX.  In other words, a slim profile for two small cars.

And you know what else?  Car seats are expensive.  Like really expensive.  So I want to choose wisely.  I'm looking at the options Britax has to offer, but PLEASE!  Send your suggestions, reviews, and criticisms!!  I need help, and I'm open to suggestions!!!

My new favorite thing ever

The SleepSack by Halo

Soft?  Yes.  Cozy?  You betcha.  Snugglicious?  You get the picture.

On the second evening of Laura not sleeping (Sunday into Monday), I picked her up at one point to try and calm her down and realized she was rather chilly.  I can't sleep when I too cold, so why should she be able to?  Perhaps the drop in temperature was keeping Laura from sleep!

So like any good mom, I hauled her over to Babies R Us last night after work to pick up some warmer sleep attire.  I left with one fleecy Halo SleepSack, one Carter's Sleepbag, and (for when she's a little bigger) one Carter's Footy Pajamas - complete with grippers on the feetsies!

Last night, I bundled Laura in a pair of socks (she has my cold hands and feet), a set of cottom jammies, and the Halo SleepSack.  First of all, she looked adorable.  Second of all, she loved feeling the soft fleece of the SleepSack between her fingers.  Third of all, she slept through the night! 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it wasn't a fluke, and I'll be bundling the babe up again tonight.  Maybe I'll leave off the socks.

My new favorite thing ever

The SleepSack by Halo

Soft?  Yes.  Cozy?  You betcha.  Snugglicious?  You get the picture.

On the second evening of Laura not sleeping (Sunday into Monday), I picked her up at one point to try and calm her down and realized she was rather chilly.  I can't sleep when I too cold, so why should she be able to?  Perhaps the drop in temperature was keeping Laura from sleep!

So like any good mom, I hauled her over to Babies R Us last night after work to pick up some warmer sleep attire.  I left with one fleecy Halo SleepSack, one Carter's Sleepbag, and (for when she's a little bigger) one Carter's Footy Pajamas - complete with grippers on the feetsies!

Last night, I bundled Laura in a pair of socks (she has my cold hands and feet), a set of cottom jammies, and the Halo SleepSack.  First of all, she looked adorable.  Second of all, she loved feeling the soft fleece of the SleepSack between her fingers.  Third of all, she slept through the night! 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it wasn't a fluke, and I'll be bundling the babe up again tonight.  Maybe I'll leave off the socks.

Shop Therapy

I bought these shoes yesterday:

And tried them on for Hubby.

He couldn't get my panties off fast enough!

I think he liked them.

Shop Therapy

I bought these shoes yesterday:

And tried them on for Hubby.

He couldn't get my panties off fast enough!

I think he liked them.

Day Off!

I had yesterday off and it felt so good! Did I spend my free day organizing the house? No. Mitigating the mountains of laundry? Nope! I went shopping. It was great! I haven't been shopping in ages.

My big dilemma is that I have been needing (and wanting) some new spring/summer clothes. BUT I didn't want to spend a lot on clothes then get pregnant and not be able to wear them. So I compromised. I bought a bunch of really cute shirts that I can wear now and look totally normal, but will have some give for when (I hope soon!) I am pregnant.

Is it a little nutty to be buying normal clothes with the hope that I won't fit in them soon? Probably. But you know what? I have never wanted anything so badly as I want a baby right now. With that in mind, I am happily sporting one of my new shirts right now :-)

I love new clothes!

Day Off!

I had yesterday off and it felt so good! Did I spend my free day organizing the house? No. Mitigating the mountains of laundry? Nope! I went shopping. It was great! I haven't been shopping in ages.

My big dilemma is that I have been needing (and wanting) some new spring/summer clothes. BUT I didn't want to spend a lot on clothes then get pregnant and not be able to wear them. So I compromised. I bought a bunch of really cute shirts that I can wear now and look totally normal, but will have some give for when (I hope soon!) I am pregnant.

Is it a little nutty to be buying normal clothes with the hope that I won't fit in them soon? Probably. But you know what? I have never wanted anything so badly as I want a baby right now. With that in mind, I am happily sporting one of my new shirts right now :-)

I love new clothes!