On my radar

1. Pioneer Woman recently featured these series of books on her blog. If you missed her post, Shakespeare For Punks, be sure to check it out. How in the world did I not know about these books??? I am really excited to go out and buy them. It took all my self control not to order them immediately (Lance would be so proud). I have always loved Shakespeare and it seems like these would be the perfect way to begin studying him with the kids. Thanks P-dub!!!

2. Nothing screams wedding anniversary like a house full of 10-year-old boys having a slumber party. Our 11th anniversary is on August 15th which also happens to be the only free weekend available to do Spencer's birthday party. Good thing we are both flexible. One of my new favorite blogs ever has some great marriage posts. They are hilarious and sweet at the same time. Check them out here and here. Especially the latter, she gives advice to newlyweds. So funny!

3. Ella's nighttime escapades are finally over and she is back on a routine. Moosh in Indy has the funniest post EVER about a child getting out of bed, aptly titled Literary Birth Control. Go. Read. Laugh.

4. Stumbled across this post The Wannabe Gap Mom and Me and loved it.

5. Todays Creative Blog recently featured Wendy from The Shabby Nest. She has so many neat decorating ideas. I LOVE her boys bedroom, makeshift mudroom, chalkboard door, and numbered towel hooks.

6. Speaking of decorating, I am finally working on our playroom. We have a whole retro theme going on. I'm looking for Dick and Jane prints to put above our fireplace and have just found the perfect fabric for the window treatments (scroll down to see the lollipop fabric). Hopefully I'll be able to finish the room before preschool starts in the fall.

Babywearing 101 - Mei Tais

This is the second in a series of posts on babywearing. To see the first installment (all about wraps) click here.

Bit of history: What is now known as the Mei Tai(MT) or Asian Baby Carrier (ABC) is the modern version of a carrier that has been used for centuries in Asia. Traditional Mei Tais are a square piece of fabric with parallel straps emerging from each corner. Around 2003, a couple different takes on the Mei Tai were introduced to the market. These "modern" versions for the most part had a longer body, angled straps, padded straps, and longer top straps.

I bought my first Mei Tai around the same time that I purchased my first stretchy wrap. When researching carriers, I was completely drawn in by the cool fabrics and versatility that Mei Tais offer. I bought my first Mei Tai second hand from the For Sale or Trade Board (FSOT) at The Babywearer.

In this picture, Ella is 2 months old and I am wearing her while working on the computer:



I was instantly in love with Mei Tais. At the time, I was on the enrichment committee at church and I remember teaching a 2 hour long craft session while Ella slept tied to the front of me completely oblivious to what was going on.

I used Mei Tais regularly from the time Ella was 2 months until about 2 years old. She loved them so much that when she got tired or needed me she would sometimes drag one out of the stash and bring it to me.



Mei Tais are great because they are so easy to learn how to use. There are no buckles, zippers, etc., you simply tie them onto your body. There is not a big learning curve like there is with wraps. Also, Mei Tais are one size fits most so you and your husband can share one and it makes them pretty easy to sell when you are done with it. Because of how the baby's weight is evenly distributed throughout your shoulders and torso, Mei Tais are very comfy and especially great for the toddler stage. They are versatile because you can wear them on your front, back, or even on your side.



To prove how comfy Mei Tais are, here is a picture of me carrying both kids. Kozy on the back and Freehand on the front (Spencer is 7 here, Ella 1).



They are also great for putting under coats in the rain or cold weather. In this picture we had just gotten back from walking to the bus stop to pick up Spencer. I was able to keep her covered under my umbrella while we walked.



The market has exploded with different versions of the Mei Tai in the past couple of years. My two favorites remain the Kozy and the Freehand. You can see many more Mei Tais here.

Mei Tai Instructions:

Kozy Instructions: I would start with these instructions - they work for any Mei Tai. Kelley (the creator of the Kozy) shows step by step all the different Mei Tai carries. She also shows how to nurse while wearing a Mei Tai.
Various Mei Tai tips, tricks, and techniques.

Feeling overwhelmed by all this info? The Babywearer has a Choosing and Using Forum where you can ask any questions you might possibly have about Mei Tais.

Kozy Carrier:






Mei Tais are great for hiking! I wore Ella comfortably for hours on my back while hiking trails or walking through parks.

Freehand Carrier:





I used Mei Tais quite frequently when going to DC. It was easier to throw Ella on my back and ride the Metro to check out a museum or fair than having to lug the stroller around all day with me.

Sachi Carrier:




I forgot to mention that Mei Tais are reversible. Lance is wearing the same Sachi that I am in the picture right above his - just with the print on the inside. Nothing cuter than my hubby doing chores while babywearing (he had just taken out the trash)!

Panel Kozy (custom one of a kind - no longer made):


The cost of Mei Tais has definitely increased in the couple of years since I was using them. The average price now for a Mei Tai is $75. But you can definitely purchase one used on the For Sale or Trade Board (FSOT) at The Babywearer. I got a lot of my carriers trading and selling there. Mei Tais are well worth every penny, they are so much more comfy than the Baby Bjorns you see everyone using and definitely better on the baby's spine.

For anyone who didn't read the first post on babywearing or have stumbled onto this site and are thinking "why is this woman so crazy!," here are some links about it:

Great Things About Babywearing
How Being Carried Affects Babies (translated from German)

I am doing these posts on babywearing for my sister Brittany who asked if I could send her all my information and links on babywearing (she had no idea what she was getting herself into!). Brittany, the Kozy is finally on its way to you. I hope you love it as much as we did!

Target STEALS

Head to Target!!! Toys are clearanced at 75% off. I was in there yesterday and picked up a ton of Christmas gifts for $3.00 or less. My Target had a clearance aisle with 30% off signs but when I looked the toys were all marked at 75% off so don't let the signs fool you. The clearanced toys were on that aisle, on all the endcaps, and mixed in with the other toys. I know the sale has been going on for a couple days but I was still able to find some really good stuff.

Happy Shopping!

Fashion Show for Aunt GG . . .

. . . and anyone else interested in the *modest* dresses I found at Target the other day.

Target still does not have these up on their website so I roped Ella into being a model. We had lots of fun. I bought the dresses a little big because I plan on using them in the fall/winter.

Dress #1 - Little Black Dress $12.99 (they also have this same dress in cream):






Dress #2 Hot Pink Dress $12.99:

Ella begged for this one - it's her favorite color.



Dress #3 - Black Dress with tiny hearts ($14.99):



Long Red shirt with black leggings:

The pics don't do this one justice. We were inside due to rain and the flash went off. It really is more of a deep deep red - not red/orange like the pic shows.





We are doing back-to-school shopping tomorrow since it is TAX-FREE weekend. If I find any other great deals I will post them.

Events of Last Night: A Pictorial

Picture it. Wednesday, July 30th, 12:30 AM

Amy revels in the fact that everyone is in bed and the house is all hers.

Peace and quiet. At last.

Let's check in with everyone else.



Where is Ella?

Unfortunately for her, Amy is oblivious to the fact that her dear daughter is no longer asleep.

12:35 AM - Suddenly, Amy hears a THUMP from upstairs.

Amy blames it on the kittens.



12:42 AM - Amy (still oblivious) hears small footsteps and then a voice from upstairs.



Amy goes to check on Ella and is met by this creature:



Amy (staying calm) asks Ella what she has on her face. Ella replies "chocolate." Amy asks Ella if it possibly could be Amy's make-up. Ella drags Amy to the fridge where she pulls out a container of chocolate frosting. Amy jumps on this prime parenting moment and explains to Ella the difference between the truth and a lie. Amy pats herself on the back for a stellar job well done.



Ella agrees to tell the truth and takes Amy upstairs to show her what is on her face. Ella stops at Spencer's room and says very seriously "Spencer gave me chocolate and told me to put it on my face." Amy tries not to laugh as she realizes the whole truth/lie conversation went right over her head.

Amy takes Ella to Amy's bathroom to question her near the scene of the crime. The evidence being make-up everywhere and dozens of crumpled up tissues with make-up on them all over the floor.

Ella finally tells Amy what she used after about 25 varying stories.

Amy gives Ella a bath. Once all the make-up and hair gel is off, Amy sees this:



Amy realizes her daughter is having an allergic reaction and needs Benadryl. Because Ella is on Amoxicillin and Motrin for strep throat, Amy calls a rude advice nurse who Amy believes cannot possibly have kids.



On the way down the stairs, Amy's daughter said this:



As if it never occurred to Amy at all that Ella should be in bed at 1 in the morning.

The advice nurse okay'd the use of Benadryl. YAY!!!!!



Amy put Ella to bed after taking the Benadryl. Amy stayed up another hour to make sure the rash wasn't spreading.

Guess what time Amy went to bed???

Did Ella sleep in the next day?

Nope. But she did look like this:

More about The Grocery Game (Time)

I've had a couple e-mails in the past week asking how much time The Grocery Game takes. Ya'll know that I am crazy busy with work, kids, church assignments, etc. I don't have time for anything else - which is one of the reasons I LOVE The Grocery Game.

How much time does it take me?

1 hour on Sundays (cutting and organizing coupons)
Approx. 45 mins. in the store usually on Tuesday morning.

That's it.

Certainly way less time than I was spending shopping pre grocery game. I'm not very organized so I used to make several trips to the grocery store weekly.

The beauty of The Grocery Game is that they do all the work for you. I get 4 of the same newspaper every week. I cut my coupons by stacking all the inserts together so I am cutting out 4 coupons at once. Hopefully that makes sense. I file them immediately into my folder.

Sometime before Tuesday morning I look at the list for the week on my computer. I check the items that I am going to buy and print the list up. I take my whole folder (which is alphabatized) to the store with me. The list is already organized in the layout of my store so there is no going back and forth trying to find anything, it just leads you through the store.

There are definitely other FREE ways to figure all the coupon stuff out. There are several websites and message boards. BUT, I like that I don't have to do anything. I don't have to look at ads and try to match them to my coupons. I don't have to know the 12 week cycle of stores and figure out if the sale is really at the lowest price. The Grocery game does all that for me. It costs me $15 every 8 weeks - that works out to be $1.88/week. I subscribe to two stores (Harris Teeter and CVS). It would cost me less if I just did one store.

Whew . . . The Grocery Game should be paying me for all this free publicity on my blog (LOL!). I hope this answered everyone's questions. I think I promised someone pictures of my folder. I will try and get to that in this upcoming week.

WFMW - Clothes shopping with kids

The kids and I went to Target after swim lessons this morning. While there, I stumbled upon some darling MODEST dresses for Ella. I don't usually try on clothes with her in the store, I buy them and then return them if they don't fit. It's just not worth the headache otherwise. But Ella is now wearing an XS or S in girls clothes and at my Target those 2 sizes are gone quickly. I knew if I didn't buy them now we most likely would not be able to exchange for the size we needed. That's when I realized Ella was in a swimsuit under her swimsuit cover-up.

It was magic.

I slid her cover-up off and was able to quickly put the dresses on over her swimsuit right there in the aisle.

From now on, she will be wearing her swimsuit when we go clothes shopping . . . well, as long as she'll let me get away with it. So easy.

I wanted to include pics but the dresses aren't up on the website yet.

Trying on kids clothes in a bathing suit (on the kids - not me) is what is working for me this week. Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer is taking a break from WFMW for awhile. You can check out past WFMW ideas here Works for me Wednesday.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss

Gas Prices

I was talking to a friend today about gas prices (Hi Irene!) and she said that prices around her have been dropping significantly. Not here. We were at $4.10 last week, I saw $4.01 a couple of days ago, and now we are back to $4.06. Her gas is now approximately $0.30 lower than mine!!! She lives about 45 mins away from me - no idea on the mileage.

So I was wondering 2 things.

What is everyone else paying for gas right now?

and

Are the gas prices dropping where you live?????

Am I the only one paying over $4.00 a gallon?????

On my radar

1. My mom and I went and saw Mama Mia (movie version) this weekend. I was so curious after seeing (and LOVING) the play how it would transfer to cinema. I was pleasantly surprise. Mama Mia is just plain fun no matter how it is packaged. You can't go wrong when a movie has the entire theater clapping, laughing out loud, and tapping their feet to the music. I do think the movie and the musical have different feelings. The movie moved around/cut out a lot of the songs. There were parts of the movie that I liked better than the play and vice versa. Meryl Streep was amazing (as always). I had no idea she could sing. Pierce Brosnan should never ever ever sing again. He looked so uncomfortable and sounded so bad. I actually braced myself when he would open his mouth - luckily they cut out much of his songs. But even with bad singing - it was still a blast! If you love ABBA and over the top musicals, I highly recommend it. I might even go again.

2. 10 Ways to Teach Basic Music Skills to Your Children (Even If You're Not a Musician). Such great ideas here. I'm excited to start some of them this week.

3. I read this post earlier tonight (Fussy linked to it on her blog) and I was completely blown away by it. I am in awe over her writing style and complete honesty. I have thought about it all night. She talks about the 70's and how choices we make aren't really free - there are always consequences. Read it. It's completely amazing. She also has a funny post about the Mac versus PC commercials here.

4. Deal Seeking Mom has multiple scenarios for saving money this week at CVS. She also shows how to get $29.33 worth of products for approx. $4.67.

5. I visited Genny's blog last week after she left a comment on one of my WFMW posts. She wrote a great post about trying to find the balance between wanting our kids to succeed and supporting them unconditionally.

Coupons, Oh how I love thee . . .

Check out what I got for $5.07 at Harris Teeter yesterday:

Broken down:

4 bottles of Windex - regularly $3.29 each
4 Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner - regularly $3.19 each
4 Tubes of Wet Ones - regularly $2.59 each
3 GUM Toothbrushes - regularly $2.99 each
4 Betty Crocker Warm Delights - regularly $1.99 each
2 boxes of Luigi Italian Ice - regularly $3.19 each

Total before coupons - $59.59
I paid - $5.07
I saved $54.52!!!


2nd transaction:

4 boxes Kix Cereal - regularly $3.39 each
1 California Pizza Kitchen - regularly $7.99
2 Red Baron Frozen Pizzas - regularly $7.39
5 ears of corn - regularly $0.50 each
4 Zone Bars - regularly $1.39 each
4 Bottles of Shout - regularly $3.19 each
4 Red Delicious apples (2.50 lbs) - regularly $1.69/lb.
Red Seedless grapes(2.02 lbs) - regularly $2.29/lb.
2 Cartons of Strawberries - regularly $3.99 each
5 Packages of Hillshire Farms Hearty Slices - regularly $4.49 each
4 packages of Hillshire Farms Ultra Thin lunch meat - regularly $4.49 each
2 things of Baby Back Ribs - regularly $13.72 and $13.78

Total before coupons - $141.90
I paid - $58.71
I saved $83.19!!!!!

Here are the items that were free:



The Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex, and Shout were actually MONEYMAKERS for me. They were all on sale for under $2.00 and my coupon took $2.25 off so I was able to apply that difference to the rest of my groceries.

It is funny how since starting The Grocery Game in January how my perceptions of shopping have changed. I was actually upset when the toothbrushes were going to cost me $0.50 - that seemed so high to me! Spending money on household cleaners seems crazy to me now because I get them for free so often.

I love the deals and playing the game but I think the best part of couponing for me is that I now feel like a wise steward of my money. We haven't been able to donate to charity as much as we would of liked the past few years with law school debt, etc. but now I am able to not only get deals for my family, I am able to fill boxes with all the free items to take to local shelters. I feel more like I am doing my part.

There are also crazy Safeway deals going on right now. Buy 25 items there and they will give you a $20 gift certificate for the next time you shop. People are scoring this week (it runs through the 29th). If you have a Safeway or affiliate in your area check out
this site. She lists a couple different ways to save and then if you scroll down, there are links to other blogs detailing ways to save.

Another fun site about couponing is Money Saving Mom. She talks about deals at CVS, Walmart, Target, and other grocery stores. Her haul from this weeks shopping trip is unbelievable.

I'm off to cut coupons for next week!

Bedtime Blues

In typical Ella fashion, an hour after we put her to bed yesterday she popped up and started heading downstairs. We yelled up for her to get back in bed. This is the reply we got:

"Daddy! I have to tell you something important. Really Important. I forgot"

Because we are awesomely consistent parents we decided to let her come downstairs (could this possibly be why we have such bedtime issues??). We were not expecting what came next.

"I have this daddy (a bead). I need to make necklace for you. Right now daddy."

I wish I had recorded it so you could hear the urgency in my drama queen's voice. It was a matter of life and death. I could also tell that she thought what she was saying was so important, there was no possible way we could deny her this request.

Sadly, we did.

We even held out when she promised to make it "real pretty."

We couldn't help but laugh and she giggled her way back to bed where it took her approximately 2.5 seconds to come up with the next reason why she needed to be downstairs with us.

Someday she'll sleep, right???

WFMW - DIY Lip Gloss

This lip gloss recipe is fun, easy, yummy, and inexpensive (especially when making large quantities). For those of you new to my blog, I just returned from a week long girl's camp where I was in charge of crafts for 100+ teenage girls. This was one of the crafts planned for camp. I tested a couple different versions of lip gloss and this one is by far my favorite!

This is easy enough for preschoolers to do and still fun to do as an adult. I will be making lip gloss with my 2 kiddos tomorrow. I have strayed a bit from my summer schedule and crafts were pushed back to Wednesday.

I think these would make great Christmas gifts for girls to give to their friends, cute stocking stuffers, or even would be fun around Valentine's day. They also would be a fun activity to do at a birthday party.

Enough talking and on to the recipe!

Materials:

Paraffin Wax
Petroleum Jelly
Candy Melts
Coconut Oil
Grater
Wax Paper
Ziploc bag
Small container (I got mine here)

Instructions:

Grate paraffin wax onto the wax paper. Measure 1/4 tsp grated wax into the plastic bag. Add 1 tsp petroleum jelly, 1 tsp coconut oil, and 1 candy melt. Seal the bag. Fill a bowl with hot tap water and place the bag in the water for 3-5 minutes to melt the ingredients. Remove the bag and squish the ingredients around in the ziploc bag until well mixed, work quickly! Cut off 1 corner of the ziploc bag and squeeze into container. Place in fridge for 15 minutes.

The lip gloss has a nice coconut flavor. You can also add 1/8 tsp oil-based candy flavoring if you want a different flavor.

If the lip gloss ever changes color or smells - throw it away.

Fun crafts for kids+ is what is working for me this week, for more wonderful ideas visit Works for me Wednesday hosted by Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip

Cub Scout Day Camp

Spencer spent July 7-11th with his pack at Camp Snyder. It is such an amazing camp. It was built 2 years ago and is the only camp in the US that caters to cub scouts. This years theme was "Travels Through Time." He had a blast. He spent his days swimming, learning archery and how to shoot a BB gun, going on archeological digs to find clues to a treasure map, hiking and going on nature walks, experiencing the "Wild, Wild, West," doing arts and crafts, and so much more. He had crazy skills with the BB gun and was called the "marksman" of the group. He came home absolutely exhausted every day. I went up with the boys on the last day of camp. The staff put on a crazy scavenger hunt. Each pack was given a list of approximately 40 employees who were hidden somewhere in the 350 acre campsite. We had 2-1/2 hours to get as many signatures as we could. Although it was HOT, it was neat to be there during this so Spencer could show me all the different areas of the camp. After lunch, each pack performed a skit. We did the classic JC Penney skit. Although it was extremely HOT, muggy, and tiring, I am so glad that I got to spend this time with him. He turns 10 in a couple of weeks and I have felt him slightly pulling away these last couple of months as he grows older so I am jumping at any moments I can steal away with him. Here are some pics from the day:




And one pic in color so you can see just how beautiful the trees are: