(almost) 2 going on 17.

This past weekend was Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic's Give and Get weekend- which meant 30% your entire purchase at these stores! We took advantage and really stocked up on some fall and winter wear for Cameron. Old Navy is definitely one of our go-to stores for inexpensive and fun play clothes, but since the sale included BabyGap, I wanted to check them out too.
One of my favorite purchases from the weekend was this Varsity jacket from Gap. I've had my eye on it for some time, but I couldn't bring myself to spend full price on this jacket he can only wear for 1-2 seasons.


One of the things that initially drew me to the jacket was the letter "G" on the front; since our last name begins with G, it looks like his very own little letter jacket! I know it will only be a matter of time before he's sporting a real high-school letter jacket. He looks like a little football player, I think. =)

I'm becoming one of "those" moms.

Y'know... those moms.
The type of mom who I used to give a huge eye roll to when they would do something that I swore I would never do when I became a mom. You know the type. And if you don't have kids, you're probably guilty of mumbling a form of the following statement: "I'll never do that when I become a mom!"
The backstory:
The year was 2005. I wasn't married yet and I didn't have any children. I did, however, work in a nice department store selling men's and kids shoes. It was a great job- I made good money and I often fed my hard earned dollar right back to the store where I worked. Anyway, one of the biggest pet peeves I had from working there came from "those" moms who shopped with their kids there. Most would buy their kids a pair of shoes, and I wouldn't see them again for a few months. And that's how I liked it, thank you. But there were a select few (what I call "those" moms) who would shop the clearance table for cheap off-season shoes that their kids could wear the following year. And our conversation would go something like this:
That mom: "Excuse me, Miss?? What size will my child wear next winter?"
Me: "Um, yeah... I couldn't really tell you that for sure."
That mom: "Well, he's 3 feet 5 inches, 8 years old, and will be in 3rd grade in the fall!"
Me "Oh, well then! Let me pull out my handy magic calculator and plug that info right in!"

In case you're wondering, I usually left out that last part. But you can imagine why I told myself I would NOT be one of those moms who would buy their kids shoes several seasons in advance to save a few dollars. Those moms were annoying and hardly contributed to the commission on my check. (Yikes! That's harsh.)
I ate my words today. You see, Target is having a stellar sale on kids clothes right now. Actually, Target is having a stellar sale on just about everything right now. I bought Cameron a pair of snowboots for $3.75 (regularly $14.99!) yesterday. I got home and realized that it would be really nice if I could get him a pair for next year, too. A quick google search tells me the approximate size for 2 year olds, and I rush back to the store for another pair.
And just like that, I'm one of those moms I said I'd never be. I fear it's only the beginning.
So what about you? Are you one of "those" moms? Or are you the type that says "I'll never be one of those moms!" (who will most likely eat their words)?

5 observsations in grocery shopping.

Observation 1: For the past, oh, year or so, Jon and I have been doing the grocery shopping together. I think the family affair took shape when Cameron was born, when I didn't want to go by myself- maneuvering a cart full of groceries and a baby and carseat hardly sounded like a situation I wanted to put myself in. We'd go to the store, spending 200 dollars on food and a package of diapers, only to come home not having anything to eat for dinner that evening.
Observation 2 : Back then, I didn't meal plan, nor did I clip coupons.
Observation 3: The last few months, I get the dreaded "do I have to go?" question- and my answer was always "Yes- unless you keep Cameron while I go!" He did, and I went by myself.
Observation 4: I started making a list containing ingredients for about 10 meals (so we didn't have to go for another 2 weeks), and BOY has our bill dropped. I do get fun items too- but I hardly shop for anything that isn't on the list.
Observation 5: Last night- Jon went to Aldi's (a "discount" grocer- anyone heard of it?) without me, in search of some chicken nuggets. He spent $80 and came home with:

• 3 different types of chicken nuggets- dino shaped for Cameron, 2 bags of regular nuggets, and a bag of popcorn chicken.
• Popcorn shrimp
• Cheese in a can
• A deep dish pizza
• 2 regular frozen pizzas
  
• Pizza pockets
• Peppermint Coffee Creamer that tasted like Listerine
• 2 bags of chips
• some type of frozen "cheese" appetizer in a black bean shell (?)
• Pork rinds

Maybe he forgot he was married to a nutritional label freak? Maybe he thought he could reminisce the days of what his fridge looked like as a bachelor? At any rate, it's clear that he will not be assisting me to the grocery store anymore. It will be better for my sanity our wallets and our waistlines.
How about you? who does the grocery shopping for your household?

Let's talk Black Friday.

This time of year it's hard to watch T.V. without seeing a department store's commercial advertising their doorbuster deals and steals. It seems as if the top stories on the news are constantly about "who's Black Friday ads have leaked" or the hottest toys that are flying off of the shelves, right?
I used to work retail. 7 years to be exact. And for that reason, I can't seem to get into the whole 'shopping before the sun comes up' thing. I can't justify dragging myself out of my cozy, warm bed to go stand in line with a bunch of crazies fighting over 3 dollar DVD's at Best Buy. I just can't.
A department store at the mall I used to work at didn't typically open early on Black Friday (the horror!) . And because of that, we had a lot of customers who were rude or upset because they had to wait until 9am to shop with us, when they've already been shopping for 6 hours. I'll admit- the only perk showing up to work to surviving Black Friday was that hefty commission check that I would be getting.
Maybe some year I'll venture out at 3 am- but this year I'll be hibernating in my king size bed (with flannel sheets, and warm down comforter) on Black Friday. Will you be shopping on Black Friday? What deals are you standing in line for?

Making my list. (And checking it twice).

Did you know that Christmas is pretty much next week? It is, my friends. I've been seeing these "100 days of cookies" or "100 days of holiday recipes" in magazines and online, and I have to admit, it's freaking me out a bit. Department stores are dusting off Christmas decorations as I write this post. And as soon as you have your last trick-or-treater, you'll see neighbors hanging up their Christmas lights and flanking their yards with inflatable deer and snowmen.

Anywho, if you are like me at all, I never know what to tell my family when they ask what I would like for Christmas. I never have anything in mind, and I always just tell them I'll get back with them and let them know later. Well this year, dearest friends and family, I'm armed with a list. Without further adieu, I present my Christmas list:




I'm happy to report that the #1 item on my list was purchased today by my wonderful husband! I have been telling him that if he waits until after Thanksgiving that there won't be any Uggs at ANY store, in ANY city. He was hesitant, but I softened the blow by telling him that he has his Christmas shopping done now!



I think this pretty, lightweight scarf from Gap would transition nicely into spring!



My next camera lens! A 50mm auto-focus, perfect for portraits.


A non-stick pizza crisper. So we can quit putting pizza directly on the oven rack, causing cheese to fall to the bottom of the oven, burn, and set off the fire alarm.



And lastly, a subscription to BHG. You may or may not remember this subscription was on my list for Mother's Day. I've gone from "casually" dropping hints at the grocery store newsstands, to flat out telling my husband that I'd like a subscription, to actually HANDING him a subscription card that's filled out with my name on it. Y'all, sometimes boys just don't get it. So for that reason, it's still on my list!
Anyone else have their list made? Shopping started?

A pretty head.

Did I tell you how much hair I'm losing? Lots. So much that I could have made a pretty hefty donation to Locks of Love by now. So much that birds all around town could be insulating their nests with it. So much that I could pull off a comb-over to hide my bald spots. Really.

That said, its no surprise that I've adopted a pretty low maintenance hair 'do. I've put away my blow-dryer, flat iron, and most of my gels and hair cremes. These days, I've been sporting natural curl in a ponytail, and if I want to get all snazzy for a trip to the grocery store, I'll throw on a headband too. I've been looking for new headbands, and it seems like they are popping up everywhere this spring. Pretty ones, too. Not those plastic-y 80's ones I used to wear as a wee lad. 

Here's a few that I really like:

I like how this headband from Etsy seller mylavalier is simple, yet makes a bold statement. You wouldn't even have to wear jewelry with this headband.

I love this one by Burberry. It definitely could be dressed up or down, worn to work or on the weekend!

I'd wear this soft gold headband from Anthropologie to church on Sundays.

I've been seeing feather headbands everywhere lately. Though I don't know if I could pull this look off, I love this one by Etsy seller NevaPlume.

A simple faux croc band only looks expensive, found at Claire's.

A sporty style by Old Navy.

I'd really love to find a floral scarf-style headband too- but no luck finding any yet. If you've seen any great styles, let me know where you've seen them!

A happy camper, that's me.

Yesterday my husband came home with our new couches AND the crib! The downside: the couch (which is leather) had a large tear that had been patched up, and I was unhappy with it. So they are ordering us a new one, and will swap it out when it arrives. Yesterday, I also dropped into Pier 1 Imports over lunch to waste 5 minutes before heading back to work, and came out with this beauty:

A HUGE mirror that was waiting for me to take it home. Even better, it was on sale and damaged (a few surface scratches-- nothing I can't fix!) and was beautifully priced at $19.95. The regular price? $175 bucks. I'd say I did pretty good. It has a beautiful deep copper metallic finish, and though I don't know where I'm going to hang it, I couldn't pass this bargain up!

First signs of Spring!

I am SO glad this brutal winter is almost through. As I pointed out in an earlier entry, it's nice to get a taste of winter and snow, but after Christmas is over, I'm ready to see it go. Today is the first day in March- which, in my book marks the first day of spring. And since today has brought gorgeous 70 degree temps, I decided to dig deep into my closet and break out a pair of trusty Havaianas flip-flops.

I'm someone who lives in flip flops, but can't wear a lot of those cute, paper-thin styles I see everywhere, thanks to shin splints from being a runner and a long-jumper. So, when I discovered my first pair of Havaianas flip flops, I quickly realized that I could wear them ANYWHERE for hours without painful shins and heals. You'll find when you slip a pair of these on and take a few steps that they are bouncy and ultra comfy, thanks to a 46-year old secret rubber formula that these flips are crafted from. While they aren't super fashionable, you'll see them in trendy magazines and on the hottest celebs. They are, in a sense, the epitome of island lifestyle which I'll gladly accept, seeing how I live in Kansas. I love that they come in a bazillion different colors and patterns, all the more reason for me to collect the new ones they put out each year. The best part: All 25 of the solid colors are just 15 bucks.

If you're in the market for new flip flops (and who isn't?) be sure to check out Havaianas website. Though this flash website isn't super navigable, listening to the catchy island music kept me looking around for awhile. Happy Spring!