The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her. -Marcelene Cox

Hey Mamas and Mamas-to-be, I got an email this morning from Target previewing their upcoming baby sale (starts in stores on 1/31/10) and thought I'd share in case they didn't send an email to you! Looks like lots of great baby must-haves are marked down, so hopefully you'll find something that's been on your wish list, or something a Mama you know just can't live without. Happy shopping!

Baby Sale Sneek Peek 

DwellStudio Bedding Sale 

Baby Sale Deals 

Diapers & Wipes Deals 

Many items are tagged for free shipping with an order of $50 or more, PLUS, you can get an additional $5 off a $50 order when you use the code TCDWMNBF at checkout! :-)


 

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. -Anne Frank


Haitian earthquake relief--if you can help, please do. And please make sure you're donating to a reputable organization. Sending money to the corrupt Haitian government that has mistreated its citizens for decades and created the deplorable infrastructure that lead to the disintegration of structures across this nation of 10 million souls will do much more harm than good.


Don't throw away your old shoes until you have got new ones. -Dutch Proverb

As I've posted before, Robeez baby shoes are one of our absolute favorite "baby bits," as they are the only shoes I was able to keep on the girls' feet for the first 18 months of their lives. And as I've also posted before, when you're buying two pairs at a time, the costs can add up quickly. So I was very excited to see this morning that Robeez is knocking off up to 50% on select styles.

There are some really cute shoes and boots available, and as always, you get free shipping if you purchase two pairs or more. So take a look and see if there's any must-have footwear on sale that your peanuts must have!


If Robeez's sale prices are still a little steep for you, though, consider Bobux or Ministar shoes. The girls have worn all three brands and with the exception of some differences in washability, we've found them all to be great footwear options.

Happy Tuesday and happy shopping, y'all!




Quick question...

I have in my possession approximately 475 lbs. (give or take 474.5 lbs.) of peppermint candy in various shapes and sizes thanks to the cornucopia that is Christmas. Any ideas for what I can do with it?

Thanks in advance for your minty-fresh help!


And she's back!

As my house is still dripping with boughs of holly and Santa-hatted creatures of all shapes and sizes, it seems odd to say that the holidays are over, but since yesterday was Epiphany, I guess I'm going to have to face the fact that Christmas is once again 11-and-a-half months away. And while I'll miss the heightened goodwill and eggnog, a year-long wait might be just what I need right now, as I'm gonna' need a few months to get over a rather unpleasant, eye-opening yuletide revelation.

What was this jarring realization, you ask? Simply put, I am now a Mom, and Christmas (or any other holiday/occasion that requires a lot of preparation and effort) can really be rough on a Mom.

Between my posts here and on facebook, my longing for even a smidge of Christmas Spirit during the holiday buildup was well-documented (once again, sorry for the repetition). Happily, I can report that on Christmas Eve, when everything was done and the girls were blissfully covering their beautiful velvet dresses with cookie crumbs, the spirit finally took over and I ended up really enjoying the final week of 2009. But as I reflected on my not-so-merry countdown to December 25th--hoping to figure out how I could prevent the same thing from happening in the future--I, quite unexpectedly, had a full-on "I'm The Mom" revelation.

Of course, this wasn't my first Christmas as a Mom, but for Yuletide 2008, the girls were perfectly content to lounge on their play mats or sway in their swings while I decorated the tree, baked cookies and wrapped presents. This year, however, the girls were slightly more interactive, happily unrolling countless tubes of wrapping paper, tearing up Christmas cards to their hearts' content and de-decorating the tree every chance they got. And all of that was awesome--really! Some of my happiest memories of this Christmas are the visions of my sugarplums exploring, enjoying and dismantling everything the holiday had to offer. But the energy it took to keep up with my peanuts and prepare a festive celebration that met my grandiose expectations meant that I spent a lot of the season in a less-than-jolly frame of mind.

I know I'm not alone in this struggle--looking back on my childhood, I can remember lots of special occasions when my mom ran around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to ensure that everything was perfect and everyone was happy. She'd finally have a chance to sit down and let out a sigh of relief during the event in question--be it a birthday, holiday or dinner party--only to be up and running shortly thereafter, cleaning up and putting the compulsory party paraphernalia away. If I haven't said it recently, Wizard, thank you for being the best mom ever! :-)

Judging from the facebook status updates posted the week of December 21st, most of my friends were caught up in the same kind of holiday rigmarole, frantically trying to get one more batch of cookies baked, send out a few more Christmas cards, find the perfect gift for Uncle Mel, get the dog to the vet after it ate Grandma Rose's fruit cake, and so on. But as I've said before, I do not subscribe to the belief that misery loves company--I don't want my friends and family zipping around like decapitated poultry any more than I want myself to be.

So where does all this reflection and introspection get us? Do we pinky swear that we'll give ourselves a break when it comes to life's landmark occasions? That we'll focus more on the meaning of the event than on the menu and decorations? I know that's a gross oversimplification of life's realities--it's the rule rather than the exception that if Mom/Wife/Daughter/Sister doesn't take care of things, a lot of special moments would simply pass by unnoticed. I think for my own sanity and contentment, however, I'll try to take it a little easier at holiday time from now on. Maybe I'll switch to eChristmas cards next year, or cut back on the number of perfect stocking stuffers I want to find. And maybe, instead of waking up early on Sunday mornings to scour the newspaper for sale circulars, I'll wake up early and go to church--after all, personal enrichment is vastly preferable to the depletion of our bank account. :-) All it takes is a little self-awareness and a slight adjustment of expectations...

Speaking of expectations, has anyone been to MarthaStewart.com recently? They've posted instructions on how to make your own candy jewels for Valentine's Day!!! They would look just beautiful on a from-scratch, four-tiered, fondant-enrobed Valentine's cake, don't you think? Now all I have to do is find the perfect cake recipe, buy the right pans, learn how to make fondant, watch a few episodes of Ace of Cakes, make the candy jewels and I'll be set!

~Sigh~

;-)

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