Tales From the Tub: A Shopper's Diary

It's that time!!!!

2010-08-07T17:35:00.001-07:00

It's that time of the year again (one of my favorites)!! Time for back to school, or back to school shopping in my world. All of the fall consignment sales are about to kick into high gear. I've been listing on eBay like a maniac (I shipped out 150 of Lillian's last year outfits last week alone), and still have about 4 bins of clothing to bring to my sale, not to mention all of the toys and baby gear I'm letting go of to make room for the little Mister.
The Spoiled Little Rascals sale is Friday - Sunday August 20th to the 23rd at the Eagan Community Center. It's going to be ALL THREE GYMS stuffed with stuff - and there's even still time for you to register as a consignor and get rid of YOUR outgrown kid stuff!! I made about $900 at the last sale, so if you have a lot of stuff, it IS worth your time rather than just donating it and getting nothing. SOMETHING has to pay my Gap Kids bill after all.... might as well recycle! Volunteer, and get an extra 10% of your sales (up to 80%!!!). Visit the Spoiled Little Rascals website to sign up and get started!

I'm offering two lucky followers (and a friend) PRESALE passes for the SLR sale!! Join my page on Facebook and invite your mommy friends to join to be entered in the first drawing which will take place on Saturday the 14th. The second chance to win will be follower participation the following week.

Presale takes place Thursday August 19th from 7:30-9pm. You can NOT beat this. You get to shop before the public with NO crowds and NO lines. Whether you're looking for clothes (maternity, newborn to size 14 kids), toys, gear (strollers, high chairs, swings, bikes), books, you name it, if it's for kids, it will be there.

Winning the War Against the Van

2010-08-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

So I've been having this horrible internal struggle ever since I got pregnant and realized that my beloved Volvo doesn't have LATCH all the way across the second row of seats. IT'S TIME FOR A MINIVAN. I realize that most of us just shrug and enjoy the luxury features now standard in the top models of minivans today, but every time I've driven past one over the last seven months, I have seriously started misting up.

I LOVE my car. I have loved it since the moment I found it on CarSoup when I was just about this pregnant with Lillian. It was my favorite shade of my favorite color. It had a dvd player for my future brats to watch 101 Dalmatians on and leather seats for them to spill McDonald's french fries and goldfish everywhere. It had the flip up 3rd row so I could conceivably have two of them, and still get my step daughter, and my much younger siblings all in at once to go do family things. It was my dream car, and I have loved it every moment.

Luckily for me, my dad owns a car repair shop. So every time my 'little things' have gone wrong, I can literally go crying to dad to fix my car, and it gets done. On the upside, it's allowed Lillian to spend lots of time with grampa over the past four years while we're waiting for the car to be ready. On the down side, as my dad likes to say to me 'If you had a Ford, this would have cost you $30. Since it's a Volvo...." You kind of get tired of hearing that, family discount or not.

So I have resigned myself to the fact that I'm getting a van (even though secretly I'm hoping Bob's Highlander - which is creeping up towards 200k miles -blows up and he gets stuck with it) and pretty much decided that since said Toyota has had virtually nothing but maintenance over the past eight years, I'm getting a Sienna. Yes, automatic doors, leather, wood grain, mp3, blah, blah. VAN.

Then we went to Boston on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and everything changed.

Bob booked us a standard SUV at Hertz just like he always does. Nothing fancy, just enough to get two adults, a 3 year old, a 12 year old, our luggage and a big stroller (yes I take my BOB there because that's about the only one that can handle the cobbles downtown to the sand on the beach). The website said a Nissan Xterra or the equivalent. We showed up, and what we got was a 7 passenger Chevy Traverse. Never heard of it, but it may have changed my life.

It had a walk-through second row, so you could climb in front of the seats and walk to the back row (like a minivan, huh?) without having to flip down one of the side seats. This would allow me to put both kids in their car seats using LATCH, and my step daughter could still get into the car, around the front of the seats, and into the 3rd row easily. Dare I dream this could be my answer??

So you know the minute we got to the hotel, I got on the computer and started hunting. If this car has this feature, what are the odds there are others out there? I hate to say I wasn't satisfied with settling for the American version of the answer to my prayers, but though my dad says 'if this were a Ford it would only cost $30...' well, that's because that $30 part breaks twice a year.

Lo and behold (thank you for existing, Google) I discovered that none other than the Toyota Highlander boasts a similar feature and for even less money with all the bells and whistles. So we got home, ran over to Bob's buddy at Toyota, gave one a spin, stuck the car seats in, walked around in it (I seriously can't believe I did that, but I did) and signed the papers on a vehicle that is NOT a minivan.... at least for now. If all works out well with this new vehicle when it arrives in a couple of weeks, maybe Bob can take it over when his bites the dust, and I can get my 1967 Jaguar XKE 2+2.... or maybe not.

Boys Can Have it Cute, Too

2010-06-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

So as I welcome myself to the world of boy shopping, I am quite relieved to find that solid colored turtlenecks, cuffed sweatpants and velcro sneakers are OPTIONAL. Chosen by many parents for some reason, but they're not ALL that's out there to be had.

When I worked at Oh Baby! the brand Morfs was up and coming but mainly for girls overalls with sweet vintage patchwork and embroidery embellishing it. Today, she has 'morfed' it into a super cute line (still using vintage and recycled fabrics) also fun for boys! I am just LOVING the tees with the sesame street characters (yes, I'm typically anti character-wearing but these work) with printed sock sleeves, and I just had to get the bb the Oscar the Grouch tee.

Stay tuned for more cute boy stuff. I know I'm not the only one out there who cares!!!

Consign is the Word

2010-06-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

So if you're a kid shopaholic like me, you currently have 5 bins of your kid's outgrown last season clothing sitting in your garage. Ok.... maybe you don't. I do, and the funny part, is I actually feel like I'm LOW on stuff in that department. Maybe because it's bigger sizes now, it's less stuff taking up more space? Let's go with that.
Anyway, I discovered quite accidentally two summers ago when I was garage saling for some more great deals on more kid clothes that I didn't need my friend Kelly and her fledgling business Spoiled Little Rascals consignment. She had been selling out of her garage for about a year, and was just about to have her first big public sale. At the time, I was attempting to sell everything on eBay, and was really more interested in shopping for MORE. Also, it was the first retail outlet opportunity for my hair clips.
Two years later, I've gotten some totally killer deals, sold hundreds of hair accessories, and made Thousands (literally) back out of the clothing I have purchased for my kid over the past 3.5 years, with SO much less work than listing on eBay and shipping.
Kelly's business has grown from 20 moms selling stuff out of her garage to 150+ moms selling stuff out of 3 packed gymnasiums at the Eagan Community center over a weekend three times a year. What I love about her sale that sets it apart from some of the others I've since gotten to know, is she's PICKY about what she lets in. Through my many hours of volunteering these sales, I've seen a few cranky consignors over that fact, but the appreciation from the shoppers speaks for itself. They keep coming back, sale after sale, and bringing more and more friends with them to get great deals on great stuff in great shape.
Clothing, shoes, strollers, swings, toys, movies, books..... pretty much everything kid related except car seats (for safety reasons) that are current styles and in excellent condition. No recalled or 10 year old baby gear. No barfed on onesies. No Gymboree outfits from 1995 for $10.

As a shopper, you get thousands of great values for all of your kids, newborn to teen. As a consignor, you get 70-80% of your sales which YOU price to your liking.

Her next sale has been announced for August 20-23rd at the Eagan Community Center. Go register now to sell your outgrown stuff. Volunteer, and get first dibs on all of the amazing deals to be had!!

Oh, my Flash Sales!!

2010-06-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

My new addiction has become flash sales. I've been on Gilt Kids for a long time now and have gotten some great deals there, but I have also discovered that there's SO many more out there... OMG my husband would just DIE if he knew... but a deal is a deal, right??

Here's some of my favorites.... I would love to hear about yours.

greenbabybargains 1 eco-friendly bargain a day 50% off or more. They also have a points system where you earn points with all of your orders, that eventually turn into gift certificates towards more orders.

ecobabybuys 1 eco-friendly bargain a day, typically 40-60% off. Choices are usually pretty limited.

Totsy this one is one of my favorites. It has 4-8 sales going on at once, everything from toys to clothes to accessories, strollers.... up to 70% off retail prices. Eco-friendly, lots of super high end boutique brands.

BabySteals is another good one. Their sale is typicall 40-70% off retail, on items that are HIGH DEMAND brands. Not just random cute stuff you've never heard of. I scored a new style organic ergobaby carrier for less than I could get an old style used one for on Craig's List.

KidSteals is the big brother/sister to baby steals. Features products for your older kids.

MiniSocial is a fun site for more mod, unique and handmade clothing for infants and kids. Several sales at a time.

Zulily is another favorite of mine. Several sales at once, diverse selection of goods from diaper bags to exercise equipment for moms, to boutique clothing to bottles, maternity, toys.... always a bunch of good stuff.

What are your favorites? Now that I'm addicted, might as well add some more...

One Stop Baby Stuff Shop

2010-06-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm again on the prowl for everything baby (having kept NOTHING from when L was little) I stumbled across my new favorite, FAVORITE website diapers.com which has so much more than diapers.
I had a revelation that I would like to attempt to cloth diaper this time around even though hubby is adamantly refusing to do so... Since he changed about 3% of L's diapers, I'm not too deterred by his threat but I decided to try and meet him in the middle, and I'm going to go with the gdiapers that have the option of doing cloth OR flushable/disposable inserts. I figure that will be good for him, or just for us being on the go. Anyway, I found diapers.com as I was hunting for discounted (yet not used) gpants which is insanely hard to do - they're practically still full price with someone else's poop stains in them! YIKES!! But they were having a decent sale on the starter pack here, so I bought them!
While there, I surfed around and discovered that while they sell all types of diapers (and accept mfg coupons too!!!) at competitive prices, they sell pretty much everything else baby related from strollers and car seats to formula, baby food, shampoos, clothing, even nursery furniture - not to mention a healthy stock of organics from foods to clothing and bedding. And all orders of $50 or more ship FREE and you get it within 2 business days.
Customer service just seem to be such a rarity these days, and everything this company has shown me so far has been awesome. Good deals, discounts on purchases, the customer comes first. Five stars from this momma.
Here's a nice deal for you - enter code NUFRIEND15 and enjoy $10 off your first order of $49 or more including disposable diapers (or disposable inserts). This is in addition to any sale prices or mfg coupons you send in. Of course this also gets you FREE SHIPPING, AND $5 off your second order. Good through 2010. Give them a try!
Wish I'd found them when L was little....

Nursing Moms, Grab one quick!!

2010-06-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long this deal is good for, but it's too good to pass up if you're nursing, or soon to become nursing. Udder Covers nursing covers are available for basically the cost of shipping. Any available print. Regularly $32 for a cover and $37 for a gift set of a cover, nursing bracelet and nursing pads, get a $32 discount at checkout and pay just $9.95 for shipping.

Great gift for someone who is expecting, too. You may purchase multiple covers at this price, but you must do each in a separate transaction. Enter code BABIES in the checkout.

Double Stroller Mania

2010-02-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

So since I'm a whole like, 9 minutes pregnant, laying in bed dying and obviously having a SECOND kid now... I've been spending about 5 hours a day/night surfing the net studying DOUBLE strollers since my 3.5 year old has shown no interest in walking anywhere on her own. I'm still LOVING my BOB Revolution, but obviously both aren't fitting into that. I'm annoyed at Bugaboo for not even attempting to come out with something for two (don't moms in Manhattan have multiple children ever?) But I also expect she'll be done using one within 6 months or so of baby coming.
So... I think maybe the Phil & Ted strollers might be a good idea. Of course I go straight to the Vibe because it looks cooler, and has some sleeker functions than their other models. However, my kid already being 42 inches tall, she's WAY too big for the seat, let alone the little jump seat down below. I've also heard that the kid staying in the stroller the most has to be in the main seat or it tips... yuck. Who between a skippy 4 year old and a crying 6 month old will be in the stroller more???
I pretty much have run into the problem of L's height with every stroller I look at. And since she has ample room in her BOB, I'm going with another one. The Double BOB Revolution. No, I still won't be jogging. But it will be the right size, will accomodate the car seat, isn't a ton heavier than the single even though it's a lot wider, and seems bulkier. It's just as easy to push, has the same great coverage with the hood, and the great cupholders both on the console and inside the seats for the kiddos. Storage basket is larger, but still difficult to get into.
I have a feeling that even without #2 being here yet, we'll get lots of use out of it this summer with L and her buddies. Everyone always is fighting over sitting in her stroller at the zoo and the mall.

Stamped Custom Jewelry

2010-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

A custom piece Jen did for a friend of mine

A lot of people have asked me where I got my stamped 'Lillian' necklace that I wear (when my chain isn't broken). The original charm I got was purchased at Oh Baby! where I used to work, and yes, it cost $400 from Heather Moore Jewelry.

However, being the etsy savvy shopper that I am, I found an amazing metal worker who was doing something similar, and she was able to duplicate almost identical for me the stuff I had done for SO much less it's not even funny. She has come up with some gorgeous designs of her own since, and she really takes pride in her work. I have been getting stuff from her for almost two years now, and have never heard anything but good from people who have gotten her stuff.

Jen's shoppable site is at http://www.jenerijewelry.etsy.com/ and she is happy to do custom creations, and turns them around really quick. Great gift idea for any mom or grandma.

All I want for Christmas....

2009-12-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

So the only thing my kid will play with these days comes in a little plastic tub at the dollar store. We call it goop. Some call it glurp. Some call it putty or alien slime. It is ugly, cold, clammy, sticky goo that for some reason fascinates my kid to no end. I go to the dollar store and buy cases of the stuff, so I can go home, and whip one out whenever I need like, 4 hours to get something done.

I'm all about imaginitive play, so bring it on. She sits there and pours it over her princess dolls, wraps it around her doll house babies like a blanket, and wraps it around her plastic wonder pets like capes. Oh, and lets not forget how amusing it is to pour it all over the table, and enjoy stuffing it back into the bottle and listen to the sick fart noises it bestows. As long as it stays off my carpet... it's the best investment around.

Who needs toys all over their house?

To Jog, or not to Jog....

2009-11-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

So for better or for worse, I have another stroller. It's not that any of my other ones weren't adequate... it's not that my child uses one more than any other time in her life, probably less as she's 3 now. However, I just couldn't bring myself to say no to the pink and chocolate BOB Revolution... and you know how I love pink and chocolate...

We actually use it a ton because it's super easy for her to get in and out of, and it's amazing on any terrain. Unlike my Bugaboo, it is fantastic on the sand, on cobbles, on a hill, on gravel... and of course, it's a JOGGING stroller. No, I don't run on pavement. I feel like an idiot if I'm actually running publicly, and actually fear for my own incarceration from the insult it would cause to those exposed.

I love the cup holders, I love the fact that the foot 'hump' is strategically set so that when Lillian has one of her little buddies along, she can sit on the hump and it's practically a double stroller that is still easy to navigate - and we're talking two 35 pound kids. It is way more stable on its wheels than any of my other strollers, which of course I love now that my kid is in and out of it constantly and I still shop as much as I did 3 years ago....

These things being said, I'm pretty disappointed by the storage basket now that it's winter and her coat hardly fits down there, let alone hers and mine. While it is easy to swing open and fold up, it doesn't lock closed, which means you are forced to take an awkward stance to pick it up and hoist its 27 pound frame into the car to keep it from flying open and killing you. If I had two, I thought that the double BOB would be awesome, until I read that one was 48 pounds.... I'm a strong chick but that just sounds exhausting and excessive to me...

Either way, love this one, and it's all we've touched in the 5 months we've had it -don't think it's going to convince me to start running, though...

Tie One On

2009-04-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Pic courtesy of lovey duds

Like every other parent out there, I was told that the Baby Bjorn carrier was the best thing out there for hands free holding of my kid. However, when she hit 13 pounds at three months of age, my back was dying - and she was in no mind to quit growing, or demanding to be carried around 24/7.

I don't even remember anymore how I heard about or saw the baby wraps, and though I'm about as anti-granola of a mom as it gets, I was desperate, and I purchased a Moby Wrap. All I can really say about this purchase, is BOY do I wish I'd done it sooner. Putting it on was tricky the first time or two, I'm not going to lie. Once you get the hang of it, you're golden, but my strongest advisement is to make sure you practice 2-3 times AT HOME because you will want to readjust it a few times at first.

Because you adjust the thick fabric across your shoulders, it evenly distributes the baby's weight, and this was comfortable and easy for me to carry my daughter at 18 months and 28 pounds, though her legs were a little gangly. It supported her sleeping until she was over a year old, so I could bring her virtually anywhere. I just tied it on at home, and left it on so I could just throw her in it and away we'd go.

Airports, the zoo, the beach, the museum, cooking dinner... about the only place it wasn't worn was in the water. They come with a booklet, and I believe a dvd. I got mine at http://www.mobywrap.com/, but there's also one I've discovered since on etsy that I would say is fabulous... http://www.etsy.com/shop/loveyduds. They are about the same price as the basic moby, but have the fabric panel as the designer moby, PLUS they're all done on organic cotton.

All moms MUST have.

2008-12-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I always feel like this is one of those things that goes without saying because it's such an obvious quick-fix to me, yet when I talk about it to other moms in my group, I'd say about half of them haven't ever used this.
OXYCLEAN, OXYCLEAN, OXYCLEAN

Puke, poop, pee, chocolate, marker, mildew, paint, red sucker, soda, ANYTHING. It takes it out. I go through 2-3 bottles of the spray, and 1-2 jars of the Baby powder a month. It's just such an easy way to treat stains (even dry ones) and wash, and problem solved.

All of my kid's clothes are higher end, cold washed and hung to dry as I resell and try to keep fading and shrinkage to a minimum. But she's a kid and I DO let her be a KID in her clothes. She no longer wears a bib because she's "too big" for such silly things, so every day there's at least some minor stains on whatever she has worn.

I swear by this stuff, it's $3 at Target or WalMart, and now you're in the know. ;)

The Bag on Diaper Bags

2008-09-23T20:29:00.001-07:00

So now that we know what a stroller addict I am, it's time to confess my other necessity gone overboard since having my daughter - the Diaper Bag.

It started out innocently enough - I thought I should have a big one, and a small one. And since I worked at forementioned baby store, I was well versed in the world of diaper bags. Enough so to know that I didn't want the same asian print satin Petunia Pickle Bottom bag that EVERY hip mom had. I was already proud owner of the most coveted stroller on the market - I couldn't just sell out for the most popular bag. So I settled on the hip yet less available Fleurville Sling Tote bag. I debated on the color, but in the end decided to be nice and get something that was neutral enough for my husband to carry, and I didn't really like the shiny, laminated surface of most of the bags. So I settled on the denim grommet bag.

Perfect for the fall baby, great for either sex, and matched my fall jean jacket. :) Can't go wrong. It was a GREAT back. Versatile, being able to be worn as a tote bag, hooked on to the stroller, or with the tote straps tucked in, a messenger style sling bag. Lots of roomy inside pockets, an easy fold out changing mat, and a wipe case. It was a great size. Middle of the road. Maybe not big enough for a heavy day of travel with a newborn, but perfect for everyday. Fits into the under-storage basket of pretty much all strollers or hooks to the handlebars for easy access.

Then about a month after Lillian was born, I was at Nordstrom and their Juicy Couture Quick Change mini bag was on SALE for under $50. I decided to splurge on it, figuring it would be useful while traveling, and as she got older and needed less. And while it has useful stuff like the micro thin yet tough and large change pad, all clear inner pockets and compartments, I didn't end up using it much as I soon realized that my most vital toddler staples are SNACKS and DRINKS which just don't fit.

Then a few weeks after that, the fabulous Kalencom faux leather tote came in at the baby store and I just couldn't resist. It was about twice the size of my Fleurville bag, but soft and squishy and easy to stuff into the storage basket, and big enough for a FULL day out with toys, some books, a few changes of clothes... you get the picture. It also didn't look much like a diaper bag - a huge plus for me. Oh, and washable, dryable.... also learn this is a huge plus when your kid's bottle leaks all over the inside of the diaper bag and you notice 2 days later. Yuck. Most bags are NOT equipped for washing. This bag got WELL used in my house!

But, who can keep a bag for more than a few months, right? I made it almost a year with this one, and then when Lillian started potty training, I decided I was ready for something smaller again. Something that could hold a few emergency outfits, drink and snacks and wallet. I liked the unique look and solid construction of the Kalencom bag well enough, I went back for a second.

The silver midi tote bag is fabulous. It doesn't look like a diaper bag, is soft and pliable, goes with your fashionable wardrobe and adds a bit of flair. Comes with a drink insulator bag, change pad, and several internal and external pockets. Plus for potty training moms, the fabulous "oops" bag in matching fabric.

Now I was THRILLED with this bag. Reasonably priced, made by a company out of New Orleans, and nobody else had it. Then a couple of months later, I came across THE bag that said..... ME.

The $350 Petunia Pickle Bottom CAKE collection Cosmopolitan Carryall bag in Chocolate Cherry Cake. A mouthful? Perhaps. A wallet-ful? Oh, YES. My husband is HATING me by this time, let me tell you. But sometimes there's just things a girl HAS to have when she's willing to forego so many others for herself. I treated myself. And I get compliments everywhere I go. Plush velour tapestry, tweeds.... MMmmm! It was bigger than I was hoping, but I see fashionistas running around with bags twice this size all the time. And while it has the hidden zip-out changing mat (that my now potty trained kid hasn't once used) matching wipe case, internal bottle pockets, I'm constantly getting stopped by women of all ages asking where I got my purse. I love the look on their faces when I say "Well, I got this diaper bag....."

And while I can honestly admit that it does NOT have ALL of the conveniences I have loved in past bags, this is the LAST one I plan on buying. And maybe using well past kid toting time.

Some of my necessities (ok, stroller addiction)

2008-09-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Since I'm starting this blog so late into my mom shopping experience, I have to throw out a few things that have been life saving pieces of my world over the past two years.

I will just state now that I am a stroller whore, and I have purchased..... 8 different ones over the past 2 years for my one child (thank you world of resale). My first was the practical and most popular Graco Quattro with the SnugRide car seat. I HATED it. Everything about it. It was huge, cumbersome, and had no bells and whistles that in my opinion called for it to be either of those things. I never once used the actual stroller, as when I was about 7 months pregnant, Bob let me buy the almighty Bugaboo Frog.

Aaaahhhhhhh. Now THAT was what I was looking for. Stylish, easy to use, a bit on the large side, but hey - It was a stroller and bassinet all in one, and it allowed for easy use of my Graco SnugRide car seat with an attachment. It was just fabulous. It went everywhere with me. Shopping, the zoo, on airplanes, served as my main floor bassinet in the living room.... It had a $749 pricetag, but again we love resale. I got mine used for $550 and it was used DAILY.

When my daughter was a bit bigger, I wanted to invest in a lightweight stroller. Something that was NOT two pieces that my husband could handle opening/closing/using, etc... So away I went to consumerreports.com in search of the best and most recommended umbrella stroller. I came up with the Silver Cross Micro strolleras it had bigger wheels and bigger storage than the more popular Maclaren Volo plus it came PINK. Sold. And while I liked the stroller, I just loved my Frog so much that I tended to leave the $130 umbrella stroller in my husband's car for rare use. I had intended for it to be used when traveling, etc but realized that even though my growing girl was becoming a toddler, she still needed to be able to sleep in her stroller sometimes, and this didn't lay down.

Skip ahead a few months, and the new Bugaboo BEE was released on the market. It was everything the Frog was not - ONE PIECE, easy for my newly 1 year old to get in and out of, narrow enough to get through small spaces. So I begged for, and was granted permission to bring the new stroller into our lives. And it was great. I was very enthusiastic about it, but certain aspects of it kept me going back to my Frog. The hood was huge (and while great for protection) AWFUL for lillian who has to see EVERYTHING that is going on around her. My non-bugaboo but vital to my life attachments for the stroller bar and handle didn't fit. No snacks for her, no snacks or bevvies for me -BAD. And while this was almost half the weight and bulk of the frog, it still folded to fit exactly in the same travel bag as the Frog, so it was still obnoxious for me to fly with size-wise.

So it was a resale destiny for the Bee - it was a GOOD stroller and had some awesome features. It just wasn't for me. So having tried everything on the market I was interested in, I decided that I had proved myself worthy of an UPGRADE... ;) And sold the Frog to buy the Cameleon. Still with me here?

So WHY ON EARTH you ask me did you basically buy the same stroller OVER again but pay another $200??? Here again, I praise the resale Gods.... I got it on Craigs List for $650 and resold my Frog (plus a few cheap, easy upgrades) on eBay for a bit more than I actually spent on it. So it was almost a wash. The differences might seem small to some, but they were NOT for me, who used it daily. First off, the whole seat is 2 inches longer giving you 2 more inches of space in the bassinet for an infant (which of course I was past, but hey - maybe SOMEDAY I'll have another one, maybe) thus making the toddler seat more accomodating also. The underseat storage basket is 25% larger, and now USEABLE (love that, huh?), the handlebar extends to fit to your height, and most importantly (to me) was that these strollers work with interchangeable fabric covers in a variety of colors (hence the name) that come in super soft microfleece. They have since done them in canvas as well, but we stick to the fleece as I'm a sensory snob, and I want my baby on soft everything. It has served me well, and I don't now how I can ever part with it. I'm sure someday my grandkids will love it....

But I must also fast forward another year, to this past summer where we went on a vacation to see Bob's grandmother in Massachusets, and Bob vowed he'd never help me take the baby AND get the Bugaboo travel bag through airport security again. Plus with all the new luggage fees, etc, it was ridiculous to check it.

So I am on another mission.... my kid will FOR SURE need to nap in the stroller because that's the only place I have a prayer for a week, and I need to get it there and back easily. So we hit Babies R Us again to test drive the latest stuff (and I must say that in 2 years there was some fun and cute stuff out there for someone besides myself) and decided that our next purchase would be the Maclaren Quest Mod.

Had I thought about a reclining umbrella stroller back when I got the Micro, I would have gotten this one to begin with and as a result would never have ended up getting the Bee at all. Retailing at $229-299 (depending on design, etc) it is super lightweight, folds as an umbrella stroller, has 85% recline suitable from 3 months, and holds up to 65 pounds of kid. It also has an extendable leg rest (seat bottom) so it grows with your child. Our experience with this stroller has been awesome. It is super cute, got me in/out of the airport in a breeze, folded up with one hand at the gate, and the greatest part was that the extendable leg rest pulled out so that my very tall almost two year old hardly had to bend her legs to lay completely in the stroller for a nap. We got a good nap out of her in this almost every day and THAT is saying something.

As a whole I loved all of the strollers I have used, and had a great time picking them out and trying them out. I am now down to two (my husband rejoices) and that is where I'll stay. I have my everyday stroller, and my quickie travel stroller. I think we're good. Now if I could just get my kid to sit down......

The beginning...

2008-09-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

I decided to start this blog because I thought it would be entertaining to some that I'm documenting and sharing my addiction. It all started harmlessly enough - I took a full time job at a super high end kids boutique about 10 years ago. While I was in and out of that store as an employee for all these years, it didn't start to affect my life until almost 3 years ago when that magical moment happened to me - I was having a baby. And not just any baby - a GIRL.
I think my body was genetically programmed to only accept a female egg because I had PINK on the brain. Suddenly all of these $100 items I sold other people for years were things that I had to have, whether I needed (or could afford) them or not.

I became eBay kid buying savvy real quick, let me tell you. The end result was a combo of the best current season items and favorites I've had over the years. That equals WAY more stuff than any girl could ever dream of wearing. We're talking 4-6 bins of clothing in every size.

I've gotten even smarter about it as Lili has gotten older - learned to appreciate the better price points (and resale value) of the more mainstream brands like Baby Gap, Gymboree, even Old Navy.

My goal for this blog is to share some of my favorite items and bargain finds for little girls - whether it's clothing, shoes, gear, WHATEVER! So enjoy!