The 42nd season of Sesame Street premiered this Tuesday, and Jay LOVES Sesame Street (and pretty much any show with puppets) and especially Elmo and Grover.
During Thursday's episode they did a Glee parody - called "G" with the focus on the letter G and words that start with G - and since I'm on a Glee kick since watching this week's episode (OMG! I can't wait to see what happens next - who gets what part in the musical and how Quinn thinks she'll get full custody of Beth despite being a trainwreck now...) I thought it was pretty amusing! Sad that Tina, Puck and Santana aren't in it though, but it's still pretty funny!
9.30.2011
"G" (a Sesame Street parody of Glee)!
The 42nd season of Sesame Street premiered this Tuesday, and Jay LOVES Sesame Street (and pretty much any show with puppets) and especially Elmo and Grover.
During Thursday's episode they did a Glee parody - called "G" with the focus on the letter G and words that start with G - and since I'm on a Glee kick since watching this week's episode (OMG! I can't wait to see what happens next - who gets what part in the musical and how Quinn thinks she'll get full custody of Beth despite being a trainwreck now...) I thought it was pretty amusing! Sad that Tina, Puck and Santana aren't in it though, but it's still pretty funny!
During Thursday's episode they did a Glee parody - called "G" with the focus on the letter G and words that start with G - and since I'm on a Glee kick since watching this week's episode (OMG! I can't wait to see what happens next - who gets what part in the musical and how Quinn thinks she'll get full custody of Beth despite being a trainwreck now...) I thought it was pretty amusing! Sad that Tina, Puck and Santana aren't in it though, but it's still pretty funny!
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Days 9 & 10
Day 9: Favorite Football Pastimes
Watching the Cowboys, obviously!Growing up, almost every Thanksgiving I would catch at least part of the Cowboys game. In high school, the guy I dated was as big a Chicago Bears fan as hubby is a Dallas Cowboys fan (ie: flipping out at the TV, jumping around like a madman, lol...) and so every Sunday he would come over and watch the game on my dad's bigger TV with the surround sound, lol... And since I've been with hubby the last almost 5 years (Wow! Congrats hon, you're officially the guy I've been with the longest! hehe...) football season in the fall and winter has always been about watching the Cowboys and cheering them on.
As I mentioned previously in this challenge, last fall we took a trek down to Dallas, Texas as neither of us had been there, my college roommate lives down there now and wanted us to come visit and well, we decided to go in the fall just so we could catch a Cowboys game while we were there! So that was fun, despite it being the Monday night game against the NY Giants where Tony Romo (our main quarterback) broke his clavicle and was out the rest of the season. We also made sure to stock up on Cowboys gear both at Walmart and the Pro Shop since our Walmart up here only sells Bears and Packers stuff (boooo!).
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| 23ish weeks pregnant , so technically Jay's been there too, lol... |
In college, when I lived on campus in the dorms, we would regularly attend the NIU football games too - I got to see Michael Turner (now on the Atlana Falcons), Garrett Wolfe (former Chicago Bear), Doug Free (Dallas Cowboys), and Sam Hurd (former Dallas Cowboy, now Chicago Bear) play for our Huskies!
Day 10: Thanksgiving Memories
Hm... well, like I said, I almost always caught part of the Cowboy's game on Thanksgiving while growing up.
When I was really little I used to get up early and watch the Macy's parade, with Santa arriving at the end, signifying Christmas was just around the corner.
For the longest time Thanksgiving was at my parent's house every year. Then my aunt and uncle got married and we started alternating Christmas and Thanksgiving (one year my mom would do Thanksgiving at our house and my aunt would do Christmas at her house and then the next year they would switch). Since hubby and I got married we decided to alternate where we did Thanksgiving each year as his parents live over an hour away and we hate rushing back and forth (Christmas isn't an issue as my family does everything on Christmas Eve while hubby's is on Christmas Day).
9.29.2011
Dryer Despairs
This past weekend our not quite 6 month old dryer seems to have stopped working properly as it won't heat up to dry anything! It goes through the normal cycles of drying the clothes... but with no heat!
We're not entirely sure what happened to have caused this or when it exactly it started happening - hubby was sick for a few days last week, and me not wanting to catch it for fear of knowing that if I get sick it's pretty much a guarantee that Jay will get sick also decided to sleep on the couch for a few nights and wash all the sheets and bedding once hubby was feeling better.The comforter didn't dry 100% after 2 cycles, but that's normal as it's so big anyway so I didn't think too much about that.
Friday we bought a heavy blanket to use for nights when the comforter is too warm, but it's too cold to sleep without a blanket. We bought it at Walmart though and it didn't come in any protective wrapping so we wanted to wash it first before using. I put it in Saturday and it didn't dry all the way the 1st time so I put it in again and put Jay's clothes (including all his heavier, outdoor pants) in the wash and went to bed while hubby stayed up playing Madden (I was dead tired for some reason), telling him to put Jay's clothes in the dryer before he came to bed.
He did and brought the mostly dry blanket upstairs with him.
Sunday afternoon, as we're getting ready to go to the Apple Orchard, I go to get Jay's clothes out of the dryer as the outfit I wanted to put on him (plus all his pants!) was in there... and his clothes are still soaked as if the dryer never ran!
Wtf??
Hubby swore he ran the dryer before he went to bed.
Confused, I checked to make sure it was on the automatic, energy saving preferred setting and went back upstairs to get myself ready to go. I check back in 20 minutes, as it's on the cooldown cycle... and Jay's clothes are still soaked!
We ran the dryer 2 more times, once on the high heat setting just to be sure and still, nothing!
I called my parents and asked my dad if he knew anything about gas dryers, so he came over to check the pilot light for us, which seemed fine... and we had previously followed the troubleshooting instructions in the manual (which were simply make sure the lint trap was empty and that the gas valve to the dryer was open - duh!).
I called Lowe's service number on Monday to see about them sending a repairman out, since it's not even 6 months old and still under the manufacturer's warranty. Since I'm on-call at work in the afternoon this week on Tuesday and Wednesday I opted for a morning appointment on Wednesday - they gave me a window of 8am-noon for someone to be out here.
Needless to say, I waited around for a good bit this morning and this afternoon.
Noon came and went. I waited til 1230 before calling the number again, figuring maybe the tech was running behind or something. By 1245 I finally got a hold of a representative and explained that it was well past noon and the time frame I was given and that I might have to leave for work in 45 minutes and that no one had been to our house yet or even called! He put me on hold and called the tech to find out what was going on, explaining to him that I might have to leave soon. I was told that the tech was in the middle of a dishwasher installation and would try to make it over to our house before I would have to leave to at least diagnose the situation but if he didn't make I would have to call and reschedule.
Well, fortunately they didn't need my on-call at work so I didn't have to go in til later, but 130 came and went and no repairman.
I did get a call later today from American (which is guess is who Lowe's goes through for their major appliance repairs...?) saying I need to call them to reschedule my appointment as they understood I had to leave and the tech didn't get out here in time.
Grrr... add that on my list of things to do now... again.
I really hope we get our dryer fixed by the weekend and that they're not booked into next week now. Fortunately my parents only live 5-10minutes away so we could always use their dryer if we need to (we ended up sending Jay's laundry home with them and stopping by later to dress him and get them before we went to the Apple Orchard).
So annoying though!
We're not entirely sure what happened to have caused this or when it exactly it started happening - hubby was sick for a few days last week, and me not wanting to catch it for fear of knowing that if I get sick it's pretty much a guarantee that Jay will get sick also decided to sleep on the couch for a few nights and wash all the sheets and bedding once hubby was feeling better.The comforter didn't dry 100% after 2 cycles, but that's normal as it's so big anyway so I didn't think too much about that.
Friday we bought a heavy blanket to use for nights when the comforter is too warm, but it's too cold to sleep without a blanket. We bought it at Walmart though and it didn't come in any protective wrapping so we wanted to wash it first before using. I put it in Saturday and it didn't dry all the way the 1st time so I put it in again and put Jay's clothes (including all his heavier, outdoor pants) in the wash and went to bed while hubby stayed up playing Madden (I was dead tired for some reason), telling him to put Jay's clothes in the dryer before he came to bed.
He did and brought the mostly dry blanket upstairs with him.
Sunday afternoon, as we're getting ready to go to the Apple Orchard, I go to get Jay's clothes out of the dryer as the outfit I wanted to put on him (plus all his pants!) was in there... and his clothes are still soaked as if the dryer never ran!
Wtf??
Hubby swore he ran the dryer before he went to bed.
Confused, I checked to make sure it was on the automatic, energy saving preferred setting and went back upstairs to get myself ready to go. I check back in 20 minutes, as it's on the cooldown cycle... and Jay's clothes are still soaked!
We ran the dryer 2 more times, once on the high heat setting just to be sure and still, nothing!
I called my parents and asked my dad if he knew anything about gas dryers, so he came over to check the pilot light for us, which seemed fine... and we had previously followed the troubleshooting instructions in the manual (which were simply make sure the lint trap was empty and that the gas valve to the dryer was open - duh!).
I called Lowe's service number on Monday to see about them sending a repairman out, since it's not even 6 months old and still under the manufacturer's warranty. Since I'm on-call at work in the afternoon this week on Tuesday and Wednesday I opted for a morning appointment on Wednesday - they gave me a window of 8am-noon for someone to be out here.
Needless to say, I waited around for a good bit this morning and this afternoon.
Noon came and went. I waited til 1230 before calling the number again, figuring maybe the tech was running behind or something. By 1245 I finally got a hold of a representative and explained that it was well past noon and the time frame I was given and that I might have to leave for work in 45 minutes and that no one had been to our house yet or even called! He put me on hold and called the tech to find out what was going on, explaining to him that I might have to leave soon. I was told that the tech was in the middle of a dishwasher installation and would try to make it over to our house before I would have to leave to at least diagnose the situation but if he didn't make I would have to call and reschedule.
Well, fortunately they didn't need my on-call at work so I didn't have to go in til later, but 130 came and went and no repairman.
I did get a call later today from American (which is guess is who Lowe's goes through for their major appliance repairs...?) saying I need to call them to reschedule my appointment as they understood I had to leave and the tech didn't get out here in time.
Grrr... add that on my list of things to do now... again.
I really hope we get our dryer fixed by the weekend and that they're not booked into next week now. Fortunately my parents only live 5-10minutes away so we could always use their dryer if we need to (we ended up sending Jay's laundry home with them and stopping by later to dress him and get them before we went to the Apple Orchard).
So annoying though!
9.28.2011
Product Review: Baby Monitors
I mentioned a few weeks ago that our baby monitor was starting to crap out on us.
We registered for The First Years 49MHz Baby Monitor with 2 Receivers at Target as it seemed to be the best value - we don't need a video monitor or anything fancy, just something simple and basic that serves its purpose.
The monitor worked pretty well for a while, the battery operation that makes it wireless worked just fine and the sound, while a little bit of static from time to time and occasionally we would hear a nearby baby coming over the frequency, it was tolerable.
Right around when Jay turned 7 months is when it started crapping out.
We turned it on one night and the static was pretty bad not to mention the monitor kept cutting in and out. It was very annoying! Just to make sure it wasn't the receiver in the bedroom going bad, we switched it out with the one we use on batteries and it was doing the same thing - horrible static and the constant cutting in and out. We checked the child unit and did everything we could think to try to correct the problem but with no such luck. Nothing had changed from how we had previously been using it.
We pitched it in the trash and the next day I went out and bought us the Sony 900MHZ BabyCall Nursery Monitor.
It has multiple channels to use (the First Years one only had 2), and the receiver charges when it's plugged in so you can use it wirelessly for a bit (no batteries, woot!). A lot of the reviews said it had no static, which I guess is true if you don't use a sound machine or humidifier in your child's room, but we do so it does pick up a lot of extra noise, but it does amplify Jay's cries and movements so we hear them over the background noise in his room.
Granted, this one only has 1 receiver, but honestly, the only time we use the baby monitor is when I'm either asleep at night in our room or if Jay's in bed and we're downstairs for an extended period of time. The rest of the time, if I'm in the family room or kitchen I can hear him just fine. The charging feature is really nice though - I really like that!
I am liking it so far, but we'll see how long this monitor lasts - hopefully longer than 7 months! I did purchase the extended warranty on it too for an additional $5. I forget how long it covers it additionally, but if it stops working properly within the extended time frame, Babies/Toys R Us will replace it for us.
We registered for The First Years 49MHz Baby Monitor with 2 Receivers at Target as it seemed to be the best value - we don't need a video monitor or anything fancy, just something simple and basic that serves its purpose.The monitor worked pretty well for a while, the battery operation that makes it wireless worked just fine and the sound, while a little bit of static from time to time and occasionally we would hear a nearby baby coming over the frequency, it was tolerable.
Right around when Jay turned 7 months is when it started crapping out.
We turned it on one night and the static was pretty bad not to mention the monitor kept cutting in and out. It was very annoying! Just to make sure it wasn't the receiver in the bedroom going bad, we switched it out with the one we use on batteries and it was doing the same thing - horrible static and the constant cutting in and out. We checked the child unit and did everything we could think to try to correct the problem but with no such luck. Nothing had changed from how we had previously been using it.
We pitched it in the trash and the next day I went out and bought us the Sony 900MHZ BabyCall Nursery Monitor.It has multiple channels to use (the First Years one only had 2), and the receiver charges when it's plugged in so you can use it wirelessly for a bit (no batteries, woot!). A lot of the reviews said it had no static, which I guess is true if you don't use a sound machine or humidifier in your child's room, but we do so it does pick up a lot of extra noise, but it does amplify Jay's cries and movements so we hear them over the background noise in his room.
Granted, this one only has 1 receiver, but honestly, the only time we use the baby monitor is when I'm either asleep at night in our room or if Jay's in bed and we're downstairs for an extended period of time. The rest of the time, if I'm in the family room or kitchen I can hear him just fine. The charging feature is really nice though - I really like that!
I am liking it so far, but we'll see how long this monitor lasts - hopefully longer than 7 months! I did purchase the extended warranty on it too for an additional $5. I forget how long it covers it additionally, but if it stops working properly within the extended time frame, Babies/Toys R Us will replace it for us.
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Day 8
Day 8: Fall Travel/Road Trips
We don't really have any planned, regularly scheduled trips we make every fall, unless you count the short drive over to the Apple Orchard.
Last fall we did take a trip to Dallas, Texas though which was a lot of fun, as we visited my college roommate who lives down there now, checked out the Mary Kay museum, took a VIP tour of Cowboy's Stadium and caught the Monday Night Football Cowboys vs Giants game! It was a fun trip, save for the drive home where we hit a buck at 11pm at night just outside St. Louis!
9.27.2011
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Day 7
Day 7: Fall Recipes
To be honest... I don't bake a whole lot...
But I am up for taste testing some yummy fall treats that people put in my path!
9.26.2011
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Day 6
Day 6: Fall TV Shows
2 Broke Girls
(new) Mondays, CBS
Not sure if I like this one or not yet - Kat Dennings stars as a career waitress in a New York diner and is paired with a new waitress who just happens to be a former city socialite and heiress. It was decent and a bit funny but I haven't made up my mind on it yet.
New Girl
(new) Tuesdays, Fox
I LOVE Zooey Daschenel so of course I had to check this one out. And I wasn't disappointed - I was laughing althoughout the episode! It's cute and hilarious too! I definitely hope this one sticks around for a few seasons!
Up All Night
(new) Wednesdays, NBC
This one stars Christina Applegate, whom I'm a fan of, and being that it's a show about a couple of new parents, not to mention Applegate and myself are both fairly new parents, I just had to check this one out. And I'm enjoying it! The show's cute and easy to relate too (for parents that is).
Community
Thursdays, NBC
Still one of my favorite shows on TV and this season, starting with the opening song and dance number, has me cracking up so far! Glad to see it back for a 3rd season!
The Office
Thursdays, NBC
Since it's an ensemble cast, it can easily keep going without Steve Carell as the boss. Not sure how I feel about James Spader joining the cast - he's a bit odd, random and creepy... should be interesting to see how things pan out though and how long they'll continue to keep it going. People say it went downhill after season 3... hubby and I didn't start watching til the end of season 5 though and we still enjoy it! Hopefully season 8 won't be the last!Still to watch...
Glee (Tuesdays, Fox)
I know it premiered last week, but I haven't had a chance to find a way to watch it yet (I hear it's finally on OnDemand, so maybe I'll check that out tomorrow night).
The Walking Dead (Sundays, AMC)
This one premieres mid-October. We watched the short, 6-episode 1st season last year and really enjoyed it! Glad to see it's back for a 2nd season!
Fun with Our Phones Monday #5
It's Monday! Which means it's time for Fun with Our Phones Monday!!! I have quite a few to share this week too!
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| Being a silly boy on the couch |
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| That's Tiger, laying in her usual spot on the loveseat in front of the window, only she's completely stretched out over the pillow there, her feet hanging out over, lol... |
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| Maybe a little hard to see, but the license plate says Ryne S and it's a Chicago Cubs license plate. This was here in Rockford... I thought it was a bit odd and was curious if maybe it was THE Ryne Sandberg, who was my favorite Chicago Cub while growing up. I didn't get to see the driver unfortunately =( |
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| I busted out my Apple Strudel candle we got from the Apple Orchard last year - it's officially fall, so I figured why not? I LOVE this candle, it's PERFECT for fall! |
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| He decided to just climb over his activity table to play with the toys on the opposite side there, lol... |
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| Caught him trying to break into the kitchen cabinet, lol... |
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| My sis took this one - too funny though! |
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| I ALWAYS put his hat on straight but within seconds (it seems) he has it flipped over to the side like this, lol... |
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| We went shopping at Kohl's and I bought him a Clifford stuffed animal (it was $5 with proceeds going to charity). He loves it and fell asleep with it in the car. |
A friend posted on Facebook photos of all the dead fur and junk this product called the Furminator brushed off her cat. Tired of Tiger's shedding all over the place, I checked into it and found a great deal on it on Amazon. This is just the 1st 2 sittings I've done grooming her (she doesn't like to sit still) and it definitely got A LOT! I soooo recommend this product!
Hubby got off work early on Thursday and we met him for a late lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. They gave Jay a kid's menu, which he had fun destroying, lol...
I took Jay to the big indoor playworld again this week and he decided to play a bit this week (last week he just sat and watched the other kids, staying glued to me with a death grip!). Hubby came with, so I think that helped!
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| We went to our favorite sushi restaurant and let Jay play with a pair of chopsticks |
He had THE MOST fun with these little plastic cups you put soy and other sauces in - he even took it home with us and has been playing with it around the house, lol... it's just his size!
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| We stocked up on stuff at Sam's Club, including paper towels! This beast of 15 rolls took me a bit to figure out where to store them all! |
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| Our 1st visit to the Edward's Apple Orchard in Poplar Grove this year! |
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| We let Jay try an apple cider donut - he LOVED it and at probably 1/4th of hubby's donut! We also let him sip some cooled hot apple cider too, which he also loved and started smacking the cup for more, lol... |
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| They have a mini-petting zoo, which we let Jay check out the animals |
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| And there's this growth sunflower you can check your height at - hopefully we remember to do this every year! |
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| He was FASCINATED by the huge fans inside the store. |
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| Watching his Grandpap's team (the Steelers, as my parents are both from the Pittsburgh area) lose on Sunday Night Football while he plays with his daddy's hair, lol... |
9.24.2011
My Challenge for October
September is almost over and October is just around the corner.
One of the things I would really like for our house is a fireplace since it doesn't have one. I learned awhile back about electric fireplaces and have had my eye on a few, price comparing.
My goal is to get one for us by Thanksgiving, so I can decorate it for Christmas and hang our stockings from it.
Once we have the fireplace we can mount our smaller flat-screen TV above it, get a small DVD player and our family room will be done enough for us (the only other "big" piece of furniture we need for the house is a futon for the office downstairs, but we don't really need that right away).
With the hours I've been working, I could easily get the one at Lowe's we like in about 2 paychecks if I really saved. But that's the problem - me saving!
Aside from getting Jay snow boots, dress shoes, the shirt for Thanksgiving I'm waiting to go on sale at work, and snowpants, he's pretty much set for winter (assuming my mom decides to get him a pair of bib overalls and the fleece sleeper 3pk at Target), so I don't need to spend too much more on him. And after my shopping spree this afternoon, I'm pretty much set for winter too, save for maybe a pair of shoes like I mentioned previously.
So the only things I really need to spend my own money on these next few paychecks are gas for my car and food when I'm at work.
I think it's doable!
Here's to trying - let's see if I have that fireplace before Thanksgiving!
One of the things I would really like for our house is a fireplace since it doesn't have one. I learned awhile back about electric fireplaces and have had my eye on a few, price comparing.
My goal is to get one for us by Thanksgiving, so I can decorate it for Christmas and hang our stockings from it.
Once we have the fireplace we can mount our smaller flat-screen TV above it, get a small DVD player and our family room will be done enough for us (the only other "big" piece of furniture we need for the house is a futon for the office downstairs, but we don't really need that right away).With the hours I've been working, I could easily get the one at Lowe's we like in about 2 paychecks if I really saved. But that's the problem - me saving!
Aside from getting Jay snow boots, dress shoes, the shirt for Thanksgiving I'm waiting to go on sale at work, and snowpants, he's pretty much set for winter (assuming my mom decides to get him a pair of bib overalls and the fleece sleeper 3pk at Target), so I don't need to spend too much more on him. And after my shopping spree this afternoon, I'm pretty much set for winter too, save for maybe a pair of shoes like I mentioned previously.
So the only things I really need to spend my own money on these next few paychecks are gas for my car and food when I'm at work.
I think it's doable!
Here's to trying - let's see if I have that fireplace before Thanksgiving!
Payday = Shopping Day!
Today was a good day, in my opinion.
Granted, I was up til 4am cleaning the house and Jay had me back up at 1030am, only taking a 30min early afternoon nap (which I often take with him as I don't get as much sleep as I should), but we had a pretty good day!
I had some errands I wanted to run today since it was payday as well as some grocery shopping I needed to do later with hubby. Jay ate his afternoon meal (chicken & apples puree and a particle bottle) around 3pm and just as I was getting him strapped in his car seat carrier the doorbell rang - it was hubby's employee *finally* delivering our Cowboys jerseys after giving us all the runaround about them for weeks now! So excited though!!! I've never actually had an official NFL jersey so I was excited that hubby finally got one (as our anniversary gift, since my HTC Thunderbolt he got me back in June was an early birthday present!). It fits pretty well, I'd say and I look forward to wearing it on Monday as we watch the Cowboy's home opener!
Jay and I went out to run our errands - our first stop being Target, as I needed to pick up Jay's wipes there (720 wipes - 9 packs - for $13!), see if they had any of the meat & veggie purees left on clearance (I cleaned out the apple & chicken ones they had last week, lol...) and I wanted to see if they had any good handheld vacuums for sale before picking up the one I saw at Bed Bath and Beyond (I don't really have a vacuum to vacuum our stairs - oops!). Got the wipes and then checked the baby food. They didn't have much left in the ones we buy but I learned why they've all been on clearance - Gerber is *finally* putting the 2nd foods meat purees in the 2pk plastic containers that cost ~$1! Yay! We checked Walmart tonight and they don't have them yet, but at least I know Target does (even though their purees are about .10 more). I also found a Dirt Devil handheld for $16 that'll work, but I used a $13 gift card so it's like I got it for only $3! Woot! I also got Jay a plastic orange pumpkin bucket for trick or treat that he LOVED - he didn't want to let it go for the lady to scan it at the register and then he threw a fit in the car when he dropped it while I was driving, lol...
Next stop was Old Navy, as they have their Buy 1 item, get a 2nd for 75% off this weekend! I got 4 different colored 3/4-sleeved shirts for $22.
We walked next door to Kohl's when I spent quite a bit, but got some good deals and basically bought myself a new winter wardrobe (I was very pregnant last winter and I needed some nice, warm clothes to wear to work this year since we have a dress code). Here's some of what I got:
I also bought a couple cami's in hunter green and bold purple as I love the SO brand cami's (they seem to fit me best - no offense, Old Navy!). I saved quite a bit as I learned I was shopping during their Kohl's "Power Hours" sale where you get an extra 10% off each item and I applied for the Kohl's charge card and even though I didn't get approved (yay for buying a house taking a big hit on my credit! lol...) I still got 15% of my purchase just for trying!
After Kohl's we headed out to the mall and Jay fell asleep in the car for a bit for his late afternoon nap and fell back asleep once I moved him to his stroller.
We stopped in at work and lo and behold - we finally got in the baby boy black holiday vests I've been waiting for us to get! I also got him some socks on clearance and a couple long-sleeved graphic tees I've had my eye on for him but have been waiting for the price to drop back down to normal ($6).
I also stopped in to Bath and Body Works as I had a coupon to get a free item of my choice up to $13 if I spent $10, so I got 2 shower gels: Japanese Cherry Blossom and Black Raspberry Vanilla. I also really liked their Creamy Pumpkin candle scent, however I had to refrain from getting it as hubby, like I previously mentioned, isn't big on pumpkin.
We parked by JC Penny as the mall entrance by Sears doesn't have handicapped automatic doors and trying to get a stroller through a normal door is pain and a challenge. On the way in I saw a cute pair of shoes and decided to try them on on our way out. I wasn't a fan of how they looked, despite them being flats with a slight heel. I tried another pair on in which I liked the style, but wasn't a fan of them being straight flats (I need something with a little lift otherwise I feel like I'm walking flat on the ground which I hate when it comes to shoes). I told the salesman I'd think about them and he put them on hold for me - I need a pair of basic black shoes for work as it's getting too cold out for the crocs I wore this summer, I don't always feel like wearing my block heels, and it's not really weather to be wearing my boots yet.
After the mall we went home - Jay did very good up until the end when he started getting fussy as I was trying on the shoes.
Hubby had come home right before we left, feeling sick to his stomach with a horrible headache. Despite the headache, he seemed to be alright so we went out for the evening, getting sushi for dinner (although hubby couldn't eat much) in which Jay seemed to enjoy the little sauce cups as they're the perfect size for his hands! We went to Sam's Club to stock up on groceries, diapers, baby formula and pureed fruits, however it was already 815 and we didn't realize they closed at 830! We hauled butt around the store in record time though, getting most of what was on our list and saving the rest to pick up next door at Walmart.
We were home by 930 and I started putting everything away. Jay was crawling around in the kitchen when he decided to use his walker to pull himself to his knees... and then he pulled himself up to a standing position! I was sooo happy for him, but a little sad too as it means he's getting that much closer to being a "big boy" and doing things on his own!
All in all, despite hubby being a bit sick and only being able to keep liquids down, it was a pretty good day!
Granted, I was up til 4am cleaning the house and Jay had me back up at 1030am, only taking a 30min early afternoon nap (which I often take with him as I don't get as much sleep as I should), but we had a pretty good day!
I had some errands I wanted to run today since it was payday as well as some grocery shopping I needed to do later with hubby. Jay ate his afternoon meal (chicken & apples puree and a particle bottle) around 3pm and just as I was getting him strapped in his car seat carrier the doorbell rang - it was hubby's employee *finally* delivering our Cowboys jerseys after giving us all the runaround about them for weeks now! So excited though!!! I've never actually had an official NFL jersey so I was excited that hubby finally got one (as our anniversary gift, since my HTC Thunderbolt he got me back in June was an early birthday present!). It fits pretty well, I'd say and I look forward to wearing it on Monday as we watch the Cowboy's home opener!
Jay and I went out to run our errands - our first stop being Target, as I needed to pick up Jay's wipes there (720 wipes - 9 packs - for $13!), see if they had any of the meat & veggie purees left on clearance (I cleaned out the apple & chicken ones they had last week, lol...) and I wanted to see if they had any good handheld vacuums for sale before picking up the one I saw at Bed Bath and Beyond (I don't really have a vacuum to vacuum our stairs - oops!). Got the wipes and then checked the baby food. They didn't have much left in the ones we buy but I learned why they've all been on clearance - Gerber is *finally* putting the 2nd foods meat purees in the 2pk plastic containers that cost ~$1! Yay! We checked Walmart tonight and they don't have them yet, but at least I know Target does (even though their purees are about .10 more). I also found a Dirt Devil handheld for $16 that'll work, but I used a $13 gift card so it's like I got it for only $3! Woot! I also got Jay a plastic orange pumpkin bucket for trick or treat that he LOVED - he didn't want to let it go for the lady to scan it at the register and then he threw a fit in the car when he dropped it while I was driving, lol...
Next stop was Old Navy, as they have their Buy 1 item, get a 2nd for 75% off this weekend! I got 4 different colored 3/4-sleeved shirts for $22.
We walked next door to Kohl's when I spent quite a bit, but got some good deals and basically bought myself a new winter wardrobe (I was very pregnant last winter and I needed some nice, warm clothes to wear to work this year since we have a dress code). Here's some of what I got:
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| At work we have to wear black on top of anything else we wear so I thought this Candie's poncho top would look cute over one of the 3/4-sleeved tops I bought at Old Navy |
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| This cowl-neck sweater is by It's Our Time and I've bought a few in the past and LOVE them, although my old ones have shrunk and gotten a bit worn. I bought 2 - one in this grey color and another in black so I can wear one to work! |
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| This brown hooded sweatercoat I thought would like nice for casual fall wear or just hanging out around the house, wearing a cami or other shirt underneath it. It's very comfy! |
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| I saw this when I was there the other day and fell in love with it - it's going to be my Christmas top for this year, and we're coordinating red for our family Christmas photo this year too. I figured I could pair it with a pair of nice black pants. |
I also bought a couple cami's in hunter green and bold purple as I love the SO brand cami's (they seem to fit me best - no offense, Old Navy!). I saved quite a bit as I learned I was shopping during their Kohl's "Power Hours" sale where you get an extra 10% off each item and I applied for the Kohl's charge card and even though I didn't get approved (yay for buying a house taking a big hit on my credit! lol...) I still got 15% of my purchase just for trying!
After Kohl's we headed out to the mall and Jay fell asleep in the car for a bit for his late afternoon nap and fell back asleep once I moved him to his stroller.
We stopped in at work and lo and behold - we finally got in the baby boy black holiday vests I've been waiting for us to get! I also got him some socks on clearance and a couple long-sleeved graphic tees I've had my eye on for him but have been waiting for the price to drop back down to normal ($6).
I also stopped in to Bath and Body Works as I had a coupon to get a free item of my choice up to $13 if I spent $10, so I got 2 shower gels: Japanese Cherry Blossom and Black Raspberry Vanilla. I also really liked their Creamy Pumpkin candle scent, however I had to refrain from getting it as hubby, like I previously mentioned, isn't big on pumpkin.
We parked by JC Penny as the mall entrance by Sears doesn't have handicapped automatic doors and trying to get a stroller through a normal door is pain and a challenge. On the way in I saw a cute pair of shoes and decided to try them on on our way out. I wasn't a fan of how they looked, despite them being flats with a slight heel. I tried another pair on in which I liked the style, but wasn't a fan of them being straight flats (I need something with a little lift otherwise I feel like I'm walking flat on the ground which I hate when it comes to shoes). I told the salesman I'd think about them and he put them on hold for me - I need a pair of basic black shoes for work as it's getting too cold out for the crocs I wore this summer, I don't always feel like wearing my block heels, and it's not really weather to be wearing my boots yet.
After the mall we went home - Jay did very good up until the end when he started getting fussy as I was trying on the shoes.
Hubby had come home right before we left, feeling sick to his stomach with a horrible headache. Despite the headache, he seemed to be alright so we went out for the evening, getting sushi for dinner (although hubby couldn't eat much) in which Jay seemed to enjoy the little sauce cups as they're the perfect size for his hands! We went to Sam's Club to stock up on groceries, diapers, baby formula and pureed fruits, however it was already 815 and we didn't realize they closed at 830! We hauled butt around the store in record time though, getting most of what was on our list and saving the rest to pick up next door at Walmart.
We were home by 930 and I started putting everything away. Jay was crawling around in the kitchen when he decided to use his walker to pull himself to his knees... and then he pulled himself up to a standing position! I was sooo happy for him, but a little sad too as it means he's getting that much closer to being a "big boy" and doing things on his own!
All in all, despite hubby being a bit sick and only being able to keep liquids down, it was a pretty good day!
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Days 4 & 5
I missed yesterday, as I meant to blog after I cleaned once Jay went to sleep, however cleaning took MUCH longer than I expected and I didn't get a chance to get over here before I needed to go to bed.
Anyways, here's days 4 & 5!
Day 4: Fall Decorating
I haven't really done much in the past simply because previously I've lived in an apartment since I've been on my own. I do have a fall wreath/door hanger my mom gave me one year that we just went out and bought a hook for tonight so I can hang it up finally! I also have a lovely Apple Strudel candle I got last year at the Apple Orchard that I LOVE - makes the house smell like fall! I saw some stuff at Michael's last week that I might stop by and get (I hate taking Jay in there though because their shopping carts are so small and the seat straps barely fit around him - I could tell it was too tight at its longest length, making him a little uncomfortable =/ ). There was a basket of fall foliage though and some cute scarecrows and they were all for sale at great prices! And don't forget pumpkins! I can't wait to take Jay to the pumpkin patch in October and let him pick his 1st pumpkin! Not sure if we'll carve them this year, but I wouldn't mind sitting a few on our front steps!
Day 5: Things You Are Looking Forward to For Fall
- NFL FOOTBALL!!!
- Boots & sweaters
- Pumpkin Pie
- Caramel Apple Spice's from Starbucks
- The Apple Orchard and all the yummies there (Apple Cider donuts - yum!)
9.21.2011
The Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, Days 1, 2 & 3
So this started the other day and I'm jumping on the blog bandwagon a little late, but oh well!
Day 1: Fall Traditions
We also started the tradition last year of going to the nearby apple orchard (Edward's Apple Orchard, which has been rebuilt after a tornado ripped through it a few years back!). Growing up we always went to the Pumpkin Patch too, so maybe we'll take Jay there this year too and let him pick out a little pumpkin of his own!
I also have to have some pumpkin pie at some point during fall! I LOOOOVE pumpkin pie, however unfortunately for me, hubby doesn't like pumpkin flavored stuff so I can't make yummy pumpkin-related recipes as I have no one to eat it with me... yet (hopefully Jay likes pumpkin flavored stuff!).
Thanksgiving is spent with our families - we alternate each year, as hubby's parents live over an hour away, making it difficult for us to hit up both homes for a Thanksgiving dinner that evening. We also watch the Cowboys game every Thanksgiving (something I've done since I was a kid too!).
Day 2: Fall Clothes/Trends/Make-up
I LOVE boots! I have a cute pair of suede heeled ones I bought on clearance at Kohl's a few years back for like $20 and I look forward to breaking them out each year (although sadly, I couldn't wear them last year cuz I was quite pregnant!). I have to resist to urge to buy various boots I see at stores though as I just simply looooove boots!
Scarves are another fall fashion accessory I've gotten to like the last few years. I don't own too many yet, but they make for a nice accessory with a solid cover top.
Cowl/Scoop neck sweaters. I wasn't a fan at first, but as I've gotten older and my style has changed and matured a bit, I like these sweaters. Layer them with a cami underneath and they're cute!
Day 3: What Do You Do For Halloween / A Halloween Memory
Growing up we would dress up as something non-scary/evil that my mom made us and go trick or treating.
As I got older I would either take my younger sister and cousin trick or treating or stay at home and dress up kinda gothic/vampire-ish to pass out candy.
The past few years hubby and I haven't done much as his family never celebrated it.
This is our first year with a child.
We came to a compromise where Jay could dress up as something not scary and while he's a baby I'd just take him around to our relatives and when he gets a little older, if he wants to trick or treat we'll take him to our church's Truck or Treat outreach event. My mom's been looking forward to making her grandkid's Halloween costumes and well, I've been looking forward to dressing my kid's up as their favorite characters and taking them door to door like my parents did when I was a kid. I'm glad hubby was willing to give in on this one, with me giving in on doing Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/Toothfairy.
I get the original tradition and idea behind Halloween, but little kids don't and I don't want Jay feeling bad nor having it be a fight every year because we wouldn't let him dress up as his favorite movie character and go get candy like most other kids his age.
This year, we're going to dress Jay up as a baby Ewok from Return of the Jedi (awesome, I know!) and I'll take him over to my mom's and aunt's (as they live around the block from each other) and we'll take pictures of how cute he is! I'll definitely post some too!!
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