For the Love of Target

Because I have a toddler now, I have come to realize I cannot simply hit up any store for Christmas shopping.  I must be able to take Jackson in a stroller, or cart.  This means a lot of loved ones will receive gifts from Target this year.  Not all, sometimes I shop at night when he is asleep, in which case Amazon gifts may result.

My son's doctor said to me this month to never take Jackson into Target.  It is too overwhelming for toddlers.  I think I need a new pediatrician.  Target is great for toddlers.  He loves looking at everything and he gets a lot of attention from other shoppers that think he is cute.  The cart is so big too he can't see when I sneak a gift in there for him.

Target has just about everything a person needs for Christmas.  Last minute Christmas cards?  Check.  Tupperware for cookies? Check.  Toys?  Check, check, check.  Gift cards?  Check.  Essie nail polish for stock stuffers?  Check.  Big cart for toddler with hand sanitizer wipes?  Check.

They just make it so easy.  I guess their holiday campaign slogan rings true...

                                                http://www.target.com

Get Great Deals on Used Stuff

I absolutlely love baby clothes.  Dressing Jackson up everyday is so much fun, especially if all the laundry is clean and there is a huge variety of outfits to choose from.  Well it's been a little tougher to play "dress up" with my baby lately.  He is growing so fast and those baby clothes just don't fit after a while.

Like many moms, I have to pay for daycare and it isn't cheap.  It leaves very little leftover dough to buy fun outfits for my baby, let alone for myself!  Yes, I'm the girl at work that wears leggings three times a week.

When Jack's pants are looking a little short, I tend to stop by a used clothing store in town call Children's Orchard.  They have locations throughout the U.S. and I find the most adorable, affordable clothes there.

I know what you are thinking, used clothes are gross.  Well these are "barely" used or "not" used at all.  I was able to get Jack a Gap winter coat for $4 and then last weekend I got him 3 pairs of pants for $11.  And none of the clothes smell bad!  One pair of pants were even pumas...now I just need to find him a gold chain.

They also have gently used toys at Children's Orchard.  Jackson loves to play the xylophone at school.  When I came across this alligator xylophone on wheels for $5 I snagged it.  At Target, I've seen similar ones for $25!

He played with it the rest of the weekend, although I think he liked putting the stick part in his mouth more than the musical part. 

Another great thing about this place is you can sell back your stuff.  After I'm done having babies, I'm totally going to take all of my gently used clothes and toys there.  Not a bad way to get a little cash back.

Socks! Army Baby!

Even though we have Jack wear size 12 month pants (he is only 8 months old), his pants always ride up, leaving him with some pretty cold angles.  It's seriously a problem for my little dude. 

Last weekend I hit up Old Navy to score some deals.  In the baby section I found out they sell socks for $1 each when you buy 5 pairs.  Good deal!  After wearing them a full week now, I can tell you these are some super stellar socks.  They are long and go up his leg a bit which help this pants situation.   They are also really cozy.  Warm little dude.

They have all kinds of cute varieties too.  The other morning I put him in some army socks.  I couldn't stop laughing when he was in his white onsie and these socks.  With that semi-bald head of his he could totally go into the Army...

He might have to lose a little bit of baby weight first though!

Hope everyone has a happy Friday!

Good Deal: Stella & Dot Jewelry Sale

I was invited to an after work event in a few weeks that will be a Stella & Dot party.  Now I usually don't attend after work functions anymore because of the baby, but our hosts (a sales rep) will actually be giving us $50 worth of jewelry.  Yes, I must go.  I love jewelry, especially if it is free.

I decided to look at the site to check out the goods. I discovered some gorgeous finds... 

 Now this is one bib I may just have to wear myself!

Charlize Bib Necklace

 I love this classic vintage style.  Dress up or dress down...

Deco Drop Earrings

This ring is a ball of blissfulness.  It just makes me happy.  It would make my finger happy as well.

Vintage Cluster Ring

If you love these styles too and have some holiday cash leftover, I recommend checking out the site.  Also through January 9, you can get 20% off any sale item.  Now that's a good deal!

Good Deal: Gifts for Teachers

I would like to remind all of the working mamas out there that it might be a good idea to give your daycare teachers a gift this holiday season.  And, gift cards are always the way to go.

So far this year I have given my daycare providers cookies (see yesterday's post), and on Wednesday they are getting a little something else special.  Here is what I wrote inside each teacher's card...

Dear Miss ...
Merry Christmas!  Thank you for being such a fun teacher.  Please enjoy a "time out" on me!
Love, Jackson

Inside the card are 2 movie passes for AMC Theaters. Each teacher will also get a box of Dots (hello, the best movie theater candy ever).

How is this even affordable for 4 daycare teachers you ask?  Well, if you have a Costco card, use it people.  I was able to get 2 tickets each for $16 at Costco.  Now, that's a good deal.

I also found these super cute pack of 12 snowman cards for only $1.25 at Michaels Craft Store.

Now if you don't want to spend that much money (or can't afford to), a nice card and a $5 gift card to Starbucks would be a great present.  Basically you are buying them break and a cup of warmth during the stressful holiday season. 

I hope you all are able to get your teachers a little something this holiday season.  And no, I'm not saying this because I'm a teacher myself by the way.  I actually work in advertising.

Good Deal: Happy Cyber Monday

I don't know about you, but I am already a bit stressed going into this holiday season.  There are a few new additions to our family to buy for, plus I don't know what to get everyone. What am I shopping for mostly?  TOYS.

I decided to stay in by the cozy fire on Friday instead of braving the trampling crowds on Black Friday.  I thought to myself, hey, maybe cyber Monday will help.

In checking out Amazon today, seems to be some fantastic deals coming our way...we just don't' know what they are yet as they will be announced throughout the day.  So far they have been announcing toys that are >40%.  It's going to be hard working all day and keeping track of these deals, but I'm so curious to see what they will be!

I checked out Target's cyber Monday specials and found them to be pathetic.  Seriously, put some toys up there!

Perhaps the cyber monday website will help.  Lots of free shipping offers included at Toys R Us when you spend $50.  That's not bad, but I have found a lot of the same toys for less money, like this cute tea set I'm thinking about for my niece, at Amazon.

I'll keep shopping and if I see any fantastic deal I'll post it.

As far as all of the adult gifts are concerned, I may just let my dear husband take care of those this year (after all, he did offer to do so the other night)!

Happy cyber shopping!

images via amazon.com

Good Deal: High Chairs are Out

So let me just start out by saying that I wanted to do something special today given it's my birthday. I was thinking of hosting my very first giveaway. Well, unfortunately I caught some kind of nasty virus. I woke up at 3am with a 103 fever! Lesson learned. Never continue working when you are sick because you will just get sicker.

Luckily I survived and am able to post once again.

So let's do a good deal and then we will do a giveaway next week!

So my little guy is now able to sit in a highchair. I know, he is pretty impressive. Not only did I not want to invest in a highchair, but I don't want to clean up the sticky messes that go along with them. Can you blame me?

After talking to many other ideal mamas, I came across two solutions that would be a better solution.

First is the Phil and Ted's attachable seat. It attaches right to your table top. It has this fabric that is super easy to clean and the price is 50-70% less than an average high chair.

There are other brands that sell this style, but this one is the most portal and light weight.

Problem is with this chair, if your table has leaves, it won't work. This happens to be why I had to return mine. I found out it works best on kitchen islands (oh how I wish I had one of those).

The chair I ended up getting is the Safety First Booster Chair. Let me tell you, I love it and so does my little man. It fits easily to a chair and he can eat right with us at the table. This is one of our new favorite activities.

The chair is super easy to clean and actually has a removable tray that can run through the dishwater. That's what I'm talking about.

The colors are great too. Very neutral and works with almost any decor.

Oh wait, did I mention the price? $40 at Babies R Us. You just can't beat that good deal.

So there you have it. Another (birth) day, another deal.

Good Deal: Frozen Stew Veggies

I love to cook when I have the time, a clean kitchen, and someone else to do my dishes. Therefore, I usually don't love to cook.

I was strolling through the grocery store the other week trying to come up with an easy-peasy meal for Sunday dinner. Sometimes I just like a warm and wholesome home cooked meal on a Sunday. Doesn't everyone? Stew sounded like it would do the trick.

I gathered up onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, stew meat, etc. to come up with a homemade stew. Not only was it getting expensive, but it was a lot of chopping to do. Oh forget about it. I put everything back and then went to talk to the butcher, of all people, about an alternative concoction for this meat. Then he told me about these frozen stew veggies.



Super cheap, like less than $2. No chopping. Get the husband to peel some golden potatoes, toss everything into a crock pot with some spices and you are ready to go.

The final result? Well, even my husband liked the stew.

Now that's a good deal on multiple levels.

Introducing The Good Deal

I love a snazzy deal. I can't imagine ever buying anything that isn't on sale or of a good value in one way, shape, or form. I'm sure other people would like to know about good deals too, right? Therefore I'm officially introducing a new segment called "The Good Deal."

Good Deal: Target Up&up diapers

If you like Pampers, try these babies out. They are not as soft and sweet as the Pampers (they feel a bit more like paper), but they fit really well and do the trick. Little Jackson doesn't seem to notice the difference either (and neither does his bum).



For a big-ass box of 96 diapers (size 3), they are approximately $15 vs. $20 for Pampers.

You could take that $5 and buy yourself some lunch. Well, maybe a cheap lunch, or at least a cocktail.

A big thanks to my friend Alison for recommending these diapes to me.

Check in next week for another good deal.