NaBloPoMo – BabyCostsMoney

#NahDoNoMo

Published on November 18, 2016December 12, 2016 by Darlene DeeLeave a comment

Mommy’s all right. Daddy’s all right. They just seem a little weird.

A little? Ok, sure. Whatever. The point is, I SURRENDER.

It is now November 18. We are officially deep into the second half of the month. My big plans for A Blog Post A Day did not work out. No #NaBloPoMo success for me. But that’s ok. The big winner is YOU. Because it turns out, I don’t always have anything interesting to say. Like right now, for example.

My new November hashtag is #NahDoNoMo. Nah, I’m not going to Do it No More.

RAISING BABYSTAR: $13,266.46

Restraint.

Published on November 16, 2016December 12, 2016 by Darlene Dee5 Comments

The other day after a fun hour or so at Busy Bees ($15 but we also went today so $30 total), we popped into Target for granola bars. (We eat a LOT of granola bars in our house and they are cheapest in the big box at Target. Well, they are REALLY cheap in the giant box at Costco, but the teenagers won’t eat the peanut butter flavored ones so it’s not really a good deal after all because I don’t want to eat thirty peanut butter flavored granola bars. Ever, really, but certainly not every month. I digress.)

I found the cutest holiday outfit for Babystar and I did not buy it. Repeat: I WENT TO TARGET AND DID NOT BUY ANY BABY CLOTHES.

You guys, it had stars (mandatory), sparkle, and it was not a dress! Perfection with matching shoes! AND I DID NOT BUY THIS.

The outfit was $16.99 and the shoes were $22.99 but you know what? She already has a perfectly fine holiday outfit — the same one that she wore for her dedication. It’s a dress, but she will live. I don’t need to spend $40 for a new outfit. That’s not to say that I won’t ~~crack~~ change my mind and buy it later. Especially if it goes on sale. But for now: RESTRAINT. I bought my granola bars and went home.

And then the very next day? I went into Carter’s to return the extra Halloween costumes that I had stressbought (which should be a word) and once again I had so much restraint! Ok, so I did exchange the Halloween items instead of return them. I traded them for a five-pack of onesies, size 24 months, and a very cute long sleeve shirt. Babystar only had two onesies that fit and I like to layer in the winter. And just look at this long sleeve t-shirt. Everything was on sale and I only owed $1.28 at the register. Not bad. RESTRAINT.

I don’t know what has gotten in to me. Or yes, I do. I have watched this adorable human grow out of season after season of clothes. I have given away items that I know she never wore — or only wore a couple of times. I have watched that number at the bottom of each post creep higher and higher and it is downright terrifying.

And I have another theory. I am finally getting enough sleep. My brain is more able to function properly. (Sort of. I still forget where I am going on the way to the park. And I kind of already forgot my point.) But sometimes, when the planets are aligned properly, I can use my deductive reasoning skills and my common sense and all of the other cool smart lady traits I know I still possess (somewhere) and stop BUYING ALL OF THE STUFF for this small creature that will wear the same clothes every day and not care at all and only wants to play with tampon boxes and the mixing bowls anyway.

Anyone else ever have a similar epiphany?

RAISING BABYSTAR: $13,266.46

FURTHER RESTRAINT: I am not blogging every day per the NaBloPoMo guidelines. I don’t really have that much to talk about and I hate spam. Many of you doing NaBloPoMo are killing it. Good for you. I like following along. I am not killing it. And I am sort of fine with that.

Keep Them Safe.

Published on November 10, 2016December 12, 2016 by Darlene Dee7 Comments

How safe is the Internet? Probably not very, right?

I’ve read a lot of articles recently from moms (and dads) who have made the decision to keep their kid’s photos offline. I fully support that. I clearly don’t DO it, but I totally support it.

I wonder where my line is, though. I would never post any naked baby pictures, of course. I don’t post Babystar’s real name. I rarely post about the older kids because I feel like I need their approval first and that’s usually such a damn hassle. Plus, I’m not adding up their expenses. (If I did, I would expect a LOT more in the way of household chores. I’m talking BREAKFAST IN BED. Kids are expensive.)

So maybe, my line is when she can tell me if it’s ok. Or perhaps when she has a life outside of my life. I’m not sure.

Also, I will not tell embarrassing things about my kids online. But I can’t think of anything that would be embarrassing to a BABY. Literally, nothing. Babystar could eat dog food with her finger up her nose and then open her diaper and smear poop everywhere and I still don’t think that would be embarrassing because she is a BABY. It would be fucking horrible but not embarrassing.

In fact, my mother tells me that I did indeed pull open my diaper in my crib once and when she came to get me after my nap, I was smeared in poop. This was before video monitors. And maybe even before old fashioned sound-only baby monitors. I don’t remember this, because I was a BABY, but as a baby, I’m sure I ate poop. Still, I am zero embarrassed about that time I ate poop, BECAUSE I WAS A BABY.

But if Babystar wets her pants at kindergarten, I won’t tell the world. I mean, unless she asks me to.

Babystar wants me to stop typing now.

What is your line, fellow Mommy Bloggers? Or Facebookers with Children? Or just Parents with Internet?

RAISING BABYSTAR: $13,235.18

Cat & Jack & Back & Back.

Published on November 8, 2016December 12, 2016 by Darlene Dee2 Comments

I love Target’s new Cat & Jack line of kid’s clothes.

First of all, Target does not pay me to talk about them. But they totally should. I shop at Target like its my job.

Shhhh, don’t talk about it. (Unless you are Target in which case please send me money. Or gift cards. Or some cute shoes, size seven.)

I first bought these Five Dollar Sweatshirts because it suddenly got cold a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t really have anything warm for Babystar AND calling them Five Dollar Sweatshirts reminded me of Five Dollar Shakes and I miss the 90s when Tarantino was on top of his game. Are you still with me?

The jacket was $9.99 but it was all 20% off so the total was just $25.67. (There is one missing because we put it on her immediately.)

The cute kitty one is a 2T but the others were size 18 months. So of course they shrunk in the wash. Note: buy a size up (like I KNEW you should but I didn’t do it because I am eternally tired which makes me dumb). The smaller ones still fit but I know they won’t make it through the winter, so I picked up two more 2Ts and a bunch of hats and mittens. $28.59. The hats and mittens were 30% off. YAY.

Why did I buy so many hats and mittens? Because decisions are difficult when you are simultaneously trying to keep a determined toddler from being abducted in the store so I just grabbed a few and threw them in the cart. It is upsetting me that my pronouns don’t agree in this paragraph but I’m kind of (always) tired and so, quite likely, is my target audience.

Oh, and of course it warmed up the next day. I’m sure she will wear them someday.

Then, when on my eternal quest for acceptable Halloween garb (WASTED ON THE SICKNESS), I bought this cute freaking outfit. She’s feeling a little better today. And look at that tongue. $10.60 total for leggings and t-shirt. I’ll take it.

But that’s enough. I’ve got to stay away from Target. The Cat & Jack line is too cute. Tired mamas cannot resist. (Except if Target wants to send me a bunch of options, size 2T. We like both boy’s and girl’s styles. Target, why don’t you read my blog???)

RAISING BABYSTAR: $13,235.18

I Heart Packages in the Mail.

Published on November 7, 2016December 12, 2016 by Darlene Dee5 Comments

If only they were wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string. Anyway.

Yay! The pants that Grandma ordered on etsy allll the way from Canada from an adorable shop called NicandElli came today! Or maybe they arrived earlier because I have been too sick and busy to check the mail but here they are! So freaking cute. I can’t wait for Babystar to get back in cloth so we can test them out. I guess I should wash them first, also. Boo.

The front is pretty but the back is where it’s at. Maybe they really will fit over her cloth bum and stay up. We shall see.

The long blocks of color at the waist and legs are to fold up, scrunch up, pull down, whatever, to make these MAGIC pants fit from 6 months to 3 years. I only wish we had bought some earlier! But if they make it until she’s three, I’ll take it!

Does anyone have these, or Maxaloones by any other etsy seller (there are quite a few)?

(Plus Grandma bought these so no change to the bottom line. EVEN BETTER.)

RAISING BABYSTAR: $13,170.32