Tag: vacation

Vacation, Baby.

Published on by Darlene DeeLeave a comment

We just got back from a looooong but fuuuuun vacation in California.

And boy are my arms tired. Or something like that.

And then right away school started for the Teenager and I’m just finding a moment with my laptop friend today. Hey, boo.

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Babystar sleeps with me and still mostly shares our food out at restaurants so she really didn’t cost that much. She’s under two and we flew domestically so she was even free to fly. On the way home we did have an extra seat that was randomly empty in one of our rows thank goodness but we didn’t pay for it.

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We did feed her though. Over half of the trip was spent in a super cool apartment in West Hollywood via AirBnB. It was very close to a Whole Foods. Guess what I learned? I really like Whole Foods brand diapers. (I did not bring cloth diapers because the other parts of the trip were in two different hotels and just no.) We also shopped at Trader Joe’s, Target and some oddly named store in downtown LA called Smart and Final. (WTH kind of name is that?) And H&M and we ordered actual food for her in restaurants a COUPLE of times.

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  • Whole Foods brand diapers $10.99
  • Chia waffles $3.29
  • ice cream sandwiches $4.39 (she was teething, shhhhh, i know.)
  • elbow macaroni $1.69
  • garlic alfredo sauce $3.69
  • clementines $2.99
  • bananas $2.03
  • cheese sticks $4.99
  • TJ brand cheerios $2.99
  • quart of milk $1.99
  • Luvs diapers $7.39
  • back seat mirror* $14.99
  • various Gerber-fruit-snack-veggie-puff things $16.82
  • Nuetrogena 60SPF baby sunscreen $11.69
  • Hyland’s teething tablets $8.99
  • Pampers $9.69
  • strawberries $2.99
  • children’s ibuprofen $4.99
  • pint of milk $1.49
  • cheese sticks $4.19
  • pear $0.72
  • bananas $1.70

Total for groceries purchased specifically for Babystar (even though we shared a little bit and she shared some of ours): $124.69

Meals out purchased just for Babystar:

  • grilled fish and fries $7.99
  • grilled cheese and fried $5.95
  • fruit cup x 2 $8.50
  • add 20% to all those for tip $4.48

Also we bought her a Venice Beach tee BUT NOT REALLY because it was Buy 2, Get 1 Free so we bought them for all of us girls. Hers was cheapest, therefore free. We did buy a few things at H&M though: a dress for $3 and a tank top for $3.

Who says babies are expensive? Oh, right. Me.

RAISING BABYSTAR: $12,021.13

*I already have backseat mirrors for both cars here at home, but I couldn’t stand not seeing her in her car seat. So I bought one, and it’s currently attached to the crib where she enjoys peeping herself while playing in the crib. Which she totally does for like five minutes each day (while I spray her diapers).

Shoes. Finally, shoes.

Published on by Darlene Dee1 Comment

 

I have been trying FOREVER to find shoes for Babystar. She freaks out whenever I put them on her feet. I did buy some tennis shoes but I really really really wanted some sandals that she would allow near her toes before our sunny vacation.

Nope.

No sandals. Nothing goes in between the toes. She’s a little weirdo but that’s fine.

I scaled back my dreams a little and went looking for some shoes that she could wear without socks. I sort of thought Crocs would be the answer, but I haven’t been able to find any (in a store) in her size. And I don’t want to buy them online without first having them pass the Scream Test.

The Teenager and I took Babystar to check out the local children’s resale shop that is going out of business. (Surprise, surprise.) I still hated them even at 75% off, but the children’s resale shop next door (slightly less awful but still not great) was also having a sale. And Babystar let me put shoes on her feet! And she walked around in them and did not even cry. I bought a pair of black Mary Jane-type shoes that she can wear without socks. Maybe she just needed another baby to break them in for her. Thanks, Other Baby. They are a brand called Scribbles and I cannot find them anywhere online. So she better never grow out of this pair. I also bought her a pair of $7 ballet slippers (actual ballet shoes OMG SO CUTE) because she wore them too and walked around and everything. Plus I just want her to feel comfortable in ballet slippers. I am Team Ballet and the Teenager is Team Gymnastics so I think this might give me an edge.

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Oh, and we bought two more outfits. They were on sale. $6 each and super cute.

She definitely digs the shoes. She insisted on toddling around Target while ‘back-to-school’ shopping with the Teenager. She did not protest the shoes at all.

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I think she wants me to buy her a slide. I did not.

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I did, however, buy her a cute purple shirt with a star on it ($4.50), a pack of Luvs diapers ($7.39) for the plane ride and to get us started on vacation, and a box of jumbo crayons ($2.99) to maybe entertain her for twelve seconds of our plane ride.

And I MAY have ordered two more rainbow Blueberry diapers when they were listed on Lil Tulip’s website last night while I was drinking prosecco and watching the Olympics. I had a $15 credit so they were ‘only’ $54.90. Shhhhhhhh. I’ll just put it here at the bottom of this post and hope no one notices. OMG I’m officially a cloth diaper addict. Ok. Here we go. Cold turkey.

So does anyone know where to buy Scribbles baby shoes? Or did Babystar actually decide she only likes this rare, out-of-print, like Icelandic or something brand of shoes? Ugh, she’s such a hipster. Any help is suuuuper welcome.

RAISING BABYSTAR: $11,834.93