Citrus Lane: Fun With Food Review

December 1, 2012 - Mama 1 Comment

It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Citrus Lane and the companies it introduces me to. With that said, all opinions are my own, and Citrus Lane and the brands mentioned below have not compensated me in any way for my honest review.

As soon as I heard that the Citrus Lane box for November would be Fun With Food, I knew that I was going to love the box. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll know that I’ve always maintained the stance that I’m a casual foodie, and I love introducing Zach to fun new things at mealtimes. This month’s Citrus Lane box did not disappoint.

This box came with several full-sized items plus a couple of smaller trial items.

The first two items I noticed in the box was a set of four Green Eats snack bowls and a Goodbyn Small Meals container.

The Green Eats snack bowls are awesome. I’ve been a fan of Green Toys for quite awhile, and Green Eats is a division of their company. These bowls are USA-made, plus they’re from recyclable milk jugs. Not only that, but they’re BPA free, of course, plus melamine-free, phthalate-free, and PVC-free, and they’re dishwasher safe (top rack). Since we got our box earlier this month, this has been the one item that has gotten the most use. They’re durable, and they’re the perfect size for Zach’s small meals. From oatmeal with pomegranate at breakfast to lasagna soup at night, these bowls dish up every food that he needs. I love that they’re tough, and I love that they’re dishwasher safe, because I’m sorry, but I do not have time to handwash dishes if I don’t have to! My box this month also came with a code for 10% off at GreenToys.com, which means I can order more items that Zach and I can use at a special price. (Green Eats set of four snack bowls, $6.99, available from www.greentoys.com)

The second item was another hit with us, a Goodbyn Small Meals container. It is big enough to hold a full sandwich, as well as snacks, which means right now, it’s still a little too big for Zach’s appetite. However, it makes a perfect snack container for on-the-go. As with all of the containers that Citrus Lane provides, they’re BPA free. The one thing that really threw me off is that you actually seal it by pressing the indentations on the middle of the container instead of pressing the sides… for some reason, I always feel unsure that it got a decent seal. After I figured it out, it became a favorite. Goodbyn has a huge selection of waste-free lunch containers, which is awesome because Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for 25% off of their order! There’s even a flickr feed with ideas for foods to put in the lunch container. Overall, the container is probably getting the least amount of use out of all of the items that came in this box, but that’s mostly because we really don’t go anywhere that we need a traveling container for. (Goodbyn Red Small Meal Container, $7.00, available from www.goodbyn.com)

Zach and I both love PlumOrganics and the philosophies they stand behind. In fact, just today we got an order of tons of PlumOrganics snacks we love… it truly ranks right up there in my top 5 favorite brands for Zach’s age group. We hadn’t had the opportunity to try their Training Meals yet, so it was an exciting opportunity to try it out with this delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal. It can be warmed up once it’s put into a bowl (I served it in one of our Green Eats snack bowls!) The nice thing about this meal is that it has protein, with lots of complex flavor (I tasted it…. and it was REALLY good). The only issue I had with it is that Zach is so used to regular oatmeal that the texture of this was very thin for him. It would be great for younger kids (the packaging indicates it’s for 8m+!) but it still is suitable for adults and older children, too. (This box contained 1 packet to try. (12-pack of PlumOrganics Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, $17.88, from www.ecomom.com)

The Juice Beauty Moisturizer was a great gift for mom… until I lost it. Oops. I’m terrible at reviewing products like this because I tend to either forget I have them, or I lose them, so I feel like I can’t comment too much on how well this worked, since I only used it once. I can tell you that it smelled fantastic. This Nutrient Moisturizer is supposed to bring back pregnancy glow, even when your child is growing up. It’s packed with natural oils and antioxidants, to help nurture skin. Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for $10 off a $40 order, so maybe if I don’t find mine, I’ll be able to order more to try it out! This Citrus Lane box contained a small trial-sized tube valued at $9.00, but full-size products are available on Juice Beauty’s website. (2 ounces of Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer, $36.00, from www.juicebeauty.com)

Even though this Citrus Lane box was food-themed, Citrus Lane didn’t forget to include a great toy for Zach, too! This month, it was fish (which is, by the way, technically a food). These Plan Toys Fish Castanets are perfect for making fun music for kids. What I love is that they fit his hands just right… which means he and I can play the music together. We spent about 15 minutes playing with our fish castanets tonight! It’s fun to clack the castanets and dance along to the rhythms we create. They’re so fun to look at, too! Zach is already such a musical kiddo that I love being able to encourage his musical tendencies, and these toys fit right in. I also love that they’re painted with natural, non-toxic waterbased dyes, with non-formaldehyde glues, from rubber trees that are no longer able to produce latex. They’re earth-friendly and they’re fun to play with! The fish castanets are sold individually; Citrus Lane subscribers got a pair of them so mom and tot could play together. (Plan Toys Fish Castanets, $4.00 each, from www.ecomom.com)

Finally, Citrus Lane decided to help subscribers get a jump start on their holiday cards with a 20% off code for TinyPrints, plus free shipping. Tiny Prints have premium photo prints with fun designs and an easy to use website. Check out the image below, from their website:

Oh my gosh… so cute! Too many gorgeous options on their website to choose from, meaning that it’ll be hard to decide exactly how to use this discount!

Overall, our top pick this month was the Green Eats bowls, but the entire box was a hit!

Want to receive Citrus Lane boxes each month? You can subscribe on their website at CitrusLane.com! The boxes are only $25 per month, and as you can see, you get quite a bit more than that in terms of value. Not only do the boxes give you more than $25 worth of product, they also give you exclusive discounts each month, plus they introduce you to amazing brands. As a new mom, I knew that there were a lot of great products out there, but I had a lot of trouble weeding through the clutter to find the brands that truly worked for me. Citrus Lane allowed me to try out a lot of brands in the beginning that I never would have been able to find. Because they curate the best of the best for their boxes, it really showed me exactly what brands worked for me, and which ones didn’t. Now, even though I’m no longer a “new” mom, I’m still able to find brands I love and also find new products from brands I already know and love. For me, there’s no other truly affordable way to try out a variety of products that I know work for my personality and style, as well as meeting Zach’s needs. And, because I pre-purchase a multi-month subscription, I don’t have to worry about each and every month– it just automatically arrives since I’ve paid in advance.

So, have I convinced you yet? Head here to subscribe, or click on the link in the sidebar.

Snot Noses and Big Boy Beds

September 8, 2012 - Mama 2 Comments

Zach and I are having a ridiculously lazy day today. Both of us have snot… literally everywhere. It’s so gross. I opted not to take a picture to spare you the gorey details.

We’ve spent half of the day in bed, just lazing, napping, and doing nothing. It’s so refreshing to just take a day off, but it stinks that we’re having to do this because of an illness. You can tell Zachy is completely miserable, but because it’s just a runny nose, congestion, etc thing, there’s not really anything that can be done aside from pumping the (Dr. Approved) Benadryl and Ibuprofen. And Dayquil for me (The doctor okayed that, too, since I’ve got a breastfeeder on my hands).

But here’s the deal. The Benadryl thing just was not cutting it for Zach. The doctor had prescribed it last spring, when Zach was a lot smaller than he is now, so I was giving him the dosage the doctor recommended at the weight he was ages ago. It was not working. And then my doctor turned me on to a really amazing tool. Have you heard of Dr. Sears? For me, he’s a total attachment parenting guru, and I almost totally hang on every word he says. I love his thoughts on a lot of things, and I like his fairly organic approach to things.

Anyway, this tool on Dr. Sears’ website is more clear on weight dosing than a package from the store… it is intended to allow you to give “strong but safe” doses, and closes the weight/dose window from a 15 or so pound span to only about 3-5 pounds. It makes the dosing far more accurate, and makes it so your child can beat his illness faster. You can check it out at Dr. Sears’ website, by typing the medication you need information on into the search bar.

Dr. Sears’ website is also a source of a ton of other great information, from how to cure diaper rash to breastfeeding help, if you need it.

On a totally unrelated topic, Zach’s room got a little bit of a makeover recently. I mentioned back in March about how we added awesome rain gutter bookshelves, along with doing a small furniture re-arrangement. This time around, we took out the changing table, since Zach was getting too long to use it comfortably anymore, and a little too wild and wiggly. We also added in a toy box to make his stuff more accessible. It was recycled from his uncle Jeffrey, who is becoming a teenager and no longer needs a toy box.

But the most exciting part, in my opinion, and crazy part, was that we decided to remove the front of Zach’s crib and turn it into it’s toddler bed stage. When buying a crib, I decided to pay extra for one that was convertible, because I loved the idea that the bed would grow with him. Zach pretty much went from a bassinet to co-sleeping, so his crib hasn’t gotten much use as a crib at all. Plus, now that Zach is old enough and tall enough to climb out of a crib, it’s best, and safest, for us to remove that front end anyway. His bed is now a lovely toddler day-bed, which he is loving using as a couch! He crawls up there with a good book or a stuffed animal and reads for large chunks of time.

I love that his room is more functional for his age now, and allows him to actually have space to play and read, and it’s a lot more comfortable for me to sit back here in my awesome leather recliner and get some work done while he’s entertaining himself. I love knowing that he can entertain himself for some periods of time between us playing together, but I also love having the space to be close enough that if he needs me, I’m here.

I just can’t believe he’s growing up so much that he needs a toddler-sized bed! It’s amazing (and scary) to see how fast he is growing.

Luckily, or perhaps not as luckily, we still have sicky-poo days like this where he is still sweet and cuddly. Otherwise, I don’t think he’d sit still long enough for a hug or five.

At what age did you switch your child from a crib to a more “big boy/girl” bed? Let me know in the comments below!

Take A Silly Picture

September 6, 2012 - Mama 3 Comments

These pictures are old. I mean old old. Like, last spring old.

I was going through images that I needed to edit and get moved over to my external hard drive when I found these. They’re adorable, and I distinctly remember that Zach had just woken from a nap about 20 minutes before I took them. Echo jumped up on the bed in order to get some lovin’s from me, and Zach picked up his books. He looked at Echo, patted his butt as if to say “sit,” and started to read his books to Echo.

It was arguably one of the cutest moments I’ve witnessed in my entire life. I couldn’t resist snapping several photos since my camera was right there.

But, since children move and dogs move and I was just snapping away on auto mode, my pictures just weren’t that great. They weren’t lit perfectly, they were a bit blurry, and they just weren’t…. perfect.

I have this habit when I photograph things. I’ll snap about 400 photos of something, and then I’ll open them up and really look at them. I may adjust the lighting, I may tweak them, and I’ll go through and delete every photo that just doesn’t… work. If there’s a blurry patch, it’s gone. If there’s poor lighting, it’s gone.

As I’ve worked on this blog, I’ve tried to improve my photography enough that you can see what I’m doing with the food I’m making or the activity we’re working on in school, or whatever I happen to be blogging about.

The problem is that sometimes this professional side of me bleeds over into my personal life so much that sometimes I’ll ignore a set of photos that are cute, but not perfect. I overlook the fact that with a few minor tweaks and the memory intact, it doesn’t matter if these photos are perfect. It just matters that I’ve captured some sort of memory there.

These photos serve that purpose.

They’re blurry. They’re not perfect. There is no way that I can go back to that day, recreate that scene, shoot the photos again.

I have to live with the photos I got, and honestly, at second glance, they turned out really adorably. I notice that the blur really shows the pace Echo and Zach are moving at. It shows the scene, even if the pictures didn’t turn out perfectly, professionally, well-lit, evenly cropped, nicely framed.

They capture the spirit of my boys, and that’s enough for me.

So here’s what I want to challenge you to do.

Grab a camera. Take a silly photo. Take 10 silly photos. Take pictures of your son, your daughter, your grandchildren, your pet, your husband or wife, your brothers or sisters, your parents, yourself… whoever you want. But capture that memory. Take a bunch of photos. Throw perfection out the window– focus on the memory. If it’s blurry, it’s blurry. If it’s poorly lit, it’s poorly lit. If you get a perfect shot, even better. But focus on getting that memory, if nothing else.

I’d love it if you’d come back and share with me the shot you took, and any story behind the photo. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.

It Happened With a Blink

July 12, 2012 - Mama 5 Comments

I want to show you guys a picture of me, one year ago.

I was incredibly sick. In fact, I very easily almost died. But there was one very special thing keeping me there (despite the fact that I was so out of it, to this day, I can barely remember the hours leading up to 4:00).

At 4:00, I got to see the one thing that I held on for.

At exactly 4:00, he came. I was able to hold him, to meet him, to cuddle him, and to realize that my life would never be the same, and that was totally okay with me. And somehow, in the past year, my little bitty baby has grown up.

When he was born one year ago, Zach weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Now, he is a whopping 22 pounds.

He still yanks off hats every time he gets the chance.

He seemed so tiny in that huge carseat when we brought him home. Now that carseat is too small– we’ve had to buy a new one.

All of his little baby wrinkles are gone.

In the past year, he has learned to sit, to crawl, to feed himself, to drink from a cup, to communicate with signs and words, to turn the pages of a book. He has become advanced in fine motor skills and social-personal skills. He has met every developmental milestone and exceeded many of them. He has grown at an amazing rate, staying consistent at each appointment. He has gotten such a personality, such a… Zach-ness about himself.

He loves Sid the Science Kid, and watching Sesame Street videos with his grandma on Youtube.

His favorite word is “wiggle.”

He loves books, especially his Baby Animals Sea Life book and his I’ll See You In the Morning book he got from Citrus Lane.

He loves his stacking cups, but not to stack them… he loves to knock them down.

His favorite food is watermelon. He also loves chocolate, vanilla wafers, crackers (especially Goldfish), pineapple, and many other fruits, vegetables, and noodles. He can eat an entire container of yogurt at once.

He loves to sing and make sure that you’re listening.

He loves to play with Echo, climbing him and petting him, and throwing toys for Echo to fetch.

He loves sand. Bathtime is the best. He likes to swim, especially if his uncle is in the pool.

He is just… amazing. And he has changed so much in the past year.

So many times, I say “Zach! Slow down! I want to rewind and see you in those first few weeks, few months… I miss you being a baby, a little bitty boy.” But honestly? I wouldn’t trade right now for the world. I want to enjoy him right this minute. I want to love each unique thing he does, each new thing he learns, each weird quirk and adorable habit.

I love him. I can’t live without him. He is the reason I’m here, the reason I held on through my illness last year. He is my whole world, and I can’t live without him. But he grew up so fast, and he’s still growing, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. All I can do is enjoy the right now of the whole thing… I can enjoy this minute, when he is standing next to his high chair, and letting go without realizing it. I can enjoy this right now, when he is crawling across the floor listening to Sid the Science Kid and stopping to stare every time they sing a song. I can enjoy this moment, when he is standing up on his knees, then slamming his hands against the floor and yelling “La la LA la!” I can enjoy this moment when he is removing all of the rubber ducks from the back of his truck and throwing them around the room, waiting for me to put them back into the truck so he can do it again.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvuxFdM3S58]

Enjoy it. They grow too fast.

Citrus Lane Little Artists July Box Review… Plus a GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

July 10, 2012 - Mama 7 Comments

If you are here for the giveaway, you will find details at the bottom on how to enter!

This post is far overdue. Between vacation, Zach’s birthday party, and my sister being in town from Germany, I pretty much opened the box and promptly forgot about posting until I looked at my calendar and went “Oh my gosh! I haven’t posted that yet!” That, and one lovely reader emailed me saying “I missed your thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box!” Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet reader– I had honestly thought I posted it already! Oops!

So here it is, without further ado, my thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box.

First off, whoever came up with the theme Little Artists is a genius. My son is a very artistic child- it’s just his strong suit. When he was six months old, I gave him his first tambourine and maracas. He had a blast playing with them, truly loving the sounds you could make. He loves to find ways to drum on everything. He learned to hold a crayon early and loves to color, especially at restaurants. He is just very interested in art, everything from music to drawing. This box is perfect for him!

Wee Can Too Veggie Art Kit, $19.99, from www.weecantooart.com

Wee Can Too makes some really cool art supplies. I mean, they’re truly spectacular and innovative. You see, Zach loves to color, but he also sometimes has the habit of getting his crayon and his french fry mixed up and chewing on the wrong thing. With Wee Can Too crayons, I don’t have to worry about it. The set in our Citrus Lane box this month came with two crayons and two finger paint powders (you mix the paint powder with water to get a fun paint consistency!) All of the products are made from organic edibles, which means when Zach is finger painting and puts his hand in his mouth, it’s absolutely okay! The paints and crayons are vegan, wheat free, with no added sugar, and no preservatives.

Plus, the great thing about Wee Can Too is that for my local readers (in the Kansas City area), you can purchase it at MommyShop KC without having to order online, and for my international readers, Wee Can Too is a brand that ships internationally! You just have to contact them via their website for information about international shipping costs! That means kids everywhere can enjoy this awesome art supply company!

Putumayo Playground Sampler CD, $5.00, putumayo.com

We love this CD. We popped it in and danced to the whole thing! The sampler is a great variety of world music, which we love to listen to. Because our family has hosted foreign exchange students for eight years now, we really enjoy listening to music from a variety of countries and cultures, and this CD gives us the opportunity to continue listening. The CD is now in our car, so we can continue to enjoy it on the voyage to the grocery store, or wherever we may be headed.

Pop And Lolli “Bolt” Decal, 1 decal from a 16 piece set ($67.00 for the 16-piece set), popandlolli.com

Bolt, the decal we received, is the cutie-pie on the right. I love these decals, and I love that they’re made from fabric, so they seem a bit more durable than a lot of decals, and the hand-drawn sort of style of Pop and Lolli is super cute. I’m a bit sad that there aren’t any styles to match Zach’s room, because I’m sure we’d proudly display Pop and Lolli decals, if we could only find some to match. Bottom line: They’re darling, but they’re not right for us. Definitely check out the site, though, because the high quality is really great, and maybe you’ll find decals that will suit your style!

Hohner Music Toddler Tambourine, $11.00, www.hohnerkids.com

We got a lovely turquoise tambourine, and we are in love. As I mentioned above, Zach has a tambourine already, but he is in love with this one. For one, it’s easier to hold and shake, and it also makes a different noise than his other tambourine, so it’s perfect! He has a blast singing and playing with this tambourine. It’s so fun, and I love seeing how excited he is about music! I will definitely be buying more Hohner products in the future, because I love the high quality and I love how affordable they are. Plus, I value anything that keeps my son interested in music, so I find their products thrilling. I definitely rank this as one of my favorite companies that Citrus Lane has introduced me to!

Babyganics Toy and Table Cleaner, $3.99, www.babyganics.com

Babyganics is a very cool brand. It was created by two new dads who happen to be clean freaks. It cleans everything up really well, while still keeping it kid-safe. They sell everything from diapering care and sunscreens to cleaning supplies you know and love– like laundry care, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning wipes. And the prices aren’t terrible, either. The products are available online, as well as in my favorite store for kids EVER (Buy Buy Baby), and in other stores like Babies R Us, which means when you run out, it’s easy to find more.

Minted $35.00 offer, www.minted.com

Minted is a very cool site offering plenty of great photo items, from art prints to baby announcements and invitations! I have had a great experience with them before and I am so excited to have $35 to spend on the brand new art prints or any other Minted item I can use!

As you can see, yet again, Citrus Lane is an amazing company with amazing goodies in each box. It is well worth the $25 each month because not only do you get more than your money’s worth in the products you receive, but you also get to be the cool mom that knows the latest and greatest in brands for babies and toddlers. I always feel so ahead of the curve when I am talking to the moms I know and can tell them “You know what brand I love for sunscreen for my son? Episencial.” Plus, every Citrus Lane box comes with an insert giving you plenty of advice, plus information about each product you purchased and where to find it, which means not only do you know you will love all of these great brands, but you also know more information about them, and where you can buy more for that day when you inevitably run out. Plus, every box is tailored for your child’s gender and age, making it pitch-perfect for your child, exactly at their stage of development. Way to go, Citrus Lane!

Of course, if you want a Citrus Lane subscription of your very own, head over to my sidebar and click on the Citrus Lane logo where you can purchase a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription for your little one (or a friend! Subscriptions make GREAT gifts!)

But if you want to try Citrus Lane out…. here’s the easiest, best way. Remember last month’s Fun in the Sun box filled with all kinds of great goodies like sand toys and a SPF 50 hat? Well, guess what I have to give away?

Because WordPress is sometimes picky and won’t let me post my rafflecopter giveaway, all you have to do is visit my page Life As I See It on facebook and click on the Giveaway tab, where you’ll find a widget with a list of ways you can enter. You may want to open it in a new tab so you can come back and leave a comment here (that’s how you earn your first entry!) Good luck!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! (With German Chocolate Filled Cupcake recipe)

May 26, 2012January 21, 2017 - Mama 4 Comments

Today is my grandmother’s birthday! I’m so blessed to be visiting her today to celebrate with her! Growing up, my grandmother was a huge fixture in my life. I have many memories of spending time with her when I was younger.

Grandma holding me the day I was born.

At one point when I was younger, I would spend the night at my grandparents’ house every Friday. Sometimes, my mother would drop me off at grandma’s workplace at the time. I would sit in her office and file paperwork, or at least, pretend I was. After grandma would get off of work, we’d go home and spend time together. I had two nightgowns at my grandmother’s house… one was brown flannel, and one was satin and pink. Each Saturday morning, we would clean up the house, just the basic tasks like washing windows and dusting. I would wear my brown flannel gown and pretend to be Cinderella, and then when the cleaning was finished, I’d change into the pink gown because, to me, it looked more like a ball gown or pretty gown, and it meant my Cinderella transformation was complete.

Visiting Grandma one day.

Grandma and I would also often play restaurant. She would get a notepad of paper and pen, and write down my “order” for breakfast. As I grew up, when my grandmother moved to an apartment, much closer to our favorite bookstore, it was not unusual for me to spend a weekend with her, and wake up in the morning, head to the bookstore when it opened at 10, sit around reading and drinking coffee drinks, and stay there until 10 at night when they would close up and ask us to leave. At the bookstore, I would often get a huge stack of books and read a chapter of each, pruning it down from about 20 to 5 or 6. It was nothing for us to spend a full day there, and as I ran around the store reading chapters of various books to decide which ones I wanted, she would instead sit there with one book, typically a Sue Grafton novel, and read the entire thing.

In addition to helping foster my love of reading by taking me to bookstores for long hours (Borders was our favorite, and we were both so sad to see it go), my grandmother also inspired a great love for theatre by taking me to many, many theatre productions. I can’t even count the number of productions of West Side Story I’ve seen anymore.

On the way to a theatre production.

One of my favorite anecdotes about my grandmother is the time we went on a cruise when I was younger. My parents shared one cabin, and my grandmother and I shared the other. Our cabin had a window, and one day when we were docking in the Bahamas, we woke early to watch out our window. Because the cruise had free room service, we ordered breakfast, and sat and ate breakfast as we watched our boat come into port. After enjoying our breakfast by the window, we started to get tired, and decided to go back to bed for a few hours. We woke up, we ordered breakfast like we did every morning, and halfway through, we realized that we were eating breakfast for the second time. On many occasions, we have thought back on that day fondly, talking about the day we ate breakfast twice.

A couple of years ago, we had the good fortune to travel on a bus tour to New York City. It was my second visit to the city, but her first. It was incredible traveling with her, my aunt Carol, and Uncle Freeman. We were able to explore the city and really have a lot of fun seeing everything New York City had to offer. Our hotel was within walking distance of both Central Park and Times Square. It was about five blocks from Times Square, and five in the opposite direction to Central Park. It was just incredible to get to see the city, and the travel there was a lot of fun. I took so many photographs on that trip!

On the bus to New York City.

My grandmother was the fifth child born into her family of all girls. She had four older sisters, Faye, Carol, Glenda, and Carlene, with her being the fifth. Each time, her parents came up with a name for a male child, and each time, it was a female and they had to adjust it. Faye was Norma Faye, her male counterpart name being Norman. Carol Dean, naturally, was supposed to be a Dean had she been a boy. Glenda Maye was a Glen. Carlene’s male counterpart name was Carl, and Myria Francis, well, was to be Francis. They grew up in a small town in Missouri, called Seymour.

Clockwise from top left: Carol, Glenda, Carlene, my Grandmother Myria, Faye

Recently, I began interviewing my grandparents about their lives and their childhoods, curating stories to document for the future. I got to hear some incredible stories about my grandmother’s childhood, and I want to share them with you, in her own words.

My grandmother, seated on her mother’s lap, with her parents and sisters.

Faye once made me get a spanking, but it wasn’t my fault. Mother had gone in to take a nap, and told Faye to watch us, since she was the oldest. So, with the mean old sisters I had, I asked if I could go down to Grandma Davis’ house, since she lived just over a block away. Faye said I could go, so I did. When mother woke up, she asked where I had gone, and Faye said “I don’t know. She was here, and then she just left. She didn’t say anything to me. She just left.” So, other came looking for me, and found me at Grandma Davis’ and spanked me all the way home.

I must take this point to share that, many times, Grandma mentions having “mean old sisters.” Grandma and her sisters are incredibly close. Faye passed away as a result of complications from ALS, and Carlene passed away of cancer. Both of those losses still weigh very heavily on our family’s hearts, and especially my grandmother’s. But her sisters, oh, her sisters. She loves them more than anything, and so when she says things like that, it’s always very tongue-in-cheek.

Grandma also told me a story once about her walk to school, which provides some insight into those “Uphill Both Ways” tales.

I always walked to school. All of us girls did, and we had to cross the railroad track. There was even an incline up to the railroad track. When we were growing up and would have to cross that, it seemed like it was so high. When it was icy, it would be impossible to get up the incline! Then, 20 to 30 years later, we went back there, to walk up the incline, and it was barely an incline at all.

My grandmother, the entire time I’ve known her, has had some very precocious qualities to her. The story below, I think, really features that in her.

I skipped school one time, I was in grade school. Well, it was before we moved to Springfield, so I guess it was grade school. I was so smart, that when I skipped school, where do you think I went? To my granma and granddad Sims, which was across town. I don’t know how they did it, because they didn’t have a phone, but soon, Daddy showed up at their house. The principal had a paddle that was about two feet long, and had little holes drilled into it, so when I came back to school the next day, I was called into the principal’s office. What was really bad about that is the principal and his wife were close friends with my parents and would come over to my parents’ house. When I got called into the office, he handed me a pen, because whenever you were paddled at school, you had to write your name on the paddle. I knew, just knew, I was going to get paddled. I wrote my name on it, and he said “This is just a warning. Don’t do it again.” So, luckily I didn’t get a spanking. But, yeah, I just had to go to my grandparents’ house when I was skipping school, didn’t I.

My grandmother, a precocious little girl.

I’ll leave you with just one more anecdote about her today. I also got the opportunity to hear a little bit about each of my grandmother’s parents, so she could tell me some special things she remembered about them.

My dad was a very smart, learned, educated man. Not formally educated, but self-educated, especially on the Bible. He was a very kind man, loved music. He sang bass in several different quartets and performed and sang solos in church. He was a very good singer. He loved his family very much and always made sure he provided for them. He worked for a milk company, worked several years for Carnation, then Cloverleaf for a little while, and retired working at Highland. He taught five daughters how to drive. He raised his five daughters to fear God and have a personal relationship with Him. My mother was very quiet, a very quiet person. She had a fantastic sense of humor. She loved life, loved her family, and just enjoyed life, truly enjoyed it. She was a great cook. I probably resemble my mother the most, except I’m not nearly the cook that she was. But I’m probably most like my mother.

My grandmother’s “mother and daddy.”

My grandmother is a huge part of my life, and someone I love quite a bit. She truly is a wonderful person and a great influence on my life. It’s harder now that she has moved three hours away, because I grew up spending a lot of time with her when I was younger, but she and I still enjoy spending time together and I love the great memories I’ve had with her.

Here are a few other fun photographs I was able to find of my grandmother.

(I’m always making fun of her curtains in the image above).

Happy birthday to you, Grandma! I cannot thank you enough for the support and love that you’ve given me through the years. I appreciate your comments on my blog and all of the support you’ve given me with my blogging and my goals for the future. I love you, Grandma!

For my grandmother’s birthday, I decided to make some very special cupcakes. My grandmother loves German Chocolate Cake. Fun fact, it’s actually not from Germany, but instead is named after Sam German, the man who created the chocolate that was once used in the recipe. I decided to do a pseudo-German chocolate filled cake. My cake recipe is modified off of one from Hershey’s website. It’s based off of their recipe to their “Perfectly Chocolate” cake.

The recipe kind of sounded a little odd to me, but it is truly a very soft, moist, and incredibly chocolate cake. Bear with me, as odd as the recipe sounds, it produces one of the best sets of cupcakes I’ve ever made.

2 Cups Sugar
1 ¾ Cups All-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 Cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 Cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 C boiling water

Start by heating your oven to 350 degrees F. Fill your cupcake tin with liners, or grease it. I prefer using liners because it’s easier for batter to crawl up the paper than it is for it to cling to a metal pan, so cupcakes baked with a liner rise higher.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, pudding, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add your eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, then beat for a couple of minutes. Stir in the vinegar quickly to activate the baking soda. Now pour in your boiling water. It will make for a very thin batter. At first, it kind of made me nervous how thin it was, but it ended up making some great cupcakes, so don’t get too worried about it! Plus, the batter smells incredible after you pour that water in!

Fill your cups between 2/3 and ¾ of the way full with the batter. Bake them for 25 minutes, and cool completely.

For the filling, I decided to use a modified version of the Coconut Pecan Frosting from Back To Her Roots. Her frosting recipe tasted delicious, but it was sort of soupy, which is why I provided for the modification below. However, if her recipe comes out perfectly for you, you may not end up having to use my modified technique and may be able to use the frosting perfectly like she did. Her recipe was positively incredible, though, even soupy, which is why I decided to use it instead of switching to a different recipe.

3 Egg Yolks
1 Cup packed brown sugar
12 tablespoons butter (1 ½ sticks), cut into pats
1 (12 oz) can Evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of Salt
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
2 cups toasted flake coconut (I used sweetened, but her recipe calls for unsweetened. I would say it’s up to your personal preference).

Combine your yolks, evaporated milk, butter, and brown sugar in your medium saucepan, keeping the heat low. Cook and stir constantly until the butter is melted, and all ingredients combine completely. Remove from heat.

Stir in your vanilla and salt, and then add coconut and pecans. Stir until it’s well-combined. Transfer this to a bowl and refrigerate until it’s cool throughout. Make sure you allow for a lot of time for this to stay in the refrigerator. I refrigerated mine for 10 hours. If you can get it to go overnight, that would be best.

If, after refrigerating it for a very long time, it’s still soupy, grab a strainer and strain off all of the excess liquid. I’m going to tell you right now, you should save it, because the liquid is incredible for coffee, ice cream, everything. It is a truly delicious liquid.

To fill the cupcakes, you need to grab a sharp knife, cut into the cupcake at an angle (about 45 degree angle) and cut a cone shape out of the middle of the cupcake. If you cut it too deep, you might puncture the bottom of the cupcake, and that would be bad news, so make sure you’re careful to cut into the cupcake deep enough to give you a lot of filling, but not so deep that there’s no cupcake to go with it.

Once you’ve got the cone out of the cupcake, fill ‘er up with that delicious coconut pecan filling.

Grab the part of the cupcake you cut out, and cut the cone shape off so you’re left with a flat piece. Put that on top of the filling, and viola, you’re back to an easy-to-frost surface.

Back to her roots also has an incredible ganache recipe on her website that you could choose to frost your cupcakes with. I tried to make it, twice, and it was pure liquid, even after letting it stay in the fridge for about 7 hours (her recipe suggests two). If you can get the ganache to work (and I’m sure it does… I’m just ganache-challenged). Worst-case scenario, if her ganache doesn’t work, then you can put about 5 spoonfuls into a cup, and add your coffee… instant mocha!

Because the ganache didn’t work, I have a confession… I used some store-bought icing to use on the top. I grabbed my star tip, my decorating bag (it’s fancy. I take a quart-sized Ziploc, cut a corner off, nest my star tip in it, and spoon the frosting in), and my favorite Duncan Hines chocolate icing. I’m pretty brand-loyal when it comes to store-bought frostings, and Duncan Hines is where it’s at. I whipped up the icing so it would be nice and fluffy, and I piped it onto my cupcakes. Then, I took it that extra step and sprinkled each cupcake with a little touch of coconut (the coconut also helped so I could tell the filled and un-filled cupcakes apart… my little brother isn’t a fan of coconut and pecans, so I left several cupcakes unfilled for him).

And that, my friends, is my perfect kind-of German chocolate filled cupcakes. I hope some of you will be able to use this recipe in order to make a birthday special for someone as special to me as my grandmother!

How I Afford Being a Single Parent

April 11, 2012October 3, 2014 - Mama 2 Comments

Someone asked the other day how I afforded being a parent, especially a single one, on my low income. I don’t make a ton of money, but I do make enough to get by. I don’t have enough to go out and buy a house tomorrow, but I’ve found that, through careful planning, I can make a dollar stretch and keep our lives stable, steady, and consistent.

People asked if I felt like I was doing justice to Zach by only having a small salary on which to care for him. But I do, I do get by. And Zach has never wanted for anything. And I have some great tips and tricks for finding ways to pay for the things Zach and I need.

I budget. And re-budget. And check my budget.

Not a day goes by that I don’t check my online banking. I see how much money is in there, and I budget certain amounts for certain things… some money is set aside to take care of Echo’s needs: food, grooming, vet appointments. Some money is set aside to save for Zach’s future. Some money is set aside for our family vacation. And, money is set aside for medical bills, food, clothing, personal care, and all of the other needs that we have. I stick to a budget, and I budget in some “fun money.” You know, for going out for lunch or overdue library book fees.

I make money where I can, to pay for the other things I need.

When Zach outgrows something I’ve bought him, if I don’t have anyone to pass it on to, I sell it. Same goes for my own clothes- anything I don’t wear or won’t fit in is sold. The money I make from it goes into a special place, and when Zach outgrows that last pair of jeans that fit, or I have to have a new pair of shoes because the amount of holes outnumber the amount of threads, we have that money to fall back on. We have that as our emergency clothing budget… and, since we’re basically selling what we don’t need to get the things we do need, it also helps us have less clutter stored away, and begin simplifying our lives.

I save where I can.

Target has this great thing where, every once in awhile, they have a deal on diapers that allows you to buy 2-3 packs of diapers and get a Target gift card. Sometimes, the diapers actually contain coupons to use on your next purchase. I have several Pampers coupons expiring in the next year, and when the deal comes along, I grab enough coupons to get through the sale, buy the diapers I need (I’m stocking size 5 right now, and he’s in size 3) and get a gift card for Target. Those gift cards are great when it’s time for the Easter Bunny or Santa to go shopping, or if I’m looking at my budget and thinking “Crap! I didn’t budget for this unexpected trip to the doctor, so now I can’t afford Zach’s puffs that he likes to eat.” I can say “Oh. But I have that $5.00 gift card that I saved from the last diaper sale. I can afford this.” And I figure it out.

I accept help.

There’s a great clothing closet in my hometown. It offers free clothing- NO income requirement necessary. Anyone who needs clothing, or just wants to update their wardrobe with something different, can go to the clothing closet and get something. I try to take in a couple of things for each item I take, just because it helps sustain them and keep them stocked with things to help others. It’s nice to know that it’s a resource available to me if I need some clothes for Zach or I. Zach also has some great friends from church and around town that are SO great about handing down clothes from their little boys to my little boy. It’s so nice to have their help in getting some clothes for him. And, I rest assured knowing that when Zach outgrows the clothing, it can be passed down to someone else who needs it or passed on to the clothes closet.

I remember that every penny counts.

I’m being serious. Absolutely literal about this one… every. penny. counts. Last week I took in a jar of change. I had been saving it for about four years. I didn’t really even think about it. The jar just sat on my desk, and anytime I had some spare change, I dumped it into the jar. Over time, the jar filled up. When it became clear that I was going to be a single parent of a little boy, I made a very important decision. That jar was going to be Zach and I’s fun money. No matter how poor we got, no matter what life through at our way, that money could NOT be touched unless it was to do something fun. That means even if I was struggling to pay bills, that money was staying put for something fun for Zach and I. When I was a little girl, my mom was a single mom, and even though I know now that she had her financial struggles, I never knew it as a child, because she always found a way to make it work, and she always had a little money set aside to make my childhood a little more special (even if it was something little. One time, we bought paint in primary colors, and took squirt guns, and sprayed them over the walls of my room for a fun, exciting paint job. On many occasions, during daycare, we would clean the table with shaving cream- she’d squirt on piles of shaving cream, and we’d spread it out and draw pictures in it or write words). For me, this jar of change was someday going to be the money that would allow Zach and I to go see Elmo Live, or go stay at a hotel sometime, just for fun. Some people laughed at me for collecting whatever spare change I came across, but to me, that change was important. When the jar finally filled, my brother and I took guesses at how much money might be in it. He guessed that it was probably around $15. I figured he was about right. I took it in, poured that money into the change counter at the bank, and walked away with $41.50. I’ve since collected more change (from the washing machine, the sidewalk, or old purses in my closet) and I’m almost up to $43. The money will collect until Zach and I decide how exactly we want to use our “fun money.” Until then, the change will keep piling up.

I get by on the Grace of God.

God has never once let me down. I’ve had close calls some months where I wasn’t sure if I’d have the money, but I haven’t overdrawn my account, or had to go hungry, or had anything bad come to Zach or I. He always has everything he needs- food, shelter, clothing, and most importantly, love. God provides. Sometimes I see his provision when it’s time for my Citrus Lane money to come out of my account and someone on my blog clicked my referral link, making it something my son and I can afford. Sometimes I see his provision in that there’s a new sale on exactly the thing I was about to run out of. Sometimes I see his provision in the amazing time that my family and I get to spend with each other because I live with them. Sometimes I see his provision in my brother holding my son, while they watch TV at night, and I realize moments like that might not be possible if God had provided more financially, to the point that I didn’t have the blessed opportunity to live with my family… and then I recognize that I need to thank Him for providing exactly what I need right now. God takes care of me. He loves me, and He provides for me, and my son.

So when people ask me: are you doing your son justice? Yes. My son has everything he needs. He has toys in every room, enough clothing for various seasons and sizes, all of his favorite snacks, shelves and boxes full of books, and plenty of love. My son gets to see me every day, spend time with me constantly, and know that he has a close relationship with his grandparents and uncle.

When people ask me: how do you even afford being a single mom? I realize that I have learned how to be a single mom, and put my financial worries on God’s shoulders, not on my own. I’ve learned that even if the money is tight, the fact that I get to cuddle up on the couch and watch Sesame Street with Zach each morning tells me that I have so much to be thankful for.

Yes, other people may have all the money in the world, and I may be scraping together a few coins. But I have a priceless opportunity to be thankful for the things I am blessed with, and realize that God has never left me wanting. Zach has everything he needs and then some. And so do I.

If you’re worried about finances, I encourage you, put it on God’s shoulders. He will provide. And if you need someone to talk to, email me. Post a comment. Dialogue with me. I’m happy to give you the encouragement I can.

Slightly Crunchy: In Defense of the Halfway Hippie

March 10, 2012October 3, 2014 - Mama 3 Comments

I read a great article about Mayim Bialik (Blossom for you old-school folks, or the girl who played young Bette Midler in Beaches, or the girl who plays Sheldon’s girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory) the other day. It talked about how she is a strong advocate for Attachment Parenting (AP). She believes in extended nursing (her oldest is 3 1/2), she co-sleeps, she does elimination communication (meaning her children learn how to use a toilet before they learn to walk or talk, also known as diaper-less parenting). She wears her baby, unschools, and more. Her children are raised vegan and kosher. She’s an amazing woman doing a lot of amazing things with her children.

As a parent, I’ve chosen to do a lot of seemingly “crunchy” or “hippie” things myself. I made all of Zach’s baby food myself. We co-sleep. I homeschool. I’ve done some babywearing (though I don’t wear him all the time like many AP moms). I try to keep his goods organic when I can.

But the thing is, I get mistaken for a full-crunch Mayim Bialik mom all the time. And, as much as I admire her parenting style in many ways, I’m not her.

I’ve had several people hear that I homeschool and make Zach’s baby food, only for them to ask me my advice and suggestions on cloth diapering. Oh honey child, I do not cloth diaper. I think it’s great that so many moms do, but I don’t. We are disposables all the way!

I feel like too many times people hear that a mom is doing one or two things that are associated with the attachment parenting or organic/crunchy lifestyle, and assume that she is an all-or-nothing hippie mom. I’ve found that, more often than not, this isn’t the case. I’ve heard of a lot of cloth diapering organic moms that don’t raise vegan babies. I’ve heard of many moms that co-sleep and baby-wear, but feed their children Gerber and Beech Nut. I’ve seen moms who do extended nursing and baby-led weaning, but don’t co-sleep or cloth diaper. I feel like there is so much pressure as a mom, if you choose to do a few attachment parenting behaviors or granola mom behaviors, to do it all. I was having a conversation with some ladies the other day about diapers. One of them said “Oh my gosh. My friend’s baby had the WORST blowout when we were out to lunch. You know, if she was smart, she would make the switch to cloth diapers. I’ve never seen a blowout on a cloth baby.” I immediately blushed and felt ashamed that I had the audacity to put my child in a disposable diaper. Then, I started to feel ashamed that I felt ashamed of a parenting choice I had made! Who cares if the other women around me have made that choice for their children, one that fits into their lifestyle but not into mine? That’s great, but it’s not me.

I realized that, so many times, I felt ashamed about little things I did. I made all of Zach’s purees and many of his snacks like sweet potato fries, but sometimes I’d be lazy and give him a rice cake or a handful of SuperPuffs instead, which aren’t homemade. I feared that people would see me as a hypocrite if I went halfway.

I felt ashamed that sometimes I made choices that were right for my family. When some friends found out that I chose to co-sleep, I started getting bombarded with articles about how dangerous it is, and photos of babies sleeping with butcher knives. It took me a long time to stop feeling guilt about the fact that co-sleeping was the best choice for my family, and to realize that we co-sleep in an incredibly safe manner (and most co-sleeping deaths come from families who are uneducated about the safest co-sleeping practices).

I realized that I had spent a great deal of time feeling guilt about my parenting decisions rather than just enjoying my life as a parent. And then I realized that my words sometimes to other parents may have been causing them to feel guilt about their choices, whether or not it was intentional.

The truth is, not all of us who embrace an AP lifestyle are going to be a Mayim Bialik. There are going to be those of us who slip through the cracks, who embrace a half-hippie lifestyle. Maybe you’re a cloth diapering homemade baby food mom who balks at the idea of co-sleeping and babywearing. Maybe you chose not to breastfeed but you still love to co-sleep and wear your baby. All of us have to find what works for us as parents. It’s not going to look the same for everyone, and none of us should have to feel like we’re being put into some sort of box for it.

So this is it. I’m embracing the half-hippie lifestyle. I’m proud to be only slightly crunchy, to be organic when I can and embrace the times when I can’t be that person, too. My son’s going to eat meat sometimes. He’s going to wear disposable diapers and he’s going to get store-bought snacks occasionally. But he’s also going to choose when he stops breastfeeding, he’s going to eat a lot of homemade foods, and he’s going to co-sleep with me for quite awhile longer.

Do what’s right for you and your kids. Don’t feel ashamed about it, like you aren’t eco enough or aren’t traditional enough… there will always be advice coming from all sides, and always be some form of judgement on all sides… but you have to make the decisions that are best for you, best for your child and your home and your lifestyle and your family.

When you’re doing what you truly feel is best for your child, I’ve found that the guilt and shame often tends to melt away.

What I’ve Learned from Being Single

March 2, 2012October 3, 2014 - Mama 5 Comments

I have been single for almost a year now. It’s amazing to think that it’s been that long, because I used to be the girl who couldn’t go very long without being with someone, even if that someone was the wrong person for me. I’ve been in many bad relationships… relationships that pulled me away from family, relationships that tugged me away from faith, and relationships that tested my very strength. I’ve been hit, I’ve been verbally kicked in the gut, and I’ve been hurt. But I’ve also been mean, I’ve screamed, and I’ve said things I shouldn’t say.

Being single for almost a year has, in many ways, been trying. I can’t remember a time since I was about 13 that I didn’t have a boyfriend… or, rather, I can remember short periods, but nothing longer than a few months. A year-long dry spell? That’s a big deal.

I’ve learned a lot from being single, though. I’ve learned a lot about myself, a lot about other people, and a lot about what I’m looking for when that amazing man finally does come along. Here’s a little about what I’ve learned.

My values are important, and they’re valid. I shouldn’t toss my thoughts, my values, and my dreams aside because someone discounts them. My dreams and values are just as valid as my partner’s. If he can’t accept that, or if he holds values that directly compromise or contradict mine, he isn’t the right guy for me.
My family is more important than any relationship. My son, my parents, my brother… they’re the ones who have been there in the wake of breakups and makeups. They’re the ones who have stayed consistent, even when I’ve pushed them away for a relationship. That’s important.
I don’t have to have a man to feel important. This is a big one for me. In the past, I’ve always felt like I needed someone, a partner, to feel valid. I don’t need that. My God is my first big relationship that validates who I am, outside of any romantic connections. My family validates me, my career as a blogger validates me. My faith in God, and my own successes, dreams, and thoughts, are what validate me as a person… not a guy.
When I do eventually find the right guy for me, it will enhance my other relationships, rather than detracting from them. The right guy isn’t going to trash my family or my faith. He’s going to say “you know what? Those things are very important.” and he’s going to be okay with a) spending time with them, and b) understanding when I want to spend time with them occasionally instead of with him. I can’t count the number of holidays that I have spent running over to boyfriends’ houses or something, instead of spending it with my family. My very last Thanksgiving with my aunt before she passed, was a Thanksgiving dinner I left early to see a movie with my boyfriend. Wow. Just… wow. That’s not to say that spending time with him won’t be frequent, or awesome, but I believe the right man will understand that my family is a huge part of my life… and it isn’t all about him.

That’s not to say my journey as a single woman hasn’t been hard. There are definitely many times when I wish I had someone to turn to. I definitely have my concerns that I won’t find the right father figure for Zach when it comes time for those important things where he needs a dad. He has an amazing uncle, and an amazing grandfather, but a father figure is invaluable. I also wonder, “will I always be living with my parents, single?” And then I realize all of the awesome things involved in living with my family, and the great times that we have.

Being single is hard. I spend a lot of time in prayer, both hoping that a man will eventually join me on my journey through life… but I also spend a lot of time thanking God for the people who are in my life… my very cool best friend who I don’t see enough, but always seems to balance me. My mom, who is my rock. She’s the one I go to every time I need to bounce an idea off of her, the first person who suggested I consider blogging as a full-time gig, and the one who has supported me from day one. My awesome dad, who CHOSE to be my dad (he legally adopted me when I was nine). My brother, who has been a great influence and role model for Zach so far… all of these people are important.

The most important thing that I’ve learned from being single is this.

Relationships and significant others are more than just boyfriends/fiances/husbands. Relationships… significant others… those are the SIGNIFICANT people in your life. I don’t have one significant other. I have a lot of significant others. God. My son. My mom. My dad. My brother. My family around the world. My best friend. These are the significant people in my life, and they have nothing to do with a boyfriend-girlfriend-husband-wife situation.

It’s okay to be single. My time being single has brought me closer to family and to God… that, to me, is more important than any relationship with a guy.

How I Give My Son Cool Gifts… Without Breaking the Bank

February 16, 2012October 3, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

I have a 7 month old, and I know it’s kind of cheating, but he is SO easy to shop for. The nice thing about young children is you can predict their interests pretty easily. This makes gift giving super cheap (and so much fun!)

It’s also no secret that I’m a single mom. Money is tight… because I’m disabled, my sole source of income is barely enough to support us. But that doesn’t stop me from giving my son amazing gifts for holidays. I just have to find ways around the price tags! (And the best part is, these secrets apply whether your child is 7 months old or 7 years old!)

Here’s how I do it:

1) Garage Sales Are Your Friend

At this age, my son has no idea if I paid $1 or $15 for that cool xylophone he got for Valentine’s day. All he knows is, it makes noise, and it’s a lot of fun. I check garage sales frequently for age-appropriate toys with no damage. My son has no idea it’s secondhand, but even if he did know, I don’t think it would stop him from having a blast. Most of what he owns is secondhand. One of his favorite toys is a toy laptop that was given to me by a family whose children had outgrown it. The original price? $31.99. I have a motorized car in the basement that Zach is going to get in about a year and a half. It originally cost over $70. I paid $6 for it. It works perfectly. Seriously, embrace the secondhand. Consignment sales, garage sales, they get you a lot of cool toys, for a really good price! Even with older kids, if you’re able to find toys in like-new condition, the packaging won’t matter. Looking for electronics? Shop refurbished items, which are often like new or used previously by individuals who took VERY good care of it. No one will ever know the difference.

2) Scour sales online and in store

I keep an eye out for toy sales as often as I can. Last year, someone clued me in to a supersale on Melissa and Doug wooden toys from Bloomingdales. The original price of the toys were $20-$30 each… I shelled out a mere $4-6 per toy, and searched for a free shipping code from retailmenot.com. I purchased got toys for 4 holidays, for $22. Last year, I found a great deal on Melissa and Doug puzzles, in store this time, at Toys R Us. The puzzles typically were in the $15 range, and I spent $5 each on them, plus used a coupon to save even more. Unexpected sales are a great source of savings, especially if you know when and what to look for (and make sure to stay within a set budget!)

3) Seasonal Items are total steals!

My son loves books. He loves to read them, chew on them, and savor each page. Since it was the day after Valentine’s Day today, I ventured to my local Walmart. They had all Valentine’s merchandise marked down… including seasonal books. I was able to get some fun books for Zach, half off. I purchased 3 books (priced $2-8 each) and spent $6. These books will stay in the closet and make an appearance next year. Since he’s so young, he isn’t suddenly going to jump a huge amount of reading levels, obviously, so I can get away with purchasing books and sticking them in a closet until next year. I also looked for other seasonal toys or outfits- if you can judge what your child’s size might be, you can even buy some seasonal clothing early (or buy clothing that looks seasonal, but could be worn even after the holiday- today I picked up some socks that said “Future Mr. Right.” They were red and black, and from a Valentine’s collection, but said nothing about first V-day or anything… that’s a pair that can be worn anytime! I also found 2 Valentine’s-themed lidded mixing bowls at Target, which were $6.88 total. These will go into “his cabinet” of kitchen goodies he can play in… it cost me very little, but will provide hours of fun. He can use them as drums, hide things in them, and, as he grows older, we can use them as small sensory bins or even cook using them. They’re pretty heavy duty.

4) Look for things that grow or have multiple uses

I’ll repeat the example of the mixing bowls above. Right now, my son is in a banging phase. He bangs on everything- the floor, the table, anything. Those lidded mixing bowls are not bowls, but instead, they’re a drumset. In a year, they’ll be storage containers for edible play dough. A year after that, they’ll grow into a sensory tub. After that, we’ll be able to use those bowls to mix up a cake or some bread. Each year, or even from month-to-month, those bowls will have varying uses that will grow with him over time. In the Melissa and Doug toys I scored, Zach loves a tambourine that came with it. Again, it’s something he can bang on. But that tambourine came as part of a set, and I can guarantee that a year from now, the cymbals or triangle will get a lot of use, even though right now, they just sit in his toybox, untouched. Things that grow with your child are worth an extra look. That bathtub with the sprayer may look cool, but you might consider the bathtub that comes with a sink sling and a base that transforms into a step stool… not only did my son use that bath sling all the time when he was first born, and now uses the tub without the sling, but he’ll also use the step stool in a couple of years when we’re potty training. When you pick an item that can be used in different ways or at different stages, you’re picking an item that stretches your dollar over the long run. Also consider this idea when buying things like Lego sets. Lego sells some sets that are 3-in-1 for the same price as other sets that only have one way to build (well, obviously Lego sets have a million ways to build, but one set of instructions comes with it). If your child is very into the building and rebuilding, a 3-in-1 set is probably more worth your money than a set that will be built once and put away.

5) Space out your giving

Last month, I got my Citrus Lane box in the mail. You have seen me blog about this before and post my reviews, but here’s the deal. When I get the box, I give it a good, careful look. Last month, Zach immediately got to play with the tugboat. It was a “right now” gift. But I held onto the strawberry yogurt snacks. I didn’t open them, I didn’t really draw attention to them. They went into the closet. Zach “nommed” on the mango snacks, yes, and loved them. So, as part of his Valentine’s day gift, he got the adorable pink Strawberry Yogurt snacks. For now, he’s more interested in the unwrapping than what’s inside, so he doesn’t care that I gave him some yogurt snacks… and even so, he LOVES yogurt snacks, so it wasn’t an issue (p.s., they were freeze dried, and totally closet-approved!). Maybe I won’t be able to get by with packaging up yogurt snacks in the future, but for now, it works for me, and that’s how I give him a cool gift. Right now, he loves the tambourine and maracas from his Melissa and Doug instruments, but when he gets bored with those, I can take those out of his main toy box, and swap his cymbals into the toy box, and he’ll have an all-new toy to play with. If you get a subscription box for your child, whether it’s Citrus Lane, LootCrate, or another great leader, try opening it separately, giving them something for now, and saving another gift for later. When stores like Target or Toys R Us do a Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal, consider giving one now, one for the next holiday, and one for the holiday after that!

6) Use Free Gift Cards to Stretch Your Budget

How many times do you see a deal where you can get a gift card at Target for buying a certain number of other items you’re buying anyway? While of course, they’re roping you into buying multiple items, if you plan on using the toilet paper or diapers or whatever else is in the deal, you may as well stock up, and save that gift card for when it’s gift-giving time! I’ll often purchase the items, then hold onto that gift card until Christmastime, getting many of my gifts free or very affordably. Additionally, Walmart now has the SavingsCatcher part of their app where you can get a gift card for the difference between what you paid at Walmart and what you could have paid at another local store instead if Walmart didn’t have the lowest price. These gift cards can be looked at as money set aside for helping you pay for a gift later.

7) Set a budget. Stick with it.

I know that I only make a certain amount in a year. That’s why I plan my spending out. Do I need to buy gifts for holidays? Cool, there’s an envelope for that. I have one envelope that, each month, I take money out, and put in there. That’s my holiday shopping for the month- be it Christmas, Birthday, Easter, whatever. That’s the money I have for it. That’s the money I can afford, and I’m not going over that. Do I need $450 for our annual island vacation? Yes. That’s a planned expense. I spend the entire year setting aside $20 here and $50 here, and by the time vacation rolls around, I have enough to pay for vacation. When I get home, I have an empty envelope to start over again. When you plan an expense, when you say “this is how much money I need for this,” then you know that you have to save that much money, and you do it. When I set a goal of what I’m spending my money on, what I need to save for, then it helps to work hard to reach that goal.

8) Teach him it’s not about the “get.”

Growing up, as Christmas would approach, my brother would get increasingly excited. I don’t presume that’s abnormal- most kids get excited as a holiday approaches. But when we’d inquire about his excitement, the answer was always the same “I can’t wait for you to open what I got you!” His joy, his Christmas excitement, didn’t come from finding out what we got him… it was seeing our face when we opened the gift he gave US. He is still that way. This year, he purchased a Valentine’s Day present for Zach. As soon as we woke up Valentine’s morning, he said “I think we should exchange gifts now.” “Now? Are you that excited to see what you got?” “No. I want Zach to open my present!” It’s just a part of our family- we all are like that. I am so happy to have grown up in a family that instilled a nature of giving. That’s something to pass on to my son… and that, I think, will help keep me from breaking the bank the most. It’s about teaching him that it’s not about the material objects. It’s about the family, and the love you share, that gets you through the year.

Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Mama Plus One

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