When you find a deal, buy it!

So, of course, I'm already party planning for Beanie's first birthday party. I love that custom printed cards are so readily available (and affordable) online. But with this spring being a rather, um, expensive one...I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get her something as special as the Punkinhead sent out for her first birthday party. Okay, parties!!!!!

As always, I've got a budget and sticking to it is critical. I've imputed all the Pampers Gifts that Grow points from diapers and wipes on their website - I'd saved over 900 points! Enough points to "buy" a promo code for 12 custom cards from Shutterfly.

Here's where the really good deal part comes in. The card I liked was temporarily 20% off and I had an email from Shutterfly for $10 an order because of their 10th anniversary. And a friend sent me another promo code for free shipping.

Cut to the chase: I paid $20.20 for 25 cards. Without the discounts and promo codes, these invites would have cost me just under $60! Money saved is going straight into the custom cake portion of her party budget.

Yummers.

Being a stay at home parent is not a luxury or "the easy life."

I work hard every day to do this. It's my career choice. And I do get a paycheck. It's the same one my husband works hard out of the home to get. I know folks that work out of the home work super hard and make tremendous sacrifices to provide a good life for their families. I give out of the home careers props all day long and extras on the weekend. How could the economy run without those jobs? It's a necessary component in this world that I'm grateful people go do.

But the deal is, I deserve respect too for equally hard work I do and the (different) sacrifices I make. THIS IS A CAREER TOO.

Why do folks that pay tons of money to have people take care of their children talk to me like what I do is easy? Do they think the folks that care for their children have easy jobs? If that was true, why is childcare so expensive? Or is it that they believe my kids just have sub-par childcare from me and would be better off with professional caregivers?

I'm also tired of folks saying, "Well, what a luxury it is that you can afford to stay home." Luxury? My clothes come from Walmart and Target. And they have to last a LONG time. My children get consignment store clothes, and hand-me-downs from friends and family make me dance like I've hit the lottery.

We drive 7-10 year old cars. That new kitchen the neighbor put in that looks so fantastic? I'll get one, but it's going to take us 5 years to save for it.

Anything we buy new, we've planned and saved for weeks or months and it also means that something else probably got postponed on the priority list. Sharing one income means no impulse buying in our household. Zero tolerance policy on it here.

So that's the honest truth......we live on a lot less than many people to have me stay home to work. That's the sacrifice Buzzkill and I make to have careers we both want to do.

I LOVE my life and have all my needs met. I'm also really grateful to be aware of the difference between my wants and needs.

PLEASE, stop acting like I've got a free pass on hard work. If I don't do my job, the consequences are exactly the same as everyone else - we go broke, we can't pay bills or eat food.

And also, sorry for the ranting, but I figured over here I could vent without starting huge drama on Facebook.

Moo. Maybe she'll get me a free Chick-fila sandwich.

Pouty Punkinhead

Punkinhead Verbage

The more her ability to string a sentence together grows, the funnier the Punkinhead gets!

She's learning when to use contractions like can't, won't, don't - she's a toddler and different ways to say no are important to her. She has not learned when to use them in quite the correct context; mixing up don't and can't most often. The following quote is a good example.

(Watching the new Nick Jr. show The Fresh Beat Band) "I can't like this show." Although Buzzkill and HotMommy also feel mentally incapable of watching this show, we believe she meant to say "I don't like this show."

Punkinhead is officially enamoured with her daddy. "Mommy, look at Daddy. He's so beautiful!"

She's gotten very good at listening to the things adults say and adapting the language for her toddler world. Apparently I often sigh and say how I really need something (nap, sleep, margarita) because upon biting into a Halloween cookie the other day, we got this gem: "(Sigh) I needed this good cookie so much!"

I'm also having to deal with those moments where she says something that is just wrong but all I'm trying to do is not bust out laughing before I give her an attitude adjustment. Today when I asked her to give me a flashlight she was carrying around, she replied, "No, I don't share." And I'm really sure she got the "don't" applied to the sentence correctly this time.

A little late, but "getting real" just the same.

I hope that most have you have read Amy's blog The Lawsons Did Dallas linked under the blogs I read. If you haven't yet, pop over to one of her latest hilarious posts. It's a challenge to us mom-types (dads not excluded I'm sure) to "get real" about how our houses look on a day to day basis. Not to embarrass ourselves, but to let go of that self-condemnation that we're the only ones that have dirty dishes, laundry that needs folding, toys on the floor, unmade beds, and general clutter.

So here's my "confession." Our Achilles heel is toys. I pick them up during nap and before bed, but they're everywhere. I WANT A PLAYROOM for the toys!

The first photo shows what happened after I went to Target for an hour. The toys were under control before I left Buzzkill and Punkinhead to play.



The next photo is just funny; it actually looks a little neater than the night before, but I think is a better illustration of the general chaos that can and does occur an a daily basis.

Sweetums is a month old already?

Some of the mommies of Punkinhead's friends did this creative idea on their blogs, but I was too far along to track Punkinhead's growth this way. The idea is to pose your kiddo with the same stuffed animal every month so that their growth is obvious next to said stuffed animal. Of course, Buzzkill pick from his collection of penguins.

I've decided to use the idea for Sweetums - a special thing for her on the blog and in her scrapbook. Officially, she is 8 lbs, 13 1/2 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long.

I can hardly believe she's a month and I also feel like I don't remember our family without her.