Monthly Archives: October 2012

What’s the True Cost of Halloween? You Might Be Surprised.

My kids are excited about Halloween. Lucky for them, they have no idea what’s involved in preparing for Halloween besides dressing up and collecting candy.

What’s involved in Halloween, you ask?

Here’s a list:

  • Halloween costumes for each child
  • Candy for Trick-or-Treators
  • Halloween decorations

Oh, wait.. here’s a great infographic that breaks it down for you.  Take a look and let us know if you spend more or less on Halloween.

Want to know a secret? If you look carefully and do the math, you’ll learn that if your household is sending out at least one trick-or-treater, by the end of the night you may have earned back your initial candy investment and then some.

I wonder if we should factor in dentist appointments and stomach meds for those who’ve eaten too much candy corn?

Halloween cost
Click the image to go to the original site of this infographic and learn more

Perry Mackin Oliver Diaper Bag | @PerryMackin Review and #Giveaway

For a while after having my son, who is now 13, I carried diaper bags from the baby store or a backpack.  Yikes! It painful to vision those moments.  The more I got out with my son, I learned that just because I was a new mom I should not be using frumpy, flimsy, non-stylish diaper bags.  What was I thinking?  First of all, I didn’t realize that designer, stylish diaper bags could really be affordable. I assumed they were all $500+.  I was wrong.

For example, there’s this Perry Mackin diaper bag.  This bag, called the OLIVER BLUE, is $168 and is everything a new mom needs!

Perry Mackin diaper bag review and giveaway
Perry Mackin OLIVER Blue diaper bag

This Perry Mackin diaper bag is called the Oliver and it features:

  • a top zipper closure system makes for easy access
  • water resistant lining
  • 6 Internal elastic band pockets
  • changing pad
  • one zipper front pocket and two side pockets (great for bottle)
  • double handles with a 7″ drop
  • removable adjustable shoulder strap is 48″ when fully extended
Let’s see what fits inside the Oliver!
Perry Mackin OLIVER diaper bag
Let’s get into what I think makes this diaper bag great
  • First, there’s the side pockets.  I carry water with me everywhere I go.  The side pockets on this bag easily hold a water bottle or a baby bottle or sippy cup.
  • Then, there’s the outside zipper pocket.  This pocket is where I keep my phone, chapstick, and tissues.  You know, the important things.
  • I personally don’t have much use for the 6 inside pockets because I’m not using this bag as a diaper bag since my kids are older, but the 6 interior pockets are just right for teething toys, cell phone, a bag of snacks, and a packet of wipes just to name a few things.
  • The shoulder strap.  I LOVE the adjustable strap.  I am short so I can’t wear a bag that does not have an adjustable shoulder strap.  The shoulder strap allows the bag to hand on stroller handle bars.   Just don’t let go of the stroller! 
  • The bag is 16″ x 13″ x 5.5″ allowing my MacBook Pro to slide right in while leaving room for my wallet and a notebook. Now, you see why I love this diaper bag even though I don’t have babies anymore?
  • One more thing that I appreciate about this diaper bag is that the lining is water resistant.  No more scrubbing.. just wipe and dry.
The OLIVER diaper bag is available in blue, black, and purple.  The purple and blue are great Fall colors!

From Perry Mackin 

The attributes of design, practicality and affordability were combined with the specific needs of a diaper bag.  Perry Mackin is exactly this.  Take a look at a diaper bag designed with your own sense of chic in a high-quality, water-resistant fabric.  You’ll dress it up or down according to whim or occasion and wonder what you ever did without it.

Connect with Perry Mackin:


Win a Perry Mackin Diaper Bag!

We are giving a lucky reader the blue OLIVER diaper bag as seen in the photo above.  Pretty fabulous, isn’t it?

To enter to win, fill out the form below.

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Entries accepted through 11:59pm EST November 10th, 2012.  This prize will ship to U.S. residents only.  No P.O. Boxes.  Ages 18+. Your email address will be added to our email newsletter list.  You may receive a bi-weekly email from us featuring new product reviews, our blog posts, and giveaways.  You can unsubscribe at any time.  We will not send you spam or sell or give your email address to anyone.

Disclosure: I received a Perry Mackin OLIVER diaper bag for review purposes. All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way. I was not required to write this post in exchange for the product.

I’m a Moleskine Notebook Addict But Should I Consolidate Or Collect?

Isn’t that frustrating?

And aren’t these beautiful?

Moleskine Notebooks
Moleskine Notebook Collection

If I had to say that I collect anything, it would be Moleskine notebooks.  They are not cheap to collect however and that makes me sort of a closet collector.   At Barnes and Noble or Target, a small and/or medium size Moleskine notebook is at least $10.     Compare that to another brand’s small notebook with 50 pages and about the same size, and you might experience sticker shock.  Moleskine’s larger notebooks are upwards of $20.  But they are worth it.

Here’s a comparison:

6X8" Greenroom Recycled Spiral Notebook
6X8" Spiral Notebook - $2.49 at Target

I asked myself this morning as I was admiring my Moleskine collection, why do I prefer Moleskine notebooks so much if I think they are too expensive?

The answer is because they are familiar to me, easy to find when I need a fix, and they are collectible because they are so darn good-looking.  Mostly it’s a comfort thing I think.  I am comfortable with Moleskine. I appreciate the consistency of the notebook design and page styles.  I can buy them on Amazon.com, at Barnes and Noble, and now at Target.  I like the different sizes and the colors are so fun!  I buy pink notebooks for my daughter, blue notebooks for my son, black for my husband, and I vary the colors that I buy for myself. I like to switch it up.

Why Moleskin?

Moleskine notebooks are strong, sturdy, and The Moleskine notebook is, in fact, the heir and successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries: among them Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Bruce Chatwin.

I have my favorite Cross and Mercedes-Benz pens that I carry with me everywhere to use with my Moleskine notebooks.  they are a combo deal.  Cross and Moleskine = happy note taking.

Moleskine notebook addiction collection

Here’s the problem.  There is no rhyme or reason to how I use my Moleskine notebooks.  I don’t have a certain color for a certain topic.

I should/could have

  • one for The Mommy Insider work notes
  • one for Atlanta Moms work notes
  • one for the kids and to-do lists
  • one for travel notes
  • one for doodles (link to Moleskine Doodles collection at Target!)
  • you get it

But I don’t.  Instead what you’d see if you were to open one of my Moleskine notebooks, is a compilation of notes about both of my websites, the groceries I need to pick up this week, reminders about the kid’s school events, and so on.  That is why I feel very strongly that I need to start my Moleskine collection from scratch.

This is where I need help.  

Do I choose a different color notebook for each topic?

Do I use one notebook for everything and just use labels to section out a notebook?

Do I buy different sizes based on what the topic is or when/where I’m going to use that notebook?

What would you do?

 

In the grand scheme of things this is all very trivial, I know.  But since I am in the process of organizing and re-decorating my home office (for the first time in 8 years in this office!), getting my Moleskine notebook situation figured out seems like a natural step in the right direction.  And a bit of a distraction from the other stuff I suppose.

I was not compensated for this post in any way by anyone. I am sharing one of my passions with you.  Your opinions my differ but I know you’ll love Moleskine when you give them a try!  Some links in this post are affiliate links.

10/23 – Today’s Sale Picks: Denim Skort at The Children’s Place, Handsome Fella Onesie at Baby Gap, and Pull On Pants at Carter’s

Here are today’s top sale picks from a few of our favorite online baby and children’s clothing stores.

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Carter's, Baby Gap, and The Children's Place sale picks

Shine Heart Skort at The Children’s Place – $15 sale
This is a classic denim skort with a bit of glamour for your little diva!

Long sleeve graphic body suit at Baby Gap – $11.99
How cute is this body suit?

Pull on roll up pants at Carter’s – $10.99
My 6-year-old daughter loves these kinds of pants.  No buttons, no worries!

 

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What I Really Want For My Birthday Is To Not Be Treated Like A Mom For A Day. Or Is It?

Is that so bad?

I want to have a day when my husband takes care of the kids.  By takes care of the kids I mean, without me reminding him to feed or bathe the kids.  Without having to remind him to check their homework or make sure they brushed their teeth or took their medicine. No reminders.

I want to have a day when I don’t have to fill and empty the dishwasher twice.  I want someone else to do that.. without me having to ask.

I want to have a day when I am not in charge of deciding what to have for dinner.

I want this day, my birthday, to be simple.   I want the kids to get along.  No fighting today.  No arguing.  No nit-picking.  I want my husband to be pro-active and not ask me what I want for dinner or desert.

I want to enjoy my family, but not be in 100% mom-mode.

Just for one day.

I don’t think that will happen and quite honestly, now that I’ve said it all, maybe I don’t want to not be treated like a mom for a day.  That might make me sad.

I want Madelyn to give me a necklace made of play-doh, beads, and tall grass, and in return I will belt out my ‘proud mom’ scream and dance.

I want Sebastian to walk up to me all cool and say Happy Birthday Mom in his low voice, give me one of his huge bear hugs, and then not give me a wrapped gift.  Otherwise, I would know that Tim bought the gift and gave it to Sebastian to give to me. I’d rather wait another five years for him to start buying gifts for me on his own.

Happy family times

This photographs says everything that I want.

I want my daughter to continue to jump into her daddy’s arms from 5 feet away with complete confidence.  I want my husband to smile while catching her.  I want that to never get old for either of them.

I want my son to keep cracking jokes such as falling off of a tree and then jump up and laugh about it.
Both make my hard pound and my soul laugh at the same time.

I want a lot don’t I? Is it too much to ask?

Mostly, I want everyone around me to know how much I appreciate them and I want to thank God that I am alive and that the kids are healthy and safe and that we are a happy family.

That makes today the most wonderful birthday of all.