Weekend Shopping

Happy Monday! Today it's back to the grind at The Peapod. We are expecting an ice storm today, and I am sort of happy for this. I need a break, and if the storm comes, we will get a break.

The weekend was filled with little things. Saturday, a jewelry demonstration for the brand Lia Sophia at my mom's friend's house; Sunday, shopping at the mall with Big Girl and my mother. Big Girl has her father-daughter dance in two weeks and she has nothing to wear. She has outgrown any appropriate dressy clothing. Luckily, we stopped at Justice and found something suitable in her size:

With a 40 percent off coupon, the dress was affordable. And cute for a tween, when paired with a white cardigan and black sequin headband bought for her concert a few weeks back. She also picked out hot pink leggings from the clearance rack instead of tights, and we already have black flats to round out the shoe issue. The outfit is also good for Easter, as well as any other dressy occasions between now and fall. And her Grammy footed the cost, which is a blessing to us.

I was starting to stress a little about the outfit situation for this father-daughter dance, since it was creeping up fast and Big Girl is at a difficult age (and size). She is in between the little-girl-fancy-flouncy-cute dresses and the teen-fitted stuff. She is only 10 1/2 years and I want something age-appropriate that she likes. She is not really a fashionista, but she does look to Justice as a trusted "cool" style of clothes.

So our mall outing was painless. She also ended up with an Aeropostale hoodie, courtesy of her grandmother. This is a treat to her. I guess many of her classmates all wear Aeropostale, and my sweet Big Girl never asks for much, but had said recently that she would like one as well. So with a sale in the store, she ended up with a cute turquoise-tie-dye sweatshirt. I have taught her that brands don't matter, and she knows that, but I also know that sometimes you need something "cool" to feel like part of the crowd. Her face lit up when I mentioned wearing it to school on Monday. Oddly, I knew that this happiness means that she appreciates this simple gesture of a sweatshirt, and doesn't just take things for granted. She understands the value of a dollar, and I appreciate this. If a $25 hoodie sweatshirt makes her happy occassionally, then so be it.

Speaking of dollars, I am still feeling the love for Aldi here at The Peapod. We are eating healthy, homecooked meals on a regular basis, and fresh fruit and veggie salads. I'm still cutting coupons, and using them -- mostly at Target -- but at Aldi, we are able to get the stuff we need, like fresh produce and milk, for which we don't often have coupons.

Right now Aldi has an abundance of Super Bowl snack options, so if you are preparing for a Super Bowl party, then head over and get some snacks. They even have the cutest football-shaped ice cream cake, and it's only priced at $7.99 in our local store.

Speaking of ice cream, we love these:

Aldi's waffle bowls are so cute and yummy, and not only with ice cream. How about fruit with some whipped cream? Or yogurt and fruit? The bowls are only 80 calories each, which makes them a healthy option for anyone watching what they eat. We love them. Such a great, affordable treat.

I am still sticking with our menu plan, and we are nearing the end of my three-week plan, which means I need to plan a few more weeks. We still have plenty of food in the freezer. This week I will need to be diligent about home cooking, since we are so busy at night, and our days are filled with toilet training and work!

Toilet training and twins are an odd mix, I'll tell you. Look for more on that in tomorrow's post.

In the meantime, we are still decluttering. I have slowed down, but the kitchen cabinet cleanout has been a blessing and I have been able to keep it all up. I have a few things to put away in the dining room, and the bathroom has been changed a bit to accommodate the potty training. I plan on tackling my jewelry in my bedroom this week, which has gotten very disorganized. I also need to plan a trip to the consignment shop with a bunch of toys. I guess I am not alone in the decluttering, as I have stumbled upon many posts, blogs and articles recently about the subject. Even the twins have gotten in on the act. We sorted through the toys in their room recently, and they helped put their stuff into two new toy shelves my husband bought for them at Christmas. They are very cute and they love them.

I do have to tackle our children's book collection. If I am a hoarder in any aspect, it is definitely children's books. It was the only thing I would never deny Big Girl on a shoppng outing, and as a result, we have a large library of options. I need to weed through them. And the twins need a larger bookcase, or, ideally, a bookcase for each child so we can have books on some shelves and their own precious collectibles at the top. More on this another time.

Enough rambling for today. Welcome to anyone who has wandered here from my article about my husband's photography! I promise more scintillating conversation in the future!

Holiday Countdown: Clothing!

The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming! Now that November is officially here, it's time to get serious about the holidays! Thanksgiving is only two weeks away -- two weeks! I guess it's the earliest it could ever be.

I am really in the holiday mood now. This is a picture out my front door yesterday -- SNOW!! Yes, a little Nor'easter which was supposed to be not-so-bad turned into inches and inches of snow. Of course, it was a crazy day all around: My car wouldn't start. Couldn't get to the store for my supply of milk for the storm. Had to borrow my parents' car and head out into the insanity, then school got out early, and the twins were like two cooped-up wild animals. Fun day!!

So back to the holiday talk: Have you made your lists? Checked them twice? I still have shopping to do, but I'm only purchasing things when they are deals and when I have cash to get them -- trying not to charge a thing this holiday season if I can help it. I'd rather be chipping away at debt than adding to it right now, which is why money is so tight in this house. (And who knows what is going on with my car now :( Hoping it's just a dead battery. We will know more today after hubby gets a better look at it.)

I'm working on firming up my need-to-buy lists. The twins' December birthdays definitely add to the December economic hardship! If you ever have twins, don't have them in December -- like you can control that, right? Ha ha. I always used to say I didn't want a December baby and I ended up with two. Which just proves that you can't control life because I wouldn't trade my December babies for the world. They were the best Christmas presents ever. Even if some days right now they drive me absolutely nuts.

Back to the Christmas countdown.

So the first holiday chore I am working on is...

CLOTHING!

Possible Christmas Eve wear with a "navy" color theme:
Buddy Twin's polar bear sweater from last year
and a hand-me-down velvet dress from Big Girl for Bunny Twin.

I always want my kids to have cute outfits for holidays, and even if money is tight, I will still try to make sure they look their best. When Big Girl was an only child, I always bought special outfits for her holiday wear, but the budget doesn't allow for brand-new things for the holidays as much anymore.

Our holiday attire doesn't have to be fancy-schmancy, ruffles and pearls, but appropriately festive and neat. I've been cleaning out closets and drawers lately and weeding out warm weather items, especially since winter is officially upon us. While getting things in order, I decided to see what we have for the upcoming holiday season that will suit our needs for three special days: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

Luckily, the twins are really in a good place as far as festive clothing. Buddy Twin has several sweaters, some of which I bought last year that will still fit, and a few I bought on clearance late last winter. I am so thankful that I have the sense to shop the clearance racks for the future sometimes!

Bunny Twin is also all set, with many things her grandmother purchased on sale, hand-me-downs from her big sister, and things I purchased on clearance last year, like an adorable candy cane dress from Gymboree.

The only thing Bunny Twin will need is a few sets of tights to wear with her little dresses. Knowing this now makes life easier, which is another reason it is good to weed through the clothing far in advance of the holidays. I can shop for the best deal on tights or whatever odds and ends I need to round out an outfit.

Big Girl was not in the same place as the little ones. She is always growing, so it is hard to have things fit more than one season. She needed at least one new holiday outfit or two. For this, festive-yet-practical is in order -- no fancy dresses, but more like sweater- or tunic-legging combination that can be worn for the rest of the colder season. My mother had expiring coupons for a few stores this week, including Justice, so a trip to the mall was in order.

Here are two holiday choices that came home in a Justice shopping bag:

Both have leggings to wear with them, so they are comfortable, which is important to my oldest. And they are her favorite colors. They are not too Christmas-y that they can't be worn the rest of the winter. And not too Justice-y. Sometimes I think their clothing is over the top and too sassy. Big Girl likes that store though, and I want her to have things to wear that she both likes yet are appropriate. (Why is Justice so expensive? They always have 40 percent off the entire store. I wish they would just make the prices lower and offer the the same 20 percent off coupons that you tack on the 40 percent discount anyway.)

Now that the closets are cleaned out and clothing decisions are made, I'm relieved that this is one area that I've already tackled. I'm moving on to firming up baking chore lists and ingredients to buy; finalizing the gift list; ordering Christmas cards; and planning the twins' birthday party. There is a lot to do in the next two months.

Squirreling Away Nuts

It's inevitable. Winter's coming. I can feel it in my bones.

And then I woke up yesterday to this headline in the morning newspaper:

Cold, they say. And costly. Break out your sweaters, your sweatshirts, your blankets, your extra socks and your boots. I guess soon it will be time to put on the layers.

I haven't turned the heat on just yet. Luckily, we've been able to manage the little chills here and there with the help of my little faux fireplace. Hopefully it won't drive up the electric bill to have it on low in the early mornings or at night while I'm watching TV. My electric bill from the last humid heatwave was astronomical. I'm so mentally done with high electricity bills. I'm even considering convincing my husband to scale back the outdoor Christmas display.

We have natural gas heat, which also powers our hot water heater. Luckily the news article reported that gas prices will remain stable, although it will be cooler so we will need to use more gas to keep the temperature consistent. Only a 15 percent increase is expected! Yay, said Sarcastic Me.

In the meantime, I have this inner urge to act like a squirrel. Fill the cabinets and the freezer and get out all the winter gear. Big Girl and I already have the boots, courtesy of finding them at Marshall's earlier this year. Big Girl had a similar pair last year and wore them constantly and outgrew them. She's the new owner of the purple pair, which is very fitting for a tween.

I have the black pair, which is very practical for me. For a very long time I have wanted a pair of UGGs, like everyone else seems to have everywhere I look. Fashion peer pressure! But frankly, when it comes down to it, they are kind of pricey for my budget. I can't justify spending $100 or much more on a pair of boots when that could buy groceries for a week or two, or several outfits for my closet when needed. I've tried to scout out some at Marshall's, but the ones I've seen don't seem worth the price tag -- why pay so much for boots that look like a sweater? How will that keep my feet dry and warm? So I never buy them. And for Big Girl? Well, her feet grow like crazy so it's not necessary to spend major bucks on shoes right now. If she was a teen, and put it on her Christmas list? Well, then, maybe...

Instead, our boots are the Bear Paw brand. They are decently made, and comfortable, and affordable ($30-$40 at Marshall's). As soon as we got them, I headed over to our local KMart and picked up a can of this:

I figured it's good to protect our affordable investment during the upcoming months. I know Big Girl will likely be sporting these every day except gym day, so I'm putting a little effort into keeping them in shape ahead of time. Yesterday, I broke out the new boots and gave them two coats of this stuff.

My next job is to take inventory of the winter jackets, gloves, hats, snow pants, etc. I've got a bunch of hand-me-downs that should fit the twins' needs. Big Girl will hopefully still fit in the large snow pants and snow boots I bought last year. My husband and I will likely muddle through another season in our winter gear, and he got new boots last year so he should be all set.

So, are you ready for winter? Although I've got Christmas on the brain, I still think I could relish not having a spot of snow before the holidays. Not after last year's Halloween ice storm.

Mother Nature? Please be kind for a little while. Send Jack Frost on a vacation somewhere else!

Family Portrait: Choosing a "Look"

I spent hours and hours last week trying to pick out clothes for a family photo. For our anniversary, my husband purchased a session with a portrait photographer so we could finally get a nice family photo. It was definitely something I always wanted to do.

The photographer forwarded instructions on how to dress: Don't match. Coordinate, but don't wear the same things. She sent a link to a Pinterest board of ideas.

And off I went, shopping, to find something for each family member. It cost a small fortune. I was shopping on a deadline -- our photo session was scheduled for Sunday -- and I was also shopping unlike I normally shop. Shopping for me is a sport: One that involves sales, clearance racks, coupons and mark-downs. I have to be frugal, as you know!

But not this time. This time I was driven by having to find outfits for five family members of different genders and ages that somehow would not look like we fell off the turnip truck. And I had little time to do it. I have a new appreciation for photo stylists after this whole experience.

I started at the Gap, for Big Girl. Now, I do not normally shop there because it's beyond my regular budget, I was looking for something that did not contain graphics, words, cartoon characters. She got a new pair of jeans and a plain pink top. I always like Big Girl in pink, especially in pictures. And I thought she would be the most difficult subject, which is why she became my immediate focus.

After Gap, I headed into Gymboree, where I fell in love with a red-checked button-down shirt for Buddy Twin. With that, and a new pair of jeans with red cuffs, and I was set. It seemed to go with Big Girl's pink focus. And I just know this shirt will be worn long after this picture: It's perfect for Christmas, for Valentine's Day. And it's just downright adorable. I think I'm saving it forever.

Since denim was going to link us in the picture, I had my heart set on Bunny Twin wearing a new denim dress we already owned. I picked up a pair of leggings in Gymboree to match Buddy Twin's shirt, and some cute little hairbows for her pigtails.

Three down!

Now me. I figured I would wear a new black cardigan sweater and jeans; I just needed something to go under the sweater. Dress Barn had a decent red, black and rouge-ish fancy tank that worked, and bridged the red/pink of the kids. And I can wear it at the holidays too.

My husband was last, but I figured he could wear something he already had. But the day before our picture, I realized he had no decent pants! A trip to Marshall's at 8 p.m. solved that problem, when I got extremely lucky and found two pairs in his size and headed to the register. ($19.99 each, a good price for pants he will wear to work until they wear out! I love Marshall's.) He already had a cranberry plaid shirt that would go with either pair, and he matched our "red/pink/denim" theme.

Done! (An extra expense, indeed, but done.)

Except for one problem: Our photo session got rained out.

We'll try again this weekend. And at least our clothes are already picked out, right?

Prairie Chic

When we had a recent bout of pre-spring warm weather, clearly the short-sleeve shirts and capri pants needed to be pulled out of storage. And then came the realization that a few members of the family needed a handful of specific new things, including me.

But if you're anything like me, you often put yourself last. Last on the list to sit down at the dinner table, last on the list to go to bed at night, last on the list of a lot of things -- like treating yourself to something that is both a necessity and frivolity: Clothing!

Since I've had kids and stopped working outside of the home, my obsession with fashion has sort of gone by the wayside. I don't have time to suffer for fashion when I'm changing diapers, giving baths, digging in my garden, baking, etc. I just need something that is neat and clean and can be used in a variety of situations. Usually, this ends up following a few rules for a stay-at-home mom-style uniform: Denim/khaki/black on the bottom. Black/neutral on top. (I save the "cool" factor for shoes. Like leopoard print flats or plaid sneakers. Comfortable -- no heels for me anymore -- yet kind of funky. I have always liked funky shoes, even if the number of funky shoes I own has dwindled over the years. Maybe I need to work on that :)

This spring I was feeling a need to change up the "uniform" a bit. If you've been reading this blog, you know how much I love the blog Sugar Pie Farmhouse, where lovely Ruthie posts occassionally about her penchant for Western wear tops, often with little floral prints -- I look like you would see in a country music video or a Dixie-style chick. I was in search of a similar "Prairie Chic" style without breaking the bank. Something easy to throw on, easy to wash, lightweight, which would hide stains, etc., and give me a break from my plain urban black that I love so much.

I was able to find some really cute floral tops at Dress Barn, of all places. I had a shirt I liked from a few years ago, so I wandered on their Web site to see if they offered something similar. And they did, so I dragged all three kids to the closest store to search out some shirts. In the end, I bought three: The two in the photo above I bought in the store, and this one I ordered online, which I loved in the store but they didn't have in my size. The three shirts weren't super expensive in the grand scheme of things, but not cheap enough for my frugal-o-meter. That said, I needed a spring treat desperately. I like the cute tiny floral patterns, which remind me of vintage clothing. And if I wear them as much as the shirt that inspired this shopping trip from years ago, I will get my money's worth.

Next up: Some shoes. I need real sneakers, for exercising/walking, as well as some fashion-y sneakers (Converse @Target, maybe?), as well as a shoe to get me through several situations and a pair of sandals. I have a hard time finding shoes that I like which are not expensive, are comfortable and that fit. I would love to get a pair of Toms, and have my eye on a certain pair which would cost around $60. Maybe I'll start saving my pennies for that next.

I'm going to clean out my closet soon and purge, purge, purge. It's good to do that seasonally, isn't it? Especially when you share a small closet with your husband and there's really no room to keep anything extra. So I'll start weeding out the old. And then I'll make a list of what I could seriously use to get me through until fall.

And until then, I'll feel all country-Laura-Ingallsy-Southern-prairie-chic in my flowered shirts. Bye, y'all!