Deals and faves

This weekend I scored some pretty sweet deals!

I came across Oprah Winfrey's very generous coupon deal for Payless yesterday afternoon (50% off everything) so Chloe and I scooted out right after supper. I got her a pair of really sturdy navy blue shoes for only $6.50! And mama got two pairs of clearance shoes for $3 and $4. Woo-hoo! Now that this belly of mine is starting to grow, it's nice to distract from my hugeness with some cute new shoesies. :)

Then after a rainy lazy morning, I scooped up the kiddos and drove out to Target. As we were leaving, Matt said, "What do we need from Target?" Such a silly question! Target ALWAYS has something we need. :) Thanks to Money Saving Mom's recent blog post on Target deals, I snagged two cake mixes for 25 cents each and two bags of mini-marshmallows for 50 cents each (perfect for making another several batches of rice krispies treats). And as I hopefully expected, several items were 75% off in the dollar spot. SCORE! I got some lovely cards, stocking stuffers, thank you notes, and board books for just $3.00. To top it all off, I even got 5 cents back from bringing my own bag.

I love Target. It's on my all-time favorite stores list.

And so is Chick-fil-A. Have you heard about their Operation Christmas Child partnership? I'm sure lots of you recall this annual charity which sends out shoeboxes full of goodies to needy kids in third world countries (see more details here). Chick-fil-A is joining in the generosity this year by offering to send the shoeboxes for you AND giving you a coupon for a free sandwich for every box you fill. We've got two boxes almost filled and ready. I L.O.V.E. the idea of showing Chloe and Clive that Christmas is not about getting but giving. (Though I AM excited about getting some free food.)

What deals have you snagged lately? And which shops are your favorites for bargains and pleasant shopping experiences?

My stubborn little son

Today Clive and I spent a record 90 minutes battling over a spoonful of three macaroni noodles.

I came out victorious but not without many tears (from both of us), spankings and wavering in my stamina.

Poor little stubborn guy. He didn't know who he was up against. :)

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, "One more spoonful and you can be done" I knew I had to back up my charge. Clive obviously did NOT like the homemade mac-n-cheese I fixed for lunch (I think homemade mac-n-cheese is world's better than the boxed variety but my kids beg to differ). Lest you think I starve my children, Clive devoured his pumpkin muffin and oranges. He happily salted and peppered the mac-n-cheese noodles but then refused to open his mouth for a spoonful.

By this time, Chloe had finished her lunch and asked for seconds. She quickly finished, cleared her dishes and was off to play. She was an ANGEL during the 90 minute showdown! She even tried convincing Clive to eat his spoonful and tried reading him a book to calm him down. To reward her for her helpfulness I read 5 books to her before quiet time (that's a record) and I plan on treating her to a special bowl of ice cream after supper tonight.

In reflecting on the ordeal, it was interesting to see my emotional progression. I'm a pretty stubborn gal at heart so once I decided I needed to stand my ground, I was in it for the long haul. I started out with optimistic determinism, then proceeded to frustration, anger, empathy, total desperation and humility (during which time I cried to God for help), and finally exhausted determinism.

Though I know I did the right thing in making my words weighty and displaying my follow-through with Clive, I did not enjoy the process. My heart broke for Clive when again and again I asked him if he was ready to eat his noodles and he whimpered, "No". And when he cryingly said, "Hold you! Hold you!" I balled right along with him as we hugged.

Man, am I glad that's over! After we all crashed for long naps this afternoon, I plan to take the kiddos outside for some fall raking and jumping fun. I'm tired of being the mean mommy.

Have you had a similar battling experience with your kiddos?

A baby Chloe-ism

As a mama, it seems I get climbed on, stepped on, elbowed and generally man-handled often by my dear offspring. Of course I would never trade the bruises for the bumps and bruises for the preciousness of Chloe and Clive climbing into my lap while we read books. Or the unhindered joy in Clive as I toss him around or wrestle with him on the floor.

Well, now that there's a new life growing inside me I've cautioned Chloe especially to be more gentle with me. When I first explained why she needed to be more careful around my expanding middle, here was her response . . .

Me: (after Chloe tossed herself heavily on me) "Chloe, you have to be more gentle around my tummy now that the baby is growing inside. You can't kick or hurt mommy's tummy or the baby might get hurt."
Chloe: "Right, mommy. We don't want the baby to come out with a bump on her head!"

(Notice that Chloe is already referring to the baby as a girl.)

Hope this Chloe-ism gives you a giggle on your Friday!

Reluctantly buying retail

For good or bad, I take a certain pride in knowing that I buy almost all our family's clothes second-hand. I truly enjoy thrift-store shopping, repurposing, and using clothes until they are worn or no longer fit me. Thrifting is like a treasure hunt for me!

Also, our budget requires us to be incredibly frugal with our clothing purchases. Add to it that I have the world's fastest growing daughter and buying second-hand is imperative.

As Chloe is growing older and taller, I've found it increasingly more difficult to find used clothing, shoes and outerwear in her size. Shoes are the worst! Chloe has inherited my clod-hopper feet and is already in a size 13 or 1. It was so disappointing this fall to open up her bin and see 11's and 12's I had bought ahead of time that were hopelessly too small.

Hence, my quest for a winter coat for Chloe began. I searched all the thrift and kids' consignment shops in the area to no avail. In fact, I was utterly appalled at how much consignment shops charge for USED coats! Hello, $30 or $40 for a used coat?!? I realize supply and demand is at play here but that's utterly ridiculous.

I turned to ebay next and was equally disappointed in the price and selection.

Reluctantly, I tried Target. Turns out for 20 bucks I scored a super warm lined puffy coat for Chloe in her fave color blue. I had a $5 gift card and since the 6/6x was a tad snug I went with a bigger size so the coat will (hopefully) last two seasons.

It felt strange to buy Chloe something brand spanking new but I must say I'm pleased with the bang I got for my buck. Yet another wonderfully satisfying Target experience. :)

Where do you find affordable outerwear for your kiddos?

Mystery

First, thanks to all of you for your pumpkin bread recipe contributions! I feel as though I am often tapping you dear bloggy friends for recipes, advice, and know-how.

Forgive me, it's just that recently I've been somewhat brain dead. More than just the regular mommy brain too.

And the reason for that is a mystery for you to figure out. That's right a spooky mystery just in time for Halloween! See if you can puzzle your way through this one. Here are your clues . . .

* I've been gaining weight
* I'm extra tired and going to bed at the same time as my children
* I'm irritable and emotional
* I'm taking a new medication (prenatal vitamins)

That last clue should pretty much give it away!

Most days I think we're insane for expanding our family to 5. BUT I know that God put this desire in our heart for more kiddos AND I know what an inexplicable blessing and joy children are AND I'm incredibly excited to see how this new bambino enhances our family dynamic.

We're about 13 weeks along now and my burgeoning belly has most definitely popped. Though I'm still trying to stave off the maternity wear for another week or two. I go in for my first appointment next week and I'm pumped to hear the baby's heartbeat! That will make this pregnancy seem more real. Right now I feel like I'm just getting fat. (The flab could also be due to the cheeseburger craving I must satisfy every week.)

Breaking the 2-kids barrier has met with mixed reviews. It's interesting the notion some have that 2 kids is the "ideal family". While I whole-heartedly believe parents should be prepared to provide for their offspring, I don't believe that means two children is the perfect prescribed number.

We are rejoicing and so thankful to God for this wonderful new gift of life!

Pumpkin Bread

I made a double batch of pumpkin apple bread yesterday afternoon and although it made my kitchen smell divine, it didn't taste quite as good as I had hoped. In fact, Chloe wouldn't eat more than a few bites. She said it tasted like soap. Unfortunately, it did have a baking-soda-ish flavor.

With 8 more cups of pumpkin puree in my freezer, I'm gonna need a better pumpkin bread recipe! I love using allrecipes.com but I don't want to gamble with my next batch of bread. I'd much rather get a tried-and-true recipe from a veteran baker.

Any winning recipes for me?

(Speaking of winning recipes, if you're itching to cook with pumpkin you simply MUST try this pumpkin pancake recipe. It's our favorite fall treat!)

Clive the comedic chatterbox

It's been WAY too long since I've posted a cutesy video of my progeny.

Overnight it seems Clive has become our household chatterbox. He's always talking to himself or identifying items to whoever will listen. And we are constantly asking him to speak quietly at the dinner table. Already he's trying to monopolize the dinner conversation!

As you can see from the video above (persevere through the cousin naming until the end), Clive thinks he's a comedian to boot. He does indeed know his sister's name. Though he said "back-hoe" long before ever attempting to say "Chloe".

What a darling character Clive is becoming! It's been so fun to hear him find his voice and see his personality blossom.

Apples

Seems like even after a busy week, I'm also itching to take the kids and do something special on Saturdays.

Since fall weather hit us with a bang this week and because last week's book in Chloe's five in a row curriculum was How to make an apple pie and see the world (GREAT book by the way) an apple orchard was today's obvious destination.

Matt had a meeting this morning so we dropped him off and headed to a nearby orchard. Unfortunately, it wasn't a pick-your-own apple joint but we still had a lovely time. LOTS of great apples at great prices. Plus a corn maze, pumpkins, a bakery, shop with local homemade items, and plenty of apple trees and gardens to walk through.

We came away with a peck of gala apples for $8. That's approximately 11 pounds of apples so I thought it was a fabulous deal. I currently have about 1/3 of the peck cooking for a big ole pot of applesauce. Yum!

By the way, I'm no good at corn mazes. We had to break our way through the dry corn stalks to find our way out.

Have you done any apple picking this season? What's your favorite way to prepare apples in the fall?

I have a smashingly good applesauce recipe that I never tire of. Though I do tire of peeling and coring the apples.

Happy apple season to you!

A new Chloe-ism for your Friday

My sweet Chloe is at a precious age right now. She's not always precious (don't ask me about her new expressions of anger and selfishness) mind you. But in between the lectures and discipline, she's been giving me lots of reasons to smile.

Since Matt has been super busy this fall with teaching, his dissertation, and a list of other resume-building projects too long to mention, he relishes his playing time with the kids. He often plays with them full-force after supper while I clean up the dishes. (And believe me, after a full day with the kids some quiet dishwasher time is extremely enjoyable and necessary for me.) One evening this week, Chloe had it in her mind that she wanted to play wedding. Hence the dish towel veil she's sporting in the picture at left. She was convinced she was going to marry daddy. Here's how the conversation with Matt proceeded . . .

Chloe: "Daddy, c'mon let's go get married"
Matt: "But I'm already married. I'm married to mommy! What about her?"
Chloe: (after pausing to contemplate this conundrum) "Well, mommy can be the flower girl. C'mon, it's time for the wedding."

(At least she didn't ask me to be the maid as she has in the past when playing Snow White. I will NOT play a maid or cook in any pretending game. Too much like my regular job, thank you very much.)

Chloe continued on with their pretending game, complete with asking Matt for a ring and then leading him upstairs to their new "home".

Kids certainly do and say the darnedest things.