Make or Buy

What is your plan this year? Do you already have your Christmas list filled, wrapped and tucked away or are you still planning on picking up a bunch of gifts next Friday? 

Generally I am a big fan of the black Friday sales and love the lure and thrill of the hunt. Not to mention, good sales help the economy, right? 

This year, due to the new roof and new attic, we won't be buying each other or anyone else anything. That doesn't mean I won't be giving presents!! No indeed. I'm looking forward to Make Something Day. Though it might take more like a month and not just a day.

Both plans are equally good and fun! What's yours this year? 

Another Great Deal

Since I'm on a kick of telling you lovely interweb folks about great deals, I thought I should let you know that tomorrow is the last day to get restaurant.com gift certificates for 80% off. 

Have you bought GCs from them before? There are restaurants available practically everywhere and the deal is impossible to beat. I just spent $4 for $50 worth of restaurant coupons. Seriously. For some of my favorite places in town. It's really the only way we can afford to eat out. We will generally have about a $30 bill and spend about $10 overall with the tip. 

Anyway, check it out. Just enter the code ENTREE at checkout. You have up to a year to use the gift certificate. Plus, these are great to give as gifts or use when you're traveling. You can select any zip code and find a great place to eat out anywhere. 

20 Weeks

Um, apparently this means I'm half-way there? That seems like a rather frightful thought. Not only is there currently nowhere for this child to sleep, but the to-do list to prepare for it is horribly long. 

We'd ideally like to have the insulation and drywall hung in the attic before the first snowfall. Then it will be a matter of finances in getting it mudded and then the room carpeted before said child makes their appearance.

Unfortunately, I can't begin to prepare a nursery until the attic is finished as everything that is generally stored in the attic is currently stored in the to-be-nursery room. There would probably be enough room to stow a bassinet, but not to walk around it or actually get to it and therefore not very useful. 

Anxiously I await the ultrasound to find out if there will be a need to buy blue and green clothing or start sorting out the tubs of pinks. Only a week and a half before we hopefully get an answer. Though I am not too worried if my child is shy. I have easily met my deductible for the year so if more ultrasounds are needed, I can get them scheduled! It's more just the wondering to know. 

As any expectant parent will say, I'll be happy with whatever gender pops out, but my symptoms have been almost entirely identical to my first pregnancy. Thus leading me to believe that there is a girl type baby swimming around in my belly. As active as the first too. I guess we'll just wait and see. 

These pics were both taken last night. I have been horribly remiss in getting good belly shots done this time around, so we're are attempting to remedy that. Am feeling rather huge lately, but the scale says I've only gained 6 pounds so far so I guess it's not too bad. Hating the reflux, and eating lots of Tums. Lovely. 

Get Them Before They're Gone!

I have been keeping my eyes out for the semi-annual sale of cloth diapers. Twice a year or so, I get an email saying that they are having a big close out at one of my favorite sites for dipes. Every order has been fabulous with them and I have been very happy with the quality of everything I have purchased there.

Click for the list of what is still available in the outlet store. Everything is half off and the discounted price will show up in your cart before you check out.  I stocked up on smalls so come March/April my new baby's buns will be well covered! Though, often newborns can be smaller than the smalls so it might be more like May before the buns are covered with cloth. 

If you currently use cloth, you already know what a great deal this is and will hurry over. If you haven't tried cloth, this is a great time to give them a chance. Your baby's bootie will thank you! (as will your budget-most people say they save over a thousand bucks)

 Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about cloth diapering as I've been at it for (gasp) almost two years now and I also have lots of resources to share to any future converts!

Kitty Kats

I don't like the scary goulish part of halloween. It always creeps me out to walk into the hastily set-up, dirty with last year's costumes, filled with hooker outfits, noisy as I go past the mummies with blinking red eyes temporary Halloween stores. Yet, every year I find myself there in the store looking for, what? Inspiration?

Regardless, I love having halloween parties. They are my favorite parties to throw. I love hanging silly things from the ceilings, cooking "scary" foods ("hand" meatloaf, radioactive hummus, brussels sprouts, etc), dressing up and eating candy with friends. Especially friends who go all out with their costumes. Even better than that, now that I have a kiddo, I get to dress HER up. And darn it, kids are so cute in their little costumes!

The week before Halloween it was cold and rainy and yet we still trudged across the park to hit "The Zoo Goes Boo." Luckily, there was one candy spot where they were handing out full sized candy bars and the Hershey bar mysteriously went right into Mama's pocket.  Here you see my little white kitten with her kitty basket trying to decide how much she really wanted to be out treating. 

The day of Halloween, I didn't have to work, so as it was cold and rainy yet

 again, we decided to brave the mall and do our treating inside. Later I found out that one of our local colleges do great dorm treating so we will have to be sure to go there next year. 

Yes, I realize that this is two weeks past due, but darn it, interweb, didn't you want to see this cute little pink & white kitten? 

I Love My Hair

In general, I have pretty thin hair. My fabulous stylist says I have plenty of hair but that the strands are thin. I guess that makes me feel a little better. Most of the time I have to wash my hair every day if I want to look presentable. 

Most of the time I don't really mind too much how presentable I am. Frankly, if I'm staying home with the kiddo all day I am perfectly ok with the Mommytail. 

However. Right now I have pregnant hair. It took a couple months to kick in, but once it did, it became glorious. Maybe not to you, maybe not for anyone else to notice, but to me--glorious. I don't have to wash it for at least three days and it can still look fresh and silky yet grease-free. 

Some days I go curly and use my diffuser, other days I take a little more time and flat iron it. The times I straighten it I know will last the longest. Somehow, I don't even get bedhead! 

In my google reader, I subscribe to several Freebies blogs. Last week I got a free sample in the mail for Pureology's Super Smooth Smoothing Elixir. I have always loved this brand for shampoos & conditioners, but haven't had a chance to try any other products before. 

Am. In. Love. First of all, i didn't just get a little bitty one-time-use packet, I got a full-sized bottle! Secondly, while I only used a little bit, this stuff seriously made my hair much smoother. I used no other products after showering and I could tell a big difference when flat ironing. Frankly, it took less time to straighten than usual as well. Big win there!

I know my hair is only going to be this great for the next six months or so, but I'm loving every last moment that I have until I start balding again. At least I'll still probably have some elixir left to at least help with the styling process.