Dressing my baby boo Ruari on a budget!

May 20, 2011 | Posted by


Thank you Old Navy for sponsoring my post today about baby and toddler styles. Old Navy is giving you 30% off everything in their baby and toddler summer collection, plus get an additional 15% off in-store.

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I absolutely refuse to pay full price for pretty much anything! Well… unless it’s Anthropologie… I just can’t help myself. ;D But, when it comes to Ruari… she grows out of everything so fast… why would I spend $40 for a dress she’ll wear once? I don’t ever spend that. I wanted to share a few of my favorite ways to barely spend any $ on your little babe!

{Strawberry Dress Via}{Bear Dress Via}{Blue Dress Via}

Thrift shopping: This is my #1 way to save money! Seriously. I’ve purchased the majority of Ruari’s wardrobe from a thrift shop. Good things about thrifting… VERY cheap… the clothes are in great shape (most baby clothes are since they grow so fast!)… and a few companies (like Target) actually send the remainder of their clearance items to some thrift shops. 🙂


Clearance: I really only buy clearance if I buy from any store. My two favorite clearance racks: Target and Old Navy. Sometimes I can find shirts/pants/shoes/whatever for under $3! Crazy! Love it!

Coupon Codes: So many companies/etsy shops/etc. have coupon codes these days…. You can pretty much google any company/coupon code and something will pop up. Seriously. Try it!

One of my favorite vintage finds for Ruari… Her little checkered blue Easter dress! It was so sweet. AND… $2!!! Wow. Awesome.

So… that’s it! My little tidbit of advice for dressing you baby on a budget! Do you like to dress you babe on a budget?

Votey vote for my bloggy blog?
Vote For Us @ TopBaby Blogs! The Best Baby Blog Directory

❤ Chelsey

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BlogHer 2011!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
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Spreading the news via email!

May 19, 2011 | Posted by

Just a little note before you read on… I am NOT preggo! 😀 I can’t get pregnant anymore due to safety issues… I just wanted to remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Ruari. Enjoy!

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Back in May 6th, 2009… here I was totally nauseous and exhausted… Yes, of course the day before was Cinco De Mayo and my friends did keep me out late… but, I shouldn’t be feeling as sick as I was. May 5th is my Bff’s (Courtney) birthday. We went to celebrate her birthday at a local Irish Pub (yup, on Cinco de Mayo :D). I just kept saying… “I’m SO tired. I can barely keep my eyes open. I don’t know if I can keep going to celebrate your day. I should go home.” Well, I didn’t go home I stayed out with my friends.

Well, back to May 6th, 2009. I’m so nauseous. So sick. Why? Well… hmm… maybe I’m pregnant? No. Maybe? I dig deep in my drawers and find an old Dollar Tree pregnancy test. I pee on it. Two lines. Wha? No way. I call Kelsey…. she says, “A line is a line. You’re pregnant!” Me: “Wha?” I don’t know… I call Courtney and she suggest I go to the doctor or buy more tests.

Well… I did both. Ha! Of course the doctor confirming it was the for sure: “Duh, you’re preggo.”. So… here I am with 5 positive pregnancy tests. I’m WAY too impatient to do some elaborate bun in the oven display to announce the pregnancy… So, I take a photo of the tests together. Here it is:

Now what do I do with this? Occasionally I think I’m pretty funny… so, I thought it would be hilarious to send a group Email to my best girls and a separate email to Mike with no subject and the only sentence, “Please see attached.” I attached the photo.

Within minutes I had responses from my friends that still make me smile. “Are you serious? This isn’t some joke.” “Hey! I need more info!” “Really? OMG! Congrats!” and so on…

The best response was from Mike. He called me and said, “Hey. Soo. What’s that photo?” I told him I was pregnant. Mike: “Oh. Huh. Ok.” Ha! Later when he got home he was so excited and was ready to tell his parents. I just love the shock my email gave him.

I’ve had an email address for SO long (since I was maybe 13) I don’t even know what I would do without it! Imagine how it will be for our kids! It’s a part of they’re lives from the beginning. I love that I could spread my good news with one small sentence, a photo, and a click. That’s it. I love this little I’m sorry video from Yahoo! How would your life be without email?

❤ Chelsey

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BlogHer 2011!

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
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Categories: about me

An Experiment: Butter-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 18, 2011 | Posted by

Butter-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a recipe that my husband originally adapted from one of his favorite cookbooks, The Ultimate Cookbook. They are normally FULL of butter and a ton of sugar, but I didn’t really want that in my house (even though it’s DELICIOUS!!!). I replaced the butter with pumpkin puree and apple sauce. The cookies were still pretty dang good! I think maybe next time I’ll try and put more applesauce for more moisture. I’d like to cut out more of that brown sugar too!

Butter-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  teaspoon salt
  • 10  Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
  • 3  Tablespoons apple sauce
  • 1  cup packed light (or dark) brown sugar
  • 1/3  cup peanut butter (can be creamy or chunky)
  • 2  large eggs
  • 1  tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½  cups rolled oats (do not use instant or steel-cut)
  • 2 cups bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions:

  1. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat the pumpkin puree and apple sauce in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the brown sugar and peanut butter, continue beating until creamy, pale brown, and very light, about 4-8 minutes.
  5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then beat in the vanilla until smooth.
  6. Beat in the oats just until uniform. Turn off the beaters, add the prepared flour mixture and beat at a low speed just until a dough begins to form.
  7. Scrape down the beaters, remove them, and fold the chocolate chips in with a rubber spatula making sure that there are no dry patches of flour left and the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.
  8. Decide how big you want the cookies and drop balls of cookie dough onto lined baking sheet. Space balls 2-3 inches apart.  Cookies should be done in 18-23 minutes, or until the top part of the cookies starts to turn slightly brown in places.  Take out of the oven and let rest before transferring to cooling rack. Repeat.

Let me know if you try this recipe out, and enjoy!

– Chelsey

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Categories: food, Sweets

I Heart Faces: May Flowers

May 16, 2011 | Posted by

This is an old photo… but, I love it.
I Heart Faces - Photo Challenges, Tutorials and Tips
I believe today is the last day you can vote on Circle of Mom’s! I’d LOVE a thumbs up if you can spare one. Thanks!
Vote For Us @ TopBaby Blogs! The Best Baby Blog Directory

❤ Chelsey

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BlogHer 2011!

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The "Get this hair out of my face" style tutorial.

May 16, 2011 | Posted by

This is the “hairstyle” I always go to when I just don’t want to deal with my hair… but, I still want it to be cute. Also… my bangs are very long right now. I’m not sure if I want to cut them or not… do I want to grow them out? I don’t know… 🙂 Here it is:

 

1. First I french braid my bangs… just to get them out of the way. Of course this step is optional if your bangs are already at a manageable length… unlike my in the middle too long but, not long enough bangs.

2. Pull back a small section of hair on the top of your head… pin it.

3. Pull back another small section of hair from the sides of your head and pin it below the first pin.

4. Take the remaining hair and pin it up as a messy bun. I like to use Spin Pins from Goody. They work awesome! And, if you braided your bangs… you would also pin that back.

5. Use hair spray… if needed. And, you’re done! I like to put headbands/clips and trinkets in my hair… This time I strung a necklace next to the braid.

By the way… this hairstyle is meant to be very messy! I just do this to get my hair outta my face. Don’t stress if a few strands of hair find their way out… 😀

 

I believe today is the last day you can vote on Circle of Mom’s! I’d LOVE a thumbs up if you can spare one. Thanks!
Vote For Us @ TopBaby Blogs! The Best Baby Blog Directory

 

❤ Chelsey

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Categories: hair

My week in iPhone pics…

May 15, 2011 | Posted by

1 – Ruari all cozy on her giant teddy bear.
2 – The urn I’m going to spray pain a light yellow.
3 – Sleepy babe.
4 – A cat in Starbucks.
5 – Sunny day.
6 – Rainy day.
7 – Ruari standing in the same spot for 20 minutes staring at my brother. 🙂
8 – Vintage dress for the Ruari.
9 – Mike on our date night.
10 – Me on our date night!

You can link up your week in iPhone pics right here.

AND…. I believe the voting ends tomorrow for the Top Baby Journals blog. I would LOVE many thumbs up if you’d like to share! Thanks!!!

Vote For Us @ TopBaby Blogs! The Best Baby Blog Directory

❤ Chelsey

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BlogHer 2011!

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