How Not to Soak an Infant (on a budget)

Oregon weather sucks.  As many of you have heard, there are only two seasons in Oregon: rain and construction.  Unfortunately this year, the rain has WAY out lasted its season... which means, as a new mom, I now have to think about how to keep the little one dry.

I started shopping around for car seat canopies and, like all other baby-item purchases, balked at the price tag ($30-$50 for a blanket with straps??  Really??) so, I got all "I can so make one of those myself" and set out for the fabric store.

One thing that you should know about me (if you don't already) is that I have some pretty good problem solving skills... but I'm not so keen on following other's directions.  I tend to try to come up with my own way/idea and see how it pans out.  Which is exactly what I did with the canopy.  I knew what I needed to make (a blanket with straps) and knew how big it had to be (enough to cover a car seat).

Did I measure the car seat?  No.... which caused all sorts of problems.

I figured that a yard of two pieces of fabric would be big enough (one for the front side and another for the under-side).  So, that's what I bought.  When I brought it home and actually laid the fabric out over the car seat, I realized that it was probably going to be just a little too short when the seam was actually done.   Problem.

Solution?  Sew another piece of fabric as a border around the outside, adding a couple more inches.  And I just happened to have an old curtain lying around that matched!

Problem?  I am NOT a skilled sewer/quilter and my simple solution of "just sewing a border" was a bit more complicated than I anticipated.

But, in the end, I have a final product.  It's functional... but just don't inspect it too closely.  ;)

Total cost: $13
(Could have made it cheaper had I bought fabric that was on sale/clearance, but I wanted something pretty. lol)

P.S.  I used ribbon for the straps rather than velcro... figured that this would be easier.

Canvas Print Giveaway!

I'm hosting a giveaway for a free print canvas from U-Printing over on my photo blog.... check it out!

DIY Baby Wrap

With the weather forecast reaching almost 90 degrees in the Portland metro area tomorrow, we plan to head over to the coast for a day at the beach!  I knew that I wanted to get a baby wrap before we went so that we could easily "wear" Emily as we walked around (instead of having to deal with a stroller or something down on the sand).

In the months leading up to Emily's arrival I found a couple of DIY Moby-like baby wrap tutorials: here and here--so, today I set out for the fabric store and purchased 5 yards of jersey knit* and set to work.  Easiest "craft" project I've ever done, and we are definitely "beach-ready"!

Here's Jacob and Emily modeling my final product (he is now wearing her as he plays on his computer. lol):

*Fabric is EXPENSIVE these days!  I ended up spending just as much on fabric as I would have for the Moby itself at Target.... but, because I got a 60" width, I was able to cut the fabric in half (width wise, for two 30" widths) and have enough fabric for TWO wraps... either to give one as a gift, or have it at the ready for when the first one is (inevitably) in the wash.

The Nursery: Revealed!

I have blogged a little bit about some of the work that we have done on the nursery... painting... putting the crib together... getting my wonderful glider.  But it has been several weeks since I last posted anything about the progress of the nursery.  That's because I was doing my favorite part... decorating! =)  And also receiving various items from our friends and family members.

The nursery has been "done" for probably about a month now.  By "done" I mean that, if she came really early, we would be able to make due with what we had in place.  However, now I feel that the nursery is REALLY done... i.e. it looks cute, too! =)

Here are some photos of our little one's room... just waiting for her to show up!

Found this decal at Target.... had to make a few adjustments, but I love the idea!

For shopping lists and "to-do's"

Sitting area... complete with cushions c/o my soon-to-be sister-in-law Jennifer, for some cozy "guest" seating. =)

Dresser/changing area. The frames will be filled with baby photos. There is also a white-painted letter hanging in the hole between the three shelves... but, since we aren't revealing the name yet, you're going to have to wait to see the letter! =)

 

Found this lamp via CL. I wanted something that would give me enough light to see by in the middle of the night, but wouldn't totally freak out my senses! I may still get a dimmer bulb for it.

We really lucked out in terms of furniture and supplies.  The crib came from Jacob's brother, who used it for his two kids.  The dresser and chest we had already in our "guest room" (both came from Jacob's family as well).  The shelves also came from Jacob's folks.  The glider and lamp were both Criagslist finds, and the shelving unit came from Target.  We bought the crib mattress and changing table pad at Babies R Us, and the shaggy rug at Target.  The curtains and cushions are home made.  I'm very happy with how it all turned out... and looking forward to seeing what is going to be needing to be changed to make it a bit more "functional" (I'm sure there will be surprises that I haven't even thought about yet! lol).
Just a little over 3 weeks to go! =)

Our "Car Story"

Jacob and I decided that, this year, with our tax refund money, we would invest in a new car.  I've been toying around with getting something new for a while.  I got my car (a Hyundai Elantra) back in 2006.  It had a few electronic glitches, but nothing was horribly wrong with it.  Pretty much, after driving the same thing for 6 years I was ready for the something new.  Plus, I've had issues with the head room for awhile (I'm tall and in the Elantra I couldn't put my sunglasses on top of my head, or go over a large speed bump without hitting my head on the ceiling!), and really wanted something with a hatch back and more trunk space for hauling large or unusually shaped items.  My car has been paid off for several years now, so I know that any trade in value would go directly to a new purchase.  Plus, what we have as "My Car" is going to be the family car.  Jacob drives a 2-door Scion TC... not exactly baby friendly!

So, this weekend we decided to start shopping around.  And, by shopping around I mean actually going TO dealerships... we've been checking out different models of cars in parking lots and via the web for a couple of months now! lol  Jacob reminded me that we were just going to look, and not to expect to by anything this weekend.  I agreed.  And off we went.

This was the first time that I'd gone car shopping 'by myself".  The last two cars that I've bought I've had my dad there helping me with the haggling process and dealing with the sales people.  I was a nervous... particularly since I don't know much at all about cars, and Jacob is not one to question things.  So, I made sure to have a conversation with Jacob before we got to the first dealership regarding what our actual budget was, and what we were going to tell the salesmen our budget was.  I know that they would try to make us go higher than our agreed to "budget" so, I figured if we gave them a low number we'd be more likely to hit it closer to home. =)

At the first dealership, a Ron Tonkin lot, we took a look at about three different cars (crossover/station wagon styles).  We test drove a Ford Escape, and it was nice, but being the first place that we looked, and knowing anything about that particular car, we left it there... especially since it started to pour down rain on us!

We then came home (thankfully we have about half a dozen dealerships within a 5 mile radius of us!) and looked up the specs on the Ford Escape and customer reviews.  They weren't good.  We wanted something with decent miles per gallon, and the Escape did not have that.  We then went to another dealership, this time Dick Hannah.  We looked at a Dodge Caliber (too small/short) and a Jeep Limited (I liked it, but a bit over budget and had high miles) and then we test drove a Volkswagen Toureg.  Jacob and I both really liked the Toureg, but, again, didn't know anything about it.  So, we returned home and visited our friend Google.  We found out that the mpg was HORRIBLE (17 mpg).  I didn't want something that was going to leave me worse off than my Elantra (which I think got roughly 27 mpg).

By this time in the day I was tired, frustrated and feeling icky (I caught a pretty bad cold and was trying to pretend that I was functional... I think I was failing miserably).  AND it was raining/hailing/snowing outside!  But I'm not someone to give up.  Jacob and I sat at our computer for about an hour or more looking at the online inventory of different dealerships in our area, as well as checking out Google.  A lot out in Beaverton had a couple of Subaru Foresters that looked of interest, but I didn't know if we wanted to make the 30-45 minute drive out there just to be disappointed.  Meanwhile, Jacob started to look at Prius dealerships.

Something that you should know about Jacob is that he is ALL about the cool new gadget.  He has his heart set on getting an electric car (specifically a Tesla) one day, so it was no surprise that he started to look at hybrids.  But, at the same time, they were WAY above our budget (even our real one! lol).  By this point, I had to go to the bathroom (for, like, the 20th time that day).  When I came out, Jacob was on the phone telling someone that we could be there in 10 minutes.  Apparently he had remembered that Ford had a hybrid version of their Escape (remember, that was the first car we test drove and we liked it, but weren't fond of the mpg) and he found only two in the metro area for sale... one which happened to be at another Ron Tonkin dealership down the street.  So, back in the car we got.

The asking price on the hybrid was about 2k over our "max" budget.  Not a whole lot, but still more than I wanted to spend.  I voiced this and Jacob had arguments lined up about the money we'd save in gas (this car was supposed to get 30+ miles per gallon, both highway and city).  By the time that we'd gotten to the dealership they were pulling the car up to their covered area (as it had started raining again--HARD!).  It was a cute car.  A newer model than the one we had test drove and a silvery blue color.  Jacob handed over his driver's license and we took it for a spin... in the snow! lol  It's not very often that you have the chance to test drive a car in the snow in Portland! =)

We both really liked it.  Except for the price.  I handed over the keys to my Elantra so that they could take a look and give me an estimate on trade-in value and we headed inside to talk numbers.  This is where I really got concerned.  It was suddenly getting very real, and I was going to have to "play the game".

They asked me how much I was expecting for my Elantra.  I told them... but, of course, I told them high (as I knew they'd come back with a lower number and I wanted to get as close to what I actually thought I could get has possible).  I'd blue-booked it before coming, so I had an idea of what I could expect.  They also asked what we wanted to pay per month.  I told them that we could figure out financing once we settled on a purchase price, and let them know that we had good credit and planned to put down a down payment as well.  I also expressed to the salesman that the sticker price on the car was about 2k over what we had originally wanted to spend on a car.  I know that I was taking a risk here, and we would, no doubt, go over our budget a bit, but I also had an idea (again based on blue book value of the Escape... which I also researched before I left) that there was no way we could get it under our budget.  The salesman left to "see what we could do."

He came back a few minutes later with a list of "payment options".  They had agreed to give me $2500 for my Elantra ($500 less than what I told them that I wanted, but spot on with what I REALLY was expecting. lol) but that they couldn't drop the purchase price of the car as it was already on a "discount".  I KNOW that no one pays sticker for a car.  So this annoyed me a little bit.  I asked the salesman to give Jacob and I few minutes to discuss it.  I expressed my concerns to Jacob, and told him that I felt we would be offered a better deal if we left our number and walked away.  But, I also told him that I was willing to make a hard, final offer for 1k over our budget if he was (which still meant that they dealership would have to come down to our level).  He said that he would stand behind me on it.

We called the salesman back over and told him that we were not willing to pay the sticker cost, but that we would drive it home today if they were able to take another thousand off.  He asked if taking $250 would sway our decision.  I said "no".  He said that he would be back.  He then brought over the finance guy who gave us another offer that was $550 off the sticker price.  I saw this as a good sign, but, again, I told him no and asked for the keys back to my Elantra expressing that we were already going over our budget, and that there was another dealership that we hadn't hit yet with some cars of interest.  He said that he understood and that he would get our keys.

Not 5 minutes later our salesman comes back... not with keys, but with another offer that is at our 1k mark! =)  He tells us how much of a "loss" they are taking and asks that we recommend him to all of our friends (and gives us several of his business cards). lol

We signed on the line, and then went to their little waiting area for the finance guy to put the paperwork together (and Jacob bought me a Snickers out of the vending machine, as we had now been there for roughly 2 hours and I was STARVING!).  Another hour later, I was removing all of my possessions from my trusty Elantra, and we were driving home in our new Escape Hybrid!

I'm not looking forward to having car payments again (and am scared that I'm going to damage it! lol), but am excited to have something new.  And am very proud of myself for being able to haggle without my dad.  He taught me well. =)  Jacob texted his folks that "Pregnant Brittney is a lot better negotiator" that he is! lol

Here's our new ride... 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid (so much for only looking this weekend! lol

Anniversary Stay-cation: Day One

Since we had a couple of other things going on last weekend, Jacob and I celebrated our first anniversary this weekend.  With the home purchase and all of the home improvement related expenses we've had over the last several months, we knew that we weren't going to be able to afford a get-away vacation, but thanks to my cousin and her awesome discount at a boutique hotel in downtown Portland, we were able to afford a pretty nice little "stay-cation!"

Our weekend started on Friday.  I got off work and walked to two blocks to our hotel (shortest commute EVER!  I loved it! lol), the Hotel Vintage Plaza.  I checked in, went up to the room, and took lots of photos! lol

Hallway

There was even a nice little note (with a bottle of champagne and some chocolate candies) from my cousin waiting for us.

After the mini photo shoot (and a browse through the mini-bar) was complete, I got a head start on a weekend of relaxing while I waiting for Jacob to get there.

"Say Yes to the Dress" Marathon... pretty appropriate I thought!

When Jacob arrived, we packed our bags (and anniversary cake!) up to the room, relaxed for a little while longer, and then headed to dinner.  We had a reservation and restaurant.com gift certificate for Chez Joy, and I was excited to try out a real French restaurant.  However, much like our luck with everything else we try to do, this did not go according to plan.  We arrived at the restaurant only to find a sign on the door stating that Restaurant.com gift certificates were no longer being accepted.  We went in, and I pointed out to the maitre de that the gift certificate clearly states that there is no expiration date.  I was told, in much nicer language, that we were SOL and there was nothing that could be done.

More than a little frustrated, Jacob and I left in search of another restaurant (as I felt quite put off by the way they handled the situation, and I didn't want to pay full menu price).  We headed down to Mother's Bistro and ended up having a fantastic dinner.

Still got a little taste of "fancy"

Then, as we were only a couple blocks from the river, and it was such a beautiful night, Jacob and I headed in that direction.  We walked for awhile, and then started to play with some long-exposure photography, and then sat on a bench and just talked (I think this was my favorite part of the weekend!).

We also got a shot of ourselves in front of the fountain where we got several of our engagement photos taken almost two years ago.

Oct. 2009

Aug 2011

After it got dark, we headed back to our hotel... it was time to dig in to our complimentary (I LOVED this part!) first anniversary cake from the bakery that did our wedding cake.  I was ex-i-ted! =)

Made to replicate the top tier of our cake

Chocolate chip cake with fudge filling... mmm mmm mmm!

After cake, it was time for vegging and bed.  It is also getting to that part tonight... I'll tell you all about day two tomorrow. =)

*QUICK* Postcard Giveaway!!

Who wants some free postcards? 'Cause I have 100 of them to give away! =)

Long time readers may remember my love for the online printing company Uprinting and how they contributed so much awesomeness to my DIY wedding planning.  Well, it's been awhile, but I have been asked to host another of their fantastic giveaways!  Details are below.

To enter, please leave your name and e-mail address (unless I already have it) as a comment to this post telling me what cool thing you'll use them for (baby announcements?  Wedding thank yous?  Get a jump on this year's Christmas cards?  Check out Uprinting for some more postcard designs and ideas).  For additional entries, you can blog about it, tweet it, or FB it and leave me a link as a separate comment.

The timeline on this is quick, you have until 7 AM PST on June 30th! 

Details

100 Postcards for One (1) Winner

5" x 7"

14pt Cardstock Gloss

No Folding

Front and Back Printing

2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time

Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.  Additionally, if you have won the same giveaway within the last six months, you are not eligible to win it again.  Sorry!

 

 

 

 

** This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, an online printing company, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting. See more information about postcards and available postcard designs on UPrinting.com.

Being Green

I subscribe to several of those "daily deal" websites (you know the ones.. Groupon, Living Social, and now Google Deals (we live in the beta-city, woo!), and I often find a lot of stuff that looks fantastic but that I know I can't afford to spend money on... even at a discounted price-- things like restaurant discounts (I already have a bunch from restaurants.com that I haven't used yet) and wine tastings (I would love them, but Jacob doesn't drink) but, from time to time, Jacob or I find something that is just too good to turn down** (like the massage that Jacob bought for me that I utilized today!), or really is something that, in the long run, will save us money.

The specific one that I have in mind right now is my sandwich bags that I purchased from ReUsies.  Sure, sure, if I knew what I was doing and wanted to put the time and energy into it I could have made these myself, but I don't, and I didn't, and I bought them. =)

I bought two 2-packs, one for myself and one for Jacob.  We both pack lunches most days for work and I WAS feeling slightly bad about all the plastic bags we were using (but not bad enough to bring them home and wash them like my mom used to).  These are great.  They are cute and work really well!  if you have a juicy sandwich, though, I will warn that it may slightly leak through the lining (i.e. I got a couple of little spots on the exterior fabric when I packed a sandwich with tomatoes), but it's not bad enough to deter me from using them.  Plus, I feel a little bit better about myself and my status as an Oregonian. ;)

I have also been stocking up on these deals for our first anniversary in a couple of months.  I'm not going to tell you what we're going to do, but I will tell you that thanks to Groupon and Living Social we're going to have a fantastic weekend for about half the cost!  More to come in August, I'm sure!

** Discounted passes to this place?  Too good to turn down. ;)

Day Four: A Night on the Town

30-Day Blog Challenge 

A Picture of Your Night

  

It all started when I sent Jacob a text message on my way home from work:

I look cute today... I wish I had plans

His response?

Well, first his response was:   

Is that a hint or just a wish?

When I clarified that it was just a wish, he told me:  

Well plan something then.

So, I did! =)

After several text messages to friends, and doing a little exploring on line, I finally landed on something that I thought may be fun and wallet-friendly:  

(No, this is not exactly a picture of MY night, but I didn't take any photos... and this was just too cute to pass up!)

There is this family friendly pool hall near our place that Jacob and I have been to once before a couple years back, so we thought we'd try that place out.  We planned to meet a couple of friends there and were on our way.

We got to the place, got out of the car, went up to the door... it was locked.  And the place was empty!  (Meaning no tables, no concession stand, no video games... nothing).  We made a quick call to his friend to see if he had any other pool hall suggestions; after a quick google search we had a new place and headed that direction.

I am, by no means, GOOD at pool... but I still had a good time.  I really enjoy being able to just get out and socialize with people (I'm much more the butterfly than Jacob... if it was up to him we'd stay at home all the time).  We played 7 games and got snacks for about $20... not a bad deal at all!  Unfortunately Jacob and I did not come out as the victors, but we didn't do too bad (3-4).

What are some low-cost social activities that you all like to do?  I need some ideas!  Especially since I now have a mortgage payment to to think about!

30-Day Challenge

Last year around this time Jacob and I declared a "no-spend month".  For the entire month our goal was to not spend any money on anything that we didn't NEED (paying bills, buying groceries, etc. was o.k.--a new pair of shoes or an Old Navy shopping spree was NOT).

This year we have decided to do something similar... however since our focus has shifted from saving money to living a healthier lifestyle, we are having a "calorie count/no-going-out-to-eat month" (however, so that our social relationships don't suffer, we made an exception that if we were invited out, we could go... just couldn't make the invitation or grab something solo).  I'm hoping that by the end of the month we'll both have a better grasp on what we SHOULD be eating and what real portion sizes look like. =)  I have done calorie counts in the past and have dropped some definite poundage... so I'm hoping for similar results as well.

In addition to our food challenge, I also want to start writing/blogging more...  so, I've decided to make this a total self-exploration month and do a 30-Day Blog Challenge... one entry every day for the next thirty days.

There are a bunch of "challenges" around the blogosphere.  I looked at three of them, compared prompts, and picked my favorite 30 that I'll cover over the next 30 days (you can find those lists here, here and here).  I may also throw in some random house posts and maybe some more wedding recaps (does anyone still want to hear about these?).

So, without further ado:  Prompt #1:

A Picture of Myself With Ten Facts

This is one of my favorite photos of myself.  It was taken a couple of years back on a ferry heading out to Vancouver Island in British Columbia... which leads me into my facts:

1. I lived in British Columbia for a year while going to grad school at Simon Fraser University
2. I have both a BA and MA in Criminology - my focus has always been on preventing youth/young adult crime through life skills training
3. I currently work as a case manager for a local social service agency... I'm provide life skills training for youth/young adults... I'm doing what I love and what I believe in.... it feels awesome
4. I'm tall... 5'10"... makes it really difficult to buy pants (as I wear a 35-36" inseam) and slow dance (not many shoulders that I can easily rest my head on)
5. My goal is to see all 50 states before I die.  I'm a little over halfway there... I'm hoping to go to the Dakotas this summer.  Why?  'Cause I haven't been there yet. =)
6. I've spent time in 6 different countries (U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, England)... I want to add some more to that list as well.
7. My first paid job was at age 12 as a writer for the local newspaper.  I wrote monthly columns for their "20Below" section (part of the paper written, photographed and illustrated by staffers under 20).  I was the youngest person EVER (before and after my term) on the staff.
8. I've been maced before... by my aunt!  It was an accident, but still funny to tell people. ;)
9. I have a phobia of people/things tampering with my (or other people's) veins.  It sounds weird, but it's true.  For the most part I can handle blood and guts... but if the story or personal experience has to do with a slashed or severed limb, or a blood draw or IV of any sort, chances are pretty good that I will either pass out or have to leave the room/end the conversation.  I passed out an had a small seizure the last time I got hooked up to an IV.  It's bad.  My doctor gave me anti-anxiety medication before I went in for my last blood draw. lol
10. I love chocolate... especially in ice cream.  That's going to be the hardest thing to conquer this month... not being able to gorge myself on Tillamook or Umpqua (but, in all honesty, they are partial to blame for my current situation! lol).