A sign God loves us and wants us to be happy

You may think that these pictures are ones Kris and i took yesterday at the Canterbury fireworks, celebrating the upcoming fourth of July. Well yes, technically, Canterbury had these fireworks yesterday, but they were not for the holiday. They were for the advent of this beauty in MN. *Insert sound of angels singing and babies laughing*

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Sonic has come to MN. For you, this may not mean much. This can be for one of many reasons:

• You don't live here, so you don't know how much Minnesotans have had to suffer, with no Sonic restaurants in the state, yet oddly frequent commercials. It was rough. i craved Sonic, yet would have had to drive two states away in order to eat it. Shameful.


• You don't like fast food. In which case, you are still welcome here, but you are an anomaly to me, and i will probably pray for you. (More than i do now.)


• You don't like Sonic. Now that's just plain silly, and i am praying for you!

Kris called me from work yesterday and said "I'm taking you out for a surprise for lunch." So we drove to St. Paul. It was a long drive (1/2 hour) but so worth it! i was furiously looking around, trying to locate the place he had very suspensefully taken me to, and then i saw the beautiful Sonic logo. Kris and i have been talking for years about how we wish there was a Sonic in MN for us to at least try, since the commercials were so compelling, and people like my friend Daphne would blog about it. 

The Sonic sign gleamed golden and red in the sun. 

We had to drive to an abandoned charity (sad, huh?) down the street to get in line, so someone could put a Sonic sign on our window so we could enter the Sonic parking lot. This was a 40 minute wait. Evidently, even though the Sonic is a month old already, people are still flocking to it in record numbers at 2:30 in the afternoon.

We were worried that it would be a disappointment, after all the hype we had already attributed to it, but let me tell you: It was a thing of beauty. i had the chili cheese dog with fries and a cherry limeade. Kris had the spicy island burger with mozzarella sticks and a strawberry limeade. David had popcorn chicken. For dessert, we all shared the cheesecake bites and a chocolate malt. i will dream about that chili cheese dog. It was incredible! And there was real fruit in our limeades! And it was all reasonably priced!

Yes. It was the fattiest, biggest meal i've eaten in a long time. It was ridiculously far away to drive for fast food. But i will look back and remember it as a monument of our time. Kris and i had to go 23 years without eating at Sonic. i'm just glad my son has gotten to experience Sonic at the tender age of 16 months. Someday we'll be saying, "Back when we were kids, there was no Sonic here." His eyes will widen with terror. 

We will not be driving all that way again to go to Sonic. That was a one-time deal. But do you know why? They are opening a Sonic in Savage. 10 minutes away.   

We will soon be able to go try all the different flavour combinations of flavoured sodas. i'll have tried the chili cheese tots. i will no longer be wondering if the breakfast is as wonderful as i've heard. i will know.

i very much enjoyed my food.

David was chowing on his cheesecake bite.

Sleep in Sonic-induced coma heavenly peace, David.

The only drawback with Sonic? No indoor seating. i get that it's cute and 50's that it's drivethrough and drivein only, but i just wonder how that will fare for 1. the employees during the winter, and 2. the drivers during the winter with gas at $4/gallon. i have a feeling the drivein part of the restaurant will be a ghost town during the -20 windchills in January. 

Nonetheless: Sonic is here! i am replete with satisfaction.

Baby things to buy second hand

So, my beautiful friend Kacie is preggo with #1. i'm freaking out with excitement for her! This just adds to my ever-growing list of ever-growing pals:)

In her honour, i've decided to write a post about baby stuff. There are millions of lists of what to buy and what to skip of baby stuff, and they all contradict each other, because some babies couldn't live without their swing and others hated it, right? It all depends on the child, i think. David hated his Jonny jump-up, but i'm keeping it, because maybe Baby Turnip will love it.

Anyway, we don't need more posts about what babies need or don't need, but i'm going to make a list of stuff you can buy second hand or what is good to maybe buy new. i wish i had had a similar list when i was pregnant with David. It would have saved me a lot of money!

i'll start with what you should buy new:

• A car seat. You don't want to get a car seat from a garage sale simply because you don't know if it's been in an accident. Most likely, it might be a bit older, too, and unless you can read PDF on your cell phone and look at this extensive car seat recall list, it's not worth buying and getting home and finding out it's been recalled. *Spare tip: buy the stroller that goes with the infant carrier. Usually if you buy the set, it's cheaper than buying them individually, and being able to plop the infant carrier right into the stroller without disturbing baby is very handy and a sanity-saver on horrible days.
  
• Crib mattress. The springs may be worn on a used one, and not as good for your baby's growing back. Or it may be old and not flame-retardant.
  
• Nipples for bottles. The rubber in them breaks down kind of quickly, i guess. i actually threw out David's bottle nipples and will replace them for new baby.
  
• Breast pump. Even for those very frugal ladies that say "all parts of breast pumps are sterilizable and new ones are really expensive", just buy a new one. Find the one you like the best, and make the investment. You need one you'll be really comfortable with (i.e. the one you pick out after reading thousands of reviews) and the warranty on those puppies aren't good for the second owner.
  

Stuff to buy used or borrow:

• Clothes. Trust me, the baby needs a LOT of clothes over its first year. Within the first year, they change sizes 4 times! The clothes are still practically brand new by the time they're outgrown, and very expensive to buy new.
  
• Crib. People only use cribs for a short time, and then they become this huge piece of furniture taking up space and not helping anyone. If you find a crib second hand, make sure there aren't any missing or broken hardware or slats. The slats should be no more than 2 3/8" apart (about the width of a soda can). Corner posts should not be higher than 1/16". There should be no design cutouts in the headboard or footboard. (i found the previous information from here.) Make sure the mechanism that moves the side up and down works easily, and you're golden. Cribs are crazy expensive new, and you may be able to find one that is just what you want for 1/10 the price of new from someone extremely glad to get it off their hands. If you don't like the color, you can also paint it. But i also know that at almost all of the garage sales with kids stuff, there is almost always a crib, so there are lots of options out there for frugal mamas.
• Toys. There are too many toys out there in the universe. Trust me, most of them reside in my son's room. Please don't buy them new. Take them off some harried mommy's hands, clean them well, and let your kid have them. Honestly, more than half the toys David got he had absolutely NO interest in whatsoever. The thing is, when it was the teething ring i got for .10, it hurt me much less to see it ignored than the Baby Einstein rattle i bought new for $9. And those giant toys for babies they lie under and kick with their feet? You can find hundreds of them at Once Upon a Child, all on clearance, some with tags still on them. Same goes for exersaucers, Johnny jump ups, bumbo chairs, and other assorted large baby fun stations. For swings, i'd recommend buying them at a garage sale, since Once upon a Child tends to charge quite a bit more for those than would a regular yard sale.
  
• Changing tables. These are not necessary pieces of furniture. i'm putting this out there, because some moms never use them at all. i borrowed mine from my SIL, and happen to use it all the time, and am glad not to have to bend over onto my bed or on the floor to change my wriggling monkey man. Anyway, if you want a changing table, please consider borrowing from a momma between diapered children or buying used. Once again, it is a piece of furniture you will use for about 2 years of each child's life. It is not a permanent fixture in your house (though it will seem like one to those tired of changing diapers)!
• High chair or feeding station. No matter what you use, whether it be a high chair or a chair booster seat, they are made of plastic and easy to clean for your baby's use. Figure out what sort of system would work the best for your family, go to the store and look at them new, and go to a garage sale and find the exact same thing for 1/3 the price. Really. People were really nice to me and went in on this really expensive high chair for David. And i love it and use it all the time. But i've seen it at like 8 garage sales for $20 since then, and i realize those that gave it to me paid $80 for it, and i feel a little sorry, because the extra $60 is 3 months of diapers, roughly. (When you become a mom, you start thinking of money in terms of how many diapers it buys. Just letting you know.)
• Diaper genie or diaper pail. i've not seen many of these used, but they are cheap when they are. You can find the liners at every store, and as long as the pail is in tact, a little disinfectant, and voila! You're golden. *Spare tip: For those that have hard times figuring out their diaper pail system, i'd recommend letting hubs figure it out. The end of pregnancy or the beginning of motherhood are not a good time to read a bunch of directions on something that seems complicated at first. Let hubs figure it out: he'll feel like he helped, and it'll save you the hassle and tears that can come with reading the weird directions. He'll teach you how to use it, (which is incredibly simple when you're taught) and you'll kiss him and say "Thank you honey!" And it will be a good situation.
• Crib sheets and blankets. Make sure there are no stains, wash them up, and you'll be glad you did. Also, buy quite a few crib sheets. Trust me.
  
• Maternity clothes are also a nice thing to borrow if you can. It sucks to buy a whole wardrobe for about 5 months of your life, so if you've got a previously preggo friend, i'm sure she'd be glad to get that box out of her closet for a while, until/if she needs them again. Plus, used maternity clothes at stores are ugly. Don't ask me why. But most friends have similar tastes in clothes, or similar enough to merit borrowing. Buy yourself a few things you like, but mostly, save your money. You'll need it later, i promise.
  

The great thing about buying baby stuff used is that if there is something you MUST have for baby that is really expensive, you've saved from other places, so it's not so bad to pay a bit more for something special, like this or this or this that i'd have loved for David:) Or this if new baby is a girl.

There are probably things that worked for me that wouldn't for you guys. i'm not saying this is an extensive list, or would work for everyone, but it's what my personal experience has taught me. i also know i am much less squicked out about used stuff than a lot of people, so if the idea of getting a used whatever freaks you out, don't do it. But i hope some of this helps you out a bit.

Last weekend's garage sale finds

Oh. My. Goodness. Last weekend was INCREDIBLE for garage saling. It was a masterpiece. It was a great work. The Lord saw it, and it was good.

First of all. i found unexpected garage saling opportunities. David and i were making a simple trip to the grocery store, and we saw a sign. There is a huge neighborhood next to the store called Southbridge. The sign said "Southbridge Annual Garage Sale this weekend". It was a beautiful sign. Its yellow cardboard gleamed golden in the sun. i had about $30 cash in my pocket, so David and i went after grocery shopping. There were about 5 houses per block that were having garage sales, and many of the sales were multi-family, so i was very nice that we didn't have to get in and out of the van very much.

i found: a dressy winter jacket for David! A very cute gray Gap toggle jacket, and is very soft and kind of like wool. i wasn't 100% sure it was warm enough for going outside in the winter, but it was definitely warm enough for getting in and out of the car for church on Sunday mornings. $2

i found: a couch, chair and ottoman for David, complete with animal print, so he has his own little places to sit. The chair and ottoman are at my parent's house, but here is the couch. The whole set went for $5.

i found: a toy vacuum. David is terrified when i vacuum. i start vacuuming, and his little body starts to tremble. Then he screams. Like terror screaming. Even when i hold him while vacuuming, he screams. When i chase him around with the vacuum, he giggles. Go figure. Anyway, he saw this vacuum at a sale and he started pushing it around right away, and wouldn't let go of it even after i paid and was carrying him to the van. This toy makes noise, so i'm hoping his having his own will alleviate his fear of the real thing. It was $2.

i found: a large cooler. It is big, like the size a 4-person family would need for an all-day car trip. i'm excited about it, because i keep it in the van, and if i buy cold stuff and need to stop somewhere else, i'm not in as big a hurry to get home. $2.

That was the Southbridge sale finds on Friday. And there was evening, and there was morning, when i went to the Jefferson High School annual garage sale. It's a high school in Bloomington, the rival of my high school, Kennedy. Once a year, i forgo my bitterness and partake of the beauty, the joy of the JHS Band Boosters Garage Sale. People from all over Bloomington donate their stuff to the school, and the school sells it and the proceeds go to the band booster club. It's an awesome idea. The whole school is full of used stuff, and it's very cheap and very wonderful. The sale started at 9, and my dad and i got there at 8:45 and were about 50th in line. Everyone from Bloomington comes out for it.

One of my biggest needs this GS season was a couch. Our couch was a "chair and a half" which basically means the size of a love seat, but much deeper, and only one cushion, and low in the back. It was also very cushy, which made it impossible to get out of. It only held two people, was too short for napping, and took up too much space in the living room. Luckily, i found a couch! It is very ugly. Its structure is made of wood, it is purply magenta, and has random stains on it. And it works very well for us. It's very long, great for napping, seating three people, and doesn't come out into the room as much. Plus, it was so cheap that we'll leave it here when we move someday. i hope to recover it, but have you seen how much couch covers cost? They are expensive. So for now, i have a magenta couch to clash nicely with our bright orange recliner (a garage sale find 7 years ago) and it is wonderful. $20.

i found a ball and glove cake pan, for an eventual baseball birthday cake. $ .50

i found a beautiful ceramic thanksgiving serving dish. A great find, because i host Thanksgiving for my side of the family every year, and have very few fancy serving dishes, much less seasonal ones. $2.

i found a snow cone maker. i've wanted one forever, and i found one for $2. Hopefully it works. i'll be trying it out on Mother's day.

Then, after the Jefferson sale, my dad and i went straight to another garage sale across the street. It was a brilliant idea: to have the sale the same day and time across the street from the sale the whole city attends.

Anyway, i found a pop up toy for David that he hasn't stopped playing with. So far, he can only pop up Minnie Mouse, but every time she pops up, he giggles his guttural baby giggle. It's very cute, and he loves it! $2.

i found a Tommy Hilfiger winter jacket for him. This was definitely warm enough for playing outside this winter, and is super cute. It might be the most designer thing he owns. $4.

Then, lastly, i found a pink dress. And i had to get it. If this baby ends up being a girl, she will be able to wear it next spring and be adorable. P.S. May 23 is my ultrasound date, and be sure i'll be posting the gender soon afterwards! It was $1. Isn't it so cute?

So that was my incredible garage sale weekend. Aren't you jealous?

i have a question for you guys. i like it when people buy used gifts for David, because he doesn't know the difference. It saves money and is one less thing that needs to get made in a factory. Generally, for those friends that don't mind getting used stuff, i'm able to get a ton more gifts for them. Do you guys feel that way? Or does the idea of having your kid wear a pair of jeans from a garage sale squick you out because they are used? Would you feel weird if someone bought your kid something used?

Your face will thank you

Need makeup? Will you need makeup in the next year?

E.L.F. makeup, (short for eyes, lips and face) is having a closeout sale. i had never heard of the brand, but it used to be sold at Nordstrom i guess and was pretty spendy. Well, now they're selling all of their makeup for $1. Yes. Foundation, $1. Eye shadow combo packs, $1. Fancy makeup brushes, $1. You have to check it out. They're being closed out into another brand or something, so everything with the name e.l.f. on it is going for $1. Seriously. This is an awesome deal.

Also, if you spend over $15, you get $7.50 off with the coupon code CAROLINA. Standard shipping is $6.95. So basically, you can get 15 pieces of designer makeup for around $14.

My sister in law sent me this tip. She and i do dangerous things like find really good deals online and email them to each other. But this one was so good i had to let you all know about it. i've been needing makeup for a long time, but wasn't even willing to pay the $4 for Covergirl foundation. i'm glad i waited!

So go and buy some, before it's too late. It's such a good deal, you have my permission to spend money. Aren't you glad?



Oh, the Revolution Money Exchange thing got extended to May 15. So if you haven't signed up for it, go get $25 for free and help me get an extra $10, ok? i signed up for it and got the $25 within 5 minutes. It really does work and there doesn't seem to be any tricks about it. Click below!