Resources for New Parents

From Chicago and beyond, I've been pretty impressed with the resources people have divulged!

This list included some resources only located in Chicago but, some are internet and national.  Hopefully this list can inspire you to find similar services.

First, Amazon Mom.  Coming into my life about a week or so ago I haven't explored its full reach but something to think about if you use Amazon at all.  One of the obvious tools is setting up regular deliveries of your favorite products such as formula or diapers.  I personally just registered with Amazon and have found it to be extremely simple and helpful because I'm not limited to one store's stock.

Second, Freecycle.  I receive daily emails from Freecycle telling me about FREE items Chicagoans are offering and items they want. I've found good homes for stuff I no longer want in my home and found items I've been searching for.  Lots of clothes, electronics, children items, furniture, building supplies, working and broken items alike all show up on the site.  It takes a bit to weed through but sometimes you can find some jewels!  My last great discovery was a listing for Saturday's Freecycle FREE MARKET - like a flea market but everything is free including services! 

Third, Neighborhood Parents Network.  With this site I've found fun new groups to meet up with, new moms to hang out with, and fun talks to attend.

Forth, The Chicago Public Library.  I am excited to get out of my house after having baby K and one of the free places will be the library.  Although they don't have infant reading events they have instituted kids reading groups, Chicago Reads Together.  The library also gives great resources for reading to your children and if they have learning disabilities.

Fifth, Sitter City.  I am pretty excited about this resource.  They have a compiled listing of nannies and sitters located in the area so if we a date night is calling we have an already vetted list of applicants.  Check it out, they are nationwide!


There are, of course, more but these are some good ones I've begun to use in the last few months.

Do you have any other resources you think I should know about as a new parent?

The Maternity Wardrobe!

Clothes to cover the bump have come a long way since the days of my mother's muu muus.

Mom admits to wearing extra large clothes to hide the bump in contrast to today's fashion to show the bump off in all it's basketball-sized wonder!

I'm on the fence about it all.  I know I like comfort and so I have a feeling that is where my new wardrobe is heading.  I have a bit of a bulge around the middle so as of now (currently 19 weeks along), I despise any uncomfortably tight waists.  Right now I own two pair of pants that still fit, although the belt notch has changed, a pair of cords and a pair of jeans!

To make things easier on the wallet I have been purchasing maternity wear a few items at a time in the last 2 months.  I, of course am not the only preggo buying clothes - for another experience read my friend, Jenny's experience.

Maternity Shopping:

Living in the bitter cold while pregnant has its challenges!  For instance, I need a plethora of warm clothes and layers in a variety of sizes.  So I began my search around Halloween to find a few pieces to fill in the gaps between being my normal size to being bigger than my normal size!

So far I have found that layers are the key.

A few shops to keep in mind when venturing into this world of shopping for the belly:


Old Navy - you can always find cheap tops

I visited a couple of their stores and perused their online site to find some good cheap deals.  I stuck with shirts in the beginning because I was unsure how the rest of my body would expand.  They had great long sleeve shirts and cute tops to layer.  Success.

H&M - if they're on sale, cheap tops

I too ventured to their stores (in Europe and in Chicago - yep just rubbing it in for good measure!) and found a few sweaters and tank tops to layer with.  Success.

Gap - if you wear their jeans you'll probably like their preggo pants

Their online shop was easy to navigate to find a couple of solid options.  I've never seen their maternity clothes in a store, although they exist.  You just have to look up store locations near you to find them.  I chose a warm pairs of gray corduroys!  Yesterday, in Chicago's high of 22 degrees, I wore them over a pair of long underwear and was pretty comfortable.  Their elastic band isn't too high so it stays where it should when sitting or standing!

Macy's - don't plan on using Macy's coupons for maternity wear!
We have 7-story Macy's in Chicago.  I knew I could find something there I couldn't live without.  I was excited to find a wide selection of winter coats, nursing bras, tops, pants and everything in between.  Now you know Macy's can offer some good deals so I was excited to use my 40% off coupons for a garment I happened to like.  Their maternity section DOES NOT accept Macy's coupons.  It's a bummer they don't have a maternity page online either!

Hot Mama - their name says it all!
They offer a wide varity of clothing options, both maternity clothes and after baby clothes, also some clever baby related items like maternity Spanx and the Belly Band, which I purchased.  They have an online shop but their store offers much more.


The Belly Band - still on the fence
For $25 I'm not sure this was worth it.  I've used it a handful of time but it always rolls to create a lot of fabric in uncomfortable spots.  I've heard from a few people that it's good in the beginning before you want to wear the maternity pants and after the baby is born you'll get a lot of use out of it.  So I will have a better opinion of it once this whole baby cooking thing is over.


When I googled Maternity Wear I discovered a few other shops.

American  Appearal - one photo and you'll know why I didn't look into them much further

Esty - their site is a wonderous place to purchase all sorts of fun items including custom maternity wear!
I was pretty stinkin' excited to see sellers with maternity wear but it was mostly limited to tops/sweaters and I am in the market for pants.

I hope you can find the good deals that fit your style - Happy Shopping!

Judge a book by its cover

Delightful Packaging – when was the last time you bought something because it looked good?

One of the things I love that influences my many purchases (call me your sucker consumer) is a product’s packaging.  WINE is a perfect example of this – their labels and names can make it or break it!

Before I give you the goods, add a fun veggie pun to this post: Veggie Inspired

Remember, if you’re the 10th comment, you receive a little present!  A veggie inspired set of greeting cards designed by yours truly!

So back to wine...WINE packaging completely persuades me to buy and DRINK their product!  Wine labels are my version of filling out a college basketball bracket based on the team colors and mascot. I've included a few examples.

 

Smoking Loon- I tried their Syrah

Fat Bastard Wine Company

Giant 47 Pound Rooster Pinot Noir

Mommy's Time Out Pinot Grigio! 

AWESOME NAME!

I found a couple websites that are fun to drool over too.  They include all sorts of packaging from crayons to milkshakes!

Lovely Packaging, a fun blog devoted to packaging a great source of inspiration.  They even include student work. 

The Die Line, a creative blog with many resources including a job board!

Design*Sponge included a great post today about how to design your own packaging.

Tool Kit is another source for small businesses.  They have some recommendations for packaging too.

 I would buy these items if I saw them in the store: 

Milkshake cartons

 

Crayon/Marker Box

Pain Pills!

Our Blank Wall

We've been staring a blank wall for about a week wondering what we'll do ... 

Yesterday Nolan and I visited the Art Institute - Chicago on Michigan Avenue - it was their weekly Free Evening!  We spent a couple hours exploring the old, the modern, the curious, the new, the unexplainable from 900 BC Asia to 2008 Canada.  

This prompted another conversation about our blank wall. Currently we have our Chicago watercolor hanging amongst the vast emptiness!  It is great but it looks puny in comparison to the wall.  Even though I had thought of an idea before I never shared it with Nolan thinking he'd shoot it down right away.  I kept seeing a trend on design blogs that I like dearly.  

"What do you think of a collage of plates?"  I ask.  He thinks, he nods, then we draw up a diagram of how we might arrange said plates!  This isn't your grandmother's antique plate display!  I was floored that he liked the idea.  It seems like the most economical way to put a piece of art, 3D art in our apartment! Cue Excitement!

Beyond creating something unusual on our wall we also get to hunt for these  said plates at thrift shops, antique stores, garage sales, our parent's homes (just kidding)!  I am really excited about our new design project.

Do you need a visual?  Please see below.

CasaSugar blog offers a 'how to' in case you're wondering if you'd like to accomplish the same look.

For more inspiration and photos - visit these websites!

Remodelista Blog: http://remodelista.com/posts/dining-room-plates-as-decor

Shelter Pop Blog: http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/01/25/inspiration-decorating-with-plates-on-the-wall/

House and Home: http://www.houseandhome.com/design/hanging-plates-wall
Decor It Yourself: http://www.threadbanger.com/decorityourself/post/11062/how-to-hang-a-plate

Magnet Design

I had the pleasure of making Save the Dates for my brother's wedding.   

I worked with my soon-to-be sister-in-law to develop a design they liked and produced 2 fun magnets to send to guests.  What do you think?

 

Photos by Kristin Combs

If you know someone who'd like to order a custom designed stationary piece, send them my way.  I'd be glad to work with them!

my GIRL crush!

rool drips off my face every time I read about Jessica Hische!

This girl is amazingly talented and I gawk at her blog and website every chance I get.  Jessica Hische is a typographer.  She designs type for a living!  Who's jealous!?  

Check out some of her stuff:

Her website:  Jessica Hische

Her blog:  Daily Drop Cap 

My Life in Chicago

I love weekends in Chicago - I never know what will happen, where I'll go, or what new fun place I'll explore until I'm there.  I enjoy that!

This weekend I happen to know where I'll go & what I'll see, and what I'll will explore!

Coworker's show

Piece Pizza

Blackhawks Hockey
 

Wedding Planning Bonus!

When planning a wedding you begin to realize how inflated "wedding" prices are - stupid wedding industry!  Be prepared to tack on 10% or more once you insert "wedding" in front of any purchase.

Thankfully there are perks along the way that encourage you that NOT all wedding people are devils!  One of the perks I took advantage of was Macy's Registry Star Rewards Program. 

To participate all you need is a Macy's card.  You don't need to have a Macy's gift registry to participate, simply register your Macy's card online or at your local Macy's and all of your wedding purchases will be tallied. 

10% of your purchase amount leading up to your wedding is gifted back to you!  The purchases I made were mens' ties, flower girl dress, rehearsal dress, bridesmaids' gifts, grooms gift, and a multitude of other accessories.  In addition to all of your purchases, if you choose to have a Macy's Registry, 5% of your registry purchases will be given back to you in the form of a Macy's gift card.

We received our 10% back in November and used it along with other gift cards from guests to purchase some new linens and flatware.  I waited til Macy's awesome January sales to get the best prices! 

This single piece of wood ...

... might convince me to buy an iPhone!

Look at how cool this is!

When my iPod or cell phone dies, you better believe I will be on the iWood bandwagon!

Have a great Tuesday!

Nothing says Valentine's Day like...

...White Castle!

Show her you love her -- take her to White Castle

January 19, 2010

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO sesposito@suntimes.com

 

You could blow a week's pay on fresh lobster, a bottle of bubbly and a quiet table with a waiter named Jean-Pierre to impress your sweetheart on Valentine's Day.

Or . . . you could surprise her with your, ah, thrift and willingness to stand out from the crowd by taking her out for the Valentine's special at your neighborhood White Castle, where, just for this occasion, they're offering a candlelit dinner, with tableside service and flowers.

Click to enlarge image

 

White Castle is offering a candlelit dinner with tableside service and flowers for Valentine's Day.
(Rich Hein/Sun-Times)

They've done this before. Some people even dress up and rent a limo, says Jamie Richardson, a White Castle spokesman.

They're taking reservations, too -- call (708) 458-4450, ext. 0.

I just help but post this from today's Chicago Sun-Times!

For those who READ

 

A few months ago I was introduced to a website, goodreads by my friend, Danielle.

I signed up, found more friends, chatted about books, then left for a while when life became busy.

I recently returned to the site to find my next read.  It was my preferred option over spending time looking at multiple daunting shelves like the ones below.

As I browsed friends' suggestions I found another great service provided by goodreads.  They run an internet BOOK SWAP!  You may list your books or request others' books to swap.  When a request for a book is made, the person requesting the book pays for shipping (dictated by goodreads) and the sender prints the USPS label (provided by goodreads)! Essentially you may purchase your coveted book online for $2-$4, depending on shipping.   I have mailed 3 books so far and requested 2 and I found the book swap on Monday, 1/11/10.  The 3 books I sent were from a pile accumulating in a corner of our office that I have neglected to either put on half.com (an Ebay off-shoot) or give to the thrift store.
I have to say, I enjoy sending the books this way... I'm not making a profit, but I am reaping the benefits of an internet book swap.

When life pays you back -

These days, I do most of my shopping online.


Now that I live in a city, it takes a bit longer and more planning to get to shops like Target, so I have come accustomed to doing my shopping online.  But like anyone I had shipping fees!  Because of my hatred of shipping costs I scour the internet for coupon codes or wait until sales to see if places offer free shipping, or as in Macy's case, 99 cent shipping on clearance items!



Through a few sources I was introduced to EBATES.



How it works:
You sign up for an Ebates account. (email/password)
You visit Ebates site first to look up the store you'd like to shop at.
They redirect you to the shop online.
You shop.
You buy.
Your dollars spent are recorded by Ebates.
You are rewarded at the end of the year with a check.

The reward at the end of the year is an accumulation of all your purchases' % back.  Plus you receive $5 just for signing up and additional $5 for anyone you refer to Ebates.  Each store offers a different percentage back - from 1% up, all depending on the store. Some stores offer coupons only or weekly specials.

You will receive emails, but they're good especially if you're looking for something in particular.  Today I purchased, a pair of shoes that I've been eyeing at Endless.com, a site I rarely think of but they were offering 6% back today and free shipping.  Well, I paid $39 for my shoes, $0 for shipping, and at the end of the year I will get $2.34 back.  Not too shabby.

I can only image what a whole year of purchases will accumulate to especially when I think of all the Christmas shopping I do online.

Would you choose a flower alternative?

 

I couldn't help but LOVE these!  They are right up my alley!  I wonder if I could make one?

Ruffled Blog featured these broach bouquets yesterday and I couldn't stop thinking about them.  They kinda go with my button boutonnieres (right), that could also be a bouquet if you think about it, just using more buttons... hmm? 

 

Our Wedding Featured on "The Budget Savvy Bride"

Go check it out at Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week!

 

Jessica, aka the Budget Savvy Bride, featured our September wedding on her blog this week.  Jessica is from Tennessee and features a budget savvy wedding each week from all over the country. This week our stationary, boutonierres, flower girl, ring bear, colors, and our TREE adorn her blog pages!  Thanks Jessica!

 

Why, HELLO Delicious!

As I sit at my desk I can almost smell the dozen boxes of sweets our office has received in the last week.  

The sweets are from Fannie May & Harry and David & a place I've never heard of before - FRETZELS!

I had to share this little jewel with you because as I opened the box I was immediately filled with joy!

How much do you enjoy pretzels?  Now what about if they were dipped in chocolate and then in M&Ms or crushed Butterfinger ?  Yeah - Delicious!


If you are hard pressed to find a great gift for those hard to shop for people - try out Fretzels.  Seriously.

The Evolution of the Bicycle!

Copenhagen Wheel - when your looking to be green NOT exhausted!

Anytime you step on the brakes, the generator collects power that it stores in an on-board battery. A sensor in the wheel’s hub can tell when your ride becomes strenuous, like when you’re heading uphill. The sensor then triggers an electric motor that boosts your forward pedaling power. The next time you hit the brakes the cycle starts all over.

But this next-gen bike doesn’t stop at regenerative braking and electric helper motors. A Bluetooth connection in the wheel can speak to an iPhone that fits snugly into the mount on your handlebars. From there it feeds you all kinds of information through an app, including map and traffic info, heightened pollution alerts, speed, distance, fitness data, etc.

I am pretty fascinated by this.  I wonder how this will change normal commuting!?   

Would you purchase this for your daily commute?

My Inspiration vs. REALITY

I used Polyvore to create this wedding look half way through the planning process, in May to be exact - 4 months before the wedding.

After reading about a million girls' planning "dos and don'ts" I knew I should create some sort of visual with a combination of wedding elements I'd like to include.  At that point in time some of the elements, like the flower girl dress, were already decided.  The rest of the visual was a combo of all of the ideas, colors, and textures that were floating around in my head.  To a point, this validated my color decision and lingering questions if it was a cohesive look.




Polyvore

So above is the Polyvore look and below is a board made up of photos from the wedding.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

How do you think I did?

I've booked my weekend -

Saturday - Friends' winter wedding!

Sunday - Renegade Craft Fair!

I am excited to attend my friends' wedding and see how they put together their winter theme, it should be spactacular!  The bride is a crafty little thing and he is a music loving dance machine!  Tell me how much you love this: at her bridal shower she had everyone make an ornament for a Christmas tree she's displaying at their reception!  I've also caught wind that their introductions will be Michael Jackson themed!  Awesome?  I think so!

To extend my fun-filled weekend I am so excited for The Renegade Handmade Craft Fair on Sunday.  Renegade Handmade is a local shop in Chicago that sells only handmade products - talk about supporting small business!  They started the fair in 2003 and now have over 150 artists on site this year!  This is my kind of thing!  I am ecstatic to be attending!  One day I hope to be one of their vendors! 

The fair makes it possible to complete your Christmas shopping list!  

Renegade Craft says "those looking to shop handmade and support small business this holiday season will surely find something for everyone – from jewelry and clothing, to ceramics and stationery, with everything from bath products, housewares, posters, comics and plush objects in between – at this large-scale, free-to-attend art, craft and design extravaganza!!"

Happy Holiday Shopping Everyone! Next year come to Chicago!

do you like shoes?

Although I love shoes I have never used Zappos.com! 

I know, call me crazy!

Although, Zappos is on a first name basis with my mom!  She loves their width selection (she'll yell at me but she has the wide feet that I've inherited) and their free shipping!

Today I stumbled upon a fun post on HeyItsFree.net mentioning that you may receive free OVERNIGHT shipping forever!  That's right my Sandlot-loving-friends - Forrr EVERRRR!  


Click on the link above and you'll find out how to sign up for the free overnight shipping for life!

Winner!

YAY! 
So I entered an online contest last week and won Cindy's 3rd place prize!  I will be receiving a fantastic print of this guitar.

I stumbled upon Cindy's site after reading my dose of daily indulgence: Beautiful Paper blog.  Come to find out, Cindy is a local Chicago artist creating stationary and extraordinary art!  I can only imagine what she'd be able to create for wedding invitations! 

Visit Cindy's art journal blog here: A Recent History
Visit Cindy's web page and shop here: Paper Parasol Press

From Cindy's blog:
Cindy Tomczyk was raised on HB pencils, neatly folded paper, half- hazardously planned family road trips, folklore, and lots of homemade soup. So it was no surprise then, at the age of 18 she longed for a change of scenery. She fled to Sarasota, FL to study illustration, a supposedly doomed career. She disregarded pleas to study a safe major in the name to keep storytelling and image making alive. After college, she came back to Chicago with a disillusioned sense of the world and a new found Southern demeanor. Once the post-college smoked cleared, she realized she might have to play by society rules, even if for a short time. Despite this, she continued to daydream, write love letters, jump on planes, and recite the world through art.