From A to Zulily

If you have children, obsess over cute kid clothes, and love a good bargain -- you've probably heard of Zulily.

If not, I'll give you the quick rundown: Zulily is an online store that offers daily sales on a range of things such as clothing, shoes, accessories, home goods/decor, games/books (all for babies, toddlers, kids, and moms). Members get up to 90% off the retail prices. Oh, and it's free to join -- all you have to do is enter your name, email, and a password.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Well...let me give you this warning:
Zulily is extremely DANGEROUS.

If you struggle with impulse shopping -- do NOT become a member.

There are only a certain number of items in stock, so you gotta make quick decisions if you see something you want. In five minutes, the item could very well be sold out.

There is a wide variety of brands -- some really trendy, some really traditional, some really cute, and some really ugly. And, for all my Southern Smock Addicts: you need an additional level of warning. The site features LOTS of smocked clothing each week. Try to avoid bankruptcy. Please.

I am a conservative shopper/spender, and Daniel had to stage an intervention after a few months of my membership.

Because I'm now at a "healthy" place when it comes to shopping on Zulily, I feel the need to pass along my acquired wisdom.

Here are my 5 Rules of Zulily:

1. I ask myself the following questions before completing an order:

• Is this something Aubrey needs or something I just want to buy her because it's so freaking cute?
• Does Aubrey already have something like this in her closet?
• Is this style something that would even look good on Aubrey?
• Will I have to buy something else (hairbow/shoes/leggings) to complete the outfit?
• Will I have to iron this after washing it? (That's usually the final deal-breaker for me.)

2. Don't forget you pay shipping costs, which is usually a minimum of $6. So, that adorable pink ruffled top marked down from $42 to $19.99 is actually over $25 once you check out. For me, it's always hard to pay more than $20 for something that has a 92% chance of getting stained within the first 3 hours of wear and will more than likely be worn a maximum of 2-3 times before it's too small.

3. From my experience, if I order something on December 5th, I won't actually receive it until January 5th. It's typically a full month of waiting. Keep this in mind when buying seasonal items* or items intended for someone's birthday. I ordered a precious Easter dress for Aubrey last year that came 9 days AFTER Easter. I also bought a cute cupcake necklace for one of Aubrey's friends that arrived one week POST birthday party. Not good.
(*Before Christmas, there were items marked with a guarantee to make it before Dec. 25th.)

4. If you aren't familiar with a brand, be careful of sizing. I've had two items (at least) that arrived and didn't fit Aubrey properly. It's one of those things that I would have known if I was at a store looking at the item, but online -- you just have to make a click of faith. This stinks, especially because you can't return these items. Big time bummer. Also, check the brands to see if your local stores carry it. One of the first purchases I made was an outfit that I later found on JC Penney's clearance rack. Nothing against JCP, but I felt like I had been duped. The outfit online looked so boutique-y on Zulily, yet there it was dangling from a broken plastic hanger with a marked down price of $7.99. Lesson learned.

5. Budget for it. I allow myself one purchase a month, and the whole order must be under $50. This way, I have to really think about the purchase before ordering. Is it really worthy of the one-time monthly allowance? Because of this, there have been months when I didn't buy anything. And that is absolutely FINE. Aubrey has never not had something to wear.

Okay, I think that's all the wisdom I have to depart.

Now, I'd like to end this post by giving back...

With a $50 voucher to the personalized stationery site: ErinCondren.com. 
The site offers lots of "organizational" items that would be a great way to start off the New Year -- especially if one of your resolutions is to stay on top of things!

I purchased this voucher on Zulily awhile back and realized I absolutely do not need a single thing from the website. Oh I want practically every single thing, but I don't NEED it. (I have a very deep and strange addiction to all things stationery.) So, I want to offer it to one of you! There's all kinds of cuteness that can be personalized with name and/or photos: gift labels, calendars, journals, address books, gift wrap, invitations/announcements, We've Moved cards, lucite trays, growth charts, book plates and more.
Here are just a few pics to see a sample of the goods...

 {Gift Wrap}

{Invitations}

{Address Book}

 

{Family Calendar}

{Jumbo Calendars}

{Life Planner}

 [More info on the life planner. It's pretty spiffy -- watch the clip.]

{Sorority themed items/stationery}

Okay, I must stop before I delete this post and order one of everything on that darn site!
So...
Just leave a comment, and you're entered!
(Make sure I know how to contact you in the event your name is drawn!)
I'll announce the winner on Friday, January 13th. 
Hopefully it'll turn that unlucky day into something fun!
Good luck!

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Overall, I think Zulily is fantastic.
If you want to join (and help a former addict out), you can click here.

Tea {Party} Time

One of the girls in our playgroup (Claire) has an older sister.

Well, Claire's big sister was having a birthday tea party, and Claire's Mama said she could pick a friend to invite so she wouldn't feel left out.
Claire picked Aubrey.

Oh the joy and excitement!
BIG GIRL TEA PARTY!
BIG GIRL TEA PARTY!

There were two prerequisites to attend the Big Girl Tea Party:
1. Wear a "fancy" dress.
2. Bring your favorite babydoll.

The morning of the party, however, Aubrey announced out-of-the-blue, "My throat hurts..."
Oh no.
Why is it that kids ALWAYS get sick on the weekends when the pediatrician's office is closed?
And, why does this always happen when the doctor in our house is at work?

Allergies are terrible around here, and I thought her throat was probably just sore due to drainage, but I wasn't about to risk infecting all the sweet girls at the party. Especially since Aubrey was technically a "wild card" attendee.

I called the after-hours clinic and squeezed into the only appointment time slot left: 11:15 a.m.
The party was going to be starting at 11:30.
Eeks.
We packed the car with Aubrey's "fancy" dress, babydoll, and gift so that if cleared by the doc
we could just dash to the party immediately after the appointment.

Well, when Aubrey realized her party fate would be determined by the doctor's evaluation, she went ballistic.
All the doctor needed to do was check her throat (and ears for good measure).
Aubrey's mentality: If I don't let the doctor look at my throat (or ears for good measure), then she can't tell me I can't go to the party.

Now, I never saw the movie The Exorcist, but I'm betting what I witnessed in the doctor's office was along the same lines. Aubrey went full psycho on me.
Luckily, when a child is screaming bloody-murder the doctor has a very clear view of the throat and tonsils. It appeared to the doctor that it was just allergies, so a $35 co-pay later and out the door we went.

Aubrey had pitched such a fit, I was sooooooo close to saying she would not be going to the tea party after that horrendous display. But when she asked in such sadness through gasps of air, "Did. The. Doctor. Say. I. Could. Go. To. The. Tea. Party? I. Really. Really. Want. To. Go. Mommy." I found myself saying Yes while pulling her "fancy" dress over her tear-stained face.


The party was in full force when we arrived.
One of Aubrey's assets is that she's basically the same size as most "big girls" so she's never too intimidated to squeeze into older girls' domain.


(It's so funny to me that I have NEVER seen a child in a smocked dress here in Oklahoma. If this had been in Alabama or Kentucky it would have been smock central.)

Each girl had their own pink 3-tiered lunch along with a little tea set for their dolls.
Can you tell Aubrey was totally LOVING it?!

The lunch menu was beyond precious:
Bottom tier: salad, grilled turkey/cheese, peanut butter and marshmallow cream heart sandwich.
Middle tier: scones, whipped creme dollop with sprinkles, grape cluster.
Top tier: brownie bite with a cherry on top, chocolate covered strawberry, and a fresh flower.
Oh, and pink lemonade to drink!

Aubrey found the chocolate covered strawberry first...

Then the flower, of course...

She fixed her babydoll tea about 23 times...

But, sadly, her babydoll was never even offered a sip. Poor thing...

(I'm going to need to go ahead and check the going rate for kidneys if Aubrey catches the American Girl Doll pandemic. It was rampant at this party. Besides, her namesake was obsessed with her Molly doll growing up, so I'm guessing it's just a matter of time...especially since there's a Ruthie doll.)

And the finale: Cupcake Time!

I don't know if it was the fact that I was surrounded by "big girls" or what, but if it weren't for the cupcake crumbs on her lips and all down the front of her dress, I would have thought I just watched my little munchkin turn into a full out young lady right before my eyes...

Would you look at this girl?
"Um Mother Dear...would you be a doll and pull the car around? I'd hate to ruin to my new shoes..."

Oh my.

____________________________________________________________

Now that Aubrey has two adorable Tea Sets (one for babydolls and one for big girls), it's pretty much tea time around the clock over here.

Anyone want to come over and play? We'll provide the tea and crumpets! :)

Friday Funsies

I love shoes...

with a heel...

a lot...

And apparently this is a genetic thing...
Lets zoom in on that heel, shall we?!
One small step for Aubrey, one giant leap for womanhood!Don't act like you're not impressed...it takes some women years to master the high-heeled walk!

There's just one, little problem -- I think I've created a monster...

"Umm, excuse me, Mom. You don't happen to have these in pink, do you?"*******
And if you're not a natural like Miss Aubrey, you can check out this video to start perfecting your catwalk.
*******

Happy Friday!

Little Girls

Having a little girl is so much fun, yet torture at the same time. I know that sounds odd, so let me explain...

If I had a million dollars I still wouldn't have enough money to buy all the adorable clothes I want to for Aubrey. It literally pains me. I know that's ridiculous. It's just clothes afterall, but I can't help it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my friend Jen inquired as to how I possibly manage to not go crazy buying endless outfits for Aubrey. Simple: our bank account!

What makes it even harder is how quickly Miss Aubrey grows out of her clothes. If I can squeeze two weeks out of an outfit, it's a record. This makes it even harder to fork over the typical $20 for a run-of-the-mill footed sleeper. Daniel has suggested just cutting the feet out of them to get a few extra wears {ugh, men...}.

So...even though I can't dress Aubrey in the frilly, smocked, monogrammed dresses that I dream about every day {or literally anything from this place}, hopefully I can just impress upon her the Annie motto:

It's what you wear from ear to ear, and not from head to toe that matters...

You're never fully dressed without a smile!

Professionalizing Motherhood: Dress Code

Most professions have a dress code and/or an Employee Handbook. Being a mom doesn't really have either of those things. So what does a stay-at-home-mom wear every day?

Currently, I have an entire closet full of "work" clothes and dress shoes that are just taking up precious closet space. Not to mention since having a baby, none of those clothes/shoes even fit anymore.

I think it's also worth mentioning that in my profession of motherhood, I get spit-up on at LEAST 3 times a day. Sometimes it's more than spit-up. And when I say "more" I am referring to feces. Yes, it's just part of the hazardous working conditions a mom goes through on a daily basis.

I sincerely don't want to slip into that grungy, slouchy mom routine and wind up on What Not to Wear (okay, actually I would LOVE to be on that show, but anyway...). Sadly, I have had to say goodbye to fun and dangly earrings, necklaces, and jingly bracelets. These are all items that Aubrey sees as the most incredibly entertaining toys ever, especially the dangly earrings. And to be honest, I'd like to keep my tender lobes from looking like this one day.

I feel like stay-at-home-moms are always playing on the defensive side when it comes to championing their occupation. You know, combating the ever offensive question: "So what exactly do you do all day long?" I find it easier to hold my head high when I'm not wearing saggy sweatpants and an old sorority t-shirt with the 2001 date faded and pealing off the back.

So, each day I (almost) always shower, put on make-up, fix my hair, and I never (okay, rarely) wear a t-shirt. I do these things mainly because I just feel better when I make the conscious effort to look "presentable" -- I do it for me, for my hubby, for my daughter, and for anyone else who has to see me on a daily basis!

But when it comes to picking out something that is conducive to playing on the floor with Aubrey or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, my wardrobe is scarce -- unless I resort to the sweatpants and t-shirt attire, which I've deemed a "no-no."

So I have decided I need something like a combination of Ann Taylor Loft meets J. Crew meets Banana Republic meets Gap.

I'm thinking casual pants other than jeans, cute cotton tops (preferably wrinkle-free, and that can also withstand multiple washings), comfortable yet fashionable shoes (do those even exist?!), and fun accessories (i.e. belts, non-yank-able earrings, etc.).

Taking a quick inventory of the current funds available to go toward this new mom wardrobe:

• $20 left on a gift card to the local mall.
• $19.22 credit at TJ Maxx after returning a purse I'm not sure why I bought in the first place.
  
• $6 in cash in the zip compartment of the diaper bag.

Hmmm....maybe I could sell my old clothes at a local consignment shop? Ebay? Craigslist?

Ugh...this new mom wardrobe is looking pretty grim.

I suppose if this is my only woe, I need to just zip it! Taking into consideration the state of the economy, I should be happy I even have a job!

I just need to make sure I keep my boss happy...

And, above all, I can't forget to keep things in perspective.

*By the way, the tie is not intended to imply that all bosses are "male." Aubrey just doesn't have her "power suit" yet...