So what do you need to think about and look for when you’re looking for a share? Read More…
Learning to share
Posted in Going to Mars | Tags: child care, childcare, daycare, nanny, nanny share
Can you avoid the baby blues?
Let me start by saying, well before I ever got pregnant, I could go from happy go-lucky to depressed in less than a few seconds. I’ve had my struggles with depression and it can be a scary, tough, dark thing. Knowing that my mother struggled with it, I was very scared of post-partum depression. I had chosen to have a child because of the joy I thought it could bring; I didn’t want that joy sullied by depression. I didn’t want to see myself with my child wishing I wasn’t or wishing I was somewhere else, or just not caring one way or another. From the very moment I found out I was pregnant, the fear of depression lurked just over my shoulder in the peripherals of my mind.
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Houston we have a solution: stores closing
A couple weeks ago Ariel, the head of the empire, wrote an article on Offbeat Home about one of the most important tools she owns – a shopping basket a neighbor had given her ages ago. She talks about a number of the ways this little basket has been useful throughout the years. Clearly that planted a seed – It doesn’t matter if you have a kid or not, the home gets messy and you have to tidy. It was that point that got me thinking something like this would be great to have. Well this weekend we hit Borders because it’s going out of business (Chicago is losing every store but one). So we popped in after dinner and this is what we found.
$7 – A shopping basket
$20 – An elephant stool (one of those cool rolling step stools)
$60 – Two wooden high-chairs (now we don’t have to tow highchairs between homes for the nanny share)
There isn’t much time left to pick these things up at Borders, but if there’s one closing near you, it might be worth the trip. Maybe you’ll find a shopping basket for tiding up your home or as a beach tote. If you bike, maybe you can find a way to also rig it up on a rack on the back (my plan).
If they still have a highchair and you have a kid or you’re expecting one – you can probably get one of these for less than the $40 they have it listed for. While you can probably find some cheap highchairs, I doubt you’ll find a solid wooden one for less. Be sure to check them out. Double check the straps and make sure the buckles latch. If they’re broken, you might be able to replace them so investigate that and make a lower offer. You also want to make sure it’s solid with no cracks maybe you can fix that, maybe not.
If you aren’t near a closing Borders, or they’ve already sold them all, keep an eye out for any restaurants or even bars that are closing.
So here are my tips
Go check out store closing sales with an open mind and really look at what they have and think about how they might be used to solve your problems.
Read Offbeat Home if you haven’t checked it out yet, it just might inspire you.
Posted in Provisions, Space Station
I need to sign up when?
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Posted in Going to Mars
And then the doctor says.
But for a bit, we weren’t so sure; it started at her 9 month appointment, after her regular checkup it was time for shots and a blood test for lead.
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Posted in Space Detritus
Mamapedia
So go, run, get thee to Mamapedia.com and get your giddy kiddy glee on.
Posted in Space Detritus
This is halloween!
So at least to get the update done, here are our fabulous Halloween costumes. I was a steampunk organ grinder (okay accordion player) and she was my clockwork monkey. While I didn’t make everything by hand, I did make my wig and hat and I altered her costume quite a bit because what was purchased was a horrible piece of junk. For her clockwork insides, I did an iron on transfer onto muslin, sewed that on then went around it with some fancy ribbon. I also attached some castinettes to her wrists so that when she clapped, she clanged her cymbals. I had to rip open her ears and stuff them cause they were so flat. Her outfit was all held together by ties that were never going to stay tied, so I sewed on some fabric velcro to the back, the neck and the hood and that managed to keep everything on nicely. To be honest, my hat took the most work and time. I would have been done 2 weeks ago if I hadn’t made it, but I love the way it turned out. It is 100% by me, pattern, fabrication, finishing and all. I did learn to use a much higher quality buckram next time. This was only the second hat I’ve made, the first being my wedding hat. Something about fall makes me want to make and wear hats.
Well, work is still crazy busy, so I’m cutting this note short, but feel free to check out our other Halloween pictures on our Flickr. Happy all saints day!
Posted in Space Detritus
Remembering Grandma
We never wanted kids. Never. It was something other people did. We were content being the cool Aunt and Uncle. I knew a few people here and there with kids and I was always happy to say “hi” if the child came and talked to me (albeit with uncomfortable child-fear exuding from me). Heck, I’d even play with them and have some fun while at it, but I was never the type to go running to a baby that just came in the room and fawn over it.
We were speeding along in our 30′s, living a cushy, double-income, no-responsibilities lifestyle and we liked it.
So I’m sure you’re wondering why the change. Read More…
Posted in Space Detritus
Sleep it out, cry it out
We’re hitting a critical stage here in the household. The Bot is now 8 months and I’ve instilled some bad habits in her I fear – she’s not sleeping through the night at all.
We start her bath at 7:30 then nursing and a song until she’s dozed off. We would put her in the co-sleeper and that was usually about 8. She’d wake at 10:30/11pm when I went to bed and I’d nurse her again. Usually she would wake again around 3am, I’d nurse and she’d sleep until 7ish. A few times she slept through the night, but that was short lived. Read More…
Posted in Space Detritus









