Earth Day 2009

I'll admit I'm not a huge earth-day-touchy-feely kinda girl, but I had to take advantage of a few off the offers out there today. For example, Disney Stores were offering free reusable water bottles if people brought in three empty plastic bottles. Each of the kids got to "collect" three from the roadside (although I will admit, they "spotted them" from the car and I picked them up because I didn't want them getting run over or finding a spittoon or peepee bottle someone tossed out a window, and C-man didn't do a ton beyond looking cute and cooing). In any case, they took the bottles to the Disney at the outlet mall and got their free Mickey Mouse earth day bottles. Happy kiddos all around and a good promo for them, since of course I had to buy other things as well.

We also hit Walgreens for reusable tote (grocery) bags with purchase, and got a few things that gave us Rapid Reward coupons for our next purchase. I don't know if I'm obsessing over coupons or what, but the kids have taken to calling random pieces of paper found or shredded around the house coupons where they used to call them tickets. Perhaps my latest money-saving venture is influencing them after all!

Saving while spending

I know that in "this economy" everyone is trying to save, but sometimes you just want to shop too. That's why there are great sites like Babysteals.com - a deal-a-day site that offers all kinds of kids and baby gear for really reduced prices. The often have drastically reduced prices on baby shoes and clothes and other cutesy items that are usually too expensive to buy "just in case" or for the gift closet for a surprise baby shower. (Today's deal was a dragonfly boppy pillow cover at 40% off normal retail - super cute!) I have bought a few things from here for my monkeys and always get great deals, good prices and QUICK delivery (unlike the monkeys themselves!)


Anyway, check it out, and I'll list a few others that I frequent as I think of them. Wantnot is already in my "I'm reading" list, but I know there are others - especially for babies!

Survey says...

Overall, I think it was a good day - definitely more "yes" than "no" day. The kids are excited about story time at the library tomorrow and ended the day with a nice dinner out, Logan's Roadhouse runs a deal on Mondays and Tuesdays with $2.99 kids meals and 2 adult meals for $13.99, so we can all eat supper for $20 + tax/tip/adult beverages for steaks and so on (albeit small portions, but still, we left full). The kids were well behaved and ate like normal human beings rather than aliens or dogs or vacuum cleaners and it was pleasant. We were able to have conversations with them and eat good food that I didn't have to prepare... bonus all around!

Tomorrow, little big man starts T-ball. Daddy is coaching his team and he is very excited to be able to begin playing. Its so weird to think that my little monkey is old enough for organized sports when he can't even tie his own shoes (do they even make tie shoes for kids any more?). I have to figure out a snack that fits in with the good-for-you but not homemade theme. Why do they do that anyway? We want you to bring healthy snacks, but you can't make them cause you might put pot in their brownies or something? Really? I'm thinking more of burying spinach or cooked carrots in them.

Ugh - sometimes I wish this were still the 50's and everything was homemade and it wasn't weird that a mother preferred not to send packaged crap with their kids to an event. I wish it were the norm that mom's (or even dad's) cooked real food and equally as important taught their children to cook real food, where nothing comes from boxes or packages, rather raw ingredients (as much as is possible - I don't think we have to go all pilgrim and mill our own wheat or anything) that generally resemble that which was their original form. No, I'm not June Cleaver but I do appreciate a nice meal, from scratch with real food, no cans or boxes. Mostly I want to be able to control what KIND of junk my kids eat.

Oh for the good old days!