Craigslist Psycho

Earlier this year we bought a new high definition TV. I get free cable and free HDTV and my husband couldn't stand not having a high definition TV to watch it on. So after months and month of begging and saving we invested in his new favorite toy.

But standing it it's way was our old TV... Flat screen, HUGE tube in the back. Weighing over 200 pounds for sure. My husband was so eager to get rid of it, he asked me to put it up on Craigslist in the "free" section. I did. Bad idea.

All of three minutes later I got a swarm of calls from people, one after another asking if I "still had the TV" ...Well yea, I just listed it. I'd get 3 new voicemails while I was one the phone with one person asking for directions to our house. Text messages as well. Quickly I realized this wasn't the way to do it. I should have asked for at least $25 or something to weed people out.

One old man I talked to I could hardly understand because his country accent was so thick. He proceeded to tell me how he rem embed his first TV, and the experiences he's had with his recent TVs. I pulled the phone away from my ear for a moment so my husband could hear part of his life story, and we muffled our laughs about the hilarity of this experience.

I took the listing off and made it a race between two people to come and get it. One guy lived down the street and got there long before the other left his house, so I called to let him know not to worry about it. He was upset... Apparently he wanted this TV for his mom who's TV broke or something.

I've had my fair share of Craigslist experiences. It's a great tool, when used correctly, but you can get burned too.

Once I was so excited to buy a set of leather couches only to see another couple walking away with them just as I arrived at this guys house... Who I drove an hour to meet and buy the couches from.

Other times I've scored big on an item I would have paid 5 times the price for at a retail store.

But never had I had an experience quite like one of my most recent ones... In my search for the perfect nursery dresser.

I was nearly nine months pregnant and eager to put all of Lil' J's clothes in them before she arrived. I just knew she was going to be early (joke was on me).

See, we don't have much room in the nursery, so we didn't want a changing table. Instead, I'd been looking for a nice-sized-dresser that has a wide top so it can also double as a changing table once I throw a cushion on top. Delta, the company that made the crib I own has a great one!

I started searching and found the perfect dresser. Delta Canton Espresso Dresser. Matched the crib perfectly, was new in box (so I could transport it in my car) and they were only asking $100.

I wrote to the lister and asked about the dresser. He still had it! But he said it was more "cheery" than "espresso" colored.

"That's ok!!" I wrote back.

He was out of town until Sunday... That's ok! I'm off Monday, great, we'll buy it then.

Sunday I write.

No response.

I call. Leave a message.

No response.

I probably should give up at this point because he's probaby some crazy Craigslist person anyway who was just disappointed after I said I would bring my husband along to pick up the dresser, who knows. But I didn't stop.

I wrote again, and again. To my credit, I would have stopped but he still had the listing up, and every time I searched for another dresser that one would come up and I'd get SO excited for a split second... Then remember it was the jerk who keeps ignoring me.

Finally I gave it one last shot and wrote him this honest email.

"Hi Tim,

Me again! I noticed you still have the listing up for the dresser and every time I search craigslist it haunts me. I wanted to see if you want to get rid of it and be $100 richer while also making a preggo very very happy to finally have a dresser for her nursery. Please just let me know if it's gone or whatever one way or another so I can stop torturing myself! Thanks! Jennifer"

No response. But a few days later the listing was deleted.

It was a sad ending... At that point, but I ended up just putting up a "Wanted" listing for what I was looking for and got a GREAT deal on exactly what I wanted!
I got this pretty white dresser that goes perfect in the nursery. But I turned it from that to this.

In all of ten minutes, by switching out the drawer knobs with fancy snazzy ones from Kids Decor Inc.

So the moral of the story... I'm a little crazy when it comes to getting what I want. I can kinda be a psycho. But sometimes when that means finding killer deals for my daughter, it's worth it (a week ago I got a $155 swing for $50 and she LOVES it!).

Like what I did with a dresser it took me months to find? Jazzy up your kid's room with adorable decor from Kids Decor Inc. Get 15% off your total order at the store using code: "BMM15".

Everyone who comments on this post before October 1st at 11:59pm will be entered to win a $40 gift certificate to Kids Decor Inc. If you follow them on Facebook or Twitter, you'll get an extra entry! Good luck!

Books, Toys and Snoop, Oh My!

Oh how I look forward to reading to my little girl. I already will grab a book from her little bookshelves, plop myself down and read her a story. I just think it'll be so much cooler once she's here so I can see her reaction.

At first I guess it'll just be blinks, blank stares, quite possibly tears and toots, but that won't keep me from reading a story to her every day and night!
On my baby shower invites, guests were asked to bring a book instead of a card to sign their name in. This quickly multiplied the size of Lil' J's library. From hand puppet books, to touch and feel books, to bigger, children's books, we've got a good stash going now! That and my addiction to Half Priced Books doesn't hurt. I get Dr. Seuss books for a fraction of the normal cost.
There are a few books we don't have yet that I'd like to get fairly soon. For one, I want a children's version of The Good Book... The scriptures I mean. I need some recommendations for that! There's SO many to choose from, and I want to pick a good one.

I'm also trying to get some of the "classics" like Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, Cat in The Hat, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and others I have yet to hear about (which if you know of any good ones please let me know!)
I have a couple of books coming from Incredibundles.com. It's an online store that sells children's gifts in the bundle, so you save money versus buying everything in the bundle separate. They have lots of book bundles, but I saw a toy bundle I had to get. A few friends kept recommending the Sophie giraffe to me... It's a chew toy... Excuse me, teething toy, for babies. SO many people told me their kid/nephew/cousin loved it so I've decided to give it a try.
I'm a little worried that Snoop will get that crazy look in his eyes after the first squeak (yes, she squeaks, I told you it's like a chew toy) and just wait for the opportune time to eat it up. I can just picture it now... Us coming home to find Sophie torn to shreds, Snoop with a satisfied look in his eyes. I guess training a dog to know the difference between his toys and the baby's toys is a battle I'll soon learn to fight.
"I didn't do it" his face will say... And I'll have to remind him that there are Lil' J's toys...And his toys... ... Lil' J and Snoop dog, I just realized our family is beginning to sound like a rap group.

**Update!**

We just got Sophie and our toy bundle and here's Snoop's first reaction:

(yes, I know I'm bad for taunting my dog with a baby toy)

Anyway, adding to Lil' J's toybox, Incredibundles.com is sending her the Learn and Grow Premium Bundle. I'm excited to see how she likes all of the toys, and I can't wait to add the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and the touch and feel book to her collection.I'm also thrilled cause I get to share the gift of reading with you! 25 of you! Want a free book, or TWO? I know a lot of you like to show off your kiddos so this shouldn't be hard.

The first 25 Babymakinmachine.com Readers who enter the IncrediBundles.com Happy Baby Contest will receive a free children’s book!
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Enter the Happy Baby Contest (www.happybabycontest.com) for a chance to win A Year of Diapers and A Year of Triple Paste.
Step 2: Send an email to happybaby@incredibundles.com with “babymakinmachine” in the subject line. IncrediBundles.com will respond with instructions on how to redeem your free book.

BONUS - GET A SECOND BOOK FREE!

“Like” IncrediBundles.com on Facebook to get a second book for free!
If Lil' J starts laughing before August 31st (the entry deadline) we may enter ourselves! If you don't have a baby, and can't borrow one to make a video, there's still a discount code you can use!

Special Discount for all of my readers! Use the coupon code MACH15 good for 15% off any product on the site! Coupon expires 7/15/10.

Want to learn more about IncrediBundles.com?
IncrediBundles.com, the home of extraordinary baby gifts, features a fresh modern twist on the baby gift basket. You won’t find wicker, cellophane or paper shred at this stylish retailer. In their place, the company designed adorably chic reusable storage containers and filled them with the very best award-winning toys, books and products for babies – selected by experts and approved by parents. Whether you are a gift-giver or an expecting mom or dad creating a Registry, be sure to check out their Year of Diapers Subscriptions. An IncrediBundles.com 3, 6, 9 or 12-Month Diaper Subscription is the foolproof gift that is always appreciated.

*Opinions expressed are my own. Thanks Incredibundles.com for letting me experience being a customer and order a bundle set for free.*

Operation Nursery Makeover Part 4: Things are Coming Together

Spawnie's room is FINALLY looking like an actual nursery now. If you compare it to the beginning you'd be impressed with my handy work. ESPECIALLY since I'm really not a good decorator. I think the biggest things making a difference are the curtains I made (without a sewing machine). I would show you but I'm trying to keep the full effect a secret for now so there's a big surprise at the end.

There are some thing I'm still working on putting together and more ideas I'm working on. CSN Stores has cribs and other fun things, and they're letting me pick an item from their store to review. Since Spawnie got so many books at our shower I REALLY want to get some bookshelves. I think I may get some of these in pink and/or white.The green would probably go well too but I'm paranoid the greens won't match in my room. It's hard to tell from a photo.

I mentioned before the crib is up! I also got my mattress from Kolcraft. I spent quite a bit of time researching which one would be best for one and I ended up choosing a Sealy Soybean foam mattress that's firmer on the baby side and more soft on the toddler side, so she can use it for awhile. I read a lot of reviews and people seem to love it. One of my friends got me a mattress pad at my shower so that'll be nice to have too! I'll have a full review once she gets here!

I found my perfect dresser last week, it's soo cute and I got it for $60 on Craigslist. Finding it is quite the story, I'll explain later. I still need a changing pad for the top but I'm in no rush.

Also, you can still vote on my bedding from Artistic Sensations on The Real Mom TV, though with my curtains and colors, Tickled Pink is my favorite and thankfully winning by a long shot! I'm getting the fabric custom made into a beautiful frilly bundle. I can't wait to get it!These are the fabrics and design I'm going for! Oooh I can't wait to see it on Baby Girl's crib. ...But I wonder if I tie the bumper and skirt on the outside for it to look like this? Do you know?

Now there are other things I'm debating on. With the bookshelves I'm getting I'll need some bookends to keep them up. I like these from Artistic Sensations, but I'm having so much fun painting things I may try to make my own. I like custom book boxes too, like this one from the same store.I may get a toy chest off Craigslist if I can find one, and repaint it myself to look cute in the nursery. I'm thinking white with some stencils! I haven't bought her any toys but she's already working up quite a collection from friends. I also am trying to finish some pillows with extra fabric I had from the curtains.

I LOVE these growth charts from Artistic Sensations. I know she won't be two feet tall for quite a while but I think something like this could be fun to place in a corner near her little chair or something.And I'm not sure but can you have TOO MUCH personalized stuff in the room? I already made her name letters and they're hanging above her dresser, and a chair with her name on the cover, but I would LOVE to get some things with her monogram on it since (spoiler alert) our initials are the same. Of course I need to save some room on the walls for photographs, I think I'll get or paint a bunch of white picture frames and fill them with photos of her family and her. I can't wait!

I have some stuffed animals up on our high ledge in the room. I'm starting to feel like everything up there is SO HIGH though, so I'm not sure if I should maybe drape something from there too, or what... Any ideas?

I can't wait to show it all off! It's come a looong way from the beginning. I'm feeling AWESOME now because I feel like I have the big stuff together and figured out but now I get to work on the fun stuff. Oooooooh, just 9 more weeks and 6 days to go!!

What I'm Makin(g) Monday: Wall Vinyl Decal! {And Giveaway!}

I'm sucking at this meme thing already. I mentioned planning to start one this week, and here I am, finally posting it Monday afternoon...

In an effort to make myself more crafty, and also brag a little about some of my accomplishments, I thought it would be fun to make Monday my craft-related post day. It'll also hopefully be a fun way to see other crafts out there that I haven't heard of and that I'd like to maybe try (or buy) when others link up and share their skills.

Here's the idea: Share a post, a link, a photo, a tutorial, whatever of something you've made. It can be a craft, food, digital design, whatever!! Maybe later I'll get specific with some prompts but for now people can just share whatever they want. I'll also post something I've made which may or may not include a tutorial. For the first little while, everyone who participates will be entered for a giveaway, and I'll announce what the giveaway item is that week. Some may be big, and some may be small, some maybe even be nothing at all... We'll see how it goes. So if you know wannabe crafters or chefs out there, or people who already are, let them know there's another place to share!

This week will be a little different since it's short notice and it's the first week! But there's still a giveaway everyone can enter at the end.

So let's get this party started... As part 3 of my Operation Nursery Makeover, and my first ever installment of "What I'm Makin(g) Monday" I made a wall decal for Spawnie's Nursery.

Trading Phrases contacted me a couple of months ago about their beautiful wall vinyl designs. I checked out their nursery designs and found the perfect one for Spawnie's room!

It says "With a Butterfly Kiss and a Ladybug Hug, Sleep Tight Little One, Like a Bug in a Rug." I thought since her room is butterfly themed, and I call her my little bug it was PERFECT.

They were really nice and suggested I get color samples so I knew for sure it would match our room. I did as they suggested and narrowed it down to three greens and three pinks, they sent me a postcard with little stickers of the vinyl's color and I picked my two favorite.

Shortly after I got the vinyl in the mail all rolled up nicely in a tube, and was ready to get to work! But I had a dilemma... Our walls are a little lumpy, "textured" I guess is the correct term. The nice people at Trading Phrases told me it would still work, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't want to stick it directly on my wall. I remembered a project I did once for my living room and got an idea!

First, I bought some wood at Lowe's, I bought a big piece that was 4 feet long, by 2 feet wide, and got it cut down to 17in wide (the size of the vinyl). It wasn't thick... About 1/4 of an inch.

I got home and painted it with two coats of brown, and a coat of sealant. You can get sealant at any craft store, and it's not too expensive... about $5 for a bottle that should last awhile.

I made sure to get the sides and everything real good, and then I waited for it to dry.

Now it's time to get the vinyl! ... See where I'm going with this? One thing I like about Trading Phrases is they sent two pieces of "practice vinyl" with smaller phrases so I could get the hang of how to peel the papers and stuff before I did it for real... Good idea cause reading the instructions were a little confusing at first, but after I tried it a couple of times on the bottom of the my door for practice, I got the hang of it.

Now it was time to lay it out on the wood. Since mine came in two parts I took some time to mark where I wanted each piece to start and stop. Since the wood was practically the perfect size I had to make sure no words were falling off the edge.

I got it lined up and put down the first part.

Then the second part! And then covered both with another layer of sealant. I noticed there was some blank space in the bottom corner of the wood, and normally on the wall I think it would look fine, but since it was plain brown there I decided to spruce it up a little with some paper butterflies I had left over from the butterfly mobile I made. Then... TADA!!!!

What do you think? See, now the whole point of this meme thing is to get encouragement so don't let me down!

I'm really happy with how it all turned out, and the best part is I can take it with me when we move!

If you DO put it on the wall, it's way easy to take off just by peeling, or adding a little heat (with something like a blow dryer) and peeling.

Want to try this craft yourself? Trading Phrases has offered to donate this wall decal to one of my readers!! It'll come in black 24in X 11in, it's over a $39 value! And if you want to add it to a plaque, now you know how!! Want to get to know Trading Phrases better? They're @TradingPhrases on twitter and they have a Facebook Fan Page.

*HOW TO ENTER*

Visit Trading Phrases and tell me your favorite wall decal in the comments. That's all! See? Easy peasey!

*FOR EXTRA ENTRIES*

-Be(come) a follower of my blog

-Link up to What I'm makin(g) Monday this Monday 4/12 or next Monday 4/19 or the last day of the giveaway 4/26, and leave a comment letting me know you did! (2 entries for each time you participate!)

Contest ends April 26th, at 11:59pm. Random.org will choose a winner! Good luck!

Did you make something? Please share! In your post, link back to "What I'm Makin(g) Monday" and link up!

Operation Nursery Makeover Part 2

So you saw before pictures of my nursery which was pretty manly (my husband's wanna be man cave) and very non-kiddish.

Not much as changed except I took down the photos of Tiger Woods (that jerk), and we have LOTS of kids stuff in the room that people have given us. It's actually so messy that I decline to take a picture at the moment.

I AM ready to put the crib up though. I've downloaded some new tunes. I'm gonna pop on my Lullabelly and get to assembling.

Oh... Why am I doing it alone? Well see... I've sorta always been the handy woman, and to be honest my husband is far from a handy man. After being married a few years and we started to acquire nicer furniture I took it upon myself to assemble our etra-tall table and six chairs, as well as our dresser, bed, and book shelves. I learned quick enough that it was better I do it.

Don't tell him I told you, but after we bought our new HDTV a couple of weeks ago he panicked because "the sound didn't work." Two seconds after arriving on the scene I switched the cords from "audio out" to "audio in." Problem solved. So for the bed our dear daughter will be sleeping in I figure it's better we don't take any chances and just allow me to do the job right.

There's still no mattress to go in it and no bedding yet, but I think putting it up will make me take a small sigh of relief.

I know I still have 15 weeks left but that doesn't feel like much time. I would love to have everything ready at least a month before in case she decides to come early. I have a feeling she will... I know everyone must say that, but I really do!

There's a few things I need your help with in deciding though. First off... Remember the bedding I was debating on before? Well Artistic Sensations is partnering with me and The Real Mom TV to get me some bedding. They have BEAUTIFUL designs but remember how frilly I wanted mine before? Something like this...

Yea, well that's a little extra. But it's OKAY with me because like I said before... When it comes to a girl I can't settle on bedding. I've gotta get what I like. Kim, owner of Artistic Sensations said they'd take one of three color patterns and make it in the style I like

Tickled Pink

Strawberry Cordial

and Miss Priss

So, I don't really need your help DECIDING per-say, but I need your help voting... These are the different color schemes they've picked out for me, but going with the mobile I've already made and the colors and paisley scheme I like, I love TICKLED PINK best. Like I mentioned, I'll have it made with the satin ruffles and more pink. What do you think? Like it too? If so... PRETTY PLEASE vote for the Tickled Pink Bedding design here.

Now, something else I'd love your advice on... I won a $100 gift card to Pottery Barn Kids and I can't decide what to spend it on. Everything there seems so expensive to me... Even their books, and it's hard for me to bring myself to spend $20 on a book I can get for $2.50 at Half Priced Books.

So I've narrowed it down to a few things I like there and I'd love your help choosing.

Anywhere chair $60

Good side: It's cute, and I think she'd like sitting in it once she's big enough.

Bad side: As my husband pointed out... What baby will stay seated in a chair? I'm also worried about the size of it and a good spot for it in the room. We already have a queen bed, crib and dresser to start off with. I don't want it to be too crammed. They are also out of the hot pink polkadot color I love, so I'd have to settle for light pink.

Rose lamp and shade: $150

Good side: We don't have a lamp in the room and I think they can really make a room. It would be nice to have one next to the glider chair so I can read while feeding her.

Bad side: It's so expensive for a freaking lamp!

Hooded towels with name inscription: $20

Good side: I LOVE hooded towels. Love them even more when they're personalized. Can you have enough towels?

Bad side: I may want to wait and see what I get at my shower?

Window Panel $80 for 2

Good side: These are blackout panels, and since a lot of light comes into the nursery it could be great to have. I don't have any window treatment and I think they can really jazz up a room... Especially when we're not painting the walls.

Bad side: At $40 a panel I could quickly use up my card and then some. I think I'd need about 3 to cover all of the windows. I'm not sure how much they are at other places.

Crib Mattress $150

Good side: We don't have one, and from what I've seen at Babies R Us they can get expensive. I'm not sure what you really need in a mattress, I just know we need one.

Bad side: We'll be paying $50 over our gift card for the normal mattress, not their "deluxe" one. From what i hear you don't have to spend a fortune on a mattress, and I've seen them for less at Walmart/ Target. I'm not sure if we should save this gift card and maybe use others we may get down the road to cover the entire cost of a mattress.

Diaper Bag $80

Good side: Cute, classy, fun.

Bad side: I have one already, but the one I have is designer... I'm not sure I should have two expensive diaper bags. Maybe I should buy a REALLY cheap backup someplace else.

And there you have it! See how picky I am? Which do you think is the best deal or should invest in? Other things you love at Pottery Barn Kids? I'm obviously not big on toys. A friend gave me a box of toys and I think that'll keep up entertained for awhile... Or so I hope.

HELP!

DIY Butterfly Mobile: See Spawnie's and How to Make Your Own!

Blogging has sorta been pushed to the back burner a little while while I've been going through my massive crafting nesting phase! I need to come up with a system where I have time for both. I think I'm going to need to save crafting for my days off because it can take up so much time in the evenings when I get home from work. I think as time goes on and I get more experience (I'm NOT a crafty person) I'll get faster but for now I'll enjoy being a slow poke and seeing my finished product weeks later!The first project I've been working on is a butterfly mobile for the nursery. I didn't like any of the regular store-bought kind, they just were to kiddish for me, so I looked up butterfly mobiles and decided to attempt to make my own! Now I'm going to try something else... I'm attempting to write my FIRST Do it Yourself post and share what I learned with you in case you want to try!

Beware for a lot of photos coming! I'll do my best to describe how I made it!

First, here's what you'll need:
-Scrapbook paper and cardstock paper in your desired colors
-A butterfly cutout about 3" by 3" in heavy paper or cardstock
-A 14", 16", or 18" wooden embroidery hoop (depending how large you want your mobile to be)
-(3) strips of 1/2" balsa wood
-Acrylic paint (the color you want the base of your mobile to be)
-Nylon thread (or something like beading thread or fishing wire)
-A needle
-32 small crystal beads
-About 32 other crystal beads in the color you like to make your mobile shine!
-(1) metal or plastic ring
-Scissors, glue, pencil

1. Take a traceable picture of a butterfly you like the shape of and use that as your template. I used a butterfly that was about 3" by 3". Trace the butterflies on cardstock and/ or scrapbook paper.I used both because I liked some of the scrapbook paper I found, but it wasn't strong enough for it to stay bent the way I wanted.

2. Cut out all of the butterflies you've traced. I cut out about 200 butterflies total (though I didn't use them all) and matched the scrapbook paper butterflies with color-coordinating cardstock. I folded the paper and cardstock to make the cutting quicker. I matched a pair of cardstock buterflies with a pair of scrapbook butterflies so four total.

I ended up using 128 cut out butterflies total. 64 of them cardstock butterflies and 64 scrapbook paper butterflies.

3. Glue the cardstock butterflies and coordinating scrapbook paper butterflies together and trim around the edges to they match up. You've now glued two seperate butterflies together so there's cardstock on one side and scrapbook paper on the other. They look identical though. Then take the one of the butterflies and bend up the wings slightly. Put a little glue down the center of the bent butterfly (on the under side), then stick it to the butterfly that's not bent. You can match the colors in the center or have them both facing the same way, I alternated the direction I glued mine.
4. Make the base of the mobile by taking the center of the wooden embroidery hoop and evenly crossing strips of balsa wood to make 8 spokes.
5. Paint the wood in the color you desire, I painted mine using a metallic bronze.
6. Attach 8 equally-sized strands of ribbon, or the beading wire to the mobile base and then attach them all to a metal or plastic ring. This is what's used to hang the mobile from the ceiling. (Don't make my mistake and do this last... It's much easier to attach the ribbon or string before you have tons of butterflies dangling off of it.)

7. Take your beading wire and needle and thread the wire through the butterflies and beads you desire. Then tie them to the spokes around the base of the mobile.Here's how I spread mine out:
On the outer 8 spokes I had 2 butterflies dangling from each string.
In the middle I had 3 butterflies from a string on every-other spoke.
In the center there was the longest string with 4 butteflies dangling.

I added beads between the butterflies and at the very bottom of the string to weigh each strand down.Initially I had 3 butterflies hanging in the middle of all 8 spokes but I decided it was too much and went back and cut off every-other.
8. Find a pretty spot to hang it and show it off to the world! This is what Spawnie will be staring up at after she's born!

So what do you think? You going to try it?