Just Breathe Mom » shopping

Adios Blockbuster!

Meredith — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:24:37 +0000

Dear Blockbuster,

I am at the end of my rope with you. But really it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault that I’ve been too preoccupied to do the smart and simple thing and join Netflix. It’s not your fault that I continue to rent kid’s movies from you at $4.29 that are too scratched up to watch from beginning to end. And it’s certainly not your fault that frightening and grotesque DVD covers are mixed in the new release section sometimes right next to new release family fare. After all, I’m sure Experiment In Torture was such a highly anticipated new release after its blockbuster status during its first run at the theaters. Oh wait that’s right it never made it to the big screen. Well maybe that one is your fault. Hmmmm.

Regardless, this relationship is simply not working. I give, give, give while you take, take, take. I mean just the other day I rented a new release movie and tried to watch it. What a futile experience. After the 5^th time the movie stopped and I had to skip over another 5 minutes and miss crucial dialogue and action, I turned it off. I didn’t even care about how the rest of the movie played out at this point. So why oh why couldn’t you just let me exchange it for a different movie when I promptly brought it back the next day? I paid for this movie, it didn’t work. I should have been allowed something of equal value or my money back. But nope, I could only exchange it for the same movie that I no longer had any interest in. Blah!

I’ve been a loyal customer for years, especially since my children arrived in the world. We come back every single week to rent more movies. I think we have rented most of the titles in the kid and family section over the years. We’ve spent over 50 bucks on Scooby Doo and the Loch Ness Monster alone. If only my budgeting brain worked a little better, I would have bought the movie on Amazon ages ago and saved a fortune! But again, my fault not yours.

Oh well. With gas prices at record highs, I’m only hurting myself by continuing this relationship. Remember it’s not you, it’s me. (Well it’s a little bit you.) But I’m the one who has changed. You’ve been the same old Blockbuster. So now I must bid adieu. It’s what’s best for all of us. Anyway, adios! Arrivederci! Hasta la vista baby!

Hello Netflix!

Attention: Bloodshed In Aisle Six

Joey — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:44:48 +0000

Since the birth of my daughter, I’m unable to do a lot of things with just my boys. When my husband is home I try and take advantage of alone time with me and them. They are both at an age now where it is much easier to take them places. Or so I thought, until the day blood was shed in aisle six.

The day started out great with a trip to the park. My 4-year-old and 2 ½-year-old listened and had a great time going up and down the slides. There was only a slight problem with the youngest when I told him it was time to go. He decided that he would rather crash the party in shelter #2 than go to the grocery store. After a slightly embarrassing chase through the shelter, I caught the party crasher and we were off. Little did I know that the real fun was on it’s way.

When we got to the store, I thought that it would be a good idea to give them each a little cart that they could fill with groceries. Who knew their minds would be able to keep a running total of who has what in each other’s cart. If only I had realized this before we got to the cookie ailse. So, I put a container of $3.99 cookies in my youngest son’s cart. The older one promptly takes it out and declares that it is his. The little guy isn’t going for this and takes them back. I’ve witnessed this scene before and know that it’s about to get ugly. My boys are small, but very scrappy. They don’t take any crap, especially from their brother. Before I know it, fists and food are flying. They’ve turned delirious and are acting as if they are famine stricken beings fighting over the last morsel of food. I wish I were exaggerating, but this shopping excursion has turned into a knockdown, drag-out fight. Somehow, amidst the stares of less than sympathetic shoppers, I’m able to pull them apart and grab a second package of cookies. This was my bribe to get them to the checkout lane.

Now they each have their own container of cookies, they act as if nothing ever happened. As if, they didn’t totally mortify their mother in the middle of the grocery store or try to rearrange each other’s face just seconds earlier. I did learn an unexpected lesson from the battle’s aftermath. I learned that it’s not worth holding a grudge. Kids don’t, why should we?

In retrospect, I’ve figured out that it’s not the taking them somewhere that is so difficult, it’s the combination of the two of them together and the competition that ensues. Unfortunately, I had to figure it out over a container of organic chocolate chip cookies in the middle of Trader Joes. The funny part is that the cookies weren’t even that good.

Incidentally, I didn’t actually buy the second tub of cookies. I made sure the cashier hid them. I use this tactic often with my youngest son, because he usually forgets about the item he wanted so badly. My oldest son on the other hand doesn’t forget a thing. It took approximately five times before he quit asking me if he was getting a cookie from his container or his brother’s. I think this is the exact situation where it is perfectly acceptable to lie to your child. “Of course, these are your cookies, dear.”

Oh Baby Girl…

Joey — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:49:01 +0000

Having a baby girl is dangerous, especially after having two boys. There is an obscene amount of gorgeous clothing, shoes, and accessories geared towards little girls and their susceptible mothers. Anyone with boys is aware of the unfair balance of cuteness that exists in local baby departments. To put it simply, the amount of pink heavily outweighs the amount of blue. This is something that I complained about for years. That is until I was finally welcomed into the wonderful world of dresses and matching panties. Now all I can say is, Oh Baby Girl… mommy’s in trouble.

A few weeks ago, I attended a baby expo in my city. How much boy stuff do you think I encountered? Not a lot. No worries, my boys are happy with the latest superhero shirt. It’s now about me and the little one dressed in flowers. I’ve never been one for pink (too much makes me a little nauseous), but I do love girlie things. And I did find a couple of adorable items made by fellow moms that I wanted to share with you.

The first item I want to share with you is the Bella Hat from Simply Sweet. The hats come in an assortment of colors, many of which you can choose the type of flower that is attached. Lilah is wearing the mint green version. Although, it is still a little big on her, because my kids are born with freakishly small heads. More pictures of hat wearing babies can be seen on the website. They are sized to fit infants 0-12 months, but the designer told me her daughter wore hers as a toddler. Also, make sure that you check out Simply Sweet’s tutus. They are the best I’ve seen so far on the web.

The other two items that I love came from Still Spaces Baby Boutique. This shop sells a variety of unique items for baby, but my favorite is the reversible cotton/chenille bib and burp cloth. Every baby needs at least one fancy set for special occasions. Actually, they are so durable you can buy more than one and use it for everyday use. Also, notice the close-up picture of the cool stitching on the burp cloth

Well, those are just some of the unique items that I’ve come across and use for baby girl. If you’re looking for baby gifts, I’ve listed other ideas and products that I like on JustBreatheMom.com/shopbaby.

Welcome Me To The 21st Century

Meredith — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:19:20 +0000

I can’t believe it. I have an iPod. Me, with an iPod. I may be late to the party, but I am sure happy to have been invited. Ever since I got a pair of parachute pants in junior high on the tail end of them going out of style, I’ve been late with the trends. This one has been well worth the wait. You see my ultra-generous brother gave me one as a gift for my birthday. Whenever he would come to visit, I would disappear with his and listen to some of the old music we grew up listening to. So he bought it, loaded it up with the same music that is on his, threw in a couple of iPod extras and brought me into the 21^st century. It did not take me long to fall in love with this little gadget.

My boys love it too. Since my brother is a move soundtrack fan, he programmed quite a few on my iPod. Including the music to Spiderman, Superman and Batman. Well what more could two little boys want? There is plenty of Disney music on there as well. So every night at bedtime, I put the iPod in their room, and start with the Disney tunes. If they are still awake when the princesses are done singing, we graduate to the superhero tunes.They also enjoy the music to Jaws. Although they have never seen the movie, they know that that famous John Williams piece is all about a shark. And that’s good enough for them. My husband is enjoying his iPod moments as well. Since he is a huge James Bond fan, he can’t get enough of the James Bond movie themes that my brother programmed. We are also set whenever we need an eighties music fix. It’s not like I can hear The Safety Dance everyday. Oh wait, I actually can now! Ahhh…the beauty of an iPod. Now if I could just get some cable, I’d really feel like one of those Disney song titles, “Part of Your World!”

3-Year-Old Jekyll and Hyde

Meredith — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:07:30 +0000

My 3 three-year-old son can be the biggest toddler terror on the planet one minute, and the most adorable and charming little sweetheart the next. Much like the weather in the Midwest, he can go from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes.

Just the other day while we were grocery shopping, he decided to have a classic toddler meltdown which was bad enough to make mommy want to run for the hills (or the liquor aisle). He was flat on his back and flailing about like a kid making a snow angel. All while making huffing and puffing sounds mixed in with the occasional whine and cry. This embarrassing display of behavior all stemmed from my refusal to let him pick out another box of the same cereal that he already had a full box of at home. Stinkin little 3-year-olds have no concept of the inflated cost of cereal these days. Anyway, this future Supernanny episode lasted a good 10-15 minutes. Thankfully, most of the other unfortunate shoppers who mistakenly stumbled upon the cereal aisle were sympathetic to me with their glances and remarks. Needless to say, it was one long grocery trip.

What can I say? When my youngest is bad�?�he�?Ts bad. But when he�?Ts good, my heart starts a-melting. This heart melting goodness is all in the way he phrases some of his sentences. His latest expression of cuteness is, �?oMommy, my voice says I�?Tm hungry.�?� He uses this phrase when he wants a snack but is unsure if he will get one. The sentence alone does no justice to how cute it is in person where you can see his insecure facial expression and hear his little raspy voice.

I don�?Tt know a mom alive who doesn�?Tt delight in hearing her young child say the words, �?oI love you mommy.�?� I am no different. My son has a couple of variations on this popular phrase. He will also say with an assured tone, �?oI love mommy and daddy�?� and �?oI love mommy and daddy and my brother and�?�..�?� He fills in the rest with names of our extended family members and anyone else he�?Ts met. Sure�?�most of the time he uses this to get out of trouble because he�?Ts figured out that his mommy is an easy sell. My little Dr. Jekyll makes it so easy for me to forget about all of his Mr. Hyde moments.

Valentine’s Day Ideas

Joey — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:48:37 +0000

Ahh, Valentine’s Day. The day, in which you express your love to all of the people, you continuously pick up and clean after. Hmm, I think moms are the one that need to be shown the love. However, that’s not usually the case. In fact, the American Greeting Card Association estimates that women purchase approximately 85% of all Valentines gifts, with cards, flowers, and chocolate being the most popular.

I think it’s time to break out of the norm and put a little twist on Valentine’s Day. Don’t just send a card sold at Walgreen’s, create your own photo card with pictures of the kids or you. Write a love letter that will knock your significant other’s socks off. Plan a date night without the kids that doesn’t necessarily have to be on Valentine’s Day. Buy personalized photo gifts for spouses, grandparents, or kids like calendars, t-shirts, mouse pads, photobooks, etc… Most importantly, if you personally don’t receive chocolate for Valentine’s Day, buy it for yourself! I don’t care if you are trying to lose weight; this is the day of love. Who better to show yourself love than YOU! For those of you that don’t like chocolate, have you seen a doctor about that? Just kidding, make sure to do something for yourself. Even if it is giving yourself the day off, you deserve it.

For more Valentine gift ideas, activities for kids, crafts, party ideas, and of course chocolate, check out this webpage on JustBreatheMom.com

I Want My Christmas Classics In December!

Meredith — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:10:48 +0000

Santa Claus is Coming to Town is on TV tonight, and I am thrilled. My kids are looking forward to it as well. It makes no sense really because we have owned that movie and several other Christmas classics for a few years now. But there is something about it being on TV that makes it special. Especially at Christmas time. I�?Tve endured plenty of off-season viewing of Rudolph, Frosty and Santa Claus. And it never seems right. Because it isn�?Tt right. It is very wrong.

When I was a child Christmas movies and specials on TV were a family event. We�?Td make popcorn and get to stay up past our bedtime. And before the movies started, the network showed that large neon spinning �?oSPECIAL�?� with exciting music to let us know they were interrupting regular scheduled programming to bring us another classic. It was a wonderful feeling.

With the advent of VHS�?Ts and DVD�?Ts, some of the magic was lost. At least for me. Back then, when the Peanut�?Ts Gang said, �?oMerry Christmas Charlie Brown!�?� and then started singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing, I knew it was over for another year. Now, I just have to hit the rewind key if I miss Linus�?Ts crucial speech. Once Thanksgiving was over, I�?Td wait in anticipation for the Christmas shows because if I missed one, I had to wait another year. But that is what made it so special. It was not readily available and it felt important because all of the other kids I knew were watching as well.

I rented How the Grinch Stole Christmas for my sons the other night, because we missed it when it was on TV last week. It was that easy. We had a slumber party in our living room and made an event out of it, but it still wasn�?Tt the same. Especially since the first thing my boys did when we woke up in the morning was watch it again. I think I have a plan for next year. I will pack all of the Christmas related DVDs away with all of our other Christmas decorations. Then Frosty and his pals can make their Christmas debut when our tree and mistletoe do!

Check out JustBreatheMom.com’s Christmas Shopping page for more great holiday movies.

Black Friday

Joey — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:52:23 +0000

Black Friday is a dark and depressing phrase given to the biggest shopping day of the year. The term is cold, impersonal and doesn’t ring with Holiday Cheer. Nevertheless, I like so many other bargain shoppers, scavengers, and thrill seekers LOVE IT. I’m not sure if it is the thrill of the hunt, the smell of savings, or the pure satisfaction of beating retailers at the markup game. Whatever it is, count me in.

I start my game plan on Thursday. I don’t anticipate the smell or taste of food served at Thanksgiving Dinner, just the newspaper ads filled with all of those delicious Friday doorbusters. After I pull out the important ads and circle my sought out items, I begin to map out my route. And yes, that route will more than likely begin at 5am, a ridiculous time that the crazy shopping masses have forced retailers to start. After my stores, items, and route has been determined, I can move on to clothing.

If you’re still reading, and I’m sure my bargain soul sisters are, then you’re probably wondering what clothes have to do with anything. Wearing heavy clothes can hold you back, bulk you down, and increase your irritability in a crowded store. My advice is to dress as light as the outside elements will possibly allow you and take advantage of fleece. This year, my strategy will involve showing off my pregnant tummy. I’m not sure how far it will get me; there are some ruthless shoppers in this rat race of all shapes, sizes and ages. But maybe, just maybe, it will help me get the one item that will make the completely crazy day worth it.

For those of you who prefer to skip the madness, I’ve set up a web page devoted to Black Friday deals and steals. You don’t have to leave the warmth and security of your own home. Just make it to the computer. The sales will begin on 11/23 with some of them lasting all weekend, including special sales for Cyber Monday, the online world’s ceremonial kick-off day of shopping.

Good luck, happy hunting, make peace with the fact you might only get 2-3 things you really want, and watch your back!

Recall Mania – Time to Get the Lead Out!

Meredith — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:47:38 +0000

Another day, another recall. So what else has LEAD? I know I can speak for many parents when I say, �?oWhat the hell?�?� Really, what the heck is going on in China right now? And what�?Ts next on the list? Baby Einstein? Oh wait, they are on the list, their color blocks were recalled in October. The seemingly American company, who was bought by the huge conglomerate Disney, also does business with China.

The most recent in the recall craze are Aqua Dots, those weird little beads that stick together without glue. Apparently, a chemical found in the beads converts into a date rape drug when ingested and several children were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. Nice. And here I thought that I didn�?Tt have to worry about the threat of drugs like �?oRoofies�?� until my kids at least got into high school. Whatever happened to the days of only having to worry about eating Pop Rocks Candy? Everyone I grew up with knew the story about the kid choking to death on the stuff. I�?Tm pretty sure it was an urban legend, but even that legend is nothing compared to the true stories about the hazards of certain toys being manufactured today.

Before this Aqua Dot recall, it was Thomas, Dora, Elmo, Batman and so many others. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is finding lead in toys at an alarming rate. And not just a few toys, A few MILLION toys. Why does anyone need to use lead to make a toy? Where is the oversight? I really don�?Tt get it. It makes life difficult for someone like me who tends to be a little more paranoid than the average person. And I really have no idea what I�?Tm going to do about Christmas presents. There are many places online where I could buy toys made in the USA and Europe. However, I have a feeling they are going to sell out fast, which isn�?Tt good for a procrastinating Santa like me. I�?Tm sure, when the time comes, I�?Tll be grabbing certain toys and then crossing my fingers. I�?Tm just glad Spiderman hasn�?Tt ended up on any lists yet. I would be in BIG trouble then. Although I don�?Tt plan on buying anymore Spiderman anything for awhile (I�?Tm so OVER the webslinger and my sons have enough Spidey crap to last through their childhood years), I�?Tm hoping I won�?Tt have to toss any of those toys either.

I hope that the future of the toy industry will be such that in a few years we�?Tll all be saying, �?oDo you remember the toy recalls of 2007?�?� In the meantime, I think I can speak for many when I say, �?oIt�?Ts time to get the LEAD out!�?�

Find a list of recall sites on JustBreatheMom.com.

Also, here are a few toy companies that manufacture organic, US, or European toys.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…It’s That Webslinger Again!

Meredith — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:40:32 +0000

Our little boys got a nice treat this weekend. Since it was our older son’s fall break, my husband took Friday off work, and we made plans to spend the day as a family. Our original plans were to enjoy the beautiful autumn sites at one of our beloved state parks. But since the weather was iffy, we decided to hit some museums instead.

Luckily for our superhero worshipping boys, there was a new superheroes museum downtown. The museum had about every piece of Superman memorabilia ever made. Including some of the costumes worn in the TV shows and films. One of the rules was that we couldn’ touch anything that was on display outside of the glass. A completely understandable rule. However, try telling that to two boys who go crazy in the ONE aisle of superhero stuff at Target. We basically spent the whole time saying, “No, don’t touch that. Yes that looks just like yours but don’t, no don’t pick it up.” You get the drift.

The Superman stuff was great, but they also had a smaller tribute to Batman. The awe inspiring moment came when we turned a corner and saw an exact replica of the batmobile used in the second Batman film. It was very cool. It was a little boy’s dream. It was a big geek’s dream. It was an easy way to entertain our little guys for a while. But those little stinkers, clearly sensing the generous mood of their parents, got us to buy them 2 new stuffed Spiderman dolls two days after I vowed to never buy another Spiderman anything! SPIDERMAN! Even at a museum celebrating Superman, the web-slinger prevailed again. Poor man of steel. He doesn’t stand a chance in our house.

For fun ideas for the whole family visit Justbreathemom.com.