Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My Shed 100 Challenge

I started a project toward the end of last year that took longer than anticipated. I knew I'd be buying and bringing more "stuff" into the home around Black Friday season, so I wanted to do a fall cleaning challenge - which turned into a fall thru spring cleaning. My goal was to shed (donate/sell/toss/give away) 100 items from what we already own.

So I started pulling out sections of different rooms and re-organized my dresser, going back to the folded and filed method (I tried stacking but it wasn't as effective for me since I'd forget about the ones at the bottom). I knew it'd be difficult to get Mr. Woo in on cleaning but even he was able to pull out a few things!

The start of something beautiful

Here's my last count between the two of us before I had a spurt of "nesting" and just ransacked items out of the home:
  • Jeans (2)
  • Ts/Shirts (27)
  • Pants (3)
  • Dresses/Skirts (8)
  • Jackets/Sweaters (11)
  • Socks (10)
  • Shoes (4)
  • Home goods (6)
  • Jewelry (4)
  • Bags/Purses (3)
  • Misc. (21)
One of many bags sent to the trunk

We kept most of it in the trunk so that I could try to sell it at Buffalo Exchange, but we weren't able to wait in their crazy lines. I ended up donated most of it and just picked a select few to sell. I've always tried to be a bargain hunter, but I'm also realizing that to have room to grow is a worthy deal too. I'd rather have a sparse home that can slowly be filled with things that we absolutely adore and like, rather than a jam-packed one that feels cluttered and disheveled. This is harder to do with two people who are very different in many ways.

Nonetheless, it feels great to get rid of some clutter and having extra storage breathing space. In fact, I like it so much that I'm going to try and do it every year. Some have a stricter rule when it comes to bringing home "stuff," such as 'If two items come in, two must go out.' I'm a sentimental person so I don't think I'd have the will to do that just yet. I'll stick with my now annual Shed 100 Challenge.

Do you have a lot of "stuff" in your home too? Why does it mound up so quickly? How do you control it?
 

Monday, July 18, 2011

The baby registry that never went up

I had my share of "We have to buy that for Selah even though it costs $1000!" moments (for the record, we didn't succumb to the pressure). This vast realm of baby products is sometimes overwhelming as the money-hungry wolves lure you in as their fluffy, innocent dinner. They often use promising words and coaxing tactics to try and fill in the I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing-but-I'm-trying-here void. And sometimes their products are just so cute.

If I were to ever start a business I might try to tap into the baby world. It's similar and related to the wedding industry in that everything is overpriced and often unnecessary. Perhaps the reason why (especially first-time) parents purchase so many items is to provide entertainment for the child so that they can get some (much needed) rest opposed to the baby actually needing it.

So on to the top contenders that I've been suckered into! I have my baby registry as a saved draft on Gmail on an Excel spreadsheet consisting of categories, links, and prices at various vendors - started even before I was pregnant (I like to be prepared, okay?). Needless to say, I haven't had a chance to test any of the following items out, but here are some of the ones that I really want to like and am hoping my precious cargo will like too.


1. Bumgenius Elemental cloth diapers

I've spent many a days on Cottonbabies and other sites looking up reviews on these cloth diapers, and I'm buying it all. Cutting costs on our newest and biggest investment? Better for her sensitive tush? Less waste? Yes please! Plus, it's organic. So for now, I've purchased a few off of Ebay to try out once our pooping machine is a few months old and all the new-mom crazies have settled down (or at least that I've adjusted to).


2. Fisher-Price Whale of a Tub

The moment I saw this guy on Amazon that it was a must-have. Fisher-Price came out with an updated version that has a toy bar in the middle but I wanted to keep bath time simpler (aka easier for Mama) with no adjusting/fixing/pulling of any sorts. I was able to snag the last one at a Target store that was mixed in with the newer ones. A baby bath tub in the shape of a blue and green whale - so cute and still not over it. 


3. Babyletto Mercer 3-in-1 convertible crib

The next item that made the cut was this gorgeous crib. I like the clean lines, the contrast between the dark rich wood and classic white, and the bottom shelf for additional storage space. It has a non-toxic finish, is a brand that has never been recalled, and is not so tall that I'll have trouble getting the bean in and out. Though initially saved on Amazon, we ended up taking it off the hands of a family on Craigslist for a quarter of its original price, including mattress, a complete bedding set (which I sold), and mobile. Woo to the hoo!


4. Ergo baby carrier

Growing up, I had thought I'd use a Korean wrap called a podaegi to carry my future baby hands-free. My, how times change. This Ergo carrier we received as a gift (thank you, ladies!) in the cranberry color so that Mr. Woo can also use it too (we all know he's going to be a baby-hog). But if I were to get a second one down the line, I might snag the gray galaxy one OR the organic peaceful portofino from Petunia Picklebottom
(available for preorder now - it's so pretty!). It's a subtle kind of pretty that would match with just about anything I wear should I choose to actually try to look presentable while being sleep-deprived. 


5. (Deeply discounted) Baby clothes

Who doesn't like shopping for teeny, cutesy outfits for a wee one? (My husband, actually.) So if I came across fabulous deal, I'm talking mostly $0.50/$1.00/$2.00, for something that mesmerized my uterus, I bought it. Only a few! [We're a Gap (and J.Crew) family, mainly because Wifey likes Gap, and since Wifey does the shopping we're now a Gap family.] Of course, we've received so many clothes the past couple of months that I don't know if the nugget will be able to wear them all more than once (no more 0-3mos please).


6. Bumbleride Flite stroller

Isn't it pretty? This one actually didn't make it to my list until late in my second trimester. I had been eyeing the Bugaboo Cameleon with all its fancy-schmancy options but in the end could not justify spending $1k on something that we may not use as much as we think. So after much back and forth between the Bumbleride and a few other contenders, I chose the pretty seagrass-colored stroller. It helped that it was on clearance (new model came out earlier this summer) from another vendor to save some cash since I'm not one who likes to pay full retail price.


7. Shermag Glider with ottoman

This was our very first purchase we made with the bun in the oven in mind. We spotted it in great condition at a garage sale down the street so I sat in it to: (1) test it out and (2) claim it while Mr. Woo ran home to look up reviews on Amazon. There it retails over $400, but with some negotiating we took it home, actually Mr. Woo carried it all the way home (my hero!), for $50.


The last "big purchase" is still iffy because I'm in the process of hunting down a doula. I wasn't able to do so earlier with deadlines at school. Now that I'm (finally) at home and have the time to research and contact references, they're all booked, vacationing, or out of the country. :(


As you can see, much of what Baby needs (and what we want) has already been purchased which is why I never had to put up a registry. Between the two showers from school/work, we've been blessed with so much that I've actually had to exchange some for items of a greater priority. With just a few more items left, it seemed silly to create a registry online. We're just excited (and nervous and overwhelmed and scared and...) to meet our little girl face-to-face in about another month. Please continue praying for our growing family! :)
 

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A Dachshund's belly

The pregnant life has been such an out-of-body experience, many moments which I'm helpless to alter.

You know when you're crossing the street and there's 7-6-5-4... seconds to go? I imagine I look something like a Dachshund (wiener dog) with my shorter legs rapidly pitter-pattering the pavement, working twice as much to travel the same distance as those I'm accompanied by, all while trying to make the light.
Source

See? From the front you can't tell what its torso looks like, but from the side you get the panoramic view. I'm carrying wide opposed to protruding more to the front, thus my surprise when I hear that I'm huge. When I look down from my angle I just don't see it all. But then I turn to the side in the mirror and am stunned to see the rest of what I'm transporting around.

So let's see how my belly bump has progressed since discovery, shall we?

At 3 months:
She the size of a grape, and I with a pooch.

At 5 months:
Babymoon to Hawaii!

At 6 months:
Fruit! Give me fruit!

At 7 months:

Nikki Yanofsky concert!

At 8 months:
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk!

And soon she'll pop out and that'll end the maiden voyage of my womb! :)

Note to self & Pooki:  Next time, we really need to document it better. Selah won't be receiving an "Inside Mommy's Tummy" photobook, but I do have a different project lined up for her once she's out and about!
 

Saturday, July 9, 2011

15 Things I didn't know about pregnancy

Pregnancy has been a fascinating ride and I can't believe I'm already well into my third trimester! I was lying in bed one night when I realized that I have less than 6 weekends left alone with my Pooki before life takes a sharp turn. That's so soon that I can almost count it on the fingers of one hand! So before I lose any more of my memory, here's my candid, bare-all, not-for-the-squeamish, brief list of surprises I encountered in pregnancy thus far.

  1. My (liberal) doctor lets me eat pretty much anything, including sushi.  
  2. The kicking sometimes feels so low in my uterus that I think her leg is going to shoot out of my cervix.
  3. How weird (but cool!) it is to see my belly moving with each somersault, jab, and kick.
  4. "Sucking in" while trying to squeeze through a narrow space does squat.
  5. Baby's hiccups are the repetitive movements that feel like a heartbeat.
  6. The frequency of bloody gums and boogers.
  7. Hair not shedding much (but I hear it'll make up for lost time post-baby).
  8. Lower back cracks just from shifting my weight.
  9. Tailbone pain.
  10. Drooling during some nights.
  11. Vivid and intense dreams of terrible happenings.
  12. Internal organs feel squished up high and very uncomfortable. Where can/do they relocate to?
  13. Belly button shrinkage, or at least it looks like it with the belly expanding.
  14. Constipation (I've shed a few tears in the bathroom) and hemorrhoids. Bowel movements will no longer be taken for granted.
  15. Sneezing and peeing are not always mutually exclusive.

Note: All pregnancies are different so, as a reminder, this list is particular to my experience. Yours and/or other hearsay may differ.


For a BONUS: What in the world is the clicking noise from inside my belly??? My Mama Bear fright immediately thought it was her little bones breaking from moving so much, but that doesn't make too much sense.


Oh, and I'm probably the only pregnant woman who doesn't particularly like pickles. Ice cream on the other hand...