What the what?

Mark, Cohen and I went shoe shopping tonight. We went to Nordstrom, because we've had gift cards burning holes in our pockets since Christmas and before. We found some great Ecco shoes for Cohen. They were under $20, would go with all of Cohen's clothes and fit his fat feet. And we all know Ecco is a great brand. We were sold. Cohen and Mark ran off and I went to pay. The sales lady said, "Okay that will be $70ish." My mouth dropped. I thought, "The register is so wrong...they need to get that fixed." What came out of my mouth was, "I think that price is incorrect. The tag said 19-something." We went to check the shoe together. The register was correct. I had mistakenly read the European sizes of the shoe: 19-26. I said, "We will not be taking those shoes. Can we see the Converse instead?" Yikes. I got the Nordstrom-sales-lady-stink-eye after that. So I had to redeem myself by helping a makeup counter girl earn her commission.

Good bye wipes.

We use baby wipes for EVERYTHING - cleaning Cohen's hands, washing Cohen's face after eating, cleaning up after a dirty diaper, wiping the high chair tray... We go through them really quickly. I realized that we have to buy them at Costco way too often. We also buy a separate brand for Cohen's diapering, because he has such sensitive skin. So, I figured out some ways to minimize our wipes use. (Bonus - it's saving us money and not filling up the local landfill!) Here are my solutions:

• Wash hands with water. Cohen loves water anyway...why not teach him to wash his hands in the sink?

• Use washable cloths to clean up. I have a million brand new microfiber cloths that I was going to use in my classroom. Since I'm not teaching anymore, I might as well use them for something else, right? So, I cut them into fourths and put them in the kitchen drawer. We use them for everything! And since we have a ton, we never run out (even when there are a lot in the hamper).

• Only use disposable wipes for diapering. Since the Seventh Generation wipes are more expensive, I am good about limiting their use.

The End.

Enjoy them while they last...

These are the last tulips from my garden. Next week we'll be planting our veggies! Wish us luck that we've had our last frost for the season!

I have a hard time believing that my child is old enough for this.

Wasn't he just born 6 months ago?????
Time is going by too quickly.

Why I love online shopping...

Cohen is out of our favorite baby wipes. I order them in bulk online to save some money. This is what my Amazon bill looked like:

$41.99 Qty 12 packs of wipes
14.84 Shipping
-14.84 Super Saver Shipping Discount
-4.20 Discount Promotion Code

$37.79 Total (before tax)

That is cheaper than what I found on eBay! I love a good deal!

Bob Wins

Mark and I went to REI together and took both strollers for a spin. I opened a Phil & Teds doubles kit box, put it on the stroller and pushed it around a bit. My feet kept hitting the bottom of the seat while I was walking. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I had started jogging. If there had been a kid down there, s/he would have been kicked in the butt!

So, Bob wins. Sorry Phil. Sorry Ted.

P.S. Thanks for all of your advice! I have the best friends/family ever!!!!!
P.S.S. If you are in the market for a stroller, the Anniversary Sale at REI starts on May 1st. Most or all strollers will be 20% off! YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Which Stroller????? (This is a long post...sorry.)

I want to start jogging. I have been looking at jogging strollers for quite some time now and am finally ready to buy one. (Thanks 2zero6!!) My friend has the BOB Revolution Duallie and loves it. She only has one child, but knows that she wants more children. She didn't want to buy a single jogger and then a double jogger when she has her second. I think she is a genius. Anyway, so we're thinking of getting pregnant in the near future and I do not want to be one of those families with 5 different strollers. We have two right now and I think it is a little ridiculous. So, I've been searching for a stroller that will accommodate a toddler and a newborn/infant. I've found two that I love.

PHIL & TEDS
Pros:
1) It's beautiful. Just look at it for a minute. Doesn't it make you want it??? (Some people get excited about cars...I get excited about strollers.)
2) It is super skinny even with two kids
3) It is like a transformer...it has 4 different adaptations. I especially love that it can have a newborn lay completely flat and still hold a toddler. (Someone was seriously thinking with this stroller.)
Cons:
1) Will the kid on the bottom feel like he/she is staring at the other one's back?
2) I can't figure out if it is a jogging stroller or not. Some of the websites say it is...others say it isn't. The guy at REI even said it isn't a jogger. I'm confused.
3) With two kids (in the traditional position), the basket is almost unusable.

BOB
Pros:
1) It is a very trusted brand.
2) It's features/accessories blow the other comparable strollers out of the water. (For example, the sun shade is really long, and each seat reclines separately.)
3) I like the idea of kids sitting side by side.
Cons:
1) Side by side seats make it a little difficult to fit through tight spaces.
2) The recline doesn't go flat. So to carry a newborn, I will have to purchase a carseat attachment ($90).
3) It would take up all of the room in my trunk.

Today my friend, Gretchen, and I went and tested the BOB Revolution and I fell in love with it. It handles so gracefully - even with two toddlers sitting in it!

However, now I'm wondering if I should give the Phil&Teds another chance.

HELP!!!