TUESDAY'S TIP: PETUNIA PICKLE BOTTOM FOR LESS

So sorry to all the fellas out there, but today's tip is for the ladies. I know a lot of you ladies out there who are moms love the petunia pickle bottom diaper bags, but hate the hefty price tag that comes with the cute/functional bags. So, I found a few ways to get Petunia, just a tad cheaper.

First off, if you really love Petunia, I would say go to their website here, and sign up to be notified when they have sales in their online outlet. They usually carry discontinued stuff and certified seconds which can run anywhere from 30-50% off the retail price.

Secondly, the other day while I was perusing the Costco website, I found out that Costco online actually carries two different PPB boxy backpacks. One of them is the one pictured above. It currently sells in most stores for $169 buckaroos. At Costco you can get it for $114 here.


And thirdly, I found out from my good friend Jenny, that Target now sells a cheaper line from PPB. Don't you just love that about Target? Anyhoo, this is the Target PPB pictured above. I saw it at Target today, and it is super cute. Lots of storage compartments, and the option to wear it as a backpack, which is one of the great draws of PPB. It sells for $49, which is a much cheaper option if you love PPB. Plus, as I was looking it over, it looks to be a pretty good diaper bag, for not too expensive, if you are in the running for a new bag.

Or, you can just get lucky like I did, and find one of last years' models on sale at Nordstroms Rack.

But in all honesty, I used my PPB bag for the first two weeks and didn't really love it. Once you've got it all packed up it's pretty big. And heavy. And with two other kids, and a infant car seat, I just can't handle anything that's bulky and big. Plus it just frankly drove me batty all week. But I did give it a good try, but in the end I went back to my tried and true. Brand new tried and true, but tried and true none the less. But I know some people love them (petunia), so I thought I'd go ahead and post this anyhow. Just in case one of you might be a PPB fan.

Up next week though, I will be sure to post my personal all-time favorite baby diaper bag ever. That I would give 5 stars too, and recommend to anyone. And that's saying something after three kids, and many, many, many diaper bags. So, be sure to stay tuned for that. I'm sure you are all on the edges of your seats. Till next week friends. . . .

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

Hey Bloggers.

Good Morning!

Usually as I am perusing my google reader, I just mostly click through. Stop at my tried and true feeds, and catch up with friends via their blogs. But today, there was a post on a non-friend blog that made me stop. And boy am I glad I did. It made me think for a minute. It's titled "How To Live A Better Story." And I had to wonder, how is my story going? Is it what I thought it would be? Thirty years old, Three fabulous kids, nice house in the burbs. Is this the story I should be living? Is this the story i want to be living? The answer of course is absolutely. I mean, I created this life with the partner I love. But I have to ask myself could I do anything to make my story even better? Push myself a little? step out of my comfort zone? Take an uncalculated risk? Learn something new? Accomplish something I once, or even never thought was possible?

And so, I think I will. Shake things up a bit. Or at the very least get a get a good list going of things I'd like to do. Have. And most importantly, Be.

So, if ya get a minute, check out this quick read from Simple Mom, titled, How To Live A Better Story.

TUESDAY'S TIP: STAY IN THE SHOE DEPARTMENT

So, at first, as your Tuesday's Tip, I was going to tell you not to go shopping a week after giving birth. It's very depressing. Yes. There I was formulating this post in my brain, as I walked amongst the shorts and jeans and tops in the sizes of my former self. It was then that I realized how silly, and rather almost crazy it was to be out clothes shopping this early. And then, while hubs was perusing the suits (the real reason we went shopping), I remembered that even though my waist isn't back, my feet are. And so I meandered into the shoe department. It was right then and there that I fell in love. With these little beauties pictured above.

I think they are adorable, and just what my spirit needed after the depressing jaunt through the clothing department. They are bright red. And have ruffles. And were only $32.95, thankyouverymuch.

Do you think I'm asking too much out of this shoe as to hope that the bright red-ness and ruffle toe might somehow distract the eye down away from the slightly-still-pregnant-looking-belly I've got going on, and straight to the cute shoe?

Yeah, I thought not either. So, my tip: A week or even 10 days after giving birth? Just stay in the shoe department people. Trust me on this.