Nice dramatic title, huh? Truth be told, I couldn’t think of anything to blog about tonight- Tate hasn’t done anything particularly hilarious or frustrating lately. I’ve been reading lots of other great blogs, hoping for inspiration. Then suddenly, there it was…

Travel back in time with me to mid-September. We were out and about early one Saturday morning, and planned to grab breakfast on the go. I assumed it would be McDonald’s or maybe our favorite neighborhood bakery. My husband had something else in mind:

Him: How about if we go outside the box a little?

Me: Sure, like what?

Him: Castillo Blanco

Me: Sure, great!

Me: Where is Castillo Blanco again? (thinking that it’s that cool new Mexican place I’ve been reading about)

Him: It’s White Castle.

Me: Nooooooo! No, no, no, no! Turn the car around.

Him: (slightly wounded) No, really, I’ve heard that they have great breakfast sandwiches.

Me: Ugh, fine, we’ll try it. But we have to go somewhere else if it’s awful.

Yep, of course, you guessed it. While known for their (in my opinion) disgusting, greasy sliders, White Castle has great breakfast sandwiches. I can’t recommend the coffee, but the egg sandwiches, especially the one with bacon on an English muffin- yum!

And to bring the story full-circle, my inspiration came from the breakfast item coupons at Mommy’s Wish List. The White Castle coupon is for the sandwich on a bun, which my husband said was good too. If I were you, though, I’d splurge and get the English muffin.

Let it never be said that I keep all the good things to myself.

You’re welcome.

Photo Courtesy:
Eddie~S

For claiming to be not into fashion, I’m on kind of a roll lately…inspired again by Jae at How Not to Dress Like a Mom. Actually it’s her guest-writer Jenna doing the inspiring this week. Pregnant with her second child, Jenna is writing about finding cute maternity clothes on a budget. Specifically, she’s focusing on pieces that help you get through the earlier months in your regular wardrobe. Look for more Maternity Monday posts in the coming weeks, and here are some old ones for now.

A few direct sources for maternity clothing:

Fertile Mind offers unique pieces such as the 6-way maternity dress and the BellyBelt (shown on the right)

Due Maternity has really cute tops for fall and good layering pieces too. Get a couple of great sweaters, and maybe you can avoid buying a maternity coat, with the extra warmth the baby provides.

Kiki’s Fashions Maternity has very affordable maternity clothing. There are especially good bargains on warm-weather pieces, great if you’re in an all-year-summer climate. Please do not buy the shirt on the left, especially if you’re going to a picnic, as I fear you may be mistaken for a tablecloth.

Finally, don’t forget the pieces that you wear every day, whether you’re dressing up or going casual- Amon Maternity specializes in underwear that supports your pregnant belly.

P.S. These are just products that appeal to me; I’m not receiving any benefits from the companies above.

What do you know about woot?

No, that’s not a typo or my latest attempt at Dr. Seussisness. Woot is a funny little website that sells one product at a great price each day: it goes online at midnight and if it hasn’t sold out, it’s pulled from the “shelf” at 11:59pm that same night. For instance, today’s product, a funky power strip, sold out around 6am.

In addition to the main woot site, there are woots for shirts and wine. They have really creative/sarcastic writers doing the product descriptions each day, usually good for a chuckle if not an outright belly laugh.

“But Kara,” you ask, “why are you talking about woot on your mommy blog?” Well, I’m glad you asked! It’s because a kids version of woot was released last month.

Today’s product is the Buildin’ to Learn Motor/Workshop for just $49.99. This same toy workbench is selling for $99.99 on the Little Tikes website, so it’s a fantastic deal. Other products have ranged from DVDs to electronic toys to car seats.

Put the kids woot blog in your blog reader if you don’t feel like checking the site at midnight every night. You’ll know if that day’s product is still available because the button will say “I want one” instead of “sold out”.

Happy Wooting!

P.S. I’m not getting any kickbacks from woot; I just think it’s a fun site!

Photo Courtesy:
Little Tikes website

This is the 101st post for Notes on the Nest! The milestone kind of snuck up on me, in the midst of a busy month. Thanks for your patience in my lack of posting. After a week of family camp, the BlogHer conference, and a family reunion, I’m now unpacking, doing laundry (okay, I’m only thinking about the laundry) and deep-cleaning most of the house.

Not because I’m that much of a clean freak, but because the whole main floor had a thin layer of sheetrock dust. Due to a plumbing fix upstairs, we’ve had a gaping hole in our dining room ceiling since I was pregnant with Tate. We finally decided to have it patched up while all three of us were out of town for the conference. So the ceiling looks better, and now we’re doing cleanup…

In celebration of my repaired ceiling, an almost-clean house, and 101 posts, I’d like to offer you (and anyone with whom you’d like to share) a 20% discount off of any product at MagnetStreet Baby. You’ll find birth announcements, shower invitations, baptism announcements, birthday invitations and more. Just enter the promotional code NEST20 when you place your order - it’s valid until October 31, 2009.

And because posts are always more fun with photos, here’s Tate signing “more”. He’s telling you that there will be more posts coming soon: our travel adventures, a BlogHer recap and new voices in the Pregnancy Decisions series – stay tuned!

Another great sale this week at MagnetStreet Baby! Starting today, June 15th, through the 22nd, our top ten 5″ x 7″ magnet designs are 20% off!

Within the ten most popular designs, there are birth announcements, birthday invitations, and baptism/christening invitations.

Scroll over any of the designs on the sale page to see an example of customizing the colors and fonts in our Design Studio. This sale only lasts one week, so spread the news to your friends and family who are celebrating big events in their baby’s life!

Continued from Pregnancy Decisions: Strollers

I spent about an hour at Babies ‘R Us while I was pregnant, test-driving strollers, opening and closing them, clicking car seats in and out. I liked the Chicco best; everything just seemed to work more smoothly. All of my friends that have Graco models have been very happy with theirs as well.

As much as I loved the travel system for the first 8 months or so, we equally love our BOB Revolution now. With the big wheels, it handles easily over snowy paths, through grass and trails when we’re walking the dog, or even over train tracks on regular walks. It folds compactly enough to fit into the trunk of my Dodge Neon.

The one downside is that the storage basket is much smaller than I had in the travel system stroller. We’re in walking distance of our grocery store and Target, and I used to stash a lot more into that under-seat basket. All jogging/all-terrain strollers that I studied had smaller baskets. I think a larger basket adds too much weight when full, throwing off the balance of the 3-wheeler.

Tip: The Revolution is 20% off at REI several times a year, so don’t pay full price for one!

A category of strollers that I haven’t addressed is the simple umbrella stroller. They’re lightweight, inexpensive and fold compactly, making them popular with many people for out-and-about trips. For me, they’re simply too short to push comfortably, unless you choose a more expensive model.

I really recommend spending some time trying out the various options. Consider, as much as possible, how you’ll be using your stroller. Read online reviews, looking for others in similar circumstances, to get feedback on the qualities that are most important to you. Some things to consider are:

• Will you be using your stroller mainly indoors or outdoors? If outdoors, will you always be on paved roads/sidewalks?
• Do you want to use the stroller for jogging or just walking?
• Do you need to quickly fold up your stroller, for getting into cabs or trains?
• Does your stroller fit into the trunk/back of your vehicle?
• Is the handle height adjustable? (This is important if you or your partner are tall, or especially if one is tall and one is short.)
• Does the seat recline fully for a sleeping baby?
• Is there adequate sun/rain protection for your baby?
• Do you like the available colors? (This was more important to me than it probably should have been. :))

Finally, if you’re shopping for a double stroller, check out the comments on this Q&A at Baby Cheapskate. There’s a lot of good input from parents that have put them to the test.

So, share your wisdom – which stroller(s) did you choose, and why? Were you happy with your choice?

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Since Tate’s first birthday is this week, we’re in celebration mode! I’m excited to share this huge list of birthday freebies from Mommy’s Wish List. These restaurants all offer something free on your birthday, or when you sign up for their membership club. I just registered at Chili’s (free chips and queso, my favorite!) and Maggiano’s, which is where we celebrated my birthday last year.

I’ll add one of my own, that I look forward to enjoying every year: Caribou Coffee gives you a free drink, any size, on your birthday. I recommend a large Caramel Cooler- mmm!

Photo Courtesy:
Theresa Thompson

Any of you have a similar experience to this? You’re with a group of people, some parents, some not, and your conversation is locked onto a disgusting topic - maybe diaper explosions or vomit. Or maybe not necessarily disgusting, but just mundane- which kind of sippy cup works the best or how many times are you up with the baby each night? And suddenly you’re a little embarrassed, seeing the glazed-over looks in the non-parents’ eyes. Okay, to be honest, I’ve seen that same look in my husband’s eyes.

Don’t get me wrong, I think sharing parenting experiences (with anyone who’s willing to listen!) is crucial to my health and sanity. But there’s a time and a place. If I can’t ever come up with any other topics of conversation, I will eventually have the same aforementioned sanity breakdown.

Yes, the majority of my day is spent with someone unable to speak (actual words, that is). Can I, a stay-at-home mom, still be an interesting person, with knowledge of the world outside my nursery? I think so…

I try to read at least the headlines of the newspaper, and on a good day get through actual articles in several sections. Tip: Use your frequent flier miles, especially for an airline you rarely fly, to purchase magazine subscriptions. Reading Time keeps me on top of timely issues. I’ve found that a magazine is easier to throw into the diaper bag and to keep out of baby’s reach. 

I’ve also always wanted to be in a book club, and suddenly was invited to join two of them this past year. I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in time to read, but somehow it’s worked out. These monthly get-togethers have been a great time to get out of the house, enjoy good conversation with other women, and use the non-mom part of my brain.

What do the rest of you do to stay “interesting”?

Photo Courtesy:
KellyK

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3 Words: Tim Tam Slam

I first enjoyed this amazing treat while living in Japan; a friend from Australia brought some back from Christmas holiday. Back in the US, I looked for them in the international section at several stores without luck. More recently, my brother returned from a trip Down Under, raving about the Tim Tam Slam. Then suddenly last week, while I was wandering the aisles of Target, looking for stocking stuffers, there they were! I got 3 boxes of Tim Tams to share with my family over the holidays.

I’m thrilled to announce that “Australia’s Favorite Cookie” (but wouldn’t they say Favourite?) is available at a Target store near you for a limited time. Please go out and buy some today, so that Pepperidge Farm & Target continue to produce and sell this yumminess. To fully enjoy said yumminess, however, you also need to read (maybe print out?) this post. PF has risked underappreciation of the Tim Tam by neglecting to explain the best way to enjoy them.

They’re fudge-coated chocolate wafer cookies, with a choice of either chocolate creme or caramel filling between the wafers. Sounds good enough, right? But the real trick is to take a small bite off the 2 opposite corners, then dip one end into a hot drink (I recommend coffee or cocoa). Sip the other end like the cookie is a straw, and as soon as you feel the drink reaching your mouth, pop the entire thing into your mouth (the “Slam”). If you wait too long, you’ll end up with a chocolate mess in your hand. If you time it just right, A-mazing!

Yes, I know this is supposed to be a mommy blog…mommies like chocolate, right? And in the interest of these cookies being available when my son is old enough to eat them, I’m encouraging you to GO BUY SOME RIGHT NOW!!!!! They’d be a fun addition to whatever you’re doing for New Year’s Eve.

Think I’m a little over-enthusiastic? Check out NYC Food Guy‘s post. He’s also raving, and calling for positive feedback to Pepperidge Farm. Otherwise, they’ll only be available through March 2009. At the PF website, you can view videos made by other devotees. Also, here’s a coupon for $1 off your purchase. What are you waiting for? Put your kid in the car and get some Tim Tams!

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I sort of assumed that being at home full-time would help me get my Christmas shopping done much earlier this year…turns out that my son isn’t a big fan of shopping. Add this to the cold snap we’ve had, and I’m looking at an all-online shopping season.

If you have similar plans, or just need some good gift ideas for the moms and babies on your list, check these out. They’re a couple of things we loved using, and they’re both made by moms!

First is the adorable baby blankets from Amelia Bee. You can get a 20% discount by mentioning this article – just enter Nest20 in the Discount Code field. They’re reversible, made of faux fur, soft cotton or fleece. The patterns are so cute and best of all, each blanket is custom-sewn for your baby, so you can choose which fabrics you want. This would also be a great gift for grandparents or grandparents-to-be, so they can have a special blanket when baby comes to visit.

Tate loved the texture of his faux fur blanket. It was always in his bassinet in the newborn days (hard to believe he was ever as small as in this picture!) and he still likes to play with it now.

The second featured product is baby slings from Kangaroo Korner. For the first time ever, they’re having a 25-50% sale on their adjustable slings. What an amazing deal! Despite all the hype about babywearing, I was skeptical about slings, thinking they would make my neck really sore. In reality, I LOVED my sling. On the advice of a friend, I got one from Kangaroo Korner. Tate and I would go on long walks together, or I’d carry him around the house in it, hands free to do whatever I needed. If he was having a cranky day, it was a surefire way to get him to sleep- ten minutes of my walking around with him in the sling, and he was out.

The style I purchased was the adjustable fleece pouch. It took a little practice to get him in and out, but overall, the pouch style seemed easier to me than the ring-style. (I know there are die-hard ring sling fans out there so they must be great too.) The website has helpful “installation” instructions with pictures too. Other unique options are the child-size slings (for dolls) and slings made of solarveil, a UV-blocking material.

Happy online shopping!

Photo Courtesy:
voxtheory
Amelia Bee
Kangaroo Korner

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