Crazy for Costco

A few months ago, Living Social ran a deal for a Costco membership. I was hesitant at first because I had never been in a Costco, but figured it was worth a try for the price. I am beyond happy about this purchase!

I would say we eat about 90% organic at our house. Of course, I wish it was 100%, but some stuff we just can't afford and I am very selective in our non-organic purchases. The majority of our shopping is done at Kroger, while Whole Foods come in a close second. Target and Meijer are also on that list, especially when they are having a great sale. But now, a good amount of the stuff I used to get at the other stores, I can get at Costco for much a cheaper price.

I am very surprised and impressed by the organic selection at Costco...from fruits to meats to lip gloss to eggs. And they sell Carter's pajamas! Throw in the free samples (3 out of 4 today were organic) and Costco is like a little heaven on earth.

On our first trip, we got a few things on special...16oz bags of Pirate's Booty ($3.89 each) and a 24 pack of GoGo Squeeze ($7.99). That is way cheaper than what you are paying at any grocery store. The organic items I picked up were 5lbs frozen green beans ($6.69), 8 frozen burritos ($9.89), 24 pack of string cheese ($9.99), 4lbs raisins ($8.49), and a block of sharp cheddar ($5.99/lb). The non-organic items were 2 1/2lbs Almonds ($13.45) and 20oz dried cherries ($7.99)

I was impressed with the selection after our first trip.

The greeter drew us a picture of Alessia. I'm pretty sure she looks like a dog.

The main reason I made the trip to Costco today was that we were out of eggs and string cheese. I ended up picking up a few extra things, but some of those things were on special so that is how I justified it. The things on special were 12 bottles Naked Juice ($10.49) and 12 bottles San Pellegrino sparkling water ($11.29). Also, Carter's fleece pajamas were on special for $5.99 and I actually just bought a pair the other day from JcPenney for $9.99 (and I thought that was a good deal). I was really surprised to see Ezekiel Bread today and since it is the only bread we eat, I picked up a two loaf pack for $6.89...I usually pay $4.19 for one loaf at Kroger (which is the cheapest place). The organic eggs (2 dozen for $6.49) and no-nitrate bacon ($12.99 for 3 12oz packages) are staples in our house and will last us a few weeks. As for the 2 pack of organic salsa ($7.69) and 5 pack of certified organic lip gloss ($10.99), they were impulse purchases, but I don't regret them. String cheese, sharp cheddar, GoGo squeezes, and cherries also made their way into my cart.

Today's trip was even better than the first! 

 I'm already looking forward to my next trip and for next month's specials.

Exhaustion

I never knew was exhaustion felt like until I had Alessia. The first few months of her life I walked around like a zombie. She would wake up every few hours to feed and once I fell back to sleep, she was usually ready to get up again.

The last few weeks have felt a lot like those first few months. She takes forever to fall asleep, wakes up in the middle of the night, and even refuses naps. I know a lot of it has to do with the cooler weather. We aren't getting out in the morning on most days so she isn't able to tire herself out. But she runs around the house back and forth...goes up and down the stairs countless times...climbs everything! I'm exhausted from chasing after her. I am astonish at how little sleep Alessia requires especially coming from two people who NEED and LOVE their sleep.

Having Kevin here helps a great deal. Even though he is at work during the day, he lets me sleep in on most mornings and then entertains her at night for a few hours before bed. Sometimes I get lucky and he gets home early enough to give her a bath.

But with the hockey season, come road trips. Usually they are only a few days, but every few months we get a long one...and that long one starts this week. Ten day of Alessia and Mommy time! And hopefully ten days of ten hour sleeps and two hour naps. 

Afternoon Lesson

My friend Carol just left my house after a chat. And when I say 'my friend Carol', I really mean 'the Jehovah Witness that stops by occasionally'. And when I say 'a chat', I really mean 'a lesson'.

I knew when I heard that knock on my door today that it was most likely her. I was in the middle of doing dishes, with a load of laundry drying, and all I wanted to do was have a cup of tea and watch my DVRed episode of Guy's Grocery Games while Alessia napped. I thought about not answering and then I felt guilty.

How many times does Carol get turned away in a day? Would it really kill me to answer the door and let her give me her spiel for a few minutes? I should note that she is such a nice lady...kind of reminds me of my Grandma Mounce. So, I answered. She told me how lovely my home is, told the 'new girl, Jeanette' about how cute Alessia is, and she even took off her shoes without me asking. Who doesn't love compliments and proper etiquette?

Her and Jeanette wanted to give me a lesson and I agreed. I will admit that I only half listened because The Steve Wilkos Shows was on in the background and I really needed to see if the husband cheated. But it didn't kill me and I even learned a little something. Carol asked if she could come back and I told her 'of course'. I just can't say 'no' to sweet Carol.

Do I regret answering the door? Nope. Did her lesson make me want to be a Jehovah Witness? No. Will I read up to prepare for my next lesson? Definitely not. Will I answer the door next week when I hear that light knock? Most likely.

Purging

I find it very hard to believe that it has been ten years since I graduated college and seven years since I taught special education. Those three years of teaching were a great learning experience for me and I met some lifelong friends. But when I decided to move with Kevin and end the "long distance," I knew it meant I would have to give up teaching. I wasn't 100% sure how long I would be giving it up though...weeks, months, years. 

Since there was always that uncertainty of whether or not I would be teaching again, I held onto my stuff. For years, its home was in my parents' garage. And for the last year, it has sat in our basement collecting dust. Honestly, I had no idea what was in there. I used a few things when I was nannying, but most of it sat untouched for years.

A few weeks ago, I decided to take on the daunting task of going through it. Initially, I just wanted to see what I had kept. There were books, binders, worksheets, crayons, games, stickers...all things you would expect teachers to have. I realized some of the items could be used at the house (stapler, hole punch, tape, markers), some things Kevin would use (magnets, binders, tabs), and a majority of the items Alessia could use either now or one day. It took about a week (here and there) to go through the six bins. And after it was all said and done, I still had six bins...they were just organized a bit better.


This weekend I headed back downstairs. What was I holding onto all this for? I'm not a collector, I hate clutter, and I have always honored my motto 'if it doesn't serve me a purpose right now, then I have no need for it.' So, this morning, I purged. I now have one bin of decorations, one bin of games, and one bin of 'teacher stuff' that can be used with Alessia down the road.

The profession of teaching is changing every year. Those math and reading manuals from 2006 are out of date. The name plates that have bends in them aren't ever getting used. And I'm pretty sure no one needs documentation of my clocked minutes from seven years ago.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. And ten years ago, I was a teacher. Now, I don't know if I'll ever be a teacher again. My place in life might not be in the classroom. And six bins of teaching supplies have no place in my basement.

Summer Family Fun

It is hard to believe that summer is over and that fall is officially here. We couldn't have asked for a better summer though. The weather was perfect, we got some traveling in, and we took care of some things around the house.

We started things off by tagging along with Kevin to Columbus in May. We discovered downtown, enjoyed some delicious barbeque, and hit up the farmer's market.

Next up, but only for Kevin and me, was Mexico. A few days of friends, relaxing, drinking, and eating was exactly what we needed. Add a wedding to the mix and it was an vacation that we'll always remember.

 

For me, no summer is complete without a visit to Chicago...and this summer was no different. This visit was a little more tame than the usual visits though. We met up with friends, visited Shedd Aquarium, took pictures at the Bean, and ate our weight in pizza.

Since Kevin spent almost a month working in Buffalo, we met him for the 4th of July up at his family's cottages. The weather was great, Alessia got to play with her cousins, and we took our first family quad ride. 

 

While Detroit isn't far, we haven't been able to take advantage of all it has to offer. We were able to fit in a Tiger's game this summer. It was SO hot....like the hottest day of the year. Alessia lasted about 4 innings, which was a lot longer than I ever imagined she would last. 

Our visit to Springfield was cut a bit short due to Alessia getting a summer cold, but we were still able to enjoy ourselves for a few days. And we got to go to the Illinois State Fair. 

Vegas was up next. Our trip involved no gambling or drinking. Rather, it involved catching up with great friends and watching our kids play together. Kevin also had the amazing opportunity to present at the National Hockey Coaches Symposium alongside some pretty impressive coaches. 

 

 

We wrapped up the summer with a weekend trip to Minneapolis with my mom.  Kevin worked and us girls shopped, shopped, and shopped some more. There was also some eating, a trip to the hotel pool, and a few rides at Nickelodeon Universe...but mostly shopping. 

My Baby Must Haves

This summer my mailbox has been filling up with invites...birthdays, bridal showers, weddings, and baby showers. And while I haven't been able to make most of them, I have been sending plenty of gifts...just ask my bank account. For weddings and bridal showers, I typically give money because it is easy and I'm pretty sure all newlyweds like money. For baby showers, I LOVE to give gifts though, but sometimes I have a really hard time sticking to the registry.  In my head, I have what I think are the essential, must have items. And here they are.

1. White short sleeve onesies- You can honestly never have too many. They are perfect under pajamas or outfits and by themselves. In Alessia's first few months of life, she pretty much lived in a white onesie...and mostly because she pooped up her back constantly.

What baby doesn't look cute in a white onesie?

2. Nosefrida- Nothing clears a baby's nose like a Nosefrida. Bulb aspirators are the worst and the battery operated ones aren't much better. With the Nosefrida, you do the sucking, but don't worry, there is no way for it to get in your mouth.

3. Cloud b Gentle Giraffe- This travel white noise maker is AMAZING! It comes in a few different animals (sheep, monkey, bunny, fox), but we think the giraffe is the cutest. Ours stays attached to Alessia's car seat most of the time and we turn it on whenever she falls asleep or when we are trying to get her to sleep. It is battery operated and we have had the same batteries in it for over a year and we use it a lot.

Alessia is even willing to share Mr. Giraffe.

4. Zipper footed pajamas- Whoever invented the button up ones did not have children because those things suck. I remember trying to match up the buttons at 4am in the dark when Alessia was a newborn. Then as she got older and started rolling, I had to fight her to get them all buttoned. DO NOT BUY THEM for yourself or for anyone else...no matter how cute they are.

5. Muslin blankets- I was lucky enough to get some hand me downs and some new ones. My favorite are the classic muslin swaddles by aden + anais. They are so soft and breathable. Alessia was never swaddled so I can't comment on how effective they perform as swaddles, but they make amazing blankets. The aden + anais classic issie blankets are great too. They are small security blankets that are perfect for throwing in the diaper bag or stroller. Whenever we going out of town, I always pack one.

6. Trumpette socks- I cannot tell you how much money I wasted buy socks that would not stay on. Luckily, a friend of mine recommended trumpette socks and that is all Alessia wore from about 6-12 months.

Socks that look like shoes are adorable.

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

When we decided to actually get a 'home' and stay in the States, I thought my packing days were over. But it seems like all I've done lately is pack, unpack, and repeat. In the last month I have done the following...
-packed for Cancun
-unpacked from Cancun
-packed Kevin to go to Colorado
-unpacked Kevin from Colorado
-packed Kevin to go to Colorado...AGAIN
-unpacked Kevin from Colorado
-packed to go to Chicago
-unpacked from Chicago
-packed Kevin to go to Buffalo...for 25 days
-and now I'm in the process of packing up for Alessia and I to go to Kevin's family's cottage next week.

And besides packing and unpacking suitcases, there is also the matter of unpacking the totes that we still haven't tackled since moving in this past September. After sitting in our garage for the last 9 months, I was really hoping they would unpack themselves...not likely.

Before Kevin left this past week, I asked him to move the totes downstairs and my goal is to have them sorted through before Kevin gets home in a few weeks. The big question is what to keep and what to throw away. As sad as it is to think about throwing away the paddles from my sorority, what am I going to do with them? And I am pretty sure we don't need to keep all the cheesy things Kevin and I made for each other over the years.

Truth be told, I should be in the basement now instead of blogging...so here I go.