Thursday, December 2, 2010

What's Going On

Pregnancy is wearing me out.  I realize that I haven't been blogging much lately, so here's what's been going on with the Losavios.

Our Elf on the Shelf arrived last Wednesday.  "Crumpet" has been moving all over the house, but hasn't caused any mischief yet.  I certainly wouldn't mind if he wanted to tidy up the house or bake cookies.  If you're wondering how we came up with the name "Crumpet," read or listen to The SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris. 
We celebrated Thanksgiving at our home last week.  My dad and brother drove up from Daphne, Alabama, and Jim's mom Emma was with us from Michigan. 
We served:
Turkey
Rice Dressing (part of Paul's family's tradition)
Holiday Sweet Potatoes
Stuffing (my secret recipe)
Triple Corn Casserole
20 pounds of Mashed Potatoes
Bacon-wrapped Green Beans

We still have some leftovers if you're hungry. 

Last Friday was the Iron Bowl, the annual match-up between Alabama and Auburn.  It was the last regular season game and also the last home game of the year.  Unfortunately, Alabama lost to Auburn by just one point.  It was a disappointing end to the season, but perhaps next year will be better.

Paul's band, Chinese Dentist, played a gig on Friday night.  The band has been together for a looong time, but rarely practices or plays a gig these days.  Only three of the five members still live in town.  They are able to get together about twice a year to play at a local bar, usually The Booth, Egan's, or Little Willie's.  Since the bar would be smoky, and I didn't want to catch any flack for being pregnant in a bar, I opted to stay home.  Check out some of the photos taken by a local photographer.

The demolition of the old Tuscaloosa County High School, which is practically in our backyard, is nearly complete.  I blogged about the demolition here and here before I got bored with it.  I'll post some pictures of the aftermath within the next few days.

I had my 32-week prenatal check-up this week.  Baby Losavio's heart rate is good, my weight gain is "perfect," my belly is measuring normal, and my blood pressure is good.  Everything is looking great.

So there is our week in review.  I hope that you have been having a good week.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Baby Losavio: 32 Weeks

Wow, 32 weeks.  This week Baby Losavio weighs about 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long.  Since last week, that's a gain of almost half of a pound and more than six inches!  More than six inches in a week!  I think that's incredible.  The baby will gain a third to half of her birth weight over the next seven weeks.  My belly is about to get a lot bigger!
And now for the baby name hint of the week:  Baby Losavio shares her name with a 19th century queen.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

November 27, 2008

This is Joey two years ago today.
It was her first Thanksgiving.
She was nine months old.
Look at those teeth!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Where to Find a Deal

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post five of five.

Where to Find a Deal: 
I do not like to pay full retail.  I don't negotiate for a better price in Target, for instance, but it's important to me to comparison shop and to use coupons when available.  I (heart) Amazon, and often find that I can get great deals there, but K-mart surprisingly has lower prices for many toys.  And the sale/clearance prices at babyGap are almost always lower in store than online, so support your local Gap.  My point is, be an educated consumer.

These daily deal sites offer one baby or maternity product each day until it sells out:
Baby Half Off
Baby Steals

These flash sale sites have limited time boutiques:
Gilt Groupe.  Gilt has children's clothing, toys, and books for limited-time sales at up to 70% off retail.  Keep your eyes open for free shipping promotions, such as for inviting 10 friends to join.  When a friend that you refer makes their first purchase, you get a $25 credit.
Zulily.  This flash sale site is geared exclusively toward moms and kids.  Find clothing, shoes, toys, etc. for a fraction of retail value.  Refer your friends and get a $10 credit when they make their first purchase.

Coupons:
Ebates.  Sign up for Ebates.  Before you visit a website to shop or make a purchase, access the site via Ebates.  You will earn back a percentage of your purchase.  Ebates is also a reliable source for online coupons.
RetailMeNot  Before you make a purchase online, check RetailMeNot for coupon codes.  I also check this site whenever I order pizza.  Because I do order pizza online.  The Domino's Pizza Tracker makes me happy.

I like to enter giveaways.  I've even won a few things.  Here are my favorite bloggers who like to give things away on a regular basis:
Feisty Frugal and Fabulous
Freebies for Mom
Melissa & Doug
Mompetition

These bloggers find deals and share them:
Baby Cheapskate keeps track of hot deals for baby necessities, toys, etc. 
Birmingham Bargain Mom
The Budget Mommy
Hip2Save

What are your secrets for scoring great deals?

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital

Sticker Face

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