Filed under: deals, family, ideas, kids, life, organized, work | Tags: clothes, deals, kids, life, organized, shopping, work
I love shopping. For gifts, for groceries, for clothes, books, toys, shoes, housewares – even for other people!
At least, I used to until I had two kids, a nanny, and a household to manage. I know, I know, it sounds like I’m whining, but I’ve found that I just don’t have the luxury of time anymore. In fact, now that I’m not working full-time and am at home with my kids, it’s even harder because I have to take one or both of them with me. Consequently, I shop quickly, between preschool drop-off and pick-up or on my way to get groceries! The result? I am left guessing at sizes and then having to go back to return or exchange the item. And not just for me, but for the kids and the house, too.
Until now. I have finally succumbed to online shopping. And the best option I have found is the Canadian website for the Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic family of stores.
One-stop shopping for the entire family. You can access all three stores at the same time, in one “shopping bag” and if you subscribe to the stores’ email updates you will receive (albeit, too often) emails announcing special online savings and discounts. Plus, they not only offer free shipping to your home address on orders over $50.00, but they also include a self-addressed, postage-paid label that allows you to return any unwanted, unworn merchandise.
This has revolutionized clothing shopping for my boys! Old Navy is too inconvenient for me to sneak into quickly – at least a 20 minute drive each way, so I now buy what I think will fit the boys, perhaps throw in something cheap and cheerful for myself, and whatever doesn’t fit, goes back. We can try things on at home, calmly, unrushed and (mostly)without argument. In fact, I’ve even let my son choose which swim shorts or t-shirt he wants which means he doesn’t complain about what I picked out for him. Win-win!
In case you’re wondering, I’m not getting paid for this advertisement. But every time I mention it to my savvy, fellow-shopping friends, or other moms on the playground, they are surprised to hear how stress-free and easy the process is.
My next delivery is expected to arrive by June 14th . . .
Filed under: deals, family, ideas, kids, life, organized | Tags: deals, family, ideas, kids, life, organized
Who doesn’t want to be more organized? Sure, there are some people whose homes look like they are permanently “staged” for an open house, but mine is not one of them. And since I had kids, the clutter has taken on a life of its own: clothes, toys, books, puzzles, artwork. But I have found a glimmer of hope!
I’ve always kept the art supplies in buckets, bins, and bags in the desk drawers in our family room so we could pull them out when the creative urge hit us (or, more truthfully, when I needed the boys to stop racing around the kitchen so I could get their lunch ready or clean up the remains of their last meal). The problem was they could get in the drawers and pull things out and each time I would have to re-organize the drawer to fit everything back in. Not clean-up friendly.
Ok, I know. It’s not very exciting to some people, but these containers from IKEA have changed my life. You might have an aversion to IKEA, perhaps bordering on a phobia (like my husband), but trust me, you’ll love these.
The Krus jar comes in 3 sizes, is reasonably priced and each one comes with an easy snap on lid (the kids can do it themselves) plus 2 optional dividers are included which are very handy for corralling those smaller items.
Clutter buster
Despite its name it is not a jar, but a box; they stack neatly and are clear so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Don’t just limit yourself to art supplies – what about small items in the bathroom like band-aids or nail polish or dried goods in the kitchen? Endless possibilities.
mypostcardsfromhome 