Frugal Friday

For more Frugal Friday tips and ideas, please visit Life as Mom.

Ok, so my Frugal Friday tip is about high chairs. For the last few weeks I have been putting off buying a high chair. I had been feeding Shelby while she sat in her BUMBO seat but recently she figured out how to use her feet to flip it over so that is no longer a safe option.

So it was time to give in and buy one. When I went to Walmart they had three different high chairs. The first was ~$30 and I just wasn't happy with it...too cheap looking and ugly, besides I do want some of the bells and whistles! The next one was ~$60 and then there was one more ~$90. I liked the $60 one but was not prepared to spend that much without looking around. So I tried a few resale shops who had some used ones but they were priced so highly that I might as well buy the new one!
Anyway, so this past weekend on the way to visit my family Jason and I stopped in the Fredericksburg Walmart for a pit stop. While we were there I decided to run back to the baby section and see if they had a different high chair selection than our local Walmart. What did I find you ask? THE $60 HIGH CHAIR ON CLEARANCE FOR $25!!! No Way! I thought it was too good to be true that maybe there were parts missing or that it would collapse on Shelby, you know something tragic. But the box had never been opened and when I asked the checker she told me that typically things are marked down like that when they are getting a shipment in of a new product. What a lucky find!
So after the fiasco of setting the stupid thing up I finally got to try it out and you know what? It works just as well as if I had spend $100. The seat cover is vinyl and easy to wipe down and the tray has a plastic removable tray on top of it that I can pop off and throw in the sink to wash.
Below is a picture and the info about the high chair taken from the Walmart website.

$68.98 Evenflo - Expressions High Chair, Bergen

And here is the $25 high chair. Same thing (Except for the pattern) but a whole lot cheaper.

So my tip is this Friday is to always shop around when making a big purchase. Whether you decide to look in a few Goodwill's, resale shops, Craigslist, or Ebay it's always a good idea. I have found some deals on Craigslist that truly seemed "To Good to Be True".
I'd love to hear about any of your great finds!

Remembering 9/11/2001

8 years ago today our nation suffered a horrendous tragedy in which 2,993 people lost their lives. I will forever remember September 11th 2001. I will always remember where I was and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that overcame me. My knees were weak and my eyes wet. As I searched for a tribute video to share I was forced to re-live the day in my mind. I was brought to tears. I can't begin imagine what the families who lost loved ones in the attack must be going through today; they have been in my thoughts and prayers all day. Please watch this tribute video and NEVER FORGET.

Thursday Thirteen

Header from samulli
To read or participate in TT then head over here

The following are thirteen things that I want to teach Shelby or to have someone teach her.

1. To love the Lord

2. To have a kind spirit

3.To play the guitar

4. To play the piano

5. To hunt/fish

6. To swim

7. To drive

8. To cook

9. To ride horses

10. To be a giving person

11. To be a hard worker

12. To be organized

13. To be able to wisely manage her finances

All photos courtesy of Flickr.

Tangled up in Trouble

My Girl

Tackle it Tuesday

To read or participate in Tackle it Tuesday then head over here

Tackle it Tuesday is another meme I will be starting. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures in sifting through clutter and other such undertakings.
So today I tackled the mess that is my daughter's room. Her room is undoubtedly the catch all room. When guests are about to arrive, what do it do? I make a sweep through the house and whatever my arms can hold gets dumped into her room. That must change and to start the process I cleaned and organized her entire room.

Before Pictures

This is our office area.

When I am too lazy to wrap up the vacuum cord and put it in the hall closet I just wheel it in Shelby's room where it sits until the next time I feel compelled to use it.

Extra diapers thrown on the floor, the laundry pile exploded, and other various things strewn everywhere.

Shelby snacking on Cheerios and happy just to watch me work.

The closet

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

After Pictures

I know it doesn't look all that nice but it's better than before. See that stack of books under the desk? Those are all old college text books in the process of being sold online. I will be glad to get those out of my hair.

Like the curtains? I found them at Walmart for under $20. I think they look great and I love the butterfly tie backs! (The curtains were not part of T it T. I hung them a while back.)

Here is Shelby's stero on which I play calming music for her at bedtime. Also there is her antique toy chest that was a gift from her great grandparents.

A close up of the antique toy chest.

Her crib and Jason's guitars are stored underneath because I have no where else to store them.

Crib

The bookshelf and dresser which now has neatly folded appropriatly sized clothing in it. I sorted through it and pulled out all the clothes Shelby has grown out of.

The bookshelf

The dresser

The changing table

A shelf for keepsakes

Another shelf

Here are Shelby's feet and hand prints at 6 months.

The closet

I filled the toy wagon with stuffed animals to use as a decoration.

Well, that was by big project today. I am very happy with how it turned out. Now I have no reason to hate being in her room. I now have room to throw a blanket and a few pillows on the floor and read books to Shelby. I just need to resist the urge to continue using the room as a junk yard!