Who are you?

I usually only post deals and specials in the area, but after a run-in I had today with some not nice people I feel compelled to get this off my small chest.

I made the giant enormous mistake of going to the post office with all three of my kids at meltdown time (4-5 pm) when there was a line to mail some boxes. I know, this is a cardinal mistake of giant proportions. My little ones were acting like normal children in line at the post office. Not great, not really that bad.

When the seemingly nice woman in front of me says . . .
"You should call Nanny 911"
I laugh and say, "They really aren't that bad"
This is me trying to give her a chance to make it into a joke.
She then says, "Well, my children always stand in line beside me." (note her children were NOT with her)
I then say, "Again, they are really not being that bad. They are just out of school and really not interested in being at the post office." -note this was said in a slightly raised and very agitated voice.
The people behind me in line commented to me about how rude the woman was.

This whole event left me very irritated for the rest of the afternoon. I would never presume to tell someone I did not know how their children should be behaving. Then my brain stated working in overtime and led me to write out this post. . .

I don't know where we as a society came up with the notion that we all have to be perfect all the time. I certainly am not.

We all put on facades and masks and talk a good game, but when it gets down to the core we all struggle with the same basic issue. Some of us are just still willing to admit that we are not the perfect cookie cutter person.

There is the mom who is perfect, never gets flustered, never gets mad, always LOVES her children being with her. Well frankly, these people only serve to make me feel like they must think that I somehow don't love my children and there is something wrong with me because I need a break and find it easier sometimes to do things with out my kids with me.

But really any mom who says these things is totally just covering for herself. And face it, if you are never just in over your head then you are not really in it. The most perfect, most loving mothers that I know get frustrated. Even the most religious people I know get frustrated. It is okay to not be able to do it all. The mom who wants you to think that it is easy and that she always has it together is hiding something. We are all supposed to have moments where we feel like we are in over our heads.

And often you find the mother whose child is "perfect". And I don't mean perfect in the way that we all think our children are, but I mean perfect in the kind that no other child on earth could possibly do anything better that hers in every possible way. These are easy to spot because whenever you are talking about your children hers are never at fault in anything and are always perfectly behaved and your child must be the one causing the problem.

Again, this is not realistic. While our children are great, they all do stuff they are not supposed to. How else are they going to learn what they can and can't do? I have to have a way to correct a undesirable action with something desirable. To teach what is appropriate to say, I need the situation to prove what is right and acceptable.

Kids need to be kids. They need to play, they need to run, they need to explore the world from their perspective and try things out. If your child is one of the perfect ones than that must be great for you.

But mine are not. I love them to pieces and they really are good kids. I love watching them learn and explore new things. I love when they fall and get back up because they know they are okay and want to keep going. I love when they want me to sit and hold them. I love the fact that all three of my kids are super active and keep moving constantly unless they are asleep, in fact I prefer that they be that way instead of just wanting to sit quietly and play all the time. I love that when I ask them if they know Mommy loves them and they laugh and say "Yes" and I will ask who told them and they say "You did Mommy." I love when they "need me".

But I also know that I need a moment to myself. I need time to process silence. It makes me a better mommy to get a break from my kids and to think through things of the day. Taking a mommy break is totally fine. It is okay to say you need a break from your kids. Admit it. Free yourself from the thought that you have to want to be with them all the time. Tell your friends, they all feel it too. If they say they don't, they aren't being totally honest with you.

I just want to meet real moms, who don't have it all together, who need a break, love their kids to pieces, love their husbands, but are still willing to admit they can't always do it all.
I know I can't.

I would love to hear your comments and thoughts. And please know that you are in great company if you are a "normal" person like me :)

Lifting thoughts & prayers

Just putting out there my prayers for the families and students touched by the events at Virginia Tech. Praying for them as they seek comfort, security and peace after such an event.

The Food list has been updated!

okay. i have gotten a few new restaurants to update the free eating list. please keep sending me new ones to get the list the most accurate that it can be!

i live for free food :)
well . . . not really but i really like to not pay for kids meals.

please please please

if you have any new restaurant information - please post it for me! i need to update the list!

Consignment Sale time again

There are 2 wonderful times of the year where you can get some really great children's clothes for some really great prices. And lots of them are barely worn! You can score some major deals on infant clothes, since they are worn so little and little girls clothes too. Girls seem to have more clothes than boys and are generally not as rough in the wearing. So the selection for them is much better than for boys. For my boys I usually only look for church pants or for sweaters or sweater vests and maybe a polo type shirt or two. T-shirts - fade, shrink, and for what I would have to pay for a used one I may as well just go buy them a new one at the store. It will fit and not be faded. Another tip on dresses and shirts - depending on the brand buy a size up from what you would buy new. Other people dry on high and lots of the clothes have shrunk a good bit. But don't take this for gospel, use your best judgement and estimate to figure out if it will fit your little one.

Consignment sales are great for books and toys too. What someone else is done with you can add to your collection. Baby items like strollers, cribs, exersaucers, highchairs, etc are there too. These can be a great find. Personally I would NOT buy a used carseat. No matter how old it is. I am too paranoid about safety and would rather make sure my children are in a safe seat that I know has never been in an accident.


The biggest tip I would offer is try to get into a presale cause really the best stuff goes during the pre-sale. The best clothes, the best prices, etc. The best stuff. You can get in through consigning your outgrown stuff or through volunteering at the sale. If you have young children under 3 it could be well worth it.

To find a listing of ALL the sales in the area listed by area, date, etc visit these websites:
The Bargain Watcher
Atlanta parent usually runs a spread about the sales too with a date list.

Good luck and happy shopping.

And if you see my shopping just make sure I get to the right rows first!

:)
Super shopping mommy

I'm famous . . . well not really :)

I was recently interviewed for an article regarding bargain shopping and moms with blogs. The website it is for is called momseasychair.com. They are a website for moms that "nurtures the female identity while celebrating parenting . . ." Well anyway, here is the link to the article.

Moms Easy Chair - Article with my name in it!

So take the time to stop by and read it. And if you have any other topics you would specifically like to see covered let me know.

Upcoming plans are for . . . personal shapshot printing, consignment sales, summer camps, bible schools, etc. . . .

Ginny

A quick review of picture places

As a busy mom of three kids and one who did the baby plans for them all. And as the serious shopper that I am I tried out LOTS of places.

First of all let me say as the budget permits, professional portraits are totally worth it in my opinion. You will be more likely to get a customized session geared towards exactly what you like and want on your schedule and timetable. Even if you are only buying them for yourself and let your family order what they want too. And I do give the prints as gifts to family sometimes too. Remember you will not get the same experience at the chains that you do from a professional photographer operating independently. At these places you are more likely to get a standard set of poses and shots that are done each time you visit with little to no variation.

For the general gratuitous picture to hand to Great-Aunt Sally I am a totally cool with the trip to the "chain" photography studio. Just keep in mind that you are more likely to get the standard posing and sometimes super cheesy backdrops and props. So here are my tips on how to do better at these places and which ones to go to.

General Tips for Chain Studios

1. If you want just the package, stick to your guns. Don't get sucked into purchasing additional things you don't need. It will increase your bottom line and likely be regretted later. To help with this I don't like most props. I am okay with white benches, or chairs, but keep the teddy bear that does not belong to me out of it. When my kids ask in 10 years where the bear is I don't want to have to say, it's not your bear they had it at the place. I would prefer things like that to belong to my kids and have meaning. So I avoid props until I see a pose I can deal with for my package and then let them use props and backgrounds I don't like to finish the session.
2. Generally they have to take 4-6 shots at least to show you at the end to select from. I was always a big fan of basic - black or white as this did not detract from my children and they were what I wanted to see in the picture. I always took mine in pretty simple clothing too. Tell them upfront what you want and if they say they have to do other things tell them you won't be buying the picture that has your child at the fake beach or with the pretend Santa behind them. Generally they will concede and do what you ask. I do the same thing when it comes to props. This aggravates them too since they have no idea how to change the pose without adding a fake tree.
3. The photographer is a total crap shoot. Just about anyone could get a job at these places. That is not to say that there are not some good people working at the studios but you could end up with joe blow high-schooler looking for a summer job that has no real ability with children and therefore can't manage to get your child's attention. This will be a direct influence on the likelihood of getting any pictures that you like. And yes I have left a session at Penney's and not even bought the package because the "photographer" could not get my child to do anything useful. (and it was not my baby's fault)
4. Always book a session for right when they open either in the morning or right after lunch. These places are notorious for running behind. If you book any later you could end up sitting there for 30 minutes or more just waiting for your turn and that will not be good for your pictures in the end since your children will be SUPER tired of waiting before they even have to have their pictures taken.
5. Never go to any of these place without a coupon or an in store special running. There is always one and you should never pay full price for this.
6. When you go to pick up your pictures and in the envelope for you to consider are all these extras don't buy them unless you really need them. Photo bookmarks may sound great in theory but after you get them home and forget where you put them they might not be worth the $10 you spent on them. Don't get them just because they are there. They are trying to up sell you again.
   
7. Remember everyone's tastes and styles are different and you may have had a great experience at one of these places. I have at some and not at others and yours could be totally opposite, but the principles are true. Just be forewarned that things could not go like you want next time.
   

My Top Rating

Portrait Innovations
They are a nationwide chain but have arguably the best deal. For $9.95 with no sitting fee you get a package of 1 -10x13, 2 - 8x10's, 4 - 5x7's, 4 - 3x5's, and 32 wallets. This is from your favorite pose. And there are restrictions on how often you can use the coupon.
Good variety of backgrounds, traditional props, and seasonal stuff too.

JC Penney
Another chain, in almost every shopping mall around. I have had the best experience with their selection of props and backgrounds. There are always coupons floating around and about half of them have a free sitting fee attached. I generally get the package versus buying sheets and you choose your favorite image from the session for the package. Usually the package runs from $7.99 - $9.99

Target
They get the same rating as Penney's since they are owned by the same company and the prints come out about the same. The coupons for Target are generally better and ALWAYS seem to include a free sitting fee. They have most of the same backgrounds and props as Penney's but often have some different and better ones. Their package deal works the same way, it is from your favorite pose from the session.

2 Star Rating

Sears
Sears received its rating because when I was a member there they had the more cheesy looking props and backgrounds and their package "USED" to be (i am not totally sure if it has changed, so please correct me if i am wrong) from the first accepted pose taken. And yes that says accepted so if this is still the case if you don't like the first picture ask them to take another until you see one that you like. The problem with this policy is generally speaking the first pose is a full body pose. Which might be okay from time to time but chances are you are going to prefer the close-up head shot type picture or at least a picture with a little bit more interest. This is how they upsell the package buyer to order additional sheets at full price. Their package runs about $9.99 and they appear to have some free sitting specials as well.

Picture People
Admittedly they have some really cute props and I love the seamless backgrounds but they are way overpriced for what they are. I would NOT go there without a coupon for something. The perks here are your pictures are printed and ready to take home about an hour after the session. But from my experience that is the only perk. Their coupons range but generally just involve a free 8x10 from your session or some sort of small incentive purchase. One other tip here, don't dwell on the fact that what you don't get goes in the trash. You have NO need for all the pictures and poses in your house. And often you can convince them to give you 2 5x7's instead of the 8x10 if you ask.

Least Favorite

Walmart
There is just something about the fact that the package is SOOO cheap that makes me question it. Their coupons ranges in price seasonally, meaning around holidays they are more and when they are slower they are less. Right now the local coupon on the website is $5.88 for the package. There are no session fees here either. They also "Used" to have the rule of the first accepted pose. This may have changed, but I will not go back to find out. Of all the locations, Walmart has the props and backgrounds I like the LEAST. I just don't like them. I don't like the paper quality of the pictures here. I just don't like them. For a couple dollars more I would rather go to Target.

Kiddie Kandids
In case you thought I was going to leave Wal-mart all alone here, I'm not. Kiddie Kandids is located inside Babies R Us. They have a great thing going with all the new mommies shopping and they will come up and ask "if they can practice on your baby" and you will get a free 8x10. They don't have sitting fees either, their prices are less than Picture People, but they are more like a cross between Picture People and Wal-mart. The pictures are printed while you are waiting, but not at a sacrifice. The paper quality is about like it would be if you printed pictures at home on photo paper. It is not heavy paper nor does it feel worth what it costs. They usually have coupons and specials running as well.

Picture-Obsessed Mommy
Ginny

(*Coming next the best places to get your shapshots printed!)

Happy new year!

Hey! Hope you all had a great and happy holidays. (without major incendence of course) I am finally catching my breath after all the craziness of the season and will soon be posting all the stuff that i find coming my way to share with you!

There are all sorts of great things from sales, to camps, and more that happen in the spring. So keep an eye out.

Ginny

Top Toys for 2006

Well besides some of the apparent obvious like the new gaming systems and the ever illusive Elmo TMX here are some of the supposed top toys to be on the look out for this holiday season. I myself am in need of serious help in finding things for my little ones!

A top ten list from about.com includes these.
1. Elmo TMX
2. Fisher Price Digital Camera (my boys are getting these)
3. Barbie My Scene Bling Bling Head
4. Power Rangers Megazoids
5. Lego Mindstorms *great for older kids but $250
6. Speedstacks Stack Pack
7. DigiMakeover
8. Bratx Forever Diamondz
9. Nintendo Wii
10. Butterscotch My Furreal Friends

Other worthwhile and good things.

Zingo - there is a regular version and a superhero version. It is a child's version of bingo. Fun and Easy

Snap 'n Style Dolls - these look like big Polly Pocket type things for toddlers. The clothes snap on and off so they can dress them themselves. Very cute. Different dolls to choose from

Superman Laptop - just too much fun to watch it open when you wave your hand over the top

Gameboy - the best price on these is going to be Black Friday Doorbuster at Circuit City *49.99 - if you know of a better price let me know!

We decided to get the spiffy cute pink costco kitchen this year too. Way cute.

I will probably be updating this post with more stuff. Really this christmas has me stumped for gift giving.

Ginny