1. A 5th generation iPod Nano. This is a cop out since technically I already have it. Damon bought it for me back in September as an early birthday gift. I love it because it has a small video camera. I just need to learn how to convert the files to something I can work with. (Of course, I would take this protective case for it, since they finally seem to have some on the market.)

2. The Nikon 35mm lens I have been wishing for. I learned that a 50 mm lens that works with my camera is really expensive. But a 35 mm prime lens is cheaper and just as good.

3. Wii Fit Plus – I have the Wii, I have the Wii Fit, why not add Wii Plus?

4. This Kodak printer because our printer has problems and I want a cheap way to print some photos at home.

5. An all expense trip to Blissdom, including being able to take Damon and the boys, who would love hanging out at the Opryland Hotel. There is a boat ride in the hotel! Fuller would love it!

6. I would love an eye-fi card for my camera. I got to see it in action at Type A Mom Conference when I saw Rick Bucich (from Tiny Prints) using one. He was really great about explaining how it worked and it made me want one a lot!

7. The latest version of photoshop so I can really know what all those photoshop tutorials are talking about.

8. I have a crush on Burberry. Some women like Coach. I like Burberry. It’s the plaid. I want this purse. (See, I said some were outlandish.)

9. I think our family could use a Netbook for travel. Love my laptop, but traveling with it and the baby stuff and the camera is a bit much.

10. Someone should send me (and my family, I guess) to Hawaii. I want to photograph volcanoes, coffee plantations, and surfers. Anyone want to send us? We love to travel!

11. (Ok, this is a bonus.) I would love some of these photo mailers.

So there it is. The “what I want for turning 33″ top ten. Want to see other Top Ten lists? Check out OhAmanda for the linky!

Technorati Tags: top ten Tuesday, birthday gifts, digital photography, eye-fi, Nikon, Blissdom

Yesterday was Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s. Our family made sure to be there for our free ice cream. We went last year and it will probably become a family tradition.

When I was taking the kids downtown (with visions of ice cream in my head), Damon called to let me know the deli across the street from his office would be opening today. And because of this, they were having their rehearsal and all the food was free. Everything from bottled water to the desserts and all the sandwiches in between were free. So, before we were enjoying free ice cream, we were enjoying a family meal at Chattanooga’s new Sweet Peppers Deli.

We didn’t go overboard and order one of everything (though based on how nice the staff was, I think we could have), but ordered as if we were paying and ended up with about $25 worth of lunch all for free. The food was good, the service was attentive, and the deli itself was very nice. I have a feeling we will be paying for lunch there some time in the future.

So, we all left the house today, despite the frigid temperatures. (According to my weather widget, we are one degree above freezing right now.) We had to gather some things for a project of Damon’s, and then there was the trip to Wal-Mart where we returned things and bought things.

Getting out of Wal-Mart was terrible. We had the slowest cashier I have ever seen. And it seemed as if she didn’t know how to operate the counter to keep it moving as she bagged the groceries. As I was standing in line, I had to wonder because she had a “ten year” ribbon on her name tag. I didn’t complain, but she did offer an explanation- she was from automotive where they only use scan guns and don’t have conveyor belts on the counters. Wal-Mart was so busy they had pulled cashiers from other departments, and we scored one from automotive.

It made me realize that as a stay at home mom who has a lot more say about when I can do shopping, I should really make it a resolution to not do any grocery shopping on Saturdays. And if we didn’t need dog food, I probably would have been able to stay home all day.

I hope tomorrow is restful, because we have a really busy week ahead of us.

It is hard to keep resting when I know there are so many things I have to do tomorrow. Most of the chores are in the house kind of stuff, but looking at this fridge makes me think a trip to the grocery store is definitely on the to do list.

A lot of photography websites I visit are covering all kinds of photo related gifts and greetings for this time of year. And they all have amazing advice on how to get the perfect family/ children pictures to show off in all kinds of ways.

Our family hasn’t been that great at sending out holiday cards mainly because I always feel like it requires a photo of some sort and we get lazy or busy with other holiday related items. Last year I managed to pull off a Photo Calendar to give away, but I did everything by hand- photo editing, layout, printing, and even binding the twelve pictures into my gift.

This year, if I decide to do it again, I plan on getting some printing help. Vistaprint is one of many websites that offer items like photo calendars and cards you can personalize with your own pictures. And if I act quickly and order now, they are 50% off. Man, checking out the website makes me really, really wish I had used Vistaprint last year.

Vistaprint also has an excellent variety of photo card templates to choose from, including my favorite form- the postcard. The ease and cost of getting 100 postcards is very affordable. And as a bonus, if a little more, they will mail the cards for you, which just makes me wonder where my address book is.

Are you sending out a holiday card or putting together a photo related gift? Let me know, I’m still mulling it over.

[tags]Vista Print, photo calendar, photo card, seasons greetings, greeting cards/tags]

And I have been sending people the link to our family’s wishlist.

You might wonder why we don’t register or keep a running Amazon list of the things we want/ need. And the answer goes back to when Damon and I were engaged and planning our wedding.

We registered here in Chattanooga in two stores (Target and Linens ‘n Things). But the problem was those two stores did not yet exist in Montgomery, Alabama, where Damon’s family was and where there was going to be a shower for us. So we had to take a trip down there and register in two stores they did have (and no, they were not in Chattanooga yet). We had a really difficult time deciding on a “china” pattern and then finding it at a store in Montgomery as well. When we found a store that carried it, we registered not knowing that around the time of our shower/ wedding, the store would be going out of business.

Basically, registering was a nightmare. And this was in the infancy of the internet, so we couldn’t just tell people to go order their gifts online.

I also always had a little bit of a problem with registries (online and off) in general. I just felt like it was me telling people where to shop (why I don’t like Amazon wishlists). And it didn’t give people the chance to find a better deal somewhere else.

Which is why our family prefers websites like wishlist.com. I can just put items on the list and people can reserve them and then really, purchase them wherever. And not all websites have wishlists and it can get hard to keep track of all the websites where you keep running wishlists.

With wishlist.com I have a shortcut on my browser and when I run across something I might like, I just click the shortcut and the item gets added to our wishlist. I can then divide the wishlist into sub-lists, one for me, one for Fuller, one for Damon, and one for Baby Two.

This isn’t a sponsored post, I get nothing from wishlist.com for pimping their services. But in a way, I might get something because at least now you know where to go to find out what I want, right?

Technorati Tags: wishlist, wishlist.com, registries

So today, I checked out the Bella Bands online. This is a band of fabric used to help keep pants up, and possibly let pregnant women wear non-maternity pants longer. I have several pairs of pants that fit my legs, but when they get to my belly, they just don’t really stay up.

I actually had a bella band in an online shopping cart, but I decided to go ahead and see if the Motherhood store at the mall had any. They carry their own version, the tummy sleeve. I tried on the plus size one and it was too big. So I went down a size and it was perfect. Not only did it keep my pants up all day, it helps keep my belly covered when my shirts don’t really do the job.

And now that I have this quick $15 fix, I might be able to bring back some of my pre-maternity things and expand my wardrobe even more.

*I prefer the men’s section for sleep pants. I finally have a pair of PJs that fit and keep me warm.

When it comes to the culture of motherhood, there was a subculture I was really unaware of until soon before Fuller’s birth. The consignment sale.

I knew what a consignment store was, and I thought the “sale” was just an extension of the store. Man was I wrong. It is kind of like a traveling circus, with mothers trying to make a buck, and people being overprotective of their steals and deals. Generally the sales would last a few days and on the last day almost everything would be 50% off.

As my days as a mother gained in number, so did the number of consignment sales in our area. I would hear about them from various friends or on some email lists. And I always felt like there was an underlying urgency where if there was a sale, you must go to it. This always bothered me because I seem to prefer to shop when I have a need, not an obligation. I went to one sale when Fuller was barely classified as a toddler and wasn’t really impressed with the prices and the line to get out the door. I preferred the thrift store, honestly.

So if I turned down invitations to attend sales or “pre-sales” I always felt like I was turning away from some sort of motherhood ritual I should relish.

Well, this week I intentionally went to a consignment sale. I had actual needs the thrift store wasn’t meeting. And paying full price for some of these things was beyond my comprehension, when I knew I could find them cheaper.

I attended the Just Between Friends sale at Camp Jordan Arena. I had a need for Fall/ Winter maternity clothes, some long sleeved stuff for Fuller, and I knew I would be able to score a Baby Bjorn for way below the $80 price tag at Babies R Expensive Us.

I went on Monday morning, after a budget discussion with Damon, and was shocked to see exactly how big the sale was. It filled the arena. But since it was the first full day of the sale, there was barely anyone there. I was able to have Fuller follow me around and not feel like he would get lost in a sea of people. I immediately found a Baby Bjorn for $15, several maternity tops (as seen above- a little big, but it works!), one pair of pants, and several nice long sleeved shirts for Fuller. AND I stayed within budget, so I felt fulfilled.

This doesn’t convert me to consignment sale BFF status, but I’m happy they are around so when I have a need, I can check them out and save some money.

Technorati Tags: consignment sales, Just Between Friends, shopping

This time it is all about me, me, me! I don’t have to worry about packing enough boxer briefs, pull-ups, and where the heck is Damon’s black belt? I am even dumping everything out of my toiletry bag and only putting in things I will use. I only need one travel toothbrush, there is no need for kid’s Triamenic, and I don’t use the Old Spice travel deodorant (but I do use deodorant!). It makes me a bit giddy.

I went ahead and bought a new suitcase yesterday. The one I have been using is more like a duffle bag and there was a hole on the end near the wheels. Well, as time marches on, the hole got bigger. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if I was just throwing the bag into the car and going. But since I am putting my suitcase (and the contents) in the hands of baggage handlers and maybe some TSA agents, I decided I needed a new suitcase.

I headed over to TJ Maxx yesterday and found a rust colored one (almost orange!) for $30. Originally it was $200. Seems like a deal to me!

Now, to really get things moving, I have to actually put some clothes and stuff in it.

Off to pack!

Technorati Tags: packing, traveling, Izeafest08, TJ Maxx

Going through the maternity clothes actually helps me save some money right now, since I see these clothes as an almost “new” wardrobe. Granted, as a stay at home mom, I don’t need business attire, and I am accustomed to wearing the same thing at least two days in a row, just because I know Fuller doesn’t care what I look like.

But my upcoming trip to Orlando for Izeafest has me eyeing the online plus size maternity stores. I’m frustrated to see the options in plus sized maternity clothes. The selection is very limited and the prices are more than I can afford. And I really want to fight the frump, since I am sporting the baby bump.

Dresses from Old Navy look cheap and overpriced. Motherhood Maternity also has the same problem, with a crappy selection and items that make me think I would look like Bozo the clown.

And while I am thinking about Old Navy, I’m a bit pissed at them. I am very comfortable in admitting I am a plus sized pregnant chick. I am fine with having a 1 in front of the X in my clothing size. But Old Navy has decided to vanity size and all the 1X clothing I bought from them is TOO BIG. And the sad thing is, I need to keep it because before this kid is born, I know I will be able to fit into them.

I need clothes that FIT, look good, and fit within my five cent budget. Anyone know where I can find a brown paper bag in a 1X Maternity?