Best Dressed Baby (on a budget!)

People constantly ask me where I shop for the baby’s clothes. I’m a little biased, but I’d have to say he is a pretty adorable little model! So…I’ll let you in on my shopping secret. You have to be willing to dig around, get a little dirty, and have the ability to schmooze. (That’s actually a word, by the way. I had to look up the spelling.)

Consignment shops. Consignment sales. Garage sales. Online garage sales. 

{Oh, and Instagram, but that’s not cheap, so I’ll save that for another post.}

That’s it! I got all my good finds digging through bins and bins of baby clothes.

Now, I was pregnant during the summer, so I had way too much time on my hands to get my little October baby’s closet prepped. Garage sales are probably the most work because they’re so hit or miss. I had plenty of misses. But, you might end up hitting the jackpot like I did when I pulled up to what I can only describe as some sort of mansion just after the sun came up on a Friday morning. (This is the BEST time to go, by the way.) There were rows of untouched bins of baby boy clothes. “Oh, he never even wore half of these!” admitted the mom, who looked like a clothing designer herself. Score!

Consignment shops and consignment sales are a little easier to navigate. You’ve got enough of a selection here to know you’ll find something in the size you need, and they usually have quality standards, so everything will be in good condition. 

Of course, load up on the Dreft and wash it all once or twice when you get home! I bought lots of different sizes and spent at least a week sorting everything into plastic bins, washing and folding neatly so it would be ready to go when baby needed it. (Boy, am I glad I did that before the baby arrived! People warned me I wouldn’t have this kind of time on my hands ever again, and they were totally right.)

This upcoming weekend is huge for consignment sales in our area. They’re bringing out the spring & summer gear just in time for the season change over. The tricky part is the competition factor. (If you’re like me, though, that’s what makes it so thrilling!) Every mama within a 30 mile radius with an interest in a bargain will be at these sales.

Want a head start? Enter to win 2 presale passes to the KTNS sale. Where’s your favorite thrifty spot?

Kids' Exchange Consignment Sale

April 29th

9:00-12:30 SALE OPEN
12:30-1:00 SALE CLOSED
1:00-3:00 HALF-PRICE SALE

This shopping blockbuster features over 20,000 new and gently-used items, including: maternity; kids' clothing sizes 0-16; toys & games; books; DVDs and gaming; play kitchens and train tables; sports gear; room decor; cribs & strollers; baby gear and furniture; and LOTS more! Free admission, free all-you-can-bounce, free face painting and pony rides. The sale is cash only. Visit the website at exchangesale.org for all sale information. Sale proceeds benefit non-profit organizations.

Easter Bunny Roundup

Tis the season for chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and of course…the bunny himself! Here’s a roundup of a few places you and the littles can meet up with The Easter Bunny in our region.

Moreau Lake State Park

Applebees

Dine with the bunny to benefit the March of Dimes! The first 100 kids get an Easter book.

Tickets are $7 per person. Contact the foundation for reservations. [email protected]

Wiggle Worms Playland

April 8th 10:30-11:30

Meet The Easter bunny and enjoy juice, muffins and story time!

Cost is $9 per child and includes all day admission to playland. (1/2 price for members)

Registration required 761-0000

Brunch with Bunny at Liberty Ridge Farm

This one’s a little bit of a drive, but worth mentioning because it looks like so much fun if you want to make a day of it! You couldn’t ask for a better backdrop- Liberty Ridge is beautiful. This includes food, bunny, visit with baby animals, and egg hunt.

April 15th, registration required, cost for brunch is $26.95 per person, children under 2 are free. Extra fee for pony rides ($5 cash) and mimosas. (Yes, please.) No strollers on the farm, so be sure to bring those baby carriers.

Glens Falls Farmer’s Market

The bunny will be on hand for pictures while kids create Easter crafts at the Farmer’s Market on April 8th. Stop by April 15th for an egg hunt. All activities are free!

Where’s your favorite local spot to grab a picture with the bunny?

5 Reasons to be More Like a South High Marathon Dancer

If you live in our community and haven’t heard of the South High Marathon Dance…well…I’m not sure that’s possible. Just in case it’s your first time reading about this event, let me start out with a little background info.

Basically, every year for the last 39 years, local high school students worked to raise money for our community. (Not just South Glens Falls, but all the surrounding areas as well. Chances are, if you haven’t been impacted by this dance, you know someone who has, even if you don’t live in SGF.) In 2016, they raised over $760,000. Yes, that’s 3 zeros after the comma. Whatever you’re picturing when you read about 800 kids dancing for 28 hours straight, this is better.

Yes, there’s sweat. Yes, they’re tired. But this dance isn’t just about overcoming exhaustion. In fact, this isn’t something one can describe with words.

Truly, the dance is a feeling. A spirit. A movement. You have to be there to feel its heartbeat. Pictures, words, numbers- they don’t speak to the magnitude of this thing. The kids are pouring their souls into showing spirit, however difficult it may be at 3 in the morning, to show solidarity and support for local people in need. To get an idea of what I’m talking about, check out the 2017 promo video.

Let’s stop to think about the magnitude for a minute. These are teenagers. They are the embodiment of all the qualities we hope our children will show someday. They are not only role models for younger children, but also for us as adults! In a world where bullying and negativity about youth plague the news every day, here’s an example of a group of young people working tirelessly to raise money and lift the spirits of others.

I was a dancer myself, and I return to the dance each year in whatever capacity I can. Each year I tell my fifth-grade students how lucky they are to have the opportunity to participate in this event when they get to high school. I talk to them about how we can carry the feeling of community into our everyday lives. How can we be more like the dancers? What are they teaching us about how to move forward after this event? Adults and kids alike can learn from the dancers. Here are 5 ways to be more like a marathon dancer:

1. Give everyone a hug or a high five.

When you arrive at the dance, you’ll notice a lot of hugging and high-fiving. Tons of smiles are being thrown around, and you’ll probably hear some random cheering in the hallways. If you look really closely at what’s happening, you realize what they’re doing is spreading the spirit…with everyone. The kids genuinely want everyone at the dance- visitors, other dancers, recipients, to feel good.

They have a heightened awareness that their actions are contagious, and they choose to spread kindness and love.

We could mimic this in our own lives! When you’re feeling good, smile at someone. When you think of a compliment, say it out loud. You never know what someone else is going through. You never know what one small gesture could mean.

2. Just keep dancing! (Even when times are tough.)

Remember your last all-nighter? Well, these kids stay up from when they start the school day Friday morning at 8 until Saturday at 11pm when they finally arrive home and collapse on the bed. They’re also moving nearly the entire time from when the dance starts Friday evening until when it stops Saturday night.

As a dancer, the worst time for me wasn’t during the night. I still had adrenaline running through my veins during the night. For me, the most difficult part was Saturday, late morning. The rush from the excitement of being at the dance had worn off, my legs had gone numb, and I couldn’t quite muster that SHMD spirit. 

Every dancer probably has some negative thoughts and wonders how they’ll keep going, but somehow they do. Maybe they catch a glance of a recipient, or maybe they see a younger student watching them, dreaming about someday when they’ll get the chance to dance. Somehow they summon the strength to push on through that rough patch, and don’t we all need to do this at one time or another? We can learn from their determination.

3. Work, work, work.

The kids don’t start working on Friday night of the dance. Their efforts begin months, sometimes the entire year, before the dance begins. Students collect bottles, make phone calls, save coins, plan fundraising events, sell baked goods, etc. Whatever they can think of to contribute to the dance, they do it. No one has to remind them. They are a group of motivated youth putting in the time and effort to benefit someone else. 

I happen to absolutely love my job, but there are days when even I wish I could hit the snooze button. (Though my newborn doesn’t always let me do that!) Next time you’re tempted to grumble about extra work, think like a marathoner. You’ve got to keep working, even when the goal is long term. Keep working even when there’s not going to be any gratification today. These little steps and small contributions on the days when you aren’t in the mood are the ones that make a difference in the end.

4. Put others first.

The dancers have one main motivation for all this hard work and dedication: The recipients. They know to smile and say hello to anyone in a yellow shirt because that person has been selected as a person in need. But beyond treating the recipients with respect, the students treat the visitors to the dance, the alumni, and each other with respect. There’s a feeling that we’re all on the same team, and of course, we are.

Every day I urge you to consider what you might have in common with those around you. Smile at one another, open the door for someone, encourage someone, spread a positive vibe. We all need to feel supported and welcomed, and we can use these small gestures to help others feel the same.

5. Have a passion.

The first 4 reasons to be more like a dancer are driven by the passion these kids have for working toward a common goal. If we carry that same passion to use to push us toward our goals in life and toward helping others, the world will be more like SHMD.

So dancers, kids, adults- let’s remember the spirit of this dance, the way it makes all of us feel, and let’s carry that into our community every day. Let’s remember to always be considerate of one another, knowing at any time we could be the ones in need of support. 

To support the dance, please visit www.shmd.org to donate.

If you can’t visit the dance, tune in to the site to see it streaming live March 3rd and 4th. Here’s the schedule of events. The best time for kids to watch the dance is during the costume parties, and of course you won’t want to miss the ending when the recipients speak and the grand total is announced. 

Have you had a positive experience with a dancer? Use the contact form below to share! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this amazing event.

Photo credits: www.shmd.org and Karrie Cook

Amazon Prime Valentines (That make you look like a total Pinterest Mom)

Remember Valentine’s Day as a kid? Your mom probably sent you to school with 24 character valentines in that little cardboard box. You’d write a name on each one, fold it in half on the perforated line, and stick it closed with the heart stickers included. If you were really lucky, your mom would splurge for the ones with a lollipop, and all your classmates would get super pumped when you put a heavy valentine in the handmade mailbox.

Nowadays, the stakes are higher. You see one of your friends posting on Facebook about the valentines she’s starting to craft 2 weeks beforehand. It involves baking, glitter, a Cricut machine, and a full page photo cutout of her kid holding said baked good. You look at the calendar. CRAP. It’s February 10th. You start to tell the kids to get ready to head out to the store when it hits you. AMAZON PRIME. You can stay in your PJs AND still craft a valentine like one of those Pinterest moms!

I realize using Amazon Prime isn’t exactly as great as supporting local small businesses, but sometimes we have to allow for a little two-day shipping in our lives. And…I do get a little commission from Amazon if you use my links, so I guess you could say part of your purchase goes to support a local family. Not to worry. I have another post planned with more local valentine ideas for those of you who would like to step up the Vday game and are also willing to leave the house. 

Each of these Valentines have only two steps:

Step One: Click BUY IT NOW.

Step Two: Click PRINT.

Before we start, here are some extras you might need to add to your Amazon cart to jazz up any of these valentines. The Washi tape is the best because you can simply stick the gift to the printed card, and it’s done!

 

I’ve got my eyes on you!

You know every kid is going to be walking around the classroom with these on after these fun valentines are handed out. It’ll be the perfect photo op! Simply buy, print, and assemble. Sadly, the heart shape won’t ship in 2 days, but the 80s style are just as fun!

Free printable card here!

I hope your Valentine’s Day packs a punch!

Who doesn’t love the ol’ punch balloon? Forget the candy! If I was a kid, this would be my favorite valentine. Who am I kidding? This would be my favorite as an adult too. It’s very therapeutic.

Buy balloons here and they’ll be at your doorstep in two days. You may want some clear party bags as well.

Print the adorable card here.

I’m wild about you!

Remember tearing through those paper Valentines looking for the best stuff that came with them? Might as well give the kids something they’ll save! The flinging lizards would be a sure hit. By the way, I don’t think these are only boy valentines. Girls like stretchy creatures too!

Print the Valentines here- 3 styles to choose from!

Hope you have a colorful Valentine’s Day!

This could be used with crayons, highlighters, gel pens, whatever! You could tie up a few with twine or put the whole thing in a bag and top with this card. Here’s the printable!

 

I’m crazy for you, Valentine!

Crazy straws are the BEST. Here’s your printable from Ginger Snap Crafts.

You’re the balm!

The girls will go crazy for this one or this one! It’s cute and useful, especially in February in upstate, NY. If you get the tube chapstick, stick it onto the printable with Washi tape!

Hope your Valentine’s Day is a ball!

Trust me, the teacher will love you for this one. 😉 Print the topper here.

Simple and meaningful tradition

My mom is so thoughtful. She used to wrap up a little something for me to open the morning of Valentine’s Day. It was usually a cute pair of pjs with hearts all over, and I always loved that tradition! As I was on the hunt for Amazon Prime valentines, I got sidetracked looking at a few cute traditions for Vday and thought I’d share! Isn’t this SO sweet? 

I know. I totally have to do this. Here. Add the supplies to your cart while you’re at it:

 

Hope this helps save you a few bucks, a trip to the store, and also scores you points with the little ones. Have any other ideas for quick and easy Prime valentines? Send ’em our way! 

Easy Valentine Ideas Guys Will Love

I admit, I was much more creative with gifts for the hubby in past years. Now I’m busy planning the baby’s outfit and photoshoot for Valentine’s Day, and I need something quick to let him know he still has a spot in my heart even though I’m pretty obsessed with the newest little Valentine in my life.

Here are three ways to win your guy’s heart this Valentine’s Day: 1. Beer. 2. Food. 3. Socks. (How do they get holes in those things SO quickly?) And the best part is…you can find each of these things locally, which means you can show some love for our community at the same time!

Up first, BEER.

We are beer connoisseurs in this house, so I know I can never go wrong if I pick up a good brew like this one from Argyle Brewing Co. (And they were super sweet when we showed up with a baby in tow.) We have plenty of options for good beer locally, and this crafty (pun intended) Valentine couldn’t get any easier to make! 

Print these beer-themed Valentines and stick them to your beer bottle or growler. You could print with a home printer and use tape or a glue stick to attach them over the existing label, or if you want to get really fancy, print them on actual labels to stick on the bottle. 

{Like the shelf in the background? Shout out to Adirondack Upcycled for that beauty.}

Next, FOOD.

I love this idea for giving him a couple of big ol’ muffins! I’m thinking Rockhill Bakehouse might have the perfect, giant muffins for your hunny if you’re not into baking. 

Here’s a similar printable for your muffin.

Or, you could order 6 specialty cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries from Baked by Jordan. She is running a Valentine’s Day special, so place your order now. ($25 for 6 of each) What a treat! 

6 Cupcakes & 6 Chocolate Covered Strawberries from Baked by Jordan!

Here’s a printable for the cupcakes!

And last, SOCKS. 

Because what guy doesn’t need socks? Mine wears his down as soon as he gets them. Stop by Fountain Square Outfitters for a quality pair, and tie them up with some twine and this adorable Valentine.

What are you and your sweetheart planning for Valentine’s Day?