Baby #2 : Recent Purchases

Nesting mode kicked in so much quicker this pregnancy than before.  I feel like I'm checking things off the list a lot sooner this time around, but part of that could also be because we started out with more--re-using the nursery furniture and already having lots of baby items.  

There have been a few things that I've bought lately that we found great deals on!

DOUBLE STROLLER--
I periodically check Amazon and Target to see if anything we need for the baby is on sale, and finally our double stroller hit an all-time low price so I snagged that up today!  I love the style of this tandem stroller for a toddler & baby.  This is the older model, which sells for $100 less than their new "ultralight" version and it has all of the same features but it is 7lbs heavier.  Both are light enough for me to lift with one hand so I figure this stroller was a great way to get all the features but at a lower price.  AND--today it went on sale $40 off the normal retail which is the lowest I have seen it over the last several months.

Joovy Caboose Graphite Stand-On Tandem Stroller

After reading reviews and comparisons on several tandem sit-stand strollers, this one was the winner!  We bought it in red to match our red Britax infant carrier, and because #gobulldawgs.


NEW MATTRESS--
This one was a little switch-a-roo.  Instead of purchasing a new nursery crib mattress (the one we love that Ryleigh uses is the Lullaby Earth Healthy Support 2-in-1 Mattress) we bought a much more affordable toddler bed mattress and we will move the current mattress to the nursery.  I found this Kolcraft foam toddler mattress (fits a crib/toddler bed) with fantastic reviews and it is 40% off right now.  The only negative in the reviews was that the waterproof cover wasn't as soft/comfortable, so I bought these extras which are 50% off right now and will also be good to have on hand for the accidents that are probably in our future because of eventually #pottytraining.


POSTPARTUM WARDROBE--
I've made several purchases for my postpartum/nursing wardrobe.  I did this last pregnancy too, and I think that (1) It gives you something to look forward to in the midst of newborn craziness, and (2) buying new items that you know are going to accommodate a postpartum body help to avoid being sad that none of your pre-prego clothing fits yet.  I've got a lot of cardigans (including three of these thick sweater cardigans that feel like heaven!) so I aimed my focus at good transitional tunics and sleepwear.

Penguins // Polka Dot // Plaid 

All of these pajama sets were on sale under $15! 

Wearing nursing sleep bras like these was a necessity last time, so I bought a couple new ones...

Nursing Sleep Bras

I'm in love with these sleeveless tunics that I found on Zulily. The prints are gorgeous and can easily be dressed up or down. They are a nice shape that isn't low cut or tummy-hugging and will look great under a cardigan. They are the perfect 4-season shirt that I think I will be continuing to wear long after my postpartum months.

That's all for now! I've got some free time the next two weekends so I'm hoping to make lots of headway on the nursery :)

Products of Penrose: Shopping the Sales - Maternity

I'm excited to be having a fall baby.  Fall has always been my favorite season, and especially October not only because it is my birthday month but also because it is the perfect fall month. There is a fall festival almost every weekend, PSL's are back at Starbucks, leaves change color, weather starts to cool down (at least here in SC), and the world is wonderful.

So, although I am so excited about having an October (or possibly  beginning of November) baby, my current maternity wardrobe options are all wrong.  I have a couple pairs of work pants that I can wear, and I have a few light sweaters or long sleeve tees that I will be able to wear at the very end, but I have nothing for warm weather months.

I was very excited when I came across these sales a couple weeks ago...

I have a feeling maxi dresses will be my go-to all summer long.  I picked up these three Pinkblush Maternity dresses from a Zulily deal where they were 50% off.  Still pricer than I paid for any maternity clothes last time, but I guess I'm giving myself a little bit of wiggle room this pregnancy because we will be saving money with all of the baby gear we can reuse.  And if this child is a girl, she will have QUITE the wardrobe already! You never realize how much clothing your little one has until you pack it away in storage tubs that are now filling the entire closet of Baby#2's room.  

The items I picked up from target were all $7.99 or less on a clearance sale and they are some good summer staples. 

I'm sure sometime in the next month or two I will make a trip to Destination Maternity to pick up some additional pieces. I'm thinking a few pairs of capris will be good for work this summer and a few cute tops. 

  

Products of Penrose: Shopping the Sales - Toddler Girls

One of my favorite things to do is shop the clearance section of my favorite stores to get off-season deals on clothes.  This is especially great for fitting my $5 or less rule for children's clothing.  I just do not see the point in spending more than that on an everyday clothing item when kids grow so quickly!  There is a great sale going on now until March 4th at The Children's Place online!

Ryleigh has lots of t-shirts but needed shorts/skorts and tanks for summertime.  Everything above was $3.97 or less and I love that the items mix & match very well to create so many outfits.

We also scored a deal for a 3T warm winter coat for next year...

This Wisteria color probably would not have been my first choice, 

but for $12.25 and free shipping, it will definitely do!

And some sweet jammies for $7.25...

Another habit that I have is checking clothing clearance when I am purchasing anything from some of my usual stores, like Target, Nordstrom or Amazon.  Side note--since becoming a mom, about 95% of my shopping is done online, including groceries. It's called sanity, and I like to keep it.  

These stores have great shipping and returns policies to make that easy!

I found these cute chinos for Ryleigh at Target and thought the 3T's will work well for her this fall because her legs are so long.

After cleaning out Ryleigh's dresser and realizing many clothes that I thought she had for spring and summer were actually 24m size instead of 2T's, I was worried and knew we needed to add some items. These were the perfect finds!

Products of Penrose: Fireplace Focus

If you follow me on instagram then you saw this recent house udpate...

Let's focus on that top left picture of our new fireplace!

The fireplace was one of my non-negotiables when building this house and Jake was completely on board with it! I love, love, love how cozy a fireplace makes a house feel.  We opted for the gas fireplace and we went with the larger size of 42".  What can I say, we really like fireplaces.  We also chose to do an upgraded mantle so it is really a focal point in the room.  The builder puts in directional lighting in the ceiling to highlight the wall over the fireplace, and we did a black granite surround.  I also added an electrical outlet over the mantle so that I can plug in lighted garlands and holiday decorations. I am so, so excited for this!

I got an email today from TOMS that they were having a Surprise Sale, and decided to check out what they had to offer.  Sadly none of their Classics were on sale in gray--something I've been wanting for this fall, but....Their Christmas stockings, which I have had my eye on for a while, were on sale for $8.10/each, down from $27!  Pom-poms & paisley make my heart go pitter-patter :)

I purchased them immediately, one of each of the above.  They have a teal version of the diamond pattern one (far right) but I decided to go with all red.  I love how they work together but aren't too matchy-matchy.  I can't wait to see them up on that mantle in a few months!

I also picked up this Pumpkin & Black pocket tee, which  I think will be a great fall transition tee for casual weekends.  It was on sale half off at $17.

I can't wait for these purchases to arrive.  All at a great deal, and also guilt-free since we helped empower women & children in Uganda and the Himalayas through TOMS One-For-One movement.

Happy September! Who else is ready for the holiday season?!