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Home > The continuing adventures of Spendy McGee, and other tales

The continuing adventures of Spendy McGee, and other tales

June 9th, 2010 at 07:49 pm

So yesterday I got two teeth filled that didn't have cavities but failed this new density test. My crappy new dental insurance will probably leave me with $300-$400 of the bill, but I definitely don't want to lose the teeth if they can be saved.

Then I walked all over downtown Minneapolis with AA in the Baby Bjorn, looking for a simple, lightweight rattle or other toy that she could easily grasp. She's getting very interested in touching things but she doesn't have any good toys for holding in her hand. Target and Marshall's didn't have any rattles that I saw (though AS and NT said I should have checked the baby-supplies section of Target rather than the toy section, so I might go back today).

So then I hit up the boutique baby store Pacifier. Kind of a mistake--I let the cashier talk me into buying a toy for $22! I thought about taking it back but it is a really good toy--a lightweight rubber giraffe that squeaks, with high-contrast spots and face, with long neck and legs for easy grasping, also good for teething. And it's utterly adorable. Still, remind me not to go to any beautiful boutique-y baby stores ever again! It was my own spending money, so not detrimental to the budget, but hilarious that it cost more than the average price of the new clothes I just bought. This is gonna look out of place on my baby-expenses worksheet!

On the up side: AS earned $15 for mending some pants, $10 for doing an elderly woman's laundry (she also made her bed for free), and $575 for proofreading a manuscript. Since we've been doing so well financially, we all get to keep small amounts of side-hustle money for ourselves if we choose, so AS will keep the $25 and donate the $575 to put toward our goals. Similarly, NT is giving his week's-pay bonus for the communal good but keeping all profits from some recent eBay selling (he's getting rid of some records, CDs, DVDs and toys). I have some vintage dresses that I'm getting rid of, so I thought I'd list them on eBay and see if I can get a couple bucks for them. I'll probably list them this weekend.

We got a great offer of half price to go back on the diaper-cleaning service, and so we did. The reasons? AS's diapers didn't hold up well in the wash--she would need to sew extra seams down the middle to keep the toweling in, and her current sewing-machine needles aren't really designed for that kind of heavy-duty sewing. Also, the diaper covers we were given aren't very watertight, so that doesn't really work for us. So we went back on the cleaning service--just $12 a week through mid-August--while we hunt for better supplies. I inquired on Freecycle and already got one response about covers, so if I can find a ride out to where the person lives, that part might be sorted.

We decided to Freecycle some good-quality moving boxes that we'd been hanging onto, and they'll probably be picked up today.

I've been Facebooking back and forth with my sister about sleeping solutions for AA while we're in Virginia. My parents have a crib she can use while at their house, but the portable bassinet they have is pretty decrepit. So my sister's going to find a playpen (now known as pack-n-plays) on Craigslist that we can use at her place and also at AS's mom's. Once we're done with it, my sister is going to donate it to charity. This is a great solution because it means that big expense won't be for just a temporary travel use; it will go to the greater good. My sister practices a lot of philanthropy by volunteering through her church but doesn't have a lot of money to give, so I think this will make her very happy too.

Now that I think of it, this would probably be a good idea for our England trip, too. We must figure out who's going to take us in first, and see if they can get us a compact pack-n-play that we'll be able to take around with us (we're staying in two different cities for that trip). Then we can donate to charity or see if any of NT's friends or relatives need one.

This Friday NT and I are taking AA to the government center to apply for her passport. I'm excited for our little future world traveler!

Speaking of AA, she woke me up early for a feeding this morning, so I brought her back to bed and fed her there. Then I let her fall back asleep next to me and I dozed lightly, waking every couple minutes to make sure she was OK. We all woke up together (the cat Noodles had come in and fallen asleep on the bed too) about an hour later. I don't think I'd do co-sleeping full time, but it sure was nice to wake up with a cute smily baby next to us!

6 Responses to “The continuing adventures of Spendy McGee, and other tales”

  1. TheSimpleLife Says:
    1276119111

    I tried donating baby items (cribs, bassinets, playpens) to Goodwill before and they refused to take them because of Consumer Safety Guidelines. And my mom had some baby items she tried to donate, and called all over town and no one would take them for the same reason. You might have better luck than we did, or maybe you can find someone who wants them.

  2. ceejay74 Says:
    1276119813

    Ooh, thanks for the tip; I hadn't thought of that. Maybe she can donate it directly to one of the poor families she helps.

  3. Apprentice Bliss Hunter Says:
    1276131649

    Great plan. I'm in awe of the great family you have there ! :-)

  4. Looking Forward Says:
    1276132015

    I have brought little DS back to bed with me many times now after his 3am feeding. He falls asleep and sleeps so well next to mommy! Big Grin
    On the diaper thing, have you thought about the cloth outer pants with the biodegradable disposable liners (gDiapers) or with cloth liners (Bambino Mio). I don't know if there would be any cost savings over the diaper service. It might be a wash..haha..Wink

  5. My English Castle Says:
    1276143119

    Oooh, the pack 'n' play. Those were the days......
    I honestly think it's one of the most ingenious inventions in years. It might be worth running an ad on Craigslist looking for one. Sometimes folks see the ad and realize, "oh, I've got one in the basement!"

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