The Walker...Formerly known as Grayson

It FINALLY happened. Two long months after he took his first steps, he has taken off! He walks 100% of the time now and is ADORABLE to watch! He still looks a little drunk and waddles with his hands in the air. I wish he would walk like this forever ;)

Divine Consign!

I volunteered at this massive consignment sale that I mentioned recently. It takes up the entire Plano Convention Center - full of gently used (or not used at all) baby/child items. My thoughts and time have been consumed with what I want, things we need, etc so that I could be efficient with my time once I actually got into the sale! I volunteered Friday for 5 hours during drop-off, which was awesome because I got to scope out the incoming loot. Then, the pre-sale opened at 3pm Saturday for volunteers. 


By the time I left my volunteer shift, the conference center was only half full but I snapped pictures to show you the magnitude of this sale!


Pre-apologize for the terrible -iPhone photos......

The Stroller/Car seat room was HUGE - this shows maybe 1/5 of it.

I worked the diaper bag/playmat/sling room - this practically-new, silk
Petunia Pickle Bottom bag came in for $50. I DIE. They are $170 new.

I counted 18 Baby Bjorns before I left - do you like my organization skills?
I was later told it was unnecessary b/c by the end of drop-off, this table would be PILED high.
They were right! Oh well.

Ride-on and Push toys

Bumbos

Play mats - I was not happy that I had to overlap these. So cluttered.

So this was my list going into the pre-sale complete with the price I would pay if I bought new:

• Outdoor slide ($75 - $100)
• Toddler puzzles (don't know)
• Winter hats/mittens ($25)
• Winter shoes ($40/pair)
• Halloween costume ($30-55)
• Baby Bjorn - for someday when we have a new baby but are chasing around a big baby - ($90)
• Bumbo & tray (borrowed one for Grayson) - ($50)
• Indoor toys ($30-50/toy)
• Push toys - Grayson LOVES the ones we have borrowed but need to return them - ($25-40)
• Bath toys (cheap but what the hell, I was there!)

I got to the pre-sale on Saturday at 2:45 (15 minutes early) and was probably the 200th person in line (these women are crazy). I only had an hour to shop since we had early-evening plans in Dallas. I'm happy to report that I got everything on my list (and then some) and was out by 4pm! Isn't that impressive?!

Waking up on Sunday was like Christmas morning! I don't feel bad about this since I really don't ever buy Grayson toys and he has grown tired of the ones he has had since birth :) He's tired of spatulas and empty boxes and is far from spoiled....

basketball/baseball/football play center
(the bat in his hand below goes with this toy :)) - $8

The COOLEST Leap Frog shopping cart! It has a SCANNER that scans the groceries
items and tells you what they are! I didn't even realize how cool this was when I got it.
$10

The big/outdoor and normally-expensive items go first so with 200 people before me I wasn't expecting to get the outdoor slide I wanted.... but I DID get one and it's in excellent condition!

Woot! $30

My other great finds worth mentioning:


2 new Halloween costumes - $5/each
2 Puzzles - $3
Baby Bjorn - $20
Bumbo/Tray - $12
Bath toys - $4.50
2 Hats/mittens - $8.50
4 pairs of shoes - $32
New long-sleeved Polo shirt - $5
...and on and on.....

As you can tell, I absolutely recommend this sale to anyone in the market for great quality kid items who is looking for a great deal!

A Post without a Name...

I have nothing to say and so much to say all at the same time. Does that even make sense? We have had lots going on recently but I'm too tired to type and think and gather photos for proof, I mean memories. But I'm also feeling guilty that I'm not maintaining this blog or capturing my Grayson's awesomeness. So, you get more Naked Baby. It's been a while!

Can I get a little credit for not showing private parts? Anyone, anyone? Did I lose you already?

Beau is 30....Finally!

Beau turns 30 today...(14 long months after I did)...and I'm really missing him today! For a while now, as my friends learned of his approaching 30th birthday, they would all say, "He isn't 30 yet?!" Not because he looks 30 (total baby face) but because we have all been 30 for quite some time! So, welcome to the club Beau Reynolds! You have already accomplished so much in your 30 years and I can't wait to see all that you will do in your next 30! But stay fit because you will be taking care of me in the 30 years after that! ;-) 


I won a birthday cake for Beau! It's from Bedtime Bakers here in Frisco. Didn't they do an exceptional job?!

The front was a very real looking wood plaque :)

Duck decoy!

Brinkley Dog!

Beau and his pretty blue eyes

Grayson gave Beau a beautifully-written list titled "30 Reasons I'm Proud to call you Dadada". And when we were in Austin, I picked up a great dry fit polo from the Austin Country Club (he likes the dry fit, especially when he's play golf in 100+ temps). This was supposed to be his gift but I had him try it on early so that Andrea could exchange it for me if it didn't fit.


My parents and I also went in on a Nook (electronic reading device) and Nook cover for Beau. He was very pleasantly surprised since he's an avid reader...on his PHONE. Can you imagine what that was doing to his eyes? Oh, and I have successfully given my husband a gift that allows him to NEVER talk to me again. Boo - I didn't even think of that! Oh well, he's happy. :D

Consignment Sales - My New Hobby

Why didn't I know about these little HUGE gems before I had Grayson?! Gently used baby EVERYTHING in one massive space just waiting for my cheap little hands to give them a new home. I think before your first baby, you go through this whole "I want everything new and clean and expensive" phase. I remember it and I get it. BUT it's so silly since a) most things get barely any use out of them and b) a lot of the things at the sales still have tags on them or have only been used a couple of times. Strollers, crib bedding, large toys - all can be pricey - and here it all sits at a fraction of the price!


I look forward to going to the BIG one in Plano at the end of August. Everyone is buzzing about it - I feel so stupid saying that. But it's true! The one I went to today was already picked over but I did figure out one special area where these sales will benefit me - SHOES. New infant shoes are $40 a pop. Did you know that? FORTY DOLLARS for something they wear for like a minute. And buying these gently used is AWESOME b/c someone else's child wore them for...yes....for like a minute and now they are yours for EIGHT DOLLARS!!

$8 and they are brand new!

Grayson's Social Life

Grayson's new play group sure keeps us busy! We have loved meeting so many wonderful moms and their adorable, fun kids. We have about 2 or 3 play dates a week with them and usually two Mom's Night Out (or In) a month for me. :) We also enjoy seeing our friends outside the group...this coupled with our Fridays with Dadada (well, of course, Sat and Sun too) and you have yourself a packed week - something going on every day! 

Here are some pics of our fun play dates!

He tires easily! 

Grayson with our sweet friends, Lindsay and Caleb!

Grayson and Cruz trying to bust out

Ball pit - heck yes.

He had CRAZY static hair!

It all comes down to the water bottle.

We hosted our very first play date last week! Those pics are all below...

Caleb - the alphabet eater

Sophia and her rockin kicks - this child is 16 months with 25 words
She's a genius, we think. :)

Kate loved being IN the basket! Just like someone else I know.

Grayson did great opening his home to new friends!

I'm talking. Shocking.

All About Nothing

This is the Seinfeld of blog posts - all about nothing. But I mildly chuckled at each thought so I hope you do too. :)


1) I had one of my biggest "convince Beau we need something FAIL" of all time. Like of epic proprortions and I only say that because the conversation ended with him LAUGHING at me, me stunned and him VERY proud of himself that he made such a valid point. It was annoying. Scroll below to see the most beautiful bath towels of all time....got it? K. I showed them to Beau online and told him that we NEED these for guest towels (side bar: we received a full set of every day towels for our wedding so I knew that saying these would be for us wouldn't be a smart approach to convincing him that we NEED these towels). So, as I'm showing Beau these towels that, well that we NEED, he quickly responds with something about why do we need guest towels now that we don't have a guest bedroom. And if we don't have a guest bedroom then we won't be having any guests. Apparently he's still a bit bitter about that whole guest room to play room conversion. I sat in silence a little stunned that he made a pretty valid point and even more stunned that I didn't have a counter argument. He LOVED it! Grrr. These Perpetual Blooms towels will forever live in my heart....and not in my linen closet. 

I die! Do you die? I die. - Rachel Zoe

2) I think Pottery Barn Kids should begin photographing their play rooms the way they will REALLY look. Like when it looks like you've been robbed because everything has been ransacked.  


3) My husband has an inner Diva that he exposed twice in one day a couple of weeks ago! It was Facebook status-worthy but I knew he'd be upset if I made it public. I won't even go into detail here but just know that he says things that would impress Diana Ross. 


4) TRUE: I wish Grayson would keep these chubby leg rolls FOREVER. FALSE: As an adult, he'll find a lovely woman who won't mind that he has baby fat rolls on his legs and she'll marry him anyway. 

5) Why are they called building blocks? We have yet to build anything! They should be called wrecking blocks. 


6) Maybe the next kid will look like me?

 7) Is there anything more pathetic than Grayson watching his Dadada leave for the week? :(

8) At his happiest. Just like his Mama. ;)

How did this turn into a post about my baby?! Even when I'm not trying, sheesh...


8) And Finally, I just showed Beau this blog entry and asked him if he wanted to read it. He said, "'All about nothing'? So I'll be reading about nothing?..." Ugh!