State of Confusion

It's no secret to any woman who's been pregnant that babies steal your brain.

Yes, it's true. I don't care what Discovery Health says, with ALL THREE of my pregnancies, I've been "dumbed down". I forget things, process thoughts way more slowly, the whole nine yards.

Unfortunately, in my experience, it often takes up to a year AFTER the baby comes to regain full mental capacity. I also figure there's some sort of direct correlation between the number of children a woman has and the number of brain cells lost to "baby brain".

As crazy as baby brain makes me, though, I do know that I've not completely lost my common sense.

One of the (many) things we had to replace for Mr. Baby was his crib mattress. While we hadn't yet gotten rid of the crib itself (AmenandthankyouJesus!), the mattress was reincarnated as a bed for Princess the Wonder Dog, and, while I'm all about recycling, there's just no way that it was going back into the crib.

So I went online to one of my new favorite shopping sites, Amazon.com. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I'm late to the party. I've had baby brain for the past nine months.

Anyway, I discovered that there are about as many different types of crib mattresses as there are babies. And while I love my children, and want the best I can afford for them, I'm pretty confident that Mr. Baby doesn't need a $299.00 crib mattress.

So off to Walmart.com for me. Now, I'm not a big fan of the Evil Empire, but sadly, for us frugal moms, it works. I found a lovely, highly rated Kolcraft brand crib mattress for a mere $36 in their "Site to Store" program. I called my local Walmart to see if they had that particular model in stock. The associate was gone for a minute to check.

WM Associate: "Yes ma'am, we have that model in stock. It's $57."

Me: "FIFTY SEVEN DOLLARS?! For that model?"

WMA: "Yes ma'am."

Me: "Uhm...it's available on the Walmart.com website for $36. That's a $21 difference!"

WMA: "Yes ma'am. I understand that some things are priced differently on the website."

I don't know if you've used the Site to Store feature of Walmart.com, but it's pretty simple. You place your order and pay for it online, and they ship it directly to the store at no additional charge. We've purchased a few things through the site, and while we've noticed the occasional minor price difference, we've never purchased anything that is marked up more than 50%.

Here are the options as my baby-affected brain worked it out:

a) I can walk into Walmart today and pay $57 plus tax for the mattress.
b) I can order the mattress through Site to Store, pay $36 plus tax, and they will ship the mattress from the warehouse (even though they have them in-stock). In 1-2 weeks, pick it up at the store.
c) I can order the mattress through Site to Store, pay $36 plus tax, plus $3.97 shipping (all STILL $17 cheaper than option a), and they will deliver it TO MY DOOR in 1 week.

Can you guess which one I chose?

I realize that we, as a society, are more into immediate gratification than thinking through things and saving money, but I'm really confused as to the price difference in this situation.

And that's not my baby brain talking!

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something....Green

By now most Americans know that Chelsea Clinton got married this past weekend. The media glommed on for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being the secrecy that surrounded the preparations and event itself.

It was reported that the secrecy was due not to requests from her slightly famous parents, but from the bride herself. And really, who can blame her? It's not like the media have a history of being civil kind to her. She clearly wanted this day to be about celebration, friends and family, not about her dress, the guest list, the locale, the money that was spent, or any of those other things that bridezillas the press seem to lap up like heavy cream.

Oh, but the money. Yes, the money. THAT is what had people's tongues wagging even before the happy couple said "I do."

The Clintons were rumored to have spent anywhere from $1M to $5M on their only child's wedding. Yeah. $11K just for a cake.

A cake. A consumable good. People EAT it, for Pete's sake.

Now, I don't know anyone in MY social circle who is financially secure enough to spend THAT much on a cake, let alone the wedding. And yes, frankly I think it's more than absurd to spend that much money on ONE SINGLE DAY in your life. Apparently in 2010, the "average American wedding" (whatever that is) costs upwards of $28K. As an event planner, I can certainly understand HOW one could spend $28K on a wedding event.

Notice I said understand HOW. That is very different than understanding WHY. That logic escapes me.

But I digress.

The Clintons are rumored to have spent $1M to $5M on the wedding of their only child. And people are livid. The economy is in the toilet. People everywhere are suffering. Children are starving. Dogs and cats, LIVING TOGETHER.

Okay, so maybe I exaggerate.

It's THEIR money, people. THEIR daughter. Sure, I personally think it's an IN.SANE. amount, but hey, if they can afford it, more power to them. As far as the economy goes, when was the last time YOU gave the economy a boost like that? Seriously, all those Benjamins went to a multitude of caterers, servers, bakers, tailors, valets, bus drivers, housekeepers, musicians, photographers, makeup artists, hairdressers, airlines, travel agents, retailers...

Need I go on? That money was poured into the economy in Rhinebeck, NY and many other locations. Talk about a stimulus!

But of course, the naysayers will still talk. "If they have that much money, they should do something worthwhile with it!"

What about people, with a far smaller net worth, spend a few thousand dollars on, say, a really upscale television? Nobody questions them, right?

"But two thousand dollars can do SO much good for ____________________!"

What about people who spend $200 on a pair of gym shoes for their kid?

"But two hundred dollars could buy food for a family of four for a few weeks, maybe a MONTH!"

Uh-huh.

The bottom line is simple. You may not like what people spend their money on, but in the end, it's THEIR money. All we can really do is toast the happy couple and be grateful for people like the Clintons who have that kind of money to pour into the economy.

Tuesday Top Ten

It's not Letterman's Top Ten, but welcome to Ten on Tuesday!

Ten Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Il Moscato

A delicious, budget friendly version of my fave sparkling moscato. Trader Joe's has it for $9.99 a bottle. Yum-O! An odd little quirk with this brand, which also has Il Prosecco, if you're so inclined, is that it doesn't have a cork. Rather, it must be opened with a bottle opener, so if you're the only one enjoying a bit of the bubbly, be sure to pick up one of these vacuum stoppers to keep it fizzy for next time.

Or you could just finish off the bottle. However, then next morning, you might need this.

2. Home Depot

While I'm not usually a big fan of superstores in general, I don't mind going to Home Depot to pick up the random item for Diva Husband. Last week, Homer and the gang ran this fabulous deal for $3 off LED Christmas Lights. Since DH does light duty in our home, he sent me to pick up lights for our new tree (See below).

3. Ginormous Christmas Trees

Our family room ceiling is 18' tall. For five years, DH has lamented the fact that our Christmas Tree, in all of it's 8' glory, was lost in the height of the room. Thanks to Craigslist, we are the proud owners of an almost-new 12' tree. And our pocketbook is $50 lighter.

Not a bad deal. Pics to follow.

4. Patient (If a wee bit dumb) Dogs

If you've read my musings for any length of time, you'll be familiar with Princess (the Wonder Dog)and her archnemesis, The Manimal. I had really hoped that, with Christmas coming, we could use the age-old threat: "Santa only visits good little boys."

It's not working. Poor pup.

5. Fall Weather

I love Autumn. It's my favorite season of the year. The gorgeous fall colors, crisp air, Friday night bonfires. The whole package. I enjoy the occasional Indian Summer weekend, but I especially love Autumn.

Particularly when Mother Nature remembers that Autumn weather should occur in October/November.

6. A Nine Year-Old Boy

I love SS#1 with all my heart. He's my first, my baby, my little Squirtle. I'm not loving this "I'm always right" stage. But I do love my boy. I love my boy. I love my sweet stubborn boy.

7. Finding the Perfect Gift

I found the absolute perfect gift for my parents. Unfortunately, I can't even give you a clue, since BOTH of them read my blog. I also found the perfect gifts for The Lawyer and my Wonderful SIL, and my nephews, Tex, Sir Falls-a-Lot and Baby Bean. Well, I haven't really found the one for Baby Bean yet, but I'm hoping my luck holds out.

I can give you a leetle clue on my gift for The Lawyer and Wonderful SIL. She actually introduced me to this company. Prices are reasonable and I found a 35% discount code which made my personalization and shipping FREE! :)

And that leads me to...

8. Online Discount Codes

I'm late to the party on this one, I'm sure, but did you know that you can Google to find discount codes for online shopping? They don't always work, and sometimes they bring up expired codes, but it's SO worth trying! I just enter the business name and "discount code" or "coupon" and it brings up the results.

Saving money AND finding great gifts. Merry Christmas to me!

9. Good Books

I've recently finished reading the Mitford books, by Jan Karon. When I was 7, I received the Little House on the Prairie Boxed Set for my birthday. I read them so many times that my mom had to put them away for awhile so I'd read other books.

Last year, she gave them back to me.

I've re-read them twice since then.

I'm pretty sure Mitford is becoming my grown-up version of the Little House books.

10. Vacation

I have exactly four days of work left before I'm off for A WHOLE WEEK. Three days if you don't count today. Then I work for fourteen days and I'm off for TWO MORE WEEKS.

Vacation/PTO days are one of the few best perks of my job! :)

If I Had a Million Dollars...

I never really wanted to be rich. Oh, sure, I've dreamed about what it would be like to have serious money, but when I think about it. I mean REALLY think about it, I'd be happy with a modest home, my family's needs met, and have the opportunity to bless others with some serious cash.

I'd love to endow scholarships at my high school alma mater, the high school where I taught for five years, and my undergraduate alma mater, all in the name of my maternal grandfather. He never went beyond eighth grade, but he so valued education, and encouraged me until he passed away nearly 20 years ago.

I'd give lots of money to my church. We're looking forward to building our own church and being able to minister and bless others.

Most of all, I'd go to Haiti. Our church is part of a mission organization that is working hard to bless some very poor villages. I'd love to be a part of a mission team working for a few weeks down there.

But since my chances for winning the Mega Millions aren't looking so good, I'll do some smaller-scale giving. Most of my friends are in similar situations and probably do the same. Of course even though big money gifts are always appreciated, Margaret Mead said it best.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

With that in mind, I'd like to share a letter with you. A dear friend of mine has been called to do a 10-day mission to Perm, Russia. She needs assistance in raising the funds necessary for the trip. Even the smallest gifts will help.

Most of all, she needs prayer. Prayer for the trip, prayer for the team, prayer for the people who will be blessed. Please read her words, and if you feel called to bless her with funds, leave a comment with your email address and I'll pass along her mailing address.

Dear Friends,

Imagine a place where atheism was the formal statement of faith of the government for most of the 20th century, where the population is dying faster than they're giving birth. Imagine a country where life expectancy for men has decreased by six years, and where alcohol is said to play a role in the deaths of nearly a third of the population. Imagine living in a place where your faith is determined largely by your ethnicity instead of the state of your heart, and where less than 1% of the population is comprised of evangelical Christians. Imagine going to a city that was right in the heart of the Russian Gulag and trying to bring light into darkness.

I've only once missed Thanksgiving with my family, and this year I will forgo my single annual pilgrimage home to go where I believe the Lord is sending me. To Russia. In the middle of winter. November 20-December 1, I will be traveling to Perm with a team from the Atlanta Vineyard Church. The purposes of the trip are:
1. To encourage the believers in a dark, lost part of the world and pour out spiritual refreshment from the Lord.
2. To allow God to work in our own lives as we watch Him transform hearts and lives through testimony and rhema word.
3. To pray "on sight with insight", setting foot on Russian soil and letting the Holy Spirit inform us of how to pray for this nation.
4. To develop and foster relationships with local believers, to make the world smaller geographically but explode it relationally.

I am excited about going on this my first mission trip. I consider it no coincidence that I started learning Russian in April and decided to apply for a passport in June, and then was asked to pray about this trip later that same month. I am writing to ask for both prayer and financial partnership.

While I'm comfortable asking for prayer support, asking for financial support is a bit more difficult. As you can imagine, a trip like this requires support from a number of people. I need to raise $2,000 by November 15, with $1200 due by October 1. If you'd like to be a part of this mission financially, checks may be made payable to the Atlanta Vineyard Church and mailed or given to me. A receipt for tax purposes will follow. I covet your prayers as well, knowing that this trip will not accomplish its God-intended end without covering. If you'd like to commit to praying for me as I prepare for the trip, please let me know. I so value your friendship and support.

Passionately Pursuing the Kingdom,

Heather