Toy Clearance!

I have a love of saving money, couponing, and clearance hunting! I share a lot more of that on my instagram but I thought I would share a quick tip about toy clearance here on the blog today.

Every year in July Walmart and Target clearance out a ton of toys. They are looking to make room for the new toys that will be released for Christmas and they want them out of their store, ASAP! This is great news for clearance hunters because the prices drop fast. I have been to Walmart twice in the last week and from the first trip to the second the prices had dropped substantially. Many of the toys get up to 90% off, but if you see something you really want I suggest buying it at 50% or 75% since it could sell out.

On Saturday I went and stocked up on a ton of toys. Now, I know I have no idea what my daughter will be into yet. She could not care for Frozen at all, however most of the toys I've been buying will be gifted to her before she turns two. I'm guessing that up until age 2 she will be excited for any toy (I'm also hoping for the same with clothing since I've been clearance hunting for clothes for quite some time too!)

I always grab items for the other kids I buy for and do need to go back and get some more items for them as well. I love that by buying toys on clearance I can still spend the amount I want to spend on them but get them so much more for the money! (Also I buy for 4 kids who all have birthdays in December/ January so that's 8 gifts between birthdays and Christmas- clearance shopping is the way to go!)

Here's everything I picked up during my second round of shopping. The first round I picked up some Frozen barbie dolls. (Again, if my daughter has no interest in Frozen they are something I can sell at a yard sale someday- brand new in package or I can pass them on to someone else who does like Frozen)

Both of the bigger toys were over 50% off, which was great for larger toys. I love that I can give Ellie the little seahorse for Christmas this year and will save the other toys for future birthdays and Christmases. I actually picked up the puzzle because I know a ton of people who love to do puzzles and can use it as part of a gift and the LOL surprises are for some little girls who love LOL and opening surprises. 

I am planning on going back for another round because I desperately need to stock up on boy gifts for my friend Rachel's son and my new nephew Max. I find it much more exciting to buy for the girls, but there are great deals for the boys as well. 

I haven't been to look at the Target toy clearance yet, but generally the prices are higher than Walmart but you can get good deals there too. 

Do you stock up at the toy clearance sale? I know this will be great going forward when Ellie is invited to birthday parties and we need to purchase for more kids. It's not only a great way to save money, but an awesome way to be able to gift more. I love being able to give a ton of toys to my favorite kids!

Pink Blush Maternity

I found my favorite maternity shop- Pink Blush Maternity! I thought today I would share all the items I recently picked up from them for this last trimester of pregnancy. All of the items are SO soft and comfortable I cannot say enough good things about them. So without further ado, here we go...

When I first wore this shirt Tim told me I looked like a cute pregnant lady, so I think it's a winner! I love this shirt, it's so comfy and will be great for nursing. 

This top is so comfortable and works with everything. I know I'm in for a hot summer and tank tops already are a great option in the heat we've been having. 

I think I will plan to wear this dress if/when we do maternity pictures. I love the pink and floral and it's just so soft. 

Yes, this is the exact same top I showed above in blue. This top is going to come in handy when nursing/pumping and the pink is just so pretty. 

I have only tried on this dress and plan to wear it for my baby shower. I think it's so cute! I am loving wearing all the pink lately and think this will work great for the shower since it's fairly casual but still pretty. 

This is a knotted tank top and I love the look of it. It's so nice to have tank tops that actually fit my bump!

This shirt is so comfy! I love the knotted look and it makes my bump not look huge which is always a bonus. Like all the other shirts shown, this one is so soft and comfortable which I absolutely love.

I threw this shirt in to my order to reach the threshold for my gift card and normally it isn't something I would pick, but I'm so glad I did! It's really nice to have a plain t-shirt that is maternity. Also, it's my first mama shirt and that makes me happy!

 

10 Recent Amazon Buys

 Happy Monday friends! 

Can you believe next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend? Yesterday was a scorcher here. (If you don't know what a scorcher is...it's how we say it's really hot in Rhode Island). So far we only have one A/C in our bedroom and haven't put in the other but the rest of the week it's not supposed to be quite as hot, so we decided to suffer through without our main area A/C for a little longer. 

Today I thought I would share all my recent Amazon purchases because I love seeing other bloggers post about what they've picked up recently. I shop on Amazon quite a bit because of the free two day shipping (sometimes next day!) and since I'm still not fully vaccinated I'm still not shopping in person all that often.  Hopefully that will change because I get my final shot on Friday!!

Let's get started!

Okay I haven't received this splash pad yet, but I totally bought it for my dogs! It should be coming in the mail today and I'm so excited for the girls to run through it. It has some wonderful reviews and a lot of people say they are surprised that it has held up so well with their dogs digging at it. I hope that works for us, but at least at $17 it really isn't an insane price so we will hopefully enjoy it for awhile. Also, next summer we will have an almost one year old and while she probably won't be running around, she might enjoy being carried through the sprinkler! 

Keeping it real over here...none of my bras fit me anymore. Since bras are expensive and I never seem to do a great job at finding bras that fit well I thought I would chance it and try out these. I quickly tried one on before throwing them in the wash, but it seemed to fit pretty well and I love that they are only $10 a piece. I will definitely be testing them out more and hopefully they'll work out great!

I actually purchased these baking cups for the cup holders in my car. I want to try to keep my cup holders clean and these are easy to pop out and rinse off. They are a little small but seem to be working so far! I might use the other ones for making muffins since I have so many. 

My Amazon account tells me that this is the third time I have purchased Folex cleaner which can only mean one thing....it's amazing! We had to purchase this quickly since we have a new little friend learning to potty train. Luckily this cleaner is great and removes stains like no other carpet cleaner I've ever seen.

These baby swaddles are so cute! I follow Coupon with Kayla on Instagram and TikTok and am also a part of her Telegram group and when she shared a deal on this set I had to order it. She has a lot of great deals so definitely check her page out if you love Amazon deals.

I have an Amazon registry for my planned drive by baby shower and put a couple of items on it that kept being sold out. I wanted to make sure I was able to get some of the items, so I picked this muslin swaddle blanket. I am obsessed with all things goldendoodle (obviously) and new that Ellie needed this blanket. 

Along the same lines...Ellie needed this lovie. I already know I'm going to be an "extra" mom, if you've seen the dog toy pile in my house you can imagine how I will be with my first human baby :)

So this dog paw washer is the first product on this list that I didn't love. My dogs get super dirty and then getting them wet just created a huge mess in my house. I think if we had a mud room it wouldn't be so bad because I could stop the dogs in one room but since they enter directly into the kitchen they make such a mess!

These sheets are awesome! We own two sets of them- one white and the newest one is in this light blue. They are so soft and comfy. I would 100% purchase them again. There is usually a deal on them too which is great if you are looking for a great deal on great sheets. 

I picked up this bookcase for Ellie's room and honestly it isn't great. It is made of really cheap material and I was very much hoping for a more solid bookcase. I might need to replace it a few years down the road, but for now it will hold her books and toys and it was super cheap. I mostly was just looking for something fairly inexpensive to hold us over. If that's what you're looking for too, it would certainly work but if you are looking for a long lasting piece of furniture, this is definitely not it!

Those are my 10 most recent Amazon buys! What have you picked up from Amazon lately? Anything you recommend?

Have a great day!

Outdoor Fall Decorating/ Life Lately

To every person who reached out to me through comments/emails/texts after my post last Friday, thank you. It means the world to me that you are here and while my world and story aren't always picture perfect  I am so thankful to have each and every one of you here for it.

On a lighter note today I'm sharing what we've been up to lately...which honestly isn't much! Are you still laying low where you are? In some ways it seems like things are a little more back to normal because I feel more comfortable going into stores, school has started in person/hybrid here, and it just feels like life is a little more normal. However, on the other end of the spectrum everyone is still in a mask all the time, I still work from home nearly all the time, and we don't have a lot of plans besides being around the house! I love being at home so I truly don't mind that part of it, but it leaves me with not too much besides house updates!

This past Saturday my papa and his girlfriend Vivian stopped by to visit us (well mostly Sophie) and it was so nice to have some visitors! Sophie was fairly well behaved and loved being fed a million treats and gaining a new toy. While they were visiting they mentioned stopping at a farm and once they left Tim and I decided to head to a local farm to pick up some outdoor fall decor. We love going to Shickasheen Farm and if you are in the South County area they are a great side of the road farm stand with awesome prices! Our friend Emma and her husband run it along with their family and we loved getting the chance to chat with Emma a bit and pick up a pumpkin and a couple of mums for our front steps. Emma mentioned that they were going to have some more pumpkins soon, so I will definitely be back for some more decor soon!

I love having a bit of fall sprinkled on my front steps. I also recently replaced my front door mat and bought a new buffalo check mat for underneath as well. Both were purchased on Amazon and I love them! Quick question for you, how often do you replace outdoor mats? I am finding that mine wear out super quick, but they are exposed to the elements (no overhang) so I suppose it makes sense. I just assumed they lasted a bit longer, but maybe I just paid no attention when I was younger and living at home!

Oh, football is back! Thanks Soph for the reminder! 

We have been busy drafting fantasy football teams and watching the first week of games. I was quite pleased that the Patriots won on Sunday afternoon and even more pleased when Tampa Bay had a terrible game. Brady and Gronk weren't looking great and I selfishly enjoyed watching those traitors suffer. If you've been around for awhile, you know I have always loved Gronk so I feel a bit betrayed by him. Brady I think all of New England is angry with but I don't know what he expected to happen.

It's nice to have football back on for another bit of normalcy since Tim and I spend most of our Sunday with football on the tv!

We are still going on a lot of walks around here! Tim said to me the other day that no other dog in the neighborhood seems to be getting two walks a day...but this girl does! I have been doing a healthy living program lately and I will talk about it soon, but it is definitely encouraging me to get out and be active every day! 

So that's what's been up around here lately. Let me know what you've been up to!

 

My Last 25 Amazon Prime Purchases!

Last week Alexandra Beuter made such a cute video on YouTube where she shared the last 50 items she purchased on Amazon Prime. I absolutely loved seeing what she purchased and since I'm super nosey it was like looking into someones Amazon account which I think is super interesting!

Long story short, I thought I'd try it! However, 50 is a LOT of items so I thought we'd just start with 25. If this is helpful or interesting then I can do it again in the future as well.

Starting from most recently purchased...

25.

Redline K9 Shaggy Puppy Tug Toy with Bungee Handle

Sophie plays with a similar toy in her puppy class so we decided to get one for home too. She absolutely loves it and often carries it from the bungee handle end. 

24.

AWOOF Dog Puzzle Toy, Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs

The dog trainer who runs our class suggested this for Sophie since she doesn't really care about eating. This makes it more of a fun game to eat her food and so far it's working!

23. 

I'll Be There For You The One About Friends

I ordered this on a whim and it was interesting but not a whole lot that I didn't already know about Friends!

22.

Smart Design Plastic Drawer Organizers

I used these in my kitchen junk drawer and love how they look!

21.

HiARug Doormat

I bought these as a cheap solution for our front and side doors. Before I put these down a ton of dirt and grime was being tracked in by all of us and this at least helps fight that a little bit. 

20. 

Professional Pets Grooming Scissors Set

I picked these up to trim around Sophie's eyes between groomings. She holds pretty still and I like the dull edges so I don't get too nervous about trimming her face.

19. 

Lysol Wipes Value Pack

This was part of a couponing deal so I ordered these on a subscribe and save deal which I just cancelled once I received the wipes. I go through Lysol wipes like crazy around here because I always use them in my bathroom.

18.

PPOGOO Pooper Scooper

Ah the pooper scooper. This is super helpful in our yard picking up all the messes.

17. 

Hallmark Thank You Notes

After Christmas I needed some new thank you notes. I love buying these big packs so they last awhile!

16.

Double Sided Carpet Tape

This stuff works SO well! We had a few rugs to lay down (and more to lay down in our future) so I decided to pick ups. big roll and would definitely purchase this again if needed.

15. 

HoneyBull Shower Mirror

I bought this for Tim as part of his Christmas present and it works great so he can shave in the shower. There is so much less mess if he shaves in the shower versus over the bathroom sink so I definitely appreciate this purchase!

14. 

PetAmi Dog Treat Pouch

I bought this for our training classes but I don't think I would buy it again. I could've just kept treats in my sweatshirt pocket.

13.

Kirundo Women's Winter Fuzzy Popcorn Sweater

Would not repurchase. This looks way cuter in the picture than it does in person!

12.

Folex Carper Spot Remover

This is a miracle worker! On Saturday I spilled Coke on the rug, sprayed this on the spots and they disappeared! I learned about this from MyTexasHouse and am SO impressed.

11.

  9 Ft Pre-Lit Christmas Garland

I bought three of these at Christmas and although it was great to have a timer going where I didn't have to worry about them, they looked VERY fake. They are definitely a cheap option but you are 100% getting what you pay for!

10. 

Burts Bees for Puppies Shampoo & Conditioner

Sophie get washed with this when we give her a bath at home!

9.

Christmas Garden Flag

I put this outside the front of our house during Christmas time.

8. 

Nylabone Dinosaur Chew

Sophie chews on this from time to time and seems to love it!

7. 

Nest Camera

We mainly use this to watch Sophie during the day while we are at work but it definitely serves as a security camera too and gives us piece of mind!

6.

Address Labels

We needed new address labels when we moved into the new house and these were inexpensive and cute!

5. 

Laundry Hamper

I purchased two of the blue and white striped laundry hampers. One in the XL size and one in L. I love them! They are sturdy but don't take up too much room. 

4.

Napkin Holder

Simple purchase for our kitchen and works!

3.

Eyeglass Repair Kit

A must if you have glasses!

2.

Doggie Bags

You know you need them!

1.

Nature's Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner

Works great for those accidents!

So that's what I've bought from Amazon Prime lately....what have you picked up?!

Life Lately: Snow Adventures

Well in last week we had our first and second snow!

Since this was Sophie's first snow we weren't quite sure how she would do, but she absolutely loved it!

Our first snow was just a dusting and she kept looking around and trying to eat it as it fell.

She is such a sweetheart and absolutely loves playing outside and in the snow was no exception.

I forgot to save this picture on Instagram before I put words over it but I was wondering how long my white and gray runner would stay clean. Sophie was on it within two minutes eating her bone! We didn't have any rugs down at first because we didn't trust Sophie not to pee on them but now that she's potty trained we are adding one rug at a time. I just ordered one for the living room and can't wait to share that with you once it comes in!

Side note: I need to buy things for underneath the rug to hold them in place. Any recommendations? I know some people use tape and others use mats...

Just another cute picture of Sophie :)

Here she is during her second snow! This one left a lot more snow on the ground and lucky for Soph, her dad got to stay home with her for a snow day! 

She loves being outside so Tim built a snowman with her and sent me a picture while I was at work.

So cute, but I'm so sad I missed out on such a fun day. Boo to work!

Anyone else feeling slightly overwhelmed this December? Seriously, where is the time going? I can't believe it's already the 9th. This month is just flying and even though I feel mostly prepared, there's always something else to do!

This week I have a work Christmas party and I still need to find out what we are doing for Tim's family this year and buy gifts for that. So still stuff to do, even if the house is decorated and the rest of the gifts are purchased.

What is left on your to do list for this season?

Check out those cute little paw prints!

 On Saturday Brittni and I had a fun shopping day on Saturday. We started off at Bath and Body Works candle day and hit up a couple of stores in Garden City, Cranston. Then we headed to the Warwick mall to eat lunch and buy more stuff!

We got a ton of shopping done and it was so nice to be off shopping for the day. I haven't had a marathon shopping day in awhile and honestly order pretty much everything online these days.

Here's my candle haul! I picked up a few for co-workers and then a bunch for my candle stockpile.

Last night, Rachel, Ant and Tilly came to visit and it was so nice! I didn't take any pictures but it was so nice to hang out with all of them and we absolutely love having a place where we can entertain guests.

That's whats been up with us lately around here! What have you been up to lately?