By George

One of JillyBean's greatest loves is Curious George. She adores the little monkey and we read his stories every day. We have been reading George stories every day for a year. Yes, I get a bit bored with the same thing day after day after day, but it brings so much joy to Jilly.

George came to the local Barnes & Noble last month and Jilly was so excited to get the chance to see him. However, once confronted with a life-size George, she sort of shied away. She even followed him through the store but would not get more than five feet from him. She wasn't exactly scared, more like overcome with the idea of meeting someone who has become a best friend through the pages of a book. Talking to her, though, you would think that they sat down together and had tea. She still beams, nearly a month later, when she talks about seeing George at the bookstore. Every time we go to the store she says: "this is where I saw George."

One of the gifts JillyBean is receiving for Christmas is a Curious George book and CD gift set. I never thought of an audiobook as a good gift idea for a child, but it's actually pretty ingenious. Nana sent Jilly audio versions of Little Bear and Mouse Tales after she broke her arm. They have been wonderful alternatives to flipping on the TV or even music on many occasions. She enjoys listening to the stories while playing in her "toy room" or coloring. We haven't taken them with us in the car because, well, listening to audiobooks makes me sleepy and that's not a good thing when I'm driving.

I am so thankful that Jilly has developed a zest for books. She loves to read and actually told me to sit down on her floor while she sat in the rocking chair and read a book to me. The obvious benefit to a love of books is for the development of her language and reading skills. But for me, daily reading of stories has helped to develop her imagination, something that cannot be taught in school.

In other news, today was an OK day in regard to potty training. She had one accident and fussed a bit when she had potty breaks in the afternoon. Today was more of a struggle, but we got through it. This is the biggest change over the last time we attempted to potty train - my attitude. Previously I would get frustrated when she would "fight" me to go potty but now I make it into a game. I laugh at her antics but am still insistent. Then when she actually produces, I make an even bigger deal out her accomplishment. This has caused less stress for both of us and I think it's the key to our success.

today Jilly is thankful for her dog Sandy

Discovery Toys

A lot of blogs that I read have sponsors who give deals to readers of the blog. Well, I have no sponsor but I am involved in something that can benefit any readers out there.

I recently became an Educational Consultant for Discovery Toys. Discovery Toys is a great line of fun and educational toys. The toys are of very high quality and priced very competitively, if not less than what you find in the retail stores.

Since Christmas is around the corner and most people are beginning to make their gift-giving list, I am willing to give either 10 percent off your purchase or free shipping for an order of more than $50.

JillyBean has loved all of the toys she has played with from Discovery Toys. Here are her favorites:
Motor Works: This allows children to take three vehicles apart and put them back together. It comes with a battery-operated drill and a manual screwdriver. Jilly played with this at her friend's house and neither child could get enough of it. It is geared toward older children to operate on their own, but younger children still have fun with grown-up guidance.

Zingo: This is a twist on traditional Bingo. Each player gets a card with 12 pictures on it and must match all the tiles to get Zingo. The game is advertised for children ages 4 and older, but at two-and-a-half years old, JillyBean is already a pro. We play this quite a bit as a family and she has now requested taking it with us to the local coffee shop to play. I am considering getting a second game to keep in the car so that we will have it on hand when we go out to eat and need a little distraction to keep everyone happy while waiting for food to arrive.

Busy Bugs: This game uses different colored bugs to teach matching, sequencing, and early math. The first time I gave this to Jilly, she played with it for nearly an hour. In addition to playing it as a game, the bugs are fun to play with alone. If you're squeamish of bugs, Discovery Toys is offering this game with farm animals that is similar but focuses on letters instead of numbers.
Once Upon A Time: This cute little book allows the reader the opportunity to change up the story each time they read it allowing them to build their imagination. The book also comes in a version suitable for boys called Ahoy, Pirate Pete.

In addition to purchasing individual toys, Discovery Toys has created bundled toys for the holidays for $99. These bundles are great if you want to save money on several toys or if you have several children on your list. They're also great if you know that you are going to attend a few baby showers in the near future or if your child is in preschool and will be attending a lot of birthday parties. The Family Games bundle is great for older kids or to add to your family game night collection. I cannot offer a price break on these packages since they are already discounted, but will be happy to give you free shipping.

Please leave a message here to take advantage of my promotion.

Scary Good Cause

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I will have more about our plans later, but for now I want to spread some news.

Local photographer Dominique Attaway is going to be at Trailside Coffee (in Old Trail) taking photos of kids in their Halloween costumes from noon until 2 p.m. on Halloween. Each person will get a 4x6 picture of their child in exchange for a donation to HEAL Africa. Dominique says that whatever donation you feel comfortable with giving will be accepted; 100 percent of what she receives goes directly to the organization.

Dominique is an incredible photographer (she did some beautiful portraits of Jillian a year ago) and a very busy mom of three active boys, so the opportunity to tap into this amazing talent and help a worthy cause is the best Halloween treat you will get this year.

Consignment Time

It is hard to believe that fall is around the corner and that means that it's consignment season. The amazing Here Wee Grow Again sale begins Saturday, Sept. 26. In addition to providing a great place to shop for children's clothes, toys, and gear, this year's sale features Divine Consign, a consignment sale for women.

While I am very excited to be part of the sale again this season (this will make my third), I am a bit bummed by the timing. The deadline to get all of my items logged in the system is when we will be in Chicago and the sale begins while we are on our beach vacation. On one hand it's good because it has forced me to get started early. On the other hand it's bad because I won't be able to volunteer or participate in the pre-sale for volunteers and consignors. Hmmm...I bet BeanieDaddy would say that's a plus.

I started pulling out JillyBean's stuff this afternoon and am pleasantly surprised by how few things I felt the need to keep. I am getting much better at letting go, though there are still some items I feel the need to keep. I am also very happy that some of her clothes from last year will more than likely still fit this fall. That's why I love buying stuff from Mini Boden. They're sized in a way that she can get a couple of years out of most of the clothes so I don't feel so guilty spending what I spend there (though their sales are really great). Jilly's coveted pink jeans should still fit this year, which is a good thing because I haven't been able to find anything similar.

Silhouette

Amanda Soule has done it again. She has gone and posted an item that I don't think I can live without. Le Papier Studio has some beautiful prints that would look fabulous in any child's room.

We are moving next month and I am going to redo Jilly's room just a bit. I don't plan to do too much at this time since we're not ready to move her to a "big girl bed." But I will have a little more space to change things up a bit and make her feel at home in her "new room."

I am trying to get her excited about the move because I don't want her to feel like she is leaving something behind. This is the only room and home that she knows, since we moved when she was only 6 months old. I asked her the other day how she wants to decorate and she said that she wants a pink room. She was very insistent on that, too. I tried to get her to agree to a green room because I want to paint her new room the same way we had her room in Texas - Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage (I love that color). But she said no. PINK ROOM. I'm pretty sure that we'll stick with the silver sage, but I will be sure to add some pink accessories (her room now is lavender and green). And that is why I think that this silhouette from Le Papier Source would be perfect:

I think that it's absolutely adorable and the little girl in it sort of looks like JillyBean.

Wiggle Room

Another family friendly show is finally coming to the John Paul Jones Arena.

I am not a huge fan of The Wiggles, but apparently they put on a good show and the kids like them. The Australian group will be in Charlottesville on Wednesday, Aug. 26, as part of their Go Bananas tour. The Disney Channel recently changed up its morning line up and The Wiggles are now in a more premier morning slot. I can only think that change was made to help promote this new album and tour.

I first learned of The Wiggles when we lived in Houston. They came to Beanie Dad's building there and sold out two shows rather quickly. I don't know their appeal now, because the kids who saw those shows are probably the same whose parents pay thousands of dollars for Hannah Montana tickets today. It will be interesting to see how well this show sells. Maybe parents who have shelled out a few bucks for the U2, Metallica and/or Keith Urban concerts will be guilted into seeing this as well.

Room Decor

Things have been a little crazy the past couple of weeks. Not only did we have Jilly's birthday, but my mom and uncle are here, and we spent a week in Tennessee to celebrate Easter. I'll have more about that trip soon, but the outcome of that trip has led to this post. Actually, this is a post for me to organize an idea or two in regard to decor, so feel free to bypass...

As I mentioned, JillyBean LOVES her hats. Well, she has also developed a little fetish for purses and received two new cute bags while we visited Nana. Aunt Jane gave her a sweet floral purse with a beaded handle (that I may actually use for a wedding in a couple of months) and Nana got her a precious pink straw bag from Hartstrings that has a rose on it. It also matches the beautiful pink linen dress and hat making this complete ensemble:

So, now I find the need for something to keep these hats and purses neat and tidy. I am unsure if I want to get a series of pegs or hooks to hang on the wall or a peg rack.

I really like this from The Land of Nod:
However, Anthropologie is one of my favorite places to shop. I love their clothes but I also like their home decor items. These hooks are great and make for a little more unique addition to Jilly's room:

Spring Deals

This is just a quick post to let you all know that Janie and Jack is having a friends and family sale. You get 25 percent off your entire purchase Friday through Sunday by using the code JJFRIEND. I love their stuff and it holds up well through multiple washes. Believe me, JillyBean got a lot of use out of tops and shorts last summer and they still looked new when I pulled them out for the consignment sale.

Speaking of the consignment sale, our playroom/study is back to normal and no longer resembles a girls' retail shop. I hauled off tons of dresses, shorts, tops, bathing suits, shoes, etc. last night for the spring Here Wee Grow Again sale. If you're a C'ville resident, you must check out this place. The quality of clothes and gear is heads and shoulders above other consignment sales that I've shopped. The workers who "screen" items at drop off are super picky and make sure that all items are in tip-top shape.

The sale begins Saturday and continues through Thursday, except Sunday. It's located at Aldersgate Church at 1500 East Rio Road (behind the mall).

Sad Day

I was so sad to learn that Baby Style has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is horrible news for us as we have purchased so many fabulous items for us and as gifts from this wonderful shop. Probably my favorite Baby Style item from is JillyBean's Lulu lamb chair. We propped Jilly up in the chair each week the first three months to photograph her growth then did it each month until she was a year old. Today she sits in Lulu to read to her babies.

I had purchased or received so many things from there - maternity clothes, toys, blankets, my Moses basket, baby clothes, baby shoes. It was always my go-to place when I wanted to find something a little unique.

I hope that they can pull themselves out of this but I'm sure that they won't. I was hoping to snag a few other items for Jilly's second birthday but I suppose we're out of luck.

C'ville Photographer

I am getting ready to book a spring portrait session for Jilly to mark the new season as well as a new year year. It kills me that we're not closer to Auntie April, but if I have to hire a "stranger" then I'm happy to say that I found a great one.

Dominique Attaway did some beautiful spring/Easter pictures of JillyBean last year. I think that Jilly has beautiful blue eyes on their own, but Dominique's photos made them look stunning. Seriously, the kid was dead tired but in the photos she looks so angelic. I'd love to post a picture or two from last year's session but I don't have the rights to do so. Jilly used to be on her website but she's been replaced with newer portraits of other adorable children. However, you can see a couple here on her blog (this should take you to one photo and this should take you to the other, but if not, you have to scroll to March 5, 2008 entry toward the bottom; also these aren't the best of the session. i so wish that i could share them with you).

So, if you're looking for a great local photographer for family or event photos, I highly recommend Dominique.

Not a real entry

This really doesn't count as a blog entry. I'm mostly doing this to serve as a holding place. JillyBean hasn't shown signs of climbing out of her crib just yet but that hasn't stopped me from looking at "big girl" bedding. There are two sets that I've had my eye on for some time and they're both on sale right now. I'm thinking of getting one and holding on to it for when we make the transition.

This is from Pottery Barn Kids. I love the bright pink and the cute monkey pattern really says a lot for her personality:
I also really love this from Land of Nod. It's so pretty and very girlie:
I know that it's two different looks but I can't decide which one I like best. The Land of Nod is so beautiful, but the PBK bedding is so cute.

I'll be back soon to do a Christmas update. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year.

Hanna

Hanna Andersson has been having the most awesome sale for a couple of weeks and it just keeps getting better. I snagged a cute snowsuit for Jilly for $28 and a cute all-weather jacket for $16. Both are a size smaller than I wanted (would have preferred the next size up so I could be sure that it will work next year), but even if she only gets one year out of them it's a great deal. Unless she goes through a bigger growth spurt than she did last year they should be OK but it would have been nice to have had some wiggle room.

'Tis (Almost) the Season

I have to give a big thanks to Amanda Soule for her wonderful blog Soule Mama. Not only does she provide great ideas for living a back-to-basics life and how to inspire creativity at home with kids, she is responsible for turning me on to two of JillyBean's Christmas gifts.


Jilly loves to color and draw, so when I came across the post about these crayon rocks, I knew that they would make a great stocking stuffer. (this site does not have them available now, but they are available through other sites). They're made of soy wax and tinted with natural mineral powders, so you don't have to worry about washing out your child's mouth if they end up there. They also come in a cute little pouch so it will be somewhat easy to keep up with them over time.

The other gift that comes thanks to SouleMama are these adorable slippers from Satch & Sol. I don't think that I'm going to dress Jilly in footie PJs this year because she gets so dad-gum hot as it is at night. However, it can be a bit chilly in the mornings and she really loves wearing slippers and I thought that these were just too cute.

As for the rest of her Christmas, we're all over the place. I know that she'll get a couple of puzzles and I got her this from Melissa & Doug at Nature's Child here in C'ville. I can't wait for Christmas this year because I know that she'll be so excited to see everything, though I know that she won't really "get" it until maybe next year.

Pass It On

We did pretty well with the Here Wee Grow Again consignment sale last month but not all of JillyBean's clothes got gobbled up. Thankfully there is a new service that looks very promising for moms who either want to make a few bucks by selling their stuff or for moms looking for a deal.

Handmedowns.com is a new site to list baby and kids gently used products and services - everything from gear to nanny services. It apparently also pulls relevant ads from other online services such as eBay and Craigslist. Unfortunately it won't help unless you live in one of these regions: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle or Washington, D.C.

Gymbo Sale

Gymboree's Circle of Friends Sale starts tomorrow and goes through Sunday. Use the code CFFRIEND or CFCIRCLE and get 30 percent off of your entire order.

JillyBean needs some new PJs. These are pretty cute with Christmas around the corner:

Ain't too Shabby

You may recall the cute black and white dress JillyBean wore to Beanie Uncle's wedding. It came from a shop called Shabby Apple and I just love their stuff - for both baby girl and mama. They have great dresses. Well, now through the end of the month they're offering $3 shipping, have a decent sale, and have added some new items.

I adore this little dress for fall:

Fall into Books

JillyBean and I went to Barnes & Noble this afternoon for Toddler Storytime. It was a pretty positive experience, except for an incident with an older child who walked up to JB and began slapping her on her head and body in a fit of rage (seriously, it was scary). I really felt bad for the mom - she was so embarrassed and disciplined the child (actually they left). And while it was completely weird I just have to think that these things will happen and it's somewhat tolerable (though still unacceptable) when the parent of the bully is just as upset as you are.

But, moving along, one book that was read today was this fabulous, fun story:
It kept JB's attention because of the amazing illustrations. I think that she'll appreciate it on a whole new level as she gets older because you are able to see the various shapes made by the leaves as they scatter across the earth.

Ridiculous

Anyone who knows me knows about my love affair with shoes. Especially high-heeled, pointy-toed shoes. The skinnier the heel and pointier the toe the better. So one might think that I would find these high-heeled infant shoes adorable. Quite the contrary; I think they're a bit appalling and also quite ugly (especially for $35 a pop).

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that babies need to shrouded in bunnies, baby chicks, puppy dogs, and lambs. JillyBean tends to wear clothing that reflects today's style but with a juvenile twist. But exposing this "style" to babies is ridiculous. Seriously, I know that they're designed for kids who can't walk so it's just a look, but what's the point? Is this to make the child look adorable or for the mom to get a bit of attention byway of her kid? Leave the heels for playing dress up, Halloween, and that first formal dance. Kids are already dressing too mature too early, so don't start while they're still in the crib.

According to the company's website, the shoes: "May cause...hysterical laughter when in use"
So they're designed so that we can laugh at the child? Nice...Let's help tear down a little girl's self-esteem as early as possible. /snark

One of the cutest things is when Beanie tries to shove her feet into a pair of my Stuart Weitzman heels because she wants to be like mommy instead of mom putting these silly things on because I want her to be a mini me.

Beanie and Beanie Mom prefer Pedipeds like these:

Or See Kai Run styles like these:

Baby Sale

Baby Style has a nice little Labor Day sale going on right now with 40 percent off of a lot of goodies. And to make it even better, you can get free shipping if you spend $49 by simply typing in FREESHIP49 when y0u finalize your purchase.

Also, Hanna Andersson's pre-season outer wear sale is taking place. This one is especially exciting for me since we now live where there is a need for good outer wear. This is such a cute look:

Back to School Clothing Discount

I love this time of year when all of the ads center around back-to-school shopping. And even though no one here is going to school this year, it's still fun to do a bit of cyber shopping. Plus, we finally live where Fall is more than a couple of days in February.

Gymboree was nice enough to send us a card that gives 30 percent off entire purchase from August 21-24. So, if you're in need of new school clothes or fall clothes for the kiddo, just use the code CFFRIEND when you check out.

Jilly's picks for girls:

And for boys:

Jilly was also excited to see the new preppy line at Gap. She's really digging argyle and plaid for the fall:

And for the well-dressed little man: