5 days of free stuff at Happy Bambino

Most people ask for gifts for their birthday.  Not Happy Bambino!   They are turning 5 this week, and with true local love, they are giving away $5000 worth of goodies in five days.  (Can you believe it?!?!?!)  The great part is that there are lots of prizes over several days, so your odds of winning are much higher if you hang out with HB for the next few days and participate.

How to find out how to win all of this amazing stuff?  Join their mailing list or check out their website.

Each day of the five days they are posting info on their site as well as sending out an email with instructions on your job for the day.   Yesterday, all I had to do is look at these amazing packages and decide which I loved most.

Hard, I know.

So, join the fun!  Happy Bambino is an amazing resource for local families, and we would NEVER miss a good party.

-Ellen and Lisa

Doctor Play Kit

This is a post that could save your next trip to that store that you want to go to but your kids could do without (but they have to go anyway…). These are instructions for how to put together a doctor kit out stuff around your house.
I love the idea – making something out of things around the house.   There is a great list of what to include, but I imagine just scrounging around your bathroom and house you could find a whole bag worth of stuff.

-Ellen

 

Thrifty and Green Halloween

We love halloween.  My son has been asking most every day – “Is it halloween yet?”   The one problem with Halloween, as we see it, is that it can get expensive.  If you haven’t been lucky enough to 1) score a cheap costume that your kid will wear at a thrift store, or 2) have a kid who will wear whatever you score, then you are probably, about now, thinking “I have to spend HOW MUCH on a $#%& costume?” (insert costume idea of your kid’s choice).

We ran across this posting on some good cheap (or possibly even free) costume ideas.    I personally LOVE the jellyfish costume and plan to use this for myself sometime in the next few years when I no longer have to hold a baby.     The oldie-but-goodie Highway idea would be easy enough for a kid of any age (black pants, black shirt, yellow electrical tape).   We’ve had fun in years past with one of dad’s white shirts (for a lab coat), a pair of old lens-less glasses, and some gel in the hair for a mad-scientist.

And a green halloween?  We thought these tidbits were interesting:

• Conventional pumpkins are a highly “treated” crop.  Consider buying from a local farm instead of the grocery store (unless you know they are organic).  And make sure you compost it when Halloween is over instead of putting it in a landfill.  We usually just put ours in the garden and top it with leaves and by spring it’s nearly vanished.
• Use a recycled costume (ie  items from your or your friend’s closet or dress-up box, thrift stores)
• Use recycled cans to make lanterns for your home (think hammer and nail, patterns, candles)
• Use a solar powered flash light when out and about, or sew reflective tape to the costume

And finally, here is a good link for a FAKE BLOOD RECIPE (fabulous) and other home-made face paints!

-Ellen

A told B and B told C, I’ll meet you in the free mag, LMNOP

A friend of mine let me on to a little secret – you can get a Free downloadable subscription to the kid-centered magazine LMNOP.  One  issue back was all about letters, and I couldn’t stop reciting the sing along lyrics to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom while I was “leafing” through this green and graphically beautiful magazine subscription.

And don’t be confused that the latest issue focuses on spring – the mag is centered out of Australia, so it will help you get a jump start on ideas for next year.  And the blog is filled with ideas for us northern hemisphere folks alike, like directions to make this cheap, cute daisy costume.

See yourself in these Photos?

Half-Pint friend Mallory of Fitzgerald Photography took these awesome photos of our fall 2009 sale.  See yourself in any of the pictures?

Many thanks to Mallory, and to everyone who volunteered to have your picture taken!!

We have winners!

There were so many wonderful give-aways at the sale two weeks back, and we wanted to list the winners here.  You will hear directly from the business regarding your prize!   Thanks to everyone for checking out our resource tables!

Happy Bambino

$20 Gift Certificate to Half-Pint (for bringing in a donation to the Goodman Community Center) – Xenia S.

$200 Gift Card for the Happy Bambino Webstore – Kate M.

Tupperware Package – Susan C.

Swim East Session – Jamie C.

60 Minute Massage from Belly -   Kristin Y.

T-Shirt from Belly – Katy W.

$100 Gift Certificates from Nicki’s Diapers – Kate and Kim

Gift Baskets from Nicki’s Diapers – Kelly and Angela

1 day and counting to deals, treasures, and more

Just wanted to remind you about some great things about the Half-Pint Resale this Friday and Saturday!  Quality consigned Clothing and Gear for children ages 0-7, maternity wear, and more from approximately 250 consignors; all organized into one giant sale!  Tell your friends and family!  This is a great place for new parents, veteran parents, and grandparents alike to get items they need and low prices, all while supporting families in our community and keeping things Green.  Admission is free!

Friday, September 18
2pm – 8pm –  Public Sale

Saturday, September 19
8am – Noon  – Public Sale
1pm – 5pm  – Half Price Sale

At the Goodman Community Center
Click here for directions: http://halfpintresale.googlepages.com/mapanddirections

Just a reminder that strollers are NOT allowed at the sale.
Read more information about kids and the sale here: http://halfpintresale.googlepages.com/shoppinginformation.

Parking information: Important! http://halfpintresale.googlepages.com/mapanddirections

Fun things to note about the sale: There will be a resource area at the sale, where you can register to win the following giveaways:

*$200 Web-store Gift Certificate to Happy Bambino (http://www.happybambino.com)
*2 $100 Gift Certificates, and 2 packages worth $150 to Nicki’s Diapers (http://www.nickisdiapers.com/)
*Family Friendly Tupperware Package (with BPA-free plastics)
*30 minute massage Gift Certificate from Belly (http://www.bellymamamassage.com)

*and pick up a free swim lesson pass to the new Swim East (http://www.swimwesteast.com/), and a coupon for a free prenatal yoga class from The Chakra House (http://www.thechakrahouse.com/)

And don’t forget to bring in a Baby Food donation for the Goodman Community Center (formula and other baby necessities also accepted)!   All donors will be registered to win a Half-Pint Gift Certificate for the Spring/Summer 2010 Sale! Read more here: http://halfpintresale.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/bring-baby-food-win-a-prize/

See you at the sale!

PS If you have brown bags to spare, we’d love to reuse them for shopper’s purchases, so please bring them in!  Also, feel free to bring your own re-useable bags to tote home your goods.  Thanks!

We have Winners!

We have winners for our many contests for this sale.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Of course, there is one more contest still open!  Don’t forget to bring baby food to the sale next week and you’ll be entered to win a $20 Gift Certificate to the Spring/Summer sale in April, 2010!

Winners:

Newly Pregnant and now on our mailing list:  Genny V.  and Susan B. (will be proud owner of hand-printed Half-Pint Maternity tee’s!)

Adoptive Parent and now on our mailing list:  Michelle R. (will be proud owner of a Half-Pint shirt for her little)

Registered to Consign Early:  Kiki S., Beth J., Johnna B., Crystal H., and Amy P. (will be proud owners of select hand-printed Half-Pint “Green” items!)

Inventory Weekend: Printable sheets revisited

Late night Inventory

A few months ago we sent you a link for our Printable Cheat Sheets - a way to take inventory of your child’s needs for each season, allowing you to more effectively bargain hunt.

Early next week we’ll be sending shopping tips for the big sale next week, but we wanted to remind you that this weekend is a good time to take that inventory.  Long sleeve shirts?  Got’em – PJs?  Wow, running short.  Oh, and don’t forget those ballet shoes one size up (I traced H’s shoe insert on the back of the paper so I would know how big to buy them – wow, he has dirty feet), and a pair of long underwear.  And this year, our family is going to try and give each other New-to-You (used) or Homemade gifts,  so I’m going to have my eyes peeled for some fun games.  Any other tips you have?  Let us know what they are!

Tracing the insert of H's shoe

Elmo helps families Stand Together

Last night I turned the TV on, and since PBS is a regularily watched TV channel in my house of small children, I wasn’t surprised to see Elmo on the screen.

But I was surprised to see Elmo and his buddies talking about the recession and the importance of families standing together. The hour long show revolved around a Community Market which was being held to help families sell items (to make extra money for the family) and to buy items (in order to get things that they need that their budget could afford).  Hmmm, this sounds like awfully familiar – you mean, a little like Half-Pint Resale?

Elmo’s family had recently been having tough times since his mother was laid off from her job, and he had a lot of questions for other families going through similar things.

Knowing so many families who are gowing through tough times, I was thankful to have something I could show my kids that they could understand and explain things to them where they are at, and to also have experts who could give advice on how to help families through these tough economic and emotional times. You can read more about the project and all of the cool things that they are doing to help families, including providing online resources.

And, thank goodness for the internet, you can watch the whole thing online!  So get out the air-popper and that big jug of (oh-so-cheap) popcorn, and grab your computer for a movie night.  Oh, and grab some kleenex, too.  I found myself with a few tears – in empathy, appreciation, and a little exhaustion.  This ain’t easy, so families have to stand together.
-Ellen