forever21 + JAPAN + the gap = flippin awesome

Sometimes a mama deserves to treat herself. Always a mama wants to help those in need.

Forever21 is donating 100% of their on-line sales today only to the relief effort in Japan. Pretty unbelievable, isn't it?!

Thought you'd like to know this awesome little fact.

And just when you think it can't get better, it does.

The Gap (and Old Navy, Banana Republic, and outlets) are having a four-day promotion where you can get 30% off and they donate 5% toward the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Click on this link to get the special bar code to use in-store from March 17-20. (The bar code can be used multiple times, so share it around with your friends and family.)

Dear friends, how awesome are these promotions?!! The memos will never be a coupon blog or a deals blog... but I can't help myself this time. These are too good to not pass on. I'm just wishing I was in North America to take advantage of these! Hope you enjoy them on my behalf....

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

black friday frenzie

It’s been five years since I’ve had a Thanksgiving in America.

And that also makes five years since I’ve been shopping on a Black Friday.

Black Friday.

The name even sounds a bit daunting, doesn’t it?

Last Thursday night (after an incredible Thanksgiving meal and celebration) I lay awake in my bed at midnight, completely exhausted and jetlagged… and yet unable to sleep. I was a ball of nerves and excitement about the next day.

I was to wake at 2:15am and head out the door with some girlfriends for a 2:30am breakfast at Dennys and an early start to get the best deals.

Even though I had nothing I really hoped or needed to get, just the thrill of a deal and the ridiculously fun cultural experience was enough to keep me up like a child before Christmas.

I finally fell asleep for what seemed like a few minutes before—PING—my eyes sprung open at 2:10am before my alarm even had a chance to sound.

It was a fun morning shopping, but I confess, I probably enjoyed the cultural experience more than the actual shopping and deals.

I bought a few little things ($2.00 DVDs make great stocking stuffers!) but I had even more fun checking out the people sleeping in the aisles at Walmart while they waited for the electronics to go on sale. (I desperately wanted to take a photo but didn’t for fear they would wake up mid-snap and take their shoppers rage out on an unsuspecting displaced American in… America.)

I also enjoyed a fresh Starbucks delight at 5:00am – an hour that I rarely ever see (even if there was Starbucks incentive in Australia) – and I helped a friend snatch up the best of the best deals for her kids’ Christmas gifts.

By 9:00am I was ready to collapse; my two hours sleep weren't stretching very far.

There is nothing that comes remotely close to Black Friday in Australia. But I think that’s possibly a good thing. For now, I’ll just consider it a rare treat that I can come home every five years to get a too-good-to-pass-up bargain… and save myself the sleepless nights tossing and turning over $4.00 pajama bottoms.

Dear friends, how about you? Did you shop on Black Friday? Was it a success?

for the love of a bargain,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

baby loves a shopping trip

Shopping just got so much more fun thanks to Levi’s latest milestone and our new Jeep Shopping Cart Cover!

Last week Levi sat up on his own for the first time... but what was really amazing to me was the fact that he went from being able to sit up for about 30 seconds on his own to lasting for several minutes all in the space of a week! As much as I was surprised at his latest (seemingly) overnight milestone, I was also really keen to try out our shopping cart cover.

You can tell by the photo what he thought of the whole experience! He’s never smiled and laughed so much on a shopping trip before. His new big boy status was obviously thrilling to him and the excursion was a big hit.

So, now that this Jeep Shopping Cart Cover is being added to my list of baby gear faves, I wanted to pass along the tip from one mommy to another. I did a lot of shopping around and comparisons and reading reviews online before I decided on this one. [Note: this is not a sponsored review.] 

Let me tell you why I personally recommend it:

Price. I got this one for $24.99 with free shipping on Amazon. That’s half the price of similar covers from other leading retailers (and a third of the price of one purchased in Australia). Bargain!

Germs. It covers not only the seat part of the cart, but also the sides and handle and anywhere that baby (and mommy for that matter) can reach. This is especially great at the moment since bubsy has decided that  everything is fair game to chomp on and put straight in his mouth for devouring. Genius!

Comfy. There’s lots of padding, making it oh-so-comfy, even for the novice sitter like my little guy. Lovely!

Safe. It has a safety harness to attach over little one’s chest to help keep him secure in the cart. Good for little monkeys like mine who are still perfecting the art of sitting up independently and also good for little monkeys who are older and want to be on the move. Phew!

Stylish. I love this brown, blue, green, and orange graphic combo. It’s a little more “boyish” looking than “girly”, but is still unisex enough for me to use for the next several years as we add to our family. Funky!

Convenient. I could easily put the cover in/over the cart with one hand while holding Levi with the other. (If you want to tie it in place with the little fasteners, that will obviously need both hands after bubby is in… but I personally don’t think that part’s all that necessary.) Great!

Portable. When not in use, the cover easily folds/rolls up inside an attached carry bag with handles – perfect to throw in the trunk of the car. Nice!

Handy. There’s a large zippered pocket big enough for a spare diaper, a small packet of wipes, and a burp cloth, as well as my keys, wallet, and phone. Oh, to consolidate! Bye bye diaper bag - woohoooo!! Freedom!

Detail. There are a few little cloth rings sewn onto the front of the cover so that you can attach a couple of toys or teethers without having to worry about you kiddo constantly throwing them over the edge. Wonderful!

Multi-purpose. It’s is also able to double as a restaurant high chair cover… And—though not marketed this way—I also thought you could use it as a change pad if you find yourself in a bind and need to use the floor or a bench or the back seat of your car for a diaper change while you’re out and about. Perfect!

Washable. This cover is fully machine washable. No explanation needed!! Fantastic!

So mommy-friends, I just wanted to pass on my latest and greatest baby gear find. We love it!




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