Bargain!

With Christmas around the corner, Mr. J and I are trying to figure out what to give Little B as a present. I wasn't too excited to give her a doll, because I think she's a bit too young. But lately, she is really interested in dolls. I asked my friends on Facebook what seems to be good for 14 month old babies and got a few suggestions. One was Baby Tidoo by Corolle.



Tidoo has a suggested retail price of $40, which is a bit more than I wanted to spend for something that she may not like very much. But she's 12" tall--which is a perfect size for B to carry around. Another great thing about Tidoo is that while she has a vinyl head, arms, and legs, her body has quick dry pellets, which makes her not only machine washable but a great buddy for the bath!

I was running errands a few days ago and found a Baby Tidoo at a children's resale shop. She didn't have any clothes and had a few crayon marks on her face. Otherwise, she was in pretty good shape. Her asking price? A whopping $2.50! I guess the folks at Once Upon A Child don't know enough to realize Tidoo is more valuable than the Cabbage Patch Kid the store wanted for $6.50. I bought her at once.

When we got home, I popped Tidoo in the washing machine with my sweaters and later on, I bought the doll pajamas from our nearby Creative Kidstuff shop.



Thankfully, Little B isn't scared of Tidoo. She gives the doll a hug on occasion, but dumps her on the floor as she would any other plaything she owns.

Sigh of Relief

The meeting with the headhunter went well. It was nice to know that I am still employable even though I have been out of the workforce for 18 months. I think that it's so easy to forget your accomplishments and abilities when they are meaningless as a stay at home mom. B doesn't care if I have an MBA. My job is to help her explore the world safely and nourish her physically, emotionally, and intellectually. She could care less if I can set up a discounted cash flow model in 10 minutes flat. But wants her milk ASAP.

I was told to let go of my worries about being a mom... That there are plenty of jobs in the area that would provide a great work/life balance and still pay me well for my time and credentials. I felt relief knowing this.

My job search is going to take some time-- I hope to start looking in earnest after 1 January. So in the meantime, I hope to enjoy every moment I can being at home with Little B.

Cross Fingers!

I have a meeting with a headhunter today. Kind of nervous. The suit & dress shoes are ready to go. I even got a manicure since I will shake
hands. Little B is "resting" in her crib. More like chatting with her stuffed animals. I am trying to relax before I get dressed, drop B off
at childcare, then head downtown.

I know I would like to work. I just don';t know if I will be able to gracefully balance my time between something I put so much energy into
for 15-plus years, and the loves of my life. But so many women manage with fewer resources, so why can't I, right?

I think I can I think I can I think I can....

My Wish List (Not In Any Order) 2009

1. Good health and happiness for everyone in my family and loved ones
2. For Little B to grow up happy and healthy
3. Quality time with my husband
4. Hood for my macro lens
5. New stationery with my full name on the cards and envelopes with my return address
6. Moleskine 2010 Weekly Diary
7. To finish all of my craft projects
8. To convert my family home videos to DVD format
9. A return address stamper that says "The Johnson Family"
10. Healthy skin and fewer wrinkles
11. Cleaning pen for my camera

How Hard Is It To Find A Decent Holiday Dress For A Toddler?

It's really hard!

Last year, I spent the month of November looking for a beautiful Christmas dress for Little B. It was our first holiday as parents and I wanted her to look as pretty as possible. We lucked out, since her dress was marked down 50% by mid-November. I found a beautiful cardigan from Pottery Barn Kids for $19.99. This is our peanut last year:


This year's pickings were slim. I didn't want to spend more than $40 on an outfit, as she is growing fast and we don't have many occasions to wear something so fancy. But of course, I want her to look nice. Le sigh.

Gymboree had a few cute things, but I wasn't thrilled with the velvet collar and waistband on this dress (at least it's made of 100% silk):


Janie and Jack tend to have beautifully made dresses. This is where I bought Little B's dress last year. But I wasn't enamored by the designs this year. This dress is cute, but the brown flocking makes it a bit drab in my opinion. Plus it was a bit pricey at $89.


I liked this outfit from Janie and Jack, because I thought I could have Little B get more use out of it, but the ensemble would cost more than I planned to spend (OMG! $102 for the sweater, skirt, and bodysuit!).



I found this one at T.J. Maxx for $19.99. It's not silk (100% polyester). The consolation is that it won't wrinkle too much in our suitcase (as we are visiting Grammie & Grand Dad for Christmas). I have a feeling Lola might not be too fond of the black & white print, but it's much nicer than many of the mostly black ensembles I saw. I like how the lining of the coat matches the dress, and the sash on the dress matches the coat. It's a size 12 months, so I am considering going up a size since Christmas is still 8 weeks away and Little B eats A LOT. I made her hair clip and she already has the shoes. We are set!

Stalking These Dresses

This dress is ideal, but I'd worry she'd get it all messed up.


This dress is absolutely gorgeous, but $265? Not within the price range.


This one is adorable, but it doesn't seem right to dress an infant in what is essentially a black dress.



This dress is made by Florence Eiseman. My parents bought me dresses by this designer when I was a little girl. I think it's so beautiful, but I will wait until it's on sale.

Adventures in Decluttering

The three J's love books. Yes, even Little B. Since we have limited space, I went through all of mine and put the ones I don't want to keep in a paper bag. I considered selling them online, at eBay.com or Half.com, but decided I just want them out of my house. So I took about 12 books here. They gave me $9.50 in cash.

I also receive a lot of hand me downs for Little B--some of which are just way too big for her (Size 5T, etc.) and still pretty trendy. I dropped them off at a nearby consignment store and today I picked up a check for $43. Not bad. I can buy Little B a pretty dress for Christmas. :)

Now our house has a bit less clutter.

My Favorite Artichoke Dip

Super-easy, light & tasty!

4 tablespoons (packed) grated parmesano reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
3 tablespoons light sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, well drained, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

Whisk 4 tablespoons cheese, light mayonnaise, light sour cream, dried marjoram, black pepper, onion salt, and garlic powder in medium bowl to blend. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts. Transfer mixture to 1 1/2-cup ramekin. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover mixture and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake dip until heated through, about 20 minutes (about 30 minutes if chilled).

We serve it with small pita or tortilla chips.

Enjoy!