my steal......

Nooooooo, I did not steal something from a department store, though I do have to admit that now that I sport a stroller while shopping, it would be more than easy to get away with it. I would NEVER do that!!!!

 On to MY STEAL!!!

Now that I'm a stay at home mama, I'm finding ways to cut back costs. We are currently living off one paycheck & in hopes of someday being an actual full time stay at home mama, I need to prove to the hubs that I can live on a budget. So I'm shopping the sale rack, making trips to Kohls, cutting out coupons & skipping over the extravagant purchases that are not necessary. I'm not trying to say that I am ONLY shopping the sale rack, I have to admit that I went shopping with the fam this past weekend & went a little overboard on buying anything/everything with fur on it. And none of it was on sale. But JJ wanted me to go shopping & I did need another new winter coat. My black peacoat was purchased back in 2004 & I'm not even joking. I can't even think about putting that thing on for another winter day. So over that coat. One thing that was on the top of my "I Need" List was a purse. I've found that the purses that sling over your body are easiest with a newborn babe & the Coach purse I'm currently sporting is way too small to carry my wallet, phones, antibacterial gel, hand lotion & a pacifier. So I've been on the lookout for a slightly bigger purse with the longer straps. No such luck. The only one I found is this ubber-expensive Marc Jacobs bag that I began drooling over. One look at the price tag & it was back on the display table (well, not until I had modeled it in front of the mirror & throughout the entire shoe section of Von Maur). I would show you a picture of it, but I just looked it up online & it made me sad that it's not going to be mine. So I can't bear to post it on my blog. Actually I'm kidding, I can't figure out how to get the image on here. Apparently Marc Jacobs is pretty strict with his images being posted elsewhere. Well, I didn't buy the bag eventhough JJ told me that I should buy it, that I deserved it. The price of this bag was $388 & I can think of 100 other things I could spend $388 on & in an effort to prove that being a stay at home mama takes financial sacrifices (and really I'll probably spill on that bag & my pen will explode inside of it) so I continued on my search for a great bag.

Yesterday, I found it while watching The Today Show. See they have this segment called Jill's Steals & Deals. And they seriously are steals! They were giving away Kristen Bell for Erica Anenberg bags at 72% off retail price!! I called a friend who said her high-style friends always buy Jill's Steals & Deals and it's totally legit. I was sold! So here my friends, is Heidi's Steal & Deal. This bag retails for $395 & I bought it (with shipping & handling) for a measly peasly $84!!! I rest my case, I would be one thrifty stay at home mom!!

And if you're skeptical of my steal......check out Erica Anenberg's website to see the actual retail price! I also need to add, as of this Friday, I will no longer be a paycheck-less stay at home mama. Yep, I'm going to be working again (well, it's not really work). I will start teaching Jazzercise on Fridays at 8:10am through the rest of my maternity leave. It will give Everly some structure to our Fridays, it will provide mama with some adult time & I will be getting paid while working out! I can't wait!! Yesterday I wiped the dust off my jazzercise DVD's & started putting my set together. Is it odd that I get so excited to watch the DVD & make a list of all the routines I plan on learning? In my mind every Jazzercise instructor gets that giddy feeling when they pop in the new DVD & sees the new routines for the first time.

Happy Hump Day to you all!! And say a little prayer for me Friday morning when I'm sending Everly to the daycare at Jazzercise. Yes, I'm nervous about it. Yes, it makes me sick thinking of her being cared for by a stranger. But I think this will help ease me into sending her to daycare full-time when I'm back to work. And don't worry, my friend Becca will be at my class & will be checking on Everly periodically to make sure she's okay. Phew!!!