Prepared for Attack, Not Love

So, three months ago, I bore our little son. Being our third baby here (one in heaven), we prepared for his coming in all different ways: boy clothes, new diaper inserts, switching rooms around, re-reading birthing techniques books, etc., etc.

We also prepared ourselves for the main attack: other people's comments.

I had heard horror stories from my friends about the comments you'll get about how you're overpopulating the world and you must be having kids because you have nothing better to do, or just exclamations of "3 in 4 years!" or "Better you than me!" and the like.

Now, I am that classic person who can never think of a good response until about 2 hours after I should have said it. And for some reason I was determined not to let someone say something rude without having a good response. So I thought for oh... 9 months about what I would say. I'd play different scenarios in my head and come up with snappy replies.  If they say this; I'll say THIS! If that, I'll quip back THAT! No unthinking pseudo-intellectual grocery shopper will get the better of me! (Because, really, don't all those comments happen when shopping for groceries?)

However, for the past 3 months, I've been completely caught off-guard by people's comments. So loving. So kind. I walk down an isle and I swear some women start to coo. I live in the Northwest where people are known to be standoff-ish, but I have had more people talk to me since having our little one than I ever remember before. They stop me and tell me all about how they had 3 kids and how they just loved them. How their kids were close together, and how much they loved playing together (and are still close as adults!). How they love that my girls are in pretty girly clothes and my boy is in blue. How cute he is. How cute the girls are. How they can tell the girls are good big sisters. How much they want a baby. How much just seeing the kids gives them the baby bug. How their grandkids are about my kids' ages. Sometimes we'll get told funny stories of what their kids used to do when they were little (and now the grandkids are doing the same things, which made the granddad who told us one story SO happy!)

Honestly, it is almost overpowering.

The last time I went to the store a lady stopped me and we must have talked for about 10 minutes (baby was asleep and the girls just weighed our bag of tomatoes about 4,982 times). Turns out she has 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy. They have grown up and now she is expecting her first grandchild in Jan. and her second in March. She told me all about them and ended with "They are wonderful. Just wonderful." Then she looked at mine for a couple seconds and said "And so are yours. I can tell. They will be wonderful!"

I love it. I love all of it. It's not that we didn't used to get comments. We definitely did before, but it's different now. People are more open. I somehow think it's because it's expected that you'll have 1 or 2 kids. But 3 kids - especially so close together - you only have on purpose. You only have because you love having kids. And everyone loves kids. Even grouchy people smile when a baby smiles at them. And so I feel like I have a sign on me saying "Yes. I obviously love kids. Come tell me if you do too!"

So when I do get some negative comment, which I'm sure I will, and I forget my planned out, snappy response, I hope I remember all the loving comments. I also hope the grouch gets stuck in line with me while a chatty grandma who is missing her grandkids decides to dote on mine. Then they'll witness the only natural and proper response to kids: love.

Shabby Apple on Groupon!

I've found another AMAZING deal today ladies. On our links page, in the fashion section you'll find a link to Shabby Apple. They sell adorably vintage dresses and skirts that are modest. Today on Groupon (choose LA as your city, it's the side deal) they are offering a $100 voucher to their store for $40 - 60% off!!!!

Organic Soap

Jasmere is featuring Moksa Organic soap and body oils today. Their website has some good info about what organic and fair trade are supposed to be. Best part is a 6.5 oz. bar of soap is only $6.50. The Jasmere deals are either a $40 voucher for $16 or for $13 + $6 shipping you get 2 bars of soap and 1 body oil.

Deal junkie

I've recently become a deal junkie scouring the internet for good deals on things we are planning to buy. Three of my favorite sites are Groupon and Jasmere and Zulilly. Groupon has you pick your city then shows you one good deal a day. Today's happens to be awesome: discounted tickets to the SeaLife Aquarium at Legoland in Carlsbad. I'll be picking up 4 tickets for us - Ella is obsessed with fish so we'll take her there for her birthday :) Jasmere also has one deal a day, but theirs ranges from coffee to sheets to reusable baggies. On top of selling discounted products, they also sell vouchers. For example, you would pay $20 for a $50 voucher at their featured retailer. Zulilly is all for moms and kids and sells clothes, gear, and toys at a discounted price. It's an awesome way to stock up on gifts for the year. Enjoy!

A compilation of thoughts....

First off, the post before mine "Dare to Be Beautiful," inspired my post, so please stop reading mine and refer to that one first... really stop reading mine - that one is SO amazing... ok now that you've read that one, welcome back to mine.

The Lord is so wonderful! Today I've been thinking all day about our blog and what I would write today. So many topics have run through my mind - here's how it went (PS I really hope you read the post before mine before you read my crazy thoughts) 1. Has everyone heard about the Duggars, I love them, but I especially love them since they got rid of their jumpers! 2. I could write more about money saving techniques. 3. I could post my grandmother's banana bread recipe that I'm using today for the first time... but then I sat down to write something and read the Dare to Be Beautiful post! THANK YOU to the mom who wrote that!

I never buy things for myself, as I am constantly worried about making sure I spend Phil's paycheck in the most thrifty way possible. He is always trying to get me to buy a sweater or some shoes, but I always head to the store and end up coming back with nothing - I'm always saying "we can't afford it." Today I saw a white purse at WalMart and I really wanted it - it was only $10. I contemplated for 30 minutes, walked outside, actually got in my car to leave and thought "hey I can treat myself to one thing!" I just got paid from an event I helped work, so I'll make sure to tithe some money, spend a little bit, and throw the rest in savings to pay my student loans. (student loans are a whole different blog- don't get me started) To my surprise I didn't feel guilty for buying the purse, instead I'm quite excited about my purchase. Then to my delight I read the Beauty blog! Now I could have spent my money on a dress and while the issue of practicality still remains, I AGREE women should remmeber how important it is to feel and look beautiful. Phil says he doesn't care what I wear, but I know it makes him proud when I look nice and dress more feminine. Yesterday I worked an enchilada dinner and got enchilada sauce all over my dress, but I felt good in a dress and I didn't just roll in jeans and a shirt ready to get dirty.

If our wardrobe needs a little updating and there's a few dollars left in the bank account, let's head to the thrift store, or Target, Kmart, Walmart, Old Navy, even a sale at a nice store... let's remind people you can be attractive and modest during our dress dare! People need to realize they can be feminine and fashionable! We don't all have to wear jumpers to be modest (PS there's nothing wrong if that's your preference!) So perhaps sometime soon I'll treat myself to a new dress and realize it's worth the money .... I'll try not to feel guilty :)

I love Costco

Ok - so my family already thinks I'm kinda nuts because we do our weekly grocery shopping at Costco - which means we buy vats of olive oil and 18 eggs a week for a family of 3 and soon to be 4. (Due in October - yay!)

However - when I went there today, I saw that they were selling bathing suits. Suits that actually looked cute, and then when I walked up to the stand, I realized that "Mod Bod" bathing suits stood for "Modest Body(?)" bathing suits.

I almost couldn't believe it. I started looking through them and a lady came up to me to ask if I needed any help. I told her what a great idea and that I couldn't believe Costco was selling blatantly modest suits. The sales lady said that they were the only suits they were selling, and that she'd only had one lady say that she didn't like them "I wear string." The lady and I agreed that most people don't really have the body to wear string, and even if they do, we don't really want to see them in it. After all, string bikinis don't exactly scream "when looking at me, please see an intelligent women of high morals and greatness of soul."

The sales lady also said that everyone else who stopped had said that they liked both the suits and the idea and were glad that Costco was carrying them. Good for you Everett Washington shoppers!

Now, I'm not sure if they are selling them just in this one store (the headquarters are near by, so they do a lot of product testing around here) but it makes me happy that such a huge chain store is promoting modesty, and seeing that there's a market for it.