Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Recent Purchases + Randoms

This past weekend was a long one so the hubs and I took advantage of getting things picked up for baby girl. We ran all around town shopping and checking things out in person. It was a lot of fun and nice to have the extra day off to relax.This past Saturday was also his sister's bridal shower which turned out gorgeous! I'll be sure to post some pics of all the decorations.
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Graco Lauren 4-in-1 Convertible Crib - White

I've been looking for a gender neutral crib in white from day 1. I know that this bed is convertible, but we won't convert it into a full bed until our last baby so I wanted a crib I could use for all of our children (we want 3-4). I figure, by the time our little one is ready for a full bed, we'll be pregnant with the next child and I'd rather buy her a real bed with matching furniture than buy a 2nd crib. Mommies, do you agree?

I found this online at Target and it had 4.5 stars with 62 reviews, but the shipping was outrageous. Now, I don't consider myself a "cheap" person, but I loathe paying for shipping and handling. I think that if you're spending XX amount of dollars, you should have free shipping. I don't mine a small, flat rate shipping regardless of what you order either. I also think that when you're buying from a gigantic chain you should be able to have it shipped to store at no charge for pickup. After googling the crib and shopping around online, we ended up buying it from Wal-Mart at a better price and free shipping! Take that Target. You can find it here at Wal-Mart.

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HEMNES 8 Drawer Dresser

Another thing I've looked all over for was a nice dresser I could use as a changing table. I saw this Hemnes dresser from IKEA (buy it here) on Pinterest and fell in love. I imagined taking out the top four drawers and putting in wicker baskets, but the bottom of the drawers are open between each row so that wouldn't work. When we put it together, we're gonna see if maybe there's a way to put a thin piece of wood to close out each wood so my wicker basket dream could work, but I'm not sweating it. I also plan on changing the knobs into something more feminine. The dresser is white with high gloss and it's so pretty! I was pretty apprehensive about buying a dresser from IKEA, but I couldn't find another dresser I liked anywhere. Not in store, at furniture places, online, etc. So I just bit the bullet. It seemed really sturdy in store and the drawers slid in and out really easily and were really deep, which I need in a dresser. I searched for reviews online and found nearly all positive reviews, so I feel better about the purchase.

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Our biggest purchase this weekend was the Canon Eos Rebel T3i!! We've been wanting a nice camera for a long time and had talked about how we need to get one before the baby is born and we picked it up this weekend from Costco. They had a great deal going and we couldn't pass it up. Now I just need to learn how to use the dang thing...

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Urban Black Chevron Baby Car Seat Cover 

On our registry, we picked out the new Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 Infant Car Seat and the Graco Modes Click Connect Stroller, but they don't match! They're the newest in the Graco line and I love the features they both offer (I'll post more about them later in a registry post) so I couldn't pass them up. I found a super cute cover though from Etsy Shop hipncozy, you can buy the one I got here. I'm sure a cover is going to be so useful in keeping the car seat clean, it's removable and can be washed in the washing machine. We plan on using this car seat with our future children, so I want to keep it in the best condition possible. Since the car seat we have goes from infancy to 2 years old, I was worried the cover may not fit so I messaged Becky and she got back to me right away. I love great customer service like that! Can't wait to get this baby in and check it out with our car seat and stroller.

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Baby Girl Light Gray and Purple Damask and Polka Dot Stuffed Elephant 

I've been looking at this cute stuffed elephant since we found out we were having a girl. I just love it! I feature the Etsy shop Luna and Bean on my Etsy Spolight post a few weeks ago. The colors, that it's handmade, and that you can personalize just had me sold right away. I kept going back and forth between this gray and purple one (buy it here) or the bright pink chevron with gray ears...or just picking out the fabric myself. Can't wait to add this little gem to the nursery!

I've picked up a few other things we needed for the house like a tp holder, serving platter, etc. Every time I walk into a Home Goods shop, I want to spend my whole paycheck! They have the best stuff for the home, and if it's a TJ Maxx Home Goods, they have the cutest baby clothes! I wanted to buy Baby L enough clothes for like 5 years. 
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I picked up this Conair Volume Hairsetter from Ulta. I've been wanting to try a hot roller set for a while, I'm hoping I get more volume from using it. It takes me like 0 min to do my hair in the morning, but on some days my hair is just super flat, even with dry shampoo and teasing, the volume just doesn't last throughout the day. I'll be sure to do a review on how I like the rollers.
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Then I picked up NYX Sugar Pie gloss (I blogged about it on my Beauty Wishlist) and Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue. I saw the color on InstaGram (I can't find the pic now :/ ) and fell in love with the fun bright color.

I finally watched the season finale of Downton Abbey and I'm so sad! I love that each episode is a full hour long, but hate that a season is only 7 episodes. I knew what would happen during this season because of a spoiler I read, so although I didn't know details, I knew what to expect. I don't want to give anything away in case you're not caught up though!

Another show I'm obsessed with is The Following on Fox with Kevin Bacon. It's amazing! It's thrilling, scary, and twists with every episode. Plus, Kevin Bacon has aged really well, I like! The acting is also really good, and I love the mom's hair. It's the perfect color and cut!
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See? It's the perfect color of dirty blonde. 

I think I'm going to go a bit lighter at my next hair appointment. I really miss my blonde hair, but it's so high maintenance and I don't want to have to worry about roots every 10 weeks once the baby is here. I've been collecting some pics of colors I like that should be low maintenance, I'll be sure to do a post about them soon. 

Oh, and I've started taking some pics of the apartment so I'll be sure to do a post about the new place soon!

Hope you all have a great rest of your week, happy hump day!!

19 comments :

Heather said...

You will be SO glad you got a good camera. We didnt do that right away and I regret it.

Cute crib, too. Can't go wrong with white.
Heather
TheMommyhood.com

Meg O. said...

Yay for a DSLR! It is an amazing investment. Love that carseat cover, too!

Rachel L. said...

We got the Hemnes dresser for our wedding last year in black and it has been so great since putting it together. I hope you like it just as much as we do!

Chelsea Mac said...

So many exciting purchases! Love what you have selected so far for baby and nursery! Hope you share the final product when it is ready!

AllyValdez said...

Love your crib!!! For future Target purchases, you should get the target debit card. Not the credit card, NO ONE needs a target credit! But the debit is connected to your back account and you get 5% off everything you buy and free shipping online!

Love your blog. Can't wait to see that sweet babe:)

xoxo
ally
www.allymullin.blogspot.com

Carolyn said...

OMG! Love EVERYTHING you've bought so far for baby girl. Her nursery is going to be adorable!!

Lyndsy said...

i was so sad downton abbey is done for the season as well :( and i am loving that pretty blue polish and chevron car seat cover! too cute!

Lindsay @ LindsayInNYC said...

We have the Hemnes dresser for our bedroom in black/brown! We've had it for 4 years now with no problems! We actually debated selling it before we move but I saw it in a nursery too and think that would be a better option :)

Anonymous said...

1-that chevron is adorable
2-email me a run down of how you like the camera (and price if you dont mind ;) I really need one before my trip this summer

3-i also need some hot rollers

Anonymous said...

The new crib & dresser are pretty! So fun that you guys are getting things now for the nursery and soon enough you'll have your sweet baby girl to complete it all.

Lindsay
LindsayJEveryday.blogspot.com

Veronika said...

I can't wait to see your nursery :) that elephant is too cute!

Mandy @ In the Fashion Lane said...

You got SO MUCH good stuff. I am so excited you got the camera. That crib and dresser is darling! (I saw someone mentioned the Target Debit Card already but it is a GREAT deal. I am obsessed with mine). I HEART HEART HEART The Following. Agree with everything you said including the mom's hair. I love the color and think that she is stunning!!!

Thanks for sharing it all with us!

Pamela said...

If you have the time, I'd love to know how you're liking the camera. I'm thinking of getting a "big girl" camera this year and Costco is usually my go-to for pricey electronics. Thanks!

eliz said...

We are barely getting our crib and dresser this weekend! I been researching and reading consumer reports like no other and finally found the perfect crib...I totally understand about using one crib for all your babies..we plan on doing the same so we are going with white too. Dressers have been a pain to find...they are really $$. I have a canon rebel too we got it for our italy trip...I know how to use the basic features...it is not as easy as I thought...haha

Kristen said...

@Pamela: I haven't really had a chance to really check out the camera yet, but I'll definitely be posting about it as it comes along :D

Unknown said...

Hi! I have been looking all over for a dresse that matches the Graco Lauren Crib in white and the ikea one is perfect! I have to ask though, there are two white color options for the dresser at ikea, white stain and white. Which one did you get to match the crib?

Thanks!

Kristen said...

Hi Jessica! We bought the same dresser for our next baby and I believe we bought the white. We love the high gloss, we had a worked open the box to double check before we bought it. The other white one you can still see the wood below the paint. It's cute, but we wanted the girls dressers to match.

Unknown said...

Thanks for your help! I have read some people say that the Hemnes ikea dresser and the Graco Lauren crib in white don't really match. Do you think they do?

Kristen said...

It's not an identical match, but goes well together.