Author: Michelle

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Contain Indy

If you live in Indy, you may have heard- the Container Store is finally here! If you’ve never been to one, you might not know why this is a big deal. If you’re familiar, well, then, you aren’t reading right now, you’re shopping.

Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch with some of my favorite people and tour the Container Store, all 25,000 sq ft. That evening, I attended the Preview Party, complete with live band, dance floor and 2000 of the Container Stores biggest fans.  It was a lot of fun, really overwhelming, and really left me wanting to reorganize my entire house. October 6, 2011 will forever be known as “Container Store Day” in my book.

The Container Store generously sent me home with a bag swag and I thought it would be fun to take some before and after pictures to demonstrate how useful their products really can be.

Exhibit A: The kids’ bathroom caddy. Ack.

Before: The basket actually held everything from toothpaste to a measuring tape, to hair ties.

Before
After: This Turbo Organizer has a spot for exactly everything that actually needs to live in that space nothing more, nothing less. I want one for our other two bathrooms now!
After
Exhibit B: Organizing the family calendar
Before: The back of my kitchen door is magnetic, so I use a couple of magnetic clips to hold papers I’ll need for the week. I only have two clips.
Every time I need a paper, everything else held by the clip falls to the floor!
After: The Container Store sent me home with four mega-magnets with hooks. Now there’s a magnet for coupons, tickets, school and etc. I’m still using the clips as well, and I’m not sure that it looks better, but things are a LOT easier to find!
Sorting the papers I need each each week by topic make things easier.

There are more goodies to put to work- I think the FlipFold  might have to be it’s own post. I find it oddly relaxing to fold my shirts like they do at the Gap.

What do you need help Containing? Whatever it is, I’m pretty sure the Container Store Indy will have an answer for you!

(Top photo courtesy of Angie Six, local blogger and Container Store enthusiast!)

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Twenty First Century Kids

Back in the day (1992) my work-study job at college was to man the id table in the cafeteria. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I rolled out of bed at 6:15 and sat at a table from 6:30 until 8:30, checking id cards. Our college ids had a meal-plan sticker, and on each sticker was a number.

I marked off each student’s number on a sheet, in a binder. With a pencil and paper. 

Fast forward nearly twenty years, and my first grader is more slick than I ever was.

Her school has an automated lunch payment system- I load her account online, and she enters a PIN before she goes through the lunch line.

My first grader has a PIN. 

It only goes to reason then,  that a lot of her life is electronic. She even has her own arsenal of iPhone apps, and was most excited about getting to play with the My Little Pony app from Ruckus Media.

“Mommy, there’s a pony. Her name is Twilight Sparkle (of course it is!). And she sparkles. And there’s a dragon. And it’s a story, and there are games. You touch the sparkles and things happen, and there’s a maze, and …”

Sounds like a perfect match for six year old girls, don’t you think? Especially six year old girls who already have PINs.

My Little Pony, from Ruckus Media is on sale through Thursday for $0.99. Friday the prices goes up to $3.99. It’s been a huge hit around the blogosphere, and I think any little girl would like it!

Disclosure- Ruckus Media provided me with a download of the My Little Pony app in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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Fun at Kelsay Farms- A Giveaway

Edited: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing, and thanks to Kelsay Farms for this fun giveaway! The winner of the tickets is the last commenter, #6. Congrats, Fairytalemom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Look mom! The pumpkins have faces!”

There really is nothing better than a three year old celebrating any holiday. My boy has been enjoying all things fall, starting with the Autumnal Equinox.

He notices the trees are turning colors.

He notices the  squirrels are collecting nuts.

He notices the pumpkins have faces this time of year.

Every fall we take the kids to get pumpkins and celebrate fall. Sometimes it’s to a roadside stand, sometimes it’s a fall festival, sometimes it’s an actual pumpkin patch.

This year, we’ll be taking them to Kelsay Farms, a working dairy farm that rolls out the straw carpet for fall fun every year. I’m so excited to combine fall with milkshakes, I can’t even stand it. There’s a corn maze, a baby barnyard, the moo-choo express train, and much more. The farm is open on weekends the entire month of October, as well as over fall break on October 20 & 21, (see website for specific hours and activities).

The Giveaway

Want to win a pair of tickets to experience the fun yourself?

To enter, just leave me a comment about your favorite thing about fall. It could be about Halloween, or it could be that the days are shorter and your kids go to bed more easily. Whatever it is, leave it as a comment (be sure to fill out the section with a good email address) and you’ll be entered to win a pair of tickets.

Want a second (or even third or fourth) chance to win?

Tweet, Facebook or Google+ the following:

“Fall is Fabulous& so it’s Kelsay Farms Fall Festival. Enter to win a pair of tickets @gotchababy’s blog today! http://wp.me/pVbJS-ES ”

and then leave an additional comment for each action, telling me that you did!

Comments will be open until about 10pm on Tuesday night. I will contact the winner via email. The winner will need to respond by 8pm on Wednesday night to claim the tickets, or I will need to pick a new winner.

Good luck! (Comment moderation is on, so if you’re new here, be patient and your comment will be approved shortly.)

Disclosure: My family received complimentary admission to Kelsay Farms in exchange for this blog post. The excitement over mixing ice cream and corn mazes is completely my own.