A Mini Update

Rainbow pillow (Crate & Barrel),
polka dot comforter (Target),
pink shag rug (IKEA)

Plush and comfy

Is the bedside table too big?

I moved "the Baby" into her own room. But I bought a new comforter from Target that really goes with the rainbow polka dots theme. I bought this comforter in a twin size and folded it around her toddler mattress. When she ages into a twin bed it will still fit her. I also moved a bedside table into her room from mine, which will make a cozy place to set a book and her milk sippy cup during story time.

Moving "the Baby" Into Her Own Room

Fluffy rugs that one can shake out

A spot for story time

An irregular shaped lantern

A mirror for dress up

She's not a baby. She's almost two. But that's what we call her anyway.

And when we had all three of our kids in one bedroom, she'd walk over to her older brother's bottom bunk and scratch him in the face, then laugh. So we moved the kids' toys into our living room, and converted what was their shared playroom into a little bedroom all for her. Both of her older brothers loved the idea of kicking her out of "their room."

And honestly it does make putting laundry away easier, since all of their clothes - even hers - are still in the original shared kids' bedroom and I can put away clothes long after she's gone to sleep without fear of waking her, since she's in a different room. Why not move her clothes into her new little bedroom? Besides the putting-away-laundry factor, she has a habit of "trashing her room" and by that I mean that she drags all of her clothes out of her dresser and throws them on the floor when she's mad or bored.

21-Month Rosie-Bebe Update

A. Her Schedule – She wakes up about 6:30 a.m., takes her nap of the day around 10:00 a.m. (early, I know), and goes to sleep at about 6:30 p.m. When she sleeps she likes it daaark in her room.

B. Her Size – 23 lbs. 6 oz. (42nd percentile), 35” tall (95th percentile), and 19” head circumference (86th percentile) as of May 7. She’s wearing size 24-month clothes and size 5 shoes, though her shoes are getting small on her.

C. Her Personality – She is very sweet. She knows the word “hug” and willingly gives them. She can be very cuddly, preferring to eat some of her meals in my lap. She can get fiery when she doesn’t get her way – getting loud and dramatic, and even storming off abruptly. She has a sense of fairness and will appeal to me if her older brother takes something away from her.

D. Her Favorite Things

·                     Colors: PINK.

·                     Shows and Movies: Yo Gabba Gabba, which she calls “Foofa” after one of the characters. She also loves Kids YouTube, particularly things involving “Baby Shark” or babies.

·                     Toys, Play, and Art: She still really likes holding baby dolls. She’s willing to happily scribble with crayons. She also really likes having books read to her and will go get book upon book for you to read to her.

·                     Time of Day: Probably the very beginning of her day. She can be pretty crabby and tired by dinnertime.

·                     Bedding: She still has her pink horseshoe fuzzy blankets, though she usually sleeps beside them instead of under them.

·                     Foods: She likes fruit, especially berries, and also yogurt and meat. She knows the words “eat” and “meat.”

·                     Activities: She likes being outdoors, and playing in the play room, and really likes using my cell phone, even though of course I try to limit screentime.

·                     Animals: She knows the words “cat” and “dog” (and likes both), but also “bear” and “baa” (for sheep). She seems fascinated by our cat.

·                     Heroes: Perhaps me.

E. Things She Does Not Like – When she asks for and does not receive my cell phone. Also, sitting in her highchair.

F. What She’s Thinking About – She seems to be trying hard to learn a lot of new words. She surprised me the other day by knowing the word “heart.”

G. Surprises – I’m surprised her single nap of the day is so early in the day.

H. Best & Worst Things –

·                     The best things: Her smile. When she says “Mama.” How she’s good with her hands, like when she manipulates objects.

·                     The worst things: How she’s obsessed with phones.

I. Family and Friends – I think she’s a pretty happy camper when we visit family or friends.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – She’s definitely got a slower pace of life at the family-based daycare we’ve got her in as compared to the boys, who went to a center at this age. I think the slower pace might be better for kids age two and under.

Night 2 of My 100 Things Challenge

I discarded these.

• Floral tape (never used)
• Marbled scrapbook paper (never used)
• 5 Books (one finished, four unfinished)
• Drawing tools (never used)
• Rounded corner cutter (never used)
• Small watercolor paper (I still have larger pads)
• Measuring tapes (I still have one)
• Gorilla glue (old)

I decided to keep the flower press after I took this photo.

That’s eight things tonight, and eleven things on the first night.

Night 1 of My 100 Things Challenge

I introduced the challenge in this post.

52 "Must Keep" + 37 "Want to Keep" + 21 "Guilt Keeps" = 110 Total

So, to get to 100 (or less), here's what I discarded:

• colored nail polishes (red and purple)
• 1 sweater (red)
• 1 work skirt (gray)
• 1 leggings (gold and black)
• a lot of jewelry created by my kids
• 1 ring (wood and metal)
• 1 pendant (green)
• 2 pairs of sunglasses (normal and red)
• 1 coin purse (blue floral)
• 1 pair of boots (short brown)
• 1 swimsuit bottom (red)

The beginning of my "100 Things" challenge

The What

What is a "100 Things" challenge?

It's where you downsize your personal belongs (not home or shared items) so that you have 100 items in total, or as close to that number as you can get. You can do your counting any way you choose - for example, you could count a pair of socks as one thing, or you could count all of the pairs of socks you own as one thing (a collection or "set"). You can also exempt certain types of things if you want, such as books or tools.

Who else has done it?

Many people, though obviously it appeals to minimalists in particular. Some of them are: Morten Storgaard, Leo Babauta, Dave Bruno (the first to come up with this challenge), Cary Fortin, and Courtney Carver of Project 33.

Where do you start?

I read that a lot of people start by taking an inventory, so that's where I'm starting today, as well as defining what isn't going to count (see above about how you count being up to you).

My Lists

Items I must keep

These are items that are either indispensable, or impossible to replace.

1. underwear (set)
2. hair items (set), e.g. hair ties, bobby pins, brush, comb, shampoo, conditioner
3. skin care items (set), e.g. moisturizer, sunblock
4.-11. work shirts
12.-16. work sweaters
17.-20. work pants
21. new black tall boots
22.-23. work skirts
24.-25. black leggings
26. ring from grandmother
27. my wedding rings (set)
28.-31. casual shirts
32. white winter coat
33. black winter coat
34.-35. black fall vests
36. blanket scarf
37. winter gloves (set)
38. socks (set)
39. winter brown and white cap
40. new bike, helmet, bike rack (set)
41. my tools - Sharpie, white masking tape, scissors, measuring tape, screwdriver, hammer
42. rugs (set)
43. heating pad
44. funeral dress
45.-47. non-funeral dresses
48. sandals
49. flip-flops
50. bracelet from Shweta
51. hot chocolate
52.-53. jeans
54.-55. swimsuits
56. blanket
57. tweezers and tiny mirror
58. pajamas
59. yoga pants
60. sun hat
61. blue wedding shoes
62. red honeymoon dress
63. teal wedding clutch
64. everyday clutch
65. gold silk snap pouch
66. cat figurines (set)
67-68. work jackets
69. green ceramic horse
70. old diary
71. ring from Sheida
72. reindeer from Grandma
73. abstract wood sculpture
74. Italy black purse
75. exercise clothes, i.e. sports bras, shorts, sneakers
76. Crocs
77-78. casual skirts
79-80. shorts

Items I really want to keep

These are items that aren't necessities and that I could probably replace.

1. books I really want to read that I haven't read yet (set)
2. puzzles I really want to do (set)
3. watercolor paints/paintbrushes/paper (set)
4. acrylic paints/paintbrushes
5. brown tall boots
6. black short boots
7. old black tall boots
8. Christmas pin collection (set)
9. white footed bowl
10. colorful transparent boxes
11. mood lights (set), e.g. candles, string lights
12. yellow scarf
13. chopsticks
14. yoga peanut
15. 9-lb. dumbbells
16. cross stitch supplies (set)
17. empty containers from Container Store (set)
18. empty containers from Target (set)
19. old souvenirs
20. kadai
21. Indian spices
23. other dresses
24. necklaces
25. more pants/jeans
26. more shirts
27. one long-sleeve Patriots shirt
28. one short-sleeve Patriots shirt
29. rest of swimsuits
30. decorative pillows
31. deck of cards
32. large mirror
33. yoga mat
34. calligraphy supplies
35. Nats shirt
36. makeup (set)
37. clogs
38. clear nail polish

Items I feel like I can't part with but also don't really want to keep

Some of these are items that cannot be replaced, but all of them are things that I'm keeping because I feel like I should, more than out of a genuine desire to continue to own them.

1. books I've read before and really enjoyed
2. brown short boots
3. gray shell bowl
4. navy blue leggings
5. gold and black leggings
6. long blue winter coat
7. short blue winter coat
8. ski attire, e.g. snow pants, puffy jackets
9. sunglasses (I can't wear them over my eyeglasses)
10. drawing supplies
11. old photos
12. rest of my Patriots shirts
13. hair stylers
14. silver bowl from Grandma
15. candy at my desk (for visitors)
16. other clutches
17. my old artwork
18. portfolio items
19. my wedding dress
20. colored nail polish
21. craft gifts from my kids

Items I can discard

I feel fine about discarding these.

1. old bike
2. other dumbbells
3. Kindle

Items that don't count as items for my challenge

1. all things that aren't solely my possessions, e.g. kitchen items, towels, etc.
2. work laptop, badge, cell phone/charger etc. required for work
3. medical necessities, e.g. period care, eyeglasses, contact lenses, compression socks, heating pad, etc.
4. dental necessities, e.g. toothbrush

Tables

And now, in table format, grouped by category.
1.

#	Name of Item	Category	Frequently Used?
1	2 black fall vests	Clothing	Y
2	2 black leggings	Clothing	Y
3	2 casual skirts	Clothing	Y
4	2 shorts	Clothing	Y
5	2 swimsuits	Clothing	Y
6	3 casual shirts	Clothing	Y
7	3 work pants	Clothing	Y
8	4 work sweaters	Clothing	Y
9	8 work shirts	Clothing	Y
10	black winter coat	Clothing	Y
11	blanket scarf	Clothing	Y
12	Crocs	Clothing	Y
13	jeans	Clothing	Y
14	pajamas	Clothing	Y
15	sandals	Clothing	Y
16	socks (set)	Clothing	Y
17	underwear (set)	Clothing	Y
18	white winter coat	Clothing	Y
19	winter gloves (set)	Clothing	Y
20	2 work jackets	Clothing	N
21	2 work skirts	Clothing	N
22	3 non-funeral dresses	Clothing	N
23	exercise clothes (set)	Clothing	N
24	flip-flops	Clothing	N
25	funeral dress	Clothing	N
26	sun hat	Clothing	N
27	winter brown and white cap	Clothing	N
28	yoga pants	Clothing	N
29	skin care items (set)	Consumable	Y
30	tweezers and tiny mirror	Cosmetics	N
31	rugs (set)	Furnishings	Y
32	blanket	Furnishings	N
33	my tools	Hobbies	Y
34	hot chocolate	Kitchen	Y
35	hair items (set)	Other	Y
36	everyday clutch	Sentimental	Y
37	my wedding rings (set)	Sentimental	Y
38	teal wedding clutch	Sentimental	Y
39	abstract wood sculpture	Sentimental	N
40	blue wedding shoes	Sentimental	N
41	bracelet from Shweta	Sentimental	N
42	cat figurines (set)	Sentimental	N
43	gold silk snap pouch	Sentimental	N
44	green ceramic horse	Sentimental	N
45	Italy black purse	Sentimental	N
46	old diary	Sentimental	N
47	red honeymoon dress	Sentimental	N
48	reindeer from Grandma	Sentimental	N
49	ring from grandmother	Sentimental	N
50	ring from Sheida	Sentimental	N
51	new black tall boots	Shoes	Y
52	new bike, helmet, bike rack (set)	Sports	N

2.

Want to Keep
#	Name of Item	Category	Frequently Used?
1	black short boots	Clothing	Y
2	brown tall boots	Clothing	Y
3	clogs	Clothing	Y
4	more pants/jeans	Clothing	Y
5	more shirts	Clothing	Y
6	Nats shirt	Clothing	Y
7	old black tall boots	Clothing	Y
8	one long-sleeve Patriots shirt	Clothing	N
9	one short-sleeve Patriots shirt	Clothing	N
10	other dresses	Clothing	N
11	rest of swimsuits	Clothing	N
12	yellow scarf	Clothing	N
13	decorative pillows	Furnishings	Y
14	large mirror	Furnishings	Y
15	mood lights (set), e.g. candles, string lights	Furnishings	Y
16	colorful transparent boxes	Furnishings	N
17	empty containers from Container Store (set)	Furnishings	N
18	empty containers from Target (set)	Furnishings	N
19	white footed bowl	Furnishings	N
20	puzzles I really want to do (set)	Hobbies	Y
21	acrylic paints/paintbrushes	Hobbies	N
22	calligraphy supplies	Hobbies	N
23	cross stitch supplies (set)	Hobbies	N
24	deck of cards	Hobbies	N
25	unread books I really want to read (set)	Hobbies	N
26	watercolor paints/paintbrushes/paper (set)	Hobbies	N
27	necklaces	Jewelry	Y
28	Christmas pin collection (set)	Jewelry	N
29	chopsticks	Kitchen	N
30	Indian spices	Kitchen	N
31	kadai pot	Kitchen	N
32	clear nail polish	Other	N
33	makeup (set)	Other	N
34	old souvenirs	Sentimental	N
35	9-lb. dumbbells	Sports	N
36	yoga mat	Sports	N
37	yoga peanut	Sports	N

3.

Guilt Keeps
#	Name of Item	Category	Frequently Used?
1	gold and black leggings	Clothing	Y
2	navy blue leggings	Clothing	Y
3	short blue winter coat	Clothing	Y
4	brown short boots	Clothing	N
5	long blue winter coat	Clothing	N
6	other clutches	Clothing	N
7	rest of my Patriots shirts	Clothing	N
8	ski attire	Clothing	N
9	books I've read and enjoyed	Hobbies	N
10	drawing supplies	Hobbies	N
11	candy at my desk (for visitors)	Kitchen	Y
12	colored nail polish	Other	N
13	hair stylers	Other	N
14	portfolio items	Other	N
15	sunglasses	Other	N
16	gray shell bowl	Sentimental	Y
17	craft gifts from my kids	Sentimental	N
18	my old artwork	Sentimental	N
19	my wedding dress	Sentimental	N
20	old photos	Sentimental	N
21	silver bowl from Grandma	Sentimental	N

Subway Sandwich Hacks to Save Money

Order a footlong sub & spilt it with a buddy.

I already do this.

Order the sub-of-the day.

Image from Freebiemom.

• Monday is Chicken Teriyaki
• Tuesday is Oven Roasted Chicken
• Wednesday is Turkey
• Thursday is Italian B.M.T.
• Friday is Tuna
• Saturday is Black Forest Ham
• Sunday is Meatball Marinara

Order the lower-cost subs.

The lower-cost subs are:

• the BLT
• the Black Forest Ham
• the Cold Cut Combo
• the Meatball Marinara
• the Spicy Italian
• the Veggie Delight

Note that some of these subs may not be listed on the menu sign boards inside your Subway location. For example, my local Subway doesn't list the BLT. I guess they're trying to streamline how many options their customers see.

This should go without saying, but the converse is also true if you want to save money - don't order the higher-priced subs or the fancy limited time only subs, e.g. Subway's new Pit-Smoked Brisket.

Best I can tell, Subway's sub pricing is based on how much meat is on the sandwich and how "plain" (ordinary) the meat seems. So, a sandwich with three different types of meat is going to be more expensive than one with only one type of meat. And a sub with artisanal pit-smoked brisket is going to be more expensive than regular turkey.

The lower-cost subs at Subway cost about half as much for a 12" sub as Jimmy John's 16" subs. True, it's a smaller sandwich, but I find half of a Subway footlong sub sufficiently filling.

Buy Subway gift cards at a discount.

For example, save 2% with Coupon Granny. 

Use a paper coupon.

I sometimes get them in the mail.

Join Subway’s rewards program.

See Subway Rewards for more info.

Buy chips and/or sodas at the grocery store instead of at Subway.

I am already doing this too.