How to save $700 a month

Sophie and Ms. Missy

It is the end of an era. Sophie has her last day of daycare today. I still remember carrying her in a carseat to her first daycare provider at 4 months of age. Time has flown and money has been spent! Sophie started off at a home daycare provider, then when we moved to Fallston, we switch to another home provider because of the distance. Sophie was only there 6 months before we were asked not to come back..because Sophie developed major seperation anxiety and she screamed the whole day for us and a combination that Mason was the baby from hell with colic. Obviously we felt that provider did not try hard enough but oh well. I had 1 week to find day care for them before going back to school..I got them in a center quickly..but left there in a year because it went way down hill and was horrible. Sophie's last tour of duty was Stonewall which has been amazing.

We figured since we are going to be on vacation for the next couple weeks, I didnt feel like paying the missed weeks when she only has 3 weeks before starting kindergarten. I figured it is a great time to spend some time together before entering the big bad world of school. I have tons of stuff planned..lots of playdates, pool trips, tea with friends, movies..it will go by quickly.
Mason will still go everyday..they can deal with him!

Sophie had mixed emotions this morning. She was very excited.but a little sad too. This has been her routine for as long as she can remember. We are starting a new chapter. Kindergaten with a school bus. Pass me the tissues.

So..I finally slashed my daycare bill in half. I have an extra $700 in my pocket. What a windfall. Now..will I actually see the savings is yet to be determined.

Sophie and Miss Jessica

Sophie and her Pinnochio Friends

Off to Vermont tomorrow!!!!

Slowly but Surely...

I had decided to put Mason in a pull up in the last couple days so that he can practice pulling his pants up and down in preperation for "Ditch the Diapers" day in August. So, when I put him in it yesterday, I told him he can pull it down if he wants to try the potty. That was at 7:45 am. I picked him up from daycare around 5 and his teachers told me the original pull-up was still on him. Yea!..I thought. Turns out Mason hadn't gone all day. He basically held himself because he refused the potty and did not want to wet the pull-up. Ughhh!!!

I put the pull-up on him again today. Same thing happened when I went to pick him up. I stuck his little potty seat in the middle of my living room, turned on a video and told him to sit on the potty. Low and behold...it took 45 minutes...but success! He peed! He was quite happy about it. He was able to pick a prize and told everyone he saw out for dinner tonight that he peed in the potty.

The icing on the cake was he pooped on the potty tonight as well.

I know we arent home free yet...but I am seeing a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I think we still have miles to go. He is so stubborn!

Gearing up for vacation in the next couple weeks. Off to Vermont next weekend and then the beach after that!

Green with Envy

I have had my iPod since Apple started supporting them for the PC. I love it. I am on my second one and use it every day whether it is at the gym, in the car or at home. So I thought Brian would really love one for Father's Day. He is always borrowing mine when he mows the lawn. I was going to go with the Shuffle..since he can clip it on and go. It holds about 500 songs for about $79. Then I got to thinking for 70 bucks more I can get him the 4 gig Nano which had video capabilities and the ease of seeing what is playing.

He finally took it out of the package the other day and when I saw it I was in instant heaven. I never realized how small and thin it was. It showed the album covers on the screen. Mine didn't do that. Mine doesn't show video..there is no color. It made my iPod look antiquated. I had to have one.

I immediately ordered an 8 gig one (cause I have to have a bigger one!) for myself. So much lighter and I can use it more easily at the gym. And I got it in mint green. Isn't it pretty?

Who you Calling Crabby?

Last night we had our first crabs of the summer. Actually it has been a while since we have had a good ol crab fest. Brian really does not like them, and unless you have other people to eat them with, its not worth it. It's kind of like going out for ice cream by yourself.

For those of you not familiar with the Baltimore obsession of picking crabs it is quite a happening here in Maryland. Tons of roadside stores advertise their specials. You would think that these bottom dweller crustaceans would be cheap, but they are a pricey, messy meal. I adore a good crab fest, but as I mentioned before, Brian can do without. It is a lot of work and mess for only a small reward of a little meat. However, if you have a technique down, you can be quite productive in getting the meat out.

So we decided to have our friends in the neighborhood over to split a bushel of crabs with us. We provided all the goodies that went along with the "blues" such as corn on the cob, chips and plenty of beer. Tons of fun, but we were left with about 3 dozen. Brian and I ate them again tonight, and I gave him the step-by-step of getting the best of the crab and he admitted to liking it better.

Back to the grind tomorrow. I start with summer school for 3 weeks. It is good extra money that will come in handy when we leave for Vermont at the end of the month!

What a Difference a Day Makes

We were told that we were able to pick up Zoe from the animal hospital tonight..and what a difference! Zoe has tons of energy, her normal coloring is back (although from the picture you would think her eyes are still jaundice..but I think that was the camera). She is sporting a bandage from her her IV catheter was..but other than that we are back to our normal dog!

She has 4 medications to take over the next 14-20 days, and another blood test next week..but if all goes well, then we can put this behind us.


So, while we are out $502.48, we are happy to have our faithful friend home!

Some Sunshine on an Otherwise Gloomy Day

So, yesterday started off as a typical day. I got the kids over to daycare, went to the gym, got some coffee and went home where my housecleaner was finishing up. She is very fond of Zoe and always comes prepared with treats for her. When I got home she informed me that Zoe wasn't quite herself and she noticed that her skin was yellow. I too have noticed that Zoe has been lethargic the last few days and not eating much. I called the vet and he basically said he would need to see her immediately as the symptoms presented as pretty serious.

We were at the vet's an hour later and he confirmed that Zoe was pretty sick. The jaundice she had along with other symptoms were indicative of hepatitis (liver disease) or Hemolytic Anemia. The latter was the worse of the 2. He took her from me and said he had to run some tests and wanted to keep her at least overnight to get her hooked up on IV fluids and medications. It was pretty gloomy. After finding out that we already spent $500 on all the tests, it was possible Zoe would need a liver biopsy to determine prognosis (add another $500). Our thoughts turned to the financial dilemma we faced and Zoe being 12 years old and what our options were. I certainly was not wanting to put Zoe down, but the thought of spending thousands of dollars on a 12 year dog was not a reasonable solution.

So it was a rough night for me last night.

This morning I called the vet to get her status. It turns out that Zoe had an excellent night and has made significant improvement. He did not see a need to biopsy her and recommended that she continue to get fluids all day and we can pick her up tonight with some antibiotics and a change in her dog food.

Yay! This picture of the kids I took this morning brightened my day!

A bite of the Big Apple

With the help of some of the grandparents this past weekend Brian and I were able to get away to NYC for a long weekend. We had 3 days in the city and pretty much did everything we wanted to do on this trip. Friday after checking into our hotel, we ventured into the city to walk around, check out Times Square and walk up 5th Avenue. We finally snagged a table at Serendipity3 (which we failed to get in last time). We were not hungry for dinner yet but decided to try the world famous frrrroozzzen hot chocolate. It was a huge goblet meant to be shared. Pretty good, the first couple sips and then I wasn't so impressed. I'm glad I went but wouldn't wait to go back there.


Saturday, Brian met his college friends and went to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play one more time in the original stadium. I decided to skip the game and met up with my friend who now lives in the city. We ate lunch in SoHo and did some shopping. I met up with Brian and his crew after the game and we went to Chinatown for dinner and went to Rice to Riches for dessert (think Ice cream shop, but instead of 24 varieties of ice cream at one time, 24 varieties of rice pudding). Very funky place, awesome dessert.

Sunday, Brian's friend told us how you can score cheap show tickets. The process is called Rush and it is basically a lottery. 2 hours before a show, the box office lets you put your name in a bucket and they draw anywhere from 12-20 tickets and if you are called you get to see the show for $20 and you sit in the front row. We took our chance with Avenue Q, which we both wanted to see. The second pick was Brian's name so we were thrilled. The show was hysterical. Think Sesame Street for mature audiences over 18.

On the way home we stopped at Harold's deli on the New Jersey turnpike for the most gigantic portions of sandwiches and other Jewish fare you can imagine. There is no words describe the portions they serve. Brian and I ordered one sandwich to share and we still took home enough for 3 more sandwiches.

We got home last night and the kids had fun with the grandparents. So, a good time had by all!

and the Cheese Stands Alone

My sister has been having the same toilet training struggles as I have had lately. I have to admit, my sister had more reason to be frustrated. Brooke is over 3 and a-half, a girl and looked like she was going no where fast. Well, much to Amy's delight, something finally struck a chord with Brooke and she has been peeing on the potty for the past 2 days. That leaves Mason, alone in his diapers. Yea! for Amy, and I remain bitter and frustrated.

In other news of the week, I officially ended working yesterday. It was the last day of school, and it feels weird that I won't have a school to go to in August. I've definitely loved my schedule this year, working 2 days for the school and having 3 days with the business at home. Now I will be home 5 days a week. The nice part is I have a great relationship with the director of speech for the county and she let me know there will be per diem work if I want to pick up a day here or there, on my schedule.

I finally took the plunge and had my hair straightened using this new treatment my friend Lisa has been raving about. It's a Brazilian Hair Treatment. It's basically a keratin product put in your hair and then it is flat ironed out. It takes a while (almost 2 hours), but the results are insane. I have no frizz at all. My hair is shiny, straight and so easy to do. The bad part of it is that is has formaldehyde in it which when it is ironed in causes fumes that can cause cancer, but at least my hair will look great at my funeral.

How Do You Like Your Eggs?

Order up! Because we have an open skillet on our sidewalk. It is that hot out! Yesterday was just oppressive, today is the same but there is a slight warm breeze in the air making it somewhat bearable. Sophie had a birthday party today at Annie's Playground. I lost the coin toss of who takes her, so it was me in the hot sun with a bunch of sweaty 5 year olds and the other parents that loss the coin toss. We lasted about an hour and a half and are now recovering in the air conditioned house. Relief.

Last night we had the first snowball of the year. Snowballs are a definite Baltimore tradition. It's very popular to cover your snowball with marshmallow fluff. Weird, but it is pretty good. It's not Italian ice, which Brian and I are more fond of. Its more like a snow cone. There are stands all over the place with over 100 choices of flavors. Sophie and Mason had theirs straight up..Sophie choosing watermelon and Mason had the orange. I'll still have Rita's any day.

Best Party-Hands Down!

Today we celebrated Sophie's 5th birthday with her friends at her party. When trying to figure out where to have her party I wanted to do something different (there are a handful of places in the county to have it..and it's the same thing all the time). Someone told me about Amer's Cafe in Baltimore County and told me how kid friendly it was. We decided to check it out for dinner one night in March to see if the food was good. The place is Mediterranean and pizza. Strange combination, but it works. So we booked Sophie's party after that night. They do a package where the kids make their own pizzas. The place supplies the decorations, cake, ice cream and party favors. This place also has a belly dancer available that can entertain the kids at the party!


Entertain she did. She had scarves, finger cymbals (whatever they are called), tambourines, etc. She even did makeup for the kids.




Sophie loved being princess for the day and all the kids wanting to sit next to her. She settled for her friend and neighbor, Becke and her not-so-secret crush, Aiden. Sophie adores Aiden and the feeling is mutual since Aiden asked Sophie if he can sleep over at our house in her big bed with her.


Sophie and Aiden

The kids had a total blast and the parents loved the party. I may have got them a few referrals!

The best part was Sophie running up to me at the end and hugging me and telling me I'm the best mommy ever and it was the best party ever. I rock. Hopefully she will remember this day when she is 15 and fighting with me about something trivial.

Tomorrow Sophie has a birthday party for one of the girls in her class..and God help me..it is at a huge playground. Oh, and it's going to be 94 degrees out.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

So today I was dropping the kids off at daycare and the director stopped me on my way in to let me know how funny my son is. She had gone in his room yesterday to try and talk up the 3-year old room and how much fun it was and that some of Mason's friends would be going there soon and that his friends would be leaving. All this in an attempt to "bribe" my boy to start thinking of using the potty. To this Mason told the director "I'll make new friends". She told me she nearly fell over laughing. At least she is finding the situation funny. From what I heard through other parents, they have a big push once the kids turn 3 to get them on the stick to start going on the potty since they can't move up to the next room until they are potty trained. I guess Mason told her.

Then, on my way to pick him up today I was informed by the teachers that Mason was bit in the back by one of his friends in an incident. The policy is the teachers are not allowed to tell parents who was the victim, or who did the biting..but we all know that at age 3 and up, kids talk. Mason promptly told me it was his friend Ernest who is Mason's best buddy there, who I am friends with his mom. His mom called me tonight so apologetic for the kid. It is so funny how we personalize the actions of our kids. I didn't even give it a second thought. Mason just is a kid you want to take a "nibble" at!

3-Year Olds Know How to Party!

We had Mason's birthday party yesterday at My Gym. What a racket these birthday parties are. And I am a parent who has to have 2 of them within a short time of each other. But, I digress.

The party actually worked out great. One of Mason's friend's in his class turned 3 a few days after Mason, so his mom and I decided that since the same kids would be invited, to share the party. Worked out great for the guests too, since mom and dads only had to take their kids to one party.

We did a Blue's Clues Theme for the most part. Blues Clues cake, puppy ears for the boys and some Blues Clues goodies. I have been hanging a Blue's Clues handy dandy notebook over Mason's head for weeks now in an effort to get him to pee in the potty. He got one in his goody pail, so the joke is on me. He happily walked around with it all day. I swear he paid more attention to that stupid 50 cent party favor than any of his gifts. It figures.

Sophie had a great time too. It's amazing how much more adventurous she has become. She was the first to raise her hand to go down the ripcord, where as a year or so ago..no way. Now Mason is the wimp.

Sophie's party is next week and should be really fun. The kids are making their own pizzas and I hired a belly dancer to teach the kids fun dances!

Happy Birthday Sophie!!

And so the birthday marathon comes to an end. Sophie is 5 today. She woke up excited for her big day and asked where her presents were. I told her she had to wait for Brian to get home, but she was allowed to have her card and Mason's gift. Before she opened his gift she guessed correctly (Black Lab Webkin) what it was as she explained to me that Mason got his webkin for his birthday and she knew it came from the same store. Smartass.

She went to school announcing to everyone that it was her birthday and brought in ice cream for her birthday treat.

Later on we will hang out with the neighborhood at our monthly summer block party. A great way to celebrate the day.

I also checked out the addition to the Ma and Pa trail at Annie's Playground today. It isn't officially open until June 7th, but I have heard people have been using it.
They did a great job with it and it is really scenic with lots of footbridges along the way.

We went to Cold Stone last night for ice cream and we figured out how they are dealing with this economy. Smaller portions. The portions were definitely smaller by about 50%. In a way I'm thankful for the smaller portions because no one needs the sizes they used to give..but $4.00 now seems like a rip-off.

Carrie Bradshaw I am not.

But, like the Sex and the City heroine, I do adore my shoes. While the value of my shoes don't come nearly as close as the four women in the show, I have quite a collection..some on the pricey side and some that are just damn right bargains.


I got the pictured shoe ten years ago in an indoor flea market in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was with my 3 girlfriend enjoying some time in Boca Raton before going on a cruise. My girlfriend Beth and I bought these shoes for $5. Let me tell you, this was $5 that was so well spent. They are so light and so comfortable. I have worn these shoes to death, with shorts, capris, in pajamas to run out and get the paper and actually with a dressy dress. They have moved with me to 3 houses and even though I have 4 or 5 other pairs of black sandals..I always turn to these.

So, you can imagine my grief when I discovered that one of the straps have broken off the sandal. You think they could have been better constructed for $5. I'm seriously looking into getting them repaired..although it will probably be 3x as much as my original investment.

If anyone sees these shoes anywhere (in a size 9!)let me know! I don't even know the maker, since it has been long worn off!

Happy Birthday Mason!

Our little one is 3 today! I'm looking at my watch right now and thought back to where I was 3 years ago today. Sixteen minutes ago I had just given birth to my baby boy. Wow..time had flown. it's been over 1000 days and our screaming, never napping baby (who we affectionately called "LB"..little bastard) has grown into a very loving and happy toddler. Wait...is 3 still a toddler? I'll have to refer to my developmental books for the answer on that one. Regardless, toddler or preschooler, we are anxiously awaiting Mason's next milestone. Potty Trained. I feel we are so close. It is all up to him now. He has to want it. We have Thomas trains, Blues Clues handy dandy notebooks and Webkins lined up on the counter to entice him.

Sophie was running a fever yesterday afternoon and some Motrin seemed to turn her around. I peeked in her ears and it appeared one was a little red. She woke up this morning and was crying she did not feel good. The fever was back and high..so off to Patient First we went. Two hours later, we had amoxycillen in hand to treat an ear infection and tonsilitus. Looks like we are relaxing at home this Memorial Day weekend..which is fine with me. I'm working on a good book anyway.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Haven't we done this earlier in the week? Oh yeah, we did. Here we are on cake #2. As Marie Antoinette famously said "Let them eat cake!". So the Schorrs do again! Brian's dad and Shelly came down for day to see the kids for their birthdays. So dessert was...cake. And who am I to turn down buttercream.

Speaking of baked goods, how stupid is this..
We are in the supermarket today getting a few things for dinner tonight and Brian ventures into the bakery department. He starts looking through the goods and see a box of a dozen DAY OLD donuts for $1.99. Well, Mr. Genius thinks this is a great deal, since one FRESH donut is 50 cents, so he is saving so much by buying a dozen donuts that he will eat himself. Since every person need their own dozen donuts. (In addition to birthday cake) He got home and ate 2 of them..and I swear he is finishing every last one of those donuts if I have to serve them to him for dinner just to prove my point.






Finally some beautiful weather. The kids got to play outside. We got out the t-ball set and the soccer ball. They loved playing in the sandbox too.






I could not resist this moment to capture on the camera. Mason called me from upstairs to look at his work of art that he did on the easel. A future Picasso.




Happy Memorial Day to all. Sophie asked me what what Memorial Day was this morning and I tried to explain to her the best way I can for a 5 year old. I told her that we remember all the people that protect our country and protect her from bad things. Sometimes those people die while working to protect us. She kept saying that her mom-mom (who passed away last year) and Grandpa and Grandma Shelly's dog were protecting America. Interesting how a five year old pieces things together.

A plug for my friend

One of the websites I have been addicted to as of lately is Etsy. It's basically an online handmade crafts market. You can get anything on Etsy and I have. Jewelry, clothing, wallets, journals, the best cupcakes under the sun,our website image, soap, shampoo and more. I admit I spend way too much on this site. I wish I was crafty enough to sell my wares. My friend Elena told me about Etsy back in November. She was also addicted and buying everything in sight. Her husband dared her to make something to sell to support her Etsy addiction.

So she did. Enter NayaDesigns. She came up with a concept of a bracelet to count food points on (aka..Weight Watchers) and smartly came up with the name "skinny bitch". In addition to her best selling bracelets, she makes gorgeous earrings and necklaces as well...go Elena!




I got Brian on the Etsy bandwagon as well. He has managed to get me a few cute things.

Nothing else really new on the homefront. Apparantly the teachers in her room have the "Easy Listening" station on at daycare during rest time. Since Sophie does not nap anymore, she has managed to learn many of the songs she hears. She cam home today singing Prince "Kiss". What a character.

How long have I lived here?

It will be 6 years this summer since we moved down to Maryland. In that time I've gotten used to being below the Mason-Dixon line. I love being close to Baltimore (even though I miss Philly). We have found more than enough great restaurants and cultural activities to keep us happy.

I've been going to the gym to get my exercise for the last 4 years..same couple machines, same classes and it's been ok. I really do not like exercising, but do it cause I pretty much have to. I have always heard of the Ma and Pa trail in Bel Air and finally checked it out today. It was great! It's basically a 5 mile walking trail that is gravely road in the woods. It was hilly in parts which made my 2 mile walk a little more challenging. What a novelty to walk and actually go somewhere (instead of going round and round on a treadmill. I used to live right by the Wissihickon Park in Philly and it reminded me of the old days.

It was great to be in the fresh air with my iPod, hoefully I can convince some of my friends to join me for a "walk and talk"...to make the time go by even faster.

I can't believe it took me almost 6 years to get there.

You say it's your Birthday...

Oh yeah.... The birthday fanfare is about to hit the Schorr house. We got 3 birthdays in 10 days starting tomorrow with Brian. Because we love to get freebies and deals we are fully taking advantage of the birthday deals. So read on..if it is your birthday or if it is coming up...here are some tips for free treats!

Coldstone Creamery gives you a free ice cream creation for your birthday. The portions are huge there..so we usually all end up sharing one. Times that deal by 3 (in one week)..we will be frequenting this place.

Friendly's gives all kids a free meal on their birthday and adults free ice cream. Guess we will be eating dinner there in the next couple weeks. I'm not a big fan of Friendly's food (although I am all over the ice cream)..however, the kids meals there are impressive.

ToysRUs sends the kids small gift cards ($3) for their birthdays. I know, not much to buy with 3 bucks..but they can manage to find something!

It's great to get all these freebies..but it would have been nicer to have them spread out. That's what I get having 2 kids 5 days apart in the month of May.

Don't knock it till you try it.

So, last night we had a treat of a babysitter and we were able to go out for dinner that did not involve chicken tenders on the menu. Since it was Brian's birthday coming up we went to Salt in Butchers Hill.
We have had this place on on list for a couple years, and they recently started taking reservations for parties of less than 6. So we jumped all over that. One of their signature appetizers are duck fat french fries.




Yep..you heard that right, potatoes, deep fried in duck fat. Sounds a little sketchy...but oh my goodness..so good. Everyone had the paper cones at their table filled with the heart-attack helper. Plus they add 3 types of aioli (fancy name for mayonnaise) to dip them in. That's a healthy dish! Anyway..that plus some drinks, to die for entrees and dessert and no one's food to cut up or blow on..made for a great evening. We do need to get out more!



So, here is a picture of Mason I snapped yesterday morning..I have no words.