"I LOVE TECHNOLOGY, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU, YOU SEE...BUT I STILL LOVE TECHNOLOGY...ALWAYS AND FOREVER..." - KIP FROM "NAPOLEON DYNAMITE"

Which is one of my most favorite movies of all time. But I digress...

I am having a love affair.

Oh Steve, before you go out and buy the shotgun or contact the divorce lawyer, let me put your mind at ease. It is a love affair with a piece of technology which, as a mother and busy woman, I have come to rely upon as my constant companion, and general support system.

Yes readers, I am referring to my iPhone.

Oh, iPhone, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

You are my system of checks-and-balances. One look at my calendar, which automatically syncs with my computer sans cords, and I know if I am keeping everything in my schedule on the up-and-up. You make sure that I never overlook anything, whether it be a birthday, doctor's appointment, or most importantly, that Bruce Springsteen tickets go on sale on September 25th.

You are my moral compass (or at least, just my regular old compass, anyway). You help me find my way in this world with such ease and dependability, and for that, I am grateful. Whether I'm driving sans human co-pilot to Delaware for a wedding or finding a good back-route to the outlets, your awesome GPS never steers me wrong. However, you don't ever judge my value system for sometimes using you to look up celebrity gossip on People, TMZ, UsWeekly, or Perez Hilton.

I love how you never question my intelligence or make me feel stupid. By making yourself so simple, all it took for me to get hooked was to plug you in just once to my computer. Somehow, you just knew what I wanted you to know, found it yourself, and put yourself together. Do you know what an amazing gift that is to give to a mother of a toddler and infant? And when you once got accidentally dropped into a cocktail one evening, you never cried or got mad. I almost did, but then recovered when you were replaced (for free, natch) by the lovely people at our local Apple store.

I am more adventurous with you in my life. I have even been brave enough to cook dishes I haven't cooked before just by following the recipe I looked up on Safari and using a kitchen conversion scale to recalculate the ingredients so that we didn't end up with 40 pounds of leftovers. Heck, the fact that I was cooking at all makes my husband want to hug all of the people at the Apple store one-by-one.

You have a gift for distracting children at the times when it counts the most. In stores, in traffic, in doctors' offices, or while I take that shower that I desperately need - you provide precious minutes so that I can gain clarity myself. It could be a video of my friends' first dance at their wedding, a learning game, or the PBS Sprout app, but whatever it is, you consistently deliver.

If it weren't illegal, I would set you on a table in my house while the girls slept and trust you to babysit the girls while I snuck out on a date with my husband. The only issue I see with this would be if you needed to call 911 in case of a fire, but then again, there is probably an app for that, too.

You have a brilliant memory of all the fun moments in life. All I have to do is open my Camera Roll and instantly a smile crosses my lips. Whether it's a photo of Caroline on the swing at the park, Molly snuggled up and sleeping, or Steve and me having cocktails at the Chinatown Hooters (yes, you read that right - there IS a Hooters in Chinatown, and YES, their signage was written in Chinese, and YES, it was the only thing open and still seating late-night that evening, and YES, their wings are UH-MAY-ZING!), after seeing Chelsea Handler live, it's just amazing how happy you can make me in an instant. And now that you have fabulous video capabilities since Steve got the new 3GS and traded me for my older, video-less model, it's even better!

My dearest iPhone, please don't have hurt feelings that I cast your older, more mature version aside so easily - you are so idiot-proof that I was able to simply remove your memory card and put you into the newer, better body. Kind of like plastic surgery - which I am totally not opposed to, by the way (and either way, I know you won't judge me if I ever decide to go for that post-baby tummy tuck - you'll likely give me the directions to the plastic surgeon's office, help me check out his credentials, and find me the perfect post-surgery bathing suit).

While I was initially scared to even enter into a relationship with you because of the necessary switch to AT&T Wireless (Shock! Scandal! - as most of my friends and family are on Verizon), you have proven with your dependibility that I have made the right choice, and I will never stray as long as you don't...

MY NEW BAG...

On Thursday evening, I headed to a "Girls' Night Out" shopping event, where my business partner and best friend Christy and I had a table to sell stationery made by our company, Penny-Bear Printing. I got a chance to do a little shopping myself, and ended up at a booth run by a really cute company called Blossom Bug. In addition to carrying hand-made gift items such as burp cloths, bibs, and diaper cases, they also have an extensive line of bags by Scout. Their products are fabulous - they have the texture and durability of duct tape but are obviously much cuter. I picked up this really cute weekender bag, along with a large coordinating insulated cooler. Both will be perfect for the beach this summer!

25% OFF AT BODEN!!!

I didn't post about this yesterday because I had just found out about it and the sale was supposed to end last night at midnight, but it's been extended! Boden (including Mini Boden - one of my most favorite kids' clothing lines) is offering 25% off everything on their entire site, as well as free shipping and returns. I did quite a bit of damage last night, but not nearly as much as I would have had the items I bought been full-price. Happy shopping!

CONTAIN YOURSELF!

Last week, I was watching an episode of "Oprah" (at 1 in the morning while nursing the baby - thank God for good late-night television to keep me awake!) that featured clutter expert Peter Walsh tackling yet another set of viewers' messes. This time, he was helping one couple organize their car, which Oprah had secretly shipped to the studio for all the world to see (it was pretty bad), and some fraternity brothers clean out their frat house bedroom (now this was downright disgusting!). I was really motivated by Peter Walsh, mainly because he gave really straightforward, simple steps for decluttering any space. I headed to Oprah's website and found some really great de-cluttering "homework" for different rooms that Walsh guarantees will have your house cleaned out in 6 months.

While our house is generally in pretty good shape, my home office is one of the last bastions of disorganization, mainly because it never really got properly put together when we moved in August. I am actually excited to tackle the mess after seeing this episode and checking out the website. The best part of it all is that Oprah has gotten the Container Store to offer a 25% discount off your total purchase from now until April 13. I've set this as my own deadline for getting my office in order - mainly because I want to justify my buying some new cute organizational gear. Hey - if shopping is what motivates me, why fight it?

IF MOLLY HAD BEEN A BOY...

...I think I just might have picked up this really cute preppy bedding from Baby Gap. It's a little matchy-matchy but thoroughly adorable, especially with the apple green and navy color scheme. They have a fabulous snail version that's perfectly pink and green for little girls as well. Too cute!

I'M JUST IN LOVE WITH...

...EM Tanner Designs! I think I'm going to pick up these for the girls:

The ones above are stock items, but you can personalize them pretty much any way you think would be cute! Although the prices are a bit of a stretch in this economy, I still think their printed t-shirts, as well as the other gear and gifts that they sell, are just adorable. Here are a few of my other favorites (the lunchboxes in particular almost make me not dread the day when I have to start packing lunches for school...):

I'M CONTEMPLATING THIS PURCHASE...

I just think this bag from PBK is too cute. Even though I LOVE it, the white is definitely impractical for me, especially since it's a diaper bag, but they also have it in a cute mustard yellow with navy and white straps that I may be able to pull off with fewer issues. Hmm...

THE BABY'S ROOM (AKA MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION)...

As I headed into the new year, I swore to myself that January was going to be entitled "Get Ready for #2," starting with making some decisions about the new baby's room. Well, like clockwork, I woke up on New Year's Day in pretty much a panic - or should we call it nesting mode?! I headed straight to Pottery Barn Kids and finally made some decisions about the direction in which I want to head.

Basics-wise, we needed to buy a new crib, since we've decided to keep Caroline in hers for as long as humanly possible. I know her days in it are limited, but I have to say I find it to be such a relief that I can keep her in some sort of socially-acceptable cage for just a bit longer. :) We have a table that I am using as a changing table (the traditional ones aren't open underneath, which makes them tricky for my wheelchair), and Caroline's new room has built-in drawers, which means the armoire we used in her nursery at the old house is up for grabs. The swivel glider that's currently in the corner of her room is going to move into the baby's room, as well.

As much as I've been complaining about getting myself in gear about this room, now that I'm working on some of the creative parts of it, I'm getting excited! Caroline's nursery was somewhat preppy, with a cute seersucker patchwork bumper and a variety of pastels. Weirdly enough, I fell in love with this bedding that I think resembles Anthropologie a bit more than Ralph Lauren. I have more decisions to make about window coverings (I'm leaning towards blackout shades with simple white drapes), paint color, rug, and any additional storage we might need, but I'm feeling pretty good about where things are headed! Here are some of the purchases or ideas I've had so far...

BEDDING

I decided on the Brooke quilt and bumper, but decided to forgo the sheets, bedskirt, etc. that went with it - it was all a bit too much and I'm certain it would have had emotional and/or psychological ramifications should #2 have had to stare at it every day for the next few years (hee hee). We're just going to go with some plain jersey sheets and a solid bed skirt that coordinates.

FURNITURE

We're using Caroline's swivel glider, but it's not covered in blue. Instead, it's the green chenille that you'll see in the swatch below (it just needs a really good cleaning!).

I bought the Kendall crib (below) on New Year's day - it was on sale for $300 less than it is usually priced! They had to do a little bit of searching to find it in white, but my girls at PBK can work magic, it seems. The Berkley armoire that we purchased for Caroline's nursery is also going in the baby's room.

ACCESSORIES AND DECOR
I just thought these little coordinating owls were too cute. They were also on sale, so I picked them up, too! Caroline thinks one is the big sister and one is the little sister. The hatching chick art (below) is something I'm debating, but I don't know what we're painting the room yet, so it might just be too much green. We'll see!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

I got an email from Pottery Barn Kids this afternoon, advertising a pre-holiday toy sale. When I went to the site to look around, I saw this:

BECAUSE I JUST CAN'T SHAKE THE TEACHER IN ME...

...I just think this is the most fabulous little gift for any beginning writer! I was looking around a really cute site this evening, The Silly Wagon, and stumbled across this stamper in the "Goodies" section. You can choose either an upper/lower case version, or just upper cases. I just love the fact that you can start getting kids to practice writing their names with some guidance but without having to sit there and draw out those little dotted letters yourself. They are great for signing thank-you notes after birthdays and as a take-along when you know you are going to have to wait somewhere. I'm thinking of picking one up just in time for pre-school next fall!

PENNY PRINTS AT SNAPFISH.COM!

Looking to rid your camera of all those pictures you have yet to do anything with? Well, for the next 3 days you can head to Snapfish and purchase up to 50 4 x 6 prints for just a penny! Any prints thereafter are just .09 each. Enter the code FALLPENNY08 when you check out to take advantage of the offer. If you don't have an account with them yet, it's easy and free. I'm heading over to get prints from yesterday's little golfing adventure! Happy shopping!

THE PINK TOTEBAG RECOMMENDS...

Hi everyone! Sorry for being so MIA over the past couple of weeks - we've been dealing with house stuff and it's been a bit crazy around here. We also had some pretty violent thunderstorms rolling through since last Wednesday, which led to some large-scale power outages. Thank goodness we're back up and running!

So, if you're like me, you spend a good deal of time and money on online shopping. Especially since Caroline came along, the internet has become not only my primary means of keeping my wardrobe up-to-date, but it's helped me take care of birthday and Christmas gifts, groceries, contact lenses, and more. The convenience of having things brought right to my door has definitely overshadowed the urge I have to drag my toddler daughter - stroller, sippy cup, board books, and all - to the mall. Yes, getting out the door is always a good thing, but sometimes, you just don't feel like dealing with the hassle!

The only thing I've never really liked purchasing online is books for my daughter. She loves to read and has built up quite the library of board and picture books over her short life. You go to a site like Amazon, read a few reviews or a summary and maybe see a picture of the cover of the book, but you never really know what you are going to get until you pay for shipping and wait a few days for the box to arrive, only to feel like the book you bought isn't quite what you were looking for. Also, while Steve and I love to take Caroline into bookstores or to the library, sometimes you just want to skip the tantrum when you won't buy her the 24 books she has pulled off the shelves.

Leave it to the people at Lookybook to help shoppers to weed through the junk and find the book that's just right for their little readers! This site features hundreds of authors, illustrators, and books that you can virtually read from cover to cover to see if you really want to buy it. While they obviously don't have every book ever written, they frequently add new ones, and have quite a few of the more famous children's book authors (including a couple of my personal favorites from my teaching days - Tomie de Paola and Patricia Polacco). You can search by subject or genre, save books to your virtual "bookshelf," and once you've made the decision to buy, there are links to sites such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble, in addition to a search engine to find the book at your local smaller bookseller. Love it! Happy shopping!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

As some of you may have read awhile back, we've been going through the great debate of selecting a new stroller that will fit my changing needs in terms of Caroline's size and my wheelchair. This past weekend, we made our choice.

For the past 20 months, our trusty Bugaboo Chameleon has been fabulous, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those of us who use wheelchairs. Although it is exorbitantly expensive, it has truly been worth every penny for us, as both Steve and I can push it easily. Although it's big, it comes apart into two pieces so that it's simple for me to put into my car. It has one telescoping handlebar instead of two fixed push handles, which is perfect for someone in a wheelchair who has to repeatedly switch hands to push the chair and the stroller. We were also able to buy an adaptor so that we could snap our infant seat right to it when Caroline was little. Most importantly, it's really sturdy and turns easily, which takes some of the strain off of my wrists - a good thing, since wheelchair users often develop chronic wrist issues (and I already have some pain from time to time). It doesn't hurt that it's a really cute stroller, either!

just three of the several set-up options for the fabulous Bugaboo Chameleon

Sadly, some issues evolved over time for us. The major drawback for the Chameleon from a wheelchair standpoint is its weight - the stroller itself weighs a bit over 20 pounds, which is fine with an infant but begins to get heavy as a baby grows. For me, this meant that, despite coming up with a system that attached the stroller to my chair with some large carabiners from a hiking store, I wasn't able to take Caroline out for walks in our hilly neighborhood in her stroller for too many months before she got too big and I had to begin using my Baby Bjorn with her on my lap. The hills, plus the weight of me, the wheelchair, the stroller, and Caroline, got to be too much for my "little stroller that could."

The Bugaboo still worked amazingly well when we were out and about (and continues to be a favorite purchase of ours), but our needs were changing as Caroline got more mobile. I needed something simple, quick, light, and easy to manage so that she and I wouldn't begin to feel trapped close to home as Caroline wanted to spend less time in her stroller while out running errands. We had to come up with the next solution to the ever-evolving challenge of managing a toddler from a wheelchair.

My hunt for our perfect next solution has been exhaustive. I've been to Buy Buy Baby and Great Beginnings umpteen times to test drive, lift, and collapse different models. I've scoured the internet and watched You-Tube videos of people using their strollers to see how easily they maneuver. I continually referred back to this great comparison chart to look at the features I knew we needed. I also talked to friends who are in wheelchairs and looked at some of the (limited) resources that are out there for adapted types of strollers. It's been a somewhat long and frustrating process, since we have to put even more thought into this kind of purchase than the average parent.

It finally came down to two strollers - the new Bugaboo Bee and the Quinny Zapp. Both strollers come from good brands who know their stuff in terms of building something sturdy and maneuverable, which is what kept bringing me back to them on my test drives. Their turning radiuses are quite tight, meaning that I could zip them around store displays and through crowds easily. They are both lighter than my Chameleon (the Zapp is the lighter of the two), and come with canopies and a small underseat bag.

Bugaboo Bee vs. Quinny Zapp

The major draw of the Bee for me is that it has the same telescoping handlebar as its big sister Chameleon, while the Zapp has two push handles (with a bar that spans between them that I could use to push, although it isn't padded). It also has a fully reclining seat and available adaptors with which to attach our infant carrier. The major draw for the Zapp is that it collapses so easily - just push two buttons on either side of the seat to fold the seat down, and then push a button underneath the seat with your hand or foot and it folds into a very small unit that's easy to handle. The Bee was much trickier for me, requiring more leg strength than I have and being set up to require to0 much contorting of my arms to fold with my hands. The Zapp doesn't officially recline, but sits at a bit of an angle so that if Caroline catnaps, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's also less expensive. The decision was made.

We picked up our brand-new black Quinny Zapp this weekend and immediately took it out for a test-drive. It did well in the mall and was pretty easy to push up ramps (we'll have to see how it handles an incline on neighborhood walks). It was easy for me to lift Caroline into and out of, and maneuvered exceptionally well. When we collapsed it to put in the trunk of our wagon, we had plenty of room for my wheelchair, which was nice because with the Chameleon, Steve had to play a game of "Tetris" every time he tried to fit the pieces of the chair and stroller in the back of the car. Two drawbacks are that it gets tipsy if you hang too much on the handles, and that the underseat bag isn't too spacious. I ended up carrying stuff on my lap, which wasn't too bad. I'm used to feeling like a pack-mule these days with a toddler in tow.

Check out this video of how the Quinny Zapp works:

**Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to turn off the music player before playing the video!**

I've also broken down and bought a baby harness for those times when Caroline just wants O-U-T of the stroller so that I can keep tabs on her. Although I hate to put her in it, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, right? I keep it in my bag and will have it when we're out with the stroller. The real stroller test for us will be a trip to Ft. Myer's Beach, Florida for my cousin Brian's wedding in May. I am excited to see how it handles at the airport - it comes with a travel bag that I think we'll pack it into before gate checking it. I will keep everyone posted!

Being in a wheelchair means that you have to constantly be on your toes, thinking about better ways to do the everyday things that many people take for granted. I've gotten used to this over the past almost 19 years that I've been in a chair. While it's not always fun to have to think about this stuff, I am always happy when I feel like I can pass along a new way to do something to others who might be in my situation. Hopefully then, they won't have to reinvent the wheel (no pun intended!). Maybe something I stumble across can help out my walking friends, too!

A LITTLE SHOE RANT...

When I headed to our favorite childrens' shoe store with Caroline last week, I wanted to get these for her:

Instead, this is the kind of stuff was overrunning the shelves:

To be fair, there were some simple styles to be found, but alas, they would not fit my daughter's size-6 EW feet. Our very knowledgeable salesman Bill actually chuckled when I asked him if they carried plain white canvas Keds with the rubber toe like I wore back when I was a toddler - before he explained to me that 1) they weren't big sellers these days, and 2) most shoe companies didn't cater to the extra-wide sized toddler shoe set.

So here's my rant: When you walk into a childrens' shoe store these days, why does it look like someone came in and threw up sequins, blinking lights, velcro, and rhinestones all over the girls' shoe section? While I find the Lelly Kellis that my in-laws bought Caroline and the Crocs my sister Suzy gave her for Christmas to be quite cute (and I know she'll love both of them), she won't be able to wear them day to day, hence the hunt for some very classic, white summer shoes. I have looked everywhere, in every price range, from Nordstrom to Payless, Stride-Rite to Chez Target. No luck. Sigh. Here's what I ended up purchasing at the shoe store:

While they aren't my first choice (the butterfly cut-outs aren't quite how I roll...), they aren't too bad, and most importantly, they fit my little nugget's feet the best. Sadly, even the Keds website doesn't sell the sneakers in her width. Maybe I'll just have to settle for a pair of blinking Dora the Explorer tennies instead - not.

BABY GAP LAUNCHES HOME SITE...

Baby Gap has been offering a very limited selection of bedding for some time now, but this morning, I woke up to find this link in my inbox. They've now expanded considerably their list of offerings to include some stroller and car seat choices, along with a larger range of coordinated bedding, feeding and bathing supplies, nursery accessories, and books and toys. Called "Baby Gap Home," this store is currently available mostly online, athough they've also carved out space in some of their brick-and-mortar locations in CA, NYC, and TX. They plan to add more stores as the concept catches on.

When I went to preview the site before posting, I saw some really cute, modern stuff and trendy, functional brands. One thing that I liked in particular was that the bedding is sold in sets for a comparably reasonable price (I went to Pottery Barn Kids to figure this out, as I would assume that the two stores' target audience is the same), and their sheets are of a highter thread count (300 vs. the typical 200 that you see for most baby bedding). For someone like me who has a kid with very sensitive skin, this is a nice selling point. I also like that they have free returns by mail. So take a look at the site and let me know whether you think this latest Gap venture will take off...

IT'S FABULOUS FREEBIE FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST!

Sadly, this isn't a freebie for everyone out there, but if you are a parent who's in the market for a double stroller, this is for you! At Right Start, when you purchase the Phil & Ted's Single Sport Buggy, you get the doubles kit for free (and it's an $89.99 value). The stroller itself is a bit pricey at $399.00, but Phil & Ted are known for making sturdy, versatile equipment that can handle lots of different scenarios and should last through multiple children in a family. With the doubles kit, you can carry an infant and toddler or two toddlers, and it collapses fairly easily to fit in in the trunk of your car. Additionally, since this is set up similar to a jogging stroller, it is only as wide as a single stroller, which is good for navigating doorways when out and about. While it might seem weird to us to ride so low to the ground, something tells me that a little kid would find this to be the coolest spot in the stroller. We have some friends who own the doubles kit and they say it works just fine for their kids (ages 17 months and 3 years old). Unfortunately for us, this stroller won't fit our current need for something that weighs less than our Bugaboo (they are both around 24 pounds), but I just thought I'd pass this good deal along!