The Perfect Father’s Day or Birthday Gifts: Hot Tech Accessories for Men

Let’s face it. Some men are difficult to shop for, and birthdays and Father’s Day occur every year. Much of the time, you may resort to personalized birthday cards or Father’s Day cards and a gift card – admittedly not the most exciting gift. However, if you paired that card with something else, you’d have the idea present. Technology accessories provide a creative option if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the guy in your life. Check out the following men’s accessory trends for some ideas to get you started:

·         Wireless headphones: Who wants to be tied to a desk or a device to listen to great tunes? With wireless headphones, which have Bluetooth connectivity, guys can have the freedom they need and the music they love delivered in one package.

·         Timekeepers: Yes, watches are hot again. Even though a guy can easily glance at his phone for the time, watches are both functional and a fashion statement – and they come in all styles and colors. From gold to brightly colored to sporty, there’s a style for every guy.

 

·         iPad and iPhone cases: No matter what a man’s preference, you can find iPad and iPhone cases in a variety of colors, styles and fabrics. Some men prefer to wear their iPhone on a hip holster, while others prefer hard cases. For something extra special, create personalized iPhone cases for the man in your life, featuring something he loves or a picture of your family.

·         Stash waterproof pocket shorts: Beach vacations are fun, but when men head out to boogie board or swim, they have nowhere to leave their wallet, keys and phone. These shorts feature a waterproof pocket that can hold these items and be sealed for safekeeping while in the water.

·         Flash drive keychain: Is your guy always losing his flash drive? The answer may be a flash drive keychain. Fitted with a metal key ring and a holder, these keychains conveniently hold various sizes of flash drive sticks.

·         Smart phone and tablet accessories: If the man in your life has a smart phone or tablet, chances are he might love the various smart phone and tablet accessories available on the market today. Specifically, an external iPhone and iPad keyboard and mini mouse grants users the same convenience when he’s on the go as he’d get typing and navigating on a desktop or laptop computer.

·         Cord wrap: Technology today requires a variety of power cords and other types of cords, and it can be extremely frustrating when cords become tangled in a bag. This cord wrap binds individual cords so they cannot tangle. Users then roll the wrap into a simple, convenient package that’s easy to carry.

These ideas should be enough to get your creative juices flowing. Think about the guy in your life. What does he enjoy? What gadgets does he think are “cool”? What technology does he use on a regular basis? The answers should give you enough information to consider recent tech accessory trends and purchase a birthday or Father’s Day gift he will love.

Author Bio: Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.

Thrifty Thursday

There is a sale today on Pedipeds! I have posted many times how fabulous these shoes are and they still hold first place for Stella's favorite shoes. I am convinced that she finds them the most comfortable. The thing that I love the most is that they are sized to last. Stella gets at least 6-9 months out of her shoes!

Pedipeds is donating up to 50% of the shoes in the sale to give to children's charities. I love to help out any cause so I participated by purchasing Stella three pairs of shoes! What can I say, I was feeling generous. :) Happy shoe shopping! Now if I could just find such a sale for me...

Http://www.pedipeds.com

Stella in her favorite pedipeds

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Stella's First Birthday - A Haute Mom Never Does It Alone

I know all us haute moms dream about the grand 1st birthday party that we are all going to throw our little ones.  It is natural for us since, as haute moms, we thrive on party planning.  And not just any old party planning, but THEMED party planning!  Secretly, I started months ago when I bought a hot pink zebra birthday banner for Stella from Bannerparty.  I couldn't draw myself away from the sassy hot pink and zebra print in the banner - I felt it was a definite match for Stella's personality.

After the theme was decided, I just couldn't help myself.  My hubby thought I was "getting a little nuts" with the zebra print and hot pink but I shrugged him off as we haute moms do and continued on my merry planning.  We decided to have the party at our tiny little house even though we were expeting about 40 people to come.  My hubby was in charge of cleaning and I took care of the rest.  We invited friends and family and were shocked at the turn out! 

Etsy was a HUGE help in finding matching decorations and items.  Kenzy Bug supplied hot pink zebra gift bags, matching tutus, and even a matching tank top and bows for me and the family.  Her stuff was DARLING and reasonable!  I bought matching cupcake toppers from Get The Party Started that were seriously one of the greatest things I have spent money on in a long time.  The toppers had different messages on them and, of course, fit right in with the theme.  She had so many cute things to buy for themed birthdays but I had to restrain myself.  They came super fast too!  Last but not least, I have to mention the cupcakes.  I got them from Delightful by the Dozen, a local cupcake maker who has the most delicious cupcake AND they deliver! She had a fantastic choice of flavors and she even dyed some of the frosting hot pink to go with the colors!

All in the all, the party was fabulous and we were surrounded by our closest friends and family.  Stella even got to meet her great-grandfather for the first time which, to me, was the best present yet.  Take a look at some of the pictures, and pay close attention to Get The Party Started who has generously agreed to give all Haute Mom followers 15% off a purchase if you enter the code "HAUTE" at checkout!  Kenzy Bug will give all followers a 20% discount if you mention Haute Mom at checkout or send a conversation prior to ordering mentioning this blog. How haute is that?  Party planning anyone?

The birthday girl

Stella and her great-grandpa greeting the birthday zebra.

Gift bags from Kenzy Bug

Cupcakes and those FABULOUS toppers from Get The Party Started

 A closer look

The start of it all - the zebra print banner by Bannerparty

"Going nuts" according to hubby

Stella - The First Year : homemade banner (can't you tell?)

This wasn't me "going nuts" - this was from grandma (I guess that's where I get it)

Stella was a little...uh...overwhelmed when we sang "Happy Birthday"

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Haute Mother's Day Deal!

Udder Covers has a great deal to honor all us haute moms...they are giving them away for free this weekend!

It's as easy as 1-2-3!
1. Go to UdderCovers.com.
2. Click on "Shop Now" and select any nursing cover you like.
3. Once you have made your selection, you'll automatically be directed to the shopping bag.

Enter the promo code "MOTHER" and they'll deduct 100% of the of the cover - all you pay are the shipping fees. You can use it more than once - just open a new browser window each time you do.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Thrifty Thursday - A Great Site for Some Mother's Day Shopping!

I know that each week I give you sites that offer good deal and most of those sites are for children's items.  Well in honor of the u pcoming Mother's Day, I will share a site that I have used for a long time that offers deals for all us moms, our little ones, and even our hubbies. 

Ideeli is a site that offers specials categorized by store or brand.  Click on the brand and find yourself in a world of discount.  I like this site because I can shop all items of my favorite designers without having to jump from dresses, to shirts, to shoes, etc.  I can click on one designer like Miss Sixty (who is currently featured right now) and view all of the great deals for that one brand.  This is the way it works for all the categories, men, children, home and...wait for it...travel!  A great little deal for a weekend in good ol' wine country Napa caught my eye today!

It is free to become a member and like many of the other sites, you can sign up for the daily deals and notices via email.  You all know how I LOVE to wake up to a list of shopping deals!  Check the site out; I know you will find something (or many things) for yourself and your family!  Happy shopping haute moms!

Thrifty Thursday - Clothes For One, Clothes For All!

I have been having a HECK of a time finding pajamas for Stella. All the summer PJ's are out right now but since Stella doesn't sleep with a blanket yet, I am still looking for some lightweight long sleeve pajamas. I have combed store after store and can only find sleepwear that are short sleeve with pants or short sleeve with shorts.

At lunch yesterday, my girlfriend was talking about how addicted she was to some online sites, and it finally hit me that maybe I should try looking online. I went to trusty Old Navy only to be greeted with a wonderful surprise...a Buy One Get One 50% Off Sale! Hurray!

Old Navy  is always one of those great places where us Haute Moms can find cute, affordable clothes for the whole family just in time for each season. They never fail me and guess what - they have pajamas for Stella! Head on over because the sale ends this Sunday, May 1st. Be sure to pick something up for yourself moms and remember, buy one get one 50% off just means you have to buy more! :)

Use the code ONBOGO at checkout. They also offer free shipping! Happy shopping! 

Thrifty Thursday - Toys!

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I have been searching around for a gift for Stella’s first birthday and came across a fantastic website with great prices. Fat Brain Toys has some of the most unique toys I have ever seen. Among these unique toys you can find a Gift Wizard that allows you to type in age, interest, etc. and matches you input up with various toys. Not to mention they have some of the best prices from what I can tell so far!

We are looking for an outdoor toy of some sort, perhaps a toddler play yard or sandbox. When I came across this website, I really liked the fact that I could search by category as well as ago group. Like Amazon, I was able to read other buyers’ comments for each product I was looking at. Many of the prices were discounted 10-20% and they offer free shipping on orders over $99. Let me just say, it would not be difficult to spend this amount with all of the great stuff that they have.

The best feature that I experienced was the Live Chat. I had a couple of questions about some of the items. One item I was looking at (Chicco 4-in-1 ride) stated that the beginning stage of this toy was a rocker but the site didn’t show any pictures of what the rocker looked at. I went on Live Chat and in seconds I had someone on the other end helping me. I mentioned what I was looking for and in two or three minutes, she had her tech guy upload more pictures for me! There was also another item, a rocking horse type deal, That said, it was great for one- and two-year olds but had a warning about small parts for children under three. With this inquiry she got on the phone with the manufacturer as she was online with me to check! Now that is some service!

Toy sites are always overwhelming but this one stands above the rest! Now buy those babes a little something!

Thrifty Thursday - Spring Shopping

I don't know how the weather has been in the rest of the country but here in California it hasn't looked anything like spring. At any rate, I am always in the mood to shop so this Thursday I am bringing Carter's Spring sale to you where EVERYTHING is 50% off. Yipee! Shop those little haute mom hearts out because it only lasts through Sunday!

The coupon is for online or in-store so simply click on the link and shop away! Happy Spring!
Carter's Spring Sale

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Thrifty Thursday

 

This Thrifty Thursday brings another FABULOUS site for haute mom bargains. The site I am featuring today is MarketMommies. They connect moms so they can support each other and also help moms market their  own businesses and blogs. This site offers a lot for us haute moms to connect with one another and bring us great deals. Be sure to check out their Business Directory so we can find haute items while supporting our fellow moms.

When you sign up for MarketMommies (it is free), you will begin to receive daily emails featuring a “Deal of the Day” from a fellow mom-owned business. I wake up every morning to my MarketMommies email, well actually, I wake up to Stella every morning, but you can be sure I am checking my emails first thing for the daily bargain.

 
I am sharing today’s bargain with you as a special Thrifty Thursday bonus. The MarketMommies deal today is for Bannerparty.com, a company that makes darling party supplies and personalizes them for you and you babes! Birthday banners are on sale for 50% off today, and you can’t beat the price. It lasts TODAY

ONLY so take advantage! I bought my Zebra hot pink banner for Stella’s 1st birthday, since it is fast approaching. Go there now and do some shopping!

Thrifty Thursday - Mama's Goin' Shopping!

Check out the latest event!

This Thrifty Thursday is another good one (of course).  Haute Mom will be sure to get into lots of trouble here.  Zulily is an online store that offers daily sales events on the best brand apparel and other goodies for you, and your babes.  You can save up to 90% off retail prices.

You have to be a member but it's like a ticket to an amazing sample sale. Only members can take advantage of zulily's low prices. Membership is FREE and signing up is fast and easy. It took me less than five minutes. Once you're a member, you'll be the first to know what we've got to offer every day.

Zulily is not a traditional online store. They feature new items every day. They don't keep stock in a warehouse. Zulily events last 72 hours . . . then they're gone! Some brands go even faster. The best part if new brands replace the old ones so the selection is constantly changing!

Each weekday, there are at least five limited-time shopping events. You will receive a daily e-mail revealing them and then you can (gleefully!) click on the site and shop. Every day is different, so if you're looking for something specific, check back often. Anything and everything for moms, babies, and kids will show up on Zulily!  It is so much fun! Go to Zulily now!

Mamabargains $20 Giveaway

Last week for Thrifty Thursday I featured this AWESOME site called Mamabargains.com. Based on the number of "likes" (over 65,000) they have on Facebook, most of you probably are already hooked but if you weren't, and you read my post last week, I bet you are now! I promised a little giveaway sponsored by Mamabargains so in honor of today's Thrifty Thursday, we are kicking it off...just because Mamabargains.com is fantastic enough to be featured two weeks in a row!

Mamabargains.com is the first and only one deal at a time website. What does this mean? It means they feature a premium product, one at a time, that is always 50-80% discounted. When that product sells out, up goes another. You never know how many deals they will have in one day or just how long a product will last...that's the hook. This great idea was dreamt up by fellow haute mom Jessica Singer who literally had a dream about a business such as this one called "Momazon". Jessica and her husband turned that dream into a reality and in 2008, Mamabargains.com was launched! On top of that, I have had only positive experiences with their service.

I just went over to their site right now to check out what they were featuring so I could write about it and I ended up buying something! They are selling Hippie Clippies as I type and they are DARLING...and 55% off! Oh my gosh - I have a problem and sadly, you will too if you don't already!

I am giving away a $20 gift certificate to Mamabargains.com and who knows what goodies they are going to have in the future. Don't miss your chance to get some fun spending money on the best site around for haute moms and their babes.

To enter this giveaway you must follow Haute Mom publicly and tell me what Mamabargains.com is selling RIGHT NOW! Leave one comment telling me this and please include your email. You must do this before you complete any of the extra entries!

Extra entries – leave a comment telling me you have done each of these

Like Haute Mom on Facebook

Like Mamabargains.com on Facebook

Follow Haute Mom on Twitter

Follow Mamabargains.com on Twitter

Follow Haute Mom on Networked Blogs

Tweet about this giveaway (leave the link to your tweet up to once a day)

Post this giveaway on your blog (leave the link to your post)

Good luck to all you haute moms! The winner will be chosen by Random.org at the end of this giveaway which is Thursday, March 3rd at 9 p.m. PST.

Thrifty Thursday

This Thursday I am going to highlight the best place to get haute deals on baby and mom stuff.  If you don't know about this site, haute moms, you have been missing out!  My favortie place BY FAR for great deals is MamaBargains.com.  They are so great that their motto is "Get Hooked" because well, that't what happens once you start using them.  There is a package from MamaBargains.com multiple times a month at my house that the packages are starting to look like they are part of our porch decorations.

Mamabargains.com is the first and only one deal at a time website.  What does this mean?  It means they feature a premium product, one at a time, that is always 50-80% discounted.  When that product sells out, up goes another.  You never know how many deals they will have in one day or just how long a product will last...that's the hook.  This great idea was dreamt up by fellow haute mom Jessica Singer who literally had a dream about a  business such as this one called "Momazon".  Jessica and her husband turned that dream into a reality and in 2008, Mamabargains.com was launched! On top of that, I have had only positive experiences with their service. 

For all you Facebooks users, if you "Like" them on Facebook you will get status updates on what is currently being sold on the site.  I have made many rushed phone calls home to my hubby from the car begging him to get on and make a purchase before it is too late! Most of those updates are put on by Jessica herself.  Mamabargains.com also has an exclusive relationship with Proctor & Gamble.  If you become a Luvs Facebook fan you will get a once weekly sneak peek at one of their deals with the exact time it is going to be sold!  Well worth the Facebook "thumbs up" if you ask me.

Hurry on over to Mamabargains.com and see what they have today...and in an hour...and later tonight.  You literally will be hooked.  Coming soon I hope to be having a giveaway sponsored by Mamabargains.com so get hooked on their site and keep your eyes open over here at Haute Mom for that giveaway!  Happy shopping haute moms!

Shoe Shop for a Good Cause

I have had the hardest time finding shoes for Stella.  If you have followed this blog, you have seen my previous posts about the matter.  Shoes always look uncomfortable on her and they never seem to fit right.  She doesn't seem to care for them too much either.  The other night we had Stella out at dinner and she was fussy so my hubby took her outside for a little stroll.  He got yelled at because she only had socks on.  Let's just say I think it's time to get some shoes for the little baby girl.

I have heard some wonderful things abou the brand pediped.  Pediped footwear was founded in 2004 by a couple who, like me, were on a quest to find the perfect soft-soled shoe for their daughter.  They are now the owners of an award winning company as well as the fastest-growing children's footwear brand in the country.  There are three lines in the company, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals® are soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2, Grip ‘n’ Go™ are thin rubber-soled shoes for children ages 9 months to 3 years and Flex® offers rubber-soled shoes for children 1 to 6 years.

Don't get too excited yet haute moms.  This isn't the best part.  The best part is that in addition to making fabulous shoes, pediped® has been committed to bettering the lives of children and has donated nearly $700,000 in monetary and product donations to children's charities. These donations include over $445,000 to the Make-A-Wish foundation, which has helped to grant 60 wishes for children and 2,000 pairs of shoes to the children of Haiti. The recent establishment of the pediped foundation™ will help foster even more ways for pediped® to enhance the lives of children.

So, pediped® footwear is hosting a fundraiser through February 6 to benefit the pediped foundation™. During the Purchases with Purpose fundraiser, select styles  on pediped.com will be marked down as much as 50 % and half of the sales from the promotion will be donated to the pediped foundation™. The funds will be used to provide monetary support to organizations including Make-A-Wish Foundation and other worthy children’s charities.

What does this mean for us?  This means we can shop for a good cause!! What better way to justify some new shoes for your little ones!  We can shop and assist this wonderful foundation with bettering the lives of other, less fortunate children by buying shoes...ON SALE!

Be sure to spread the word and polish up the credit cards because there are tons of cute styles.  I am buying the Carolines for Stella...and the Mollys...and...

Click here to shop now!

Fashion Friday

This dress is one of my faves!

So I haven't posted a Fashion Friday in a couple of weeks but I have been sick and let's face it, nobody looks good when they are sick.  I was lucky if my socks matched when I got to work. 

This is perfect timing though for a little Carilyn Vaile update since she is launching some AMAZING dresses for Los Angeles' Fashion Week.  As always, her dresses are versatile, low maintenance, and designed to fit us haute moms.  The folds, drapes, and dips are all in the right place! 

Check out some pictures from the 2011 Runway show for LA's Fashion Week...just a little sneak peek. :) 

Carilyn Vaile's Photos

Haute Mom Dilemma #24 ~Bah Humbug!

One of my fondest memories is going to a department store to pick out my annual Christmas ornament.  My mom used to take us to the Home section of the department store where they would have endless trees and buckets with tons of ornaments just waiting to be taken home.  Our tradition was that we could each get a new ornament each year; a tradition that I still continue to do every year for my own tree.

This year, I have been looking extra hard at ornaments, especially for a "Baby's 1st Christmas" one.  I have my own first Christmas ornament still.  It is a metal angel with my name engraved on one side and the year I was born on the other.  It even has my birth weight and height.  I have wanted something like this for my own baby and now that I have the baby, I am missing the ornament.

Seriously, all you stores that want to rip me off and take advantage of me during the holidays, I am ready.  I will pay whatever you want me to for a special Christmas ornament to mark Stella's first Christmas.  There are no takers.  Literally....none. There are cheap ornaments, wooden ornaments, ceramic, plastic, I even saw ones that were made from plastic spoons today but I can't find a quality "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament anywhere.   And in the department stores...don't even get me started.  The only chain store that I have seen any ornaments in is Target.  Cute and trendy but not what I am looking for this year.  What happened to the beautiful, quality ornaments that used to so much be a part of Christmas?  Since when did ornaments become a thing of Christmas past.  Argh.

On a brighter note, Stella had her first meeting with Santa and she didn't even bat an eye...or shed a tear which is what we really thought was going to happen.  We are still exploring the notion that Stella had no idea that Santa was human since he didn't say a word and barely moved but it's alright with me...the pictures are darling!

A special thanks to the Sinks ladies for Stella's Santa Baby dress!

Thrifty Thursday ~Blogger Call for Help!

In the spirit of Christmas shopping and the mad rush, I have decided to make the majority of my purchses from the comfort of my own home.  All of the gifts I have bought so far have bene online through various websites, and the good deals keep coming. Many of you mommy bloggers have helped me out by posting sites and companies that are offering some great bargains (like Old Navy sweaters, buy one get one free!). 

For this post I was hoping we could all help a mommy out and share our favorite shopping sites for the holidays.  Don't just limit it to kids stuff, our parents, siblings, and spouses all need some holiday cheer too!  I have tons of places to get Stella stuff but what about for the hubby and other adults?!

My favorite sites for the holidays are:
Mamabargains - great deals for the little ones
Green Baby Bargains - graet deals for your babes and all product are environmentally friendly!
Chunky Bling - fun, inexpensive jewelry for the siblings, and girlfriends

Check out my favorite sites and more importantly, list yours to share with the rest of us!

Thrifty Thursday (on Black Friday)

Through all of this holiday shopping madness I have decided to continue to focus on good deals that can be found online for Thrifty Thursday.  There were so many of them today and I am especially excited for this new "Cyber Monday" hoopla that I have been hearing about.  Until I actually figure out and sort through all the great stuff that can be bought online all from the comfort of your own home, I have one thing to share that I think is a very haute, creative idea.

Chunky Bling is a new company that sort of found Haute Mom and has one of the neatest ideas around.  Jewelry is the name of the game for Chunky Bling and it is right up the haute mom's alley.  Watches, bracelets, necklaces and rings can all be found on Chunky Bling but the one thing that sets them apart from others is the "Build Your Own Watch" feature.  All of the jewelry items are funky, beaded jewelry and they even have a super cute Christmas one.  You can choose the face of your watch and the style of the beads for the band and you have a hip watch that looks like a beaded bracelet.  I love it because I am not a watch person - but I would totally wear one if it looked like a bracelet. 

The best thing about all of this is the price. The items are very affordable (between $10-$35) which is perfect now that I am a mom.  I don't wear a lot of my nicer jewelry very often because they get pulled, tugged on, and scratched but I still want to be able to accessorize.  They are made with materials built to last including Swarovski Crystals.  I think that when Stella gets older (much older), and wants to start playing around with accessories, this would be perfect for her.  I love the versatility and the price; they allow you to create your own pieces for that Christmas or New Year's outfit that you will be wearing.  I plan on buying a few for some of my favorite haute moms as a fun Christmas gift.  You can find the right piece for any type of personality.

Whether you are buying for yourself or as a gift, I would check this site out.  Again, this offers a fun, hip option to accessories without breaking your wallet or being afraid that the pieces will get ruined.  Save your Tiffany's pieces for a special occasion and wear Chunky Bling day to day!  I received a ring from them that is fun, fashionable, and durable.  It is a perfect piece to accompany a festive outfit or doing some shopping while looking haute at the same time!  Check out Chunky Bling and have fun shopping!

My Chunky Bling ring in Swarovski Crystal -Ebony!

 

Haute Mom Dilemma #22 ~ Attention All Shoppers!



Stella enjoying our seats with daddy.

I must say that I really have ventured out since my earlier Haute Mom Dilemma posts.  I recall being a brand new mom, nervous to bring my baby girl out in the world where germs and judgement waited.  Since then, I have taken Stella to a number of different places that have helped me be more comfortable with handling my bundle of joy in public.  I accomplished a 5K charity walk, took Stella to two MLB baseball games, Oktoberfest, and on Monday night, took Stella to her first NBA game!  She has loved each and every one of those things and has even fallen asleep in the loudest of times
.  

Clippes beat the Hornets 99-95!



 The one thing that I still have a difficult time with is taking her shopping and I'm thinking I need some serious help since Black Friday and holiday shopping is right around the corner.  So help me out here.  The issue I have is how one can sprout enough hands to hold baby (or push baby in the stroller) and push your cart, hold items to purchase, carry your bags, etc. There must be a magical product that is out there that I am missing, and no, do not tell me it is my hubby.  I'm not a fan of shopping with hubby sometimes...as I am sure many of you know what I am talking about.

Last week I went to Target and Trader Joe's all in one day and I felt like Stella and I should win a mother/daughter award.  I wore Stella (in my Ergo) into Target and was able to push the cart around with no problem but the whole checking out, paying thing was kind of difficult because she was in the way of getting things out of my cart.  I also haven't figured out the whole packing everything in the car thing.  I don't like leaving her in the car while I unload bags and return shopping carts but I also don't feel safe with her sitting in the cart while I unload in the middle of the parking lot.  Which is the lesser of two evils?
I swear, I think only moms think this way, or maybe crazy ones like me.  I'm sure I will be posting on my first Black Friday experience should I choose to participate.

Here is to Stella's first Thanksgiving tomorrow and wishng all of you a safe and happy one with all of your loved ones!