Do you remember shopping at Sears when you were a kid? I am dating myself now, but I remember shopping for clothes at Sears when I was a child. My mother would put our clothes on ?layaway? until she could pay off the total amount of the bill.

Layaway, for those of you who?ve never heard of it, is somewhat like a reverse credit card. When you buy items on credit, you immediately get the item, but then you must pay back the balance and a hefty fee (interest) for the privilege. Unlike credit purchases, with a layaway account, the store keeps the merchandise until you?ve paid off your account in full. The fees to open an account are minimal, either 15% of the purchase price, or around $5-$15, depending upon the laws in your state.

Several years ago, Walmart stopped layaway accounts, and it was a sad day for many frugal shoppers. I figured that the concept had died for good, kind of like rotary telephones.

While talking with a sales associate at Sears last week, I found out that on November 17, 2008, Sears and Kmart will again have layaway accounts! I was thrilled because our local store had a great sale on winter coats which began on Friday. In addition, I?d found online coupons which I could use at the store to further discount the price of the coats. Even though I didn?t have the money outright to take advantage of the sale, I could use the layaway option and get the sale price. The online coupons I?d found would more than cover the layaway fees too!

This year, many families are dealing with strained budgets, lost jobs, and limited credit. As the holiday season is fast approaching, those budgets could get even more strained. You?ll have to ?do the math? for your particular situation, but a layaway account could help you to manage your holiday expenses.

Have you ever had a layaway account? Will you be using layaway this holiday season when purchasing toys for your family?

Autumn was upon us and it was time to put away the shorts and bring out the long trousers for my 2 boys. That was the easy part. The hard part was sorting through the trousers which were too short, too tight, or those whose knees are frayed or torn. By the time I finished, 4 pairs needed to have their hems lowered, 3 pairs needed to have elastic bands repaired, and 7 pairs needed mending. In other words, my boys didn’t have any respectable pair of trousers to speak of. And we were about to leave for vacation in 3 days.

Now, I can do most household choirs competently enough except two – ironing and sewing. God knows I tried. When my mother-in-law asked me a couple of years back what I wanted for my *th birthday, I immediately said “a sewing machine.” Unfortunately, having one in my possession did not necessarily improve my enthusiasm or my skills for mending – especially trousers’ knees.

Now, I really want my boys to enjoy life and do what little boys love do – playing football, climbing trees, jumping off swings. I can even handle the daily mountain of dirty laundry. But mending! And mending them nicely, too, that they’d look acceptable enough for pre-school wear. Now, why hasn’t anybody ever invented untearable textiles?

So in the end, I had to do a rushed shopping for trousers. 6 pairs of trousers, 3 for each boy. I closed my eyes as I handed over my credit card to the lady at the cash out. I crossed my fingers that the trousers will last till the end of winter.

The first day of vacation, 1 pair of trousers got “holed” in one knee. After a week, we were down to 3 “holeless” pairs.

A friend once suggested I should make my boys wear knee protectors, you know, the ones used by inline skaters. Now I’m really seriously thinking about it.

So, mommies out there with active little boys – do you also have knee trousers’ problems? Any tips for a harried, almost bankrupt mommy?

As I approach the last month of my pregnancy, I rely on lists to keep my life straight. Putting together a nursery, cleaning the house for guests, and building a layette, all while trying to finish up assignments for work and prepare my body for pregnancy, leaves me with less time and more need for organization than ever before.

Since most babies are born between Week 38 and 42 of pregnancy, here are a few things you may want to get off your to-do list around Week 37.

• Select baby‘s clothes to go home. This can be a challenge if your due date lies during the change of season. I may be compulsive, but I‘m packing long-sleeve, short-sleeve and blankets. Also, because clothing sizes vary so much under 12 months, I‘m packing outfits for both Newborn and 0 to 3 months. Newborn typically fits babies 5 ‘ 8 lbs., while 0 to 3 months will fit babies weighing 6 ‘ 10 lbs or slightly more. Obsess much?
• Pack your hospital pajamas and outfit to go home in. Again, if it‘s during a change of season, pack a few things. It‘s easier to take things out of your bag in that “keep busy time“ when you feel the first contractions than sorting through drawers, closets and laundry for something to wear. Don‘t expect to leave the hospital at your pre-pregnancy weight. Pack comfortable clothes with elastic: Something that fit around your fifth or sixth month, with room for error, should work (or so I‘m told). I have a comfortable pair of pants from Target, not maternity, that has fit me through my fourth month until now, so I think I may be safe with those.
• Pack toiletries for the hospital.
• Install the car seat in the middle back seat of your car. According to recent research, 80 percent of car seats are improperly installed. Call 866 SEATCHECK for a list of places to go, locally, that can help you install the car seat. Before you install the car seat, double check that your model has not been recalled by calling 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236).
• Set up baby‘s place to sleep. Many infants won‘t go straight into a crib, but will spend time in a bassinet or cradle in mom and dad‘s room, first. If the nursery isn‘t picture-perfect yet, don’t stress. Your new family member won‘t care. Make sure the baby has a safe place to sleep and clean linens, washed in gentle detergent. Skip the fabric softener dryer sheets.
• Prepare your body for childbirth by continuing to practice your Kegels and taking daily walks. Chances are, you‘ll have plenty of opportunities to practice Kegels while running to the bathroom “just in time,“ anyway.
• Compile your mailing lists (email and regular post) and select your birth announcements. I‘m putting this last on the list because you can certainly wait until you‘re home to complete this task. Although I can‘t order the announcements, obviously, until baby is born, it gave me a sense of accomplishment to pick the pattern. And it satisfied my nesting instincts enough to stop me from shopping for another adorable purple onesie we don‘t need!

Experienced moms, help me out. What do I need to add to this list?

If you have a 2000 sq. ft. home, you’re probably not even thinking of space issues for your first-born baby. You may even have set aside one room for the nursery and another just to house all the toys and other gifts that friends and family have been showering your baby with. If you live in a one bedroom apartment in New York however, or anywhere else, you’re pressed to make the most of every nook and cranny.

I can’t exactly tell you what will work for you in your space. But I can get you to start thinking.

First let’s start with essentials; things you cannot live without for the first six months of your baby’s life.

Clothes and Other Soft Items

If you have a handy washer and dryer, and you’re willing to keep washing on a daily basis, you won’t need as much clothes to begin with. Babies spit up though, so keep this in mind. If you’d rather not do laundry every day, add more. Remember, your babies will outgrow newborn clothes quickly, so unless you have a preemie, have only 2-3 pieces of each in newborn sizes, and then double that number for 0-3 mos. and 3-6 mos.:

• Onesies – these are usually short-sleeved and legless body suits that snap at the bottom.
• Sleepers – Usually with footsies built-in, good for, you guess it, sleeping. Have lightweight for spring and summer months and thicker ones for fall and winter.
• Jumpers or Rompers – Their feet are exposed and can be short-sleeved, sleeveless or long sleeved even. You can buy nice-looking ones for trips outdoors or for dressy events.
• Socks – to keep toes warm.
• Snowsuit (only 1 needed) – for winter.
• Sweater or jacket – again, for the colder months.
• Cap or Bonnet – especially for the colder months. They lose heat very quickly from the head.

Okay, so you’ve got the clothing essentials. Other essentials are several good blankets and burp cloths. A lot of moms have recommended cloth diapers because they’re more absorbent. Believe me, babies spit up a lot, so you want this in handy. Also diapers and wipes, of course. You have a choice between cloth and disposable. You can also make your own wipes from paper towels pre-soaked in water and a bit of baby body wash. You’ll need several waterproof change pads, because contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a changing station. And last but not least, baby shampoo and body wash for their delicate skin.

Tip: Have a basket where you can stuff several changes worth of clothes, burp cloths, diapers, wipes and change pads that you can carry from room to room. Voila, portable change station!

Furnishings and other Baby Gear

These are the bare-bones essentials. I’ll add nice to have towards the end of this guide. You’ll need to find places to store the following:

• A place for baby to sleep – If you aren’t co-sleeping (and please practice safe sleeping when you have baby in bed with you), you can choose from a moses basket, a bassinet, you can attach a co-sleeper to your bed. If you’re not moving anytime soon though, I say just skip all the above which will become obsolete faster than your baby can say peekaboo and go right to a crib. There are many modern, practical and small cribs available out there. Ours is The Gulliver from Ikea.
• Stroller – Other moms prefer to carry their baby in a sling for the most part, but unless you’re a true purist, you’re also gonna want a stroller.
• Car Seat – If you will drive at all, you’re gonna need one of these. You can choose a traveling system so the car seat can double as a baby carrier and then just snap in the stroller. You can nix that of course and go straight to the big car seats that go from newborn to up to 45 lbs.

Nice to Have

• Bouncer – a place where you can safely strap the baby, have them amuse themselves by bouncing, vibrating, looking at the toy add-ons attached to them , and leave your hands free to get some things done.
• Infant Swing – have them try this out at a store, or a friend’s place first. Some babies hate them, while a lot of parents swear by them to get baby to calm down, occupied, entertained and leave Mom and Dad to a quick break(no more than 30 mins. at a time is recommended).
• Safe to chew on toys and rattle.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find space for the above. And if you’re a minimalist, you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief. Some of you may be skeptical, and are asking, is that it? If you’re truly bent on saving space, then yes, really that’s it. If you have the above and find you still have space, by all means, go for it. Just remember, all the other add-ons are probably more for your convenience, not truly essentials for the baby.

Is there anything I’ve missed that you consider essentials?

At long last, as summer drags itself into the upper Midwest with the enthusiasm of my toddler towards green vegetables, I’ve been getting my summer clothes out of their boxes.

This is my first summer where I’ve been able to get proper summer clothes out, and most of my summer gear is from pre-baby days. I’m looking at some of it wondering, what I was thinking wearing that? (Teeny tops.) Or is this appropriate for a mommy? (Short skirts.) Or how different my life is between having a baby (age 28) and having a toddler (age 30) and how much of my pre-baby wardrobe seems totally impractical. (Dry clean only, things with sparkles, anything that needs ironing)

When babies are tiny, moms have to deal with spit-up, poop, breast milk stains, and their bodies changing shape, and days of sheer exhaustion when getting dressed is just too much work. And as they grow, poop continues, and then babies start eating (and throwing) food, and painting, and searching for the messiest things they can find. Then of course when they are moving, mom needs to move too, so no high heels or short skirts or anything that will curtail crawling under a bush to retrieve a toddler.

Moms have to be the most fashion challenged people in the world! I totally understand why some moms revert to mom jeans and sweatshirts, and hair in a springie, and yep, I do on some days…. well, a lot of days. I knew I was on a slippery slope when I brought myself a pair of “nice” sweatpants for going out in, instead of a pair of proper pants last month.

I’ve resolved to try just a little bit harder this summer, if only because getting dressed in proper clothes boosts my self-esteem and makes me feel a little more like a woman, as well as a mom.

The challenge is to find something that’s durable enough to be a toddler’s mom in, and also looks attractive too. I’ve started with a couple of new pairs of jeans that have a nice, flattering fit. They go with everything, and stand up to both the playground, and projectile spaghetti sauce.

I’m stuck on shirts though. And summer clothes, in general. What’s comfortable, cool, washes well, is appropriate for a mom to wear, and looks good too?

Help!

A couple of nights ago, my wife tricked me into enlisted my help in going through the seemingly endless supply of infant clothing we had from our daughter in what was expected to be the first wave of organization in the now-uninhabited nursery. Our plan was simple: go through the first set of clothing and identify how much gender-neutral stuff we had for the baby we are expecting in October, who is supposedly a boy (although we have not received 100% confirmation of this fact yet).

As we opened each massive Rubbermaid bin, the flood of memories any normal person would anticipate hit us. We pulled out the sleeper she wore after her first bath, a surprisingly gender-neutral one based on the children’s book Guess How Much I Love You, that will almost certainly be worn by her younger brother. We found clothes my mother purchased that turned out to be too “boyish” for us to dress our daughter in. We pulled out articles of clothing we had forgotten but immediately recalled when she wore it and who had given it to us over three years ago once we saw it.

When we were finished, all the pink, light purple, flowers, hearts, and frilly collars were packed away in bins that will eventually bear the label “girl” and reside in the basement instead of the nursery closet. We were left with a little bit of blue (since it is my wife’s favourite colour, some people bought blue outfits for our daughter), some white and green, and a whole lot of yellow. I mean, I think we could dress this kid in yellow every day and every night for a couple of weeks (including mid-day changes for spit-up) and not need to do laundry.

My mind started to wander. We’ve got a lot of clothes for this baby already. Do we really need that much more? But, if we don’t get much more, then this kid will be in yellow most of the time, and if he’s in yellow, how many people are going to make the mistake of calling my son “her” when we’re out in public? Should we be considering a whole new, all blue, brown, and green wardrobe? Isn’t that impractical? I asked my wife for her thoughts, and she confirmed my suspicions: that we would likely get a few blue outfits, but that the predominant colour will be yellow for the first little while. As soon as we pass the six month barrier our gender neutral selection drops dramatically.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I am by no means saying that yellow is “wrong” for a boy. (My security blanket from when I was a young boy was yellow, for one thing.) I am just unsure how many people dress their boys in tons of yellow, and how many feel strongly that blues and greens and browns are more “appropriate” for baby boys.

What are your thoughts on the topic of clothing colours? How did you dress your infant sons? Did you use primarily blue, or were a lot of other colours included? Specifically looking at yellow, were the majority of yellow clothes you had from pre-natal gifts when people didn’t know the gender or older sisters, or were they choices you consciously made when purchasing clothing for your infant son? Is the notion of “blue is for boys” antiquated?

One of the most frustrating things about baby clothes is how fast babies outgrown them. The cute outfits we bought just last week may not quite fit today. They might not even fit by the time they’re brought home and make it through the laundry. I literally had to cut my oldest child out of a set of coveralls once. They fit fine in the morning, but by nightfall they were too snug to get off.

So, what do you do with all of those outgrown clothes? The outgrown pile certainly does get overwhelming fast if the old clothes aren’t gotten rid of. Fortunately, there are several things that can be done with them that can either earn you a little money or save you money in the long run.

The first option is to take the clothes to a consignment sale. To find one, do a quick internet search for consignment sales in your area, or ask a local mother about the local sales. Consignment sales that happen once a season are growing in numbers as mothers are finding out how useful they can be. Not only can you sell your baby’s outgrown clothes, you can pick up new ones for much less than you’d pay for new clothes.

Another place to head is a local consignment store. These stores usually take a larger commission than sales, but they might fit more conveniently into your schedule. The latest trend is chain consignment stores that buy kids clothes, toys and baby gear. Once Upon a Child is one such chain, and it now boasts more than 200 stores across the U.S. and Canada.

If you don’t have the time to take outgrown clothes to consignment, and believe me, I understand, there are thrift stores that will gratefully accept them. When you donate to a thrift store you are giving low-income mothers access to them as well as boosting the charity that the store funds. Another advantage is of course the tax savings. Everything you donate to a thrift store is tax deductable. This saves you on your tax bill at the end of the year, allowing you to keep more of your money to buy more clothes after that next growth spurt.

Children go through clothes so quickly, especially in their first two years of life. You have no sooner bought them a few new pieces when you find the pants are too short and the shirts are too tight. So how do you dress your children during this time without draining your bank account?

I have found that you can get great deals on new or slightly used kids and baby clothes at consignment stores, thrift shops, and on Ebay. I can usually find excellent deals on brand name clothes like Gymboree, Children’s Place, GAP, and Old Navy. I also shop clearance racks online and in store in the off-season for summer clothes in the winter and vice versa. The key to this, however, is to make sure you know they will fit your child in that future season, otherwise you’ve essentially wasted that money, clearance price paid or not.

Buying clothes, even name brand, at the low prices found on Ebay or at consignment or thrift shops means I don’t get too upset if they become stained after being worn for a while. After all, I didn’t pay an arm and a leg for them! An added bonus I found is that if the clothes make it through your child and are still in decent shape you have the option of reselling them, so you get an even bigger return on your money!

This means of shopping has been great for our family as a way to save a little money and still purchase name brand clothes for our children. As a stay at home mom I feel that finding ways to save money is part of my “job” – it’s one of the ways I contribute since my pay comes in hugs, kisses, and smiles from my children.