A Week of Money: Macarons, Poke Bowls and Starbucks Double Star Days

DAY ONE

7:00 a.m. — Baby Bun slept in. We get ready, I’m out the door and in the car. I don’t even drink my tea as there is no time.

8:05 a.m. — I drop him squealing and red-faced at pre-school. It never ends.

8:18 a.m. — I get to work and WORK, eating lunch at my desk, getting up only for the bathroom.

2:00 p.m. — I decide to take a walk to take a break and end up at a spa, eying their products.

2:25 p.m. —I’ve booked a $95 facial for the next day. They’ve convinced me. I want to start taking care of myself. I buy a lot of stuff but maybe what I need is facials and pampering instead. She tells me my skin is very good with no signs of aging but maybe they all say that. Who knows. This spa is close to me so if they’re good, they’ll keep my business.

2:35 p.m. — I drop by my favourite grocery store and spy Point G macarons ON SALE for $5 instead of $11!! I buy a box and devour them on the walk back. $5

2:39 p.m. — I get back to my desk and WORK.

4:35 p.m. — I pick up Baby Bun early and we are home by 5 because everyone is on vacation. Sweet!

4:35 p.m. — I bustle around doing laundry (he peed through everything today).

5:35 p.m. — My partner walks in the door with food. Baby Bun kicks into high gear (no idea why he reacts like this when we are both home together).

6:05 p.m. — We eat dinner while chatting and Baby Bun after being full demands my attention and turns into a monster. Commence some Nanny Jo Frost techniques which work (with bedroom timeouts).

8:22 p.m. — We’re lying in bed, but Baby Bun is still jumping around. I don’t even know when we sleep. I’m surprised the techniques work and he is now calm and I’m calm and not screaming. The new me is Zen and it helps.

8:32 p.m. — He refuses to sleep at night and I tell him he will sleep on his own if he doesn’t close his eyes. I need to tire him out more but how?!?!? Tiring him out means tiring myself out. I continue reading Rich People Problems because I can’t put it down. The story is a little awkward (pressure to churn out more bestsellers perhaps?) but still a good read.

Saved: $0

Spent: $5

DAY TWO

??:?? — Baby Bun wakes up multiple times, asking to hang out in the kitchen!! No honey chile, it is BEDTIME damn it!!

6:10 a.m. — Baby Bun wakes me up and I start on my facial routine to get ready for work. Time for some green tea.

7:39 a.m. — We head to school and work and he sobs again. Momma’s gots a facial to get to today.

12:28 p.m. — Lunch at my desk. My brain is really getting screwed up. I feel like I am missing all the logic in my work and I can’t get the equations nailed down. My brain is all fuzzy. Mom brain. I try to take a break.

1:28 p.m. — I take a walk around the building and spy the ice cream cones. No way am I paying that. I must buy one though tomorrow as a treat maybe.

4:05 p.m. —  I leave early from work to go get my facial. It isn’t life changing but it was nice and relaxing and my skin looked fine afterwards although I’m now considering laser or IPL treatments to even out skin tone and get rid of acne scars.

5:15 p.m. — I leave with glowing skin. It was nice. I’ll do this again and see how it goes. 20% tip. $129.23

5:35 p.m. — I pick up Baby Bun and we are on the way home.

6:07 p.m. — I stop at the park and we play for an hour before coming home.

7:00 p.m. — We get in the door, and I do all the dishes from yesterday and today. I’ve just been letting them pile up and doing them all at once.

Saved: $0

Spent: $129.23

DAY THREE

7:30 a.m. — Baby Bun sleeps until a blessed 7:30. This is great but it sucks too because it makes me horribly late for work.

8:19 a.m. — I get to work with Baby Bun screaming more than usual because he has not had school for a while.

8:08 a.m. — As I get in, I read this post on how this mother feels guilt about her husband making $500K a year and she doesn’t have to worry about money. The only thing is that they live in SF and that is crazy expensive there. Even earning $500,000, they still have a massive mortgage to pay off. The more you make, the more you spend, I have found that to be so true that it’s easy to waste money.

10:18 a.m. — I totally need Starbucks to start making these desserts available here. I’m hungry now.

12:08 p.m. — I work and work eating through lunch. I sneak out to get a Poké bowl because I’m addicted. What can I say? $15.89

12:28 p.m. — I take a break to go to Winners. I need a beach towel. I find a nice blue striped one. I resist the temptation of coconut macaroons at the door. $19.53

12:56 p.m. — I search for J&J Blister Block and come up empty. WTF?! Will have to try Wal-mart later.

1:12 p.m. — I feel a pain on the side of my nose. I have a dreadful feeling it’s some major acne about to brew up on that side. Why. WHY. Maybe I have been sweating a lot, and with a full face of makeup in the summer it means congested, bumpy skin.

4:15 p.m. — I leave to go grab Baby Bun early. We cuddle and kiss and head home.

5:35 p.m. — At home, I take Baby Bun out to the pool for a little bit and then come back in after about half an hour.

8:57 p.m. — I don’t even know what we did until bedtime. It probably involved puzzles, books and chilling out with The Bun.

Saved: $0

Spent: $15.89

DAY FOUR

??:?? — Baby Bun wakes me at ???? He doesn’t want to sleep. We have been trying for 3 hours!!!! We finally have a timeout before he goes to sleep after having a half bottle of water.

7:02 a.m. — I wake up at 7 feeling like I slept well even though we had that SNAFU last night with him refusing to sleep. Then I realize how horribly late I am and he has to get to school too.

7:05 a.m. — I burst out of bed, throw on the outfit I laid out the night before (please let it be fine), and quickly wash my face and start my makeup.

7:18 a.m. — I try to get Baby Bun to be dressed by his father but Baby Bun refuses and only wants Mommy and starts whining which sets my partner off and he leaves frustrated and Baby Bun half naked, screaming in the hallway. GREAT.

7:22 a.m. — Now I need to get his lunch, my lunch, dress him and myself and rush out the door. What a morning.

7:42 a.m. — We hit a huge knot of traffic on the way in. I am NOT leaving early today it seems.

8:18 a.m. — He gets unceremoniously dumped at preschool and I make my escape.

8:35 a.m. — At work I get in about half an hour late, plunk down everything and beeline for the nearest Starbucks.

8:37 a.m. — It is double star days but I just really want a Chai Latte the way they make it sugary sweet and terrible for you because I need it. $5

8:58 a.m. — I get back to the office and start working. I don’t stop.

11:38 a.m. —  I think about going to get stuff done downtown until I see the roads completely blocked and jammed. NOPE.

11:39 a.m. — I turn around and head back in and go to eat my lunch.

11:48 a.m. — I email my family to inform them that in case of a nose bleed, put a bit of hydrogen peroxide on a makeup pad and put it up your nose. Stops instantly. My partner used it on Baby Bun and it was much better than holding his nose closed, etc. I check my emails and delete anything not relevant (e.g. shopping stuff).

11:49 a.m. —  I think about my need to ignore my shopping instinct and am only allowing myself to fix my things — add straps, fix lining in coat and not buy anything. I need to spend some time cleaning out my closet as well.

11:58 a.m. — I eat my lunch and then fill up a water bottle and go back to work.

12:08 p.m. — I find a few issues and set up meetings to resolve them. My whole job feels like babysitting sometimes. It is like people can’t see that if you need to get something done and someone isn’t getting it to you, you should email and ask them for an update, not sit and wait for a week or two then announce: “Oh he didn’t get back to me, and I can’t continue without his input.” OK. SO DO SOMETHING. Call him! Email him! Don’t wait to announce your ineffectiveness at a meeting in front of the executives!!

12:48 p.m. — I also receive notice of an extension verbally by my manager. Yay! End of the year extension means about another $100,000. Boo because it will be at a lower rate (slightly lower), which is a good sign as it could mean they want to keep me on full-time indefinitely. I try not to get too excited.

2:08 p.m. — I’ll be pulling out a wine bottle of my partner’s favourite to celebrate together (I usually take a sip to taste and he drinks the whole bottle).

3:00 p.m. — I send a few emails and while I’m waiting for a reply, I head out to Staples to pick up some pens and a Space Pen for our future trip — the pen leaked in the airplane and I don’t want to repeat that nonsense. $56.72

This is the Space Pen. Looks rather questionable. *cough*

3:20 p.m. — Ok the way back as it is Double Star day I pick up a blueberry muffin for my colleagues to share (they won’t eat a whole one each), and a white hot chocolate which I later regret because it is too hot for this drink and I forgot just how sugar-laden it is, having not had it in a while. $7.58

3:32 p.m. — Back at the office they descend on the muffin like wolves.

5:30 p.m. — I stay late past my manager to try and finish up some work, and get snagged into a meeting about some major issue. I try to resolve it, ask them to do X, Y, and Z, and leave shortly after.

5:45 p.m. — I pick up Baby Bun who was at the gate like a prisoner, eying every single woman walking past and checking to see if it was Mommy. Mommy? Not Mommy. Mommy? Not Mommy. Mommy? Not Mommy. This child is NO joke. We head home.

6:20 p.m. — At home he eats half an orange on the bus, spraying sticky juice everywhere, then he gets a huge bottle of milk, while I open my mail.

6:38 p.m. — My heel liners from Dr. Scholls came in (yay!), and I have to remember to return that gorgeous striped Anthropologie swimsuit because it said size “12” but ended up being a UK 16, which means it’s really a US 12. Way too big on me. BOO.

6:38 p.m. — I also eagerly rip open my new skin cream I bought to give me perfectly even toned skin (I am vigilant on SPF so this will be fine). It has hydroquinone in it, at 2% and it WILL lighten your skin (by bleaching it), so I plan on using it very carefully and being insanely careful to slather on the SPF or wear a hat.

6:39 p.m. —My partner comes in the door as I am eying my skin cream — I’m surprised I thought it was a dinner he had to go to but it turned out to be a lunch instead.

6:48 p.m. — I take a super quick shower and Baby Bun chooses this time when I’m soaking wet to pitch a fit. I leave him screaming and sobbing: No Mommy upset?!?!!! I end up coming out, weary, mentally exhausted from trying to calm him down while being covered in soap and soaking wet, and apply my first trial of the cream (I plan on tracking my progress with two sun spots I have), and wrapping my Aquis hair towel around my head (it really works wonders even though I only shower at night not in the mornings).

6:58 p.m. — I get out and make notes to myself as I chat to my partner and Baby Bun (who is calm now), does his Snow White puzzle and we eat dinner.

7:58 p.m. — We get ready for bed and Baby Bun stalks me by making me read books: The Boy with Two Belly Buttons, Ish, Little Boy, and New Red Bike. He is obsessed. He especially want to read the Belly Button Book every night.

8:38 p.m. — Now he wants me to explain the lights outside and how people are all going to sleep. I have to spend time pointing out all the buildings, the lights, and how birds and all the bugs are sleeping now.

9:08 p.m. — ????

Saved: $178 USD — returning that swimsuit!

Spent: $69.30

DAY FIVE

6:46 a.m.— Baby Bun doesn’t wake up as I leave the home.

7:06 a.m.—I walk out leisurely, get into work leisurely and start working.

11:01 a.m.— I stop at around lunch time (someone isn’t responding and it is frustrating) and quickly hop on a bus to get my dress re-tailored to add on another inch in straps because I can’t do 1″ straps on my broad shoulders. Looks stupid. $51.75

12:06 p.m.— I also return the Fresh Rose toner (the glycerin in it I THINK is making my skin all bumpy with everything else I’m slathering on there), and some makeup because I don’t like the feel of it. – $90.28

1:12 p.m. — Back at the office, I’m refreshed from my GETTING ISH DONE attitude that I won’t have to do anything this weekend for (I can spend this weekend washing the blankets, and working on the blog, scheduling posts and getting ahead of things). I burst into a working fury while eating my lunch.

3:15 p.m. — Umm.. everyone is leaving. It’s too nice of a day, and they’re all “BON WEEKEND, I’m OUT!!!!”… LOL I guess I’m leaving too.

3:21 p.m. — I decide to take a walk up and around to get some energy back, and stop at a park to organize all my #OOTD photos for Instagram (I have neglected EVERYTHING, literally everything not family or work-related for 2 months).

4:25 p.m. — I’m bored. I decide to walk and go back home. I miss Baby Bun. I’ll take him out to the park.

5:05 p.m. — I get in just as Baby Bun gets in, and I decide to take him to the park right away. He happily grabs my hand and we walk and go to play.

5:25 p.m. —We have a few incidents at the park where he gets really upset if other kids are using the slide with him and doesn’t want ANYONE on the stairs, on the steps, on the slide, or anywhere near him while he is sliding too. It is so frustrating, he has gotten aggressive and started pushing the kids off, screaming: NO! SLIDE NO TWO ..!! (I don’t want 2 people on there, I want to be alone). I have to take him back home.

6:07 p.m. — Just in time for dinner. YUMS.

Saved: $90.28

Spent: $0

DAY SIX

6:22 a.m. — Durn it. I tried to sneak out and do some budgeting work to organize my finances and get things ironed out, but Baby Bun SENSED with his ninja Mommy Sense that I was not in bed.

7:02 a.m. — Time for some green tea.

9:08 a.m. — GASP! Is that one-shoulder Banana Republic dress on sale? YES. But the size 4 is only in the Petite version. Hmm. Let’s give that a try. All my latest Banana Republic reviews are here. Maybe the bust will be better in this version I can do it for this price. I rather like the look of it on me. $125.34

9:38 a.m. — I call a very good friend of mine who is having a hard time right now, and we chat and chat and chat.

11:18 a.m. — We’re off the phone. It was a nice chat session.

11:22 a.m. — Oh! They accepted my offer. I bid $50 USD on a Seafolly boyleg swimsuit because I really do need a backup swimsuit and I am returning the other one. Sweet. OK so this looks just like the one I own in black, but in.. navy blue. Not very adventurous but I do need a second swimsuit. $101.64

12:08 p.m. — I head out, and leave a red-faced, screaming Baby Bun at the door. He really wants Mommy to stay at home with him today, but Mommy GOTS THINGS TO DO. Namely, wash these 20 huge filthy blankets I have been promising I would get done since oh.. uhh.. February? Oh and my yoga mat. It is just bacteria-laden right now.

12:28 p.m. — Parked, I can’t believe a found a good spot RIGHT IN FRONT of the laundromat!

12:56 p.m. — Oh wait. OMG. IS IT CLOSED!? WHAT? It went bankrupt. I look down at the huge bags I lugged and lug them back.

1:12 p.m. — OK. We are at the OTHER laundromat I know of. AGAIN, cannot believe I found an amazing parking spot literally 5 stores down from where I need to be, FOR FREE. WOO HOO! I lug all the bags there.

1:17 p.m. — ARE YOU GODDAMN SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? I almost burst into tears on the street. They JUST went on vacation for this week until TODAY. Literally TODAY. They are open tomorrow. Of all the times…. I lug everything back to the car, and pack it all back in.

1:38 p.m. — I drive around in frustration towards a coffee shop I know to snag their free wifi to google for laundromats (called “buanderies“, FYI) and by chance, come across an OPEN one just on the way there, 6 blocks away. I immediately do a screeching halt and park just around the corner.

1:42 p.m. — Hmm. Does that no parking sign between Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with only 15 minute drop off mean that it is okay to park here on the weekends, or does it mean “NO PARKING AT ALL” except for those times between Monday to Friday 6a – 6p where you can do dropoff, presuamably for the daycare around the corner?

1:48 p.m. — I ask a few passerbys. They don’t know either. Screw it. I park, lug the bags in, get them started in a bunch of washers.

1:49 p.m. — Oh. Oh. There’s no one here. AND I HAVE NO CHANGE TO FEED THE DANG MACHINES.

1:50 p.m. — Why am I such a terrible laundry organizer? WHY DID I NOT PREPARE FOR THIS?, I grumble as I try to flatten out a $5 bill.

1:51 p.m. — Okay. In fairness to myself, I had not expected the other two laundromats to be bankrupt & closed on this very day at the same time because they have people who are there and can make change for you to feed the machines. This one, is open 24/7 but does NOT have anything but a change machine that takes $5 or $10 bills. I only have one $5 bill, and three sad $2 coins. This will not be enough.

1:58 p.m. — I finally manage to smooth out my ONE $5 bill (I need to work out my wallet situation), and the machine finally accepts it and spits out quarters up the wazoo.

2:18 p.m. — OK. Everything is in. Except one last load. I have a $2 coin but I need $0.50. Plus I need more change for the dryers. $11.50

2:28 p.m. — I trek to the pharmacy around the corner and beg them for two $10 bills which I promptly feed into the machine and change into major coinage. $20

2:30 p.m. — Last of it is in. My first few loads are almost done. Good.

2:31 p.m. — I spend the next good part of the time watching Storks. Yes. Storks. And balancing my budget because I haven’t touched it in 2 months (I know, shame on me), and I need to reconcile all of my spending against my credit card statements and make sure I have properly accounted for every penny, including everything I’ve spent on my aunt thus far.

3:51 p.m. — ALL DONE. Everything dried, folded, neatly stored away, and ready to come back home. The one last mat is not completely 100% dry but I don’t care. I am not waiting for it. I head to the library for some cleanup on the blog time. I want to get things organized and scheduled, plus do more Week of Money posts.

4:05 p.m. — I check my emails at the library and realize my mother sent me another list of things to buy for my aunt. Vitamin Gummies and Vitamin D. Can’t argue with that. Everyone loves a good gummie vitamin. Even adults. $78.18

4:15 p.m. — At the library, I finish watching Storks. OMG. So cute. I watched half on the plane and ended up Amazon Video’ing the rest of it.

4:41 p.m. — I listen to some Katherine Ryan. She’s actually pretty funny, with excellent messages hidden underneath humour and excellent points to make. Plus, her style is KILLER. I want her wardrobe. Or at least to paw through it. Plus, she is CANADIAN.

4:47 p.m. — Darn it. The library is closing. They’re flashing the lights. I have to pack up and go. I’ll sit outside and blog there.

4:57 p.m. — Some kids snagged the only chair outside (really right?!), so I sit on the floor and put on my 3M Privacy filter. I don’t even care.

5:07 p.m. — Oh good they’re being forced to play in the park. I snag the soft seat.

6:00 p.m. — I get in the car and drive home. I have to unpack all the blankets, vacuum and marvel over how soft, wonderfully squeaky clean my yoga mat is. I absolutely recommend tossing it in the washer on DELICATE warm with a smidge of oxiclean. It is so squishy and grippy now. Perfection. The one I have is the Manduka yoga mat in natural rubber, and I have had it for years.

6:20 p.m. — We end up not doing much when I get home. My partner helps me unload the washed blankets and puts them away. Baby Bun is SO HAPPY to see me. He sobbed for an half hour when I left and finally exhausted himself enough to sleep for an hour. My partner looks tired.

6:34 p.m. — He makes us chicken on the BBQ with a salad and we chat while it’s cooking. Baby Bun is all over me, clinging hard.

6:45 p.m. — I log on and bid $50 on the Olivia Burton watch I paid $300 for and then returned in a fit of guilt. Maybe is it my lucky day and I’ll get it! I really am starting to see that the higher quality stuff even for watches looks and feels better and I want to wear it more than the mid-range stuff.

6:52 p.m. — I remember to confirm the swimming suit is a US 6 and not a UK 6 which would not fit me at all! I was all about NOT BUYING THE THINGS but these deals are too good. I mean, $178 USD for a brand new swimsuit (never mind shipping and duties) for $50? Or $215 USD for a watch and just a few scratches on the BACK and it is $50? Too good.

7:02 p.m. — We eat (Baby Bun pretty much eats my share), and I do all the dishes, leave them to dry to get Baby Bun ready for bed after a bit of cuddling and tickling games.

8:00 p.m. — We read two books and then I tell him what everyone is doing outside before we sleep. I used to make my partner do the bedtime routine but with his foot in pain (he is limping) he hasn’t been able to go to work and has stayed home with Baby Bun all week plus it just isn’t worth the fight.

8:20 p.m. — Baby Bun doesn’t want his father at night as much as me and with my having gone back to work full-time it is taking a toll on him psychologically that he is “losing” his Mommy. If doing bedtime routine and being with him more comforts him to be more secure, and he sleeps better (WHICH HE HAS BEEN!!) I am willing to do it. I still get my Saturdays off and every day or two during the week my partner stays at home so I don’t need to hoist Baby Bun off to school nor pick him up, so I get a break there too by going out on my own after work. It all works out well in the end.

8:45 p.m. — After cuddling Baby Bun and explaining that we aren’t the only ones going to sleep, he falls asleep readily in the crook of my body, after asking softly to “Sleep on Mommy?“. He has tried to actually put his pillow on my stomach many times and climb on top to LITERALLY sleep on Mommy, but it became too hard for me to sleep and breathe (for him as well), so we have settled for the crook of my arm and body where I curl around his head and his little hand reaches up to hold mine before sleeping.

Saved: $0 – unless you count getting major deals on a swimsuit and only paying 1/3 retail? No? No takers?

Spent: $336.66

DAY SEVEN

6:00 a.m. —Baby Bun wakes up at 6 and I’m tired but not exhausted. He has been sleeping quite soundly as of late not waking me up or kicking me. I think settling into a bedtime routine where he gets books, the nighttime explanation of why we sleep, is all helping.

6:03 a.m. — It has been more my PARTNER waking me up. He has been sick lately so he coughs a lot and each cough wakes me but not Baby Bun. I suggested he go sleep by himself in the other room so that I could sleep. Miraculously it cured his cough.

6:08 a.m. — Baby Bun wiggles into my arms and I give him super kisses all over his face as he giggles. It is mornings like these that I really feel such a strong bond with him. He pushes me face away (bored with kisses) and I tell him that we don’t push our Mommies faces. He says: “We say Please Stop Mommy Kisses….??“, and I nod and tell him “Yes, just say Mommy Please Stop.“, which he parrots back immediately.

6:18 a.m. — I grab him milk and wash off my Umbrian clay mask. It flakes off during the night but I still look like I have a dirty face in the morning. I think it isn’t working. I need Sulphur or something way stronger to kill these bumps. I should get some samples of Tara Harper serums claiming to eliminate pimples over night. Probably doesn’t help that I wear mineral sunscreen religiously and makeup during the week. I wonder if my oil cleanser to remove makeup is the culprit. I guess we will see if I keep getting acne and no results. I’m going to switch back to my wipes until my skin clears then try the oil cleanser again to either eliminate it or note it as the culprit!

6:22 a.m. — Hmm.. I have to use my Starbucks reward sometime. Maybe on Friday. I’ll use it on a sandwich which ends up being about $8 or so. I also have a hankering for a Poké Bowl but have been shopping so much and eating out so much that the guilt has been palpable.

6:41 a.m. —  I make myself some matcha green tea with chia seeds and I cut up two too ripe bananas with some bread and spread on some raw almond butter.

7:15 a.m. — Mmmmm this isn’t bad. It isn’t what I expected (raw almond butter is different) but it is yummy.

7:42 a.m. — I remind myself to buy some tea tins and remember that Davids Tea’s “free 50g” of tea when you buy $100 or more in a 3 month period now only applies to teas worth $19 for 50g or less. Damn it. My ceremonial matcha alone is $20 I think. I hate it when companies screw you over and don’t give you what they promise. Now I need to find another matcha source and look for cheaper options. NOT COOL, Davids Tea.

7:59 a.m. — I get Baby Bun to do a few Little People puzzles from Fisher Price while I have breakfast and check my emails. I want to take him to the park. I can’t believe how soft my Manduka yoga mat got after a short wash. Still amazing to me.

8:20 a.m. — I get ready and take Baby Bun to the park. I hate that my whole nose and chin broke out . It is either the overeating at stores when my parents were here eating rich foods, that Sephora facial or that I have been sweating like crazy and it has clogged my pores with the sunscreen and makeup. I didn’t break out like this before so I suspect it is a combination of the far too rich food and the new products on my skin from Sephora. I won’t be making that mistake again. I have been using the sample of Fresh Umbrian Clay on the spots at night to flatten them and it seems to be doing something, but not fast enough!!!

8:40 a.m. — We walk to the park, Baby Bun is so excited and I remember to bring the sand toys (scoop and rake) but not my hat. Damn it.

8:45 a.m. — I hold his bag up to block the sun as I walk there with him. I slathered on SPF 30 sunscreen (at least a teaspoon) but I’m still super nervous about the sun all the time.

9:15 a.m. — We get to the park and he immediately beelines for the sand and the toys. I take a break on the bench and relax. I should have brought my super portable Yoga Paws. Next time, I promise.

9:45 a.m. — And yet it is FREEZING at this park but at least there aren’t other parents here. I’m not really in the mood for small talk based on our mutual decision to have procreated at about the same time.

9:47 a.m. — That squirrel is really fat. Must have eaten a lot before winter. Without a big bushy tail it looks a lot like a rat. A rat with a cuter outfit, as Carrie Bradshaw would say.

 

11:32 a.m. — We start walking home. Enough playing. I’m timing it so we are in the door for noon because he needs to eat then settle down before his nap.

11:52 a.m. — I get Baby Bun home in time and we eat lunch.

12:28 p.m. — After lunch, I do the dishes, he plays with puzzles and I go through some bags to clean them up one at a time and … I discover my Belkin iPod cord transmitter!!! How silly of me. I must have put it in this bag with some spare wipes and underwear for Baby Bun and forgot I had zipped it away. I take it out to put it in the car as a spare. Now I have two. I prefer this cheap Amazon one though because it ALSO has a charger for my iPod Touch while it plays.

12:58 p.m. — I’m planning on cleaning out and decluttering or shifting things one step at a time. I’m clearly not going to get a day to myself at home to sort everything out neatly so each week I’m just doing ONE pouch or bag and slowly grouping like items together (e.g. All car things here, all Baby Bun things here), and dismantling all of my little mini To Go Out pouches where I’ve stashed spare socks, Baby Bun underwear and wet wipes many times over. All of that now goes into a single outing bag, this kind of adorable Hop Skip and Go Bag my brother passed down to me from his children.

12:59 p.m. — Baby Bun has an inkling that nap time is coming up and starts acting up squealing “NO NAP NO NAP!” I tell him he has to nap or else we won’t go take a train as an activity. He goes down.

1:12 p.m. — Ahh .. a break. I start working on more posts, trying to schedule as much as I can, but get sucked into my RSS reader and start reading blogs. I really need to devote this month towards my blog.

2:18 p.m. — Baby Bun wakes up after only an hour and I only get ONE budget post done. Dang this is tough to do three things full time – work, family and blog.

2:48 p.m. — We head out to the bus and it is free!! Yay!!

2:58 p.m. — I take him to the market and have a slice of Hawaiian pizza, which I immediately regret because the pizza is terribly made and I should have never trusted the Yelpers who said it was great. My instinct looking at it was: this does not look yummy, but my curiousity took over. With an aloe drink it comes to $8.74

3:25 p.m. — We buy some wild blueberries and Baby Bun hassles me for a handful. I close one eye and give him a pawful, unwashed which he eagerly eats one by one like a cute little hungry chipmunk and I put the rest away. I’m a terrible mother. $9

3:48 p.m. — We get back on the train and ride for a good hour and a half; I waited for the NICE train this time, the new ones that only run on certain lines here.

4:48 p.m. — We wait for the bus but it is PACKED and we decide to take the second one. I have no idea what happened but it is like the whole city is taking the metro at the same time.

5:21 p.m. — The second one arrives packed but noticeably less so, and a really tall, (handsome) black guy offers us his seat. Baby Bun looks up on my prompting and says very sweetly: “Thank you!!!“…. I can see the guy melting for him. You and me both!

5:51 p.m. — Almost home, Baby Bun almost pees on me on the bus at the last minute, and the minute we step off he runs for the bushes, I make a mistake and pull him back too soon and he pees all over his entire front and shorts. I sigh wearily and change him. I’m suddenly extremely tired. Possibly due to being very hungry and now dealing with this. Not his fault but I’m grumpy now. Baby Bun looks at me in concern and says anxiously: “Mommy not upset??? Mommy???“.. I try to reassure him I’m not but I’m not convincing enough (chalk it up to exhaustion) because he asks me the entire way home until he is satisfied my tone of voice means I’m not upset.

6:15 p.m. — I get home and am grumpy. I snap at my partner without meaning to. I’m tired, fatigued, Baby Bun peed on the way home and I’m annoyed.

6:27 p.m. — At home my partner starts up the BBQ and I hop into the shower and manage to do it completely alone save for one interruption when Baby Bun runs in squealing: “NOSE NOSE!!” (Translation: Wipe my nose, now!!”). I try to direct him to grab a cloth to do it himself and he does it but not well, and wants it done again.

6:57 p.m. — We eat some turmeric-marinated chicken “burgers” (on toasted baguettes), and Baby Bun wolfs down his share. Surprisingly it was chicken breast and I LIKED IT. Amazing.

7:17 p.m. — I do all the dishes and put half of them away while Baby Bun snacks on wild blueberries. He takes longer to eat them as he eats them one by one rather than handfuls of them, so we have perfect silence and peace for 20 minutes as I do the dishes and calmly lay them out to dry. I needed this silence and my whole psyche calms down to be more zen.

7:35 p.m. — Baby Bun gets a surge of energy (parents of young kids will know that this is a common thing and named “the witching hour” where ALL kids get super hyperactive before bed), and sits on the floor, scooting across with his bum, making noises and talking in his Baby Bun language, giggling like a deranged maniac.

7:55 p.m. — I go to tidy up and am just about to lie down to read when he comes in and wants me to get up and play. I refuse tiredly and ask him to get ready for bed with Daddy and give Mommy a break to read her Mommy book alone for a few minutes. He doesn’t want to but after realizing I mean it, he settles for helping me turn the pages on my e-reader. I’m trying to finish The French Chef in America.

8:15 p.m. —  I ask him to go with his father to get ready; I have been doing nighttime routines lately as my partner has bee in pain and sick so he isn’t used to it any more, so he fights me for getting ready for bed but I’m too tired. My back hurts and I’ve spent the whole day with him.

8:29 p.m. — I finally convince him to let my partner do bedtime and then explain to him how everyone outside is ALSO getting ready for bed after he is done.

8:51 p.m. — We read two books and then he sleeps again, cuddled in the crook of my body breathing into my side as I pat him to sleep.

Saved: $0

Spent: $17.74