Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Allergy Fail.

So, at the Just Between Friends consignment sale I attended a while ago, I entered to win something from a Mary Kay lady. Well, I didn't win the big prize, but I was a runner-up! Guess what I won? I won a free spa basket. In vanilla scent. Which I am allergic to. So I'm giving it to my friend. But the MK lady also came over to give me a little makeover. And, she asked me if I was bribeable. Uhm, yes, I am bribeable for free beauty products. She apparently has to tell so many people about becoming a MK lady themselves, and once she does, she gets a free purse. So, she already has 125 people under her, so I guess she just wants to do lip service, because she said she knows I'm not interested, but she's giving me a FREE Satin Hands kit to just come to my house tomorrow to talk at me about doing MK (don't worry, I'm not going to start selling MK). So, I guess it's not a total fail, because I'm getting a free expensive beauty kit that I love and am almost out of the one I already own. So... SCORE.

Also, it's been quite some time since I posted some pictures of the adorable baby I have. Enjoy the following cuteness:

First photo evidence of Wylie sitting all on his own! (Poor baby! See the drool rash?)

Yay! He just looked up at me and raised his arms above his head. So cute!

Do you see this? This is from today. He pulled himself to standing and was playing with the activity table ($10 CraigsList score!)... He is STANDING. On his own.

Oh, I almost forgot. We also had the six-month well-baby appointment this last week and the requisite chest x-ray, as per the pediatric surgeon's orders. Well baby stats:

Weight: 17 pounds, 8.9 ounces

Length: 26 inches

Head circumference: 17.5 inches

I would like to note, here, that he weighs one pound less than my cousin's 11-month old. LOL

Also, the chest x-ray was clear, which means that the CCAM has not grown (remember, it didn't show on the x-ray taken at birth either). So, at this point, I need to get the x-rays on CD and take them back to the pediatric surgeon for further waiting instructions. All in all, not a bad week!

I Am a Money-Saving QUEEN

Okay, I talked about it before. But let me just tell you, if you live in a state where there is a Just Between Friends sale, you better get your butt there! I totally went to the pre-sale last night for my local sale (there are several qualifications for attending the pre-sale, mine is that I'm a military wife and a first-time mom). Pre-sale attendance also has a pre-requisite of registering. I attended with two friends, who are also military moms and first time moms. We walked in and Good Lord - the baby items galore that awaited us! There were potty chairs, high chairs, bouncers, jumpers, walkers, strollers, play yards, kitchenette-type toys, activity table, sorting toys, table after table of toys of all kinds, bottles, boppies, swings, bouncy chairs, and, of course, CLOTHES. There was also nursery decor and furniture (baby) as well.

Let me share with you some of my score -

Jogging stroller

Retail: $140

My price: $42.50

Sesame street deluxe walker

Retail: $45.00

My price: $20.00

Sesame street singing pop-up pals

Retail: $40.00

My price: $2.50

Parents electronic activity puzzle cube

Retail: $41.95

My price: $8.00

Fisher-price Laugh and Learn Puppy

Retail: $20.00

My price: $5.00

Fisher-price Slumbertime Soother with Remote Control

Retail: $35.00

My price: $10.00

Plus an entire bag of 25 baby toys (mostly Lamaze and Fisher-price, plus teethers) for $20. So the grand total of savings? Over $200. That's right. I told you - I'm a money-saving queen.

Go to your local Just Between Friends sale. You must. All of the items available are based on what consignors in your area have put up for sale. But it's like a conglomeration of all of the baby stuff from all of the garage sales in the area, all in one location, all being checked for quality (they don't sell stained or damaged goods), and they have a credit or cash line (at least mine did). Everything was organized. There was no digging through stacks of clothes - everything was hung up and labeled and grouped by age/size. Go. Shop. Save. And when you're done with your things, consign them to the sale so you can participate in the presale. Or volunteer and participate in the presale. And most of the things that are left on the last day of the sale are 50% off. Can you really afford to NOT go?

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Okay, I don't know how many of you are Craigslisters. I'm sure some of you (cough, My Parents) probably don't even know what Craigslist is. Well, I'm here to confess to you, that, well... I'm hooked! I sold that stupid monstrosity that the imbeciles we bought the house from left us (a.k.a. the basketball hoop) on there in less than 24 hours after posting it. I bought $75 worth of baby toys from a lady on there for $15. I sold the Wii Guitar controller for $25 yesterday. I'm selling my beat-up suitcase on there for $10, and I'm going to purchase two $30 planters for $25 total. I'm also looking at getting a cedar chest for $100. I'm also hoping to sell my golf clubs (thank you Tyler, you douchebag, for buying them for me so I can now sell them) and my stereo system. And you know what? If these things don't sell, I can just take them to Goodwill. Sweet.

And you know what? Yes, I'm cheap. I'm not afraid to admit it. But seriously? Baby things? They don't get used for that long, so if you can wash it or disinfect it, why not? And the cedar chest? Really? My parents have a cedar chest and I love the idea, but they are sooo expensive new (the one I'm looking at is $350 new, they're selling for $100!). So, yes. I Craigslist. And yes, I may have a problem. So there.

On a related Lacey-is-cheap note: I also signed up to go to the Just Between Friends sale this April. If you have not heard of Just Between Friends, let me enlighten you. It is a community of moms who get together twice a year and sell all of their no-longer-needed child-related things. From newborn to pre-teen. Clothes, strollers, toys, etc. And this isn't just a Colorado Springs thing. Click on the link, check it out. See if there's one near you. I'm totally going to look for a jogging stroller. Why? Those of you who know me know that I don't jog. However, jogging strollers have tires instead of little wheels. And there is this awesome trail that runs alongside a creek right by my house. But I can't go down this lovely trail with Wylie because the stroller doesn't go off-roading well. So I'm hoping to find a decent jogging stroller for like $50 at the sale. And baby toys. Maybe some kind of walker-push toy for Wylie for when he starts along the being-mobile path.

So, here are my questions to you: Are you cheap? Do other people tell you you're cheap but you disagree? Do you pretend that frugal sounds better than cheap? Do you Craigslist? (Because if you don't, you should.)