DIY Succulent Bowl for Mother's Day

I was flipping through the three hundred catalogues that ended up in my letter box this week thanks to Mother's Day. I was mentally picking out what slippers I'd like until I realized I was now old enough to find slippers an appropriate gift and proceeded to slap myself silly.

I moved on to the homewares section, because being a fan of decor isn't quite as embarrassing as eyeing off the fluffy fox slippers, and saw a gorgeous bowl filled with succulents for a lot of money I don't have.

Because I'm a tight ass (let's say frugal, it sounds better), I thought I could totally make it myself for nowhere near that price, mostly using stuff I had at home.

I walked to the local swapmeet where about half the vendors are selling plants, and bought some little succulents that were seven for $5. I could have got more established plants for more, but this was all on a spare of the moment whim, so I didn't want to over commit!

Running total: $5

At home I grabbed a big, wide bowl that was holding a bunch of pinecones as a centrepiece on our outdoor table. The bowl was, like so much at my house, from the side of the road. Day-um I love me a road side bulk rubbish pickup!

Running total: still $5

Armed with my plants and my free bowl, I grabbed my shovel and dug up some dirt from the back of the garden. At this point I noticed a bigger succulent that had been sitting in a pot in my garden for a good six months or so, and figured it needed a new home, too. The price of the bigger one? Free. The lady, at the same markets I got the new lovelies from, had thrown it in when I bought some herbs.

I had a little helper

Running total: yep, still $5

I popped them all in, not in any particular order as I figure they'll grow and smoosh together eventually. All I really wanted was for the big guy to not be in the centre.

I'm so happy with the result and particularly the price!

Final total: $5 WOOHOO!

Because this bowl doesn't have a drainage hole, and because I kinda couldn't be bothered drilling one in it, this has to be kept in an area where it won't get too wet from sprinklers or rain. Seeing as it's a table centrepiece, it's not an issue. A few drops of water for each plant once a week is usually all these dudes need. Just keep an eye on it and adjust accordingly. You could also cover the soil with rocks to make it look pretty if you wanted to.

So happy Mother's Day to me! 

How to make a kids viking costume on a budget

The Trickster was invited to an awesome How To Train Your Dragon party a few weeks ago, and because he is a little obsessed with dress up at the moment (gee, where does he get that from? *wink wink*), he said he wanted to be a viking for the day. Even after being told it wasn't actually a dress up party. The kid is a fabulous.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a costume and I've been embracing my inner craft blogger of late, so I decided to MAKE a costume. Ambitious, much? I thought I could stitch some material together and it would be quite, ahem, rustic and therefore historically correct. Vikings didn't have overlockers, ya know!

SO I checked for some faux fur material but on my way I stumbled across this:

Oh yeah, I did. I sent my kid to a party wearing a bathmat and toilet mat set. That cost $6 in a 50% off sale at Best and Less. Classy shit.

It's kinda fur-like, and the toilet mat part was even already shaped for a vest meaning less cutting work for Miss Lazypants. I got to work, cutting the bathmat up and sewing it, occasionally holding it up to the little guy to see if it was looking vest-y. My year eight home ec. teacher would have a seizure if she knew I was using my sewing "skills" 20 years later. Related: Holy shit it's been 20 years since I started high school.

I threw the off cuts from the arm holes down and they landed in the shape of a beard and moustache... BRAINWAVE! All vikings need facial hair for historical accuracy, yes? The longer offcuts from the bath mat I kept for leg thingamajigs that I saw some of the vikings wearing in the movie. They look like legwarmers but it just doesn't sound butch enough to say viking legwarmers, does it? I grabbed some shoelaces from the supermarket for $1 to tie them on. Because vikings didn't have safety pins. I'm assured historical accuracy is fun.

Then it was on to the weapons. I was pointed in the direction of a tutorial to make viking hats (because historical accuracy can be thrown out the window if things are cute) and shields. Some late night cardboard cutting with the help of MapGuy who can trace his roots back to the vikings (which makes up for the whole viking hat thing, ya know), and some masking tape and gaffa tape produced awesome results:

All that was left was to put the whole ensemble together. It's a little rustic, but that is part of it's charm. Because I had the cardboard (a nappy box) and the two lots of tape, those parts were pretty much free, meaning my outlay for the whole project was a whopping $7.

He loved it. I loved it. People could recognize what it was meant to be, and it cost me almost nothing. That's winning in my books.

How to make a cardboard Christmas Tree

Since mid November, everywhere I look on the interwebs all I see is Christmas craft. I've had the insatiable urge to whip out the glue gun ever since and the only thing stopping me is that the glue now comes out an awful baby poo brown, the result of one of my earlier forays in to sucking at craft and burning off finger appendages.

I do have a bit of the craft bug this festive season. In fact it would seem I've got an entire infestation! Hand made presents, salt dough decorations, home made advent calendar, the whole shebang. Yet no amount of activities and crafts has kept the Trickster from pulling the decorations off the real Christmas tree. After seeing a felt Christmas tree on Dear Baby G and having a little fuck-this-I-don't-touch-fabric moment, I decided to make him his own eco-friendly recycled cardboard Christmas tree! Huzzah, it'll be a green Christmas this year!

What you'll need:

• A huge bloody box from that booster seat/bookcase/wardrobe you just bought 
• Pencil & ruler (or live life on the edge and freehand it)
• Cookie cutters
• Scissors/scalpel
• Paint & paintbrushes
• Blu-tak

How to make your own cardboard Christmas tree

• Grab your giant box, draw on a Christmas tree and cut it out
• Give it to your toddler to paint, set aside (both tree & toddler) to dry
• Clean up all the paint on the floor, walls and table top
• Draw around the cookie cutters to create decorations and cut them out
• Give them to your toddler to paint
• Clean up all the paint on the floor, walls and table top.
• Wonder why you ever let a two year old paint inside
• Stick the tree to the wall
• Put blu-tak on the back of each decoration and tell the kid to go for it

Short of unsheathing the wires for the twinkle lights, how do you stop your little ones pulling decorations off the tree??

If it's raining, I can technically spend my rainy day money

This is a sponsored post for Virgin Money

It’s spring time and yet Perth still doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo. It’s freezing and raining one day and then sun burn central the next. We’re like Melbourne but with much less fashion sense. Skinny jeans and thongs, anyone?

One of the cool things about rainy days though is that you can legitimately dip in to your rainy day fund. What?! It’s raining! A technicality, maybe.

OK so I’m not the best at saving money unless of course you count the things that I buy that are on sale. That counts, right? Even though I didn’t actually need that fourth pair of practically identical black shoes for 70% off. Or that basket of pig shaped pegs just because they were buy one, get one free. Or *ahem* almost expired wine for $1 a litre. It’s just that going past a sale is against my religion and I’m extremely devout.

Which is why when I came across the Virgin Saver Account I found a really simple way to save your pennies no matter whether you’re saving for new shoes or a round the world trip. It’s so simple because there are no limits on deposits, it has a great ongoing rate and no fees whatsoever . No, that’s not a typo. No fees whatsoever. With no fees to chip away at your money, you’ll get to your savings goal even faster so Hello Manolo Blahniks or London. Or if you’re really good, Manolo Blahniks from the flagship store in London.

There are full details of the account here but for a quick glimpse, here’s a handy table to show how they compare against some of the others. It’s not quite as handy as, say, a coffee table, but since when does your coffee table give you a high variable interest rate? Hrm?

Virgin Money would like to help support saving initiatives across Australia and to do so they’ve given me some cold hard cash to give away to kick start your fund. I like the sound of that, and really, who wouldn’t like a bit of free money to start a new savings campaign?

For your chance to win $100 credited to a Virgin Money Saver Account all you have to do is fill out the form below and tell me what you’re saving your pennies for right now. A holiday? A new laptop? Pig shaped pegs?

If you don’t win that, never fear, there are also 25 runner up prizes of $25 Virgin Money Saver Accounts!

Are you a spender or a saver? Do you want pig shaped pegs

Full terms and conditions available here

This giveaway is now closed and

winners have been notified 

Cold Power Wash Smarter Competition

I don't do the weekly laundry in this house... the dashing Map Guy does the bulk of it on a Saturday morning between toddler wrangling and grocery shopping, while I'm having a sleep in. I do nappies and toddler clothes throughout the week, but the rest is all done for me.

It means I've got it pretty good. It also means I can't complain when something goes wrong... like the time he washed my brand new multi coloured skirt with my gorgeous white beaded blouse. Or the time my bra came out of the wash missing an underwire, never to be seen again. I think it went where all the lost socks go.

So I shoved the Cold Power Wash Smarter app in his hands and told him that he should look at it "for blog research purposes". This is win win. I get my clothes washed without turning the whites grey and Map Guy... well, he um, gets knowledge. Knowledge is power. Or Cold Power. Or something. OK, so I come off much better in this scenario than he does.

The app has a heap of laundry tips, a stain guide and even a calculator to show you how much cold hard cash you can save and best of all it's free. Go get it now... I'll wait.

To win a six month supply of Cold Power and a $50 Coles voucher, download the Wash Smarter app and in a comment below tell me
a) What is your favourite Colgate Smart Laundry Tip from the free Cold Power Wash Smarter app, and
b) Describe In 100 words or less your biggest laundry disaster

Make sure you follow Where's My Glow on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest posts and competitions!

Entry is open to Australian residents only. Make sure you sign in to the comment platform with a valid email address/twitter handle or leave your details as part of your comment so you can be contacted. Entries close at 5pm AEST on Friday 18th of May. Winners have one week to reply to notification, failing that, the prize will be redrawn. Enter glowless@wheresmyglow.com in to your contacts to make sure it doesn't go through to spam!! Full terms and conditions can be found here.

How to make a kid's kitchen out of cardboard boxes

I'm of the firm belief that kids do not need expensive toys in order to have fun or learn.

The vast majority of Tricky's toys are second hand - they've been passed down from friends, found for a bargain price at an op shop or baby market, or picked up from the side of the road at bulk rubbish collection. Yes, I find my child's toys on the side of the road, call child services.

We do it partly to reduce the amount of new plastic that comes in to our house (and therefore the tonnes of non recyclable plastic shrink wrap packaging and twistie ties that end up in landfill), to keep our costs low on our single income budget and to encourage Tricky's imagination.

So last week, with that in mind, I decided to get my craft on and channel the guys on Play School and get creative with some boxes, some tape and a Sharpie. Just call me Noni Hazelhurst.

 

Grab any boxes you have, stick them together and get drawing - it's that easy. I used some bowls to get the shape of the hotplates, a ruler for the straight lines and a sandwich to distract Tricky while I did it. There's no right or wrong and it doesn't have to be perfect - I've left 'bench space' for him to use but you could draw in a sink. If you do it indoors make sure it's in a well ventilated area or you'll end up with a massive Sharpie induced headache after colouring in the hot plates!

I must say, I'm kinda happy with how it turned out. Actually who am I kidding? I freakin' love it and when people come over now I drag them towards it singing "Come look at the kitchen I made for Tricky!!!"

Kids don't need the most expensive, realistic looking toys with sound effects... how are they ever meant to develop their imaginations if we do it all for them? Plus how many times have you given your child a toy and they've played with it for a few minutes then turned the box it came in into a car, an aeroplane, a cave or a house?

Tricky thinks it rocks and has been cooking for me ever since using some plastic fruit and veg, a chopping board, 'knife' and a little saucepan. Each time he runs to his cardboard kitchen and does the same, then holds up his 'dish' sniffs it and declares "Mmm yum!". I melt every time!

Go away, Mama, I'm cooking you a special dinner

Do you have second hand or home made toys for your kids?

The Perfect Gift Guide

This is a sponsored post. Writing it got me on a plane home from Blogopolis. A plane I almost missed.

I am obsessed with finding The Perfect Gift. I am really easy to buy for, give me something shiny and I'll love you forever, and since I always get such amazing gifts I strive to give back at the same level. 

There are three elements to consider when purchasing The Perfect Gift:

1) It has to be thoughtful - just grabbing anything because it's the day before the birthday or Christmas Eve doesn't cut it. You need to prepare in advance. Start thinking about Christmas now.

2) It has to be useful/wanted - don't buy something that you want them to use but that they would hate, especially if you're only doing it so that they'll let you use it. This includes all domestic appliances, anything BBQ related, and car cleaning equipment. This is of course null and void if they have specifically asked for it.

3) It has to be cheap - wait, that's not what you expected was it? Well this is, after all, my guide to The Perfect Gift, and we all know I'm cheap. If it makes you feel better, say "value for money" and be snooty. 

For your convenience I've created an awesome Venn Diagram that will help you understand The Perfect Gift guidelines:

You're welcome.

Now there is one thing that I have come across that sits smack, bang in the middle, in Holy Grail territory... a gift subscription from Mag Shop!

For the past four years Map Guy has been the recipient of a Wheels Magazine subscription because he is a bogan  rev head... but I could find a mag to suit every member of my family.

Mum - Woman's Day, Dad - Choice Magazine, Aunty Penny - Take 5, MIL - Burke's Backyard, FIL - 4x4 Australia, SIL - Rolling Stone, BIL - FHM. 

And because they keep getting a present weekly or monthly, it makes you look really good. Just think about it, you've had a bit of a tiff with your hubby and then the next day his copy of Inside Sport arrives and voila! all is forgiven. 

Are you a magazine fiend? Do you subscribe or head to the shops each month to grab your mags?

Hi, Chair! - Boomer Highchair Review

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post is part of my sponsorship to attend Blogopolis. I would love it if you could read it. 

When we were buying everything in preparation for Tricky to enter this world I gave myself a $1000 budget to get everything. Cot, change table, baby clothes for a year, pram, car seat and even my own maternity clothes (I failed at this task, but scraped in at just under $2K).

When we got Tricky's highchair it didn't break the bank... we spent a whopping $7.50 on a second hand one from the Baby & Kids Markets - it was one of those moulded plastic jobbies from that Swedish place known for allen keys and meatballs. I didn't see the point in spending a fortune on something that would be used for less than 12 months before he was sitting up at the table anyway.

Now the Boomer Highchair is considerably more expensive than $7.50... but it's also going to last considerably longer than a year. You're looking at fifteen years of use. FIFTEEN! 15! Possibly even more because the Boomer grows with your munchkin from a first solids high chair to booster chair to dining chair, see:

It's European influenced so it's like the BMWof highchairs; well engineered, functional and funky, but it's Australian designed so it's like a Holden too; easy to use, long lasting and durable.

The Boomer ticks a couple of important boxes too: it's made from plantation rubber wood so it's eco friendly and because of the foot platform it encourages good posture.

There's an optional five point harness available if your child is a daredevil and likes to launch himself from furniture like Tricky does. Strapping him in will be necessary until he develops a sense of danger (either of falling or being yelled at).

One thing Tricky didn't like about the chair was how sturdy it was. The kid likes to push furniture around and has done so at every opportunity since he could coast along (he's practising his furniture removal skills at nine months old in this video). As a result my floors will not be worn down with the incessant scraaaaape, a rather unexpected bonus!

But what I really like about the Boomer is that it is easy to clean (just a quick wipe, no grooves for food to get caught in) and it gets kids at the table for mealtimes and gives them the opportunity to learn about how meal times work to encourage good habits young!

If you want to get your hands on a Boomer Highchair they are available at selected children's boutiques or you can go straight to the source and buy one online. They are currently retailing at the introductory price of $199.95 (plus $25 flat rate postage) which makes it about $13 per year of use! After that they'll be around $290 so jump in quick to grab a bargain and tell Piccolo Innovations that Glowless sent you!

Toy Sale Smackdown

Handing over to this guy for today's post:

Let's get ready to ruuuuumble!

In the blue corner we have Jennifer McManus. She's 160cm tall, weighs 75kg (but she'll tell you she weighs 69kg), can bench press a toddler, and cook a gourmet meal of beans on toast for a family of four while holding her screaming two month old baby. Jennifer holds the title for most bargains found in one day and this is her third year contesting the Toy Sale Smackdown.

Jennifer plans to use the time honoured tactic of dropping the toddler at the grandparents' and babywearing during the sales so she can keep her hands free to grab bargains. It comes with the added bonus of most other Smackdown participants giving her a "baby buffer zone".

In the red corner we have Monica Bradman. At 165cm tall and weighing in at 82kg (but she'll swear 10kg of that is fluid at this time of the month), she has the upper hand being able to bench press twin toddlers and break up fights between her tweens. Monica is the reigning Trolley Wielding World Champion and is our most experienced competitor today, in her 11th year of Toy Sale Smackdown.

Monica's plan of attack is to use one of her tweens so they can infiltrate the aisles from two sides and she will rely heavily on her superior trolley skills to block other bargain hunters and if need be, ram their heels.

And then in the multicoloured couch corner with a few scatter cushions is Glowless. She's 169cm tall and weighs 70kg (though we all know that's a big fat lie). She's a newbie in the Smackdown but has used the power of her laptop to come in and is a real threat to claim the title.

Her plan is to jump online (the only jumping she does) and head to the Target Toy Sale where she can browse through the hundreds of discounted toys, cup of tea in hand, and leisurely pick and choose and start her Early Bird Lay-By online! No fighting children, no trolleys up heels, no scuffle for the last Lightning McQueen and no having to bribe tweens with promises of junk food. She even plans to do it with her trademark unbrushed hair and in her normal uniform of PJs.

Remember ladies, there's no such thing as a nice, clean fight!

DING DING!

Who will win??? What are your weapons of choice for the Toy Sale Smackdown?

This post is part of Product Talk by Nuffnang. I received a Target voucher for it to use at the sale!

Berlioz and Boobs

What better way to celebrate my 100th post than by getting my gear off in public.

I didn't buy many pregnancy specific clothes. I got one pair of pants and a few t-shirts second hand (with tags still on because the chick I bought them from had a premmie baby and didn't get the chance to wear them) but when I needed some other bits and pieces I just bought normal clothes a size or two larger - because when you put a maternity tag on something the price doubles, and I'm too stingy frugal to pay extra for something I'm only going to get a few months wear out of. I don't see the point in it all. But breastfeeding friendly clothes? I definitely see the point in them.
 
I have a few specific breastfeeding tops that are purpose made to allow easy feeding without hiking up your top - perfect for when you don't want the entire world to see your flabby, stretch marked belly. But I also just have a few tops that are button up and they do the job just as well. Add to this a nursing bra (which, due to their peep show panels, I like to call my stripper bras) and I'm all set to feed Tricky whenever, wherever. I've even got the whole breastfeeding in public thing down to a fine art - I do use a thin blanket to cover myself up when I'm putting him on and taking him off, not because I think I have to, or I think it's indecent exposure, but just because I'd prefer that not every man and his dog see my nips - which immediately after a feed look like they've come straight from page three of a National Geographic magazine.

So the other evening I was lucky enough to be taken to the symphony by Aunty Penny. I dolled myself up and decided that since Tricky was staying home with Hubby and a few bottles of expressed milk that I wouldn't need to wear any of my feeding tops - I could actually put on something that didn't scream 'lactating mother'. I put on one of my favourite dresses, a multicoloured, silk maxi dress. I dressed it up with some killer heels and a bit of bling. It was pretty exciting (sad, I know).

When I got to the Concert Hall I did what all good mothers do when they have a night off... I went straight to the bar. I nearly fell over and it had nothing to do with the heels I was wearing, rather the $9.50 pricetag on my glass of chardonnay. I figured, hey, how often do I get a chance to get dressed up and go the symphony? So I splurged. $9.50 on a glass of vinegar. Great. But I wasn't going to let it get to me. I was at the Concert Hall seeing the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, baby! And they were about to perform Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz! *Insert excited geeky muso squeals here* See, I'm a big music lover - I studied it for years and have even performed right there on the very stage we were looking at. I was having flashbacks (possibly caused by the foul wine) and it was brilliant.

At intermission, Aunty Penny and I were having a chat and laughing at all the random stupid things we normally laugh at when for some reason - possibly because there were lots of posh looking people - I said "Wouldn't it be funny if there was a streaker?" Being obsessed with social media I even tweeted it! Who would have thought those words would foreshadow the rest of the night's events?

Tweeting at the symphony - I'm all class

When it finished Aunty Penny and I made our way down to where Hubby was picking us up and I didn't even have to open the car door to hear it... Tricky was crying. My poor bubba had been yanked out of bed in the middle of the night (see, you don't like it much do ya, Tricks? So stop doing it to your mother!) and to top it off he had a fever. It had only been a couple of hours since he'd had paracetamol so I couldn't give him any more, so the sure fire way to comfort him when he is upset like that is to feed him so Hubby turned off the engine, Aunty Penny jumped in the passenger seat while I climbed in to the back to feed Tricky. But there was a slight problem. The super-fabulous-non-breast-accessible-dress. Crap. I couldn't pull down the top half of the dress (it was a racer back and wouldn't come down) so I had no choice... I would have to take it off.

Now normally, stripping off in the back seat is done for an entirely different reason and therefore the car is usually in a secluded spot (if it's not then you're probably an exhibitionist). But we were parked at the steps to the Concert Hall whilst three hundred of our fellow concert-goers walked past to get to their own cars. I couldn't get out of the car to take my dress off, there were too many people - so after a crack from Aunty Penny about this not being the first time to take my clothes off in the back seat of a car, I stripped. If any of the people walking by looked in they would have seen me, sitting on the back seat, wearing my stripper bra and undies with my dress laid over my lap and my child at my breast.

What a night - symphony AND a peep show.

Hippy Bottomus

I was going to wait until I got a chance to use these, but I'm overwhelmed with the gorgeousness and couldn't resist any longer!

Hubby and I have decided to go down the cloth nappy road for a number of reasons;

• better for the environment (even when taking in to consideration the extra washing and detergent used) - because disposable take up to 500 years to decompose
• cheaper in the long run – a set of 24 nappies has cost us $240 whereas disposables for two and a half years cost approximately $4000
• Hubby and his siblings developed very bad skin allergies to disposables when they were babies
• just as easy as disposables if you buy modern cloth nappies (no folding or pinning)

After much research on the types of materials used and the differing styles of modern cloth nappies available I chose to support a small business run by Sharon Moreno from the northern beaches of Sydney. The fact that her company had the coolest name also helped the decision... Hippy Bottomus! Not to mention a super cute logo.

Not only do her nappies come in a range of fibres ranging from organic cotton, hemp and bamboo through to super absorbent and quick drying microfleece, they are also adjustable to fit 3kg-13kg babies! So you buy one lot and that's it! These little gems are waterproof so you don't need those HUGE UGLY plastic pants over the top, they go on and off just as easily as a disposable but most importantly come in a range of super funky colours and patterns! I'll add a few more exclamation marks now because the paragraph just doesn't have enough!!!

The set that awaits Tricky

Even if pretty soon they are not going to be looking so funky (or should that be looking funkier on the inside?), for now they are lined up taking pride of place in Tricky's room, patiently awaiting his arrival.

Please note the above is my opinion and I was not paid or
influenced by the company in any way for writing this.

Budget: Mission Impossible

I now understand the pressure the treasurer feels each year when he hands down the budget. Some people will be happy, laughing all the way to the bank, whilst others will miss out and have to make each dollar stretch further. Fitting everything you want in to a budget is hard work, and I'm not sure my experience with budgeting has me in a very strong standing to be our next federal treasurer... because I've FAILED.

The initial mission was to spend $1000 on Tricky's first year of life, not including medical expenses. Well pretty soon after looking at the prices of everyday items that was blown well and truly out of the water and instead it became a budget for getting ready for Tricky's arrival, in other words preparing a nursery.

So what goes in a nursery budget? Things that I immediately thought I would not include in the budget would be baby wipes and the like that I could just put in to our weekly grocery list (I could always forgo my packet of Magnum icecreams if needed). But then I decided that I would purchase modern cloth nappies instead of disposables – now if I'd gone down the disposable path I'd probably have included them in the weekly shopping too (possibly causing us to swap to homebrand tomato sauce, even if it is like flavoured water), but the environmentalist in me means I've put the bulk purchase of cloth nappies in to the budget... and it's not liking it one bit. Kermit was right when he said it's not easy being green.

With eleven weeks to go before Tricky is born I've gone over budget by $149.50. I could have rounded that up to make it look prettier, but the psychological effect of that 50c is HUGE! I originally included maternity clothes in the budget but as I got nearer and nearer to the big $1K I took them off.

The breakdown of things I've purchased from most to least expensive:
Modern cloth nappies $240
Pram from ebay (RRP $400) $230
Drawers from ebay (RRP $300) $192.50
Cot from gumtree $150
Change table/bath from gumtree $90
Primer/paint for cot $55
Hugabubg from gumtree $50
Sheet sets x3 from BKM $47
Baby monitor from gumtree $25
Window shade $18
Jolly jumper from BKM $10
Nappy bag (RRP $90) from BKM $10
New Romper $10
Baby gym from ebay $8
Books from BKM $6
Rattle (so cute couldn't resist) $4
Shoes from BKM $3
Wall vinyls from ebay $1

All that equals a whopping $1149.50

I still need to buy paint for the walls, some shelves, a nappy tub and a car seat that will cost about a million dollars (one thing I don't want to buy second hand). I guesstimate that I'll end up spending about $1700. Failed. Big fat F on my report card.

But then again, it depends what you think failure is. Do I really think I've failed? Nah. I'm actually pretty chuffed at what I've achieved and how much I've learned. I was never in to buying second hand, but now I think I'm addicted. Why pay so much money for something that is going to be drooled on and chewed for a few weeks before Tricky either outgrows it, destroys it or becomes tired of it?

Through my searching for bargains I've come across not only some fantastic websites and markets, but some really lovely people who when hearing of my self imposed budget were more than happy to throw in a freebie! Though the kindness of friends, strangers and some excellent websites I've scored a bunch of stuff that helped the budget a lot! The freebies include:

• Pram cover worth $50 from one of Hubby's workmates
• A heap of baby and maternity clothes from a friend with a 5 month old
• About ten baby blankets and books from Yoink
• Vibrating bouncer from Gumtree
• Baby gates from a friend (who got them from another friend at his work)
• A change table mobile from the lady who sold me her baby monitor

So yes I've gone over budget and yes, I'm going to go even further over. But I've not scrimped on quality, nothing I've bought would endanger Tricky (I removed the razor wire from the bouncer and will make sure to get rid of the broken glass from the cot before I put him in it), and as a result when I stop working and again when he's born we won't have to struggle to make ends meet. It also means we can use the baby bonus on the truly important things in life, like plasma TVs.

Fight to the Death eBay Style

My sister P is a frugal queen and is always forthcoming with wise words of wisdom about saving money whilst not sacrificing quality or lifestyle, due to the fact she follows many a financial blog (yes, she's a bit of a geek, but that's why we love her). One of her frugal flashes was to set a goal for the amount of money spent on Tricky in the first year of his life. As soon as the budget of $1000 was mentioned I thought it was impossible... have you seen the prices of cots, change tables and car seats?? Even shopping at Baby on a Budget is expensive – I'm not sure who's budget they're catering for but it certainly isn't mine! So let's try the $1000 challenge!

I've always been a bit of an eBay junkie – I've bought lots of things ranging from makeup through to bathers and electronic toys. So why not use it for baby stuff? A lot of the items are big and pick up only, so while it cuts out over half the products for sale, it saves trying to figure out a courier cost from the eastern states.

There is a down side though. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure is sky rocketing at the end of each auction as I become the highest bidder for a few minutes until I'm knocked out of the race (probably by someone not participating in a budget challenge). I sit there with multiple windows open, a different high price in each, not trusting the automatic bidding system. Watching the countdown clock, calling out to Hubby “3 minutes, 26 seconds left!”, and if he answers back I don't actually listen – I can't listen – I'm way too busy being ruthless. This is the closest thing to armed combat I'll ever see. My weapons are strange prices, high speed broadband and the unpredictable craziness that comes with surging hormones – WATCH OUT!

Ok, so maybe not the healthiest option. A much more sedate version is Gumtree. List item, state the price you want, first person to make contact gets it. Easy. The only problem is people don't delete the ads after the item has sold, so you can be looking at an ad, only a few hours old, only to be told it sold immediately.

So far from Gumtree I've nabbed a Hug-A-Bub baby sling for $50 (RRP $120) and a cot for $150 (RRP ~$600). Plus with the cot the lady threw in a high-chair, a nappy holder and an older style swing bassinet, all in great condition. Because I'm fussy I'm going to sand back and paint the cot and bassinet, make them all pretty, ready for Tricky... who won't have a clue and really won't care that Mummy spent hours doing it.