Clean out mode: activated

Casa de Glow is about to shift a few suburbs over (hold me), so to prepare for the upcoming move, we are in full clean out mode.

Which means my house looks like a total disaster as random shit gets pulled from the cupboard it was hidden in years ago when I couldn't be bothered finding a real home for it or I had some strange sentimental attachment to it.

I have always been overly attached to physical things (no, not like that, you dirty bastards). I don't mean cars and jewellery, I mean weird things like a doorbell that no longer works because it was my grandmothers and she's been dead for thirty years but I CAN'T GET RID OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS HERS type of things. 

Who keeps a broken doorbell?  

Me. That's who. 

So I am doing the biggest cull of my entire life and actually throwing out things I have held on to for years. It is less "ritual cleansing" and more "I don't wanna have to pack all this crap". Years of therapy and I couldn't throw these things out, turns out all I needed was the looming threat of having to move all this shit 8km west. 

Part of the clean out is going through the kids' toys and turfing all the broken bits and pieces that they just HAVE to keep (gee, where do they get this annoying trait from?!) and figuring out what they don't play with anymore.

In my newly mega-debt state, I thought it might be a good idea to sell a few bits and pieces that were still in good condition so I logged on to the Facebook Marketplace to see what I could get.

A fucking headache is what I got.

Let's pretend this was my ad:

"Elmo and Big Bird doll. Great condition. One small stain as pictured. $7 each or both for $10. Pick up Suburb A"

See I thought that was enough information for most people to figure out if they wanted to buy something but apparently not. Instead they have to send a bunch of messages asking me questions.

"Will you sell separately?" - Uh, yeah, I said that.

"Is it $10 each or $10 for both?" - You don't read so good, do ya?

"Are they in good condition?" - Yup, even included a photo. Use your damn eyes.

"Where is Suburb A?" - Seriously? Heard of Google?

"I'm in Suburb B. Where is Suburb A?" - Dude, we are practically neighbours. How can you not know this?

"Could you deliver to Suburb Z?" - No. You're 45km away. 

"Would you take $1 for both?" - Mate, just fuck off. 

SERIOUSLY! How are these people even alive? I knew there were dickheads out there, I mean, the  'contains dairy' warnings on cartons on milk are obviously there for someone, but I never knew they all hung out in the one place before now.

But all my hair-pulling and teeth gnashing was calmed when the most beautiful grandpa came to buy a gorgeous little pull along Brio toy. He pulled up on a loud AF motorbike, all chrome and sleek burgundy. He chatted to Tricky and Bobbin, who were staring in awe, telling them it looked like Harley, but it was a Kawasaki. He even told them he made it extra loud for safety and I was all "yeah pal, safety, you want it loud because it fucking rocks!". Then he gave me $10, popped the toy in his backpack and revved the shit out the bike while the kids stood there, slack jawed, marvelling at how badass it all was.

Cool Grandpa has restored my faith in the Facebook Marketplace... at least until the next person asks me if I will hold the $5 kids pram for four weeks until their uncle's second cousin's neighbour can pick it up. 

Do you sell your stuff? Where do you list?

Finlee & Me & You

 This is a C1 post

For full details please see my disclosure policy

This post was meant to go live forever ago. So instead of saying I've tried these products for a while, I can honestly say I have tried them FOR AGES and love them. Turns out there is actually an up side to being so forgetful.

We've been putting some funky baby and kids products from hip online baby shop Finlee & Me through the ringer here at Casa de Glow lately (for the last billion months - sorry Angela!). The lovely (and amazingly patient) Angela, aka the "Me" in Finlee & Me sent Tricky and Bobbin some awesome presents:

Monkey Mat

I know what you're thinking. How is this different to a normal picnic rug? Why should I spend almost $40 on a blanket? Well it's a decent size at 5'x5' (152cm x 152cm) so everyone can fit on nicely, it's water repellant and machine washable, but my favourite things about it are:

• Weighted corners so your windy day picnic doesn't end up with you strategically placing the salad bowl on one corner, the esky on another, and cramping your space. But if it is insanely windy there are loops you can stake it to the ground through
• It has centre loops, too, but these ones are to keep baby toys ON the mat so they don't go walk about and end up in the Kangaroo poo (which has magnetic properties to babies and their toys)
• It all squishes down in to a cute little zip up pouch (attached so you don't lose it!) that has been clipped on to my pram since the day we got it!

Because I have it on the pram at all times, we have used it as a picnic blanket, a park rug, a table cloth (when the picnic tables were covered in bird poo), a shade for Bobbin's pram, a travel change mat and probably more things that I've already forgotten about.

You can do the monkey with the Monkey Mat at Finlee & Me in blue, orange, khaki and pink for $39.95.

Little Num Nums Natural Teether

Teething is the bane of my existence right now. Bobbin has just cut her seventh tooth and wants to gnaw on something constantly to relieve the discomfort - her dummy, her fingers, my nipple (OH DEAR GOD!), pretty much anything she can get her mitts on. I have attached this all natural teething heart to her pram, my carrier and her car seat at different times and she happily sucks and chews on it for ages. It's obvious she loves it, but this is what I love about it:

• Dishwasher safe. Booyah. Best two words in the world
• They are BPA, Phthalate, Lead and PVC Free. I can't pronounce some of those, but I know they're bad mmkay
• Each comes with a box and a pram strap to stop it getting festy in the bottom of your nappy bag or lost somewhere between the bakery and the car park
• It is not my nipple - I cannot stress the importance of this enough right now

You can wrap your chompers around the All Natural Teether at Finlee & Me in heart, car, owl and rocket shapes in multiple colours for $21.95 (I think the heart and the car are the easiest ones for babies to hold).

Portable Travel High Chair

I am a huge believer that kids should eat with adults at the family table. I'm also a huge believer in going out to eat, letting someone else cook and having someone else do the dishes! Huzzah! Now I'm no germ-o-phobe, I let my kids play in dirt and if they eat food off the floor at home I kinda just roll my eyes because I know it is pretty clean since I spend so much time with a mop in my hand. But restaurant highchairs are feral. Ever wiped one down with a wet wipe and it's come up almost black and still left bits of food spot welded to the tray? Yeah, me too. And it sits there next to the impeccably clean tables... so put your kid at the table, I say. The best bits about this highchair are:

• It is super small when scrunched in to it's carry case - the size of a MCN or two disposable nappies
• Uses a five point harness and hardcore stitching so it's very safe
• Adjustable to fit many chair shapes and sizes - it even has space for fancy chair backs to go through at the top

This lives permanently in the boot of our car now and has been pulled out when there has been festy or broken highchairs, no highchairs, at friends houses and even at home when we have had other babies visiting.

You can purchase the ultimate Portable Travel High Chair at Finlee & Me in a range of funky colours and designs for $44.95. Bobbin is modeling the Coco Snow design.

Kinetic Sand

This stuff is the shiz. For a person who passionately (and quite vocally) hates the amount of sand that is tracked through her house, it is surprising that I would be singing the praises of sand as an INSIDE TOY. But if you ever play with this stuff, you'll know why. It is just amazing. Everyone who has had a play with this at our place has been memorized by it's texture and properties, even Tricky, who doesn't like sand on his hands usually. But he will quite happily play with it quietly for ages, which is great for his fine motor skills, his creativity and my ability to drink a hot cup of tea and sit down for a breather. The best bits about Kinetic Sand are:

• It's sticks to itself not to you! You won't be sweeping it up for days
• Won't dry out so you can use it over and over again
• Great for sensory play
• Anti-microbial and non toxic
• The coolest texture ever. It's almost like magical solid liquid hybrid without the goo

I find it really therapeutic to play with this stuff, balling it up and then cutting it (yes, you can cut it!), then squishing it so it spills out of my hands. I have actually used it as a mindfulness activity - it's like a creative stress ball for me. My Aunty loves it so much that for her birthday my mum went online and bought her some... she's in her 50s! So definitely for all ages.

You can get your hands (cleanly) on Kinetic Sand at Finlee & Me from $19.95

My other fave things about the store are:

• they're an Australian stockist of Elf on the Shelf
• they sell ethically made felt ball rugs (I neeeeeed the rainbow one)
• they stock a huge range of wooden Montessori and Steiner toys
• postage is a flat $9.95 or free on orders over $150 so you won't get stung
• Angela is awesome and so understanding even after I had this ready to go and forgot about it for months. MONTHS!

So check them out on Facebook and go buy "lovely stuff for kids". Tell Angela that Glow sent you (no seriously, after waiting months, the poor thing could do with a hello).

Tricky: Toy Expert. Well, um, kinda.

This is a S3 post

For full details please see my disclosure policy

What do they say? Never work with children or animals. Well I’m not clever enough to take that on so I asked if Tricky wanted to look through the online catalogue and be in a video for the Big W toy sale. Here’s a helpful hint: don’t do this at home unless you truly wish to find out just how toy obsessed your child is.



In true toddler style he then jumped up and ran to get my car keys saying we had to go to the shops NOW and buy Radio (Radiator) Springs, and the cars, and the trucks, and the rubbish truck, and the digger, and the train set, and you get the point. The exact thing that happens when we go to the shops and the exact reason why I love online toy shopping. No tantrums, not even from me.

So, um, maybe learn from my mistake and don’t give your kids the catalogue to make a silly video. Instead just sit with it yourself over a cuppa (or *ahem* a glass of wine if you’re so inclined) and order once they’re in bed and just wait for the parcels to arrive!

If you’re strapped for cash or space then just use the online no deposit lay-by and set up auto deductions between now until October and have them delivered in December. With an aversion to shopping centres, and more specifically shopping centre carparks, at Christmas, this is what I’m doing.

I have five $100 vouchers to give away to get your shopping started. To win check out bigw.com.au/toys and tell me in the entry form provided below which three toys you think your Toy Expert would choose.

The sale starts on the 27th and runs until the 10th of July, so get your catalogue and start circling now. Unless it's an iPad in which case please don't draw on it.

The Hunger Games: Toy Sale Style {Plus Giveaway}

Standing outside Target tonight, waiting for the doors to open for their toy sale was a little daunting. I surveyed the scene: women everywhere, a few men and a handful of children in PJs (really?) chomping at the bit, waiting for the doors to open. It was trolley vs trolley with every bargain hunter out for themselves. Kinda like the Hunger Games but for mothers who didn't want to pay full price for Fisher Price.

I've never been to a sale opening before because I've always been intimidated by them. I still am. It's pretty safe to say if I go to another one, I'll be taking Georgia from Parental Parody along with me for protection. The woman is fierce and has a black belt in shopping.

To stretch the analogy much further than is reasonable, she was my Katniss, effortlessly navigating her way around the store. By the time I had one item in the trolley for my one kid she had ticked off most of her list, picked up some impulse bargains along the way and had most of her shopping done for her three kids and a handful of nieces and nephews to boot.

I pushed our trolley, looking vague and wondering where the one item on my list was kept while wanting to shout to people "These aren't all for my one child! It's a combined trolley... I promise! DON'T JUDGE ME!" only to see that their trolleys were just as full as mine and, more importantly, that they really didn't give a shit what I was doing at all. Except for when I was taking photos... then they just stared at me wondering why I would be taking a photo of a grown woman on a skateboard. You know what, I don't really know either.

We accidentally destroyed Barbie displays, and tweeted it, played a quick round of Marco Polo (how else do you find someone in a crowded store?!), and tweeted it, and posed for pictures on motorbikes and next to dolls... and, you guessed it, tweeted it. We almost got #boganken trending but sadly, #malibuken won out. It must have been his shiny golden locks and lack of flanno shirt.

The whole event has led me to the conclusion that mummy bloggers should never be allowed to shop together at a sale, Georgia should never be let out of the house and I shouldn’t be allowed to make crappy Hunger Games analogies.

If you’d like a chance to win a $50 Target Gift Voucher then click here to enter through Facebook. This is only a quick giveaway and closes on Sunday so the winner can use the voucher at the sale!

A: Cannot take her anywhere without destroying things
B: Doll version of me with "Magic Hair"
C: Four hot chicks
D: Major lines at Lay-Buy within minutes
E: R2D2 lovin'
F: Tricky's Christmas presents - art easel, paints and crayons
G: The shopping trolley full of Georgia's toys
H: Employee of the whole freakin' year, Tim. This guy was so nice, let me take his pic for the blog
I: The longest receipt ever. A tree died just for that receipt.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for the post. Target sent me some vouchers to use
and invited me to the VIP opening with no obligation to blog

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!

Funky Handmade Toys

Recently I went looking for a Tricky sized tshirt with a tie for our Royal Wedding party - just because you're a baby doesn't mean you're exempt from fancy dress parties. I found the cutest little tshirts with colourful funky ties at MeGuy Designs, but alas, it was the day before the party and it takes at least a week to get anything to WA so I had to do a dodgy job of it myself.

But I checked out the rest of the site to see what I could find and ended up ordering two awesome handemade baby toys for my friend who was due to have a baby any minute because I like to support SAHM and WAHM businesses.

I ordered a custom matching Psycho Cube and a Daggy Taggy.

I hear what you're saying, "a psycho what now?". A Psycho Cube, dear readers, an awesome jingly toy with bright fabrics and different textured loops. And a Daggy Taggy is just what it sounds like - a cloth with lots of different textured and coloured tags, great for little fingers to grab hold of.

Mrs MeGuy stocks a wide variety of funky fabrics to choose from (she even has The Hungry Little Caterpillar and Dr Seuss material!) or you can give her creative freedom like I did - I asked for something that didn't look like a fairy had thrown up on it, but would appease my friend's need to have everything 'girly'. I think she did a brilliant job!

To get your mitts on a some funky handmade baby and children's clothes, toys and accessories head over to MeGuy Designs and be sure to check them out on Facebook too for the specials!

Disclaimer: I ordered and paid for my MeGuy Design products myself, no compensation was offered or accepted for this review. I chose to review it in order to promote an Australian SAHM/WAHM business. All opinions are my own.