Get $10 donated to Girls for a change!

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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Have you heard of Girls For A Change? I hadn't until the Clever Girls emailed me about it. It's a national organization that empowers girls to create social change. They invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods.

Girls For A Change envision a world where girls with strong voices become active leaders and passionately engaged citizens, impacting not only their own neighborhoods but also their nations as girls become informed and participating citizens in their civic, political and cultural communities. By connecting them with adult women trained to serve as volunteer coaches, girls develop trusted relationships with powerful role models for civic engagement while women become strong advocates for girls and their neighborhoods.

Really... it's a great organization! If you want to learn more about what Girls For A Change does... and plans to do... Click here.

How do you get $10 donated to Girls For A Change? It's so freaking simple! Just click here... and change your browser's homepage to Yahoo! I did it. Seriously... so simple for such a good cause! BUT, you do have to change your browser's homepage to Yahoo! through THIS LINK so it can be tracked for the donation. :D Just change your browser's homepage by July 1st and Yahoo! will donate up to $10,000. That's only 1,000 people! I have 1,400 followers... I think it can be done! :D

♡ Chelsey

Dressing my baby boo Ruari on a budget!

Thank you Old Navy for sponsoring my post today about baby and toddler styles. Old Navy is giving you 30% off everything in their baby and toddler summer collection, plus get an additional 15% off in-store.

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I absolutely refuse to pay full price for pretty much anything! Well... unless it's Anthropologie... I just can't help myself. ;D But, when it comes to Ruari... she grows out of everything so fast... why would I spend $40 for a dress she'll wear once? I don't ever spend that. I wanted to share a few of my favorite ways to barely spend any $ on your little babe!

{Strawberry Dress Via}{Bear Dress Via}{Blue Dress Via}

Thrift shopping: This is my #1 way to save money! Seriously. I've purchased the majority of Ruari's wardrobe from a thrift shop. Good things about thrifting... VERY cheap... the clothes are in great shape (most baby clothes are since they grow so fast!)... and a few companies (like Target) actually send the remainder of their clearance items to some thrift shops. :)


Clearance: I really only buy clearance if I buy from any store. My two favorite clearance racks: Target and Old Navy. Sometimes I can find shirts/pants/shoes/whatever for under $3! Crazy! Love it!

Coupon Codes: So many companies/etsy shops/etc. have coupon codes these days.... You can pretty much google any company/coupon code and something will pop up. Seriously. Try it!

One of my favorite vintage finds for Ruari... Her little checkered blue Easter dress! It was so sweet. AND... $2!!! Wow. Awesome.

So... that's it! My little tidbit of advice for dressing you baby on a budget! Do you like to dress you babe on a budget?

Votey vote for my bloggy blog?

❤ Chelsey

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I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Spreading the news via email!

Just a little note before you read on... I am NOT preggo! :D I can't get pregnant anymore due to safety issues... I just wanted to remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Ruari. Enjoy!

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Back in May 6th, 2009... here I was totally nauseous and exhausted... Yes, of course the day before was Cinco De Mayo and my friends did keep me out late... but, I shouldn't be feeling as sick as I was. May 5th is my Bff's (Courtney) birthday. We went to celebrate her birthday at a local Irish Pub (yup, on Cinco de Mayo :D). I just kept saying... "I'm SO tired. I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't know if I can keep going to celebrate your day. I should go home." Well, I didn't go home I stayed out with my friends.

Well, back to May 6th, 2009. I'm so nauseous. So sick. Why? Well... hmm... maybe I'm pregnant? No. Maybe? I dig deep in my drawers and find an old Dollar Tree pregnancy test. I pee on it. Two lines. Wha? No way. I call Kelsey.... she says, "A line is a line. You're pregnant!" Me: "Wha?" I don't know... I call Courtney and she suggest I go to the doctor or buy more tests.

Well... I did both. Ha! Of course the doctor confirming it was the for sure: "Duh, you're preggo.". So... here I am with 5 positive pregnancy tests. I'm WAY too impatient to do some elaborate bun in the oven display to announce the pregnancy... So, I take a photo of the tests together. Here it is:

Now what do I do with this? Occasionally I think I'm pretty funny... so, I thought it would be hilarious to send a group Email to my best girls and a separate email to Mike with no subject and the only sentence, "Please see attached." I attached the photo.

Within minutes I had responses from my friends that still make me smile. "Are you serious? This isn't some joke." "Hey! I need more info!" "Really? OMG! Congrats!" and so on...

The best response was from Mike. He called me and said, "Hey. Soo. What's that photo?" I told him I was pregnant. Mike: "Oh. Huh. Ok." Ha! Later when he got home he was so excited and was ready to tell his parents. I just love the shock my email gave him.

I've had an email address for SO long (since I was maybe 13) I don't even know what I would do without it! Imagine how it will be for our kids! It's a part of they're lives from the beginning. I love that I could spread my good news with one small sentence, a photo, and a click. That's it. I love this little I'm sorry video from Yahoo! How would your life be without email?

❤ Chelsey




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Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Girls night out!

{Andrea from peanut butter handprint, Mandy from A Sorta Fairytale, Mandy from Harper's Happenings, Me the paper mama, Tessa from life according to lennox, Amanda from raising reese, Melissa from hi, baby, and fiona from letters to littles isn't pictured here... but, she showed up a bit later.}

Isn't that just the best photo ever? I LOVE it. We asked a random lady to take a photo of us in the middle of the street. :) I love how it came out... even though I appear not to be able to jump very high... I have heels on! :D

I had just THEE best time ever! These ladies are fantastic and I encourage you to check out their blogs! So fun. Lots of laughter. Peeing our pants. You know.

{Do you want to vote for my blog? Ok!}

 

{If you have a Wordless{ish} Wednesday, please feel free to link it up below. BY the way: Shawntae from A Little King and I now share our Wednesday Linky's. :D. And, feel free to link up to these blogs too... 5 Minutes For Mom, Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, Supermom, and Live and Love Outloud.}

❤ Chelsey




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An important woman in my life.

I wanted to really say thank you to my friend Kelsey. She has been a lot of help this past year and a half (most of my friends have)... but, Kelsey has really been there for me. From supporting my crazy blog obsession to babysitting Ruari when I really need to get some work done.

A year ago I was going through some pretty tough post par-tum... lots of crying... depressed... unhappy. Those hormones can be hard on you! She was there for me and really helped me make a decision to take care of my depression. I'm am feeling one million times better today... but, I know I wouldn't have gotten here without the support of my friend.

The photo below was taken almost exactly a year ago. This was when my post par-tum was at it's worst. That's when I started this Paper Mama Blog. Thanks Kelsey! You are a true friend.

I also wanted to share a discount code with you guys... Mother's Day is coming up and I think it's a pretty neat idea to buy a gift that's not only pretty... but, is for a good cause. These items are made in Haiti and support their livelihood. Use this code: CLEVERGIRLS from May 3rd to May 5th to get 15% off Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products. Here's the link: Heart of Haiti

❤ Chelsey

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I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

My baby girl.

Thanks to the makers of Pine-Sol® for sponsoring my writing. A study shows a clean smelling home can help children succeed, so Pine-Sol® is supporting Reading is Fundamental (RIF) this year. Click "Like" on Pine-Sol®’s Facebook page here and they will donate books to RIF!

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When you have a baby things change. Fast. I didn't immediately accept these changes when Ruari was first born... but, I do more and more each day. I accept (and truly enjoy) my role as her mother and what it takes to help her grow into a beautiful and lovely person.

As parents we really can feel pushed to do this and do that to make our kids #1 and to grow up to be child prodigy's or young geniuses. I can only imagine the push is even greater these days with the online world. I don't know about you... but, at almost every point during the day I am somehow connected to technology.

So, here I am... concerned that I'm not doing enough to help my baby progress to the next stages in her life... Do I read to her enough? Do we go for enough walks? Do I give her enough attention? Is she getting enough healthy food? All these questions have run through my head more than once. 

Even though I may not have the "correct" answers to the above questions... I know the best thing I can do to help Ruari achieve is to give her my love. To do this I need to take care of me (mind, body, and soul). Enjoy the moment I'm in. Cuddle. Kisses. Be silly. Take breaks when I need them.

I just need to love my baby. And, I do.

A vote for the blog? :D

❤ Chelsey

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Bottom of post: Don't forget to click over to Pine-Sol®'s Facebook page to support our children's success. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.