New Apartment

So we are now living in SE Portland. Once again we're in an apartment in the men's dorm; this time at Warner Pacific College. The living space in the apartment is tiny. Yep, so tiny that it warrants its own font size. The living room is 10x10 and there isn't really a dining room... just a space between the front door and the bathroom door that serves as a hallway and play area and dining area all in one. Needless to say, I needed a small table. I decided a drop leaf table would probably be the way to go. I've always loved drop leaf tables, so this gave me an excuse to buy one. But then my brother said I could borrow one from him. So that's what we were planning on doing... until this morning.

My mom came to stay with me for a few days this week and help out while Greg is away with student leaders on a big backpacking trip. This morning we decided we'd check out the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It's a store that sells both new and used building materials and some furniture. It's a really great place. Not only does it keep reusable building materials out of the landfill, it also raises money for Habitat for Humanity and provides great deals for... well, me!

So, I'll cut to the chase. There we were at Restore and what do I see but a beautiful drop leaf table! And of course, I just have to check it out. It's solid wood; has an extra leaf; everything is in working order; and the best part is... it's $25. Yes, you see that right: $25.

Well, we take measurements and talk about whether or not it will fit in my dining room (er, my wall) and then whether or not it will fit in the car. We drive back home, measure the wall, and decide to get it. I drive back (without kids and car seats this time). When I get to the store I tell the man that I want to buy the drop leaf table. He asks me how much it is and when I tell him $25 I feel a little bit bad. I kind of wonder if he'll believe me. So I say, "It's a steal." He replies, "Everything here is a steal." It slides like a dream into the back of the Subaru. And now I am the proud owner of this little beauty:

Diaper Deal

So, right now I have two kids in diapers. Elisa was SUPER into potty training right around the time that she turned two. For a couple weeks she used the potty, wore big girl underwear, and was very self-motivated. She could totally do it, and I was ecstatic. But then for some reason she decided that she'd rather just wear diapers. I have decided not to push her just yet, but let her lead the way for now. So once again, I have two in diapers.

Now as most of you know I have done both cloth and disposable diapers (See this post and this post to read more on this). Right now Jonathan wears both cloth and disposables, and Elisa is exclusively in disposables. (She needed new diaper covers and we decided not to replace them since she was "so close" to potty training).

Anyway, I guess I bring all this up to say that diapers are expensive. And diapering two children (even one that often wears cloth) is really expensive. So I wanted to tell anyone who is in the same boat as me about a great deal at Diapers.com.

If you are a new customer they will give you $10 off your first order (of $49 or more) when you use the referral code CARX1546 (this also gives me a $5 credit). Then print off this form and follow the instructions on the bottom to get a $14.97 rebate from Parenting Early Years magazine. I did this about a month ago and received my rebate check last week, so it really works! I ended up paying about 11 cents per diaper... which is such a great deal! Cheaper even than buying the big case of store brand diapers at Sam's Club (which are about 17 cents per diaper). So give them a try if you haven't yet!