ranting about ranting & thrifty finds

I've felt some inner tug of war about how to blog now.  I don't really want to become a "mommy blogger."  At the same time, it looks like fun. I've decided that I do want to blog more, because as I said before, these pregnancy things aren't really being recorded anywhere, except in photos, and I want to remember.  So, bear with me when it gets boring and I write about cloth diapers again and tell you about rashes.  I promise to also talk about the things I love about Minneapolis, food, fun stuff, whatever I'm thinking about and ranting about to Nat theologically, politically, and so on.  

{Even though what I think about in either of those arenas can usually boil down to about three vehement sentences:

In our home, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE TABLE. 

LIVE AND LET LIVE. 

We need to MAJOR ON THE MAJORS and MINOR ON THE MINORS.

and when I am really heated up about something, these verses usually come to mind:

Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice...' 

- Matthew 9:13 -

 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. 

- Mark 7:7 -

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  

- James 3:18 -

So actually, nevermind.  I'll never blog the things I rant about, because now you have the heard the conclusion of all of them.  

any

way.

What I was going to talk about was how all of you with smart phones who are frequently or currently on the search for some specific things should download the CraigsPro+ app.  I think it was a dollar, and it is fantastic, mainly because you can search for something and then save that search as a "Search Agent," including the highest price you'll pay for it, so that whenever that thing pops up you get a notification and can snag it.  It has been WELL WORTH THE DOLLAR, and let me tell you all about it...  

Here are some things we have found so far, because of this little wonder-app:

- our huge blue sectional couch: $60

- A chandelier I've wanted for ages: $5

- our (very new, one-owner, glorious) king sized bed, box spring, and a set of sheets: $20

- 2 big ikea bookshelves: $10 each:

and some baby things:

- Poppy's dresser: $20

- an Ergo baby carrier + newborn insert: $50

{this was our first baby "splurge"... this carrier + insert are both brand new, and since they are both organic, total $173.00 at the store, so we felt like we had to jump on this deal!}

- a bouncer I've always admired at the Sweden Shop: FREE on the curb

- and of course, cloth diapers.  Since I won some diapers & accessories in a few giveaways, whatever we have spent on Craigslist has been remade by me selling things we won't need on DiaperSwappers. There are still some things I am looking for, but if we ended up having a baby tomorrow (not Poppy of course - stay in there and keep growing, sweet girl - but if, say, a baby showed up on our doorstep), we have everything we truly need for the newborn stage.

For those of you who know what this means, we are doing prefolds and fitteds with covers.  Prefolds are cheap, don't take up a ton of room, and are easy to wash.  The fitteds that I have found are actually made out of prefolds, so ditto all the above.  The waterproof covers can be wiped and re-used a few times each before washing, so they are also easy to wash.  {Our laundry is coin-operated, so this is a key factor.}  Wool covers apparently can also be used a few times before washing unless they get poop on them because they are so breathable and "naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial," says the internet, and I can't wait to try them because I think they are adorable, impossibly soft, and make me feel like SouleMama.  Just kidding.  Actually I'm completely serious.

{the lavender wool covers I made; the off-white one was bought at a garage sale}

It's fun to prepare for her arrival in a way that feels very 'us'.  I think summer must be a great time for people to clear out stuff, because I have never seen so many deals.  I've also never had them automatically delivered to my phone before, so that makes a huge difference.  

Well, back to the day.  May you find exactly what you are looking for, for less than you expected!