Maternity Consignment Boutique $25 GC Giveaway - Ends 5/9

Here's what you can give the expectant mommy or new mommy for Mother's Day!

Jodi at Expecting You Consignment would like to offer one of my readers a $25 gift certificate to her maternity consignment boutique, located in sunny South Florida. She carries a broad range of new and gently used items for you and your little one, including:

• Maternity clothing by well-known designers/stores
• Baby/child clothing from well-known designers/stores
• Baby furniture
• Slings/baby carriers
• Breast pumps
• and so much more!

Consignment stores are a great way to pick up some of those higher-end items that you may not be able to afford otherwise. It's also very 'green' because it allows multiple families to get use out of the same item, instead of just tossing it out after a few uses.

Would you like to win a $25 gift certificate to Expecting You Consignment? If you live in the South Florida area, you can just redeem in the store. If you live outside the area, you would contact Jodi and let her know what you're interested in purchasing.


WIN IT! Mandatory Entry: Visit Expecting You Consignment, click on 'Join Our Family,' and let me know what gently used item you'd love to purchase with your $25 gift certificate.

Here are a few other ways to win (one entry per method):
1. 'Like' Expecting You Consignment on Facebook.
2. 'Like' Huppie Mama on Facebook.
3. Follow Huppie Mama on Twitter.
4. Become a public follower of Huppie Mama.
5. 'Like' Abi's Place (the non-profit where I work) on Facebook.

Be sure to include your email address with each entry so that I know how to find you. This giveaway ends on Mother's Day (5/9) at 11:59 pm. If you are the winner, you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Good luck!

**Congratulations to Meghan! Thank you to all who participated. 

When did 'luxury' and 'convenience' become synonyms?

Since Lydia's birth, I have gone to many baby stores and attended multiple consignment sales, and I keep seeing the same thing - products for sale that we know aren't best for our children.

Last week, I attended the Lolliposh Upscale Consignment sale. I like the idea of consignment. When we follow the old "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy, consignment fits right in! I have no need for this anymore, so I will re-sell it to someone else at a reduced cost so that person can benefit from its use. Great idea! This sale was a good way to get some higher-end clothing at a lower price, buy the typical stroller, bouncer, pack n' play, baby gear every American woman imagines her child needs. But for the moms who are looking for something beyond just the modern basics...it was a bit disappointing. Everything was so middle-of-the-road. They had vendors there, but they were selling creams to remove baby fat or headbands for children. No organic baby food vendors (even though there's a great baby food store near me: Yummy in my Tummy) or babywearing vendors or other eco-friendly products. It was like the used version of Babies R Us. Again, great for some families who appreciate the one-stop shopping experience. But made me ask myself the question "When did 'luxury' and 'convenience' become synonyms?" which leads me to ask the ultimate question: Is this what is best for my child or is this what modern-day woman has determined to be a convenient luxury?

Consider these two ads:

The ad on the left contains a family, "splurging" on a night out together, going to their favorite burger joint. The word "let's" is a contraction - let us. "Us,"a collective unit, spending time together. The ad on the right shows a woman with perfectly coiffed hair and a new hat box. She didn't have to race home from her shopping trip because "dinner" would be on the table. She can afford to by the frozen TV dinner instead of preparing her family a real meal. These WERE the luxury items at one point in time. Now, they exist purely for convenience. They serve to allow one family member to sit in his room playing video games, eating frozen garbage, while the others are sitting on the couch, eating their low-end meat and watching whatever "reality" shows we're fed (yes, I fall victim to this sorta thing more often than I should. Not really fast food, but sitting around, eating some junk, watching reality TV).

Okay, so all these ideas are somewhat scattered. What am I trying to say? The most important thing is to be an INFORMED consumer. Don't by the Graco stroller because someone else did (again, I am a victim of this).  Don't co-sleep because you're "too lazy to train your kid." Don't breastfeed because someone told you that it's best. And don't use formula because breastfeeding requires a genuine effort. MAKE CHOICES!  I do what I do because I make informed decisions.

One other piece of information... Last month, I went to Whole Foods, and saw a package of delicious-looking brownies. However, there were like 12 in a pack. I asked the woman at the bakery if they were sold individually, but they weren't. So, I filled out a comment card asking if they could start selling them individually. I went there today, looked at the comment board, and sure enough my comment was there with feedback - now they sell individual brownies!  I love businesses like Whole Foods that are pretty wide-spread, but still make you feel like you matter as a consumer!