Brooklyn Girl's Personal Finance Blog

I did not add the totals yet, but this ski trip was EXPENSIVE.

Food at ski resorts is very pricey $130-$140 average dinner, close to $40 for breakfast, taxis, transportation, tips - ski valets, bellman, housekeeping, etc... I think we spend over $200 a day not including transportation or $1,000 ski passes. We only paid for 2 nights out of 10, and that was about $600.

Plus ski boots - $930.

I also overate like crazy. Dessert, burgers, 3 drinks a night... I'm seriously craving fruits and vegetables now. I might have gained 4 lb. I need to go on a health kick. So I ran 2 miles today. I will try to keep it up.

That being said, the vacation has been a lot of fun and I hope to do it again. Now I just need to shape up to balance things out.

More accurately, DH got upgraded. But, as a true gentleman, he is giving up the seat for his woman and will go to coach for me.

I won't know if my ticket will get the companion upgrade until later tongiht(will know this evening, it is 24hours before). It would be nice for us to sit in first class together.

It is probably the last time, as he will be loosing his Gold Medallion status this month
Well, it was good while it lasted, but I'm going to have to get used to flying in coach again. It is hard to go back.

January snowflakes have been good:

100 Credit union visa cashback reward cashed
150 Discover cashback bonus cashed
50 Containter store gift card (discovercard)
200 DH travel mileage reimbursement earned
125 focus group
120 DH overtime
200 DH emergency work trip 2
400 Gift from ML for our upcoming vacation. Yesterday DH passed me the envelope from MIL. I was very surprised!

She also gave a very generous cash gift for LO. I don't include it in the snowflake because I see it not as ours but as baby's, even though she said we can use it for things for him. But we can cover things for him out of our regular income.

So the total for all our January snowflakes is $1,345!

I think that snowflakes is how we manage to save, even though we sometimes spend more than the salary. I mean the snowflakes from DH's travel.

So this month, inspite of the increased SS tax our income did not fall.

Looking at public transportation options for getting from the airport to Denver, I saw that there is a bus that goes directly from the airport to the bus station downtown, that happens to be right across the street from the Ritz Carlton.

So I found a great rate at the Ritz by booking months in advance. It was still a little more expensive than a cheaper hotel would be. BUT... A taxi to downtown would be around $70 bucks one way. Saving this ride and avoiding a taxi all together, Ritz is cheaper.

Sometimes it is surprising what frugal looks like. One just have to be creative.

I love staying in nicer hotels when I am on vacation (that time is precious, and i want to enjoy it).

Sometimes I go to a store and it just strikes me how the times have changed.

When I went to Bloomingdales to look for a gift for my mom, the only wallets in the range of $200-$300 were in a type of bin, like a clearance bin in a cheaper store. And those wallets/accessories were cheaply made of plastic, often with glued-on plastic hardware. Hats priced up to $300 were also piled in a bin, as if they are a dirt cheap bargains. (if you looked at the way other things were priced, you would be reinforced in this suggestion).

I left feeling like an old woman, the type that goes "back in my day...". And my day was not that long ago!

Yesterday I was in Chinatown and as I was passing by an optical shop, a pair of Cartier glasses caught my eye. I went in and tried them on. They were perfect design and look, something I've been searching for a long time. When I asked how much, they were almost twice as much as I expected. $740 plus tax (in nyc 8.875%) So that is $800 for non-prescription glasses (they can't even be changed to a prescription). So disheartened, I put them down.

Maybe it is just me refusing to change with the times. I see this everywhere. I saw a canvas backpack recently that I liked. Price? $400. Again, I thought, just few years ago you could buy a leather one for $200-300. Am I just stuck, refusing to change with the times? Same with shoes those that were in the $200 range are now above $400-$600.

I see this crazy type of inflation and I'm having trouble coming to terms with this.

He got selected for a focus group.

$125 for 1.5 hours, and it is held after work (7pm). The catch? One has to physically go there, it is not done from home.

Still, it is a good sized snowflake.
He also worked few hours of overtime and got some travel money last week. He has been a good snowflaker.

They have offered me another cashback promotion, they give me $500 cashback bonus if I spend $3,000 every calendar month through August.

They want me to spend more. Not sure why -- I always pay the balance in full and never pay any interest.

I'm debating if I should try to go for it.
The thing is, between DH and me we do spend over 3k a month on credit cards. However, right now I'm trying to make the AA miles promotion with citi card, so I have to spend 6K this month. And, for some stuff we are spending on this month I would be better off using another card -- for example we'll be staying in Ritz Carlton paying with Marriott cards will multiply the points. Same goes for a Hyatt stay.

So I don't know. I certainly don't want to buy anything I would not have bought otherwise, but if it was not for this months coincidences, it would have been an easy $500.

Sigh....

What is snowflake definition?

Money earned besides the regular salary? (overtime, paid study?)

Or money not spent? (Did not buy coffee on a way to work, walked instead of taking the train).

Or savings from coupons?

Do dividends count? Or interest earned?

What counts as a snowflake to you?

This week, instead of buying a cup of coffee on my walk to work, I coffee once I got to the office. I brewed it the proper way, so it was even better than store bought.

$2 x 6 day = $12

I brought my breakfast once, $2, and lunch twice. Lets say $8x2 (I still had to buy ingredients for lunch and breakfast). Lets estimate $18 savings here.

This is what I made at work for my lunch:





I brought organic greens, pistachios I shelled the evening before, and cut up a pear and some grapes in the office. Than I tossed it with my home-made dressing (fresh lemon juice, honey, and olive oil - I like the clean, fresh, sweet and sour kick of this dressing). It was delicious. I also had a small piece of lamb left over from dinner before, and that was my protein. I enjoyed my lunch.

$30 towards my challenge.
Maybe my challenge will add up to a pair of shoes soon enough.

I was very pleased about how frugal we were this first week of the new year, until I added up the numbers, and again, wondered how are we making it.

January 1-7
2,511 Mortgage this month
1,344 Maintenance
141 Student loan
47 Groupon for future dinner
25 Laundry
64.75 Cleaning supplies/detergents
7.99 Netflix
217 pair of shoes
37.56 breakfasts and lunches at work
155.52 groceries
178 train pass
4,728.82

I was particularly proud of myself for keeping the food bill lower than ever.
4 things contributed to it:
1) We went shopping on December 31 (does not count for this month) and bought $253 worth of food right before I started tracking

2) My mom came over on Saturday and brought expensive food for baby for 2 days.

3) Baby is sick so we did not go out to eat.

4) I brought from home 1 lunch and 1 breakfast and made all my coffee at work. And when I bought lunch, I opted for a cheaper one -- $8.70 Signature salads from Cosi.

My toddlers food, even though he eats less, is not less expensive. For example, about 1/4 lb of Grey Sole filet (at $35 per pound) was $8.92. And that is only one meal.

About the shoes -- Thierry Rabotin boutique had a large post holiday sale (really rare for them). And I snagged this pair for 50% off. ($217)

It is hard to capture their beauty in a photo. The crystal is a very nice light blue color and so is the leather inside. I love that shade of blue. They are comfy and stylish (comfy is really hard to find), and they look amazing with thin black pantyhose. I will keep them in my drawer in the office and only wear them inside, on a nice carpet. I normally change my shoes as I get in. (my daily commute involves about an hour of walking).
I don't buy shoes often.

So this is first 7 days.

DH has stayed 112 nights in Marriotts this year.
And they have been good in rewarding us.

These are the FREE stays we had in 2012 (they are not counted in those 112):
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
Renaissance Westchester Hotel
JW Marriott Hotel Beijing
Courtyard Shanghai Puxi
Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre
Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre again
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Residence Inn New Rochelle
Orlando World Center Marriott
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort (7 nights)
converted Marriott points to 50,000 Delta points

Still have good chunk of points left and have already booked another week in Vail.

Leisure stays we paid for with money because the rate was great and we did not want to use points:
The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia
Mansion on Forsyth Park, Autograph Collection®
Orlando Marriott (second room for MIL who helped with baby)

And sometimes I joined DH when he was traveling for work:
JW Marriott Washington, DC
Washington Marriott
Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center
Mansion on Forsyth Park, Autograph Collection®
Orlando Marriott

It almost feels like Marriott is our second house this year. And their rewards program enabled us to travel much more than we could otherwise.

It happened just hours before, on the same day!
Another subhuman piece of sh*t walked into an elementary school determined to kill as many children as possible. Exact same scenario. Only one difference -- that country has strict gun control laws.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/world/asia/china-knife-attack/index.html?fb_action_ids=4587004826867&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

Look at the outcome.

To those who say "guns don't kill people, people kill people" I would say "guns enable people who want to kill other people to do it with extreme ease, scale and efficiency". If the guy in China had a semi-automatic, what would the headlines be saying today? I wonder why they don't cover both stories on the same day, side by side.

6 hours of legends, and I knew most of the songs (I did not know I would). That was the mother of all concerts.

Bruce Springsteen is hot. Him and Bon Jovi performing together.... wow!!!

Everyone else was amazing too. The Who, Billy Jowel, Eric Clapton, Chris Martin, Eddi Veder, Roger Waters, Paul McCartney with Nirvana... And they did so many songs(except Nirvana)! It was like most of them gave mini concerts! It just kept going and going!
If I were to go to only one concert in 10 years, that was the one to go to.

Being able to see events like this one reminds you of benefits of being a New Yorker!

It ended at 1:30 (6 hours! wow!) by the time we got home it was like 2:15 (takes time to get out of the Madison Square Garden and get to your car). And asleep after 3. Today look like something the cat dragged out and really wish I could sleep in. But no chance of that, adult life and responsibilities. (those responsibilities is what allowed us to buy $1,000 for tickets in the first place, so I will tough it out today).

So I was planning allocation for FHSA for our family for next year (enrollment is now). I called dental office to inquire how much would out of pocket costs be if one has to get a crown. She said typically the insurance cover about 50%, the crown is $950, plus whatever deductible, so she estimated over $500 Trying to find what said deductible might be, I looked up our insurance benefit explanation sheet. To my surprise, they cover 100%, and $0 deductible. I am quite pleased. Pays to check.

Though it makes me think -- someone in a low level job who can least afford to pay so much for dental care would have to pay this, or even an entire amount if they don't have dental ins, and someone with a decent job is getting further ahead by getting spared these expenses, and they do add up over the years. It is not only that some people earn less money, but that it costs them more to live (this is an example).

I'm looking forward to our concert. Though I couldn't help looking it up on craigslist, and if I wanted to sell our 2 tickets, I could make $700 profit. I won't, but I won't lie I was tempted for a minute. But this is the problem - part of the reason these tickets are so hard to get is that others are scouting them.

Bought a new song on itunes today - Laura Gibson's Lil' Red Riding hood (I liked it from Volvo commercial).

No luck fighting my most unhealthy addiction - Almond croissant from Pret in the morning. If I could give it up... but in the mornings my will power is weak, I'm sleepy and need something nice to start my day.

An update - after trying for 3 hours (both me and DH trying since the 9 am pre-sale start), we saw one set of tickets available - but for $2,500 per ticket, so $5,000 for pair, and I had the will power to pass on it. That was just too much - I can do a kitchen bench and new counter tops for that amount.

I kept trying, and after one hour more, we saw $500 tickets. We decided to go for it. I know it A LOT of money, but this is our one concert in I don't know how long. It is a unique experience, and proceeds go to Sandy victims.

Yep, $1000 for 2 tickets blows our monthly "common entertainment" category out of the water. And of course, if we are paying that much, might as well go out and make a full evening out of it.

I consider it our 5th anniversary gift to each other(even though it was about 2 months ago). We did not do anything special than, but we are doing it now.

I don't typically go to concerts, but this is too good to pass up. How often do you see a lineup like this:

Bon Jovi
Dave Grohl
Billy Joel
Alicia Keys
Paul McCartney
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Eddie Vedder
Roger Waters
Kanye West
The Who
and now rumored -- The Rolling Stones!

I want those Sandy relief concert tickets for Madion Square Garden. It will be tough, because I won't be home when they go on sale and I'll have to try and to it from iPad. I don't know if I have even a chance to snag cheaper seats. (The range is $150-$2,500). And of course, I want to go with my husband. This is one of those unplanned things, but also a very rare chance, and I really want to be a part of it!

But there is only so high I will go in price So I really hope luck is on my side tomorrow and I can grab 2 affordable seats before they are gone. I'm really excited.

I never realized how dependent we are on our car until there was no gas. People are desperate to fill up, lines were close to 3 hours with constant the danger of running out before your turn.
People can't go to work, to school, to buy groceries. I live in an area where gas stations were working but gas is gone, because our neighbors in Westchester and NJ are out of power and all coming for gas to places where power is on and service stations are operational. It has been a week and on a weekend our thoughts were mostly occupied by different ideas on how and where one could get gas.

Last night DH drove out to Maryland for a business trip, on 1/3 of tank, hoping that he will get to a place far enough from NYC that has gas before he runs out. He researched locations off the turnpike, and had help from a colleague that has vacation house in South Jersey and knows the local area off the main turnpike route. He was able to get gas of exit 6! (something like 120miles away) It was such an enormous relief. He is fine there, and will come home with almost a full tank. My mom and my neighbors are afraid to leave for a gas station because if gas runs out before they fill up they wont be able to get back.
Driving is limited to absolute essentials and roads are getting more deserted every day. It is eery.

It would be hundreds (if not a thousand of dollars to pay someone to do it.

We need to fix this ourselves, but do it properly. Can anyone advise us how?

Tile from the bath fell out when I pulled off baby's bath toy that was attached by a suction cup! When I tried to clean up stuff under tiles, more of them came loose (I think the whole lower section is loose).

The tiles are affixed by some brown stuff (can be cleaned off) to some white stuff (which is REALLY brittle and crumbles off) Underneath the white brittle cardboard-like stuff there is earth like soft stuff.



I know I can't put tile adhesive directly on the earth-like stuff. So what do I do?

For now, I covered it with tape and plastic so we can use the bath, but it is not a good solution. (it is starting to get moldy under the tape). So I need to fix this ASAP. Can anyone tell us how???

Thank you!

I can't forget a segment on TV about struggles of the poor, where the reporter was interviewing the woman who sometimes had to walk 25 minutes to her job because she did not have money for gas. (She had a house, btw, with a yard all around it!)

I wanted to yell at her that it would be a freaking dream commute for millions of New Yorkers, and in my office it is a privilege of expats who get rental subsidies on top of their huge salaries. They live close enough to walk or bike (for many it takes 40 min). They could take a bus or taxi, but most days they don't. They walk.

The walking portion of my commute is 30 minutes (15 minutes to the train and 15 minutes from the train to work), than reverse. Twice a day. Rain or shine, slush or heat wave. And I don't even think it is a hardship. I'm happy enough to live near a reliable train and not having to transfer.

And for many lower income people in this country a yard is a "must". A second bathroom is a "must", a dishwasher and a washing machine are a "must".

And to so many here who make six figures, it is still a luxury.
After I moved to a luxury building (still no personal yard, of course) I am still marveling from time to time about how nice it is to have a dishwasher, and our building has a nice laundry room, but no one, not even 1 million dollar apartments have personal washer/dryer (but those have 2 bath).

It is just amazing sometimes that some people who make over six figures can accept things that most who make 30K some place else won't accept. It is simply the matter of what one expects as a minimum convenience they are entitled to have. And expectation dictates a lot of our choices and our lifestyle.

To me, symbols of hardship are: lack of financial security, time off, lack of access to quality medical care, child care.... not walking to work in the rain or having a small house.

It started at night. We went to sleep after one, as usual, but baby woke up at 2 and cried until I let him sleep in bed with us. I barely got any sleep until 2 because I sleep very light when baby is in bed and woke up many times. Than at 7, I realized that my mom, who took a day off to stay with LO was running late and there was a good chance I will miss a train to work.
I made it on time after all, but completely tired.

I made a major mistake at work last week that came to fruition today (not due to sleeplessness, but not knowing new "set in stone" policy regarding something), probably my biggest mistake to my knowledge.
I'm lucky that my boss is rather good-natured, but there is a lot of issues that will have to be worked out and in the meantime my boss will have to postpone his travel and miss a conference.

My mom forgot the keys to my apartment again, so I had to leave her mine and now don't know how I will get into the apartment until my DH returns after 8 (he will drive LO to MIL house for one day he is going on travel).

And lastly - my stocks are down and 2 of my AAPL stock options look very dangerous right now. (Not the biggest problem by far, but adding to a bad day)

I'm really stressed out today.

This month was crazy:

Miscellaneous – allocated $100, spent $460 – (iphone $360, cleaning lady $100)

Eating out – allocated $350, spent $701, this month it was hard to get to the grocery store

Baby – big overspending is this category – allocated $300, spent $717 (big Thomas and Friends railway table and set, storage bench, baby bookshelf, some colder weather clothing, books and toys.

DH personal money overspent by $83 – kindle, itunes and something else

Clothing. – Allocated 100, spent 476 (but since I got $200 gift to use however I like, I consider only $176 overspend

Household – allocated 150, spend 275 – I got a lamp and a meat grinder attachment.

Gifts – allocated 200, spend $430 – we gave $300 to my MIL to help with the data plan (we gifted her our old iphone, and since she was not be getting a data plan if not for this gift, we decided it would be a nice thing to do). I’m not counting the resale value of the phone (about $280) toward the gift. $100 for a wedding gift – my husband attended alone that's why so cheap, and $30 in tips to doormen in our building.

Household supplies – allocated 100, spent 211, I don’t remember what happened here.

Groceries and lunches at work came just under $900. (due to eating out a lot)

With few other things here and there, the total overspend is……… a whooping $1,865

However, there was some extra income:
Birthday gift $200
Travel money $970
Apple option, FB stock and P stock speculation profit (realized) $558 (we made $873, but we owe taxes on that, so after 36% tax it will be about 558)
Overtime money, taxed already, $864

Total after-tax extra income: $2,592

So after all said and done, we are still $727 ahead.

However, next month will be tough – no travel (max 2 days and that is it), DHs overtime opportunity ended, and my AAPL stock options are looking extremely risky right now. It is likely we will loose money. And we have my moms and LOs birthdays coming up. And our 5 year anniversary. But we must do better and stay within our budget.

For only $50, but I got tired of it taking up space in my apartment, so I priced it cheapest by far. I'm also glad that somebody will get to use it, it is like new and can serve its function well.

I also bought a crate and barrel 10% off coupon for $3.99. Since I plan to buy something for $219, it will save me some money.

And had a nice time.

Found a great rate for the Ritz Carlton,


went to listen to some jazz in the evening,


had some drinks and walked back to the hotel, during the day we walked around downtown and had relaxed lunch.


I even like the road trip part of it.

Baby stayed with my mom.

I wish we could get away on a regular basis. That would have to be with the little one(my mom only stayed the weekend as a part of my birthday present). But the baby would have fun if he came with us. But I'm concerned if he would have trouble adjusting to falling asleep in a hotel room.

When you have overtime or made a good investment and make more in a particular month than just your salary, do you relax your spending on "wants" or do you honestly remain as disciplined as ever?

"unexpected" earnings feel so good because they are not budgeted for. It is easy to get carried away because you belive you "deserve" to relax more when money you could not count on getting and it has not been allocated in advance.

1) Max ROTH me DONE
2) Max ROTH DH (money is there, we just did not put it in yet - not sure where to put it)
3) Max ESA (have the money, but have not opened the account yet -- Place where I have LOs ESA currently no longer accepts new contributions)

4) Get retirement accounts to 200K DONE
(balance 205K as of today).

5) Get EF to 60K DONE! (balance of today 68K)

Both of those are invested aggressively, so it can go down some, we need to contribute more to make sure we keep investing when market dips, so we don't dip below those markers

2012 Lifestyle goals:

Catch up on vacations: DONE

9 days Vail, Colorado ski vacation
8 days Florida (4 Disney)
5 days Savannah/Hilton Head/Atlanta
6 days Japan
25 days China (partial vacation, I had to be in class 4 hours a day)
few occasional 1-2 night hotel getaways

Home improvement:

New nice big screen TV DONE
50 inch 3D Samsung

Custom window shades / still to do

Custom closet -
I want to, but I'm scared. Both of the process of picking out exactly what I want once and for all times and the cost, and of finding the right contractor

My 2013 goal
Remodel kitchen -- see the above x10! I am too chicken for that experience.

We just came back from DC. I took two days off and joined DH on his business trip. (Baby stayed with grandma for these 2 days).

We had a nice road trip, DH went to work and I launged around. After work we went out.

Gas, tolls, hotel (a nice one, JW Marriott), were covered by his employer, plus his per diem covered our meals. So basically it was a free trip for us.
On the way back, however, I went shopping in Christiana mall in Delaware.

I bought a bunch of stuff, including a swimsuit and cover-up that I like! (That is a feat, any woman will tell you that shopping for swimsuits is not fun for most). So when you see one that looks good on you, you must buy it. Than a pottery barn lamp and shade, a mini-wallet and an orange-accent fall-colored soft light cardigan.

So my shopping blew through some of my allocated budget categories. But I made $520 on an apple option that day, so that was extra income. (though more like $340 after we pay taxes on it). I wish I held it for one more day. But I was kind of a risk averse -- it had a short expiration.

It was a very nice birthday, DH tried very hard to do anything to make me enjoy myself. And this weekend, he will take care of baby all by himself as the last part of my present. The first part was in July when he bought be ridiculously expensive gift in Japan -- Mikimoto and Tasaki jewelry. (that was enought to cover Bday and our first round anniversary, yet he still wanted to do more). He is amazing.

For me a special vacation would be:

1. Iceland.

Go on a great 5-7 days horseback trip across a beautiful landscape on an icelandic horse.

Dive Silfra and Strýtan. (very unique dive sites!)

Kick back for 2 days in Reykjavik.

Rent a camper or a car and explore remote parts of Iceland, camping or farm stays.

Visit Blue Lagun for 1 day.

About 3 weeks total.

Vacation #2

Fly to Singapore, spend 5 days there than off to the main attraction - Maldives. Stay in one of those over the water luxury bungalows, like this one
http://www.guidetomaldives.co.uk/2009/huvafen-fushi-maldives-strictly-for-the-self-indulgent/
but those are like 2 k a night with 3 nights minimum, and I can't bring myself to enjoy that, even though I think that Iceland vacation would run more expensive in total (but thats over 3 weeks). Plus, not only airfare to get there, but airfare betwen the islands is very expensive as well.

We've been to many great vacations, spending a month abroad each year, and I always want to plan and look forward to something. I think this would be special. After we come back from Vail I will start pricing out Iceland and see what our time frame would be. There is a ton of research to be done on details in order to make the choices we will enjoy the most. (and from what I've seen of Iceland prices it is not pretty).

But we'll see -- as with other vacations, we set a goal, and plan to make it happen. It is not instant, but so much more rewarding.

What is your dream vacation?

As pretty much all of them

Thursday - Bronx Zoo

Friday - Children's museum

Saturday - Swimming pool and dancing -- place where we had dinner had a live band and the little one was dancing and dancing. It is so funny to see a 20 month old dance -- he jumps and twirls, and does sit-ups while trying to dance with his hands. He'd twirl until he looses balance and plops on his butt laughing, and that gets up and does it again. So happy.

Sunday - Brunch at a friends house and and Children museum again

Monday - Muscoot farm in Westchester - he saw some farm animals -- cows, goats, pigs, chickens, sheep, donkeys, turkeys. They don't keep those at the zoo, so it was good for him to see real farm animals, not just pictures in books.

We spend most of our days outside. Therefore we ended up going out for many meals (we can keep him entertained until our meal comes by doing puzzles with him on an ipad -- he loves it, he is so proud whenever he finishes one!)

Today -- we are back to work, but my mom had a day off and she is spoiling him right now. She cooks delicious dinners and takes him out to the playground and to ride his tricycle.
We are going to Westchester after work to buy LO a Thomas and Friends railroad set from a craigslist ad -- we agreed on $250, and it would be close to three times that if bought new. I hope it is in good condition.

Tomorrow and Thursday I guess he is going to have to go to daycare. But this Friday I'm off again and on Monday his second grandma will come to stay with him while DH is working from home. So he will have another 4 days of full attention. We are both working full time, so we do what we can.

We got a yearly membership to the Children's museum (it is more of a large indoor play space than a museum). It is good for LOs age.

$210 - by itself not so terrible, but we also have memberships to the Bronx zoo, New York Botanical Gardens, our pool for the season. Together it runs close to $800 per year. We do take him these places. And the zoo and the garden are worth it just so we can park there free (big deal in that area).

It is a lot on one hand, but the little one has fun and these are healthy and developing activities. And compared to the cost of classes in places like Kidville, that run by "semester" that cost $750+... it is relatively cheap. ("semester" - give me a break, it is ridiculous arrangement for a baby under two).

I like this cabinet - inexpensive and good size for my soon to be 2 year old. He could reach each drawer and he loves organizing and playing with drawers.



I think it is pretty, but do these small pink accents rule it out for a boy toddler? (It is generally pastel in color, so I cannot decide). His room is painted yellow with light blue curtains.

Those gender assignments of color are so arbitrary... but one has to live by society's rules.

So I don't know. What do you guys think?