New In For Dean

I have another round up of new items that I purchased for Dean and there is more to come. I had to buy a lot of stuff to redo his room for safety reasons, so there will also be a room tour update for Dean. I haven’t done one since I first moved in almost two years ago. Also as I write this, my car is currently in the shop, because my tire almost caught on fire. You can smell burning rubber and feel the heat radiating off the tire. I burnt myself a little on the rim when I was fire extinguishing it just in case. I ended up paying $230 for new pads and the labor. Everything else was under the warranty. If I got that promotion, it would help a lot. I am writing this a week before the post goes up, so I will update if I get any news on this.

I let Dean have the Noise Putty, since all three of these were just $1. He loves playing with it, so I am sure that all of these slimes will be a hit. It is a more firm slime, as the name suggests, it is more like putty. It isn’t noisy unless you put it in the container and press down on it to pop the air bubbles. For some reason, I thought that you could make noises with it in your hand. The Silly Sludge seems more watery. I am glad that they all seem like they are going to be different textures and consistencies.

I saw these at Walmart, so I picked up another pack. They only have this pack out during the summer and even though Dean has only gone through 1 bubble stick, I need to have a back up pack just in case. We use bubbles everyday for therapy, so it is something that he needs to have. It calms him down when he is upset. At under $4, it wasn’t a big spend and I can still wrap it to put under the tree.

I found this 3T outfit on clearance at the end of the summer for 5 or 7 dollars. He doesn’t have many shorts that are going to fit him next year, so he will at least have one pair that will fit him until I buy him some summer clothes. I thought the outfit was super cute. They only had this complete outfit for a 3T. Most of the clothes were for children under 1.

This stuff really works on Dean’s dry, sensitive skin. Serena wanted to model with this photo. I think she did a good job. She could sell this product. Aveeno is still better than Equate though. Equate does a good job, but I would still invest in those expensive $3 jars. They work overnight and give his skin a serious amount of moisture. Equate is good for the rest of his body, but isn’t quite enough on his dry patches. This is also a lotion, though. The Aveeno is a balm. There is no Equate version of the balm.

I took this picture with the new camera! It is a pretty good camera. I think the pictures can come out a bit pixelated, but kit is good for the short term until I can get a better camera next year. I really want to get a Nikon camera. Something in the $100 dollar range that takes good pictures. This is fine for blogging photos and pictures of Dean. But for great action shots of Dean, I need a better camera. This way, I can have one camera that takes great photos and another as a backup for when the other one breaks unexpectedly. Like I said, this is a great cheap camera to take pictures of, but it isn’t high quality. The quality is good, but a better camera has crisper quality if you get what I am saying. I spent $60 on this camera, but I am setting money aside next year for when I see a Nikon go on sale and I will snatch it up. An upgrade for sure from my old phone.

With Love,

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New In For Dean

So, Dean is going to be having a bunch of these posts, because Christmas and his birthday is right around the corner. He also has been escaping his crib. I had to make a big order for a bed, a gate to go around it for safety purposes, tv mount, cable wire covers, gate for the kitchen entry way, and a new mattress. I am just happy to be taking these pictures with a camera. I still have a few of my phone photos left over from the month or so without a camera. Now, I have a brand new phone that takes WAY better pictures, so if I am ever without a camera again, the quality won’t suffer as bad as this time. I am super excited about the holidays being around the corner! Having a child has brought back that Christmas magic to me.

Aren’t these little work boots adorable?! Dean needed a new pair of sneakers in the next size up and I thought since it was already getting colder out, he could get a boot version of a pair of sneakers. He has real winter boots from last year that I had bought a size up, so they are still good for this year. He just outgrew his size 5 and now has two pairs of size 6 boots. I am very strict with the amount of shoes that Dean has. Children are always growing, so I feel like two pairs are plenty until he can wear sandals, then three would be fine. He is a boy, so I don’t think he really cares what’s on his feet.

With those growing feet of his, he needed new socks and I had to go to the men’s section to get them. That’s where they keep the little boy socks! These are toddler socks that fit sizes 4 1/2 to 8 1/2, so they should be good until he walks holes into them. He just graduated into a 6 recently, so these will wear out before he actually grows out of them. We are still using the infant socks on him, since they aren’t worn out and still easy to slip onto his foot. I’m happy not to buy socks for a long time, except for me. I’ve worn mine down to holes and currently have two pairs and a half…

YES! I bought Dean this Paw Patrol fire truck for Christmas. It goes 2 MPH and is so cute! I am currently charging it up. You have to charge it once a month to keep the battery full and after each use. It is worth it to be able to see him use it on Christmas morning! I am so excited to give it to him. I can imagine the smile on his face now. He is really into fire trucks at the moment and how could I resist this? He is going to love this motorized truck. It is mostly for indoors and during the summer on level dry ground.

Dean has sensory seeking behavior, so he needs more toys that stimulates his senses. I thought this slime kit would be fun to make with him. It also has glitter which is a favorite of his. It has everything we need, so I hope that it comes out right. I thought he could help me mix everything together and watch it turn into slime. It will be a fun activity when we are housebound during my dad’s surgery. This is also a Christmas present, but it may be a birthday present.

The last Christmas item for this post. I bought Dean the knock off of kinetic sand. I will still buy the real kinetic sand, but I thought I would try this out. If it is the same, then I would buy this one again, because it is so much cheaper than the real thing. I have been buying an item here and there every week to slowly build a good stash of Christmas and birthday presents. I can’t afford it all at once, but buying an item every week makes it really affordable. I started out thinking that this will be a small Christmas, but I think it will be a regular Christmas. He might not have the most expensive things, but he is loved and has tons of stuff to play with.

With Love,

5 IN: Dean Edition

Once again, I have enough items to post a Dean haul. He honestly doesn’t get a whole bunch of toys or anything. I buy him things when he makes great progress in therapy and some of these things are stuff that I buy to take care of him, not necessarily for fun. He has a whole room full of toys that he loves to play with, so I don’t feel that he needs a whole bunch more. Of course, with Christmas and his birthday around the corner, he will be getting more toys. After the holidays, I will probably purge out whatever toys he doesn’t play with anymore and donate them. I already did an overhaul of his clothes and toys in the beginning of the Summer. I am still picking up pieces of clothing here and there to donate. I am planning on buying him clothes in September. He really needs some new shirts. Everything shows his tummy!

Ruff’s House is an adorable tactile set to stimulate Dean’s sensory tenancies. He loves putting the rubber pieces in his mouth and feeling around in there. His favorite plush is the silky purple on and the red rubber bones are his favorite for mouthing. I bought this set with my work “reward” points. It cost me 24 points and it was worth every one. He loves putting his hand in the dog house and feeling blindly for the bones. He gets to explore them with all of his senses and it is a surprise when you pull one out.

With the fourth of July, a glow stick is a must. I thought that this would be fun to get him and it was. He didn’t have much interest in it after the first 10 minutes, but he did use it as a nightlight.

Dean loves the puzzles with the knobs and I saw this one at Walmart. They actually had six different themed ones, but this is the one Dean chose. He likes the barnyard themed ones. I think it is from watching so many Dr. Pols. I have to keep the puzzle in my room or else, he just tries to eat the pieces. When he wants to play with it, he’ll pick it out of the toy bin in my room and complete the puzzle on my floor.

I found this at Walmart on clearance for $1! I use this as bubble bath for Dean when he is taking a tub before bed. It has a nice calming scent, but is not lavender at all. I think it might be a mix of Lillys and something else. It makes a lot of bubbles and I think that it does help to relax Dean before he has to go to bed. It seems like the few times that I have used this, he doesn’t cry when he gets put down.

Serena wanted to be in the photo shoot, so here she is along with this diaper cream that was on clearance the same day for $1.50. Dean has two tubes that only have a wee bit left, so it was a great time to grab a new tube for cheap. I use diaper cream in other areas than an irritated bum and crotch area. I will put some on his chin when he gets a rash from drooling, different heat rashes on his body, and for the dry patches behind his ears. It really is a multipurpose product. I hardly use it on his actual bum anymore, but since he still wears a diaper, irritation is inevitable.

Those are the five things that I have bought him lately with one item still in the wings. I haven’t been purchasing much lately, because he has what he needs for the most part. I do intend to shop at Savers once a month between September to December for Dean’s Christmas and birthday gifts. My dad will be having his surgery in December, so for at least that month, he won’t be driving around. I am sure that I can get a ride from people that I know to shop for food near the end of December/January. I plan on buying as much food as the fridge will handle before my dad’s surgery.

With Love,

Just Dean Hauling

I told you all that I have been hauling a lot due to tax season and Dean’s monthly stipend. So, I thought that I would share some of this hauling with all of you. There will be tons of hauls going up this month and probably the next. I don’t take pictures of EVERYTHING that I buy, but they have been piling up lately. I also love a good haul and I know others do as well. I recently put in a Macy’s order for clothes for Dean, a Hautelook order for me, and an Amazon order for Dean as well. I bought 4 cute outfits from Walmart today, but I forgot to take pictures before throwing them in the wash. When they are dry, I will take some pictures, because they are too cute not to share.

Paw Patrol Bedding Set

I bought Dean this Paw Patrol 4 piece bedding set from Walmart for about $40. Dean loves it and I am super happy about the quality. I still need to get him something thicker for the next Winter, but this is a great bedding set for the warmer months that are fast approaching. I don’t want anymore snow.

I bought this big wooden block puzzle at Savers for a few dollars. It is something simple for Dean to master and easy for his little hands to pick up. His ABA therapist has a different animal puzzle that he loves, so my boy definitely loves animals.

I paid less than $15 at Walmart for both of these books. One was $8 and the other $5 I think or somewhere around there. Dean loves Paw Patrol so this was a find at the Walmart that I go to. The book section is always in disarray and picked over by the time I get to it at the end of the week. He really loved the Love book from the doctors and I was able to find this love book which is similar.

I bought this at Savers and it has not been a hit so far. His ABA therapist has some thing similar, so I thought that he would like it. Maybe when he gets a little older or has a bit more patience for a toy like this.

Another purchase at Savers that Dean actually likes. His ABA therapist has the exact same toy, which is why I bought one. I like to have toys that he likes at home that his therapist also uses, so I can carry on that teaching and learning process for him. He loves the animal sounds and I am starting to see a pattern of him loving anything that has to do with animals.

I don’t like to write a huge haul post, so I always wait until I have 5 items for my posts. I might make my lap top purchase a separate post, just because I have so much to say about it. I still have to take some decent photos of it as well. I hope you are all having a great weekend. I’m sorry for not posting everyday like I have been doing lately. I never meant for my blog to be an everyday thing, but it has been such a relaxing activity for me lately. I have been making time for it. When I am too busy, I don’t post. I just wanted you guys to know that. The dogs went to the vet yesterday, so I just didn’t feel like posting afterwards. I go to a vet school clinic, so the vet bill was amazing. It was $109 for both dogs that includes two physicals, two 3 year Rabies, 2 3 year distemper, 2 6 month supply of Hartguard, 2 6 month supply of Netgaurd, 2 nail trimmings, and miscellaneous fees. I have to wait until April 1st to book Serena’s dental cleaning which was quoted between $250 and $350 max. Very happy with their clinic. Makes it affordable to have pets again.

With Love,

New In

I have collected a few new pieces over the course of January and early February, so I thought that I would share what I have picked up. I like writing these posts when I get have a pile of new things to do a haul post with. Most of the time, I pick up things spread out over a long period of time. I don’t do a lot of hauls. I think that I did more hauls in the past. I’m trying to use what I have rather than buy buy buy. I’m being more consumer conscious and I want to move towards being a minimalist. I enjoy the aesthetic and the concept of not having more than you need, use, and enjoy. Less clutter. It will be easier to do once I own my home, but this year I am focused on using up and decluttering.

Dean loves these blocks that were bought for him at Christmas time. His box was defective, so I had to return it and I rebought it at half of the price because it was clearanced. So, I used the extra money on his food for the week: Parent’s Choice fruit and veggie pouches and a couple of cans of beanies.

Simple is a cruelty free brand and I was in desperate need of micellar water, but couldn’t find any that were cruelty free. I do not like the Simple brand one. Maybe I should retry it? I think it might be different formula wise by now. These were clearanced down to $2.50 each and I had $1 off coupon, so two for $4 was not a bad deal at all for these. I use these every morning to cleanse my skin and on lazy nights.

I bought Dean a coloring page for practicing how to color with his therapists.

I needed a good cruelty free deodorant and I think D recommended this to me. I find that this dries out my underarms, so I apply lotion nightly and sometimes in the morning as well before applying. FINALLY! I have found a deodorant that truly lasts all day on me. It is even making me less wet when I stress sweat, which is AH-MAZING. I love this deodorant, but I want to try Tom’s next. I need to see if I can find something less drying.

Until I can find a better furry white or light blue seat cover, this seat throw will have to do. My dad bought me a black chair, which doesn’t go with my room. Throwing this fur (fake of course!) on the chair makes it look less harsh. If anyone knows a site or place to look for a furry white or light blue cover, leave me a comment and let me know. I want to find something so I can use this as a cute rug under my desk instead.

What have you bought lately?

With Love,

Stuff I Bought Lately

I have been buying Christmas presents and a few things for myself lately. I thought that I would share what I have bought for Dean so far for Christmas. I have plans for his birthday. His birthday present is really pricey, so I’m waiting until sometime next year to buy it for him. He will love it though! I’m hoping I can save up the $80 that this present costs over the first two months of the new year. I usually like to celebrate his birthday again the next year. I get him a cake and a card for his birthday, but he doesn’t get his present until the next year and I do the cake again.

Spark Fire Truck

I bought this for Dean to learn how to roll a truck on the floor. It is a nice big size, so he can really handle it. It is also too big to go in his mouth. He enjoys playing with it and it is fun to sit with him on the floor and try to get him to use the truck the “correct” way. He still prefers to kick it across the floor though.

Crayola Color Bath Dropz

I love surprising Dean with different colored baths, when I have the time to let him play in the tub for 10 to 20 minutes. He’s a shower boy, but he loves his tub play time. His face lights up when he sees the colored water. He hasn’t tried to drink the color water, but he tries to “catch” it in his hands. The color drops leaves the bath water really moisturizing, which makes you a slippery tube. Dean likes to “walk” in the tub, so he was slipping around a bit. I’m going to try a different brand when these are done.

I’m trying all different cups to try to get Dean off of the bottle. So far, he just drips this one all over himself. It isn’t going to waste though. I’m sure he will love to drink out of this when he gets older. It just gathers dust right now.

Another one that Dean likes to use as a squirt gun. Again, he will appreciate it when he gets older. He uses his 360 cup for everything BUT milk. He refuses to drink milk out of anything but a bottle. This will gather dust as well, but I bet this will be his favorite water bottle in a year or two.

Dial Seasonal Collection Paradise Limeade Hand Soap

I bought another hand soap and this one smells SO GOOD! It smells like a raspberry lime Rickey. I am enjoying the fruity tart scent. It makes washing my hands enjoyable. I cannot wait to buy another seasonal scent. I didn’t enjoy the pine scented one, but maybe they have something with apple, pumpkin, or cinnamon.

These are the stuff that I have bought lately. I’m waiting to have enough presents for Dean to make a post. So far, I have gotten him three things. I want to get him another two or three things for Christmas and then, I will post what I got him here. I’m still trying to find him toys that are engaging enough for him, but also easy for his autistic brain to comprehend. Simple toys are the way to go with him. I’m hoping to find a few more things that he doesn’t already have. I’m also wiping up a couple of toys to donate that he has grown out of like his walking zebra and the little activity table. It will make room for all of his new toys coming in.

With Love,

Dean’s Half Birthday Haul

I set aside $100 for Dean’s 1st birthday. Since his birthday is the day after Christmas, I like to just buy him a cake and a card for his birthday. I saved the gifts for June 26th. He loved everything that I bought him. I bought him jumbo crayons and a jumbo Paw Patrol coloring book. I got him a plain poster board to scribble on. I also purchased a two pack of training pants that are reusable/cloth underwear. Basically, it’s the toddler version of cloth diapers, except they are pull ups. He also got a big block puzzle, flash cards to learn colors, animals, and ABCs. I bought him training pants that go under diapers to help him learn when he goes to the bathroom and asked to be changed. He got bathtub paint and I bought him carrot cake to celebrate.

I forgot about the cute owl ice pack for booboos! I also bought him a mask, since he loves to hide behind them for the 4th. His birthday lunch was grapes and cheese and yes, I shared this yummy lunch with him. Although, he did hog the cheese!

I enjoy celebrating his birthday this way. I feel like Christmas should be it’s own thing and I give him something to look forward to next year. I think he’ll appreciate it when he gets older. For his third birthday, I will be taking him to Storyland the following summer. The year after, a vacation to Maine. He’s still too young right now to appreciate birthday/vacation trips. I feel like a memory is worth more than gifts and toys. If he doesn’t like it when he gets older, I’ll tweek it a bit. For now, it is perfect. I think it’s hard for many families when a birthday lands in the same month as Christmas. Funds are tight, so  it’s nice to save his birthday for at least January when he gets older and doesn’t want to wait until summer.

With Love,

Dean’s Chrisbirthday Present From D

Danielle very graciously bought my son a Christmas and Birthday present. I am very grateful for being gifted with a caring best friend that supports me no matter what decisions I have made in my life. I just hope that I am as great of a friend to her as she is to me, because as far as friends go, she’s pretty amazing.

This is the cutest little penguin ever! Dean enjoys biting on his beak, which all four of Dean’s first molars have erupted! They are half way through his gums. Now, my little boy has twelve teeth. I think he can only get 8 more, so here’s to many more.

She also bought him Micky Mouse pjs, a fleece one piece, and a Paw Patrol shirt, which Dean adores dearly. I love having a few more new things to put him in. He never seems to have enough clothes, especially since half off his pants are too long. He is short for his age. He wears 9 month old pants and clothes. He is a 14 month old in 9 month old clothes.

We have new books to read to Dean and he has tons of new toys to play with. He is blessed with love and that is what is important. He still has a lot of basic toys though. He doesn’t want for anything. I will happily go without to get Dean something he needs/wants. He loves the little train cars and the shapes. He gnaws on the rubber ducky and tries to eat the books as well. He is attached to his big red Clifford that Danielle had bought him months ago now. He sleeps with him at night. It’s so cute to find him in the morning snuggling with a stuffed animal that is almost as big as he is. Well, that is what Danielle got Dean for his birthday and Christmas. He is a spoiled, sweet boy.

With Love,

Mini Christmas Haul

This is not everything that I have purchased Dean. It is just the start of Christmas shopping for him. I bought a ton of clothes for him from Macy’s, which you will see that haul coming up soon. I have a lot of hauls coming up what with a $25 dollar gift card from work, that $50 Visa one, and the rest off Dean’s Christmas money to spend. It really is the most wonderful time of the year and I have a housing interview coming up, so we might be moving in the new year. So much excitement and things to look forward to, not to mention that Dean is turning 1 years old in 13 days! Let’s get to the baby haul!

I bought this as part of the gift grab from work. I ended up with such a cute gift that my best friend from work Amanda bought. This is the second year in a row that I have ended up with the gift that she bought. This gift was a hit at work with the cat lovers in my unit.

I want Dean to have some developmental toys as well as ones just for fun. This one teaches him different sizes and colors. He also likes toys that rattle, so the red one will probably be his favorite. I’m thinking about buying some blocks with the alphabet on it as well.

Dean already has this toy, but the batteries died and they cost $15 dollars verses just buying the whole toy again for $9. He hasn’t grown out of it, so I know he’ll enjoy the music again. He just loves toys that are musical and shows with songs in it.

Dean has been watching the commercials forever for this and every time he gets really excited for it. I think my dad is more excited than Dean. LOL. I know he will be happy to see the car go around and lighting up the track. He really loves lights, so he loves the Christmas tree as well. I will be sure to review these toys after he has played with them for a good while.

Well, that’s it for this little haul. I hope you all enjoyed it.

With Love ❤