My Favorite Quarantine Activities

Summer is here! It looks a little different than usual, but it’s here. With it being 100 degrees every day here in Houston, there’s no ignoring it. I’ve been trying my best to stay sane, and find new things for my family to do during this pandemic. Not seeing friends and family, and being couped up in the house can really take its toll. So I’m sharing my top 10 favorite activities for you to try out this summer!

1. Visit new parks

Now I’ll admit that daily trips to the park can start to get a little mundane. If you live in a big enough city, my suggestion is to visit a new park each week. You’ll be surprised how having a new thing to look forward to makes such a difference. I truly believe being outdoors is a great mental health booster. One of my favorite parks in Houston is Buffalo Bayou Park. The views of downtown are beautiful. Pack a picnic and you’re good to go!

Buffalo Bayou Park

2.  Try some new recipes

You know all those Pinterest recipes you have saved on your boards? Or all those Food Network recipes you always say you’re gonna try? This is the perfect time to do it! Being quarantined definitely has me cooking a lot more. I’ve been doing lots of experimenting with my family and exposing them to new foods. There have been some definite fails, but it’s been fun crossing some recipes off my list. One thing we’ve discovered is how to make deep dish pizza. I linked the recipe below. It’s a little time consuming, but man is it worth it!

Deep Dish Pizza

4. Happy hour

Boy, do I miss happy hour! One of my favorite spots is Blanco Tacos & Tequila in Houston. Their margaritas are pretty hard to beat. I’ve been trying though! My home edition of happy hour includes my own version of their margaritas that I’ve been tweaking for the past couple of months. It’s finally perfect now though. I think it’s safe to say during this quarantine we’ve all needed a drink or two. So why not make it fun? Recreate your favorite drinks at home!

Blanco Tacos & Tequila

5. Beach trip

We’re lucky enough to live less than an hour from Galveston beach. It’s a great day trip option, and a great way to wear out the kiddos! In my opinion, the best time to go is early in the morning when the crowd and the temperature are low. And don’t worry, you can easily social distance yourself, and still have a great time. If you’re feeling a little stressed and needing a break, I think this is a great option!

 

6. Movie Night

So I’ve seen these elaborate backyard movie nights on Instagram lately, and they’re pretty impressive! I personally don’t have that kind of space, but I have been shopping around for a mini projector for my own version of an outdoor theater. I’ve seen some on Amazon that run between $80-$100. A great early birthday present if you ask me!

7. Fruit picking

I think this has to be one of my favorite things we’ve done lately. After hearing a lot of good things about Froberg’s Farm, we decided to check it out. We went early that morning on a weekday so there wasn’t a lot of people; which was perfect for social distancing. Because the farm is so big, it was easy to keep our distance for other people and enjoy our day out. We actually missed strawberry season, but we were able to pick blackberries, zinnia flowers, and sunflowers. It was the perfect day!

Frobergs Farm

8. Dine alfresco

Now that I’ve spruced up my balcony, eating outside has become my new favorite thing. I honestly wish I had added seating along time ago. It’s like a mini escape. I can pretend I’m eating out at my favorite restaurant with great food and even greater company. Hubs and I love to have our date nights out there at night with my string lights overhead. It’s romantic without any effort whatsoever!

Check out my last post for patio deets!

9. Game night at home

Who doesn’t love a good game night? And with the help of Zoom and apps like Houseparty, game night can even be virtual now.  I’ve been obsessed with Monopoly lately even though I’m terrible at it! I just don’t know what the key is to winning. I’m literally always the first one to lose. If yall have some tips, help a girl out!

10. Take a virtual trip 

Okay, I know a virtual trip is nothing like the real thing, but a girl can dream right? There’s nothing like traveling and exploring new places. It’s a high that I’m so addicted to. However, with all that on pause, I think taking some virtual trips can be a great substitute. If anything it will give you some new places to add to your travel list. I can’t wait to travel again, but in the meantime I’ll be exploring the world through my computer.

Virtual Tour of the Grand Canyon

I hope I was able to give you guys some new ideas for this unique summer we’re going to have. I would love to hear some ideas that I missed. Let me know in the comments what yall are up to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Budget Friendly Holiday Activities

The holiday season is here! It’s that time of year for family, new and old traditions, and making lots of great memories.

I will admit that I can sometimes be a grinch during the holiday season, but not this year! I’m excited to celebrate Journee’s first Christmas with all our family and friends. I’ve made a list of holiday activities that I’m going to attempt to do before the month is out. Most of these are budget friendly ideas, and baby friendly (minus the boozy hot chocolate!).

1. Christmas crafts- baby’s first ornament

2. A night in with matching PJs and Christmas stories

3. Take Christmas themed pictures

4. Send out Christmas cards

5. Visit tree farm

6. Ugly Christmas sweater party

7. Sensory boxes with bows and wrapping paper

8. Find some holiday lights throughout the city

9. Bake Christmas cookies

10. Visit hotel with Christmas decorations

11. Christmas themed day at library

12. Play Christmas music

13. Unplug and enjoy family time

14. Find boozy hot chocolate recipe

15. Binge on classic Christmas movies

Am I missing anything? Let me know your favorite holiday activities below!

Baby Fall Fashion

So I’ve been on the hunt lately for more fall clothes for Journee. The weather has been up and down here in Texas for the past month at least. Lately thought it’s been more down so I’ve noticed just how sad her fall wardrobe is!  I wanted to share with you guys a few places I’ve had the best luck.

Walmart

So I haven’t been shopping at Walmart very long, but I’ve definitely been missing out! They have lots of options that are super affordable.  My favorite is their baby sweatsuits.  You can usually get the top and pants for about $9, and a lot of them are lined with fleece to keep them extra warm.  I decided to go up a size for Journee to give her a little room to grow in them this season. The only problem I’ve had with Walmart is finding her size.  If you don’t have any luck in the store, be sure to check online!

Kohls

I just recently checked out Kohls for baby fashion.  It’s not somewhere I normally shop, but I got a coupon in the mail and decided to check them out.  The great thing about Kohls is that you can use multiple coupons (paper or digital) on the same purchase.  For example, on my last visit I used a $10 off paper coupon, $10 off $25 digital coupon, and a 15% off digital coupon! You can’t beat that.  It was all Carter’s brand items, and everything I bought was on sale to begin with.  With those kind of deals, I will definitely add Kohls to my regular shopping list for baby clothes.

 

Better Baby Boutique

So I discovered this boutique on Instagram a few months ago, and I’m so happy I did.  They have the most chic baby clothes! They have sizes from newborn to toddler.  I can usually get most of their stuff for $10 or less, and their clothes are true to size.  It’s nice to have some one-of-kind items that you can’t just get anywhere.  So check them out and be sure to use code “JOURNEESAVE25” to save 25% off your next purchase!

Once Upon a Child

This place is definitely my go-to!  I always find the best deals here.  I recently got the cutest fleece pullover my location for $6!  You can also sell your old baby clothes or gear here as well.  I recently sold Journee’s old rocker and used that money to buy her some fall clothes.  Every location is different so you never know what you’re going to find. Be sure to follow your location on social media to keep up with their current sales.

I hope this helps. Again, these are just some of the places we shop and find great deals. Let me know in the comments where you guys like to shop for your kids!

 

Store Brands: Yay or Nay?

So when it comes to store brands I feel like most people are on one side or the other. Either you’re okay with them or you’re not. I’m okay with it depending on what the item is. I will at the very least try it out.

I recently decided to try out two store brands of baby items I use daily. The first was Target brand diapers, and the second was Sam’s Club (Member’s Mark) advantage formula. So far so good!

With the Target diapers, I haven’t had any problems. No major leaks, no diaper rash, or anything in between. I’m glad I tried them out. Honestly, the price was too tempting. For a box of 104 diapers, I paid $15. If I had stuck with my normal Pampers, I would’ve paid $25. I know $10 doesn’t sound like much, but it all adds up in the end to some really great savings.

Now with the formula I was definitely skeptical. I used to have some Mom guilt once I stopped breastfeeding, and I thought giving her a top brand like Similac Pro would ease some of that guilt. The truth is though Journee is growing and developing just fine. I don’t have to feel guilty about giving her formula. She’s getting fed and that’s all that matters! Any other Mamas with me? 🙂

The Sam’s Club version of Similac Pro Advance is basically the same ingredients. There is some variations, but none that were significant for me. I did my research and I decided it was worth trying. It’s been about 3 weeks and I haven’t noticed any issues from Journee. She hasn’t had any discomfort, and there’s been no changes in her diapers. Price wise it’s a big difference. With Similac we pay about $1.25/ounce and with Sam’s we pay about .50/ounce. So it’s been a substantial amount of savings for us!

So as you can see, I’ve had a pretty positive experience with store brands lately. I’m looking forward to trying more, and potentially saving even more money!

What has been y’all’s experiences with store brands? Any you recommend? Please share!

Beat the Heat Deals…

I think I speak for all of us when I say summer has outworn its welcome! I hate to have Journee out in this heat, but also know that staying inside too much will drive us both crazy. So I wanted to share a few FREE things I have found in the area to do with her; a couple I have tried this week and a couple on my list to try!

The Library – Check our your local library for some baby and toddler classes. I tried out a baby bounce class at my location where they had songs, story time and lots of toys to play with. It’s also a great way to meet other moms.

Children’s Museum of Houston – This place is pretty cool! We went on Thursday since that’s the free family day! If you go from 5-8 admission is free. Parking is also discounted at $3 in the garage. They have a special area on the 2nd floor just for the smaller babies and toddlers.

Baby Yoga – This is on my to do list. I keep hearing good things about it. I know some locations charge a fee for this, but turns out the Heights Neighborhood Library (Houston) has a free class every week! I will definitely let you guys know all about it when I go!

Houston Zoo – From Sept to May the zoo will offer free admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Its from noon to close, and you can get tickets online. Click the link for more info!

What are y’alls go to free activities for the kiddos? Let me know in the comments!

Nursery Finds…UPDATE

I’m definitely a little late to the nursery party.  It was last on the list after we moved to Houston.  Then every time I thought about getting Journee’s room together, life happened.  So here we are at 5 months and we’re finally tackling it.  Luckily it hasn’t really mattered.  Journee has been sleeping in her bassinet in our room, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  I’m just now coming around to the idea of her not being next to me 😦

So let me share some of the deals I’ve found so far with you guys (and please let me know if you have any as well!).

First up was the crib.  I don’t know if you guys ever check out Facebook Marketplace, but you can find some great deals on there!  I was able to snag this Jenny Lind crib from a local mom for $40! I’m so happy with it. The fitted sheet is actually from Pottery Barn Kids, but I found it on Ebay for $10! It was in the original packaging, unopened. Can’t beat that!

Next, I purchased this 6 drawer dresser on sale from Walmart for $99. I was concerned about the quality, but it turned out to be pretty sturdy!

Mainstays Dresser – Walmart

Mainstays Dresser

Lastly were these pom pom curtains. I originally saw these at Target for $50, but I found a cheaper alternative. I bought some white blackout curtains from Walmart and then I sewed on some pom pom garland from Hobby Lobby. The garland happened to be on clearance so all in all I spent around $25 instead of $50.

Not too bad huh? Next on the list is a black and white rug. I will say, I’m not having a lot of luck when it comes to deals on rugs. So I still have some researching to do! I’ll be back soon with an update!

Let me know if you guys have any nursery deal ideas!

*Update* 

After some digging, I finally managed to find a decently priced rug from Overstock.  They’re having a great deal on rugs! I went with this black/ivory striped rug for $120.  It’s 6×9 and I absolutely love it.  Click below to check it out!

Black/Ivory Cotton Rug

 

Deals: Baby Clothes

For me, finding deals on baby clothes is a must.  I just can’t bring myself to pay full price for Journee’s clothes, just for her to grow right out of them.  It’s tempting though.  I see SO many cute baby clothes all over Instagram.  I have splurged a couple times, but it’s definitely not something I do on the regular.  I remember these cute little shorts I found online that were $19.  Unfortunately, I think she wore them maybe twice before they were too small.

I’m gonna share with y’all the places I have found the best deals for baby clothes:

1. Once Upon A Child – You can not only find gently used baby clothes, but you can sell your old clothes as well.  I’ve found rompers as low as $1 here! They also have deals on used cribs, strollers, rockers, etc.
2.  Lollipop Boutique – This consignment shop is very similar to the above.  You can buy or sell gently used baby clothes or gear.  I also snagged some cute maternity tops from them as well!
3. Old Navy – I have found some super cute outfits during their sales.  Make sure you sign up for their emails to stay on top of all the deals!
4.  Marshalls/TJ Maxx – The best thing about these stores is they have deals for the whole family.  You can always find cute baby outfits for less than $10!

Once Upon A Child

Old Navy

You can’t go wrong with any of these places.  Let me know in the comments where you guys shop for your little ones!

 

 

 

Welcome to Chic Bargain Life…

Hey guys! Welcome to my blog! I’m Ravonda. I’m a native North Carolinian currently living in Houston, TX.  My husband and I just moved here at the beginning of the year when I was almost 8 months pregnant.  I’m now the happy new Mom to my beautiful baby girl, Journee.  She is my miracle baby! After receiving news of some potential heart complications, and a whole week in the NICU, I’m happy to say my little boo is completely healthy! I thank the Lord each and every day for using her to show just how great He is.

One thing I’ve learned as a new Mom? Baby stuff can get pretty expensive! Here I was with a new Mom, in a new city, and lots of new medical bills from Journee’s hospital/dr visits.

All of these things pretty much forced me into what I call the Chic Bargain Life.

My hope with this blog is to share ideas with other budget-conscious Moms on ways to save money on everyday things, all while still being our fabulously chic selves!  I’ve learned that even on a budget, it’s possible to get everything you may need or want.  We just have to work a little harder and put forth a little more effort.  That’s the Chic Bargain Life way!

I’m excited to have you on this new “Journee” of motherhood with me. Be sure to follow on Instagram: chicbargainlife

Moms, let me know in the comments where you’re from!