Chirp!:

    Monday, April 23, 2007

    Shopping

    It was my turn to buy.

    As the last of the Mother's Group not to create a sibling ( besides the mum that has already been on buying duty ), it was my turn to create the sweet parcel of adorable on a minimal budget to present to the new mother.

    I am a crap shopper. People seem to take such care.
    I tend to buy a Yardley perfume from the chemist and get them to wrap it.
    But i'm getting better !!

    So I headed down to my local kiddie store.

    I live in an area that borders on another, posher area, and there are many women in my area ( ie: the woman before me in this store, for whom $120 of *adorable* ( and they *were* ) clothes for her daughter was like the rest of us at a Target sale, snapping up those $6 'Double 0's ... )
    I mean, come on, $50 for a top that won't fit them after one wash ?!
    Not that I wasn't slightly envious .. but I was baulking at the $ at every rack.

    We only have 5 women left in my Mother's Group. That's 4 that put in $10 for a new sibling. $40. For NICE stuff, something the mum wouldn't splurge on herself - something a bit special, a bit pretty.

    For $40. Far out. Most things started at $50 !! Beautiful woolen cardi's for $70 ( this is what I went looking for to begin with ) .. but I also wanted a little money leftover for a 'something else'.

    *sigh*




    Anyway, I thought this was pretty cute. The picture doesn't do it justice.

    It's all natural fibres and stuff. Pure. Something. Made in Thailand. Probably.

    There's a fair bit of eggshell blue in the body, and the pink is more a hot lipstick red/pink candy stripe. I also got a matching cap. I really liked this 'Japanese wrap' style of outfit that was unavailable in Australia when I birthed the boy. My mum sent me some stuff from the UK, and ever since then, i've always looked for it for other new mums. Just so easy to change in an emergency, and so cute to boot !

    Problem: as I chat-chat-chatted with the boutique owner(?) storeperson, she probably assumed I was spending big. I'm talking a 'group buy', and she's thinking ka-ching.

    My boy was being VERY well-behaved with the assortment of toys in the corner for such visitors, and she was a bit all over him. She gave him a wooden race car not unlike one of these in the picture. I thought it was to play with ( it cost $10, as i'd already said 'no' ), but it was a *reward* for being a good boy and letting me shop with my now *pathetic* $40.00.

    So I had to then buy him a woolen cap ( winter's coming, last years' is too small, and they are handy at the park. Take off the racing car discount, and you couldn't get cheaper at K-Mart ).

    Anyway, thank Goodness for VISA.


    19 comments:

    Victoria said...

    How about $40 worth of chocolate?

    LBA said...

    heh.

    There's nothing I can do in the food dept for this mum. She's Greek, and I have no idea if that has anything to do with it, but everyone comes hungry for a MG meet at her house.

    She rocks in the food dept, and makes the rest of us look like we serve stale bread with lard.

    I was there like a week after she got out of hospy, and had to violently INSIST I did not need an omelette cooked for us for lunch.

    Note to self: Get more Greek Friends .... ;)

    Kiki said...

    Oh now, this post had me laughing. And...I love this range from Bebe. My best friend lives in London and sends me clothing from Blooming Marvellous amongst others and I have always sat, watched and waited by the letterbox when she tells me it's on the way. I'm glad we're moving on up in the clothing dept for babes here in Australia too.

    I'm trying to work out which suburb you borderline with the posh-ettes? Does it start with an 'M' or a 'B' perhaps?

    Stomper Girl said...

    I think you done good, Ms. Hopeless Buyer (see what I did there with the initials..???) That outfit is twelve shades of adorable.

    I also baulk at very expensive baby clothes that they'll grow out of before they've worn it twice. Far better to spend more when they're 3,4,5,6 and stay the same size for a whole year.

    But when you're spending the big bucks like you were today I guess it's okay ... heeheeehee.

    LBA said...

    Hmm - Kikimiss - you always seem to know so much ..

    Unfortunately, with new blogger, i'm denied the personal/email contacts of others, but if you're really keen to know, drop me a line.

    I'm thinking you've guessed: Brighton and Malvern, so tell me , are you ex-VIC ? ;)

    tommie said...

    ooohhh...guilty retail therapy! The worst kind...that kimono onesie is adorable. My kids lived in those for a bit until their little button fell off.

    The wooden toy is cute. I bet your son is still having a ball racing it around the house.

    Anonymous said...

    Oh dear, I really didn't envy you this, it's so hard chosing in the first place and trying to stick to a budget is murder. You did great.

    My float said...

    I'm hopeless at that kind of shopping too, but only because I tend to overcompensate and spend more than the allocated amount!Which does absolutely nothing for my bank balance.

    I'm surprised that Melbourne, the fashionista of Australia, didn't have these crossover clothes. There's a lovely range, Bebe, and I bought an all in one for my son to wear under his christening clothes. He wore it three times. Bargain (not!) but very cute!

    LBA said...

    MF: This is a Bebe item, and I buy the Bebe range for others.

    What I probably should have said was that I was *unaware* of them until got some of my own as gifts ;)

    Basically, I don't get out much, and rarely stray from Target...

    meggie said...

    Well done. I can be found drooling over clothes, wishing we had another grandbaby in the family. Not going to happen I fear.
    Love the racing car.
    Who could resist your son!

    Melody said...

    You might remember I used to live in Sth Melb so my Mother's Group consisted of 10 or so regulars, most who would dress their little ones in these outragedly priced outfits in which I would drop my jaw at. I was the one who would get the most comments on Monet's clothing and all I did was shop at Big W, Target and Myer. No fancy nancy stores for me! Hehe...

    English baby clothings stores are fab aren't they? Having my sis live in London is *very* handy. She buys Monie stuff from Next Clothing - all very, very cute...

    You did well with what you choose - well done.

    And how much do you love your child when they are so well behaved. He obviously deserved his little gift...

    Anonymous said...

    Atleast you bought something, I tend to to walk into shops and then think ' bugger off - ill just make something...'

    Gina said...

    I too have walked through posh tot shops with utter astonishment at what parents will pay to be extra sure their lovlies look just the right shade of hip. I have to admit I've been tempted but have learned the hard way (well, there's hard way and then there's hard way -- we're not talking $50 smackers a top mind you) that babes really do grow out of those pricy tops just as quickly as they do the $9.99 ones from Target. I still tend to go a little OTT on the shoes but I'm trying to be better. I think you made an excellent choice for your $40 spree. Can't go wrong with warm and snugglies.

    BTW, missed the last post. I like the toes in. Gives it even more character.

    Holly Muppet said...

    Great buy on the gift, it's gorgeous. Mummy gets some good "paddock clothes" at Best & Less and sometimes KMart, they get trashed so quickly it's not worth spending lots of $$ on them.

    Kiki said...

    Lived in Melbourne until pregnant with Miss A, stupidly my hormones told me we should move back to Qld. Rule #1 when pregnant - DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR HORMONES!!!

    Yes I did mean Brighton and Malvern :-) We borderlined Malvern. I loved going to Malvern Central as my local. Hmmm you never know we may still come back, I always felt so much at home in Melbourne. But I would miss my Dad terribly. I suppose I cannot put my life on hold for others though, right?

    Em said...

    That is a gorgeous outfit!

    Ms Brown Mouse said...

    Those expensive shops are really only for grandmothers & aunties to shop at. The only ones generally daft enough to fork out $70 for a jumper that won't last a season.

    Wes said...

    Those race cars are way cool! My sister spends like your posh neighbours. Every time she visits Oz she buys a months worth of clothes here for her kids, and then ends up giving them away as she has no space to take them back to the U.S!

    Anonymous said...

    you did good- i love that little suit.

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