All New For 2012

The start of the new year typically brings resolutions of change for many folks and the Contessa family is no different. Lucky for me, I've had a head-start on the weight loss so I don't have to put so much focus on that one! Our resolutions this year are big. Really big. We've put our savings plan into high gear in order to make the move out of Arizona.

Of course, anything can happen but, right now, our focus is on Binghamton, New York. It is a big enough city to find gainful employment, but small enough to have plenty of "rural" suburbs. And, most importantly, we will only be a 4-hour drive, east or west, away from all the grandparents! Let me pack my bags! It is a huge undertaking for us, but we are 100% committed to giving our kids a similar upbringing to what we experienced. And that is something Tucson just can't offer.

So, we didn't exactly start off the New Year by saving. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Having lived in our house for 7 years, we've learned that New Year's Eve is never quiet in our neighborhood. And, when the music started at 3:00 pm, Ib and I looked at each other and decided "enough is enough." We get little sleep as it is with Thane and we certainly didn't need any help from the neighbors. After a quick search on the internet, we found a reasonable rate for a hotel on the north side of town and packed up the kids. 20 quick minutes on the freeway took us to the Days Inn and we enjoyed a lovely dinner at The Native New Yorker: Ib's favorite place for wings. Ironically, the only other people in the place were several families who ALSO had children under the age of 3 in tow. We had a brisk walk under the stars back to the hotel and the quietest New Year's Eve in YEARS. Can you say, "Worth. Every. Penny."?

One of my newest past times is an online clothing swap called ThredUP. Using only medium sized flat rate boxes from the Post Office, you "build" boxes of gently used kids clothes and list them on the site. Then, other moms in need of that size clothing can "pick" your box. You simply print out the shipping label and put it out for the mailman to pick up. And, once received, your box is rated by the picker. If you get a good rating, you earn a $5 credit, which can be used towards purchasing a box or cashed out in the form of a check. It is WAY easier than having a yard sale. And it isn't just kids clothes...I've gotten a couple boxes of clothes for myself. People list household items. Extreme couponers list stuff from their stockpiles. I even got Knox a Sesame Street bedding set, with Elmo & Cookie Monster on a fire truck (one of his current favorite things), not to mention 85% of his entire winter wardrobe.

It would be an accurate statement to say that I am obsessed with thredding. I find myself glued to their facebook page, which a bunch of the moms have started using as a forum to search for specific items. Ib said he is going to enroll me in a 12-step program. But right before Christmas I sent out 3 different boxes stuffed full of my old beanie babies, because I saw that people were looking for some. And I've sent out 2 boxes of clothes that Thane has already outgrown. Newborn & baby sizes are pretty common, so I feel pretty good about my boxes being picked. I must have stylish kids! For fun, ThredUP sent out 20 "swap diaries" to some of the moms. These little notebooks are travelling around the country in boxes from place to place. I received one in the last box that I picked. So I wrote an entry and sent it on when my next box went out. When I emailed my picture sending on the diary (which is in the instructions), they sent me a ThredUP t-shirt! Now Ib is REALLY going to enroll me in a 12-step program.

I love the concept of thredding, but Ib is right. Between working and playing, I spend far too much time on the computer. Ironic that I'm mentioning this as I'm blogging...but I digress. So I've also resolved to unplug this year. At least one full day of the weekend. No TV, no internet, no checking facebook on my stupid iPhone (although I can't promise not to play Words With Friends while I'm in the, erm, "library"). And, during the week, we are dedicating the hours between 5:00 and 8:00 pm to family. We're hoping to get out for a family walk after dinner as the summer evenings get longer. We're even getting ready to cancel the cable, killing 2 birds with one stone: unplugging AND saving money!

So that's what is new for us in 2012. Oh, and my fabulous pink shirt...I got that in a ThredUP box.