shopping – Urban Suburban Mommy

My 5 Bargain Hunting Tips for Moms

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Alexis Nicols Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

I remember the first luxury bag I ever purchased. I paid cash from the back of a panel van in a deserted Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot. It came in a grey dust bag marked “Chahel”. That night, my cat clawed it to death. Thinking back on it, I’m thinking: a) it wasn’t a real leather bag, let alone a designer one, and b) my cat thought I was dirt.

While I’ve evolved from a traditional hunter/gatherer, the instinct to seek and find remains unchanged (I’ve also retained the sloping Cromagnon brow and slack jaw.) My search for pretty things has always been tempered by a restricted budget. Rarely do the two intersect. However, as I grow older and (marginally) wiser, I’ve found ways to circumvent the wallet drain by bargain hunting. While my curated collection is unenviable by Kardashian standards, it satisfies my love of lovely (and affordable) things. Here’s a list of my fave haunts and awesome sites. Now get shopping!

Winners: love them or hate them, Winners has a plethora of chic finds and designer duds at every price point. Yes, you need to wear your patient panties. Yes, you need to hunt. Yes, you need to wear elbow pads and, the odd time, carry pepper spray. You can thank me when you find a pair of designer jeans for 60% off and there’s one left in your size. Winners.ca
Facebook: I’ve joined local buy/sell/trade groups and have scored some incredible deals at a fraction of the price. Most sellers require pick up only, but because it’s local, you won’t have to go far.
Thrift shopping: My favourite thing to do on my birthday? Spend an afternoon in Kensington Market. I’ve haunted that ‘hood for 30 years. From Exile and Courage My Love to Vintage Depot, the finds are one-of-a-kind. I found some of my favourite items there (Guess leather knee-high boots, “like new” for $35? Burberry trench for $85? Yes please!) If you’re skeeved out by wearing second-hand goods, just go for the Dim Sum and Vietnamese coffee.
Sample sales: I used to work on a street in the west end that housed dozens of fashion distributors. About twice annually, they would release their off-season samples at ridiculously low prices. You can sign up for sample sale notices and quite literally fill your closet with high-end finds without the high-end prices.
Haute Look: There’s a ton of member sites out there offering discounts on luxury brands: Zulilly.com, Overstock.com, etc. Haute Look is my favourite. It’s a veritable Nordstrom clearance rack. Premium denim, kids’ stuff, menswear and home décor (even beauty products!), this site has it all. They have an excellent return policy and all shipping is tracked. Hautelook.com

Drool-worthy nurseries!

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Domestic Goodness .

When our first was born we lived in a really cool apartment. It was the main floor of a big old Victorian home in a trendy neighbourhood. It had a great layout – there was a gorgeous den with an antique fireplace at the front, a really spacious octagonal bedroom (was probably once a pretty grand dining room) a roomy eat-in kitchen, and at the very back there was a little office with a door that opened out onto the little backyard.

When my husband and I agreed on the place we didn’t say it out loud, but we both knew that little back office would one day be the nursery.

And it was.

I found this gorgeous mid-century teak sideboard that was being put out to the trash one night as I was coming home, and my friend helped me drag it from the curb. Lots of drawers, I added a change pad and it was way cooler than any change table you’ve ever seen. We were given the family crib and a glider. My husband painted a feature wall “Maple Leafs Blue” and proceeded to create a chair-rail effect around the perimeter with hundreds of Hot Wheels cars.

I LOVED that place.

But I didn’t take the decor too seriously – I still don’t. Our place was funky and filled with great art – the nursery was totally our style – but sometimes I look at these nurseries that have been professionally designed and covet all of those pretty pieces. Other times I look at some of these nurseries – they’re so immaculate and sophisticated I wonder if the babies know they’re not allowed to have diaper explosions in there!

Check out these for some nursery inspiration. And if you want to steal my husband’s Hot Wheels effect, he says you should go for it!

I’m a girlie girl at heart and I love pink and purple. This nursery is a great mix of style and playful. The Novella Crib at Ella + Elliot is total eye candy! The feature wall is such a great way to create different areas of the room – if you’ve got a large enough space.

Leave it to RH Baby & Child (Restoration Hardware) to make me covet a nursery when I don’t even have a baby to put into a crib. Who am I kidding, if this crib came in king size, my master bedroom would look a lot like this.

Feeling a little French Provincial? AFK Fine Furniture for Children in LA has created some celeb rooms, and this one is fit for a little princess. Some may say “A little over the top” while others may say you simply don’t hold back on the sugar or the spice when it comes to everything nice for baby.

This nursery had me at the tufted crib and gold polka dots. And I’m a sucker for tassles!. I love that it’s kind of whimsical and juvenile yet full of serious style. This is one trendsetting infant! I have to admit I’m a bit of a Land of Nod junkie. I don’t think there’s anything they carry that I don’t love love love!

Straight outta the UK, Funky Little Darlings seriously lives up to its name! Can you even? I would never have even considered the £3,200price tag on that crib – but there’s something so completely amazing about the colour scheme for a little baby girl’s room. #Want (Actually, that darker shade is pretty close to my husband’s choice of “Maple Leaf Blue”).

Ooh la la! This modern French black-and-white nursery has luxe appeal and serious drama. Pottery Barn always has the best accessories – but those floors, I can’t help myself, I want those floors. And that chair. Who am I kidding, I want the curtains and rug too. This is one sophisticated little bébé, n’est pas?

Fresh. Modern. Playful. No, that’s not a three-sided crib, that would be crazy. Lusso Baby carries the Harlow, with acrylic slats so that the hipster baby you’re raising has an unobstructed view of the hand-woven artisan rug and the original one-of-a-kind flamingo stuffie from organic virgin cotton, which is, of course, the incarnation of the most ethical form of taxidermy.

Super adorbs while gender neutral, this cheerful little nursery has all the makings for a happy baby – and happy parents. Tell me you wouldn’t be happy snuggling in that comfy glider. The new line George Baby at Walmart has lots of new pieces offering that great combination of budget friendly and stylish!!!

Day dates

Posted on March 30, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Mommy Approved .

Urban Daddy and I have a thing – we do day dates.

I’m a 9-to-5er, while he’s got odd and ever-changing hours because he works in the film industry. We don’t get a lot of evenings together, and when we do, they’re focussed around the kids.

But while they’re in school, and we’re paying for daycare anyways – it’s the perfect time for a date!

Whether it’s just a quick lunch or an afternoon off of work, we do day dates to perfection. He’s actually a very romantic and creative sort of guy, so there’s often something unexpected.

Remember how fun playing hookie was – when you used to skip class and hit the mall – day dates are that kind of fun; ditching the afternoon and just hanging out. It’s nice just to hang.

I think as parents, we forget that we need to be a couple because we’re so focussed on being someone’s mom and dad. But the relationship needs to be nurtured just the same, and day dates are our way!

If you need some inspiration for a day date, here’s some of our favourites:

The pool. Most public pools have adult swim, we pick one with a whirlpool and sauna – and an outdoor one in the summer.

The beach. Grab a big blanket and board games.

Lunch. Either a quick meet-up at the restaurant downstairs from my office, or a picnic basket and big blanket at the park down the street. Short and sweet!

The spa. A couples massage and some tea while wandering around in a robe and taking a steam. It’s relaxing and indulgent.

Shopping. Costco is really, really fun when it’s not completely packed with weekenders and kids that would rather be anywhere else. IKEA too. Even grocery shopping can make for a great day date.

The pound. We got our second cat, the little white fluffy snowshoe my son lovingly named Captain Coconut, on a day date three years ago on my hubby’s birthday. Two weeks ago we narrowly escaped adopting a dog – a half shepherd/half husky girl named Mika. I think one more pound date and we’ll have a new family member.

A movie. Sometimes there’s something really worth seeing on the big screen. Although I hate paying a sitter so I can sit in the dark and not talk to my husband, afternoon movies are a whole different thing. It’s most definitely hiding away and playing hookie!

Errands. Sometimes there’s a lot of running around to do. It’s better in twos – especially because parking downtown is both expensive and annoying, and with a partner in crime, you have someone to stay with the car while you run in, and someone to sing with when a good one comes on the radio.

Wandering. The park. The neighbourhood. The area around my office. It’s not where you go, it’s who you’re with.

Home. The place all to ourselves. ‘Nuff said.

10 Questions with Shoestring Shopping Guide’s Cathie Mostowyk

Posted on November 8, 2015 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in 10 Questions With .

10 Questions with Cathie Mostowyk, bestselling author and columnist, Shoestring Shopping Guide

For over 20 years Cathie Mostowyk has been giving us the inside scoop on budget shopping. What started out as a column in the Toronto Star, evolved into an annually published best-selling book – The Shoestring Shopping Guide. The website shoestringshopping.com continues to serve budget shoppers with sale updates and emails. Urban Suburban Mommy caught up with Cathie and asked her the 10 questions you know you want to know!

1. How did you become interested in bargain shopping?

Cathie Mostowyk: Frugality is basically part of my DNA, my mother instilled it in me. I grew up being very concious of prices and bargain shopping, which becomes second nature over time.

2. When did you start bargain shopping?

CM: I started bargain shopping in the early 90s when I noticed warehouse sales popping up in industrial areas. These sales weren’t advertised, and seemed to be attended by people who were “in the know.” The first warehouse sale I attended was the Ashley’s Warehouse Sale, and it still happens annually every year.

3. How and when did you begin sharing your information to the masses about your deal finds?

CM: I kept running into a friend I knew in the lineups for warehouse sales, and we started to chat one day about what a treasure these sales were. I commented that the sales appeared to be a well kept secret, as you really needed an underground info system to find out when and where the sales were happening.

I told her “Perhaps we should consider doing some kind of newsletter, or possibly a newspaper column based on our knowledge.”

Long story short, I pitched the idea to the Toronto Star, and we were a weekly column in the paper for over 20 years. We also published 14 annual books, and in 2004 moved the business to the web. At that time, the web was not well understood and most retailers did not even have point of sale systems or computers in their stores. Since then, we’ve launched five different Shoestring sites. Our most recent site launched very recently. We now send out email/newsletters to my 20,000 plus GTA subscribers so they know when and where all the great outlet, warehouse and bankruptcy sales are happening. www.shoestringshopping.com.

4. Are there better times of the year to shop?

CM: Not really. A savvy shopper takes advantage of deals and off-price opportunities all year long.

5. What is your single most helpful tip for saving?

CM: Make a list! It is quite amazing the difference a list can make. It means you are less likely to make an impromptu purchase, and instead keeps you focused on the items you really need to purchase.

6. Is there a difference between a sale and a clearance?

CM: I think various retailers use the terms interchangeably. A sale to one retailer is a clearance to another. Generally speaking, a clearance usually means that the retailer is clearing out existing inventory or stock to make room for new items. A sale may just be a time-limited opportunity.

7. Where is the best place to find deals?

CM: You’re asking a dedicated warehouse sale shopper? Warehouse sales of course! But realistically a warehouse sale isn’t always the answer. If you need a specific item, you’re better to shop at a retailer hopefully holding a sale, or do online shopping and check prices and shipping policies. Outlet malls often offer a number of retailers under one roof, and you’re likely to find deals there as well.

8. What are the pros and cons of attending warehouse sales?

CM: Pros – great prices and deals. Cons – awkward locations, returns can be difficult, and stock may be dated.

9. Is there an art to couponing?

CM: I’m not a great couponer so probably not the right person to ask. If I see a coupon and I know it is for a product I’ll likely buy, I will make an effort to cut it or print it. But I find the hassle isn’t worth the return. Real couponers I’m sure would disagree. I find coupons far more plentiful in the US than in Canada.

10. What is the best way to bargain shop with kids?

CM: Bargain shopping with kids is problematic. Warehouse sales often forbid strollers, and children under 12, and if you are truly bargain shopping it generally means you’re in a warehouse that may or may not be well laid out. If you can swap kids with a friend, you’re far better off to shop without children. If that isn’t possible, both you and the kids will need considerable patience! Bring water and snacks in case you end up stuck in a long line to pay.