Blurb

Overall, I’m very pleased with how Connor’s “baby book” turned out.  From upload time to delivery, I only had to wait 1 week.  I’m definitely impressed by the quality – the text and pictures are all crisp and clear.  It’s also really fun to have all of these images of his first year – to see just how much he changed in those first 12 months – in a more tangible format.  (However, I’m still feeling a little burned out from the whole process; hence the blog posting slowdown lately.)

We volunteer at the hospital where Connor stayed, meeting with current NICU families, to hopefully offer a little support and hope that their babies will come home someday.  We take Connor with us when we can (ie. not flu season), and it really seems to help the families to see a former NICU patient doing so well.  After the book arrived, I realized that it would make a great visual aid – it would help offer perspective – for them to see how small and sick he was, and how miracles can really happen.

I plan to make additional books for Connor as the years progress, and will likely combine a couple of years into each one.  Future books won’t have nearly as many pictures or text crammed into them, so I expect that creating them will go a lot more smoothly. 


Yes, I’d definitely use Blurb again (but I am hoping that their software is significantly upgraded before then :).

Hip hip hooray!

It's done. It’s done. IT'S REALLY, REALLY DONE!

And I think I'm in shock.

Probably wasn’t the wisest thing to upload the finished product tonight and place my order after 1am, but I want to wake up in the morning knowing IT’S DONE.

I finished creating Connor’s First Year book with Blurb in the wee morning hours of August 14th, and I’ve spent the last week and a half casually tweaking and proof-reading it. 

FINAL STATS:

• Total size of Blurb file – 309.4 MB
• Photos – 530
• Pages – 198
• Upload time – surprisingly only 16 minutes
• Hours of labor – way too many to count
• Heart attacks – 1 (yesterday, when the software wouldn’t load no matter what I tried, and I feared my efforts were all for naught)
• Total savings – $39.95 (thanks to generous coupon code)
• Final cost – $27.99 (which includes ground shipping)
• Total value – PRICELESS (I hope!)

Click below to preview the final version, if you’d like. 

Connor Alan Sprik by Aimee Sprik | Make Your Own Book

(If any family members are interested in purchasing their own copies, just click on the ‘BUY” icon above.)

My experience with Blurb so far has been okay…  the interface (BookSmart) was relatively easy to use and figure out, this project just took forever.  Way longer than I anticipated – which is likely a combination of my need for it to be as perfect as possible, and slow, clunky software.  Honestly, I would’ve been better off designing my pages in Word and then finding a book printer who would create a book from PDFs.  (Word likely would’ve taken me less than half the time Blurb did.)

Was it worth all the cramming to meet the coupon deadline of August 31st?  At this point in time, no – $40 was not worth the constant headache (neck- and shoulder-ache) I’ve had for the last several weeks.  About 3/4 of the way through this process, it dawned on zombie-like me that I was losing all this sleep over a measly $40.  In retrospect, I should have completed the book without the deadline, and waited for the next great coupon deal to be offered.

Anyway, blah…blah…blah.  I’m posting all of this just in case someone out there is wondering if they should try their hands at turning their blog into a book… and if Blurb is the service for them.  (Ask me how I feel about it a week or so from now, when I’ve got the finished product in my hands, and I’ve forgotten all about the process to get it there!)  With so much of Connor’s 1st year documented on the blog, this was the best way for me to capture it all… a modern baby book that I hope will be around for generations to come.

The silence...

...on the blog isn't intentional, promise. 
Just still working on Connor's book. 

To put a positive spin on it, I'm referring to it as his Baby Book. 
The book that I will have complete and in my hands by the time he's 20.5 months old.  
(Which is way quicker than I ever expected... had I scrapbooked it.) 

I only have 12 more pages, 2 more posts, and 48 more pictures to fit into it.
I'm not sure how many pictures or posts so far, but the book will be right around 200 pages by the time I'm done. 
Then I'll just have some final revising and formatting.  {sigh.} 

Had I known I would spend this many hours on it, I probably would have decided the $40 credit wasn't worth the cramming and the late hours, and just worked on it more leisurely... like over the course of a year!

It's 4:00 AM, and I'm just now going to crawl into bed.
I've kept crazy hours like this for too long and it's about to kill me.
I'm a walking zombie these days, no joke.  :(

But, I'm almost DONE!
So close I can practically taste it.

I'll be back soon...

I'm on a mission...

Remember when I posted about an amazing coupon deal for Blurb books? (Coupon details here.) I've been working like mad this past week to get a book for Connor's first year done. I've spent hours on it so far, and I'm only a third of the way through - (and that's just until 98 days old!). When I'm all done, the book will be right around 200 pages or so.  The coupon expires at the end of August... so there's a self-imposed deadline of 1 more week - I want plenty of time to edit and fine-tune the finished draft.  Forgive me, but posting to Sprik Space will likely be a little light, until my goal is complete. :S

Zooming to the ZOO!

Well, we were planning an exciting trip to Springfield, IL, for next week, while Brian takes some much deserved time off of work.  But then we got to thinking about how NOT FUN it would be to sit in a hotel room for a few hours every day while Connor tries to take his naps, and how NOT FUN it would be for the whole family to have to play the hold-still-and-be-completely-silent-because-we’re-all-in-the-same-room game when Connor tries to go to bed at 8pm.  So, we threw Springfield out the window.  (Seriously, how do families with babies/toddlers go on vacations??)

Sitting around the house didn’t sound like a total blast either (though it is the first week in a LOOOOOOONG time that Connor has NO appointments), so we started planning our stay-cation (I totally hate that phrase, and can’t believe I just wrote it!) here in Chicago… a place loads more exciting than Blago’s old stomping grounds. 

Of course, there aren’t too many places that can easily accommodate all ages… except for… THE ZOO!

Visiting a real zoo like Brookfield Zoo means real ticket prices… a minimum of $13.50 per adult.  Ugh.

So, I googled discount tickets… and lo and behold, a Christmas miracle!

If you’re a local, you’ve got to check out Museum Adventure Pass!  On Tuesday, I visited my local library branch to inquire about the passes.  (Lucky for us, Brookfield Zoo is one of the participating “cultural destinations”.)  I was curtly informed by the crotchety librarians at the childrens’ reference desk, that they were all out, and that passes to the zoo were extremely hard to come by.  I asked when they would have more passes available (Wednesday), and what time they opened (9am). 

Like a dork, I was there at 8:45am the next morning, stalking the locked front doors to the library… after all, I had been warned they were in high demand, and I was determined! 

Yes, I was the only crazy person waiting for the library to open on Wednesday morning, but guess what…  I got my Museum Adventure Pass!  So, we’ll be visiting the zoo next week FOR FREE.

Brookfield, here we come!!  

I -heart- Zappos!

I love my son… and he makes a pretty good shopping companion.  However, I’m not fond of torturing him while I go from store to store trying to find the exact thing I need.  Dealing with strollers and car seats too many times in one day gets on my last nerve.  And, he still doesn’t get that much exposure anyway. 

Enter the internet…

I’m on the hunt for the perfect pair of summer sandals.  Something comfortable and stylish, without too much of a heel.  I was convinced this search would be the end of me. 

And then I remembered Zappos.

Shopping online at Zappos is like traipsing around to 3 different malls…  there’s that many shoes!  And their search function is great, allowing me to whittle my pickiness down to the last detail.

With their outrageously generous shipping policy (FREE BOTH WAYS!) and easy-peasy returns (you have a full year), when I’m in the need for new soles, I look to Zappos… every time.  If you were already planning on buying shoes and paying department store sale prices, Zappos is definitely for you.  Their pricing is very reasonable, and for the convenience, I consider it worth every penny.

So, I wait until the day after my credit card statement closes for the month…  then I go crazy shopping at Zappos, putting all the shoes in my online cart that I would have asked the shoe salesman to pull out for me at the store.  Lately, it’s been about a dozen shoes or so at a time (there’s just too many to choose from, and brands I’ve never bought before, so I have no idea how they’ll fit).  :S 

Because my order is large, Zappos upgrades my shipping to overnight for FREE.  So, the very next day, I receive a big box of shoes on my doorstep…  seriously – the very next day.  (I placed an order yesterday at nearly 7pm my time, and according to my package tracking, my order will be delivered TODAY.) 

In the comfort of my home, I take my time trying and evaluating which shoes I want to keep… sometimes its just one pair, sometimes a couple.  When I’m all done, I visit their site again, process my return, print out my label, box back up the shoes I want to send back, and drop the package at my local UPS store.  For me, I make sure to do all this before my credit card statement closes for the next month, thereby ensuring I don’t have to pay or carry a large Zappos charge on my statement.  They’ve always processed my refund and posted my credit within a week of my return shipment.

So seriously, if you’re in the market for a new pair of shoes… you can’t go wrong with Zappos!

Please note:  I am NOT being paid or compensated in any way to write about Zappos… unless you consider the fact that I’m about to receive my second dozen set of sandals to peruse.  :S  I’ve just had a really good experience, and wanted to share the love! 

Buy Buy Baby

While I know I don't have to have every baby gadget out there, if I'm able to justify that it will make my life easier, and I won't be able to make do without it... well, (within reason) I buy it.

Shopping at Babies R Us/Toys R Us always leaves me a little uninspired, as well as feeling like I need to dip myself in bleach.  I don't know what it is about their stores near us, but they're always junky, germy, and completely disorganized.  To be honest, we only really go there when we absolutely have to (ie. to use up store credit).  Just about everything they carry can be found at friendlier stores like Target or WalMart.  And by friendlier, I mostly mean willing to accept returns.  As we've learned the hard way, returning anything to BRU/TRU means a monumental hassle - your receipt must be in pristine condition, the item must have never left its original packaging, much less the bag it was brought home in (I'm only barely exaggerating here).  And their honoring of coupons and advertised sales is a total joke.  A few weeks ago, we stood in line behind a couple trying to have the $3 taken off their purchase as displayed on the shelf.  It took 20 minutes, 3 employees plus a store manager, to finally verify and apply the discount - this effort cost the store much, much more than a measly $3.  By the time it was our turn, the frazzled cashier refused to apply my 20% off any BABY item coupon towards the BABY toy I had found in the BABY aisle.  Of course, there was no fine print on the coupon stating their definition of a BABY item.  At this point, my time and energy was worth more to me than the $2 I should have rightfully saved.

I just figured I would take my little coupon to our favorite store instead...

• They honor any competitor's and manufacturer's coupons, no questions asked. 
• They accept returns for anything sold in their stores or online, without a receipt, no matter the condition - just based on your satisfaction alone, no questions asked.
• They frequently mail out 20% off coupons AND accept current 20% off coupons from their sister store, AND help you at the checkout to maximize your savings based on the coupons you have in hand.
• They sell everything from Munchkin and Graco to Stokke and Phil & Ted's.  (Their stroller department is a must-see, if only to do research.)  Their selection is the best I've seen, hands down.
• Their inventory is priced just right... typically in line with the prices you'd find at Target.  (And then you use a 20% off coupon on top of that!)
• Their stores are always clean, well stocked and organized, with friendly, plentiful, and knowledgeable sales staff. 

We found their Downer's Grove store just a few months before I got pregnant with Connor, and with having to visit Cranial Tech every two weeks, it's still a frequent stop.  So far, they only have locations in a few states: Arizona | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Maryland | Michigan | New Jersey | New York |North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Texas | Virginia. But if there's one near you, or near an upcoming travel destination you have in mind... and you have or will have little ones soon.  GO.TO.THERE.

Suffice it to say, we've spent a small fortune at Buy Buy Baby, but Connor's totally worth it, right?!?  ;) 

"A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots."

A few years ago, I made my parents one of these family trees using a kit from Red Envelope:

Red Envelope has since updated their Family Tree Kits to this style. You should really go check it out for your family - it's on sale for 25% off right now... only $99.95! (P.S. I have a free shipping offer I can send you for any order over $75.) Each leaf represents another family member/ancestor, and you're able to display four generations worth of your combined family history. The kit comes with everything you need, including the frames, you just supply the family details. My parents bought me this new kit for Christmas two years ago... and it's still in the box, unmade. :(

Using information I referred to on this post, I want to attempt to finish this kit in the next 3 months or so. I've already got a spot in mind on a wall in the family room that will be perfect for it. Sadly, it's yet another one of those projects on my list that I know if I don't get it done soon, the baby will come and it will be years before I touch it.

Wish me luck!

Black Friday

Happy to say that as of November 1st, I am 85% done with my Christmas shopping for this year, and 50% done with my Christmas wrapping. I know... I'm an over-achiever! (It also helped to take advantage of "free shipping" a la a trip to see the fam in Phoenix last weekend.) I think it comes from my single-girl paycheck-to-paycheck days when I needed to spread out my purchasing to afford Christmas each year... and I really just wanted to spend money on me at all the sales in December. ;)

Black Friday is in 3.5 short weeks...
If you're in the market to save some money this year (who isn't??), and you have the patience for it, there are several sites that can help you plan your strategery for that crazy day. My favorite is Black-Friday.net. Check it out, and enter your e-mail address for advance notice of the sales flyers before you receive them in the Thanksgiving paper.

Shhh... it's a secret!

It's no secret how much I love my local Target store... and it's great having 6 locations within 15 miles of my house. (Especially when you're on the hunt for one particular item!) When I was working, Target was one of my favorite stops during my lunch hour... and as my bank account can attest, I probably went about twice per week. (Yikes!)

Five Quick Shopping Tips

Tip #1: NEVER ever wear a red shirt while shopping at Target... you will always be mistaken for a sales associate.

Tip #2: If your visit allows, be sure to browse the interior endcaps (along back walls, or inner aisles) at Target... this is where you will find all of their clearance merchandise, usually still in excellent condition. Per Blissfully Domestic, there is a schedule as to when Target marks down certain merchandise:

• Monday: Electronics, Kids clothing and Stationery
• Tuesday: Domestics, Food Items, Pets, Women’s Clothing
• Wednesday: Health and Beauty, Lawn & Garden, Mens Clothing, Toys
• Thursday: Books, Decor, Housewares, Lingerie, Luggage, Music and Movies, Sporting Goods, Shoes
• Friday: Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware and Jewelry

Tip #3: If the clearance price ends in a ‘4′ (i.e. $1.94), then it is at its lowest price!

Tip #4: The first week an item is on clearance, it's usually just 30% off. The second week, it's 50% off. If you think you can wait three weeks (and it will still be there), it'll be 75% off. Rarely, and usually only with holiday/seasonal items, you'll see clearance at up to 90% off.

Tip #5: Don't sweat keeping the receipt for your purchases, if you always pay electronically (with a debit/credit card). When you have to make a return, just present the card you made the purchase with, and their computers will locate the sale for you. (So handy if you're a decide-and-return-it-later shopper like me!) Just make sure you make that return within 90 days of purchase.

Happy Shopping!!

Free roughage

I sure do love me a good salad bar... especially the all-you-can-eat variety.

Brian is convinced that every time I eat there, I get sick (likely from the amounts of salad I eat in one sitting)... but I'm sick nearly all the time right now, anyway, so what's the difference?

Go HERE for a buy-one-get-one-free coupon (lunch or dinner) for your local Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. Hurry fast, because it's only good Monday through Thursday (10/6-9)!

A cheap night at Sweet Tomatoes is definitely marked on my meal plan next week!

Purdy pendants

If I had some of these, maybe I'd start wearing necklaces again.

So pretty, simple, and clever!
They're actually made from Scrabble tiles.

Currently they're offering them as buy two, get one free... now I like them even more!

(As seen EVERYWHERE, but most recently on Fabulous Fun Finds!)

A gift... for me???

If someone wanted to buy me one of these, I wouldn't at all be disappointed!

At around $3 each, you could probably afford to buy me more than one...

(As seen on Fabulous Fun Finds!)

Ch..ch..ch...CHEESECAKE!

Did you know that Wednesday, July 30th is NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY?
Now, why isn't that a national holiday??

In celebration of National Cheesecake Day and their 30th anniversary, The Cheesecake Factory will be offering any slice of their delicious goodness for only $1.50 (limit one per person, natch). More details here.

Don't miss out!
Find a Cheesecake Factory location near you here.

Jumbo Jamba

Mmmmm... I love me a fruit smoothie!

Go here to print your own Buy-One-Get-One-FREE coupon for a Jamba Juice smoothie.

Happy 7-11 Day!

Hone in on your nearest FREE SLURPEE here.

"I GOT IT AT POTTERY BARN, OKAY?!?"

Classic...

Also classic...

















FYI: The Barn is having its annual Summer Sale right now.

1. Buttons
2. Wall Ladder
3. Baskets
4. Cake Stand
5. Spoons
6. Leaf Plates

I also found out that they are closing their Michigan Avenue store at the end of the month... Must. Get. Down. There. to check it out!

Like Phoebe, I've never been 100% in love with everything they offer, mostly because I don't want the inside of my home looking like it came straight out of their catalog. But, in moderate doses and at sale prices, they do sell some very lovely things! Check it out!