New Toy.

New Toy.

• Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Last night I ordered a new toy for baby Jack!

...for free!

I've been wanting to get him a baby gym for a long time.

Note to expecting mothers: Add a baby gym to your registry.

You will not regret it.

I had almost zero toys on my registry

because I didn't want my house to become a toy chest.

I think I'm glad I did that because we were given lots of toys

from sisters-in-law who don't need them anymore

since their babies are all growing up.

And for the few toys I don't have

I'm learning which ones I actually want

and are worth the space in my house.

Baby gym? Worth the space.

Here is the problem we have pretty much every day:

Jack is starting to have more and more waking hours.

There are only so many ways to entertain an almost 3-month old

Maximum 3 books.

Goo-ing for maximum 5 minutes.

[you are probably bored before they are. sorry, but it's the truth!]

Songs until you run out of them.

[I run out pretty fast unless I whip out the primary children's songbook to remember more]

...and then there is TV.

which Jack loves to look at if it's on

but we try to leave it off most of the day.

Only at lunch time do we watch an episode of house hunters or say yes to the dress

It would be an easy way to entertain Jack but I am so not a fan

[now that is not to say I am against children watching TV at all. I guarantee that sometimes mom's just need a break. And TV is sometimes the way to go]

But for a 3 month old, no thanks.

I really need Jack to be able to self-entertain.

That way I can still get things done even if he isn't napping.

He isn't old enough or coordinated enough to play with most toys

but he loves to look at things if you hang them above his face.

Enter baby gym

Toys that dangle all by themselves.

The reason I've waited so long to buy one is because they are so darn expensive!

Anywhere from $30-$90.

Originally I wanted one that was $55.  It had a spinning mobile and lights and music.

I forgot my own rule of buying toys with limited electronics so baby learns to entertain himself.

Since I couldn't afford that one anyway I started looking at simpler versions.

Then yesterday I got an email from Target that baby toys were on sale!

This one pictured above was only $4 off but it's now only $29.

I had a $17 gift card to Target for Jack from returning car window shades I decided I didn't want.

Then I remembered we had points from our Wells Fargo credit cards

just waiting to be used

[for like the last 3 years].

So I redeemed our points for $20 cash.

And ordered this fun little baby gym for free!

I have tons of toys that can be traded out for the ones that come with it if he gets bored of them.

and I love that it has a pillow and mirror for tummy time.

Maybe I can trick him into finally liking tummy time.

[maybe.]

It could arrive as early as Friday!

hooray!