This post is sponsored by Nuffnang Australia for Target
When we found out we were pregnant the second time around people always told us that life with two kids was so much more intense so I feared the worst and then..Josceline came along and that never happened.
The same thing happened the third time around. All my friends told me life with three kids was crazy and there was never a spare minute in the day, that it was so much harder than two kids. We were living up north when Violet came along and she just slotted right in, like it was the way it had always been. Life was easy and we didn’t have to make a lot of big decisions or be anywhere important so we just cruised along as we always had.
When we returned to the city six months ago. I felt like the pressure was on. We had places to be and time lines to follow, we couldn’t just wave Effie good bye in the morning and watch her ride down the street on her bike. It wasn’t safe enough to do that here. Instead our life now revolves around being organized, making sure all the kids are dressed and have shoes on and leaving the house in one piece.
I love to shop, in fact I’m a recovering shopaholic and I use to love going to the mall but living in the bush changed me and now I don’t like it at all. It’s too much effort, there’s always too many people, I spend money I don’t need to and all those idiots who walk in front of my pram drive me insane.
Nowadays I avoid the shops as much as I can. I do my grocery shopping at the bogan supermarket late at night, most of my wardrobe comes from an op shop or is purchased online and I only go to the mall if I’m craving my favourite foods.
Sale time is the worst. My daughters have a huge list of toys pinned to the fridge that they would like for their birthdays and christmas but the thought of taking three kids into a crowded mall is one of my worst nightmares.
I often joke to my husband that I’d rather cancel christmas than go to a toy sale, I know I’m such a mean mother. So you have no idea how happy I was when I heard that Target has launched the online early bird lay by list and that I don’t actually have to go into the store at all on the first day of sales to fight for my favourite toys.
The Target Toy Sale kicks off 21st July but the Early Bird Lay By list allows you to reserve your favourite toys from 29th June and then you can pick them up and pay for them in store.
Are you interested in avoiding the crowds?
Here’s six easy steps for online layby
1. Go to target.com.au
2. Search the toys avaliable.
3. Register and create your list.
4. Select your layby location {your nearest target store}.
5. Submit your list {you’ll recieve an e-mail confirmation once your done}.
6. Print your e-mail confirmation and take it to your nominated store to activate your lay by.
To help you with you layby your favourite toy this year Target is giving away a $100 voucher to one lucky Hello Owl reader with our without kids, big kids are aloud to enter too.
All you have to do is leave a comment down the bottom telling me which toy is at the top of your wish list..
Please leave your name and e-mail address below with you comment so we can contact you. Any entry without an e-mail contact will not be included. Sorry guys, I don’t have enough time to chase these things up.
Melinda
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 7:17 pm:
It's GOMU world in this house.
my daughter just loves them & her collection is quickly growing. So GOMU's are at the top of my list!
[Reply]
Ames
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 7:33 pm:
Munchkin is OBSESSED with Cars 2 so anything Cars 2 is on our list especially the wonderful big Cars 2 tent which is almost half price during the Toy Sale!!
[Reply]
Danielle
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 7:38 pm:
Hi girls, don't forget to leave your email or your entry won't be included.
[Reply]
Daisy, Roo and Two
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 7:57 pm:
We've got a Toy Story Jessie talking doll right at the top of our list, closely followed by a Dora Mermaid doll (god help me!)
daisyrooandtwo@gmail.com
[Reply]
Jess
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:04 pm:
Izzy is a little obsessed with fairies at the mo, so we will be on the lookout for anything fairy at Target
beetleonbike@yahoo.com.au
[Reply]
Amy@New Adventures
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:13 pm:
I;ve just done all my toy shopping at the Big W toy sale ( sorry Target! ) but my big boy ( fiance ) would probably love Big Game Hunter 2011 for Ninetendo Wii…
amywells@live.com.au
[Reply]
Miss Mandy
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:14 pm:
nintendo ds's are on my list for xmas this year. this would certainly help.
[Reply]
Breathe Gently
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:16 pm:
Oooh, that is awesome!
Top of my list is The Sims 3: I'm planning on hunting down the Generations or Date Night games. (Hi, I'm a big kid.)
blog@breathegently.com
[Reply]
Sif
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:26 pm:
Cars Duplo for the (then) three year old – he will be rapted!!!
sifdal@gmail.com
[Reply]
Zoe
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 8:35 pm:
$100- would be wonderful!!
On top of the list this year is definitely more train track so that the boys can take over the house!
littleharp@live.com.au
[Reply]
Kellie
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 9:20 pm:
We're looking at dolls houses – it's come to that time when I have to bite the bullet and finally put a roof over her dolls' heads.
kellie (at) threelilprincesses (dot) com
[Reply]
Nicole
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 10:15 pm:
My OHs bowling team needs something Hulk realated for their mascot so thats at the top of his list.
I'd love to buy some board games so I can be the 'Games night' person in our group of friends.
(we're big kids)
sweetpoison.blog@gmail.com
[Reply]
Anonymous
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 10:27 pm:
I want to get Mr Two and a Half one of those kid tough cameras and he walks around with an old camera lens pretending it is a pair of binoculars, so a pair of kids binoculars!
I love the idea of doing it all online and then just going in to finalise it!
Michelle
dazzlar1974@hotmail.com
[Reply]
Megs
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 10:28 pm:
well this one is all about me – the kids get enough at the moment! but my toy of the moment on the want list is an ipad2 thanks very much!
megan(at)edanrose(dot)com(dot)au
[Reply]
lisa
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 11:13 pm:
Lego Ninjago or Beyblades would be at the top of our toy list at the moment.
lisanwalsh@gmail.com
[Reply]
Ange
on Jul 2nd, 2011
@ 11:16 pm:
I've got my eye on a play kitchen for Oscar this Christmas.
Angela
apooki@bigpond.com
[Reply]
Minh
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 12:03 am:
Seeing as I have a daughter and son, I want to get them something they can share so on top of my list is the wooden toy kitchen..:)
Minh
minhhy@hotmail.com
[Reply]
Minh
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 12:04 am:
I'm so sorry my email address had a typo…its minhy85@hotmail.com,
not minhhy@hotmail.com
[Reply]
stink-bomb
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 2:57 am:
i've been wanting to expand our board game collection for awhile now – we have fabulous battles when it comes to Monopoly – i kick Guv's arse [though he says it's the other way round, it's not!] and i'm sure i can beat him at heaps more, so the voucher would not only help cure boredom on winter nights but also help me on my quest to prove that i am the BEST boardgame player of all time – oh and enable me to lord it over Guv for a bit
~x~
dearmissruby@gmail.com
[Reply]
Katy
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 6:30 am:
I'm completely avoiding the shops for very reason if THE Toy Sales!!! Too many people for me. The too toy on my list is definitely a little camera so the kids can capture the world from their perspective.
Katy@Bryant.com.au
[Reply]
robyn
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 9:44 am:
My little girl is only one, so I'm still contemplating what to get her for Christmas (cause I have no clue about this stuff!) but an extra hundred at Target would certainly come in handy! If not for her, then maybe for a car seat for number 2 due on Christmas Day-eeep!
slightly.deep@gmail.com
[Reply]
Beck Jinnette
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 9:49 am:
For us it is a big trampoline. Fun for the whole family
ramblingmummy@gmail.com
[Reply]
Jo - Dusty Plum
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 10:35 am:
I can't go past that Lego Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter collection, my Lulu would go nuts for it.
dustyplum@gmail.com
[Reply]
sassy
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 11:05 am:
I think we are the last family in the developed country who do not have a games system.
My children who are 12 and 8 have survived so far but I think it is time to step into the future.
sarahwhite@internode.on.net
[Reply]
Alicia
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 1:33 pm:
My Mr 5 is crazy about Lego and the Cars movies so I will be buying him the new Cars Lego!
My Miss 3 has recently discovered Barbies so I will be getting her some new Barbies and accessories.
madcapmum@y7mail.com
[Reply]
Kellie
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 2:00 pm:
DS games for my Little Miss 3 because she is getting a DSi for her birthday in January.
For Mr Almost 1, anything and everything he can fit in his mouth!
kellie@goodbadunnecessary.com
[Reply]
Kylie
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 3:42 pm:
We want to get our neice and nephews some lego to play with/fight over for Christmas, seeing that we are kidless.
mkgellert@hotmail.com
[Reply]
teresamcnamara
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 8:03 pm:
For the whole family I would dearly love to get the Wii Remotes with the extra Wii Motion Plus bits in them because we all love playing Wii Sports Resort. Even with two injured ankles I could beat my boys at sword fighting, rowing and archery!
[Reply]
Melinda
on Jul 3rd, 2011
@ 11:14 pm:
It's GOMU world in this house.
my daughter just loves them & her collection is quickly growing. So GOMU's are at the top of my list!
Just adding my email address:
tatlor06@optusnet.com.au
[Reply]
Mrs BC
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 12:25 am:
Shhhh, it's a secret so don't tell anyone, but the boys will be getting a WII to share for christmas. No more duplo block pretend playstation controllers around here!
xx
lbc01@optusnet.com.au
[Reply]
Melissa *Suger Coat It*
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 1:50 am:
I love the lego. Always have, always will. And when my sister and I went loitering through a competitor, who shall remain nameless' sale, I spotted all the Potter stuff. And oh my, I am in love.
melissa@sugercoatit.com
[Reply]
StyleMeClassy
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 11:56 am:
Leap leap leap, the frog is leaping. We would love to leap like the frog around the globe with the LeapFrog Interactive Globe.
Good luck to us >_<
Regards,
Lesley
stylemeclassy [at] hotmail [dot] com
[Reply]
Jess
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 2:56 pm:
Mr 3.5 would love the Tonka crane and Miss 16 months would love some Thomas trains of her own
fairyjess77 [at] hotmail [dot] com
[Reply]
Em
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 4:36 pm:
ont he top of my list is the "my pal scout dog'
Hhe's so cool – hubby has had his eye on it for AGES & i think it's mre a toy for us than it is for the baby.. hehe
emnandi@hotmail.com
[Reply]
DanniiBeauty
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 9:03 pm:
My 2yo would love a doll house – she has a mini version of one with little characters and loves it. Would love to buy her a bigger one!
danniibeauty@hotmail.com
[Reply]
Kath, Mark, Ruby and Max.
on Jul 4th, 2011
@ 10:21 pm:
easy choice! Lego Star Wars Jedi Starfighter for the Lego obsessed boy in the house. No doubt.
kathrynmark@iprimus.com.au
xxxx
[Reply]
Susan: My Food Obsession
on Jul 5th, 2011
@ 7:46 am:
I'm a few weeks from becoming a new Mum – so I could do with just about everything LOL! I do love all the Fisher Price toys, I think the 'Go Baby Go' is at the top of my list
susan(at)myfoodobsession(dot)com
[Reply]
Kylie @ The Rockgarden
on Jul 5th, 2011
@ 8:46 am:
I'd love to buy a farm animal set for my little girls half year birthday. New Years babies need a mid year treat
[Reply]
alliecat
on Jul 5th, 2011
@ 4:06 pm:
My kids are constantly begging for a swing set, so that might be the top of our list this year!
Allie – amunwin@optusnet.com.au
[Reply]
Anonymous
on Jul 6th, 2011
@ 9:47 am:
my kids love all the toy sale catalogues, kepts them amused for hours, i might just try the online purchase this year (seeing as though we are a 360km round trip to get to any kind of toy store)…so the voucher would certainly help us out ~ bec
becgriffo@yahoo.com
[Reply]
Anonymous
on Jul 6th, 2011
@ 9:50 am:
haha, i forgot to write the top of the list wish which would be… a mix between dolls & prams and skate/motorbike toys ~bec
becgriffo@yahoo.com
[Reply]
Jacquie
on Jul 6th, 2011
@ 9:00 pm:
My boys are mad about LEGO and crazy about Harry Potter. So probably the LEGO Hogwarts Express! Would be a massive hit!
jrodemann@hotmail.com
[Reply]
Sally
on Jul 6th, 2011
@ 10:08 pm:
Little Tikes Water Pirate Table for the little boy and Harry Potter Lego for the big boy!
sally.debenham at gmail.com
[Reply]
Cate
on Jul 11th, 2011
@ 4:14 pm:
We have a new little boy,
We're looking for a Christmas toy.
The jolly jumper is the one,
Lots and lots and lots of FUN!
russellcathryn@yahoo.com.au
[Reply]
traceyleigh
on Jul 19th, 2011
@ 10:09 pm:
Tara would love yet more Litlest Pet Shop toys and some board games, namely Mouse Trap.
tlparkhill@bigpond.com
Great competition!!!
[Reply]
Myron Moccia
on Mar 14th, 2012
@ 12:19 pm:
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[Reply]