For those of you who love Disney World and Disney in general as much as me and my family this is for you! Today on ebates, the Daily Double is Disney Store. Meaning, on most days you get 5% back on your Disney Store purchase; however, today you will earn 10% back on your purchase. In addition, if you want to buy swimwear or beach towel you can use coupon code SHIPSWIM and earn free shipping on your purchase. Disney Store itself is offering some great deals. This is the time to stock up. I know many individuals are planning trips to Disney this spring, best way to save money is to buy items online now and save the money and then give them to your little ones while your there. They won't ever know you didn't buy them stuff in the parks!
If you're anything like me and have your kids dress alike on days you visit the parks, Disney Store is having sales on graphic tee's, starting at $8 each! So head on over to ebates and save tons of money (and receive money back) on pins, clothes, souvenirs, and DVDs for your next Disney trip!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Great New Way to Save Money
I was reading one of my favorite blogs today, Hip2Save, and she wrote about a great site...Offermatic. I was a little reluctant at first but gave it a try. What an awesome idea! You register your credit cards and debit cards on the site. It's 100% secure...you can check out their security policy on the site. Then based on your purchase history you will recieve money saving offers. But the best part of this whole thing is you don't need coupons or promotional codes. All the offers, rebates and deals are applied directly to your card! Amazing! I shop on Amazon all the time for everything, and right away I got a $15 back deal with a $30 purchase at Amazon! You can also automatically earn points through the site which you can redeem for gift cards. So, if you shop using your credit or debit card a lot, and really who doesn't, then head on over and register your cards, even your store cards, head on over to Offermatic and start saving some of that hard earned money! Enjoy saving!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Harmful Chemicals to try and avoid
Ok, so a couple of years ago I become a little nuts with all the buzz going around about being green and avoiding all these harmful chemicals and using all natural products and eating organic. I researched everything, stood in store aisles and read every label I could looking for the right product with the least amount of chemicals and the most natural ones. I was driving myself nuts! I was driving my family crazy as well. My parents and my brothers kept telling me we were fine and we grew up using it all. But I wasn't satisfied until I knew everything! Am I the only one out there?
Since this rampage I have changed everyones shampoos, conditioners, body washes, toothpaste, lotions, fingernail polish and remover, laundry soap and even cleanig supplies. I still read labels if I want to try something new but I don't go nuts about it. I have done my research now and I know what to look for and what to avoid. So I thought for those of you that may be going crazy like I was I would give you a short list of things to try and avoid in products:
Since this rampage I have changed everyones shampoos, conditioners, body washes, toothpaste, lotions, fingernail polish and remover, laundry soap and even cleanig supplies. I still read labels if I want to try something new but I don't go nuts about it. I have done my research now and I know what to look for and what to avoid. So I thought for those of you that may be going crazy like I was I would give you a short list of things to try and avoid in products:
- Parabens! Avoid parabens as much as possible. They are often found in cosmetics such as shampoos, conditioner, washes and lotions. It is said to mimic estrogen which can eventually lead to breast cancer.
- Phthalates! This chemical is bad and the research is horrible so I am going to leave you with this...AVOID IT!!
- BPA - this is a popular one right now. BPA is found in many plastics and is harmful to humans. Europe has banned the use of it in any of their products. This is especially harmful to babies, so avoid any bottles or cups that may contain BPA in them.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Couponing Overload
I have cut coupons for years now and saved tons of money. It's like a high for me, watching the total at the register drop and only having to pay very little for a lot! I only shop onsale and with coupons for everything. Christmas presents are bought throughout the year while items are on sale. Clothes are bought on sale and usually with a coupon. I have learned to beat the system and I LOVE it. So last year I didn't cut out grocery coupons. I started slacking off while getting ready for the new baby and when we brought him home from the hospital my husband took over the duty of cooking dinner and I never wanted to take it back. So he started doing some of the grocery shopping, and he would NEVER take the time to cut coupons! Since we started this Spending Diet in January I knew one place to cut back on spending money was grocery shopping. So I started cutting coupons again and looking at the sales ads. I started Googling coupon matchups for my favorite grocery stores. The first couple of weeks I was running to a bunch of different grocery stores for a couple of things at each store. It was madness! So I started a new plan....
Each Saturday morning I have to take my daughter to ballet class. Down the street from the studio is a very nice Food Lion. This is where I have choosen to do my grocery shopping. I get the ads on Tuesday and matchup all the sales to all the coupons I have. I don't buy anything that is not on sale and I have a coupon. We then use whatever is in the house that week for dinners. 2 weeks ago I saved over $90 on our weekly groceries and this past week I only spend $37 on groceries. There is only one grocery store that carries the brand of yogurt that we feed the baby so I did have to make another stop, but I had coupons! My goal is to spend $50 to $75 on groceries each week for our family of 5. Once I get my "mini" stockpile (I call it this because I don't want to have a huge stockpile of groceries sitting in my house) I should be able to spend only $50 a week.
So in addition to the weekly trip to Food Lion I also have choosen to shop at Walgreens for medicine, health items and some food. We have a Walgreens close to our house, which is the reason I have choosen to shop there. I constantly look at Target ads and if there is a steal of a deal I will make a trip over there.
I know the major money savers compare all stores and always find the best deals. I don't have the time to do that! Hence the reason why I have choosen only a few stores. For those individuals who are just starting to save money but cutting coupons and matching sales I would start by using these tips. Choose just one or two stores and begin the process by using the interent. There are hundreds of websites that already do the sales and coupon matchups for you. Let them do it and it will save you hours of your own time! After awhile you will get the hang of it yourself and be able to match them up yourselves.
If you really want to begin saving your family tons of money, start this practice. Reach out to the websites for help, in the end it really will be worth it!
Each Saturday morning I have to take my daughter to ballet class. Down the street from the studio is a very nice Food Lion. This is where I have choosen to do my grocery shopping. I get the ads on Tuesday and matchup all the sales to all the coupons I have. I don't buy anything that is not on sale and I have a coupon. We then use whatever is in the house that week for dinners. 2 weeks ago I saved over $90 on our weekly groceries and this past week I only spend $37 on groceries. There is only one grocery store that carries the brand of yogurt that we feed the baby so I did have to make another stop, but I had coupons! My goal is to spend $50 to $75 on groceries each week for our family of 5. Once I get my "mini" stockpile (I call it this because I don't want to have a huge stockpile of groceries sitting in my house) I should be able to spend only $50 a week.
So in addition to the weekly trip to Food Lion I also have choosen to shop at Walgreens for medicine, health items and some food. We have a Walgreens close to our house, which is the reason I have choosen to shop there. I constantly look at Target ads and if there is a steal of a deal I will make a trip over there.
I know the major money savers compare all stores and always find the best deals. I don't have the time to do that! Hence the reason why I have choosen only a few stores. For those individuals who are just starting to save money but cutting coupons and matching sales I would start by using these tips. Choose just one or two stores and begin the process by using the interent. There are hundreds of websites that already do the sales and coupon matchups for you. Let them do it and it will save you hours of your own time! After awhile you will get the hang of it yourself and be able to match them up yourselves.
If you really want to begin saving your family tons of money, start this practice. Reach out to the websites for help, in the end it really will be worth it!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Homemade Baby Food
With both of my oldest children I bought commercial baby food for them. I thought nothing of it, it was convenient and at the time my husband and I both were working full-time outside of the house. It has been close to 4 years since I had anything to do with baby food, so when I got pregnant with our yongest I had some research to do. In the past 4 years there has been an abundance of information on organic food and the best options for baby. Since our family is choosing to live a green lifestyle I wanted to do what was the best fit into our lives. So hands down I knew I wanted to make our baby food. I have to cook for my oldest 2, so making baby food wasn't hard at all! I found an amazing website, http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/, which has so much information on it about making baby food, when to introduce what foods, and even recipes as baby grows. This website has been a great resource to always go back to.
Our middle child has always been a sick child. We have been through ear tubes at 14 months, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy at 2 years old, she was diagnosed with urinary reflux at 4 years and now finally we have her healthy! Because we have been through so much I have researched a lot on natural remedies and preventions so we never have to go through all this again. As I was researching homemade baby food I came across information about waiting to introduce baby food until baby was older. This helps prevent allergies later in life. Of course I jumped on this idea and waited until my son was almost 7 months before we started him on any food. Because of all the medical issues we have had in the past I also wanted to make sure we were only introducing the most nutritious and healthiest options to our son. We only buy organic fruits and vegetables to make his food. I buy them in season and when the produce is on sale. I steam everything first and then puree (now we are at the dicing stage though) and then freeze everything. Because we freeze everything I am able to bulk up when produce goes on sale. I look back now and think about how much money I spent on commercial baby food with my oldest two and it's kind of scary! Not only was I feeding them watered down, over processed food but I spent a fortune on it! By spending 3 hours every 2 weeks in the kitchen peeling, cutting up, steaming, pureeing, and freezing fruits and vegetables I am saving a ton of cash! What a win win option for us...healthy food and extra money!
I am no expert on making homemade baby food, in fact I am still learning everyday, but I do have a few tips that I have picked up the past couple of months. I buy a bunch of bananas when they are on sale and I let them sit on the counter for a few days until they are ripe, maybe a little over. Then I unpeel the bananas and I wrap each banana seperatly in plastic wrap (yes, we still use that in my house). I put the wrapped bananas in the freezer, and when I am ready to use one I take it out. They are easy to cut up when frozen and with a dash of formula it will puree to a smooth cream (kind of looks like icecream). Then I place the pureed bananas in a glass bowl and mircowave for about 20 seconds. They will get watery but then just add a dash of rice cereal. This way you don't have to puree the bananas and have them sit forever, they don't get that strong banana smell and baby will love them!
I have learned from experience that peas and green beans don't puree very well. You have to add a ton of cooking water. Because I waited so long to start my son on food he was almost at the age where he could pick it up. So because of this I waited to introduce peas and green beans until he could feed them himself and chew them up.
Natural, homemade baby food tastes different then conventional baby food because it is missing all those perservatives. Because of this introducing new foods to baby may not be a good experience. I started with my son to add the new food to his cereal. Each new food was added to his cereal about 3 times before I fed it to him alone for the first time. Rice cereal seems to always be baby's first food, so they tend to like the taste and enjoy eating it. So distorting the taste is ok, they learn to like that new taste and will eventually eat it alone!
Our middle child has always been a sick child. We have been through ear tubes at 14 months, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy at 2 years old, she was diagnosed with urinary reflux at 4 years and now finally we have her healthy! Because we have been through so much I have researched a lot on natural remedies and preventions so we never have to go through all this again. As I was researching homemade baby food I came across information about waiting to introduce baby food until baby was older. This helps prevent allergies later in life. Of course I jumped on this idea and waited until my son was almost 7 months before we started him on any food. Because of all the medical issues we have had in the past I also wanted to make sure we were only introducing the most nutritious and healthiest options to our son. We only buy organic fruits and vegetables to make his food. I buy them in season and when the produce is on sale. I steam everything first and then puree (now we are at the dicing stage though) and then freeze everything. Because we freeze everything I am able to bulk up when produce goes on sale. I look back now and think about how much money I spent on commercial baby food with my oldest two and it's kind of scary! Not only was I feeding them watered down, over processed food but I spent a fortune on it! By spending 3 hours every 2 weeks in the kitchen peeling, cutting up, steaming, pureeing, and freezing fruits and vegetables I am saving a ton of cash! What a win win option for us...healthy food and extra money!
I am no expert on making homemade baby food, in fact I am still learning everyday, but I do have a few tips that I have picked up the past couple of months. I buy a bunch of bananas when they are on sale and I let them sit on the counter for a few days until they are ripe, maybe a little over. Then I unpeel the bananas and I wrap each banana seperatly in plastic wrap (yes, we still use that in my house). I put the wrapped bananas in the freezer, and when I am ready to use one I take it out. They are easy to cut up when frozen and with a dash of formula it will puree to a smooth cream (kind of looks like icecream). Then I place the pureed bananas in a glass bowl and mircowave for about 20 seconds. They will get watery but then just add a dash of rice cereal. This way you don't have to puree the bananas and have them sit forever, they don't get that strong banana smell and baby will love them!
I have learned from experience that peas and green beans don't puree very well. You have to add a ton of cooking water. Because I waited so long to start my son on food he was almost at the age where he could pick it up. So because of this I waited to introduce peas and green beans until he could feed them himself and chew them up.
Natural, homemade baby food tastes different then conventional baby food because it is missing all those perservatives. Because of this introducing new foods to baby may not be a good experience. I started with my son to add the new food to his cereal. Each new food was added to his cereal about 3 times before I fed it to him alone for the first time. Rice cereal seems to always be baby's first food, so they tend to like the taste and enjoy eating it. So distorting the taste is ok, they learn to like that new taste and will eventually eat it alone!
My Favorite Baby Products
Here is a list of most of my favorite baby products! When at all possible we use all natural, organic products and all products are BPA free! And of course as our youngest continues to grow my list will too!
Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula, with Iron, 25.75 oz. Make 190 fl oz
Nature babycare Eco-Sensitive Fragrance-Free Wipes, 70-count Boxes (Pack of 10)
I love that these wipes are biodegradable so they break down pretty fast (also compost!). In addition, there are no chemicals in these wipes. You can use these on a rash bottom and it won't burn because there is no alcohol what so ever! (and they work well for mommy to when you need to wash your face in a rush!)
Nature Baby care diapers
Before we switched to cloth diapers we used these diapers. They work great, don't leak and don't have any chemicals to harm baby's skin. In addition, they break down very fast, so they won't sit in a landfill forever. We continue to use these when we are on vacation, because it's hard to travel with cloth diapers!
California Baby Calming Shampoo and Body Wash - 17.5 oz.
I love this wash! It smells great and it does not contain any Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or DEA. Everything they use in their washes are completely biodegradable. It washes out great from baby's hair and it's also tear free!
California Baby Calendula Cream
We started using another baby lotion on our newborn when he was born and he started with a rash on his face every time we used it. Then he began to have very dry skin on his checks and I heard from someone to use a Calendula type lotion. Of course I turned to California Baby because I like the company and what it stands for and we have never had any problem with their products. This cream is expensive but you only use a very small amount! And it works wonders!
California Baby Calendula Everyday Lotion
Because I liked the cream so much I searched for the everyday lotion and found it! I love this lotion and use it all the time on our baby boy. And he smells great with it on!
Philips AVENT BPA Free Bottle, 9 Ounce, Dual Pack
I did a ton of research on everything under the sun before I delivered my last baby. I wanted everything to be the healthiest and best for him. I know your answer would be to breastfeed but I choose not to with any of them. So I wanted the best bottles. My first choice would have been glass bottles, but with 2 older siblings I didn't think it would be the best (safest) choice. So instead we chose to go with these bottles. They work great, cleanup well and best of all they are BPA free! These bottles can also be converted into sippy cups for great transitions!
Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Diaper Rash Ointment, Tube 4 oz (113 g)
My mom introduced me to this butt paste with my first child 10 years ago and I feel in love with it. This butt cream has oatmeal in it (that's why it's brown) so it won't burn open wounds on baby's bottom. It will clear up a rash within hours. I have tubes of this in the diaper bag, on the changing table and in the bathroom. It works wonders even on older children who may suffer from an occasional UTI.
HAPPYBABY Organic Puffs, Banana Puffs, 2.1-Ounce Containers (Pack of 6)
We have only started recently buying any baby food. I started our youngest on baby food when he was 7 months. I waited because we went out of town for 2 weeks and I didn't want to have to worry about food. We make all our baby food for him, but just recently started to buy an occasional baby food. The main reason because we are going out of town soon and I needed to figure out what to do. I love everything about Happy Baby. They don't over process the food meaning it has as much nutrients as it could, being healthier for baby. The food comes in a funny looking pouch, but the food doesn't need to be heated up and the pouch is BPA free. The company was started by a mom wanting the best for her baby and still believes in the same values. Our son loved these puffs (until he started eating real food!) and now he likes the food (that he occasionally gets!).
Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal, 8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor, Blue
I just wrote a post on our homemade baby food experience. My parents purchased this blender for me while I was pregnant last year for Christmas. My mom knew I wanted to make our baby food and she heard this was one of the best ones. I have to agree! It works great! Before baby came along I used it to make smoothies for my daughters and I. My husband has pureed potatoes for cream of potato soap. It really is a great blender for not just making baby food but for everyday kitchen purposes!
Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula, with Iron, 25.75 oz. Make 190 fl oz
Nature babycare Eco-Sensitive Fragrance-Free Wipes, 70-count Boxes (Pack of 10)
I love that these wipes are biodegradable so they break down pretty fast (also compost!). In addition, there are no chemicals in these wipes. You can use these on a rash bottom and it won't burn because there is no alcohol what so ever! (and they work well for mommy to when you need to wash your face in a rush!)
Nature Baby care diapers
Before we switched to cloth diapers we used these diapers. They work great, don't leak and don't have any chemicals to harm baby's skin. In addition, they break down very fast, so they won't sit in a landfill forever. We continue to use these when we are on vacation, because it's hard to travel with cloth diapers!
California Baby Calming Shampoo and Body Wash - 17.5 oz.
I love this wash! It smells great and it does not contain any Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or DEA. Everything they use in their washes are completely biodegradable. It washes out great from baby's hair and it's also tear free!
California Baby Calendula Cream
We started using another baby lotion on our newborn when he was born and he started with a rash on his face every time we used it. Then he began to have very dry skin on his checks and I heard from someone to use a Calendula type lotion. Of course I turned to California Baby because I like the company and what it stands for and we have never had any problem with their products. This cream is expensive but you only use a very small amount! And it works wonders!
California Baby Calendula Everyday Lotion
Because I liked the cream so much I searched for the everyday lotion and found it! I love this lotion and use it all the time on our baby boy. And he smells great with it on!
Philips AVENT BPA Free Bottle, 9 Ounce, Dual Pack
I did a ton of research on everything under the sun before I delivered my last baby. I wanted everything to be the healthiest and best for him. I know your answer would be to breastfeed but I choose not to with any of them. So I wanted the best bottles. My first choice would have been glass bottles, but with 2 older siblings I didn't think it would be the best (safest) choice. So instead we chose to go with these bottles. They work great, cleanup well and best of all they are BPA free! These bottles can also be converted into sippy cups for great transitions!
Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Diaper Rash Ointment, Tube 4 oz (113 g)
My mom introduced me to this butt paste with my first child 10 years ago and I feel in love with it. This butt cream has oatmeal in it (that's why it's brown) so it won't burn open wounds on baby's bottom. It will clear up a rash within hours. I have tubes of this in the diaper bag, on the changing table and in the bathroom. It works wonders even on older children who may suffer from an occasional UTI.
HAPPYBABY Organic Puffs, Banana Puffs, 2.1-Ounce Containers (Pack of 6)
We have only started recently buying any baby food. I started our youngest on baby food when he was 7 months. I waited because we went out of town for 2 weeks and I didn't want to have to worry about food. We make all our baby food for him, but just recently started to buy an occasional baby food. The main reason because we are going out of town soon and I needed to figure out what to do. I love everything about Happy Baby. They don't over process the food meaning it has as much nutrients as it could, being healthier for baby. The food comes in a funny looking pouch, but the food doesn't need to be heated up and the pouch is BPA free. The company was started by a mom wanting the best for her baby and still believes in the same values. Our son loved these puffs (until he started eating real food!) and now he likes the food (that he occasionally gets!).
Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal, 8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor, Blue
I just wrote a post on our homemade baby food experience. My parents purchased this blender for me while I was pregnant last year for Christmas. My mom knew I wanted to make our baby food and she heard this was one of the best ones. I have to agree! It works great! Before baby came along I used it to make smoothies for my daughters and I. My husband has pureed potatoes for cream of potato soap. It really is a great blender for not just making baby food but for everyday kitchen purposes!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Fast Food or Packed Dinners?
Growing up my brothers and I were always busy with sports and extra curriculer activities in the evenings after school. It was important for my mom that we have healthy dinners even though we were so active. I can remember my dad bringing my dinners in the car and I would eat them on the way home from gymnastics practice. We talked while I hate and I had a healthy dinner, and for us it was "normal".
Now that my kids are getting older, and both are becoming more active we are on the go A LOT! My oldest has soccer practice in the evenings and we don't get home until after 8 most of the time. This is way to late for my youngest to be eating. A year ago I started packing our dinners for soccer practice. My middle child and I would sit in the car many times and eat our dinners together, while we talked, and my oldest would eat either on the way to or the way home from practice. We still get our family time together and talk about our day, but most important we are eating healthy.
The best part of this is the amount of money I am saving my family. Sometimes though I think how easy it would be to stop by a drive thru on the way to or from practice and grab dinner. But not only would my famiyl be eating a very unhealthy supper but I would be forking out so much more money! We have the same foods that we could have at a fast food restuarant. I fix chicken nuggets (all white meat) with sweet potato fries and a vegetable. I throw in some homemade mac - n - cheese when I have the time. I also make subs with veggie chips, as well as fish sticks with a couple of sides. It takes some planning on my part and a lot more work to get it all packed up, but in the end it is so worth it. I am teaching my kids so many lessons in a simple quick dinner: how to save money, how to continue with family dinners even on the go, and how to always eat healthy even with limited time! Next time you think it's easier to stop at the closest drive - thru think about the lessons you are passing along to your kids...is it worth it?
Don't get me wrong, we still stop at the drive - thru every now and then, but it's more for a special occasion then for a nightly dinner. And when we do end up stopping the kids are excited about it, not just expecting it! It's a win win for me!
Now that my kids are getting older, and both are becoming more active we are on the go A LOT! My oldest has soccer practice in the evenings and we don't get home until after 8 most of the time. This is way to late for my youngest to be eating. A year ago I started packing our dinners for soccer practice. My middle child and I would sit in the car many times and eat our dinners together, while we talked, and my oldest would eat either on the way to or the way home from practice. We still get our family time together and talk about our day, but most important we are eating healthy.
The best part of this is the amount of money I am saving my family. Sometimes though I think how easy it would be to stop by a drive thru on the way to or from practice and grab dinner. But not only would my famiyl be eating a very unhealthy supper but I would be forking out so much more money! We have the same foods that we could have at a fast food restuarant. I fix chicken nuggets (all white meat) with sweet potato fries and a vegetable. I throw in some homemade mac - n - cheese when I have the time. I also make subs with veggie chips, as well as fish sticks with a couple of sides. It takes some planning on my part and a lot more work to get it all packed up, but in the end it is so worth it. I am teaching my kids so many lessons in a simple quick dinner: how to save money, how to continue with family dinners even on the go, and how to always eat healthy even with limited time! Next time you think it's easier to stop at the closest drive - thru think about the lessons you are passing along to your kids...is it worth it?
Don't get me wrong, we still stop at the drive - thru every now and then, but it's more for a special occasion then for a nightly dinner. And when we do end up stopping the kids are excited about it, not just expecting it! It's a win win for me!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers are a huge topic these days with families who are living a green lifestyle. My husband and I decided with our youngest who was born last spring we would use cloth diapers. When I brought this topic up to my mom and others they said I was nuts! Cloth diapers were a pain; washing them was a nightmare; disposables are so easy; why would you want to put in that much effort. I took all the comments, thought about them and then made my own decision. The first 4 months we used disposable diapers. I did a ton of research on disposables, all the chemicals in them that is harmful to baby's skin and their health. I thought about all the space in the landfills that disposable diapers were taking up and how long each diaper would take to finally break down. After a ton of research I found Nature Babycare diapers. These diapers are produced in Europe, they don't have any harmful chemicals to hurt baby and they decompose! They were great! We used them for 4 months and also when we are out of town. They are great. I totally recommend these for anyone who doesn't ever want to use cloth diapers with their baby.
After 4 months (and the whole 4 months I did research) we decided we were ready to switch over to cloth diapers. I talked to friends who currently used cloth diapers and found our their favorites and what they liked and disliked about each one. My husband (really just me) decided on two different brands, Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bumz. We love our cloth diapers! Every time I was a load of diapers I think about all the money I am saving my family by not having to fork out another $30 on a pack of diapers. I think of all the landfill space we are saving by not throwing away diapers. I believe it is one of the best things we did for not just our baby boy and his health, but also for our checkbook and the environment!
The major argument I hear from individuals is that they could never imagine washing cloth diapers. That was my biggest fear about switching to cloth diapers. But I have to be honest, it's really not that hard! I was diapers about every other day. I was the shells by themselves and then wash the inserts by themselves. To me this is faster and I feel they get much cleaner. It takes me a couple of hours to complete the wash and then about 5 minutes to stuff the inserts in the shell and that's it! It's so simple. For anyone thinking about using cloth diapers I would have to say to do it! Make the switch, especially for those SAHM's trying to save money! It's a big investment in the beginning, but with websites like diaperswappers.com you can buy them pretty cheap. Friends are willing to swap with you as well if they no longer plan to use them. I believe it's one of the best things you can do for you baby!
After 4 months (and the whole 4 months I did research) we decided we were ready to switch over to cloth diapers. I talked to friends who currently used cloth diapers and found our their favorites and what they liked and disliked about each one. My husband (really just me) decided on two different brands, Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bumz. We love our cloth diapers! Every time I was a load of diapers I think about all the money I am saving my family by not having to fork out another $30 on a pack of diapers. I think of all the landfill space we are saving by not throwing away diapers. I believe it is one of the best things we did for not just our baby boy and his health, but also for our checkbook and the environment!
The major argument I hear from individuals is that they could never imagine washing cloth diapers. That was my biggest fear about switching to cloth diapers. But I have to be honest, it's really not that hard! I was diapers about every other day. I was the shells by themselves and then wash the inserts by themselves. To me this is faster and I feel they get much cleaner. It takes me a couple of hours to complete the wash and then about 5 minutes to stuff the inserts in the shell and that's it! It's so simple. For anyone thinking about using cloth diapers I would have to say to do it! Make the switch, especially for those SAHM's trying to save money! It's a big investment in the beginning, but with websites like diaperswappers.com you can buy them pretty cheap. Friends are willing to swap with you as well if they no longer plan to use them. I believe it's one of the best things you can do for you baby!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Some perks of shopping online
Being a SAHM and babysitting during the week, leaving the house during the day is a bit frightful! Over the past year I have gotten really good at searching for the best deals online and saving a ton of money! Amazon.com is a great site to find wonderful deals from household goods, food, baby items, books, shoes and clothes! If you are a prime member you get free shipping on hundreds of items on their website. Each day they have a great deal at a wonderful discount price and ongoing sales all the time. We have also taken advantage of the Subscribe and Save program they have. We get our toilet paper, paper towels (I know we are suppose to be "green" but we still use paper towels...but they're made from recycled materials!), baby formula, wet wipes, and some of the kids snacks this way. You sign up for what you want, the amount you want and how often you want amazon to ship to your house; you get a discount on the price for being a member of the subscribe and save program and that's it. You sit back and never have to worry about it again! It's great!
Another site I have found very useful is Ebates.com. I was a little reluctant at first, but after the first check came to me in the mail I was convinced! We have found tons of new sites to shop from online for items we would normally buy, and buying then through ebates.com is even more profitable because I get money back from my purchase. Last summer we booked our hotel, baseball tickets and zoo tickets through ebates.com and scored a ton of money back on our family vacation.
Between these two sites (and there are a ton more out there!) our Christmas shopping this past year was a profitable one! We were able to buy more this year and save more then ever before! It was great! Please be sure to share with me your favorite money saving sites too!
Another site I have found very useful is Ebates.com. I was a little reluctant at first, but after the first check came to me in the mail I was convinced! We have found tons of new sites to shop from online for items we would normally buy, and buying then through ebates.com is even more profitable because I get money back from my purchase. Last summer we booked our hotel, baseball tickets and zoo tickets through ebates.com and scored a ton of money back on our family vacation.
Between these two sites (and there are a ton more out there!) our Christmas shopping this past year was a profitable one! We were able to buy more this year and save more then ever before! It was great! Please be sure to share with me your favorite money saving sites too!
My Favorite Things
Over the years I have grown to love (maybe even addicted to) certain things. Some of them are household items, some are baby products we use on the kids while others are just items I have around the house (none of them as expensive as Oprah's favorite things!). I will continually add to this list as I continue to find more and more things I have to have!! Please don't forget to share your favoite things!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Our Green Lifestyle
Over the past couple of years my husband and I agreed to start living a greener lifestyle. I did the research on everything I could think of to learn everything I could on the subject. There wasn't a specific area in our lives we wanted green, we wanted to live every aspect of our lives as eco friendly as we could. So over the years we have changed shampoo, soap, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, food, diapers, even toilet paper! It's actually been kind of fun doing this. I have to be honest though, it's not the cheapest thing to do! In fact a lot of the greener, natural products are the more expensive ones. But I have done my research and bought the cheapest ones I could. I feel so much better as a person and mother knowing that I am giving my kids the healthest life and cleaner earth to live. I hope through this blog I can share my favorite products as well as some of the ways we try to live a greener lifestyle! And don't forget to share with me some of your ways you live a greener healthier lifestyle! Remember we always continue to learn and I love to learn from my readers!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saving Money
I grew up in a family where my parents saved all the money they could. We were not poor, but my mom shopped with coupons, we only got new clothes when we needed them and we never went out to dinner. So living on a budget and saving money is second nature to me. However, my husband likes to spend money. If it's in his wallet he will spend it on anything! He likes the newest electronic gadgets and going out to dinner is simple for him. So, needless to say, the past couple of years we have struggled with this. And now that we live on a very strict budget it's even harder. This year we made a New Year's Resolution together...spend less money. I implemented the Spending Diet. On January 1st we started a notebook that we write down everything we spend money on. It has really become a great tool. My husband doesn't want to have to explain any useless spending so he doesn't do it anymore. He started taking his food to work (which is a lot because he spends 24 hours at the firehouse, but we are saving a fortune!). And I started cutting coupons again and matching them to store sales. The past year I got away from doing this because, honestly, it takes a lot of time. With the new baby and everything else going on I didn't have the time to spend. But now I do! I devote one day a week to grocery shopping. That's it! No extra runs to the grocery store (unless we need milk!). We never eat out anymore except our weekly Friday nights out with my parents to the family pizza place down the street. It's great! I'm really hoping we can continue to keep this up, not just this year but as a lifestyle change!
Because we live on such a strict budget, we have made a lot of changes over the years. I have learned to cut corners, scrimp on somethings, shop for the best deal, and scour the Internet for great deals! This page on my blog I will share with you areas and places that I save money. Like every other page, please leave comments and your ideas! I love to learn from others!!! I hope I can help you all too!
Because we live on such a strict budget, we have made a lot of changes over the years. I have learned to cut corners, scrimp on somethings, shop for the best deal, and scour the Internet for great deals! This page on my blog I will share with you areas and places that I save money. Like every other page, please leave comments and your ideas! I love to learn from others!!! I hope I can help you all too!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My New Love of Sewing
This page is my place to share all my new experiences with sewing. I grew up with my mom sewing everything from our clothes, to my doll clothes, to curtains and pillows. You name it she sewed it. There was nothing she couldn't do with that machine. My mom tried for years to teach me to sew and I had no desire to learn. I always made her make me everything I wanted, even my prom dress! When I was younger I got a Cabbage Patch Kid sewing macine for Christmas, I guess her attempt to get me interested so I could sew with her. Didn't work! So, last spring I had my 3rd child, our first boy. For years now I have been dressing our 2 girls in matching clothes for every holiday, every vacation and sometimes just to hang out around the house. Once we had our son, I didn't change! I wanted all 3 kids to match! This task of buying a 10 year old, 5 year old and newborn matching outfits is hard! You can spend tons of money on outfits they are only going to wear a few times! I wasn't going to give up...so my idea, learn to sew! My mom thought I was nuts! Infact she doesn't really so much anymore for a number of reasons being it takes up a lot of time, the cost of material has gone up so much and patterns themselves cost a fortune! But nothing was going to stop me, I was going to learn to sew and sew all 3 kids matching outfits!
I bought my material, found the patterns I wanted and bought them got my mom's sewing machine and I was ready. My mom gave me a couple of lessons on the basics and she walked me through making one of the dresses for the girls. After that I was on my own! Needless to say with a couple of hiccups along the way, I finished all 3 outfits, and they looked great! The kids got professional pictures done in them and our baby even wore his to a wedding! They looked great, and the best part is I love sewing now!
Since this venture, my parents bought me a sewing machine for Christmas, which I got on Black Friday at a steal! I made the baby 7 sleepers which we gave him for Christmas, I made our oldest 5 pairs of lounge pants we gave her for Christmas and our youngest daugter for 7 new dresses with matching bows all made by me for Christmas! I love this sewing thing. I buy everything on sale, and those that aren't on sale I use a coupon. I shop the clearance and for major deals. In the end everything I make is A LOT cheaper then going to the store and buying an outfit new! I have made 2 rompers for girl twins for their first birthday, a dress for a 2 year old for her birthday gift and currently making a Jon Jon for a 1 year old for his birthday. So not only amd I saving a ton of money but I'm having fun creating all these new things!
I am going to continue to sew and create new items and as I do I will share them on here! Please share your items and tricks and tips and new creations with me! I am always ready to try new things!!!
I bought my material, found the patterns I wanted and bought them got my mom's sewing machine and I was ready. My mom gave me a couple of lessons on the basics and she walked me through making one of the dresses for the girls. After that I was on my own! Needless to say with a couple of hiccups along the way, I finished all 3 outfits, and they looked great! The kids got professional pictures done in them and our baby even wore his to a wedding! They looked great, and the best part is I love sewing now!
Since this venture, my parents bought me a sewing machine for Christmas, which I got on Black Friday at a steal! I made the baby 7 sleepers which we gave him for Christmas, I made our oldest 5 pairs of lounge pants we gave her for Christmas and our youngest daugter for 7 new dresses with matching bows all made by me for Christmas! I love this sewing thing. I buy everything on sale, and those that aren't on sale I use a coupon. I shop the clearance and for major deals. In the end everything I make is A LOT cheaper then going to the store and buying an outfit new! I have made 2 rompers for girl twins for their first birthday, a dress for a 2 year old for her birthday gift and currently making a Jon Jon for a 1 year old for his birthday. So not only amd I saving a ton of money but I'm having fun creating all these new things!
I am going to continue to sew and create new items and as I do I will share them on here! Please share your items and tricks and tips and new creations with me! I am always ready to try new things!!!
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