Note: This blog is a re-post from March that I thought you might find helpful!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Since I became a Mom 16 months ago, I’ve had several friends ask me if I had any helpful hints or secrets to offer up. The biggest secret that I am constantly having to restrain myself from telling people in a given store on a given day is…BUY CHEAP DIAPERS!
I have tried a LOT of styles and brands. When we were expecting, both my husband and I were Public School teachers. My school hosted a baby shower for me, and his school hosted a diaper pounding for him. Diaper pounding is just an old-fashioned way of saying that everyone participating brings the expectant parent diapers or wipes. If you are ever offered a shower, ASK FOR A DIAPER POUNDING! They are awesome! We didn’t buy a single diaper for 8 weeks and we lasted even longer than that with the wipes.
So, having said all of that, we have tried a lot of different kinds of diapers! The diapers that held the most “matter” without leaking, and stayed in place, were the Parent’s Choice at Wal-Mart. They are also significantly less expensive than their name-brand equivalents. The Up & Up brand of diapers at Target are also superior to any other diapers we have found. However, I have an issue with big, silly prints on the diapers as if my kid even cares about what her diaper has on it. Winny the Pooh?! Seriously? My kid can’t even see her butt, so the only person who gets “enjoyment” out of the pictures on her booty is me, and I don’t like seeing Eeyore poking out beneath a sheer onesie! The Parent’s Choice brand diapers have a small, gender-neutral pattern around the top of the diaper that does not seem to show through clothing. The Up & Up brand diapers have GIANT blue and green dots on the whole diaper. These dots DO show through her clothes, making Parent’s Choice my all-time favorite diaper when she was 6 pounds and now that she is 25 pounds.
Don’t let people pressure you into buying the newest, most fabulous product on the market. Stick with the Parent’s Choice or Up & Up diapers!
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Trick or Treat?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I just had a couple of random thoughts as I was going about my day…
Frozen bananas: Now that your baby is older, or you are planning ahead for when your baby can eat a few more solid things, pick up a bundle of fresh bananas. They are extremely inexpensive, around $.49 per pound, and babies think they taste like candy. Mash the bananas with a fork and dump them into the baby food jars/tubs that you have been saving. Pop ‘em into the freezer, and they stay VERY fresh-tasting! I usually thaw them in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and most of the banana is thaw, and some of it is frozen. Emily especially likes the frozen part, as it tastes like a popsicle. This is a great trick for teething babies and sore gums.
Other soft foods for growing babies: Where you used to puree all of your baby’s vegetables, they may be at the age where they can handle some solid vegetables. Steam a bag of peas, portion the peas out into the baby food jars/tubs that you’ve been saving, and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, pop them into the microwave for around 45 seconds, and sprinkle them onto your baby’s high chair tray. They will love the independence of picking the peas up for themselves, and you might have a few moments to start dinner or rinse some dishes.
Formula popsicles: If your baby is still young enough to drink formula, formula pops are great for a warm day outside, or for those sore gums. Most grocery stores sell popsicle molds very inexpensively, or you could always fill an ice cube tray. Simply measure the amount of liquid that the mold holds, and you will know how much powder to add to the water.
Washable dry mop: I used to use my Swiffer Wet Jet to mop the hard wood floors, and even the tile floors on occasion. The Swiffer Wet Jet pads are pricey, and I was going through about 3 pads a week, so I needed a new box of pads every time I turned around! Instead of continuing on with this, I decided to purchase a mop with a removable microfiber pad. I still purchase the Swiffer Wet Jet spray solution, but I bought a large squirt bottle at Dollar Tree. I empty the solution into my spray bottle, and spray the floors by hand. After I am finished mopping, the microfiber pad gets tossed into the washing machine and is dry by the next day. I don’t have to continue purchasing Wet Jet Pads, and I don’t have to replace the batteries on the Swiffer Wet Jet, which is GREAT because the messes are getting bigger!
I just had a couple of random thoughts as I was going about my day…
Frozen bananas: Now that your baby is older, or you are planning ahead for when your baby can eat a few more solid things, pick up a bundle of fresh bananas. They are extremely inexpensive, around $.49 per pound, and babies think they taste like candy. Mash the bananas with a fork and dump them into the baby food jars/tubs that you have been saving. Pop ‘em into the freezer, and they stay VERY fresh-tasting! I usually thaw them in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and most of the banana is thaw, and some of it is frozen. Emily especially likes the frozen part, as it tastes like a popsicle. This is a great trick for teething babies and sore gums.
Other soft foods for growing babies: Where you used to puree all of your baby’s vegetables, they may be at the age where they can handle some solid vegetables. Steam a bag of peas, portion the peas out into the baby food jars/tubs that you’ve been saving, and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, pop them into the microwave for around 45 seconds, and sprinkle them onto your baby’s high chair tray. They will love the independence of picking the peas up for themselves, and you might have a few moments to start dinner or rinse some dishes.
Formula popsicles: If your baby is still young enough to drink formula, formula pops are great for a warm day outside, or for those sore gums. Most grocery stores sell popsicle molds very inexpensively, or you could always fill an ice cube tray. Simply measure the amount of liquid that the mold holds, and you will know how much powder to add to the water.
Washable dry mop: I used to use my Swiffer Wet Jet to mop the hard wood floors, and even the tile floors on occasion. The Swiffer Wet Jet pads are pricey, and I was going through about 3 pads a week, so I needed a new box of pads every time I turned around! Instead of continuing on with this, I decided to purchase a mop with a removable microfiber pad. I still purchase the Swiffer Wet Jet spray solution, but I bought a large squirt bottle at Dollar Tree. I empty the solution into my spray bottle, and spray the floors by hand. After I am finished mopping, the microfiber pad gets tossed into the washing machine and is dry by the next day. I don’t have to continue purchasing Wet Jet Pads, and I don’t have to replace the batteries on the Swiffer Wet Jet, which is GREAT because the messes are getting bigger!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Babycenter.com
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The first thing my OB/GYN said to me when I became pregnant was, "Stay off of the Internet! It will drive you crazy!" Well, of course, I couldn’t listen...totally. So, to follow his advice as best I could, I was very selective about the websites that I patronized. I found one website to be knowledgeable, user-friendly, and welcoming. Baby Center!
BabyCenter is such a wonderful website for women trying to conceive, women struggling to conceive, expectant mothers, mothers who have miscarried, and mothers of children of all ages. If you are interested in signing up, you input your due date and BabyCenter will send you a weekly email about your child's development. My favorite, by far, was the earliest weeks of pregnancy when so much of your baby's development is occurring. I knew when she got her fingerprints, when she was the size of a peach pit and when she had color to her eyes. It was so comforting, and exciting to know every step as it occurred.
Now that I am the Mom of an older, growing child, I am often asking myself questions like, "Why is she refusing to let me hold her spoon?" "Why is she having difficulty napping?" "Is this normal?" "Is that normal?" And before I know it, my weekly email from BabyCenter pops up and they are SPOT ON with her development. It is so comforting to know that your baby is developing much like other babies their age.
Another favorite facet of BabyCenter is the "birth month club." You can read funny threads, or serious ones, written by mothers who are due to deliver in the same month as you. My all-time favorite threads were the "confessions" that people wrote about their daily occurrences. "I drank a mountain dew and my baby is bouncing around in there like crazy." "I wanted to attack the cashier at Taco Bell because he was slow to give me my gorditas." DOESN'T IT JUST MAKE YOU WANT TO GO READ SOME?! They are so funny!
I also had the opportunity to sign up for many email coupons and values through BabyCenter's advertisements. They offer so many fabulous deals for parents, and they just pop up before your eyes!
Check out BabyCenter and you are sure to find great deals, find a "home" on the Internet, and find a good belly laugh when you visit!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
The first thing my OB/GYN said to me when I became pregnant was, "Stay off of the Internet! It will drive you crazy!" Well, of course, I couldn’t listen...totally. So, to follow his advice as best I could, I was very selective about the websites that I patronized. I found one website to be knowledgeable, user-friendly, and welcoming. Baby Center!
BabyCenter is such a wonderful website for women trying to conceive, women struggling to conceive, expectant mothers, mothers who have miscarried, and mothers of children of all ages. If you are interested in signing up, you input your due date and BabyCenter will send you a weekly email about your child's development. My favorite, by far, was the earliest weeks of pregnancy when so much of your baby's development is occurring. I knew when she got her fingerprints, when she was the size of a peach pit and when she had color to her eyes. It was so comforting, and exciting to know every step as it occurred.
Now that I am the Mom of an older, growing child, I am often asking myself questions like, "Why is she refusing to let me hold her spoon?" "Why is she having difficulty napping?" "Is this normal?" "Is that normal?" And before I know it, my weekly email from BabyCenter pops up and they are SPOT ON with her development. It is so comforting to know that your baby is developing much like other babies their age.
Another favorite facet of BabyCenter is the "birth month club." You can read funny threads, or serious ones, written by mothers who are due to deliver in the same month as you. My all-time favorite threads were the "confessions" that people wrote about their daily occurrences. "I drank a mountain dew and my baby is bouncing around in there like crazy." "I wanted to attack the cashier at Taco Bell because he was slow to give me my gorditas." DOESN'T IT JUST MAKE YOU WANT TO GO READ SOME?! They are so funny!
I also had the opportunity to sign up for many email coupons and values through BabyCenter's advertisements. They offer so many fabulous deals for parents, and they just pop up before your eyes!
Check out BabyCenter and you are sure to find great deals, find a "home" on the Internet, and find a good belly laugh when you visit!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Make-your-own baby food
Sunday, February 28, 2010
When I made the transition to being a stay-at-home-mom, I was searching for ways to save that would truly impact my family. I have found that making my daughter’s baby food myself is a true savings! For instance, a 16oz. bag of Great Value brand frozen broccoli runs just over $1.00 at Wal-Mart. By steaming and pureeing the vegetables yourself, you can get about 6 - 4oz. jars of baby food for around $1.00 instead of spending around $.45 for each jar at the grocery store. Here is the process:
1. Steam the vegetable according to package directions or slightly longer for easy pureeing.
2. Drain the water from the vegetable, PRESERVE WATER
3. Puree vegetable using a food processor or hand held processor.
4. The more of the preserved water that you add, the smoother the pureed vegetable will be. It is more useful to use the vegetable’s water than tap water because the nutrients from the vegetable are still contained in the water.
5. Portion into plastic baby food jars or small containers. Before I began this process, I started collecting the plastic 4oz. food containers that her packaged baby food came in. Once I had about 20 containers, I felt prepared to make her food myself. I then let the vegetables cool on the counter and freeze. I have tried boiling chicken, but it was a bit dry for my taste (and hers), probably because I didn’t add enough of the preserved water. It was crumbly and she did not care for it. I now purchase her meats. I also purchase her fruits because it is usually not cost-effective for me to buy frozen fruit and puree it. I can save myself the work and simply purchase her fruits at Big Lots (see yesterday’s blog!). However, frozen vegetables (or even when the raw carrots are getting a little bit dry and ready to be tossed, steam ‘em up!) are very inexpensive and they are sold in a variety of combinations. I have yet to find a vegetable that my daughter refuses to eat. (Ok, ok, I know I’m fortunate when it comes to her eating. Don’t hate me!) I prefer to make the mess only once and steam/puree all of the vegetables that I can prepare given the amount of containers that I have. Try it, I think you’ll really find that its kinda fun and saves a TON of money!
When I made the transition to being a stay-at-home-mom, I was searching for ways to save that would truly impact my family. I have found that making my daughter’s baby food myself is a true savings! For instance, a 16oz. bag of Great Value brand frozen broccoli runs just over $1.00 at Wal-Mart. By steaming and pureeing the vegetables yourself, you can get about 6 - 4oz. jars of baby food for around $1.00 instead of spending around $.45 for each jar at the grocery store. Here is the process:
1. Steam the vegetable according to package directions or slightly longer for easy pureeing.
2. Drain the water from the vegetable, PRESERVE WATER
3. Puree vegetable using a food processor or hand held processor.
4. The more of the preserved water that you add, the smoother the pureed vegetable will be. It is more useful to use the vegetable’s water than tap water because the nutrients from the vegetable are still contained in the water.
5. Portion into plastic baby food jars or small containers. Before I began this process, I started collecting the plastic 4oz. food containers that her packaged baby food came in. Once I had about 20 containers, I felt prepared to make her food myself. I then let the vegetables cool on the counter and freeze. I have tried boiling chicken, but it was a bit dry for my taste (and hers), probably because I didn’t add enough of the preserved water. It was crumbly and she did not care for it. I now purchase her meats. I also purchase her fruits because it is usually not cost-effective for me to buy frozen fruit and puree it. I can save myself the work and simply purchase her fruits at Big Lots (see yesterday’s blog!). However, frozen vegetables (or even when the raw carrots are getting a little bit dry and ready to be tossed, steam ‘em up!) are very inexpensive and they are sold in a variety of combinations. I have yet to find a vegetable that my daughter refuses to eat. (Ok, ok, I know I’m fortunate when it comes to her eating. Don’t hate me!) I prefer to make the mess only once and steam/puree all of the vegetables that I can prepare given the amount of containers that I have. Try it, I think you’ll really find that its kinda fun and saves a TON of money!
Baby Necessities
Thursday, February, 24, 2010
I think I’ll kick things off with the things that I have found most helpful in my adventures as a first time Mom. As we all know, EVERYONE wants to share their war stories and must-haves when you are expecting. This is a practical account of the things that have saved my butt on numerous occasions. Of course, everyone wants to talk about the most fabulous cradle and bouncy seat. Well, Emily would sleep in a pile of dirt if I’d let her. So, let’s not worry with the obvious stuff. Everyone’s going to buy a play yard and a crib. So, what do you ACTUALLY need? A cart cover! That thing is so amazing, I’m not even kidding. My cart cover is a Kozypal and it is AMAZING. You can purchase them from retailers like Target for around $25. I checked in with Melissa at Kozypal for a few weeks and found that she was having a fabulous sale. I got my $62 cart cover for $35! The small compartments that the cover has, the loops for hanging keys or toys, and the easy elastic ties make my cart cover my favorite baby product thus far. I use my cart cover nearly every day and I highly recommend them if your child is anything like mine – chewing the metal on any cart she can wrap her teeth around!
My second favorite baby product has to be my sling. They are available in much more fun colors and patterns than they have been in the past, and they come in very handy when you have a newborn/infant. I never quite mastered the “vacuum with ease” aspect, but I still love my sling! It offers hands-free shopping and your baby can sleep nestled close to you, or ride around on your hip while your hands are both free. My sling is a product of Babies ‘R Us and ran around $40. I found that I could more easily slide into my sling than I could maneuver my front-to-back carrier.
My third and final favorite baby item is definitely a gadget. As my husband and I registered for our baby shower, we were incredibly overwhelmed with all of the things on the market for babies. What on EARTH do we truly need amidst all of these things? Of course, you want to have the coolest new items, and my favorite find in the gadget department would have to be the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon. They can be found at both Target and Babies ‘R Us for around $7. The spoon holds more than one 4oz. container of baby food, and as you gently squeeze the bulb, baby food fills the spoon and you can 1. feed your baby one-handed, and 2. avoid a huge mess. I found this item to be PERFECT for shopping trips because I could load the spoon prior to leaving the house. Emily was surprisingly less messy when we used the “Boon Spoon” because I could control messes with my left hand while continuously feeding her with my right hand. A dream come true!
I think I’ll kick things off with the things that I have found most helpful in my adventures as a first time Mom. As we all know, EVERYONE wants to share their war stories and must-haves when you are expecting. This is a practical account of the things that have saved my butt on numerous occasions. Of course, everyone wants to talk about the most fabulous cradle and bouncy seat. Well, Emily would sleep in a pile of dirt if I’d let her. So, let’s not worry with the obvious stuff. Everyone’s going to buy a play yard and a crib. So, what do you ACTUALLY need? A cart cover! That thing is so amazing, I’m not even kidding. My cart cover is a Kozypal and it is AMAZING. You can purchase them from retailers like Target for around $25. I checked in with Melissa at Kozypal for a few weeks and found that she was having a fabulous sale. I got my $62 cart cover for $35! The small compartments that the cover has, the loops for hanging keys or toys, and the easy elastic ties make my cart cover my favorite baby product thus far. I use my cart cover nearly every day and I highly recommend them if your child is anything like mine – chewing the metal on any cart she can wrap her teeth around!
My second favorite baby product has to be my sling. They are available in much more fun colors and patterns than they have been in the past, and they come in very handy when you have a newborn/infant. I never quite mastered the “vacuum with ease” aspect, but I still love my sling! It offers hands-free shopping and your baby can sleep nestled close to you, or ride around on your hip while your hands are both free. My sling is a product of Babies ‘R Us and ran around $40. I found that I could more easily slide into my sling than I could maneuver my front-to-back carrier.
My third and final favorite baby item is definitely a gadget. As my husband and I registered for our baby shower, we were incredibly overwhelmed with all of the things on the market for babies. What on EARTH do we truly need amidst all of these things? Of course, you want to have the coolest new items, and my favorite find in the gadget department would have to be the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon. They can be found at both Target and Babies ‘R Us for around $7. The spoon holds more than one 4oz. container of baby food, and as you gently squeeze the bulb, baby food fills the spoon and you can 1. feed your baby one-handed, and 2. avoid a huge mess. I found this item to be PERFECT for shopping trips because I could load the spoon prior to leaving the house. Emily was surprisingly less messy when we used the “Boon Spoon” because I could control messes with my left hand while continuously feeding her with my right hand. A dream come true!
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