Thank you so much for the well wishes and the prayers last week. I have had so many of you who sent me emails and messages in the last week that I have decided to devote one day a week to deployment updates. That way I don't have to send 80 million texts or emails basically saying the same thing. I do apologize for those whom may have gotten copy and pasted impersonal messages last week, but that is just where we were at that time in life! At least you got a reply......consider yourself lucky and privileged.
You also have to bear with me as I try to figure out when to blog with our new temporary lifestyle. We also have visitors in the next few weeks so time will be limited. Make sure you pay attention to my Facebook page. As I find deals I will post them and I am also going to start a blog page that I will update as I find good deals (for example there are Stride Rite shoes on Totsy for about 60% off regular retail prices....use you may use my referral code to join if you have never joined before).
Here is how the send off went down. Mason had to be at the office at 3:00am, so at 2:30 we all loaded up and took the "ride of doom." J's most favorite breakfast in the while wide world is Dunkin Donuts munchkins, so Mason made a pit stop at DD on the way into work. Nothing like sugaring up a 2 year old at 3:00 in the morning :). When we got there he had to get some more gear and we waited in the car. At 4:00am when he had all he needed we headed to a different parking lot where we said goodbye and he walked onto a bus. Not too eventful and very low key which I liked.
We came home and CB stayed asleep in her car seat which I just brought inside. J on the other hand wanted to PARTY!! Thankfully, Disney had a Jake and the Neverland Pirates marathon on that day (it was 4:30 when we got home), so I put J in bed with me and he watched T.V. while I dozed off and on. I think he fell back asleep at around 7:00am.
Since he left a week ago we have had 3 or 4 emails and I missed a phone call. I have to get used to taking my phone EVERYWHERE with me. No more leaving it behind when showering or running out to the car for just a second; it is attached to me all the time!! We are all adjusting fairly well. J says Dada is "far, far away," and he can say Afghanistan. CB has no clue she is really too little. If you are interested in sending a care package or a letter, leave me a message with your email address and I will send it to you. He is in a very remote location, and really busy so he might not write back, but he will appreciate anything you may send.
As of now I have plenty of projects to keep me busy and getting the entire house the way we want it is step one. I plan to be a painting, picture hanging, landscaping fool these next 5 months. So much so he won't even recognize the place when he comes home...well, maybe not that much, but it will be great!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Adventures in Home Decorating
When we bought our house in 2003 we went with just the basics. Whatever came with the house is what we got. We didn't do any upgrades other that what was offered as an incentive, for example the ceramic tile and the crown molding. We knew we were going to have enough "extras" with the new refrigerator and washer/dryer that we were going to need. Somehow I did end up upgrading our roof to a 40 year roof rather than the 30 year roof...not really sure how I did that, but the insurance adjuster was very impressed with our roof so I am certainly taking credit for that!!
When we found out that we were moving back into our house this summer we decided to rip out the carpet and the pergo floors in the living room and dining room and put down hardwoods. Wow, that was a process. There are sooooo many colors of floors it made me dizzy looking at them all and yes, you guessed it I went with the color shade I liked that was the cheapest. We love our floors and do have plans to redo the floors in the kitchen in the next year or so.
This left me with the delima of looking for an area rug to the living room. As I started searching, I started cringing at the prices...$500 and up for a 8x10 rug, even on discount sites the are over $200. I have been pretty content to just do without, but I don't want the floors to get super scratched and I do want a softer place for the kids to sit and do puzzles and play games. Today I found my rug for less than $100! It's a carpet remnant and not only does the weird size fit perfectly, but it is also a high quality rug.
This purchase has prompted me to rearrange all the furniture and the room will get painted before the month is over, I promise. Speaking of paint, my favorite place to purchase paint is Wal-Mart. I love Glidden paint. It is a one coat wonder and according to online reviews and a friend who works in construction it is the same chemical make up as those paints sold in the bigger box home improvement stores and the speciality paint stores.
I am now on the search for slip covers for the sofa...oh how I am missing Ollies and the Christmas Tree Store. I have found a site that doesn't have prices as good as Ollies, but they are the best I've found so far over at SmartBargins.com. This site also has other housewares and is having a pretty good sale going on right now. JC Penny has some really good online sales and are also featured on Ebates this month so your savings will increase even more.
Home decorating is one of my favorite things to do. The joke in our house is that every time Mason leaves the walls change colors and the furniture is in new spots. That is why I love furniture sliders......this time I had the movers put ALL the furniture on sliders! There is no stopping the madness now!!
When we found out that we were moving back into our house this summer we decided to rip out the carpet and the pergo floors in the living room and dining room and put down hardwoods. Wow, that was a process. There are sooooo many colors of floors it made me dizzy looking at them all and yes, you guessed it I went with the color shade I liked that was the cheapest. We love our floors and do have plans to redo the floors in the kitchen in the next year or so.
This left me with the delima of looking for an area rug to the living room. As I started searching, I started cringing at the prices...$500 and up for a 8x10 rug, even on discount sites the are over $200. I have been pretty content to just do without, but I don't want the floors to get super scratched and I do want a softer place for the kids to sit and do puzzles and play games. Today I found my rug for less than $100! It's a carpet remnant and not only does the weird size fit perfectly, but it is also a high quality rug.
This purchase has prompted me to rearrange all the furniture and the room will get painted before the month is over, I promise. Speaking of paint, my favorite place to purchase paint is Wal-Mart. I love Glidden paint. It is a one coat wonder and according to online reviews and a friend who works in construction it is the same chemical make up as those paints sold in the bigger box home improvement stores and the speciality paint stores.
I am now on the search for slip covers for the sofa...oh how I am missing Ollies and the Christmas Tree Store. I have found a site that doesn't have prices as good as Ollies, but they are the best I've found so far over at SmartBargins.com. This site also has other housewares and is having a pretty good sale going on right now. JC Penny has some really good online sales and are also featured on Ebates this month so your savings will increase even more.
Home decorating is one of my favorite things to do. The joke in our house is that every time Mason leaves the walls change colors and the furniture is in new spots. That is why I love furniture sliders......this time I had the movers put ALL the furniture on sliders! There is no stopping the madness now!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Adventures in Potty Training
Oh potty training.....I have read so many books on the subject, and each one I read reinforces the fact that I am still going to "do my own thing." Maybe it is laziness on my part, paired with the fact that I really don't mind changing diapers/pull-ups. I also really do not want to make this a big deal or something stressful to either of us. With that being said, I do suffer from "Mommy Envy." What is this exactly do you ask? You know that little voice inside you that says "...*gasp* he is not potty trained yet,"...or..."*gasp* why don't you force him to use the potty."
Here is our strategy for potty training. First, I waited until we moved. The last thing I wanted to do was stop on a long drive to take him to a potty, or better yet have him decide he wanted to see each public restroom and therefore tell me he needed to go potty when he didn't really NEED to. J is in a pre-school class for "actively potty training kids." This means that they are all working on potty training. They have scheduled class wide potty breaks and they all talk about the potty a lot. Their goal is to have each kid "school" potty trained by Christmas. When he got into this class I decided that the month before he started school was the time to start.
Many of the books suggest using naked time to start so that is what we did. Low and behold he got it!! He only has had 3-5 accident since starting and within probably 36 hours I could say he was completely potty trained when he was sans clothes. That was about 6 weeks ago. Now the problem exists when he has clothes on.......when he has underwear or even no underwear but pants on, he has all kinds of accidents. It's like he feels like he has a diaper or pull-up on. When he has no clothes on, I don't even have to ask him to go to the potty he just goes on his own. When he has clothes on he refuses to go to the potty and it becomes a huge production. Remember I said I don't want to make it a big deal......so if he doesn't want to go we don't go.
I am thinking while he is physically ready to potty train, mentally he is not quite there. I'm hoping the influences of older kids will help, you know a little peer pressure!! He won't go at school either and they don't press it. His teacher assures me that one day he will decide he wants to try it, so we will see and we just wait. I mean really, it's much easier when we are out in public to only worry about taking myself to the bathroom so it doesn't bother me at all. Now, if I could just get passed that little nagging voice....
In honor of potty training, and the fact that I just ordered more pull-ups. Here are all the deals related to the subject!!!
Huggies Pull-ups has all kinds of coupons on their website along with a free potty DVD.
Amazon has some great deals with extra coupons!!
Pampers Easy-Ups for Girls :: From $12.79 {look for Pampers coupon}
Pampers Easy-Ups for Boys :: From $8.32 {look for Pampers coupon}
Huggies Pull-Ups, From $11.98 {look for Huggies coupon}
Diapers.com has potties on super sale along with more pull up diapers on sale. They also have potty rewards, books and big kid underwear on sale too.
This is a website that I have been using for reference Potty Training Concepts. And while I haven't used everything on the site I have found it helpful for ideas. Pretty much every kid is different and you can't force your child to use the potty, you just have to wait until they are ready! Although there are some brave women out there who use the Elimintaion Communication Method for infants to which I tip my hat too.
I can share that while my almost 3 year old seems to be content with where he is at in his potty training progress, my 14 month old daughter is really into this potty training process too. If you ask her if she needs to go potty she will walk to the bathroom, go to the little potty, take off her diaper (or rather get really frustrated trying to take off her diaper, until I help her......remember she is in cloth diapers with snaps on the sides) and sit on the potty. So far she has been successful 3 times on the potty. So, I'm just going with where we are at for both of them! I figure by next summer we won't have anymore little ones in diapers or at least that is the potty goal today, tomorrow it will probably change!!
Feel free to share your potty tips and stories, I'm sure there are many out there! The other day while we were in a public restroom J said very loudly' "Mom do you think that lady went poo poo on the potty? She smelled really bad!"
Here is our strategy for potty training. First, I waited until we moved. The last thing I wanted to do was stop on a long drive to take him to a potty, or better yet have him decide he wanted to see each public restroom and therefore tell me he needed to go potty when he didn't really NEED to. J is in a pre-school class for "actively potty training kids." This means that they are all working on potty training. They have scheduled class wide potty breaks and they all talk about the potty a lot. Their goal is to have each kid "school" potty trained by Christmas. When he got into this class I decided that the month before he started school was the time to start.
Many of the books suggest using naked time to start so that is what we did. Low and behold he got it!! He only has had 3-5 accident since starting and within probably 36 hours I could say he was completely potty trained when he was sans clothes. That was about 6 weeks ago. Now the problem exists when he has clothes on.......when he has underwear or even no underwear but pants on, he has all kinds of accidents. It's like he feels like he has a diaper or pull-up on. When he has no clothes on, I don't even have to ask him to go to the potty he just goes on his own. When he has clothes on he refuses to go to the potty and it becomes a huge production. Remember I said I don't want to make it a big deal......so if he doesn't want to go we don't go.
I am thinking while he is physically ready to potty train, mentally he is not quite there. I'm hoping the influences of older kids will help, you know a little peer pressure!! He won't go at school either and they don't press it. His teacher assures me that one day he will decide he wants to try it, so we will see and we just wait. I mean really, it's much easier when we are out in public to only worry about taking myself to the bathroom so it doesn't bother me at all. Now, if I could just get passed that little nagging voice....
In honor of potty training, and the fact that I just ordered more pull-ups. Here are all the deals related to the subject!!!
Huggies Pull-ups has all kinds of coupons on their website along with a free potty DVD.
Amazon has some great deals with extra coupons!!
Pampers Easy-Ups for Girls :: From $12.79 {look for Pampers coupon}
Pampers Easy-Ups for Boys :: From $8.32 {look for Pampers coupon}
Huggies Pull-Ups, From $11.98 {look for Huggies coupon}
Diapers.com has potties on super sale along with more pull up diapers on sale. They also have potty rewards, books and big kid underwear on sale too.
This is a website that I have been using for reference Potty Training Concepts. And while I haven't used everything on the site I have found it helpful for ideas. Pretty much every kid is different and you can't force your child to use the potty, you just have to wait until they are ready! Although there are some brave women out there who use the Elimintaion Communication Method for infants to which I tip my hat too.
I can share that while my almost 3 year old seems to be content with where he is at in his potty training progress, my 14 month old daughter is really into this potty training process too. If you ask her if she needs to go potty she will walk to the bathroom, go to the little potty, take off her diaper (or rather get really frustrated trying to take off her diaper, until I help her......remember she is in cloth diapers with snaps on the sides) and sit on the potty. So far she has been successful 3 times on the potty. So, I'm just going with where we are at for both of them! I figure by next summer we won't have anymore little ones in diapers or at least that is the potty goal today, tomorrow it will probably change!!
Feel free to share your potty tips and stories, I'm sure there are many out there! The other day while we were in a public restroom J said very loudly' "Mom do you think that lady went poo poo on the potty? She smelled really bad!"
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Adventures in Pre-Deployment
Ahhh, finally the cat is out of the bag and we can start talking about it!! You know the elephant that is in the room. That nasty word "deployment." That's right I said it and I'm not afraid. It has been a month full of craziness as dear husband has tried to catch up with his unit overseas. We have had departure date after date after date and finally when all seems like a go we are delayed another 12 hours...sigh. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE having him home, but this back and forth and other craziness has mentally worn us both down, not to mention that we are both emotionally exhausted. He just wants to get there and get started, and I just want to get this show on the road so that he can come home.
When I started this blog I promised my Rochester family that I would give them an insight into how different our life was going to be once we moved back into the "fleet," as they like to say around here. Exactly what does pre-deployment entail you ask. It is full of answering the "what if questions." The ones no one wants to answer, but you know you have too. It's full of planning for "What could happen," along with tons of paperwork (Power of Attorney, wills, money issues, insurance). It also seems to be the "What needs to get done before I go" time. The house repairs, the car issues and any other "manly" tasks. Not that I can't do all these things, or at least hire someone to do them, but it just seems to be the pattern that life takes us each weekend. Usually, a family has seven months to get this all done, we have had six weeks. Needless to say it's been rushed and there is a lot of stuff that will wait until next time or I will hire someone to do, but I like that it's been fast. It gives you less time to think!
Since he is meeting a unit that is in country already, he should also be coming home with them in February/March making this a five month deployment instead of the usual 7 months. That is nice, and we are very thankful. He is going to a very remote area overseas so communication will be very spotty, however we will look forward to emails, snail mail and Skype calls all the more.
So what are the kids and I going to be doing while he is gone you ask?? Well, J is in preschool two days a week and takes gymnastics one morning a week. I am involved in a Bible study every other week (with childcare) and running with a group 2 days a week. I am currently training for a half marathon in the Spring and running as many 5k and 10k races as possible to fill the weekends. I also do a little shopping spree a couple of days before he leaves. That way I am guaranteed "gifts" during that first week. Hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!!
I have some great friends to keep me busy and I know several whose husbands are also on the same deployment schedule as mine. I also plan to take a long road trip so look for me to show up on your doorstep needing a place to stay!! We love visitors, so feel free to book a stay at the Harlow Hotel in the near future. The weather is nice, and while it might be too cold for ocean swimming we do boast some of the best shark teeth beaches in the region!
I have been asked so many times "how do you do it?" To which I answer, "You just do." It is lonely. I do cry. I get frustrated and some days are harder than others. These emotions are all okay. This is our first deployment with kids and I think it's harder for him than it is for me. When I have bad days at least I have someone in my face who loves me with all they have and gives hugs and kisses freely.
We'll be okay, we are strong and the months will fly by......or, at least that is what I am telling myself!
When I started this blog I promised my Rochester family that I would give them an insight into how different our life was going to be once we moved back into the "fleet," as they like to say around here. Exactly what does pre-deployment entail you ask. It is full of answering the "what if questions." The ones no one wants to answer, but you know you have too. It's full of planning for "What could happen," along with tons of paperwork (Power of Attorney, wills, money issues, insurance). It also seems to be the "What needs to get done before I go" time. The house repairs, the car issues and any other "manly" tasks. Not that I can't do all these things, or at least hire someone to do them, but it just seems to be the pattern that life takes us each weekend. Usually, a family has seven months to get this all done, we have had six weeks. Needless to say it's been rushed and there is a lot of stuff that will wait until next time or I will hire someone to do, but I like that it's been fast. It gives you less time to think!
Since he is meeting a unit that is in country already, he should also be coming home with them in February/March making this a five month deployment instead of the usual 7 months. That is nice, and we are very thankful. He is going to a very remote area overseas so communication will be very spotty, however we will look forward to emails, snail mail and Skype calls all the more.
So what are the kids and I going to be doing while he is gone you ask?? Well, J is in preschool two days a week and takes gymnastics one morning a week. I am involved in a Bible study every other week (with childcare) and running with a group 2 days a week. I am currently training for a half marathon in the Spring and running as many 5k and 10k races as possible to fill the weekends. I also do a little shopping spree a couple of days before he leaves. That way I am guaranteed "gifts" during that first week. Hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!!
I have some great friends to keep me busy and I know several whose husbands are also on the same deployment schedule as mine. I also plan to take a long road trip so look for me to show up on your doorstep needing a place to stay!! We love visitors, so feel free to book a stay at the Harlow Hotel in the near future. The weather is nice, and while it might be too cold for ocean swimming we do boast some of the best shark teeth beaches in the region!
I have been asked so many times "how do you do it?" To which I answer, "You just do." It is lonely. I do cry. I get frustrated and some days are harder than others. These emotions are all okay. This is our first deployment with kids and I think it's harder for him than it is for me. When I have bad days at least I have someone in my face who loves me with all they have and gives hugs and kisses freely.
We'll be okay, we are strong and the months will fly by......or, at least that is what I am telling myself!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Adventures in Amazon Diaper Deals
Ahhh, Diapers......the vein of my existence. CB is in cloth diapers except for at night so we usually can get by with 1 or 2 diapers a day for her. J is in pull-ups for school which are the most expensive "bottom coverer," out on the market! Thankfully we should be out of those soon (pre-school will make that decision) and for a while at least we will be only buying a case of diapers every 3 or 4 months!
This week Amazon has some AMAZING diaper deals. Don't forget to sign up for Amazon Mom (it's a free program) for free shipping and and extra 15% off along with the Subscribe and Save option for another 15% off. Thank you to Baby Good Buys for the source of most of these deals I found!!
This week Amazon has some AMAZING diaper deals. Don't forget to sign up for Amazon Mom (it's a free program) for free shipping and and extra 15% off along with the Subscribe and Save option for another 15% off. Thank you to Baby Good Buys for the source of most of these deals I found!!
- Luvs Ultra Leakguard Stretch Diapers :: $26.59 :: $0.09 per diaper
- Luvs Ultra Leakguard Stretch Diapers (smaller pack) :: $11.96 :: $0.12 per diaper
- Luvs Ultra Leakguard Stretch Diapers, newborn :: $21.71 :: $0.14 per diaper
- Munchkin Super Premium Diapers :: From $20.38 :: $0.10 per diaper
- Pampers Baby Dry Diapers :: From $30.73 :: $0.11 per diaper {look for Pampers coupon}
- Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers :: From $21.45 :: $0.11 per diaper
- Fisher-Price Happy Days diapers :: From $36.39 :: $0.12 per diaper
- Pure ‘N Gentle Ultra Diapers :: From $20.12 :: $0.12 per diaper
- Fisher-Price Happy Days and Happy Nights diapers :: From $13.01 :: $0.14 per diaper
- Fitti Mega Baby Diapers, size 4 :: $31.70 :: $0.15 per diaper
- Fitti Mega Baby Diapers, size 5 :: $31.70 :: $0.17 per diaper
- Pampers Swaddlers Dry Max Diapers :: From $32.30 :: $0.14 per diaper
- Pampers Swaddlers Diapers :: From $30.73 :: $0.13 per diaper {look for Pampers coupon}
- Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers :: From $23.45 :: $0.14 per diaper
- Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers :: From $32.19 :: $0.17 per diaper {look for Pampers coupon}
- Pampers Cruisers Diapers :: From $35 :: $0.16 per diaper {look for Pampers coupon}
- Huggies Little Movers Diapers :: From $14.02 :: $0.18 per diaper
- Huggies Little Movers Jeans Diapers :: From $13.29 :: $0.18 per diaper
Eco-Friendly or Green Disposable Diapers
- Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers :: From $25.09 :: $0.14 per diaper
- Nature BabyCare Eco-Friendly Diapers :: From $25.12 :: $0.16 per diaper
- Earth’s Best Tendercare Chlorine-Free Diapers :: From $29.54 :: $0.17 per diaper
- Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers :: From $27.15 :: $0.17 per diaper
- gDiapers Flushable Refills :: From $36.40 :: $0.23 per refill
- gDiapers Snap-In Washable Liners :: $19.99 for 6 :: $3.33 per liner
- gDiapers gCloth Washable Inserts :: From $21.59 for 6 :: $3.60 per insert
- gDiapers Everyday Gs gPants :: from $79 for 6 :: $13.17 per cloth diaper
Training Pants & Extra-Absorbency Diapers
- Fisher-Price Happy Nights diapers :: From $45.49 :: $0.19 per diaper
- Huggies Overnites :: From $14.65 :: $0.19 per diaper
- Pampers Extra Protection :: From $17.41 :: $0.19 per diaper {look for $1.50 Pampers coupon}
- Pampers Easy-Ups for Girls :: From $12.79 :: $0.19 per pant {look for Pampers coupon}
- Pampers Easy-Ups for Boys :: From $8.32 :: $0.19 per pant {look for Pampers coupon}
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Adventures in Blog Following
I have been waiting to figure out a little more about blogging and more specifically the program I use, Blogger, before I attempted this post. I know think I have a little better knowledge so I can make the links look pretty. When we moved to Rochester, extreme couponing was just starting to become all the rage. I remember watching the Today Show and seeing Crystal Pain of Money Saving Mom describe how her life has changed since she became Money Saving Mom. She also gave a mini coupon class on the show and I thought "wow, I could totally get into that!" At the end of the segment they gave her blog address, and I wrote it down. A few days later as I was cleaning up the counter clutter I came across that paper and decided to go to her blog. I was hooked! Not only did she have great tips and advice and deals, but you also got to read more about her and know that she has a crazy, not so perfect life to and she makes it work.
You all know that Google is my best friend. So I started looking for other blogs that would list deals and tips. I came across Mary Beth Hamilton of Baby Good Buys and here is where I hit the jackpot in my opinion. Not only does she post some amazing ideas and deals, but she puts everything in one place. For example each week she posts the best Amazon diaper and wipes deals. What is easier than that! It gets better, you can have her daily posts sent to your email address every day and make sure you get all her deals everyday. So many of you ask where I find my stuff and while I do a lot of research on my own I usually always double check with Baby Good Buys too to make sure I haven't missed something!
I often find blogs about regular people who are doing regular things. My new favorite blog to follow is Kelly at Secrets of a Running Mom, because that's just what I am into right now :). Below is a short list of other great blog sites for deals and such that you all might find intersting. Do you have any favorites that you follow?
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/
http://dealseekingmom.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/Grocery-Coupon-Blog/
http://www.coupongeek.net/
Happy following!!
You all know that Google is my best friend. So I started looking for other blogs that would list deals and tips. I came across Mary Beth Hamilton of Baby Good Buys and here is where I hit the jackpot in my opinion. Not only does she post some amazing ideas and deals, but she puts everything in one place. For example each week she posts the best Amazon diaper and wipes deals. What is easier than that! It gets better, you can have her daily posts sent to your email address every day and make sure you get all her deals everyday. So many of you ask where I find my stuff and while I do a lot of research on my own I usually always double check with Baby Good Buys too to make sure I haven't missed something!
I often find blogs about regular people who are doing regular things. My new favorite blog to follow is Kelly at Secrets of a Running Mom, because that's just what I am into right now :). Below is a short list of other great blog sites for deals and such that you all might find intersting. Do you have any favorites that you follow?
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/
http://dealseekingmom.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/Grocery-Coupon-Blog/
http://www.coupongeek.net/
Happy following!!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Adventures in Running
I have always been active. For the majority of my life I have been a dancer, a gymnast or a cheerleader. I have a degree in Physical Education and was a PE and Dance teacher for several years. I know how to be fit. I understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. I just have never really cared about how it applied to me. I have been blessed by a super high metabolism and weight has just never really been an issue. I like to workout, I just had not made it a priority in my day to day activities. I have either been too busy, too tired or really just around exercise all the time that I felt like I did work out all the time :)
When we moved to Columbus our apartment complex had an awesome gym onsite and so, in my effort to get out and meet ew people, I started going. I basically just ran on the treadmill for 30-40 min. Then I got pregnant and exercising went out the window. I was soooooo sick all the time that sweating was not high on my agenda for the day. When J was about 9 months old and we lived in Rochester, NY, I started attending Stroller Strides classes and this was perfect for me. While the focus clearly is on working out, for me the social hour was a lifeline to other people and that is why I went to class 3-4 days a week. When I was pregnant with CB I attended classes until the day before my c-section, and I am positive that this is the reason I did not have gestational diabetes or pre-clampasia with her pregnancy.
We moved to Jacksonville about 2 months ago. I looked for something similar to Stroller Strides and while I did find Stroller Strides, it just wasn't working out for me here, so I kept searching. I came across an amazing group of ladies called Stroller Warriors. It is basically a running club of military Moms pushing strollers. I never thought I would be a runner, but these ladies are super encouraging and again, I find myself going to meetings purely for the social aspect of the club...hey, whatever works right!! One thing these ladies do is run races together, so I am signed up for my 3rd ever 5k (the first one was a year ago so see if I could do it, the second was on MADE with Vanessa) tomorrow. I'm excited about it.
So, this brings me to today's deals. Jogging Strollers...there are many, many, many kinds and they range from the super expensive to the relatively cheap. The "best of the best" is considered to be BOB, but they are on the super pricey end. Right now Jogger Mom is running the best BOB sale there has been in a while (15% off with free shipping and no sales tax). BOB does not usually go on sale so if you are in the market for one, jump on this now! If you are looking for a jogger that gets the same ratings as the BOB, but is actually lighter and cheaper I encourage you to look at the Kelty Speedster Swivel. This is what I use and I love it. The double does not have duel canopies and there is not infant seat adapter so keep this in mind. I also run with my Baby Jogger City Select (as a single, I don't run with it as a double because it makes me feel a little out of control), however Baby Jogger does not endorse running with any of their strollers that are not specifically made for "running." As always when looking for a new stroller, make sure you Google the name of the stroller with the words "on sale" after it to find the best deals out there. When you find a store you want to purchase from, Google the store name and the words "coupon code," to see if there is anything available. I also encourage you to look for last years stroller model. This summer Babies R Us had some great deals on 2010 BOB Revolution strollers. You can always score good deals online you just need to spend a little time to do some research, but the rewards are soooooo worth it.
I also want to throw out there to you to search craigslist and other "garage sale" (Lejeune Yard Sales) type websites for the stroller you are searching for. Many times you can post that you are searching for a particular stroller and people may respond to you. I will caution you though, sometimes you can find a better deal online than you can from craigslist. I found numerous Jogging strollers for sale in my area, but the sellers wanted more for them than I was willing to pay for a 3 or 4 year old stroller. Keep this in mind, if you are planning to use your jogger everyday it might be worth the extra $50-100 you might spend to have a new one vs buying a used one without a warrenty.
No matter how you do it or why you do it, as a Mom exercising is an important part of daily life. Keeping up with toddlers is exhausting and the more fit you are the easier it is, not to mention the example that you are setting for your little one. I started attending Stroller Warriors at the same time with a couple of other ladies and we have become fast running friends, running on days other than the set Stroller Warrior workouts. We have a goal of an 8K in November, a 10K in Feb/March and then a 1/2 marathon in May. That is a whole lot for this non-runner, but running with friends every day is a fantastic outlet and I often forget that we are "running." At then end of each run as I am sweaty, gulping down water, and breathing really hard, J always asks "Are you ok, Mommy?" Yeah J, I'm ok...especially today :)...........Happy running!
When we moved to Columbus our apartment complex had an awesome gym onsite and so, in my effort to get out and meet ew people, I started going. I basically just ran on the treadmill for 30-40 min. Then I got pregnant and exercising went out the window. I was soooooo sick all the time that sweating was not high on my agenda for the day. When J was about 9 months old and we lived in Rochester, NY, I started attending Stroller Strides classes and this was perfect for me. While the focus clearly is on working out, for me the social hour was a lifeline to other people and that is why I went to class 3-4 days a week. When I was pregnant with CB I attended classes until the day before my c-section, and I am positive that this is the reason I did not have gestational diabetes or pre-clampasia with her pregnancy.
We moved to Jacksonville about 2 months ago. I looked for something similar to Stroller Strides and while I did find Stroller Strides, it just wasn't working out for me here, so I kept searching. I came across an amazing group of ladies called Stroller Warriors. It is basically a running club of military Moms pushing strollers. I never thought I would be a runner, but these ladies are super encouraging and again, I find myself going to meetings purely for the social aspect of the club...hey, whatever works right!! One thing these ladies do is run races together, so I am signed up for my 3rd ever 5k (the first one was a year ago so see if I could do it, the second was on MADE with Vanessa) tomorrow. I'm excited about it.
So, this brings me to today's deals. Jogging Strollers...there are many, many, many kinds and they range from the super expensive to the relatively cheap. The "best of the best" is considered to be BOB, but they are on the super pricey end. Right now Jogger Mom is running the best BOB sale there has been in a while (15% off with free shipping and no sales tax). BOB does not usually go on sale so if you are in the market for one, jump on this now! If you are looking for a jogger that gets the same ratings as the BOB, but is actually lighter and cheaper I encourage you to look at the Kelty Speedster Swivel. This is what I use and I love it. The double does not have duel canopies and there is not infant seat adapter so keep this in mind. I also run with my Baby Jogger City Select (as a single, I don't run with it as a double because it makes me feel a little out of control), however Baby Jogger does not endorse running with any of their strollers that are not specifically made for "running." As always when looking for a new stroller, make sure you Google the name of the stroller with the words "on sale" after it to find the best deals out there. When you find a store you want to purchase from, Google the store name and the words "coupon code," to see if there is anything available. I also encourage you to look for last years stroller model. This summer Babies R Us had some great deals on 2010 BOB Revolution strollers. You can always score good deals online you just need to spend a little time to do some research, but the rewards are soooooo worth it.
I also want to throw out there to you to search craigslist and other "garage sale" (Lejeune Yard Sales) type websites for the stroller you are searching for. Many times you can post that you are searching for a particular stroller and people may respond to you. I will caution you though, sometimes you can find a better deal online than you can from craigslist. I found numerous Jogging strollers for sale in my area, but the sellers wanted more for them than I was willing to pay for a 3 or 4 year old stroller. Keep this in mind, if you are planning to use your jogger everyday it might be worth the extra $50-100 you might spend to have a new one vs buying a used one without a warrenty.
No matter how you do it or why you do it, as a Mom exercising is an important part of daily life. Keeping up with toddlers is exhausting and the more fit you are the easier it is, not to mention the example that you are setting for your little one. I started attending Stroller Warriors at the same time with a couple of other ladies and we have become fast running friends, running on days other than the set Stroller Warrior workouts. We have a goal of an 8K in November, a 10K in Feb/March and then a 1/2 marathon in May. That is a whole lot for this non-runner, but running with friends every day is a fantastic outlet and I often forget that we are "running." At then end of each run as I am sweaty, gulping down water, and breathing really hard, J always asks "Are you ok, Mommy?" Yeah J, I'm ok...especially today :)...........Happy running!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Adventures in the Drug Store Game: Walgreens
As I promised another post about The Drug Store Game. This one focuses on Walgreens and the Register Rewards program. This helpful information is from My Sweet Savings. I think her directions and explaination is the best out there right now. She is who I first learned from in my endevors to play the Drug Store Game.
Shopping at Walgreens, in many ways, is a lot like shopping at CVS. Like the Extra Care Program at CVS, Walgreens also has a rewards program called the Register Rewards Program. When you purchase certain products or a certain dollar amount of an item, you will receive a coupon called a Register Reward for your purchase. This coupon is valid on your next purchase and is to be used as a form of payment.
The best way to maximize your savings at Walgreens and to get items for FREE or for pennies on the dollar is to combine a manuf. Coupon with your Register Rewards.
Here are some of the most important things that you need to know for shopping at Walgreens:
-Shopping at Walgreens does not require a store loyalty card like CVS does.
-You will only receive Register Rewards one time per each deal for each transaction that you make.
For example:
Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $1.99 with $1 Register Reward you will need to make separate transactions if you wish to receive more than one Register Reward. You cannot purchase 2 tubes of Colgate in one transaction and receive 2 Register Rewards-your transactions must be separate if you wish to receive multiple Register Rewards for the same deals.
-You cannot roll your Register Rewards at Walgreens on like or the same items. Unlike CVS, where you can roll an ECB from one deal and do the same deal again to pay very little Out of Pocket Expense, you cannot do this at Walgreens.
You can, however, use the Register Reward that you received from one deal to purchase another item that is producing a Register Reward and still receive a Register Reward back for that purchase. I know this seems very confusing and unfortunately, that is the way that the system at Walgreens works!
Example:
You can take your $1 Register Reward from purchasing the Colgate toothpaste and apply that towards a purchase for Herbal Essences Shampoo which is $2.99 that week with $2 in Register Rewards. Then, if you wish, you can use that Register Reward to turn around and buy the Colgate again. You could keep rolling back and forth between the two deals if you choose to do so, just remember that you cannot roll Register Rewards on like items and you should be good to go!
Like CVS, Walgreens offers their own store coupons that you can stack with manufacturer’s Coupons to really maximize your savings even more!
Walgreens store coupon s typically come in two different forms:
Weekly Ad Coupons-these are the coupons that will be in the weekly Walgreens flier. You can stack those coupons with any manufacturer’s coupons that you have to score FREE or very inexpensive items.
IVC (Instant Value Coupons) These coupons can be found in the monthly Walgreens coupon booklet which is usually located next to the weekly flier.
You cannot have more coupons than items in your transaction at Walgreens. This is a very important tip to remember when shopping at Walgreens! If you have 6 items in your shopping basket but you have 8 coupons, you will need to have a couple of small filler items. (candy bar, gum. Pencil, something from the clearance section) If you don’t have filler items, the register will beep at the cashier and you will not be able to use all of your coupons. Important Note: IVC coupons and Weekly ad coupons should not make the cash register beep if you have more coupons than items in your transaction. It is typically when you have several Register Rewards with manufacturer’s coupons and more coupons than items that causes this to happen. Did you know that those Register Rewards are really manufacturer’s coupons? That is why the register will beep if you have more manuf. Coupons than items in your shopping basket!
Example:
You are purchasing Tylenol for $4.99. You have a $2 manufacturer’s coupon and a $2 Register Reward from a previous purchase. You have two coupons, but you are only purchasing one item. You will need to have a small filler item to cover that extra coupon.
You should hand over your coupons in a certain order when shopping at Walgreens. Typically, I like to hand over my coupons in this order:
Search for Money-Making Deals!
Example:
This week at Walgreens, they have Neuragen PN Pain Relief Topical Solution on sale for $14.99 each with $10 in Register Rewards.
Use the $10/1 manufacturer’s coupon from the 12/5 RP insert
Pay $4.99 OOP and receive back a $10 RR! You will come out ahead $5.01 on this purchase! This is what we call a money-making deal! You will only pay $4.99 of your own money, but in the end you will $10 in Walgreen’s money (Register Rewards) to use on your next trip at Walgreens…..very sweet indeed!
Treat Register Rewards like Cash! These are really a form of payment and if they are lost or stolen. Walgreens will not be able to reissue them for you.
Watch those expiration dates on your Register Rewards! Unlike CVS, where your ECB’S (Extra Care Bucks) have a month-long expiration date, Register Rewards expire 2 weeks from the time that they are issued. Watch your expiration dates very closely! I have had several Register Rewards expire on me before and that is no fun to a die-hard couponer like me who pinches every penny!
Don’t forget to donate your extra items! I love to help others and donate my extra stockpile to those in need whenever possible. If you are new to couponing, you will quickly find out just how easy it is to accumulate FREE items! Donate some to those in need!
Shopping at Walgreens, in many ways, is a lot like shopping at CVS. Like the Extra Care Program at CVS, Walgreens also has a rewards program called the Register Rewards Program. When you purchase certain products or a certain dollar amount of an item, you will receive a coupon called a Register Reward for your purchase. This coupon is valid on your next purchase and is to be used as a form of payment.
The best way to maximize your savings at Walgreens and to get items for FREE or for pennies on the dollar is to combine a manuf. Coupon with your Register Rewards.
Here are some of the most important things that you need to know for shopping at Walgreens:
-Shopping at Walgreens does not require a store loyalty card like CVS does.
-You will only receive Register Rewards one time per each deal for each transaction that you make.
For example:
Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $1.99 with $1 Register Reward you will need to make separate transactions if you wish to receive more than one Register Reward. You cannot purchase 2 tubes of Colgate in one transaction and receive 2 Register Rewards-your transactions must be separate if you wish to receive multiple Register Rewards for the same deals.
-You cannot roll your Register Rewards at Walgreens on like or the same items. Unlike CVS, where you can roll an ECB from one deal and do the same deal again to pay very little Out of Pocket Expense, you cannot do this at Walgreens.
You can, however, use the Register Reward that you received from one deal to purchase another item that is producing a Register Reward and still receive a Register Reward back for that purchase. I know this seems very confusing and unfortunately, that is the way that the system at Walgreens works!
Example:
You can take your $1 Register Reward from purchasing the Colgate toothpaste and apply that towards a purchase for Herbal Essences Shampoo which is $2.99 that week with $2 in Register Rewards. Then, if you wish, you can use that Register Reward to turn around and buy the Colgate again. You could keep rolling back and forth between the two deals if you choose to do so, just remember that you cannot roll Register Rewards on like items and you should be good to go!
Like CVS, Walgreens offers their own store coupons that you can stack with manufacturer’s Coupons to really maximize your savings even more!
Walgreens store coupon s typically come in two different forms:
Weekly Ad Coupons-these are the coupons that will be in the weekly Walgreens flier. You can stack those coupons with any manufacturer’s coupons that you have to score FREE or very inexpensive items.
IVC (Instant Value Coupons) These coupons can be found in the monthly Walgreens coupon booklet which is usually located next to the weekly flier.
You cannot have more coupons than items in your transaction at Walgreens. This is a very important tip to remember when shopping at Walgreens! If you have 6 items in your shopping basket but you have 8 coupons, you will need to have a couple of small filler items. (candy bar, gum. Pencil, something from the clearance section) If you don’t have filler items, the register will beep at the cashier and you will not be able to use all of your coupons. Important Note: IVC coupons and Weekly ad coupons should not make the cash register beep if you have more coupons than items in your transaction. It is typically when you have several Register Rewards with manufacturer’s coupons and more coupons than items that causes this to happen. Did you know that those Register Rewards are really manufacturer’s coupons? That is why the register will beep if you have more manuf. Coupons than items in your shopping basket!
Example:
You are purchasing Tylenol for $4.99. You have a $2 manufacturer’s coupon and a $2 Register Reward from a previous purchase. You have two coupons, but you are only purchasing one item. You will need to have a small filler item to cover that extra coupon.
You should hand over your coupons in a certain order when shopping at Walgreens. Typically, I like to hand over my coupons in this order:
- Manufacturer’s Coupons first
- Any Walgreens weekly ad coupons or IVC coupons secondly
- Register Rewards last
Search for Money-Making Deals!
Example:
This week at Walgreens, they have Neuragen PN Pain Relief Topical Solution on sale for $14.99 each with $10 in Register Rewards.
Use the $10/1 manufacturer’s coupon from the 12/5 RP insert
Pay $4.99 OOP and receive back a $10 RR! You will come out ahead $5.01 on this purchase! This is what we call a money-making deal! You will only pay $4.99 of your own money, but in the end you will $10 in Walgreen’s money (Register Rewards) to use on your next trip at Walgreens…..very sweet indeed!
Treat Register Rewards like Cash! These are really a form of payment and if they are lost or stolen. Walgreens will not be able to reissue them for you.
Watch those expiration dates on your Register Rewards! Unlike CVS, where your ECB’S (Extra Care Bucks) have a month-long expiration date, Register Rewards expire 2 weeks from the time that they are issued. Watch your expiration dates very closely! I have had several Register Rewards expire on me before and that is no fun to a die-hard couponer like me who pinches every penny!
Don’t forget to donate your extra items! I love to help others and donate my extra stockpile to those in need whenever possible. If you are new to couponing, you will quickly find out just how easy it is to accumulate FREE items! Donate some to those in need!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Adventures in Housework
Ahhhh, I have started many posts today and have not been really excited about any of them. However, since I made the commitment to write every day except weekends or holidays I need to get on the ball :) I need to be into what I am writing about. I have just sent out the Busy Bag email and that is what I am really excited about, but we have had numerous posts about Busy Bags so no more on that.
As I look around my house I think...great it is only Wednesday and it is looking a little CRAZY!! I am so not into cleaning. I consider myself one of the lucky few whose husbands could really care less if the house got cleaned, in fact he would much rather listen to me tell him about all the fun, cool things we did all day than to hear we cleaned the house...yes, I am very lucky!! I am the one who has had to loosen up on myself and not fret making sure everything is picked up or the laundry is all folded. In the end what really matters is that you have happy kids, not whether or not you vacuumed and mopped today!
I have instituted a no working on the weekends policy. I clean up the kitchen after meals, but I don't mop or sweep at the end of the day. We are currently teaching the kids to pick up toys at the end of the day, but on weekends we don't stress about it. Laundry doesn't get done and I don't do a lot of cooking. Every other career usually has some time off (the days may vary), so why not give that to myself? I then do a heavy duty amount of chores on Monday afternoon during nap time, but that hour or two of dusting, vacuuming and moping is nothing compared to the relief that I have from taking a break on the weekend.
During my Monday chore time I am also washing clothes, but they don't get folded until Thursday mornings while J is at school. By Thursday everything that was hanging up to dry is dry and ready to be put away too. Everyone in my family also has enough socks and underwear to last 2 weeks so, if something happens and I don't get clothes washed or put away one week, clean clothes are still available.
Fridays are the "clean something" day. I have a rotation of bathrooms, vacuuming upstairs rooms and bed linens so these things are done once a month. Just recently Groupon in our area had a Merry Maids voucher, that I took advantage of. I have 3 months of deep cleaning! I'm not sure what my family will think of such a spotless house. What I am sure of is that it won't remain spotless for long!!
As I look around my house I think...great it is only Wednesday and it is looking a little CRAZY!! I am so not into cleaning. I consider myself one of the lucky few whose husbands could really care less if the house got cleaned, in fact he would much rather listen to me tell him about all the fun, cool things we did all day than to hear we cleaned the house...yes, I am very lucky!! I am the one who has had to loosen up on myself and not fret making sure everything is picked up or the laundry is all folded. In the end what really matters is that you have happy kids, not whether or not you vacuumed and mopped today!
I have instituted a no working on the weekends policy. I clean up the kitchen after meals, but I don't mop or sweep at the end of the day. We are currently teaching the kids to pick up toys at the end of the day, but on weekends we don't stress about it. Laundry doesn't get done and I don't do a lot of cooking. Every other career usually has some time off (the days may vary), so why not give that to myself? I then do a heavy duty amount of chores on Monday afternoon during nap time, but that hour or two of dusting, vacuuming and moping is nothing compared to the relief that I have from taking a break on the weekend.
During my Monday chore time I am also washing clothes, but they don't get folded until Thursday mornings while J is at school. By Thursday everything that was hanging up to dry is dry and ready to be put away too. Everyone in my family also has enough socks and underwear to last 2 weeks so, if something happens and I don't get clothes washed or put away one week, clean clothes are still available.
Fridays are the "clean something" day. I have a rotation of bathrooms, vacuuming upstairs rooms and bed linens so these things are done once a month. Just recently Groupon in our area had a Merry Maids voucher, that I took advantage of. I have 3 months of deep cleaning! I'm not sure what my family will think of such a spotless house. What I am sure of is that it won't remain spotless for long!!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Adventures in Cloth Diapering
To cloth or not to cloth that is my question. First of all you must know that most of my decisions are financially based. The second thing that motivates my decisions is practicality. My youngest has/had (we are on the mend thank goodness) acid reflux. I made the decision to cloth diaper her after numerous diaper rashes. Her little rear end was so raw from the acid in her "number 2" that we were constantly using diaper cream. My little sister, who lives in Australia uses and sells cloth diapers. Her son has been in them from the beginning. When Clara Beth was 6 months she sent me a set of 8 diapers to try and I decided to go "all in" with cloth for 1 month. From the beginning, my issue with cloth is that the start up cost is a lot. For us to be successful, I need to use an All-in-One or a pocket diaper to the tune of about $20-25 a diaper which is a large chunk of change. I can buy a month's worth of disposables for the same price. We needed about 6-8 diapers a day and that is without using cloth at night. With the diapers my sister sent me I was washing diapers every night!! This is so not practical for our lifestyle.
I started looking for a diaper that was a "grow with me style" and a brand that has frequent sales. I decided on the Fuzzi Bunz one size, and I liked them. I ordered 6, so this way we only had to wash every other day. I had now invested about $200, so I was in for good. My problem is that our water bill increased by 30% and in the water plentiful area of western NY, this is not a big deal, but when we moved it was going to be a problem! I needed more diapers. By chance I entered a giveaway from Mac-A-Doodle and won one of her diapers. It was the first time I had used diapers with snaps on the rise and I was in love!! I had a credit to a cloth diapering store from an exchange, and I found GroVia diapers. They are for the super trim little ones and have snaps in the rise. Even better they are a company who always is having sales to make their all in one diapers affordable. I sold all my Fuzzi Bunz on Craigslist and started stocking up on my Mac-A-Doodles and GroVias when I can get them on sale! Right now both companies are having sales. Go to Mac-A-Doodles Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/mac-a-doodle/127609236785) and click on her Hyena Cart store. She is restocking today and has some really cute Fall diapers up! Enter the code laborday for 10% off your order. GroVia has just announced some new products for the Fall and currently they are the Baby Steal of the day (http://www.babysteals.com/).
Here is where I need to throw in my disclaimer. Cloth diapering is not for the faint of heart and there is definitely a learning curve involved. We struggled to find a diaper that would fit the little girl. She is super skinny (weighs under 20lbs at 13 months), really squirmy, and poops all the time!! I am also not super "green," in fact this is not a motivator at all for me in my decision to cloth diaper (in fact the 2 year old has never been in cloth). I do enjoy cloth diapers and with a little bit of instruction from those who are in the "know" and a little more "crunchy" than I am I have been able to be successful. Now, the big question..."does it save me money?" For me the answer is "not yet." If I have a third baby and put that one in cloth then yes, it will save me money. But for now I am finding that I am breaking even as I build my stash with the money I would normally be spending on diapers. There is a way to really save using cloth diapers (using covers and prefolds), but for us this is soooooo not practical.
I have not been compensated by GroVia or Mac-a-Doodle in any way for the promotion of their products. I truly love their diapers!!
I started looking for a diaper that was a "grow with me style" and a brand that has frequent sales. I decided on the Fuzzi Bunz one size, and I liked them. I ordered 6, so this way we only had to wash every other day. I had now invested about $200, so I was in for good. My problem is that our water bill increased by 30% and in the water plentiful area of western NY, this is not a big deal, but when we moved it was going to be a problem! I needed more diapers. By chance I entered a giveaway from Mac-A-Doodle and won one of her diapers. It was the first time I had used diapers with snaps on the rise and I was in love!! I had a credit to a cloth diapering store from an exchange, and I found GroVia diapers. They are for the super trim little ones and have snaps in the rise. Even better they are a company who always is having sales to make their all in one diapers affordable. I sold all my Fuzzi Bunz on Craigslist and started stocking up on my Mac-A-Doodles and GroVias when I can get them on sale! Right now both companies are having sales. Go to Mac-A-Doodles Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/mac-a-doodle/127609236785) and click on her Hyena Cart store. She is restocking today and has some really cute Fall diapers up! Enter the code laborday for 10% off your order. GroVia has just announced some new products for the Fall and currently they are the Baby Steal of the day (http://www.babysteals.com/).
Here is where I need to throw in my disclaimer. Cloth diapering is not for the faint of heart and there is definitely a learning curve involved. We struggled to find a diaper that would fit the little girl. She is super skinny (weighs under 20lbs at 13 months), really squirmy, and poops all the time!! I am also not super "green," in fact this is not a motivator at all for me in my decision to cloth diaper (in fact the 2 year old has never been in cloth). I do enjoy cloth diapers and with a little bit of instruction from those who are in the "know" and a little more "crunchy" than I am I have been able to be successful. Now, the big question..."does it save me money?" For me the answer is "not yet." If I have a third baby and put that one in cloth then yes, it will save me money. But for now I am finding that I am breaking even as I build my stash with the money I would normally be spending on diapers. There is a way to really save using cloth diapers (using covers and prefolds), but for us this is soooooo not practical.
I have not been compensated by GroVia or Mac-a-Doodle in any way for the promotion of their products. I truly love their diapers!!
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