Thank You for....

M Girl's prayer tonight:

Thank you for church!

Thank you for all my friends!

Thank you for CMan!

Thank you for Momma!

Thank you for Nani!

Thank you for Papa!

Hooray Hooray Hooray! Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen!



Poor Daddy always gets left out :(

What would you do Wednesday: The Tooth Fairy

Today is What Would You Do Wednesday and unlike last weeks cleaning questions (thanks for the help by the way)....I need some help with the tooth fairy.

You see when MGirl was a mere 11 months old she stood up in the bathtub and fell and chipped her tooth. We took her to the doctor they said not to worry about it. July she turned 2 so we decided it was time for her first dentist appt. and lo and behold she destroyed the root of her one tooth (and the other may need to be removed later as it has a blended root - whatever that means). So sometime within the next 20 days MGirl will be losing her first tooth and we will be having our first tooth fairy visit.

The problem is most children are like 5 when they have their first tooth fairy visit and money or coins is exciting. But MGirl doesn't understand money and coins and that won't mean anything to her to receive that from the tooth fairy. So I'm debating on what to do...give her money and say to heck with it or buy her a small present (well really just raid her xmas presents in the basement for something)? What would you do? Its already going to be a huge deal and so we are talking about her "sick" tooth that the dentist has to remove. I'm sure its going to be a rough day when it actually happens so hopefully the little present or coin or whatever will help to cheer her up.

What would you do for a 2 year old and losing her first tooth?

Bye bye front tooth!

Rite Aid Buy 9/29

I was at Rite Aid last night picking up some medicine for MGirl and noticed something on clearance that we had been wanting for some time. A humidifer - it was 75% off! So I ran home and was estatic to see that they also had a $5 off coupon on video values so here is my weekly buys:

Vicks Humidifer: 22.49

Used $4 off $20

Used $5 off Vicks Humidifer Video Values

Total: $13.80

It regularly retailed for $89.99!!! Thats an 85% savings!

I'm pretty excited about this steal if you can't tell.

Dawn Hand Renewal .99

Ace Cold Compress 1.29

Mom's Instant Oatmeal .74

Mom's Instant Oatmal .74

Spray N' Wash .94

Used .50 off Dawn Hand Renewal

Used $1.50 off any Ace product

Used two .75 off Mom's Natural Oatmeal

Total: $1.23 

Received $1.00 UPR for the oatmeal

Consignment shops and sales

This weekend I headed to one of my favorite consignment sales - it happens twice a year and they always have great stuff for the kids. I've gotten a kitchen, a tool bench, TONS of clothes, shoes, and the list goes on. We all know that babies and kids go through things so quickly that often used clothes are just as nice as brand new clothes and for a fraction of the cost. I personally adore Gymboree clothes but I do not adore their prices. In fact I rarely ever buy anything from their stores because I just can't bring myself to spend that much money on one outfit. So at consignment sales and stores I am always excited to find Gymboree outfits going for $5 - $8 for entire sets including bows, or tights. That is a fraction of the price I would pay in the actually store and no one is going to know the difference. I also regularly shop in consignment stores such as Once Upon A Child as they not only have great prices but they also run great sales. My mother-in-law works at a small local consignment shop so my children regularly get outfits from her store. She knows my love for Gymboree so she regularly brings M Girl outfits that she bought at her store for $8 - $10. Have you noticed I don't like to pay full price for much of anything? Call me cheap or call me thrifty. But I will tell you, no one knows the difference! My children are always dressed to the T in outfits that cost at least half the price. If you haven't tried at a consignment shop I highly reccomend it. There are some great stores out there that carry name brands for a fraction of the cost. Here are some of our weekend finds on MGirl and CMan:

Would you really know the difference?

Bulk Buying

Most areas have some kind of warehouse store such as Costco or Sams. I personally have mixed opinions about such shopping but will share with you my thoughts so you can form your own.

Warehouse stores allow you to buy mass amounts of any particular item for lower prices. You can not use coupons (other then store coupons) at these type of locations. With one exception you CAN use formula checks (the coupons formula manufacturers send you in the form of a check) at warehouse stores.

I do believe that you can get great savings at warehouse stores BUT I also believe you can get ripped off there. Since they do not accept manufacturers coupons you can buy items that have coupons much cheaper at other stores.

Some things I have bought with great savings are lightbulbs - they were running a special of 4 of the energy efficient light bulbs for .99, and tires - we bought four brand new tires for the van for just over $400. We also will buy things that we rarely find on sale or rarely have coupons for.

One thing to remember is to not buy more then you can really use. Are you really going to use five pounds of nacho cheese with your family of four? If you need a break from coupons, which everyone occasionally does, warehouse stores are a great place to continue your savings without the work.

Baby Dos and Don'ts

Before you have a baby you get bombarded with the things you NEED. Although you quickly will realize that you really don't need all those things in order for baby to be happy and healthy. And some other things you will wish you had bought more of. Here is my suggested list of Baby Dos and Don'ts before baby arrives. 

Do Stock Up On:

- DIAPERS! Of all sizes, not too many newborns or size 1s as babies grow fast. I wouldn't worry too much about your child having an allergy to a certain kind but if that is your concern then get a variety of brands. CMan has probably used 3 or 4 kinds of diapers so far and has had no problem with any of them. Also store brands are often just as good as name brands so don't be scared to use them as well. Or if you are thinking cloth diaper, stock up on a variety of these as well.

- Wipes - the wipe boxes are sealed so they will not dry out for a very very very long time! I have only ever had one box of dried out wipes and i contacted the company and they sent me coupons for 2 free tubs. Wipes shouldn't dry out unless opened (think how long they sit on store shelves!)

- Larger needs - if you find a great deal or a great second hand item, don't be afraid to purchase it ahead of time. No one is going to notice if your swing and carseat don't match (and really do you want them to anyway?) so if you find a great deal on a large item, snag it up.


Baby Don'ts

- Wipes Warmer - Your wipes are room temp. so they will be totally fine without a wipe warmer.

- Bottle Warmer - These things are hard to use and just another nuisance. Use boiling water from the stove or the microwave (although this isn't reccomended due to hot spots in the milk).

- Nursing pillow - Some people will disagree with this but I never used my nursing pillow to nurse. It does in fact work great to put around CMan now that he is learning to sit but I wouldn't have bought it if I knew that is all I would use it for.

- Diaper genies - Although we did use this for awhile, we one day ran out of refills and just switched to using the trash can. I quickly thought why did I use that to begin with. It smelled, it was annoying, and generally it just wasn't worth it. The trash can is perfect and tons cheaper.

- Bottle sterlizer - just use the dishwasher

- Baby shoes - they are cute and yes CMan owns a few but really they don't need them. They can't go anywhere, they can't walk, so shoes just are not necessary

I'm sure I'll think of more things to add to both lists but what did you use all the time or not use at all once your little bundle of joy arrived. I'm sure the list is different for everyone but lets help our future mommas out with some savings on unnecessary things!

Egg Coupon

Well egg coupons are rare in deed but head over here and pledge to eat healthier and help fight hunger. Button on bottom right corner. You will receive a buy one get one free egg coupon! Thats a great coupon so hurry and get yours!

Happy 6 months to C Man!

I can't believe it but this little guy

is 6 months old today!

Where did that half a year go?

On another note....where did all that dark hair go??

Love you handsome prince!

Saving on a Gym Membership

As you know I've been trying to lose the extra baby weight so the hubby and I decided to join the Y. We had looked at it a few months back but that wouldn't take C Man in the child watch area till he was 6 months old. This wasn't going to really work for us so we had decided to hold off on the gym membership.

The Coupon Gods were smiling on us BECAUSE.....

C Man turns 6 months tomorrow and last week the Y called to say they were running a special with no joining fee at sign up for this entire week. Which meant cutting off the $120 it would have cost us to join!

So we just happened to get lucky but when I was there tonight signing us up they told me they ran this promotion twice a year (a fact I really didn't know).

So my thought is if you are interested in joining a gym or club I think it would be wise of you to ask if they run specials throughout the year and when they are. Not paying the joining fee paid for another entire month of our Y membership and then some. Can't beat it!

I'm excited to continue my weight loss journey and M girl LOVED playing with her "friends" in the childcare area. Sometimes in savings you just got lucky and we just happened to this time.

Make It Monday: Letter Bow Holder

Today's Make It Monday is a letter bow holder.

First you need to gather these supplies: Letter of your choice, colors of your choice, a roll of ribbon, paintbrush and staple gun (or some other way to attach ribbon to letter)

This is my receipt which totals only $5.90 for all supplies (minus the paintbrush)! Not bad!

First step: Paint the base color

Then add your decorative elements. I was mocking the dots from Mgirl's comforter so I used the end of the paintbrush to make different size dots in brown paint. 

After it dried, I attached a piece of ribbon to the top and three longer pieces of ribbon to the bottom. Mgirl has lots of bows so I needed as much room as possible for all of them. 

The finished projects

Then all I did was add the bows and it is ready to be added to Mgirl's room and will keep her bows so much more organized. Bow holders can be expensize if you buy them already made but as you can tell its an easy quick inexpensive projects that anyone can handle!

What do you think??

Make It Monday

Makie it Monday is taking forever to dry which means I can't put the finishing touches on it yet. I promise it will be out this evening but until then I will show you my inspiration:

This is the bedding set I made for M girl's toddler bed. I am adding an accessory to her room and used this bedding I made as inspiration!

Different ways to collect coupons



Besides buying your own newspaper, there are other ways to get coupons and the more the merrier!

One way to collect coupons is to ask your friends and family to keep them for you. This may seem obvious but plenty of people get the newspaper and just throw away the coupons. In fact in 2006, the redemption rate for coupons was a mere 0.8% so I guarantee you know someone (or many people) who just throw away their coupons. And really it can't hurt to ask!

Another way to get coupons is to actually buy them for the internet. You can find individuals selling their clipping services (as coupons are not allowed to be sold) on ebay or on clipping sites. This is great to use if you want a lot of one particular coupon. For example if you use alot of diapers you can buy the clipping service for diapers and you would receive multiples of the same exact coupon.

Both of these ways help you to build your coupon supply and when you find a great sale you can stock up. Having multiples of one coupon is the easiest way to stock up when you find a super deal.

How do you acquire your coupons? Multiple newspapers, clipping service, friends and family, or some other way?

Sometimes it is hard to be patient

When there is something you really want....

Its hard to be patient.

I am currently lusting over this:

Unfortunately this beautiful camera comes with a hefty price tag that just isn't in my budget any day soon. Pout :(

Since my birthday is just 3 weeks away I asked everybody for just money towards my dream camera. I know it won't be soon but some things are worth the wait.

And yes my lovely camera is something definately worth the wait.

Target Deal 9/26 - 10/2

Gift Card Deals

Get a $5 Gift Card wyb 2 Pet Items from below
Fancy Feast 24 pack $11.00
$1/24 Fancy Feast coupon from 8/1 RP
Final Price: $7.50

16 lb. Purina Cat Chow $11.00
$1/1 Purina Cat Chow from 8/1 RP
Final Price: $7.50

15.5 lb. Beneful Dog Food $14.00
Final Price: $11.50

Get a $5 Gift Card wyb 2 Bags of Mars Halloween Candy for $10 ea

Final Price: $7.50 ea

Other Deals This Week

Kraft Cheese $2.00 (7-8 oz)
$5/5 Kraft Coupon
Final Price: $1.00 ea

Digiorno Pizza $4.50
$1/1 Digiorno coupon from 9/12 RP
Final Price: $3.50

Market Pantry Eggs, 1 doz. Grade A $1.00

Tide $11.00
100-oz. liquid or 63 or 80 load powder; Stain Release 34-ct. duo pacs or 68-oz. liquid
$1.50/1 Tide Coupon from 8/22 SS
and use the $1/1 Tide Target Coupon from 8/15 SS
Final Price: $9.00

Downy Fabric Softener $4.50 (52 or 60 load liquid or 105 or 120 ct. sheets)
$.50/1 Downy from 8/29 PG (exp. 9/30)
and use the $1/1 Downy Target coupon from 8/15 SS
Final Price: $3.00

Suave Shampoo and Conditioner (2 pk) $3.00
$1/2 Suave Professionals Coupon (sign up required)
Final Price: $2.50 per 2 pk, or $1.25 ea

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner $2.50 (13 oz)
$1/1 Garnier Fructis Coupon
Final Price: $1.50

Pond’s Cleansing Cloths $3.99 (30 ct)
$1.50/1 Pond’s Cream, Towelette, or Cleansing Product
and use the $1.50/1 Pond’s Face Skin Care Item Target Coupon
Final Price: $.99

12pk Arrowhead Waters $2
Use $.75/1 from 8/29 RP
Final Price: $1.25 (note: Arrowhead is not in all regions)

Fiber One Toaster Pastries $1.88Use $.50/1 from 9/19 SS
or use .55/1 printable (try 63366)
Final Price: $1.33

Coffeemate Creamers 16oz $1.79
Use .75/1 printable
or Use .55/1 from All You Sept
Final Price: as low as $1.04

L’Oreal Foundation $13
Use $2/1 coupon
Final Price: $11

Iron Man DVD or Blu Ray $17.99
Get $5 off when you also buy a second superhero DVD

Energizer 12pk Batteries $7
Use $1/1 printable
Use $1/1 Target coupon
Final Price: $5!

KodakEasyshare 12MP camera $97
Use $10/1 Target coupon
Final Price: $87

M&Ms 12oz $2.50
Use (2) .50/1 from 8/29 RP
and Use $1/2 Target coupon
Final Price: $1.50 per bag

Freebies This Week

Joint Juice $1.00
$1/1 Joint Juice Coupon
Final Price: Free

Reach Floss $.97
$1/1 Reach Floss or Toothbrush Coupon
Final Price: Free

Glade Tough Odor Carpet & Room $1.99
$1/1 or $2/2 Glade Tough Odor Solutions Coupon
and use the $1/1 Glade Odor Eliminator Target Coupon
Final Price: Free

Rite Aid Deals 9/26 - 10/2

Have to admit I'm not super in love with this weeks deals but there are free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a few other freebies to be had! Happy Shopping!

Buy $30.00 Worth of these P&G products and get a $10.00 UPR

Olay Skin and Bath Care BOGO 50% off
use $2/1 Olay Facial Skin Care (Rite Aid Booklet)
use $2/1 Olay Facial Cleanser, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
or use $3/1 Olay Regenerist Facial Cleaner, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
or use FREE Olay Eye Roller wyb Facial Moisturizer, exp. 10-31 (SS 09/12/10)

COVERGIRL Cosmetics BOGO 50% off
use $1/1 CoverGirl Face or Lip Product, exp. 9-30-10 (RP 08/15/10)
or use $1/1 CoverGirl Product, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
or use $2/2 CoverGirl Face or Lip Product, exp. 9-30-10 (RP 08/15/10)

Gillette Body Wash, Odor Shield, Old Spice, Secret $4.00Get $2.00 SCR (must buy 2)
$2/1 Gillette Bodywash, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
$1/1 Gillette Deodorant, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
FREE Gillette Body Wash wyb Deodorant, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
FREE Old Spice Body Spray wyb select items, exp. 10-31 (P&G 09/26/10)

Prilosec $22.99
$1/1 Prilosec OTC, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)

Gillette All Venus or Satin Care Brand Shaving Products BOGO 50% off
$2/1 Select Mach3, Sensor, Venus Razors, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$3/1 Mach3/Venus Disposable or Sensor3, exp. 9-30 (P&G 08/29/10)

Tide Laundry Detergent $5.99
$1/1 Tide Stain Release, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
$2/1 Tide Liquid, exp. 9-30-10 (Parents Magazine, Sept)

Pantene Shampoo Stylers or Conditioner $3.00 each
$2/1 Pantene Restore Beautiful Lengths, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$1/2 Pantene Product, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)

Hershey’s or M&M Mars Fun or snack size candy $2.50Get $1.50 UPR (must buy 3)
$1/2 Select Hershey’s Kisses, exp. 11-28-10 (SS 09/26/10)
$1/3 Hershey’s, Reese’s or Kit Kat Snack Bag, exp. 10-16 (SS 9/26/10)
3 for $5.00 after UPR


Nature Made Vitamins and Supplements BOGO
$2/1 Nature Made Fish Oil, exp. 11-22-10 (ALL YOU Oct ‘10)
$2/1 Nature Made Sleep Natural Sleep Aid RA printable
$2/1 Nature Made Vitamins or Supplements RA printable
$1/1 Nature Made Product printable

Coke and Coke Products $3.00 eachGet $1.00 UPR for 2

Mucinex 2 for $40.00
Get $10.00 UPR wyb 2
$1.50/1 Mucinex Product RA printable
use $5.00/$25.00 printable
$11.00 each after coupons and UPR

Clear Eyes Eye Drops, Chloraseptic, Little Noses Saline Drops, Little Colds Multi Symptom, or
Little Remedies Allergen Blocker $4.00Get $10.00 UPR on 5
$2.00 after UPR

DayQuil or NyQuil Twin Packs $9.99
$1.50/1 Vicks Dayquil, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$1.50/1 Vicks Nyquil, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$7.49 after coupon

Clearblue Easy Pregnancy Test Kits $12.99
Get $5.00 SCR
$1/1 Clearblue Easy Pregnancy Test, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$3/1 Clearblue Ovulation Test (P&G MIR Booklet)
as low as $4.99 after coupons & SCR

Theraflu $4.99
Get $1.00 UPRuse $2/1 Theraflu Product printable
$1.99 after coupon & UPR

Dimetapp $6.99
Get $2.00 UPRuse $2/1 Dimetapp Product printable
$2.99 after coupon

eos Lip Spheres $2.99Get $2.00 SCR
$.99 after coupon

Stayfree Maxi Pads or Carefree Pantiliners $2.99Get $1.00 UPR$0.50/1 Stayfree Product, exp. 11-30-10 (RP 09/26/10)
$1/1 Carefree Ultra Protection Product printable
as low as $.99 after coupon & UPR

Pampers Jumpo Pack or Easy Ups $9.99Get $2.00 UPR
$1/1 Select Pampers Diapers, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
$2 off Pampers Diapers/Pants AND Wipes, exp. 9-30 (P&G 08/29/10)
$6.99 after coupon & UPR

Gilette Fusion ProGlide Power or Manual power $9.87Get $3.00 UPR
$2/1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
$4.87 after coupon & UPR

Crest Pro Health Rinse or Twin Pack Toothpaste $4.99
Get $3.00 UPR
use $1/1 Crest Pro Health for Me Rinse, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
or use $1/1 Crest Pro Health for Me Rinse, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
or use $1/1 Crest Liquid Gel, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
or use $1/1 Oral-B Pro-Health for Me Toothbrush, exp. 10-31-10 (P&G 09/26/10)
$.99 after coupon & UPR

Crest Toothpaste, 3D White Rinse (237 ml), Oral-B Cross Action Toothbrush or Floss or Floss Picks $2.99 $2 +Up Rewards
$1/1 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste Rite Aid Clip + Save Booklet
$1/1 Oral-B Toothbrush Rite Aid Clip + Save Booklet
$1/1 Crest Toothpaste 8/29/2010 P&G Insert (exp 9/30/2010)
$1/1 Crest or Crest Pro Health For Me Toothpaste 9/26/2010 P&G Insert (exp 10/31/2010)
$1/1 Crest Toothpaste P&G What Matters Most Mailer (exp 11/30/2010)
B1G1 Oral-B Manual Toothbrush 8/15/2010 RP Insert (exp 9/30/2010)
B1G1 Oral-B CrossAction Manual Toothbrush 9/26/2010 P&G Insert (exp 10/31/2010)
$1/1 Oral-B CrossAction, Pulsar or Cavity Toothbrush 8/29/2010 P&G Insert (exp 9/30/2010)
$1/1 Oral-B Toothbrushes P&G What Matters Most Mailer (exp 11/30/2010)
2 for better than FREE toothbrushes or 1 for better than FREE toothpaste after coupons and +UP reward

M&M’s Candies $2.50 eachGet $1.00 UPR on 2
$1/2 M&Ms Peanut Chocolate Candy, exp. 10-31-10 (RP 08/29/10)
$1.50 each after coupon

Maybelline Foundation, Blush, or Concealer BOGO 50%Get $3.00 UPR (must spend $15.00)
$2/1 Maybelline Foundation printable
$2/1 Maybelline Mousse Foundation, exp. 12-31 (ALL YOU Fashion)
use $2/1 Maybelline Foundation, exp. 10-15-10 (RP 09/12/10)

Finish Automatic Dish Detergent , Jet Dry , or Quantumatic Kit 50% off
$1/1 Finish Quantum, exp. 10-17-10 (SS 09/19/10)
$0.40/1 Finish Jet-Dry or Turbo Dry, exp. 11-14-10 (SS 09/19/10)
$1/1 Finish/Electrasol Quantum Dishwasher Detergent printable

Oxi Clean $3.49Get $1.00 UPR

Soft Scrub with Bleach or Bath and Bowl, Febrese Set and Refresh, or Airwick Air Fresheners $2.50Get $1.00 UPR on 2
use (2) $1/1 Select Soft Scrub Total Products, exp. 10-30-10 (RP 09/19/10)
$1.00 each after coupon

Mom’s Best Quick Oats $1.50
Get $1.00 UPR on 2
use $0.75/1 Mom’s Best Naturals Product printable
$.25 each after coupon

Progresso Soup $1.50
Get $1.00 UPR wyb 2
use (2) $0.50/1 Progresso Soup, exp. 10-2-10 (SS 08/08/10 #2)
$.50 each after coupon

Bounty Basic Paper Towels, Charmin Basic Bath Tissue $5.49Get $1.00 UPR$0.25/1 Charmin Product, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$1/2 Charmin Product, exp. 9-30-10 (P&G 08/29/10)
$1.50/1 Charmin UltRite Aid Strong Bath Tissue (Rite Aid Booklet)
$0.50/1 Bounty Paper Towels via Upromise Deposit

General Mills FiberOne Cereal, Total, or Cheerios Cereal $2.50
Get $1.00 UPR on 2
$0.55/1 Cheerios Original (Yellow Box) via Shortcuts.com
$0.75/1 Total Cereals via Shortcuts.com

Start the violins....

Start the violins.....

I need a pity party!

The kids were a little rough on their poor momma last night.

This was my schedule:

Went to bed at 10:30

CMan crying 11:30

CMan ready to nurse 12:30

M girl up for no apparant reason 2:30

C Man ready to nurse 3:30

C Man crying 4:30

M girl had to go potty 5:30

Had to get up at 7:15 since I was consignment shopping this morning

Yup this momma is TIRED! The most I got was 2 hours in a row all night.

Ughhh......

Because we're getting to know each other....

Well there is a lot of new faces around here and I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself :)

I'm Lauren, mommy to M girl - 2 and C Man - 6 months! I also watch other children in my home so my days are often filled with craziness but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I started this blog because I would post some of the amazing deals I got on facebook and everyone would ask me how did you do that. Share the details.....and that is exactly what I'm doing.

Before I was a stay at home mom I worked at a childcare center as the Kindergarten teacher and taught little lovelies every day. It was interesting and fun but M girl was quickly growing and I wanted nothing more then to stay home with her. The hubby and I really took a hard look at the budget and decided to make the move.

Since we were taking a pay cut I really had to take a look on how to make our budget ends meet. I remembered watching my grandfather searching for deals in the weekly ad. My hubby says its genetic as that is what exactly started happening around here. I was amazed at the savings and even more amazed that we seem to have more then we did before.

I love, and I'm not joking, finding a deal! And I love finding out that you got a deal as well.

I hope we can all be great friends and I would love for you to share your stories and deals. Comments are always welcome and loved.

And why we are talking about love......I am so happy to soon be giving away another product I love! And this time there will be two winners!!! :) Because I love you all so much!

Diaper Stock

At naptime today I decided to assess my current diaper stock in order to determine what sizes I should be buying in future diaper deals. Here is what I found:

Size 2s: 163

Size 3s: 632

Size 4s: 395

Size 5s: 230

Grand Total: 1420 diapers!


I figure I use about 5 diapers a day (some days more, some days less), so I have enough for about 283 days! I wish I would have kept track of how much I spent on each package although its nice to know that if something happened we wouldn't need to buy diapers anytime soon.

It was great to make this list so now I know I need to work on my size 4 and size 5 stockpiles and definately don't need to work on my size 3s.

Have you started your stockpiles yet? Maybe not diapers but something else?

Look Who Is Sitting Up

Just a few days shy of six months and little C Man is mastering the art of sitting up:

 And yes he likes to eat everything in sight :)

Renovations

If you don't know, we bought a foreclosed home as our first home 3 years ago. That meant a full scale strip of the house from top to bottom. Every wall was painted, every floor was redone, every outlet was changed. We couldn't have done it without the help of our family and friends. Fast forward 3 years and here we are still doing renovations. Although we may have done the basics to start out with, we still have many projects that are ongoing.

Here is our current one:

 My half bath - beautiful isn't it

 And our beautiful playroom - yikes!

Now I will admit the hubby has made progress but not sure which looks better, here is the old basement:

Now hubby says the basement is going to be done by November 1st. He is driven by deadlines but really, do you think he is even going to come close?

I'm longing for the day that you don't open my front door and feel overwhelmed with toys. Until then, bring on the toy madness (and the renovations!)

Looking for Ways to Earn Online

Did you know that you can earn prizes and money just by doing what you normally do online?

There is a site called Swagbucks where all you have to do is your normal online searches and you will earn points towards prizes or giftcards. Nothing extra - no extra work - just search with them and you will earn. You do not earn points for every search you do but every once and awhile it will pop up at the top of your screen - you earned so many points.

What can you get with these points?

Honestly anything! From stickers to Target gift cards. From game consoles to trading cards. You name it, I bet they have it.

You have to do nothing but sign up and start searching. Could it be any easier? Sign up for Swagbucks you won't regret it!

The Mommy League

I'd like to create a Mommy League where our single goal would be to support each other. Wouldn't that be great?

I mean support can take on a lot of definitions:

Need a babysitter so you can run to the grocery store solo call the Mommy League

Wonder how to get your baby to stop throwing his paci out of his crib the second you put him in there call the Mommy League

Want to talk about something without being judged call the Mommy League

The Mommy League would be your all around guide to mommyhood, they would offer a hand whenever needed and of course never judge.

Why are we moms so judgemental of each other? Believe me I'm no different. Why does she do that? What is she thinking? Those things all cross my mind on a regular basis. Why can't we accept that everyone is going to do it a little differently and just support each other and all of our children so they all are the best kids they can be.

I've seen a lot of judging going on in light of the recent Similac recall and all I can think is seriously?? Sure I nurse C Man but had it been two years earlier while M girl was at grandma's I would have been affected. Because after pumping in a public bathroom for months while others knocked on the door wondering what I was doing and getting up multiple times a night not because my child needed fed but because I had to pump just to get enough milk for the next day, I just couldn't keep up anymore. I don't take it lightly that a formula we trust to feed the youngest members of our society is recalled. And by all means I don't judge those of us who are choosing (or not really choosing) to give it to our children.

Why does supporting each other have to be such a difficult thing?

Restaurant.com

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