Potty-Training Tips You Need To Know

Fisher-Price Ducky Fun 3-in-1 Potty, 

$39.99, toysrus.ca

Last weekend a friend asked me for some toilet-training tips, which inspired me to create this post. Here are the "tools" I used to help me get started:

• A functional toddler potty. In my opinion, you need to have a floor-level toddler potty. Using only a portable potty seat is less messy, but when a kid says she's gotta go, she's gotta go NOW. You may not have time to place the potty seat on the toilet and seat your kid's butt down! So what I loved about the Fisher-Price Ducky Fun 3-in-1 Potty is that my daughter could reach it at floor level; you can remove the potty seat, AND it also acts as a stepping stool. 

• Extra toilet seats. To help with toilet training outside the house, I used my Huggies points to get a portable potty seat. Then I spent Canadian Tire money to purchase a potty seat that my daughter would love (Dora never fails!). 

• A potty for the car, too! To prevent on-the-road accidents, I purchased the LILLA Children's Potty from Ikea for $3.99. I kept it in the car and when my daughter needed it, I put a plastic bag over the potty for easy clean-up. 

FYI: In case you're wondering, my daughter was 2-and-a-half when she started using the potty on her own. What worked for me was the when-you're-ready method -- let your toddler use the potty when she's comfortable. I know other parents have used different methods though, so definitely go with what's working for you.

Canadian Tire deals

So I went to Canadian Tire today and landed an amazing deal:

My husband and I got this Safety 1st Convertible Onside Air Protect Child Seat for ... $4.99.
Yes, you read that right!

Here's how we did it:

Original price: $129.99
Canadian Tire money: $110
Canadian Tire gift card: $10
Canadian Tire $5 off special scratch card: $5

Here's the formula: 
129.99 - 110 -10 - 5 = $4.99

P.S. While I was at Canadian Tire, I picked up their Destination: Home promo flyer. Check this out: From now til April 4, if you buy anything from their Destination: Home guide, you get 10% back on your Options Mastercard in Canadian Tire money.

So is this promo worth it? Honestly, the stuff in the guide is pretty good. You can get a 12-bin toy organizer for $39.99 and Sterilite totes and bins range from $3.49-$24.99. Get your Destination:Home flyer in store or online at www.canadiantire.ca.

Price-matching places

Here's a quick list of Ontario stores that price-match 7 days a week. Enjoy, savers!

• Real Canadian Superstore
• Walmart
• Freshco
• No Frills
• Toys R Us (yes, seriously)
• Canadian Tire (yup, this one too!)

Take note: There are "fine print details," so pay close attention. For instance, Freshco sometimes says you can only price-match four quantities of one item in one shopping visit. So ... just be aware before you tell the cashier to shut the front door ;)

Did I miss any stores? Let me know!

Cheap must-haves for baby and toddler messes

My husband and I have had to face a gruelling fact: HAVING A KID IS A MESSY AFFAIR! However, we have been able to save our home and favourite threads with a few cheap finds:

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Like any toddler, my 18-month-old loves crayons. Thank goodness she stopped trying to eat them! But she does enjoy drawing everywhere - cupboards, doors, walls, you name it. Sure, we have colouring books and crafts, but do you think she wants to colour on those? Nope! So the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has come super handy for rubbing off scribbles. You can buy a single eraser first to test it, then consider buying a two-pack. A two-pack is around $3 at Canadian Tire. Plus, you can find coupons online or in the newspaper, at 50 cents off.



President's Choice Soil & Stain Laundry Stain Remover

This is probably the best stain remover I've ever used. It has removed stains from purees, sauces, dirt, coffee, pop, crayons, diaper-related mishaps ... the list goes on. (No joke - a lot of my daughter's clothes are in great condition, even the white onesies.) Whenever I buy a bottle at No Frills, I've bought it for $2.99 (650 ml). Not sure if this is the regular or sale price, but even if it's a little more expensive, I'd splurge on this product. What I love too is that you don't need much to remove stains, so one bottle goes a long way.

Generally speaking, I am open to trying out new products. What I do here is store away samples for detergents, air fresheners, sponges, wash cloths, etc. - pretty much, the same method I use for baby-related samples. Usually, they come with coupons too, so that always helps.

What do you use for your kid-related messes? Feel free to sound off!