Summer Savings!

I've come across a few summer savings for baby and tot. Check these out!

Coppertone Coupon
Coppertone has a coupon available for $1 off. Even if you're unsure of which sunscreen you want to use on your baby, maybe keep this saving on hand. It's through GoCoupon.ca, so you need to have a login. (NOTE: According to Health Canada, babies need to be six months old to wear sunscreen. However, in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Baby&Toddler: Today's Parent Guide, they say "it's now considered safe in small amounts" for younger babies. Talk to your doctor to be on the safe side.)



 


Pampers/Huggies Swimming Diapers
Walmart has these on sale (two packages of Pampers or Huggies swimming diapers for $20). And if you have coupons for Pampers or Huggies that do not have restrictions on them (i.e. $2 off ANY package of diapers), use them on the swimmers! I did and for Huggies swimming diapers, I ended up paying $17 for two packages. And if you need a recap on how to calculate diaper savings/price matching, check out my entry from earlier this year.



Surely I must be missing out on other savings. If so, feel free to share!

Gotta love the library

I have rediscovered the library. Now that I have a kid, I am finally checking out the children's section and, boy, there's some good stuff! In Mississauga, many of the libraries are becoming much more family-friendly, with toys, puzzles and games scattered around. And what I'm totally addicted to is borrowing DVDs for my daughter! I've been able to get my hands on Barney (my daughter calls him "Marmey"), Elmo's World, Yo Gabba Gabba, Johnny and the Sprites, Roll Play, In The Night Garden ... you name it. This saves me from spending money on DVDs, especially since my daughter gets tired of them so quickly. (Totally off topic, but did you know Selena Gomez was on Barney when she was a kid?!)

Also, I've just learned that many libraries have free programs, such as song-and-dance classes for tots, crafts, story time, etc.  So if you need something different from home activities and/or what's available at a drop-in centre, see what your library has to offer.

Heinz Baby/Little Kids coupons

SmartSource has printable coupons available for Heinz Baby and Little Kids snacks and food. Here's a tip: If you can, wait until there's a great sale or price match at Walmart, Superstore or Freshco; then use the coupons on top for additional savings. Check the site out if you have time, especially if you're starting your baby on solids. I started my daughter on rice cereal at four months old and she seemed to be okay whenever I gave her Heinz. Happy savings!

A DIY ball pit

We went to a birthday party a few weeks ago at Balls of Fun, which my daughter LOVED like crazy! We didn't want to spend money on a home ball pit, however, my husband had a great idea: Let's take a broken inflatable bathtub and make our own! We bought the balls at a Value Village for $3.99. Here's the end result of our DIY ball pit, what do you think?

Free Sears Portrait

Last year, I won free Sears portraits for a year at the Baby Time Show (where I also got a load of other freebies!). So when my freebies expired, I was a little bummed ... until this offer came along! Here's a promotion Sears is offering for a free 10x10. Enjoy!

P.S. It expires on June 30, 2012.

What I wish I didn't buy before I had a baby

So when I was pregnant, I thought I needed everything. But come to think of it, why did I think this way? I didn't even have the kid yet! Off the top of my head, here are a few things I got beforehand but NEVER needed or didn't benefit from. Maybe you'll learn from my mistakes or maybe you'll disagree with my thoughts. Whatever the case, you might get a few tips here.

Summer Infant Close2You Cordless Baby Monitor
I'm a light sleeper and I live in a tiny condo unit. I wake up at the drop of a pin. Enough said. But when I did try to make use of it (I opened it just because I had it), I found it to be really staticky. Not sure if that was me or the product.

Safety 1st Lux Connect Travel System
I have a feeling I was thinking, "the bigger, the better." This stroller/car seat set is ridiculously bulky and wears down quickly. Oh yeah, one time a wheel fell off, so what does that tell you? If I were to go back in time, I'd probably invest in a Peg Perego. On the brighter side of things, I have really strong arms now.

  

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!